Mike in Sendai

Hello. It's been awhile. I've been neglecting this blog and my channel, sorry :(. I've uploaded a video recently giving a quick update on my situation, so please check it out.

I walked into my local Lawson convenience store on the way home, thinking I'll just mosey on in and try and find some contact solution since I just ran out and the drug store was closed. As soon as I step through the door I'm greeted by four "いらっしゃいませ、こんばんは！" which means, "Welcome and good afternoon!" The funny thing is, they all kind of staggered their greetings, as if I didn't hear it the first time. The employees at other convenience stores generally greet you as well, but at Lawson it's like I'm walking into the Borg hive. It's like their greeting slaps me in the face as I walk in the door, saying "WELL HIDEY-HO, GOOD AFTERNOON YOUR MAJESTY! lawson is your friend buy lots of things you don't need" in a very cartoony, creepy Mickey Mouse voice.

And I've been to this one enough to recognize most of the employees who work there.

There's the employee who talks in that very annoying nasally voice that Japanese employees tend to do when addressing the dear お客様. If you've been in Japan any length of time and/or ridden the trains, you know what I mean. I have no idea how it started, but dear god I want to rupture my eardrums every time I hear it.

Then there's the new guy. Every time I go in he's learning the finer points of putting merchandise on the shelf from Ms. Nosey-Voice. Just today she was explaining to him why you put the merchandise on the front of the shelf. Ahh, rookies.

The third seems to be the most brainwashed. He's the one that always seems to talk to himself as he constantly blurts out the latest deals going on. It's funny because he'll constantly advertise the hottest sale, but no one pays attention to him. "HEY! WE GOT DOUGHNUTS FO' CHEAP! HOW 'BOUT IT?!" Only he says it in super polite, convoluted, rapid-fire Japanese, of course.

This was a sunrise over Sendai about a week ago.

The main reason I am in Sendai is to earn a PhD in theoretical astrophysics, one of my passions since I was young. I enjoy studying physics and cosmology in particular and I hardly consider my graduate studies work. I might even enjoy the process of learning more than doing actual science, although that is something I have yet to experience. I've always wanted to know what it's like to be at the boundary of human knowledge, no matter how esoteric the field may be. To be at the frontier and push just beyond is a major motivation to completing my PhD. For me, just being able to say that I understand a certain bit of human knowledge is reward enough.

Of course, there are times when I rack my brain for days at a time to understand a line or an equation in a textbook and I find it does quite a bit of good to sleep on a problem. No matter how passionate you are of a subject there's always a danger of burning out, and for me my main escape is playing ultimate frisbee on the weekends. Frisbee is my second passion that I enjoy just as much as physics. Admittedly it would not be nearly as enjoyable without the people I play with. They're all interesting, funny, kind people who I love sharing a drink with and relaxing. Just this past weekend we had our 新年会 (shinnenkai - new year party) which was a wonderful outlet to simply have a great time and forget physics for awhile (but not for too long!).