Yesterday, I saw a salary man who was alone, playing a crane game at a game center at like 11:30pm. I came across him after having wandered away from my friends and I felt compelled to watch him. Everything about the scene put out an atmosphere of futile loneliness. I watched him put in one 100円 coin after another in a depressingly solemn effort to make the stuffed doll fall down. He was holding a briefcase.
I could not help but guess about his life and wonder what circumstances led him here, alone, so late at night, quietly struggling to win a small prize.
Eventually, the doll did fall over and was hanging over the edge. It looked like the little blond girl with the square mouth was nearly about fall. But no matter how many coins he gave the machine, the stuffed doll simply would not come down to where he could reach it.
So, after having ran out of either money or hope, he simply touched the glass and looked inside the bright machine for a few seconds. Then, he slowly picked his briefcase back up and walked away.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
なつかしい。。。 nostalgia
Today, I gave presentations about America, Oklahoma, Cowboys, Native Americans, and whatnot at 八雲台小学校 (Yagumodai elementary school) as a volunteer, unlike the similar presentations I have to give at two separate elementary schools next week. I wasn't really in the mood to get up at 7:30 this morning, but I guess I managed.
There was a Spanish guy who gave a presentation as well and is apparently one of the student's father. His Japanese was amazing and made me feel like I didn't know anything, but at the same time gave me hope that maybe I will become good at Japanese someday. But other than him, there were two girls from Indonesia and a guy from Morocco from my university.
We each spoke for around 10 minutes about where we were from to three different classes of third graders. Apparently the students researched our respective countries and in each class there was a group that presented what they found. I only got to see the ones about America since I had to change classes, but apparently Americans' favorite things to eat are hamburgers, pizza, pork and beans, and watermelon. And since it was an open house day or something, there were a lot of moms there watching me. There was a bit of pressure, but it was all good fun.
Afterwards, there was some sort of sports competition and all the students gathered outside for a jump rope contest. Each class tried to see how many people could jump through the rope in five minutes. Then they had some kind of demonstration for the parents with really awkward background music. It was pretty amazing.
But seeing everyone having fun and organizing their jump rope teams and whatnot made me miss those days. I may just have selective memory and only remember the good parts, but I miss sports days and the feeling of returning to the comfort home after a seemingly endless day at school. It even made me miss junior high and the excitement of talking to everyone during lunch break. I guess it made me want to go back to the days of only worrying about the things that interested me.
The lady who organized the trip for us was there to see one of her sons and also brought her youngest son, Yuta, along. He was two years old and simply adorable. Seeing all of the moms gathered there also made me wish I had an お母さん to make me bento lunches and buy me those hard-case style backpacks.
But on the way back, I thought about what it must be like to be a parent, which kinda freaked me out. My mom was 21 when I was born, but I can't begin to imagine what it would be like if I had a kid next year. I can barely take care of myself, much less someone else who is completely dependent on me for everything. I thought about how having a child completely changes your life forever and realized that I need to be more grateful towards my parents than I am.
I guess life's a cycle and we each have our own place in it that's constantly changing, whether we'd like it to or not. It's all seems so cliché, but I guess it's true. I hope I can be one of those people that finds happiness in all the stages of life.
Captain out.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Recent happenings
30, January
Saturday
We waited quite a long time to get seats in a cheap, kaiten sushi place and spent way too long in a furniture store while doing so. But I have decided that I can't tell the difference between “fresh”, expensive fish and the cheaper versions. And I certainly can't tell the differences between the varying priced cuts of fish. It all tastes nearly the same to me. I can see a difference from the sushi in Oklahoma (and by sushi, I mean the rolls they give you), but in Japan, the difference seems quite marginal. Maybe since it's all relatively fresh here, it hasn't had time to acquire that “fishy” taste and therefore barely has any taste at all. But what do I know? I'm no connoisseur.
31, January
Sunday
I went to Yoyogi Park. Unfortunately Meiji Shrine had already closed, but I saw all of the cosplay people on the bridge near the entrance. Some of them had interesting costumes; but for the most part, they all looked the same and sat around on suitcases doing nothing really. It seems like they just go there just to sit around and have their picture taken.
But man oh man, was there a surprise waiting for me just inside the park. I was greeted by a rockabilly dance group wearing their poodle skirts and letter jackets. There were, of course, the black-leather-jacket-wearing cool guys just standing around, probably talking about how much they hate squares. But most of them were just having fun cutting a little rug to some good old rock'n'roll.
In sharp contrast to those stool pigeons dancing ever so mildly, however, were some true rebels, dressed in all black leather and who's jackets read something like “black shadows”. They were truly a fear-inducing sight to behold. When they weren't howling, they were shredding on their air guitars. Their leader was adorned with a black crown of hair that was at least a foot tall and almost as cool as the righteous jams being played at a volume obviously loud enough to drown out those yellow-bellied softies no more than 40 feet away.
However, in the midst of all this sauntered what must have been no less than the emperor of all that is rock and roll. His shoulders and back were graced with a leopard-print cape; yet left revealed was his royal chest which bore the tattoo markings of his rockin' holiness. He was no doubt regarded as a czar by both groups and feared by all present. Should you ever venture thither, you had better play your cards right.
The rest of the park was OK too.
1, February
Monday
Today was the last of the elementary school trips until April or so. Feelings of sadness were shared by all as it was Jordan's last of such trips, being that he will return to Australia in March.
I managed to get some good action shots of everyone on the video camera, though!
Afterwards, we went to our adviser/organizer lady's house for a Sukiyaki dinner to celebrate. The food was amazing and seemed relatively simple to make. She put on some really weird and awkward Japanese music. Apparently one of the songs was about “finding the g-spot”. Then we listened to some early Beatles and had plenty of jokes and awkward conversations over some incredible chocolate and fudge mochi ice cream. It's called daifuku and the half Japanese/Australian guy, Daniel, talked about he and his brother used to call it “Die fuck you!”
It was a good evening.
Saturday
We waited quite a long time to get seats in a cheap, kaiten sushi place and spent way too long in a furniture store while doing so. But I have decided that I can't tell the difference between “fresh”, expensive fish and the cheaper versions. And I certainly can't tell the differences between the varying priced cuts of fish. It all tastes nearly the same to me. I can see a difference from the sushi in Oklahoma (and by sushi, I mean the rolls they give you), but in Japan, the difference seems quite marginal. Maybe since it's all relatively fresh here, it hasn't had time to acquire that “fishy” taste and therefore barely has any taste at all. But what do I know? I'm no connoisseur.
31, January
Sunday
I went to Yoyogi Park. Unfortunately Meiji Shrine had already closed, but I saw all of the cosplay people on the bridge near the entrance. Some of them had interesting costumes; but for the most part, they all looked the same and sat around on suitcases doing nothing really. It seems like they just go there just to sit around and have their picture taken.
But man oh man, was there a surprise waiting for me just inside the park. I was greeted by a rockabilly dance group wearing their poodle skirts and letter jackets. There were, of course, the black-leather-jacket-wearing cool guys just standing around, probably talking about how much they hate squares. But most of them were just having fun cutting a little rug to some good old rock'n'roll.
In sharp contrast to those stool pigeons dancing ever so mildly, however, were some true rebels, dressed in all black leather and who's jackets read something like “black shadows”. They were truly a fear-inducing sight to behold. When they weren't howling, they were shredding on their air guitars. Their leader was adorned with a black crown of hair that was at least a foot tall and almost as cool as the righteous jams being played at a volume obviously loud enough to drown out those yellow-bellied softies no more than 40 feet away.
However, in the midst of all this sauntered what must have been no less than the emperor of all that is rock and roll. His shoulders and back were graced with a leopard-print cape; yet left revealed was his royal chest which bore the tattoo markings of his rockin' holiness. He was no doubt regarded as a czar by both groups and feared by all present. Should you ever venture thither, you had better play your cards right.
The rest of the park was OK too.
1, February
Monday
Today was the last of the elementary school trips until April or so. Feelings of sadness were shared by all as it was Jordan's last of such trips, being that he will return to Australia in March.
I managed to get some good action shots of everyone on the video camera, though!
Afterwards, we went to our adviser/organizer lady's house for a Sukiyaki dinner to celebrate. The food was amazing and seemed relatively simple to make. She put on some really weird and awkward Japanese music. Apparently one of the songs was about “finding the g-spot”. Then we listened to some early Beatles and had plenty of jokes and awkward conversations over some incredible chocolate and fudge mochi ice cream. It's called daifuku and the half Japanese/Australian guy, Daniel, talked about he and his brother used to call it “Die fuck you!”
It was a good evening.
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