My Golden Week Holiday! prt.1

1st of May, 2002ce* in: diary

I had a few phone calls in Japanese from my Friends family out here in Japan, I couldn’t decipher much, but I did get down a date and a time, and a station to be at. Why did I have to be there at that time, I later found out, that they were taking me on holiday with them to Guma county (a few hours drive from Tokyo).

I headed off to the station to be met by the mother and father of someone who I haven’t even seen for a very long time. This was 10pm. We headed back to their place where I drank some beer, then was forced some more beer, beer seemed to flow from here and I wasn’t complaining. I was treated to a grand tour of the house and some vinyl junkie ranting, along with the spectacular sound system - two gigantic Tannoy speakers with a home made valve amp each.

At about 2am we were ready to depart onto the highway, as this was ‘golden week’, the traffic was jam packed. The car we were riding in can only be described as ridiculous. A 1970’s American sports gas guzzler. My legs were close to falling off by the time we got to the first pit stop, a rest station with free tea!

I travelled in the back of this car with a French translator, up front was the Mum and Son, in another car (a new Japanese ‘cappuccino’ suzuki) were the son’s friend on the wheel, and the son’s Father, the son is Gen. The family is Aoki. The French man is Mr Charles.

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its all go

30th of Apr, 2002ce* in: diary

For me and several people around me its all go right now, this period of the year holds many ups and downs, planning for the coming days of our lives. Here in Japan its something known as Golden Week. A holiday that stems over a few random days, giving rest to the faithfull hive.

Myself personally, with not that much to be getting on with, I’m biding time for my return to the shores of the UK… a place I have to return to, for work, life, and a large dead end on my adventure.
Working here in Japan has taught me many important lessons about life. Working for a Japanese company has shown me the path that I wish to take. Speaking another language has made me realise we’re all just a bunch of overgrown monkeys faking civilisation in the grandest of ways.

I have a thought for the day, and that is, dont let the fuckers get you down. If you see a mad mad today (which I havent) then take the advice of my cherished ex-collegue, stare that mad man in the eye and he wont bother you, look away and he’ll give you his full attention.

Worked on my first lump of freelance work yesterday, made me feel wanted and respected, good for a man who hasnt worked in over a month.

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lost and found

8th of Apr, 2002ce* in: diary

Wondering the streets of shibuya and met my good pal dave. We decided not to get drunk, even though we were both not currently working.
Went to yoyogi park and got drunk.
Let off some fire works, exchanged basic communication with other drunk japanese.

Time came to go home and as always I fell asleep on the train (its a hour jouirney to my house from Shinjuku), woke up near my station, got out of the train and then to my horror noticed I’d left my freaking bag on the train…
This is a tricky situation, my copy of a very important letter plus my USB mega brain holding 6 years of data were in that bag, loose it and I’m more fucked than a gaijin in a geisha house.

Today I managed to get the bag back, to my suprise, and the kind staff at the station even gave me a free rail pass to go and pick it up. It’s amazing communication one can make with the very most basic japanese skills at hand.

And, in my current situation, where I’m doing bugger all, Japanese is something I’ve decided to tackle (after living here for quite some time, daft boy).

On a side note, here’s the new site! Spanking isn’t it?

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work is shit

25th of Mar, 2002ce* in: diary

Unfortunatly, something very odd happened today.
Things haven’t been so hot at work, and I’ve only just got it together to start renovating my site once again (the first time in 2 years) and what bloody happens? Well I don’t have a job to go to. A big steaming pile of shite hit a fan. I’m now on holiday until May/June/July… When I shall start my big adventure to the United Kingdom, the mother land.

Sometimes life throws some funny shit at you, but my best advice is, don’t let any fuckers walk over you, stand up for what you think is right - if someone can’t handle that, then they should get off your case. At least you’re right, and stood up for your rights.
Not hard to guess what happened really.

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spanking new home

20th of Mar, 2002ce* in: diary

(on this date, the third incarnation of dadako team dadako was made live)
Welcome to my home. I kiss you.

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jingle bells

24th of Dec, 2001ce* in: diary

It’s Christmas Day.
So freaking what is the reply you’d get in Japan. No holiday here, as although Japan loves to use Christmas decorations, sing Christmas songs and dress up like Santa, at the end of they day - Christianity is not a religion out here, and the government would never not-on-their-nelly let it become a national holiday!

So, here’s a toast to Christmas Day, which I for one, have enjoyed missing, if only for one year. Next year I’ll hopefully have my Xmas in USALand, with the family. The BIG family. Looking forward to the madness! :)

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hanabi

22nd of Dec, 2001ce* in: diary

Lazy day, lazy dog.
Woke up late and went to EnoShima with my Girly. Tomorrow is a holiday so we can go out and get drunk, yey! At EnoShima they have a 10 minute long firework display (may sound long, but its nothing compared to the hour long one at Atami). They were nice and colourful.

We drank coffee at an odd caf? that looked a little like one you might find on the Cornish seaside, and on our exit we were almost run over by Santa costume wearing motorbikers, they had sacks and all - feck knows what they were upto, but they warmed our hearts.

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james jarvis?

13th of Dec, 2001ce* in: diary

Wow! Today I met James Jarvis!
Funny that, because I used to love his illustrations in those old UK skate mags, world of pain and those other doodles he did for a clothing label which name currently escapes me.
Although when he asked; uh, why you want a photo wiv me? All I could think of saying was; because your works been in Face Mag and all that. Doh! Here’s me, all time genuine fan, sounding like a freaking noggin!

Anyhow, when I get the new site up, the before mentioned image will be displayed for all to see! Me with James. Best pals. lol.

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bye george

30th of Nov, 2001ce* in: diary

Oh my bloody hell god! It’s December already!
I have started thinking about 2002 already. It’s also my girlfriends birthday in 6 days… time for the consumerist drive to go into top gear! I need to send at least 5 packages to different places around the world, arse! It’s going to cost me the damn earth.

I just heard the news today
R.I.P. George Harrison.
I never met you, or knew you, but you’ll be missed by a lot of loving people. Can you hear me?

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daily rant

26th of Nov, 2001ce* in: diary

Well, thats another month coming to a close, and I really do have to ask myself do all ex-pats go mad?.
We have the usual term of acceptence by non-japanese here to think in circles of well whatever happens in japan it wouldn’t happen in my country. You’re all mad etc thing, which I can understand, hell my flat mate is like it! But I tend not to be on such a negative side. No, my condition is has evolved to be one of extreme opionion.
I am opionionated and I know it, I tend to let people know it too. In country where opionionation is personal, non-opionionation is public, I stick out like a sore forigner.
Still, at least I don’t find it nessicary to complain about Japan every other comment, in fact these days I find myself backing japan up!

This past week I have been very drunk most evenings out, and I noticed this. Gonna cut back on the booze for a few weeks, methinks.

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