11.01.03
I whipped up a batch o' desktops the other day that have a semi-Japan related theme, so I figured I might as well let ya have a look-see on the off-chance you don't read ResExcellence, where I submitted them a few weeks ago. They're a series of photos I've taken centered around the preponderance of wires, antennae, etc that decorate(plague?) Japan all over the place. Check the mosaic below to see what's included in the zip file(3.14mb).
Man, it's been a great couple a weekends around here lately. This past weekend, as I mentioned, I went to a fun Halloween party, which gave me a welcome excuse to wear my pinstripe zoot suit (I went as a gangster, dontyaknow), something I don't get to do nearly as much as I'd like.
The weekend before that, I went to a local club called O/D, where the infamous DJ Towa Tei, formerly of Deee-Lite fame, was playing for the evening. Holy shit, can that guy spin!! Without a doubt, one of the best sets I've ever heard, period. Malik and Helen showed up as well and we all danced our arses directly off our bodies. I also ended up dancing quite a bit with an offensively cute Japanese girl, but more on that in a minute.
After Towa Tei finished his set, we all went upstairs to street level to get some fresh air and five minutes later, low and behold, out comes the man himself with his posse. So he's talking to some people, signing some autographs and I stand up and tell Helen and Malik I'm gonna go get my picture taken with this dude. Some guy walking by at that moment though, says "He's not taking pictures with guys." I say, "Whaaaaat?" and, as drunk as I am (both on alcohol and good music) walk right over to Towa and say in Japanese "Yo, you're not taking pictures with dudes?" In his trademark deadpan, he replies in a voice that sounds like he's overdosing on Prozac, "Nah, it's cool."
So one of his guys snatches the camera out of my hands, we pose and at the last second, this random gaijin guy that you see in the photo, jumps in the frame and we get our photo taken. So here I am with a photo of me, Towa and Random Fucknut here. Ah well, still cool.
So at this time, OCJG (Offensively Cute Japanese Girl) is chilling on the street getting her photo taken with Towa as well and eventually she and her cock-blocking guy friend join our little sidewalk crew. We had talked over a drink earlier in the club and exchanged emails and what-not, so as she was leaving to go home tells me to definitely mail her again. Schweeeeeeeet.
I went out with her this Saturday night (the night after the Halloween party for those having trouble with the timeline) and had an absolute blast. She's fascinating, just fascinating. She's got the whole tortured-soul-of-an-artist thing going on, and it suits her very well. She doodles a LOT and produced this portrait of me after our night together. I'm not sure if what she's trying to say about me with this, but...... hm, yeah. Anyway, she's cool. I hope I'll be telling you more about her again soon.
Now it's off to bed with me.
11.01.03
Last night, me and Big Matt went to our newest, favorite bar in Nishijin called Wag Tabo, for a Halloween party. We somehow managed to eventually get back to my place and crash hard, waking up the next morning only to have soul-crushing hangovers which resulted in the following conversation, now appearing Center Stage in the Recently Heard box. Nothing I say could enhance how amazing it already is.
10.30.03
I've not been around much lately, I know. I've also been noticing that my posts in the past months have not been as culture-related and enthusiastic as they once were.
I'm sorry to say that recently I have been very disenchanted with Japan. The lengths to which this culture goes to shut out anybody and anything that is not Japanese can be downright draining to someone who is not. It's to be expected to a degree, after all, it's a very, very old culture that's not going to change overnight. But I always thought that there was the desire to change somewhere deep down in Japan, that the recognized the need to evolve and adapt as one of many members of a growing Global Village™. Hence the popularity here of foreign movies. Hence the preponderance of "foreign" cuisine. Hence the JET Program.
But now I'm starting to wonder. During my stint on JET, I've operated under the axiom that if Japan is going to change, it's not going to be by anything I do directly. I can't change Japan, only Japan can change Japan. And so I've taken a semi-passive role, always making myself available to the teachers, suggesting changes or ideas instead of requesting then, jumping in with a new idea or activity if there's an opportunity. I've always kept in mind that my title is Assistant Language Teacher, Assistant being the operative word. I'm here to help, not to lead; I'm at their disposal, not vice-versa. And after two and a half years of failure in trying to suggest trying something different than what's been causing failure in the first place, I'm starting to realize that it's because Japan doesn't want to change after all.
Sure I could take the so-called, Super-JET route (also known as the "JET is what you make of it Route") and grab this school by the balls and be a belligerent foreigner and change them whether they like it or not. But if good ol' Commodore Perry inadvertently taught us anything in the decades after his visit, it's that Japan ain't gonna change unless it's damn well good and ready. And just looking around at everyday life, even someone as dense as myself can see, it's not ready.
I'm only halfway through reading this book, and I'm already starting to see how terminally fucked this country is, economically, environmentally, politically, etc. The solutions are staring them in the fucking face, but god forbid they disturb the fucking 'wa' and do something about them. When hurt feelings are more important than putting a halt to the wanton destruction of your cultural heritage and natural environment (both of which are in short demand in a country this small), all the logic in the world isn't going to sway you, because you aren't acting on it in the first place.
In less macroscopic instances of annoyance, when I meet someone and use a standard greeting (yoroshiku onegai-shimasu), I get bawled over with ooo's and aahhh's because "Japanese is such a difficult and unique language that no idiot gaijin could ever possibly muster so much as a rudimentary proficiency in it." Quaint at first, but tiresome after approximately 2.5 years.
My fellow teachers call me 'Scott-san,' not 'Scott-sensei.' Even the new girl who only graduated in March and started teaching here in April does this. I have more teaching experience than her, yet to everyone I'm 'san' and she's 'sensei'. Hmmmm, I wonder why that is.
Watery salsa poured over tortilla chips is considered to be "nachos" here.
No, despite the charming brilliance of things like today's "Recently Heard", I have lost quite a bit of my respect for Japan recently. And I'd like to think that I'm a pretty patient guy, that I'm capable of seeing that 'different' isn't 'bad', and indeed it isn't. When it comes down to it, you might just as well say "well, why SHOULD they change?" I don't know, maybe they shouldn't. If that's the case though, perhaps they should also forget about trying to be a part of the international community. (Ironic coming from an American, ain't it?)
In short, for whatever reason, Japan has been working overtime to piss me off lately and I'm sorry if I just don't feel like writing about it or rationing out why I'm wrong. You'll probably see a lot of off-topic stuff, like next weekend's, planned Matrix Day party. If you're in the area come and drop by. We're gonna watch Matrix and Reloaded at my place with drinks and food and drinks and more drinks and then go the the theater and wash it all down with Revolutions. It's gonna be a blast, you should definitely come. Mail me if you're interested.
10.23.03
Our "Corrections & Apologies" editor has informed me of a grievous miscarriage of justice-itude in yesterday's post. I asserted that I had been directed to the Matrix Essays site by Malik, which is actually true; Malik IM'ed me the link and I clicked on it. The other half of the story is that just a few weeks ago on September 19th, the very same site had been pointed out to me by my friend in Kumamoto, Squidley. (Yeah, I know, 'Squidley? wtf??')
I hereby apologize to Squidley(there it is again, wtf?) and hope that this setting-straight of the record has comforted and appeased his dainty ego. ^_-
Before I leave the Matrix topic behind until I have the chance to see the movie in a couple weeks, I want to mention to any potentially interested parties that there is a Matrix-related Alternate Reality Game, similar to the one that was done for the A.I. release(which is a FASCINATING read, the events of which are archived here), happening online right now. For those not familiar with ARG's, basically the concept is that the world of said movie is recreated on a series of web pages that usually contains some kind of mystery that begs anyone with access to the internet to try and solve it. Coolest part is that it's not at all limited to the internet, it often expands to include, email, phone messages, faxes and even real events that all deepen the mystery. Worth a look-see for those that like to be intrigued and/or creeped out.
I've got some more Japan-ish stuff to rant about, but I'll save it for tomorrow since it just wouldn't fit in with the rest of the mental chum I've whipped up here today. Bleck.
PS - How I've lived until now without the Insult Generator, I do not know. (Great URL too!!)
10.22.03
You know, I had all kinds of things I was looking forward to talking about, but then, thanks to Malik, I came across a site chock-full o' Matrix Essays, which consumed me pretty much from 3pm-11pm.
My brain now hurts. Good Night.
10.20.03
Best movie of all time? Citizen Kane my ass. It's Kung fucking Pow, baby!!
P.S. - I used to go to school at this place.
Review Fukuma Hair Flap at Japanreference.com
<< ? Japan # >> 
