Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, November 6, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago
beautiful speech that can inspire and give hope to an apathetic youth
Barack Obama
I am very excited about Barack. His victory speech was so moving, and he is a man with morals and values. He has a strong following, and can bring real change fast to America. There are many people around the blogging community that, like everything else political, dismiss Barack as a puppet to the "real" people in charge.
This is quite upsetting to me. I understand, especially in todays age, how many youth can become apathetic and develop a disdain for anything political. But this is not the way to the truth and to real change. Dismissing every politician as a puppet and every voter as sheep who are blinded by the media is not only not correct, it is deconstructing all the progress made in the world and working against peace. Youth becoming disconnected from the political process is a real threat to our future, and I hope that people could find truth and justice within our political systems, and not rely on conspiracy theories and videos of grand new world order schemes. These theories have historically always turned out to be false, and will continue to be just that. They are easy answers to all the world problems, and don't require a lot of intellectual thought, which caters to the quick-fix masses of today. Please don't be fooled.
This is quite upsetting to me. I understand, especially in todays age, how many youth can become apathetic and develop a disdain for anything political. But this is not the way to the truth and to real change. Dismissing every politician as a puppet and every voter as sheep who are blinded by the media is not only not correct, it is deconstructing all the progress made in the world and working against peace. Youth becoming disconnected from the political process is a real threat to our future, and I hope that people could find truth and justice within our political systems, and not rely on conspiracy theories and videos of grand new world order schemes. These theories have historically always turned out to be false, and will continue to be just that. They are easy answers to all the world problems, and don't require a lot of intellectual thought, which caters to the quick-fix masses of today. Please don't be fooled.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Ten Years Since Nagano 98'
Its been a decade since the Nagano 98' Olympics, so to mark the occasion Spencer and I decided that we should test the slopes out for ourselves. We set out on an overnight bus, a Japanese custom, to Nagano for 2 days of high speed, adrenaline pumping excitement. Although a harsh opinion of pain and anguish are prevalent among gaijin about overnight buses, I found them to be quite relaxing, allowing me to listen to my ipod, study japanese, and rest. I was able to get a lot of sleep too, which may be attributed to the fact that I had only had three hours of sleep the previous night, due to a long night of drinking and an early morning start at work, but I believe it's just that people have low tolerance.
We found a great winding trail to race down, and although Spencer had the edge for most the races, I was able to take the Gold for our final race (he might of let me win). I almost killed myself at one point, where I lost an edge on a sharp turn and went straight for a cliff. I landed one inch from the edge! I was happy to be alive. The drop would have broken something for sure.
The best part of our trip is how cheap everything was. Roundtrip bus fair (8 hours each way), one night stay at a Ryokan, two quality meals, 2 day lift ticket pass, 2 day ski equipment rentals, all for just 210 dollars! the same thing back home would cost double!
Once we arrived, we soaked in a hot bath to freshen up, and then we hit the slopes at 8 am, for a fresh run down untouched snow. The mountain was quite impressive, being over a kilometre long from top to bo
ttom, which allowed for a 20 min runs down the mountain. Happo one, our resort, was the location for most of the ski events during the Olympics. As the day progressed, the temperatures rose to a high of 10 degrees, which made for some enjoyable skiing. The snow conditions were great, real soft snow which allowed for easy maneuvering. Spencer and I were loving the hot sun while skiing, and the backdrop of the beautiful Nagano mountain range made for a picturesque setting. Having a beer while taking a break from skiing, in hot weather, is probably one of the most pleasurable things one can do. A McDonald's at the top of the mountain was the greatest surprise ever, it was always a thought in my head "how cool would it be to have a McDonald's at the top of a mountain" and in Nagano my idea became a reality. We had it twice!
ttom, which allowed for a 20 min runs down the mountain. Happo one, our resort, was the location for most of the ski events during the Olympics. As the day progressed, the temperatures rose to a high of 10 degrees, which made for some enjoyable skiing. The snow conditions were great, real soft snow which allowed for easy maneuvering. Spencer and I were loving the hot sun while skiing, and the backdrop of the beautiful Nagano mountain range made for a picturesque setting. Having a beer while taking a break from skiing, in hot weather, is probably one of the most pleasurable things one can do. A McDonald's at the top of the mountain was the greatest surprise ever, it was always a thought in my head "how cool would it be to have a McDonald's at the top of a mountain" and in Nagano my idea became a reality. We had it twice!We found a great winding trail to race down, and although Spencer had the edge for most the races, I was able to take the Gold for our final race (he might of let me win). I almost killed myself at one point, where I lost an edge on a sharp turn and went straight for a cliff. I landed one inch from the edge! I was happy to be alive. The drop would have broken something for sure.
Our hotel was real nice. A Japanese style hotel, called a Ryokan, is quite different. You take your shoes off before entering, and walk in socks or slippers everywhere. It's quite the cozy feel. We got served an extravagant dinner and breakfast, and we were able to enjoy a rooftop hot tub. By night we realized how burnt we were from the sun, and I couldn't stop laughing at Spencer's goggle burn, even though I had the same ridiculous burn. We look like
owls. Work has been funny, explaining to students why our faces are two-toned, while they laugh at us.
The best part of our trip is how cheap everything was. Roundtrip bus fair (8 hours each way), one night stay at a Ryokan, two quality meals, 2 day lift ticket pass, 2 day ski equipment rentals, all for just 210 dollars! the same thing back home would cost double!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Arima Onsen, Hiroshima, Osaka Aquarium
So it has been a while since my last post. I have been continuing my streak of discovering new and exciting places, foods, people, and realities. I am now living in a new apartment with a new roommate in addition to Spencer, as well as using my new computer. I am pumped because the winter (if you can call it that) is almost over, and spring is just a short time away. Everything is kicks guy! My japanese has been steadily improving, I am now literate in Hiragana (one of three japanese scripts) and if i am able to free some time away from this electronic crap, hopefully i'll continue improving.
Back a month or two ag
o i decided to use my day off to go to Arima Onsen, my second time there, to relax is some rusted iron and salt water hot springs. It was a great day, as i got to have my best bowl of Ramen yet! It was sooo good. There were thick pieces of meat, very sweet, in a salty soy based broth with ramen noodles, seaweed, mushroom, onion, and water sprouts. delicious. oishii yo! I must go back for that ramen while it's still cold. There is no other feeling like ramen in the winter, and then a hot spring after.
I did an overnight trip to Hiroshima with a co-worker. I have read and learned about Hiroshima, but never imagined I would ever one day be going there. Japan itself was never on my list of places to go, and how lucky I am now that I happen to end up here. You never know what you are missing out on until you experience it. The peace museum was not the best museum i have ever been to, but still very informative, yet not shocking to the extent i expected. It was crazy to learn that most people died fro
m the heat of the blast, some 10,000 degrees, and not radiation, which is what i always imagined in my head. The blast, which occured some 300 meters above a bridge that crosses a river in Hiroshima, created a ball of fire almost as hot as the surface of the sun for about 5 seconds. What is scary is that hydrogen bombs are now capable of creating a blast 1000 times the magnitude. The bomb killed over 100,000 people. The people of Hiroshima have experienced something that nobody else could ever begin to understand, which has made them the most genuine caring people in the world. The experiences from the war will be passed on from generation to generation, and hopefully the tragedy never forgotten. What was once downtown prior to the bombing has now become all dedicated to a peace park. Underneath the peace park lies all the rubble and ashes of the people that once roamed Hiroshima's streets.
The second day we spend going to Miwa Jima island. It was quite beautiful. Deer were roaming everywhere
, domesticated, it was quite the site. There lies a temple there that rests above water. It was a breathtaking view and very relaxing and peaceful. I was very happy to be there and enjoy the beautiful nature of Japan. We got to go on one of the rare days where you get to see snow settled on the roof of the temple.
I got to go to the first aquarium i've been to since adulthood. I was sooo amazed. It's unbelievable how many crazy amphibians there exists. I had never seen a blowfish live before, as well as rays. and otters! my new favourite animal! they are crazy! It was nice going around and being able to open your eyes to what exists in this world. It makes you really appreciate the earth that we live on and everything that roams around without us really realizing.
Afterwards we went for nabe in Osaka's Umeda district. Its like Japanese stew, where they put all these vegetables and meat in a pot and boil it in front of you. It is in a hot kimchi spice that is so delicious. It was amazing. I loved it. I can't wait to have it again. Below you see prawns, meat balls, beef, tofu, noodles, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and the list goes on and one. the broth is sooooo good.
About a week ago I went with my roommates (Andrew and Spencer), as well as phil and genna for kani (crab) in northern Hyogo. It was a package tour, including bus and Onsen and a big crab course. It was a lot of fun. really relaxing. I had never had crab before, and it was real complicated at first. I was fustrated, had no idea how to open the damn thing, but after i got settled it was smooth saili.JPG)
ng. A japanese family sitting next to us, in the background of this image, really helped us, for we had no fucken idea what we were doing. They helped us with the crab nabe, told us to put the rice inside the nabe instead of eating it straight from the bowl (what pathetic gaijin we are). After dinner Phil bought a beer that tasted soooooooooo amazing. Its the best tasting thing i've ever had. It was so great. After we soaked in an outdoor hot spring, which had a waterfall. Really connected in a masculin way. (onsens in japan are nude). My co-workers at work really busted my balls for going on this trip, telling me they've never heard of any gaijin booking such a trip in all their life in japan. well it ended up being great, and the obaasans (old ladies) were great company. I would go again!
Back a month or two ag
o i decided to use my day off to go to Arima Onsen, my second time there, to relax is some rusted iron and salt water hot springs. It was a great day, as i got to have my best bowl of Ramen yet! It was sooo good. There were thick pieces of meat, very sweet, in a salty soy based broth with ramen noodles, seaweed, mushroom, onion, and water sprouts. delicious. oishii yo! I must go back for that ramen while it's still cold. There is no other feeling like ramen in the winter, and then a hot spring after.I did an overnight trip to Hiroshima with a co-worker. I have read and learned about Hiroshima, but never imagined I would ever one day be going there. Japan itself was never on my list of places to go, and how lucky I am now that I happen to end up here. You never know what you are missing out on until you experience it. The peace museum was not the best museum i have ever been to, but still very informative, yet not shocking to the extent i expected. It was crazy to learn that most people died fro
m the heat of the blast, some 10,000 degrees, and not radiation, which is what i always imagined in my head. The blast, which occured some 300 meters above a bridge that crosses a river in Hiroshima, created a ball of fire almost as hot as the surface of the sun for about 5 seconds. What is scary is that hydrogen bombs are now capable of creating a blast 1000 times the magnitude. The bomb killed over 100,000 people. The people of Hiroshima have experienced something that nobody else could ever begin to understand, which has made them the most genuine caring people in the world. The experiences from the war will be passed on from generation to generation, and hopefully the tragedy never forgotten. What was once downtown prior to the bombing has now become all dedicated to a peace park. Underneath the peace park lies all the rubble and ashes of the people that once roamed Hiroshima's streets.
The second day we spend going to Miwa Jima island. It was quite beautiful. Deer were roaming everywhere
, domesticated, it was quite the site. There lies a temple there that rests above water. It was a breathtaking view and very relaxing and peaceful. I was very happy to be there and enjoy the beautiful nature of Japan. We got to go on one of the rare days where you get to see snow settled on the roof of the temple.
I got to go to the first aquarium i've been to since adulthood. I was sooo amazed. It's unbelievable how many crazy amphibians there exists. I had never seen a blowfish live before, as well as rays. and otters! my new favourite animal! they are crazy! It was nice going around and being able to open your eyes to what exists in this world. It makes you really appreciate the earth that we live on and everything that roams around without us really realizing.
Afterwards we went for nabe in Osaka's Umeda district. Its like Japanese stew, where they put all these vegetables and meat in a pot and boil it in front of you. It is in a hot kimchi spice that is so delicious. It was amazing. I loved it. I can't wait to have it again. Below you see prawns, meat balls, beef, tofu, noodles, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and the list goes on and one. the broth is sooooo good.
About a week ago I went with my roommates (Andrew and Spencer), as well as phil and genna for kani (crab) in northern Hyogo. It was a package tour, including bus and Onsen and a big crab course. It was a lot of fun. really relaxing. I had never had crab before, and it was real complicated at first. I was fustrated, had no idea how to open the damn thing, but after i got settled it was smooth saili
.JPG)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
All is quiet....on New Years Day. NOT! TOKYO baby
Well all was quiet during the day, that is true; and in Tokyo terms that means the pop dropped from 30 mil to 25mil, which means it wasn't quiet at all. shit i have already confused the reader. okay. Sooo... first contact with a boy from back home since I came to Japan. Kevin met Phil, Spencer, and I at the Shinkansen terminal. The train ride there was hype, with the training reaching speeds of 300 km/h and delivering us to our destination, 550km away, in 2 hours 50 min. What! There was a smoking cart on the train which was bomb, and the seats were real spacious. I was excited for this trip, even though i imagined Tokyo to be a real large, crowded, and fairly ugly city; but i was wrong. Tokyo ended up being an amazing scene!
We bought train passes for all three days we were there, which allowed us to travel on this 13 subway line transit system. yes, 13 lines, and over 282 stations. that is a whole language to learn on its own, respect to anyone who could name all stations. Our hotel the first night was tops, and a real value. we toured the city the whole day, checking out the harajuku people (which we found when phil asked one of them where the 'crazy people' were, and he laughed and said 'here') they really were crazy, dressed like it was halloween. We met this 18 year old girl from Sweden, who had flown all the way to Japan by herself to check out this concert of some J-Pop singer. What the fuck! respect for being cool enough to go by yourself, but for J-Pop? come on girl. We went to Shibuya, where you can witness the worlds most crowded interesection, which is also featured in Lost in Translation, fucken ridiciulous. People turned into ants. Ginza district was impressive, 10 story high Dior and Armani stores. Biggest shopping district i've ever witnessed. Kevin and I also checked out the illuminari that was going on for christmas, which was nice. picture like 200,000 led christmas lights all in one area. Imperial Palace was a joke, you can't even see it. I dont know why it is mentioned as a tourist site, but thats tourism for you, pretty random. At night was got hammered and experienced a street filled with bars which used to be the old Tokyo railway, and also a spot where war deserters hid during the 2nd world war. The rest of the night was a blur, but lets just say some people got mixed up with some prostitutes, and some got pulled into grungy spots that sold 100 dollar grams of weed.
The second day was more of the same of walking around. I had my favourite meal since I came to Japan. We went to the japan's largest fish market and I went with Phil to a real nice Sashimi Bar (raw fish). It was so delicious, I have been introduced to a whole new spectrum of food I never knew was so delicious. The preperation and the way its served was awesome. I know i will miss sashimi when i go back home. I tried raw whale, I know animal rights activists im sorry, but it wasnt that great. it tastes like cow. Whale is the cow of the sea.
So new years night was at hand. started off with a dabble into some chu-hi (jap alcoholic spirit), and off we went to Shibuya, where the Womb, a renowned club, was located. Before walking in one would never guess that it would be bumping. After buying our tickets and going into the first floor, we were all shocked, wondering `can this be it?' luckily it wasnt. we found our way upstairs.. and kaboom! light, beats, the whole shebang. it was off the chain. i had a wicked time, especially dancing to the drum and bass of the dj on the third floor. he was mixing all kinds of shit. michael jackson mixes, daft punk. this song, Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Harder Faster (Dub)was what got me off my tits. this song is the way forward. drum and bass is the way forward. dabble dabble. And Phil that lucky bastard got to shake one! Enjoy!
Our last day in Tokyo was mellow. we chilled around. We went to a shrine which is a japanese new years custom. It was so packed, and there was a long street that led to the shrine which took an hour to get through, but i didnt feel like i was waiting in line. At night we took an overnight bus back to kobe. I had ramin outside the bus station while i waited for the bus. met some cool friends.
overall tokyo was bomb, too many jokes to list, and everyone had a great time. suck a dick guy!
We bought train passes for all three days we were there, which allowed us to travel on this 13 subway line transit system. yes, 13 lines, and over 282 stations. that is a whole language to learn on its own, respect to anyone who could name all stations. Our hotel the first night was tops, and a real value. we toured the city the whole day, checking out the harajuku people (which we found when phil asked one of them where the 'crazy people' were, and he laughed and said 'here') they really were crazy, dressed like it was halloween. We met this 18 year old girl from Sweden, who had flown all the way to Japan by herself to check out this concert of some J-Pop singer. What the fuck! respect for being cool enough to go by yourself, but for J-Pop? come on girl. We went to Shibuya, where you can witness the worlds most crowded interesection, which is also featured in Lost in Translation, fucken ridiciulous. People turned into ants. Ginza district was impressive, 10 story high Dior and Armani stores. Biggest shopping district i've ever witnessed. Kevin and I also checked out the illuminari that was going on for christmas, which was nice. picture like 200,000 led christmas lights all in one area. Imperial Palace was a joke, you can't even see it. I dont know why it is mentioned as a tourist site, but thats tourism for you, pretty random. At night was got hammered and experienced a street filled with bars which used to be the old Tokyo railway, and also a spot where war deserters hid during the 2nd world war. The rest of the night was a blur, but lets just say some people got mixed up with some prostitutes, and some got pulled into grungy spots that sold 100 dollar grams of weed.
The second day was more of the same of walking around. I had my favourite meal since I came to Japan. We went to the japan's largest fish market and I went with Phil to a real nice Sashimi Bar (raw fish). It was so delicious, I have been introduced to a whole new spectrum of food I never knew was so delicious. The preperation and the way its served was awesome. I know i will miss sashimi when i go back home. I tried raw whale, I know animal rights activists im sorry, but it wasnt that great. it tastes like cow. Whale is the cow of the sea.
So new years night was at hand. started off with a dabble into some chu-hi (jap alcoholic spirit), and off we went to Shibuya, where the Womb, a renowned club, was located. Before walking in one would never guess that it would be bumping. After buying our tickets and going into the first floor, we were all shocked, wondering `can this be it?' luckily it wasnt. we found our way upstairs.. and kaboom! light, beats, the whole shebang. it was off the chain. i had a wicked time, especially dancing to the drum and bass of the dj on the third floor. he was mixing all kinds of shit. michael jackson mixes, daft punk. this song, Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Harder Faster (Dub)was what got me off my tits. this song is the way forward. drum and bass is the way forward. dabble dabble. And Phil that lucky bastard got to shake one! Enjoy!
Our last day in Tokyo was mellow. we chilled around. We went to a shrine which is a japanese new years custom. It was so packed, and there was a long street that led to the shrine which took an hour to get through, but i didnt feel like i was waiting in line. At night we took an overnight bus back to kobe. I had ramin outside the bus station while i waited for the bus. met some cool friends.
overall tokyo was bomb, too many jokes to list, and everyone had a great time. suck a dick guy!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
I am what you call.... a binge drinker {in australian accent}
okay so the game is on. who is going to win the purple heart, for injuring themselves during the work christmas party? whos going to win the tank, drinking the most while keeping composure?, whos going to win the whale, drinking the most, period. who is going to win the akward award. the list goes on. it is nova work party 2007 at nova. Yaki Niku (korean bbq), .
nomihodi, all you can eat and drink. the night was wild. for details and a christmas present, the first person to post a comment gets a gift in the mail, authentic japanese shit, from me. be quick, be fast.
my birthday was pretty smuch the same, a drunk night, ate okonomiyaki with my buds, spencer and phil.
i am lovcing japan. next post will be aFTER new years, its goiung to ber wild in tokyo with kevin, . what you shinkansaying
peace out, a town
nomihodi, all you can eat and drink. the night was wild. for details and a christmas present, the first person to post a comment gets a gift in the mail, authentic japanese shit, from me. be quick, be fast.
my birthday was pretty smuch the same, a drunk night, ate okonomiyaki with my buds, spencer and phil.
i am lovcing japan. next post will be aFTER new years, its goiung to ber wild in tokyo with kevin, . what you shinkansaying
peace out, a town
Monday, December 24, 2007
remembering the great hanshin earthquake
i have three days off, specifically sunday, tuesday, and wednesday.
tuesday: earthquake memorial day it is. i wake up and head to kobe harbour, and examine the perserved part of the harbour from the earthquake. it is sad to witness. that day, on jan 17th, 1995, over a thousand people lost their lives. here i observe over 10 years later, the damage of that day. it is truly horrific.
i head to the earthquake museum to learn more. I watch a recreation of the earthquake. sugoi. what a terrible experience to undergo. my heart goes out to the earthquake victims. the suffering is unbelievable. People losing relatives, having to live in school gymnasiums for months. My empathy for the great city of Kobe grows. I listen to personal stories of the surviours. a man in a wheelchair survives, having to pull himself out of the rubble. I am amazed.
i finally understand where the mutual respect and character of this city comes from. i always wondered why, if you loose a bag filled with cash and valuables, will it be returned the next day with nothing missing. now in understand. this city has developed a ridiculous amount of trust and compassion; people have so much integrity. this city is awesome. rock on.
wednesday
i go to an outlet mall in tarumi. the mall is amazing. the worlds largest suspension bridge lies in the background. sugoi. inside, lacoste outlet store sucks me dry. i walk out with a winter jacket, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweater. amazing prices though, 50 percent off most merchandise.
at night i go to the most beautiful cafe ive ever been to. lit trees and nice decor surround me. i eat cheese cake and coffee. happy b-day boo-bi (bobby in japanese).
tuesday: earthquake memorial day it is. i wake up and head to kobe harbour, and examine the perserved part of the harbour from the earthquake. it is sad to witness. that day, on jan 17th, 1995, over a thousand people lost their lives. here i observe over 10 years later, the damage of that day. it is truly horrific.
i head to the earthquake museum to learn more. I watch a recreation of the earthquake. sugoi. what a terrible experience to undergo. my heart goes out to the earthquake victims. the suffering is unbelievable. People losing relatives, having to live in school gymnasiums for months. My empathy for the great city of Kobe grows. I listen to personal stories of the surviours. a man in a wheelchair survives, having to pull himself out of the rubble. I am amazed.
i finally understand where the mutual respect and character of this city comes from. i always wondered why, if you loose a bag filled with cash and valuables, will it be returned the next day with nothing missing. now in understand. this city has developed a ridiculous amount of trust and compassion; people have so much integrity. this city is awesome. rock on.
wednesday
i go to an outlet mall in tarumi. the mall is amazing. the worlds largest suspension bridge lies in the background. sugoi. inside, lacoste outlet store sucks me dry. i walk out with a winter jacket, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweater. amazing prices though, 50 percent off most merchandise.
at night i go to the most beautiful cafe ive ever been to. lit trees and nice decor surround me. i eat cheese cake and coffee. happy b-day boo-bi (bobby in japanese).
Friday, December 14, 2007
High in the Lands of the Inca
Sunday was an eventful day. I met with Spring, her roommate, and her sister, and we went to Kobe Museum to see an exhibit on the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayan peoples. But the great part was that before we went there, we smoked some kick-ass, paranoia-free, dope. It made the experience so much better. In Japan it’s jail time if you get caught with dope, that’s why it costs 50 bucks a gram Seeing the history of these people (who unfortunately were exterminated by the Spanish Conquistadores, something the politically-correct exhibit failed to mention) while being high allowed me to travel through time and actually feel as if I was in 3,000 B.C in Central America. Some of their mass sacrifice rituals, as well as rituals such as the removal of a live child’s heart, was really shocking.
At night we were supposed to go to a gyoza party, but it got moved to our place. There were about 11 of us, and we all helped make gyozas and then ate them together. Much fun. We also made shrimp tempura. Phil got excited about Mango Juice, which sounds very similar to something in Japanese, which may be inappropriate to mention here.
On Wednesday night we went over to a co-workers house, Katie, and we made burgers and pizza and played drinking games. It was lots of fun.
Today I taught my first lesson in two months, which was nice. All this time waiting around wondering what was going to happen is officially over. It feels nice to have job security once again. Getting fucked over by a corrupt corporation was an interesting experience. In the end I learned that patience is the greatest virtue, and waiting it out through the tough times instead of giving up and going home paid off big time. I now work in a wicked location, sweet deal in terms of my work intensity, and am getting paid my unpaid wages. Life pays out great rewards to those who wait, at least most of the time.
I watched Sopranos last night, the episode where Christopher dies, and I came to new realizations I never noticed the first time I watched it. Tony, when high on peyote, sees the world from a different angle, and comes to new realizations. When he wins 4 lucky hands in a row playing roulette, he says “he’s dead, he’s dead” and falls to the ground from laughter. He actually believes that his bad luck streak is over because Christopher is dead. In the end, he yells “I get it” to the great desert landscape and jumps to the sky trying to reach it. The peyote makes him spiritual, and I feel the same when I am high. Now I understand the Rastafarians use of marijuana.
At night we were supposed to go to a gyoza party, but it got moved to our place. There were about 11 of us, and we all helped make gyozas and then ate them together. Much fun. We also made shrimp tempura. Phil got excited about Mango Juice, which sounds very similar to something in Japanese, which may be inappropriate to mention here.
On Wednesday night we went over to a co-workers house, Katie, and we made burgers and pizza and played drinking games. It was lots of fun.
Today I taught my first lesson in two months, which was nice. All this time waiting around wondering what was going to happen is officially over. It feels nice to have job security once again. Getting fucked over by a corrupt corporation was an interesting experience. In the end I learned that patience is the greatest virtue, and waiting it out through the tough times instead of giving up and going home paid off big time. I now work in a wicked location, sweet deal in terms of my work intensity, and am getting paid my unpaid wages. Life pays out great rewards to those who wait, at least most of the time.
I watched Sopranos last night, the episode where Christopher dies, and I came to new realizations I never noticed the first time I watched it. Tony, when high on peyote, sees the world from a different angle, and comes to new realizations. When he wins 4 lucky hands in a row playing roulette, he says “he’s dead, he’s dead” and falls to the ground from laughter. He actually believes that his bad luck streak is over because Christopher is dead. In the end, he yells “I get it” to the great desert landscape and jumps to the sky trying to reach it. The peyote makes him spiritual, and I feel the same when I am high. Now I understand the Rastafarians use of marijuana.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Fingerprinting Gaijin
Japan, starting Nov. 20th, plans to fingerprint every foreigner under the banner of "fighting terrorism." It is a sad day for human rights. Please sign the petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fingerprints-japan/
also check this blog for more info:
http://reentryjapan.blogspot.com/
also check this blog for more info:
http://reentryjapan.blogspot.com/
Friday, December 7, 2007
Please! one more word!
So today was my second day back at work. It is awesome working in Sannomiya, it is the equivalent of working at King and Spadina in Toronto. It is also great cause it’s a 10 min walk from our apartment. It is a cool group of teachers there, I can smoke in the kitchen, and there are so many bars close by that it is always convenient to go for drinks after work. So far there is no work because students have not signed back up yet, so it is mostly just sitting around and shooting shit. I got paid yesterday for the first time since I’ve arrived. It was 51,000 yen deposit, equal to about 500 bucks. It was also for doing nothing, waiting at home on standby until we got called into work, so it’s free money, although much needed. I love Kobe and love my job and location. It is the shit. Now that I have a secure job I can relax. Our unpaid wages (equivalent of 4,000 bucks) should take about 6 months to arrive.
I am really excited about being in Japan. It is sooo interesting and fun. Everyday is something different; you meet someone new, learn a new word or phrase, discover a new place, learn about a new cultural reality. It is one great adventure. Everything is different, from the food you eat to the way you flush the toilet. The Japanese language is like crack, people get addicted to it and its all you talk about and think about. You practice it when you walk, eat, shit, and sleep. I try to calm phil and spencer down but they cant stop they need their dosage. I’m getting hooked. Watashiwa nehongoga skoshi wakarimas, demo, jousou jarimasen. I speak a little Japanese, but, I’m not skilled at it yet.
I am planning on going to Tokyo for new years with Kevin, maybe spencer and phil will join. I am not thrilled about going, since I think I will hate Tokyo, and would rather go to a hype natural spot like Nagano, but whatever. I have money now so its okay. I am planning a Gyoza party, which is a party where you sit around and make dim sum together, for Sunday. That will be fun.
The weather is so warm. It is 16 degrees here, you don’t even need a jacket. In Toronto they had a blizzard yesterday. It is -5
I am really excited about being in Japan. It is sooo interesting and fun. Everyday is something different; you meet someone new, learn a new word or phrase, discover a new place, learn about a new cultural reality. It is one great adventure. Everything is different, from the food you eat to the way you flush the toilet. The Japanese language is like crack, people get addicted to it and its all you talk about and think about. You practice it when you walk, eat, shit, and sleep. I try to calm phil and spencer down but they cant stop they need their dosage. I’m getting hooked. Watashiwa nehongoga skoshi wakarimas, demo, jousou jarimasen. I speak a little Japanese, but, I’m not skilled at it yet.
I am planning on going to Tokyo for new years with Kevin, maybe spencer and phil will join. I am not thrilled about going, since I think I will hate Tokyo, and would rather go to a hype natural spot like Nagano, but whatever. I have money now so its okay. I am planning a Gyoza party, which is a party where you sit around and make dim sum together, for Sunday. That will be fun.
The weather is so warm. It is 16 degrees here, you don’t even need a jacket. In Toronto they had a blizzard yesterday. It is -5
Monday, November 26, 2007
Show me Da Money! .... oh, thanks.
So times have really turned around. On Tuesday I am expecting the first deposit of money into my bank account. G Education has signed on all ex-nova employees, and is paying them to wait on standby until new locations open up. Yesterday we went to a meeting, where we officially signed on, and there were news cameras everywhere. It is a big deal in Japan, Nova is huge and omnipresent. Everyone has a lot of sympathy for us as soon as they find out we are ex-nova employees. Some laugh. Some offer money. Some try to explain that nova is not japan, and that they are sorry we have had such a terrible experience. The people here treat foreigners like celebrities. They all want to talk to us, make sure we have a great time and good impression of japan, and want to practice their English. There is no way you will ever get rejected when asking a girl for her number, because in the end even if they are not interested, they still wouldn’t mind some language practice.
Spencer and I are living rent-free in Motomachi, doing nothing while getting paid, until we receive a call telling us where we are working, and/or one telling us we are evicted. I hope I can go two weeks without any work, but I am expecting a call in a few days. More then half of the nova employees have left Japan, so that means almost half the people I know. In Himeji-Akashi, from about 40 people, maybe 10 are left. Nobody waited around. The ones who did scored!
Life has been good in Sannomiya/Kobe. We go to a 180 ramen restaurant about 4 times a week. It is really good and cheap! We have been trying to save our money for the past month just cause we don’t know our situation. The weather has really cooled down. I love riding my bike around the city. It is so lively and exciting. Everything is close, which makes living here very convenient. The nightlife is great. A few places that I like are: Sonic: gets packed Saturday nights like a dance club, polo-dog: pub style gaijin bar, midnight express: a nice bar with regular crowd and great food, second chance: cheap drinks wed night. The thing about Japan is there is no club scene the way we know it in Toronto. Line-ups are non-existent, there is no new trendy club, it mainly small bars that you go with co-workers to have drinks at after work and order little appetizers. you take off your shoes, and it is a warm and cozy atmosphere. i prefer the nightlife in Kobe, it is my style.
Two weeks ago on a Saturday night I went to Pure in Osaka, which is supposed to be the best nightclub. The day was also spent in Osaka, where there was a nova meeting that everyone attended to learn about the new company, then we chilled at triangle park (an area in central Osaka) for about 6 hours, a 280 YEN bar for another 2 hours, until it was time to go to Pure (12 AM). We met an Aussie from Nara named Lorenzo, who came along and was pretty jokes. We all got really hammered cause it was 3500 yen all you can drink. I left around 3 am for an alleyway that I spent two hours puking in. I thought the drinks tasted weak but they were really strong, so I had a lot. We took the train home at 6 am, missed out stop by 40 min, ended up in himeji where the train stopped. Then on the way back it almost happened again, but Spencer woke me up and we got off. Lorenzo later told me he ended up in the mountains somewhere. We finally ended up at home around 10AM. It was a good night, but Pure wasn’t as great as we thought it would be.
A Japanese friend we have met here, Toshi, comes by sometimes and we go to university festivals and meet girls. Its okay but nothing special. With Toshi we went to a all you can eat Italian restaurant the other night. We spend a lot of time watching Scrubs, Simpsons, and desperate housewives on our free time. A guy from Toronto we met here, Phil, is a really cool dude that we hang out with a lot. A few nights ago I spent a whole day with him. We walked around Chinatown, Motomachi, and Sannomiya. Then we went to a coffee shop. After we went to this Jazz Bar where this guy named Larry plays a lot of cool old retro R & B. We met a guy from L.A there, and he got the bill. Andrew, Phil’s friend from back home, met us there, and we left to go eat. We found an Okonomiyaki bar in Sannomiya. I have been wanting to try that since I arrived. It was really good, and we had a great time interacting with the chefs. Most restaurants in Japan are set up like bars, but instead of drinks you order food. That makes your interaction with the cooks very close. We stayed there for about two hours. The Okonomiyaki was great. It is basically Japanese pizza, but instead of dough they use cabbage. It turns into a potato-like pancake with meats and veggies in the middle, and you eat it with a special sauce. On our way home we went digging through garbage. In japan on big furniture garbage day (twice a month) you can find real scores if you look hard enough. I found a really nice Japanese dish I plan on taking back, a photo album in crisp condition, real solid, from 1964, some saki cups, a water heater to make coffee (been wanting that bad, I’ve been boiling water in a pot for the last month), a nice chair, and a brand new jewellery-like case which I use to put my stuff in. Overall great score. We all grabbed different cool stuff. And finally to top it off I saw the start of a police chase when they attempted to pull over a motorcycle. It was awesome. Really good night.
Overall everything looks good now, I am enjoying my time in Japan, and am def not planning on going home anytime soon. Alcohol is ubiquitous, from vending machines to every convenience store which is 50 m away from the last/next one. That means lots of drinking. There is no law against drinking in public, which makes for a lot of random drinking on the street nights. Smokes are 300yen, or 2.80 a pack. The food is great, trying new things everyday. My diet at home consists of rice and meat cooked in this special Japanese sauce or with curry, pasta, hot dogs, tortillas with ground beef, and peanut butter sandwiches. Now that we got paid I am going to become experimental. I plan on making tempura, fish in batter, stir-fry, and maybe even fried calamari. I am excited. My food from out consists of McDonalds, Yoshinoya (jap fast-food chain) Ramin, and fried chicken from Lawsons (convenience store).
I have been learning a lot of Japanese language. Really picked up my pace the last couple weeks. I know about 50-100 words/phrases now, which is not great but now that I’ve gotten into it I will excel fast. My roommate Spencer who studies religiously is probably at 300-400. He has a really good memory and puts in 100% effort.
Our apartment sucks but it’s free so we are sticking around. The bathroom is sooo small and the shower is impossible. There are no mirrors and the kitchen is attached to the living space. I hope to move out once we get an eviction notice.
Spencer and I are living rent-free in Motomachi, doing nothing while getting paid, until we receive a call telling us where we are working, and/or one telling us we are evicted. I hope I can go two weeks without any work, but I am expecting a call in a few days. More then half of the nova employees have left Japan, so that means almost half the people I know. In Himeji-Akashi, from about 40 people, maybe 10 are left. Nobody waited around. The ones who did scored!
Life has been good in Sannomiya/Kobe. We go to a 180 ramen restaurant about 4 times a week. It is really good and cheap! We have been trying to save our money for the past month just cause we don’t know our situation. The weather has really cooled down. I love riding my bike around the city. It is so lively and exciting. Everything is close, which makes living here very convenient. The nightlife is great. A few places that I like are: Sonic: gets packed Saturday nights like a dance club, polo-dog: pub style gaijin bar, midnight express: a nice bar with regular crowd and great food, second chance: cheap drinks wed night. The thing about Japan is there is no club scene the way we know it in Toronto. Line-ups are non-existent, there is no new trendy club, it mainly small bars that you go with co-workers to have drinks at after work and order little appetizers. you take off your shoes, and it is a warm and cozy atmosphere. i prefer the nightlife in Kobe, it is my style.
Two weeks ago on a Saturday night I went to Pure in Osaka, which is supposed to be the best nightclub. The day was also spent in Osaka, where there was a nova meeting that everyone attended to learn about the new company, then we chilled at triangle park (an area in central Osaka) for about 6 hours, a 280 YEN bar for another 2 hours, until it was time to go to Pure (12 AM). We met an Aussie from Nara named Lorenzo, who came along and was pretty jokes. We all got really hammered cause it was 3500 yen all you can drink. I left around 3 am for an alleyway that I spent two hours puking in. I thought the drinks tasted weak but they were really strong, so I had a lot. We took the train home at 6 am, missed out stop by 40 min, ended up in himeji where the train stopped. Then on the way back it almost happened again, but Spencer woke me up and we got off. Lorenzo later told me he ended up in the mountains somewhere. We finally ended up at home around 10AM. It was a good night, but Pure wasn’t as great as we thought it would be.
A Japanese friend we have met here, Toshi, comes by sometimes and we go to university festivals and meet girls. Its okay but nothing special. With Toshi we went to a all you can eat Italian restaurant the other night. We spend a lot of time watching Scrubs, Simpsons, and desperate housewives on our free time. A guy from Toronto we met here, Phil, is a really cool dude that we hang out with a lot. A few nights ago I spent a whole day with him. We walked around Chinatown, Motomachi, and Sannomiya. Then we went to a coffee shop. After we went to this Jazz Bar where this guy named Larry plays a lot of cool old retro R & B. We met a guy from L.A there, and he got the bill. Andrew, Phil’s friend from back home, met us there, and we left to go eat. We found an Okonomiyaki bar in Sannomiya. I have been wanting to try that since I arrived. It was really good, and we had a great time interacting with the chefs. Most restaurants in Japan are set up like bars, but instead of drinks you order food. That makes your interaction with the cooks very close. We stayed there for about two hours. The Okonomiyaki was great. It is basically Japanese pizza, but instead of dough they use cabbage. It turns into a potato-like pancake with meats and veggies in the middle, and you eat it with a special sauce. On our way home we went digging through garbage. In japan on big furniture garbage day (twice a month) you can find real scores if you look hard enough. I found a really nice Japanese dish I plan on taking back, a photo album in crisp condition, real solid, from 1964, some saki cups, a water heater to make coffee (been wanting that bad, I’ve been boiling water in a pot for the last month), a nice chair, and a brand new jewellery-like case which I use to put my stuff in. Overall great score. We all grabbed different cool stuff. And finally to top it off I saw the start of a police chase when they attempted to pull over a motorcycle. It was awesome. Really good night.
Overall everything looks good now, I am enjoying my time in Japan, and am def not planning on going home anytime soon. Alcohol is ubiquitous, from vending machines to every convenience store which is 50 m away from the last/next one. That means lots of drinking. There is no law against drinking in public, which makes for a lot of random drinking on the street nights. Smokes are 300yen, or 2.80 a pack. The food is great, trying new things everyday. My diet at home consists of rice and meat cooked in this special Japanese sauce or with curry, pasta, hot dogs, tortillas with ground beef, and peanut butter sandwiches. Now that we got paid I am going to become experimental. I plan on making tempura, fish in batter, stir-fry, and maybe even fried calamari. I am excited. My food from out consists of McDonalds, Yoshinoya (jap fast-food chain) Ramin, and fried chicken from Lawsons (convenience store).
I have been learning a lot of Japanese language. Really picked up my pace the last couple weeks. I know about 50-100 words/phrases now, which is not great but now that I’ve gotten into it I will excel fast. My roommate Spencer who studies religiously is probably at 300-400. He has a really good memory and puts in 100% effort.
Our apartment sucks but it’s free so we are sticking around. The bathroom is sooo small and the shower is impossible. There are no mirrors and the kitchen is attached to the living space. I hope to move out once we get an eviction notice.
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