I Heart Fukuoka

One of the best things about living in a place where everyone knows who you are and theres more rice fields than restaurants is leaving it and enjoying the city in all its polluted, busy, annonymous glory.
I especially like Fukuoka now that i know where the best restaurants,hotels and shops are (plus the people are way freindlier than Hiroshima) Although theres a lot of us ghost faces, I was well chuffed to be recognised by the staff last weekend at 2 places that me and sarah frequented over the summer (one with a nice "hisashiburi ne!" and the other with "ah-killers!!" remembering the t-shirt I wore last time!!) We had an ace chilled out night on Friday (ending up hammered as all "calm" night do) and got quite over-excited for the sumo. The atmosphere was amazing even outside with the big dudes wandering around in dressing gowns (sorry-traditional garments) and millions of souveneers (sumo tissues anyone?) to be sold as well as sho-chu and bentos-a quitessential Japanese experience. Being a sumo wrestler looks like a bloody cushy job to me-you fight for a total of two minutes at the most and get paid shitloads to be a big beefer. Some interesting facts about sumo...
-the wrestlers sleep after they eat to encourage weight gain
-women are not allowed toplay or even in the ring as it would "anger the gods"...
-...which is why sumo cant be a olympic sport.
-The mongolian one is strangely attractive
I was glad I bothered to watch this in Japan, it was spectacle worthy of a weekend and about as far away from the English sporting attitude of swearing at the ref and eating pies as possible.

Muppets!

You are Kermit the Frog.
You are reliable, responsible and caring. And you
have a habit of waving your arms about
maniacally.

FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS:
"Hi ho!" "Yaaay!" and
"Sheesh!"
FAVORITE MOVIE:
"How Green Was My Mother"

LAST BOOK READ:
"Surfin' the Webfoot: A Frog's Guide to the
Internet"

HOBBIES:
Sitting in the swamp playing banjo.

QUOTE:
"Hmm, my banjo is wet."


What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Well I agree with the waving arms around part but I was hoping for animal...Who is everyone else?!

Merr

I think I'm ill. My ears are weird and when they pop I feel dizzy for about three seconds then have super acute hearing for about half an hour which dissintergrates into being underwater over the next couple of hours. Also I keep doing super loud explosive sneezes where I feel like I'm emitting an important part of my brain. I had a sick day yesterday (first in 14 months!) and dragged myself in today...and for what? No lessons and a freezing staff room, thats what. knobends.

Seriously

Today when I was walking home from school a women I usually see around my apartement walking/carrying her mangy shitzu type dog after bowing at me made her dog bow at me by pushing its little head down. This bloody place.

Redressing the balance

It could have been something in the water, it could have been the excuse of a birthday, it could have been the influence of Steph "only not drinking when I'm asleep" SpastiKannie, but this weekend was one my most debauched in a bloody long time.
Something to tell the grandkids part 1: Lost in Tokuyama.
Seenas my sense of directions is flawed at the best of times, (and when I say flawed I mean like a angry fly with cataracts) its no surprise that completely pissed at 4am after a night of the usual JET tomfoolery (yakitori,drinking,dancing,spewing, passing out...and karaoke) I had a few problems finding Hannah's house. It started with a taxi but ended with me wandering around like a lost orphan for a bit. Then I decided that walking back to the station was the best idea seenas it was 5 am and the trains are early. However I somehow lost my way (funny that!) but lights were on the horizon! A fishing shop! Thank god for blood sports! They rang me a taxi and I realised I had been walking in completely the wrong direction. After going to bed at 7am I slept till 4 then geared myself for another allnighter...

Part 2: Who needs the city when you've got Yanai?
Somewhere between my repeated beer and secret spilling (possibly the most interesting game of I have never...ever) we resolved to not bother going to the indie night I had been so excited about. This pattern of getting so f*cked on friday night that you can't function for the main even on Saturday I would like to call "tripping before you've even got off your knees." Anyway Gotcha was brimming with J-Gangstars of the furry hood bandana breakdancing variety. mad dope. I couldnt have been more out of place unless I was taking part in a aurienteering exercise in Bulagaria. But! As most unplanned random ramshackle nights go it ended up a winner as me and Steph got chatted up by some random dudes who were a top laugh. Yes funny friendly j-guys (who speak English!) are out there girls! Although my view may have een slightly hightened in retrospect...
After all this intoxication I was coecened into more drinking on Sunday (how rare is it that I'm the one being made to drink? people back home back me up! steph and matt are heathens...and absolute troopers!;)
BUT the madness ends in Monday as I worked my arse off at school and then went out to dinner with this absolute nutter. They're a curious breed over here-the English speaker who's completely nuts and loves foreigners. He'd been hounding everyone to go out with him (quite literally-he even went to Ross' school!) I took pity on this dude and met him for ramen hoping that someone else would have caved but no-just me!(completely old and harmless by the way..but defintiely a few screws loose!!) He greeted the hostess with "She is from Great Britain!" (cringe!) and took me on a "tour" of Yanai ("this is the bank, this is the post office"cheers mate I've been here 15 months!!) It was then I begged Lauren to come and meet/save me and we indulged in some amusing karaokes.
Hence I felt I had redressed the balance somewhat by giving something back to Japan in spending time with its oddballs after gorging on its more lowbrow delights over the past three days. Now I just need to volenteer for the blind and properly sort my gomi and things will be fine...

Influx

Even with the almost endless abundance of free time that this job and situation entails I simply don't have time to trawl through the magnificant currrent of good bands emerging. Discovering a new band that I'm utterly gone on usually happens every month or so, but right now I'm swamped. Have recently found/heard/been turned on to/been bowled over by the following:
Clor, My Morning Jacket, We Are Scientists (thanks mark!), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Cribs, Giant Drag, Test Icicles and The Mystery Jets (cheers Jimmy!)

Tis a time to be lucky to have ears kids ;)

J-Pop- Anyone Can Do It!

Only in Japan part 1937

Follow these simple steps to create your own multi-million selling J-Pop band

Step 1. Give yourself a ridiculous name (in English)
Seriously anything will do-learn from the famous ones:
The completely baffling (B'z,Rip Slyme, SMAP)
...to the trying to be hard (Def Tec, nobodyknows)
...to the mildly worrying that almost sounds like something you'd get arrested for (Mr Children, Bump of Chicken, Scoop on Somebody)

Step2. Insert the following Japanese words as you see fit: hitori/futari (one person/two people)
hana (flower)
kokoro (heart)
kimi (you to people lower than you)
daisuki (like)
isshou (together)
yume (dream)

Step 3 And then add the following basterdised English ones:
ruvuruvu (love)
nisu bodiii (nice body)
bayybee (baby)
garu(girl)
boiii(boy)

Step4Half way through the song add a nonsensical English phrase. Grammer, logicality or sanity need not apply. Some examples:
"I can stop music i can stop stupid"
"Going going crazy monkey world"-Orange Range
"Dear my lovely pain"-B'z
"Enjoy, Its joy!"-Nobodyknows
"Bang!bang!bang!Go now!"-SMAP
"Hang in there body, clap your hands"-Dragon Ash

Its really that easy!

Halloween Revisited

OK so Halloween was a good enough party to deserve a propher post methinks.
Best Bits:
-The costumes-i must say the Yamaguchians outdid themselves this year with practically everyone making an effort! Loved Marina's 80s chic, Dave's Bondage Witch, Lee and Jess' Mangapoi and the inspired 7ereveners. Counting the votes for the contest was a feat in itself trying to decifer things like "afro girl" and "pandathing" (who was a panda i ask you?!) Christine (Anpangirl-Japanese character) and Spiller's Jackie Kennedy (clearly a role he was born to play!) were very deserving of the titles Miss and Mr Halloween 2005(or should that be Miss and Mrs?!) What is it with men dressed in drag i ask you?! My head says no but my loins say go!
-My costume, I thought was pretty sinister but all the J folk kept telling me I was kawaii-grrrrrr!
Also, I am aware of the irony in me being a (debauched, goth) Angel and Lauren being a (classy, sweet) Devil.
-A conversation concerning who had the best boobs in Yamaguchi(with all females partcipants). No conclusion was made although some good research was had (!) Answers on a postcard please.
-The bewildered mixture of laughter/concern/pity when Keith turned up in a wheelchair.
-The games-who knew you could have so much fun with a bit of bog roll? I'm introducing that back to Blighty!
-The shot downing-Yoshika informs me over 50 were bought that night (mostly consumed by Steph I'm sure) Hardcore!
-Actually enjoying DJing-usually I'm pretty stressed that I'm playing the wrong thing but this time I just went with the flow and got everyone going with blur, orange range, the bravery ect-thanks for everyones support!
-Whereas, quite the miracle in itself, I remained sober. With nights when I have a commitment the next day (seems to be every bloody gotcha party recently!) I try my best to not get too pished (hmm didnt work on Friday night...) But this time I managed it, despite several people asking to buy me drinks (thats will power for you!!) I'm holding you all to it next time!;)