Hot tips for 2006

We Are Scientists.
Arctic Monkeys are an obvious choice but you cant see the good for the hype at the moment. It will soon be cool to hate them, as the singer recently commented but when will it be ok to talk about their music instead of how much fuss they are creating in the charts?
Anyway WAS are fanatstic and oh-dare I say it piss all over the strokes. Angular post punk never sounded so fresh. Its not rocket science but it sounds like that moment in the indie disco where everyone rushes to the dancefloor cos they're finally playing something good. For the whole album.
I also love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Be Your Own Pet. One is etheral harmonypop and one is shouty fem-agressive punk. I'll let you discover which is which.
I've also heard a lot about The Automatic but they sound and look to me like a bad Test Icicles who got lost in Lost Prophets wardrobe.

Decisions...

...I'm off!

Sorry for my previous listing blog...I hadn't lost the ability to think for myself and found the somewhat dubious ability to resort to lists to make important decisions, just wanted to throw the whole issue out there and see what people who were going through the same thing/know me well had to say. Thanks for all the comments anyway.
In the end, the clincher was thinking about things I could be doing next year. There seemed to be so many possibilities that i knew staying in Japan would be a soft/lazy option for me. I think I've gotten everything I wanted/needed out of the experience (which is A LOT!) and I'm ready for the next adventure. Hence I pledge to live the next six months to the full, enjoying Japan for all its worth and giving it a proper sayonora. I will be sad to leave, like really sad but thats only a testimate to how much fun I had here and the quality of pals I made (erk this is turning into some sort of weepy speech already-sorry!) plus, as many people have said, its better to leave on a high than a "get me out of here" type feeling.

As for what kat does next I'm planning on "doing" Oz for a bit (hmm till the money runs out) and then next who knows-back to uni/work exp/America/Asia...keep tunes to find out! ~_^

Hmm...

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh. You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum. Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

My Favourite Band Names

(In no particular order)
1. Rainy Day F%ck Parade
2. Help She Can't Swim
3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
4. Shut Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames
5. A Cat Born In the Oven Isn't a Cake
6. Godspeed You Black Emporer
7. The Test Icicles
8. Hot Hot Heat
9. Ben Dover and the Screamers
10. Stupid Stupid Stupid and Steve

Japanisms

This was in the karaoke book-the band names here just get worse...



Possibly the most appropriate tshirt for this country ever

I've Been Tagged (apparently...)

4 Jobs I've Had in My Life
Shop Assistant in Knickerbox (Underwear shop, men would often hold out their hands and say "This big" when asked what their girlfreinds bra size was )
Shop Assistant in a Habadashary/Joke Shop (under the counter box of hen/stag night stuff, sold many a vibrater. I was 15)
Bar Maid/Waitress in a Hotel (it wasnt a good wedding unless there was a fight)
Performing English Monkey, sorry Teacher in Japan

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again, and Do
Closer (Especially for the "now F&ck off and die you f&cked up slag" line)
Withnail And I ("Scrubbers!)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Royal Tenenbaums

4 Places I Have Lived
Dukinfield, Manchester
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Warwick University Halls F2
Yanai, Japan

4 TV Shows I Love To Watch
Peep Show (recently discovered it, eerie Bitcom, fantastic)
Top of The Pops (cos theres ususally a half decent band in amongst the pop tat..and yeah i do enjoy the pop a bit i must admit)
Six Feet Under (macabre genius)
Spaced (Hilarious and I have a bizarre crush on Simon Pegg)

4 Websites I visit daily
nme.com
Various blogs of Yamaguchians and a few further afield
kanjisite.com
bbc.co.uk/radio1 (so i can relisten to Lamauq and Zane Lowe)

4 Places I have Been on Holiday
Dominican Republic
Barcalona
England (bizzarely!)
Paris

4 Favourite Foods
Chocolate
Indian Curry
Enchiladas
Yakkiniku

4 Places I would rather Be
On a beach in Thailand (roll on March-woo)
Harajuku, Tokyo
New York
Sydney,Australia

4 Bands I Can Listen to over and over again (and do)
We Are Scientists
The Futureheads
The Smiths
Doves

4 People I am Tagging
Lauren
Sarah
Keith
Sam

Over and out X ( i added the music one and the English spelling. haha)

Please give me some advices

So anyway as you probably guessed from my last post I am in a deep quandary concerning next year...I want stay...but then again I want to go. In the style of an average English solo singer (Lemar)I am 50/50...

Reasons to stay:
I love Japan and want to see more of it-Tokyo, Okinawa...
I've got a cushy deal here-nice apartment, good working hours, varied schools, good wage...
I love my pals here, both JET and Japanese and would be sad to say bye to them
Saying bye to my pseudo-adopted J-family, the mantanis makes me v sad too ;~;
I've not really got anything lined up for after and would hate to be unemployed/doing some crappy job and wishing I'd stayed in Japan.
It would give me more time and money to figure out my next step.
I like studying Japanese and want to get better.
At times my job is amazing and i like (most of) my students. Some I love. Sometimes I feel like I'm really helping them with their English and broadening their minds to other cultures and its really satisfying.
Could get more involved with J-hobbies like shodo, kendo ect.
Would have had the full JET and Japan experience in 3 years. Home is always going to be there.

Reasons to go:
The job is, at times, banal and frustrating. I could completely loose interest over the next 18 months. Sometimes I feel like I'm not teaching the students anything and I can do nothing to change to spirit crushing school system here.
A lot of my close friends will leave over summer.
And the transition period of new Jets isn't always fun.
Lots of opportunities out there and I'm not getting any younger!
Miss my family and friends in England.
Need to start really deciding on a career path.
Staying in the job (for the main part)for the money isn't really fair to the school or kids.
Another blistering summer and ice cold winter here doesn’t excite me.
I really miss the banter and chit chat of a western workplace.
May be really hard to adjust back to Western culture after 3 years here and I'll become one of those weirdos who stay here forever/never stop talking about Japan.

So there you have it..any advice/suggestions/making the decision for me welcome and appreciated! X

Aftermath...and my own Utupia,..Nippon-isu

I like Japan a lot. I like its clean crime free streets, how nice and reserved people are with crazy good natured mental monsters ready to come out when they drink, the super cute innocent school uniforms, the simplicity and beauty of the food, their awe of foreigners loud and relaxed ways, their ability to work like trojans and never complain, the surreal kitsch anime, the crazy layers fashion, the charmingly bad English.
Yes, folks I am experiencing the rosy glow of someone who's just been back to their own country and had a good, albiet eye opening time.
I know the ridiculous inflexability, rigid bureaucracy, fear of anything out of the ordinary, saccharine love for cuteness that borders on insanity (especially amongst 30 year old women), racism, starchy mingo food, maytrdom at work, two faced personalities, timid mouse and skebeness will soon begin to grate but for now the positives are shining through.
People in Britain are f#cking rude and loud, especially if they have a job where you're suppost to be polite to people. The sheer disrespect of other people and public space is disgusting, the food is (mostly) artery clogging on toast, people are Xenophobic and proud of it, people settle for crappy jobs and give a half arsed try at them moaning as much as possible along the way.
However, you can't ignore the amazing array of fantastic, easily accessed brilliant music scenes, the vibrant and world class comedy, setting the world to rights in a dingy pub, a tacky club afterwards where you make a tit of yourself dancing to abba on a vodbull high, random and life affirming conversations with complete strangers, the camaraderie of the workplace, the perfected British art of tacking the p%ss and the fact that there’s nothing better than a brew and a bacon buttie in the morning.
Thus poses my dilemma. I don't think I'll ever be completely able to exist in either country and not compare it to the other. In England they don’t say "itadakimasu" before eating, they don’t wait for everyone to Kampai (lovely touches, methinks) BUT in Japan they don't have kebebs at 3am or central heating. (essential for living, surely)
Therefore I want to create a new country, an amalgam of the best bits of both Nippon and Igirisu where the yakitori is fresh alongside the bangers and mash. Where you can just as likely meet a bowing obaasan than a raging alco tramp. Where everyone cares about their work, but has a good old moan about it too accompanied by biscuits and pocky. NIPPON-ISU anyone?!

Xmas in Igirisu..Part 4. London

I try to deny it, its against my northern alliances, they don't have gravy, I hate the Queen BUT I must admit it...I love London!
Spent my time there going to a couple of art gallaries (arty) having fun in Watford with Si and his fab mates and family (party) and meeting up with people from uni. (smarty!) Somewhere around 20 people managed to come out to Covent Garden for a wee Warwick reunion where great Spanish food, lots of drinks (including black sambucca-evil!!) and catching up was to be had. I really enjoyed seeing everyone and hearing what they're up to...some people have really impressive jobs and flats-again made me feel like I'm not really an adult but more a daft teenager who hangs out with the big kids...the most exciting news was that my pals and ex-housemates Ryan and Holly are engaed-a huge congrats kampai (cheers!)to you two!! I hope I can arrange similar shindigs in the future for the uni lot as everyone seemed genuinly happy to see each other and interested in what everyone was doing. None of the ritual "so-how-are-you-im-not-really-interested" type conversations!
The cosmopolitan, international feel was a plus and Simon and I enjoyed a game of "guess the nationality" as we walked around central London. After the uniform culture of Japan I was loving this! I felt like I was seeing it with fresh eyes and really appreciating the variety of food, sights, arcitecture and of course nightlife! ;)

Xmas in Igirisu

Xmas in Igirisu...Part 3. Antics.

So what did I actually DO for two weeks-well here it is in a nutshell:
Watched football, (freezing, great pies, 2-1 yea)went shopping, (several times, not as fun as anticipated-Jan Sales make people mental) went to pubs and clubs, several restaurants, (pizza, curry x2, Italian, pub lunch x2, Spanish)visited relatives,played cards and monopoly and dance mat games with pals, went to the cinema (x2-King Kong which is CGI-ariffic and stonking and The Producers which was a bit pants) and saw a live band (yosh!).
My jet lag wasnt too bad (despite having to go to bed at 7pm on xmas day although I think that was partly due to the amount of champagne consumed) so i managed to go out pretty much every night. I had forgotten how threatening home can sometimes be-guess I've got used to the safeness of Japan. There seemed to be more scallies scowling at people in a "I'll kick you head in if you look at me funny" kind of way. My anticipated joy in understanding everything around me was squashed as i realised its a kind of curse...ignorance is bliss sometimes here and no-one wants to hear a half cut young mother screaming "shut the f#ck up or I'll bloody belt ya" at her 3 year old in the shopping centre at 11am.
Seeing my family and mates was, of course, the best thing about being home. Surprisingly me and my ma managed to no row EVEN ONCE in the whole time I was there! Those of you who know our tendency turn each other into banshees will be shocked at this I'm sure. I gave her plenty of fuel too, spent far too much on clothes, was wishy washy about dining arrangements, stayed out late all the time ect but she was lovely to me the whole time-theres some advice for you kids, move thousands of miles away from your parents and you'll get on fine! I got on top with my dad too and brother who has transformed from a nervous playstation geek to a fully fledged indie scenester in the time I've been away! Needless to say I very much enjoyed having someone to disect the latest Test Icicles album and discuss if dunlop trainers are still cool with. Although I suspect he's way cooler than me nowadays-knows more about obscure bands and has far more success with the opposite sex. Bah. The student has becone the teacher.
Partying with my old muckers was a joy from start to finish with boyfriend trauma, family dramas, work stories, gossip and dodgy dancing galore. I was made aware that for the last 5 years (uni and JET) I've been surrounded with people who have the same living and easy going lifestyle arrangements than me which equals lots of time talking about lectures/school and going out/watching crap tv/generally being lazy. My friends who have their own flat/serious relationship/stressful job made me feel at times like a very lucky hedonist with a glamerous international life but at other times like a small girl who's still trying to be 18. I don't think I'm ready for that kind of grown up life by a long way even though it does have its charms by the looks of it. For the most part they havent changed though. Still the funny, understanding, spontaneous people I met at school/college/pub. Yea.

Xmas in Igirisu...Part 1. Hong Kong.

One unexpected highlight of my xmas hol was a 9 hour stopover in Hong Kong, enabling me to meet up with one of my bestest uni pals, the fabulous Nat. Lousie, Becky, Simon (randon English private teacher we met on the plane from Kokura) and I did some hasty sightseeing, beer drinking and Thai food consuming which was much fun! Within minutes, our group consisting of Nat's pals and the Japan-homewardbound lot were chatting and drinking together with ease-it was obvious we were all used to meeting new people and befreinding them easily with the right questions (tell me what you're up to now in under two minutes please) and actions (lets have another beer!)This is a extremely valuable skill of living abroad/traveling, I feel. A few of my pals back home would find it hard despite being lovely freindly people. I probably would have before I went off to Uni.
Although I have visited Nat in HK before (for 2 weeks in 2002) the fast pace, international feel and bright lights of the place hit me afresh after Japan. If I lived in Hong Kong I would surely be skint (loads of good markets) two stone heavier (amazing selection of food-and cheap!) and permanently pissed (drinks offers galore!) However, the place is, to an extent i feel one part China and 9 parts rich Westerner's playground. Most people there don't know the language (hell they don't need to-the native's English is amazing) and there appears to be more Marks and Spencers than Shrines...Much as this is appealing and I do miss my home comforts on JET, I'm glad Japan isn't like this.
This is not to say that HK isn't brilliant-the party atmosphere, for one thing is intoxicating-we had to leave at 9ish on a Tuesday night and the place was thriving!

Xmas in Igirisu Part 2...Getting home.

The flight home was relatively painless due to the company of Louise and a few hours sleep achieved (thanks to copious amounts of tsing tau in HK.) I was reminded of the British let-me-tell-you-my-life-story tendancies on the plane up to Manc through my neighbour chatting incessantly to me for the whole time on subjects ranging from her broken thumb to her broken marriage(!) The paper we were given had the headline "ELTON TAKES DAVID UP THE AISLE" (reffering to Elton John's gay wedding) Genius. Within seconds of walking into the pub on my first night back a drunk scally pinched my arse and said "ey up sexy." I replied "piss off" He replied "piss off yourself you snooty cow." I was home. (by the way "ey up" is northern for hello roughly translated)
One thing I hadnt anticipated was how nice it was to be in a proper HOUSE. I mean I love my aparto in Yanai and I realise its one of the best in the ken (size and location-wise) but I had forgotten how lovely it is to be somewhere with a) central heating b)thick carpets c) a propher big bath d) a fully stocked fridge e)sky TV and f) other people to talk to/make you brews e)comfy sofas and f)a lot of space! Despite being home being a bit odd cos of the absense of my beloved doggie ;( I realised that I really like English interior decor. Tatami can go weave itself.
So not that much has changed back home. This did not stop me, however, looking like a total twit at times and feeling like a bit of a foreigner IN MY OWN COUNTRY!! Case point one:the whole chip and pin thing. Now in most places when you pay with your credit/debit card you have to type in your pin number into a little machine. We didnt have this 18 months ago and noone warned me of!! My pals took great delight in telling a waitress I was confused because I lived in Japan. She was shocked that they don't have them there. Hello, we don't even have cash points past 5pm here luv! If you tried to pay with a credit card in a shop here they would look at you as if you just put left your chopsticks in your bowl! (sorry bit of a Japan in joke there people at home-you're not suppost to do that cos its associated with funerals)
I was also aware that despite my DVD splurging tendencies, there will always be some stuff I've missed out on. A new catchphrase back home is "Am I bothered?!" which is, I'm informed from the Catherine Tate show. No I've never heard it either. Theres always going to be a two year gap in my understanding of British culture, I spose. I'm not that bothered. haha

back! and knackered!

Happy New Year everyone! My heart goes out to everyone around the ken thats as jet lagged and drained as I am. I keep drinking coffee and water...noone has ever fallen asleep during that act right? Its nice to be back in Nipan. Englando was mostly fab, sometimes disconcerting, sometimes frustrating, sometimes brilliant fun. Stories and photos to follow when I get my brain and full consciousness back. X