Volume 13, Number 9 |
The Tokyo International Yoga Center will be presenting a Special Yoga Intensive Weekend in Tsukuba on October 15, 16, and 17. Featured will be Sushil Bhattacharya, the 1989 all-India yoga asana contest champion. He sounder of the Patanjali Yoga Center in Kathmandu, Nepal and travels extensively around the world. His teaching style is clear, effective and light, emphasizing yoga as a way of life. (See his web page at http://www.transpot.com/-kids/sapta.html) He will present introductory talks on Oct. 15 at the Namiki Public Hall from 4:30 - 6 pm and again from 6:30 to 8 pm. The suggested donation is 1000Y. On the 16th and 17th, he will teach four 2-hour classes covering asanas (yoga poses), pranayama (breathing), chakra meditation and massage techniques. Classes limited to 15 students. Call Svetlana for more information and to register: phone/fax 0298-56-0260 or email lambrozo@yahoo.com
The yearly bazaar by the Catholic Church in Tsukuba will be held on Sunday the 17th October from 10:00 to 13:30. The main aim of the activity, among others, is to raise funds which will be used to build schools in countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. Stalls will set up to prepare and sell international food (Asian, European, African, American...) There will be clothes, books, bottles & can and cake stalls, an auction, Japanese tea ceremony and more besides.
For more details and information, contact ww4s-ikgc@asahi-net.or.jp.
See you there!
As part of its activities, the Tsukuba Information Center sponsors a bilingual discussion group the fourth Wednesday of every month from 2 to 4 pm, with invited guests giving a presentation from their area of expertise or experience. This month, we are pleased to have Ms. Olga Chtcherbakova making a presentation on her native Russia. The following is her self-introduction:
"Hello, my name is Olga. I'm from Russia. I'm currently studying Computer Science at the University of Library and Information Science. For the October Coffee Hour, I'd like to introduce Russian culture, tradition and natural environment. I think that generally people's image of Russia is that of a "Cold Country", but we Russians actually enjoy winter snow very much. We like skiing, skating, sledding and so many other ways to play!
Every New Year, different areas hold various snow festivals. I'd like to talk about the snow festival in my hometown, Ekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains area, which is the natural border between Europe and Asia.
I will bring Russian handicrafts to show as well. I hope I can interest you in Russia during this Coffee Hour.
The Coffee Hour is meant to be an informal exchange of information and opinions. English and Japanese are both used with efforts made to make sure those who can't understand one or the other are able to at least get the gist of the conversation. Likewise, you don't need to commit yourself to the entire two hours and can come and go freely. So drop by, whether for a short time or for the entire two hours, and enjoy some free refreshments along with a stimulating discussion.
Last year's Halloween Haunted House was such a success, that TIS is doing an encore - this time, bigger and better. The location is had not been finalized by press time, but an unused warehouse or similar such venue is being sought. Set-up will be done on Oct. 28 and 29, with the main events being on Saturday and Sunday evenings, October 30 and 31. For more information, call Melissa at 38-1374 or Tim at 55-1907 or email za3t-byl@asahi-net.or.jp
Tsukuba Science Festival '99 will be held at the new Epochal Tsukuba convention center on Nov. 9 and 10 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Sat. and 9:30 am to 3:30 pm on Sunday. Numerous exhibits are planned and there is no admission charge.
Dear TAIRAns,
Mr. and Mrs. Kamiwaki are among the nicest people I have met in Tsukuba. Some of you may know them from the Friday night pub that Martin and Mie Roche-Nishimori used to run at Free Space K, a semi-public space the Kamiwakis fixed up on the first floor of their house. Free space K is available for music and drama performances, group meetings of various kinds and parties. Now Mrs. Kamiwaki has opened a sweet shop 3 days/week. Below is an announcement about the shop. If you have any interest, then please stop in. Thanks.
Best regards,
Rick Weisburd
The Japanese Corner, a new sweet shop, is open!!!
Free Space K
2257-2 Karima, Tsukuba
Tel: 52-1918
Hours:
Tue. Wed. Thur. (including Holidays)
From 10:00AM through 5:00PM
Menu:
Mitsumame is a kind of Japanese sweet that has gelatine made of Tengusa (Agar-agar, a kind of seaweed), brown beans and small pieces of seasonal fruits served with dark sugar syrup.
Anmitsu is similar to Mitsumame, but with An (sweet cooked adzuki beans).
Cream Mitsumame and Cream Anmitsu are served together with a scoop of ice cream.
Tokoroten is also made of Tengusa, but is not sweet. It is served with vinegar and soy sauce.
If you are not familiar with Japanese sweets and curious about what these things are, then The Japanese Corner of Free Space K is a good place to start.
Mrs. Yoko Kamiwaki is running the place. She makes the gelatine and 'an' from scratch. Unlike the ones you get at other coffee shops, these items are not too sweet. Yoko-san is a very casual and kind person so you can ask her about the food anytime.
The Tsukuba Information Center has established a new bilingual web site with a variety of information on Tsukuba, including "video on demand". The web site is http://www@info-tsukuba.org/. Have fun surfing.
Mini Handball; for elementary school age children
Weekends from Nov. 20 - Dec. 19, 2-4:30 pm on Sat. and 9-11:30 am on Sundays. Apply at the university by 10/15. Cost 7500 yen.
Badminton; open to all, but some experience preferred.
Weekends from Dec. 4 - Dec. 25, 2-5 pm on Sat. and 9-12 am on Sundays. Apply at the university by 11/2. Cost 8500 yen.
For further info, call 53-2216.
A very lovable, small-breed dog has been spared abandonment but needs a home. It is female and looks to be part beagle. It is very tame and friendly. If interested, give Shani a call at 64-4088.
Originally envisioned to begin service next year, the long awaited New Joban Line from downtown Tsukuba to Tokyo is already about 5 years behind schedule. Signs that it will finally become a reality, however, are slowly materializing, as it was announced recently that actual construction of Tsukuba Station will commence this fiscal year. The station will be underground, in the vicinity of the present bus center, with the tunnel being dug under Chuo Doori and on to the west from there. Part of the line to the west of central Tsukuba will be on elevated track and groundwork for that section is also scheduled to begin soon.
The rail lines themselves are scheduled to be laid by 2003, with service to begin by 2005. Construction on about 30% of the 58-kilometer line is already well under way, including the tunnel from the other end of the line into Akihabara Station in Tokyo. This includes 26 different construction sites, mainly bridges and tunnels, those sites that take the most time to construct.
Unfortunately, however, several tracks of land the line is scheduled to go through have not been purchased yet, and particularly in the Omonoi section (next to Tokodai) where the elevated track passes through, land owners are opposed to selling their land. If they are anything like the obstinate landowners surrounded by the partially completed second runway at Narita Airport, opening day may have to be further revised.
The Washington Post recently had a contest for readers in which they were asked to supply possible alternate meanings for various words. The following were some winning entries:
Abdicate-v., to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
Carcinoma-n., a valley in California, most notable for its heavy smog.
Esplanade-v., to attempt an explanation while drunk.
Willy-nilly-adj., impotent.
Flabbergasted-adj., appalled over how much weight you have gained.
Negligent-adj., a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightie.
Lymph-v., to walk with a lisp.
Gargoyle-n., an olive-flavored mouthwash.
Bustard-n., a very rude Metrobus driver.
Coffee-n., a person who is coughed upon.
Flatulence-n., the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
Balderdash-n., a rapidly receding hairline.
Testicle-n., a humorous question on an exam.
Semantics-n., pranks conducted by young men studying for the priesthood, including such things as gluing the pages of the priest's prayer book together just before vespers.
Rectitude-n., the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.
Marionettes-n., residents of Washington who have been jerked around by the mayor.
Oyster-n., a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
Circumvent-n., the opening in the front of boxer shorts.
Frisbatarianism-n., Belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.
<>*<> NEWS FLASH! . . . ALERT! <>*<>
This just in:
Microsoft has delayed the release of Windows 2000.
It will be released in 1901.
NTT Telephone Lines
Recent rumor has it that the system of buying telephone line rights in order to get a telephone line installed is soon to be scrapped, leaving millions of people who "invested" in NTT in the lurch. The present system involves buying line rights either from NTT at a cost of ´72,000 or from an individual who wants to sell his or her rights. Until the advent of cellular phones, which do not require the purchase of line rights, if you wanted a phone, your only choice was to "invest" in NTT to this considerable sum and hope to get your money back when you leave Japan.
This persistent rumor, together with the law of supply and demand, has steadily eaten away at the market value of "used" line rights, so that one can now easily find a seller for ´40,000 or sometimes even lower. Thus, there are two aspects to this story that beg for clarification. First of all, is this rumor true? And secondly, in the rapidly changing world of communications, what are one's options now? The following is a report by the Alien Times that addresses these two questions.
Is It True?
When NTT is directly asked about this, they deny that they are even contemplating abolishing the system. They say they could not possibly pay everybody back for the value of their "investment". (At least they wouldn't have to worry about paying much interest even if they did return the purchase price, as interest rates are essentially zero anyway!)
While it may be true that NTT won't formally abolish the system, the reality of the new situation may force a de facto abolishment, at least in the sense that no one will be buying new lines from NTT. Certainly, for people in the expatriate community, most of who are in Japan for only relatively short periods of time, the numerous options for telephones that do not involve this big "investment" would usually seem to be the best way to go.
INS-net 64
While NTT still requires all customers to have rights to a line (whether purchased from NTT or from a previous owner) in order to have a regular analog telephone number, they now offer a new service that allows one to bypass the line rights system for an ISDN line. The catch, however, is that the monthly basic rate is considerably higher. Most expatriates in Tsukuba now have access to the internet through their phone lines, but if one is frequently on the net with a regular line, that ties up one's regular phone so that calls can't get through.
Converting your phone to an ISDN line allows you to use your phone as a regular phone or fax while you are connected to the net. This is possible because the Internet connection is digital while the regular phone is analog, and both signals can travel along the same line without getting mixed up with each other. The monthly costs are, naturally, somewhat higher, but certainly much less than have two separate lines.
As a concession to reality, NTT now also allows you to set up an ISDN line without buying a line rights. The only drawback is that you have to pay an additional ´640 per month in higher basic charges, which if you plan to maintain that status for more than just a year or two, adds up to quite a bit. About 5 years of those extra charges adds up to the amount of the purchase of a line in today's market, and you have nothing to show for it. On the other hand, if the value of NTT line rights continues to decline, then perhaps you are better off avoiding them in the first place, which you now have the option of doing.
If you are considering switching a regular analog line over to the INS net 64 system, the only costs involved are a one-time ´800 contract fee, a ´2000 switching fee (at the NTT exchange) and the purchase of a "DSU Naizo TA" ("Naizo" means "internal", and "TA" stands for "Terminal Adapter") apparatus which currently runs ´18,800 plus 5% tax when purchased from NTT. This apparatus can be purchased from any computer store with a range of features and a corresponding range of prices. The basic TA from NTT actually has four different jacks in the back. Two are phone jacks that can be used with any telecommunications device. One is a Serial port, to be connected directly to your computer. The fourth jack is an ISDN line continuation for other ISDN-line capable equipment (i.e. other TAs or ISDN PC cards for laptops). When you leave Japan, then, this apparatus can be sold at whatever price is agreeable between the parties and connected up at any other phone when that is switched over to ISDN.
Compared to a regular analog phone, the basic charge is ´1230 higher per month (´2830 vs. ´1600). If you line is registered at a business rate, the charges are as follows: ´2350 for the plain analog and ´3630 for the ISDN. In the unlikely event you need a short-term business phone, you can get that for ´4270 per month without the line rights.
The beauty of an ISDN line is that the TA is also your modem (connected directly to your serial port), allowing communication speeds of up to 128k (more than twice the speed of a 56k modem). The actual connection speed is determined by your Internet service provider (ISP), but most support up to 64k for free. The ISPs that have faster connections than 64k usually charge a special fee for a high-speed connection.
One other point to consider when changing a regular analog phone over to an ISDN, is the issue of multiple phone jacks. The "DSU Naizo TA" apparatus must be connected into the system before any division of the line into separate jacks. Thus, you can't simply connect it to a jack in the room where your computer and one phone is located while continuing to use a regular phone connected to another jack in a different location. In order to maintain the use of your present phone system, the system has to be rewired so that everything goes through the signal splitting apparatus. NTT will be happy to charge you an addition 10 to 20 thousand or more yen to do that rewiring.
Another available telecommunications option for computer junkies is avoiding NTT altogether. It is possible to purchase a PHS TA. PHS has high-speed communications capabilities and is, of course, wireless. The cost of a PHS TA is the same as a high-end hard-line TA. There is a basic service charge for the PHS connection, but is cheaper than NTT. The price-per-minute, however, may not be. Other options include standard PC modem cards for PHS phones, and PC modem cards for Cellular phones (much slower than their PHS counterparts).
Finally, if talking while moving at high-speed isn't a concern for you, PHS offers clear sound quality, low prices, small phones and portability. Combined with the aforementioned PC card modem, you have truly mobile, NTT-free, communications.
BOUNCE.... the stuff you use in your dryer has the following amazing uses:
Repels mosquitoes: Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season. (Editor's Note: Japanese mosquitoes didn't seem impressed. It's true that none were biting my belt, butÉ.)
Eliminates static electricity from your television screen: Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
Dissolves soap scum from shower doors: Clean with a used sheet of Bounce.
Freshens the air in your home: Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet.
Prevents thread from tangling: Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing.
Eliminates static cling from pantyhose: Rub a damp, used sheet of Bounce over the hose.
Prevents musty suitcases: Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
Freshens the air in your car: Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
Cleans baked-on food from a cooking pan: Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.
Eliminates odors in wastebaskets: Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
Collects cat hair: Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
Eliminates static electricity from venetian blinds: Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
Wipes up sawdust from drilling or sand papering: A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
Eliminates odors in dirty laundry: Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
Deodorizes shoes or sneakers: Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they'll smell great in the morning.
Coca-Cola...hmmmm!!!!...
To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl: Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
It will also clean road haze from your windshield. And just think about it ... SOME PEOPLE DRINK THIS STUFF!!
The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates. So why did the English people build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge that they used. Then why did "they" use that gauge?
Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing. Okay! Why did the wagons use that odd wheel spacing?
Well, if they tried to use any other spacing the wagons would break on some of the old, long distance roads, because that's the spacing of the old wheel ruts. So who built these old rutted roads?
The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts?
The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagons, were first made by Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman army war chariot.
Specs and Bureaucracies live forever. So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's behind came up with it, you may be exactly right. Because the Imperial Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the backends of two war horses.
Now the twist to the story....
There's an interesting extension of the story about railroad gauge and horses' behinds. When we see a Space Shuttle sitting on the launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are the solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at a factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line to the factory runs through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than a railroad track,and the railroad track is about as wide as two horses' behinds.
So a major design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined by the width of a horse's behind!
There are two types of "cosmos viewing" in the autumn. One you can do any clear night, but the other is a daytime adventure, where you look down instead of up. In addition to being another word for the universe, "cosmos" is also the name of a popular flower that blooms in abundance in early autumn. Entire fields are sometimes planted in cosmos, culminating in a purple, pink and white carpet of beauty.
In the Tsukuba area, there are several displays worth seeing. The Ushiku Daibutsu (the world's largest statue, a 120 m statue of Buddha clearly visible from any elevated point in Tsukuba), has 10,000 m2 of cosmos blooming around its base. On a nice day in early to mid October, it's definitely worth a trip. The entrance fee into the park is ´1000 (including going up into the statue), but even when viewed from outside, it's quite an interesting sight. There is also a small enclosed area where children can feed rabbits and squirrels.
Another close-by place worth visiting is the Hitachi Fudoki no Oka just west of Ishioka. This park features authentic reproductions of ancient Japanese life including thatched roof houses and displays of what typical life scenes were like. You can even sample free tea in the tea room. There are also play areas for children along with beautiful walks along paths leading by ponds and fields of flowers. Like most such places, it is closed on Mondays (or Tuesdays if the previous Monday is a national holiday). Park hours are 9 am to 5 pm and there is a nominal entrance fee of ´300 (´150 for children).
The other fall flower or note, the chrysanthemum, makes its debut the latter half of October and into early November. There are several noteworthy displays in Tsukuba, including Matsumi Park, in front of the Yatabe Branch City Hall and at the Tsukuba Shrine on Mt. Tsukuba. Perhaps the largest in the area is at the Kasama Inari Shrine, where thousands of specially prepared pots of flowers, often of incredible size and complexity, are displayed. The official period for the display is from October 16 through Nov. 23, with the middle part being the best. There is an admission charge to the Shrine displays of ´900 for high school and above and ´500 for children. Other free displays are also available, Izumo Shrine. A special "Takumi no Matsuri", or artisan's festival featuring Kasama pottery is to be held in conjunction with the chrysanthemum festival from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, and is well worth seeing.
Depending on the weather and your time, proceeding on up to see the fall leaves at the Fukuroda Falls and the Ryushinkyo Bridge farther to the north is well worth the trip. Fall leaves are typically at their peak in early November.