Now here is a true rant:
I have the ultimate love/hate relationship with this city. there are days when i hate it and days when i love it. these days, i'm hating it. first of all, the whole damn city is so handicap unfriendly. there are tons of stairs and you really gotta get your walk on in order to get anywhere. escalators and elevators are fairly far apart for a one legged english teacher and the bathrooms leave you with either choosing to wait for a "western style" toilet or peeing down your leg and into your cast if all they have are squatters. restaurants pack in so many tables that a person in my current condition can hobble between the tiny crevices between tables which leave you no space for your crutches. oh the joys of trying to eat in a restaurant in tokyo.
but the worst part of this damn city right now are the fucking people. people refuse to get out of my way despite the fact that most of the time, i can only go straight. crowds of drunks commune in masses at night leaving me to attempt to hobble around them. HELLO? WHAT PART OF "I AM ON FUCKING CRUTCHES" DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? middle aged women and all the olds stare at me with sneers wondering why i'm moving so slowly or why i'm in THEIR way. Gee, if ya take a glance at the fucking cast of my leg and the crutches which are keeping me from falling flat on my face, you'd kinda get a picture. but the public transportation bugs me most of all. These selfish little tokyoites (in PERFECT HEALTH, mind you) refuse to make space for me on the trains, buses, and elevators even when they are in the PRIORITY SEATS which are designated especially for people like, oh let's just say, ME. i like the sad little attempts that the few karmically guilty people make to give up their seat to me WHILE THE BUS OR TRAIN IS MOVING. Ya know, i think i'll pass cuz if i let go of this pole that i am HANGING ONTO FOR DEAR LIFE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, I'LL DIE. but thanks anyway. This is an official notice to let you know that your karma sucks and you are all going to hell.
We have this one student at my school who is handicapped and he's always angry. he's like one of the angriest little men on two wheels that i've ever met in my life. i always used to think to myself, "dude, why is that guy so pissed off?" but now i know why. he's pissed off because HE LIVES IN TOKYO. i've become him. but i have it easy because, God willing, i will have my cast off in another month and i won't have to keep hobbling around this damn town. I am a tourist (much the same way that people go gay just for their college years); and although i'm hating this city right now, i go to bed at night with the comfort of knowing that this is not a permanent situation for me. my angry wheelchair-bound student doesn't get to go to bed with that thought. so in a sense, i am lucky.
i am currently sporting a walking cast but i destroyed the soft rubber stopper like hoof at the bottom of my cast in less than a week so i had to redesign a hoof for myself today. i chose cork but we'll see how long that lasts. if it lasts a week, i'll be surprised. but that last one that the doc put of me was a piece of crap. and i went around littering tiny pieces of rubber as i hobbled around the city. not good. i've even had to buy a door knob cover to put on it when i get home because it's just kinda yucky. and they don't make shoes for stumps. i wonder what people with peg legs do.
at any rate, i am trying my best to lead my normal life minus the mobility factor. i am working at full capacity again (although not at full speed) and i'm starting to eat out the contents of my packed pantry because i'm too lazy to hobble to the super market. and yes, i'm back to using the retard backpack so everyone can see me coming from a mile away. where's yoko? oh, she's the one with the BRIGHT RED BACKPACK and the CRUTCHES walking like a very bad impression of the hunchback of notre dame meets paddington bear (cuz i always wear my trench coat).
let's hope the cast comes off soon lest i really do find myself doing my rants from a real asylum.
3.10.2006
Karaoke, Snowboarding, and Breaking My Damn Foot
Post Jamaica lifestyle was extrardinarily hectic as all the work i had done before i left was completely unraveled by the time i got back. Damn, i need another vacation.
So the Train's friend, James, was in town for a few days after i got back which was nice. we got to hang out and do some drinking. on his last niite (valentines day -- barf) we went out for drinking and karaoke at the amataro which was indeed a top nite. i got trashed, yet again, and i think a few of them continued the celebrarions well into the wee hours of the morn but i went home and crashed as i had an early morning the next day. felt rather seedy until my requisite mickey D'z breakfast. but i think the most memorable part of the evvening for me was the feeling that the "new family" was really pulling together. it felt good as solidarity was something that's been missing for a while.
to further ensure that solidarity (not really, we just wanted to go), the train, julie, sue, ads, alisa, and i went snowboarding last week. we went back up to adatara where we went last year. of course we were the loudest people on the bus ride up and we got told to shut up the entire time but we just played the role of the ignorant gaijins and talked and drank the whole ride up. the slopes were really icy but we were able to meet up with our former snowboarding instructor/friend Hideo. he said he would teach us how to turn. but because of the ice, er snow, conditions, we were all pretty much wrecked by the time we could check into the hotel. we soaked up the onsen ( a first for leilani who was actually VERY nervous but pulled through like a champ despite all the naked chicks) had dinner, and hung out in our room all nite. like complete foolios, we forgot to pack a deck of cards, uno, jenga, the pirate in a barrel game, or anythin g else which may have proved entertaining for us; but ads got to tell some good riddles, i got to tell some lame ones, ther were shitty magic tricks and very cheesy "psychic connectons." but we all eventually got to sleep thanks to the soothing snores of alisa.
the next day, we all warm up and hit the gondola to get to the top of the mountain. we get down alright despite an extremely icy patch in the middle which really burned me, sue, and ads out. we hung out while the rest of the crew went for a few more runs. it was getting close to lunch time so sue and i decided to go down the intermediate slopes a few more times to practice our turns before breaking for lunch (ads decided his ass was too sore and he needed to recoup by getting his cancer on). on the second run coming down, i turned onto my toeside and hit a rough patch of ice. my board wouldn't stop and after a few very hard crack, crack, CRACKS, i felt something in my foot pop and a tremendous shot of pain went running up my leg. i couldn't move for a couple of minutes. i knew i fucked something up in my foot really bad. so i turned back around to my heel side and slowly made my way down the mountain and straight to ski patrol. pulling off my boot was one of the most painful moments of my life and i was told i was done, i needed to ice it, and go straight to the docs when i got back to tokyo. on my way to the bus going home, i slipped on a patch of ice and ate it again whichg was even more painful than the boot coming off my foot. i actually broke down and bawled (something i haven't done since watching that movie about the dog in shibuya). but i pulled my crap together and made it onto the bus. we chilled all the way home and i called in sick the next day.
i get the x-rays and talk to the doc who tells me i've broken one of the big roundish bones in the arch of my foot. he thinks it's a strange place to break my foot but it's all the same to me. i had to have it taped up for about 4 days while the swelling went down and got my cast yesterday. it's really heavy, and most of the time when i'm home i hop around without the crutches which is starting to take it's toll on my ankle. i swear i'm falling apart.
so i should be in the cast for about 4 weeks. my doc says i'm looking at a totaly of 2 months recovery time. by then my left leg will wither away and my right leg and arms will be tompletely buff. yes! i can look like a circus freak again!
but big props to the friends who got me though this ordeal. they have been super nice and helpful, bringing me pressies and dinner and keeping me company and covering for me at work (i've been out for 5 days). i really love them.
so call me gimp for the next few weeks. i'm hobbling along this long windy road of life at the moment. will let you know if i pick up speed anytime soon . . . . .
So the Train's friend, James, was in town for a few days after i got back which was nice. we got to hang out and do some drinking. on his last niite (valentines day -- barf) we went out for drinking and karaoke at the amataro which was indeed a top nite. i got trashed, yet again, and i think a few of them continued the celebrarions well into the wee hours of the morn but i went home and crashed as i had an early morning the next day. felt rather seedy until my requisite mickey D'z breakfast. but i think the most memorable part of the evvening for me was the feeling that the "new family" was really pulling together. it felt good as solidarity was something that's been missing for a while.
to further ensure that solidarity (not really, we just wanted to go), the train, julie, sue, ads, alisa, and i went snowboarding last week. we went back up to adatara where we went last year. of course we were the loudest people on the bus ride up and we got told to shut up the entire time but we just played the role of the ignorant gaijins and talked and drank the whole ride up. the slopes were really icy but we were able to meet up with our former snowboarding instructor/friend Hideo. he said he would teach us how to turn. but because of the ice, er snow, conditions, we were all pretty much wrecked by the time we could check into the hotel. we soaked up the onsen ( a first for leilani who was actually VERY nervous but pulled through like a champ despite all the naked chicks) had dinner, and hung out in our room all nite. like complete foolios, we forgot to pack a deck of cards, uno, jenga, the pirate in a barrel game, or anythin g else which may have proved entertaining for us; but ads got to tell some good riddles, i got to tell some lame ones, ther were shitty magic tricks and very cheesy "psychic connectons." but we all eventually got to sleep thanks to the soothing snores of alisa.
the next day, we all warm up and hit the gondola to get to the top of the mountain. we get down alright despite an extremely icy patch in the middle which really burned me, sue, and ads out. we hung out while the rest of the crew went for a few more runs. it was getting close to lunch time so sue and i decided to go down the intermediate slopes a few more times to practice our turns before breaking for lunch (ads decided his ass was too sore and he needed to recoup by getting his cancer on). on the second run coming down, i turned onto my toeside and hit a rough patch of ice. my board wouldn't stop and after a few very hard crack, crack, CRACKS, i felt something in my foot pop and a tremendous shot of pain went running up my leg. i couldn't move for a couple of minutes. i knew i fucked something up in my foot really bad. so i turned back around to my heel side and slowly made my way down the mountain and straight to ski patrol. pulling off my boot was one of the most painful moments of my life and i was told i was done, i needed to ice it, and go straight to the docs when i got back to tokyo. on my way to the bus going home, i slipped on a patch of ice and ate it again whichg was even more painful than the boot coming off my foot. i actually broke down and bawled (something i haven't done since watching that movie about the dog in shibuya). but i pulled my crap together and made it onto the bus. we chilled all the way home and i called in sick the next day.
i get the x-rays and talk to the doc who tells me i've broken one of the big roundish bones in the arch of my foot. he thinks it's a strange place to break my foot but it's all the same to me. i had to have it taped up for about 4 days while the swelling went down and got my cast yesterday. it's really heavy, and most of the time when i'm home i hop around without the crutches which is starting to take it's toll on my ankle. i swear i'm falling apart.
so i should be in the cast for about 4 weeks. my doc says i'm looking at a totaly of 2 months recovery time. by then my left leg will wither away and my right leg and arms will be tompletely buff. yes! i can look like a circus freak again!
but big props to the friends who got me though this ordeal. they have been super nice and helpful, bringing me pressies and dinner and keeping me company and covering for me at work (i've been out for 5 days). i really love them.
so call me gimp for the next few weeks. i'm hobbling along this long windy road of life at the moment. will let you know if i pick up speed anytime soon . . . . .
2.22.2006
Post Vacation and Back to the Old Grind
Jamaica was fucking cool. ads and i had a 12 hour stop over in los angeles after a 9.5 hour flight from Tokyo before heading off to charlotte so cory picked us up and we had a very good breakfast at Roscoe's chicken and waffles. we did a quick tour of the studios in LA and then picked up crash at Dreamworks before heading back to their house for a bit of rest. after a mexican dinner we went back to the sirport where we boraded a red eye to charlotte NC and waited another 3.5 hours before getting on a plane to montego bay. by the time we got to jamaica, we didn't know if we were hungry or tired or insane so we piddled around our resort and then took a bit of a drive around the area in our rental car.
SIDE BAR: the rental car joint was insane. on the second story unmarked building there was one woman named Sharon running the entire operation. when she needed someone to bring a car around, she'd use her "PA" system which was Sharon yelling outside of her second story window in a very thick jamaican accent to "brang da kyar round mon." and she moved slower than mollasass. the roads in jamaica leave much to be desired as well. there are potholes the size of texas all over the place and many of the roads are not paved at all. drivers overtake or undertake where ever and when ever they like, and they honk their horns very liberally. they generally drive on the left side, as it is told in the Lonely Planet "da left side is the rite side, da right side is suicide." the speed limit is apparently just a suggestion.
Ads and i met up with Kuniko (sab's ex-roommate) and her friend Shiho who came traveling with her. Kuniko rented or villa in Montego Bar for us. it was a very nice, spacious place. a stones throw from the beach (Dr. Cave beach apparently) and really good jamaican breakfast. the jamaicans eat this "fruit" called Ackee which is a savory fruit that they pick after the ass of the fruit bursts then they soak it in salted water and cook it with a salted fish. it tastes like scrambled eggs. it was weird but good. Shiho and i were all about the jamaican food. Ads eats nothing and Kuniko was a bit weary as well but i thought jamaican food rocked. but stay away from the "rasta relaxers" a drinbk that is 97% rum. made me sick.
We went to Negril on our second day and also drove out to Roaring River or Rolling River where Bob Marley apparently "wash away da bad luck and wash in da good luck." we saw some nice little plants, goats, crops and marijuana plants which apparently "belong to da rasta man." everyone was high there. it was an interesting little trip.
we were led out there by out self appointed tour guid named Kevin. he says he works with the police to aid tourists but he didn't seem to be very helpful when i got pulled over by the jamaican cops. i didn't get a ticket; i think they were more curious about tourists driving around in a not touristy area and i got let off with a warning. Kevin gave us a little tour of the country side and took us to the river area then we parted ways after we "showed him our appreciation."
SIDE BAR: everone in jamaica wants a tip, and i ain't talkin' 'bout on how to keep your toilet sparklin' fresh. everywhere you go, please are asking you to "show me your appreciation." they prey on tourists and expect you to tip them for everything from using the PUBLIC toilets to pointing you in the direction of a good restaurant. Jamaicans are also good hustlers. even the sweetest unassuming little old woman knows what she's doing when it comes to tourists. they make you buy shit you don't even want or ask for. they are super pushy. i think they were more polite in thailand!
on the 26th, we drove out towards St. Ann's bay where Sabrina was getting married. it was a couple hours drive from Mobay (montego bay) and the area was quite nice. the closest town was Ocho Rios where we had to go to get supplies for our villa such as food, drinks etc. we settled in and met up with stuart and his wife and also sab's student tomonori and his weird taciturn friend with the super tight pants. we went on our excusion to Ocho Rios which is a nice little place. we did some souvenir shopping (i got everyone jerk seasoning. i swear the entire bottom of my suitcase was filled with jerk). Sabs had her rehersal dinner on the 27th and i got to meet all of her friends from college. she had some bridesmaids and they were LOVELY girls. i can see why they are all so tight.
the day of the wedding was unfortunately very windy. the weather wasn't espeically nice which was too bad but Sabs looked absolutely fantastic. she seemed to take the entire thing in a stride but i guess that's because it was pretty much the Sharon Shelton show (Sean's mother). The food was amazing, especially the Coconut Chicken Rundown which i am still trying to find a good recipie for. Lots of speeches and toasts, etc. Lots of rum.
we went out to Dunn's River Falls the next day to climb up the waterfall which was pretty fucking cool. the water was initially pretty cold but it's hot in jamaica and you get used to it. we did a bit more last minute shopping and went out for dinner on our last nite in jamaica to a pretty bad restaurant which had a nice view but super salty food coupled with bad service. not a good end. but overall, we had a great time in jamaica. and it was awesome seeing sabs again. i really missed her.
We flew back to LA the next day and had dinner with the family. We went to the rock bottom brewery where we met up with dad and ryan. I took ads all over LA and LBC. we had a big BBQ at the house one nite and a bunch of people came. i ran errands, i saw old friends, i went to the dentist. we also went out to vegas for a couple of days which he seemed to really like. it was nice to see dick and colleen as well.
anyways, we hoofed it back to japan on the 9th and got into narita on the 10th. we were both completely wrecked. 20 days everyday is a lot of time to spend with any one person but i think we both survived it ok.
now it back to the same old grind. i went 12 days straight without a day off when i got back and today is the first time since forver that i have gotten home before 9:00pm. grandpa and i have fallen back into our old routine plus one, i now make breakfast and dinner for him every nite. i had to fight with my uncle just to get one weekend off to go snowboarding with my friends next week. but it's a good thing. it makes me appreciate my time with my friends who i must give much credit to cuz they have been soooooo supportive and kind during the past few months while i have been inaccessible for much of the time. they've pushed back plans, rearranged schedules, and tucked me in at nite. i take care of grandpa and they take care of me. i love them.
to celebrate and give thanks, i'm having mexican dinner nite tomorrow for them and then we will have jerk chicken nite on the 5th. yummy! dinner always brings friends together!
1.19.2006
JAMAICA -- here i come!
well, i will be leaving for jamaica in a few short days and i realized this only 2 days ago when my boss told me to make sure all my crap was done before then (only he said it much nicer). now it's crunch time. mom is back in japan taking care of grandpa for me now which is a major load off my shoulders. i love grandpa to pieces but his mental situation has deteriorated a lot over the past few months (very intensely so in the past few weeks) and i have been going to his house on my way to work every morning to make him breakfast and putting him to bed every night after work (at which i work overtime for no extra money cuz, again, i am an asshole). so i basically get home around 9:30 or 10, sometimes later depending on what has occurred with him that day. and the cycle starts again at 7:00 when my alarm goes off the next morning.
i have been physically and mentally exhausted for a while now, and have had no time to do the things i have set out to do for so long . . . my christmas/new years cards remain unsent and unwritten on my floor, my emails from people remain unanswered, the bills have yet to be paid, i still haven't sent my dear friend Nani her christmas present which has been ready to go but for a card which i can't seem to get around to writing, ironing all my damn shirts for work, oh yeah, and updating this blog.
the girls and i had a girls nite out last nite at the local chain izakaya where i leveled 2 liters (literally) of oolong-hi so i was completely trashed by the time we got kicked out and had to go to the cheap yakitori place. the girls are great, we have a nice time together (there are 6 of us) and it's good to just go and air our grievances, not necessarily about men, but life in general. it's a good support group.
if i can get through sunday without cracking open like a pinata i will be able to successfully escape to jamaica for a glorious week followed by about 10 days back home in los angeles (which was supposed to be a surprise for my family but now it isn't so poo on them and since my mom has information diarrhea, people know i'm coming home too which defeats the purpose of a fucking SURPRISE). my friend Adam will be going to both vacation spots with me so it will be new and interesting for him, although he has special dietary needs (he eats ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that normal people do; no strike that, he hasn't got the range of food that most people do) and most people who know the both of us ask me what i'm going to do with him when i go indulge in mexican, moroccan, and other delicious cuisines jamaica and cali can offer me. i dunno. i figure he can fuck off while i eat. we don't have that kind of relationship.
well, i must go start my day. only a few more days to go . . . .
i have been physically and mentally exhausted for a while now, and have had no time to do the things i have set out to do for so long . . . my christmas/new years cards remain unsent and unwritten on my floor, my emails from people remain unanswered, the bills have yet to be paid, i still haven't sent my dear friend Nani her christmas present which has been ready to go but for a card which i can't seem to get around to writing, ironing all my damn shirts for work, oh yeah, and updating this blog.
the girls and i had a girls nite out last nite at the local chain izakaya where i leveled 2 liters (literally) of oolong-hi so i was completely trashed by the time we got kicked out and had to go to the cheap yakitori place. the girls are great, we have a nice time together (there are 6 of us) and it's good to just go and air our grievances, not necessarily about men, but life in general. it's a good support group.
if i can get through sunday without cracking open like a pinata i will be able to successfully escape to jamaica for a glorious week followed by about 10 days back home in los angeles (which was supposed to be a surprise for my family but now it isn't so poo on them and since my mom has information diarrhea, people know i'm coming home too which defeats the purpose of a fucking SURPRISE). my friend Adam will be going to both vacation spots with me so it will be new and interesting for him, although he has special dietary needs (he eats ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that normal people do; no strike that, he hasn't got the range of food that most people do) and most people who know the both of us ask me what i'm going to do with him when i go indulge in mexican, moroccan, and other delicious cuisines jamaica and cali can offer me. i dunno. i figure he can fuck off while i eat. we don't have that kind of relationship.
well, i must go start my day. only a few more days to go . . . .
1.03.2006
Holiday wrap up, Trampoland, resolutions, and going back to work <--Boo!
well, i realize it's beena while so let's strat with the holiday wrap up.
Thanksgiving: had dinner at Fujimamas in Harajuku with my friends (fellow americans and curious australians and japanese folks). We had a nice turn out, about 12 people or so and we got to eat a bit of turkey and stuffing. i think i could have leveled an entire turkey by myself but i had to control myself. We got to spend a bit of time in the harajuku/omotesando area as well. before dinner, the girls and i stopped by the XBOX 360 lounge that has 8-10 game stations and a bar that we killed time in and after dinner, we saw a karaoke pimp who had the most fabulous mullet i've ever seen. it was all cropped on top but the party in the back was VERY long and he had it dyed in stripes ACROSS his head in a strange tiger like fashion. Now that's love of hair.
Christmas: it sucked ass. Tokyo has the misfortune of not caring about this holiday at all which makes the rest of us sad and homesick. i WORKED on christmas day and then i busted out of work as early as i could to host dinner at my house. no oven so no turkey but i mader a beef stew with mashed potatoes and veggies and a whole bunch of other stuff as well. several of my friends came over and we had the big christmas feast and did the white elephant gift exchange afterwards and then ate cake, candy, chocolate, cookies, and a whole lot of other stuff. it wasn't terribly christmasy but it was nice. and exhausting.
Work: so everyone at my branch who is in charge took off and handed me the reins which has been a giant source of stress for the past 2 weeks. marcus (a much more senior but incredible ineffectual buffoon of a trainer) is here but since he can't do a lick of work , i am forced to try to swim through this mess (lest i drown in the next couple of weeks which is a definite possibility). there is so much involved with regards to paperwork and scheduling at this new big ass school that i have a tough time wrapping my head around it all. i'm sure i will burn the place down to the ground in a matter of days. i can't wait for the other trainers to come back.
New years/New years eve: since i had such a crappy time waiting in line for hours doing nothing at the shrines two new years ago, i decided to skip it all and go boozing and dancing with my friends in the ponger (Roppongi: a place reknown for attracting a lot of foreigners, mostly military and other assholes, and slutty women). we went to a club called Vanilla and Leilani got to try her first shot of tequila. 4 shots later, she was puking her guts out on the floor of the club then the cops came and raided the club so we got kicked out a little after 3 in the morning. we crtawled home at about 4 and laid in bed until about 11:00 and then had a big greasy breakfast. mmmmm. could've leveled a mickey d's breakfast mcmuffin but it was probanly closed as tokyo SHUTS DOWN during new years. just as well, i was happy to stay home. after we pulled ourselves together, we visited a local shrine and did a bit of the praying. then we came home and crashed out for a while longer. it was recovery day.
Today we went to Shinrin Koen in Saitama with a bunch of people to have a picnic (yes, we know it's the dead of winter) , do the ropes course, and do the big bounce at Tramp-o-land. Tramp-o-land (as we like to call it) isn't actually a big trampoline in the ground but more like mounds of bouncey rubber mountains that we can jump on and catch some serious air. it was so much fun! i made lots of tuna sandwiches and good ol' PB and Js and everyone brought a bunch of other food that we munched on. it was a little too cold and it even snowed a few flakes but it dried up quickly and all the activities kept our blood flowing. everyone seemed to h ave quite a good time and i was happy to be physically exhaused for a change instead of mentally enhausted. it was a good close to our work break as us nova-ites go back to work tomorrow.
Resolutions: so i made a resolution not to wait in line for anything. yes, dusty pointed out the logistical problems with theis resolution while we were waiting in line (ha ha - the irony) to get into Vanilla. actually i meant more along the lines of not waiting for a guy, waiting for a promotion, waiting for . . . . . life to happen. i want to be more proactive in getting the things i want. life is short. other solutions? take better care of my friends and family, lose weight, excercise more, all those resolutions that i can't ever seem to keep every year. and definitely to keep in better touch with everyone. and to keep a better log of my exploits with this blog. yeah, we'll see how long these last!
i am off to jamaica in a couple of weeks for some (i believe well deserved) time off. yeah! i will be touring the Bob Marley stomping grounds foe a week, going to a wedding, then going hme for a week and a half. i was going to surprise my parents with my visit but it didn't work as my mom is coming back to japan while i am in jamaica to look after my grandad. i wanted to spend time with the whole family but that doesn't look feasible. oh well, i will take what i can get.
will attempt to keep this blog more up to date! hopefully i will have more hot news next time!
Thanksgiving: had dinner at Fujimamas in Harajuku with my friends (fellow americans and curious australians and japanese folks). We had a nice turn out, about 12 people or so and we got to eat a bit of turkey and stuffing. i think i could have leveled an entire turkey by myself but i had to control myself. We got to spend a bit of time in the harajuku/omotesando area as well. before dinner, the girls and i stopped by the XBOX 360 lounge that has 8-10 game stations and a bar that we killed time in and after dinner, we saw a karaoke pimp who had the most fabulous mullet i've ever seen. it was all cropped on top but the party in the back was VERY long and he had it dyed in stripes ACROSS his head in a strange tiger like fashion. Now that's love of hair.
Christmas: it sucked ass. Tokyo has the misfortune of not caring about this holiday at all which makes the rest of us sad and homesick. i WORKED on christmas day and then i busted out of work as early as i could to host dinner at my house. no oven so no turkey but i mader a beef stew with mashed potatoes and veggies and a whole bunch of other stuff as well. several of my friends came over and we had the big christmas feast and did the white elephant gift exchange afterwards and then ate cake, candy, chocolate, cookies, and a whole lot of other stuff. it wasn't terribly christmasy but it was nice. and exhausting.
Work: so everyone at my branch who is in charge took off and handed me the reins which has been a giant source of stress for the past 2 weeks. marcus (a much more senior but incredible ineffectual buffoon of a trainer) is here but since he can't do a lick of work , i am forced to try to swim through this mess (lest i drown in the next couple of weeks which is a definite possibility). there is so much involved with regards to paperwork and scheduling at this new big ass school that i have a tough time wrapping my head around it all. i'm sure i will burn the place down to the ground in a matter of days. i can't wait for the other trainers to come back.
New years/New years eve: since i had such a crappy time waiting in line for hours doing nothing at the shrines two new years ago, i decided to skip it all and go boozing and dancing with my friends in the ponger (Roppongi: a place reknown for attracting a lot of foreigners, mostly military and other assholes, and slutty women). we went to a club called Vanilla and Leilani got to try her first shot of tequila. 4 shots later, she was puking her guts out on the floor of the club then the cops came and raided the club so we got kicked out a little after 3 in the morning. we crtawled home at about 4 and laid in bed until about 11:00 and then had a big greasy breakfast. mmmmm. could've leveled a mickey d's breakfast mcmuffin but it was probanly closed as tokyo SHUTS DOWN during new years. just as well, i was happy to stay home. after we pulled ourselves together, we visited a local shrine and did a bit of the praying. then we came home and crashed out for a while longer. it was recovery day.
Today we went to Shinrin Koen in Saitama with a bunch of people to have a picnic (yes, we know it's the dead of winter) , do the ropes course, and do the big bounce at Tramp-o-land. Tramp-o-land (as we like to call it) isn't actually a big trampoline in the ground but more like mounds of bouncey rubber mountains that we can jump on and catch some serious air. it was so much fun! i made lots of tuna sandwiches and good ol' PB and Js and everyone brought a bunch of other food that we munched on. it was a little too cold and it even snowed a few flakes but it dried up quickly and all the activities kept our blood flowing. everyone seemed to h ave quite a good time and i was happy to be physically exhaused for a change instead of mentally enhausted. it was a good close to our work break as us nova-ites go back to work tomorrow.
Resolutions: so i made a resolution not to wait in line for anything. yes, dusty pointed out the logistical problems with theis resolution while we were waiting in line (ha ha - the irony) to get into Vanilla. actually i meant more along the lines of not waiting for a guy, waiting for a promotion, waiting for . . . . . life to happen. i want to be more proactive in getting the things i want. life is short. other solutions? take better care of my friends and family, lose weight, excercise more, all those resolutions that i can't ever seem to keep every year. and definitely to keep in better touch with everyone. and to keep a better log of my exploits with this blog. yeah, we'll see how long these last!
i am off to jamaica in a couple of weeks for some (i believe well deserved) time off. yeah! i will be touring the Bob Marley stomping grounds foe a week, going to a wedding, then going hme for a week and a half. i was going to surprise my parents with my visit but it didn't work as my mom is coming back to japan while i am in jamaica to look after my grandad. i wanted to spend time with the whole family but that doesn't look feasible. oh well, i will take what i can get.
will attempt to keep this blog more up to date! hopefully i will have more hot news next time!
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