Weekly Praise Thread – 16 June 2023

It’s that time of the week again. Please boast and share about the good things that have happened to you this past week!

39 comments
  1. Somebody sat next to me on the bus on Tuesday. Although, there were several other empty seats they could have used. Probably just a bleary-eyed mistake.

  2. Thumbs up to the folks in Kanagawa who basically said “Hell no” and chased down a watch store thief.

    And him being pinned with a full face black mask and saying “What? I didn’t do anything” made me laugh.

  3. More local politics fun:

    As usual, officials elected and running for office greeting folks in front of the station. Last rainy day, I told one of them, “You’d look a lot better if you were using the crosswalk flags to help kids cross the street, especially when there’s low visibility on a day like today.”

    Today, he and a guy from another party were doing just that, big fake smiles about “Let’s take turns, okay?”

    HS kid juggling his bags drops his umbrella pouch. Wordlessly, the old guy behind him spears it with his own umbrella, and pokes just into the kid’s field of vision. Slick as goose shit, kid even said thank you.

  4. It’s Friday! No work tomorrow!

    While searching around for places with goshuin I found a frog themed shrine. I know where I’m going this weekend.

  5. I’m down 2.5kg from last week after using the onsen in the evening 4 times in the past 7 days. Paired with exercise before I go, I sleep like a baby despite my alcoholic upstairs neighbor playing mindless, loud video games and coughing his lungs out from cigarettes.

    Going to see the new Spider-Man movie subbed with some friends in the city. Happy Friday, y’all.

  6. I’m happy to report that opening my beloved うま辛チリ味 chips from 7-11 from the bottom is much easier! Crisis averted.

  7. I got back from a short trip back to the states this week.

    The US is almost completely cashless. You don’t need to exchange yen into dollars, and given the current exchange rate you probably shouldn’t. As long as you have a credit or debit card, or maybe Google/Apple Pay, you’re good. Actually though, I kinda like using cash to pay, so kudos to Japan for being slow to adopt I guess?

    No more complaints about Japanese drivers. Holy hell the idiots in America…it’s a 2-lane stretch of highway, moderate amount of cars, and people trying to weave in and out of traffic, cutting people (specifically me) off…why? One woman was behind me for around 30-40 km, constantly trying to bob in and out, and I wouldn’t let her pass me because fuck it. She eventually did but all this stupid lane changing got her was maybe an extra 400 m. There are dumb Japanese drivers for sure but not to this level.

    Also praise be to Japanese hotels. What they may lack in size they more than make up for in cleanliness and affordability.

  8. Looks like business trips to the US and Switzerland are in my near future.

    I can’t believe I’m actually enjoying work. Only took me like half a decade to find a good company, but I’m glad I did.

  9. Not sure if this is a complaint or praise, but right now there’s not much to do at work. We’re building a windturbine, and its at a phase of contruction where they don’t really need an interpreter on site. I don’t have anything to do, but I get paid either way, so I’m just chilling in the office.

    I got invited to a TV shows 300th episode special, so next month I’ll go down to Tokyo for filming. That’ll be fun. Last week on Friday I got invited to a regional radio show too. I was nervous about doing radio, because unlike TV they can’t really fix anything weird you say with subtitles, but I’m told everything went over ok.

  10. I’m not sure if schadenfreude is in the spirit of this thread, but this happened just yesterday, so…

    I was on my way home, queuing up for the train at Shinjuku. At this part of the platform there are markings for the queue for the left side of the door, but none for the right side. However, it must be well known, because I join this queue (with the non-existent markings) everyday.

    However, yesterday I was at the front of the queue, and at the front of the queue for the left side was an old man. When the train was approaching, the old guy seemed to take offense at me potentially getting on the train first, so he decided to jump over to the side where I was queuing and tried to push in front of me. He gave me the universal thumb sign of “move” and grunted at me. I told him that I wasn’t moving because I was in the right place. So he decided that he would stand in the centre as the doors opened. He was met by a stern-looking woman who refused to let him past as he tried to barge his way onto the train.

    He was swallowed up by a sea of alighting passengers, and I eventually saw him getting on the train mumbling to himself a couple of minutes later.

    It was so delicious and fulfilling I didn’t even need breakfast this morning.

  11. My son’s passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad came in, and it only took two weeks! Super quick turnaround.

  12. New Magic the Gathering set comes out today, always a fun time (not so much so for my wallet, lol).

    Final Fantasy XVI in two weeks! Also looking forward to finally getting a PS5, too.

    The neighborhood stray cat is warming up to us.

  13. Went to a festival last night, and ended up being the last person in line for two different booths before they ran out of food!

  14. I’ve been at my new job for 3 weeks now, reached 2 months in Japan yesterday. I feel like I’ve lucked out with my company – everyone is lovely including my bosses, it’s mainly remote with 1 day a week working together and most importantly the work is super interesting. Hope everybody else has been having a great week x

  15. I’ve got my friends hooked on sauna and we’ve been going together once a week and it’s great fun. I really love the sento culture and the one close to me is very big and has a nice sauna and a cool bath.

  16. I bought a table saw!
    It’s going to be useful for a lot of projects but first up is making large frames for stretching canvas for me and my daughter, and hopefully wife if I can talk her into it.
    I’ve ordered and bought a few different things like a pre-primed canvas roll, different size refillable tag/graffiti pens, spray paint faux gold and silver leaf, masking tape and spray glue.
    Also some foam rollers that you can carve patterns into and some different brushes and of course paint. My daughter is super stoked to move up from the small A4 size frames we’ve been using and has requested I make a canvas as big as she is.
    If anyone have any other suggestions of what to buy, or creative ways to use what I already have to make it more fun I’m all ears.

    My wife has started bumping me with her boobs while saying ‘bonus’. It’s funny and I’m glad she still does things like that after 19, 20? years together.

    I’ve completely recovered from covid so I’m going shopping for jeans. First I’m hitting up Bears in Shimokita to look at some Eternal 811’s then probably Ueno for the regular spots. Burgus plus are making a pretty affordable pair with natural indigo that I’m interested in.

    Last but not least I’m home alone for the first time in a long while this weekend and even though I’m supposed to watch my weight I’m going to order a Large pizza and a 1.5L coke.

  17. Weather is gorgeous. Wish I was out riding my bike and not in the office, but I’ll take it. Looking forward to a nice walk on my lunch break and reading my book in the park by the local temple.

    Finally this week of work is fucking over. Was only able to do one day of work at home, but that because I needed to be available to go to city hall on my lunch break to get my number card and also hanko some documents for the back. Other than that, was stuck in the office prepping for a trade show next week.

    In related news though, get to spend next week at Big Sight rather than at the office. Its still tiring, but its better than sitting in the office, and its A LOT better than taking the train to fucking Makuhari Messe every day. Get to burn Monday on prep, Tuesday on delivery and setup, and then the rest of the week at the show. Big company dinner Friday night as well, and its in Shinjuku this time instead out our by our office, so I can walk home instead of taking the train.

  18. I got to eat a delicious non-dairy cheesecake and blueberry tart at a cafe in Fukuoka and celebrated my 40th birthday this week. It was my first birthday in Japan since I was a little kid and it was awesome.

  19. My ibs or whatever flare up seems to have ended, thank god just in time for my last week in Japan to just enjoy without feeling miserable.

    I’m going to buy my baby his first pair of shoes today. He turns 1 tomorrow and has amped up his walking in the last week where he no longer tries to walk from wall, to door, to random thing and instead can just walk anywhere with confidence. Ah! I am excited, things are starting to be really fun.

  20. On the train, standing in the priority seat area, with my help mark very obviously out. Multiple younger people staring at their phones. An older lady from the next train put her bag down on her seat and came specifically to get me so I could take her seat. I almost cried I was so happy and thankful.

  21. Wife is officially pregnant, got to see a picture of the tiny tiny baby. Took a day off today but she’s too tired to do anything but sleep, understandable. Real excited for the next chapter even if the maternity care system here is a little strange to me (maybe it’s the same where I’m from anyway, I never had a baby there)

  22. I might quit teaching and be a full-time house husband in the near future. Do you think a 5mil a year salary could support a family with 3 with NO mortgage payments?

  23. Riding the train with a friend. A girl standing a short distance away was looking really uncomfortable. Aaaand there was an old man standing behind her.

    Caught her eye, asked if she was ok (she was not), then told her to come stand with us. The old man shuffled over as well, but was met by my large male butt.

    She was too embarrassed by the whole thing to say anything, but I could tell she was grateful.

  24. It’s sunny. So I guess it is better than these others pissing rain days.
    I am also considering quitting alcohol. I am not a heavy drinker but the older I get the less I think my body can stand it. I feel that it is messing up with my heart. Usually Friday is my drinking night so let’s see how I can hold my good resolution.

  25. Yesterday I finally submitted my research paper. I’m relieved. I still have more schoolwork for next week but that’s one big thing off my shoulders.

  26. Successfully held our wedding ceremony last weekend (is that praise worthy haha?). To the person who warned me we wouldn’t even get to eat our meal because we’d be constantly shuffled around, you were spot on. Just the sheer look of panic I caused when I told them I wanted to pop out to use the toilet, as if it would throw the whole event into chaos.

    DHL came in clutch by shipping late grandfather’s kilt for me to wear from Scotland in record time (long story why we left it so late). Sagawa with their last mile service, eh not so much but at least it arrived in time.

    We also under-budgeted the amount we’d receive as goshuugi. I had some reservations about the system (a bit complicated with all the varying amounts and reimbursements), but it’s nice that we won’t need to touch our savings to fill in any shortcomings.

    We’ve technically been married for a year and were on the fence about a ceremony (in-laws kinda pushed it), but we’re glad in the end we did it. A lot of fun, good excuse to invite old friends to Japan, nice to see family again too after 5 years.

  27. It’s Friday and my sunflowers I’m growing on my balcony are soon blooming 🌻

    Other than this I aired out my futon and got some fresh sheets on. The little things!

  28. This idiot with three and a half dogs now has a cat as well.

    Not sure if this is a complaint or praise but damn he is cute.

  29. Am 就活ing right now and finished a two hour long interview just now. Third one this week so thank god it’s friday

  30. Since the weather has been amazing I’ve been out playing with my students every day and having a blast. Sometimes I worry that as an almost 30 year old woman I shouldn’t be flipping around on the monkey bars and racing the kids to see who can successfully swing and jump the highest but man is it fun. I come back to the classroom absolutely drenched in sweat but I’m having the time of my life. Honestly one of the best things about losing weight is I can do this kind of crazy stuff with the students where before I just sat out and watched from afar.

  31. A friend from abroad is visiting me in Osaka after a week in Tokyo. The first bar we go to, the people next to us buy us a round and some food in classic Osaka fashion, and chat for a while. Love this city and it’s warm hearted people!

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