After much searching on the Internet for active Linux Users Group in Japan, I found the Tokyo Linux Users Group. Their mailing list is in English! Yay! I posted a message asking if anyone would like to meet up for lunch on Monday. I wonder if impromptu EBs work here. =)

I went through the pages on TLUG's site before posting my message. I was amused to see them mention male-female ratios. I intentionally omitted my gender, although the tone of the message might allow them to figure it out.

They seem like a very friendly bunch. I'm looking forward to meeting people on Monday. =)

I remembered to go for conversation practice with volunteers. It was a lot of fun. I talked to Noriko-sama (Noriko Shibasaki) and Sugiyama-sama (Sugiyama Hiromi) about my family, trips abroad, economy, overseas workers, family structures (Japan's moving toward a nuclear structure because of housing costs), and assorted other topics.

I'm getting pretty good at talking about the Philippine education system. People are always surprised by my youth. I find it easier to explain that Philippine education is really short compared to other systems than to leave them with the impression that I'm a genius. <impish grin>

I told them how Papa and Kathy are photographers and Mom manages the family business. They asked me if I had lots of photographs and laughed when I told them I didn't have that many. I also told them a little bit about Ching. Next time, I'll probably talk about Neko, Oliver, Kaygee, Lucas, Picco, and Mali (zou: elephant)... =)

Of course, they showed me pictures of Yokohama. They laughed when I told them about the places I've been to, surprised that someone could have covered quite a fair bit of ground already. I told them about not being able to see Mt. Fuji because of bad weather, how I couldn't go to Kyoto this weekend because the night bus was already full, my plans for (gasp) going to the Japanese hot spring resort in Odaiba sometime... =)

It was tons of fun, and I'm slowly getting the hang of expressing myself. I look forward to next Saturday's session.

hato basu - Tokyo sankei garden

The sysad said thanks during lunch. He agreed to help me check my computer, so I lugged the Windows laptop downstairs. Scan had no problems. I showed him my new computer name and he agreed that putting the room number in the computer name was a very good idea, but with all the people in the training center... I suggested that as it is, after all, AOTS' network, AOTS can just make up new rules. He'll ask his boss for advice.

I also learned that he studied law in college. He started working with computers in August, so he's still pretty new at things, and he finds it rather difficult. I told him I found Windows difficult, too. <laugh>

Talking to computer people is a great way to force myself to figure out Japanese.

I finished the fast food essay Hirai-sensei and Miwa-sensei needed for their book. =) They liked it a lot.

フィリピンでファストフードの店がたくさんあります。| In the Philippines, there are many fast-food stores. 大学の前に十店舗もあります。| In front of my university, there are more than 10. 学生の時、一週間に 2,3かい 行っていました。| I ate fast-food twice or thrice a week when I was a student.

色々な店があります。| There are different kinds of fast food shops. 国でジョリビは一番有名です。| In the Philippines, the most famous one is Jollibee. 外国にあります。| It's (also) in other countries. 代表的の食物といえば、ごはんとフライドチッケンです。| A typical Jollibee meal would be rice and fried chicken. 安くておいしいです。| It's cheap and delicious. 食べて見てください。| Please try it out.

国で、外国のファストフードもあります。| In the Philippines, there are also lots of foreign fast food stores. マクドナードとか、KFCとか、よしのやとかへ行きました。| I've gone to places like McDonalds, KFC, and Yoshinoya. 大学の前にある店で、KFCは一番近くですから、よく行きました。| I went to KFC often because it was the closest (to my university). 教室からKFCまで3分歩いて掛かります。| It takes three minutes to walk from the classroom to KFC. 簡単な昼ごはんは100円ぐらいです。| A simple meal costs around 100 yen. それで、11時半から1時半まで込んでいます。| That's why it's always crowded from 11:30 to 1:30. 一杯の時は、となりの店へ行きました。| If KFC is full, I go to the other shops nearby.

日本へ来たから、ファストフードをあまり食べませんでした。| Since I arrived in Japan, I hardly ate fast food. 日本に住んでいる時、日本料理を食べて見たいんです。| As I'm in Japan, I'd like to try out Japanese food. 違いがあります。| There are differences, though. 例えば、日本のマクドナードのセットはフィリピンのより大きいですが、ずっと高いです。| For example, McDonald's in Japan serves larger set meals, but they're much more expensive. 何しろ、よしのやが大好きです。| Anyway, I like Yoshinoya a lot.