• topher79
      • hello Kristopher
      • Username: topher79
      • In response to: "If you were in a movie right now, what music would be playing?" Darth Vader's theme music ... I'd like to hear that while I walk around
  • topher79's latest answers
    • My Top 3 Hobbies

      • Alas, I have but one hobby


        For me, like most people I believe, I don't have many hobbies. I have things that I do in my off times like read, play video games or watch tv, but I wouldn't call these hobbies in the strictess sense.

        I think that the only true hobby that I have is Photography, which encompasses a lot of things. When I'm on vacation I'm constantly shooting photos, a three day vacation will net me around 400 or so photos most of which end up being deleted. I read magazines and books pertaining to photography and also browse Flickr quite often and other photography websites to see what other people are up to. This much effort into one thing qualifies as a hobbie for me.
        Unfortunately perhaps it's the only hobby that I currently have.

      • answered by topher79 on 12/09/2011
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    • What I Worry About

      • Imagine yourself getting ready in the morning, you have to leave for work soon, you have already gotten dressed, packed your bag, eaten breakfast, and know that everything you need is ready and packed. So, what have you forgotten? Probably nothing. But wait ... did you really put your cell phone in the inside left hand pocket of your bag? Better check, yup thank god it's there. Alright put on your shoes and head out the door before you miss your train. Hold up a second ... is your pen in your bag? What about the book you have to return to your co-worker? What about ...

        That is what I worry about almost every ... single ... day. I am a certifiable head case when it comes to leaving my house and making sure that everything is where it is suppose to be. Every morning I will put the items I need for the day where they belong in my work bag (everything has it's own place and cannot go else where ... that's a different story) and I know that everywhere is where it's suppose to be. Yet, there is always a small nagging doubt in the back of my mind that an item has been forgotten, or that I have the proper notes.

        I probably leave my house, no wait let me rephrase that, I depart my house upwards of several times, my shoes and jacket are on and my hand has turned the door knob, but wait ... I had better check once more, just to be on the safe side. First check my bag to verify that everything is in there, better look at the kitchen table too just in case. Leave the house, oh wait did you turn off the AC? How about the kettle after you made coffee? Better go unlock the door and check the house once more. Alright everything is fine, let's go!

        After I have finally been able to leave the house and get on my way to work, shopping or to meet a friend I will have moments of doubt from the driveway to the train station. I will briefly check my bag or give the appropriate area a firm poking to see if I have my cell phone, wallet, keys, or what ever I am looking for while I am walking. Once I make it to the train station, about a ten minute walk, I will usually have forgotten about having to check on everything.

        Throughout the day I will generally not check to see if I have everything and that everything is in the proper space. I will only check on things if I have recently moved them to a new area, a good example is my wallet. In winter my wallet stays in the inside pocket of my winter coat, however when spring comes around the wallet moves to outer left hand pocket and finally it finds a home in my bag during the summer season. For a week or so during these transition periods I will periodically check each pocket. For me this gets tiresome.

        Friends and the occasional stranger will ask me what I am looking for or if I have forgotten something. When I tell these people that "I am just checking to make sure everything is here." I will sometimes get an odd look, luckily most of my friends are used to this behaviour now and don't even bother asking, unless I looked panicked. For the record I hardly ever lose, misplace or forget anything. Only on the days that I am not worrying about forgetting something do I actually forget something. But I try not to worry about that. Wonder if I am forgetting anything in this answer? Hmm should be ok ...

      • answered by topher79 on 07/10/2011
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    • My Favorite Summer Drink

      • Day 5: Gin and Tonic

        When the warmth of late spring starts to turn into the blazing heat of summer, and the rain showers turn from a gentle cool down into a humid hell hole, that is the official start of Gin season for me. I keep a bottle of Tanqueray chilling in my freezer along with a healthy supply of ice cubes, a little bit further below in the fridge there is a generous supply of tonic kept in the crisper with a couple of limes, all of this to help alleviate the summer heat.

        For me Gin & Tonic is the quintessential summer drink, the refreshing juniper berry taste (which almost tastes and smells like pine pitch leaking from a pine tree mid summer), with the slightly bitter & sweet taste of the tonic and the astringent lime somehow all blend together to makes a wonderfully refreshing drink.

        During summer I will occasionally have a beer, glass of wine, or another cocktail if I go to a restaurant but at home the only drink that I made, almost religiously, is Gin & Tonic. These two things, summer and gin go hand in hand for me.

      • answered by topher79 on 06/28/2011
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    • Mythical Free Day Off

      • I would hope that I would be productive and get something accomplished that I have been putting off for some time, like doing the spring cleaning and getting all the winter clothes packed away, but let's face it that isn't going to happen.

        A free day off, while exciting and always a welcome, would be like any other day off. I would most likely end up playing EQ2 for an obscene amount of time and after not really accomplishing anything in game I would complain about the evils of that game and regret sitting on my ass wasting the day away.

        There could also be the potential that I would leave my apartment and go explore the same places that I tend to explore on my regular days off. I would grab some cash and go check out what's for sale at Yodabashi Camera (that's like a Best Buy or Future Shop, but without the annoying pushy sales commission people), as usually I probably won't buy anything, just dream about that new DSLR I would want.

        Ultimately I hope that I would do something that I had never done before, a free day off should be treated like a gift, it shouldn't be squandered away. I live near one of the largest cities on the planet, but still find myself saying "I'm bored, there is nothing to do in Tokyo", I know that there are literally millions of things to do in this city, I just have to get up off my oh-so-comfy sofa and find them.

        So the next time I get a free day off, that is what I will do, I will hop on a train and head for a station that I have never been to before, hopefully in an area that I have never been before. I will eat lunch in a restaurant that I have never eaten in before and do things that I have never done before. That is what I hope to do.

      • answered by topher79 on 06/08/2011
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    • Accomplishments for the past year.

      • This is what I have achieved, what have you done?


        There is not much that has changed in my life during the past few years, as it should be. I believe change should come gradually and not all at once. I am still living and working in Japan as an English teacher as I have been for the past four years. I still live in the same apartment since 2008, except for the minor additions of furniture here and there the apartment hasn't changed all that much. So what has changed?

        Well for starters, within the last year I have made some wonderful friends, Tim and Rosey who live upstairs, who introduced me to the wonderful world of Euro-board games. If you are thinking some kind of old-world, high class Monopoly go drown yourself, these games are in a totally different category. If you don't believe me, go google Euro-games, in fact look up a game called "Pandemic" it's one of my absolute favorites.

        Beyond friends and minor furnishing changes I have also found the time in my oh-so-busy schedule to join a gym. This might come as a shock to those who know me, but it is true. After reaching the pinnacle of life at the age of 32 I decided it was time to start looking after my health, so nine months ago I joined a gym and have been going regularly; twice a week on average, three times on a good week. Has it paid off you ask, yes it has. Since joining the gym I have lost around 5kg, a decent accomplishment on my part. I also feel healthier.

        I mentioned before that changes should come slow and I have good reason for believing that. I don't think people can change everything about themselves in the course of a year, if you believe you can I think you are deluding yourself. Accomplishments should come slowy, seeing and feeling actual change in your life isn't something that can happen over night. This past year I have taken the time to cultivate a wonderful friendship and to make some healthy choices in my life.

        What two things are better for your life than goods friends and health? I challenge you to come up with a better answer ...

      • answered by topher79 on 06/01/2011
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