My first TC experience - I don;t know where to begin.

Thank you?

There you go. That's a start.

Scott keeps reeling 'em in!

are you making fun of me? ;)

I liked this exercise in free association. Seemed to work quite well. Only a story telling master could make a compelling story about a few ball point pens! And gain some "Do Easy" life insight.

I think you once said, only those people who can tell good stories, find themselves in story situations on a daily basis.

I did laugh when you entered the graveyard after midnight on a weeknight and said "Oh great, there's no one here". I think you would have continued recording anyway.

Thanks Scott.

Thanks for the comments.

Annabel: Welcome to Tokyo Calling
San: Inscrutable as ever (perhaps you're referring to the version you heard in the Talkshoe)
Aaron: No, not really. Why?
Mark: I tracked down the quote on stories only happening to those who can tell them, it's from Henry James. Your praise is much appreciated.In this case, however, I feel I just lucked out - the pieces came together on their own. Again, thanks!

Congratulations on your progress with quitting smoking. My cousin's trying to quit, but it's very difficult for her.

25 minutes is a long way to go to tell a story about someone bumping a table, but it was a great trip :)

I confess to using pens because I don't like the feel of the smaller gauge ball, for the same reason you described. It never occured to me that I might want to slow down. I'll have to give that a try some time.

And hearing that voice speaking in English as you walked on campus was actually a bit jarring. I'm not used to hearing other voices speaking on your podcasts in a language I can easily understand, so that was an interesting moment. There's always some interesting bit of audio to pick out from your podcasts.

Taylor: Thanks for the nice thought. So far so qood, this weekend marks one month.

Jim: Yeah, I know. I need to tighten things up. But if I just focused on telling the story or sticking to the plot, lots of the fun bits of sound would never get captured. Kinda ironical in a way, I suppose.

Scott,

I tend to agree with your friend's reading of the lady dropping the books on the table. I don't think she was mad at you. As a matter of fact, she was probably a bit nervous having a gaijin in the office with her.

Congrats on stop smoking, you will be a richer man both financially, and healthwise.

The Warrior

Another great podcast about society in Japan.

Thanks, Scott! I hope you keep them coming.

Scott,

As your listener I feel responsible to keep you motivated as much as I can :)
I have to say - I really miss your shows a lot! :)

All the best and hope to hear you soon!

Woytec

Scott, TC 121 was outstanding!




Maybe it was the Free Association. Maybe it was because you had been thinking about this one for a while. Maybe it was the pens becoming a point of connection. Maybe it was something completely different.




Regardless, that was great!

Hi Scott,

Waiting for TC 122 - Hope all is well! :)

Heya Scott,
Keep up the great work. Never mind what other people think. Keeping it true to your own interests makes your podcast unique. Do what you want to do and people will recognize the genuine quality that you present.
But where you at man? hahahah
Now Im getting worried ;)
l hope is well and you are pursuing new things to talk about.
Take care
---Tom

Scott,

I really think this has been your best podcast to date. In fact, its the first podcast of any kind that I've shared with my non-podcast friends that they've enjoyed.

The thought occured to me, about the female teacher, that although she's Japanese, she does teach foreign students and maybe her actions were directed at you in a western way because she's used to dealing with her western students.

I dunno, it might be too complicated.

That said...I only decided to post because it's been nearly two months without a podcast and it's possible you've been discouraged. So without further ado *ahem* Some encouragement....

Please give us another podcast! :-) I'm hooked on the everday trivialities of Scott, the Washington-raised-gaijin from Tokyo. A day that might be ordinary for some is interesting and engaging the way you tell it, or maybe it's the way it really is. Take for example your trip to the doctor's, when your wife fainted at the doctor's explanation of your injured forehead. Or the time you visited your parents in the states and your kid's practiced riding their bikes with Grandma. I really loved the Kodomo-no-hi (kid's day) with your daughter and the fact that she won a bike at the lottery and later, your struggle at the Apple Store deciding whether or not to push your luck and enter another contest. There's a sort of optimism in everything you do and I can honestly confess that in Los Angeles...that sort of optimism died with the passing of the '84 Olympics. :-)

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for all the Tokyo Calling podcasts, Scott. It was a fun ride.

hi scott

i have seriously been missing your podcasts. i hope you are having a good summer and you are just busy with other things ... hopefully good things. you have become such a part of my listening world for years now. i miss your voice and your thoughts.

hope all is well .. missing you ... emmett j.

Thanks to everyone one for the kind and thoughtful comments. Family matters have come to the forefront during this year's vacation. This has made audio production impossible.

The wheels of imagination continue to spin in busy little circles.

Tokyo Calling shall return.

Scott,

It is good to hear all is ok with Tokyo's First Podcaster. Have a nice vacation, and waiting to hear some new episodes in the Fall.

The Warrior

Hi glad to see you are OK. Missing Tokyo Calling very much!

Good to hear that all is well. Looking forward to when your able to return to Tokyo Calling.

looks like there's going to be a lots of material for incoming episodes :P

Take care Scott!

Scott,
I enjoyed this episode an awful lot.
Kept me very occupied on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Glasgow, Scotland.

I've only returned from Tokyo myself and find it quite ironic that in a city of over 12 million people, you still manage to take into consideration the 12 millimetre difference in the size of a ballpoint.

Thank you ever so much for the fantastic work and I really do look forward to the next installment.
Jamie

Hi Scott, miss hearing your voice and your thoughts! Hope the fall will afford you some time to put some new podcasts together...

You are not the only person with an obsession for pens and stationery!

http://meandmybigmouth.typepad.com/scottpack/2008/04/zebra-sarasa-10.html

I loved the podcast and am looking forward to more.

Hi Scott, I hope everything is well for you and that you've had a relaxing summer. My big teaching term is well underway here in Victoria, BC. I'm taking my freshman class by ferry over to a particle accelerator in Vancouver next Friday for a field trip(53 students!). Should be fun!

I'm really looking forward to your return to podcasting whenever that might be. I'll keep an eye west across the pacific for it :)
Take care. Geoff.