Thursday, 26 January 2006

Konichiwa!

It's amazing how, after almost a year of not talking to a stranger (not from want of trying) how emotional it is when finally a stranger talks to you. Just a few moments ago, a woman was playing with her 2 year old son downstairs as I was taking out the garbage. She gave me a happy and GENUINE "Konichiwa" (Good afternoon)! I was just so happy that I could have a simple exchange like this! I replied and as I walked past her and her son on my way back in I commented on how cute her son was.

Such a nice moment. It's incredible how much you miss things like this.

In other news.... I bought a Japanese Plum Blossom Tree! These are the ones that flower similar to Sakura/ Cherry Blossom Trees but more of a darker colour and they flower earlier than Sakura! It's about a metre tall and sitting in it's new pot on the balcony right now! Was so happy to find this as it's almost impossible to buy potted tress in Tokyo outside the usual flower bush! What a find and it was in my neighbourhood too!

Also ripped some clippings off the Sakura trees in Ueno Park when I caught up with Brenton today! Will try and grow some Sakura trees from clippings. Don't tell anyone! ;)

Saturday, 21 January 2006

SONOVABITCH!!!

I need to rant!

Seriously, what is it about people in Tokyo (and Saitama for that matter) that gives them the inablity to give directions? Either they've never heard of the place you're looking for, or they give you a general "Over there" kind of response. It happened last year when I had to go to immigration to get a reentry VISA (NOONE KNEW WHERE IT WAS!!!), it happened yesterday with Tipness in Ikebukuro (asked 5 people, none of them were helpful) and it happened today in Shinjuku looking for the Shinjuku Tipness and a Vodafone shop! I asked strangers, information desk people who asked me to go to a Koban (police box). The police had no idea. Finally found a info desk and they didn't know, but they did look it up on Google (good idea) and they sent me in the right direction, but three crossings popped up that weren't on the map they showed me, and the road curved which really threw me. After asking several more strangers, I decided to walk into a Pachinko parlor and ask for directions, and on the INSIDE OF THE FRIGGIN' BUILDING was the sign for Tipness! I mean, seriously HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO FIND THIS PLACE?!?! They obviously don't advertise. NOONE knew where it was! Everyone has heard OF Tipness (huge company), but.... GRRRR!

I didn't go to any gym in Sydney, but I could tell you where at least 5 are in the CBD area alone. ...

...I could really go on all night. Not up for that party I mentioned earlier. SONOVABITCH!!! That was a whole afternoon wasted!

Oh, did I mention the snow started turning into rain and that I didn't have an umbrella?

Snow Article

Check out this article! Looks like the snow's bigger than I though! Still snowing btw! :D

More pics.

My Kids from 2005. Miss them crazy like.

Roppongi At Night (w/t Christmas Lights)

Some pics from Australia.

Me, Grandad and Nanna

A Gym, A Grudge and a Gift (wow, three "G"s! I'm clever!)

It's snowing right now, and it's amazing! I know I've been slacking off on images (still havn't posted my China pics yet and that was Feb 2005!) Anyway, here's the view an hour ago from my balcony!

Nice, huh? It's the first time I've seen it snow in Tokyo. Unfortunately, it may have killed some plants that I've been trying to grow on the balcony (they only started sprouting a few days ago!). They've now been brought inside.

Anyway, went along with a few friends on Saturday (7 days ago) to an Extras casting at Toho studios (where they film the Godzilla movies) for The Grudge 2 starring Buffy! No word on if I've been chose yet, but here's hoping!

What was funny was the other night I was meeting Kat at (one of many) The Hub in Ikebukuro and when we were both buying drinks at the bar, the gal next to us was from the casting! She remembered me. I'm still trying to remember her. I think she was the one we joked with about us having to "Act our way through obsticles" in order to get the role. She hadn't heard back from the studio either which bodes well.
Even if I don't get cast, I may be on the DVD as they were filming the whole room for a bit.

Later in the week I joined a new Gym chain called TIPNESS. SO much better than PREON! No screaming around the gym room (one "Konichiwa!" is enough people!) and the people there seem to have a clue. If you're reading this and coming to Japan, join Tipness. Just overall a better company. They don't hire 20 people for one shift just to "welcome people".

Good thing about my Gym membership is that I can use any TIPNESS gym in Tokyo... decided to try a different one yesterday... took me two hours to find it... and it WAS CLOSED!!! REALLY not happy JAN! What's worse, I found out later last night that the one I "found" wasn't even the right one!!! GRRRRR....

Yesterday, I found the Post Office and sent off a parcel to some groovy gals back in Oz. More funky Kit Kat flavours than you can poke a stick at.

Still applying for jobs.

Kat and John are getting MARRIED!!!

Need to go to the gym today and have a party to go to tonight.

REALLY need to redesign this site.

Saturday, 14 January 2006

Best Blonde Joke Ever

Hoshi posted the best blonde joke ever one her blog. Great stuff! Haha!

Thursday, 12 January 2006

New Years Resolutions

Well I'm back in Japan and I havn't even made a post about going to Australia yet! Both flights were okay though the flight to Australia was great. Like last year, I sat next to a groovy gal from Melbourne with whom I shared a good 5-7 hour conversation about travel, relationships, tv, sports, language, and the Qantas staff running out of the "beef" meal option yet still asking us which we would prefer. Kind of reminded me of that old Garfield cartoon where Jon and Garfield go to Hawaii and try to rent a car from a guy with only on car.

a: Which meal/car would you like?

b: How many do you have?

a: We only have one meal/car.

b: Then why did you ask us which one we'd like?

a: I was hoping you would want that one!

Seriously, pretty much word for word.

Australia was great anyway. VERY hard to come back to Japan, but now that I am back I actually feel very "at home". Strange. Even stranger is that I currently have no job to report to at the moment. It's the first time I've been in Japan with really no proffesional obligation. It's a bit unsettling honestly. I just need to get enough work so I can get a new VISA in April. Think I'll go for two part time jobs and self sponsor myself. Definitly teaching kids if I teach English (most likely).

On another note, a friend of mind who's now in Japan from the states just emailed me about some EXTRA casting for The Grudge 2 right here in Tokyo! Definitly going to head down for that. It's on Saturday... which I have off thanks to me quitting NOVA!!! Woo Hoo!!!

So, New Years Resolutions (in no order)

1) Sign up with a new gym in Tokyo.
2) Go to the gym daily.
3) Sign up with an acting agency. Get on tv at least once this year.
4) Improve my Japanese. Get to at LEAST intermediate level.
5) Get more web design clients for my li'l business -> http://www.CasualSmirk.com
6) Communicate more with friends and family.
7) Remember birthdays for friends and family.
8) Travel: Hong Kong, Shanghai (China), Sendai (Japan), Hiroshima (Japan), Osaka (Japan), Singapore.
9) Bit of a wierd one, but would like to visit all the Pokemon Centres in Japan. Kind of like a Pokemon tour thing. Geeky, but I'd like to do it an document it.
10) Do more firespinning!
11) Finish current websites. Anime ones, fanlistings, personal, all my sites! Need to finish them all!
12) Redesign this site. Designed it before I came to Japan, and it's just not "me" anymore.
13) Complete greening the balcony.
14) Oh... and get my VISA renewed! Haha.

Wish me luck!