Ok ok

Here's another post. I know you are all on the edges of your seats so I'll try to "bring it" with some brevity. If you haven't looked already I've added some new photos to my picassa thingy. I'll cover some of them in detail as I go on. First of all is the matter of my life here which inevitably involves the status of my job. Let's just say it's "ok". It's not the most interesting job ever and the awkward schedule keeps me from having a life. I get out from time to time but it's usually by myself. Which of course leads me to the matter language learning. I mean you all know the reason I came here was to learn Japanese. Don't get me wrong. I've learned alot and I've gotten some chances to improve my speaking, but it's not what I expected. So far my greatest achievements are opening a bank account (which is way harder than you might imagine, what with all the documentation in squiggly Japanese writing) and getting a decent haircut (at least I think it is.) In fact, I had a great conversation with a very cute stylist.

So in my free I just tend to wander around and see what I can find. I picked up some nifty stickers for my phone at Tokyu Hands, which is now one of my favorite stores. While I was walking around I was surprised to find there are actually quite alot of Christmas lights around. Tokyo is really quite pretty this time of the year. There are also many cool "ghettos" with lots of cool things that you would never expect. There was even a shop that was full of plushies from the Gremlins movies still in the original packaging. And even some cool game references. (This one's for you Nate.)

Although many of the things here are good I've got to get some things off my chest. So here is my list of things that suck in Japan.

Trains (that's a given)
No Mexican food (is Japan a land of savages?)
Last train at Midnight but last call is at 5:00AM (WTF! LOL BBQ!?)
No Cheddar cheese (again: savages?)
A troubling lack of garbage cans (how does it stay so clean?)
Popular comedy is still based on vaudeville (no lol)
Napkins are made of plastic (try wiping your hands with a garbage bag)
$7.00 cup of tea. (Take that $5.00 milkshake)
Xenophobia (boo!)

I'm sure I could go on for a while, but I gotta save some material for my next post.

Stuff has happened!

I just wanted update you all to let you know that since I've been in Japan, stuff has happened. Not much stuff, but stuff none the less. I have started my training as this Monday. It's not too hard, and the days don't really seem that long, surprisingly. But at the end of this training I have to give a lesson and pass a test, etc. So there is a little stress involved. But I will be a bit happier when I get done with this training because it's in Shibuya and I have to ride the train everyday in the morning and it sucks. IT SUCKS!!!! Bgghghhghgllaaalla! (Like Ah-nold) IT SUCKS SOOOO MUCH! Living on the busiest line in Tokyo is not a very fun thing. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years it becomes social convention to stick your hand up someones butt just to get some more space on the train. But yeah..... god I hate it. I really don't want to be here that much but it kinda feels like I have to stay, for me, to prove something to myself. You know, that sorta drivel.

In other news: I went to the Tokyo Motor Show last weekend. It was ok. I thought the cars were pretty amazing but I was brought there under false pretenses. My friend invited me to go and I thought it would be an interesting diversion before I started my training. I thought, of course, he's a car nerd, right? But what it turned out to be was an excuse to go around photographing the boothbabes. I had heard that hobby was pretty prevalent in Japan, but to see in action was something else. It was a bit awkward but I dismissed it as a cultural "feature". I have some pictures of my own that I think I will post. And yes, they have boothbabes in them, it was kinda unavoidable.

Oh yeah, and what's up with the reporting here.

Boy, this is going to be a long year.......