It's OVER!

At last.... Phew. I can shake the report off my head. It's been a very, very, very long reporting week.

As of 6:56 PM I typed "The End" on page 52 of my report. That is such a relief.

My boss is now rereading it for me, as I have been going over it like 1 million times that I have lost the ability to spot the differences and all I want to do now is to send it off and call it a night.

So far so good, Andrew should finish reading in about 30 minutes.

What a treat to be able to think about something else. Now I just want to panic about that call at 10 PM tomorrow. My 'guru' and I spoke this morning, gave me some last minute advice and now I'm all set up to take that call.

Maybe I should spend some time and prep myself a little bit more. However I am more interested in going to bed. Staying up till 3 AM on a daily basis is doing ugly things to my physical being.

And I owe some posting at Chaos. Got a book and movie review that I can put up there. After tomorrow, I promise (well, OK, maybe over the weekend).

Chaos in my living room throughout my reporting moments

A Brilliant Week!

So much to blog about, so little time to do it!!!!

Big events of the week:

1. My big research is finished at last. 8 groups, 56 people, 20 hours of listening. A lot to digest, report is due COB Wednesday Nov 29. I am merely at the beginning, the analysis is far from advancing or evolving.
Please don't take it personally, but I am shutting down everything around me. It is now between me, the notes and the computer. Anyone who wishes to speak to me urgently may call, and if you're lucky, I might actually notice the phone is vibrating - in which event I will pick up and answer. I will be available again on Thursday.

2. The cast if off. Whoa, what a difference it is to be able to use the other hand again.

3. I had a haircut. My stylist gave me a bang/fringe without my permission. To be exact, he cut it and THEN he told me, "oh btw, you now have a bang". Now, Mr. Stylist, if you had made the cut then what difference would it make if I didn't like it? Do you have some magic potion that could grow my hair quickly?? Do ya'?! Do ya'?!
I probably won't be 'bitter' about this bang if he had asked me nicely and talked me into it, instead of making my decision for me. After all these years, you would think that he understands that a woman has some complicated emotional thing going on with her hair and that should never be meddled!!

Anyway, I have come to terms with it and I don't think it looks bad. However, as a woman of practicality, I still find it disturbing my eyesight.
Because of popular demands, I am posting the new hairdo. You are welcome to trash it if you like.



4. Went for a hike (FINALLY!!!!) to Mt. Takao, with ODiv... along with 2 million other people.
Stunning, stunning, stunning autumn leaves ('thanks' to global warming the golden and red colors are at their peak). Brilliant colors. A very easy 1 hour hike to the shrine - which is about another 45 minutes hike to the mountain top, and then after being really annoyed for having to be in line together with the other 2 million people towards the top, we turned around and hiked back to the station. Smart decision.





5. Taiko drumming is the best remedy for all my miseries. Went for practice this morning. I think I gained almost 80% of my motor skill back. It's pretty odd that half of my body (particularly my right hand and arm) tires really quickly when the left is still very perky.
Gave a taiko drumming performance at a colleague's wedding party this evening. Did 4 songs and sensei taught me how to do the lion dance so Taiko Tari the lion heroine could give blessings to the betrothed.





6. After the performance, the wedding party had a game thing going on. Coming back from loading the big drums back to Sensei's car, I changed to my party gear really quickly and found myself in the middle of some game. We had to answer to some quiz about the couple. I joined in and blindly guessed all the answers. What do you know, I literally guessed everything correctly and scored first place. They gave me a present. The person in 3rd got a set of shampoo and conditioner, the person in 2nd got some gift voucher, and I got the surprise present which is a NINTENDO DS Lite, crystal white version. YEAH!

7. To finish it off, got a quick mail from Deenster asking if I liked U2. So quite naturally I said, "Hell yeah!" So she sweetly invited me to go see Bono and the gang on their gig in Tokyo early in December.

This is my good week. :)

Now I am going sip my hot cocoa and prepare to call Zurich for a chat and then call it a night.

Ta ta!!

ps: Happy birthday to my dear brother Goio. Best wishes with love from Japan!!

Free at last!!!

I'm free
I'm free
I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

YEAH! Good ole doctor Bones. :) He still wants to see me again one last time (one can hope) in early December for final check up.
Not only that, he also said, "You used to play taiko and you want to play again tomorrow? Well, I'm not going to lie, but it will hurt, very much. But if you can bear the pain - it's actually going to accelerate your rehabilitation process, so go ahead!"

So, the most important thing is: I am no longer cast-bound.
AND...
I went drumming yesterday morning. Though excruciatingly painful, nothing beats the happiness of being with the big drums again. The happiness from within makes the pain goes away... Last time I broke my elbow, I haven't started drumming then, and it took nearly 6 months to fully recover, let's see how long it takes this time.

ps: as a treat, had myself a haircut, and Kozo (my stylish of 6 years now) gave me a bang/fringe. He should've asked me first! boo. I'm still indecisive about this new hair style.

2 hours and 31 more minutes to go

Goodness knows, I've been VERY good these past three weeks.

Even when 7 comrades abandoned me in despair last Sunday - I stayed good

Even when I had to manage and observe 20 hours of 56 people talking about tobacco ads and all that it entailed - I stayed good

Even when I had 16 clients in the backroom with their individual demands - I stayed good

Even when it's 10C outside and I couldn't put on warm coats and sticked to my down North Face vest- I stayed good

Even when I had to scoop up and console a crying baby having a bad dream - I stayed good

So, my dear doctor Bones, stay true to your word, please. I have adapted to the situation, but I assure you I am SO NOT going to miss being in this cast.
At 1500 hours today, I expect you to declare my elbow repaired.

Thank you!

Practical Knowledge: How to Remove Red Wine Stain

(A tribute for Super Odaiko Div)

1. Treat the stain while it's still fresh
2. Put salt on the affected area
3. Pour some white vinegar over the affected area
4. Let it sit for 1 minute
5. Bring it to hot water, pour some detergent and scrub it off with a brush
6. Launder it
7. VOILA!

So, last night for dinner ODiv brought over a very nice bottle of South Australian Shiraz Cabernet. After dinner ODiv started working on her notes for a job this weekend on the computer, while I positioned myself nicely on my plush white-beige couch, setting up Tony Mac on full volume and inserted "Monk" DVD and was going to call it a night when there was a message from my sister asking me to call.

I picked up the phone and started chatting with Zurich for about 30 minutes trying to finalize down our Bali getaway next month. Chit-here-sip the wine-chat-there-haha-here-sip the wine-haha-there. Finally all details summed and I put down the phone, put down my wine glass on the coffee table, and I got up to get a notepad to write down the details for Bali.

As I was walking towards my stationery cabinet, we heard a loud thump *CRASH* and we turned around towards the source of the noise only to discover my precious RIEDEL shattered into a million pieces and there was a giant red spot all over the beautiful white couch and all over the carpet.
I looked in disbelieve and screamed, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
ODiv immediately jumped from her chair and yelled, "get some salt!!!"
While I was standing powerless, I saw ODiv moved about the surgical area (it seriously looked as if a dog has been murdered, blood EVERYWHERE). She went here, salt-salt-salt, there salt-salt-salt, and then here again salt-salt-salt, and then said, "do you have some vinegar?"

She did every step listed above very correctly and quickly, might I add, she's very affluent in taking care of everything - and my beautiful white couch is saved from it's doomsday.
After everything is over, I asked her... "I'm very impressed on how you handled everything. How do you know what to do in so little time?"
ODiv said, "Well, it's not my first time. Everything is gonna be OK..."

ps: thanks Bongle, for taking care of everything and for putting up with my foul mood last night.

ODiv and me on the beautiful white couch before the accident

Being a Ciotog*

So, we're on a topic of being a lefty.

It has always been a muse for me why a lefty is a lefty.

For the first few years of my life, (until I was 6 or so), I have always been very comfortable in using my left hand, but then mother and father decided that in our Asian society using your left hand for the most dominant task is completely frowned upon and let's push little Taiko Tari to forget to use her left hand and use her right instead. No, little girl, you should NOT use your left hand when you put food in your mouth. No, little girl, you should not shake hands with your left hand. No, little girl, you should not do anything with your left hand unless you're in the bathroom.
And thus I began using my right hand for most tasks in life.

Over the years I often wonder, why am I always the clumsiest person in the class, in the bus, or at any place in general. I seem to be a walking jumpy elephant in a small room. I dropped everything around me and trip over a crack and fall down over nothing.
This is a very common scene: somebody will hand me something, I will receive it with my right hand and then drop it and break it merely 2 minutes after that.

Now, fast forward to the future.... this situation has again pushed me to utilize my left hand to the max. In my life time, this is the fourth time I do it. Looking back to previous three times (motor bike accident - disjointed right arm from the shoulder/3 months recovery, two times rollerblade accidents - broken elbow number 1, and broken elbow number 2 /4-5 weeks recovery) and my current situation (in 7 days will be 3 weeks recovery) -- I am amused that in all those unfortunate situation, I always adapt surprisingly well with my left hand. After 2 days, then I don't need any more assistance from anyone. I don't drop things anymore and I even cook with my mighty left comfortably.

This brings everything back to the underlying concept why a lefty is a lefty. Wikipedia has laid the facts down with decent arguments about left-handed people.
My own conclusion would be: some people are left-handed because they are born that way. It is not a satanic cursed act. And they who are born that way never meant to be impolite or undermine the society, but that's how they neuroscientifically function. Pushing change to make a lefty a righty will only create disaster to the subjected respondent and ultimately the world around the subject.

As for myself - ever since I departed Indonesia and started living in Japan, I have found a balance between my right and left hands. I do things equally with both hands and found a comfortable equilibrium in that world. Nobody here look at me funny if I don't apologize handing or receiving things with my left hand.
That being said - having been a convert right-handed for over two decades - it's not a big deal anymore to use my right hand. Am still (VERY) clumsy and all, but that's probably just my charm. haha.

*Ciotog is an Irish word used to describe left-handed people, which also means 'strange person'.

I killed my TV

Another sunny day.
A beautiful sunny day.
Finally the days are much cooler where the average temperature is at the respectable 15C, just the way it should be in November (or come to think of it, it should've been like that too in October!!)

I'm hoping the weather will stay as 'warm' as this until at least next Thursday so O.Div and me can finally go hiking. We've been delayed three weeks only for the matters such as broken elbow, miserable monsoonic rain, and work, and taiko performance.

Have you watched Alias, yet? Agent Sydney Bristow is one cool chickadee, let me tell you. Although she walks a little funny, but she's still very cool!
About two years ago, a friend from Indonesia came for a visit and as a present to yours truly, she got me a set of Alias DVD season 3. Knowing fully well the downside of living in Japan: deprivation from decent TV shows that is not related to people talking about food all the time.
I kid you not, in the morning news, talk shows, travel channel and in between shows, etc, they all have something in common: they all want to talk about food. I mean, I love food, yes. I'm a proud foodie, and a person whose passion is cooking -- but I don't want to talk about it all the time, you see?

Anyways, where was I?
Oh, Alias.

Yes, after sitting in my DVD collection for quite sometime (2 years and 1 month, to be exact) I finally inserted the DVD and started watching it.
I am hooked!!!
That TV show is addictive, not as crazily haunting like 24, but very engaging nonetheless.
I watched the entire thing in 3 sittings. The entire Saturday until I had to get ready to attend an early Thanksgiving dinner at a K&K's.
And then nonstop till morning until I had to get ready to see the Swedish trio for crepes. And then after saying ta ta to Baby Ella and her parents, I went back home and started watching again. Man that show was good.

The downside of it all is that the hard work killed my TV. It's now dead. Kaput.
Tried to switch it on, it went blink blink blink and then off again.

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Anyways, the nice lady at Sony is going to send someone over to check on my TV since it's rather large for any one person to carry it herself, let alone one with a broken elbow such as myself. That wouldn't be wise.

p.s. on a completely different note, thanks for the kind e-mails, comments, and phone calls. I think I'm coping with my one-handed life rather nicely. I have mastered many one handed skills namely:
1. writing with my left-hand. Even though the result is uncannily ugly, and it takes 3 times as long, my handscript is still decipherable
2. cooking non-symmetrically chopped food. Well, let's put it this way, I want to have mabodofu, but all the pre-made packages have pork in it, so it didn't leave me much choice, gotta make it myself. Chopping the tofu was rather challenging, but I made it just fine!!!
3. Utilizing my other functioning body parts to open jars and bottles. Almost like in a slapstick sitcom, I had to use both my feet or thigh to hold the bottle/jar still and then twist it open.
4. Wrapping my cast every morning after shower. With the collaboration between the mighty left hand and my right arm pit, I'm getting better everyday.
5. and the list continues...

So all in all, everything has been OK. There are many things that are still difficult to do, (washing dishes, or signing on my credit card, and others), but I shall survive. I should be out of this thing in 8 days. Meanwhile, my lovely cleaning lady will just have to come a little more often than the pre-agreed every-three-weeks.

Nope, 3 weeks... and that's final.

Hello, hello and HELLOOOOOOO!

I'm back. Been a very busy beginning of the week, all my waking hours were spent predominantly in the rat-hole, dark and mind-numbing (the theme, that is), but productive nonetheless.
Had to bid farewell with a client, since she's promoted to head the corporate marketing department of the big blue company.

So, yesterday I visited doctor Bones at the hospital. Left my office with springs in my feet, with high hopes that he will take my cast off there and then.
After all doctor Nakajima told me that if I were good, I can get out of the cast in just two weeks.
Well, I've been VERY good, so I was hoping that I could get out in just 1 week.

After a long power lunch meeting with a client from LA, everything started off wrong for me that day. I was only able to leave Ebisu at 2:10 PM. My appointment was for 2:30 PM. There is no way I could make it back to Shinjuku in a timely manner. Walking to Ebisu station from the Westin Tokyo is 20 minutes in itself. So I surrendered to Mr. Taximan. I was fashionably late. I showed up at 2:45 PM at the orthopedist surgery unit.
The nurse looked at me and shook her head. "We're closed", she said. "But I have an appointment! I'm late, I know, but I have an appointment!" after reasoning with her who seems to be running away for her lunch break - I convinced her to check the computer. HA! I'm in there.

Finally after waiting a fair bit, I finally got in to see doctor Bones.
Doctor Bones spent a few minutes going hmmm, aaaahh, hmmmm again and hmmmm again. He is a certified specialist for bones, just like doctor Otoosan. So then he wanted to see my broken part. Then he went:

dr. Bones: "This looked good. You are no longer swelling."
me: "yes, yes, I've been VERY good."
dr.Bones: "well let's see, I guess we can keep you in the cast for two more weeks."
me: "but doctor, I've been VERY good. I didn't use my right hand once. It doesn't hurt anymore. Can you take it off next Wednesday please."
dr.Bones: "wanna bet? I bet this hurts..." (pinched the area around my broken elbow)
me: "YEEEEOOOOW!" and then solemnly, "no, it doesn't hurt."
dr. Bones: (trying his best not to laugh looking at my innocent sinnister look) "you are staying in that cast 2 more weeks."
me: "But doctor Nakajima said only 2 weeks in total."
dr. Bones: "Nope, three weeks."
me: "But I've been very good." (slowly losing my determination...)
dr. Bones: "Three weeks. Your elbow has been improving tremendously, but I'm saying two more weeks and then we can look at it again."
me: "But doctor, I live alone, can I take it off when I go to bed or when I take a shower and could you please let me out of it in 1 week."
dr. Bones: "Listen, you BROKE your elbow, 3 weeks is fast for your recovery already, normally we keep them for 5-6 weeks."
me: "But..."
dr. Bones: "No more buts, we're not having a negotiation. I'm your doctor and I said three weeks. 2 more weeks to go and that's final. I'll see you on November 22."

grrrrrhhhhhh....

OK, Montchan. I guess I won't be attempting to play the drums on the 19th. :) You can stop being worried now.

Also want to say thanks very much for everyone who's been very kind and caring and attentive this past week. Thanks for helping me sorted out dinner last night, #Q, had fun chatting. I'm looking forward to bugging Darling little Ella and Mamma for dinner tonight. Yup yup yup. Maybe I should keep the cast even after I am released for it. It's been almost like a ticket to get nice sweatfree food. :)

Baby Annika feasting on O.Div's bangles

Darling lilla Ella discovering the waving techniques

Tokyo Bay Area as seen from the boat

Sunday blues...

Well, my elbow is still broken, but the days haven't been unbearable.
Not sure how I was going to get by my days without Odaiko Div's invaluable unconditional care, I just want to express my gratitude properly. Thank you, very much.

So, just to update, the big report has been finished and has been submitted.
Champagne and baloons are out in celebration.

It's not 8 pm, and that Sunday blues just kicked in. To be honest, I had a truly fantastic weekend. Yesterday after having a slow morning, me and Odaiko Div went to have some crepes at my little tucked away secret creperie Au temp Jadis. Later on AnnieBananie showed up and we had a storm of a girl's night. Very relaxing and giggly. And we consumed waaaay too much chocolate. Too much.
And today we spent the entire afternoon with a boat ride to Hamarikyu garden. After that a park afternoon with two adorable babies and their parents. The babies were crawling everywhere and one of them even found my cast super amusing to be a hitting partner.

However, as the day winds down, I can't keep my blues away thinking of a sad morning.

Got up at 9. AnnBan and ODiv were getting ready in frantic mode to go to taiko practice. Since I couldn't exactly drum, I decided to stay back and join them later on. I got to the taiko classroom around 11.30 AM.
I gotta tell you... it hurts. Even thinking about it hurts.
Every bone in my body hurt even more than when I fell down and broke that damn elbow.
The taiko drums were there to be played. With just one hand, it's ridiculous, I can't even lounge properly... So I tried to play the shime daiko, but I couldn't keep up. It was one of the most psychologically painful 1 hour that I went through.

OK, I know I shouldn't vent. This is really nothing compared to some other serious misery that so many unfortunate people are going through around the world.
But some time I can't help it.

The stupid broken elbow has been acting up all afternoon. I'm going to get myself drugged up and sleep now. G'nite.

One-handed Survivor

Yep,it's official. After spending 4.5 hours and 4 rounds of X-Ray at Tokyo Medical College University, the verdict is out. Taiko Tari is back to her disabled self again, in the cast glory and all. Apparently I chipped my elbow. Again. It was pretty neat to see 3 tiny chipped bones by my elbow in the X-ray result, actually...

I went through some first aid remedy by phone last night by my host father in Niigata. I just couldn't be bothered going to the ER at 9 PM knowing fully well that I won't be able to leave until 1 AM after the entire procedure, where it could all wait until a civilized morning. After all I managed to ride the bicycle home last night, you see. A few more hours, I concluded, was not going to make much difference. This has happened to me before, so after consulting doctor Otoosan, we know it's not a life and death situation.
So doctor Otoosan, who's an orthopedist and has been treating me for as long as I know him, demanded to know what happened to me in medical term, so he can make sure the Tokyo doctors are giving me the best treatment. So, kind doctor Nakajima (who is fluent in English, btw) wrote it down for us. Are you ready? 右上腕骨遠位内上剥離骨折. In English this translates as an avulsion or a fracture of et medial end.

Oh the irony of it all... I was so looking forward to have a weekend away from Tokyo, going up the Nikko mountains. Well, it ain't gonna happen.

I'm not in pain, so don't worry about that. (Besides I seriously think doctor Nakajima is drugging me). It's just mastering a single life with your left hand, when you're a righty has made everything very tricky!
I am counting on Odaiko Div to get through the weekend and my lifechanging report, after that I'm going to submit myself to onigiri diet for 2-3 weeks. Hey what do you know, something good might come out of this tragedy. I might actually lose those unwanted pounds.

Something weird in the air...

Well, Genilimaa and Montchan started their week with unhappy incidents, it seems like now it's my turn.

I left the office with a bit of an eerie feeling, I feel a little under the weather, but then again I was up 'till like almost 3 trying to get ahead on this report and then some madman was creating a chaos at 4.30 AM and disturbed the entire Yoyogi 3-chome neighborhood, so naturally with a serious lack of rest, I would feel under the weather.

As I cycled home, dodging people on the street, finally I reached the quiet Sendagaya neighborhood. I wanted to hop back to the pedestrian area, but then I miscalculated the step between the street and the pedestrian area, my front wheel slipped, and I had a bad fall down.
Because of my clumsy reflex, I tried to stop the fall with my right hand. Stupid move. I felt a very sharp pain in my arm as I fell down.
SHIT, I thought.
The right hand/elbow is back to its injured self. A similar incident happened 3+ years ago and now it happened again at the same spot. Tomorrow morning I need to go to a hospital and get X-rayed and get sometype of remedy.

So, with this important report looming around, needing to be finished, I have to quickly find a solution. Odaiko Div to the rescue. She has assumed a position as my scretary and cook. Bongle, I owe you my life.

Muchas gracias, senorita!!

And I thought I've seen it all...

1. Men in suit riding bicycles?
... yes
2. Woman on heels, riding a bicycle, holding an umbrella - while talking on the phone?
... yes
3. A trolley full of kindy students on an outing to the park?
... yes
4. A lone man on a bench trying to break a record by eating postcards?
... not me personally, but a friend of mine saw one on the sidewalk of Omotesando street
5. Soccer playing elephants?
... yes (on TV, but that still counts!)
6. Pizza delivery guy delivering a pizza to an 'address' for cherry-blossoms viewing picnickers in the Aoyama cemetery complex?
... yes
7. A pet pig, dressed in frilly pink costume, tied outside Lawson while the owner made a convinience store run, in the middle of Nishi-Azabu's hip area?
... yes
8. and the list continues...

But tell me this... have you seen a guy riding his bicycle, while brushing his teeth at the same time?
Tonight was definitely my first time.

All the other ones from 1-7 have been purpose-oriented, so albeit very odd to my simple mind, I can still accept them. But a guy riding his bicycle at high velocity WHILE brushing his teeth just didn't quite add up.

And I thought I've seen it all...