Getting the iPhone 3GS

I had always promised myself to get the new iPhone if it came with a better camera. After watching WWDC I was convinced that it was  a must get upgrade.  Then I downloaded the 3.0 firmware… and my desire to upgrade began to diminish. 3.0 is awesome.  The software alone was such a great upgrade that I was thinking twice, three times about actually getting the 3GS.

What to do… what to do??

I mulled it over and over, weighing pros and cons. But  lust runs strong in my veins and I capitulated. On Thursday the 18th of June I ordered my iPhone 3GS (Black - I have a white 3G), and the long wait began.

Well the long bloody process of buying an iPhone began. It took 25-30 minutes to go through all the paperwork, ticking boxing, the guy explaining to me the different options packs that you must subscribe to if you want a fully functioning iPhone 3GS. After getting out of there before starvation and dehydration became a real issue I could now begin the 1 week and 1 day wait.

Of course the following day the phone was released in America and I got to listen to all of the lovely news from America. What podcasters, bloggers and Joe the Plumber Blow thought. Reviews were mostly good, with some issues emerging during the week. And I saw a few videos of the iPhone 3GS in side by side comparisons with the 3G.

The speed of the 3GS was apparent. My excitement, like a mouse who had just broken into a swiss cheese factory, was building.

Friday the 26th came and I found myself outside Yodobashi at the ridiculous time of 8.30am (I rarely leave home before 10.. one of the advantages of my job here in Sapporo).

Sidenote - Wow.. Sapporo really does have a peak hour.. I was shocked to see so many people out and about on their way to work.

A couple of Softbank guys were standing outside the very closed store. Handing out time reservation cards to those who wanted them. I was the second person to get a card, my time 9.30 - I was to be one of the first in Sapporo with a new iPhone 3GS.

If you must know every detail - I killed time with a visit to Starbucks.

Back at the store I was first in line, first in store and first served. This however did not equal first out of the store and the first 3GS activation. Even though the girl had a tag around her neck saying “iPhone Master”, I’d say the only thing she was “Master of” was the space she was occupying. Everything she did had to be double checked and double checked again.

What really surprised me was that even though I had done all the paperwork 1 week before, I basically had to do it all again. And it wasn’t just me, everybody there (11 at one time) was redoing the paperwork. What the hell had we achieved with all that work pre ordering.  We may as well have just given our names and telephone numbers.

It would appear that AT&T don’t have a monopoly on lousy customer service/experience. Apple really do know how to pick their carriers.

(At least Australians get a choice of who is going to screw them).

Truth be told if the iPhone became available on docomo I would switch promptly - I hate Softbank!!

I got home to do the lengthy restore from backup and syncing. My iPhone completed it’s job with just enough time for me to do a trial run against some games to check the speed. Which impressed me greatly!

I have now spent one day with the iPhone and I am convinced that this upgrade is pure gold.

If you were thinking about it, and have the funds, I would definitely recommend the upgrade.

Next post - The Review.

WWDC Plans

I know that like a little boy at Christmas I will awake in the wee hours of tomorrow to suss out what  has deigned the world worthy of. 

I just know that once I’m awake I will stay awake.. so I may as well get some zzzz’s before then.

The big question for me… is “Will I be rushing off to the Sapporo  Store at 10am? (and can I get in and out in 30mins?)”

Time will tell… and only a short amount of time at that.

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Swine Flu

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My Simple Curry Recipe

First of all - I don’t  cook by measure.. I cook to taste and amount required. So my cooking is rough and always different.

Ingredients

Sauce

1. Potato
2. Sweet Potato
3. Onion
4. Ginger (generous amounts)
5. Garlic (generous amounts)
6. Tinned Whole Tomatoes
7. Raw Chilli
8. Turmeric
9. Masala
10. Chilli Powder
11. Curry Powder
12. Olive Oil
13. Salt
14. Pepper
15. Coriander

Roughly Chop 1-3 add with 4 & 5 cover in water.. bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients to taste simmer for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Then by whatever method you so choose puree the sauce. Use immediately or freeze.

Chicken and Mushroom

1. Chicken
2. Mushroom
3. Onion
4. Potato
5. Carrot
6. Sweet Potato
7. Olive Oil
8. Bok Choi (or other green leafy veggie)
9. Curry Sauce (from above)

Cut the potato and carrot into bite size pieces, place in pot and boil for 10-25 minutes.. (variable). The potato is done when it is easy to bite through.

Fry in olive oil onion and chicken when the onion is soft add mushrooms, potatoes and carrots, cover in curry sauce and simmer for 5 -10 mins. A few minutes before  the curry is ready add the GLV and stir in… when it is soft and cooked through… you are done.

Serve on rice.

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Robots - Good vs Bad

I posed a question to my student, what’s the difference between robots in Japanese movies and American movies.

She told me that in Japanese movies robots are generally the good guys and American movies robots are generally the bad guys.

I asked her why she thought that was. Her reply was thoughtful, considered and perhaps accurate.

“Japanese believe in Science, Americans believe in God!”

I think she nailed it.

The worst doctor. EVER!!

So I have been having this weird wave of vertigo strike me when I go to bed, and when I roll over in bed. It wakes me up and makes going to bed not as pleasent as it should be.

So today on my day off I decided to go see the Doc. But because I was late in leaving home I couldn’t get to see the doc at the university hospital - u had to wait for this evening to go see a doc in a private clinic.

My friend rang the clinic to check if the fox could speak English. I generally have enough Japanese to get by, but with medical probe especially something like this which requires a bit of explanaltion an English speaking doctor for me is required.

So I go to the clinic which is staffed by a bunch of pretty girls under 30, one elderly matron (who spoke a spattering of English) and Doctor Dickhead.

So I go into see the doctor where I am instructed to place my bag on his desk, not on the vacant chair, but placed on his desk.

Then I have to sit down in something resembling a barber/dentist chair. Which a) was made 40 years ago and built to hold little Japanese.

I just fit.

Attractive assistant number 2 then steps on the peddle and my chair raises 10cm and rotates to face the doctor. The doctor instructs me to lift my feet and place them on the foot rest - which is fine if you are under 165cm which is ridiculous if you are over 180cm. I now look like a fat squashes tow in the barbers seat.

I’m not happy already.

The doctor asks me if I speak japanese, I say no, I was told you speak English. He says no.

He then proceeds to interogate me in Japanese, waterboarding would have been more successful. Elederly matron helps a bit. Then with all assistants present he makes me go stand on the spot.

Assistant number 2 lowers and rotates the seat. I am led to the spot (2 footprints painted on the floor). He then instructs me to raise my foot, then raise the other.

If I was suffering from vertigo while standing up this would make sense. However as I, and the elderly matron explained to the doctor I only have attacks when I am horizontal. Surely this is the pistiln that must be adopted for testing.

Anyway the doctor ten perceived his opportunity to humiliate the gaijin, in front of his stuff of pretty young assistants.

Close your eyes and march on the spot and count with a lou voice. I proceed to do so. So now I’m marching on the spot, eyes closed, arms out like Frankenstein’s monster.

And I’m counting and marching, couring and marching. How far do I have to count? I get to 50 and he gets me to stop and start again. This time I have to count to 100. FUCKER!!

He then instructs me to sit down (we go through the opening phases of the consultation again.

He prescribes 2 medications. 1 to take when I feel giddy and one to take 3 times a day.

What is going on? I only have attacks when I’m sleeping - at night and attacks only last 20-30 seconds. Clearly neither medication is designed to make my nights sleep satisfactory.

For now I only have an internet diagnosis - which is never really a good thing - but I would expect my doctor to ask me to adopt the horizontal position for testing.

Well this one managed to fuck me in the vertical postion - in front of a crowd. Wanker.

Tomorrow I’m going to see if I can find a real doctor.

White Illumination

Every December Odori Koen (the central park in Sapporo) lights up with is White Illumination Festival.

Just before the TV Tower small stalls are set up as part of this festival “The Munich Christmas”  Full of German flavoured foods, beers and Christmas ornaments.

It is all very beautiful and a bit expensive. 

Today I splashed out on what I thought was a good deal ¥600 for a German Hot Dog.  (The festival finishes on the 24th and now the food stands are having stock clearing sales).

The hot dog was most unsatisfying.  The bread stale the sausages cold (I was given a bonus sausage) and the onions were cold too.

The lights are, however, beautiful.  Now if I could just take a decent photo.