Hi,
Another week has come and gone. I had my last day of school teaching for the "year" on Tuesday, and now it is officially spring break. This means I sit at my office studying Japanese and writing emails for about 8 hours each day. I actually like it, because I get to study a lot of Japanese. I break it down as such, 8:30-12 is studying Japanese time, 1-4:30 is do various things (email, check up on the news, write to you wonderful people) time. Hopefully I'll be able to add in some more Japanese time in the second half, but we'll see, I have a lot more to do than I suspected, and, well, I can't help but think I'm operating pretty slowly with all of this stuff. How was I able to get stuff done before I had a huge 4 and a half hour chunk of nothing? It boggles my mind.
I got lunch today with one of my Japanese teachers and a new worker, who both just so happen to work in the passport agency on the 1st floor of my building. We went to my favorite restaurant, a small place about 2 minutes away from the office, nestled in a small, suburban neighborhood. We spoke all in English, which was good practice for them (who both speak it fairly well). Sadly, my teacher is getting lost in the shuffle this year, so as of next week, she's out of the office.
Who else is going out of my office? The cool teacher, Maita-san, and the two young'uns (except for the alien kid, drat and double drat!), Noru-san and Kawamura-san. No good, no good at all. We're having an enkai tomorrow night to say goodbye. Ah, zannen.
There's an interesting thing (can't think of the word, not conspiracy, not event, so "thing" will have to suffice) going on with Japanese email addresses. For some reason, they are all in Roman characters (our beautiful english). Ok, makes sense actually when you think about it. The more interesting part is, they don't write their addresses with the English to make Japanese words, they'll instead find some english instead. Often to hilarious effect. Like, that woman over there, her email is something like "celestial.feelings@docomo..." or that one over there "the_zombies_attack_69@naninaninani" Oh Japan...
This past weekend was pretty good. Friday was a day off (Vernal equinox day), so I met up for lunch with some usual suspects at Lapia, and we got some Indian food, in order to prepare us for the rest of the Bollywood movie we watched at Natalie's house. Afterwards, we went to the St. Patty's day JET event at a bar in Misawa. It was very good, and I helped out the band my playing the keyboard a little bit, and throwing my mic in the rap circle. Whoa, what's that, oh yeah, you never heard "There's whiskey in the Jar" done all rap style. DJ Swanasauras and The Hack-Attack brought it for your listening pleasure.
So there was rap, there was green beer and cider, and then it was time to go home. After a kind drive from Jim, we went back to my place for a good ol' fashioned sleepover. Oh wait! Before that, we were waiting in the train station with Alisa and Ippei. Ippei brought out the recorder (woot) and rocked out, of all things, Mario songs. The underwater levels, the opening Mario anthem, yeah, he rocked it, and we danced to it on the platform. All right.
Anyways, back to my place for a sleepover. Well, we got to my house, "cushioned up" my living room (this involves throwing down all of my many futons and blankets on my floor, hence turning it into a giant cushion) and plopped down for Pan's Labyrinth.
I woke up the next morning to my guests trying to plan a surprise attack on me. After pitifully tried to quietly open the sliding door to my bedroom, they knew they were in for it. One squeak and I was up, pillows in hand. I pushed through the half open door and began to layeth the smack DOWN. To quote some famous British turned Spanish torturers (please tell me you get this), "No one expects the comfy pillow!"
And so began Saturday.
We went for lunch at the buffet place next to Gokuraku onsen. After filling ourselves to excess, we went to the onsen and did the stone spa and onsened. But, our day of gluttony did not end there. No, afterwards, we explored a little park, walked around the mall a bit, and then went to get dinner with Paul at Taka's.
By the end of dinner, the original group that met on Friday had been together for about 36 hours. Afterwards, we went to Yurinoki Bowl and played the Taiko game for awhile, honing our skills.
Ok, we finally finally stopped hanging out around 12:30 that night. I went home and called it quits. On Sunday, I did...ummm, not much I don't think. I barely cleaned, went to the gym, ate dinner, and just relaxed. It was good.
Not much else is happening this week. Like I mentioned before, tomorrow I have an enkai. And...that's about it for now. See you next time
Oh wait, I do have one more thing, there is a new chef at the JET restaurant of choice, the Golden Palki. So far, he hasn't received many good ratings. The butter chicken, meh, the Masala Chicken, too much onion, and the cherry-nan thing, whoa he went too far in changing it. We'll see how long he lasts.
RaNdOm JaPan:
Sometimes, I'll get this feeling that people are looking into my grocery cart in the supermarket, and they are.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tokyo Group Awesomeness
Hey guys,
Wow. I was in Tokyo last weekend and, well, wow. It ranks as one of my most enjoyable weekends here in Japan. Oh, and don't worry, the lack of weird "random japan" that you've grown to know and love is back in full force after this trip. Let's jump in.
I took the night bus from Hachinohe, which is one of the most uncomfortable things put on this earth. The chairs don't recline, and, for those of us above 5'5, the leg space, in inches, is somewhere around the high end of 0. I arrived at 5:30 in the am outside Shinjuku station. Tokyo, in the morning before everyone crowds it, is quite beautiful. I tried to go to my hostel, located in Takadanobaba (Waseda University area), but the hostel did't open until 10, so I stashed my stuff in a locker, and made my way to the largest fish market in the world. The smell was overwhelming, but it was worth it so see all of the weird things Japanese people catch (and eventually eat). I wish that I didn't eat my breakfast earlier at a smoky ramen shop, so that I could have eaten sushi at the fish market. Ah well. I'll spare you the descriptions of octopi, squid, frozen tuna being cut by band saws, and the like, because, without the smell, it really won't do it justice for you. (To imitate my experience, buy some fish, let it thaw and rot slightly, then put both yourself and the fish in a small closet, and inhale deeply for 1 and a half hours. If you've got some sushi, you can even eat the meal I wish I ate!)
The market itself was HUGE. I'm talking about a football sized field of vendors selling fish, not to mention at least another football-field size area of trucks loading and unloading our tasty friends from the sea. It was so cool.
So, afterwards, I made it to my hostel so I could hopefully get some time to intimately explore the inside of my eyelids before meeting up with everyone. The hostel...well, you get what you pay for. I found the cheapest hostel in Tokyo (for 2 nights, it was only 3200 yen,=$32, in a city where a typical room anywhere else costs $45/night). The owner was really nice, but it looked like someone threw up clothes and clutter over each room. Words don't do it justice. Needless to say, I was happy that I had a bed to sleep in, and I didn't spend more than a minute there except to sleep. I would go back though, for sure, again, as long as I only plan on sleeping there.
After the hostel, I met up with Yumiko, one of Sakiko's (confused yet?) friends. We hung out for awhile, both practicing our foreign languages with each other. We went to a government building that had a gorgeous view of Tokyo, where you get to see the scope of Tokyo yet again, reminding you of how small you are, and how big a city Tokyo is. We also passed by the Koei Plaza Hotel, where I spent my first few nights in Japan. Ah, good memories.
Around 6:00, it was time to head to Takadanobaba station, to meet up with the only and only (two and only?) Mari and Kaori! Kaori was coming to Japan for two weeks to visit friends and family, hence the reason for my trip to Tokyo. Mari and I ended up going back to Shinjuku (3rd time for me that day) to meet up with Kaori, who was slightly delayed. After a little Lotteria (McDonalds from Korea), followed by McDonalds (McDonalds from America), we finally were able to meet Kaori. We promptly went back to Takadanobaba (3rd time I've done this trek from Shinjuku to there) and got some delicious something ramen (*not the official name). Then, we headed back to Mari's dorm and just hung out for awhile, almost like we were back at GW.
The next day, we we met up with, the two and only Saki and Elliot. Our awesome quintuplet was ready to explore this crazy, strange city called Tokyo. First on the list, Akihabara- Electric City.
Ok, I'm gonna skip the store with Final Fantasy Action Figures (awesome), the gigglepuff pet picture we took (possibly the cutest mascot thing I've seen yet), and the sex shop (cause really, it's just like the ones back home) and zoom straight forward to the maid cafe.
I...find...it hard...to...explain. I'll try and do this, but really, it's just something you must experience. We get to the maid cafe, thinking we knew what we were in for. Hahaha NO. Silly foreigners (and nationals, who apparently didn't know what they were in for either). We arrive on the 4th floor (or 6th? does it really matter?), and are greeted by a woman in a french maid outfit. Ok, not too bad, I mean, it's a maid cafe, so, sort of expected. Then we step through the door. HOLY HEARTS AND FRILLY PINK THINGS BATMAN! The "maids" are walking around from table to table, serving drinks, food, and jiggling a bit to the techno J-pop music blaring on the speakers. So, we took our seat and just watched.
You can pay to play games with the maids. I think Jenga was about 500 yen ($5). If you want a private "booth" (more like a corner of someone's dorm room, TV and frilly rug and all), you can pay extra.
But talk about service. When we got there, the our maid took us through the magical forest to maidreamin' (actual name of the cafe). How did we get through this metaphorical forest they wrote about on our menu? Why, she lit the green candle with her breath of course (Green electronic blow-candle, $3 at your local store). But, not only that, now that we were in the magical maid forest, we were allowed their secrets. You see, and I'm only sharing this with you in strict confidence, don't tell!, if you put your hands in the shape of a heart, raise your voice as high as possible, and recite the following: doki (hands to the right) doki (hands to the left) moe (hand-heart over your heart) yuu (hands over your food/drink), your meal magically tastes better! Literal translation (Doki=sound your heart makes when it beats)x2, yuu (yun? yon?whatever) = crush. Umeshu (delicious umeboshi wine) never tasted so sweet.[Japanese friends, I know we didn't say exactly doki, doki, moe, yuu, so can you help me out and tell me what we actually did say?]
There was also a creepy guy with 3 photo books of him and maids, and we saw him pay for another photo of him with a maid, wicked creepy.
Ok, enough of that. Well, one more thing. We missed "Nurse day." I know, you feel my pain, it's tough. Oh, you aren't quite sure what that is? Well, for some reason, the large majority of Japanese males are really into nurses. Not exactly sure why, but, ok, that'll just be a random cultural piece of information for you. And...for that reason, all of our kind maids were going to dress as nurses the next day. Oh man, if only we came one day later...
So, after our maid excursion, we went to Asakusa to see some old shrines and temples. So, funny thing about Kaori, she's not actually Japanese (well, you aren't!), though she is from Japa (supposedly). Not only was this her first time in Tokyo, BUT she's never been to onsen, AND she's never been to a Shinto shrine (which happen to be all over the country, AND she's only been to 2 temples (which also happen to be all over the country).
After this, we went to a fortune teller, who had the most interesting things to tell us about our palms. I have a "happy palm" which is very good. Also, I was complimented on my "handsome forehead". Then, she started saying some weirder things. She told my friend that she has a bad liver and kidneys, then recited some story about that time she too had bad liver and kidneys. She also told Elliot and myself that, since we're in Japan, we should have Japanese babies. Right. Then she started talking about cabs, and we'll just leave it there.
Ok, a little bit after that, AU tower in Harajuku. Then, dinner at the Thai place in Harajuku (we met up with Stu there). Then, back to Takadanobaba to hang out in Elliot and Saki's business hotel with a little chuhi of truth thrown in there. Finally, some karaoke to end the night. We sang some disney, we sang some queen, and we sang Moskau twice (props to Mari for sending this joke video)!
Next day, after some Chocro cafe for breakfast (smell the chocolate croissants, let them breathe the sweet nectar of the gods into you), we headed to Tokyo station. We met up with Mari, who is searching for a job after graduation. Ok, let me tell you how it works across the ocean.
So Mari is looking for a job right now, and she is part of, I guess you would call it a class of people, known as job-seekers. She pointed them out to us as we were walking around, after she was attending a job seminar. Basically, all of the women wear black skirts of the same length, tie their hair with a black or beige hair-tie, carry a black bag of a certain size, wear a black jacket with a white shirt, and all try to act the same during the interview. Oh, and by interviews, it can be up to 8 interviews at the same place, all by different people within the company. BUT, here's the thing. You don't apply for a specific position, you just apply to get in the company, and they place you from there. AND, they take you based on your personality, not based on past achievements, etc. Weird, right? Well, it gets weirder. There are books that teach you how to act during the interviews and seminars, so that you blend in and don't make a simple mistake (Mari found out, after reading a book, that she exited the room the wrong way, turning so her back was facing the interviewers when she exited the room). Oh, and, lastly (from what I can remember), they will place you wherever they want in Japan. They might say "hey, you are going to Osaka" or "hey, you are going to Hokkaido," and that's that, you have no choice in what to do. Quite a weird process to me.
We saw the imperial palace from the outside, then headed to Ginza (the 5th avenue of Tokyo), and felt like we weren't worth enough money to even be in the area. Got some coffee, then it was time for me to head to the station and go home :(. I said my sad farewells, got my omiyage for the office, and returned home via bullet-train.
Oh, but you think I'm done, haha, not at all!
Random JaPan!
They sell a special type of gum in Tokyo Station. It makes your sweat smell like roses. Seriously. http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2007/05/rose_water_smel.html. Elliot bought a pack, and I don't know why I didn't. Oh Japan.
Next up. On the train ride from Harajuku to Takadanobaba, we saw a man playing with his iphone. He was looking at a picture of some woman's eyes. Then, he scrolled down to the mouth. Then, he took the phone and put the picture of the mouth against the lips of the woman sleeping next to him. Then they got up and got off together. Yep.
Hope you enjoyed this week. See you next week!
Wow. I was in Tokyo last weekend and, well, wow. It ranks as one of my most enjoyable weekends here in Japan. Oh, and don't worry, the lack of weird "random japan" that you've grown to know and love is back in full force after this trip. Let's jump in.
I took the night bus from Hachinohe, which is one of the most uncomfortable things put on this earth. The chairs don't recline, and, for those of us above 5'5, the leg space, in inches, is somewhere around the high end of 0. I arrived at 5:30 in the am outside Shinjuku station. Tokyo, in the morning before everyone crowds it, is quite beautiful. I tried to go to my hostel, located in Takadanobaba (Waseda University area), but the hostel did't open until 10, so I stashed my stuff in a locker, and made my way to the largest fish market in the world. The smell was overwhelming, but it was worth it so see all of the weird things Japanese people catch (and eventually eat). I wish that I didn't eat my breakfast earlier at a smoky ramen shop, so that I could have eaten sushi at the fish market. Ah well. I'll spare you the descriptions of octopi, squid, frozen tuna being cut by band saws, and the like, because, without the smell, it really won't do it justice for you. (To imitate my experience, buy some fish, let it thaw and rot slightly, then put both yourself and the fish in a small closet, and inhale deeply for 1 and a half hours. If you've got some sushi, you can even eat the meal I wish I ate!)
The market itself was HUGE. I'm talking about a football sized field of vendors selling fish, not to mention at least another football-field size area of trucks loading and unloading our tasty friends from the sea. It was so cool.
So, afterwards, I made it to my hostel so I could hopefully get some time to intimately explore the inside of my eyelids before meeting up with everyone. The hostel...well, you get what you pay for. I found the cheapest hostel in Tokyo (for 2 nights, it was only 3200 yen,=$32, in a city where a typical room anywhere else costs $45/night). The owner was really nice, but it looked like someone threw up clothes and clutter over each room. Words don't do it justice. Needless to say, I was happy that I had a bed to sleep in, and I didn't spend more than a minute there except to sleep. I would go back though, for sure, again, as long as I only plan on sleeping there.
After the hostel, I met up with Yumiko, one of Sakiko's (confused yet?) friends. We hung out for awhile, both practicing our foreign languages with each other. We went to a government building that had a gorgeous view of Tokyo, where you get to see the scope of Tokyo yet again, reminding you of how small you are, and how big a city Tokyo is. We also passed by the Koei Plaza Hotel, where I spent my first few nights in Japan. Ah, good memories.
Around 6:00, it was time to head to Takadanobaba station, to meet up with the only and only (two and only?) Mari and Kaori! Kaori was coming to Japan for two weeks to visit friends and family, hence the reason for my trip to Tokyo. Mari and I ended up going back to Shinjuku (3rd time for me that day) to meet up with Kaori, who was slightly delayed. After a little Lotteria (McDonalds from Korea), followed by McDonalds (McDonalds from America), we finally were able to meet Kaori. We promptly went back to Takadanobaba (3rd time I've done this trek from Shinjuku to there) and got some delicious something ramen (*not the official name). Then, we headed back to Mari's dorm and just hung out for awhile, almost like we were back at GW.
The next day, we we met up with, the two and only Saki and Elliot. Our awesome quintuplet was ready to explore this crazy, strange city called Tokyo. First on the list, Akihabara- Electric City.
Ok, I'm gonna skip the store with Final Fantasy Action Figures (awesome), the gigglepuff pet picture we took (possibly the cutest mascot thing I've seen yet), and the sex shop (cause really, it's just like the ones back home) and zoom straight forward to the maid cafe.
I...find...it hard...to...explain. I'll try and do this, but really, it's just something you must experience. We get to the maid cafe, thinking we knew what we were in for. Hahaha NO. Silly foreigners (and nationals, who apparently didn't know what they were in for either). We arrive on the 4th floor (or 6th? does it really matter?), and are greeted by a woman in a french maid outfit. Ok, not too bad, I mean, it's a maid cafe, so, sort of expected. Then we step through the door. HOLY HEARTS AND FRILLY PINK THINGS BATMAN! The "maids" are walking around from table to table, serving drinks, food, and jiggling a bit to the techno J-pop music blaring on the speakers. So, we took our seat and just watched.
You can pay to play games with the maids. I think Jenga was about 500 yen ($5). If you want a private "booth" (more like a corner of someone's dorm room, TV and frilly rug and all), you can pay extra.
But talk about service. When we got there, the our maid took us through the magical forest to maidreamin' (actual name of the cafe). How did we get through this metaphorical forest they wrote about on our menu? Why, she lit the green candle with her breath of course (Green electronic blow-candle, $3 at your local store). But, not only that, now that we were in the magical maid forest, we were allowed their secrets. You see, and I'm only sharing this with you in strict confidence, don't tell!, if you put your hands in the shape of a heart, raise your voice as high as possible, and recite the following: doki (hands to the right) doki (hands to the left) moe (hand-heart over your heart) yuu (hands over your food/drink), your meal magically tastes better! Literal translation (Doki=sound your heart makes when it beats)x2, yuu (yun? yon?whatever) = crush. Umeshu (delicious umeboshi wine) never tasted so sweet.[Japanese friends, I know we didn't say exactly doki, doki, moe, yuu, so can you help me out and tell me what we actually did say?]
There was also a creepy guy with 3 photo books of him and maids, and we saw him pay for another photo of him with a maid, wicked creepy.
Ok, enough of that. Well, one more thing. We missed "Nurse day." I know, you feel my pain, it's tough. Oh, you aren't quite sure what that is? Well, for some reason, the large majority of Japanese males are really into nurses. Not exactly sure why, but, ok, that'll just be a random cultural piece of information for you. And...for that reason, all of our kind maids were going to dress as nurses the next day. Oh man, if only we came one day later...
So, after our maid excursion, we went to Asakusa to see some old shrines and temples. So, funny thing about Kaori, she's not actually Japanese (well, you aren't!), though she is from Japa (supposedly). Not only was this her first time in Tokyo, BUT she's never been to onsen, AND she's never been to a Shinto shrine (which happen to be all over the country, AND she's only been to 2 temples (which also happen to be all over the country).
After this, we went to a fortune teller, who had the most interesting things to tell us about our palms. I have a "happy palm" which is very good. Also, I was complimented on my "handsome forehead". Then, she started saying some weirder things. She told my friend that she has a bad liver and kidneys, then recited some story about that time she too had bad liver and kidneys. She also told Elliot and myself that, since we're in Japan, we should have Japanese babies. Right. Then she started talking about cabs, and we'll just leave it there.
Ok, a little bit after that, AU tower in Harajuku. Then, dinner at the Thai place in Harajuku (we met up with Stu there). Then, back to Takadanobaba to hang out in Elliot and Saki's business hotel with a little chuhi of truth thrown in there. Finally, some karaoke to end the night. We sang some disney, we sang some queen, and we sang Moskau twice (props to Mari for sending this joke video)!
Next day, after some Chocro cafe for breakfast (smell the chocolate croissants, let them breathe the sweet nectar of the gods into you), we headed to Tokyo station. We met up with Mari, who is searching for a job after graduation. Ok, let me tell you how it works across the ocean.
So Mari is looking for a job right now, and she is part of, I guess you would call it a class of people, known as job-seekers. She pointed them out to us as we were walking around, after she was attending a job seminar. Basically, all of the women wear black skirts of the same length, tie their hair with a black or beige hair-tie, carry a black bag of a certain size, wear a black jacket with a white shirt, and all try to act the same during the interview. Oh, and by interviews, it can be up to 8 interviews at the same place, all by different people within the company. BUT, here's the thing. You don't apply for a specific position, you just apply to get in the company, and they place you from there. AND, they take you based on your personality, not based on past achievements, etc. Weird, right? Well, it gets weirder. There are books that teach you how to act during the interviews and seminars, so that you blend in and don't make a simple mistake (Mari found out, after reading a book, that she exited the room the wrong way, turning so her back was facing the interviewers when she exited the room). Oh, and, lastly (from what I can remember), they will place you wherever they want in Japan. They might say "hey, you are going to Osaka" or "hey, you are going to Hokkaido," and that's that, you have no choice in what to do. Quite a weird process to me.
We saw the imperial palace from the outside, then headed to Ginza (the 5th avenue of Tokyo), and felt like we weren't worth enough money to even be in the area. Got some coffee, then it was time for me to head to the station and go home :(. I said my sad farewells, got my omiyage for the office, and returned home via bullet-train.
Oh, but you think I'm done, haha, not at all!
Random JaPan!
They sell a special type of gum in Tokyo Station. It makes your sweat smell like roses. Seriously. http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2007/05/rose_water_smel.html. Elliot bought a pack, and I don't know why I didn't. Oh Japan.
Next up. On the train ride from Harajuku to Takadanobaba, we saw a man playing with his iphone. He was looking at a picture of some woman's eyes. Then, he scrolled down to the mouth. Then, he took the phone and put the picture of the mouth against the lips of the woman sleeping next to him. Then they got up and got off together. Yep.
Hope you enjoyed this week. See you next week!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Le Part Deux
Hello again,
Well, now for the next update to my blog, a continuation of yesterday's (last week's?) show.
Unfortunately, I don't really have any interviews for you on this show, as it's just me, typing. Also, the only people I could interview would end up sounding something like: いそがしい、いそがしい、どうして にほんごを はなせますえんか。 And really, I don't know if all your computers can actually read that.
I also don't have live musical acts. It's a shame, I know, so many other shows are doing it, but that's just the way it is here. Really, all I have is that opening intro where you picture me, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, or your favorite of choice, letting you know how awesome my show is and trying to open with a few jokes.
Instead, I can let you know how last weekend went.
Last weekend, I went to Rokkasho for the International Festival. Since Rokkasho has a nuclear power plant, the town gets lots of extra money, as well as foreign scientists. What other reason do you need to celebrate? I opened the festival by dancing salsa with a woman from Honduras (and making a good $150 for my trouble...seriously, this town is loaded and that was my thank you gift). It was, yes, you guessed it, fun. It also made me really want to learn more salsa, but, unfortunately, there is nowhere in Hachionhe that teaches that dance. There is a Samba dance place, but, really, that's about it. Here's a little-known fact about me; I think I could be a great salsa dancer if I actually had a place to learn. It's also one of my non-regret regrets. What's a non-regret regret? Well, I don't regret the fact that I'm not learning (and haven't been for awhile) because there hasn't been a way for me to do so; yet, I do regret that there isn't a possibility for me to learn as of now.
Anyways, after the opening act and a foreigner fashion show, all there was left to do was eat! And eating is what I do best. Japanese food gets boring after awhile, and this was the antidote. Spanish lentil soup, French bread with dried meat, Honduran tortilla soup...it was too good. After making my way around, it was time to go home. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go snowboarding that night, but instead I had an old-fashioned sleepover at my place. This was partially to celebrate the new TV that the JET program blessed me with. Yes, they gave me a new, 32 inch TV, to prepare for their impending change to digital in 2011. It's beautiful. If only I could understand enough Japanese to actually watch TV.....haha until then, videogames and movies it is!
Sunday was busy as well. I went to hang out with the other Greg. He teaches at Hachinohe University, and we hung out at his house. It was wicked fun, to say the least. Aside from getting beaten by his children at Smash Brothers, which slightly dented my pride, I can't wait to go back. Also, his wife cooked this thing, there isn't a name for it yet, so we'll call it "pure delicious." We had some "pure delicious" for dessert. "Oishii" as they say.
Sorry to end this quick, but work is almost done. As a sidenote, for those who want a more family friendly album than the one I reviewed last week, try any of the previous Of Montreal Albums, which are all good. I would prefer you tried Satanic Panic in the Attic, or Hiss Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Ya' dig?
Greg-out
Well, now for the next update to my blog, a continuation of yesterday's (last week's?) show.
Unfortunately, I don't really have any interviews for you on this show, as it's just me, typing. Also, the only people I could interview would end up sounding something like: いそがしい、いそがしい、どうして にほんごを はなせますえんか。 And really, I don't know if all your computers can actually read that.
I also don't have live musical acts. It's a shame, I know, so many other shows are doing it, but that's just the way it is here. Really, all I have is that opening intro where you picture me, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, or your favorite of choice, letting you know how awesome my show is and trying to open with a few jokes.
Instead, I can let you know how last weekend went.
Last weekend, I went to Rokkasho for the International Festival. Since Rokkasho has a nuclear power plant, the town gets lots of extra money, as well as foreign scientists. What other reason do you need to celebrate? I opened the festival by dancing salsa with a woman from Honduras (and making a good $150 for my trouble...seriously, this town is loaded and that was my thank you gift). It was, yes, you guessed it, fun. It also made me really want to learn more salsa, but, unfortunately, there is nowhere in Hachionhe that teaches that dance. There is a Samba dance place, but, really, that's about it. Here's a little-known fact about me; I think I could be a great salsa dancer if I actually had a place to learn. It's also one of my non-regret regrets. What's a non-regret regret? Well, I don't regret the fact that I'm not learning (and haven't been for awhile) because there hasn't been a way for me to do so; yet, I do regret that there isn't a possibility for me to learn as of now.
Anyways, after the opening act and a foreigner fashion show, all there was left to do was eat! And eating is what I do best. Japanese food gets boring after awhile, and this was the antidote. Spanish lentil soup, French bread with dried meat, Honduran tortilla soup...it was too good. After making my way around, it was time to go home. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go snowboarding that night, but instead I had an old-fashioned sleepover at my place. This was partially to celebrate the new TV that the JET program blessed me with. Yes, they gave me a new, 32 inch TV, to prepare for their impending change to digital in 2011. It's beautiful. If only I could understand enough Japanese to actually watch TV.....haha until then, videogames and movies it is!
Sunday was busy as well. I went to hang out with the other Greg. He teaches at Hachinohe University, and we hung out at his house. It was wicked fun, to say the least. Aside from getting beaten by his children at Smash Brothers, which slightly dented my pride, I can't wait to go back. Also, his wife cooked this thing, there isn't a name for it yet, so we'll call it "pure delicious." We had some "pure delicious" for dessert. "Oishii" as they say.
Sorry to end this quick, but work is almost done. As a sidenote, for those who want a more family friendly album than the one I reviewed last week, try any of the previous Of Montreal Albums, which are all good. I would prefer you tried Satanic Panic in the Attic, or Hiss Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Ya' dig?
Greg-out
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gosh, Snowboarding, and a Quick Review
Good evening,
How are you? "I'm fine, thank you, and you." That is the response you are cultivated to say if you are a Japanese elementary school student. Other acceptable answers might include "I'm sleepy, I'm hungry, or, I'm happy" depending on if you are the smart kid or not.
What a week. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a great post for you tonight. In my post, I'll write a little bit about Japan, a little bit about the things I've been doing, and, of course, your favorite tidbits about anything I have to comment about. We'll also talk about the newest Of Montreal album, Skeletal Lamping. I tried to book them for a live show, but they were busy touring in Tokyo. Yes, I'm serious, they are actually in Tokyo next week touring, while I am going to Tokyo the day after they leave. Ah, such luck, but, before I ramble too much, let's get on the with show.
As an English teacher in Japan, we get some interesting questions. Some deal with your gastronomic tendencies (what food do you like/hate?), others with the way things are in America (what food in America do you like/hate?), and some things about your physical appearance (why is your nose so large?). Today, I got, perhaps, the most, um, interesting one. I was asked why my eyes weren't blue. For this one, the teacher had to jump in and explain that people from all over the world get married in the US, so not everyone has blue eyes. Also today, what is your favorite vehicle?
What have I been doing lately? Well, aside from the regular routine, I collected on a snowball fight with my friends in Goshagawara. After buying a snowball fight with hot cocoa and dinner at the service auction earlier in the year, we decided it was time to collect before all of the snow melted away. A 3 hour drive on Saturday (after my enkai friday night with a principal and his favorite teacher), got us to Gosh.
Now, I specifically sent blueprints for a two-turret snowfort, with a small, but stable, perimeter made of ice walls. For some reason, our hosts weren't able to make this in time, so we had to make due. We went to a park in Gosh that was full of snow and ice, and we just jumped around and had a great time.
That night, we had a nabe (japanese soupish food) party, and then we crashed at Katie's place.
The next morning, we went to Ajigasawa mountain for some snowboarding, woohoo. 3rd time in, and I was really loving it, a lot. The snow was so nice and powdery, it didn't really hurt. That was until I fell off the snow lift on my way down and caused the Japanese guy on my left to crash into me. Sumimasen, gomen nasai.
After that, it was time to go back home and sleep. The end of a great weekend. That Friday before Saturday (but really, when else does Friday night come?), I had an enkai with those two previously aforementioned teachers. It was really fun, regardless of the language barrier. We got to the izakaaya, and they just ordered a ton of random food and drinks while I watched and my stomach was happy. Afterwards, I met up with Paul and we went to karaoke with his visiting friend. It was a good time.
I'm starting to get tired of my music now. Not good. I have crested over my need to hear Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping. And, speaking of that, here's the quick review.
Skeletal Lamping. Wow. This CD surely isn't for everyone, even the previous die-hard Of Montreal fans. From 60's rock and roll sound to melodic, synth rock-pop that sometimes diverges into light funk, this band has evolved by leaps and bounds. Their cd is quite ambitious, and it takes the so-called "ivory tower" upon which indie bands have typically rested upon, and at once levels and extends it. Listening to the tunes are enjoyable, but actually hearing the lyrics ups your enjoyment by at least 80%. The lyrics range from normal-yet slightly weird, to full-blown "you won't understand me without a dictionary and a book on Greek/Nordic/British Literature." What makes it even more intriguing, at least to me, is that the lead singer (who actually is the band and writes all the music) references himself and his life in the music. The more you know about his life, the more the lyrics will make sense to you (even the ones that seem meaningless or put in there just for the *shock* effect).
Now, the real polarizing effect of this album isn't the lyrics, it's the abrupt song changes every 30-60 seconds. Some people cannot handle this. They see potential in a melody he introduces, in a great chord progression he puts forth, and they just can't understand why he would ruin it after only 45 seconds of playing it. If you can't stray from conventional music standards, don't bother with this album. The opening song, along with one or two other songs, are fairly standard, but aside from those, it's full-blown craziness. I happen to really enjoy this new take, and I think it's a great idea that works very well with this album.
I must rescind one of my previous comments though. Sometimes the lyrics are meaningless, only put in there for effect and not for meaning, especially as compared to Of Montreal's previous records, which heap up on the polysyllabic spelling-contest words. But, much of it is not.
Well, that's it for the mini-review. And also that's it for the 1st half of the show. Hope you enjoyed it, come back next week for more.
-Greg
How are you? "I'm fine, thank you, and you." That is the response you are cultivated to say if you are a Japanese elementary school student. Other acceptable answers might include "I'm sleepy, I'm hungry, or, I'm happy" depending on if you are the smart kid or not.
What a week. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a great post for you tonight. In my post, I'll write a little bit about Japan, a little bit about the things I've been doing, and, of course, your favorite tidbits about anything I have to comment about. We'll also talk about the newest Of Montreal album, Skeletal Lamping. I tried to book them for a live show, but they were busy touring in Tokyo. Yes, I'm serious, they are actually in Tokyo next week touring, while I am going to Tokyo the day after they leave. Ah, such luck, but, before I ramble too much, let's get on the with show.
As an English teacher in Japan, we get some interesting questions. Some deal with your gastronomic tendencies (what food do you like/hate?), others with the way things are in America (what food in America do you like/hate?), and some things about your physical appearance (why is your nose so large?). Today, I got, perhaps, the most, um, interesting one. I was asked why my eyes weren't blue. For this one, the teacher had to jump in and explain that people from all over the world get married in the US, so not everyone has blue eyes. Also today, what is your favorite vehicle?
What have I been doing lately? Well, aside from the regular routine, I collected on a snowball fight with my friends in Goshagawara. After buying a snowball fight with hot cocoa and dinner at the service auction earlier in the year, we decided it was time to collect before all of the snow melted away. A 3 hour drive on Saturday (after my enkai friday night with a principal and his favorite teacher), got us to Gosh.
Now, I specifically sent blueprints for a two-turret snowfort, with a small, but stable, perimeter made of ice walls. For some reason, our hosts weren't able to make this in time, so we had to make due. We went to a park in Gosh that was full of snow and ice, and we just jumped around and had a great time.
That night, we had a nabe (japanese soupish food) party, and then we crashed at Katie's place.
The next morning, we went to Ajigasawa mountain for some snowboarding, woohoo. 3rd time in, and I was really loving it, a lot. The snow was so nice and powdery, it didn't really hurt. That was until I fell off the snow lift on my way down and caused the Japanese guy on my left to crash into me. Sumimasen, gomen nasai.
After that, it was time to go back home and sleep. The end of a great weekend. That Friday before Saturday (but really, when else does Friday night come?), I had an enkai with those two previously aforementioned teachers. It was really fun, regardless of the language barrier. We got to the izakaaya, and they just ordered a ton of random food and drinks while I watched and my stomach was happy. Afterwards, I met up with Paul and we went to karaoke with his visiting friend. It was a good time.
I'm starting to get tired of my music now. Not good. I have crested over my need to hear Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping. And, speaking of that, here's the quick review.
Skeletal Lamping. Wow. This CD surely isn't for everyone, even the previous die-hard Of Montreal fans. From 60's rock and roll sound to melodic, synth rock-pop that sometimes diverges into light funk, this band has evolved by leaps and bounds. Their cd is quite ambitious, and it takes the so-called "ivory tower" upon which indie bands have typically rested upon, and at once levels and extends it. Listening to the tunes are enjoyable, but actually hearing the lyrics ups your enjoyment by at least 80%. The lyrics range from normal-yet slightly weird, to full-blown "you won't understand me without a dictionary and a book on Greek/Nordic/British Literature." What makes it even more intriguing, at least to me, is that the lead singer (who actually is the band and writes all the music) references himself and his life in the music. The more you know about his life, the more the lyrics will make sense to you (even the ones that seem meaningless or put in there just for the *shock* effect).
Now, the real polarizing effect of this album isn't the lyrics, it's the abrupt song changes every 30-60 seconds. Some people cannot handle this. They see potential in a melody he introduces, in a great chord progression he puts forth, and they just can't understand why he would ruin it after only 45 seconds of playing it. If you can't stray from conventional music standards, don't bother with this album. The opening song, along with one or two other songs, are fairly standard, but aside from those, it's full-blown craziness. I happen to really enjoy this new take, and I think it's a great idea that works very well with this album.
I must rescind one of my previous comments though. Sometimes the lyrics are meaningless, only put in there for effect and not for meaning, especially as compared to Of Montreal's previous records, which heap up on the polysyllabic spelling-contest words. But, much of it is not.
Well, that's it for the mini-review. And also that's it for the 1st half of the show. Hope you enjoyed it, come back next week for more.
-Greg
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