Quick Update

It's occurred to me that I'm developing new and fun skills here. I had played around with video editing software at home, but not like this. But with new ventures come new problems to solve.

I've been having some trouble with the video editing software I use. It's new to me, and while I really like the tool set and features it has (not to mention that it doesn't crash like my last software), it doesn't accept any of the three file formats I record in. So, part of the reason I've been neglecting to put up a video about the Suzuka race has to do with figuring out how to get around that issue. I have gone through and made marks and notes on the important or interesting aspects of the race, and I assure you this particular race is wholly Japanese in certain, very amusing, ways. You'll see what I mean.

In related news, I have been playing with the (many) tools this program has, and hope to give you a good presentation when I'm done. I've picked out some music I'd like to put it to as well. I'll be putting in quite a bit of time, which always comes to mind when I show someone my work. Of course, we all have seen countless videos, and don't really give much thought to the editing that takes place. My video about cycling in Colorado is less than five minutes long, but took me over 8 hours to make. I expect this to take much longer, most because my expectations are much higher now.

Until I figure out the problem mentioned above, I've come up with some other fun ideas to shoot/edit. It keeps me busy, as does studying, reading, and cycling. One such (quick) project is on YouTube here: CLICK ME! It's just a doodle. Last night, I went for a walk at 1:00 AM, and it was quite nice to walk the empty streets.

In unrelated news, I'm making stabs at getting another bicycle from home over here. "But, why not just buy one there?" It's cost-prohibitive; the bike I want to bring over cost me somewhere around $2,500, and shipping it here will cost around $400. Buying the bike again would be silly. Not to be creative about it, I'm also thinking about what other things I could get stuffed in that box, like a headlight for said bike (conducting market research as we speak), possibly some clothing, or other things that could take the place of packaging materials or wouldn't suffer a terrible fate while in a box.

Today (and today only), I'm off to teach at a new school to "help" me learn a curriculum I don't teach. Thanks, boss. Oh, and last night, I tried raw horse for the first time. I recommend it.

Other developments? I attended a party themed, "Black, Lingerie, or Toga," where the attire options were those (black being the catch-all/typically-safe option) last Saturday. I clearly don't have lingerie, and togas are clumsy to wear for long periods, so I chose black... gym shorts... only. I can honestly say it's the first time I've felt confident enough to pull such a stunt. I can thank the diet here for helping me to drop about 10 lb, and the daily physical activity for keeping me in good shape. Nothing exciting came of the event, but it was amusing to see every other guy dressed in what most would consider normal clothes (save two togas).

Lastly, I'm fighting off an annoying congestion/allergy problem. I have no plans of pursuing medicine (until I get insurance sometime in the next two weeks, which is required by law) (oops). Alright, I'm off to work. Cheers.