Recently, I've just been lazing about doing absolutely nothing. Though that's all about to change since the grant period starts tomorrow and I head over to the Daiichi Hotel in Shimbashi for orientation and much elbow rubbing with the other nine Fulbright Fellows.

Somehow I've managed to go a month in Japan without going to either karaoke or to eat ramen a single time. I've had some karaoke close calls, but it's been cancelled an unprecendented three times in a row. And I haven't had ramen since I left Korea. Hopefully that will change in the next few days - something's gotta give dammit! Especially since Hyunjoo sent me a picture of ramen tonight; oh god do I crave it now.

Tonight, dinner with Reid and his lovely girlfriend Eri turned into a Lehman party - Corey back from Singapore and his wife, Eric, Mikail, and two of the assistants from office. Lots of beer, meat, hobnobbing, and finance talk out in Roppongi. Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

And today's subject is an inexplicably real quote by my screamo-core highschool classmates Atreyu in the August issue of Meanstreet. I, for one, can only claim to strive to be more metal than metal core.