Thomas the Tank Engine... Bus

This is actually a kids' school bus - possibly the greatest one ever. Apparently there's a Pikachu-bus somewhere around here.

I might steal it. Read more!

Salaryman ninja

Simply amazing. Read more!

Giblets

Oh man, I totally fell off the blog horse for a few days there.

I've been spending a lot of time with my new korean friends slash freaking out about actually having homework so I let it slide.

But no more!

Rather than force something profound out of exhaustion I'll use days like these to provide you with what you want - silly little anecdotes about life in Japan. Example:

I heard once that the human brain reads english words principally by judging the word length along with the first and last letters.

You shluod, for epxmale, be albe to raed tihs.

It's fairly interesting - and it explains why I keep thinking this tower says "rapist":

Read more!

Stormy Weather

The weather here is slowly turning from pleasant to uncomfortable.

I've heard that it's bound to happen. First it's warm, then muggy, then rainy. That last part lasts for about a month. Today I got a preview:

It didn't pour so much as drizzle incessantly. It was that gross in-between where you can't decide whether to open your umbrella or not and you always wind up wet regardless. I did not remember my golashes so I spent most of the day sloshing around in waterlogged boat shoes.

I also got my first real animation assignment today: a para-para manga flipbook. Basically I just have to do a head turnaround in a flipbook. I'm trying something a bit more ambitious, though, so it's probably going to take me a good while.

Add that to the other assignments I've incurred in the past few weeks and my workload looks a little waterlogged too.

So it looks like I'm going to have to switch into acting a bit less like an explorer and more like a student. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I suppose it was innevitable.

Oh well. Read more!

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS UNITE

Partied today with OUA's biggest group of gaijin - the Korean international students.

Since we couldn't speak eachother's language we restricted ourselves to a universal language: the preparation and consumption of grilled meats. Once we were full of meats and alchohols we played a bizarre variation on dodgeball where the guys have to guard the girls. Also girls weren't allowed to interact with the ball.

Gender equality? Ha! Well it was fun anyway.

Tomorrow we're all going to the aquarium, which will hopefully result in pictures to be posted here.

Hurray! Read more!

Golden Week

It's Golden Week!

"Golden Week" is the name given to the vacation time granted by the three holidays that started yesterday. The name is kind of a misnomer since we only get three days off in a row. I mean seriously I had class Saturday - this barely qualifies as vacation.

If this was America we would probably have moved the Emperor's Birthday up a week and taken Friday off for good measure. Japan, however, takes both its culture and it's work ethic seriously and so this is what we get.

So, what am I doing for this greatest of holidays?

Well... uh...

Hm.

Alright, I have no idea. Frankly I've been doing so much since I got here that I feel like taking a vacation from having adventures. The things I really miss doing are normal things - hanging around eating snacks and watching TV, for example.

I feel like the language barrier has made it impossible for me to make real friends here. Most of the people I talk to are too taken aback by the gimmick of meeting a foreigner to really speak honestly with me.

That said, isn't 90% of communication nonverbal? Maybe I'm giving language too much blame, here.

Tomorrow I'm going to a party with Korean international students. Their Japanese is much better than mine, and perhaps they understand where I'm coming from as fellow foreigners.

We shall see! Read more!

Church: again?

Today I went to a church that conducted service in two languages: Japanese and, of course, Korean. Wait, what?

I've been doing a pretty good job of jamming myself into the last place anyone would ever expect to be a white person. A Korean international church in Japan is one of those places.

I honestly didn't think it would be so bad when I tagged along with Joyce and Ariyana. I imagined a packed room with high ceilings and loud music. Maybe I'd get a few sideways glances - but before long I'd be out of there. No big deal.

The reality was... not that.


small room, folding chairs, quiet music, staring.

When the four people leading the music started they began to stare. I began to turn red. They continued to stare. I began to sweat a bit and laugh nervously. They stared somehow more intentely.

I looked up - nobody in front of me, nobody behind. I was surrounded by empty seats. I couldn't possibly look any taller, or whiter, or less comfortable. I waited until the end of the service.

Wait, why is everyone staring at me? Well, more obviously. Why is that man pointing?

A moment passes.

"Please" a man says behind me "up"

I stand, confused.

Another moment passes.

"Um... please... come... here" the pastor asks. Some hideous terror/embarrassment expression flashes across my face. The entire congregation bursts out laughing.

There are four of us standing now - the newbies. Joyce and Ariyana are here next to me - because they are good friends.

Pastor says something in Korean. He hands the mic to the girl next to me. She says something in korean. He hands the mic to me. He has fear in his eyes.

"H... hi. Thank you for inv..(stutter) inviting me into your church."

silence

"My name is Sam Thurman..."

silence

"Uh.. I'm from New York. Thank you"

Yes! That got them. Fact: all Japanese people (immigrants included) love New York.

Joyce and Ariyana introduced themselves - Joyce in Korean because, well, she speaks it. Then they all sang a song at us. It sounded welcoming enough.

I had a chance to talk with some people after the service. Everyone was actually very kind. Perhaps confused as to why I was there, but kind nonetheless.* I don't know why I'd expect anything less from church people.

And you know what? The service was quite nice too. Calming and ritualistic in a meditative way, not a brain-washing way. If I spoke Korean I might actually consider going back.

But I don't speak Korean.

*It's ok people, I don't know why I was there either.
Read more!

Church: explication

The pastor shouted something through the mic. Actually, maybe he wasn't a pastor. That's what we called the man in charge* back when I went to church - but this guy bore little resemblance to father John. Father John wore robes for instance, whereas this guy rocked a Hawaiian shirt. He was, actually, Hawaiian. Did this make it ok? No, I think not.

I'm just going to call him Prayer Guy - that sounds about right.

Prayer guy shouted something through the mic. What was it? It was hard to hear. Jump in the air, right? Jump and share? Not jumping prayer.

No, he said jumping prayer. Crap.


I can only laugh at a ridiculous situation for so long before the reality of my participation in it sinks in. Jumping prayer was my limit.

Lyrics projected onto the wall "God's word is always right, his word is my light, with him I'll never fail!" The band cranked out some shallowed out punk music. The irony of a christian punk song was, if only for a minute, precious.

I used to go to church every week. I liked it. I didn't believe - but that didn't really matter. It was the atmosphere. Church was about calm. Sitting, reading, comforting each-other. Stand up, sit down, eat a cracker, have some coffee cake, go home. Relax. It was something to aspire to.

But jumping prayer? No.

I don't want to go to church and yell at things. I don't want to go to church and plug my ears to the pounding pulse of terrible music. I could go to any crappy club in the city and do that. At least there I wouldn't be hounded to give donations.

Thank you, J House, for the free meal. Thanks for being so nice. Thanks for offering English translations of your theological diarrhea.

And thanks in advance for not holding it against me when I never, ever, come back.

*no, not god - the other one
Read more!

Church

Today I went to an international church college night at the suggestion of Hisano-san. Probably... was not the best idea. Well, at least there was free food. Details tomorrow. Read more!