Monday, July 28

Photoshop: Tripping with the Triptych

Shell next to the South Well

There are three pictures here, you can see that right?

These pictures were taken in quick succession whilst being shown around Cape Misaki in Miyazaki. It was a fun little day, saw a lot of horses and made paper from poo, not kidding... paper from poo.

More pictures here.

I mainly used the measure tool, the history brush and the transform tool.

Monday, July 21

Photoshop: I Design People

Meet Hailey. Hailey is an outgoing chartered accountant from Surrey, she spends her days crunching numbers but her evenings are spent crunching bones in her Mixed Martial Arts class. She single, but loves the freedom. She races in her local derby on the weekends and loves puppies.


Meet M. M is a JET who was foolish enough to give me her mugshot... oh dear oh dear.

I mainly employed the liquefy filter and the healing brush tool.

Saturday, July 19

JETs Are A Humourless Bunch of...



I called Zoe the other day and after she lightly poked fun at me for something trivial I acted offended and became defensive, but also apologetic. Fast forward to a conversation with Emily Collins and I crack a joke that I think she takes offense to, cue groveling, backtracking and more groveling. She hadn't taken offense at all and then accused me of spending too much time on the Miyazaki JET listserve where people are overly worried about everything that isn't "love", "death" and "taxes". Similarly, Zoe told me that I'd been in Japan to long, and I had become unaccustomed to British humour.

What happened?

There used to time when I had my priorities straight, I had a sense of humour, a sense of perspective and I wasn't offended at the drop of a hat. Are these overly sensitive Nihongo Nerds and Nippon Apologists rubbing off on me? For the sake of all that is good, I really hope not.

God forbid that I be sarcastic


I don't want to be the type of person that spits their dummy out when someone has the gaul to call them "duck" as an non-gendered term of endearment, or for similarly innocuous offenses. God forbid that I be sarcastic, and say something which isn't meant to be taken seriously (amongst friends who should know me well enough to realise).

I'm really looking forward to getting back to British Humour, there's something uniquely comforting in being amongst people who can laugh at themselves and laugh along with people laughing at them.

I've never heard apathy so condescendingly explained


Let's look at American JETs... god forbid you criticise their government, not even jokingly. They've all had it up to here with 'the hating' and it's 'really not their fault', boo hoo. Putting aside the fact that every American comedian or person with a soapbox makes a living from making fun of their own country... if you, as a non-Northern American try to have a conversation about your world, then be careful, because in JET land, feelings are easily hurt.

I've never met a race of more confused patriots. Patriotism is definitely in their blood, but it clashes with the almost Catholic portioned dose of shame they've inherited from years of questionable foreign policy. And ask any American JET about their foreign governments foreign policy and they all immediately get defensive, "It's not my fault! It's not my fault". Apparently, in the greatest democracy in the world, American citizens don't even have a choice in who they elect to presidency, unless they live in a 'swing state then there's no point in even voting... apparently, I've never heard apathy so condescendingly explained.

Honestly, I don't hate Americans, I'm not 'hating' on you. But please understand that people are going to have an opinion about things that are going on in their world, and they will often share them or want to discuss them with people they perceive as mature enough to field (often not even personal) criticism and discuss it. And not, conversely, go wide-eyed, start the bottom lip quivering and complain that the other countries aren't sharing their toys... you big baby!

Oh well... I guess that's the way it crumbles. Cookie-wise. Maybe after leaving Japan we will all have our sense of humour reinstated.

Friday, July 18

Leaving Party

Despite all the Duh-rama and negativity on the kenlist in the lead up to the leaving parties, the actual event was great fun. So much food! It was awesome, and even though I couldn't drink (on medication) I had a great time talking with people and saying my goodbyes.

The party atmosphere started in the Kencho of all places, The ChiChi (Governor) was on top form and made everyone laugh and put us all at ease, it's nerve racking having to go and shake a minor celebrities hand.


After my visit to the kencho I hung out with Seth and Vicky, two other JETs who are leaving Japan this year, we got some yoghurt and some macha mocha's, had a good chat about JETs and JET.

Then after some food (a lot of food) it was time for some hijinks, dancing and silliness at The Bar. Said hijinks and silliness was all the more silly from when seen from sober eyes. Chris, Patrick G, Patrick M and Christian freestyled. Patrick C nearly broke his neck doing a handstand and Ted showed his patriotism:

I think that Ted has been working out.

So, I made video for the screen at The Bar, it was for all the leavers, unfortunately it was 3.7gb in size and was impossible to upload.

Good luck to each and every one of you... and to quote Ted (quoting someone else)

"May all your dreams come true, except for one of them, so that you always have something to look forward to"

And lastly, a huge thank you to Kelly, Lauren and Kara who have taken over MAJET from Marion, Patrick and I and who did a great job organising two awesome parties. Thank you.

Sunday, July 6

Doctor Who: This Season, Best Ever?

So, tonight... for me anyway, will be the last episode of Doctor until 2010, and I have to say that I'm rather excited. I've watched each episode religiously for the past few months, even watching some of them twice.

I've really got into the mythology of the series, and I've loved the arc of the characters this time around. The Doctor has become stronger, and more sure of himself, sometimes this self-assured-ness seems a bit like arrogance and that arrogance isn't always endearing, as we witnessed in the episode Midnight. Donna Noble started the series as a strong and independent woman and is now more thoughtful, kinder and considerate to boot.

Of all the three new companions Rose, Martha and Donna, Donna's story has been the saddest. She's the Temp, we know that her run can't last and the writers have played a clever game in giving making us want her run to last longer than it possibly could. I'm guessing that Donna is meeting her Journeys end tonight, but also proving that she's worth more than she or any of the viewers have suspected.

I may write more on Doctor Who after the series finishes, but for now, let's just enjoy this trailer.

Tuesday, July 1

New Bond Trailer

This from Filmdrunk; the new 007 trailer.



So more of Mother M, and petulant moody Bond, yosh! I love all that stuff, as long as it's peppered with sex (not between Craig and Judi Dench, yuck) and guns then I'm all for a bit of "inconsolable rage". Angsty, angry Daniel Craig's Bond is certainly the best incarnation since Connery and has rekindled interest in the franchise.

I'm really looking forward to this film (natch) and now have something to take my mind off of my Dark Knight obsessiveness, which admittedly was been getting a tad bit out of hand... I think I've seen every clip of that movie available, the special edition DVD will hold no secrets for me.

Anyway! Bond, yeah? Bit of Bond? Got your Bond fix for the day yeah? Great. See ya.


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