December 1st is World AIDS Day. While people like to think that AIDS is either gone or something that only exists in far-off places, it is still a huge problem in every nation that needs attention, awareness, and money.
Every fifteen seconds , another child in the world becomes infected with HIV/AIDS. 11.8 million people between the ages of 15 and 24 are HIV+.
Here are some ways you can help:
Anyone in Eugene can volunteer or give money to the HIV Alliance.
People in Portland can help through the Cascade AIDS Project.
Those who want to give money can donate to many sites, one of which is YouthAIDS. You can help educate and protect a youth from HIV for an entire year for only $10.
You can buy Kiehl’s grapefruit hand and body cleanser for $15, all of which goes to YouthAIDS (might I add that Kiehl’s makes great products).
For us JETers, we can help, as well. Save some of the money that you spend on pizaman at the conbini and donate it to a good cause. You can either use your credit card (you know you have one) at any of the above sites, or you can furikomi to World Vision. Info is available here and in Japanese here.
The World AIDS Campaign also has a lot of great information on how to help here.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Samui
K, so I am going to attempt to refrain from bitching about the cold in every entry, as it is pointless. So, instead, I will just devote this entry to it.
It has been fucking FREEZING lately. Japan is apparently one of the most high-tech countries in the world, but somehow doesn’t feel the need to put insulation in houses, or have central heating. Therefore, my apartment is bloody COLD-AS. I now eat, sleep (on a futon), and do everything else in my living room, as it is small and much warmer than my FREEZING, too-big bedroom. I now use my bed for storage of sweaters and whatnot. It is quite sad.
A couple weeks ago I was in the shower and I was trying to squeeze shampoo out of the bottle, but it wouldn’t come out because it was FROZEN. Um, yeah.
There was an ALT in the mountains of Gunma who had to keep his toothpaste in his refrigerator to prevent it from freezing, as the fridge was the warmest place in his house. I am not shitting you (thanks, Jenny, for the story).
So far the days really aren’t that bad, as they have been sunny, but the nights are NOT fun. Last night I was biking home wearing a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a thick sweater and a thick coat on, with gloves, a scarf, and a beanie on, and was still freezing. Hello, what more can I possibly wear? It wasn’t even December!!!
Okay, done bitching. At least I have Takeshi, my kotatsu, and my expensive heater. I refuse to use you, kerosene killer! AND it is December 1st (a fact that is hard to believe, btw), which is the official date that places start using heat and stuff (Japanese people ignore what the weather is actually like; they only pay attention to what the date is).
This is a cranky entry. K, no more bitching!
It has been fucking FREEZING lately. Japan is apparently one of the most high-tech countries in the world, but somehow doesn’t feel the need to put insulation in houses, or have central heating. Therefore, my apartment is bloody COLD-AS. I now eat, sleep (on a futon), and do everything else in my living room, as it is small and much warmer than my FREEZING, too-big bedroom. I now use my bed for storage of sweaters and whatnot. It is quite sad.
A couple weeks ago I was in the shower and I was trying to squeeze shampoo out of the bottle, but it wouldn’t come out because it was FROZEN. Um, yeah.
There was an ALT in the mountains of Gunma who had to keep his toothpaste in his refrigerator to prevent it from freezing, as the fridge was the warmest place in his house. I am not shitting you (thanks, Jenny, for the story).
So far the days really aren’t that bad, as they have been sunny, but the nights are NOT fun. Last night I was biking home wearing a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a thick sweater and a thick coat on, with gloves, a scarf, and a beanie on, and was still freezing. Hello, what more can I possibly wear? It wasn’t even December!!!
Okay, done bitching. At least I have Takeshi, my kotatsu, and my expensive heater. I refuse to use you, kerosene killer! AND it is December 1st (a fact that is hard to believe, btw), which is the official date that places start using heat and stuff (Japanese people ignore what the weather is actually like; they only pay attention to what the date is).
This is a cranky entry. K, no more bitching!
Midterm Tests
This is one of the listening dialogues/questions being played right now for the 2nensei in the staff room (over the intercom).
A: My mother gave me a book about Santa Claus when I was a child.
B: Did you enjoy reading it?
A: Yes, I did.
B: Santa Claus always brings children joy and love.
Test question: What does Santa Claus bring to children?
Um, that is the most retarded dialogue ever.
A: My mother gave me a book about Santa Claus when I was a child.
B: Did you enjoy reading it?
A: Yes, I did.
B: Santa Claus always brings children joy and love.
Test question: What does Santa Claus bring to children?
Um, that is the most retarded dialogue ever.
Bad Blogger
K, so I haven’t blogged in a week, so it’s time to catch everyone up on the non-stop excitement known as Jeff’s Life (TM). When we last left off, Jeff was not happy to be back at work after a day off. Did he survive the week? What did he do during his weekend? Just how much food has he eaten in the past seven days? Read this entry, and you, dear reader, shall know the answers to these questions and more!
Wow, I’m the biggest nerd in history. Anyway! I had a muy busy weekend! Friday night we all went out to Darjeeling, an Indian restaurant in Ota, for a late celebration of Cindy’s birthday, and an early celebration of Minako’s birthday. It was yummy yummy, and of course I ate way too much. We got Cindy a huge Chip and Dale stuffed animal set that is SO cute and soft! Shindy, if you arrive home one day and it’s gone, you know where it is ;) It was a fun night out, but I feel bad for everyone else in the restaurant, as we were seriously the loudest gaijin in the history of the universe. I could barely hear myself talking! Kawaisou, other diners!
Saturday morning I had to wake up early to go shopping? Um, who sets their alarm to go shopping?! I had a busy day, tho, so I had to be sure I had enough time to get stuff done. I was on the train and bus to AEON with my too-cool-for-school 3nensei guys, who were going to Harry Potter? I’m sorry, but cool people don’t see Harry Potter on opening day! Hehe. I bonded with them, tho, so that was cool.
So, I somehow spent like $250 at AEON? I don’t know where it went. I did some Christmas shopping, then got myself a hybrid Jeff-esque/Japanese-esque sweater that I enjoy greatly, then some Body Shop stuff (damn last-minute random AIDS-charity purchases at the counter!), and um….other stuff that I don’t remember. Bad news. Anyway, a bunch of us went to Harry Potter and it was soooooooooooooooo good! SO GOOD! I need to see it again. It was almost three hours long, but I only looked at my watch once, and that was just out of curiosity, not boredom. God, it was good! By the way, I’m a molester and think that Harry is getting kinda hot. I am disturbed by myself. However, I didn’t think that until he was like naked in the bath? That whole scene was disturbing. Anyway, everyone should go see the movie, it is so fucking good!
After the movie I met up with Minako, Cindy and Ann and we went to Tatebayashi for the final final night of Grow Up. It had already closed, so it was a potluck kinda party. It was fun to see everyone and hang out there for the last time. Sad, I don’t want it to be closed!!!!
I stayed the night at Mami’s and Minako, Mami and I woke up bright and early to meet Grant and Yoshi at Disney Sea. It was a fun day, but we were all exhausted as hell. For those Americans who don’t know what Disney Sea is, it’s the second park they have at the Disney Resort here. It is like their equivalent of California Adventure, I guess, but not as crappy. But it’s still not amazing? Like, it is fun, but it doesn’t have that many rides. It is where couples go mainly ‘cause it has a good atmosphere (sad, I don’t know how to say that in English. Funiki ga ii!) and is romantic and purty. So, Minako was my date for the day ;)
Plus, the highlight of going to Disney Sea is that they have a ride called “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” but with the Japanese accent, they say “aasu.” So, it’s the Journey to the Center of the Ass. I always love a good Journey to the Center of the Ass. It is appropriate that it is slow and boring at first, but then fast and fun at the end. K, I will end that now ;)
Anyway, it was a fun day, and a fun weekend in general! Thanks to everyone who entertained me! Fun was had.
Wow, I’m the biggest nerd in history. Anyway! I had a muy busy weekend! Friday night we all went out to Darjeeling, an Indian restaurant in Ota, for a late celebration of Cindy’s birthday, and an early celebration of Minako’s birthday. It was yummy yummy, and of course I ate way too much. We got Cindy a huge Chip and Dale stuffed animal set that is SO cute and soft! Shindy, if you arrive home one day and it’s gone, you know where it is ;) It was a fun night out, but I feel bad for everyone else in the restaurant, as we were seriously the loudest gaijin in the history of the universe. I could barely hear myself talking! Kawaisou, other diners!
Saturday morning I had to wake up early to go shopping? Um, who sets their alarm to go shopping?! I had a busy day, tho, so I had to be sure I had enough time to get stuff done. I was on the train and bus to AEON with my too-cool-for-school 3nensei guys, who were going to Harry Potter? I’m sorry, but cool people don’t see Harry Potter on opening day! Hehe. I bonded with them, tho, so that was cool.
So, I somehow spent like $250 at AEON? I don’t know where it went. I did some Christmas shopping, then got myself a hybrid Jeff-esque/Japanese-esque sweater that I enjoy greatly, then some Body Shop stuff (damn last-minute random AIDS-charity purchases at the counter!), and um….other stuff that I don’t remember. Bad news. Anyway, a bunch of us went to Harry Potter and it was soooooooooooooooo good! SO GOOD! I need to see it again. It was almost three hours long, but I only looked at my watch once, and that was just out of curiosity, not boredom. God, it was good! By the way, I’m a molester and think that Harry is getting kinda hot. I am disturbed by myself. However, I didn’t think that until he was like naked in the bath? That whole scene was disturbing. Anyway, everyone should go see the movie, it is so fucking good!
After the movie I met up with Minako, Cindy and Ann and we went to Tatebayashi for the final final night of Grow Up. It had already closed, so it was a potluck kinda party. It was fun to see everyone and hang out there for the last time. Sad, I don’t want it to be closed!!!!
I stayed the night at Mami’s and Minako, Mami and I woke up bright and early to meet Grant and Yoshi at Disney Sea. It was a fun day, but we were all exhausted as hell. For those Americans who don’t know what Disney Sea is, it’s the second park they have at the Disney Resort here. It is like their equivalent of California Adventure, I guess, but not as crappy. But it’s still not amazing? Like, it is fun, but it doesn’t have that many rides. It is where couples go mainly ‘cause it has a good atmosphere (sad, I don’t know how to say that in English. Funiki ga ii!) and is romantic and purty. So, Minako was my date for the day ;)
Plus, the highlight of going to Disney Sea is that they have a ride called “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” but with the Japanese accent, they say “aasu.” So, it’s the Journey to the Center of the Ass. I always love a good Journey to the Center of the Ass. It is appropriate that it is slow and boring at first, but then fast and fun at the end. K, I will end that now ;)
Anyway, it was a fun day, and a fun weekend in general! Thanks to everyone who entertained me! Fun was had.
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