Greed

One of the biggest challenges that comes with studying at a university in Tokyo is the enormous outlay of money that it requires. On top of the typical overpriced tuition, there is the constant expenses of daily life in Tokyo. Nothing is free here and very little is cheap.

As a result, I've been living pretty much at the subsistence level. Looking over the records I've been keeping of all of my purchases since coming to Japan, I can see that the only things I spend any real money on is food and transportation. I really can't spare the cash for anything else.

All this goes to say, that in the last day or so I've been considering what I would do with my money if I had some cash to blow. I came up with a kind of fantasy Christmas list of things that I can't afford, here are a few:

Tippmann Pro/Carbine Paintball Marker - $160
For some reason I've been craving a good game of paintball lately and digging about online I think I found the perfect gun for me. The Pro/Carbine is known for being extremely rugged and reliable and simple to fix, clean etc. More importantly, it's one of the most accurate stock guns available, SpecOps Paintball recommends it for paintball snipers. Unfortunately, the gun is no longer produced and as a result it is quickly disappearing from retailers.

Oakley SI Computer Bag - $175
I need a case for my laptop and I would love for this awesome bag to be the one I get. In addition to it's quality construction and militaristic aesthetic, I really appreciate the large bag body, numerous pockets and comfortable carrying strap. It would be just thing for bring my laptop too and from school on the train. Backpacks are unwieldy on the train and a sling pack would really fit the bill.

Eten Glofiish M700 Smartphone - Not yet released
This slim phone combines the features of a high end PDA, GPS unit, and light Camera. With wireless LAN support (802.11b/g), a QWERTY keyboard, touch screen and a 2 megapixel digital camera this is just the thing for surfing the web and posting blog entries on the go.

Creative Zen Vision M - $250
This is my MP3 player of choice of the many options currently available. Although the iPod and Zune probably have better players, they require the use of proprietary media software that really gets on my nerves. The Zen would play all of my music and video files without the need to mess with a frustrating sync/file-conversion program. Additionally, the Zen is reported to have better battery life, durability and reliability.

Optimus Keyboard - Not yet released
This futuristic peripheral uses organic LED's to create a mini-screen on each key. This allows the board to be instantly reconfigured for use with any language, game etc. This would be particularly useful here in Japan.

DAS Keyboard - $Until the Optimus arrives early next year, the DAS is the keyboard I most want to buy. It's stylish, jet black, unmarked keys are individually weighted for increased typing speed and utilize ultra high-end switches for crisp, perfect keystrokes.

UltraSharp 1907FP 19" Flat Panel Monitors - $280 each
Currently, CNET's highest rated 19" monitors, a pair of these would be just the thing to expand my desktop and give me the screen real estate I crave. Extra fast response times, superb color and vivid contrast make for excellent gaming or movie watching.

IEM (In Ear Monitor) Headphones - $150-200
This style of headphones inserts slightly into the ear canal and seals your ear off from outside sounds. This allows them to best so called "sound canceling" headphones at reducing noise. Because of the close fit and lessened competition with other sounds, IEMs are used at extremely low volumes thus extending the battery life of your music player.

With that out of the way, it's time to get back to reality.