Fridays are for fun

 I believe I mentioned this before, but in grad school there was a post-doc in another group who maintained the purpose of going to work on Friday was to have fun.  See what other people are doing.  Ask around for ideas.  Get a mental refresh.  I am at work, and have taken that to heart today.

Hachiro-sensei (I misspelled his name last week) wanted to have lunch.  We walked over to Sushi Ebisu with another professor from his college.  The food was much better than the conveyor belt sushi from last weekend.  We talked a bit about geography, weather, food, and politics.  They are both getting vaccinated in the next week.  Actually, as I write this, Hachiro-sensei should be heading to the Kitajima hospital for his appointment.

This lunch was a big reason I came to campus this morning, as I didn't have a lot else to do.  When I got here, I did some kanji identification practice.  I've really struggled with doing this because until today I had not found a good way to quiz myself.  Today, that ended.  I found this site.  Study Kanji.  It seems very well laid out, and I will recommend it to the next exchange professor.  That was a nice boost for me.

Just before lunch, a part-time instructor from New Zealand, Angus, dropped by.  We've talked a few times about lots of things.  He was the one who told me about the beer vending machines.  Today he brought me a gift.

 

The particular beer is pretty easy to find here.  Why he brought it to me is the way it opens.

 

Here they call this a "jockey can," and it is only from Asahi.  The whole top comes off and the can becomes a mug.  Angus said it foams up and produces a head just like a draft beer.  Here's a news article about the design.  

I told him this is the kind of Japanese advanced technology I was expecting.  I really am living in the future, and not just because it's Friday night where I am as you in America read this.