An Amerïcan Werewolf in Oita

Until now (redux)

2011-05-06T04:17:00.002+09:00

For the last year, this blog has been abandon like so much garbage. Will I revive it...I honestly don't know.

For the last year I have been job hunting. Which didn't turn into anything until December last year. So other than that I have been failing and getting back up and failing again and again.

Let's go back to a simpler time way back in the year 2006,when I started college. Back then I had an understanding that with a degree I could do what ever I want to with as long as my degree was related. So I chose Psychology (and abandoned engineering, which is what I studied in high school), because I found it inherently interesting. So in freshman class, we had to look up career we could get with psych degree, the which I liked because I could travel and transfer were human resources and management consulting. So I studied abroad, the collapse happened and I couldn't get a job. So by August 2010 I decided get what I can. I decide I will apply anywhere and see what sticks. From April 2010 until December 2010 there was so many application I had put in. With little to no response. The only responses I got was from English teaching jobs in Japan and Korea.

So in December I found a job I could work with and May 24th 2011, I start working in Tokyo.
Which will be my first megalopolis as the biggest city I have live in was Charlotte.

Was it all a dream...

2010-06-09T12:56:00.003+09:00

So nearly a year has passed and I have done any of things I planned to do one I came home. What has happened in the last ten months. I met some new friends, and reconnected with some of the old ones. Went on some trips with my friends, which was cool. Met up with two of the Oita teachers. Went to Boston for a job interview and failed. Went to Atlanta for the JLPT level 2...and failed (by one point). Got back into my major, which was cool. Got some people drunk, and making even more friends in the process. Applied for some teaching jobs. Met up with one of the Oita buddies. Wrote a senior paper about karoshi (Death from overworking). Graduated from college. Said goodbye to some of these friends I made. And is currently what the word for it...unemployed.

So quite a bit of time has passed, and is it necessary to reflect on what happened and how Japan has changed the foundation of who I am. No, I see it everyday, in smile of a child, I hear it the whisper of the wind...yeah...like that would happen. Here is a quick overview of the Oita connection. People stay in contact via Facebook, Skype and Messenger, I don't really use Facebook anymore but from what I see people are making moves to meet each other. Quite a few of them have become full fledged members of society. A lot of them are trying to make it back to Japan. Some of the people have seem to have fallen off the edge of the Earth which means I will be making some calls soon.

It seems like a lucid dream, as I sit here, in my boring everyday life, asking "Was I really in Japan for a year?", the answer is yes, as I can remember the scents, the people and the building that was made in the architectural dark age, known as 1980's.

Homeward Bound

2009-07-31T14:14:00.004+09:00

So I start my journey to America and my eventually homecoming tomorrow. And lately I been thinking why it is hard to separate with other study abroad student, my theory is it a feeling that they are going to a separate world. Basically there is nothing really stable about the conditions surrounding a study abroad student, but we build comfort in each other. As it comes time for a friend to go home, it is realized that the places you going are in literal different directions. Simply these friendship don't have the comfort of place. Thus to see friends one would have go to their place since there isn't a common meeting ground. Simply put Oita is a place, but there is no stable life there. Thus the only reason to return to Oita is to visit the people who live and work in Oita. As one could make an arbitrary date and place to reunite. Which essentially happened...Budapest, August 2, 2014.

Schism

2009-07-27T18:37:00.000+09:00

The closer it gets to the end the harder it gets. I am not actually sure if I can keep it together. I guess I hoping time would go slower but it's a flash and cramming this fun in two weeks is great but I guess I am starting to face the reality that I have childishly denying which this will be last with these friends, do I want to think that "no", I wanted to hold out hope, knowing that we are all connected by Japan, by Oita, the fact that we even met was a miracle. As I know everything that has a beginning has an end, but I don't want it to end. To stay in these moments forever would be great but I realized that is impossible, and the memories I made here will remain in my heart forever. That fact that I feeling so much pain is proof that I am living.

Well the emotion part is over for now, I saw Mick off to the bus station to get to the airport. I cancel my Japanese Citizen's Health insurance. I still need to give proper goodbye to people. I think canceling my bank and insurance gave me some kind of closure as those were the first two things I did when I came to Oita. I can now only understand the pain that parting international students felt. Every goodbye feels if you are losing an important member of your family, as you have bonded and grew with these people over the year and as you are feeling this pain you are also giving it to people. This is a pain I can never forget as this will not be the last time I feel it. I'll see this thing through the end, hopefully maintaining some type of composure.

Dusk

2009-07-25T10:16:00.003+09:00

What to say...well, I have one week left, one more final and I am back in America. I haven't made any effort to clean my room or mail away boxes. I went to my last meeting for Broadcasting Club and they gave me a going away party. Well, I am having a lot of last. A lot of people are going home or have gone home which is sad. The weird thing is I am still making friends, I think I should stop talking to new people. I think I'm emotionally drained so I stopped feeling sad, and am grasping at the reality that I will return to Japan which has made me more serious in searching for more paths. I wish I had more time to play

2 Weeks...

2009-07-18T13:10:00.002+09:00

So yesterday was the farewell party and it was somewhere between fun and heart wrenching. Hell I am going home in two weeks. None the less, it was cool to play and meet everyone. We of course had the formal party, with speeches, pictures and video (though we didn't have to dress formal, because if there would have been a fight). The place had no AC, which was a bitch as I was sweating bullets. I have to tell you about the video, so the tutors make a video, with puppets and choose my mannerism as I have easily recognizable, which led to me being asked the whole night was it me.

At the second party, I pulled out my fourth of a bottle Grey Goose which was finished. Then I started talking to people and taking pictures and Mick started making nerd jokes, from Jojo and Dragon Ball Z. I picked up girls, literally. Talk out more nerd things with some tutors, mainly DMC and Gintama. After that there was karaoke which is always great fun. Though I sung my 2nd worst song (due to lyrical content), which is メス豚交響曲 (Mesu Buta Koukyoukyoku; Female Pig Symphony) in front of girls.

I also receive my farewell card, which reading almost makes me cry. I would but a countdown to America but I am not particularly looking forward to it. One more revolution around the Sun and I should be back.

Tanabata

2009-07-07T17:39:00.002+09:00

So today, I went to my first Japanese festival...in Japan. Well should I say...I feel no strong feeling toward festivals. This festival has been going on for three nights and I have to say, meh. The first day I didn't have the spirit go (took the JLPT before), so I hung around for maybe ten minutes and decided to get the hell out. So I decided to go today, I hung around for twenty minutes and I honestly did not see the point. Basically there was a lot of stands (mainly food) around the temple and there are more people on the street, some wearing yukata and jinbei. There is no spectular event (that I could go to), just that, I guess Japanese feel a special feeling of nostalgia or community but I don't get it, then again not a huge fan of eating or communities. On the plus side I saw a miko (shrine maiden), so not a total loss. No pictures taken because I find it unworthy. Next time I come I'll try to go to a famous shrine. There wasn't any game stalls unless you include goldfish scooping, the only game the prize is where you win responsibility.

Slight Depression

2009-06-29T23:56:00.003+09:00

So yesterday I entered a slight depression. It not because I am leaving Japan though that would be a better reason it's because of something I should be happy about. On Saturday I party until four or five in the morning and I got home got on the computer and then went. I woke up at nine am. So I lounged around the house for a little bit, and remember I was going to take a practice Japanese Language Proficiency Test (by practice I mean 2007 actually JLPT in the comfort of my own room ) and I followed the timing. I got a 238 which is not passing. Now I did not expect to get over 200. Since the test point was to see the actually I did not expect to pass. However passing is 240, which means I logical can pass if I do one or two question better on actual test. This why I entered the depression before I took 2007 JLPT I thought I had a 20% chance of passing, which means I was able to take it easy but I figure I have a 75% chance which I think make my pass fail margin ±10 points, which means I'm too close to the edge and with one week remaining increasing that is nearly if not completely impossible. These answer are know or don't know, guessing didn't help much. If I fail the actual by the same point margin, I might actually cry.

Tick-tock

2009-06-14T15:28:00.004+09:00

So I realize I have almost no time left...shit. So yesterday I spent all of Saturday doing an event for Cultural clubs by all day I it started at 10 and I got back to the dorm at 10. It was cool and I'll appear on a web page soon. Though I had to wear this armband with (taking video) 撮影 on it which made me feel like a fascist. The event was cool, I got to listen some music, see some interviews and take some video. I am really breaking into Broadcasting Club, I am glad I stayed with it. If I would have know the future I would have been in the Radio Group instead so I could play around in Charlotte.

Last week, I hung out with some JETs and thinking about it, I would not mind being a teacher as much as I thought. It's a steady job and help get rid of the student loans. That just a contingency plans as always. I am not looking forward to my three weeks of summer, as I will be incredibly busy with doctors and maybe getting my license..finally though I might become a paper driver. According to how much I work I should be done translating my IRP by 22nd.

Why did I study abroad?

2009-06-02T17:59:00.003+09:00

I am not having moments of regrets or doubt I actually had a pretty good day but I was ask why I studied abroad to which I have no logical answer. My goals in Japan were you travel (which I haven't done lately) and improve my Japanese (which I also haven't done lately). That doesn't answer why I studied abroad. I am a former otaku but that just explains my initial interest in Japan. Not why I am here, now. It has relatively nothing to do with my future, though I do want to work in Japan but if that was my true reason I would have spent the last nine months trying to make business contact rather than playing. I do not regret coming to Japan, hell if I didn't I would be looking for a job right now, as I would have already graduated or would be in December.

I think all I wanted was a change in life and this happen to be the perfect road for me though I did plan to do this since high school, as I choose the college I was going to apply to by if they had Japanese programs. So in conclusion, I have no original reason for studying abroad, other than it's cool, but I made reasons later.

Relax

2009-05-31T21:56:00.003+09:00

So I done with a pretty uneventful week. This week I had 2 midterms and a presentation, so not much else could be done. Although on Thursday, I walk to the JUSCO (it's comparable to Walmart) need school in the rain for no other reason other to amuse myself during the free period. During with I managed to sprain my ankle probably. It was a 45 minute walk to that JUSCO. I today went to a different JUSCO for no other reason, than to look for yukata for my mom and sis, which were out of the price range for now but I will buy them soon. I finished the first half my Independant Research Project, which is translating manga. I plan on being finished by the end of this month (June) with the translation only leaving editing. I'm really enjoying it, but I'm not sure I see a future in it for me mainly because I don't need to be in Japan to translate.

With Great Power

2009-05-24T08:45:00.004+09:00

So last night was classy night, so a crew of nine went to Oasis, which was unfortunately reserved and then Ken's Piano bar which was unfortunately full so we had to sit away for the piano, but we enjoyed it by ordering cocktails which we never heard of or never had, for example I partook in a Sweet Jungle as Derek had a White Cadillac and a Charlie Chaplin.

After this we decided to go to PEI (the foreigner bar) for all you can drink. I did get sloppy drunk but I recognize my time to leave before I made a total ass of myself. I meet some cool people with was wicked awesome. I meet Taka and Ako again, he help take care of my first all you can drink. Tristan, an English guy and Patrick who was from Canada. Also a new Taka for Paraguay. And this from Asheville and went to UNCG, it was shocking. This time I wasn't a stream of vomit, as I vomited twice or at the most three times. I realize that I can't hold the power of all you drink, because you think "I should slow down", then you are on your 10th screwdiver also I find Haze boring without copious amounts of alcohol. Also I'm not understanding the language barrier in my brain, with alcohol in my system I can't duel wield English and Japanese.

To quote Sunshine Megatron
"Bitches ain't nothing but hoes and tricks -Gandi"

Deaf

2009-05-22T23:35:00.003+09:00

So I realized, that I deafen myself to the outside world, today I didn't wear my headphones while I was going home and realized people must think foreigners are deaf and stupid. This could have been going on for months. I rarely walk about without my Mp3 player, when I don't have it I am generally talking to someone. While this level 1 because this is something you know this you figure out week one. I guess that is one of things I'll enjoy in America just being a face in the crowd, not as an anomaly. This was the conversation that was had about me, "Ah, it's a foreigner" "he probably just came from an English school" "He has a cell phone". Wow, I was actually shocked at the stupidity, I was going to a station in front of a university, though it was 10:42pm and there are any English schools near the university and I was coming from a convenience store, though my drink of relaxation has stop being sold. The thing was these guys weren't try to be discrete or wait five seconds until I was in the station. They were talking about me to my face, behind my back. I wish I had time to lecture them on etiquette but I simply lacked time.

The complaint finale this was anticlimactic, after class Takehara-sensei, told me the fire story which took three minutes. I had enough time to pal around and catch the next train.

Complaint 2 (this time it's personal)

2009-05-21T19:23:00.003+09:00

So this week, they decided to hold a meeting about the noise again and something about a fire (that nearly happened at on the campus dorm). So in a typical fashion I said "fuck that", I did not go. If they had implications against the first I would have gone this week but all they was waste my time. So since I skipped the first two meeting probably along with some other students, the center sent a mail that on Thursday there will be another meeting, and I "MUST COME" and "absence will no be accepted." So in a typical fashion, I laughed said "fuck that" and showed the mail to people and said "I'm not fucking going, fuck those guys."

I think this has something with my problems with authority figures and refusing to comply. So another passed, and another meeting was skipped, another mail came roughly translated "Could you come to the International Office today? What could you tell me around you could come to the International Exchange Office? Best regards." Now I could have something bad ass like a "cold day in hell" or "piss off" which is what I have wanted to say since I receive the mail that there were going to be meetings this week. I just asked "why?" First question of questioning authority. The reply "The lunch meeting you are the only one who didn't come, and Takehara-sensei it seems wants to talk. Around what time is good?" Saying there's more of a chance of the world ending then me going would not have been a proper response.

I love being me so thus I had to send a mail, that held my self-righteous indignation. This gave me a new weapon, I have never realize before: proper Japanese. I would like to believe I rocked it as when I show the Hong Kong they actually called it cruel or mean. The Office told me that it was okay if I didn't go and to talk to Takehara-sensei directly and the mail was in polite language.

Now this could seem like it will lead to either a long time loss or Pyrrhic victory but screw it. If they are going to waste my time, I have every right to waste theirs. This post was vainglorious, wasn't it? I am half sure this isn't courage as it is passive aggressive and stupid but man, pride's a bitch.

Morning...

2009-05-21T08:48:00.000+09:00

I feel like hell. Well today I have a speech on MD players and discuss my independent research project, with the way I feel right now, I don't this will be the great day. I lack restful sleep which cause me to take nap which prevents restful sleep. --Mï at 8:00

Speech sucked totally failed, eh, that's life. I forgot everything and forgot to write notes. but Independent Research Project is actually bearing fruit (figuratively) which is wicked. I should write a real post soon... --Mï at 8:50 next day

Complaint

2009-05-12T22:09:00.002+09:00

So today I was called in for a complaint to Kaikan for sound for my apartment, the meeting for this was at school at 4:15pm, I only had first period and I had shit I wanted to do day: put money in my account, go to the movie theater, clean my room, buy a nice Riesling however I would not have time to do all this and go to this meeting which stated " Please come to the Intl. Office @ 4:15", nothing else, no explanation. So I after I received this I was finished with French class, I went to the office and said, can I do this earlier. The reply was "The teachers can't meet before that. You can go home and come back" Whoa, the hell? It's a pain to go and come back, so I wasted a day sitting in the sun. The oasis, which is the center is closed due to remodeling and the Student hall, became an office which make the the only free inside is the library and the cafeteria one is full and the other is you can't speak. Also computer labs. So I waited for 7 hours. During this time it was figured out that 4 others recieved the same message. So we figured it was about noise complaints. Which had no connection to me.

So we went to the meeting and the four other had got complains about noise in the apartment. Then Takehara asked if there was any questions. Wait, what? She was done with saying the compliants. Which occured in the last week after 9:00pm, so I asked "why am I here?", she said "Where you being loud?", I said "A month and half ago during Spring Break at 5:00 pm and my speakers broke since then and I have had no parties." So she said, she did not know why. So I wasted what could have been a productive day, on what is a mistake considering I have always left the party before a warning comes and they were only talking to people who held a party in the last week. Which was a week of holidays but the complaints were for Saturday and Friday which is retarded. I'll have to hear this shit again in about a week for the tutor meeting.

Mind Clear

2009-05-09T23:32:00.004+09:00

So I think my emotion down surge was due to culture shock or me dreading the future. My mind has been clear and I realize I have to enjoy these remaining months. The substance which clear my mind was not surprisingly alcohol. With my mind clear, my sight is clear what I need to aim for. Now I am going by the river and relax.

Edit:
List of things I miss (and/or can't afford in Japan)
Thunderstorms - As much as it rains, I haven't had a power outage or a thunderstorm
Psychology - I actually miss learning about psychology
Lindt Chocolate - The price here is so inflated it would probably be cheaper to have my mom send it.
Reese's - That's probably my biggest thorn in my side.
Washing machines that use hot water - White clothes are a bitch to get clean without hot water, I don't care if there are no dryers (that are easily accessible) but considering the fact that I walk around in white socks, that will never be truly white again. I hate bleach therefore I will never use it, useless it to clean up DNA evidence, hahaha.

Irrationality

2009-05-06T22:32:00.003+09:00

*Warning, this post is emo and stupid*

So being unwilling to travel, I was in Oita for a five day break and for a majority of I slept and also got trapped in my head. I wish I hadn't but when left alone all I can do is think. I realized due to my current level of satisfaction, I can clearly feel emotion which is annoying to an extent considering living aloof and apathetically is way the hell is easier than feeling emotion. Normally, I would say "culture shock", and just move on. Though I fear that I may reasonable be feeling sicken emotions, that in their saccharinity are making me stupidier. I should be okay once I get my mind clear.

Other than that totally awesome. My break was restful and I have had a true drink (something above 5%) in about two weeks. This may due to the fact I am spiritless and I have not felt lively lately (at least during the night). This could all be due to me sleeping too much or me not doing shit. I think I need to clean my room then after that I can clean my mind, also I need to karaoke.

Rant

2009-04-29T22:14:00.004+09:00

Recently I said something to a friend, which is there is two kind of people when they out a Japanese person can speak English: 1. One who will just use English (with some Japanese) and one who will refuse to use English. This is a gross exaggeration but true to a certain extent. I really am neither one of these though I would be more of the latter than the former. Though I guess the language I speak with Japanese people is more reactionary than anything. I engage you in the language you engage me (though I would rather use English with teachers, not because I would not understand but because they sometimes ball bust over not using polite language). Sometime due to this, I feel like an asshole, like I am deceiving people, though it's not really my fault but I don't help the situation by never revealing the fact I speak Japanese. Even though I hate inefficiency (which is why I refuse to speak in Japanese to another American unless a third party is around) will let someone speak English as long they want. Hell, I get amusement out of it. Though it could be said I do the same to everyone, if I ever engage the conversation I do it in Japanese assuming they speak no English, though it be odd if asked if you spoke English then engaged you in Japanese. I use the language of the land. I don't want English to become a crutch but I really stop caring which language I use, because it is easier to just be reactionary. Though that must seem like a dick move if they see you engage someone else in Japanese unless they wanted to practice English.

This argument is circular in it's logic. Ouroboros.

ダメな人生(Hopeless)

2009-04-19T20:14:00.002+09:00

I am starting to play a bit too much, which is a good thing that I am realizing it, however I could careless. This semester is off to a great start...if you don't include classes. I started eating fast food more frequently. I got called in to meet with a teacher on Tuesday which I am going to assume the worst, due to the fact last week I left my homework in my room. I have started napping.

For the good things, I am getting to know people in Broadcasting club better. My conversational Japanese is improving. I stop drinking heavily. I am not in my room as much or not as unreachable. Tea bagging has become an everyday word.

I guess I should get on track...you understand. Boks Ouwe.

Meh...

2009-04-11T18:34:00.005+09:00

So a lot has happened recently. I went to Okinawa as a group trip but the weather wasn't that great and I didn't go swimming not that I had the gear for it. I saw some things, ate Okinawa soba, and had some Okinawa specialty items. Cool place but a bit inconvenient as they have no trains. Jon came to Oita and Okinawa and we chilled. I meet some of the new students, and they are pretty cool (it is an odd feeling showing new people stuff). I brought my application for JLPT, yeah impending failure, I am going to learn to edit videos in broadcasting club. The new semester has begun, I have four months left which is going to be odd going back to America but whatever, I have to make the best of my time I have left.　Class have started again

I still have no plans for Golden week, maybe Aichi one more time. For a weekend in summer I might fly out to Tokyo to take a train to Shonan for a music festival called Shonan Oto Matsuri, Rize and Yamaarashi will be performing. Doping Panda is coming to Oita on July 17th, so I think about tickets would set me back 4000 (approx $40) not including the one drink minimum.

Best Laid Plans...

2009-03-28T22:00:00.001+09:00

This month I did not spend all my budget and only thought I had two bills left to pay this month. When I the notice for the bills they were under budget (we get notices for bills which leads me to, why do they not just send the bill earlier), I thought I could parlay into my Okinawa trip or buy a bass guitar...I chose the bass. About two weeks ago, I saw a bass set for ￥16500 (approx $165) at the used instrument store, the brand I don't remember but not a major maker. So I was amped, finally my dream will come to fruition. Until, I realized I had buy bus tickets to Fukuoka, but that was not major, before I went to school, I realized the dream killer, my train pass, the price of one bass guitar set. So the dream is on hold, until I 1. get a part time job or 2. if I stop travelling. 2 isn't happening, I'm Okinawa in a week, for three days. The only people I can blame for me not having a bass is the music store in Fayetteville (in case you didn't know, I ordered a bass before coming to Japan took over month to come and I didn't have time so I had to cancel it) and the assholes who didn't give me JASSO. ￥60000 (approx $600) a month is almost exactly my budget in a normal month.

Well I am done bitching, cool things to come, I go to Okinawa next week. And then start this crazy school thing. Cool thing that happened, recently went to a concert for Yamaarashi, which was cool (except for the reggae). I realize people watch me. I know what you are thinking "are you stupid, you live in Japan?", no it's not like that I realize people look at me due to the fact I am an annomaly in the system however, I was sitting outside drinking water after the concert and some dudes had enough courage to talk to me. Whilst our chat, they ask me if I like reggae, to which I replied "no, I hate it", Japanese reggae is basically somewhere between hip-hop and pop (Last night, Brown Sugar considered to be reggae, King-K is also reggae (is kind of reggae), Acco is also considered reggae). To which they replied "You looked like 'Hurry up and finish' through the reggae part." Wow, that was new, people are actually assessing my reactions and they don't even know me. The first act was a luke warm rock band Possibility. Yamaarashi rocked the house though I wasn't primed for the main event, which led me to believe that the people setting up the event weren't thinking.

Translation: Maou

2009-03-21T13:20:00.004+09:00

I was watch a music video for Detroit Metal City (great movie highly recommend) which had the lyrics in Japanese in the sidebar I had listen this song (melodic, sounds like visual) by not the lyrics which may have the most screwed lyrics up since Anti-Nowhere League's "So What" (At least they sound hostile)

I am going to attempt to translate Maou(devil):
Rape all the women
Sell the female pigs off
All you can violate, I am the devil
Women are completely my slaves

When I want to do it, I kill
All you can violate, I am the devil

(Devil, Devil)All of the evil (Devil, Devil)gave birth to this me
(Devil, Devil)Evil completely prostrates itself before me

Everyone human is a lump of meat
Jealously, hatefully kill together
Massacre the old people
Treat all brats as slaves

A rain of screams pours
What a repulsive world that now is here

(Devil, Devil)All of the evil (Devil, Devil)gave birth to this me
(Devil, Devil)Evil completely prostrates itself before me

In a sea of flowing blood
The color of the sky is dyed black and red
The beginning and the ending have no connection
The one who killed Adam and Eve was me

I sell all women
I buy conceived evil

(Devil, Devil) The devil's palm (Devil, Devil) beckons me to hell
(Devil, Devil) Wanting to kill and bothering me

(Devil, Devil) All of the evil (Devil, Devil)gave birth to this me
(Devil, Devil) God also prostrates before me, I am the devil.

----

Yeah, this was for a comedy movie.

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T13:16:00.002+09:00

So today I wake up to spring like day and unlike the rest of the Spring like days I decided to get motivated and leave and do something I have been putting off cleaning my suit. At the Farewell Party it got a little dirty when pushing a car out of a ditch in the middle of the rain. So I walk down to the dry cleaner which is a five to seven minute walk to find it closed. I thought "maybe they are closed on Friday" as Japanese stores have a tradition of being closed on random day. So motivated I decide to go to the other cleaner by my neighborhood liquor store to find it closed. With the sign "Holiday closed." I looked around and saw that a quite a few stores when closed. I decided to look at my planner that see that today is a holiday. Which only can　I think "what the fuck?!", the first day of Spring is a government recognized holiday. Ruining my motivation which was to do dry cleaning and buy about 50 dollars in Chocolate Liqueur.

Hikikomori

2009-03-17T15:05:00.003+09:00

I haven't actually hikikomori but basically I have today all I have done is shower and clean my bath other than that I have been reading articles on Cracked.com and surfing the web. Yesterday I did chores which forced me to interact with people. I sign up to get a bank card, and got a card to video and CD rental shop, called Tsutaya. The odd thing about that was the lady at the bank couldn't speak English but a lady at Tsutaya could. Also there seems to be a special privilege for foreigners at the bank because two unrelated went straight to the teller no question asked. This all the while I was waiting because I took a number. The teller was having a difficult time due to the fact she was speaking really fast and she was using proper Japanese. I was able to grasp her request. So that is something to dread when I come back.

After that I bought some goods for cleaning supplies at the 100 Yen shop. This is where I realized that Japan looks like a scenes from a drama. During my walk to and from Tsutaya, I saw a couple sitting on steps by the the river, an international couple walking by the river, a couple of high schoolers waiting for bus chatting and two high school girls on a bike screaming to a river. At Tsutaya I signed for a card with lady that knew English to help. She told me I could write my address in English which is laughable because I don't know my address in English. So I filled the form in Japanese. She was surprised to learn I 21 she thought we were the same age, 24 going on 25 (I assume that she is going on 25, this is due to the fact that she thought I was 20 because I was born in Showa 63). Japanese people will never guess my age correctly.

Nothing else has really happened. I when on a trip with Broadcasting club which was in Oita-ken it was a board using the train station as stop places after rolling a die. At each stop there was a task like finding a four leaf clover. I was a cameraman and I held a boom mike. Wicked awesome. Hung out with Yuma and his handball club friends and Tuan and his friend from UNCC. Lately been contemplating whether humans are social creatures or not. This is possibly due to me not leaving my room today.

Real Life

2009-03-07T13:37:00.004+09:00

So I was having a normal Friday night. I was walking with Ayaka (one of the broadcasting club girl), because we happen to be going in the same direction, for different reasons. We decided to exchange information, so we might be able to hang out during break. As I walk into the convenience store, she said "if you do anything contact me" or something to that effect. Which I have no clue what that means. I understand the words but the subtly of words are amazing by Japanese women but this beside the point.

So I go into the convenience store buy my weekly Smirnoff Ice Extra (it has guarana). After I leave the store I am sequestered by an older man, who ask me if I can drink which I say "Yes", then he invites over to drink in a parking lot of the store I just left. First he gave me some shochu, and we start talking about World War II, which was before he was born, then about baseball, then he gives me money to buy beer, so I buy Asahi Super Dry. I don't like beer buy it was free. Then he ask me the question, "Do you have a girlfriend?", I say "No, not really searching for one" but he say with a mixture of hand signals and words "That if you have a girlfriend you can fuck her." I stifled my laughter, "If I had a girlfriend I'd have other problems." and then we talk about subtly of the Japanese language and then I finished my beer and had to leave to catch the next train.

That was funniest thing I have heard in a while.

Getting Lost

2009-03-04T18:13:00.002+09:00

Last night, I had a drunktastic time with some cool people however I won't post about (there will always be drunk escapades)how I am here to think about the future.

So soon the second semester will start and I have started to think about and dread the future. I am not talking about leaving Japan, I can't dread that it is apart of this experience, however this summer, I plan to take a test I know I am not going to pass but I have to start studying for it. I am taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test; 日本語能力試験) level 2. This is not compulsory but I want to take it. However right now I know it is clear over my head and consider that I am not a good studier. I know I am going to bite it. However if I defy nature, it would actually look pretty good, though statistically I have 60% of failing. Looking further, I could take the business Japan test, which is mainly knowing respect language (keigo) it seems. Things to consider.

East, Center, West/New realization

2009-03-01T16:15:00.003+09:00

So I decided to spend about two weeks of my vacation travel to major areas of Japan. Kanto (Tokyo), Chubu (Nagoya...though I spent most of in Nishio with Matthew), Kansai (Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Osaka). This trip was a bit burdensome on me financially but I see it as an investment. I realized I could live in a metropolis but I would prefer a smaller city.

I got to Tokyo by night bus, which may only be comparable to sleep deprivation. You legs are cramped in a small area they call leg space and basically the bus full. Every three hours they turn on the lights for a break. EVERY THREE HOURS!!! 8pm and 11pm were cool, but were 2am and 5am needed. 5am was totally unnecessary, we were 3 hours outside Tokyo! Screw the Night Bus, I'll pay ￥5000 (Around $50) more for the plane ticket.

Tokyo is a beast and that is no lie. It is a living breathing monster. It is very urban and was awesome. I felt a bit disconnected but it was still cool. I am glad I went. The place I was staying was near a tourist trap but I would stay there again. I would love to return to Tokyo. I was glad I met up with the Tokyo crew, Jon, Nik, and Eric. They are basically the same but a little different (personal growth) and Jon's Japanese is has improved a lot. Jon showed me some cool stuff, Shibuya 109, scrambles (though it seems like every city has a scramble), Fuji for his dorm and the new otaku playground, Nakano. While at a Nakano Baskins-Robins, we chatted with two high school girls, which I had never done before. One of them took way too many pictures of us for my comfort. I left Tokyo by the legendary Shinkansen, which isn't all that great and far too expensive, though comfortable.

Next on my list was Aichi. Matthew had to work until 4, I play in near Nagoya station. There was nothing near Nagoya station. So I walk around looking for a 7-11 or a post office(out of cash), but could not find one, though I did see a Bank of Brazil. One thing I realized in Aichi is that the two languages you are most likely to find on a sign is Japanese and Portuguese, Brazilian are plentiful. So I went to Nishio and celebrated his birthday by eat yakiniku and going to a bar and getting drunk. I meet some of Matthew's friends, some of them locals and some of them English teacher in the surrounding area. I ask for my drink Kurokirishima I chatted with some Japanese people, early in the night it was with twenty-something year old people. I explained that I like Tadanobu Aso movies and Yakuza movies. It got a little weird when a guy asked if my tool was the size of one red bull can or two. Then after that I chatted with a couple in their thirties, the wife was trying to me Mikawa-ben from whatever I speak. They kept saying I was cute and reminded them of their son and call if I come back to Aichi (they gave me a card). In the following days with Matthew we went to a tea factory, got me a new phone (I washed my old phone in a washer), and went to karaoke and bowling. I had the best yakiniku at a chain place called Gyu-kaku (which I did not know they had in Oita). I went back to Nagoya, to peep the Castle which is awesome. Right now my castle ranking, Nagoya>Osaka>Hiroshima>Kokura. Next was the Kyoto via bus.

Kyoto was meh. It was exactly what I expected even to the point I saw two geisha. It is basically a lot of temple and shrines and I for to see Gold and Silver pavilion but I did see Kiyomizu Temple which I thought was pretty cool.

In Kansai I crashed with an old friend Kenji. His apartment is in the middle of Osaka which is convenient but me and him could not hang out because my week there was his busiest time due to entrance examinations. During my time there we did have pleasant conversations about Japanese society and education systems in relation to study abroad and the like.

In Kansai I also went to Osaka, Nara and Kobe. I have to say I did Kobe. It has a nice feeling, and I could see my self living there. I could also see that in Osaka. Seriously screw Nara! Nara sucks! It has some cool stuff, but other than that no. I never need to go to Nara again. The deer are ungrateful bastards. You want cool deer chill in Miyajima. Osaka the chill spot is Nanba. Shinsaibashi and Dotonburi are cool. Kenji said that since I like Kobe, I would probably dig Yokohama.

I took the Diamond Ferry back to Oita which I recommend though I had about 6 spaces between me and the next person and and it is from 20:30 to 12:05. The family next to decided to find a room with beds and the crew said it was cool. On the ship I had a nice sleep. On the ship then had Time Crisis 3, the Time Crisis I had yet to play. I went on the Deck around 11:00 to take some photos and watch the sea. The some members family that left start talking to me. They are happy to talk to an American. A little to happy. They volunteer me to take a picture with them with my camera. It was cool though kind of odd.

I have not yet found paradise but maybe it only exists in our mind...or maybe I am too lazy to search for paradise. Right now Oita is home and that is good enough.

[My eyes are flashing with renewed vigor. After 2 weeks of traveling I am in top form. The fire within rages hotter than ever before.]
That is just changing the words in the prologue of the Marshall Law story in Tekken 4. I thought it would sound a bit more dramatic than "This trip has given me some perspective, and now I feel better."

In Nagasaki...

2009-02-11T19:04:00.005+09:00

I came back from the first leg of my vacation in Nagasaki with Yang. I was okay but nothing special. I went to this dutch theme park called Huis ten Bosch, it has some cool stuff but you only can see stuff there. There not really any rides or roller coasters which sucks because they charge they charge a bit to enter. I really not worth if you have been to Europe, or seen European style buildings but I will give it this: it does not look like Japan. I prefer amusement parks.

Also saw the lantern festival, which was pretty but the streets were crowded. Chinatown seemed like a shopping arcade and I did not hear Chinese. They had Chinese food, but I did not see Chinese people (besides Yang).

I stayed in two places: a Japanese style inn and a youth hostel. The Japanese style inn was cool. They gave us yukata, it was a bit inconvenient due to the location but other wise it was cool. Youth hostel was okay, the location was prime. Right in the middle of Nagasaki.

Nagasaki tourism point comes down to these things: The Dutch, Chinese and Christianity. Though they don't really emphasize the A-bomb and I was nowhere as moved as Hiroshima. The paid attractions are usually at most 500 yen (sometimes more) and the ones I went to were not that impressive or compelling. I am glad I had Yang with me because I could do all the Nagasaki stuff in a day by myself then say "fuck it" and chill in Sasebo. I guess my style of tourism is not compatible with other people as I don't eat (waste of time, could be seeing stuff), don't make strict plans (going with the flow is easier) and I don't use maps or ask for directions (road signs are cooler and drifting is more fun), which I guess saying "don't know" and walking isn't reassuring to the type that do the opposite which Yang is. Everything is cool. Next week is my adventure to Tokyo and thereunto. Castella is pretty good.

Title Reference (Just watch it once)

PS: I need to see if the have a game in Oita because it is awesome. It is called Action Detective　（アクション刑事）. You fight, you shoot and you get a good work out.

End of Side A

2009-02-02T00:55:00.001+09:00

Good Evening.

recently there was a going away party at school for the people who are returning home which was cool, probably because no one acted out. The dress was formal which gave me a reason to wear a suit and make my first official clothing purchase, a collared shirt as I left my original in America. The purchase took place at Don Quijote and was relatively painless. The party was formal, you know, speeches, teachers and mingling. Then there was the after party, where there was a 500 yen cover. I caught up with people, drank Chu-hai (Japanese bitch drink, 4 percent, taste horrible, but better than beer, 20 cups and I was only buzzing), and I got wingmanned.

Wingman, an anciet duty entailed to a trusted friend to help the "pilot" get a "target", which usually involve removing the less attractive friend of the "target."
As shown here:

Coors: Mighty Wingman | Viral | SPIKE.com

"Who were you?", you may ask. I was the less attractive friend. While I share a friendly conversation about Australia and music with Gensuke. Ahreum takes me by the arm (interlocking them for no reason) and walks off telling me she wants to talk. Which I didn't really have a choice then and calls me me a KY, not what think, it means I can't read the atmosphere and then she point to Heji talking to Gensuke. KY is 空気読めない人 (Kuuki Yomenai Hito) literally translated as person who can't read the atmosphere. Which was bullshit because there was no atomosphere because Heji didn't try to enter the conversation or say anything. I have at least grown in reading romance which is why I avoid friends when they enter couples. My theory is that two people join together to become one boring entity, this is not always true but usually is. Well, I digress as this is turning into a rant.

After the party some of the people hit karaoke, including Anna, my tutor. We stay until 5:00am and Lei Lei was trying to explain math to me at 4:00 which is uncool. In retrospect I understand but I couldn't because it was 4:00. The basic of it was Derek, Maria and Inga paid 400 over and I gave her 1000, so she gave me 1200 and 200, but Maria forgot to pay, so I had to return 400 (which were 2 of hers and mine). Which left me with where is my 200? Within the 1000. So I was supposed to tell one of them to break it and return 200 to me but the exchanging of cash is confusing as fuck at 4:00am. So she took the 1000 and gave me 800 in coins which left me thinking where is my money? She actually took it this time. So they explain over and over until I received 200 and I said we are done. I was tired of it.

After which, Nobu, Ma-kun and I had a problem karaoke ended at 5:00 and first train to Oita was at 6:24 so we walk to a family restaurant, which are different casual dining restauants (Applebes's, TGIF) and are more like diners except with larger space and no color (traits, personality). We get to Oita station at 6:35, we are wiped. Ma-kun, Nobu's tutor, ask if he crash since he would have to another train and ride his bicycle to get home. Nobu and I say sure. Then he ask if can stay at my place, I say yeah but it's dirty. So I separate the beds and sleep.

Not that wild, one more week of classes then Nagasaki.

New problem: Recently my sleep has been shallow and have had bad dreams, which is not to say they were nightmare but subconscious has been running wild and I am having dreams I don't an affinity for. Too clarify not sex dreams.

Since this probably the the last post of this semester and want to thank all my readers. I hope you keep reading...if I have any readers. I still plan on posting during break.

Looking into the Abyss

2009-01-28T23:04:00.001+09:00

You know how when someone dies people question their mortality, well I am having a similar feeling. Starting tomorrow, study abroad both half years and full years are leaving. Which make me realize I don't have time. I am now basically a senior (though I still have three semesters left and and about 89 credits (assuming all transfer well)) and I have 6 months left until I return from Japan. So my student life ends in 15 months though I am going to maybe take the GRE but basically "shits and giggles." My future I have barely thought about. I have a plan and a back up plan and neither are carved in stone.

Until like most of my friends, who have there heart set on Graduate school, I just want to return to Japan. So my plan, which would be terrific is to work at Bain & Company, in Bain Tokyo but before that I have to up my Japanese (mainly polite form needs to become secondary) and I have to be at least Level 2 JLPT but that is impossible because I haven't done a resume and other than casual conversation and class my Japanese is crude and informal. Basically sending me to a Japanese company is as reckless leaving a lamb in wolf territory and assume it is going to be alright, it may live but most likely it's going to be torn to ribbons.

The road most traveled which would become an English teacher in Japan, considering that two of my friends who have studied abroad in Japan are doing it. It's probably not the easiest way but to it's far from difficult it seems. The main problem would be my aversion to children, though Japanese children may be different. This course is less thought out than the other.

One thing I have considered recently was a trading company, not a specific one but in general. I think it would be cool. Why did I recently think of this? Mainly because I was eating American chips called Blair's Death Rain and it had the trading company's name on the back label. You think I would be inspired by this earlier considering the amount imported snacks I ate in America but I guess the Japanese got me actually think about it.

Driven by Demons

2009-01-25T21:23:00.000+09:00

I guess you can say I have had some difficulty recently and, I felt like hell. Not physically but mentally. So I kind of depressed and lethargic and what compounded on Wednesday on the train to school I overheated. Weird, right? I guess I should describe the sensation, I was riding the train and my sense of smells heighten, I started feeling dizzy, the body started feeling really hot. this happen on the last five minutes of my train ride. I returned to normal after ten minutes.

On Friday I realized something, I love my life. Which is pretty schmaltzy thing to say but it is true. I came to realize this walking back to the station in front of school, but what led up to this conclusion.

I was in broadcasting club and Murin (18,M) ask me what games I did as a kid. This led to other question which led questions. Then for the radio show Danny (21, M), was writing questions or commands for this game, which was hilarious. He wrote a question which had a tongue twister before the question, which was this カエルぴょこぴょこ三ぴょこぴょこ合わせてぴょこぴょこ六ぴょこぴょこ. He showed me his dictionary and ask me what "She sells seashells by the seashore" was because it was an example in his dictionary. Which I failed to say but translated it okay. Then somehow we ended talking about pokemon, then he ask me about the characters names. I had to explain to him, the changes and that was the probably the most hilarious thing that has happened in 2009. They had to record the show which was great, considering the answer to "What would you do if you knew you were going die tomorrow?" and Daka (20, M)said he would "go to the beach and run completely naked, if it was summer." Which Murin explain to me after the show and I continued to my pokemon story. Which is was amazing, then Haruna (18,F), drew Kasumi (Misty) and I confirmed that it then some drew the big dipper on Misty's chest and then posed with the "Do you know Fist of the North Star?", which I said "what?" not due to the fact I couldn't understand, just shock. I even said the　catchphrase wrong. It was almost surreal because I have never expected to speak of Pokemon with Japanese people...ever.

Later Yang (You)said something hilarious. Which made me laugh. This night made me laugh and realize that life is interesting and I love it.

Recent problem, Lindt chocolate. About two months ago my mom sent we a care package which I have been wiping out slowly. I got to the lindt chocolate truffles and they are great. I forgot the taste of real chocolate. Sadly this supply is finite. It was the first time in a while I have had a craving like slit a throat craving. Pure ecstasy. Oddly never been homesick.

Under Frustration

2009-01-18T13:38:00.001+09:00

So lately my life has been normal probably due to the fact that is cold and there is relatively. I am in the same semester because my new semester starts in April and the exchange students that were one semester or started in April leave in February. So right now there is two types of cramming going on people cramming for their exams and people cramming for there last moments of fun (more so of the latter I suppose).

For this reason we went to karaoke last night. So the original plan was to leave at 5:00 from Kishukusha (寄宿舎, On campus dorm) to go to karaoke, which was about a 30 minute walk away but at 5:00 no one but Derek, You (洋) and I were ready. Everyone else was saying "I'll be coming later." So we three went to a family restaurant because we had to something. Eventually we gathered most everyone who was going ate then went to karaoke, and arrived around 7:00, only to find out that free time did not start until 11:00. So we decided to do a three hour course.　Due to the large number of people and lack of time we decided to split into　two rooms. In the I was in there was Nobu, You, Lei Leil and her tutors (there names escapes me) and me.

This was a weird karaoke mainly because I went off the normal song and doing song I should never do. I sang "Love Slave" by Under17, with You, I sang Cutie Honey by Koda Kumi (which is a song no men should sing, so we exchanged with Lei Leil's tutors), with Nobu, we sang Hitori no Yoru and Driver's High (we did better on Driver's High) and with You I sang the weakest song I know but it was still cool.

Though lately I have been getting picked on, nothing serious, the way I speak in Japanese is strange to say the least so these three Korean girls do the worst impression of me ever. My catch phrases are apparently "じゃねぇ”(Not),オレも貧乏よ(I am also broke),だから/だたら (therefore)(this is because sometimes I rolled my r) and いーいな(That's nice). Though I guess some the roughness is lost in translation but their いーいな sounds like a sheep.

Also, lately it feels as if my brain is atrophying. So much I forgot the the word atrophy (had to search for it). Also losing my instincts but I don't really need it, I don't encounter danger. I am lulled into a false sense of security.

Off the Continent

2009-01-07T08:11:00.001+09:00

So my time is Korea is coming to an end and I am pretty sure it is the last trip to Korea on this tour. I have to say it has been pretty fun except for having the cold from the Planet Motherfucker (well the doctor called it an acute sinus infection). The thing I am most glad about is that I got to meet the UNCC crew: Jong-won, Young-min, Moon and Su. Also this is the first time I have just visited a country in a memorable way (I've lived in Germany and Japan and I went to France and Luxembourg as a kid which I don't really remember). I like Korea but I guess the Korea is very difficult to navigate in English which is why as Tuan said "We need our parents." Parent in this context is our Korean friends. I had a good time and would like to return sometime, like in a summer, when I have a career and I when don't the cold from Planet Motherfucker (which is nearly dead).

Without tempting fate, I can say I did not die the continent. ( I have seven hours left but I am okay hopefully). Now back to the real world of paying bills, classes and studying (okay, not really studying). Japan here I come!

SEL

2008-12-28T01:03:00.000+09:00

So I guess my last post was not the last one for this year. So I have been in Korea for four days and everything has been okay. It is has been somewhat difficult mainly due to the fact I feel I can’t truly function in a society which I don’t understand the language. I have seen some palace, saw some department stores, and went to another city, called Daejeon to meet Jong-won’s parents. They are cool people and I met one of their family friends who were a Japanese woman and her Korean husband which help me feel a little better because I could effectively communicate.

Other than that have nothing much has happen, but I have gone drinking once starting at 4:30pm, first to an Izakaya with Moon and Danielle, which was charge 60,000 won for a bottle of iichiko, Oita shochu, which is crazy, so we had cocktails and sweet yakitori and hit a Korean bar. The Korean bar was awesome! Moon explained the menu and we decided on lemon and cherry blossom soju. Cherry blossom was sweet and lemon tasted like lemon water, delicious. Youngmin also came to the party due to the face we were crashing at his place, and he is the coolest bro in this country. After we were buzzing (it might have been just me), we bought Christmas cakes from Dunkin Donuts, this happened on Christmas Eve. I was still buzzing and there was two cakes Choco and Chocola. So Youngmin bought Chocolate and I bought Chocola and where did we go to eat these cake, "the most romantic sight in Seoul", Seoul tower. Basically, the bus to get there was full, the tower was full but we saw all of sat and had the cake. After that Moon had to return home, so we all returned.

Youngmin took us to his apartment which is a room, similar to a highrise single. We went out to rent movies, which was difficult due to the face that the movies we chose were out, so we ended up with "Lord of War" and "Hot Fuzz". When we were walking back, Youngmin ask if we wanted chicken or to go to the convenience store to get snacks. Then he said the awe inspiring line which made want to see this restaurant, "It's called Mr.Chicken." I had to go, so we are standing outside, I had to buy it. So we bought chicken which would be delivered and then went to the store to buy drinks and return to watch "Lord of War". Awesome movie.

Well, until the next post.

Please Don't Touch

2008-12-17T07:06:00.003+09:00

This weekend was actually somewhat eventful which can be separated into 4 events:
1. Bowling with Eri, Shinya, Danielle and Derek
2. Bounenkai (Year End Party)
3. Children Festival
4. Day with Chinese

Saturday during afternoon four of us went bowling, which was some what miraculous considering to no one actually told me directly the initial plans, thought I was in on this from the start, I found via a text message to a different friend which he let me see, which had the time, I already knew the date. We are bowling have a nice time, well I was actually sucking considering the fact that I broke 100 twice but my first game was 72 and got third place overall. Shinya and Eri were pretty good but I hope we return one day so I give it another go. Since Eri ahd to go to work we decided to return to the town. By the time we returned there was an hour to the meeting before the Bounenkai so Danielle and Derek returned to Kaikan and and Shinya and I walked around the shopping arcade.

Bounenkai (忘年会) is a party at the end of the year to forget the previous year. It took two weeks of planning but Shinya and I pulled it off but I was lazy, so I only sent out the mail in English, so it was going to English party but as all things it revert to Japanese. So the plan was for 11 people to go however three cancelled, Allan (China), Keisey (America) and John also known as BFC (Hong Kong, informed me before so it was cool). The people went were Shinya (Japanese), Nick (Hong Kong), Tania (Indonesia), Seth (America), Tuan (America, who went to sleep and forgot but made it), Yang aka You aka Hiroshi aka Garrison (China), Derek (America) and me. So this was Tabenomihodai (食べ飲み放題)(all you can eat and drink (including alcohol)) and this place specialty was skewers, so basically pick out was you want at the buffet which is already skewered and dip it in milky fluid and panko and fry it. Do this sound dangerous, yeah it is, because grease pops and things fall off skewers. So basically our table, Nick, You, Tania and I ate a lot, and they did not believe when I said it was all you can drink alcohol until Shinya and the waitress confirmed it. So I avoided the hard stuff and had a glass of white wine, which was horrible and not in a stemmed glass, which is just not classy. So I start drinking sours, which taste like soda but they have a little bit of alcohol in them. So we are having a good time and I then we start talking about our waitress and wondering the age of our waitress, and I was off but You was spot on, with 18. How would one find this out, You asked her directly with a way to ask age which I did not know which was "いくつですか？" , we all cheered and then we asked her how old she thought You was, and said he was 12, which at first confused her and then we all laughed and she understood it was a joke. I got the wrong drink once and this baffled us because we wondered whose drink it was until we found it was mine, the waitress was fidgeting because she knew it was wrong but I was like it's okay, it's mine. The drink was okay, Oolong tea sour. After we were all greasy and gross and our two hour limit was up. Shinya took the train back to his apartment, Nick and You came to my place and chilled and talked about chicks, Seth went back to his place, Tuan, Tania and Derek went clubbing in Beppu.

Children festival, so basically the school want to play our countries games and give kids candy from our country on Sunday morning. So I laze about for two and half before I start to get ready and around 9:50 I here my doorbell right assuming it is other Americans to get me I open the door and it is three of my teachers which actually shocked me. I explain to them I am not ready and I am going to the festival. So I show up at 10:05 and I am socializing, paling about listen to the open ceremony and then the Chinese Game (Eagle and the chicks) start, Allan and You explain to me in English and I half understand then they tell me I am the eagle. So I play this and it is fun. The they are smashing mochi, they call me out, say you look strong. I don't want to but I am forced to the from back to the front and do the work. Then I am lazing about, trying to avoid eating mochi and Kouji (Seth's tutor) tells me to go to the Japanese tea party, I say no because I rejected early when Mana (Molly's Tutor) asked me. So Kouji drags me I drag You and You drags Nick. So the are serving us tea, and snacks come out, I hate traditional japanese snacks all that I have tasted have the texture of Play Doh the taste isn't bad but the texture. We finish and it's lunch time. I just walk around not eating because I had breakfast (Cinnamon roll). After that I am suppose to hand out candy, but I get freak out because the kids go mad, and a lady is trying interview and they was no one to regulate, so after ten minutes about $100 in candy is gone. So I jet after and Keisey is throwing around an American football with Seth, get in on this and some kids, Keisey teaches them how to throw and kick, You joins and then Keisey teaches them how to kick and I screwed my right middle finger my hand misses a kick except my middle finger so I leave after that go to the China game as an example. Then America game, Twister,which is not as much fun when you play all guy or the recommended amount but it was fun. After that the festival was over. You said something about bowling, I'm always down for bowling. Late that night the westerns in Kaikan play mafia.

So the next day, I laze about, take a shower and after that I check my phone to see that You called, I return his call and he says "We can't choose a place, so can you take us the the place you went to", of course, I say yeah, he said he'll call before he gets to Oita, he said he would be there around 3:00. So I call at 3:00 he says "Yeah, we'll be there around 3:24, you should probably bring someone" I say yeah and bye. I can't bring anyone, besides most are in financial crunch or nowhere near ready, I had leave because it is a 20 minute walk to the station (if I go fast I can do in 13, with minimal stops) . During my walk to the I realize that I was probably the only non-Chinese on this excursion. I meet them at the station and yep, it was just me. Allan aka Shinu (China, M), You, Ha (China, F), and Ii ( China, F). So I take them to the bus stop and okay, this is a little weird we don't use our one common language which we all know, You, Allan and I used English and Allan, You, Ha and Ii used Chinese. That how it was for the whole bowling session, which I broke 110 twice and then got 105. Then at the counter they give you a ticket for an 1 hour of karaoke buy you must buy two hours. It was six so we would have to pay for a day hour and a night hour (more expensive) so we discussed this in Japanese, the common language and decided to do this another time. So we leave the building and they ask me if I know a place close to eat, I say no because I have only been here twice both for bowling and we walk down a street mainly because I forgot were the return station is, all this road is izakaya and snack bars. At the bus stop we found, we have to wait, so we talk, Allan is really close to so I say you are too close, then Ha says "Homo", I laugh, Allan ask if that's the reason I say "no, I like to have my own space",which everyone understands except Ii, she did not understand space be I say in Japanese style English and everyone translates into Chinese. Then I add but women can enter my space. The bus comes and we ride it. So we go back to the Oita Station and try to find a restaurant. They ask me for recommendation I mention a Tempura place in the arcade, You say "no, I am done with grease." So we try to go to this other restaurant but they can't sit five, so I say family restaurant and they agree on the way there, two things happened. Allan asked me if I could play basketball, then subsequently he said I look like Shaq with I steadfastly refused and asked me if he could call me little Shaq, which I said no I also rejected baby Shaq. Then Ha said that Allan always sexually harasses Ii, so for the sake of comedy I put my arm around Ha and say to Allan "sexual harass is no good," I probably walk with my arm around her for 10 second after I finish saying this, then she realizes this, and walks away.

This is a little long, so short points: ate dinner, brought fruit, when to Kishukusha, played a game watch part of Transporter 2 and returned to Kaikan.

Vague plans in the future, for a party for my birthday a week after my birthday.
Unless I blog during my time in Korea or something cool happens this is probably my last post within 2009, which is the way I like it, superfluous.

Bring Me Back

2008-12-10T20:42:00.001+09:00

So recently two good things have happened.

One, I went to to Kitakyushu with Eri and Danielle. Kitakyushu was okay as far as place go but I love Eri's family. For a couple of minutes I thought "It might have been okay to grow up in a traditional family," but if that happened I would not be as wild or cheeky as I am.

On Saturday, Danielle, Eri and I depart from Oita to go to an amusement park with the name "Space World", it was okay as an amusement but there was probably less than 20 people there, could be because it was winter and it was snowing but no waiting in line . On the other hand the cool rides were shut down, so we rode water rides (yeah, while it was cold), rode a roller coaster (okay at best), and went in a haunted house which I will go into more detail.

*If you don't want the attraction "Alien Panic Evolution ruined ignore until the next star*
So I ask what is Alien Panic Evolution thing was, Eri told me it was a haunted house, I saw let's go because there was no line (seriously we rode so many rides as three people). They show this lame video of a scientist bitching about how his ship was taken over by aliens all the crew is dead, lights go out, signaling the start. I let the ladies go in front of me because well it's fun to see people scared, so basically that the beginning there was this spinning room, moving dummy and it was dark. The girls are half freaking out telling me to go in front, saying aren't you a man. I say "Ladies first" until they push me up front. So there are these hanging "pods" they try to find ways around them, I walk through them, and there is a squishy floor, I walk through it. They freak out about the floor. I walk and realize I am alone so I walk back and get them and we go in the mirror room. The mirror, basically there is a reflection of the room but you are not in it and a guy jumps out when you are check out the mirror. Eri and Danielle screams, I keep on walking. We walk with a little now so no get left there is another room with a cage right before the exit another guy jumps and I shout "ふざけんな！” which is like "don't joke around" and we walk out. I mocked for the rest of the day for making me go in front.
*This is finished*

So we go to Kokura were Eri shows us Kokura castle and the temple next to it and her hangs and we head to the Kajiwara abode. Basically we were taken to the guest room, unsure what to do I sit seiza, which has gotten easier over time and Eri's dad tells me to sit down normally, and after that Eri brings us tea and snacks and closes the door. We chat about life and recent stuff and then we are summoned to the table when a cornucopia of food is laid out, we ate already so I am done for the day. So ate the table, there is me, Eri's dad, Eri's Mom, Eri, Eri's sister and Danielle So I eat a little, they ask me if I want anything to drink, Eri states that I like shochu so the open a bottle and pour me a cup. Not wanting to be the sloppy drunk foreigner I only drink one cup, and then they give me wine,it's 6% so I drink four cups, they compliment us and Eri show her picture that the staff took at Space World, they say I look like Will Smith in the picture because I am cool looking. I want to laugh. They say Danielle uses her chopsticks like she's Japanese. I tried a persimmon, bit weird, sweet but not like other fruits, it's like starchy sweet. So they put in a DVD to entertain us and it was lame, Princess Dairies 2. Eri shows me the bath at the climax of the movie. I shower Japanese style and jet, back to the living room, mainly because I find baths inefficient and not relaxing unless I have nothing to do.

I change, the movie is in last throws, So I sit down and watch the movie and Eri's Dad said I seem tall. I tell him my height (~175cm), he said I seemed tall again. I start watching TV, K-1, then this show with Ebihara Yuri, she making Fried Kaki, everyone is taking there turn in the bath and shower. Around 12:30 I decide to sleep.

So the next morning breakfast, then a trip to Moji, Kitakyushu. Basically, it an okay place. We walked around, ate honey ice cream (ice cream with honey), even saw a trained monkey, didn't really think trained monkeys still existed. Took pictures and went to this 32 floor building a saw all of Moji and the island of the Duel between Miyamoto Musashi and his rival. Went to this building which had a misleading name drama ship, it was a museum with highly detailed figures but you could take pictures. Walked around more, ate fried fugu, earlier they asked us what we wanted to eat being not one to care about I couldn't decide neither could Danielle so I say Fried Shrimp, so they take to this famous fish market in Yamaguchi, that's Honshu. The market is chaos but the restaurant is closed, so we go to this other restaurant which has a small menu, but they had whale, I get Shrimp Tempura, which is outrageously priced at 1500 yen but it can't be helped. They take us to the Kokura station, and Danielle and I return.

One thing that I don't understand why do Japanese put Frosted Flakes in dessert?

Second good thing got American package which include
Hot Cheetos
Jalapeno Cheetos
Puffy Cheetos
Doritos
Barbecue Kettle Chips
Barbecue Sauce
Reese's
Lindt Chocolate etc.

Bubble gum and Chupa Chups

2008-11-23T23:57:00.002+09:00

Nothing interesting has happened lately so this is a general what's up lately post. Last weekend, I drank with some other exchange students. Last Sunday went to this small town, saw some castle ruins and when to a bamboo festival. Last Thursday was busy, I meet Hisae's uncle who is a department head, help a girl with her speech for a contest which if she wins she can get a scholarship to Australia, met with a high school dude and went to my ultra part time job. Friday, went to broadcasting club and decided to join. Sunday, I had a rendezvous in Beppu (really not sure what to call it, we hung out, took pictures, walked, shopped, played Ghost Squad and talked) with an 18 year-old girl, Yuuko, who I met on mixi (social networking site) .

Lately, I have been chewing bubble gum and eating Chupa Chups like they are going out of style.

Bought Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy", not a bad CD and not Guns N' Roses, worth a listen.

Priests of Hiroshima

2008-11-11T19:30:00.001+09:00

Last weekend I went to Hiroshima and it was fairly interesting. Basically, I decided to go to Hiroshima after a week of fighting with myself. So I did my homework and left on Saturday morning to catch the bus to catch my ferry to catch my bus.

So after the five hour journey, I am in Hiroshima bus center, so I don't know how to get to my hostel and basically check-in doesn't happen for two more hours so I decided to wander and by coincidence I find the Peace Memorial Park. I am captivated by the A-Bomb dome. I go to the museum and after that I feel sad and a little bit bad, so I decide to find my hostel which is on the other side of town. I get there the clerk engages me in English. So I engage him back, he give paper and it says "permanent address" in English and "住所" (address) so I ask him do I put my Japanese or American address and show him my foreigner card, so he does half Japanese from that point on.

So I get up to the five person room, and there is an Asian guy there, we don't exchange pleasantries but eventually after see him a couple of times, I say in Japanese "Do you speak Japanese?", He says yes, I reply "Where is the bathroom?" He shows me and we talk for a while then he leaves to go to the showers.After that another guy comes in from Chile we talk for a little bit, he tell me that he is going to the club and I can join if I want but I really don't want to and he goes into the shower. So this Asian guy comes back and we talk and I was baffled , he is Japanese and his name is Tomohiro. We talk have a good time, then the guy from Chile, Harold, comes out and tells Tomohiro about the club, I interpret. He leaves in the morning, so he rejects. Then Harold's friend, Canada's Alex, comes out and tells that he has met some french girls. He introduces himself and jets. Harold takes a nap, then the other guy in the room comes in, and I talk to him, Reuben from UK. We three, Tomohiro, Reuben and I are talking, I do some interpreting between them. It was cool, he talked about where he went inside of Japan. We all leave early so we stop talking around 11:00.

Saturday I wake and go downstairs and Tomohiro is watching "Gegege no Kitaro" so I join him. We chat and he starts playing guitar after the show. He plays some songs and after we go to the station, I go to Miyajima to see the gate, tide was low so it was not that impressive but there was deer a plenty. People were having bags being reached into by these deer. I walk around and decide to bounce back into Hiroshima. I go in the direction of Hiroshima castle, I see a Garden sign so I walk this path and I see Sadako Sasaki's School, I think cool and move on. I walk to this garden and I see the clerks flip over the paper to the English, we have some mix ups (due to language and lack of reading) and I want the student discount so I show my Oita I.D, and they switch to Japanese. So I walk this garden, it nice but not that nice. I leave and go to Hiroshima Castle, I hang out in the castle it has a museum and return to the hostel, play on the net, new people come, presumably Chinese, they keep to themselves and Harold still there.

I wake up at 7:30 everyone is gone. I do my morning rituals and check out. The dude is not there and lady is. She engages me in Japanese, I speak to her in Japanese, she kind of cute, she says my ring is amazing. I tell her my background and then I take the bus to the bus center to stash my bags in a coin locker, and decide to head back to the peace park because I figure there would less tourist, I was wrong, so I hang out in the international and read manga and magazines. I get to the bus center (in the nick of time) and see some dudes selling Santa Andagi, I engage them in Japanese to buy this product,and I understand them and they understand me so they give me a discount. I catch my bus and return home, to see Tuan has moved out.

Cultural Difference 1

2008-11-04T18:34:00.003+09:00

This is not a real post nor does it really have anything to do with me however this might become a series therefore the one is in place.

Usually in Japanese supermarkets, the customer bags their own items in translucent bags, usually two given no matter how much one needs. Today I saw some that broke this mold, a woman buying pads. The clerk (woman)was scanning and putting everything into the other cart but after she scanned the pads she took out a paper bag put the pads in it and rolled it up and put the bag in the cart.

I assume this is similar to the "paper bag - porn" situation i.e. the bag is there not to hide what you have but to make it easier to ignore.

Mad House

2008-11-03T09:14:00.003+09:00

So this weekend was our school festival and I was able to enjoy two days because the first day I was on a field trip to Hita.

First day of festival (that I went to) was relatively chill. I saw some beauty contest, bought some festival food, saw some of the culture clubs (these are the inside clubs) and at the end of the day saw a crossdressing contest (dudes dressed up as girls dancing in sync). Mostly hilarious.

The last day of the festival was interesting. So the international groups were hawking products and I, of course, was with America. First we ran into a bit of problems forgotten eggs, which was handle by Keisey and then me. What run which was aptly handle by Tuan. So what where we selling, funnel cake and hot chocolate. we want to go for some no one else could claim so we went with only in America funnel cake. Danielle and Derek dressed up for the occasion as a maid and butler (or waiter) and easily made top sale and had a lot of pictures taken with them. I was put in charge of advertising. First Erika and I, tried to move the hot chocolate but no sales. It was not lack of attention, I am wearing an American flag bandanna and screaming random phrases in English and Japanese. No one buys so return and this time Koji comes with us I we do some trap sells and tit for tat and then we return and for rest of the I am at the booth. Basically, I am just screaming all day. We are selling quite a bit. Every booth can hear me in the village can hear me and try to compete.

So eventually "free hug" people come by, so Seth take the first free hug then me and Derek. These are from dudes and then me and Derek see and free hug girl and call her over, so I do the claw call™ and she come over and gives me a hug so during the hug I lift her up and spin her around.

Near the end of the day I have a fan. He was doing the I can't hear you, just to see how high I can go. I scream the phrases five times. Dude is laughing so hard he is almost crying and walks away, later he comes back and says it is cool and amazing. I say it isn't and we chat for a little bit and I commence working.

Derek being a creative innovator, goes to a Adam who is Djing and ask him to play "Electric Boogie." So we do the Electric Slide and the first time I drop out because I was horrid. Second we get some other foreigners and Japanese people join us.

By the end of the Molly is telling me to make sells. So I stop stop screaming sells and start forcing people over. Now many of you must think this was a vulgar display of power and yes, it was but I was not alone Geoff did it as well. The generally criteria if they were looking at the booth and looked unsure. So we take them to front of the booth and put them in an awkward situation to force them to buy it.

Right now my throat hurts but I am fine.

Stranglehold

2008-10-26T08:51:00.003+09:00

Last Night was my first nomihoudai (飲み放題） (unlimited drinks for three hours for $25) and I failed.

So last night I went to PEI for third time because Adam was Deejaying. So we rally the troop and rolled deep, even Abu and his brother came out. All how came out Eun-hye, Min-hye, Jina, Areum and the westerners. My original plan was to do the cover and one drink but I got nomihoudai. I am chatting introducing the Korean girls to the Germans and interpreting and apparently hitting on or talking to Areum. I starting talking to people and dancing with girls. I used claw to beckon people. I started to lay on the floor. I realized I've ordered 22 drinks (I drank more because I taken Areum drink, once or twice). The bouncer helps me out. He tells me I am not that bad because I did not cause any trouble, I am just drunk.

Fredo (German), Geoff and Taka (Japanese) take me outside and I start vomiting hardcore, they are talking to me. People going to the bar ask if I am okay and say "no." If you have met pass ten drink Mïke, you know I get a bit affectionate and this cute Japanese girl ask me if I am okay so I start hitting on her and ask to go home together and she says next time and I do this to two or three more girls. I am drinking water. Geoff says "let's walk home", I do two steps and sit down in the sidewalk I can't walk, they take me back to the stairs I start to sleep. I am saying "protect me" and "I have ruined my favorite pants." They tell me stand up and I say "Standing up is impossible, no human can stand up." Keisey (American) says I should take a cab, so Geoff, Fredo, and Keisey hail a cab. I get into the cab with everyone and got to Kaikan. I am trying to give directions to the cab driver in Japanese.

I am happy people took care of me during this time because I was helpless.

Hello...yeah.

2008-10-24T16:30:00.003+09:00

Hello...yeah.
So today...on a normal search for the esoteric, I wanted a pomegranate because the nickname of this fruit is the Chinese apple and it is now in season I thought it would be an easy find, this was incorrect, I have been on this search for three days. I have asked other foreigners, which they are confused by the word "pomegranate" in Japanese or English. They are left clueless because they have not seen one. I have asked Japanese people, which they are first confused because they have never thought of it have no clue where to find one. One of my tutors said Saty might have one, so around 3:10ish, I decide that I am going to Saty. Saty is a department store owned by Aeon. I am walking unadorned excepted for my jewelry, on the train early my player died.

I am walking through the shopping arcade, and this woman starts talking to me in English. This surprises me. She tells me she has a cousin how is half African-American, she shows me his picture. He lives in Kentucky and is five years old. I tell her I am a study abroad student from Bundai (Oita Daigaku's nickname) and I am going to Saty to search for a pomegranate. Then she started about religion...so she tells me she is a Christian, I tell I am not. She tells me about her church, then she for my e-mail and say she will e-mail me about the next service and says "Jesus loves you". There is may surprising thing about: a 1 million Christian in Japan, I've met two in one town.

This meeting left a relatively confused but she was nice enough. Saty did not have pomegranate...therefore the search continues. I am just going to keep on living.

Weird Night

2008-10-18T01:04:00.003+09:00

After my mid-day grocery shopping I was invited to an excursion, which was girl shopping after that I met up with Geoff and Seth for revolving table sushi following and going to a piano bar. The reason we went to the piano was because the tutor of the Germans (Inga, Marc, Fredo, Michael), Nozomi, plays there. The bar was cool a bit expensive, I ordered my first cocktail, a Kamikaze. We meet the Germans and they say they are going to hit the next bar. We said we would meet the there. We pal around chat and listen to the music, and chat with Nozomi.

After the bar we go to Pub P.E.I. where the Germans are drinking and chatting. Seth sits down and order 3 flaming doctor peppers. They say the loser has to buy the next round, I'm broke and I drink it down. I chill order a ginger ale, a sign that I have thing to do in the morning, the Germans call for Jagger. The Germans tell some hilarious jokes, Eventually, Japanese dudes sit down next to us and we start posing for various cameras. Fredo want to try shochu, they order 7, I insist on 6 but no one listens, so I lost and drank it swiftly. Geoff is eventually says, let us go talk to the Japanese guys. We do the age thing, and Shinya, one of the same age as me. They fawn over the rings. Geoff drops my ring, I yell in Japanese " What are you doing?!", which scared the dudes. We asked him why are you drinking Zima, he says it taste good,we tell it is a woman drink in America,I say "You are Japanese therefore you should drink shochu, let's drink together." We do the the glass to together, I down it the Japanese call me strong, I say I am normal. I chat for a little settle up our bill and leave.

We have to recover everyone's bicycles, Geoff and Seth parked in Jungle Park, while we are getting their bikes the German met an interesting fellow. We cross the street to see them, and the guy they are talking to ask if we know Momotarou and me and Geoff reply yes, he shows us his back, which has a huge, amazing Momotarou tattoo on it, which is my first encounter with an Yakuza. He ask Geoff if we are "big", and Geoff being brazen, say "Of course", then this guy
says "I won't lose", begins to whip "it" out, me and Geoff start to walk away and he grabs my arm and ask if I am young, I say I am twenty and he proceeds to grab my "goodies". So I jump the back and walk away, yelling "What the Hell?!"

We go get the Germans bikes, which are front the piano bar. We see this clearly drunk guy with two girls, he ask me where I am from I say North Carolina and he gives me a hug and says "I love North Carolina" I unsure of what to do return the hug then he ask me a weird question "Do you want to go get some better girls?" I say "What the hell better girls?!" and walk away.

Too weird.

Feel Good Inc.

2008-10-13T09:38:00.005+09:00

Last night, there was a party in the Hungarian’s (Anita, Christa and Gabor) three person room which was awesome. So since I was invited I decide I should bring alcohol, so I bring what is remaining of my white wine and almost everyone else had a similar idea. First I scope the room; some Koreans are there, a Japanese dude, and most of the westerners. So I chill, I start throwing back wine, then I move up to a whisky called Black Nikka. I started to talk to the Japanese guy, Gensuke, first he talks to me in English and then he ask me if I can speak Japanese and I start speaking Japanese. We start talking about music and we like a lot of the same music and he is in a cover band for my favorite Japanese band, RIZE. He knows John H, a former student from my uni and starts telling me great stories, I tell about my live experience and he did not even know about the YAMAARASHI concert yesterday, I had to run to get more to drink and he and Gabor started chatted and in the kitchen I see You (Korean dude I met at the orientation party). You is a bit eccentric, my tutor told he said some things about that were…well strange. When he saw me (he just got of work and came to the party) he say “Maiku-chan, Kawaii” he ask me we he can make his instant noodles, I say I do not know and chat with you later. Gensuke and start talking more, the basic stuff who is your tutor, I am an anomaly in the system, which makes people go confused, I am probably the only male with two female tutors. He tells me he does not like recent YAMAARASHI, I call blasphemy and sequester a computer to let him listen to “Kibou no Kane” which is an awesome song and he digs it. He ask can an instrument, I reply no but I want to learn bass, I show the two major songs that make me think bass is awesome on Youtube, however sound quality on Youtube so you can’t hear the bass. We head back to the kitchen to get more drinks, at this point my animal side is starting to take over and there is little bit of white wine in the bottle so I drink it straight from the bottle and then I do a double shot of whisky. Then I talk to go sit down I talk to the Korean girls, I say I want to work, they stay I can become an English teacher, I said I can’t teach very well and there is not a lot of cram schools in Oita. I totally forgot the word for cram school in Japanese but I oddly remember the English spelling in for the Korean word, which is hagwon, I spell it twice, they start to get then the word, the Japanese word hits me like a lightning bolt. They ask me to give them an English lesson, I say English is unnecessary but they are like it is necessary and I start my lesson. I ask simple questions and correct, they say my English is good. I give my standard reply, “I’m a native, and you are good at your language.” We all start talking and You joins us. You is in no way inebriated but starts trying to feed me I say no. The Korean girl start calling him gay, I am laughing, (You is not gay just not manly). They ask me if I want soju, I am like yes. Down does not want to share her soju, I say “That’s selfish” and she gives her keys and someone brings the soju, cup placement was incorrect and I pour it on my face. I am chatting about music again and more on pop side Eun-hye (?), I pour my own glass of soju and the Koreans are getting antsy because I am pouring a somewhat large amount and I down it. Not the greatest I have ever had but it is okay. I am still coasting chatting, and of course translating. It seems people want to talk to the German but they only speak English and German, so I translated the question and translate the answer. The Koreans leave to go to a Korean party.

And suddenly an unexpected twist it turned into a dance party. I am smashed. Anita wants to sleep and goes to her room and lays on her bed, so Marc (German dude) and pull her bed mattress thing (it like an eggshell thing) which she is still and pull it into the living room. Ah Good times. I get an e-mail from Areum (Korean Girl) that she is in the in Kaikan, I ask if You is there she calls me I here You background saying “Maiku-chan” , I decide it time for me to return to my room. Areum mails asking “where are you?” by coincidence I happen to be on the second floor. So she mail back “wait”, so I go back to my room and drink some apple drink call Qoo and return and she is just coming out of the party, this chick is trashed, she says hi and that’s it. I say “that’s all?”, she was said “I just wanted to meet you.” I say okay and return to my room and then she mails me. I mail her. End of story.

Caught in a Mosh

2008-10-12T08:05:00.003+09:00

October 11, 2008, I went to my first live house I have to say my face was rocked off. A live house is a concert hall. The band I went to see is called YAMAARASHI (山嵐) and they rocked. At first I was a bit disappointed when I went into T.O.P.S (Oita Live House). First there 1 drink minimum, which was ￥500 and I got a piss ant shot of rum. The first band did not move me, there name is Spiritual Distraction, the sample CD wasn’t bad however singing in a mask in the live does not created good sound. The second dude was a reggae artist, King-K, which made no since because this was a rock show, third (UZUMAKI) was good so I bought their CD.

And then they came, YAMAARASHI, for them I move into the pit. This was crazy unto itself, there was crazy moshing. I was jumping like mad as was everyone else, I tried to relax for a couple of seconds and a dude put my hand back up. I was jumping with everyone else, it was like moments of brotherhood. We all were singing the songs. Koji or Satoshi, jumped off the stage and started a mosh, so I hit (body crash) that dude. Awesome. We, the crowd, got them to do an encore.

After the show, I bought YAMAARASHI and Uzumaki’s and I talk to a dude who, we happen to crash a few times, showed him my told him I was from Bundai (Nickname for Oita University), he was from APU. We said another live we would me again and I left the live house. I am somewhat sure if I stuck around I could meet the band, but I was wrecked. When jumping, people do hit your feet, when body crashing you will get a damaged and when jumping, cheering and crashing, you will become drenched in sweat.

Greatest night so far…next live is BECR (Beat Crusaders).

Edit: Not going to BECR, this time,both shows sold out, so are the shows in Ehime.

Pose

2008-10-04T07:11:00.007+09:00

Warning: Time may not be accurately order for the parties but all events did take place.

I know two post so soon it's a cluster. I know what most of you are thinking first day of weekend after school, Mike got smashed. This is would be incorrect, I am responsible.Just kidding, but I did not do any drinking, well except a cup of a Japanese bitch drink. I still had an interesting night. After classes and the dorm meeting which was on campus there were two party, the one with teachers and one in the on campus dorm.

I get my name tag which is wrong "Micichael", I take it but I conceal it from all eyes. I start to mingle, mostly with other people's tutor, this is before the food so people are being wallflowers. I just chatting people asking do I remember, there name, I can't place their name to face but I can place their face. This Korean girl, Min-hye, I met in stairwell a couple days ago calls me over and I am not doing anything just chilling with Geoff, so we go over. So their names are You (M),Down(F),Areum(F)and Eun-hyun(I forgot her name)(F). They asked us questions,compliment our Japanese and we reject those compliments. So then my dudes, Kazuma and Keisuke, walk in, so I part from the Koreans, we are chilling laughing. Then dude I know I go to Allan, from close to Shanghai, we talk for a little while he got his cell and want to exchange information but I can't because my cell died. We ate, toasted,and we decided to go to the second party which had a　￥500　cover. During the pictures which are some what official I did rock poses.

On the way to the second party, Keisuke and Kazuma made jokes about how I don't dance, rap or play basketball. I tell him I can play tennis and racquetball and I can't explain it in Japanese. He and Tania, a girl from Indonesia, saying that me and the dudes from Hong Kong, John and Nick should the Suzumiya Haruhi dance for Mr. Lady-Con, which is a cross dressing contest, and I should be Mikuru. I said no.

The second party was awesome. So we chill outside, shooting the breeze, then we eventually go inside. We go in to the party, it is hot and humid. I chill out because all I see are beer and shochu highballs. Allan, Nick and I talking about how I can rap and I say no I can't dude. Geoff starts beat boxing and I "I'll beat you to death" in Japanese which is one word. Geoff comes up to me and says that there is shochu I follow and he purposely show me the highball and starts to laugh, I said "I should fucking kill you!" and guess who was behind the Korean girls. Geoff pours me and him a cup which taste kind of like flat Mountain Dew or Surge. I apologize and tell them that these drinks are weak. They ask what I like to drink, say the classics, shochu, soju and vodka. They say do I know the brand of soju, which I can remember but once I hear I know it, I said "yes, green bottle", they are like lets drink together sometime. They introduce me to a Taiwanese girl named Kane, who I can't hear because she has a small voice. Then they start saying weird stuff, I have big eyes, that I am cute, that I cool, then they talk about the double eyelid. I am like, I am not cute just manly. We talk more then I see Nobu, a Korean dude I met at mailboxes last week, me and Geoff gave him a bit rousting. He introduced him self to Geoff and we talked then me and Geoff started to push this paper lamp thing and Nobu tries but is too short, then he calls us bullies. Then later in the night, he said that this Korean girl was cute. Geoff and were say stuff "So that the person you like" and then Allan said "confess", Nobu replied "I just saying she is cute","she has a boyfriend","I want to be single forever." When he said the boyfriend I said "that has no connection." We sent him into a tizzy and he walked away. I started talking to the girls and they took a lot pictures. We heard something about karaoke after the booze ran out.However once the plan was heard we decide to go to downtown and hit a bar in the red light district.

Adam, an American that started last semester, showed Tuan, Geoff, Maria of Sweden and I, this district and I was in awe, hostess bar, host club and other wild stuff. He took us this foreigner bar, which was awesome, I just a milkshake and wings. On our way back me ran into a business man who was drunk who spoke English and he asked where we were from, I said North Carolina and other places. He said North Carolina is the best. We walk away and joke about how none of us ever heard that before.

Bobby

2008-10-03T06:32:00.005+09:00

Last Night, Diana, Katrina, Danielle were going to the grocery store I did not know about and invited me along, I of course said yes because I was just separating trash, which is a task in itself. They wanted the went the made food stuffs go on self

While we are walking there, the owners of this yakitori/ramen (remembers us because I have eaten there before), he asked me if I want oden, I say no but I will a yakitori skewer. We don't know these guys name, but they speak in heavy Oita-ben, which isn't comprehensible but they are quite gregarious. I get my yakitori (which was right off the fire) and they tell us the sell is not for a other hour. So we sit around and talk of about Charlotte. Them this boy and his go up to the yakitori stand and the girls are fawning of this boy who is no more than 4 and he is just staring at us. So I do what I do whenever a I am stared at I say the greeting in Japanese, it was night so I say "konbanha" and he replies "konbanha" and runs to grabs his father`s leg, then the ramen shop say in Japanese it`s okay, he`s Bobby. That was priceless.

We walk around and see a shrine and other stuff and are like cool, lets come back in the day then we see this line off pizza bikes and we are asking do they have a menu? Then we are like lets come back later, the Katrina was like lets do it now, but nobody want to use Japanese. So a work comes outside either about the commotion or on a delivery and I ask "do you menus inside?" he says yes and this is where the problems started we get into to the restaurant, it a pizza shack like Domino's, I ask to see the see the menu. He gets the menu, and ask "what I want to order." I am trying to just take the menu home, but I forget the word for take home, so I do all the hand motion, and English. This is ineffective. I try in Japanese and "メニューとてもいい” This sentence meaning is your menu is very good. Then he gets me and ”取り帰る？” which mean "to take home". I am say "yes that, thank you."

We are walking down the at 20:30 (8:30pm) being loud. Talking about the experience I had. Then we talked about the other pizza place called "Pizza California" and Katrina basically screams, "I should go there and say 'I AM FROM CALIFORNIA'" and I am the first one to notice that the lady across the way is just staring. I am like "Lets be a bit more quiet"

When we returned to the supermarket, they did not buy any of the half price items.

School Days

2008-10-02T17:09:00.002+09:00

Today I started school, which is not a big deal...basically it's just like America except I have a long commute which results in me waking up at 6:00 to catch the 7:50 train this is also not a big worry. We have to take seven 90 minute classes a week, which meets once a week.

Here in lies the crux of my problems, I did less than what I consider to satisfactory on the placement test. I was placed in level 2 of 6. Thusly to fix this problem I decided, meh, I just take the level I want, we have have a two week grace period before registration, the difference between the two is one is taught in English, the other is taught in Japanese. So I will hit both class until the time is up and let my level two teacher decide. I am also taking Japanese History and Culture, with Geoff and my academic adviser as teacher and all of the English speakers are in that class.

In my level three class I meet a cool dude who as uses Softbank from Saudi Arabia. His Japanese is far superior than mine but we chatted and exchange information and were planning to eat lunch but that did not pan out. In the level two class I meet I meet a cool Thai dude we talked and it was cool.

After class was over, I chilled with the European people because the Americans jetted of to the station for a good forty minute wait. We talked about stuff about how the one of German dudes was fawned over by his tutors. I escorted them to the supermarket from the station and when I returned home I found this nice bit of English on my door:
"Registered Mair come
A caretaker aroom came"

Things that I have learned in Japan:
1. My rings catches attention and everyone wants to hold the wolf ring.
2. The phone charm of the Softbank dog that speak is cute.
3. Most Japanese assume that foreigners can't speak Japanese and thusly will speak about you in an earshot
4. My clothing makes people think I am a hip-hopper(? not even sure if that is a word), which is weird because I wear jeans that fit and dark imagery (Grim Reaper, Skulls, and Pepsi-Cola).
5. If you are in pack of foreigner you automatically looked at.
6. Random Japanese people will say "hello",these instance is usually done by young people

Establishment

2008-10-01T14:55:00.002+09:00

I have had to establish a life here in Oita. I somehow feel more adult. So my establishment started right after I got off the bus from Fukuoka to Oita, where I was picked up by my tutors, Eri and Anna. Eri was the first tutor to contact me, she is a freshman from Miyazaki Prefecture and Anna is also a freshman and is from Okinawa and we have been in contact via mixi, which is equivalent to Japanese facebook, but less so used. So as a foreigner, there are many things you have to do, most are long and confusing.

The first thing we had to do was get a hanko, which is a little stamp that you have to use have to do official documents. The hanko was relatively simple process, we went to Tokiwa, one of the local department stores, and right your name, usually in kanji, however my tutors asked was katakana okay and the clerk says yes, so I write my name in family and first katakana and was asked to choose first or last name I chose first. You can get different varieties, however I got the simple cheap one with a simple case, because my name was so simple a 20 minute or more process took less than ten.

Next was foreigner registration, another simple process. You go to city hall. They basically copy your passport information, you give them some premade head shots, I use the left over from the visa trip and knowing your address is necessary. Other than that it is a quick process and you leave with two things, a temporary foreign card and a date about two weeks later to pick up your real card.

Health insurance is also necessary. My home university required us to buy health insurance but from what I understand to be mostly useless since it suppose to English speaking doctors which the closest one in the insurance network is in Fukuoka…so no. This was also in city hall, you sign and say you will pay monthly for the insurance which relatively cheap and your insurance card will come soon.

Making a bank account is ridiculous. I did not open my first bank account in America until I was eighteen, it was a quick and simple, I gave them money and did some paper work, I signed a contract, they gave me an account, simple. Japan, Oita Bank, so you wait in line to get seen for making your making your account. After that you fill out paper work in Japanese, the era year you were born in (Showa 63), your full name in katakana (including suffixes and middle name) and your Japanese address, this was long. I did not understand the clerk because they speak so formally it’s hard to understand stuff you already don’t understand. My first paperwork was screwed up so I had to rewrite it. This was the one of the only instances I used the hanko. Then you give them money to deposit and you wait for a good long hour and they return with your new bank book. You can get a bank card; however I was less than elated, and refused.

The long and unexciting process of getting a cell phone was torture, of course, I made some mistakes. Instead of going to the Softbank store because my tutors did not know where it was, we went to the local electronic store in the shopping arcade, Best Denki (ベスト電器). I chose my super awe inspiring phone however I had to settle for a cheaper phone (yet still cool) when I was told I would have to pay ￥90000 (About 900 USD) up front. My tutor did the paper work. The salesperson was really nice trying to explain it to me, however I got the main ideas but not all the finer points but due to the fact that I didn’t have a school I.D. I could not buy it and get the student discount on my plan, however since I got it the day after they decided to save the paperwork until then. I return the next today think the long ass process was over all I would have to do is finalize my paperwork, however, the Softbank Lady wasn’t there. So I gave the necessary materials to the lady working was so slow during the besides saying yes and sealing with the hanko my tutors and I sat in silence with a bit of small conversation. I final get my cell phone and can move on.

During this I also had orientation and testing, these were in grand scheme of things unimportant. However, after the second day of orientation which ended with my tutor giving me a tour of the school, I return to Oita-machi (downtown), decided to find Live House Oita T.O.P.S, because no one knows where it is after walking outside the station and since I had a general location I found it in five minutes however the ticket counter was closed and I will have to return another time.

Wild Night

2008-09-29T06:04:00.004+09:00

So on Saturday, a group of us (five Americans) decided to go to a Japanese bar called an Izakaya （居酒屋）. It was a lot of fun. This bright idea was brought on by me in my never-ending journey to find inebriation. Since this was going to be a short journey, we decided to do things the American way, pregaming. Pregaming is the ritual of American student to drink cheaply before going out…but it some situations this can go awry, this time being one of them. This notation was brought on by Tuan who had the most Izakaya experience believing the fact we go in and get one drink then leave.

So we are drinking in my room, Suntory vodka, which is horrible, I will never drink it again, Rivercrest white wine, it’s not that great, amasake (甘酒)　sweet sake, this is saccharine mess is so sweet it hurts and has no alcohol (0.8%). After revving of engines as it were, we get our new friend Geoff and go for a walk.

On our street there are two Izakaya, Satou and Umaimon’ya and Satou is the closest but when we went in no one talk to us and it was full. Now at this time I would like to say that at Satou our ploy would have worked however Umaimon’ya was a different. So the five of us walk in this small Izakaya, there are six sits, one them is occupied. We all sit down and Geoff orders one bottle of beer, my affinity for beer is widely known, I don’t like it. The bar owner, Mister Kimura (he want to be called Mister Kimura), showed us some magic tricks and giving us free food. We are speaking in Japanese. We are all sitting having a good time getting nicknames, the nicknames I remember are Mister Vietnam (Tuan), Miss Vietnam (Diana), Mr. America (Me) and Mr. Hentai (Ryuu, he was the other customer at the bar, hentai means pervert). Then he asked if we want shochu, and do we want it water cut. I say yes to the shochu and no to water cutting and everyone else does as well. Shochu is the same as soju and just as delicious. So I down a glass of it, this shocks all parties. My Japanese gets better as I drink, however it also gets crude but Ryuu and Kimura are digging this. We sitting around have good time, trading glasses, showing off my rings and still drinking. I am at my limit at glass five (of shochu, glass two for beer), we are all undeniably smashed, then Mister Kimura says “Mr. America, you are losing to Ryuu” so I replied “I can’t lose”. I pound one more for America, and then I relinquish myself. The Mister Kimura asked if we would like to go to karaoke, my penchant for karaoke is strong, so we are all say yes.

So Ryuu leads us to karaoke place owned by Mister Kimura’s wife during this walk, we saw who was the most drunk, not me, Tuan. We get to the karaoke place and there is Kimura who has changed his clothes and beat us there. We are singing and Ryuu tells me to sing a Japanese song, so I choose Dragon Ash’s “Bring it”, I mangled everything but the chorus. While other people are singing I am cheering them on, saying “amazing”. The next Japanese song I do Rize’s “Pink Spider”, and I rocked it. I sing a lot and I want to System of a Down’s “Toxicity”, Ryuu who has helped me with my Japanese songs tells me no and tell me to pick a Japanese song, so I choose “Linda Linda” by The Blue Hearts, I do know most of the lyrics. So we are two songs, when someone says “let’s boost”, I am like wait until after “Linda Linda”, and everyone agrees. I sing my song and Danielle and Geoff sing “Captain Jack”, Kimura’s wife gives us some type of citrus and then we head back to Kaikan with Ryuu escorting us. Ryuu is so cool; I, he and Geoff are having a fluid conversation. Tuan is clearing fail and we don’t know how to get back to Kaikan. Ryuu ask me what my favorite words, I say this “ふざけんな手前らつぶすやれ” which roughly translate is “Don’t fuck around, I’ll hit you.” And Geoff says something similar, which kind of freaks Ryuu out. We are getting close to Kaikan, Tuan loses his lunch into a vent on the street (some on the street was still visible today). We get to Kaikan like a miracle and Ryuu departs and we promise to go back on Wednesday.

So to get buzzed turned in to something that was crazy and fun. Truly wild. Next post will be about establishing myself.

FUK

2008-09-26T22:33:00.000+09:00

Warning Post is unusually long due to me writing right after event or as I am considering things to do. This will explain switch in tone or emotion from paragraph to paragraph or sentence to sentence.

Day 1 - Damned

I woke at 5:00am to catch my first flight to Chicago and My mom, my sister and I left at 6:15 because we did not know how busy the road were…they weren’t at all to we got there at 7:45~8:00. So check in takes literally less than 5 minutes. So my mom, my sister and I talk for the next two hours, you know small talk, who is doing what, and how people are doing in the family. After that I say goodbye, past the TSA checkpoint and go to my terminal. My plane is delay, at first the board read 6 minutes and then 15 minutes. My flight to Chicago was 40 minutes late! I get on the plane thinking I still have enough time I had an hour layover. I talk to this lady from Wisconsin who is sitting next to me, she was a student at Duke and had an Asus (eee, that is the ultra portable one) and told me about this program called ‘Second life’. We get to Chicago and we are fifth in line for taxi, so as soon as we disembark I have to run to my terminal to get to Narita, which wasn’t my original plan, my original plan was to grab some Cinnabon, make some calls maybe walk around and exchange some money. No, now I have to get from H16 to K8.I was like this easy in my head, however O’hare makes no sense. So just as I get there (K8) I hear “Last Boarding call for last boarding call for Flight 153 to Narita”…so I just barely made in time. Thus began the longest 13 hrs of my life. I don’t hate flying I actually like it, as long as I don’t eat. So the woman I am sitting next to speaks no Japanese and no English, this flight is just a connecter flight to Hanoi. I really couldn’t sleep on this flight because I was 13 hours of light I got maybe three hours of sleep broken up and around three hours left in the flight my Zen is out of juice. So I spend the last three hours fidgeting until we get to Narita, landing I couldn’t see anything due to cloud cover. I got through immigration and customs which little difficulty. So I walk rolling to JAL gate to check my baggage for my final flight, I am wiped and trying to stay awake and time is dragging, I buy a Pocari and some gum, I people watch for a while, I wander aimlessly for a while and I search for something alcoholic drink. After no luck in I still have two hours I have to nothing so I go to the waiting lobby and try to get a quick charge for my Zen from my laptop. So I wait around until I can board and night has fallen. So I sleep the whole flight (except for the landing, which was beautiful) and reclaimed my baggage and a made few mistakes (I left my luggage on the top of escalator) I make it to the subway and out of there and I forgot to print directions to my hotel and I had to take a taxi to the hotel. After I got there I slept, not even shower and I had been sweating.

Day 2 – Carry on Wayward Son

I woke up at 5:30 which I say is good because I went to sleep at 23:30 I spent about 2 and a half hours walking around Fukuoka, I saw one piece of litter which I was like means something about the cleanliness of the street of Japan are true. Fukuoka has a large amount of giant size crows that make a lot of noise. Unlike other major cities I’ve been to I have not seen one Starbucks which lets me in that on that in an American thing but I have seen about 20 Family Mart, Lawson, 7-11 and ampm. I have two tasks to complete in Fukuoka, go to the immigration bureau and stop at the consulate or embassy.

After my noon nap, I asked the person at the front desk of my hotel how to get to the immigration bureau after getting me a map and circle where it was, I was off. It was on the outskirts of Fukuoka near the airport so I took the subway to get there. After the airport I wandered around the area to try to get to where I needed go. Walking around it was first captivating and new but after about two hours I started to get pissed off. The map was doing little to help and it started to become cloudy as if it were going to rain, I got to the place where it would logically be on the map between the two Companies on the map but it just wasn’t there so I was like “screw this” and went off my path to the point that I was almost outside of Fukuoka. When I saw I was at this point, I decided to go back to the hotel. A lot of people looked me when I was walking by the highway, though there could have been a multitude of reasons: the jewelry I was wearing, my Skullcandy headphones and the whole thing that I am a foreign. So I wasted 4+ hours walking around and not find the bureau eventually I’ll have to do it unless I decide to do it in a different city. On the subway I gave up my seat though I thought a different person would do it, I mean it was a dude holding his son but nope, it was me. I saw there was a bar across from the hotel so that it what I plan on doing tonight. Tomorrow I’ll hit Tenjin and find Hakata Station.

Also Miu Lemon is not 2% not even close, it’s horrible.

Day 3 – All Guns Blazing

Totally did not hit that bar, fell asleep and stayed asleep. So I woke up for the first time at 4:30am this was an effect of the time I went to sleep at 19:30. I think I am starting to suffer from fatigue because I have not eaten anything since I was in America. This is not really by choice; it is mostly due to the fact that I have not been hungry at all since I have come to Japan. I believe I am become fatigued because my muscles are starting to become unnecessarily tense, I’ll try to eat today and if I plan to spend a night out on the tiles. I have also realized that I have spent at least ￥1000 on drinks from vending machines and ￥750 on train rides.

So after my second awakening which was at 8:00am, I decide today I would go to Tenjin and this disproved a statement that I said earlier. At 9:30 I took the train to Tenjin. In Tenjin there are quite a few Starbucks including the end of world Starbucks situation, which for those who don’t know is a Starbucks across from another Starbucks. So natural I stop at one of them and had the Mango Passion Fruits Frappuchino, it was okay. Actually I found the Starbucks when I was walking back into Tenjin. As it is my belief if anything worth doing it’s worth overdoing, so I walked to place called Ropponmatsu. Now how far out was this place, I have found a litmus test to see if you outside are you of a major area: If you see less than one foreigner per 90 minutes, if you stop seeing hotels and start seeing apartments, if you pass a school, if you start seeing sign to the major area you where you were at and lastly if you stop seeing billboards. If you are in a condition were you have three or more of these symptoms you are out of a major area. So after I got to the end of the road I decided maybe I should head back to Tenjin, so that’s where I found Starbucks. At first Tenjin seemed fake. And because I lack internet I couldn’t go to the back recommended to me. Then I accidently walked right into it Daimyo, where I got an ad from a dude for a ramen shop. I did care, I did consider going but I didn’t. I went back to an electronic shop near Tenjin station which was less the edifying called Bick Camera (ビックカメラ) after walking back some other place I realize I was drawing quite a bit of attention, which is new for me since in America I prefer to stay under the radar, not under the microscope. I had my Skullcandy but I was at an intersection these two girls point and talk in my direction so I look over at the girl on the bike next to me and they are not talking about her, so they are talking about me. So I’m wondering how long this has been going on for today, so I decide to get my head out the clouds and look at people. So I realize that a lot of women (mostly OLs and I guess college or high school) are staring hard, almost uncomfortable so. So I keep walking until, I realize something, I have actually walk too far that I am in Gion (where my hotel is) this is around 1:30 and the cleaning lady is in my room and started to freak out. So she tells me to wait… so I leave then the hotel dude that speaks English runs me down and says she will be done in 15 minutes. So me being the adventurous I am, I go find Hakata station. So that takes about five minutes and I am going to take a taxi there, so I drift around then I go back to the hotel.

Day 4 – Master of Puppets

So today is my last day in Fukuoka and I have realized some things: I am bad tourist, at least without the internet I am, I have probably spoken less than ten words in Japanese and probably less than thirty in English. I am starting to neglect my health for fun, walking up to four hours with no aim and no stopping, is not great on the human body, also this neglecting to eat for four days is not helping either. I also have not taken one picture of Fukuoka, I understand that I will be back and I will do touristy things. I love the freedom I have to drift around. My body is no longer aching. Everyone in Oita that I know is heading to the dorms today. I am going to drift or sleep once more…I’ll probably go back to Tenjin. I probably won’t drink in Fukuoka.

So I wake up at 5:00 and I decided I would eat, so I walk to the local ampm and get two melon pan. So I did it and it was probably weirdest thing that the clerks have seen in a while but I ate one of them and it was good. Now I am considering resting the whole day in my room and studying. As lame as that sounds, I might do it. It is suppose to rain today and it is humid as hell. Not only that but I believe I am actually in some starting to damage my body to an uncomfortable stance. I also have come close to fainting a couple times, it’s like that feeling when you are drunk and standing still but everything else is moving. There has been one twist to this I actually survived this week on less than $100 not including the hotel.

Lethargic. If you were trying to describe how I feel right now that would fit exactly. I have less than 24 hours left in Fukuoka and I could care less. This was basically a null trip to Fukuoka to me. Don’t get me wrong I like Fukuoka and I will come back…relatively soon. NO FUCK THAT! I am going to try to find the immigration one more time.

Best day ever. So I take the subway to the airport and I find the immigration bureau, in five minutes and get the paperwork for the re-entry permit and you need an alien registration number so I just take the paper. I wasted a lot of time trying to find it instead of walking away from the airport and that address that the visa office gave us is weird, if I would have look at the map at the airport I would have seen it is by terminal 3. New information I pick up of today was on my Monday expedition I actually may have walk by Shiho’s house. While I was about ride the subway to Tenjin, I met an American and we exchange pleasantries, he was a male model working in Korea to get his visa to work in Korea, his name was Charles Trot, a man from Georgia. So I was off to Tenjin again. This time I would not follow the same path as before, I decide not to even leave the subway station the same way. So as you would expect I left the main area of Tenjin and ended up in a housing area, then turning around and coming back but on my way back in Tenjin 3-Chome I found the live house Drum LOGOS. After a couple of twist and turns I ended up going back to my hotel and that was not my intention. So by 13:00 I am done for the day.

Things I have learned today: most everyone I saw is on platforms shoes, I guess to give the illusion of height, so of these shoes are higher than my boots, Sumo is somewhat mesmerizing.

Day 5 – Anticipation

It is 3:30. I am done with Fukuoka for this time and will soon head to Oita. I guess for the first time this whole trip I am actually feeling anxious, but not this is not a nervous apprehension, it is excitement. I am actually considering leaving my hotel earlier than what I planned on as I have already packed up.

Conclusion

I do leave here with some regrets, I spent my first four days of legal drinking age not drinking; I spent a good amount of my time drifting with no purpose; I did not make any Japanese connections; I did not venture into the local cuisine. None the less I had a good time; I saw some temples and shrines; I did a lot of jaywalking. Saw some of the classic, people in sick mask, people with unnecessary umbrellas and much more. I also have gain something from this experience, a hate for that crosswalk song.

The Final Countdown

2008-09-18T13:55:00.004+09:00

What cliche title for a post about leaving. So I have started packing and well it is going horrendously, due to the fact that I am bit daft. I had every packed however I thought I could increase the efficiency of my packing by doing this act I cause myself a bit of a setback. So I have packed and unpacked before I even left...so I have created more work, that will keep me occupied tomorrow.

My emotional is still rather blase. I thought I would feel more excited or at least frantically worried but nothing. I guess I am worried about the collapsing of the economy and the effect on my trading power which a bit too rational considering I think I am supposed be caught in a swell of emotion. At the least I thought I would lose some sleep but my sleep cycle has been terrific. This can be due the tedium of this lifestyle I am leading. I guess I'll feel it Sunday.

So the task that are left:
1. Repack
2. Print off photos
3. Kill time

Days until Japan: 4 days

On an unrelated noted in the last post I partially quoted Joan Jett in my previous post I know this because I have never used the words "improve my station" in that order.

Ripper

2008-09-08T13:15:00.008+09:00

I'm still feeling little to no apprehension, which is fine in a weird way. This should more of a worry than it is because I still have done nothing to get ready for Japan other than what I stated in my previous post except buy luggage. Basically I have two weeks to prepare or I'm screwed. Basically I lack clothing due that I'm really lazy and should go shopping for clothing. Even though I know this, I have exerted no energy toward any effort to improve my station though I did buy some awesome jewelery from Amazon. I totally have no life so I made a list of my fears about traveling Asia:

1. Traveling Taiwan
2. Getting to Korea

Now I know what some may think, "Don't you have fears about Japan?" Those will either hit me when I get to Japan or not at all. Since I have a fair amount of knowledge about Japanese language (I'm nowhere near fluent), this actually helps to minimize my fear about going to Japan. The reason for my fear is the opposite of that. Taiwan is a possible point to visit, but I know nothing (besides the general history) and no one there and I don't speak Chinese...period. Korea is a definite stop (still no language), however flying to Seoul from Oita or Fukuoka during the winter (around New Year) seems to be an expensive pain in the ass. However, the cheap way is just arduous, it's at least a ten hour journey. It will be interesting either way.

I totally know where I am living for at least half of my time in Japan. I got the International House downtown, though not exactly under the conditions I want but whatever most everything I need is in a twenty minute walking distance. I still think that it's weird that the school never contacts me but my tutor does.

In thing that are swirling around in my brain, I have no clue when am I going to sleep during transit to fight jet lag. I'll probably post two more times before my departure.

Days left until Japan: 14 days
(My count is screwed by the international dateline)
Pewter Jewelry

Drift into the Ether

2008-09-01T14:14:00.004+09:00

This a post about nothing, it's just about updating the blog. So I change the title once again I am no longer American, I am Amerïcan. The difference being the trema. I've added my comrades on the blog roll who are also studying abroad.

As far as Japan progress basically minimal at best. I've updated my Military I.D. card, got my eye prescription and ordered my contacts, so my glasses will be for night, bought my toiletries (razor ,cologne, deodorant, shampoo, body wash and tooth paste) and clothing. All that really left to do is drift into the ether, listen to music and spend money.

Still don't know were I live, all I can do is live for:

Day left until Japan: 21 Days

Semi-Charmed Life

2008-08-20T10:44:00.005+09:00

This post title lacks any logical sense. Well that is beside the point. In the last week while my computer was with the people at Sony what has happened? I've become addicted to Cinnabon, considering getting an Ibanez bass guitar and learning to play, bought my plane ticket, got some cash and booked my hotel. I also figured out I can't any of outstanding lighters in my collect due to the fact that they are all torches (sucks). I guess the only logical thing is to start anew in Japan.

In things that are weird and I lack understanding in at Oita, I have a tutor who has an assistant tutor which begs the question, how much am I suppose to depend on tutors? Well, whatever, an ally is an ally, I suppose. Still have no inkling of where I am living or what the hell I am supposed to do when I get Oita other than register as an alien and meet up at school on the thirtieth. So I am alone in the dark.

Countdown to Japan: 34 days

Atlanta

2008-08-06T20:28:00.002+09:00

So me and the crew (Tuan, Nick, Jon, and Danielle) pack up for mid-east to go to south. The first day we barely made it to the embassy on time we made it at 12:15 and they close for lunch at 12:30. Here's the thing we got into Atlanta on time (11:45) but One Alliance Center is impossible to find with out some assistance this is some we lacked because Danielle's GPS super sketchy, how the hell can a Global Positioning System not globally position. So once we got there me being prepared for this quest i.e. filling out my paperwork (Visa application) before time left me in a comfortable position basically the visa application to me goes as the follows: give application (do it ahead of time if you can), passport and COE, amazingly you really don't need anything else not even cash to pay because it's free. Come back the next day and it's finished.

Considering the first part of the visa took all of fifteen minutes and the lady that worked there was sweet. We had 6 or seven hours free before trying to hunt down a motel. So we went to Lenox Mall. This mall was a beast. Charlotte's (the biggest city I have live in for a relativity long time) mall was nothing compared to this. This mall had everything (most of which I can't afford): Sony Style, Missy Sixty, Diesel, Energie and other hot high label stuff. The Urban Outfitters in Atlanta made the one in Charlotte look like a closet.

So after that we search hotels and found a Super 8 Motel with a broken air conditioner (it worked it was just broken). So after Jon and Nick foraged for food (getting pizza, soda and water) we ate, watched some TV and sacked out except for Tuan, who did some online purchasing. Since I crashed the earliest, naturally I woke first to find the partial wet carpet (near the AC unit), as it was when we fell asleep, which had became completely drenched over night.

Eventually we all woke up, Jon and I before the others, and headed back to One Alliance Center (next to the soon to be built Two Alliance Center). We got our visas which was sweet, chilled in their library and boosted. One a side note I saw a Japanese or half Japanese reading same book as me which I thought was odd. The book is Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Outside we meet a nice fellow named Willie who also was going to Japan in Kyoto, with no experience in Japanese. He told a cool place called Atlantic Station. After that we went to Ikea Atlanta, which was right next, which is super cheap cool stuff. We ate lunch the Ikea restaurant, I did not even know Ikea had a restaurant, which was delicious. There I purchase gifts for my mother and after that we headed into the belly of beast, Atlantic Station.

Atlantic Station was hot. They had H&M, Gap, Old Navy and a Cold Stone (they had a lot more but these are special to me). The closest thing to Atlantic Station in Charlotte would be Burkdale and that is a somewhat crude comparison. Atlantic Station was more affordable than the mall but still had cool clothing. H&M was cool just not my style. I bought this green hoodie which was on sale for like 6.00 at Old Navy, which I thought was awesome. After we finished shopping (all of us had an Atlantic Station with a purchase) we headed back up to Charlotte.

Atlanta, if you want to do touristy things stay downtown, those are fun if you are on a splurging trip. If you are on a budget and can window shop well, go next Lenox Square and Atlantic Station.

Countdown to Japan: 45 Days.

Bon Odori

2008-08-03T21:49:00.003+09:00

This weekend my friends and I return to my home university in Charlotte to finish up some last minute business, you know, last goodbyes and whatnot. So my friends and I were going to meet up our Japanese teacher before we leave and she leaves (going to graduate school for Japanese Literature). The weekend we happened to come happened to be the week of Bon Odori. It was alright. There was a lot of food, shops, some games, some performances and of the dance. I did almost none of these (I did eat melon shaved ice), mainly because it was really hot and there was nowhere to sit (I was kind of disappoint that there was no melon pan).

The festival lasted from 11 a.m to 5 p.m but we got there at 11:30 and boosted at 4:20. We meet up with our teacher (who was there with people she tutors a Japanese businessman and a fellow college student) and hung out for a while. All of us separated and met up once in a while. What suprised me a little bit was that there were so many people there (some people I knew from school).

Everything started to wind down at 3:00. Around 3:40 a group of our friends (Jon, Nikki and Mariko) left to go eat, go home and handle what they had to handle. The rest (Eric, Danielle, Miyashita-sensei, Anna and Aoiyama (I think)) of us left at 4:20 to go to Starbucks (had Blended Lemonade with Tazo Green Tea, was alright). There we watch the Charlotte bike race and discussed Japan.

Countdown to Japan: Approx. 50 Days

The Start

2008-07-29T13:57:00.000+09:00

Today (well yesterday), I officially received my acceptance letter to Oita University, thus chronicling the start of journey officially (technically it start on 4 March, 2008 but whatever). This blog's (which I really hate that word "blog") purpose is to document and record the goings on of me. The start of actually activity start this weekend. I'll post some cool stuff and boring stuff. I'll try to post some pics too.

Approximate countdown to Japan: 55 Days