I Did It Again... I just comitted what I have come to term an "expectationism". I'm studying at Starbucks, which by the way was founded not three hours from my hometown. They forgot to add the vanilla in my vanilla latte, so I pointed it out to the barista. Instead of adding the one ounce of vanilla which would render a perfectly fine Vanilla Latte, they made a whole new cup. I asked the barista girl why she didn't just add the vanilla. She gave me a look like I had just killed a puppy. The manager, who speaks a little English, overheard and informed me in English "The code is important". The code (>_<), my god. But even in Starbucks I have to learn to drop my cultural expectations of the "right" way of doing things.
| 30.4.03 | Permalink
Almost Live... ...except completely not. Does this plate of rice sitting on my dining room table resemble a live rock show? Nope, ALL the shows in the entire Tokyo metro were techno/electronica. I'll listen to Royksopp on the train, but I've never been to an exciting techno concert. Give me indie rock, punk, hardcore, or even what the magazines call "emo", anything where people can fuck things up. You can't fuck up pushing buttons, unless you're one of those cigarette-smoking monkies, in which case I would see you concert anyway.
| 27.4.03 | Permalink
Shipatsu Shippai It means failure, I think. After following some links from Mint Dandy's site, I was going to a rock concert tonight at The Nest in Shibuya with Raph and Pierre from France. After a lot of searching using a crappy crappy website map, we finally found The Nest. BUT the concert ALL-READY STARTED at 6:30, by the time we got there it was 9:30 and only had an hour left. In contrast decent concert in the states rarely start before 9. The train schedules have a way of making things crazy in Tokyo, people start drinking while there's still two hours of daylight left. So instead we just went and got beers and reflected on our failure. It's 1:30 in the morning, and I'm writing this sitting on the kitchen floor. Please enjoy this daikon, white radish, knit kitchen cozy.
| 26.4.03 | Permalink
Free Jisho!! Met "ohu-kai" with Yoko who gave me the much needed Kanji dictionary for free. Thanks Yoko, ganbatte ne!
| 21.4.03 | Permalink
A Private Letter Dear Ian:
Focus on studying, kanjis don't memorize themselves. And PS, idly sipping an empty coffe cup is not studying.
Market Localization They have curry-flavored pringles in Japan. I like curry. And I guess I like Pringles, as much as the next grease ridden fatty potato derived product. But curry pringles, like crystal pepsi, are ahead of their time. Imagine the texture of one of those paper hot cup holders then couple it with a flavor that is three orders of magnitude down the taste scale. Congratulations, you now know the essence of curry pringles.
| 19.4.03 | Permalink
Bike Blogging An easy way to die: Bike Blogging. Blogging this as I ride my bike home. Mmmm, want to eat dinner.
| 19.4.03 | Permalink
Ueno Park Walking through Ueno Koen way past a reasonable hour, dodging homeless folk. The semi are starting to make their racket.
| 18.4.03 | Permalink
Back In Busieness Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Paid my cellphone bill, and all systems are go.
| 18.4.03 | Permalink
Drunk Blogging Well not actually drunk, but doesn't drunk blogging open up new dimensions of possibilities? Only drank two beers, but didn't eat lunch or dinner so a tad buzzed. Walking to Harajuku station after blogger meet-up I saw a big bug. Giddy-up.
| 16.4.03 | Permalink
Chris of Ore No Burogu BOO-YAH! Chris at Mora, blogger after-party.
| 16.4.03 | Permalink
Zest Blog Meetup Hot DAMN there's a lot of people there.
| 16.4.03 | Permalink
Kevin Blogged Kevin moblogged by his own software, oh sweet irony.
| 16.4.03 | Permalink
The Motherload Wow. My friend works at Family Mart a convenience store (conbini). One of his job perks is getting free bento and stuff that is slightly expired. Witness the holy grail for college students: a mountain of free food.
| 16.4.03 | Permalink
Finnish Gum Keisuke showing the proper way to chew gum. Xylitol,"Dental Support Chewing Gum" hailing from Finland. Studying in a cafe, lots of drama over lattes tonight. Strange are the ways of women indeed.
| 14.4.03 | Permalink
Lets Drink It's the second official drinking weekend of the new school year, and the normal meet-up spot "Big Box" is packed with people. Everywhere club banners fly, trying to suck Freshman into their get-to-know us drinking parties. I just finished an English conversation part-time job, and am soon going to SOME kind of small party thrown by my Korean ukulele pal. It may be a tad strange since I will be the only non-Christian there(mostly church buddies) but as always my will is controlled by my stomache and wallet, and free Korean dinner means I'm there. Plus I'll get to jam on the ukulele as desserts.
| 11.4.03 | Permalink
Mmmm Robatussin Someone smuggled Robatussin into Tokyo. Party at my house!
| 11.4.03 | Permalink
Stomache Demoms Etc So there's a danger here. The danger is I will start using this moblog to idly bitch about my homework. That said...FUCKING KANJI!!! I am at Starbucks(only place that is non-smoking) all alone studying kanji. Unlike other subjects, I've discovered the ONLY way I can study kanji is by my lonesome. Today I am having trouble focusing, perhaps because I'm coming off a ukulele high...or is it the stomach demons? Whatever the foe, they will be slain.
| 9.4.03 | Permalink
Ukurere Practice Getting some mad uke practice in with two Waseda friends.
| 9.4.03 | Permalink
Naked is funny These peeing statues are all the rage right now, they are the spokes-statues for Dakara, a sugar-water tasting softdrink. Pictured here they are peeing while jumping rope, color me impressed. I got an AD Train of these guys this morning, an AD train is a train featuring advertisements of only one company. It was great to start the day surrounded by corporate statues holding their little statue dealies. It can only improve from there.
| 9.4.03 | Permalink
Afghan Dollar I met a guy from Afghanistan and he showed me the new Afghan currency. At the airport I couldn't get them to exchange my Malaysian money to Yen, good luck with "ahugandoru". I'm on Odakyu line heading home from studying in Shinjuku. There is a sudden smoky smell, that must mean everything is ok. The caustive relationship between mean-temprature and skirt-length has begun to express itself once again. More indicative then the fall of sakura petals, it shows the true dawn of Spring.
| 7.4.03 | Permalink
Lunch Time Just had lunch with this guy? I'm kicking it with the onigiri lifestyle for a while. Read: I am broke.
| 7.4.03 | Permalink
Looking Up Hey I just discovered the Bilingual/English button on the TV! Wait, what's that on the ceiling?
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
First Engrish Moblog This is my first, though certainly not last, Engrish moblog post. This shot of Sega arcade fishing cabinet is a tad cropped, but please note it says "Infinite possibility and unknown power" to describe a god damn fishing videogame. PS, despite its awesome Engrish this game sucked, never play it.
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
Old Yuker The fabled uke I have oft spoke of, my ukulele, Old Yuker. When I show this picture to girls they are never as impressed as I anticipate. Serves to illustrate how warped my perception of reality has grown. Yes, "ukurere chisai, Ian okii" I've never heard that before!
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
Who Are You? Continuing the series of old-live-pics, who the hell is this guy? And why did I take his picture? According to the filename he goes by Ito. Mysteries like these are part and parcel of cellphone culture.
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
Asa-Gohan So this isn't exactly live, but I have some cool pictures sitting in my camera's memory, yearning to see the light of day. Here is my host mom's failed attempt at breakfast prep one day. When eggs take shape to form an omlette-face of ghastly horror, you KNOW it's breakfast time.
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
Cliche Pet Pic I live with a Japanese host family. They have a HUGE Irish Setter named Jetti. He is one loud piece of fur.
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
First Moblog If you are seeing this, I guess everything worked OK.
| 6.4.03 | Permalink
