I saw in a headline that David Carradine hanged himself in a Bangkok hotel- I promptly looked for the gotcha tag of it being a crazy, sick, twisted, fucked-up joke...I mean, really?! The Kung-Fu guy? THE Bill of Kill Bill? Jesus! I hate suicide and I always think about all the people dying on the planet who want to fucking live and how much I wish there could be an exchange system where someone who wants to commit suicide can trade places with a person who really didn't want to die horribly from an AIDs-related illness or malaria or whatnot. I selfishly take this position because my own dad died of leukemia and probably would've wanted to keep on living for a couple more years- AT LEAST to see me graduate college or something. Maybe to meet my brother's son Joey...so sad.
I'm particularly sad about him commiting suicide because I used to watch Kung Fu with my dad as well as Doctor Who...SO, if Tom Baker ever offs himself I'm going to be PISSED!
Why do people do this? Maybe he was dying of a terminal illness? That's kind of the only pass I give people a la Hunter S Thompson. Some people would rather go out with a bang than a wimper, I guess.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Medical treatment in Japan- aka The Elephant Woman speaks!
I'd like to take this opportunity to comment on how cheap medical treatment is in Japan compared to the US- or it has been for me so far. I had to go to the dentist for this tooth that's, frankly, been giving me a shitload of trouble for almost three years. I went Monday and Wednesday and although it was painful and has turned me into a bloated monster on the left side of my face this treatment will only, IN TOTAL, cost me about $250. This includes, painkillers and antibiotics that I've gotten for free from the dentist's office, as well as an X-ray and a complete root canal.
The funniest part is how serious everyone has been about the cost- about how expensive it will be for me and am I okay with that? I couldn't help it- I burst out laughing. When one of my wisdom teeth was bothering me right after I moved to DC, I had it pulled with almost no real care, a basic X-ray of just that tooth, and some antibiotics. It cost me $500 for about an hour's worth of work by a DC dentist. Highway fucking robbery. And if I wanted government medical care, just how many redwoods would I need to initial to make that deal with the Devil as well as how many pay stubs, references, background checks, etc? Utter bullshit!
The only real setback is the language barrier- of course! Monday is always my day off and I was expecting a quick jaunt to the dentist followed by dinner with my coworker Luke. Nope! They were pretty confused as was I as to what treatment I would receive and, thankfully, called Nozomi who DID have to work on Mondays. She translated that the same tooth was bothering me as had been for what seems like an eternity and so they got down to business. The problem was that my dentist back home fixed my tooth temporarily and was expecting me to come back for the rest of the treatment...BUT I quit my job with the good health insurance and then travelled, moved, travelled, Obama won, then moved again- blah, blah, blah...then Japan.
So, although I have swollen up to Renee Zellweger a la Cold Mountain proportions, it is only on the left side of my face and makes me look like a fucking freak. This has led to me taking a few days off to let the swelling go down and so as not to frighten the children. I am hoping I will look somewhat normal for my birthday this Sunday when I make soba with my coworkers.
Next stop: gynecologist- I wonder how Nozomi will feel about that one!
Look ma- I'm famous!
Will the real Suzanne please stand up?
So this post is a little late, but who am I kidding, they've ALL been late?
Anyway, I'd just like to thank the Academy, God and, oh yeah! my parents, for naming me Suzanne. Because really that's the ONLY reason I'm going to be on Japanese TV.
The scene: Friday night after work. I'm tired with hardly any make-up left after five classes (the last three of which are with children) and the tired expression of someone who needs food and sleep- in that order, because who eats after they're asleep? Sometimes my coworkers and I will go out after work to have a drink or dinner, but usually I get off work first and dip out to go to the gym so as to avoid as many calories as possible. I'm what people call "an emotional eater" and when that emotion is boredom I eat even more. It's great to live so close to a bustling city like Tokyo, but honestly it's quite a hike for me to get there and the metro shuts down around midnight. That makes being trapped in Tokyo until 5am a real possibility for someone like me who works until 8pm, takes at least an hour to get ready for any outing, and who is prone to alcoholic excesses. SO anyway, my coworkers and I decided to go to a very close restaurant about 2 blocks from my house called Kansai (named after a region in Japan) that specializes in a Japanese food called okonomiyaki- kind of a pancake that you can add various items like seafood or cheese that make it DElicious. Many restaurants in Japan seat you at your own table that's mostly a giant metal fry area where you can cook it yourself and so is pretty fun with a group of people.
So we were leaving work and for some reason my manager Ryota and our Japanese English teacher (JET) Nozomi were quite insistent that we needed to get to the restaurant for our reservation. Luke (the other Native English teacher) and I were puzzled at being hustled out, but didn't think too much of it. Once we left the mall, we walked behind the parking lot (the route I always take to get home) and saw a young woman approach us: "Are you the real Suzanne?" "Uh..." At this point I was in "HOLY SHIT" mode: how the fuck do I know this chick? Many, MANY times I have had drunken nights where I meet nice or interesting people or do really asinine things without remembering jackshit about it. And in Japan I had made more than a couple mistakes with a few women at the gym where I mistook one woman for another as well as seeing a couple of the gym staff out of their trainer clothing who noticed me and I was left stammering to stall for time while I remembered who the Hell they were?
And let me just add to this that she looked kind of crazy. I mean, huge bow in her hair, crazy earrings (one was a giant guitar and another with the word LOVE where it makes a giant square-shape), crazy pink dress and of course, asking me weird-ass questions. She was quite beautiful, though, and contrasted well with my make up-less, shaggy, haggard, horribly surprised expression. Let it be known that I won't be leaving the house or work again without make up.
So then I attempt first contact:
"Oh! HEEEEeeeeeyyyyyy- how are you?" HolyshitHolyshitHolyshitWhoareyouFUCKSHITDAMMIT!
Then she turned to my manager and started speaking Japanese- WTF?! THEN five guys and another girl (two of the guys with cameras that had bright lights attached) came over and then the first girl was standing to my right and the cameras were rolling. I turned to Nozomi with a look that must have been a mix of puzzlement and terror. So Nozomi said "She is very famous and her name is Suzanne. She's been waiting here to talk to you. She has been looking for you." Turns out she's a young Japanese idol with the stage name Suzanne, very famous and who has her own show. There was some contest to find the "real" Suzanne because her real name is Sae and not Suzanne. Anyway, she needed to find another real Suzanne within 24 hours to win this contest, which, by the way, earned her 1,000,000 yen- about $10,000. Of course, I only found out about this AFTER she left with her crew.
Anyway, she asked me a couple of questions (through my Japanese-speaking coworkers, of course), like:
Fake Suzanne: "Do you watch my show?"
Me: "Uh...YES! Of course!"
Fake Suzanne: "No really, do you watch my show?"
Me: "Sorry, I don't watch any TV and technically my television is under my futon to make room for my laptop. But I guess I could start watching your show."
She also wanted me to say "My name is Suzanne" in Japanese- THIS I actually know. And in between this exchange we also kind of goofed around pointing to each other and saying stupid shit about us having the same name. We also hugged a lot and had a group hug with my coworkers. As she was signing autographs for my manager I noticed a small crowd across the street forming who promptly shouted her name as she got into her production bus. That's when I realized that maybe she might be kind of famous and that I should Google her after dinner.
Since then my manager has put flyers up with the picture we took with her and also made handouts for our students. The show will air June 13th from 2-3pm here and I hope to get a copy from any of the various people who will record it.
So...thanks Mom for naming me Suzanne.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Golden Week rant
So Golden Week just finished yesterday and it started out hectic, but I decided I wanted to relax for most of the end of it before coming back to work. Today is my first day back and, luckily, I only have two classes as one was cancelled and the other is only every other week.
For those of you who don't know, Golden Week is kind of like Spring break, but without any religious holiday like Easter- or at least there isn't a holiday that my students or coworkers have mentioned. It makes going out of your apartment somewhat unbearable as people flood into every nook and cranny during this time. It also makes travel within and out of Japan terrible. But travelling TO Japan is pretty awesome. If I'd known and planned better I could have had someone come visit me for ridiculously cheap, but maybe next year?
This time alone did help me think about what kind of life I want while here and what kind of life I DON'T like while I'm here. Basically, I don't want to be a drunk idiot gaijin (foreigner) like some other people I saw at the beginning of this vacation. One in particular rubbed me the wrong way and I feel that eliminating toxic, energy-sucking d-bags like him will make my stay here much better because he's that guy who never got over being in college and tries to re-live it every weekend. I'm all for going out, but not if it's the same routine of getting wasted and being a loud jackass. He does other stuff besides drinking too, but he's that guy who shouts in a silent room, always hoping for even more attention. So even if he's doing something interesting that doesn't include getting shitfaced (rarely) his mere presence makes it not as enjoyable for me. The big problem: I work with him. So I have to see him two days a week and when I see him tomorrow I can only imagine what kind of BS will spout forth from his lips.
One more rant, but this time on being a foreigner in Japan: the racial profiling. Obviously I'm not black and don't know what it's like to be black, but living here and trying to quietly shop in Japan is crazy because you're treated like a circus freak. I feel like it MIGHT be as close as I'll ever come to being racially profiled like many of my black friends back home have told me in story after story. I mean, I do stand out a lot. I DO have blond hair now and I am sometimes a good foot taller than a lot of people here, but for fuck's sake, people! Do you have to be so obvious about it? They try so hard to be subtle, too, but it just makes them stand out to me even more. Usually they're just curious, though, and will casually walk and stand next to me like they're interested in the item two feel away. Now at first I didn't realize what was happening, because I usually make a list of stuff I need then just go to that section and grab, so I can get the Hell outta there ASAP. So I just thought it was a Japanese culture thing when people would browse the shelves next to me, but not actually pick up anything to put in their baskets. But then I'd realize they were then in the next aisle with me- huh? I just picked up laundry detergent and now I'm buying cashews seven aisles away and yet here you are! Coincidence? So I developed a little game where I leave an area as soon as a Japanese person appears and then see what happens. Usually almost immediately they walk away from the area, but all the while keeping their eyes on me until I turn around and I look straight at them- then they fucking bolt. The other game I've played (mostly with older Japanese guys) is staying in the same place for as long as possible to see how long they'll hang out before getting bored and leaving. Let me tell you: older Japanese guys are very patient. I hung out at one of those bargain bins for about 5-7 minutes with this old Japanese guy where we would take turns picking something up and returning it to the bin. Finally I put something in my basket and walked away, and he immediately followed. Hilarious!
The good thing is because everyone's always looking at you, it's pretty easy to ask people questions- when my Japanese doesn't totally suck anyway. It's also really easy to make friends with people because they're interested in you and want to ask you a million questions- usually starting with "Why did you come to Japan?" It's a valid question, but one that's not easy to answer because there are a tons reasons why I came here: my break up with Scott, I wanted to live abroad, I'm trying to further my career, it seemed like an easy way to break into teaching internationally, etc. etc. But it's pretty hard to answer any of that when they speak cavemen English and I speak about 20 words of Japanese. So usually I stick to "I'm interested in Japanese culture." It's a true statement, but I could easily add another 100 countries to the list of places where I'm interested in the culture, language, etc.
Hopefully, I can add some more later that's not so ranty.
For those of you who don't know, Golden Week is kind of like Spring break, but without any religious holiday like Easter- or at least there isn't a holiday that my students or coworkers have mentioned. It makes going out of your apartment somewhat unbearable as people flood into every nook and cranny during this time. It also makes travel within and out of Japan terrible. But travelling TO Japan is pretty awesome. If I'd known and planned better I could have had someone come visit me for ridiculously cheap, but maybe next year?
This time alone did help me think about what kind of life I want while here and what kind of life I DON'T like while I'm here. Basically, I don't want to be a drunk idiot gaijin (foreigner) like some other people I saw at the beginning of this vacation. One in particular rubbed me the wrong way and I feel that eliminating toxic, energy-sucking d-bags like him will make my stay here much better because he's that guy who never got over being in college and tries to re-live it every weekend. I'm all for going out, but not if it's the same routine of getting wasted and being a loud jackass. He does other stuff besides drinking too, but he's that guy who shouts in a silent room, always hoping for even more attention. So even if he's doing something interesting that doesn't include getting shitfaced (rarely) his mere presence makes it not as enjoyable for me. The big problem: I work with him. So I have to see him two days a week and when I see him tomorrow I can only imagine what kind of BS will spout forth from his lips.
One more rant, but this time on being a foreigner in Japan: the racial profiling. Obviously I'm not black and don't know what it's like to be black, but living here and trying to quietly shop in Japan is crazy because you're treated like a circus freak. I feel like it MIGHT be as close as I'll ever come to being racially profiled like many of my black friends back home have told me in story after story. I mean, I do stand out a lot. I DO have blond hair now and I am sometimes a good foot taller than a lot of people here, but for fuck's sake, people! Do you have to be so obvious about it? They try so hard to be subtle, too, but it just makes them stand out to me even more. Usually they're just curious, though, and will casually walk and stand next to me like they're interested in the item two feel away. Now at first I didn't realize what was happening, because I usually make a list of stuff I need then just go to that section and grab, so I can get the Hell outta there ASAP. So I just thought it was a Japanese culture thing when people would browse the shelves next to me, but not actually pick up anything to put in their baskets. But then I'd realize they were then in the next aisle with me- huh? I just picked up laundry detergent and now I'm buying cashews seven aisles away and yet here you are! Coincidence? So I developed a little game where I leave an area as soon as a Japanese person appears and then see what happens. Usually almost immediately they walk away from the area, but all the while keeping their eyes on me until I turn around and I look straight at them- then they fucking bolt. The other game I've played (mostly with older Japanese guys) is staying in the same place for as long as possible to see how long they'll hang out before getting bored and leaving. Let me tell you: older Japanese guys are very patient. I hung out at one of those bargain bins for about 5-7 minutes with this old Japanese guy where we would take turns picking something up and returning it to the bin. Finally I put something in my basket and walked away, and he immediately followed. Hilarious!
The good thing is because everyone's always looking at you, it's pretty easy to ask people questions- when my Japanese doesn't totally suck anyway. It's also really easy to make friends with people because they're interested in you and want to ask you a million questions- usually starting with "Why did you come to Japan?" It's a valid question, but one that's not easy to answer because there are a tons reasons why I came here: my break up with Scott, I wanted to live abroad, I'm trying to further my career, it seemed like an easy way to break into teaching internationally, etc. etc. But it's pretty hard to answer any of that when they speak cavemen English and I speak about 20 words of Japanese. So usually I stick to "I'm interested in Japanese culture." It's a true statement, but I could easily add another 100 countries to the list of places where I'm interested in the culture, language, etc.
Hopefully, I can add some more later that's not so ranty.
STOP THE AIDS!!!
As some of you might or might not have seen on my Facebook account, I went to a Penis festival last Sunday in Kawasaki and had a blast! I've tried to make the link available on my F-book site, but if you have trouble I might have to "invite you"- which is weird, but maybe safer for my personal info...
Anyway, so the Penisfest was pretty awesome and I had a great time at an African festival that Kenyetta, Michaela and I went to right afterwards. There was food from all over Africa (I got some hummus from Morocco, but no pita bread- WTF?), and some food from Benin and Nigeria- yummy! The Nigerian stuff wasn't as good as Tobore's, but beggar's can't be choosers, right? There was also an African band playing and shops from all over Africa selling cool stuff, some of which reminded me of that cool African import store in Adam's Morgan, DC. Then Michaela saw a Senegalese guy she knew, I got to practice my shitty French for a second, and then we headed to another part of the area to take some pictures. Afterwards we walked to the Yokohama Ferris wheel and accompanying park attractions and then we saw some Japanese guys practicing Parkour- AWESOME! For those of you who've never heard of it, one of the most famous people who has started a movement called free running (similar to parkour) was chased by Daniel Craig at the beginning of Casino Royale and his website can be seen here:
http://www.foucan.com/?page_id=75
Anyway, so we saw some guys in a bicycle parking area and they were jumping from bar to bar with each bar being about four feet apart and only about two inches in diameter- not one of them fell!
We watched that for a few minutes before strolling towards the metro- all in all a wonderful, but exhausting day!
Then the next day I met up with my fellow English teacher Luke and we explored the Botanical Garden near his house (he'd been there before), but the cool thing about this place is it is especially designed so that each month different parts of the park are in bloom or there's something interesting to see: last month there was a section of plum trees in bloom and this month the sakura (cherry blossoms) are blooming. There's even a firefly month! Pretty cool way to keep people coming back to your establishment...
After a stroll in the garden (and a hilariously creepy moment watching some carp) we went up one metro stop and Luke took me to this 100 yen sushi place. Now 100 yen is about 1 dollar, so that's pretty cheap for sushi and it was still pretty fresh, but the coolest part was there were two separate conveyor belts: the bottom one was the normal, run-of-the-mill conveyor belt sushi, but the top one (where you can order from a touch screen computer) was delivered via a mini-shinkansen! It was REALLY cute! For those of you who don't know, the shinkansen is a bullet train that seems to have a weird cult following in Japan and is loved by foreigners and Japanese alike for its Zen-like efficiency...so I've read anyway. It's expensive as Hell, but I will be taking it to Obama City on the 19th and 20th and will let you know if it's worth the hype. Here's a link describing it:
http://www.japanrail.com/JR_shinkansen.html
Anyway after that we went shopping at a store called Seiyu? (which turns out to be a subsidiary of Wal-Mart) and I bought these hilarious goodies:
Front:
Back:
Then we went to a wonderfully cool store called Don Quijotes and I found this odd beauty (it's a weird, but poignant hat with the fleur-de-lis on it considering the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" billboards all over NOLA when I lived there, although I'm not too sure who "IT" is supposed to be- a child called "IT" maybe?):
One last thing I bought from Don Quijote (and YES it's ALL what you think it is):
One for the road: a video I made from the Botanical garden:
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Weekend in Tokyo
So, of course, my lazy ass didn't finish my story about my weekend out with my Japanese friend Chihiro. We went out for a stroll in Ueno Park on the way to the National museum and then I went shopping with her in Ginza. It was a great day, although I was so tired I had to bail out on other plans I'd made with other people for the rest of the weekend. First I met her at Korakuen Station, which is right next to the Tokyo Dome area and then we got a cab to Ueno Park (my first cab ride in Japan, made much easier by riding with a native speaker).
Once there we strolled around the park until reaching the Tokyo National Museum. It was a great museum that featured many Japanese scrolls, sculptures and old Japanese swords, but I noticed when we got to the sword section that familiar loud, American accent of annoying tourists that turned out to be (obviously) military guys with high and tight haircuts. One in particular kept eyeing me and when I looked over at him, he increased his voice as if trying to get my attention- he did, annoyingly enough. So I lingered a little longer around the katanas until he and his friends got way ahead of us. Sigh...
But to my glee the next section featured traditional wardrobes of the Japanese Ainu, which I assume are similar people to the Native American Alaskan peoples (do we still call them Eskimos?), but it wasn't the clothes that caught my attention as much as the sign revealing that the traditional performances "must have been fabulous." WHAT? Again it said "their performance must have been fabulous"- I'm sorry but when I read that my inner gay voice goes NUTS! Maybe the word fabulous has been forever sullied by me being the ultimate fag hag, but come ON! Okay, I guess you had to be there...
Then she took me to this famous Thai restaurant originally based in Singapore called the Coca restaurant:
http://www.wonderland.to/pc/english/coca_ueno.html
It was great food and I loved the decor.
Then we went shopping at this uppity mall called Printemps, so I could buy some gaijin-friendly dance clothes as I've started going to a Ballet class at the gym during the week. BUT, of course, their large was like America's petite and I had to squeeze my fat ass into everything- DAMMIT! I finally found something that didn't squeal in terror as I out my fleshy legs into it and bought some items fast and furiously.
Places I want to go next:
http://www.ninjaakasaka.com/
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/07/11/the-lock-up-prison-restaurant-at-shibuya/
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+44300
Also, my friend Kimie is visiting this weekend with her mom from America, so hopefully I'll have some more pictures to post.
OH! PLEASE post comments- it gives the will to carry on...
Once there we strolled around the park until reaching the Tokyo National Museum. It was a great museum that featured many Japanese scrolls, sculptures and old Japanese swords, but I noticed when we got to the sword section that familiar loud, American accent of annoying tourists that turned out to be (obviously) military guys with high and tight haircuts. One in particular kept eyeing me and when I looked over at him, he increased his voice as if trying to get my attention- he did, annoyingly enough. So I lingered a little longer around the katanas until he and his friends got way ahead of us. Sigh...
But to my glee the next section featured traditional wardrobes of the Japanese Ainu, which I assume are similar people to the Native American Alaskan peoples (do we still call them Eskimos?), but it wasn't the clothes that caught my attention as much as the sign revealing that the traditional performances "must have been fabulous." WHAT? Again it said "their performance must have been fabulous"- I'm sorry but when I read that my inner gay voice goes NUTS! Maybe the word fabulous has been forever sullied by me being the ultimate fag hag, but come ON! Okay, I guess you had to be there...
Then she took me to this famous Thai restaurant originally based in Singapore called the Coca restaurant:
http://www.wonderland.to/pc/english/coca_ueno.html
It was great food and I loved the decor.
Then we went shopping at this uppity mall called Printemps, so I could buy some gaijin-friendly dance clothes as I've started going to a Ballet class at the gym during the week. BUT, of course, their large was like America's petite and I had to squeeze my fat ass into everything- DAMMIT! I finally found something that didn't squeal in terror as I out my fleshy legs into it and bought some items fast and furiously.
Places I want to go next:
http://www.ninjaakasaka.com/
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/07/11/the-lock-up-prison-restaurant-at-shibuya/
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+44300
Also, my friend Kimie is visiting this weekend with her mom from America, so hopefully I'll have some more pictures to post.
OH! PLEASE post comments- it gives the will to carry on...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I'm sorry, but I don't care what kind of anger management issues Christian Bale has because he's still one of the most beautiful fuckers alive! And a great actor who makes unique, albeit sometimes weird, choices with his movies...
I love Welshmen (don't be fooled by the assumption he's English , Bale was born in Wales)...
Anyway, yet another week of teaching English but this week was "the Easter lesson" (sounds like an obscure 1980's play you'd see your "promising young actor" friend in off-off-off Broadway) and so I tried to add some craftiness to my classes and so far it's worked pretty well. So far I've tried a four-leaf clover for St Patrick's Day, a Valentine's Day heart and this week was a color, cut and paste chick that hasn't destroyed my classroom TOO badly so far.
Just an aside that I have a little boy in one of my classes that interjects once and a while with shouts of "Yes we can!" during lulls in my class and I have mostly ignored them in an attempt to keep the class focused but this week I finally turned to him and and asked "Obama?" Then the WHOLE class started laughing hysterically like I said poop or butt or something- so weird! THEN- the WHOLE class of six kids start chanting "Yes we can!" TOGETHER! I shit you not- crazy... I gotta get my ass to Obama City soon.
So I haven't really ranted about my douchebag neighbor too much on this blog, but I know a few of you know my situation with him, mostly through Facebook status rants: basically, he's loud. In an I'm-an-obnoxious-college-boy kind of way and it wouldn't be SO bad if it were limited to the weekends, but he's loud even during the week at 3 or 4 am? Seriously, dude? WTF? I'm also distressed by the fact that the walls in my LeoPalace apartment complex are very thin, but it still doesn't stop the annoyance of neighbor's shrill, schoolgirl-like laugh that follows with a kind of nyuck nyucking right afterwards. YES! I have been listening in somewhat and have found he's quite the video game and guitar playing dipshit who always seems to be home. This is technically the off season for school, but should end soon (by the end of March, I think), so I'm hoping he either has a job lined up or at least starts to leave the house once and a while. I finally saw him last weekend with his fat friend and he matched exactly what I imagined him to be: a skinny, dork with a goofy, but kind of cute face- who promptly laughed his nyuck nyuck right after I walked past him- douchebag!
This leads me to another reality of Japan for me so far: dating. My JET (Japanese English Teacher) co-worker thinks I should date a Japanese guy, but I have since fallen in love with someone new named Gym. Yep, he's faithful, reliable, clean, and has helped me lose a few pounds since coming to Japan- almost 10 kgs (20 lbs), in fact, in the three months since I've moved here. Don't worry, I don't have an eating disorder, quite the contrary, but I've become quite the gym rat and ALL the trainers know me, which is hilarious! I think the reason I like this gym is that the trainers help you train as part of their job (and not with extra money paid to them for their special attention), the same people teach a lot of the cool classes, and the these classes fucking ROCK! My membership includes classes like ballet (more on that later), hip hop (fucking HILARIOUSLY fun) and a Tae Bo-ish class called Fight Do as well as Hula, Flamenco, and Boot Camp-type shit you'd pay extra for in the states. I LOVE my new boyfriend!
One other piece of news: I finally got a katakana stamp last weekend when I met up with my friend Chihiro (maybe I mentioned her: she and her husband Tomohiro helped me navigate the vast Tokyo metro when I first got here and have since become great people to know for going out and exploring Tokyo). I have another separate post for that, but I wanted to show you pictures of my stamp, an owl, OF COURSE!
Here's the breakdown:
If you're wondering what the Hell it says or how to read it, start from the the top right down and then top left down and it reads: Ro-ma-n-su, my last name- well, kind of- the Japanese LOVE adding vowel sounds, so there's a "u" at the end, but not really pronounced. Voila!
ANOTHER hilarious Japanese ad- this time for pachinko:
I love Welshmen (don't be fooled by the assumption he's English , Bale was born in Wales)...
Anyway, yet another week of teaching English but this week was "the Easter lesson" (sounds like an obscure 1980's play you'd see your "promising young actor" friend in off-off-off Broadway) and so I tried to add some craftiness to my classes and so far it's worked pretty well. So far I've tried a four-leaf clover for St Patrick's Day, a Valentine's Day heart and this week was a color, cut and paste chick that hasn't destroyed my classroom TOO badly so far.
Just an aside that I have a little boy in one of my classes that interjects once and a while with shouts of "Yes we can!" during lulls in my class and I have mostly ignored them in an attempt to keep the class focused but this week I finally turned to him and and asked "Obama?" Then the WHOLE class started laughing hysterically like I said poop or butt or something- so weird! THEN- the WHOLE class of six kids start chanting "Yes we can!" TOGETHER! I shit you not- crazy... I gotta get my ass to Obama City soon.
So I haven't really ranted about my douchebag neighbor too much on this blog, but I know a few of you know my situation with him, mostly through Facebook status rants: basically, he's loud. In an I'm-an-obnoxious-college-boy kind of way and it wouldn't be SO bad if it were limited to the weekends, but he's loud even during the week at 3 or 4 am? Seriously, dude? WTF? I'm also distressed by the fact that the walls in my LeoPalace apartment complex are very thin, but it still doesn't stop the annoyance of neighbor's shrill, schoolgirl-like laugh that follows with a kind of nyuck nyucking right afterwards. YES! I have been listening in somewhat and have found he's quite the video game and guitar playing dipshit who always seems to be home. This is technically the off season for school, but should end soon (by the end of March, I think), so I'm hoping he either has a job lined up or at least starts to leave the house once and a while. I finally saw him last weekend with his fat friend and he matched exactly what I imagined him to be: a skinny, dork with a goofy, but kind of cute face- who promptly laughed his nyuck nyuck right after I walked past him- douchebag!
This leads me to another reality of Japan for me so far: dating. My JET (Japanese English Teacher) co-worker thinks I should date a Japanese guy, but I have since fallen in love with someone new named Gym. Yep, he's faithful, reliable, clean, and has helped me lose a few pounds since coming to Japan- almost 10 kgs (20 lbs), in fact, in the three months since I've moved here. Don't worry, I don't have an eating disorder, quite the contrary, but I've become quite the gym rat and ALL the trainers know me, which is hilarious! I think the reason I like this gym is that the trainers help you train as part of their job (and not with extra money paid to them for their special attention), the same people teach a lot of the cool classes, and the these classes fucking ROCK! My membership includes classes like ballet (more on that later), hip hop (fucking HILARIOUSLY fun) and a Tae Bo-ish class called Fight Do as well as Hula, Flamenco, and Boot Camp-type shit you'd pay extra for in the states. I LOVE my new boyfriend!
One other piece of news: I finally got a katakana stamp last weekend when I met up with my friend Chihiro (maybe I mentioned her: she and her husband Tomohiro helped me navigate the vast Tokyo metro when I first got here and have since become great people to know for going out and exploring Tokyo). I have another separate post for that, but I wanted to show you pictures of my stamp, an owl, OF COURSE!
Here's the breakdown:
If you're wondering what the Hell it says or how to read it, start from the the top right down and then top left down and it reads: Ro-ma-n-su, my last name- well, kind of- the Japanese LOVE adding vowel sounds, so there's a "u" at the end, but not really pronounced. Voila!
ANOTHER hilarious Japanese ad- this time for pachinko:
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