http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ What’s new with Chris. cbracken@alumni.uvic.ca Sat, 9 Apr 2005 23:45:00 +0900 Sat, 9 Apr 2005 23:45:00 +0900 Hand-updated http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/graphics/kuri16.png http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ en-ca cbracken@alumni.uvic.ca © Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ I’ve moved! Update your bookmarks, aggregators, and address books! As of October this URL will be dead! This page, upgraded to WordPress, is now at http://chrisbracken.com/blog/. The rest of the site has been copied verbatim to chrisbracken.com, until I’ve got some time to re-organize. My existing email address (cbracken@alumni.uvic.ca) will continue to work, though the .mac address will be going away. Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:15:00 +0900 18@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Last weekend, the temperature shot up to 23 degrees, and in the space of two days, the cherry blossom trees erupted into bloom. The Japanese take this opportunity to throw impromptu picnics, dinners, and random sake-drinking events under sakura trees all across the country. The street behind my building is lined with sakura for as far as you can walk, so it’s been packed with everyone in the neighbourhood until almost midnight every night this week. With the cherry blossoms falling like snow since this morning, the whole thing will be over with by early next week, so Yasuko and I plan to get in one last hana-mi event tomorrow evening before heading back to work on Monday. Sat, 9 Apr 2005 23:45:00 +0900 18@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ As I stared blankly out the window of the train on my morning commute, something caught my eye. As the train flew along its raised track, whizzing past the rooftops of Gakugei-daigaku at 80km/h, I swear I saw a guy standing on the roof of a building alongside the track, dressed in a red cape and wearing a giant fish on his head, wailing away on a guitar. He was gone from my view before I was able to catch a second glance, though. I don’t know what makes him do it, but I’m glad it turns out he’s not just a figment of my imagination. Tue, 29 Mar 2005 17:44:00 +0900 17@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Jumped on the Nozomi Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama station on the 31st to arrive in Kyoto two hours later. It was dumping snow from Nagoya onwards; and by the time we hit Kyoto, about 10cm had accumulated. After stopping by friends’ for the traditional osechi-ryouri and soba dinner, Yasuko and I did hatsumoude at Yasaka shrine from 11 at night until 2 in the morning in the midst of the blizzard. Spent the next few days shopping in Kyoto, visiting more friends, and re-visiting shrines and temples before heading back to Tokyo on the 3rd — though on the return trip, I had to stand from Nagoya onwards since the trains were booked to 120%. Wed, 5 Jan 2005 17:30:00 +0900 16@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ I came into work to a nice surprise this morning. Sipping on hot green tea, we all crowded around the windows to check out the view. With the recent cold snap, the views this morning are incredibly clear. A little less so when passed through the tiny lens of my cell-phone camera. To see it in person, it really does dominate the horizon; and at over 100km away, that’s a pretty big feat. Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:30:00 +0900 15@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ With the last days of 2004 upon us, it appears the weather has taken a turn from the relative warmth of November and December to plummet sub-zero overnight. What started as a light flurry this morning has progressed to a full-out blizzard, and it’s still coming down like crazy as I write this. In unrelated news, I’m off to Kyoto for Oshogatsu from the 31st to the 3rd. This time, I swear I’ll post pictures! Hope everyone had a happy Christmas — see you in 2005! Wed, 29 Dec 2004 14:00:00 +0900 14@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Through a stroke of luck, I think I may have actually found a permanent place to live in Jiyugaoka close to Toritsu Daigaku station. I have my current apartment in Ebisu until the 30th, so the plan is to move the weekend of the 27th. In the meantime, to placate people asking for pictures, here’s the view from my balcony here in Ebisu. The upside is that Ebisu is an incredibly central location in Tokyo with a ton of great restaurants; the downside is that tea costs 735 yen at the coffee shop downstairs. Thu, 04 Nov 2004 21:30:00 +0900 13@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ After two years back in Canada and several trips back and forth to Japan, I’ve signed a full-time contract as a software developer with a firm in Japan and am permanently re-locating to Tokyo. I’ll post pictures as soon as I can get around to it. Wed, 15 Sep 2004 21:00:00 +0900 12@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/travel/usa/new_york/ Flew out to New York for final interviews with Tokyo via videoconference. Though I only spent 24 hours in NYC, I was able to run around a little and take a few pictures. Thu, 9 Sep 2004 23:00:00 +0900 11@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/travel/japan/summer2004/ Spent most of August in Japan. I arrived in Osaka the afternoon of the first, spent a few days in Shiga, continued on to Shizuoka, then ten days in Tokyo. Headed to Kyushu on business for four days, then returned back to Tokyo, before finally returning back to Canada. Fri, 20 Aug 2004 23:00:00 +0900 Chris Bracken 10@cbracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Two last ski trips for the year. The first, at Mt. Washington, saw a beautiful attempt at a forward flip by Kevin, and Pippa ripping it up. For the second, I burned off on the 10 hour trek to Nelson, where Trav skiied until he dropped and I tried out the new Rossignol B2s. Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:00:00 +0900 Chris Bracken 9@cbracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Put a group of idiots together on skis and boards, and you’ve got a guaranteed recipe for a good time. Pictures of Tom’s 360 and Matt’s half a backflip. Mon, 8 Mar 2004 19:00:00 +0900 8@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/travel/cuba/trinidad/ It’s been a while, but I finally got around to posting the story and pictures from Trinidad, Cuba. The town and the people were both wonderful, and the rum was something else. Sun, 7 Dec 2003 17:00:00 +0900 7@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/travel/japan/summer2003/ Back from a three week trek across Japan. Flew into Osaka, threw my bike together, and pedalled my way 800km across the country through Kyoto, Otsu, Imazu, Tsuruga, Fukui, and Kanazawa before a typhoon hit and I had to pack it up and get on the train. Finished up with a stop in Nagano, and a week’s worth of holiday in Tokyo. Mon, 18 Aug 2003 23:00:00 +0900 6@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ I finally got around to updating and re-organizing the site. It should render properly in everything from the latest browser to your cell phone. All the reports from Mérida are now up, including links to photos at the top of each page. The trip home is still a work in progress. Tue, 1 Apr 2003 23:00:00 +0900 5@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/log/20030228/ Since the original I am Canadian ad, Molson has released a slew of others, but until recently, I haven’t been too impressed; however, the I Am Canadian Anthem is a hilarious 90-second snapshot of the cultural history of this country. Fri, 28 Feb 2003 23:00:00 +0900 4@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Back in Victoria, BC, after a two month return home to Canada by land beginning in Mérida, Yucatán and continuing through Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, then all the way back up through Guatemala, México, the U.S. and finally Canada. Sun, 26 May 2002 23:00:00 +0900 3@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/ Took a two week trip through southern México for Christmas. Starting in Mérida, southwest into Campeche, Tabasco, Veracruz and then Chiapas. Stopped to visit the Mayan ruins at Palenque, followed by some of the villages around San Cristóbal de las Casas. From there, it was northeast back onto the Yucatán peninsula, to Tulúm, then onwards north again to spend Christmas swimming in the Caribbean on Isla Mujeres in 30 degree weather. After a few days, it was westward again to Chichen Itzá and Valladolid before finally returning home to Mérida. Tue, 01 Jan 2002 23:00:00 +0900 2@cbracken Chris Bracken http://homepage.mac.com/cbracken/travel/mexico/merida/ After a year and a half in San Francisco, California, I’ve moved to Mérida, Yucatán, México. So far so good! The heat is scorching, the humidity is sweltering, and the mosquitos are biting. But Mérida is a beautiful city, and the people are wonderful. Fri, 17 Aug 2001 23:00:00 +0900 1@cbracken Chris Bracken