T H E * K A N S A I * K I D

Not Giving Up

2011-03-03T23:41:00.000+09:00

Wow...it's 2011. Spring is coming. Ash Wednesday is next week.

I was thinking about this before I typed this. I'm so bad about keeping up posts that it seems at this point almost a waste of time to post anything in the first place. So why am I making an entry? Mostly for my sake.

I have so much on my mind. So many things to prepare for. So many things to look forward to. So many things to do at work, outside of work, in taiko, in my life in general. It's overwhelming. In the midst of all the chaos in my life, I'm also confronted by the the things that can possibly damage me spiritually. I know through experience that the prince of darkness is always near by, seducing me to do things that I know I shouldn't do as a practicing Catholic. At times like these, it feels like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I feel helpless; alone.

But no matter how many times I allow myself to fall, I'm never going to stop trying to pick myself up. I've come too far with much toiling to get to where I am now. It would be an insult to God if I decided to just...quit.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I'll persevere. Without Him, I'm incapable of doing anything. This is fact.

One day, I'll show the world what I'm worth. Until then, I have to remain patient until I'm ready to complete my own metamorphosis.

Wow...it's August.

2010-08-13T23:15:00.002+09:00

I guess I'm definitely not a dedicated blogger. Sometimes, I just can't find the time to write. Or, when I have all the time in the world to write, I usually find something else to pass the time. Such is life, I suppose.

I pretty much doubt anyone really keeps up with my blog anymore. I don't blame them considering all the long spaces between each post. Rest assured, I'm doing fine. I have a ton of stuff on my mind, but I can never seem to be proactive enough to empty out the reservoirs of thought.

Oh well. Time to get ready to meet Mykky on Sado for Earth Celebration 2010~!!!

See you when I see you.

...wow...

2010-05-30T00:23:00.003+09:00

You know, I actually forgot that I had a blog for a while. I'm so behind on posts, it's not even funny. I guess I've realized I'm not a blogger. I'm never home enough to do it, and when I DO "have the time," I'm usually in the mood to do something else.

However, I do realize that there are the few of you (2.5 to 3.6 of you) that follow my blog, so I must apologize. I'll try to do better to update you on my life...but right now is not one of those times, hehe.

I'm alive and well and loving my life. More soon...maybe...possibly...or not.

Off to bed.

Hello Twenty-Ten~!!!

2010-01-09T18:09:00.004+09:00

FULL BLOG ABOUT CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR'S IN AMERICA~!!!

COMING SOON...maybe...not sure when, really.

...uh...

COMING AT A TIME WHEN IT WILL BE WRITTEN~!!!

...ok?

Yes, I'm still alive...barely...

2009-11-16T17:19:00.001+09:00

FUCK THE PIG FLU~!!! I was diagnosed with the damn flu 3 days ago. Now I'm quarantined here at home. Whatever. The fact that something AWESOME is going down this Christmas is keeping me grounded. HURRY UP AND GET HERE DECEMBER~!!! Lord Jesus, be with me...

But man, I haven't blogged since July. Time flies, doesn't it? I guess because I don't know who's actually reading this, I take blogging lightly. It's not that I hate blogging; I don't hate writing in general, but blogging DOES in fact take time and dedication. Though looking back at my previous entries, they've been lists of stuff I've done with just a sprinkling of what I've been feeling about the experience. I guess because I also post pictures that I feel I must explain - and that takes up time and energy. I suppose I should wait for people to ask before I give out any information. Saves me time and effort at least. ;)

Since Mykky's visit four months ago, Matt came over for a while in August. I surprised him with a chance to go to Earth Celebration. Man, was he thrilled. Matt was introduced to Yoli on the car ferry to Sado. Saiki was once again a perfect hostess allowing us to crash at her place. Tons of taiko workshops of course, the show, and a night playing with fire crackers. During that time, I've learned MUCH about myself and, of course, Matt. I'm glad he came, though.

In September, Saiki, Susan and I spent a week going around Kuala Lumpur - my first trip outside of Japan since my arrival. The food was amazing, though most of it was spicy. Stuff was SUPER cheap which made me regret not taking more money to load up on clothes and the like. Man, it was TOTALLY hot and humid, though~!!! I thought I was going to kill myself, it was nasty. But you know, it was really cool because everyone thought that I was Malaysian. It felt REALLY good to feel like I belonged rather than in Japan where everyone thinks I look like a fuckin' terrorist just because I have dark skin and a beard. Get over it Japan. Foreigners DO in fact live in your country. Read a history book. Anyway, KL was a neato place. I'd love to go back one day.

Now this month, I have something I've been planning - an early Thanksgiving get together with Kimi, Mitch, Andrew, Michelle, Lester, & Krystel (along with 2 others that I haven't met before). We'll be staying at a hostel and just kickin' it in Kyoto. We'll each be making a dish for Thanksgiving dinner. Just one thing though. I hope ALL my flu symptoms are gone by the time the first few head on over to the bio hazard site, I mean my apartment. When's that, you ask? IN FOUR DAYS~!!! That's just when the quarantine period ends. Wtf.

Ok, it's time for some soup and some sleep. Until the next blog...

...whenever that is...

Dancing in the Rain

2009-07-27T21:19:00.025+09:00

Before I dive into the heart of the entry, I'd like to mention that a year ago today, I touched down on Japanese soil with the intention of living the "Japanese" lifestyle for the first time. I have yet to, like some lucky friends have, return to the States. Time flies tremendously fast; literally faster than a blink of an eye, but within that fleeting moment, much was learned. It's truly amazing. With all that's said and done, though, I miss home terribly. Despite that, this year I feel is going to be different because I'm going to make it different. No more playing the dumb foreigner. My name will be known for exciting, meaningful reasons because God's blessed me with the talents to do so. I'm done living in the shadows of second guessing. I'm done leaving my talents on the back burner for the lame excuse that "there isn't time."

With that off my chest, let's move on, shall we?

Approximately 2 weeks ago, my older sister, Mykky (in katakana-pronunciation: "MA-I-KI"), came over to visit me for the first time. Definitely, it was a memorable experience. After all, it's been almost a year since I've seen family in person. Though I'm more than thankful for modern day technology, a face to face, real conversation beats that of Skype any day. But anyway, Mykky's visit was something I feel both of us needed to rebuild our personal, forward momentum and recharge our creativity. We needed this time together to really be inspired to pursue, with a new zeal, our dreams and aspirations.

Almost 2 weeks filled with aimless walking in the city, night walking for fun (and plant collecting), shopping around for things to clothe my naked walls, and eating food that you can't get back in the States was something unforgettable, but of course there were moments that stood out more so than others. Btw, anyone who has followed my blog up until now knows how much I love writing event lists. Ok, here we go:

Mykky's Arrival (10 July)

I decided to take a half day at work enabling me to make it to the airport in time to meet Mykky. Like an idiot however, I was waiting in front of the OTHER international gate waiting for her to stroll out. Eventually we met up, grabbed a Coolish at Lawson and...talked on a bench at the airport for probably 3 hours before making it home. That was the deepest conversation I've had all year.

BBQ & Toothbrush Fighting (11 July)

After lazing around my apartment all day, we made it to one of my nursery schools for an evening BBQ with the teachers and the kids. The food was delicious, and yes, they did serve corn. Naturally. The kids at our table were cute. But later on, they got a bit nasty. They started dipping their toothbrushes in their tea and spraying it all over the table, their friends, and us (my face)! So gross.

Cute, but...

Curry Soup (12 July)

Church, as always, was inspiring. Lunch at a kaiten zushi yasan, snacks at Hara Donuts, and much window shopping filled our Kyoto day itinerary. Later that night, we met up with my good friend Kohei for some good times and laughter at a curry soup restaurant. I don't think I can handle chili peppers, but they're SO de-le-juss~!!!

Me, Kohei & Mykky

CHAN CHIKI CHAN CHAN (13 July)

Spent another hot and humid day wandering the streets of Kyoto. We played a few UFO catchers, ate randomly at Mr. Donuts, Mos Burger, and St. Marc Choco Cro, and shopped...again. What was really cool though was the preparation of the floats for Gion Matsuri.

Many of them were stationary on the street, illuminated with beautiful paper lanterns. We walked down the streets and saw some of the matsuri musicians in the floats practicing their songs on their shime daiko, fue, and atari gane.

Yeah, mitsudomoe~!!!

100en Shop Adventure (14 July)

Right after eating lunch at my apartment, we decided to head out to Joyo to find a 100en shop we kept seeing from the train. Long story short, we ended up walking almost a station away (later realizing that the 100en store was in the OPPOSITE direction) to Izumiya and 100 Ban. Oh well, we were still able to get some stuff.

Later that night at a cafe, we met up with my friend Yuko who bought a set of business cards Mykky designed for her. We talked about how in Japan, instead of giving teachers a needed break from school life, they have to worry about what formations the kids want to make for Sports Day. Sometimes things in this country are just lame. Really? Formations? C'mon~!!!

Yuko, Mykky & Me

Impromptu Taiko Show (15 July)

Headed out to Uji - taiko practice day. Introduced Mykky to RAAK, a Kyoto original shop that sells prints and textiles. We were in that store a LONG time! Soon after, we walked to taiko practice. Just as I figured they would, they invited us to perform for the group. Mykky blew them out of the water with a solo-esque rendition of Suzaku (I on shime daiko support). Everyone was so surprised that Mykky, a girl, could play as hard as she did AND involve movements at the drum. It was such an awesome duet. North American Taiko is freakin' AWESOME~!!!

Tsukiyaki Times (16 July)

One more time in Kyoto to shop for things that would add character to my "typical boy's apartment." After hitting up the Isetan, sushi shop, and Andrew's Tarts, we headed back to my area of town. We had a dinner engagement at my friend Kazu's house - tsukiyaki with the family. It was great, home-cooked tsukiyaki, complete with a crazy dance performance from their wild little girl...and some TV. Fun times.

Gion Matsuri (17 July)

Dressed up in yukata and jinbei and headed out to Kyoto early in the morning to grab a good spot to view the Yamaboko Junko float procession. We ran into Masashi on the train. He was headed to Kobe. It was both our first time witnessing the procession. Those floats were HUGE. Later on, though, it started to look like the same thing over and over, so we decided to just walk around.

That float behind us is taller that you think.

We ended up in Gion to watch the Shinkosai around 6pm. All those guys chanting and carrying those portable shrines - awesome. We even tried to escape the crowd and instead, ended up at the head of the shrine procession. All these guys started really running in the street with the shrine; we almost got run over by the crowd.

Mykky in Gion

WASSHOI~!!! WASSHOI~!!!

On our way home, I started waving and dancing AT people on the passing trains at the eki. THAT was funny.

Trains. TRAINS~!!!

I HATE MOSQUITOES~!!! (18 July)

Woke up late in the morning and headed out to Fushimi Inari after lunch for a nice walk through the torii gates. Or at least we THOUGHT it was going to be a nice stroll around the shrine until we started getting eaten alive by all the freakin' mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. Seriously, foreigner blood is DELICIOUS to bugs here in Japan. Later on, we stopped by my "local" department store approximately less than 10 minutes away from my house and had dinner there.

Smiles mask our itchy, mosquito-bitten skin.

Kyoto Shopping: Round 472 (19 July)

Back in the city for church. Afterwards, we went shopping for stuff, more window shopping, and back for more sushi. The sky seemed to open up randomly and pour its guts out on the unsuspecting people below. Making our way back to Kyoto eki to head home, we saw some of the Gion Matsuri musicians playing in front of a shrine on Shijo. That was cool.

Bowling @ Round 1 (20 July)

Another lazy day at my pad. We woke up late and ended up watching "My Neighboors: The Yamada's." Later that night, we went out again with Kohei to a famous gyoza chain. Natsuko called later on, so we picked her up and the four of us went to Round 1 for a couple of games of bowling. We even did some UFO catching and played some coin games. It rained hard again that night, too.

Poke & Turn (21 July)

Headed out to Osaka to meet Mykky's friend, Hector, who I found out I knew because I met him before during Chinese New Year in Kobe - small world. Ate at a cool do-it-yourself takoyaki joint called Pizza Ball. The trick = poke and turn.

Hector, Mykky & Me

Shopped (of course) before meeting up with Asako and her husband & baby. We went to Fuugetsu for some okonomiyaki. It rained hard that night; it was AWESOME~!!!

Mykky w/ Mio, Gou, & Asako

I can't believe it's time already. (22 July)

Before heading to the airport, we had lunch at Shakey's Pizza and took some last-minute purikura. We finally headed to the airport, and Mykky departed home at around 5pm. I had a strong desire NOT to return home right away. So instead, I headed to Rinkuu Town to get my mind off of things...feelings and reactions I'll never outgrow, huh?

One more thing about the 21st of August. When it rained hard that night, Mykky and I decided to spontaneously play in the rain for a good 15 to 20 minutes. It was cool because we felt like carefree kids again - splashing in puddles and playing in the torrential downpour. I think this was my favorite moment of Mykky's visit. I think it's my all-time favorite moment this past year~!!!

Reflecting on the time Mykky was here, I know now what I need to do to progress forward. With faith in myself and in Him, I know I can do anything. I refuse to give up. Not here; not now; not ever.

Asano Taiko 400th Anniversary Celebration

2009-06-08T20:08:00.002+09:00

I took a day off from work to head out to the Hakusan area in the Ishikawa prefecture for Asano Taiko's 400th Anniversary Celebration (June 4 - June 7). It was a pretty chill weekend to tell you the truth, although I was sick during the time I went...sucks. But anyway, because I found out about this event later than most people who knew about it, I wasn't able to take any workshops. Or at least I thought.

I ran into Yuta's sister, Julia, and she was able to get me into a singing/okedo workshop with Kodo's most senior member, THE Yoshikazu Fujimoto. It was such an awesome class.

Yoshikazu Fujimoto is SO cool~!!!

I also thought that I wasn't going to get into the concert, but thankfully, I was able to squeeze in. I watched "THE TAIKO CONCERT" from the cry room of the theater.

Other than the workshops and the concert, there were things being sold and mini live concerts at the Asano site. I even ran into Bryan & Maz of TAIKOPROJECT, Tiffany & Kristy of Sacramento Taiko Dan, and Chabo & Megan of Shidara. I was also invited to help carry the portable shrine to bless the Asano site. It was awesome times.

With Bryan & Maz

With Chabo, Tiffany, & Megan

With Kristy

This was SO heavy~!!!

It was a good weekend filled with nothing but the sound of taiko. I'm inspired to really do something with taiko this year. I feel it's time. Wish me luck, everyone~!!!

Southern Japan: COMPLETE~!!! :D

2009-05-11T20:19:00.011+09:00

What an intense 2 weeks. I've learned a lot on this past trip to Okinawa and mainland Kyushu. I took a REALLY long trip with a friend to the south (but in retrospect, maybe it was too long). At any rate, I'm really glad I went.

Btw, there are several links to my photobucket galleries in each of the prefectures I've visited. Please check them out and comment on them if you want. :) Enjoy~!!!

My Thoughts About 沖縄 (Okinawa):

I visited Naha and the Yaeyama Islands. It was such a surreal place with many areas showcasing the magnificence of Okinawa's natural beauty. By far, my favorite place was Taketomi. It literally was like a dream paradise. So many beaches, all of which are accessible by bike, tons of good food, and at least one or two people at their house playing a sanshin (Okinawa's snake shamisen) and/or singing. You seriously hear music while you're going around the island. The waters were crystalline blue and the sunsets seemed to peacefully explode in the sky. People in Okinawa, in general, are really chill people. I've never felt so relaxed traveling. I loved my beard and mustache especially during Okinawa week because everyone else had a beard and mustache! I totally blended in - there was a strong feeling of home. I'd go back to Okinawa in a heartbeat - especially the Yaeyama Islands.

My Thoughts About Mainland 九州 (Kyushu) Prefectures:

I was able to visit all of mainland Kyushu's prefectures. After the trip, I can honestly say that Kyushu is probably the coolest place in Japan as of right now. Just like Okinawa, people in Kyushu were exceptionally peaceful, helpful, and kind individuals. Not only that, but the food was amazing. Visually, the old and the new coexist in harmoniously. Everything in Kyushu seemed so balanced. My favorite place was Nagasaki because it's metropolitan and historical simultaneously. Not to mention the fact that the catholic community is HUGE. Being in Nagasaki made me wonder why I never applied to live there. I should've done my research (but Kyoto's awesome, anyway). On a side note, the Dontaku Festival in Fukuoka was interesting, but definitely not exciting. I wouldn't want to see it again, nor would I recommend someone to see it. A festival like Gion Matsuri would be time and money well spent.

My Overall Assessment:

I love Okinawa, especially Taketomi. I love Kyushu, especially Nagasaki. You should go. Don't go to Dontaku Festival - it's not worth it.

And now for the logistics of the trip (with links to picture galleries). Enjoy.

April 24 - Fri.

After school, I stayed at my friend Taka's house because he was going to drive me to the airport the following day. His family's pretty awesome.

April 25 - Sat.

Landed in 那覇市 (Naha)
Checked into hostel - Base Hostel
Dinner at Afro Nest
Window shopping on 国際通り (Kokusai-dori)

April 26 - Sun.

Booked a Naha tour & went to:
万座毛 (Cape Manza)
沖縄美ら海水族館 (Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium)
熱帯ドリームセンター (Tropical Dream Center)
今帰仁城 (Nakijin Castle)
ナゴパイナップルパーク (Nago Pineapple Park)
おきなわワールド (Okinawa World) & 玉泉洞 (Gyokusendo Cave)
Shopping on 国際通り (Kokusai-dori)

April 27 - Mon.

Went to首里城 (Shuri Castle)
Took a boat to 石垣島 (Ishigaki)
Checked into hostel - Yashima Youth Hostel
Shopping on 市役所通り (Shiyakusho-dori)

*** CLICK HERE FOR NAHA PIX

April 28 - Tue.

Glass Boat @ 川平湾 (Kabira Bay)
Played around 米子焼工房 (Yoneko Yaki Kobo)
Snorkled @ 米原 (Yonehara Beach)
Dinner @ まーさん (Maasan)
Drank @ the hostel

*** CLICK HERE FOR ISHIGAKI PIX

April 29 - Wed.

Took a boat to 竹富島 (Taketomi)
Checked into hostel - 竹富ゲストハウスジュテーム (Taketomi Guest House Je t'aime)
Rented a bike and went around:
コンドイ浜 (Kondoi Beach)
カイジ浜 (Kaji Beach)
集落 (Ryukyu Village)
なごみの塔 (Nagomi Tower)
Lunch @ HaaYa Nagomi Cafe
Random biking through the Ryukyu Village
Rode a 水牛車 (Water Buffalo Cart)
More random biking through the Ryukyu Village
Hung out at Kondoi Beach till sunset
Hung out and drank @ Take-to-Me bar @ hostel

*** CLICK HERE FOR TAKETOMI PIX

April 30 - Thu.

Took a boat to 西表島 (Iriomote)
Checked into hostel - 西表自然学校 (Iriomote Nature School)
Cruised up 浦内川 (Urauchi River)
Hiked to マリユドゥの滝 (Mariyudu Waterfalls)
First onsen experience @ 西表島温泉 (Iriomotejima Onsen)
Hung out with the owner & kids @ hostel
Ate dinner @ hostel

*** CLICK HERE FOR IRIOMOTE PIX

May 1 - Fri.

Bus to 由布島 (Yubu Island) site
Walked Yubu Island @ low tide
Played around the garden, saw some animals, ate stuff
Took a water buffalo cart back to bus loading site
Bus to port back to Ishigaki
Flew to 福岡市 (Fukuoka)
Checked into hotel
Dinner @ ramen stand for Hakata Ramen

*** CLICK HERE FOR YUBU ISLAND PIX

May 2 - Sat.

Train to 太宰府 (Dazaifu) area
太宰府天満宮 (Dazaifu Tenman-gu)
Train then bus to 福岡タワー (Fukuoka Tower) & ROBOSQUARE
Hung out @ 大濠公園 (Ohori Park)
Dinner @ udon shop

May 3 - Sun.

Hung around 博多 (Hakata) for the 博多どんたく (Hakata Dontaku Festival)
Dinner w/ some new JET friends

*** CLICK HERE FOR FUKUOKA PIX

May 4 - Mon.

Bus to 大分県 (Oita)
Train to 臼杵磨崖仏 (Usuki Stone Buddhas)
Check into ryokan in 別府市 (Beppu)
Dinner with JET friends
Onsen

*** CLICK HERE FOR OITA PIX

May 5 - Tue.

Bus to 血の池地獄 (Blood Pond Hell)
Train to 宮崎県 (Miyazaki)
Bus to 鵜戸神宮 (Udo Shrine)
Checked into ryokan - すずや旅館 (Suzuya Ryokan)
Dinner @ local izakaya

*** CLICK HERE FOR MIYAZAKI PIX

May 6 - Wed.

Train to 鹿児島市 (Kagoshima)
Bus to 指宿市 (Ibusuki)
Bus, train, then boat to 桜島 (Sakurajima)
Played in a dinosaur park
Hung out at a lava rock park...thing...till sunset
Checked into hostel

*** CLICK HERE FOR KAGOSHIMA PIX

May 7 - Thu.

Bus to 熊本市 (Kumamoto)
But to hostel
Bus to 阿蘇山 (Mt. Aso) & the crater
Onsen

May 8 - Fri.

Train to 佐賀県 (Saga)
Walked to 吉野ヶ里遺跡 (the Yoshinogari Site)
Headed over to Ashley's apartment
Dinner @ Jaya's apartment w/ her family & other Saga JET friends

*** CLICK HERE FOR KUMAMOTO & SAGA PIX

May 9 - Sat.

Train to 長崎市 (Nagasaki)
Took the street car to hit up:
大浦天主堂 (Oura Catholic Church)
Chinatown
崇福寺 (Sofuku-ji)
東明山興福寺 (Tomeizan Kofuku-ji)
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
Atomic Bomb Hypocenter
Nagasaki Peace Park
浦上天主堂 (Urakami Cathedral)
日本二十六聖人殉教地 (Site of the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan)
Train to Fukuoka
Spent the nite @ an internet cafe

*** CLICK HERE FOR NAGASAKI PIX

May 10 - Sun.

Bullettrain back home

Kimi's Visit

2009-04-13T22:28:00.005+09:00

It was awesome, my first overseas visitor - my really good friend Kimi visited from Vegas~!!! It was her first time visiting mainland Japan, so it was a week of me playing tour guide. Here are the things we did:

April 6 - Mon.
Kimi landed. My teacher and I picked her up from the airport and then had dinner at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.

April 7 - Tue.
We went around to look at cherry blossoms. They were in full bloom just in time for Kimi's visit. After that, we walked around Fushimi Inari to look at all the torii gates. Meandering throught Yasaka Shrine to fool her, I surprised Kimi with a trip to Gion for a maiko (apprentice geisha) make-over, her belated birthday/Christmas gift. She was really surprised~!!! We took a bunch of photos as we walked around Gion. Later that night, we met up with my good friend, Kohei, and his fiancée (a friend, too), Natsuko, for some awesome yaki-niku. BBQ beef is so f-ing delicious. I could never be vegetarian.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS

April 8 - Wed.
Went to Uji for some tea shopping and to see Phoenix Hall and Uji River. After that, we hit up Kyoto for some random shopping and people watching. For dinner, I took her out to a yakitori shop I frequent.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS

April 9 - Thu.
Took a day trip to Toei Uzumasa Eigamura Movie Museum. It was actually pretty neat. It was my first time going there, but I think it meant more to Kimi because this was the actual set where they filmed some old Japanese samurai TV program she used to watch when she was growing up in Hawaii. After playing around there, we passed through Koryuji before finally hitting up Golden Pavilion (of course, a must see if you're visiting Kyoto for the first time). Did more people watching in Kyoto and had dinner at Mos Burger. YEAH~!!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS

April 10 - Good Fri.
This day was temple hopping. We went to Kiyomizu-dera, the Hall of the Lotus King, and Nishi Hongan-ji (the mother Buddhist church that Kimi belongs to in Hawaii). On the way, we stopped by this small bakery and had carrot cookies. We ate at a donburi shop and ended the day with coffee at Doutour. Thumbs up for all the staples of Japan, right.

April 11 - Holy Sat. We had a bunch of time, so we headed to Nara to check out Todai Temple and play with the deer in Nara Park. Check out this rad photo! Who else can say they fed a deer under a blossoming cherry tree?

After that, we made our way to Osaka to mess around Dotonbori. We met up with Kohei again for okonomiyaki and takoyaki. We also just walked around the shopping areas in and around America Village.

April 12 - Easter Sun.

HAPPY EASTER~!!! CHRIST IS RISEN~!!!
After going to church, I met up with Kimi around Osaka Castle. We walked pretty much the entire castle grounds and even ate food at the vendor booths. Finally, it was time for us to head back to the airport so Kimi could catch her plane back home.

This was an awesome week. Good food, good sites, good times, all shared with more than good company. Btw, I never used so much Japanese in one week. Yeah for practice~!!! :D

EARTH HOUR 2009

2009-03-28T21:33:00.001+09:00

Yeah, I turned off all my stuff right at 8:30pm. Alright, now it's the opposite side of the world's turn. HAPPY EARTH HOUR EVERYONE~!!!

LOCATION: Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Again, not making fun, but...

2009-03-26T23:03:00.000+09:00

Ok, let's lighten the blog's mood with more Engrish (yes, Engrish) from my students. This stuff = golden material. Refer to the first set of Engrish.

SENTENCES:

1. Who is playing the piano in boy?

2. Do you know she what to doing?

3. I know she doing is Mary!

4. My home in the much book.

5. They names baby & Taro.

6. Well, this year's resolution is "Beaf."

7. Here is daby name the Taro.

8. I like is winter more somer.

9. No, down is resolutions.

10. We have to do yo know resolutions.

11. Burger it's hard for me Yuki.

12. I can spiekes English.

13. Wornig the U.Stars homestyk.

WORDS:

language - larguagen

* You know, I really don't understand your larguagen.

right - helse

* Turn left. No wait, turn helse!

delicious - drilciecur

* I'm in the mood for some drilciecur sushi.

borrow - doreew

* May I doreew this throwing knife?

Friday - froday

* Thankfully, the 80's Party is on froday.

A Simple Hug - A Heavy Realization

2009-03-23T22:21:00.001+09:00

Japan seems to amplify emotions like no other experience can.

My buddy Kohei, his friend Kazu, and I hung out last Saturday night. After walking around looking at the illuminated garden at a temple, we decided to go to dinner together. We had such a great time, joking around, talking about all sorts of stuff (all in Japanese of course...crazy, I can actually hold a conversation in Japanese), drinking, and eating.

Finally, it was time to ship out to catch the last trains. In the subway, right before Kazu boarded his train, he told me it was nice to meet me and how much fun he had. He then moved in for a hug. I was thrown off guard by the gesture, but returned it equally. He boarded the train, and we waved at him as it took off. My first thought, "That was very American of him to do that." (Yeah, I know other people in the world hug, too, that was just my first thought, though).

Since then, I've been in a state of contemplation.

Living here in Japan for this long has desensitized me to something I've been told I'm really good at - hugging. To me, it's more than just an action - it's language. A hug can convey love and truth. A hug can tell a lifetime story. A hug can lift days, months, years of emotional turmoil. A hug is important for stability, security, and self-awareness.

I've grown up utilizing this language in my everyday life, so why was it so easy to forget?

To tell the truth, that hug felt really good. It felt sincere. Maybe because it was a received hug? Take my American/English-speaking friends here, for example. We've hugged before. In retrospect, I think for some of them, we wouldn't have hugged unless I motioned to do so. Nonetheless, we did hug or had some kind of physical language/interaction with each other. However, those times were in the midst of traveling or some major event; the things being experienced at the time blocked out the recognition of feelings in general.

This time, though, it was an easy, laid-back day. I had all the time in the world to notice anything and everything. Maybe it was shocking because Kazu's a Japanese citizen. I've been accustomed to seeing people here bow, or wave, or nod, or NOTHING at all with one another (and yeah, that's WITH friends). Then all of a sudden, someone says goodbye to me the way I would someone else that WASN'T Japanese? What the hell's going on!

Seriously, in that moment, I think the memory of every hug I've given to people in my life hit me all at once. I felt like I was home, but at the same time, my heart felt very heavy because it was looking for something it has been yearning for all this time.

Something so simple can make you think about your whole life.

Something so simple can make you feel so loved.

Something so simple can make you feel really lonely.

March 19 ~ 21

2009-03-23T21:53:00.003+09:00

Ok, it's event list time. Enjoy~!!!

19 March:
Attended an elementary school's graduation ceremony. Later that night, I went to an enkai and karaoke bar with my other elementary school's teachers. Yes, that means I drank more. I think most Japanese people get drunk WAY too fast, btw.

20 March:
Headed out to Nara to hit up 法隆寺 (Hōryū-ji) with my buddy Kohei and his cool friend, Yasu. Afterward, we had a たこ焼き (takoyaki - octopus dumpling) party and Kohei's place - Kohei's super nice fiancée, Natsuko, joined us.

The Chūmon (Inner Gate)

The 5-Tier Pagoda

Me w/ Yasu & Natsuko

The Takoyaki

21 March:
Went to my friend's boyfriend's joint photo exhibition. Later that night, I met up with Kohei and his really cool buddy Kazu. We trekked to 高台寺 (Kōdai-ji) to experience 花灯路 (hanatōro), or "flower and light road," which is the spring version of the Light-Up event in autumn (refer to the EC Reunion Part I). Later, we went to a 焼き鳥屋さん (yakitoriyasan - BBQ skewer bar) called すみ家 (Sumika)...yes, we drank. I drink a lot in Japan...that's good AND bad.

Kazu & Me (...man, the lighting sucks...)

The Food

四郷千両太鼓 Weekend

2009-03-18T21:51:00.016+09:00

Last weekend (Saturday, March 14th), my friend Asako invited me to her home town in 和歌山県 (Wakayama prefecture) because the group there, 四郷千両太鼓 (Shigo Senryo Daiko), was having a concert. Shigo was the group my older sister Kamille joined when she was a JET ALT back in the day. It was also the beginning of her love for taiko.

Anyway, it took almost 3 hours and 3 train transfers to get from my apartment to 和歌山県. But that was after I went to Uji - 15 minutes from my house in the opposite direction - to get some omiyage for Asako's parents and for Shigo. I didn't mind though; it was all for taiko. Btw, here's a random picture of Asako's mom's hina matsuri doll collection.

Crazy, huh? Pretty awesome, I say.

Interestingly enough, my "day trip" to Wakayama turned out to be an over-night stay, hence why I got Asako's parents omiyage. They graciously allowed me to crash at their house, which by the way is less than a 5 minute walk from Shigo's dojo. CRAZY~!!! I bought omiyage for the group, too, because I was invited to their after-party to mingle, eat, drink...and play...maybe?

There was a VERY small problem on the way there. You see, I had used my ICOCA card which is similar to the Kanto region's SUICA card and Hokkaido's KITACA card - a debit like card for riding the trains so you don't have to fumble around with coins and bills to buy train tickets. I didn't realize that the area I was going to was SO 田舎 (rural) that the card wasn't acceptable anymore. Thankfully Asako was there to help me through that (I met up with her and her baby, Mio, in 橋本市 [Hashimoto City], the city where my sister lived).

I didn't have time to drop my crap off at the house, so I brought everything to the concert hall in かつらぎ町 (Katsuragi Town). There, Asako and I ate bentos (from her parents' bento shop) before the concert - it was DE-LE-JUSS bento times~!!!

The concert was pretty awesome. They played a few original pieces, some kids performed a piece, and a number of pieces made famous by 鼓童 (Kodo), the world's premier taiko ensemble, were performed. Anyone who lives in Japan and plays taiko knows that virtually ALL the taiko groups in Japan play 2 or more pieces from 鼓童. But I was indifferent to that; just being able to be AROUND taiko is a blessing. Check out their original piece entitled "Mドリーム" (M Dream).

I was able to briefly meet the 2 ALTs that were currently performing with Shigo. They were pretty nice people. I was hoping to get to talk with them a little more, but they had a prior engagement and was unable to attend the after-party.

After the concert, we finally headed to the house where we relaxed until Shigo was finally done cleaning the concert hall, packing up, and unloading the gear back into the studio. I didn't head over to meet them at the dojo till about 12:30am.

There was beer, bento, sushi, beer, fried-food platters, beer, pizza and beer. Everyone seemed so nice ESPECIALLY because they knew I was Kamille's younger brother and that I'm a seasoned taiko performer. Everyone was busy laughing, drinking, smoking, eating, and drinking when they started passing around the comment papers from the audience.

Yes, they read EVERY single one of them. While they were reading, I took a picture of their cool HUGE okedo odaiko. They finally finished reading all the comments at around 2:30am. Seeing that my beer glass was empty, one of the group's top players, Hiroshi, asked me to sit next to him as he poured me more beer and talked all night about our passion for taiko. He's a pretty cool cat; I'd love to hang out and play taiko with him in the future for sure. I didn't get to sleep until before 4:00am. What a night~!!!

What a DOPE drum~!!!

Me & Hiroshi

When I finally woke up just before 12:00 noon, Asako's mother prepared a GIGANTIC lunch. I should've taken a picture, but I wasn't fully awake enough to remember to bust out my camera. We had オムライス (omelet rice), clam soup, 焼きそば (yakisoba), tofu, grilled ハマチ (hamachi), 海老天ぷら(shrimp tempura), サツマイモ天ぷら (sweet potato tempura), and some kinda snail meat. You think that's enough food~!!? It was so good AND all homemade from their shop (their shop is part of their house)~!!! I couldn't finish it all~!!!

They sent me away with some homemade sushi. Man, that was good, too.

Finally getting back home, I was inspired to really get off my thinking block and get to work. I'll be on an artist-kick for a while...I hope. WISH ME LUCK~!!!

I'm really pissed off right now~!!!

2009-03-11T18:56:00.006+09:00

It's so STUPID how this happened, but I have sprained neck~!!!

So, I was fine this morning. Woke up, made breakfast, dressed, but I had in itch on my back. I couldn't reach it (or figure out its exact coordinates), so I tried using the mirror to see what might be causing it (something I've done before, so in my mind, it wasn't an issue).

I was turning and trying to figure out where it was until I heard a pop-like-tear followed by excruciating pain on the right side of my neck. I fell to the floor and doubled over on my bed. I got up and I wasn't able to turn my head at all.

I walked to school, no problem. Over time, however, the pain got worse and worse. It felt as if a knife was jamming itself into my neck at random times. Toward the end of the day, it was so bad that it literally prevented me from moving. Seriously incapacitating.

My English teacher called my supervisor, and he took me to a specialist. The doc did a few x-rays and junk. Sent me home with a prescription (4 different pills and a compress which they're sending me through the mail). They told me it's not a sprain, but they never told me what it really is.

At this moment, it REALLY hurts. Like BAD. Like, I want to die or go insane or kill someone kinda pain. I wouldn't wish this on anyone~!!! I can't even COOK anything without wanting to yell and curse~!!!

So, that's my neck sprain story. This is bullsh!t, because I REALLY wanted to go to taiko practice today. I looked forward to today all week, and next week's practice is canceled.

Not to mention that last week, I was suffering from allergies (even thought I was coughing up blood - thankfully it wasn't from my lungs). The week before, my body was suffering from flu-like symptoms. Each event I told myself that I wasn't going to the f*ckin' hospital; that I wasn't going to LOSE to this sh!t; that I just need to get over it.

Seriously, transitioning from a dry-ass desert to moist-ass Japan has been hard on my body. And now THIS bullsh!t. I'm really pissed off right now~!!! This is my 3rd time in less than a year that I had to get drugs for something. I NEVER had this many problems in the States~!!!

I'll get better. I won't lose to this~!!! I'm sure it's a sign for something.

On an up-note, I finally got a hair cut yesterday. Doesn't look bad at all. I feel 1,000 lbs lighter.

IT'S MARCH~!!!

2009-03-04T23:08:00.002+09:00

Can you believe it? It's freakin' MARCH~!!!

I know spring's coming because I've been sneezing ALL DAMN DAY...they started cutting down the plants in the river near school, so all the pollen's airborne. I hate allergies.

Anyway, I got back from taiko practice like an hour and a half ago or so~!!! Yeah, I'm back in taiko. It's been like almost over 4 months since my last practice. I started going to this awesome, energetic taiko group in Uji last week. I think the people in it are cool - a good mix of old and young people/men and women. Haven't had taiko blisters in a LONG time. Bittersweet nostalgia. I think I'm going to like this group~!!! Wish me luck. I need to buy my bachi soon.

Good news at my JHS. I coached 3 girls (2 Freshman and an 8th grader) who had a major English interview in Kyoto city. I was nervous because 2 of the girls were really shy and seemed to not believe in themselves enough to pass. That dissipated when I found out all 3 girls passed~!!! AWESOME~!!! I coached 3 boys and 1 girl last year for the same test. All 4 of those kids passed, too. I'm so proud of all of them.

On a general note, I think I've been going through so many changes. There were times where I would be SO down that I didn't even want to wake up. Other times, I would wake up laughing because I would be in such a good mood (sounds like I'm going crazy, yeah?).

Seriously, living outside of your daily norm changes you. Unlike my old self, I'm accepting the changes rather than fighting them. My eyes open more and more everyday. And now that it's still kind of the beginning of the new Lenten Season, I'll be expecting many more changes along my journey.

One thing I know is, I'll be more diligent when it comes to my blog. Updating events in a 4 month period bites.

Until the next blog~!!!

北海道に行くぞ～！ (Part 2)

2009-02-16T18:00:00.022+09:00

Welcome to Part 2~!!!

10 Feb 09:
Slept in finally. Woke up; Yoli & Andrew left early to take a day to snowboard. Tricia and I took the bus out to 札幌つどーむ (Sapporo Community Dome), home of the tube slide & snowman making station, as well as more sculptures.

Me & Wall-E

If you wanted to make a snowman, there was station dedicated to making your own. They had a station to give your snowman a name card/message card. They also handed out wooden blocks to make the face as well as 2 different sized metal bowls to help the process of making the snowman tiers easier. I made the most WICKED snow BEAST ever~!!! He had spikes on his head; even gave the little guy wings. It took me a while to finish him. I wanted to be different from everyone else - with their cookie-cutter snowmen. MINE REIGNED SUPREME OVER ALL SNOWMEN~!!!

HAD to go down the tube slide, too. It was AWESOME. It was faster than it looked. When my sister went down the slide years back, they didn't have tubes to use. Just your ass on ice.

Took the bus back to the city to finish up looking at all the snow sculptures. Some were REALLY awesome. Some were...well...look at the pictures.

Yume ~ Dreams ~

キン肉マン (Kinnikuman)

どーもくん (Domo-kun)

Monkey...with Corn...

目玉親父 (Medama Oyaji)

ドラえもん (Doraemon)

Me & Stitch

A big-ass snow train~!!!

Look at the detail~!!!

天空の城ラピュタのロボット
(An Android from Laputa: Castle in the Sky)

Pon de Lion
Mascot of Asia's Popular "Mister Donut"

Northern Animal Family
Live Forever, the Forests

Isn't that a dope snow dragon~!!?

World Snow Sculpture Competition: First Place
(forgot which country in S.E. Asia.)

U.S.A. didn't even place.
Look at this~!!! What the hell IS this crap~!!?

Everyone. "Be anbitious."

DBZ: "Kamehameha~!!!"

This is supposed to be a "hug." Riiiiight. Booty.

SMB REPRESENT~!!!

on-chan

Everyone LOVES Snoopy~!!!

Friends in the Southern Ocean

Me & a まんぼう (sunfish)

Oh yeah, Tricia and I were watching people ski down a man-made ski jump and do tricks, but then some random lady cut in front of us. I was gonna be all "What da heck LADY~!!?" That was until I noticed her fur-lined jacket hood~!!! I touched it lightly.

きもちいいい～！！！

Met up with Yoli and Andrew at the Sapporo TV Tower. It was pretty cool up there. WAY too many people in such a small place, though.

A marimo guy in the tower.

Went to dinner near Ramen Alley at a place called SHO-RIN. Had RAD-ASS soup curry. I wish I ate that a second time; that was some freakin' GOOD stuff, man~!!!

11 Feb 09:
Last day in 北海道. We split up again. Yoli & Andrew went to finish up snow sculpture viewing. Tricia and I went back to すすきの to finish the ice sculptures.

Ice-cold beer, man~!!!

Is that...fish blood?

Yeah for Greenpeace~!!!

Ode to Portland Taiko's Fish Face

No, not "tortoise," but "tortise."

ダブルまりもっこり (Double Marimokkori)

Afterwards, we met around Sapporo TV Tower and subwayed to サッポロビール博物館 (Sapporo Beer Museum).

Before going in, we had lunch at a place that served ジンギスカーン (Genghis Khan), a famous BBQ lamb dish. It was good, but I couldn't get past the gamy/soapy taste. At least I can say I tried it.

Went into the museum; all these cool old cans, bottles, and signs. It was a pretty dope place. Had a bar there, too. Was able to try different kinds of beer. Did a "snowball" throwing contest and won a bag of Sapporo soda. I'd love to go back.

Let's learn about beer~!!!

Malted Barley: White & Black

"Yoli, EAT SOME NOW~!!!"

BEER~!!! BEEEEEEEER~!!!

Bottoms up, ya'll. Gangsta.

Poor Andrew didn't win. 残念な。

Finally, we headed to the airport, did some last minute shopping, and split up to go home (Andrew's and my flight was before Yoli's and Tricia's). 北海道 was such an amazing place. It's well-developed, yet still has the feel of Japan. The food was amazing, the people were stylish in a good way for a change, the music was poppin', the sculptures were off da hook, it was just awesome being there.

Maybe I should've applied to live in Hokkaido. AHAHAHAHAHA~!!! I'll be back again one day. Until I see you again, 北海道, I'll be missing you from my little rice field in the Kansai area.

Booty.

北海道に行くぞ～！ (Part 1)

2009-02-14T15:45:00.105+09:00

Before I forget, Happy V-Day~!!! Ok, list blog, STAATO~!!!

31 Jan 09:
I met up with Mitch, Michelle, some of their friends, and Andrew in Kobe Chinatown for a Chinese New Year celebration. It was weird. I'm used to seeing real kung-fu demos and lion dances and stuff like that. It was a very tame day, but at least I was able to meet up with the peeps.

*** NOW THE MEAT OF THE BLOG~!!! ***

6 Feb 09:

Went home right after lunch at school to prepare for my trip to the airport. Met up with Andrew around 7-ish @ Kansai Airport and headed out for 北海道 (Hokkaido). WOOHOO for the 60th Anniversary of 札幌雪祭り (Sapporo Snow Festival)~!!! It was strange, though, because the flight attendants kept saying that we were going to land somewhere else because of the weather. Thank goodness we were able to land where we were supposed to, but we were circling for about 45 minutes because of ice on the tarmac. We eventually landed, though REAL late, and met up with Yoli, Mitzi, and Tricia at the hotel. Man, there was SO MUCH SNOW~!!! It was so cool to see all those white fields from the train. After we dropped our stuff off, we went to a little 焼き鳥 (yakitori) shop for dinner and a コンビニ (convenient store) to buy some beer.

7 Feb 09:

I LOVE SNOW~!!! Woke up early to meet our tour group for 札幌市 (Sapporo City). Little did we know that the tour guide was a volunteer that didn't know where the hell she was going. Here are all FIVE things we did:

1. Went to 大通公園 (Ōdōri Kōen - Ōdōri Park) to look at snow sculptures for what felt like 2 minutes. Was able to eat some super DE-LE-JUSS 北海道 crab siopao at the Hokkaido Winter Food Park.

2. Met the rest of the tour group at the base of the Sapporo TV Tower. The 5 of us skipped out on going in. We took pictures with some of the mascots that were runnin' around. Even ate some 花畑牧場生キャラメルソフトクリーム (hanabatake bokujo nama caramel soft cream). THAT WAS SO BOMB~!!!

daNpa - WE LOVE NATURE~!!!

u:go mascot...he's a...colon (of the punctuation variety)...

花畑牧場生キャラメルソフトクリーム

3. People started getting hungry, so we took the subway to a shopping mall called ESTA; went to the upper most floor where the Ramen Republic was. However, we ended up going to a Chinese restaurant because we weren't given enough time - or so we thought. We felt rushed, so we wanted to get something quick to eat so the group wouldn't leave us behind. Turned out the tour guide was the person ALL of us ended up waiting for. The hell...for real.

4. Took the subway to hit up the Chocolate Factory in 白い恋人パーク (Shiroi Koibito Park). It was pretty cool, I suppose. Home of Japan's probably most famous omiyage - 白い恋人 (shiroi koibito - White Lover...yeah...White Lover), a cookie sandwich snack with white chocolate in the middle.

Bought our tickets to get in (yeah, wasn't part of this "tour deal" we paid for prior to the start of the trip). They gave us a free sample of 白い恋人. It was weird because I KNOW I've eaten something similar in the States; for me, it wasn't something to get excited over.

A Box of White Lovers HAAAHAHA~!!!

The beginning part of the museum was pretty, but to people who don't speak Japanese, it was non sequitur to the fact that we were supposed to be in a chocolate factory. Why were there a bunch of glass cases with tea cups and spoons and junk? No clue. Literally ran through that part to bypass it.

A Pretty Fountain. Nice.

There was a 3D video thing about the history of the place in Japanese...bypassed that.

Ah, the good stuff. The actual factory! Saw all these people taking care of the little 白い恋人 being assembled. Yep, no Oompa-Loompas or chocolate rivers to drown in...DAMN.

Mmm. Delicious sterility~!!!

There was this movie screen, too. Reminded me of Wonka Vision.

Next was the cafe and cookie making section. In retrospect, we should've just stayed and made cookies. Anyway, we chilled at the cafe and ordered some desserts. They tasted great.

My Selection (Yoli ordered the same)

Tricia's Selection

Mitzi's Selection (no pic of Andrew's)

Lastly, the omiyage section...of course. Bought a whole bunch of 白い恋人 for my schools. By the time we finished, we noticed that the rest of the group didn't make sure that we were all together...meaning they booked it without us. This is the reason why I said that we might as well have just stayed and made FREAKIN' COOKIES~!!! I mean, who the hell doesn't check to make sure all bodies are present before you leave...whatever.

5. Ended up going back to the hotel. To our surprise, we saw our tour group there. Supposed to go to a beer garden; apparently, "no one was interested in going." I don't blame them.

Regardless, we all had fun. Overall, however, the "Sapporo Tour" was a waste.

Andrew, Yoli, Mitzi, and I wanted to do our own thing, so we took Sapporo's Electric Railway/Streetcar to get to 藻岩山ロープウェイ (Mt. Moiwa Ropeway). Tricia didn't go because of her fear of heights.

It was a winter wonderland up there. The winds were blowing snow every which way. Wanted to see the city from the top of the mountain, but as we suspected, the weather prevented any viewing pleasure. We did play in snow, though! We also rode up the mountain in this weird snow bus with tank treads. On the way down, we rode on this open-air seating area behind a snow plow. We were the only 4 people brave enough to sit outside in the snow. IT WAS SO COLD that my eyeballs were freezing~!!! It was AWESOME~!!!

We finally met up with Tricia back at the Ramen Republic for the long awaited 1st ramen experience. Birdie num nums.

Later that night, we decided not to go to sleep. Rather, we met up with a friend of mine and Andrew's, Kat (from Tokyo Orientation). We met her at a club called Booty. She was already faded by the time we got to Booty. At Booty we danced until...

8 Feb 09:
...the next day. Andrew got REAL drunk at Booty (notice I like typing the word "Booty"). I realized that maybe J-folk don't really know how to get down with the get down. I mean, people in Booty were walking around more so than dancing. And when they DID dance, it wasn't good. I've never seen a group of GUYS dancing together before, either. That's just weird. Every time I was trying to dance with my ladies and some random Japanese girls, some random dude always tried to dance with ME! I'm all, "Get wit' yo girls HOMIE, not ME! S'wrong wit'chu~!?" Booty. We finally got back to the hotel and got some sleep before breakfast time.

Woke up and went to breakfast - who the hell serves french fries during breakfast time? Gathered our belongings and left our baggage near the front desk. Headed out to 新千歳空港 (Shin-Chitose Airport) on our way to 支笏湖 (Lake Shikotsu). Btw, we ate some cheese ramen (ramen experience #2) at the airport before taking a bus to 支笏湖.

The initial plan was for the 4 others to go to an onsen (I don't onsen because I hate hot places, let alone bathing for long periods of time in boiling water). The plan changed when we found out that the prime spot for onsen was clear across the way from where we were, and the taxis didn't want to take us there at the time we wanted. Instead, we ended up taking pictures, playing in the snow, and going to the ice festival there. Andrew was the only one that ended up going to onsen at a youth hostel. Ate いももち (potato mochi)...that was tasty, too.

Pre Giant Snowball Punch

Post Giant Snowball Punch

My Original Snow Owl

Finally took the bus back to the city. Parted ways with Mitzi because she had to fly back home that night. Moved from our first hotel to our second. Headed out to すすきの (Susukino), a red-light-esque district, and hit up 札幌ラーメン横丁 (Sapporo Ramen Alley). I had カニ味噌ラーメン (crab miso ramen - ramen experience #3). SO GOOD TIMES~!!!

Saw some of the ice sculptures of the 29th すすきの氷の祭典 (Susukino Ice Festival) before heading out to meet some of Yoli's friends. We joined them at an izakaya, did a 飲み放題 and got drunk. Went to a foreigner bar called Rad Brothers Bar after that. Good alcohol times.

Yeah, REAL ramen in there~!!!

I'm a clione~!!!

9 Feb 09:
Ate breakfast in the subway; a place called The Don - a donburi shop.

THE 丼
Healthy and natural.
With quality seafood
from round
the world,
Neptune
new wave taste
- THE DON.
Ooooh, almost normal~!!!

Got a rental and took a day-road trip out to 洞爺湖町 (Tōyako-cho) - was supposed to be a trip to 函館 (Hakodate), but it was still fun.

Rode a boat called the Espoir (looked like a castle) that went around 洞爺湖 (Lake Tōya). Andrew, Yoli, and Tricia went to go to an onsen finally. I stayed in the lobby writing out a ton of postcards.

Drove back, grabbed our stuff from the hotel and made it to our hostel, Ino's Place. Btw, Ino's Place was the NICEST, cleanest hostel I've been to in my life. I want to go back. Ate dinner at a Yoshinoya-like place.

Together @ Ino's Place w/ Ino-san

Part 2 coming soon. Enjoy this picture of me as Hokkaido crab.

Who DOES that~!!?

2009-01-20T19:30:00.011+09:00

Recap list...and...GO~!!!

5 Jan 09:
Didn't go to school, rather, the other place.

6 Jan 09:
At the other place again. Talked to a dude that wanted to meet me because he read my profile in the town magazine or something. Said he's always wanted a foreign friend that shared the same hobby that he did. Interesting. I like how my supervisor told him all the places I work AND where I live. Thanks a lot. The dude invited me to his house to play taiko. Hope he's not a freak. He kinda looks like Jackie Chan.

11 Jan 09:
Met up with Asako in Osaka. Met her husband, Goh, and her baby, Mio! She's SO cute~!!!

16 Jan 09:
Finally decided to meet up with Kazu, the taiko dude in the town over. Before hand, I decided to go to Uji to get an omiyage, thanking him for having me over for dinner. I was torn. Buy something inexpensive vs. something expensive. That was until I got a text from him.

"What do you think of this? I want to give it to you." or something like that. Attached was a picture of shime daiko...NO WAY, seriously? Maybe his English is not working for him. Maybe he's giving me the PICTURE as a gift.

Bought the more expensive omiyage JUST IN CASE he was going to give me a drum...but yeah right...right? Text #2.

"Did you see the photo? I'm giving it to you as a gift." I KNEW it. He's giving me the PHOTO as a gift...that HAS to be it~!!! If that's the case, who DOES that~!!?

Was picked up. We drove to his house. Before going into the main house, he asked me to step into his office.

"See this? This is my shime. Play it. Go ahead, it's ok." I played it, had a nice tune, awesome shime. "It's yours."

"What~!? No, I can't~!!!"

"No, I insist."

"What~!?"

Then his wife came out and told us that dinner was ready. I also met his baby girl. They have a cool house! We had sushi and Japanese fried chicken for dinner, all washed down by beer of course - Japan's water. Afterwards, did a little demo on a VERY young sounding drum. Got tired, so the misses drove; Kazu and his baby girl sat in the back. But before getting into the van, he ran into his office to grab the shime daiko. I TOTALLY didn't say anything about that!

Finally got to my house and thanked everyone for the meal and the ride and TRIED to book it up stairs. Kazu, however, yelled out of the van,

"Don't forget your drum!"

"Oh man, thank you SO VERY much~!!! This is such an AWESOME omiyage, thank you~!!!"

In my mind, I was like, "Who DOES that~!!?" But now, I can honestly say that I own my very own drum, now! Awesome~!!!

Btw, he invited me back to his house next Friday.

My First Taiko: Taka-chan

18 Jan 09:
Went to 三十三間堂 (Sanjūsangendō) to watch some older people and high schoolers do 弓道 (kyūdō - Japanese archery). It was awesome!

This guy's FIERCE, man, FIERCE~!!!

Check out Obaasama~!!! She's friggin' AWESOME~!!!

The Boys

The Girls

Girls Finalists

Today:
PAY DAY, BABY~!!! Gotta save for my trip to snowman land. Man, on Thursday, I have to go to the kindergarten here. Then next week on Tuesday, I go to the other kindergarten in the town over~!!! I hope I'll be ok. After all, they're but mere babies.

Oh yeah, I'll be meeting up with my taiko mentor, Kinoshita Sensei, from Canada Saturday in Osaka. I'm excited~!!!

Like I said, gotta get ready for my trip WAY up North~!!! SNOW LAND HERE I COME~!!! Crap, gotta put in my nenkyu soon.

SO MUCH TO DO~!!!

俺の冬休みだ - Let's ring in the New Year J-Style~!!!

2009-01-03T15:00:00.067+09:00

Ok, it's time for another list blog...thingy~!!! List-like blogs are so much easier~!!!

Christmas Eve 08:
Totally did NOT work on Christmas Eve, you crazy~!!?

Christmas Day 08:
MERRY CHRISTMAS~!!! There's DEFINITELY no way I'd work on Christmas Day, either.

26 Dec 08:
Left Kyoto @ midnight. F**kin WORST midnight bus experience~!!! This dumb young dude with orange hair kept leaning on my back on the damn bus. No matter how many times I pushed his ass away, he'd end up sleeping ON me somehow - I FELT him BREATHING on me~!!! Not to mention that ALL the seats of the upper deck were filled with sleeping bodies and the windows were blocked by thick-as-hell curtains which TRAPPED the heat from the heater and the body heat of the slumbering, smelly people in the oven I mean the bus~!!! Did I sleep? I wish~!!! Thankfully the bus stopped every 2 hours. Btw, rest stops in Japan are SUPER clean...and like small shopping centers.

Made it to 新宿 (Shinjuku) at around 8:00am-ish. Met up with Yoli and Saiki at the station and messed around Tokyu Hands. Oh, check this dude out; I think he's a Keebler Elf.

Where yo COOKies at FOO~!!?
YEAH he's wearin' that sweater~!!!

Tricia called, finally. We then headed to 原宿 (Harajuku) together to mess around. Had lunch at Shakey's Pizza. Hadn't eaten pizza in a LONG ass time! It was delicious for what it was.

Bellies full, we walked around the area before heading out to 渋谷 (Shibuya) to bum around. Ah, the night life and city folk.

Finally headed to the hotel (it was in 蒲田 [Kamata]). Btw, this specific train station had SCARY ass station music~!!! It reminded me of murderous doll music - if you don't make it onto the train by the time the station music finishes, you'll get killed by Chucky.

27 Dec 08:
Day trip to 横浜 (Yokohama). Went to 横浜中華街 (Yokohama Chūkagai - Yokohama Chinatown). It was nice. Bigger than the one in 神戸. Did Chinese 食べ放題 (tabehōdai - buffet style). It was pretty tasty-times.

After just shootin' the breeze, we headed to みなとみらい21 (Minato Mirai 21 - Harbor Future 21). It was a pretty metropolitan area, though small. Went to a mini amusement park called Cosmo World. There, Yoli, Saiki, and I rode the Cosmo Clock 21, a ferris wheel. The view was sweet, as well as the ride. Crossed the street to a mall for dinner (Mexican food...not great) and for some snacky-poo-poos.

Of Course - Need to get my Taiko on~!!!

Before heading back to the hotel, we saw this weird sculpture (called the Mokumoku Wakuwaku Yokohama Yo Yo) and some crazy-light stairs. Took pictures there. I even forced Yoli and Saiki to race up and down the stairs; caused a small crowd of onlookers. It was a nice day in Yokohama.

I'm a STUD, man~!!! Get it, get it~!!!

28 Dec 08:
Headed to 秋葉原電気街 (Akihabara Denki Gai - Akihabara Electric Town). It was cool, but I didn't buy anything surprisingly. Anime and electronics filled streets, not ONE thing was purchased (aside from food).

Later on, we went to 浅草 (Asakusa). I initially wanted to buy taiko goods, but the stores were closed because of the upcoming New Year's celebration...DAMN IT~!!! Oh well. Decided to just meander around 浅草寺 (Sensō-ji) where the famous 雷門 (Kaminarimon) is. Totally went omiyage shopping.

Yeah...LAMB Raisin...the hell...

For dinner we went to, of all places, Yoshinoya. I guess we were all too hungry to give a crap where we were eating. Toward the end of our meal, we felt someone staring at us from the door - IT WAS ANDREW (a good friend of ours from the L.A./Tokyo Orientation). He said he noticed a thick-bearded guy sitting next to a black girl; figured it was me and Yoli. AHAHA~!!! He was with some of his boys from the U.S., so we ended up going back to 渋谷 for some sexy 飲み放題 (nomihōdai - all you can drink) times and karaoke. What a crazy night, that was.

29 Dec 08:
Checked out; headed to Tricia's place in 群馬県 (Gunma-ken). Mid-trip, though, we stopped off in 熊谷 (Kumagaya) to meet a friend of Tricia's who invited us to his restaurant. "The Master," as he was called, was this big-bear of a man that owned a noodle shop. It was SO bomb~!!! His wife and daughter were working at the time, too. Had hand-made 餃子 (gyōza), 油そば (abura soba), and つけ麺 (tsukemen). SO filling, and COMPLETELY free~!!! I need to send The Master a thank you letter, seriously.

Made it to 渋川 (Shibukawa) by dusk, and we all just wanted to unwind the rest of the night.

30 Dec 08:
We still were pretty bushed from the previous days. We decided to just chill out for a day.

New Year's Eve 08:
Headed to 東京ドーム (Tokyo Dome) to have lunch at CPK - yeah, pizza again - and to shop around. Tricia and her friends wanted to get attend this New Year's concert hosted by some effeminate J-pop boy-band, so Yoli, Saiki and I parted from them.

LUSH: WE ARE "NOT" VIRGIN

Made our way to お台場 (Odaiba), an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Didn't spend too much time there; went to Decks Tokyo Beach and hit up Joypolis. Took some pretty nice pictures of Rainbow Bridge and...the Statue of Liberty? The hell? Oh well, it was still beautiful.

Took the 首都高速道路 (Shuto Kōsoku Dōro - Shuto Expressway) toward Tokyo Tower.

Then headed to 増上寺 (Zōjō Temple) to prepare to ring in the New Year. Mitzi (also a good friend from the L.A./Tokyo Orientation) and her younger brother, Jun, met up with us at the temple. Ate food/drank sake from the vendors, bought charms, and chilled till around 8:30 when we cued in line to get our wishing paper (pentagon shaped).

Around 10pm, we fell in line again, this time for balloons to tie our wishing paper to. It was cool. To be more eco-friendly, the balloons weren't plastic, rather, they were made of rice~!!! How dope's that~!!!

Ok, hold on a minute...
"Balloon exchange for the
wishes of tickets is required"
Riiiiight...

Still 2008!

After assembling our wishing paper to our rice balloons, Tricia met up with us (no concert for her I guess). We walked toward the mochi making area to eat our mochi before New Year's. T'was DE-LE-JUSS things.

Noticed people making it toward the center of the temple grounds. COUNTDOWN SUCKAS~!!! SO f**ckin' packed, and some jerks kept pushing hard, vying for a position closer to the countdown clock near the giant temple bell. Ended up getting split up. Seriously, it was SO crowded that I literally relaxed my entire body but didn't fall because I was being supported by everyone around me. It was SO hot, SO tight, I couldn't breathe, almost lost my balance a couple of times, thought I was going to die - IT WAS SO MUCH FUN~!!!

My main concern in the midst of the mosh pit was to be able to get away from a tree we were stuck under so I could properly release my rice balloon. Luckily, with all the shoving, we made it away from the furthest reaching branch. Then...3, 2, 1...

New Year's Day 09:
HAPPY NEW YEAR~!!! FLY BALLOON, FLY~!!! Man was it a sight to behold~!!! All these rice balloons filled the night sky! Rockin'!

乾杯！あけおめ！

After the crowds started to thin out, we were able to leave. Yoli, Saiki, Tricia and I crashed with Mitzi and Jun at their hotel (man, was THAT cramped, but luckily we had a place to sleep). THANKS AGAIN MITZI & JUN~!!!

For lunch, went back to Shakey's in 原宿. Walked around until Mitzi, Jun, and Tricia had to go. Yoli, Saiki, and I went to 新宿, and we parted ways with Yoli who was catching a bus from somewhere else. Saiki and I were leaving from the same area, so we just chilled until it was time for us to leave. It was strange cuz we saw the Keio Plaza - to think we were just there in July of last year...crazy.

Saiki left before I did. My bus came maybe half an hour after hers. Thankfully, I bought a ticket for a more spacious bus! I had 2 seats to myself at the front of the bus - and yes, I was able to sleep. I was so traveled out by the time I got home. I didn't want to do anything when I finally got home. Just slept.

THANK GOD IT'S OVER~!!! I had fun though. Good food, good friends, good times. Done.

Yoli & Me: When Brown People Unite

2008-12-23T15:00:00.034+09:00

YES~!!! No school today - thank you Mr. Emperor for making your birthday a national holiday. Thankfully, I'm taking 3 days off, too.

Anyway, last Saturday (the day after my birthday), Yoli midnighted to my place. She wanted to hang out in my area and do some Christmas stuff before our trip to Tokyo (which is in 2 days, btw). When she got to my place, she decided to take a nap before we headed out to 大阪 (Osaka) to meet up with my friend, Yuko.

Around lunch time, we met up with Yuko near 難波駅 (Namba Station) and walked to a place called WIRED Care. Yoli and I ordered Loco Moco, but it was TOTALLY different than the actual Hawaiian-style version. Instead of gravy, they used this demi-glace burger sauce. It was weird. Oh, and there was this f-ed up lookin' ketchup bottle...looked frozen, but it wasn't. Why was that? I don't know.

We took the train and made our way to USJ (Universal Studios Japan). We had to walk through Universal Citywalk to get there, so we did some side-shopping along the way. And, yes, we had to stop at the Takoyaki Museum, of course~!!!

The main reason why we went to USJ was to see the Christmas show. Yoli and I wanted to feel the Christmas spirit full-blast since it's known to be really commercial here in Japan. We rode the roller coaster, the 3D Spiderman ride, even watched a Peter Pan show. Churros? Had to eat some. We even ventured into the souvenir shops that were more packed than early morning commuter trains.

Dang, we DARK...jk.

Yoli & Yuko

Christmas Tree Hat?

3D Glasses x 3 (+ a random woman)

The Spiderman Ride Car

Christmas Churros

The Christmas show itself was amazing. There was a normal looking series of buildings on the lot. That night for the show, really colorful and winter-ish images were projected on the surfaces of the buildings. There were dancers and singers, people dressed up as angels., and a fireworks finale. It was hard to get good pictures because all these old people kept pushing their way through the crowd to get a better view of the events as they unfolded. And it was dark. And some tall-ass Japanese people were there.

All the songs they sang were traditional English songs, so I started to feel REALLY homesick. After all, it was my first time being away from family for Christmas. Finally getting our fill of "home," we parted with Yuko, and went back to my apartment.

The next day, Yoli and I went to 京都市 (Kyoto City) to do some shopping for our trip to Tokyo.We took a leisurely pace until we met up with Yuko for dinner. We had DE-LE-JUSS Japanese food and weird, but tasty-times drinks.

Monday rolled along, and I had to go to work. It was closing ceremony. After I got back home, Yoli and I headed down toward 宇治 (Uji) to get my haircut, but I didn't realize that all barber shops closed on Mondays. So instead, we just walked around the city; even got some 宇治抹茶ソフトクリーム (Uji Matcha Soft Cream). We went back to my apartment because I had to get ready for a school social in the city with the school staff. Yoli spent time solo in the city during that time.

Tuesday was Yoli's last day before heading back home. We pretty much spent the rest of the day up until Yoli left to soak in the scenery at 伏見稲荷大社 (Fushimi Inari Shrine). It was fun being able to explore the unbeaten paths that were hidden behind the obvious ones. We ended up going through a bamboo forest that suddenly became what looked like a pine forest (seriously looked like the California mountains at a point). We passed some vegetable farms and ended up in an area that NO tourist would normally end up (possibly a residential area behind the hill).

We even cut through a forested area and ended up on the other side of the viewing area f the lake. It was cool exploring the area with a good friend. Finally it was time for Yoli to head out. The both of us had fun during the long weekend. Down cuz we're brown~!!!

This is what goes down when brown people unite. WE OUT, SUCKAFISH~!!!

I'm 26 years old...great.

2008-12-19T21:00:00.011+09:00

It's list time~!!!

3 Dec 08 - 4 Dec 08:
Had my mid-year conference! Didn't have to go to school on Wednesday and Thursday, thank God. I went with one of my JTEs. She's awesome.

8 Dec 08:
Started feeling sick. It got progressively worse. I had a super headache, a fever, a bad cough, and a horribly sore throat.

9 Dec 08:
Went to the hospital (trip number 2...DAMN IT) after school. Ended up getting strapped to an I.V. for an hour because I apparently had f**kin' acute tonsillitis. Yeah for prescribed drugs.

10 Dec 08 - 11 Dec 09:
Sick days are a treasure.

13 Dec 08:
It's Marathon Day (マラソン大会) for the kids, and yet I still had work on Monday. Why was that? Whatever.

15 Dec 08:
Kimi's 25th Birthday~!!!

Today:
Had class today, but only one 1st grade class. I turned 26 today. Great. At least Yoli's midnighting into town. It should be a fun weekend this weekend.

Transmission Over

NINJAS in 神戸~!!!

2008-12-02T19:00:00.014+09:00

Just to let you know, my father's birthday was yesterday (1 Dec. 08). I STILL don't know how old he is. Whatever. Age is just a number, right? It's all mental~!!! Well, I talked him for like HOURS last night~!!! I really miss my dad.

Anyway, last Saturday (29 Nov. 08), Mitch (a.k.a. Lil' Ninja) and his friend Michelle stayed for a short weekend. Yeah, I've been busy, huh? It was only one weekend before when the EC Crew was over...I'M CRAZY~!!!

We decided to meet in 神戸 (Kobe). It was a pretty chill day. We went shopping and spent some time walking around the Kobe Port Tower and the Port of Kobe (had to take a picture next to Frank O. Gehry's sculpture at the Fish Dance restaurant).

We also wandered around 南京町 (Nankinmachi - Kobe Chinatown), which was interesting. There were a bunch of Chinese folk yelling at you to enter their establishments...in Japanese~!!! The street food was good (my favorite was the shrimp ball that looked like a cocoon or something). We also took a picture with Bruce Lee~!!!

We even went up 摩耶山 (Maya-san). The view from Maya-san was SO amazing, but it was SO f-ing cold, and it was too dark to take proper pictures.

For dinner, we went to a place (forgot the name) for REAL Kobe beef~!!! Yeah, I dished out the money for the SEVEN COURSE MEAL that included red wine~!!! Man, that was BOMB-ass beef. Michelle even started crying because it was THAT good (and cuz she was laughing a lot).

THE MENU

BEEF SALAD

BRISKET OF BEEF

BEEF CHEEK

STEAK #1 w/ WHITE ASPARAGUS

STEAK #2 on BAGUETTES

BEEF SUKIYAKI

FRUIT SORBET & MATCHA ICE CREAM

It was a great ninja day in 神戸.

A Day in 大阪 & Turkey Substitute (EC Reunion Part II)

2008-11-25T18:00:00.023+09:00

It was off to Osaka the next day (Sunday, 23 Nov. 08). I initially wanted to take the crew to Kyoto again to see more stuff, but Saiki had major issues with her Apple laptop, so we went to Osaka to hit up the Apple store.

We dropped off her computer and headed to 風月 (Fugetsu), an お好み焼き (okonomiyaki) restaurant in アメ村 (Amemura - America Village). It was DE-LE-JUSS. I'll let the pictures tell the story~!!!

After finally getting back Saiki's computer, we decided to hit up various stores and stuff around 道頓堀 (Dōtonbori). Naturally, I had to take them to the Glico Man, a well-known landmark, and OF COURSE we HAD to eat たこ焼き (takoyaki) from a street vendor before we left. I wanted to show them more of the area, but alas, we were running out of time (I had planned an early Thanksgiving dinner with them). We finally headed back to my apartment.

FINALLY, time to cook in Papa Noel's Kitchen...EVERYONE GET OUT~!!! Just kidding. Since we were all together and we all were scheduled to work on the day of American Thanksgiving, I decided to plan a dinner for all of us. All the guys took turns helping me out in the kitchen. It was rockin' times - sharing funny moments, cooking & breaking bread together, and telling each other what we were thankful for. And seriously, we were just thankful that we were in each other's company.

The Menu:

Herb Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
Garlic Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Seafood Shumai
Mini Meat Patties
Fish Fry
Brown & White Mix Rice
Alcohol, Juice, & Water

HAPPY THANKSGIVING~!!!

紅葉が大好きだ～！！！ (EC Reunion Part I)

2008-11-24T17:23:00.031+09:00

久しぶりやんな～！Geez, it's been FOREVER since I blogged last. I apologize to those who check up on my blog to find that there hasn't been a new entry since the beginning of October. Ok, here we go my fellow beastly friends~!!!

Quick Notes:

I miss my family, girlfriend, and friends a lot, but I try to keep busy to keep my mind occupied.

Taiko is something of the past in my life, right now. Seriously, who would've thought that finding taiko would be hard in, of all places, Japan!? I would like to say more about this, but for now, let's just say...I hate when my time is wasted.

I was sick for 3 weeks in October. I wasted 2 three-day weekends because I quarantined myself. I'm better now (after going to the doctor and getting some J-drugs - powerful stuff).

Work's work. More kids are starting to warm up to me. Some still don't care that I'm there. A handful are super rude to me. Many really think I'm cool. Oh well, I really don't mind at this point. Whatever.

Ok, I think that about sums up all the missing info between this post and last. Anyway, last Friday (21 Nov. 08), 4 of my good friends from the Niigata area came down to spend the long weekend (the same peeps from Earth Celebration - Saiki & Susan from Sado, and Yoli & Jay from Kashiwazaki). It was such a fast weekend, but filled with memories I know I'll keep for a long time.

Coming from Niigata to my area takes up a good majority of the day, so the guys didn't make it into the city until 10ish pm. I met up with them at Kyoto Eki, grabbed some wholesome コンビニ (konbini - convenient store) food and headed back to my place to get our grub on.

Saturday was dedicated to touring Kyoto - with a whole mess of people from all over Japan and the world, it was really hard to go around, but we managed to have a good time without rushing.

東福寺 (Tōfukuji) was PACKED with people trying to get the full 紅葉 (Kōyō - colorful leaves of Autumn) experience. The Kyoto area is one of the prime destinations for people all over the world (and especially Japan) to tour around this time of year. The resilient golds, yellows, oranges, and reds among the transient greens were simply breath taking - undeniably something that NEEDS to be experienced first-hand. It's also something that can neither be fully preserved through the medium of photography or videography (although the products of effort are good enough keepsakes).

It was interesting walking from the the station to the temple. With guards and surprisingly clean traffic cones to lead the way, it was still difficult to navigate through the narrow streets as hordes of avid tourists went in and out of town. To accommodate the slow current of people, there were booths selling things - dorayaki (bean paste-filled pancake-like food), tea, mochi, and various dango to name a few. Yes, they were DE-LE-JUSS~!!!

Finally making it to the temple, we cued in a line that I swore was longer than that of any ride at Magic Mountain. It wouldn't have been so bad if people in Japan actually followed line etiquette.

Never cut in front of a group of Americans. NEVER~!!!

Once inside, we took our time to enjoy all the colors of the trees. The smell of autumn, the cool and moist air, and the barrage of visual stimuli was intense. We tried our best to take advantage of every photo opportunity possible. We spent hours enjoying the temple and the temple grounds, but the incessant pushes and shoves of other tourists eventually made us leave. At least we got our fill of the experience.

We started to get higgity-hungry, and the gang wanted to go do some shiggity-shopping, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat in Gion and went to the shopping district along Kawaramachi Street.

After a while of messing around, we headed to over to another popular site for 紅葉 viewing - 清水寺 (Kiyomizudera - Pure Water Temple), but this time we headed over at night. Only during the fall season, temples do what is called ライトアップ (RAITO-APPU - Light Up). Temples strategically place lights under, around, and above trees and parts of the temple to accentuate their beauty during the night. Like the last place, 清水寺 was packed, but it was TOTALLY awesome~!!! It was my first time experiencing ライトアップ. This is ALSO something that MUST be experienced up-close and personal. It was dark, so taking pictures was really challenging!

For dinner, we went to a place in the city called The Lockup for Yoli's super-belated birthday celebration. The Lockup is a theme bar where the waitresses are "sexy cops" in a prison filled with inmates and monsters (the other waitresses, waiters, and workers). You dine in a prison cell. Alcohol is served in either beakers, flasks, test tubes, syringes, or in capsule form. You have to ask the them for water seven times before they give you two sips of water - although I don't think that's part of the dining experience. It was an interesting place with interesting food, but honestly, we were all TOO exhausted to fully enjoy the atmosphere. This place was also too dark for pics.

After dinner, we dragged our asses through the streets, stumbled into the subway, and rolled into the train bound for my place. Yeah, this all took place on ONE day~!!!

EC Reunion Part II soon...tomorrow maybe?

さいしょはぐ～じゃんけんぽい～！！！

The Black ゴキブリ & My Pain

2008-10-14T17:07:00.003+09:00

NOTE: There are no pics for this short blog - I apologize.

You know what a ゴキブリ (gokiburi) is? It's a cockroach. Ok, we've all seen these nasty, hemimetabolous insects before. But the ones in Japan give me an even more unpleasant feeling up my spinal column.

Story time...

So I came home one day, ready to cook something for dinner when I noticed something moving above me. This enormous ゴキブリ was scurrying about my ceiling. I quickly grabbed a can of cockroach spray (with a picture of a male chicken on the bottle - a picture that may lead one to suspect that it's Poultrycide, you know, for all those pesky chickens that raid your kitchen at night) and gassed the pest. After hitting the ground with a crunchy-like sound, it started running and trying to fly. I contained it in a paper cup, punctured a hole at the top, and continued to gas it. It took a whole night for it to die (I was still able to hear it scratching away at the cup walls while I was sleeping).

Don't know how it got in cuz my apartment's clean and virtualy oxygen-proof. Maybe it's kharma for making fun of my friend Kyle earlier in the work year. I would always say to him that there was a giant beetle kickin' it behind him on the wall while he was on the computer chatting with me. Ok, Kyle, I'm sorry. Happy now~!!?

Now, it's Tuesday night. Yesterday was a holiday. I spent my whole, glorious weekend indoors because I fell ill. A cold, allergies, I don't know, but all I know is, I can't breathe, my throat's sore, my eyes hurt, and my nose is stuffed up. This is my pain. I just want to be back to normal. Stupid wind and weather...

...more soon~!!!

Not making fun, but...

2008-09-19T12:30:00.004+09:00

Ok, so I've been correcting some stuff and stumbled upon some very interesting errors - some of which I want to make into t-shirts that I'd proudly wear out in public. Here are some sentences to enjoy:

Original say system finger group.

What do you play sports?

They is one times.

Do you like to play sex?

May I open she boa?

Now, here are some strange translations (word on the left = actual word; word on the right = word practice attempt). The following have helped me through some bad days. I cry with laughter thinking about them. After each one, I've made a simple sentence using the words attempted:

yellow - eielly
* Wow, look at that big, eielly bus!

difficult - bifficult
* It's very bifficult to learn Japanese.

housework - hogs work
* Sometimes, I just don't want to the hogs work.

travel - tolevil
* I need to save more money so I can tolevil the world.

exciting - hoppery
* Living here in Japan is so hoppery.

tomorrow - motorying
* I think it's going to rain motorying.

passport - prarytion
* Yesterday, I misplaced my prarytion.

beach - wactru
* I love running on this sandy wactru!

mountain - motorew
* I've always wanted to know what it's like to pet a motorew cat.

again - hogtry
* I'm sorry, can you repeat that hogtry?

around - ryicu/alinpas
* The dog ran ryicu the village.
* Please stop jumping alinpas the room.

through - stricito
* We will do our best stricito thick and thin!

believe - bilbo
* You must bilbo in yourself.

----------------------------------------------

I love Japan~!!!

やもりチャン！！！

2008-09-17T12:56:00.004+09:00

Ok, so there is this lizard called やもり　(yamori). In Japanese "ya" can mean "house," and "mori" can mean "bring luck to." Thus, the lizard brings luck to your house. THEREFORE, do NOT kill it~!!! Not a good omen.

Anyway, so I found a やもり　in my house the other day. It was cute and scurrying along my hallway. Cute little guy. I guess he wanted some food because I chased him into my kitchen. I picked him up, thanked him for sending me some luck, and released him into the wild. I hope a cat or other rice field creature didn`t eat him.

Here`s what one looks like:

Don`t let the photo fool you. These guys are pretty small (by the way, this is a pic I got off the net...couldn`t take a picture of the one in my house because I didn`t have batteries for my camera...BUUU)~!!!

とにかく、ホンマにいそがしな僕は。それで、じゃバイバイ。

Back from the "Dead"

2008-09-01T21:39:00.009+09:00

Ok yeah, so it seems like f-ing forever since I've blogged. Thanks to Japan for letting me have fast, reliable internet at work. Ahaha, jk, Japan's technology isn't reliable when you need it. But over one month later and my supervisor telling me "Yes. You will get internet next week." each week DURING that month, I finally have internet. Lord be praised (seriously, that's not sarcasm)~!!!

TODAY:

* first day of school

* did a 自己紹介 (jikoshoukai = self introduction) for the whole student body in English

* did a longer 自己紹介 for the whole faculty in 日本語

* no one told me how to dress afterwards for...

* SCHOOL GROUNDS CLEANING (weeding...in the f-ing sun...thanks)

NOTES: The kids are so wild. It's good and it's bad, but hey, I'm a wild guy, too. I know how to think at the level of these kids. This is going to be fun, challenging, and...well...different. By the way, I've made friends with both of my English teachers. They're awesome and have been helping me out a lot~!!!

Let's now rewind back to the weekend before last.

EARTH CELEBRATION:

SADO ISLAND~!!!

EC weekend was SO amazing. It took me 3 trains and a ferry to get to Sado, a trip probably around 7 to 8 hours in total. I met a guy named Temu, a Japanese native that has been travelling the world since he was 19 years old (currently 25). He likes to breathe, eat and do tricks with fire. Japanese hippies are awesome.

So I spent my weekend with my friends, Jessica Saiki (Las Vegas, NV. - Sado), Yoli Haynes (San Diego, Ca. - Kashiwazaki?), Jay Soley (Tampa, Fl. - Kashiwazaki), and Susan Chiang (Fort Worth, Tx. - Sado). I also made a whole bunch of other friends in the Niigata area. Even made friends with a Japanese photographer. I even ran into a few familiar faces from the North American taiko community. Shout-outs to TAIKOPROJECT, Odaiko New England, and UCSD Asayake Daiko~!!!

Aside from Kodo hosting, there was a Brazilian drum and base group playing. The concert was OFF THE HOOK, but I wish I got my groove on a little more. In Japan, people don't believe in going out with a bang (C'mon, man, it's drumming. Seriously, wtf). Regardless, I'll always be a die-hard Kodo fan. I wish I had pictures of the actual concert, but security would actually confiscate your camera if they saw you taking photographs (granted, you'd get your camera back...I think). Btw, I'll be posting more EC 08 pictures on my Facebook later on...or now...which ever comes first. I'm too lazy to post more here right now.

To say the least, the whole weekend was full of good food, shopping, hippies, music, dancing, and just hanging out. Sado is a beautiful place - filled with lots of greenery and gigantor critters. On the way back, Kodo performed a casual farewell performance. It sent chills down my spine; it was SO good. Then, the whole ferry ride back to Naoetsu port, people were playing their okedo taiko on the upper-most deck. What a nice weekend. I'm looking forward to EC 09 FOH SHO~!!!

Well, that should be a good enough update on my life. There have been a lot of other things going on in my life - frustration, irritation, confusion, reassurance, realization to name a few - but that's for another day. Now I'm off to bed. I need energy to figure out my first lesson on Wednesday. "Mr. G." - as the kiddies call me - needs to prepare.

がんばりま～す！！！

Seriously! Seriously? Seriously.

2008-08-13T14:42:00.007+09:00

Ok, here`s a typical day at the "non-skul."

9 in the a.m.

"Good morning!"
"Good morning."

I sit down and study the language.
Go online and pray someone`s online to talk to.
Now watching "hancho" and "head-hancho."

Here`s what they do:

open folder...read paper...put back in folder...open same folder...read same paper...stamp it...read it again...put it back in the folder...put it on a shelf...someone else takes it...reads it...stamps it...

RING RING goes the tele...

"Hai. Hai. Iie hai. Hai. Hai. Hai hai. Hai hai hai. Iie hai. Hai sumimasen hai. Hai onegaishimasu. Shitsureishimasu hai."

Random converstations start. Random people come and go.

"Noel, do you eat?"
"Y-yes? Why are you asking me that sh!t? Have you SEEN me before?"

Back to the paper and folder...

initial peep who stamped the paper grabs folder again...reads SAME F**KING PAPER...STAMPS THE SH!T AGAIN WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU DOING STOP PRETENDING YOU`RE BUSY OMG~!!!

Now it`s 2 minutes after 9 and I want to STAB MY GUTS OUT CUZ I`M HERE TILL A QTR. AFTER 4~!!!

............................................................but seriously, you catch me drift? I`m SO done today.

雨がふる

2008-08-05T20:07:00.002+09:00

As I sat in my apartment talking with some good friends online, I heard thunder making it's way toward me from the south where Nara is. Just as soon as I noticed the storm rolling in, the rain began to pour. The thunder crashes were right over head. The rain fell as if the clouds were crying (with laughter or sorrow, it's up to you). The sound was so addicting; I turned off my TV, fan, and air conditioner, opened my front door and made my way to the stairwell balcony. The symphony of nature's choir was beautiful.

The sound, the smell, the feel of fresh rain - it's been a long time since I've experienced such serenity.

I stood there for almost an hour staring at a bamboo-forested mountain standing boldly among the rice field while letting the virgin rain collect on my skin. The only thing I really thought about was...

...my life.

Here I am, on the other side of the world from home. I've met so many good people so far - people that may forge my life in a different way than I expect it to. But in the same reality which is my world, I've left so many good people. Yes it's painful, but I know it's necessary. Not that I'm trying to depress myself; on the contrary. It's just something that's been on my mind - something that I've never really concentrated on until now. It's more a contemplation rather than a complaint.

In the midst of the people coming and going in and out of my life, I wonder - not obsessively - about what the future holds in store for me. I even wonder about the lives I'll change. It excites me, on the same token, makes me feel anxious.

Through all my past, present, and future mistakes, my life will definitely unfold and mold itself until I can truly understand and see what it is I'm supposed to be.

It hasn't even been a month yet, but I can't help but be human. I can't help but go through these feelings that come with being human. I'm used to gazing into the future trying to preempt the missteps along the path, but now, all I can see is the vast unknown. I don't know where to step nor know what'll happen when I place my decision.

I honestly can't pin-point what exactly I'm feeling. Really, what exactly am I feeling? I guess I'll have to wait for the rain to fall again for an answer.

...my town smells good...it smells like a new life...

日本の西瓜はカッケ〜！！！

2008-08-01T23:32:00.006+09:00

Well, it's not like it's just my town that has this, but I've NEVER seen a yellow watermelon before. I mean think of it - a normal watermelon that's green outside, and reddish inside. Now, change that red to lemon yellow; WTF~!!? WHO ARE YOU~!!? Get outta here; I'll slap you.

Anyway, it's been a whirlwind life so far.

*** 27 July 2008

Separation was hard, but I knew that if I thought about it too much, it would slow me down. Rather, I took that energy to fuel my mind for the future.

The flight was long, but luckily I was sitting aisle. I met some cool people (going to Gunma, Shizuoka, Wakayama, Niigata, Shimane, Shikoku, etc.). After we arrived at the Narita airport, I realized how F-ing humid it was. It was TOTALLY not fun AT all. Going through customs wasn't fun, but the worst part was waiting in line for the damn 宅急便 (takkyubin) - SOOO NASTY FEERING~!!!

Afterwards, we boarded the bus to Keio Plaza Hotel and checked in - again, we waited in line for the elevator to get to the rooms. After like 17,000 hours, I finally got to my room and met my roommate, Keith, who's going to 京都 (Kyoto), too. After settling a bit, Keith and I met up with some other people and went to an izakaya - I forgot the name. But let me say this, drinking in an izakaya's fun.

*** 28 July 2008

OMG, I've never been to so many strange workshops in my life. You'd think things would actually be...well, never mind. More than half of the new JETs were falling asleep or ditching, though...what the hell & what the hell.

But afterwards, I met up with my friend Mitzi who's going to...I forgot, but somewhere in the Kanto area. We ended up walking around inner Shinjuku and Kabuki-chou. We SO ran into a lady-boy. その男の人のADAM'S APPLEはほんまにでかい！！！(That dude's adam's apple was F-ing huge).

Btw, I LOVE コンビニ.

*** 29 July 2008

Had a prefectural meeting...ok, that's nice. So after the workshops n'shit, I went out with some of my other friends - Kyle [Shikoku], Mitch [Kochi], Andrew [Hyogo], the only white guy, Shaune [Shizuoka], and the only girl, Kat [???]. We met up and took the Keio Line to Tokyo Tower. We ate there and went up to the observatory deck.

DUDE, the Tokyo Tower mascots look kinda...shanasty...like dog winnies...like winnie tots...not cool. Then it started raining like mad hardcore, but we still decided to WALK to Roppongi after buying some alcohol and umbrellas (yeah, we drank more). We went to a bar called Home...something...and drank there, bonding with each other.

We went back to Shinjuku and ate dinner at a ramen shop. It was DE-LE-JUSS~!!!

*** 30 July 2008

Woke up early to gather to WALK to Shinjuku Station and head to Tokyo Station to catch 新幹線 (shinkansen - bullet train) to Kyoto Station. When we arrived in Kyoto, we walked single file to the Int'l Office Something-or-Other in the shopping area. It was so stupid seeing us walk through the women's department to get to the office...what the hell.

Finally met up with my people and had some tea with them. Went to meet some people at my BoE (Board of Education), and then finally my very apartment. It's nice. I'll blog the apartment details later. At this point, I was so tired, excited, stressed, etc. that now, I'm drawing a blank like hardcore. Something something BUY THESE CHIPS, THEY'RE GOOD something something eat dinner something sleep. That's how crazy it was...and then...

*** 31 July 2008

...and then THIS day happened. I woke up early to go to the City Office to meet the mayor. Then I visited most of my schools that I'm teaching in; met the staff and possibly my new good friend, my 29 year old team-teacher guy...he seems cool. Then I went to the post office to open up a bank account WHAT? for real that happened. Then did some phone shit in the apartment with one of my supervisors.

After what work, my predecessor and I went to Uji to go to a Japanese language class. It was fun, but tiring and hard. After that, I went back home by myself and slept.

*** 1 August 2008

I was picked up by my supervisor to go to the community center to meet some people. Then, I was maybe tricked into going swimming, so I prayed like real hard that I can find a way to get out of agreeing to do something I didn't want to do. He drove to AL Plaza - a department store - to buy a swimming suit. Thank God that I'm American and sizes run small CHURCH~!!!

After that, I went back to work for like 45 minutes when my sup. decided to go. But right when we were about to leave, a reporter from the Kyoto Shinbun wanted to interview me. That didn't take long since communication was difficult. She decided to see what I was doing tomorrow...as I play with Ide's taiko group. That'll be fun. I haven't touched a drum in what seems like ages...kill me now I need it.

We then headed to hit up some lunch at, of all places, Coco's. HOWEVER, they served Japanese food there, so whatever, it was tasty.

The next stop was back at the community center where I hung out with some of the kids playing a watermelon smash game. You blindfold yourself and look for the watermelon. When the people around you help you locate the little watermelon, you SMASH it with a wooden pole. Good ol' fashioned Japanese tradition. Beat the F**K out of a $30 fruit. I tried it, too, so that was fun.

Then I ate a yellow watermelon.

After that, my sup. drove me back home. I then decided to go to Nara to mess around. That was fun.

Finally home, did some cleaning and now I'm blogging. This is REALLY long...I don't like it. I'm stopping now; I'm tired cuz it's almost 1am here.

GOOD BYE~!!!