Our Time in Japan Comes to an End

We’re leaving Japan soon, but I have a lot of work to do related to Japan over the next couple weeks. I’ve recorded a lot of video, and there will be videos uploaded to YouTube for almost every day we’ve been here in Japan. But that’s not all. There are some other things I have planned (not related to work, that is):

1. Edit and upload all Japan vlogs.
2. Catch up on comments on this blog.
3. Star a Star Trek blog for my episode reviews.
4. Write and record science videos.
5. Read!
6. Write!
7. Resume the Read the World series.
8. Resume Worldbuilding blog posts and videos.
9. And play SimCity 4. Just because I really want to.

There are a lot of other things to do, but these are the big things. I probably forgot some things, though. They’ll come to mind!

Canada, here we come!

The Eureka Moment

Ever have that moment when “Eureka” is the most desirable thing to say? I did last night when I was trying to go to sleep.

Earlier in the day, I was thinking about my vlog channel. What should I do with it? The topics were repetitive. I needed to be more creative if the vlog is to succeed. And while I was recording something about watching Attack on Titan on Netflix, I talked about my past experience living in Japan. I thought about it for a while, and before sleeping, it came to me. Do the vlog in the point of view of someone who has returned to his home country after years in Japan. Do vlogs about adjusting to life in Canada. This will involve a lot of discussion about living in Japan and how it compares to Canada, as well as any difficulties I’ve had adjusting to Canada again.

This may appeal to people who live in Japan, as well as expats who plan to return to their home country, and former expats. I hope it’ll have a broader appeal, too.

But I don’t plan on having it all about Japan, but also about other things, such as travel, current events, and so on.

So, what do you think? Let me know in the comments section below.

Can I Quit Winter Now?

It’s only the beginning of December. And this is the forecast for the next few days. 

I’m not a fan of this weather. This is my first “real winter” since the winter of 2004-2005. This is the first time I’ve felt this temperature since Christmas 2010. Can I have Japan’s winters, please?

How’s your *insert season* going so far? Cold? Hot? Just right?

From Andorra to Space! The Jay Dee Show 3

Another week, another group of video to share with you. In the past week, there were fewer videos, but partly because of my anniversary. Things should return to normal in the next week, though! This week, we looked at another country, Star Trek, and more. In my main channel, there were 6 videos.

First up is the return of the Library Book Hauls with my daughter. She continues to be silly.

Also returning is The Star Trek Project with episode 5.

Moving on to the Read the World Project, we take a look at literature from Andorra.

And then it’s the final video in the From East to West series about our move from Japan to Canada.

Then it’s a Retro Book Review. I take a look at Excelsior by George Sirois.

And finally, we go back to #16 of Authors Answer with a look at some online writing resources.

Then going on to my vlog channel, I posted 4 videos, though two should be coming tomorrow.

Up first, we got to watch some guy riding on the hood of a car in a parking lot. That day, there was some silliness going on.

And then I talked about doing search engine optimization and show you how I make hot chocolate.

Monday was our fifth anniversary, so my wife, daughter, and I went to Plate International Buffet, a great restaurant in Edmonton.

And last, we watched the Presidential Debate on TV, and I considered a drinking game.

And that’s all for this week! If you have any comments, please leave them below. And of course, please subscribe to my channels!

The Snow Doesn’t Stop! The Jay Dee Show 2

I hope you’re ready for more videos. It’s been an interesting week, including a lot more snow. I worked quite a bit, but I kept up with booktube. I researched and explored the literature of Algeria, and I enjoyed giving some shoutouts. Let’s take a look at my main channel‘s videos.

First up is a vlog-like video where I talk about some authors who behave badly.

And then we go on to find out about literature from Algeria.

Next up is a popular video of mine, my monthly booktuber shoutout video.

And then I started a new tag, one targeted toward the parent booktubers.

Nearly finished the From East to West series now. Finally, we have reached Canada!

Then I reviewed Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards!

And finally, I answered Authors Answer #15, talking about new media.

So, let’s move on to my vlog channel. It snowed again! Is it going to stop?

First of all is my daughter’s first time playing in the snow. You definitely need to watch her first snowball fight.

The next day, my wife and I encountered a creepy snowman.

Something happened on YouTube thanks to Casey Neistat, a big vlogger. Find out what happened.

My daughter told me about a Pokemon that she was pretending to be. It was absolutely hilarious!

And yes, it snowed again!

If you have any comments, please let me know below. I’ll be back with more videos next Saturday!

My Daughter’s First Time on a Horse, Plus No Man’s Sky!

This video is on my vlog channel, which only has eight subscribers at the moment! But it’s new, so I don’t expect it to grow quickly. However, this video is filled with some interesting things, including my daughter’s first time on a horse, which was pretty funny. We also saw a big accident on the highway, which I caught on video. I also talk about No Man’s Sky, a game which I really, really want to play. And you can add in poop games (yes, poop games), Carl’s Jr, and being interrupted by people walking by the house at night while recording the final parts of my video. Enjoy!

So, the big reveal at the end of the video is that my sister downloaded No Man’s Sky! I haven’t played it yet, as her old computer can’t handle the game, so I’ll give it a try while she’s at work tomorrow. This will be interesting!

If you’re interested in seeing more of my vlogs, then please subscribe to my vlog channel. It’s different than my main channel, which focuses on books and science fiction (that one is growing nicely, with 148 subscribers at the moment). It would be appreciated!

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Penny Oleksiak Wins Gold!

Watching the Olympics? Well, Canada’s Penny Oleksiak won a gold medal in the women’s 100 metre freestyle. She tied American swimmer Simone Manuel for gold and they share a new Olympic record. I searched on YouTube to see if they had the race anywhere, but it’s not up. Copyright reasons? No idea. But I’m sure a replay will be available eventually. In the meantime, here is CBC’s news report on it.

With this medal, Penny Oleksiak breaks a record for having the largest number of swimming medals by a Canadian in one Olympics. She has a gold, silver, and two bronze. And she’s not done! She could still get a fifth medal. But since she’s only 16 years old, she’ll likely dominate the sport for the next couple Olympics.

Oh, and I think she’ll be the flag bearer for Canada in the closing ceremonies.

What’s impressed you so far in the Olympics?

Are You Watching the Olympics?

This is the first Olympics I have the chance to really watch since the 2010 Olympics. You see, the Olympics in 2012 and 2014 were on when our TV was dominated by children’s TV, and we had to have it off when our daughter was going to bed. Now, it’s possible to watch them again.

Of course, I’m cheering for Canada, but also Japan. After the first day of events, Canada has a bronze medal and is in 9th place.  Japan, on the other hand, has one gold and four bronze medals, which is good enough to be tied for first, along with the United States and China.

I really don’t know who is good, or which sports Canada is expected to do well in. This is one of the first times I haven’t paid any attention to the athletes. So, I’m going into these Olympics with no expectations at all. Maybe that’s for the best. It was nice to see Canada win the bronze tonight in women’s 4x100m freestyle relay. And the team had two sixteen-year-olds! Very impressive.

Are you watching the Olympics? Which sports are you interested in watching?

Edmonton Storm Update: Flooding!

Not far from where I live, there’s a storm water facility that doubles as a habitat for water birds and is also a pretty pleasant park. Well, because of the heavy rain (see my other post about it here), it flooded. And I took a video!

It was quite the scene when I went down there. But this is the purpose of the pond. It provides a place for storm water to go, and prevents flooding at street level in the neighbourhood. Many of the newer neighbourhoods have this kind of planning. Smart idea, isn’t it?

Severe Thunderstorm Here Right Now! (Edmonton)

At this very moment, the second severe thunderstorm in the last couple hours is coming through. Strong wind, heavy rain, and very loud thunder accompanying the lightning which has been striking very near here. I recorded some of the first storm on video and posted it on YouTube. Have a look.

While that storm is done, the second one is going through now. The wind was so strong that it made me wonder if there was a tornado. I found out that the tornado that passed through Edmonton in 1987 actually went through the neighbourhood I live in, only about two or three hundred metres from here!

The weather today is crazy. But I love storms. Do you?