tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239305852024-03-07T17:55:43.147+09:00Nate in TokyoNateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-44133787994654384932012-09-13T20:31:00.001+09:002012-09-13T20:31:05.974+09:00Aaaargh!It's been a long time since I've updated my blog but I find I can do nothing else. I am currently stuck at my desk doing work that is of no interest to me AT ALL and I just can't find the motivation to continue. <br /><br />I guess if you do something long enough and often it enough it will grow tiresome but for me there are added pressures that stop me from making any headway. <br /><br />I have something on my mind, or rather a series of somethings. Most of them good. So good in fact that I can think of nothing else. Each minute I sit at my desk is a minute of agonizing torture I have to endure. Waiting, waiting, waiting... Watching the second hand slowly count down the time until I can leave.<br /><br />I wish I could say what is on my mind. In fact I have so much I want to get out I may just start up a new, anonymous blog so that I can write my thoughts freely. <br /><br />There is something I desperately want. To that end there are places I need to be and things I need to be doing and they have nothing at all to do with my daily life. I wish they did. I wish I could just throw this life away and replace it with the new one I have designed for myself but... Nothing is ever that easy.<br /><br />I wish I could say more. I wish I could spell out all of my plans and all of the things that have made me this way.<br /><br />Like christmas presents under the tree, you know there are wonderful things just waiting to be unwrapped but you can't touch them, not yet, and the closer you get to the day the harder it is to control your excitement. I feel like today is Christmas Eve and the wait is killing me! <br /><br />I want an Oompa Loompa daddy and I want it now!<br /><br />I can't sit here anymore. I need to get out!<br /><br />I need to be living a different life. I know what I want and how to get it, so why am I sitting here watching the clock tick away precious minutes and hours of my life?<br /><br /><br />Aaaargh!<br /><br /><br />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-18334380961579464942011-04-11T12:18:00.001+09:002011-04-11T12:18:24.185+09:00Nothing to say<p>As the events following the quake begin to fade I feel as if I have nothing to say. At the time I was full of fear and sadness, some of which still lingers, but now... The sun is shining, the weather is warming and life is moving on. I feel as if nothing I say will have any impact. nothing could possibly compare to what happened. I'm alive. I'm ok. What more can I say?</p><p>The people in Miyagi are still suffering and I feel it. It's hard to say just how, but I do. It's not the same as when you see a tragedy on the news and you sympathise. This is different. These people are my people. I was a part of what happened and so, by extension, I feel it.</p><p>I wish I could do more than I am doing right now. I have friends who are volunteering. Wonderful wonderful people. For me, I think the best thing I can do is to keep working, keep things ticking over, donate when I can...</p><p>I am writing this because I wanted to write <em>something</em> however, when I sat down at the keyboard nothing would come. Everything is/was overshadowed by the quake. It is all I can think about. I'm hoping, by writing this, I'll get a little of that out. Then, next time when I sit down to write, new ideas will come.</p><p>Here's to inspiration, hope and new ideas.</p><p> </p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-48168535632473027802011-03-31T22:50:00.002+09:002011-03-31T22:50:25.030+09:002:46 QUAKEBOOK2:46 Was the time the Earthquake hit Japan. For those of us who lived through it, it will remain a surreal and life changing experience. 2:46 Quakebook is a collection of real stories from the people who survived. Put together in just over two weeks, 2:46 Quakebook is nothing less than miraculous. Purchase your copy online to help raise money for the relief effort. Japan needs your help.<br />
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<a _mce_href="http://www.quakebook.org/" href="http://www.quakebook.org/" target="_blank" title="http://www.quakebook.org/">http://www.quakebook.org/</a>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-17060368641322181922011-03-23T21:22:00.001+09:002011-03-23T21:22:12.687+09:00An update from TokyoA couple of days ago I got an email from The Times in the UK. It seems someone there had been reading my blog. At the time they were planning to run an article on all the people "evacuating" Tokyo. Now that things have calmed down a little I think the article has been benched but here is the reply I sent to The Times....<br /><br />I'm back in Tokyo now, as are most of my co-workers. I would say the atmosphere here is still nervous and apprehensive, but definitely a lot less tense than it was when I left last week. <br /><br />As you are aware, the situation with the reactors in Fukushima was making us all nervous. In addition, it was difficult to know which news source to trust. The local media was saying everything was okay and yet the Prime Minister wasn't confident at all. The foreign media sensationalized everything to the point that even people as far away as Oregon in the USA were buying iodine tablets. This in turn caused our families to panic who pressured us to leave. <br /><br />The Japanese, while quite calm on the surface, were panic-buying everything in the stores. Stores quickly ran out of bread, bottled water and toilet paper. Then, as the reactors failed, blackouts were scheduled across Tokyo and trains stopped. It was cold and miserable, the ground continued to shake every hour or so and (even though it was mostly disinformation) the threat of possible nuclear meltdown hung over our heads. I felt, as did many of my friends, that a holiday down south would be best. <br /><br />However, with the news of the reactors cooling down, and calming reports from those who had remained in Tokyo telling us that everything was okay, we decided that it was time to come back. <br /><br />The ground is still shaking which is hard to deal with. Before, we would have just ignored most quakes. They happened every now and then and nothing ever really came of them so we all just grew complacent. Now, every time we feel a quake, the people freeze and wait. Is it going to get bigger? Is this going to be the really big one? After a while the tremors really start to grate on the nerves. <br /><br />At this stage, I'm planning to stay on in Tokyo. My feeling is the people here need our support. We need to show a solid front now and prove that we can beat this thing. <br /><br />The atmosphere here is still far from being relaxed, but there is hope. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/"><br />http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tokyo,%20Japan%4035.685380%2C139.724693&z=10'>Tokyo, Japan</a></p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-28883306234342574172011-03-20T12:20:00.001+09:002011-03-20T12:30:19.855+09:00Victims of FearI've been in Osaka for 3 days now. I like to pretend to myself that I came here for a holiday but the reality is I came here because I was scared. Maybe that sounds like a contradiction because I've been advocating how safe Tokyo is from the start but... If I'm to be truly honest, while the rational me believes Tokyo is safe, the conflicting news reports, concern from my family and friends and the never ending quakes really started to get to me. My nerves were shot and I needed a break. <br /><br />Things here in Osaka have been fine. It wasn't until I started thinking about returning to Tokyo that I realized just how stressed the whole situation had made me. My neck and shoulders immediately tightened, my stomach clenched and I felt like I would be physically sick. <br /><br />I don't think I've had a panic attack before but I get the feeling that might be what I was experiencing. <br /><br />It's stupid. I've read all the articles, I've watched the news, I'm a rational and logical person. There is no reason to be scared. Well, ok, let me rephrase that - there is no immediate call to be concerned, yet the very thought of getting back on that bus filled me with dread. I couldn't breathe or swallow, I started to sweat and the pit of my stomach turned to acid. <br /><br />Stupid stupid stupid. <br /><br />Of course talking to my father didn't help much. He's been extremely worried since this whole thing began. When he called in last night with reports of what he'd seen on the news, of how lacking in confidence the Japanese Prime Minister was and his own concerns that I shouldn't return to Tokyo just yet my system went into shut down. I was back in that place I was days ago when I was a terrified mess, not knowing what I should do. <br /><br />Once again my Japanese friends were a great help. As the news unfolded during the night they sent me updates, assuring me that the situation in Fukushima was beginning to cool down, that I had no reason to be so worried. <br /><br />And of course they are right. I've always prided myself on my ability to be rational and logical in any situation. Now I know that's not always the case. <br /><br />Still, for the sake of my nerves and the peace-of-mind of my family I've decided to stay in Osaka another night or two. I WILL go back to Tokyo though and I WILL NOT let my fear control me. <br /><br />That's perhaps been one of the worst things to come from this whole incident. The rumors, the scare mongering and the uncertainty have all lead to widespread and irrational fear. Not just fear on a local level (which is understandable) but an international level. People the world over are afraid, many with no good cause. <br /><br />The terrible side affect of this fear of course is that so many people have been focusing on the possibilities of a nuclear catastrophe (which in turn generates more fear) and are completely overlooking the real victims of this disaster - the people living in Sendai and Iwate who have already lost so much and are losing more every day. <br /><br />The world news focuses on nuclear doom but instead they should be focusing on the thousands of people suffering the most horrific conditions just a couple of hours north of Tokyo. <br /><br />As of now, today, I refuse to succumb to my fears. I owe the real victims of this disaster that much. <br /><br />We all owe them that much. <br /><br /><a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/"><br />http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Osaka&z=10'>Osaka</a></p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-62040907942189429452011-03-17T22:43:00.001+09:002011-03-17T22:44:47.720+09:00Leaving TokyoA little over 2 hours ago I packed a suitcase, filled my satchel with some emergency items, a bottle of water and a good book, grabbed my camera bag and took what I hope was not the last look around the tiny little apartment that has become my home here in Tokyo. <br /><br />As I mentioned in my last post, I have not given up on Japan. I hope... No, I believe the situation with the nuclear reactors in Fukushima will be contained soon but... For the time being I've decided a short holiday to Osaka might be for the best. <br /><br />It's a terrible thing waking up to your mother's tears. All she has done is listen to media fear mongering and it has made her very very afraid. <br /><br />So, for my family's peace-of-mind, as well as my own, I'm heading down south. I only intend to be gone for a couple of days but... With all my mother's fears and my father's worries I couldn't help feel that maybe, as I packed my bags and walked out the door, this might be my last night in Tokyo. I might never see my home again. <br /><br />It's a devastating feeling. So much so that if I think on it too long I'm afraid it will cripple me completely. <br /><br />However, please don't think that I have stopped being positive. Far from it. I believe that Japan will recover from this. WE will recover from this. I think I've just let the feelings of others get to me. These are difficult times full of complex and difficult emotions. I would never have thought it possible to feel hope, despair, determination and anxiety all at the same time but apparently you can. I'm feeling them all right now. <br /><br />I hope to see my home again, I really do. No. Strike that. <i>I will</i> see my home again. I am determined not to leave so much behind - and I'm not talking about my stuff. <br /><br /><a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/"><br />http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tokyo%4035.689041%2C139.695571&z=10'>Tokyo</a></p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-50061853249359871772011-03-17T16:44:00.000+09:002011-03-17T17:31:11.100+09:00In the days that followIt is now six days after the quake. With all that's been happening in Japan it's hard to believe a week has almost passed. At the same time the past six days have have stretched on forever, stretching everyones nerves along with with them. Looking at Tokyo you can tell something is wrong. The lights are off, the streets are bare, the shelves are nearly empty and the trains are... Well they are running again but only just. <br /><br />The bustling city of Tokyo has lost it's bustle. <br /><br />However, for all that, life goes on. There's no other option really. In the last two days I've been shopping, eaten out, gone to the pub, played pool at a nearby pool hall and I even got a haircut. <br /><br />Sure, half the lights in the hair salon were off to conserve electricity and the department store I "borrowed" a role of toilet paper from closed its doors at 6 yesterday but they carried on. <br /><br />Ok, I feel a little guilty about the haircut but I really needed one and my previous appointment was cancelled. I had booked it for last Friday!<br /><br />The point is, while we can we are living the best we know how. <br /><br />Right now I'm in a coffee shop enjoying a soy latte and a break from the harsh winds that have been scouring Tokyo raw for the past two days. As I look around I can see a girl balancing her accounts, an old guy trying to work out a sudoku puzzle in the newspaper, another old guy reading a book, a cute little girl playing some random game on her iPod... In essence I see people living. <br /><br />Sure they are worried and saddened about what is happening just a little north of here but they are safe for now. <br /><br />People worry about the Nuclear reactors to the north. The media here in Japan down plays the situation so as not to cause a panic. Overseas however the disaster is hyped to extremes. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. What I can tell you is, as of now, today, there is no immediate danger. The reactors are still in trouble and the people of Fukushima are suffering terribly, especially the brave men and women giving their lives to control and contain the problem but, let me repeat this one more time, we are ok. <br /><br />What we need now, rather than panic and fear, is your support and understanding. <br /><br />Some people are leaving Tokyo and the surrounding areas and I don't blame them. I understand their fear. I share it too. However many others are choosing to stay. For me, I'm going to hold out as long as I possibly can. There is no reason to run yet. I'm nervous, sure, but I can't help think that leaving may do more damage than good in the end, and as this place and its people have given me so much over the years I feel like it would be wrong of me to just pack up and leave in such a time of need. <br /><br />That being said, if things do take a turn for the worse (fingers crossed they don't) I will have no choice but to go home. That day will be a very sad day indeed. <br /><br />For now my friends are holding strong and in their strength I also find the strength to carry on. <br /><br />Tonight I'm heading south to Osaka. Not because I'm worried but to ease the worries of everyone back home. I'll take a couple of days, rest, drink with friends and relieve some of this tension that's been building then I'll be back. <br /><br />Everyday I've been repeating my friend's words like a mantra and it has been helping so I'll repeat them again here...<br /><br />"I will not be beaten by a f***ing earthquake"<br /><br /><a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/"><br />http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tokyo&z=10'>Tokyo</a></p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-41753699192164172442011-03-16T11:54:00.003+09:002011-03-17T09:43:57.387+09:00Fuckin EarthquakeYesterday I finished a blog that I'd been trying to write for days. I would start it then stop, not really knowing what to say or how to move forward. The same could be said for my life here in Tokyo. I simply didn't know how to move past this. What was the next step? Was now the time to leave?<br />
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Then my Japanese friends reached out. They don't have the option of leaving, they're here for better or for worse and they're not letting this beat them.<br />
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To quote a good friend "Japanese people are strong. We will never be beaten by a f***in earthquake!" (Thanks Datch, you made me smile with that).<br />
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I still haven't decided what to do. It may still be best to pack up and leave, but for now it's a sunny day in Tokyo and I'm not about to be beaten by a f***in earthquake.<br />
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Big thank you's to Yukki, Azusa, Shizuko, Tomoo, Kayo, Kazumi and Datch. Where would I be without you?<br />
<a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/"><br />
http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br />
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<div class="blogpress_location">Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tokyo&z=10">Tokyo</a></div>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-9770047490385689892011-03-16T11:53:00.002+09:002011-03-17T09:44:27.364+09:003/11 - Earthquake in JapanThere have been numerous blogs and posts out there about the quake. So many people giving an account of their own personal experience. An event that will likely change most people's lives in some way, even if it's just a slight shift in perspective. For me, there is no doubt something has changed.<br /><br />Four days ago I was sitting in an end-of-year meeting thinking of all the people that would be leaving, slowly letting myself sink into depression as I remembered all the people I've had to say goodbye to in my life, and of those with whom I didn't have the chance.<br /><br />It was an average day. Kind of grey, kind of cold, kind of nothing special. A coffee with co-workers helped cheer me up a little. We talked about iPads and smart phones (all the geeky things that turn even the oldest of men into boys) then there was work.<br /><br />I spend most of my days teaching English and Drama to children. It's a fun job. You play with kids, create, sing songs, make up dances, and in the end the kids put on a show for their parents. Well Friday was show day. By 2:30 the kids had started to arrive with their mums and dads. They took off their coats and scarves, kicked off their shoes, hung up their hats, slipped on their little room shoes and sat down to play. The mums made themselves busy putting down bags, fussing with hair, wiping noses, tucking in shirts and and attempting to contain the smaller children in their wake.<br /><br />For my part I wandered around talking to mums and dads while holding little hands and listening to the stories of excited five-year-olds who always seem to have so much amazing news they just need to tell you right now. One little girl wandered in by herself as her mum ducked across the street to buy her a drink before class. She kicked off her shoes and took off her hat, ran across the room to put her homework on the desk before putting her bag away like a good girl - then the shaking started.<br /><br />Everyone stood up and froze in place. Mums and dads looked around the room not really knowing what to do. Children stood holding toys, scared because we were scared but not sure why. Was it going to get bigger? Was it going to keep shaking? Then the screaming started. One of the mothers outside started crying - Momoka! Momoka! All I could think to do was cry out an answer - She's here. She's safe. We've got her.<br /><br />What should we do? Stay in the basement studio? What if the building collapses and we're trapped? But the street... So many buildings, glass and power lines, nearby construction machinery...<br /><br />The decision was made for us in mad panic as the screaming mother burst into the classroom and dragged her little girl out onto the street. I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not but we followed. We each grabbed a child and ran up the stairs out into the street just as the shaking truly started.<br /><br />Even now, looking back, it doesn't seem like a real memory. More of a distorted dream where the land becomes the ocean and the buildings all become masts on giant ships that rock and roll as the storm hits. What's worse, you know this is a falling dream - the kind of dream where you have to hold on or you'll go over board and be swept away and you know, somehow, you just know that if you fall in this dream you'll never wake up.<br /><br />Everything shook: the buildings the power lines, the sign posts, the giant crane towering over head... Everything. And the ground bucked and rolled beneath our feet like some crazy amusement park ride that had stopped being fun the moment you got on. And it went forever.<br /><br />For five minutes we stood wrapping arms around children, gathering them in like sheep that would run away and get lost if only we let them go. The screaming mother threw a towel over her daughter's head, as if stopping her from seeing it all would somehow protect her from disaster.<br /><br />We stood frozen, waiting for our world to collapse, how could we believe that it wouldn't? Our shocked silence was only broken by the voice of a two year old. He looked up at the buildings towering so high above, shaking and bending - mummy, the sky is shaking!<br /><br />In his world it just wasn't possible that so much of the world around was shaking, it had to be the sky.<br /><br />Finally the shaking stopped but it took the longest time for us to move. We didn't know what to do so we just went back on with our lives. Kids sat down and cleaned up the toys, mums and dads went back to fussing with stray hairs, snotty noses and untucked shirts... The world in which the earth could buck and shake like a bouncy castle didn't seem to exist. For my part I started the class. I handed out little duckling headbands for the kids to wear (we were performing the Ugly Duckling), the kids tucked themselves up into little balls like eggs waiting to hatch... Then the next quake came. Not as strong as the first but just as frightening. Once again we were out on the street wondering if our world would collapse, this time with children dressed as ducks. At least they would be able to swim if the earth suddenly turned to liquid.<br /><br />Then, like the first, it subsided.<br /><br />I went on with the rest of my day as planned. The kids performed their play, the mums and dads watched and videoed and photographed, then everyone went home.<br /><br />Nothing seemed all that different. People walked their dogs and went to the convenience store, people on the street handed out flyers and announced cheap deals for karaoke... Then things started to change. Trains stopped, taxis became impossible to catch, lines for the bus stretched for hundreds of meters and the thousands of people stranded in Tokyo began the walk home, many walking as long as six or seven hours. All across the city refuges were set up for others whose homes were simply too far away.<br /><br />That night we suffered quake after quake. Every 20 minutes another aftershock would have me looking toward the door wondering if it was time to run. I slept in my clothes that night just in case and have done so every night since.<br /><br />The next day we went to work. Who knows why. Some students even showed up but the whole day felt off. It was like that moment when a whole room suddenly falls silent and becomes uncomfortable for the few seconds it takes for conversation to once again fill the void, but imagine those seconds stretched across an entire day.<br /><br />I've felt a little bit like that ever since. Even now the tremors keep coming, some small and some frighteningly large. I'm in a constant state of vertigo so even when the earth isn't shaking I can swear that it is.<br /><br />I've taken to keeping a half empty bottle of water on my coffee table just so I can tell if the room is really shaking or not. If the water isn't moving I know it's in my head.<br /><br />The people up north and along the coast have it bad and my heart goes out to them. I know my own fears and concerns are nothing in comparison but... I'm afraid.<br /><br />In fact yesterday, if I'm to be brutally honest, I cried. It was after another tremor. I was sitting in a small park by my house just wondering what to do when the enormity of everything that had happened and was continuing to happen just hit me and I cried. The tears welled up and I couldn't stop them.<br /><br />They say Tokyo is safe. I hope it is. I don't want to leave, I really don't. I have made this place my home and I'm really not ready to say goodbye but... Maybe it's time. I don't know.<br /><br /><a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/">http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><br /><p class="blogpress_location">Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tokyo%4035.704840%2C139.660827&z=10">Tokyo</a></p>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-86591127906609533372011-02-20T21:45:00.005+09:002011-02-20T21:53:25.716+09:00New Blog & WebsiteI am perhaps the world's worst blogger. At least when it comes to simply writing about me and my life etc. However, as a tool to drive my professional life it seems I am much more motivated. To that end I have created a new website and blog. I have also transferred the entries from this blog to my site in the hopes that, alongside my professional blog I might, from time to time, update my personal blog too.<br /><br />The website address is: <a href="http://ecaphoto.net/">http://ecaphoto.net</a><br />The main blog address is: <a href="http://ecaphoto.net/blog/">http://ecaphoto.net/blog/</a><br />My new personal blog is: <a href="http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/">http://ecaphoto.net/personal-blog/</a><br /><br />Simple.<br /><br />I may also work out a way to post in both places at once but that might be overkill.<br />If anyone is still reading this... well drop by sometime and let me know what you think.NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-75305983465017015222010-04-03T11:50:00.000+09:002010-04-03T11:51:19.116+09:00Sheep NationJapan is a nation of sheep. Where one strong sheep goes others blindly follow in oblivion often to their detriment, and in the lack of clear leadership they are left to wander aimlessly and get lost. <br /><br />In a city like Tokyo with 20 million people, the busiest crosswalks and train stations in the world, you would think that people would move with some kind of direction and purpose but no... No matter how crowded, no matter what the rush, they drift aimlessly listing from side to side often at times taking up the entire sidewalk or staircase in the process. <br /><br />This morning I am rushing to catch a train. Ok, it's my fault that I'd forgotten to charge my train pass taking up the valuable minutes I needed but still... There is no excusing stupid Japanese sheep. Moving at a brisk pace I can see my train has arrived as the thousands of people pour out of it and down the stairs from the platform I was striding toward. <br /><br />In Tokyo the station stairs are clearly divided into two sections... Up and down. And yet this morning the stupid sheep, like most mornings, decided to ignore the barriers dividing the two and flooded down both leaving me to wade my way up through the masses. To add insult to injury the sheep infront of me moved like they had no reason at all to ever reach the top. <br /><br />So, frustrated and angry I pushed, shouldered and shunted my way onto the train just as the doors slid closed only to realize that in my haste and my battle against a flock of lost bewildered and oblivious Japanese sheep that I had just caught the wrong train!<br /><br />The train I had so reliably been catching all year had changed. It no longer stopped at the station I needed. For that I would have had to get there another 7 minutes earlier or 3 minutes later. Instead I found myself shooting past my stop, watching it with a mix of anguish and frustration as it passed by. <br /><br />Later, having turned around and made my way back to work I managed to calm down. I like this country and it's people, despite the frustrations both cause at times. They are a strange, quirky, idiosyncratic people and while I rage against them at times I love them in equal measure.<br /><br />Tonight when work is finished and I find myself sitting comfortably in my friend's bar I'm going to raise my glass and say "here's to a nation of sheep".<br /><br />Then I'm am going to drink. <br />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-91626041141865014642010-03-29T04:01:00.001+09:002010-03-29T04:01:56.999+09:00Tumblemen<br /><br /><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/03/28/1056.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/03/28/s_1056.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Saturday... It's a lovely day in <br />Tokyo... The first for quite a while after a very long and cold winter, only made worse by going home to Australia for 3 weeks. Stepping off the plane at Narita after the sweltering temperatures we had in Melbourne was not at all pleasant. I didn't just react physically but mentally and it has taken a while to get back on track. <br /><br />Recently I've been feeling very happy. Content with life. Not something I'm used to. Usually I screw it up somehow but I'm determined to get it right this time. <br /><br />Anyway, Saturday is a beautiful day. Work turns out to be easier than expected. The morning's work is halved when the students set to come to the second demo lesson for the day cancel. Suddenly we find ourselves with an extraodinarily long lunch break (around 3 hours) so we do what any self respecting gaijin English teacher would do... Grab some beers and go to the park.<br /><br />On the way we saw the above sign. I still have no idea what it means. Beware of tumbling businessmen? To add to our amusement, a Japanese businessman coming toward us tripped over his own feet and almost fell flat on his face while we were looking at the sign. It was a perfect moment in time. <br /><br />After our encounters with tumbling businessmen we made our way into the university grounds / park. For the first time in a long time it felt like I was back at Uni again. Sitting around on the grass in the sun having a few beers before heading back to class. It was glorious. Then of course it was back to work again but still...<br /><br />Life could be a lot worse right now. <br /><br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-52426126133272544292008-10-01T17:50:00.002+09:002008-10-01T17:57:32.819+09:00A little light poetry...Inspired by a friend in Australia, and the drive to do as LITTLE work as possible leading up to my last days in the office, I sat at my desk and jotted down these two poems. It was one of those days where the words just seem to flow out of no-where. Once again, motivated by a beautiful woman who thinks I should update my blog more often (if only to give her something to read when she gets bored) here they are:<br /><br /><strong>Faith in the Dark</strong><br /><br />A filament of fiction,<br />a faith that lies beneath,<br />shaking and uncertain,<br />and I, these words bequethe -<br /><br />Let out your faith unto the night,<br />like oil to the sea.<br />Take the air from from breathless mouths,<br />then give your life to me.<br /><br />...<br /><br />But I am here alone tonight,<br />on solid sinking ground,<br />moving yet unmoving,<br />just searching for the sound.<br /><br />Then standing in the darkness,<br />a sudden silence shifts,<br />settles into nothing,<br />and faith is set adrift.<br /><br />I bow my head unto the dark,<br />as wordless lips recall,<br />a soundless,<br />loveless lullaby,<br />a Godless thank you all.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Decisions</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Trapped by the trappings of minimalist trepidation,<br />tounge tied and tormented by taunting desperation.<br /><br />Can I leave this all behind,<br />without a second glance?<br />Give up what I've come to know,<br />just leave it all to chance?<br /><br />The box with my name says so.<br />The chair where I sat says so.<br />The life that I lived says so.<br />While the sign on the door,<br />glowing green to the floor,<br />says go, go, go.<br /><br />Standing now I face the hum,<br />that silent knowing buzz,<br />I turn my back on all I knew<br />and all that ever was.<br /><br />This is the end.<br />I'm leaving.<br />No more goodbyes.<br /><br />I would say good luck if I cared,<br />but I don't.<br />I simply don't.<br /><br />Good riddance.NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1161341935373348242006-10-20T19:52:00.000+09:002006-10-20T19:58:55.426+09:00Pocket Pet<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/274009320/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/85/274009320_16cedba9c8_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/274009320/">Doggy-bag</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>When I think Japan and Pocket Pets I think of little electronic thingies that goes beep everytime they need a virtual feed. In fact when Westerners think of pets in Japan something conjured up by Sony usually springs to mind.<br /><br />However the reality is quite a different story. It seems the "in thing" in Japan, especially among the single young female Tokyo-ites, is to own a small dog that more resembles a rodent in size and shape than it does anything canine.<br /><br />Not only is it crucial to have your very own Louis Vitton purse, sweater, bra and knickers it now appears you also need to have a bite size puppy stuffed in your handbag. Back home the term "walking the dog" usually makes you think of something large and labrador-esque dragging it's owner through the park (or of course a simple yo-yo maneuvre) but in Tokyo it has a completely different implication. In Tokyo, "walking the dog" is slinging your favourite designer accessory over your shoulder, filling it with something supposedly related to a dog, then going shopping.<br /><br />I love this country.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1161097197370373392006-10-17T23:53:00.002+09:002008-09-24T14:37:03.815+09:00Tokyo in motion ...<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/53/128924380_ae8322f920.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/53/128924380_ae8322f920.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Every day in Tokyo sees me take at least one if not many small train rides. In fact the only way to traverse Tokyo effectively is by train. Cars and buses just get bogged down in traffic and, unless you are a local or are carrying a handheld GPS device, riding a bicycle any distance just sees you lost in one of the myriad of small streets and twisting alleys that make up Japan. Today was no exception.<br /><br />Plugged securely into the iPod I desperately want to upgrade (I bought a Mini one week before the Nano was released!) I made my way to the Starbucks next to the station. The first song of the day: Tool, ‘Forty Six & 2’. A nice hefty base-laden song to get the day started. 1pm and the sun was shining with all the intensity of summer without the humidity and with that slight breeze that reminds you that autumn has definitely arrived. It was by and large a good day to be alive in the world.<br /><br />I stepped onto the train just as Queen sang the first words of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. “Is this the real life?” they sang and I had to say to myself, yes, in fact, it is. Standing on the train I stopped to take in the passengers around me. During many of my frequent train rides I become introspective. I look inward and think about all of the things going on in my life. I wonder what I should have for dinner, do I really like my job, should I call my mum tonight, all of those things. Today I looked outward to the people around me. For a change I would study them. Not just look at them but really take in the details.<br /><br />The first passenger I noticed was a lady I like to call “Screwface”. At first I just thought she was just making faces to dislodge something caught in her eye but it seemed, after about 5 minutes of constant ‘face screwing’ (yes I know that sounds dirty), that maybe she didn’t have any eyes at all! Then I noticed something even more amusing… It seemed ‘Screwface’ was, however coincidentally, in fact scrunching her face up in perfect time to of The Bees ‘Chicken Payback’ now playing on my iPod.<br /><br />Imagine if you can a cool 50’s swing-rock beat…<br />“Chicken! Pay the chicken back, back, pay the chicken back, pay back the chicken, do the chicken payback”<br /><i>Screw! Scrunch pucker screw, screw, scrunch pucker screw, scrunch screw pucker, pucker scrunch screw.</i><br />“Piggy! Pay the piggy back, back, pay the piggy back, pay back the piggy, do the piggy payback”<br /><i>Screw! Scrunch pucker screw, screw, scrunch pucker screw, scrunch screw pucker, pucker scrunch screw.</i><br />“Monkey! …”<br /><br />I nearly laughed out loud there and then, but the song finished as did her ‘face screwing’ so I turned my gaze elsewhere. My next subject was the ‘trendy’ guy to her left. He reminded me a little of someone out of a bad 80’s pop-funk band. It seemed he began every day with a game of twister. Left hand blue, right hand green – or in his case T-shirt white, pants purple, shoes red, satchel green. These weren’t the nice muted colours of autumn by the way, these were the real deal. When you buy a box of crayons these are the colours you get.<br /><br />Flicking my gaze down the length of the train I take in more interesting characters: a guy with a double chin and a bouffant hairdo resembling a bad Japanese Elvis impersonator (circa Elvis’ Vegas period); a guy standing in the aisle trying to balance a Starbucks latte, a brief case and a stack of spreadsheets; the obligatory white masked old lady; a line of sleeping businessmen you could only tell apart by the colour of their suits, and a girl wearing a three quarter sleeve blouse with a long sleeve T-shirt underneath. At the girl I stop a little longer wondering about her story, about the long sleeve T-shirt, about what might be hidden underneath those sleeves, but I have to stop myself. I’ve had friends in the past who dressed like that…<br /><br />I had to look away. At the far end of the train was a cool looking guy, hair stylishly windswept to one side, wearing a crushed velvet jacket, swigging on something blue. Gatorade or Bombay Sapphire – I couldn’t really tell. Across from him was a lovely looking old lady apparently doing some kind of one handed Tai Chi. Oblivious to all around her she would extend her hand, twist and turn it slowly, extending and retracting fingers as if in the middle of some complex dance or ceremony. One look in her eyes told she wasn’t on the train. In her mind she was somewhere else entirely. I could only image where she might have gone. I envied her for a brief moment but I didn’t need to go anywhere else, not today.<br /><br />The train doors opened and the mix of the carriage shifted. Stepping into my field of vision was a lady I’d have to guess was in her mid to late forties, but then it’s hard to tell with Japanese women. What struck me about her was her undeniable sex appeal. While she had that older lined look that delineated her age I still couldn’t help but stare. Until of course she stared back and I knew, even though I had no intentions, she was out of my league. Confidence crushed momentarily I turned to the girl now standing to my left. Even from her profile I could see she had the most perfect lips in existence – just the right amount of pucker and pout. Then I noticed the handbag slung over her shoulder… Samantha Thavasa. The rich girl’s alternative to Louis Vitton. I could only imagine what a kiss from those lips would cost and quickly looked away… Into the eyes of a squat little woman who also seemed to be studying the people around her. While I stood there scrutinizing her she scrutinized me. I held her gaze for as long as I could but I was no match. She had that no nonsense look about her that suggested she’d experienced more in her lifetime than I ever could and learnt more from it than I ever would. How could I possibly compete with that?<br /><br />Of course I wasn’t competing with anyone, I just felt on top of the world. Then the train stopped and that was it. Another 27 minutes of my life spent on a train.<br /><br />From start to finish here are the songs:<br /><i>Forty Six & 2 – Tool<br />Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen<br />Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues – The Eels<br />Diamonds on the Inside – Ben Harper<br />Chicken Payback – The Bees<br />Aint No Crime – Carus & The True Believers<br />Take Your Mamma – Scissor Sisters<br />Kashmir – Led Zepplin<br />Wrong Party – Dallas Crane</i><br />(Yes my iPod was on shuffle)<br /><br />My only regret for the day was not taking my camera. I guess that’s why I’m writing all this, but then… A picture may be worth a thousand words, but are they the right words to tell the story?NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1160238889830763502006-10-08T01:28:00.000+09:002006-10-08T01:34:51.026+09:00Mini Typhoons & Active Staring<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/116469742/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/44/116469742_63b7a3d3f9_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/116469742/">Running Wet</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Yesterday was yet another wonderful day in Tokyo. A mini typhoon had blown in and was trying it's hardest to be upgraded to a full scale event. Umbrellas were being blown inside out and people were getting drenched no matter what they did to stay dry. Even the people INSIDE were getting wet! And what did the people of my town do to raise their falling spirits? They played the cheesiest, most sickeningly sweet music in the street they could find. Yesterday as I walked home it was the symphonic version of "The Never Ending Story" followed by a musical rendition of Disney's classic "It's a small world". JOY of mother fucking, teeth grinding, humming despite yourself, JOYS!<br /><br />And of course the weirdness for the week doesn't stop there. The day before, I was actively stared at. I know what you are thinking... How can anyone actively stare? Before yesterday I would have thought the same thing but trust me, it's possible. Ok, so being a stranger in a strange land I'm no stranger to being stared at (don’t you just love the clever repetition and alliteration) but yesterday was something else entirely.<br /><br />On the train on the way home I moved over, being the gentleman that I am, to make room for an old lady that needed the seat. At first I don't think she noticed I was a foreigner. People have a tendency to look through each other on the trains. We are “other” people. We don’t actually exist in each others lives, we’re merely bodies packed into a confined space. <br /><br />What got the old lady’s attention at first was the book I was reading. It was clearly written in English (of course) and had a bright pink cover. This is unusual in itself as most Japanese opt to cover their books with dull brown paper jacket covers. I’m not really sure why to be honest. The only legitimate reason I can think of is to disguise the fact that you are reading porn and, unless there’s some really horny grandmas out there, I don’t think that’s it.<br /><br />In any case the grandma next to me slowly turned her eyes from the book up to my face and that’s where they stayed. Now, I don’t know, maybe I’m underestimating grandmas. Maybe she was just one horny old woman looking for a ride, but this really freaked me out! It wasn’t just that she was glaring at me with her eyes though – this was a whole neck and head experience!! I could feel her breath on my neck as I tried to read, not that I actually got much reading done. By that stage the book had become a prop, something to look at while I actively ignored being actively stared at. Had I turned my head we’d have been nose to nose or, more accurately (considering the height difference) chin to forehead.<br /><br />I’ve never been as happy to step off a train into gale force winds in my life! <br /><br />And what was the music playing in the street as I walked home? <br />Sting, “I’ll be watching you”.<br /><br />No, only kidding, but it would have ended my day on a laugh.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1159554682405554402006-09-30T03:25:00.000+09:002006-09-30T04:09:36.930+09:00The Ramen Girl<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/255758519/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/115/255758519_05cec414af_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/255758519/">The Ramen Girl</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Out on a photo-shoot in Harajuku last Sunday I inadvertantly stumbled into a Hollywood movie! At first I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I had intended to get some photos of The Dancing Elvis's (famous in Harajuku) but I couldn't get anywhere near them. Next thing I saw was a pretty blond girl standing next to me and some guy ushering my friends and I off the road as a camera crew rolled in. The pretty blond girl then went running into the dancing crowd while the camera crew followed. <br /><br />It wasn't until after all the comotion had died down that I realised the pretty blond girl I'd been standing next to was none other than Brittany Murphy! Later research revealed she is in Tokyo making a movie called The Ramen Girl.<br /><br />From what I saw of the shoot the movie should be a fun no-brainer. Not usually my kind of thing but I'll be watching this one come September 2007. Hell I was there!<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1159535871438935422006-09-29T22:11:00.000+09:002006-09-29T22:17:51.466+09:00Yakitori Obasans<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/255561418/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/85/255561418_45b7513374_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/255561418/">Yakitori Obasan</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Having spent the day trying to squeeze English words into the non receptive minds of Japanese children I thought I would treat myself to some Yakitori as I meandered along the paved street leading back to my apartment. To the uninitiated Yakitori is basically grilled chicken on a stick, and there happens to be at least five street vendors conveniently stationed along the main street for anyone who fancies a tasty, if sometimes sticky, snack on the way home.<br /><br />Whenever I approach one of these vendors I'm always apprehensive about speaking Japanese. It's invariably at the end of the day when I stop in for my fix of chicken-on-a-stick and I barely have the ability to string two words together in English let alone another language entirely. Tonight was no exception. As I approached the Yakitori window I noticed the two old ladies nattering away to themselves at the back of the store. Happily plugged in to my iPod I waited for them to finish their conversation then one of the old ladies wandered over. As she approached she mumbled something I didn't catch.<br /><br />"Sorry?" I said (in Japanese of course).<br />"I said do you like Yakitori?"<br />"Oh. Yes, I like Yakitori"<br />The old ladied turned to her friend. "Did you hear that? He likes Yakitori!" She turned back to me. "So you like Yakitori then!" <br />"Oh yes" I replied. "I like Yakitori very much"<br />"English?" she asked, more as a statement than a question.<br />"Australian" I replied.<br />"You have a Japanese girlfriend yet?" she asked, as if she knew someone who might be interested. I don't know why it is but it seems foreign boys are not allowed to be single in Japan, especially not as far as the old ladies are concerned. They are always trying to introduce you to someone.<br />"Umm, yes I have a Japanese girlfriend, thankyou".<br />"Oh good" she said as she handed me my chicken and that ended our conversation.<br /><br />It's funny, but back home a conversation like that would never happen, especially not with a foreigner. People are too busy keeping to themselves to bother taking an interest in those around them let alone people on the other side of the counter. At home the staff at the convenience store are more concerned with getting you out and away as quickly as possible so they can go back to whatever it was they were doing before you so rudely disrupted their life. Here, especially with the older generation, it's quite the opposite. I don't know whether it's out of some kind of fascination because you are a stranger (in more than one sense of the word) or because the people are generally more friendly. What I do know is it can be both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing on those days when you feel the pressures of a foreign world pressing in around you, and it's a curse on nights like tonight when you know you're just going to fall all over the language you've been studying so hard to get right.<br /><br />Tonight was one of those nights when I fell all over my Japanese and stumbled home embarrassed. Later I realized I'd forgotten to get my bike from the station and had to stumble back again, smiling politely to the old Yakitori lady as I passed.<br /><br />"It was delicious" I murmured when she saw me. She just smiled and went back to her grill. Probably marvelling at just how odd these foreigners are.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1159532863127601862006-09-29T21:21:00.000+09:002006-09-29T21:27:43.176+09:00The Mr. Postman Flower<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/254284940/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/90/254284940_9e053696c4_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/254284940/">J-English</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Harajuku: the place where cool young Japanese go to buy trendy clothes with poorly constructed English phrases printed on them. I suppose I should feel some comfort in the fact that English is the "in thing" in Japan (or at least Tokyo) these days, however I can't help but shake my head every time I read another mangled English sentence. A case in point is this t-shirt. It has words on it I'm sure don't even exist!<br /><br />DOMESTIC WORDS IS SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL SOUND.<br />IT'S DEEP CECRETS AND PURE SUPRITUAL.<br /><br />What the hell is a "cecret" and how the hell is it "supritual"??? Here's another one I read on a bag on the train.<br /><br />IT IS ELATED THAT IT ENTERS THE POST AND THE LETTER REACHES.<br />THE LETTER IS SURE TO REACH FROM THE FRIEND TODAY.<br />THE MR. POSTMAN FLOWER IS DELIVERED TO THE SIGN.<br /><br />Pure gobbledy-gook! The Mr. Postman flower??? While I love the fact English is becoming more and more popular they could at least spend a little more time getting it right when it comes to putting it on consumer products.<br /><br />Then again... there's probably hundreds of people back home in Australia walking around with "foreign wanker" tattooed to to their bodies in kanji so I guess that makes us even.<br /><br />Hell for all I know there may be a Mr. Postman flower wandering around delivering things to signs. There's lots of things I don't know about this country.<br /><br />Aside from the bad English though (which actually gives me a chuckle when I see it) I'm still loving Japan. What can I say? It's one of the most SUPRITUAL places I've ever been... whatever that means.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1152720606560796812006-07-13T01:10:00.000+09:002006-07-13T01:10:06.570+09:00Goodbye to a mate...<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">On Monday I lost my oldest friend in the world. While I always thought that he was probably going to go in some stupid car crash or something, it turns out he was going to get wiped out by a stupid little virus that unexpectedly turned into pneumonia. He went into hospital Monday morning. By lunch time he was dead. This is what I wrote for his funeral…</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Alex…</span></strong><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">We were polar opposites in so many ways, and yet we were the best of mates for years and, even though we moved apart to live different lives, we always found time for each other. Whether it was just to have a few beers and tell stories or whether it was to pull the engine out of my old Subaru because the bloody thing wouldn’t work AGAIN we somehow always managed to keep our friendship alive and well.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">What do I remember about Alex? My earliest memory was wandering over to his place bored one afternoon because I had nothing to do. I must have been about 8 at the time. Both our parents were building houses at the same time so there was plenty going on, just not if you were 8 years old. So, I met Alex. Alex was always the one making stuff and I was the one just happy to go along. That afternoon we made a tree house around a tree. Sidonie was probably still in nappies, and James was about the most annoying child I’d ever met. Every time one of us told him to rack off he’d just ask “why” in his long, whiny, high pitched voice and keep on dogging us.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">How things have changed hey.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">Things just grew from there I guess. It seems we went through all the important stages of life together. From lego building to mild acts of public vandalism we pretty much went through it all. Here are just some of the things I remember…</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">… Alex stealing a bottle of port from Ian’s stash, the two of us getting incredibly drunk together then deciding to walk the 1km stretch from his place to mine. By the time we got to my place Alex looked so sick he was almost blue. I remember mum asking me if Alex was alright, and all I could think to say was he’d eaten some bad wallaby patties… Then he threw up everywhere! Luckily he’d made it into the toilet; however I think he managed to hit everything except the toilet bowl. All I can remember seeing is red everywhere. On the walls, the ceiling, the wall behind him… Everywhere! To his credit he cleaned up every bit, except perhaps for one stain on the wicker basket by the toilet. Come to think of it, last time I looked that stain was still there. It was such a funny memory I never told mum about the stain and never bothered to clean it off! Several days later Ian found the empty bottle in James’ cubby house. Neither of us was really punished though. The way we felt the next day was probably deemed punishment enough!</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">… Rocking the next door neighbour’s roof until he was so irate he chased us for over an hour! It was one of those things really. It was Alex’s old place so we knew the whole area pretty well and in those days we considered the new owner to be “a bit of a Wally”, so we often stood outside lobbing stones at the roof. What we weren’t expecting was the guy waiting for us to come back. The moment we threw our last rocks he came charging at us out of the darkness. We were so scared we split up and headed in two separate directions. I ended up jumping a fence and hiding under an old car in the middle of a paddock while Alex managed to run all the way back to his place. I’ve never seen him move so fast before or since! Over an hour later we met up and decided it was safe to walk to my house, when a car pulled up and offered us a lift. It was of course my friendly neighbour and he had some questions for us. As you can expect we refuted all claims at the time, but I guess I’m safe admitting to it now!</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">… Heading back to Back Cam Road after we’d both moved away to find local council had installed a traffic island at the juncture of Hoare’s Road and Back Cam. Well we couldn’t have that! Since when did Back Cam need and traffic island? Nobody bloody well asked us! So, what did we do? We walked back to my place, got some tools then went back up to the traffic island to remove the bloody thing. Sadly they saw fit to concrete the damn thing in and it wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard we hit it with the sledge hammer. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts right? You can’t win them all after all.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">These are all funny, stupid things I remember about Alex and when it comes to memories of Alex I have millions. I remember random camping trips, drinking lots of coffee and playing stupid computer games until the sun came up, jumping on the trampoline until it was too dark to see, skinny dipping in the pool (why not, Roger did it), “Dookie” by Greenday, falling in love with the same girl in high school (Alex won that one - he got in a day earlier), playing catch with wallaby testicles (every country boy has done that surely), “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” by the Spin Doctors, building tree houses in the bush, getting covered head to toe in leeches and burning them off, “Voodoo Lady” by Ween, the Surprise Chef impersonation he would do every time he stayed at my place (yes he could actually cook – maybe even better than James!)… It would take me a life time to go through them all.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">Over all these things though, what I remember the most is his ability to just listen. While most people around him would talk on and on about nothing (me included) Alex would shut up, listen and pick his moments. Of all the things I will remember about Alex I will respect this about him the most. Just by being himself he helped me through a number of tough times. He was my oldest and best mate and I’m going to miss him like a brother. I just wish I could have said goodbye.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">Alex mate, I’m going to miss you.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;">Nathan.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1148147854142251162006-05-21T02:54:00.000+09:002006-05-21T03:41:40.063+09:00White Noise in Tokyo<div style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/127028047/"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://static.flickr.com/55/127028047_a498c934b8_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:7;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/127028047/">Neon Walk</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div><strong>Confession:</strong> “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees was not only a hit song in the 70’s but it is also one of the songs on my iPod.<br /><br /><strong>Discovery:</strong> Walking down the street while listening to “Staying Alive” will cause you to strut.<br /><br />Now picture this – a tall white guy strutting down a street full of short Japanese people, nodding his head casually and coolly to the Bee Gees’ high pitch brand of disco funk. That’s me. That’s the guy I’ve become. The guy this place has turned me into!<br /><br />Ok, so I can’t vouch for the casual/cool thing but from the inside looking out that’ how things appeared. On the reverse side of the coin I’m sure there’s a Japanese guy out there writing up his blog just as I type this one – and where I’ve written casual and cool he has written geeky and awkward. But, each to his own perspective I guess.<br /><br />If I’m honest Tokyo is starting to get to me. It’s not that the people aren’t friendly and the place isn’t interesting it’s just… different. For a start there is a noticeable lack of birds. Ok, so there are sparrows, crows and pigeons but I hardly think they count. I don’t think I’m the only one who misses them though. If you happen to be up and walking down the main street in my city first thing in the morning you will notice the lovely bird sounds all around. The first time I heard them I was reminded of my grandfather’s garden and started looking around delighted trying to find the source. My delight soon turned to dismay however when my search revealed nothing but speakers at the top of every lamp post in the street.<br /><br />This leads me to my second grumble about Tokyo… The place is almost never quiet. Every shop, bar, street, street vendor and pachinko parlour feels the need to pump noise pollution into the atmosphere – each one clashing with the next.<br /><br /><strong>A typical evening in Kiyose:</strong><br />Stepping out of the train station you are immediately accosted by eight people trying to hand you various things from tissues to discount vouchers and candy. Once you’ve managed to get beyond those you hit the pachinko parlours. As you pass, the doors open to reveal a smoke filled room full of flashing lights, jangling little silver balls, bells and sirens from 1000 machines, and an assortment of inane tunes, all of which combine to create an invasive and abrasive white noise. If you are having a hard time picturing it just imagine a large pinball arcade on crack.<br /><br />Beyond that you enter the main street where you are assaulted by sounds coming from every shop and drug store you pass. Some of the stores have their own annoying jingles they like to pump out into the street, whereas others like to go for the more popular but just as annoying J-Pop. If that wasn’t enough however there’s also a street vendor in the street selling gyoza (kind of like a Chinese steamed dim-sim) from the back of a van. This wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have a PA system rigged to the van loudly playing the same high pitched nasal recording over and over and over and over!<br /><br />“Gyoooooooozaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”…. wait… take the pitch up a notch… go again… “GyyyoooooozaaaaaAAAAA!”<br /><br />This is all on a normal day by the way. It’s even worse during election time. <em>Then</em> the politicians actually ride around on the back of trucks with microphones giving mobile policy speeches! Something I’m sure would never happen back home in Aus. The first politician to try that would probably have something very nasty happen to him/her. Luckily the politicians back home have the decency to stay behind closed doors where we can ignore them peacefully.<br /><br />Finally, to top it all off, the street actually plays music at you from the very same speakers that like to chirp like happy little electronic birds first thing in the morning. I think last time I actually listened to the music in the street I heard the toy piano rendition of the Carpenter’s classic “Close To You”. It was a touching moment.<br /><br />My ranting and raving aside however, this place also manages to dish up some very funny, peculiar moments (look a segue!).<br /><br />Last week I was standing in the train station waiting for a friend when I noticed something rather odd – a Japanese guy in drag. Ok, so in a city of 20 million people I’m sure this isn’t so odd but I haven’t painted the whole picture yet. Firstly the guy was immaculately tailored in what appeared to be a very expensive skirt suit – the kind worn by powerful women executives. In addition he had a full ensemble of matching accessories and his hair and makeup was perfect. Ok, again this is probably not such a big deal in a place like Tokyo but, what made it odd was this… he was standing in front of a ringing pay phone.<br /><br />Now you need to step back and get a bird’s eye view of this picture… There was me unabashedly staring at a transvestite wondering whether I had time to get my camera; there was the transvestite staring at a ringing pay phone wondering whether he dared to answer it and; there was the rest of Tokyo pouring past us without even registering that anything was slightly out of place. It was, if anything, a surreal moment in my life.<br /><br />Of late I think that’s what Tokyo has become for me – a serious of surreal moments linked together by long stretches of hum-drum. I go to work, I come home, I go to work, I come home etc…<br /><br />I suppose it’s time I got off my ass and did something about that. If I’m successful I’m sure I’ll write about it here so, assuming anyone actually reads this, wish me luck.<br /><br />N.<br clear="all">NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1143137888747602182006-03-24T03:18:00.000+09:002006-03-24T03:18:08.783+09:00Train Sculls<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/116844356/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/55/116844356_7e234df193_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/116844356/">"Train Sculls"</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>I'm not sure why, but there's something about teacher's and alcohol, especially when the teachers are somewhere like Japan. Perhaps it's the feeling of isolation that drives you to drink, or perhaps it's the yearning for like-minded company; people who intimately know the frustrations of someone who has to constantly navigate their way around a foreign country they may never fully understand. Or... maybe we just like to drink!<br /><br />Since my last post several things have happened to me that have caused me some amusement. Firstly I am receiving love letters from one of my students! Fortunately her English ability is so low the love letters consist of sentences like "You smell good. What did you eat?" The downside is she is incredibly incredibly attractive (yes that’s a downside!) Hmmmm... What to do what to do what to do... <br /><br />Of course I'm not going to DO anything, but it would be so much easier if she wasn't so damn attractive!<br /><br />Then, the other day I managed to drop 10 yen on the escalator while I was fishing through my wallet for my train pass. 10 yen is the equivalent of about 10 cents... So what did I do? Nothing. It was only 10 yen. Let it fall down the gap and see if I care! Did the Japanese guy behind me let that happen though? Not on your life. It was perhaps one of the funniest things I've ever seen. One man holding up and entire escalator full of people while he valiantly tried to rescue my 10 yen from the abyss. To his credit and my amusement I got my 10 yen back. I'd like to see that kind of thing happen in Australia!!<br /><br />Oh, and a couple of friends and I invented a new drinking game! I'm going to tentatively call it "Train Sculls". "Train Sculls" grew out of 3 of us standing on a platform freezing our asses off while waiting for a train. Eventually one of us cracked it and suggested we get some beers from the newspaper stand (yes the newspaper stand) and jump on the next train that happened to arrive. Public drinking not being illegal in Japan (although a little frowned upon on the train) we grabbed a few cans of beer and jumped on the next train which just happened to be going in the opposite direction to where we really wanted to be going! The rules were simple. Every time the train stopped we had to drink. Every time an old lady got on the train (every second passenger is an old lady) we had to drink. Every time a cute guy or girl got on the train (we were 2 guys and a girl so we had to go both ways) we had to drink. <br /><br />Aaaaanyway, this took us into the heart of the Tokyo subway system several km’s underground before we ran out of beer and had to find our way back again. It was, to say the least, a fun experience!<br /><br />And that, apart from all the photos I've been taking recently, is my life to date. Ok, so it might not be packed full of adventure and derring-do right now, but it is interesting. Well... for me at least! <br /><br />N<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1142271053939269332006-03-14T02:30:00.001+09:002006-03-14T02:30:53.943+09:00My images...<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/109113681/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/46/109113681_67c8b0e846_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/109113681/">Girl in Black</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Once upon a time I used to love photography but, since coming to Japan, I've been guilty of merely pointing my camera at things with no regard for the image or composition.<br /><br />However, I've recently started to get back into actual photography. Here's just one of my most recent images. If you'd like to see more you can find links to my photos on the right of this page or you can just click on the image.<br /><br />N.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1142271005099595982006-03-14T02:30:00.000+09:002006-03-14T02:30:05.100+09:00Drunk in Japan<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/108761036/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/52/108761036_7a5d1e52a5_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/108761036/">Drunk in Japan</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Since my trip to Nagano I’ve been trying not to spend too much money. Consequently my life has been pretty quiet of late...<br /><br />I’ve been out drinking a few times with some Japanese mates, which is always fun, especially as they don’t know a lot of English and they always seem to end up paying for most of it, even if I insist. <br /><br />Actually its interesting how gaijin (foreigners) ate treated in Japan. We can either be ignored completely or people can be extremely generous. Just recently I left a bar with my mates then, after seeing them off home, I went back in for another drink. Not having a lot of money on me I was keeping a close eye on my drink, however the bar staff kept topping it up. When I told them I was short on cash they told me not to worry about it because someone else in the bar was covering my tab! <br /><br />Ok, so this kind of thing doesn’t happen all the time but it certainly happens a lot more here than it does back home, and on those days it is great being a foreigner in Japan.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23930585.post-1142270955788083382006-03-14T02:29:00.000+09:002006-03-14T02:29:15.793+09:00Nagano<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/107597421/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/39/107597421_f73bd01114_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/107597421/">Nagano Sunset</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/njberry/">Nate-san</a>. </span></div>Nagano… A place world famous for skiing and snowboarding and I managed to fall down most of it. Ok, so maybe it was only one run, but I now know that run in detail. I should, seeing as I spent a lot of time sliding down it on my face and ass.<br /><br />Actually, although I came away from my three day trip bearing some phenomenal injuries, it was one of the best trips I have ever had.<br /><br />For three days my friend Jamie and I went up and down a mountain on a ski lift offering us some of the most amazing views, although our first day saw us mainly sitting at the bottom of a gentle incline wondering just how the hell we were supposed to stay standing up, while dreading the walk back to the top of our little slope just so we could tumble down it again. <br /><br />By the end of day one we were sorer than we have ever been in our lives and Jamie was muttering something about having torn his sphincter!<br /><br />Day two was significantly better. My friend Yusuke (who organized the whole thing for us) took us to the top of the run and spent some time teaching is just how NOT to fall over. This doesn’t mean we didn’t fall over at all, but we fell over a hell of a lot less. However I did manage to take one spectacular fall that left me wondering whether I’d cracked a rib or two. It’s now three weeks later and I’m still tender down one side! Seven hours and some amazing weather later Jamie and I found we could actually “snowboard” and I discovered I’d managed to get sunburned pretty much all over my face except for where my goggles had been. My chin has never been so red in all my life!<br /><br />On our last day we woke up to a blanket of fog that didn’t lift all day. However, despite the multitude of aches and pains we now bore (including my possibly cracked ribs) we were determined to spend our last day on the run. By this stage we considered ourselves fully fledged snowboarders and had even resorted to saying things like “gnarly dude”. The run however was unforgiving. It had been packed down the night before and, as the snow never saw the sun, it was like boarding on ice. Each tumble was like falling on solid concrete. It was so bad that we nearly packed it in and went home, but sheer bloody mindedness saw us persevere. <br /><br />There is nothing quite as frightening as sliding down a wall of ice at unknown speeds while not being able to see anything. At some stages the fog became so thick it was almost impossible to differentiate between the snow and the fog at all. Many times Jamie and I would begin at the top of one run only to find ourselves at the bottom of a completely different one.<br /><br />The end of the trip saw us heading home exhilarated but completely knackered. That didn’t stop us from heading to the pub however. It’s amazing how a few rum and cokes can make you forget about cracked ribs and incredible sunburn.<br clear="all" />NateinTokyohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092814149115393299noreply@blogger.com0