2007年09月25日 – A Change?

It seems that NOVA isn’t doing to well these days. I’m not too concerned as I’ve haven’t been directly effected. As I tell everyone, it’s business as usual and if NOVA does kick the bucket I’ll deal with it one step at a time. But I find it hard to believe that NOVA, the largest English school in Japan will go bankrupt. It would would effect the Japanese economy tremendously, well so I think so!

My mom heard about the problem and she phone me up all worried. I admit it’s concerning when you think of job security, but I’m not the type of person to worry straight away. Anyways here’s an email I send my mom about the issues.

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Hey Mom!

There’s no need to worry! If there was anything serious I would let you! Sufficed to say the NOVA situation is a long and winded story which starts with NOVA being accused of unjust business practices and therefore has been punished for its business practices by the Japan’s Ministry in charge of such issues.

The whole situation has weakened faith in the company and the punishment on limiting new contracts has effected sales. As result in some cases NOVA has been trying to keep up with payments on rents and paying staff as it’s been said that the ruling severely crippled NOVA with its unique business angle, which is now outlawed; where the bulk of their sales come from.

So the closing of profit-losing schools has began to occur in an attempt to limit blows financially. I kind of downsizing action.

For me I haven’t been effected as I work for one of the busier branches in Saitama Prefecture. If worse comes to worse, then I’ll wait for/if that moment comes. There are many jobs hear anyways so I don’t foresee a problem for me in the here-and-now. But right now it’s business as always.

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The NOVA story is quite long-winded. Recently some people were not payed on time, word of some apartment evictions and the closures of as many as 200 branches are set to take place in all of Japan.

I’m covering my bases…One thing I did was update my resume on a Gaijinpot.com a website for Foreigners in Japan. I actually got a hit for a private children’s school in Toda City in Saitama Prefecture. I’m gonna have an interview with them sometime this week or next. They pay a little more and I rather work with all kids anyways. It’s too early to say, but ya here’s hoping I get this job! NOVA is not a bad company, but when an opportunity arises sometimes you gotta take it. We’ll see what happens.

2007年09月25日 – Work and Play

The Weekend
As I mentioned before I knew I was gonna have an all-nighter and would have little to no sleep before work the next morning. So before hand I took a nap Saturday evening before going out. My roommate Ivan wakes me up telling, me he has something show me… I get up and walk to the kitchen to find him and a bunch of people I’ve never met before singing me Happy Birthday…LOL it was was really funny in a sweet way. :P Turns out that those guys are really cool and we all ended up going out together. Below is a pic of my roommate Ivan, me and Keita on the Hibiya Line to Roppongi.

We met up with a few other people we know and went bar & club-hopping in Roppongi. First we went to this place called Gas Panic, which was fun. It’s free to get in, but has a one drink minimum. We had a really good time here, dancing with random Japanese folk who were wishing me Happy Birthday! It was sooo cool! Afterwards we weren’t exactly sure what was happening next. So we walked for a bit and decided that we didn’t want to go to no place too expensive. We ended up going to this place in Nishi-Azabu called MUSE. It was a bar, club, karaoke bar and a whole lot more rolled into one! The music was good for the most part. Ladies get in free – Kristel was very excited about that! It’s her new favorite place in the Roppongi area apparently…LOL! I also saw one of my older students there, which was very awkward!

All-in-all it was a great crazy night! Filled with interesting individuals, interpretative dance and spilled drinks! LOL all who were there KNOW what I’m talking about!

What really surprised me is how Japanese women are treated in the clubs, especially by Gaijins! I can’t say this about all foreigners, but I was quite disturbed of how this one guy was taking advantage of this Japanese girl. She was out of her mind drunk and thank god her friend was there or something might have happened. If it was an American or Canadian girl in that situation I bet you the girl would have boxed him! In general, I feel Japanese women are sometimes treated like second class citizens.

Gender inequality may not be that strong in present-day Japan. However, whether men and women in Japan are ready to face it or not, there still exists a very strong “glass ceiling” that prevents women from being on an equal footing with men for a number of reasons. But we’ll leave it at that before this blog becomes a debate over social equality.

After the Clubs and what not
We came home on first train… I had less than 2 hours of sleep and I worked an 8 hour shift and for the most part was pretty good. The morning was shaky, but towards the end I was OK. But as soon as I got home I passed out!

Later that evening while I was sleeping Kristel, Marjorie and Sam came home with Ivan and we all kinda of had a sleepover and watched some movies. We watched Music & Lyrics and The Guardian, both are movies I would never choose, but I have to say they were both REALLY good movies! That night we surprised Ivan cause his birthday is the 24th with a mini-cake and candles at midnight. Birthday celebrations are always fun!

The Monday we went out for lunch at a Taco place near our apartment and surprised Ivan again with some more birthday cakes. Afterwards headed out to Ikebukuro; went to Sunshine City and went out a played in the arcade where we played a mean game of MarioKart Arcade. Monica you’d love this game! We also took a whole bunch of プリクラ shots (Print Club – like those photo booths you see in Pacific Mall, but with more options), it was mad funny!

That evening we went out to this very nice Yakiniku place (kind of like Korean BBQ). Sooo 美味しい (oishii – delicious)! Ordering is soo easy! There’s an interface at each table with a touch-screen menu and in a few minutes the food comes. No more headaches trying to get a waitress’ attention, no unnecessary interruptions. They totally need to adopt this system back home. You can also call-up the bill before hand and check it over and divide the the bill accordingly. It’s pretty impressive or at least I think so. I think I’d definitely go back!

The whole weekend was a lot of fun! I’m sooo glad I had Monday off too, which made the whole thing even better. I work the next two days – one short shift and one regular and then I have the next two days off! SWEET!!!!

2007年09月22日 – WTF’s, Facts, Rants and Other Random Sh*t! (Part 2)

Happy 25th Birthday!

I totally forgot to upload this post; so imagine that it’s the 22nd a little after midnight. ^^ I’m not gonna lie I’m not in the mood to update the information in this post. Well at least not until the next blog just for clarification.

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Can you believe I’m a quarter century old! How horrid does that sound! Plus I’m working on my birthday, but I guess it’s okay cause afterwards it looks like we’ll be clubbing till dawn somewhere in Roppongi. Plans are not yet finalized, but if you can come feel free to give me a holla! I’ll be sending a group text message sometime tomorrow if you feel like partying all night once plans finalize. I said I wouldn’t party all night like I did the last time where I work the next morning, BUT it seems I haven’t learned my lesson! I guess I’ll be reaching for the coffee that morning.

Also Heather was telling me of a little get-together near the lake in Abiko on Sunday. Sounds like fun and plus I’m totally hijacking the party and making it my unofficial birthday party lakeside! :P

Random Things/Facts from my days in Japan:

• I don’t think greeting cards exist in this Country
• Postcards are very hard to find
• There’s no such thing as baggy clothes here
• People don’t say sorry here, you bang into someone by accident, no words are exchanged!
• Sometimes it’s hard to tell men’s wear from ladies’ wear
• There are some men that read Hentai (pornographic comics) on the train!
• The train is really crowded, but mostly at rush hour
• The summer here is like a fat kid’s armpit, hot and sweaty!
• Cicada’s are the noisiest f*cks ever!
• I still can’t find bubble tea here
• Portion sizes here don’t live up to those in North America
• No I’m not dating anyone Japanese yet!
• My cellphone has more functions than I’m aware of!
• Two words… Love Hotel
• Some people wear masks when they have a cold… I swear it reminds me of SARS back in Toronto
• Melon bread is too good, it’s like crack!
• Karaoke is everywhere
• You learn to appreciate the 7-Eleven
• All you can drink brings new meaning to alcoholism

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I’m soo stupid for not uploading this blog until now, but ya I’m human! Deal with it!

2007年09月19日 The Typhoon Look is IN this Season!

Cause Looking Like Ass is Always Fun!
I totally stole this picture from Lars. Taken after Kid’s Training in Tsudanuma a few weeks ago during a typhoon. Kids training was fun only cause the people I met there were so cool! It was actually nice to meet a few people and kinda socialize since all I’ve been doing here is work work WORK! Well for the most part anyways!

But f*ck I look like ass in this picture! Thanks to Heather’s umbrella deciding to give out I got more wet then I intended. Heather no more shopping at the 100 yen shop hun! :P Let’s buy quality goods! LOL!

2007年09月18日 – WTF’s, Facts, Rants and Other Random Sh*t!

First of All!
Where the f*ck is my blog banner?! I chalk this up to a WordPress glitch or something cause it was there yesterday! And I know I didn’t delete it. Normally I wouldn’t complain, but I don’t have a copy of the banner on my laptop and secondly the copy of blog banner is on my desktop computer back in Canada. Ugh…well I guess it’s a good excuse to design a replacement… At some point.

More Random Stuff!
This is for all my people living in Japan or whoever has lived in Japan:

“Mamonaku, ichiban sen ni densha ga mairimasu. Abunai desu kara, kiiroi sen no uchigawa e, osagari kudasai.”

Transation: Soon, a train will come on line number one. Because it is dangerous, please stand behind the yellow line. Haha I hear this everyday practically and I think I have it almost memorized! If I learn anything from Japan, this is definitely on the list! :P

Smoking!
I swear there are no laws on smoking in this country! Everyone practically smokes anywhere! I miss how Toronto is a smoke-free city! It’s been a while where I had to wash my clothes because of the stench of cigarette smoke! Also the smell of smoke in your hair is a sensation I hadn’t experience since Toronto passed all those smoking laws and bans. A sensation I could live without if you ask me! THAT and the second-hand smoke! Almost half the population smokes in Tokyo I think! And Cigarette vending machines are everywhere just for any ol’person to purchase. Am I the only person who finds a problem with this?

In Japan, smoking is treated more as an environmental problem than a health problem. In the past few years, laws banning street smoking in certain districts have been passed, and designated smoking booths have popped up all over major cities. Generally smoking is still a popular practice in Japan. It seems the anti-smoking hysteria has yet to make an appearance in the Land of the Rising Sun!

Alcohol
Despite what Japanese folk may say, Japan IS a drinking culture IMO! I’ve NEVER been soo wasted as for being in Japan! Everyone drinks! It’s common to see businessmen stumbling out of bars with co-workers and laying on station platforms as I’ve mentioned before. You can buy a beer at the 7-Eleven, no problem! Do they check I.D.? Not in my experience. You can even buy them on the street in vending machines! Which comes to my next topic…

Vending Machines
There’s like a vending machine every 5 meters! They’re everywhere! My students ask me what shocks me most about Japan. I always tell them, “the amount of vending machines…”. If we had vending machines back in Toronto in those numbers I’m sure they would have been vandalized and broken into long time ago!

Bikes!
All I have to say is they’re everywhere! Whole areas dedicated to bicycle parking!

People tend to go grocery shopping by bike and put everything into their baskets. That would explain the size of product packaging and the need to go numerous times to the grocery store a week. It’s all made to accommodate the needs of the majority – being able to carry groceries easier by method of walking or cycling.

Japan is weird and culturally fascinating! Sometimes perplexing … I haven’t even begun to talk about SEX culture here! Another time perhaps!

2007年09月15日 – The Game Plan

Keep the A.D.D. at bay!
LOL! It’s just a title, but I gotta keep busy! I have to take advantage of days off. I can’t be sitting in the apartment scratching my ass all day…. though tempting as that is! :P

I think I was pretty successful these past two days. Though I ran errands mostly, I still managed to have a little fun! I rented a movie at Tsutaya (the equivalent to Blockbuster here in Japan) then went out to get my hair did. Afterwards I headed down to Shibuya for some shopping. I headed down to the largest Tower Records in Japan cause I heard they have a good selection of English book & magazines.

Though searching for magazines and books was my original attention of going to Tower Records I became more intrigued with the JPOP albums. I have to say they got some hottie JPOP girls that I was previously unaware of! :P One of which is Leah Dizon, I listened to her album and it ain’t bad! And she’s mad hot too! Singer, TV personality and model! She does it all! She’s from Las Vegas and she’s not even Japanese….she’s like Filipino, Chinese & French so I have a sneaking suspicion that she doesn’t know Japanese at all and just memorizes the lyrics. I could be wrong, but that’s my first impression of her.

Afterwards I pasted by Harajuku, but the park was closed for the evening cause I arrived too late. Instead I walked to Shinjuku and decided to get a free view of the city from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory. It’s pretty amazing how far out the city lights go! I guess that’s why they call it a Metropolis!

 

After the site-seeing I wanted to do a little pass-by UNI-QLO, it’s kinda like the GAP of Japan (though they have GAP here in Japan already, but it’s probably the best comparison still). I saw this jacket that I had to have. The weather is still too hot and humid to wear a jacket, but in a few weeks the Fall weather will come and I’ll be able to wear it. I saw some nice jeans too, but I had to refrain. I have to save my money!

Where’s My Money!
Saving money is an entirely whole different issue for me! Apparently I’m having issues with my direct deposit. I was supposed to be payed for the month today, but there’s no sign of the money! I was having issues with my bank last month, but I thought I resolved it. Ugh the saga continues I guess! I better get my money soon before I start busting skulls!

That’s it for now! I have work tomorrow morning and I have to sort out my pay cheque! Later Ya’ll!

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2007年09月07日 – I’m Still Here!

Tsudanuma
You may have heard about the typhoon that hit Tokyo. You know it wasn’t that bad. If I had to compare it to bad weather in Toronto, it would be like a really bad thunderstorm. Though I admit I don’t know much about typhoons and hurricanes and other atmospheric disturbances, I think that this was a weak one.

What really shocked was the amount of umbrellas I saw in the trash! I swear when I was training yesterday in Tsudanuma I thought I saw at least 4-5 umbrellas in the trash. Chalk that one to the high winds I guess… Or maybe they have disposable umbrellas here….LOL I’ve seen stranger things. :P

So yesterday was Kids Training as I mentioned. I managed to meet a whole bunch of instructors. It was a pretty good day despite it being my day off. We all went drinking at this bar called The Tent. It was actually a fun evening and hopefully I’ll meet up with them again soon. We stayed at the bar for a while, but the rains were getting a little too much AND the winds as well! Gosh I thought I was gonna fly away to Oz! But for a typhoon I was expecting more. Though for the record on the way home my train was stopped due to an electrical problem and other weather related problems did occur. I didn’t take any pictures of post Kids Training, but I’m sure a few of them will appear on Facebook from the others. But damn! I look horrid! All wet & buzzed… so not attractive! LOL remind me to un-tag those photos if/when they surface!

Yokohama
I’m meeting people slowly, but surely. I actually got a chance to see a friend of mind south of Yokohama. It’s a long trip down from my place, but not THAT bad of a train trip. Thanks to my new friend, I’m addicted to the show Heroes! I swear everyone here is trying to get me hooked on the box sets – like Heroes, Lost, 24, CSI and so and so on. I tried watching Heroes online from tv-links.co.uk, but I’m still using bootleg internet which is increasingly getting annoying and getting in the way of me watching Heroes amongst other things!

Shibuya
I finally went clubbing! Though I wasn’t that impressed. Prior to clubbing we were chillin’ at out at our local Bar – Bar Sheezie. Kind of a pre-drinking thing before heading out. We ended up in Shibuya at this club called Atom. It was really crowded and like any club back home IMO. I really wanna go to a club where they play JPOP as well. It was very Western, but I don’t know why I expecting any different cause knew what to expect! Maybe I’m just being picky, but ya I still had fun. Though I did not have fun waiting for first train at 5:30am when you work a 10am shift! Never doing THAT again!

Roppongi
Last week I got a chance to head down to Roppongi Hills to Tokyo City View and up the Mori Building to view the city from above. It was cloudy but it was still a good view. I also managed to checkout the Sky Aquarium as well as the Le Corbusier Exhibits.

After that I took a quick pass to Tokyo Tower. I didn’t go up, but I saw a little show at the base of the tower that screamed animal rights all over it! LOL! Though it was entertaining seeing a monkey perform tricks on stilts, jump and do hand stands I can’t help but think of those animal activists totally X’ing this show shaking their fingers in disapproval. I know a few of my friends who might have something to say as well.

I think next chance I get I’ll go up Tokyo Tower. I’m not seeing enough of the city as tourist as much as I want to. I still didn’t even go to Asakusa which is like 10 minutes from my place. I also gotta check out those Harajuku’s, Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Disney, Odaiba, and many many more!

So What’s Next
That’s a good question, I have no real plans yet. My birthday is the next big thing in my life, but nothing planned in terms of birthday plans. There is a Halloween Party in the making being held by the 701 Boys (That’s Me and my Roommates), but details on that are still up in the air.

I really need a REAL pillow, I’m sick of this beanbag thing they call a pillow that they gave me. I also really wanna buy bath mats and print some pictures to stick on my wall. I can’t wait till next pay cheque!