Saturday, September 24, 2011

Weekend PAAAAHTAY

Edit: Fun fact: Japan doesn't have leftovers. :( It's not a fun fact so much as it is sad. You always eat everything that's put in front of you, always. It's manners. You never take food home with you from a restaurant. Which is why I had to eat all of the pasta that's in the picture below...xD Terrible!

Okay, for the sake of organization I've separated two main ideas into two posts, so if you want to read about Japanese couples and why they're so freaking strange, click here.

SO MY WEEKEND WAS REAL FUN.

Quick note, though: On Thursday I found out that Nanzan is a private school. WHAAAAT?! I'm going to a private Japanese college?! My host mom was like, "You didn't knowww?" and I was like, "...........No..........." Yeah, I'm 95% confident that 95% of the time, I have no idea what's going on. So anyway, I'm going to a private school. Cool, or something. But mostly I just feel real surprised. I also have the impulse to buy like a pocket-protector or something.

A bunch of friends from Nanzan, Japanese and white people alike, met up to go to a club on Friday. But first we needed to PRE-GAAAAAME. So we went to Sakae, the downtown of Nagoya, and hit up a convenience store (konbini). Some of us got food, but the smarter of us (me) just stocked up on drank. Then we went to this big fountain around the corner and sat there and hung out as it got darker and we drank and ate and had fun.

THEN THE REAL FUN BEGAN. We got to the club literally a minute before eight o'clock. For girls, it was ladies' night so it was free entrance and one free drink, but for guys if we got there before 8 it was about a 10 dollar entrance fee and two drinks, and after that it was like 15 dollars or something ridiculous, so we were reaaaal close at spending unnecessary money.

By that time I was tipsy enough to dance without reserve, so me and the Japanese ladies hit the dance floor ("hit the dance floor," she says. Yes, I believe the 80's are back) immediately. There were a good amount of people there, but over time the club started to FILL with Japanese kids and foreign exchange students alike.

It was great to see how Japanese girls dressed up for clubbing; some of them just had cute outfits, with boots or whatever, but some of them went all out and put their hair up real big with fake eyelashes and make up and high boots and bright clothes and glow sticks/glow necklaces and went all out. They'd go up on stage at the sides of the dance floor and dance and everyone was having a really good time.

Also the waitresses were on rollerskates. Which is awesome. And I almost ran into the same one about three times. CORDINATION, HOOO!

Like I said, at first there weren't that many people there, and a lot of people just got together in a circle and danced shoulder-to-shoulder, which was fun for a while but as the club started to fill it began to exclude people.

I like to think that what happened at this point was due to me, but then again I'm full of myself, so.

We were all dancing shoulder-to-shoulder and there was a group of guys we didn't really know dancing nearby, kinda looking our way, but how were they supposed to get into our group without being invited, right? Right. Or so was my thinking. So I separated two girls, gave my hands to the guys and pulled them into the group to dance with us.

Yeah, no. I have balls in Japan. Like, I'm forward in America, but in Japan that forwardness is multiplied by like, 10 or so (rough estimate) because everyone's so humble here. Well screw that, I wanna have fun.

So by pulling in random people, the group expanded; so then I'd pull girls into the circle we were dancing in and dance with them, then other girls would pull in other girls and dance with them, and eventually instead of having just one giant circle of people kinda dancing, we had a writhing mass of clubbers who were having a really good time.

Like I said, I like to think that it was my doing.

Also I did something I've never done before, but as a gaijin (someone from another country) I look better doing it in Japan than in America, so I got up on stage with some of my Japanese girl friends and we danced and laughed and it was great.

OH YEAH, in Japanese clubs they play all American party songs, true fact, so I knew every song and it was fantastic. All current music, too; Lady Gaga, etc. Despite Japan having so much pop music, they use American music at clubs, was surprised.

The only downside to clubbing is that I couldn't hear anyone. Like, in an American club it's pretty bad, right? The music is so loud that you have to scream in another person's ear to get them to hear you. The same goes in Japan, but now when I tried to talk to Japanese boys, I couldn't hear what they were saying and also it was in freaking JAPANESE and I just felt dumb so I consider that an unsuccessful interaction with the opposite sex, sad face :(. HOWEVA, I will try again.

Up until this point I hadn't really met any Japanese guys (girls tend to group with girls, and guys with guys, even in college in Japan), but that is something I will continue to work on. Having Japanese guy friends could be cool, right? Though I have no idea what they're interested in. Probably sports or something? Bleh. Sports. I'm really not a fan of sports. And guys aren't really friends with girls in Japan so maybe it'd be weird anyway? I don't know, I'll figure something out, DON'T YOU WORRY YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD OFF ABOUT ME.

So anyway after that Ayame and I bought snacks at a konbini and I slept over at her house. We tried to watch Public Enemies but it turns out to be a really boring movie? I dunno. Ayame thought it was complex but really it was so simple that she just thought it was complex because that would mean it was a decent movie, but really it was just boring. Meh.

THEN we woke up around noon and got some Italian food about 15 minutes away at a mall. It was Japanese Italian food, but I was so hungry I would've eaten my own foot if it meant getting something in my stomach (the original idea for Saw, by the way, original title was Chew) but actually it was REALLY FREAKING GOOD. So many noodles. AND CHEESE!! PARMESAN AND CHEDDAR (Cheddar has an "a" in it?!) CHEESE IN A CREAMY SAUCE! Ayame took a picture of me being happy but it's not on Facebook yet, when it is I'll post it, for sure.


It got real crazy lookin' real fast up in there, as you can tell by the straight up INSANE look in my eye. BECAUSE ITALIAN FOOOOD 



Then we walked about and shopped (I bought a scarf and a charm for my new cellphone, WHICH BROKE TEN MINUTES AFTER PURCHASING IT, SERIOUSLY, SCREW ME), and I tried to convince Ayame that not everyone in America is fat but she wouldn't believe me.

If I could explain a single one of my behaviors, I wouldn't be doing them in the first place.


And that pretty much summarizes my weekend. And it's only 6 on Saturday.

Also I got badly bruised on my right foot and in two spots on my right arm, I'm not really sure how that happened, I think at the club I ran into a door in the bathroom when someone opened a stall as I walked past. But don't worry, I'm all right.

Heh, heh, hehhhh. It's funny because I got hurt only on my right side.

THAT'S THE JOKE


Oh yeah, and on Thursday and Friday I was bored and didn't have anything to do so I visited this cemetery that's about a twenty-five minute walk from my school. Because that's what normal people do in their free time, right? Riight.

Well anyway it was hills upon hills of graves, for as far as the eye could see. And Japanese gravestones are beautiful and exquisite, with incense and flowers and small gray stones, and a path that leads to the graves...Well how about I just show you?!! Thanks, Jeff, for the pictures! By the way, Ayame told me it's frowned upon to take pictures in a cemetary...(Makes sense, it's not like people do it in America...) Oooooooops, you shouldn't make them so beautiful, Japan! (Don't worry, we didn't let anyone see us...so it's like it never happened...) By the way, everyone in Japan is cremated, fun fact.

A family of graves - Honda family, I believe.
A line of markers

It's at about this time that you're like, oh wow, that's a lot of graves.
And then you're like, shit, that's a buttload of graves.
And THEN you're like, that is a SHITTON of graves, there are hills?! (Note: These pictures were all taken facing different directions)
"Is that...Is that THREE more hills of grave markers?!"
Yep. Japan.


The end!

By the way, Japanese spirits, my sincere apologies for taking pictures of your graves. We mean no disrespect, we were only enjoying the beauty and calm that surrounds your grave markers, where the world seems to go silent and a single breeze relaxes your soul.
Also, if you want to haunt someone, haunt Jeff, it was his camera.



1 comment:

  1. I love to read your blog! everyday It is what I need to do! Your writing is so funny, and a lot of times you just crack me up! I love how you make me laugh! And the best part is you look so happy, and really enjoying yourself! Love mom!

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