A lot has happened in the past month. As the title suggests I have joined a Dojo, bought an XBox 360 and installed a fin on my car.
Let’s start with the Dojo. It’s called the Gi Yu Dojo (http://www.giyudojo.com/index.html) and it is lead by Sandhu Sensei and has been a great experience for me. Not only do I get to learn sweet ninja moves (we study the Kobudo) but the ideals of the Dojo are on improving as a person and benefiting the community. Two activities that I greatly enjoy.
In the short month that I’ve studies there I have picked up one arching idea. It is to be aware. The word Zanshin describes it perfectly. Zanshin means maintaining a state of total awareness. Before you jump to conclusions let me first tell you I am terrible at this technique. The little time I’ve spent thinking about it has shown me how often I do not pay attention to what is going on around me. Whether it’s driving in the car, walking around the office, or just sitting in my home I am happily oblivious to events that are going on around me. So little by little I’m starting to pay attention to the world I live in, and it’s been very eye opening (get it?).
Not only am I realizing how much I miss by zoning out but I feel much more secure and competent since I know what is going on around me and can react in a proper manner. It’s a little thing, paying attention, but it can have vast benefits if taken seriously.
Onto the XBox 360. For those of you who do not know, it is Microsoft’s gaming console. It’s in direct competition with Nintendo and Sony’s offerings (such as the Wii and Play Station 3). The XBox decision was a long one one at which I did not arrive at easily. It was a tossup between buying a new gaming laptop, since my current one is 3 years old and can’t play my new games, or getting a dedicated gaming machine. After weighing the pros and cons, the prices, the expected benefits and bugging a bunch of my friends about their ideas I went with the XBox.
Having had the machine for a few weeks now I am still very happy with my purchase. It’s everything I expected and more. Games run flawlessly and the controller adds a new dimension to gaming that is more enjoyable (at the time) than a keyboard and mouse. Another tangible benefit is the XBox is a great party machine where multiple people can play at the same time in the same place. While my game selection is currently slim (LEGO Batman and Street Fighter 4), I plan on expanding it in the near future.
I plan on picking up Rock Band (3?) and I have my eye on a few other games that are good for groups. If you know me, you may be wondering how I play my XBox since I do not own a TV. This was factored into the decision and while a TV is necessary for most XBox players, I find the machine and games so intuitive that I don’t need one to play and enjoy it.
Heh heh. Ok, that was very untrue. What actually happened is that my roommate Dan picked up a TV from a friend at a great deal. I feel quite ridiculous talking about it since it’s quite a beast, 52″ HD rear projection screen behemoth that we stuck in the basement. It was way larger than the machine I was contemplating purchasing but I’m not complaining. We have no plans to get cable so the screen is being used for gaming and movies (which the XBox can play).
So far it’s working out great and it has completely changed the space in our basement, making it a great hangout place.
Boy, I sure write a bunch once I get goin.
Last topic, a fin for my car (Mazda 3). That’s right. I am the proud owner of an AquaCar – Cars that can navigate underwater. While that would be quite interesting I will say I have very little use for an AquaCar (if they exist) and my fin is much more practical. It acts as a radio antenna. It replaced my tail antenna on my car and looks quite spiffy. My dad and brother helped install it last night and it’s stayed on all day (even with the snow) so I hope it stays that way. I haven’t taken any pics yet but will try to post some once I do.
Besides that, life is just peachy. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store.