A skype chat with Dissident Vox in the UK and Jedi Juzi in Japan! They talk Japanese food, culture, and karaoke!


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A very late/early night...

Last night myself, Evan and Brad (Evan's friend and ex NOVA teacher who is back in Japan for a little while) had an all nighter in Hiroshima. Again I didn't drink much all night, maybe 3 beers, as I'm still a bit funny on the alcohol but still had a good time.

It was strange coming home at 5 in the morning and seeing both Businessmen and School children up and around...

Also we found the biggest traffic bollard I've ever seen...

Evan makes love to the biggest traffic cone ever!

Evan makes love to the biggest traffic cone ever!
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Another fine night at Karaoke!

On Sunday night another exciting adventure of Karaoke was on the cards...

I have included the photo's I took from that night....and yes I know I may need a haircut!

I only had 2 beers that night, as I still seem to get sensitive to the alcohol after overdoing it the other week, but had probably the best Karaoke night yet...

Ah, Crap! I'm singing Britney again...

Ah, Crap! I'm singing Britney again...
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Jimmy Saville and Suzette

Jimmy Saville and Suzette
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Ken after one too many...

Ken after one too many...
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Evan at Karaoke

Evan at Karaoke
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Brad at Karaoke

Brad at Karaoke
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Ken at Karaoke

Ken at Karaoke
Originally uploaded by renegadese7en.

Japanese Jazz

Last night, we went to a small (and by small I mean Japanese small, so maybe 20 people could fit there) bar called Mondo in Saijo. Why ? I hear you ask...(well I hear my imaginary friend Claude ask). Well one of our Japanese friends, Takuya (and a fine chap to boot) had his girlfriend singing in her band, and so for moral support the "Gaijin Gang" saddled up like the magnificent 7 and rode into town.

Actually I like the Magnificent 7 comparison...6 gaijin teachers and 1 local...(Ken). Each with a different skill. But equally as deadly...

Anyway, I am the sort of person who defines Jazz by two categories; Cool, slightly melancholic Jazz (i.e. Miles Davis etc) or Wanky Jazz (i.e. Indulgent bulls@@t). Anyway I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the bands last night were the former, although the site of a 16 stone, hairy, bald Japanese man playing a mini guitar (a ukelele I guess) and singing "One Day my Prince will come" to a jazz riff, will live long in the memory.

Anyway, myself, Derrick and Jen stayed the entire set whilst Evan, Ken and Jason disappeared off to Rodeo (an American bar). Afterward we went and got some food at Wara Wara, the Izakaya and alongside Takuya, the four of us had a good chat.

Getting to know people is always a potentially rocky road, but the rewards can be so fufilling. Derrick said something about me that, although not offensive in any way was a pretty accurate and honest description of my emotional state. I feel that I only carry one scar but the cut was so deep, that its never really healed (I guess like Frodo in Lord of the Rings...), so instead of letting people in and letting them love me, I push them away because I'm afraid that the wound will open and I'll bleed to death.

Derrick didn't exactly say it this way, but pretty close. Being me, I have thought about this long and hard and realised that I'm trapped, because even though I want to love, it's difficult because of all the barriers I have now put up, but I think the only way to bring them down is too let someone in....Crappola.

Anyway it was a good night. Myself and Derrick joked that Jen has a drinking problem (6 beers last night!!!! I was good, I only had 4), too which we had a barrage of French insults. For some reason, and probably because of the influence of Satan's pee, Jen kept jabbering on with a British accent. Derrick called us the odd couple, I guess because we are so different but get along really well. He then proceeded to ask if we had a love/hate relationship, to which Jen replied she could never hate me...just love. Aww sweet eh ?

Drink! Arse! Girls! Feck!

Well, its 8:15 in the PM here in Saijo and I've just got back from CAT training in Hiroshima. Sadly there were no felines involved, which made me sad, but all in all it was a fairly intense, yet informative few hours. I have to wait a few days to see if I have "passed" and can now officially level check our students, but I'm hoping it went well.

Saturday night, I was asked out again by Jen for drinks, and with nothing else to do, and never one to turn down a night out with the "ladies" (he he he), I dragged out Ken (our Japanese friend) and proceeded to have a fairly good time. Well, 4 beers and 4 Godfathers (a lethal combination of Whiskey and Amaretto) I was well and truly plastered. In fact I haven't got that drunk in a long time. I had a few beers on my birthday night, but it wasn't as bad as Saturday night.

After Ken dropped me and the girls off, I decided it was time for another beer, so we all had one more at their appartment, and sat around talking. I do remember being in Suzette's bedroom looking at photo's of her family ( her Portuguese Father has an amazing moustache); my accent being gently mimicked by her; and being offered a place to sleep...Don't all OHH and AHH! it was just the sofa...But no I decided to "ride" home. If that whats you could call it.

Anyway I paid for my stupidity on Sunday, vomiting 5 times (twice at work) and have ONLY just recovered.

Bloody Women...

The Observations of a Grasshopper and C.A.T Training

" Ah Grasshopper"

" Yes Sensei ? "

" You have been in the Land of the Rising Sun for over 3 months. What say you of your fellow staff ? "

" Well I have Meditated long and hard over this, Master, and this is what I have come up with. "

DERRICK

A nice enough guy. Funny and interesting, but a little bit of a jobsworth at times. I guess this goes with the territory of being an AT. Sometimes I feel as if there is more too him. A part that he keeps to himself (and is rightly entitled too). Anyway, he has always been nice enough to me.

EVAN

My flatmate. I guess since Steve moved out we have become friends. As I have mentioned before there is enough respect between us, so we are not dependant on each other. Anyway, he has been a bit of a lifeline for me here. A bridge between Japan being totally alien and the hidden delights it has to offer. Top bloke.

JASON

A nice enough guy. Helpful, understanding but just a bit bland. Sometimes I think he is an okay guy, but he has this annoyingly bad habits that just release the uber-geek in him. Sometimes these are cringe worthy moments. Rarely they will be endearing. And I still think he needs to shave his goatee off.

JEN

Forward and opinionated but energetic and feisty. She has entered the NOVA enviroment like some kind of emotional dervish. In the immortal words of Han Solo " I'm either beginning to like her or I'm gonna kill her". I guess the majority of you who read this blog, know my personality so all I have to do is say that there is just enough of a difference between me and Jen to make it interesting. Talks to herself though which is wierd...

SUZETTE

Very bubbly amd very sweet. She has a less cynical approach to life than someone like me or Jen. I guess that's expected of someone who comes from Northern California and has a Portuguese background. I've never seen her less than happy, which naturally makes me suspicious (ha ha ha)...where does she get her energy from...

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And this time next week I have to travel to Hiroshima for CAT training. No this doesn't mean I will be involved in Feline pursuits, teaching Japanese moggies how to speak English...mmm that would be cool though...CAT training means I will be able to decide what level new students will be. Only 50% of NOVA staff are allowed to do this and at the moment, it's only Evan and Derrick.

Should be a Purrfect day...

The Post with no Name

Well, I didn't really know what to call it.

I scratched my head. Paced up and down the room. Had a lie down. But in the end, nothing would come to me. In fact as I write this, I don't even know what it's going to be about. Perhaps it could be called "MEANDERING POST".

Anyway, since my last post I guess I am feeling better in myself. I don't know why. I think that the arrival of the new teachers, may have upset the balance I had gotten used too. Now there is a whole new dynamic at work and with friendships. I know that this may sound dramatic, but being "isolated" in a minority means that even though you can be friends with the local people, relationships with (in this case) English speakers become more important.

I think I was feeling a bit run down anyway, having just come off a busy month, followed by an insanely busy week. The new girls turn up with all this energy, and I wondered where mine had gone. The spark I used to have. I realised that it's still there, just tempered at the moment. But I also realised that in Kid's lessons it still burns bright. Especially in my Kinder classes. I don't know what it is about those classes. Perhaps its because I am a kid at heart, but they all seem to like me. Yuutarou, a 5 year old in my morning Saturday class, made me insect cards out of an old apple juice carton. He drew all these insects on the back, and proceeded to give them to me on Saturday. Appparently "fighting insects" (toys not real ones) are massive amongst young boys, so I can now join in. My favourite is the Scorpion.

In other news....,

Jen invited me out on Saturday night for a drink, so in the end myself, herself, Suzette, Ken and Jason (Evan was still feeling tired), ended up at Karaoke. This time we went to a different place which looked like a hotel. Usually in Karaoke in Japan people sit down at sing, but no, not Jen or Suzette. Being Americans, and feisty Americans, they decided to stand, dance and sing at the back of the room. This time I sang (for John's records) -

One
Hit me Baby one more time (!!!!)
Stand by me
Help! (with Jason)
In my Place
Manic Monday (with Jen)


The girls also invited me around their appartment for a beer on Sunday. So I ended up watching a movie and drinking cold lager with Jen and Suzette, and I started thinking, do they see me as a non threat ? Like a gay friend ? Holy Crappola. Or is it 'cause I'm a Brit. British man = Gentleman. I also had a mini-row with Jen over work and Jason. It's a pretty stupid argument, since which she has apologised (good eh!), but I just felt like a scapegoat, a lamb to the slaughter for something I hadn't done or said.

Anyhow, I'm hoping that's behind us, so we can be mates.

Right I'm off, I've gotta get ready for work.

Are fish and chips the greatest pick-me up ?

Well, poor old Evan has recovered from the mumps only for it to relocate to his groin. This has left him in considerable pain, and the medication/fever combination has left him nauseous and without an appetite. Seeing as this has coincided with my three days off, I have felt that there has not been enough room in the appartment, mainly because his room is adjacent to the living room. I have spent the majority of my freetime either wandering around Saijo, or like I did yesterday wandering into the city.

I really feel sorry for the guy. I mean he's never had a sick day since he's been here and now this. Well I do hope he get's better soon.

As for me, I guess I'm feeling a little better. I spoke to Jason yesterday over fish n chips in Molly Malones and it felt reassuring that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I guess I can battle through this and avoid making rash (and ultimately wrong) decisions.

I have a Harry Potter voice lesson on Sunday. This should be fun. I aim to split the lesson in half, by having a Hogwarts style 1st period (potions, transfigaration etc) and a book/movie comparisons debate in the second. I hope it goes well...

Had a coffee with Suzette today. She's a nice enough girl...plus I helped her register for her Alien registration card. Always good to be helpful....

Feelin' Blue on the Longest Day.

I don't know why, but I feel really down. It started on Sunday and has eaten at me for the last few days. Perhaps it's to do with turning 29. I don't feel 29. I don't feel bad that the big 30 is 12 months away and approaching like a dervish. Age has never really bothered me. I guess it's pretty irrelevant, just the counting of days. Lines drawn to distinguish the increasing burden of responsibility and then back to insignificance and death. No, it definately ain't age.

As a friend of mine told me recently, there ain't nothing wrong with feeling down. I guess they're right. It doesn't mean I have to like it. It makes my head, heart and soul hurt. I eventually know, that'll I'll dig myself out of it, and get on with life because that's what I do.

My brother said before I left that'd there would be days like this. It's not that I didn't believe him, I just didn't expect them to carry the same sadness and loneliness that they did in the UK. Sometimes it feels worse. Free of restraints and shackles that I placed upon myself in the UK, I have rediscovered my independance. Something I haven't tasted since my University days. But now it is slightly bittersweet. I first tasted this on my Kyoto trip, where I had the freedom to to anything. To go anywhere. But, as I have been for most of my life, I was alone. It's a strange feeling to have everything and nothing at the same time.

But inner strength is born in the face of adversity, and as I struggle through on this never ending day, I know that somewhere that first ray of sunshine is waiting for me.

I have always dealt with such things with patience. To wait things out and see what happens. Not to rock the boat. Never crossing the line and taking a risk. Is this something I need to do now ? To take my life and drag it where I need it to go ?

Peace out.

The eye of the storm

Well, Typhoon Nabi passed through Saijo yesterday with winds of 120km per hour, and spewed more rain than I'd seen in a long time. I had to work, and some crazy people decided to come to NOVA to learn English! Luckily I finished early, leaving Jason and Jen the dubious task of riding home in high winds and lashing rain. Crikey! Even I had problems walking home and I only live 2 minutes away.

Check out this report from the BBC (it includes video footage).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4215098.stm

Sadly 16 people are missing and 4 have lost their lives. What with the devistation caused by Katrina last week, it certainly hammers home the power of nature.

A storm is coming

So, last night was party night here in flat 302 at Curail Watanabe. I guess maybe 23 people turned up, ranging from the Japanese NOVA staff to 3 of Kaori's friends to the NOVA teachers. Evan cooked a large vegetable curry, Kaori made a really good Pasta and ham dish, Jason made Jumbalaya and I bought crisps, nuts, etimame beans and dried squid (all great drinking snacks).

Ken, our eternally optimistic Japanese friend, got pissed on half a tin of beer. I kid you not. I've never seen anything like it. His face went bright red and he seemed more loud than usual. Plus I had some really nice gifts. Evan bought me a new game for the PS2 and made me a really cool CD of Canadian rock (no Bryan Adams!), Jason bought me a book, Ken got me some Japanese music, Derrick bought me a bottle of whisky and Kaori's friends who I have only met once before bought me a tatami cushion that's really comfy.

However, you always have to have one knob at a party. This happened around 9:30. Unable to read a perfectly good map I'd drawn for them, the new NOVA teachers turned up late. Now I don't have a problem with Suzette or Jen, but in tow they had one of Jen's friends. Now if I said "crazy, loud, psychotic sanky bint" that would be the mother of all understatements. Despite the "sank dance" (christened by Evan), she was very much an in your face kind of person. And in the end, I lost it with her. I was fired up on beer and Shochou (evil Japanese sake) and I don't even remember what she said. I think it had something to do with kids. Evan told me afterward that he thought it was great and that he was glad that someone ripped her a new one. I don't think I am an angry guy, and I don't make a habit of having a go at people, but man I felt like sticking a chopstick through my ears, as it would have been less painless than her.

Evan mentioned to me this morning that after that, she was holding my hand and stroking my arm. He even wanted to place a bet with Ken that myself and this girl would end up sleeping together. Mind you, with Jason as a witness, she did try to snog my face off in the our hallway. Being a gent and sane (only slighty), I politely declined and she left soon after. Man...if crazy is a person, I met her last night.

Anyway after everyone else left, myself, Derrick, Evan, and Jason couldn't stop laughing at Ken's idea for a porn movie. He started going on about "indie porn" and how he'd make a film called "World Premier" with us in it. Man, I haven't laughed that long for a while. The guy is a hoot.

Anyway, a typhoon is due in this part of Japan tomorrow. Should be fun!!!!

Feelin' the strain, a breath of fresh air and Party night!

So far I've worked 8 days without a break. Today will be the ninth and I still have Monday and Tuesday to work. I am starting to feel the strain though, and my three days off (I did a shift swap last week) cannot come soon enough. After my "crazy gang" Kinders yesterday, I felt about 90. They have so much energy, and I guess don't have to work 12 day weeks.

Jennifer (one of our new American teachers) started work on Friday and because of Evan's sickness was asked to do overtime. Which she did. She's like a breath of fresh air, and after just four guys for a month it certainly is nice to have a female around. You also have to consider that the previous female teachers we had (Erika and Beth) were very distant and wouldn't socialise with us Gaijin guys. Jen is like the anti-Erika. Also I met her flatmate, Suzette at the station on Friday. She too is American, but from the other side of the country and his half Portuguese. She too is very nice and it looks like out school has some good teachers at last.

Tonight is Party night at our appartment. I hope everyone has a good time, although Evan is restricted to tea because of his antibiotics. I will fill you in on what happened later in the week!!!

Post Birthday Post

Well, that's it. I am now 29. One year off turning 30. At least I can make the most of this last year in what has been a find decade in my life. University (twice), Claire (yes, there were some good times, actually a lot of good times), my Sister's wedding, my Brother's wedding (and being his best man) and coming to Japan. It's been pretty cool.

Well, anyway yesterday was supposed to be my one day off this week. However Dr. Goatee is treking up Mount Fuji and poor Evan's face has swollen to the size of a football (I think he has infected saliva glands or maybe a stone), so he didn't go to work. So, I was called in, and I couldn't really say no (as it would have only been Derrick, and the Japanese have a crazy way of working). So for the first time in 10 years I worked on my Birthday.

It wasn't too bad. The staff bought me a birthday cake (which I couldn't eat - cream!), and all in all it went fairly quickly. I guess I'm looking forward to next Wednesday, 'cos I'll have worked 12 days on the trot!

YAWN!