Friday May 23
 
10:42
 
Charge By Passenger Weight

American began charging $25 for a second checked bag on May 12. The $15 for a first checked bag is to go into effect June 15 — although elite frequent fliers, those paying full fare and on international flights are exempt.

Fort Worth-based American, the nation’s largest carrier, said it needs extra revenue to cover fuel costs, which it says have soared by billions of dollars in the last few years.

If American airline companies want to raise extra money to cover fuel costs, why don’t they levy a charge for the huge fat arses and stomachs of Americans?

I’m serious about this. The last time I flew NWA, I couldn’t believe the size of the people. The guy sitting across the aisle from me could barely open the seat-back table in front of him – and when he did get it open, it was pushing into his stomach. It would have been so funny if he couldn’t have eaten because he was too fat to open the table.

There is nothing worse than being stuck next to a fatty on the plane. The huge jelly arms spilling over the armrest, invading into the little bit of seat space that I have.

When I fly Korean Air or Japan Airlines or Thai, the plane is full of Asians and normal sized people. When I fly a European company, the passengers are bigger. When I fly an American company, I’m amazed the plane can get off the ground.

I already find it obscene that I should have to pay extra to carry more luggage when some fat ass weighing double my weight has to pay nothing extra for his (or her) blubber:

Fatty: 150kg + 20kg luggage.
Me: 75kg + 20kg luggage. If I want to take more luggage, I should pay.

The price of an airline ticket fee should give you a combined weight allowance – say 120kg. When you arrive at the airport, you weigh yourself and the luggage. Anything over the allowance, you pay for. That way, us normal sized people can take a decent amount of luggage on holiday, and fat people whose excessive eating causes a burden on fuel can be penalised.

Fatty: 150kg + 20kg luggage -> 50kg penalty charge.
Me: 75kg + 20kg luggage -> 25kg extra luggage allowance.

However, now we’re being asked to pay extra to check in anything? When fatty can have as much blubber as he (or she) wants? Ridiculous.

It makes my idea of the “luggage coat” even more of a winner. My reasoning is this: I can weigh what the hell I like and still fly the plane – but my luggage is limited. Enter the “luggage coat” – a huge tent like coat with space inside to pack clothes and other goodies. Think a coat with two mini rucksacks inside.

It’s a sparkling idea. American airline companies could never say to you “Are you fat or is that luggage coat sir?” – they’d be sued to the high heavens. Simply wear it. Check in. Take it off and wheel it around on a trolley while doing duty free shopping. Put it back on to board. Then take it off again and put it in the overhead luggage space when on the plane.

Rant over. Time for cake.

Tuesday May 20
 
11:19
 
Moving iTunes From Windows To Mac

Finally I think I have my iTunes working on the iMac. By following Apple’s recommended procedure, it should have been simple – but I ended up with corrupt Korean ID3 tags (artist, song name, album, etc).

I’ve heard of others who have had the same problem with Japanese tags becoming garbage, and Chinese, and Thai. It seems to be related to unicode and tag encoding. Since I couldn’t find a single webpage which had a solution that worked, so here’s the procedure I followed to fix things. Hope it helps someone else someday.

Monday May 19
 
18:50
 
Korea Town

A few weeks ago I met a couple of Korean guys at Tonjang – the only REAL Korean BBQ that I’ve found in Tokyo. We got talking because they saw me speaking Korean, and we exchanged contact details. Last night we met up and headed to Shin-Okubo – the Korea Town of Tokyo – and ended up in a bar (pictured) which could have been lifted straight out of Shinchon in Seoul. For atmosphere, it was an excellent find.

I used to go to Shin-Okubo often, but stopped because I always ended up getting very drunk. Last night was no exception. Korean alcohol is lethal.

The whole night reminded me of all the things I miss about Korea – so much so that I actually started crying in the subway on the way to work this morning. The same thing happened at lunch.

Tears. Me?! I never cry.

I really miss Korea a lot.

I’d like the think it’s just the Tokyo-Japanese people I know, but it’s not. It’s difficult to bond with people here, full stop. It’s like going out to party with your mother tagging along – there’s always a restraint.

They only want to go out on weekends, not during the week. They are continually thinking of the subway home. They never let go and party or express their emotions. They don’t know how to live and be free.

It’s not just me that feels this way either. I’ve know people who have been in Japan for years, even people who speak fluent Japanese, and they tell me the same thing. There’s always a barrier – a shield – with Japanese. They are minding their Ps and Qs. You never really know what’s inside.

Last night I went out with Koreans that I had randomly met in a restaurant. We drank, ate, chatted, had an awesome time. I ended up getting a taxi home at 2am. I almost never made it into work this morning.

I have never done that with Japanese.

When I used to go to Shin-Okubo regularly, I’d always end up getting talking to a group of Koreans in a bar. We’d share bottles of Korean alcohol, to the extent that it was impossible to tell what one had actually consumed.

That has also never happened to me with Japanese, ever.

You can meet Koreans randomly, and become friends instantly. No guard. No hiding. No restraint. THAT is what I miss about Korea.

I better start finding more Korean friends if I’m to enjoy Tokyo.

Thursday May 15
 
11:00
 
Ignore At Your Peril?

When I first moved to Korea, one of the things that surprised me was that South Koreans are completely unconcerned about the fact that they are still technically at war with North Korea. Outside Korea, almost the only news you hear of the Koreas is the threat of North Korea – but inside the country, people only care about being reunited with their families. The risk of North Korea never crosses their mind. They don’t even see it as a risk. In the words of one Korean friend: North Korea would never invade South Korea.

The frequency and severity of the earthquakes in Tokyo has been increasing recently. Being stuck in a room while it shakes like crazy is pretty scary, believe me. Being up 20+ floors working and suddenly feel the building lurch to the side certainly is pretty scary also. What would it take for the buildings to crumble?

The Japanese seem to have no fear or concern for earthquakes at all. Partially I can understand that, because in my first year or so in Tokyo, I had a “North Korea” attitude to earthquakes: I didn’t really see them as a risk. But the last couple have been freaky. To say I no longer have concern would be to tell a lie.

My company doesn’t help things, continually sending out “Earthquake Training” notices. (How you can train an earthquake, I don’t know.)

The news in China doesn’t help things.

My vivid dreams don’t help things.

And my Japanese friends don’t help things either: “Osaka was hit by an earthquake 10 or so years ago where many people died,” one of them told me, “All the houses in our street were destroyed, except my parents house. So after the earthquake, people were coming to our house to use the shower, gas,..”

The BBC report the incident here, noting:

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries and experiences thousands of minor tremors each year.

But the Kobe earthquake was one of the worst in the country’s history – 6,433 people died.

Nearly 27,000 people were injured, and more than 45,000 homes were destroyed.

The total cost of repairing the damage was estimated at more than $100 billion.

Japanese scientists have since tried to improve prediction of quakes, but seismology is an inexact science and it is extremely difficult to forecast when and where quakes it will occur.

Kobe struggled to overcome the huge impact of the 1995 earthquake.

New office blocks and malls were built to attract back the 50,000 people who left after the quake.

The fact that Tokyo is “due” another big earthquake has been discussed here before (see comments). No-one knows, of course, when the next big earthquake will come. However all around me at the moment, everything is shouting “Earthquake!”, and I can’t help wondering whether they are warning signs of the next big earthquake that I shouldn’t ignore.

Wednesday May 14
 
10:26
 
British Engish Dictionary – Not Compatible With Firefox?!

Just downloaded Firefox 2.0.0.14, British English. After installing it gives the option to install the Firefox British English dictionary. They obviously didn’t test it out though, because after installing, I get this error:

British English Dictionary 1.19

Not compatible with Firefox 2.0.0.14

The dictionary is compatible, the .xpi file just contains the wrong “maxVersion”.

To fix, install the Mr Tech Local Install addon. It give the option “Override ‘maxVersion’ compatibility checking” when downloading the dictionary.