Weather: overcast · Lunch: onigiri · Dinner: McDonald’s · Sleep: I’m tired :\
My day started a bit tired. But a thought shot through my mind: I’ve been given a research task — why not stay here? I got a fairly large task from Professor Kato, with which I can really explore the HyMeKo framework and write lots of tests to figure out its bugs and shortcomings. So far I’ve already found the following bugs:
- the geometries were named wrongly in the final model;
- in the simulator, the objects were always fixed to the ground (as fixed objects);
- importing still had to be solved.
From here on I can already generate nice little robotics simulations such that the full sensor and state description is in a single file.
The extension
I decided that not long after starting the benchmark, I’d head to the international office. I spoke with Mitsuko about whether there’s, in principle, a possibility to extend my stay. This got me into a bit of trouble, since I should have signed up for a room check, but I didn’t want to until I knew what would happen with the extension. There was a possibility, but first I had to talk to Professor Kato.
To my greatest joy, Professor Kato welcomed with great enthusiasm that I’d like to stay! So I went straight back to Mitsuko with the news. I extended all the way to July 29 — I think that will be enough for substantial research.
I think the extension request went well. Nothing left but to perform well.
Afternoon
The afternoon turned out a bit more stressful than I’d thought. The main cause is still the home projects, plus the fact that this is the last week of the exam period. I mentioned I have many thesis students: reviewers are very hard to find. Luckily I entrusted this to reliable people, so I knew they’d send the reviews no matter what. And they sent them all! I’m glad I have such excellent friends and acquaintances.
On top of that there was online examination too. For one subject this was the only way I could arrange for everyone to take the exam. I have to say, the students made very nice assignments this semester — they had to write a game, a platformer game. I may link it later.
Midnight dinner
You can imagine that after all this I couldn’t really go to dinner anymore — it was literally 23:38 by the time I could set off to eat. Obviously there’d be no Wakashachiya tonight. So I tried McDonald’s. I know my Japanese is already quite good from the fact that I understood they’re not open until three, so it can only be takeout. I went along with it, but I admit I ate it on the way home, with a detour toward the MaxValu. At McDonald’s I’m always very wary of the special editions; the thing is, this one wasn’t the tastiest either. But at least they didn’t skimp on the chocolate shavings in the ice cream.
The one oddity: I wanted to try something new here in Japan. So before the till I bought a little candy, because it looked completely acceptable — some Lotte brand, with nice little pears on the packaging. Then it turned out it was an herbal thing. I was so curious about it that I immediately took two, which scrunched up my face roughly as if I’d had to chew two whole lemons. It’s another matter that I felt good afterwards — but you do need a good spice mix for something to be bitter and sour at the same time.
Japanese night
You surely remember when I talked about cyclists: even the most adorable mum turns into a shrieking she-devil once she gets on a bike. Something similar happens when you walk the streets at night. I’m only a bit farther from Nagoya’s centre, but apart from a few drunks — or fellow shufflers and “lab filler” like me (here it’s really not rare for the university lab to be brightly lit even at 1 a.m.) — there’s not much to worry about on the way home. I’ve noted before: Japan is decidedly safe when you walk at night.
Then you reach the crosswalk. Of course, thank heavens, few are about at this hour besides the taxi drivers. But those who are about may really be preparing for the night drag. As I came home from the AEON plaza, a very ridiculous sight unfolded before me.
It’s typical in Japan that people don’t drive around in SUVs or big cars: obviously you have to park, and space is tight in Nagoya too. So they basically get around in small cars. But the driver of just such a small car decided to drive the guts out of it. And he pulled, at roughly maximum RPM, so as to just make it through the full green at 90 with this putty-coloured car. Of course nothing else would have happened if he hadn’t driven the poor car’s guts out: barely ten seconds later a Toyota sedan came, which also took the right turn at 90 (reminder: in Japan they drive on the left), even though it was still green for at least another 20 seconds. The contrast only became more hilarious that way: how big the difference was between the performance of the tiny, very urban car and the hybrid sedan.
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