I'm back in tokyo, and all kinds of stuff like that, but more importantly:
If anyone knows how I can arrange for the murder of those two very unfunny fatty twins that are showing up on every damned tv show in Japan, please comment below.
I think I may be able to justify killing them in self defense because in addition to the years they take off of my life by raising my blood pressure and forcing release of stress hormones, they also rob me of hope for the future of Japan and the world... pushing me perceptibly closer to offing myself.
more on tokyo soon. (sneak peek = tiny apartment, great location, pretty cheap, job from friday)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
whats stranger than strange
Time's up.
Early tomorrow morning, I'll be getting on a train toward the airport. Leaving is a lot stranger than being here ever was. Because my folks are out of town for a couple of days, they won't be there to see me off. So it's just me silently creepin out of the house in the early morning, never to come back. Well not for a year or so, at least.
But really, it is like I won't be coming back. Thanks to some logistical things I've taken care of during this trip, and things that I'll be solving when I get back to Tokyo, several little threads that had bound me tightly to the parents are finally cut. For the forseeable future, even if I do come back here, it won't be back to the same place. This is sort of a farewell to indolence and immaturity and hello to owning a bed outright (for the first time!).
What's really strange though is washing the dishes and doing my laundry in silence, in American suburbia.
Early tomorrow morning, I'll be getting on a train toward the airport. Leaving is a lot stranger than being here ever was. Because my folks are out of town for a couple of days, they won't be there to see me off. So it's just me silently creepin out of the house in the early morning, never to come back. Well not for a year or so, at least.
But really, it is like I won't be coming back. Thanks to some logistical things I've taken care of during this trip, and things that I'll be solving when I get back to Tokyo, several little threads that had bound me tightly to the parents are finally cut. For the forseeable future, even if I do come back here, it won't be back to the same place. This is sort of a farewell to indolence and immaturity and hello to owning a bed outright (for the first time!).
What's really strange though is washing the dishes and doing my laundry in silence, in American suburbia.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
unrelenting.
I'm just about finished reading "The Cult at the End of the World". The story it tells of Aum Shinrikyou (these days known as Aleph), is shocking. Unrelentingly so. From kidnappings and murders to mining for uranium and stealing cutting-edge technologies for enriching it, the cult makes the last 10 years or so of anti-US terrorism look ameteurish.
Far from being a group of like-minded people with a political grudge, Aum was a world wide organization using shady business practice, intimidation, kidnapping, forgery, arms dealing, drug manufacture, and whatever other means they could to enrich themselves, and better arm themselves to kill every last non-believer in Japan. Were it not for a couple of poorly timed missteps, they certainly could have brought Tokyo and all of Japan to it's knees.
At the time, I wasn't especially aware of the news, or the extent of coverage that the US media gave the story, but I feel pretty certain that it wasn't nearly enough. Despite being likely the biggest terrorist threat that any nation has ever faced, in America, Aum remains largely unknown. Those that do know of the cult seem to remember something about a gas attack on subways, and a fat guy with long hair and a beard. (My dad seems strangely fixated on the idea that in his early career he sold his bathwater, for the purpose of drinking, and thereby attaining some extra degree of enlightenment.) But we're talking about an event with as much impact on the national psyche of Japan as September 11th has had on America.
Unlike America's run in with mass murder, Japan couldn't rally 'round the flag. Japan wasn't "under attack" from people it could call the enemy, or people of a different race, from different countries and societies. The worst of the worst at Aum were supposed to be the best of the best. They were graduates from the top of their classes at the best universities in Japan. They were rich, and successful people.
When, in the middle of a hard recession, and fresh on the heels of the deadliest earthquake to strike Japan after the war, Japan suffered this further blow, no one could feel very good about Japan and its future. I imagine this low point in early 95 was where a lot of the changes the last 11 years have brought Japan got their start, most especially, the renewed interest in Japanese nationalism (10 years later).
As an aside, reading a little of what the net has to say, I found something that feels relevant to me.
Far from being a group of like-minded people with a political grudge, Aum was a world wide organization using shady business practice, intimidation, kidnapping, forgery, arms dealing, drug manufacture, and whatever other means they could to enrich themselves, and better arm themselves to kill every last non-believer in Japan. Were it not for a couple of poorly timed missteps, they certainly could have brought Tokyo and all of Japan to it's knees.
At the time, I wasn't especially aware of the news, or the extent of coverage that the US media gave the story, but I feel pretty certain that it wasn't nearly enough. Despite being likely the biggest terrorist threat that any nation has ever faced, in America, Aum remains largely unknown. Those that do know of the cult seem to remember something about a gas attack on subways, and a fat guy with long hair and a beard. (My dad seems strangely fixated on the idea that in his early career he sold his bathwater, for the purpose of drinking, and thereby attaining some extra degree of enlightenment.) But we're talking about an event with as much impact on the national psyche of Japan as September 11th has had on America.
Unlike America's run in with mass murder, Japan couldn't rally 'round the flag. Japan wasn't "under attack" from people it could call the enemy, or people of a different race, from different countries and societies. The worst of the worst at Aum were supposed to be the best of the best. They were graduates from the top of their classes at the best universities in Japan. They were rich, and successful people.
When, in the middle of a hard recession, and fresh on the heels of the deadliest earthquake to strike Japan after the war, Japan suffered this further blow, no one could feel very good about Japan and its future. I imagine this low point in early 95 was where a lot of the changes the last 11 years have brought Japan got their start, most especially, the renewed interest in Japanese nationalism (10 years later).
As an aside, reading a little of what the net has to say, I found something that feels relevant to me.
Jay Rubin holds that [Haruki] Murakami also had highly personal reasons for wanting to write Underground, notably that he wished to learn more about Japan after living almost entirely abroad for nine years and that he wanted to fulfil a responsibility he felt towards Japan's societyHaving made a home of the country, I always feel like I'm woefully unaware of the history of the country, and most importantly, the history of the last 30 years... the world that my boss and my coworkers and my friends grew up in. The language is really only the tip of the iceberg.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Where I'll spend my morning tomorrow.
The naked lounge sits quietly on a corner near the R street light rail station. In a building that looks like a house with shop windows, and set in the ubiquitous sacramento jewel tones, it's hardly as enticing as it's name would suggest. My guess is that the name comes from the female nudes (paintings) inside. It would take an aggressively anti-porn lesbian to find the namesake artwork at the naked lounge titillating, but I did once have a disastrous fling with a member of the staff (prior to her employment there).
In any other town, the naked lounge wouldn't really stand out, but this is sacratomato we're talking about. Offering the right mix of aggressively indie and aggressively gentrified puts it in a market of its own in sac. Really, offering any mix of the two would put it in a market of it's own, seeing as the town's coffee market is owned by starbucks, with 4 or 5 reputable indie sellers, staffed by very pierced and very tattooed young people... (and java city, but they don't know ambiance or good tea from adam).
The interior features cozy furniture, attractive, friendly staff and a clientele that seems to have a lot of time to drink coffee. More importantly, it features cheap, delicious iced tea. At 1.75 for a big beer glass of properly brewed iced tea, and 1.00 for a refill, it's an easy place to
spend a morning, or and afternoon, or a series of them.
Tomorrow, I've got a bunch of business to take care of, and a bit of a yen to see "the departed", so I won't be wasting the whole day in a jade green armchair, just enough time to look cool for reading a book in japanese.
In any other town, the naked lounge wouldn't really stand out, but this is sacratomato we're talking about. Offering the right mix of aggressively indie and aggressively gentrified puts it in a market of its own in sac. Really, offering any mix of the two would put it in a market of it's own, seeing as the town's coffee market is owned by starbucks, with 4 or 5 reputable indie sellers, staffed by very pierced and very tattooed young people... (and java city, but they don't know ambiance or good tea from adam).
The interior features cozy furniture, attractive, friendly staff and a clientele that seems to have a lot of time to drink coffee. More importantly, it features cheap, delicious iced tea. At 1.75 for a big beer glass of properly brewed iced tea, and 1.00 for a refill, it's an easy place to
spend a morning, or and afternoon, or a series of them.
Tomorrow, I've got a bunch of business to take care of, and a bit of a yen to see "the departed", so I won't be wasting the whole day in a jade green armchair, just enough time to look cool for reading a book in japanese.
marketing success
1. last night's episode of south park was unexpectedly good, and about World of Warcraft in an unusually non-derisive way
2. Blizzard is running a 10 day free trial period. I was surprised too.
3. I'm downloading the client now (all 2.7 gigs of it)
4. (specualtion) my world probably won't be rocked, and I won't buy the game, but I think a lot of worlds are going to be rocked, and a lot of copies are going to get sold. Impressive.
UPDATE bastards wasted my time. It's not until after you download a 2.7 gig file, and install a 4.6 gig program that they tell you you'll need a credit card to verify your identity. I'm the last dude alive without a credit card, I guess.
2. Blizzard is running a 10 day free trial period. I was surprised too.
3. I'm downloading the client now (all 2.7 gigs of it)
4. (specualtion) my world probably won't be rocked, and I won't buy the game, but I think a lot of worlds are going to be rocked, and a lot of copies are going to get sold. Impressive.
UPDATE bastards wasted my time. It's not until after you download a 2.7 gig file, and install a 4.6 gig program that they tell you you'll need a credit card to verify your identity. I'm the last dude alive without a credit card, I guess.
just a thought about the "freedom tower" (s?)
The old building "the world trade center" was precisely that, a space occupied by people from all around the world doing trade. (about 10% of the victims were not US citizens.) It's identity was tied to it's content, and it's exterior was iconic, and free from the taint of a heavy-handed identity. It was long, hard, throbbing commerce.
So what of the new building? It reeks of america. The damned thing is 1776 feet tall (as though anyone cares about feet). It's called the "freedom tower". Who is going to occupy this jingoistic space? How can you locate an embassy in there? Looking at the outside, how can you locate anything but a web design firm circa 1999 in there?
The only way I can see the tower put to good use is if the government fills it up with all of it's domestic and international spying infrastructure. And that presumes that you think ironic tension between a building's name and it's purpose is "good use".
So what of the new building? It reeks of america. The damned thing is 1776 feet tall (as though anyone cares about feet). It's called the "freedom tower". Who is going to occupy this jingoistic space? How can you locate an embassy in there? Looking at the outside, how can you locate anything but a web design firm circa 1999 in there?
The only way I can see the tower put to good use is if the government fills it up with all of it's domestic and international spying infrastructure. And that presumes that you think ironic tension between a building's name and it's purpose is "good use".
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
the way we were...
Since I arrived in Carmichael, my folks have been trying to put me to good use. Today I spent the day reaching over my head and leaning over backward on a poorly balanced ladder painting the undersides of the eaves... But that's not the story. My first weekend here, we cleaned out the garage, and we found 2 big boxes of the junk I left behind when I went to college in 1998.
So what was in my time capsule? Ephemera that I didn't think twice about throwing away, for the most part. There were some porn mags, that I gave a cursory glance. Sex is very trendy. 8 year old porn looks lame (as lame as the 8 year old songs that still dominate the radio). Most interestingly, there was the 13th issue of giant robot from sometime in the first half of 1998.
More than anything I found in the box, this piece of nippo/sino/korea-o philia shouts "how long it's been!". My minor interest in anime and games or whatever made Japan seem pretty cool back then, even if it was filtered through this poorly designed, poorly written rag. And here, in english for the Americans, little articles on sumo and iron chef, and a short, awkward interview with "dreams come true". Since I already had already been watching Iron chef on the local feed, and sumo is remedial (sub 101 level) Japanese pop culture, I must have really bought this magazine to reaffirm my own idea of myself as cool.
What's ironic is that 1998 was really the golden age of Japanese cool, to hear marxy or momus talk about it. We're talking fruits, cornelius, otaku killers, and on and on. Japan was the place to be, and the media I was getting was showing me all the stupid, old stuff that no one cool gave a shit about.
Then again, don't count on the modern media getting it any better.
So what was in my time capsule? Ephemera that I didn't think twice about throwing away, for the most part. There were some porn mags, that I gave a cursory glance. Sex is very trendy. 8 year old porn looks lame (as lame as the 8 year old songs that still dominate the radio). Most interestingly, there was the 13th issue of giant robot from sometime in the first half of 1998.
More than anything I found in the box, this piece of nippo/sino/korea-o philia shouts "how long it's been!". My minor interest in anime and games or whatever made Japan seem pretty cool back then, even if it was filtered through this poorly designed, poorly written rag. And here, in english for the Americans, little articles on sumo and iron chef, and a short, awkward interview with "dreams come true". Since I already had already been watching Iron chef on the local feed, and sumo is remedial (sub 101 level) Japanese pop culture, I must have really bought this magazine to reaffirm my own idea of myself as cool.
What's ironic is that 1998 was really the golden age of Japanese cool, to hear marxy or momus talk about it. We're talking fruits, cornelius, otaku killers, and on and on. Japan was the place to be, and the media I was getting was showing me all the stupid, old stuff that no one cool gave a shit about.
Then again, don't count on the modern media getting it any better.
Monday, October 02, 2006
translation and the sympathetic nervous system
I've been translating a bunch of recipes that I had collected in Japan over the last couple weeks (over 100 so far), and my body is starting to imagine that I'm dicing stuff and coordinating finish times and stuff. frankly, I'm exhausted.
on aging.
I don't like making posts just because I want to share links, but I'll bite the bullet here.
This post, and the article it concerns are both superb.
I'd been having a couple of conversations about "protracted adolescence" with my dad lately, but whatever I said was bullshit. These two pieces are what I meant to say, or what I should have meant to say. As a creeping-toward-30 American living in Tokyo, it seems almost like there is no other mode of existence but the "grup" way. I've met the woman who quit her high paying job to do something more fun, the 30 somethings who buy $500 jeans, the douglas coupland characters who revel in their own shallowness (here I cough in a way that sounds conspicuously like "myself"), all of the people who can't even imagine marriage. Toyko's not just full of these people, it manufactures them.
Here's my hangup though. Even if I am one of these people, and I live in the global epicenter of these people, I have one big reservation on the whole thing. This grup lifestyle is just what I'm doing because I haven't found a way to earn enough money to abandon it. I wanna be rich. I don't mind getting up at 5:30am if it means 50% more money. Hell, I look good in a nice suit, and I find them more comfortable and more "me" than the ubiquitous shredded jeans.
This post, and the article it concerns are both superb.
I'd been having a couple of conversations about "protracted adolescence" with my dad lately, but whatever I said was bullshit. These two pieces are what I meant to say, or what I should have meant to say. As a creeping-toward-30 American living in Tokyo, it seems almost like there is no other mode of existence but the "grup" way. I've met the woman who quit her high paying job to do something more fun, the 30 somethings who buy $500 jeans, the douglas coupland characters who revel in their own shallowness (here I cough in a way that sounds conspicuously like "myself"), all of the people who can't even imagine marriage. Toyko's not just full of these people, it manufactures them.
Here's my hangup though. Even if I am one of these people, and I live in the global epicenter of these people, I have one big reservation on the whole thing. This grup lifestyle is just what I'm doing because I haven't found a way to earn enough money to abandon it. I wanna be rich. I don't mind getting up at 5:30am if it means 50% more money. Hell, I look good in a nice suit, and I find them more comfortable and more "me" than the ubiquitous shredded jeans.
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