When do they sleep
Date: Dec 21st, 2007 1:55:53 am - Subscribe
Mood: avoiding businessmen
Nihonkara Ohayo,
First off, tired. I somehow managed to sleep in today, god only knows how, and now Im even more exhausted than before. Stupid body. Im pretty sure no one in Japan sleeps. Everyone who lives here has the most ridiculous sleep schedules; like 4 hours a night if that. I die if I get less than 6.
Personal declaration: Blond hair attracts strange men. Much like my recent run ins with Mental Man and his sidekick Chub Boy (ref. last email), two similar battles against evil fell upon your caped wonder this last week. Stay tuned!
So the first one happened as I was walking to campus from Takadanobaba station. I usually enjoy the 20 minute walk by listening to my ipod, but on this particular outing I was drawn into an awkward conversation with a Japanese salaryman (the word “salaryman” in Japanese basically means a Japanese male working for a nonspecific company. Physical description: always seen in black suit.). This guy would have been cute if he wasn’t just a tad too short for me. His English was good but rather stilted, and he decided to accompany me then entire way to campus talking about when he graduated from Waseda. Somehow my love of Shinjuku (place) came up and he asked if I had been to the massive park there yet. I stated that I hadn’t, to which he responded, “Oh, well on this weekend we go together maybe.” I quickly employed the gaijin (foreigner) card, pretending I didn’t hear/understand his English, and, in a masterful stroke of segue, changed the subject to something else. That card is so useful, versatile too. He eventually left once we reached campus, but not before writing down his phone number and email for me. I said I didn’t have my phone with me ß blatant lie.
The second battle for justice happened last night on my way home from the Hub. I didn’t drink, just hung out with English and Japanese friends chatting in Japanese until about 10. I accidentally made eye contact with this guy on my train platform, and he apparently took that as his cue to come over and talk to me using the three English words he knew. He was Peruvian and had been in Japan for about 5 years working as a chef at this massively expensive restaurant in Shinjuku. He gave me a coupon for it. We boarded the train and continued our extremely awkward conversation in Japanese while I silently prayed for an act of god to end the ordeal. Unlike Generic Salaryman #1, Peruvian Man saw my phone and asked to exchange numbers.
Authors note: exchanging numbers in Japan is like shaking hands with them. The phones are also more advanced in that to exchange information all you do is point two phones at each other and push a button.
During the exchange he managed to miss his stop and so got off on mine with the intention of backtracking via the next train. Before we parted though he gave me his business card, like all the others, and then shook my hand. Then, before I could even react, pulled me in to brush a small kiss against my cheek. I still cant decide if it was a greeting/goodbye kiss or an it-has-been-decided-that-we-will-hook-up-kiss. I walked away thinking, “WTF?!”. He sent me two emails after I got home saying the usual, “I liked talking to you”, “lets get together”, etc. etc. I already blocked his number. In a city of this size Im not overly concerned about running into any of them again, but I am thinking about making a scrapbook.
I did have non-strange-man fun recently as well. The Midwest crew and I hung out again and went to karaoke for one of their, Brittany’s, birthday. Since it was the day before Halloween we decided to semi dress up for it. Only one person dressed up, like a pirate, and I merely wore a short skirt and high heels, but we still enjoyed ourselves immensely. The karaoke room was tiny, the drinks were ridiculously expensive, and the English songs sounded like bad midi versions. However, singing loudly and badly in a large group to classics is REALLY fun. The following are some of the songs we belted out:
Like a Virgin
Twist and shout
Obladi Oblada
Chumbawamba
Tainted Love
Its Not Unusual
Twist and Shout is the best karaoke song hand down, end of discussion. Although, Obladi Oblada was great too, but Im probably biased. Skipping down the middle of the street at the beach with a group of friends, boombox screaming the song, has marked it for me forever.
After karaoke we went to a conbini (convenience store) for some ice cream bars and drinks.
Author’s Note: Convenience stores in Japan are all purpose stores. Like tiny Fred Meyers, they have literally everything you could possibly need.
We took our assembled goods somewhere else to eat, and Michael, who had at this point donned the pirate ensemble (funniest pirate ever) started in on his Mango Cocktail. He hummed in delight after the first gulp, we laughed at him, and he proudly stated, “I love anything with the words “mango” and “cock” in it.” God I love that boy. And he loves me now that I showed him around Ikebukuro, specifically the street with all the gay manga, books, etc. (not sex shops mind you but legitimate book/media stores). My Oregon crew and I stumbled upon it the last time we were there, but I was the only one with the stones to explore them. Curiosity trumps shame every time.
Ugh. Think Ill go take a nap. Ill leave the trip to NHK and the Waseda vs. Keio baseball game for next time.
Ja, matta kondo!
-Spork
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