Thursday, March 20, 2008

Stir-Kaze

Today's Japanese word of the day is:  Kaze (Kaw-zay).  It means wind.

Yesterday I stayed indoors and let the gale force winds howl outside.  I wanted earplugs last night it was so loud!  The sea spray has coated all the cars outside the Navy Lodge.  

I am watching birds struggling to keep up in the wind, their wings flapping a million miles an hour and not going anywhere.  Kinda funny to watch.  The crows keep low to the ground and seem to get places pretty quickly.

I used the Japanese Holiday time (first day of Spring, time to clean the graves, and therefore no Realtors available) to sort, file and toss.  I feel so much more on-top of it today.  William helped with shredding, and received his first paper cut.

William and I didn't make it out of our PJs.  I am going a bit stir crazy from being in two hotel rooms for a day, but it was a nice break and re-energizing time.  We've been on the go to get everything done for months now, that we haven't had time to just veg.

Tim was brave (and dressed) so he was volunteered to walk to chili's to get our dinner.  It's only about 25 yards away from our door, but he came back soaked.  Dinner was good.  Eating in the restaurant would have been fun, because the waves were crashing against the windows.  

Tim got his cell phone from work yesterday, so he spent the evening reading the manual.  It is a nice one.  At least his comes with a manual you can read.  My phone comes only with a two page cheat sheet in English.  The manual in Japanese is, well... in Japanese.  BTW:  Tim is on page 272 right now, and it FINALLY is talking about voice mail!  You think that would be first!  Tim says there are a hundred or so warnings like, "Don't put it in a microwave or pressure cooker,"  (page 13). "Do not put the cell phone on the dashboard as a problem may occur due to airbag inflation."  These goodies are from page 14:  "If you have a heart problem, take caution when setting the vibrator or ring volume as it may affect your weak heart."  "CAUTION:  Do not swing the phone by strap or other parts.  The phone terminal may strike you or others around you, resulting in body injury, malfunction, or damage to the phone or other property."  It's a wonder anyone survives without reading the manual.

Tim says there is some Engrish.  For example:  "The battery pack is consumable."  Obviously, it means that it can be replaced, not eaten.

The inside joke for us is that Tim always reads the manuals.  I press buttons!  I successfully turned off my ringer (by accident).  I guess I missed a few calls.  You don't want to miss calls here because you are only charged for calls you make.  Receiving, even on a cell phone, costs you nothing.  So the person calling pays for your talking time.  Tim has set his to ring up to 30 seconds before going to voice mail.  That way he'll get it detached from his belt, answer it, etc.  He's doing his part to save the government money.

The fashion over here is to have a bit of 'bling' on your cell phone.  They sell them everywhere!  They are little doo-hickies like Disney characters on little short leashes, which attach to the phone.  We'll see what we end up with.  I didn't see a spot on my phone to attach one.  The other phones I've seen do have these.  A couple ladies here have these free phones they got with their phone plans.  They are pink with a bit of quilting.  They look like lady maxi pads.  I started calling them their iPads.  :)  I wonder if their phones are consumable?  






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