Monday, August 25, 2003

Pt. 3: Ninja High School

Here I am again. I added a little to the last post, as I was a bit rushed earlier. Also, I forgot to mention something very important in my last postings: IT'S HOT HERE. Everyone tries to stay indoors because the air is so humid, heavy and hot. The outside is one big sauna, and it doesn't cool off at night, either.

Anyhoo, I've decided that want to open a ramen place in Oregon. I told Natsuki that if there was one Japanese ramen restaurant in Corvallis I would eat there every day. Y'all have no idea! Ya don't! The ramen here is so good! Byegyeyjahjagaaa!

Yesterday we picked up Chiaki (Natsuki's sister) from the airport. She flew in from Tokyo, where she is going to college. She is very nice; while Natsuki was at the byooin (hospital) to have a rash looked at, Chiaki took me for a little walk around the town. We went to the high school which she and Natsuki had attended and bumped into Saiyuri, Natsuki's friend whom I met a few days ago. I saw all the boys and girls in their uniforms, and they all looked a little surprised at seeing me, but in spite of feeling a bit out of place I found it all very interesting. It was cool to see a real Japanese high school after seeing them animated and drawn in countless cartoons and comics.

Also, a few days ago I visited a super modern Bhuddist temple, and got some great shots of it. I best go now; something crazy is on TV.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

Pt. 2: Square Cars

I greet you again from the land of square cars. I say so because almost everyone in Japan has a compact, cubic automobile. I have seen many Mini Coopers (none of them new models), and a couple strange little 3-wheel scooter cars.

Yesterday I visited the ocean with Natsuki, her friend Shinji, her father and some of his friends. It was fun, aside from all the water-crashing. I rode an inflated banana boat, which involved inevitable crashing, but it was still fun. Then there was the sea-doo crash. I don't know, but something about hitting the water face first at 70mph and struggling to breath afterwards put me off water crashing for the rest of the day. But the water was nice; not too cold.

Today I hung out with Natsuki and Chiaki (her friend, not sister of the same name). We went to a pretty deserted shrine and a mall, which were both very interesting. We went to a store in the mall which sold a bunch of crazy Japanese stuff, kind of like a mixture of Spencer Gifts (minus the prevalent bad taste), Hot Topic, and a hip bookstore. Then we stopped by those photo booths that Japanese girls base their lives around and took some silly pictures.

Well, it's bed time now. I'll post later.

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Japan Land log, Pt. 1

Hey there, everybody. I bet you'll never guess where I am. ...No. Wait. Duh.

Yep, I made it to Japan. It's about 9:45am now. I just had some coffee and some chocolate Charlie Brown cereal, and I just thought I should let everyone know I am alive and well. I don't think I have the time to write out a fully composed post, as I still need to get ready to go out and gawk, so I will try to make this brief yet telling. I will say this, though: so far Japan is just as mad-crazy and awesome as I expected. Here's a little run down of the trip so far----

-Vancouver airport made me feel like I was in Japan already. Nearly everybody there, the travellers, the employees, was Japanese. I ate a sandwich and a muffin. I did see one Canadian pilot riding a segway around, and it was pretty damn funny.

-The 10-hour flight was very disorienting. I kept falling asleep and waking up not knowing where I was. Time didn't seem to exist. I tried to watch Agent Cody Banks, but it sucked. I tried to watch Gattaca (because I wanted to see it), but I fell asleep. Then I woke up and thought "where the hell am I?"

-Kansai airport was very...empty. For some reason there wasn't many people when we arrived. Oh yeah; The Beastie Boys from the Intergalactic video guided our plane upon landing.

-Japan is beautiful.

-When Natsuki and I were waiting for her parents to pick us up from a bus station, the empty bottle of a Japanese drink fell off my suitcase and broke on the sidewalk. As I was trying to clean it up, her family found and greeted us. They are very nice, hospitable people, but their first impression of me was a tired American kid holding a broken bottle. *sigh*

-Natsuki's hometown is awesome. It's about the size of Corvallis, but it's JAPANESE, which makes it ten times more interesting. I ate at a little ramen place, and it was grrrrreat. All the food here is incredible.

-Japanese people are reckless drivers. I'll explain later.

-Yesterday Natsuki and I visited the family home of her friend Kaori Manabe, who is a national TV star and model. Kaori lives someplace else of course, but her mother and sister were super-nice, and they thought I was great. I also ate some cereal while I was there. That's right; I ate cereal in a Japanese supermodel's mom's house. Rock.

I know there's more, but I should go get ready now. Just know that I am geting lots of great footage. I will write later. Mata nee!

Saturday, August 09, 2003

Blind Like a Willie Nelson Monster Truck

I haven't been too good at posting lately, because I am in Lebanon. I don't get as much internet time here at home. So here's what's been going on:

Takuya and I have found a place to live for the coming Fall. It's a DAMN nice apartment, pretty close to campus. Once I actually start living there I will give out the address so people can drop by.

I leave for my adventure in Japan Land next Monday. I guess I'm ready; I figure there is nothing I can really do to prepare myself for this excursion, because I just know that my mind is going to be blown the second I get off the plane ("I'm in Japan? ...How the hell did I get here??!"). So for now I'm just enjoying summer at home. Last Wednesday I woke up and realized I had no plans for that day. Such a feeling I have not felt for ages. It was awesome.

This evening, Andy and I are going to attempt to hook up my Playstation to my computer and make another Playgrounds CD, because it would be really keen to explore a foreign country listening to music that I've made.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Not much else to say right now.

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

Hansel? Hansel?

Bugs Bunny was sued?

Yes. But after reading this, it just brings a little truth to his comment...


Sunday, August 03, 2003

Don't Ask, Just Watch

-----> David Hasselhoff.com <-----

Be amazed. Be afraid. Be confused.


Friday, August 01, 2003

Bonus post!

Hey, I just realized that my archives (right down there on the left) are 100% complete. You can go back to the very first posts I did, complete with the pre-Mondrian page style. Maybe you already knew all this, but I just found out. So mmmmnnnnyyyeeeeeaah.

By the way, I'm thinking of refurnishing the eblo. If any of you have any color-scheme suggestions, go ahead and comment.


Photographs!

Here are some people pictures from Adi's website. Just click on my wry titles of each to see 'em.

Cover photo of my autobiography

Yakuza meeting (plotting the hit)

Yakuza meeting (suspicious peas)

The look of terror

Fischerspooner

El Gato