2008.12.27-28

Not much happened. Lost that strange Japanese guy - which is good. Went to the gym and got asked if I was okay by two people. I'm wondering if it's cause I'm foreign, I looked confused, or if they were bored. I honestly don't know which. I also bought a scale. ...and that makes up what I did for two days. Enjoy.

2008.12.26

Another day of not really working. In fact, I’ve written all the entries from the 19th to now at work. I’ve also been messaging my friend for a good portion of the day. But I did make 4 worksheets, yo. I just work quickly…
And, now, it’s time for an announcement…
SNOW!!!! It snowed this morning/last night and lasted until about noon. It’s now 2.14-ish and the snow has mostly melted. But it does give me an in with calling that fellow. He doesn’t like the cold weather. I can ask him how the snow was and if he’s okay and all that other good stuff and ask how his work is going and shit like that. This is assuming I grow the balls to so such a thing. Which may or may not be in the future for me. Or, maybe he’ll call. Probably not though. That’s just not how it’s done here. That, and he may not like me. If that’s the case, then I hope he tells me that. I’m really fine being a friend with this guy. He’s just a really great guy from the little I do know about him. Actually, I know things about him that aren’t the “important” things. I don’t know where he lives, or where his family does. I don’t know if he lives with them, or alone. But I do know that DJing is his dream and that he’s chasing after it, and that is enough for me. I also know he likes nattou, and doesn’t like the cold. I know a few other things, but this is enough for now. Anyone who is catches their dreams is a good person by my standards.
Anyway, apparently we, as in my friend and I, are going to be meeting with that guy who didn’t show up yesterday today…possibly. He called her last night and they spoke in broken Japanese – apparently speaking English wasn’t his main goal for last night. We’ll see how that works out…assuming he even calls.

You know, sometimes I do forget that this isn’t my country. It’s just become so normal that I do, literally, forget that I’m foreign and everybody knows it, and I can never not be foreign here. I can marry a Japanese guy, have kids and all that stuff and still I won’t be Japanese. But, having said that, my teachers do seem surprised when I start speaking in English. It seems to throw them for a loop. Yeah…I ran out of news and I’m still on the clock.
A computer guy came in to fix one of the computers and he was a student of the teacher whose computer was being fixed. The teacher didn’t remember at first, which was pretty interesting. Good for a laugh. Days with no classes are always good for a laugh. Kinda boring, but there IS more to laugh at. …unless it’s an interesting class, in which case classes are interesting.
I just got invited to a drinking party. Whoo-hoo!! Well, it was an invite from an invitee. My keeper asked if I was going, and I asked to what, and then she told me and I got invited. But, it might be cancelled. We don’t know yet. We’ll see how that goes. I may or may not get drunk enough to call that guy with coworkers tonight. Who knows? This is a really boring play-by-play, but I am at work, and I do have an hour left before I make my hasty departure.

Okay, so I went to the drinking party. It was really nice. There were 7 of us - I'm guessing we make up most of the people who are cool in the school. You can tell we're cool by the fact we all hung out and drunk together. At first we went to a Italian/Turkish restaurant and got a couple of pitchers 'cause all the izakaiya's were full. That was pretty nice. We got 4 pizzas split between 7 people. It was delicious pizza. Very delicious. There, they made reservations at an izakaiya. I wore those gay boots again, but my keeper said they were cute so it's all okay to wear gay boots to a drinking party with co-workers. That's Gaijin Rule #4. Remember that one too.
Anyway, we left from there, and that is when I got the balls to call that guy. So, I called him - obviously. Talked about how cold it is, about work, about plans for New Year's Holiday, and things like that. Hopefully I didn't creep him out. If I did...well then, as they say, しょうがない, shou ga nai, there's nothing to do. 'cause it's in the past and time travel is not yet a reality.
We got to the izakaiya and drunk more. Took a taxi home. Slept.

Now, about my friend and that creepy guy...
He called and asked her what she was doing. She told him that she was having dinner, and he kinda invited himself over. She calls me in a panic while I'm waiting for the subway. I ask her if she wants him to come over, and she says kinda...so I then say that if she changes her mind just leave the apartment before he gets there 'cause he doesn't know what she looks like and stuff like that. She calms down and we get off the phone in no small part due to the fact I was then on the subway about to be taken into a no-bar zone. Later I get a message (after many messages of "is her there?" "are you okay?" "if you need a rescue call, let me know" kind of messages) saying that he couldn't find her place and wants to go drinking with the two of us tomorrow. This guy either lost his nerve or is more retarded than me...which is a rather difficult feat. So, tomorrow I'm going drinking with her and this guy...which is cool with me. I've got no plans, and it should be interesting to say the least. I'll let you know how that goes.

2008.12.25

Again with the going to work and not having anything to do. I did work up the nerve to ask advice from some of the other teachers (female) about what I should do about this guy, and another one. Basically, they agreed with my friend that I should call him if he doesn’t call me. On Friday, as well. Basically they said to call him and ask how he’s doing and see what’s up with him. Maybe wish him a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and all that good stuff so that way he gets to know me as a person instead of…well…not knowing me I guess. I’ll see how I feel come the morrow about that one. The other advice was about this guy who I drunkenly gave my number to at some point a while ago. I promptly forgot all about that and he called me later that exact same night asking if I’d like to come to his apartment (or something like that) and I said that I didn’t know the way and I got lost easy and then he said take a taxi and I said I didn’t have enough money for that (‘cause I don’t…didn’t and still don’t) and then added maybe next time in my drunken state. Anyway, that guy messaged me about meeting later that night to speak English or some nonsense like that. I’m fine being a friend of this guy, but it probably won’t happen like that…at least for him. I don’t really remember him, so that’s not a good start for him…or a good thing for me either. But that is neither here nor there since there is a guy I’m interested in out there and I don’t go after more than one at a time…and I say that like I’ve done this crap before. I haven’t. But, I do only go after one at a time. Anyway, the teachers were basically like tell that boy that friendship is okay with friendship only…and then I told them the apartment coming story and they said to just end it ‘cause it ain’t goin’ down like that for him. Friendship not so okay apparently. But, I forwarded the message to my friend, and she wanted to meet him, so I messaged the guy with the details of when and where to meet and all that good stuff. AND then, the Iranian guy I danced with on the 19th messaged me about meeting over the weekend. No guy in America even looks at me, and yet here I have three at one time. I think this might be my supply of men for the rest of my life so I should use care. I’m already using caution, so care is next on the list.
So, my friend and I waited in the food court at the MALL for this guy for about 30-45 minutes and he doesn’t show. I can’t remember what he looks like and my friend hasn’t ever met him so she doesn’t know. Part of me was kinda hoping that he saw us, thought “fuck no,” and walked away. Turns out he was at work still. Yeah, I called, and then messaged him when he didn’t pick up ‘cause we were waiting for a while and my friend was hungry and I was a little hungry. Once we realized he’d be a while, if he came at all, then we got some stuff to eat, did a little shopping, went to the Book-OFF and went and played some PS2 at my apartment. He didn’t show. It became after 9 and we said no to meeting him, but my friend took my phone and gave him her number ‘cause she wants to get laid bad. Apparently we’ll be meeting with him tomorrow.

Ps: Happy Christmas!!!!
They eat chicken here for Christmas. The KFC in the MALL was packed.

2008.12.24

Went to work. Didn’t really do much. I cleaned my desk for two hours…and “studied” for three. He didn’t call. But, I’m slowly getting my hopes down and dealing with the fact that I effed up royally with him and should find other places to put my interest. And then I remember that he did say he’d be busy, and that it’s during the week and my friend reminds me of this stuff as well so the hopes go up and down, but I’m trying to squish them before they get out of hand. My friend gave me the advice to call him if he doesn’t call me before 5 on Friday. I don’t know how I feel about this advice. I don’t want to take it. I’m bad on the phone as it is, add to that the feelings I’m squishing, and then add all Japanese all the time fun and it gets like a linguistic version of a Tarantino movie. And to make things less nice, my period still hasn’t started. It needs to hurry up with that.
I had dinner with a couple of friends tonight. We went over to Matt’s house and Caye made some pasta. I brought the bread. My friend got wine. The other girl bought other ingredients. It was a mini Christmas dinner since both Matt and Caye were going to go to Tokyo on the 11-something bus. It was delicious and fun.

2008.12.23

I went to the aquarium with two of my students today. I also got 2 hours of sleep, so it probably wasn’t the best times for all of us. They were late meeting me at the Station, but that is okay. We went, we had some fun, we saw some fish and aquatic things. The seal show was rather interesting. I did have a good time, but my mind kept going back to that whole “…but I have to go to the zoo and/or the aquarium with 2 of my students” comment and felt like laughing while crying. Mostly I felt retarded. But, I think I did rather well for only having only 2 hours of sleep, being on my feet all night in gay shoes, and being with two cute little students who get nervous around me and yet don’t. Not to mention there were a lot of really creepy fish. And I kept trying to will that guy to call me. Lack of sleep made it seem like it happened a lot longer ago than just a few hours before. I’m rather retarded in normal life, and then add to that any sort of human relationship and I’m lost. Add to that the fact I like the guy and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
After all that aquarium going and kaki (oyster…I think) eating, I did go to karaoke later that night from about 7.30/7.45. I signed up for 2 hours, but I couldn’t do it. One of the girls asked if I got laid and that didn’t help with me feeling retarded. I was also dog-tired. I had to leave after about an hour – a little less actually. One of the guys came and took my place (he was supposed to come anyway, but the timing was perfect for me to leave and for him to take my place). I went home and slept. 2 all-nighters in 4 days with little recovery sleep doesn’t seem to really be working out for me. I think I went from child to grandma. WHERE’S MY ENERGETIC YOUTH???!?!?!?!

2008.12.22

So, I called this guy, the guy from the club (see 2008.12.19), who I want to date on Sunday, I think, and asked him if he were DJing anywhere in the near future. He was. On Monday; a day away (Tuesday is the Emperor’s birthday, so it’s a national holiday, so it’s good timing…which is why they had it). So, I had basically decided that I was going to go then, but I wasn’t 100% sure since I chicken out of things easily when they are social situations. I asked one of my friends to go, and she agreed (luckily for me, since I might have chickened out at that point if she hadn’t). Anyway, the next day, I called him saying that I would be coming and bringing a friend. We got ready, he called and said something about giving my name at the door. My friend and I left and took a taxi to get there after the subway since neither of us actually knew where they place was. The party started at 9, we got there at 10, and people started to come at 11. HOWEVER, before we entered the club, my friend got accosted by a couple of drunk business men. In retrospect it was rather funny, but at the time it wasn’t so funny…except for the fact that it was. So, here’s the story about that:
Both of us are in short skirts (mine’s a dress, but that is neither here nor there, and these are relative statements since a skirt is short for me if it comes above the knee), which is pretty normal for Japan, and lower cut tops (for Japan, low-cut). I’m in really gay boots, and my friend is in cute heels. So, I call the guy to let him know that we are there and just as I start to ring him up the business man spots me and lets out the Japanese version of “oh, hey.” I see him and wave (I’ve gotten used to being a freak show on legs so I wave when people stare/point/yell). Then he spots my friend. At this point they are really loud and he has answered his phone so I turn around and walk away a little bit so I can talk. About 10-15 seconds later I hear a man yell my name. I turn around ‘cause that is what you do when someone says your name (this is point 2 of being a foreigner in Japan; take notes: 1 is wave, 2 turn around when they scream your name, and 3 is wear funny hats, we’ll get to 4 later). I then see something which would be frightening in America or almost any other country which is not Japan: my friend pinned to the wall with a drunk man on top of her. I think there was another one somewhere in this equation but I think it’s only fair to tell you that I drunk almost an entire bottle of Bailey’s before this (for courage, you see) so the memories are a little hazy from drink, fear, nerves, being cold, and the unexpectedness of the sight…that and it’s now Friday and I’m writing this at work because I have no actual work to do and I can confuse them with long passages in English and say it has something to do with work. I’d be more than willing to check papers and grade tests, but even the other teachers have nothing to do. Anyway, back to the story. So, friend pinned to a wall by drunk business man/men is what greets me. At least one knows my name. The first thought I will admit was ‘why did she tell them my name?,’ then I saw my friends face and realized that it was a plead for help. So, I go prancing over to her to rescue her. It mostly works and we are free for about 5 seconds when this OTHER drunk business guy comes running over holding a strawberry in the air like a high school kid holds the acceptance letter to their university of choice. His face was just about as excited as that kid’s would be too, mind. He comes up to us with the original drunk business man and says “STRAWBERRY!!” and my friend says “yes, yes, ichigo.” Then the man does the unthinkable. I fear for every strawberries life when I think back to this. I must cringe in fear and cry a little inside. I like strawberries, I do. But this man proceeded to put the strawberry on his crotch like a little mini-penis (or perhaps not so mini…), and then laugh. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he then tries to shove it in my friend’s mouth. She obviously doesn’t want it. He starts to shake his head no, and then shoves the strawberry, stem and all, into his mouth and eats it. Both of us are kinda creeped out at this point, but, luckily, it’s also the time they start to make their exit. She says ‘bye,’ and then the original drunk business man turns and says, “No. Come.” I am still on the phone with the guy trying to talk to him, and save my friend. It’s not working, but somehow we get away from the business men and I finish talking to the guy. I’m not 100% sure how that happened, but it did.
So, we get free and I go up to the ticket stand guy and see that TAKU TAKAHASHI is going to be there. I almost piss myself with excitement. He is literally half of my favorite (or at least one of) groups in Japanese music. I’m excited and really don’t mind so much paying the ¥3,000 entrance fee.
We enter, and get a locker for our jackets and bags. No one is there except for about 3 people, and luckily 2 of them weren’t us. We sit around, I eventually ask the bar tender if she’s seen the guy, she says she hasn’t, we sit around some more, he comes in, I introduce my friend, we sit around some more, we eventually notice that he is DJing so we go dance. More people come in, ☆TAKU TAKAHASHI takes the stage and we dance for a little, then we go sit for a little until she tells me to go talk to him, I do after about a minute. We spend a lot of the night kinda just standing and occasionally talking. I’m really retarded at this crap. I meet some of his friends. I get a couple of drinks in me and ask if he wants to dance a little, so we do. I got into a really weird dance off with one of his friends. I think the point was to just move and shake like you’re having a seizure. I think I won that first round. My prize was a hug from the guy I had a mini-dance-off with. Maybe I lost. Who knows? A lot of the night was spent standing, a little bit talking, and a little dancing.
TAKU stops and then some other guy starts to DJ, and then, once that guy is done, the guy I like starts to DJ again. I dance for that. Some guy starts to jump with me and the other guy watching the DJ spin. A little while after that I get into another dance-off with the guy from before. I think I win again, this time I get a kiss on the cheek. Perhaps I lost. Again, who knows? My friend left some time during all this. I can’t remember who was DJing and whatnot. She didn’t have a good time though. I think most of the people in the club already know each other, so it’s hard to be the new guy. I had an in and it was still kinda awkward at parts. Although one of his friends did ask me if I liked him, and I, being the retard (see later for exemplary proof) say ‘he’s really cool, isn’t he,’ which isn’t as retarded as it could have been. I think most of this happened during TAKU’s DJing. I can’t be sure ‘cause he wasn’t the main point of this adventure.
The guy I like stops DJing and we kinda stand/sit around and kinda talk for a little while longer. He continually says how tired he is (remember this fact for a little later please. This doesn’t have to go into the notes on being foreign, but it is important to take a mental note of this). So, we sit.
The club eventually closes, and this poor guy on the bench next to the one I was sitting on is having a bad night. He pukes. His friends get a bag and some toilet paper, I get some water. The guy who just threw up actually cleans it up, which wouldn’t really happen in America, at least not with the people I know. I stay around to make sure he’s all right since I’ve been there before and know how he feels, not to mention it gives me more chances to talk to the guy I like, or at least look at him like a creepy guy…’cause I am a creepy guy.
I get my jacket and my bag. Then, this is where the part I asked you to make a mental note of comes into play, he asks, “Do you want to take me home?” I seriously must have deer-in-the-headlights look. Many things run through my head, in this order (not really in the order they came…it happened to quickly to remember):
1) I thought you only had sex with girlfriends
2) I think my period is about to start
3) I thought you said you were tired
4) Am I really ready to have sex with you
5) I have to meet my students tomorrow…today
6) I thought you said you had plans

I panic. Instead of saying the obvious and truthful thing of “Yes, but maybe not for that today,” I say the first thing that comes to mind which is: “…but I have to meet two of my students to go to the zoo and/or the aquarium” in Japanese. He says what, and I repeat. God, I’m such an ass. It’s really funny though. Even I laugh when I think back on it. It’s been long enough where I can laugh and not feel the pain of being retarded…as strongly. Then he calls me strong. I say no, that I’m the opposite of that.
Then I leave. He walks me out. Now, this would be a good chance to make up for the past mistake and at least give him a kiss good-bye or something like that, but no, I ask how he’s getting home, he says he’s gonna have some breakfast with his friends, and I say okay and ask him to tell me next time he’s going to DJ and that he should call me. We part and I walk to the subway station, get home and go to bed for a good 2 hours before I went to the aquarium with 2 of my students.

I’m an ass, and I know it. But, at least I did tell the truth…part of it.

Ps: ☆TAKU TAKAHASHI is effing awesome. He’s a great DJ, he really is. …which is why he’s a pro. I suggest checking out some M-flo stuff. Verbal (the other half) is really sexy and great at the rap thing…which is why he’s a pro too. As he says, “Don’t hate me, hate the game.”

2008.12.20-21

I bought a PS3 and PS2. That’s most of the goings-on as far as those days are concerned. I also called the guy that I met at the club on the 19th, and like on Sunday. Got told about his DJing, and am darn sure I’m going. Also, I had my first pizza bought from a Pizza Hut in Japan. Split between 4 people, it’s not too bad. About ¥1,000.
I think it’s also important to note that my balls have grown exponentially in this country. I told some guy that my friend thinks he’s cute, then asked him on a date for her, went up to some guy and asked him to dance, and called one on the phone. Shit son, guess who wears the pants now.

2008.12.19

Bounenkai. Bounenkai is an amazing time and a drunken time. Like many things in Japan, liquor makes it better. Gotta be with the people you work with after hours? Go drinking! It makes it all better. So, the Bounenkai is literally “forget the year gathering.” 忘年会：忘: forget：年：year：会：meeting/gathering. So, in normal English, Year-end Party. We had it in a hotel. I got sat to the direct left of the principal of the school. That’s all sorts of strange luck. And it was a random drawing so it was, indeed, fate at work for this, not unruly teachers. One of JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) sat to my left, and to his left is another English teacher, which doesn’t actually make the night any easier. That’s why there’s beer. We had some games, we had some fun, we drunk a lot, and ate some good food. That lasted for about 2 hours, and then there was the Nijikai (second party). That was fun. Less restrictive than the Bounenkai, fo’ sho’. I think at this point a couple or perhaps one of the teachers was trying to set me up with the youngest male teacher at the school. After about half the party he came over to pour drinks ‘cause that is what you do here, and they made him sit down next to me. A little later we all exchanged phone info. I invited the people around me to go to a club – ‘cause that was what I was doing next – and they kept trying to pressure him into coming. I got a few people (4 others) into going to what turned out to be the Sanjikai (the third party, or the after-parties’-after-party). We drank for like an hour or so…my memory is fuzzy due to time and drink. I invited them to a club for after ‘cause I was going to go out and have some fun…and stay up ‘til the subways started up again. I didn’t get any takers, but I did share a taxi up to Kokubuncho (the club district) with the teacher they were trying to set me up with. I got out and tried to find the club – I couldn’t. I called, and didn’t get through the first couple of times, so I walked around and kept trying. I eventually got through and entered the club. Danced a little…with an Iranian. Got his number and left the club with my friend and his date/girl/friend-he-picked-up-in-a-club. The Iranian guy asked me if I’d like to go to this club with him ‘cause he left at the same time too, but I definitely went with my friend (after making sure it was indeed okay that I tagged along to the next club, which luckily it was). We went to the club, and he danced with her and I just kinda stood around for a little while until I saw this one guy who kinda looked at me, and then he and his friend hit on these two Japanese girls who turned them down flat. I walked over and got a free drink out of that, and started to dance with one of them. I was nice. I did enjoy that dancing. It got a little raunchy (a little more than a little, if truth be told), but that is what happens when there are long lengths of alcohol imbibing and clubbing. Let’s all remember, this is technically the Gojikai (fifth party) for me, so there’s been many hours of liquor and partying. In fact, by the time it ended, I had been out for about 10 hours. Bounenkai started at 7, the club closed at around 5. Anyway, back to the story of that fellow and myself. We left the club together with his friend (as in we exited). The guy stopped to get a drink from a vending machine, and his friend seemed to bugger off in that way that says “my friend’s gonna get laid, so I’m gonna get out of here so he can make his move.” We started to walk and talk towards somewhere, I’m not sure where. We eventually got there and he offered to give me a ride. I admit openly that I didn’t actually understand what he was offering, but I took the offer…after I told him no sex. He was cool with that. He said something along the lines of only having sex with girlfriends, and then asked if I was the same, and I said yes, except with boyfriends. He drove me to my apartment, and we talked along the way. He is a really interesting guy.

2008.12.07

Did a little bit of studying today. Okay, actually I did no studying today. None. I meant to, but I didn't do any. I did, however, do laundry, and eat a burger. Also got out of bed at about 11.30.
There seem to be more earthquakes lately.
I'm gonna make a worksheet and take a shower. Obviously not at the same time.

2008.12.06

This morning, after writing the blog, I did go to the gym. It was nice. Afterward, I walked to Sendai Station and bought some tape. Then I got the idea to get some stamps - specifically cherry ones - to use on papers done by students. It was a pretty nice time. Then I came back to Nagamachi Minami and met up with one of the JTE's to discuss the classes. Come Monday I'll be doing a class on Christmas with 1-7. That should be fun.
Once we parted, I met suddenly with Jenn and we went to the ¥100 shop and got some goods. Then met up with Kristen to get stuff for making tonkatsu, purchased said goods and then headed off to the Book-Off/Tsutaya to rent some movies. It started to snow. It was amazing! It was the fluffy large ones that are wet. It didn't snow for long, but it did snow a little.
Movie night was nice. It is rather cold in my apartment, but that is to be expected. Tomorrow I'll study with Jeremy unless something comes up.

2008.12.05

Today I was with the third years for the morning. It was rather fun. They are cuties. We got to joke around in English - which is always interesting. Did a little joking in Japanese, but not as much since it is English class and whatnot. Got asked if I was a virgin. Just so you know, "cherry girl" does, indeed, mean what you think it does. It took about 30 minutes to get an answer as to what it meant 'cause there are some things you just don't want to ask...just in case you are wrong and you just asked the students 'no sex? sex?' and they take that the wrong way. Seriously though - it's embarrassing to tell the meaning of the word, but it's not embarrassing to ask the question. That's the part that gets me. If they would have just told me what it meant, I would have answered, but I didn't 'cause they didn't. Next time maybe they'll help a foreigner out.
At 1 I left for the ALT meeting. It was pretty good as far as ALT meetings go. After that, kinda hung out and drunk some chuuhai and played some Tekken and soccer. Then it was off to the Christmas party. It was at an Indian restaurant. Very nice. It was delicious and fun. I took no pictures 'cause I didn't have my camera, but it was indeed a nice night. We did a nomi, and had a set menu. After that, a few of us went out to karaoke for about 2 hours. It was bordering on Christmas karaoke, but...well, what the hell, it was Christmas karaoke. Three glasses got broken...that was nomi karaoke. Luckily, this time, I listened to my body, so I stuck to orange juice and today I don't really have a hang-over. Who knows, it might hit me in the middle of the day. All I do know is that I'm going to get dressed and go to the gym, then do other things. The package for my mom is not going to be shipped out today either. I realized at 2 in the morning that I have no tape to tape it shut, so there's no mailing the sucker out. That, and I've yet to find somethings for my aunt and cousins. I think maybe some Matsushima stuff. He is the mascot for this area. And who doesn't love mascots?