Flash Forward

I’m already longing to do the things I’m unable to do here in Japan: drive my own car, drive at all, feel somewhat comfortable pretty much anywhere I go (i.e. be able to go get food and clothes and games whenever I feel like it), play Resident Evil 4 for the 5th time, know what’s going on on every single TV channel I flip to, stand in the shower and let the piping hot water keep me hot and relaxed for many minutes, see my friends, touch people (I’ve barely made any physical contact at all since I’ve been here), not sweat so much all the time always (yeah, Georgia weather is better than Japan’s right now); you know, stuff I was doing just 2 weeks ago.

I feel like Eric Matthews when he was vowed to committ to a hunger strike to protest the fight between half-brothers Sean and Jack Hunter.  He was explaining the details of the strike to the two Hunters as they walked into his apartment and prepared their cheeseburgers for a quick lunch.  Eric (comically) immediately became starving, waiting about 45 seconds before snatching Sean’s cheeseburger and yelling about how the hunger was overwhelming.  It’s not like I haven’t gone longer than 2 weeks without doing some of the above things, so it must be that I realize the time that will have passed by the time I’m able to lounge in Georgia; that is making it harder to stay away from home.  But it’s not too bad–real homesickness will probably hit me in the future, but for now I’m so stinking busy all the time that I don’t feel like I’m missing something.

I told Sarah before that I don’t want this year to be a temporary-feeling sort of pause for a year.  It could happen, right?  I could do nothing but school and–okay, nevermind it couldn’t happen.  I couldn’t avoid an insane number of experiences here even if I tried.  But for my first couple of weeks here, I’ve been worried that I’ll have to just wait to do anything: wait to eat good food, wait to find out what my friends are doing, wait to play the video games in my pile of shame.  But instead of worrying, I’m going to stay as busy as I can while still maintaining my Raku–my easy-going chill lifestyle.  Ganbaruzo!

I forgot to mention that, before I left Osaka, I found a small arcade with a Pop’n'music in it.  I played three games, and the two songs I recognized were Tank! and Rhythm and Police.  It was insanely fun.  I got to…using 5 buttons of course…I think 6 or 7 stars of difficulty.  But I haven’t found a home console controller yet.

I did however, find a PS2 packaged with the first Ratchet & Clank for ￥9800.  I promptly…borrowed the money from my host dad (he insisted) and picked up that, DMC3 SE and Final Fantasy X–scratch one item off that old-ass list I made on myspace.  I played the opening of FFX (I forgot to get a memory card) and it was wild.  The original script was all there.  AND it came with a DVD full of interviews and videos called “The Other Side of Final Fantasy: Purely for the Fans” or something.  Oh, and the DS games I got were Muero! Nekketsu Rizumu Tamashi! Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan! 2 (the sequel to the Japanese Elite Beat Agents, which translates to Burn! Hot-Blooded Rhythm Spirit! Go! Fight! Cheer Brigade! 2; Japanese Game-Naming Institutes suck) and Kanji Sono Mama Rakubiki Jiten, which is a popular kanji dictionary in America (import only) into which you can draw kanji that you see and the Jiten shows you what it means and how to say it.  Win!

I’m getting more and more into Japanese food, and finding some pretty gross stuff.  I can’t really describe the tastes I don’t like, but some are seriously just bad.  Actually though, the worst part about bad Japanese food is the textures–wildly different from American food.

I’m going to see a famous castle, a famous park, and one more famous thing tomorrow with all the international kids.  Pictures ASAP, promise!

Haiiiii

Just wanted to say once more that I truly appreciate all the love.  I have a quick bideo for you dudes.

I just remembered something else.  Sukiyaki, which I had for the first time the other night, is another crazy communal dish.  Lots of vegetables, fungals, and meat go onto a hot skillet in the middle of a table.  Soy sauce and sugar are added.  It continues to heat throughout the meal (we took over an hour to eat all we could–I’m a slow eater and everyone else just eats an effing ton).  Whenever your choice is sufficiently cooked, of course, you grab it out of the skillet and chow down.  But there is the problem of extreme heat.  So what does everyone do as the first round of meat and veggies and tofus begin to cook?  Well, Nakamura-san hands everyone on egg each.  I think, “I know where this is going.  Japanese people like to crack eggs right into their food.  Fuck that, onegaishimasu.”  But it’s a little different.  You must crack the egg into a small bowl, beat it, and dip all your food in it for a while to cool it down before you eat it.  Although somehow, nihonjin actually enjoy the slimeyness too.  But I had no choice ish.  Plus I thought I’d try something ridiculously crazy.  Turns out it isn’t bad having the egg goop covering each bite.  But trust me, I didn’t soak it and suck up egg enough to use two eggs like my dad did.  Eugh.  Crazy huh?  Sukiyaki.

Oh, and I’ve reaffirmed my belief that people think it’s cool to complain, and at the same time, have reinforced my belief that I hate unnecessary complaint-joke-things.  If you know what I mean, you know what I mean. See: many Starbucks frequenters, trendy-townies, and hobby-elitists.

I’m not mad or anything, just noticed how lame people are!  Don’t complain about everything please! Hai!

Long Time High Speed Break Down

Just wanted to update you all on my life very briefly.  Since my last update, I’ve had one of the craziest–top 3 for sure–single days of my entire life (Saturday), and I can’t wait to tell you all about it; as well as the other days, ne?  But I’m on my host family’s friend’s computer so I don’t have all day to sit here and type.  Plus it’s a Japanese keyboard, so the effing apostrophe is Shift and 7 (they never need apostrophe’s, so it gets a backseat).  It’s so annoying.  But I’m just letting you guys know that I’ve settled in fairly well with my host family in Kobe.  I’m not even close to comfortable, but I feel like the place I’m living and the people I’m with have great potential–fortunately for me.  I’ve had the craziest food ever already, bought some Japanese DS games, and I saw my host dad butt naked within hours of meeting him.  Matte kudasai ne.

Just letting me know that I’m safe and getting more and more adjusted to life here, but I must say that I had yet another near breakdown moment while here in Kobe.  I love all your comments!! The truth is they have encouraged me possibly more than you know to continue to be strong and face all the crazy and unexpected challenges here.  Oh, and obviously my internet and picture uploading situations are still in flux, but they will become regular as soon as I possibly can make them.

Mata condo ne.

P.S.  I forgot to mention that Momoko went to the same college as Hard Gay.

Just Say Hai, or, More Like “Japanese Extreme”

Number 1 is missing due to an error I committed while editing these videos.  However, it was filled with mostly empty space.  I believe I talked about going to KFC and walking down the street a little bit.  Nothing big.  Here you are.

Upcomingness.

This is to quickly apologize for not appearing to blog as much as I have.  I’ve recorded close to an hour of webcam monologues about my first two full days in my home country which will be up shortly.  I’ve seriously been editing and uploading these videos all day.  It’s slow desu.

Also, I’ve filmed close to 40 minutes of what I will call “Me Getting Lost In A Couple Different Parts of Osaka” video footage that includes such moments as me getting lost in Uehonmachi and me getting lost in Nippombashi.  I’ve also taken a few pictures, one of which–this is my favorite so far–shows a life-size model of Naked Snake in a battle-ready stance in this one video game store called Big Tiger.  Why am I just telling you this?  Because unfortunately, my new camera uses SD memory, and my laptop is some sort of memory elitist who doesn’t allow all types of memory it says it does.  My computer just stops working for as long as the card rests in the media slot.  No errors afterwards.  Like that guy in Family Guy who drove the Pope Mobile and was knocked unconcious by the slightest tap on the head but feels fine when he wakes up.  Anyhow, I’m very sorry, but it will be anywhere from days to months before I can show you all what I’m talking about.  Please take my word for it: it’s all true.

Vlogs’ll be up shortly.

Stranger in AwesomeLand

Welcome!  I got off of my plane from Detroit to Kansai International Airport a little before 6:00pm Japan time.  It was dark minutes after I arrived because we don’t change our clocks to save daylight here.  As I walked with Momoko, mostly following the crowd of all the people on my plane (we were the only people in the airport besides staff!).  We took a shuttle to customs, where I had my first run-in with my native tongue.  A short old man needed a certificate to verify my visa, and all he did was form a square in the air with his index fingers, as if that one certificate was the only piece of paper that foreigners carried.  But I eventually made it through.

I followed everyone farther to the baggage claim, through the final checkpoint in the airport, and over to the other side where all kinds of–well, they were all Japanese but–all kinds of people waiting with signs to pick up their travelers.  I thankfully received a few selfless favors from Momoko (the girl I met on the plane) and learned how to get on a bus to my hotel.  She spoke very little (very little) English, but I was able to talk to her about almost anything.  But as any foreigner with the experience knows, I bet I sounded like way stupider than I am when using Japanese.  Anyways, she was able to talk to airport staff, and relay their information to me in simpler Japanese.  After I thanked her and she left, I got some Yen (currently 108->$1) and boarded the bus.

Riding on the left side of the road felt surprisingly natural.  I passed the most diverse group of billboard advertisements I’ve ever seen, from giant billboards to neon billboards to an ad so big the whole structure of the building it sat upon was extended up: as in, the top 5 stories of the building were just an ad.  I also passed a Sega building.  It was great to see that company’s name shining among the skyscrapers.

And once I made it to my hotel . . . well, you’ll see the rest.

For now, I plan on showering so hard, and wandering out into a city to which I am an absolute stranger.  We’re talking scared-to-find-a-restaurant-cuz-I-don’t-know-how-they-work stranger.  But a man’s gotta eat.

Ja mata. Until next time.