05 October 2007

one week gone by

So not having internet is very difficult. Gone is my routine of hanging out online for a few hours before going to bed every ngiht. And as a result it is difficult to keep a good account day to day. So perhaps until a month from now, this blog my not be very exciting.

A list will have to suffice for now:

Went to a sweet waterfall.
Went to an Onsen. No tattoos allowed, or clothes.
Went into the beautiful mountains.
Ate horse meat.
Failed horribly the Japanese Placement test.
Went out drinking every single night.
Finally got a cell phone (keitai).
And some other stuff.

A highlight was a night of drinking with some random Nihonjin who were wasted on the street and they invited us to party with them. We learned an awesome drinking game and I flirted all night with a cute chick that sells makeup at a nearby mega-store. Turns out she was married. Whoops.

Plans for this weekend. More of the same. Drink. Drink Drink.

29 September 2007

Shyashin






Happy Cock? Not mine.

So last night was Nightzout; for the first time.

"Baa ni ikimashou ka?" I said to my language tutor.
"Hai, iine!" Or something like that, it sounded more manly. His name is Ryu, and I am very happy because his english is not very good. Many of the people here have language tutors who have very good english skills and therefore they don't spend much time speaking japanese. I was able to spend an entire day practicing and learning and hopefully, imparting some of my most sophisticated knowledge of the english language to him.

Anyway we went to a bar called Happy Cock. You can find stuff about it online, its somewhat popular amoung foreigners. 3000 Yen. All you can drink. Fucking hungover.

Unfortunately the computers in the lab are ancient so I can't connect my camera or do anything on the internet (it dosent have the latest IE installed-so no aim, posting on people's walls, flash dosent work=fuck me). But, soon I will have some good pictures (maybe even one of me doing the Abe Lincoln). Definately some sips and some shrimp and white wine.

I learned that I have absolutely no game with any of the locals, about all I could muster was a pathetice "Odorimasenka?" No one was buying it. Nevertheless the night was spent dancing, having tequila poured into my mouth and tons of asahi. Also at some point this ugly american bartender was spraying the crowd with hydrogen or helium or some shit. There is also a Happy Cock regular who wears a pink shirt and a bright red suit, I have since heard that he usually wears a suit with the kanji for "pretty pig" on the back

Bottom line. Crazy.

My room is sweet, I have a balcony and a private bathroom. I've been meeting a ton of people from all around the world. This year is going to be completely insane. Pics to come.

In the past three days I have slept only twice and for a total of about 10 hrs. Jet lag is a bitch.

Hey Bus, there are some people from Michigan that remembered you from Japanese class as the weird kid with the beard. My words. His name is Andrew and he said you were funny. What an idiot (maybe he was lying).

28 September 2007

Here I am.

Well I made it.

Three thoughts: hot, hot, slow internet.

I woke up at 5:30 am today, that was fun. Got to watch the sun rise over mountains. I didn't even notice the mountains last night.

Tonight we go drinking.

Tomorrow hopefully I will be able to sleep.

I won't have internet in my room for three weeks. Hopefully I will have pictures soon. Think I'm gonna cancel Wow in the meantime.

Any requests for information? Email or Facebook.

16 September 2007

It's getting very close

10 days left. Just as it's starting to really feel like fall. It's getting cooler outdoors. Football is in full swing.

Somehow I still need to re-learn Japanese. Most importantly though is that I have to pack. How do you pack to go away for 10 months? Usually I count the days I'll be gone and then pack that amount of underwear socks and t-shirts. That won't quite work. When I leave for school I just pack everything I own. That won't work either.

That's the goal this week. Figure out what to pack. Then a week from now, I'll actually start packing...maybe.

17 August 2007

North.

Watched home movies tonight. It seems like forever since I've done that. Ever since we switched from the real video recorders with the full tape. No one bothered to figure out how to use it, past turning it on and recording. Nevertheless we've acquired quite a collection.

It was especially weird to see fotage of me I didn't realize existed. It had an awkward candid feeling to it. It was revealing to me. It reminded me of of who I was; then.

What have I become?

I'll wait until it's on dvd.

13 August 2007

Home again, home again. Jiggity-jig.

Well, I made it. 12 weeks with Motorola in the suburbs of chicago. It is nice to be back.

The school year is approaching so quickly, and with the school year comes me flying to Japan.

I have now received my Certificate of Eligibility! Now I just need a visa. Passport->COE->Visa->They let me into the country.

The next three weeks are already booked. Up north for the next week, then New York, then welcome week at UM. After that who knows what will go on during the three weeks leading up to my departure.

Quick recap of last couple weeks:
Parents came and went.
Lollapalooza with Heners (Daft Punk is incredible)
Internship presentation
Last hockey game at Twin Rinks
Drove to Ann Arbor
Played with the Blackbears
Merm left for good
Returned to rochester
Installed WOW on my sisters computer (works surprisingly well on macbooks)

Anyway, as times to Japan are closer approaching, I hope to post a bit more. Til then.

Days til Japan: 45

23 July 2007

Tracks at Night

So I finished Harry Potter at about 2:30am today. Took me longer than I expedted it to, but I was spending time with my sister.

I have to say that it is far an away one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. Every loose end started in each book was tied up perfectly, there is little more you could ask for (though I'm sure I'll find something to complain about). It's definately brought a kind of closure to a long era of my life in which I read these books in anticipation of the next chapter's of the story. Rowling's world is one that seems unable to be contained in just 7 volumes. I expect someday we may see Hogwarts once again. But for now. All is well.

~~~

Sunday evenings kill me. I hate resigning to sleep and resigning to work in the morning. 3 more mondays, 3 more tuesdays, wednesdays, thursdays and fridays. That's all.

Not much to report on the japanese front. Dosen't seem like it will be easy to do any engineering credits...damn. Here's to holding out for hockey.

I want it to be friday already.

Days til Japan: 66 (I'm through 1/3 of the 100 days countdown, intense)

RIP Harvey Birdman

19 July 2007

The conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio wins again.

Everyone wastes money. My roomate bought an iPhone, $650. Now it's freezing and glitching, and it's missing alot of features.

And I'm glad I bought a wii, and resident evil.

Pitchfork was really great. Get your friends here and things start to seem normal again. I'll post a few pictures if I get around to scanning them.

Top Acts:
1. Of Montreal
2. Clipse
3. Mastodon
honorable mention: NOMO

Many picnics this week, not much in office time. Jules gets here tomorrow.

3 weeks?

09 July 2007

I don't think anyone actually reads this but...

Here are a few requests:

Anyone who has bought a laptop recently (or not recently):
-Any regrets?
-Any suggestions?
-Is your laptop sweet?

I think I'm going to buy a MacbookPro, but there are so many laptops with similar specs. for so much cheaper. ADVICE!

Anyone who downloads stuff:
-Know any good sites to download tv shows?

I want the wire season 2/3

Destination Unwanted

I never remember being on a road trip where I didn't want to get to my destination. Even if it was somewhere I didn't want to go; I still welcomed arriving rather than traveling. Here I sit in my apartment in Palatine wishing I was still on the road, wishing this destination was still a day or a week away.

I hope I dislike this destination more because right now it's standing between better destinations and better plans in the future. I hope I dislike this destination because its boring and I don't know many people.

I hope that it's not distance between my friends and family that upset me, because then I might be in a world of trouble.

I had a great time up north. It was great to get to the beach, I had been dreaming of it. I drank enough, slept enough and relaxed more than enough. Vacations are never long enough. That's why I can't wait for the fall.

I love talking to people about studying abroad. It's often the same conversation, but often you find that people are in agreement with you. I like having support on things.

I wish I saw/talked to/knew more girls out here. It sucks talking to girls back at home and having a good time knowing I have to return to Palatine where I won't see them. It's also tough to spit game at girls knowing I won't even be around in the fall. But I continue to follow Mr. Murphy's advice as I "plant those seeds." Hopefully I'll have some soccer mama's waiting for me when I get back to the states.

Right now I'm counting the days til I get back to Ann Arbor/Rochester and counting the days
til I leave for New York and Fukuoka. I wonder if a year from now I'll be counting down the days til I return to the States. I hope that I'm dreading it; because otherwise, all this time I've spent anticipating would be wasted.

Days until I'm home: 35 (five weeks)
Days until Japan: 80

02 July 2007

Let's get you caught up.

How to get a passport:

1. Apply for expedited service and hand over $160.00.

2. Wait a month until you realize that the passport isn't coming.

3. Call your congressman and ask them to help you get a passport (not joking).

4. Wait on an automated phone line for hours, after a few days get an appointment at a regional passport agency (downtown Chicago).

5. Without warning passport then arrives.

6. Cancel appointment, thank congressman.

So I finally have my passport. Another set of paperwork involved with this trips is finished. I've spent the entire first half of the summer stressing and running around putting together so many documents. I want that part to be over.

My passport now allows me to submit my application for a Certificate of Eligibility. After said certificate is approved I can then apply for a visa. Once my visa is approved I am free to enter the country. Damn Patriot Act always fucking with me.

Visited Madison, Wisconsin. Nice city. The Sig house is unbelievable, I thought ours was nice. I decided not to sit on my ass all day and play Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition so I grabbed my backpack and drove 2 hours only to find myself sitting on a couch watching someone play RE4 on their Wii. That's brotherhood.

I'm finnally going to make it to New York City. My pre-vacation, vacation will be at the end of august. There's a good chance that I'll be attending summerslam while there. That puts me at two WWE paperviews in one year.

Days until Japan: 87

18 June 2007

Sky airplanes, in flight.

It's official. September 26th, 10:10AM my feet leave the earthy michigan soil and don't touch down again until December 22nd. I cannot wait. My eyes have been on the prize. And, when you come see me in Japan, Call me 'Andre' as per my International Student Identity Card.

Traveled home this weekend, very busy. Saw good people, had good times, ate good food; it gave me what I needed.

I noticed a strange immunity one seems to share with their family. Did I use the glass left on the counter out of laziness? No. I used that glass because since it was family, it was clean. There's almost a desire to share germs with family, same way you share rumors.

Ann Arbor smells better than here. So many trees, a more familiar smell, more familiar allergies. And now, pinball!

Babies cry and cry and cry. It hurts my head for six hours on a bus. And I was stuck in Pokemon.

55 days........................................................home/north/aa.
100 (count 'em) days.................................fukuoka, japan.

3 days RE:4 Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.(!)

04 June 2007

Rule #5 If there is any food left on your plate you will be charged $5.00 each

It is very difficult to get full by eating sushi. Usually it's just too expensive to eat alot. A location in Chicago seems to have that problem solved. $13.95 all-you-can-eat sushi, order any type of their deluxe rolls.

In following with their American theme of eating as much as one possibly can at all times, their menu includes many "contemporary" styles of sushi.

So what's the catch? 8 simple rules that range from not letting anyone with allergies to order the buffet to punishing you for having bigger eyes than stomaches.

My recommendation, don't go with some chick who claims to be a fat ass then completely pusses out on her last 12 pieces of sushi. After eating approxiamately 3 feet of sushi, you will not feel well the rest of the night.

I bought some movies and went to Shedd Aquarium as well this weekend. I'm glad I've had friends that have come to visit the last two weekends, otherwise I would be out of my mind. 10 weeks to go; but, who's counting?

21 May 2007

I'm gone...to Chicago

I am now moved in to my apartment in Palatine, Il. It's about 1hr from downtown Chicago by train. The apartment is huge with lots of nice features and my employer is subsidizing the rent.

I feel that this is a good stepping stone for me to get ready to go to Japan. For one, it is my first opportunity to live outside of Michigan and in a different time zone (both of which I will have to face again). Plus I'm making the money I need to finance the trip.

I found out on friday that I have been awarded another scholarship for Japan, that's exciting and will allow me to go a bit more deluxe with my new laptop and camera.

It turns out my passport is expired. So that sucks. I'm gonna go to the post office tomorrow and get the ball rolling on that. I've now had to get like 3 different sets of passport photos because I've needed them for different reasons.

I'm not sure what day specifically I leave for Japan. It's makign it very difficult to keep my day-to-day countdowns that I like so much. So in the meantime:

-----Days until I move back to Michigan: 85 (that seems like alot, I guess 12 weeks)

In conclusions, I really want to figure out what my schedule is going to be like for the summer.
I really need to start studying Japanese again (so far I have set up my desk and brought out my box of Japanese things).

This summer is just starting so much different that last. Last year I rushed out of Ann Arbor and moved back in two weeks later saw everyone in Ann Arbor, Rochester friends were still in Rochester. This year I took my time leaving in Ann Arbor, then moved to Rochester, then moved to Chicago and my Rochester Friends are all in Ann Arbor this year. I just feel like I don't know anyone here (I actually don't, though) and that I'm going to be racing off to Japan so soon. There are many people I worry I'm never going to see again. It's hard to deal with right now.

14 May 2007

First Post

This is meant to be a test.