the expatriated expatriate

sick food

2008-01-05T23:14:00.000+09:00

akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaiitashimasu! (very rough translation: happy new years! please support me again this year!)

so the transition into the year of the rat was awesome. snowboarded at ishiuchi maruyama on 12/31, partied with some folks in roppongi for the countdown, family time all day on new years, then snowboarded again at gala on 1/2!! (sorry no pics, just way too lazy as of late. check mixi or facebook if you really want to see.)

but then the bad news. when i woke up on 1/3, i felt TERRIBLE. turns out i caught the flu, and have been holed up in my room for three straight days now. my aunt, god bless her soul, has been amazing in helping me out, bringing me medicine and stuff, but this brings up an interesting question.

*when you're sick, what do you want to eat and drink?

personally, i was thinkin like chicken noodle soup, macaroni & cheese, clam chowder. something really hot and gooey. and lots of orange juice to fill me up with vitamin c.

as soon as i was able to eat something, my aunt said she had some food that would make me feel a lot better. some dried fish, cold octopus, chopped radishes, chicken cartilage (mostly new years leftovers). normally i love these foods, but not when i'm sick. also, she thought drinking cold orange juice would only make me colder and sicker!!

even after over 15 months here, the cultural differences never cease to amaze.

anyone still out there?

2007-11-10T12:16:00.000+09:00

sorry for the lack of updates, it's been a bit of a whirlwind out here the past couple months. in summary, went home, lost my job (company folded), got a new job as a waiter.

i actually started a blog in japanese, so if you're a mixi reader have a look over there. right now, i'm just trying to finish up my phd apps (usc, stanford, claremont) and then hit the road for some serious traveling! hope you all are well :-)

changes

2007-08-15T14:20:00.000+09:00

these asian summers are no joke...it's hot as hell!! well, at least it's already the middle of august, so the weather SHOULD start gradually cooling down as the autumn season approaches.

so how do japanese people escape this heat? shopping in ridiculously-air conditioned shops, drinking lots of cold beer, and hitting up the beach! i went out to yuigahama with marie last week and managed to get this ridiculous sunburn on my shins and the tops of my feet. almost one week after and walking is still painful!! oh well, the beach was def a dope experience, but unfortunately very short-lived. the beach season officially starts on july 15th (after the rainy season), and ends today when the jellyfish supposedly check their calendars and collectively decide that it's time to start attacking all those human invaders.

on august 5th, the nova branch that i was working at (toranomon) closed its doors. although the official stance is that the lease on the building expired, it's pretty obvious that the company is in a bit of a bind now and doing what it can to correct its previous over-expansion blunders. i'm gonna miss that school.

but hello to my new office at hibiya! great location right in ginza, lots of fun stuff to do, good restaurants, bars, shops. coworkers all seem like good folks and students are a much more diverse bunch. we went out to this chain restaurant called ZEST the other day. it's trying to be this tex-mex type of thing. great ambience, terrible food. oh well.

typhoon season

2007-07-14T14:36:00.000+09:00

so a typhoon (in america we would call it a hurricane) is supposed to hit tokyo tomorrow. it's been a rough week, so hopefully it'll just wash everything away.

bakuhatsu

2007-06-21T23:48:00.000+09:00

two days ago, a spa in shibuya exploded because of a methane leak, killing three people. today, spas all around japan are reviewing their technology to ensure the public that this centuries old pasttime is indeed safe. i think in america, people would be too busy trying to place blame on someone and filing lawsuits and all that instead.

just a thought.

quick updates

2007-06-19T11:49:00.000+09:00

i've come to the sad realization that after nearly nine months in japan, i've managed to completely neglect this blog. i will regret that when i ultimately move home and want to relive my experiences out here. so what have i been doing?

went home mid-may to watch a warriors playoff game against the jazz. my dad scored some luxury suite tix. they lost. otherwise, my trip home was amazing and everything i could've ever hoped for.
my company is currently under government imposed sanctions for its shady business practices. however, i still have a job, am still getting paid, and will soon be transferred, most likely to shimbashi.
lots of friends out here are moving and stuff. slightly sad, but good to see them going places with their lives.
went to the budweiser bar in shimbashi. very weird, in that creepy japanese way. the geek side of me tells me that it may be one of the most interesting places in tokyo to do an ethnography.
babysat my dad for two weeks. fun but exhausting. got re-interested in golf.
studying almost daily for the GRE's, which i will take in august. i'm also trying to do some more recreational reading since i realized how not ready i am for the verbal section.
finalizing where i will apply for phd programs for fall 2008 admission. all in california. and i've made a firm decision to move home around june 2008.
went to ashes & snow out in odaiba last weekend. the building was awesome. the photography was...stunning seems like the most correct word. still trying to organize my thoughts though about the entire exhibit. something about it was just a bit too...exotic.
still loving japanese food. but starting to branch out. found a pho restaurant. and the indian food here is bomb.
will visit home again in september. see you in vegas.

you only live once

2007-05-13T08:38:00.000+09:00

so i'm making the most of my life. this afternoon, i will be flying back home (on only three days notice) to watch game 4 of the warriors-jazz playoff series. as a die-hard warriors fan reveling over the warriors first playoff appearance in fifteen years from across the pond, i jumped at not just my first ever opportunity to watch them in the playoffs, but also my first ever opportunity to watch them from a luxury suite! this year is definitely special, and one plane ticket is a small price to pay to take part in all of this magic. i definitely believe.

unfortunately, i will only be in california for six days, but i'll try my best to take advantage of my time there ("losers always white about their best. winners go home and..."). i've already made a meal schedule, hehehe.

it's election time!

2007-04-09T02:57:00.000+09:00

earlier today, i voted in today's gubernatorial election. just a few interesting reflections:

in order to vote, all eligible residents are mailed a registration form.
the registration form needs to be taken to the polling place.
upon presenting the registration form, you are given a small piece of paper with an empty box.
in the box, you write the name of the candidate you wish to vote for.
you put your ballot in the box.

and that was it. there weren't any local measures or anything like that. there weren't any bubbles or computer programs. the whole thing seems so simple...i don't remember voting like that since elementary school student council elections. even my junior high school and high school used scantrons i think.

although it has already been announced that shintaro ishihara (wikipedia) has been reelected for his third term, there was no way that i could vote for such a xenophobe. my vote went to shiro asano (wikipedia), who represented the primary opposition against independent ishihara, who leans very far to the right. but just from watching news reports about who tokyoites voted for, it's really shocking to hear public sentiment.

being the biggest city in the world (in terms of population), many residents believe that having such an outspoken leader is necessary to maintain order in an already relatively strict society. and seeing that minority groups represent such a small percentage of tokyo (as well as the fact that unlike myself, almost none of them are eligible to vote), their rights must be hedged to ensure the well-being of the dominant japanese population.

coming from liberal san francisco, conservative tokyo is definitely a new experience. but as long as people are still being marginalized and justice is not a reality, then there still is lots of work to do. 35 million people to work on...they don't call this a struggle for nothing.

the life and times of japan's greatest athlete.

2007-04-07T00:30:00.000+09:00

in the past three weeks, i have sustained two serious sports injuries. but such is the life of athletic freaks of nature like yours truly. let me elaborate...

1) while setting record after record on ridge racers 2 for psp, i developed a decent blister on my left thumb. however, in all attempts to do my part for the entire racing community, i played on. i beat the game and simultaneously rendered my left thumb useless for the next week.

2) today, a couple coworkers and i hit the pitch (if you could even call it that) to prepare for our upcoming nova teachers' futsal tourney. seeing that soccer is a game primarily employing one's feet, i managed to amaze even myself by messing up my right shoulder. you see, the ball was kicked way over my head. since i am a lazy bloke and didn't feel like chasing after an overkicked ball, i jumped up and stuck my arm out to catch it. my right arm bent back, something felt strange, and now i can't lift my arm past ninety degrees. but since someone else kicked the ball too far, i have decided that this one isn't my fault.

oh well. at least my alter-ego had a helluva debut with ten strikeouts in seven strong innings over the kansas city ymca all-stars.

too bad about my bruins...

2007-04-03T13:12:00.000+09:00

...but it's alright. they done good this year. now i can focus on the warriors playoff push!! and what's this, do i smell BASEBALL!?

the past few weeks have been MAD busy, in a very unproductive, yet awesome way. it is currently the sakura season here in japan. i did "hanami" (flower viewing) a few times this past week and it is definitely an experience. just going out to the park, eating/drinking far too much, singing, playing games...all under hundreds of sakura trees and millions of falling pink petals. it's surreal, to say the least. sadly, my pictures do not do justice to hanami. please come next spring and experience it for yourself!

also, reason #7654321324 why i love tokyo. last night, i was getting home from work around 9:40pm. i ran into a friend of mine that lives nearby and he told me to go over to his restaurant for a second because there was something we had to talk about. the restaurant is in the next alley...so literally just feet from my house. so i go to the restaurant, a few other older men from the neighborhood association (including my uncle) begin to trickle in, all of us wondering what is going on. then my friend announces that last night was the final night that his restaurant would be using asahi beer. starting today, they will switch to sapporo draft beer. thus, it is our job to finish the remaining asahi beer so that he doesn't have to throw it away. suffice to say, good times were had, and it didn't cost anybody a single yen!

although i have been professing my love for japan a lot lately, just wanted to add that this country is still far from perfect. last week, one of the employees at my company was brutally murdered and the killer is still on the run.

although that was super messed up, i really think that this response by the father as delivered by the british ambassador to japan is not helping the situation at all.

also, while i never really liked monta mino in the first place, this article makes me hate him more. but the way the article seems to shift blame on the victim is also pretty disgusting.

sigh.

real men don't cry.

2007-03-17T02:30:00.000+09:00

so i guess i'm no longer officially a real man. i can't remember the last time i cried during a movie, but i did today when watching "ashita no kioku" starring ken watanabe. it's about a 49 year old man with alzheimer's disease. i guess a lot of it hit pretty close to home, but the whole movie was just amazing. the confusion, the unanswered questions, the strain on the family, etc. easily the most powerful movie i've seen so far in japan.

spring is in the air!

2007-03-14T12:53:00.000+09:00

i can't believe i'm watching giants-a's preseason action right now on tv. can't wait for the g-men to whup on some dodger behind once again this year! and speaking of bay area sports, did anyone else see how the dubs completely manhandled the mavs!? come on fellas, i'm smelling PLAYOFFS!! march has to be the best month ever for sports fans, seriously. in case anyone cares, here are my predictions for the big dance:

also, i was FINALLY able to hit the japanese slopes last weekend! was really scared of the rain, but the weather finally decided to get cold (for like the first time all year), and it was dumping snow on us all day. got wet, but still had a blast. we went to the kagura resort in yuzawa, niigata. i forgot just how much fun snowboarding is, and doing it in japan is an even more amazing experience. definitely gotta bring my board back with me for next winter!

was too busy boarding to take pics, but here is a shot i took from the bus on the way out:

and you gotta love the japanese ski resort lunch:

sakura blossoms are supposed to start blooming next week. i think it's still way too cold. gimme a couple months, i'll soon be complaining about how japan is too hot.

five months and counting

2007-03-05T00:51:00.000+09:00

i can't believe it's already march. happy super duper belated new years to anyone who still actually tries to read this blog. my time here in japan has just been flying faster than i could believe. my one semester of graduate study at sophia university is officially over, and i really do feel like i was able to learn so much just from my experience, as well as from the actual course material. so thank goodness that wasn't just a ridiculously expensive way to pass my time.

i'm actually enjoying my job as an english teacher at the toranomon branch for nova. most of my students are very high level, and also very fun people to talk to. plus i'm fortunate to have met some real cool teachers from all over the world, as well as having a great group of japanese staff members that keep our office running. some nova workers have had really bad experiences, so i guess i'm lucky (knock on wood...). i think a lot of it really depends on how much you accept living in a foreign country. fortunately, japan isn't as foreign to me as it is for so many of these other folks.

just to review some of what i've managed to do so far:

spend lots of time with my family. sometimes i even thought it was too much, and was seriously considering moving out into my own place. but no, the pros of being around blood definitely outweigh the cons. and asakusa is amazing.
enjoy japanese food. in fact, probably a little too much. i'm absolutely positive i won't be able to eat any japanese food they serve in the states anymore.
celebrate new years, japanese style. i don't think i've ever eaten/drank so much consistently for seven straight days.
find a job that pays well enough to live and have fun off of.
meet plenty of japanese-japanese people (as opposed to all those JAs).
survive dinners, drinking sessions, karaoke, etc., without using one word of english (other than all those terms japan appropriated).
get used to wearing suits and ties five days a week.
show around all of my awesome friends who have visited so far.
get tired of showing around all these damn people who keep showing up (j/k...sorta).
watch my favorite guilty pleasures on tv.
finally attend the tokyo auto salon. it's everything you can imagine, and then some.

i'm not really sure my japanese is improving, but others have said it is, so that's good news too. my writing is still comparable to my cousin's 20 month old baby, but my kanji recognition has definitely gotten better. so to make public my plans for the next few months:

practice kanji daily. i am determined to pass JLPT level 1 next december.
begin studying for the GRE. hopefully take it by august.
seriously pursue some kind of creative hobby. at the moment, i'm leaning towards making music over photography (too expensive) or trying to learn the guitar (pretty sure it will never happen).
get out of tokyo at least once a month.
try to save money. try.
plan my summer trip home!

yes, that's right. i have decided to go home for at least a couple weeks around the beginning of july. some things i'm determined to do (gosh, this post seems to be nothing but lists):

have a bbq in my backyard with some of that california sun.
drive on the right side of the road.
cheap chinese food in sf chinatown (hopefully in some heavy fog).
LA/vegas trip.
giants game.
sleep in a real bed.
eat tacos.
eat burritos.
eat more tacos.

there. you're all warned. hope to see you then!

doppelganger

2006-12-18T23:53:00.000+09:00

i seriously can't say that word without laughing. anyways, lately people have been telling me that i look like daisuke matsuzaka, aka d-mat, aka the monster, aka the $103.1 million man. you decide:

whew!

2006-12-17T22:11:00.000+09:00

so i've been ridiculously busy lately. but in a good way! lots of guests back-to-back-to-back-to-back. it gets tiring, but it sure is fun to have their company. plus, when folks come from the states, i get presents like these:

it's funny the things we take for granted in the states but can't find to save our lives here in japan. if any of y'all need christmas gift ideas for me, any of the above will suffice :-).

speaking of gifts, it's that time of the year again. even with all of the crazy christmas decorations in japan, it's a bit depressing as to how few people celebrate it (i actually have to work christmas day). i can't believe that christmas eve is only one week away! speaking of christmas day, my aunt signed me up to be in a christmas play...yes, a christmas play. i have one week to memorize all of my lines for "shepard #3." great.

for fun, here's ten things on my wish list for 2006:

1) black sony mylo (japanese edition)

2) charging dock for my phone
[umm, no picture]

3) tibetan jewelry

4) cool dvd's

5) itunes and/or skype $

6) carnitas tacos

7) some type of bling watch

8) 6" premium wheat nubuck tims size 9 (cost WAY too much here)

9) the ability to learn kanji overnight

10) a christmas card

i actually already got a christmas present from my dad. seeing that it's about four billion degrees below zero in december anywhere not called california, i finally had to invest in an overcoat:

yeah it's pretty nice (wool/cashmere), but i was more amazed by the packaging it came in! so first they put it in these hanging garment bag things you should all be familiar with:

then you zip it closed:

fold over the top third:

then the bottom third:

zip up the sides:

then zip up the top:

and there's your suit/coat/whatever, all bagged up and ready for the road!

as for other useless japanese goodies to share, i couldn't pass up on this ceramic toilet-shaped astray to store my loose change:

happy holidays!!

happy belated thanksgiving!!

2006-11-28T01:32:00.000+09:00

hopefully all of you had a great thanksgiving and ate yourselves into oblivion. seeing that the pilgrims never made it this far west to the far east (?!), thanksgiving (or should we call it thanksTAKING) day isn't a big deal out here in japan. i actually spent my night at work, teaching english lessons and dreaming about gravy over stuffing.

the past month has been pretty crazy with tons of stuff going on. my mom was in town for awhile, and then i had a bunch of other guests come hang out in tokyo. it all made for good fun, but was still tiring, trying to juggle everything while still getting used to working five days a week, being a part-time grad student, babysitting, and my freelance stuff. but seeing how everyone has now left, i finally have some time to recover until dec 9, when ryan and torie come!! i should seriously start charging for this whole tour guide business.

anyways, despite all of the stresses and hiccups of life in tokyo, i have so much to be thankful for. here is a partial list, as soon as i get more pictures, i will update this some more:

1) cute babies:

2) coldstone's global aspirations:

3) restaurants that make you feel like you're inside of kill bill:

4) people that fly thousands of miles to see me:

5) gifts from home

6) all of my awesome friends that write/call

7) technological innovation that makes all of this possible

8) fairly good health

9) an awesome place to live in an amazing city

10) family

toe socks!

2006-11-19T13:37:00.000+09:00

i needed some new dress socks, and these are the rage (not to mention they're on sale at uniqlo). i admit that i was a hater a few years ago, but you can really get used to these things. i recommend.

perhaps you're asking yourself, "why does dean need dress socks? all he ever does is dress like a scrub." well, i done got myself a job. yes, a real job that requires me wearing a suit five days a week. i am officially employed as an english instructor for nova. the pay is decent and i only have to work during the evenings (m-f, 5pm-9pm). although i do have to work holidays, including thanksgiving and--gasp--christmas!! since it's 20 hours a week, i still have time to do my schoolwork (or at least pretend to) during the day. also, i can still go out for drinks and whatnot after work.

most of the other teachers are pretty cool folks, although there's this one guy that i just can't stand. i'll be surprised if he can last in japan for longer than a month. for someone so anti-everything japanese, i really wonder why he decided to come out here. and if someone in this country buys you a drink, you don't put it in your pocket and go home. ugh.

in other news, i'm helping my uncle look for a new computer right now (he's still using a pentium 2). i found a pretty good HP laptop that was hella cheap. he just gave me this befuddled look and said he's never even heard of the company before. i told him "HP is one of the biggest american computer manufacturers, and is based in the bay area!!" this is where it gets funny: he said he doesn't trust american companies and would gladly pay more for japanese! for some reason i always subconsciously placed japanese electronics above american electronics, but that never really applied for my opinions of computers. but listening to his reasoning, it all made sense. it's interesting to notice how proud japanese consumers are of their products' reputation, even to the point that they ignore external reviews, not to mention the PRICE. if american products can't even sell here, it's no wonder that chinese and korean companies can't even make a dent in this market.

ballin' out of control!!

2006-11-08T00:18:00.000+09:00

just an extremely noteworthy update: my main man yuta tabuse was drafted by the bakersfield jam in the third round of this year's nbdl draft. and it gets better, because the jam are affiliated with my pride and joy (for better or for worse). you know you love it!!

speaking of basketball in japan, to put it simply, it's whack. as much as i want to watch some live action, this country lives and breathes baseball. there actually is a professional basketball league here in this country which gets absolutely zero love. i was thinking it'd be dope to rock a jersey, but then that brings up a brand new discussion point:

the naming of teams.

the aisen sea horses? the matsushita electric panasonic super kangaroos? even yuta's old team the toyota alvark? boy do those names strike fear into the hearts of the opponents.

better question: why do all japanese sports teams have to use english names for all of their teams? even baseball teams have names like hawks, lions, tigers, dragons, giants, etc. i'm sure there are japanese words for all of these mascots, yet the japanese sports machine chooses team names much easier understood by the average american than the average japanese.

and what the hell is an alvark!?

pepsi gold

2006-11-07T21:32:00.000+09:00

do they have this in the states?

72 hour kansai photodiary!

2006-11-05T17:36:00.000+09:00

just got back from a quick trip out to kyoto and osaka! time for some pictures:

randy and i left tokyo station at 7am on thursday on the shinkansen nozomi to kyoto. we were planning on saving money by taking the overnight bus, but seeing that we didn't book our tickets until the day before, we had to dish out the extra yen for the bullet train. still though, that's a fun ride. if i didn't set my alarm clock though, we would've most likely woken up in hiroshima. first impression of kyoto upon stepping out of the station: "if you said we were still in tokyo, i'd believe you..."

first stop: kiyomizu-dera! it was a bit too crowded to really enjoy as much as i wanted to, but still pretty cool.

from there, it was off to heian jingu.

made a pit stop for some of that bomb kyoto food.

after getting lost and walking all over the city, we finally found the right bus to get to kinkakuji. i honestly believe that this is the most beautiful place in the world.

from there, we had just enough time to walk over to see the rock garden at ryoanji. supposedly it is the quintessential zen spot. upon first glance, i was kinda disappointed to pay $5 to see a bunch of rocks, but after sitting down and just soaking it in, i was converted into a believer. pictures will never be able to serve this place justice. this was easily the highlight of my trip.

hung out with traci (who was so kind in letting us crash for the night). we had some amazing falafels, despite my complaints that i didn't go to kyoto to eat falafels. later, we went out to this dope spot called a-bar, where i met/was reunited with elisa! what a small world.

the next morning, we went out towards ginkakuji then took the tetsugaku no michi, which is a mile-long walk next to a river. apparently, we were walking in several philosopher's footsteps (thus the name). so, randy and i sought out the answers to life.

although we didn't find world peace during our hike, we did randomly explore some perpendicular streets, including this hidden spot. i swear, kyoto just kept continuing to amaze me.

after enough philosophizing, we wanted to visit eikando temple, which is more famous for the changing colors of leaves. in fact, they just bumped up the admission to $10 since it is the autumn season. but i think we were about a week early, because everything was still way too green. here's the outside of the gate, just to prove we went there.

this thing at nanzenji was HUGE.

here i am strolling through gion. nope, not cool enough to hang out with any geisha.

our last stop in the kyoto region was at fushimi-inari, which is famous for its thousands of torii gates. we wanted to make it to the top, but failed miserably. seriously, it's tough!! i also tried to do my best memoirs of a geisha running through the gates impression.

from there, it was off to osaka! for november third, i think they went a little overboard on the christmas decorations at hoop in tennoji. it took us awhile, but we finally found yamachan, which is THE takoyaki spot according to miho. best takoyaki i ever had, no question. less than $3 for ten, fresh off the grill, made by a cute japanese girl.

found a hotel room for under $20. even though it was tiny, you can't argue when it's that cheap.

all we really did in osaka was eat, drink, and shop (and lots of it). but honestly, nothing wrong with that. although this wasn't the cheesecake factory i'm used to...

...and this was slightly disturbing (dope shop tho)...

...graffiti done up on a wall, osaka-style...

...and finally the osaka bape store!!

it's really hard to explain what osaka felt like. the trendy parts felt a lot like tokyo, but it seems to have a less western influence (maybe because there aren't as many of the roppongi gaijin-types). the ghetto spots seemed ghettoer. the trains were older (but a lot less crowded). people stand on the other side of the escalators. my best comparison is that it seems like tokyo in a parallel universe, similar to the "wrong" 1985 that marty goes back to in back to the future 2.

i didn't really have any problem communicating with folks, but i was doing a lot of eavesdropping. i really can't understand that kansai-ben at all.

finally, we caught the 10:50pm overnight "premium dream" bus back to tokyo. quick trip, but definitely good times. can't wait to go again!! oh, one final comic moment. on the jr bus, when we arrived in tokyo, the PA was this automated voice speaking in japanese for about 5 minutes straight. following that, she switched to english and said "we will soon be arriving in tokyo. please give your ticket to the driver when you get off the train." to which randy and looked at each other and asked, "is that really all she said?"

just some randomness

2006-11-02T00:12:00.000+09:00

so i was watching tv earlier tonight and saw this tv show called cool japan. it's actually a pretty interesting concept. they get folks living in japan that just moved here from other countries to share their thoughts on things to define what is "cool." today's topics were gift wrapping, ¥100 shops, and japanese sales pitches. in addition to the three japanese hosts, there were about ten panelists representing canada, spain, uk, germany, malaysia, brazil, australia, and some other countries.

for example, on the topic of gift wrapping, the japanese hosts talked about how they are shocked when they see american movies with people ripping the wrapping paper off of their christmas presents. they viewed this as being disrespectful for the person that gave them the gift. in response, the panelists said things like ripping apart paper shows that you're excited to see what the gift is, or that japanese people pay too much attention to the wrapping paper because the gift itself is generic and unimportant.

while i'm glad to see a program that compares social actions across international communities in an effort to understand different ways of life, this program also seems a bit problematic. first, each of the panelist spoke as if they represented their entire country. there was this snobby guy from spain talking about how he hated the ¥100 shop because it's all junk and that spanish people don't like junk. such statements that essentialize millions of people can only lead to negative stereotyping. second, all of the panelists spoke in english. while no one can argue the widespread reach of the english language, it does require a certain type of person to become fluent enough to appear on a television show and speak in a non-native tongue.

it probably would have been better had i caught the beginning of the show, because hopefully they address some of these issues when they introduce all of the panelists. but now that i know when it's on, i'll try to catch the next episode. and since i do think it's pretty cool, i actually just submitted my name and filled out this questionnaire for the show's "open call for participants."

in case you were wondering why i missed the beginning, it's because i was watching this kids' hip-hop dance competition. one group that particularly caught my eye was this group of young eight year old girls. they were wearing these real baggy pants that looked pretty gangsta, and they were good! but then for their finishing move, they formed a horizontal line, turned around, and ALL PULLED DOWN THEIR PANTS. underneath their pants they were wearing these hoochie mama shorts, each with a letter on them, to spell out their team name. THESE GIRLS WERE EIGHT YEARS OLD!! sometimes i really wonder where japanese people cut the line for decency, especially in a country where you can't even rip wrapping paper.

later today, randy and i will be heading down to kyoto for a couple days, and then osaka for about a day. i'll try to take lots of pictures of all the sites and whatever it is we end up doing. we planned this hella last minute, but at least we have confirmed transportation and a place to stay. just as long as we don't end up like this group of dudes i saw at a mcdonald's around 4am...

the university cafeteria experience

2006-11-01T16:55:00.000+09:00

engrish, how i love thee. yesterday i was eating in one of the cafeterias at sophia university when i noticed the bag that the french fries came in. i had to bring it home with me to share.

since i'm sure you can't read it, let me transcribe:

SOUNDS GOOD
Thank you very much for purch using every day.

Feeling smile and satisfaction,always.
Frankly,producing prouducts say What a so tasty! is our mission.
Innouation "taste well"to make you surprise and present for you.
Special thanks for supporting
our product.We stake a word of tasty from a custmer.
Thank you very much for purchusing every day.This item is one of
our proud stuff we made and put a heart and soul for our store.
by all of us.

it's things like this that really wonder if you should laugh...or cry...

on the other hand, the whole college lunch thing over here is pretty cool. despite the fact that it feels like high school with the bells and the fact that everyone eats lunch at the same time, the food is a bargain. usually i get a daily special, which costs a little under $4. for example:

pork curry over rice, yakisoba, chicken karaage, salad, and miso soup. tea is free. bonus points for being cooked and served by old japanese ladies. definitely grub. although i do miss the staple ucla lunch from time to time.

i guess congratulations are in order...

2006-10-29T20:56:00.000+09:00

...for those st louis cardinals for winning major league baseball's 2006 world series. my question for today though is if they really deserve to be called the "world champions." i mean, they are definitely this year's champions in the united states/canada, but that definitely doesn't represent the entire world.

earlier this year, there was the world baseball classic which was won by japan. so shouldn't we still be calling japan the "world champions" until at least 2009 (the next world baseball classic)? then again, on thursday, the nippon ham fighters defeated the chunichi dragons to win the 2006 japan series. so if they are the best team in the country with the best baseball team, then why aren't they the world champions? or, since so taguchi is the only japanese player on the st louis cardinals, does that make him the (gasp) best baseball player in the world!?

by the way, if anyone was actually paying attention to the japan series and shinjo's retirement after winning a championship, i read an article somewhere that called him "the nippon hammiest"....haha!! if you know shinjo, you'll know what i'm talking about.

speaking of international sports and athletes as national icons, randy and i got into some pretty intense debate over national soccer teams. when i visited japan in june, i was here for part of the world cup, and it was CRAZY how much the country supported their squad. for example, the daily newspapers were delayed so that they could include results from the games taking place in germany. i especially remember seeing the huge pictures of the soccer players adorned on the outside of department stores in shibuya. anyways, the point of all this is that no one really cares about soccer as a national sport in the united states, where prodigal athletes are groomed for basketball/football/baseball.

even though american teams might not be "world champions" so to speak, it is almost universally accepted that american sports leagues compete at the highest levels. so randy and i were thinking, if all of america's best athletes grew up playing soccer instead of one of those other big three, we could easily have a monster team that is quicker, stronger, bigger, and capable of complete domination. let me illustrate:

goalkeeper: my ideal goalkeeper is a long athlete with ridiculously quick reflexes, as well as an enormous ego and belief that he can single-handedly carry his entire team.

kobe bryant - this was a no-brainer. all the aforementioned, not to mention mad hops. i can't think of a better clutch performer for those possible shootout situations.
gilbert arenas (reserve) - just the fact that i'm making him a backup will make him try harder to prove me wrong.

sweeper: my sweeper is freak athlete. his intensity and massive size should intimidate opposing players, and his performance will back it up.

shawne merriman - 6'4" 272 pounds and fast. he's still only 22 and will be a permanent fixture and legendary as kobe's personal bodyguard.
ben wallace (reserve) - 6'9" 240 pounds and even scarier with the afro. this was my hardest decision on who to start and who to make a reserve. big ben covers shaq for crying out loud.

fullbacks: i'm a strong believer that the defense is the most important to a team's success. as long as you have a good defense, your offense will have opportunities to score. my defenders are great one-on-one competitors. the entire defensive unit will be led by the center fullback, who can also start a counter-attack.

champ bailey - the best cornerback in the nfl will take on any striker in the world and make sure he doesn't even touch the ball.
chris paul - cp3 might seem small, but that's cuz you're so used to seeing him on the hardwood. 6'0" is good size for a soccer player and he's my top choice as a center fullback to start the break.
ron artest - ronron takes the final starting fullback position. no one will want to mess with him, trust me.
deangelo hall (reserve) - the next champ bailey, could easily work his way into the starting rotation.
chauncey billups (reserve) - i love proven point guards that are good defenders.
gerald wallace (reserve) - he will be up in everything, guaranteed.

wings: my wings need unbelievable speed to get up and down the field.

michael vick - this lefty is unstoppable.
reggie bush - no explanation necessary.
carl crawford (reserve) - another lefty with a lot to prove.
maurice jones-drew (reserve) - this was the hardest position for me to fill. was also thinking earl boykins, but the bruin alum was just irresistable. i'm open for suggestion though.

center midfielders: i'll have one central midfielder to serve as the pitch general, and an attacking midfielder who will take a slightly more offensive position.

lebron james - lebron will be the starting central midfielder. he's bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter than anyone in the world.
ladanian tomlinson - l.t. loves to be involved with everything, and he loves to score too.
derek jeter (reserve) - randy doesn't agree with my choice for lebron's backup, but his veteran presence will be beyond valuable to the team.
larry johnson (reserve) - almost as good as l.t.

strikers: my two strikers will have distinct roles. one will serve as a withdrawn striker with the ability to score or assist a goal at any time. the other will have only one responsibility...to score goals. lots of them.

allen iverson - a.i. is my withdrawn striker. he is the ultimate scoring point guard, as well as the quickest player on the pitch.
terrell owens - he just wants to score and has the rock star personality and trash-talking skills necessary for such a role.
dwyane wade (reserve) - d-wade wil be a.i.'s backup. while it was slightly disturbing that he's not a starter, his clutch performance will definitely be called up, especially since iverson isn't getting any younger.
randy moss (reserve) - some say he's past his prime, but all those tip drills will pay off on cornerkicks.
tracy mcgrady (reserve) - i don't think t-mac would ever be a starter on my team, but his height and ability to score 13 points in 35 seconds must be taken into consideration for the final roster spot.

coaches: this is perhaps the most subjective aspect of the team. comparing a baseball manager with a head coach in basketball is like comparing apples and oranges. but here's my attempt. i guess i'm being kinda generic by going with equal representation.

joe torre - my choice for head coach of team usa is someone that has proven that he can manage multiple personalities while remaining competitive, even with tons of pressure to succeed.
phil jackson (assistant) - all that zen stuff should help keep the team under control.
charlie weis (assistant) - he helped bring glory and optimism back to south bend.
bruce arena (assistant) - i guess it's important to have a coach that knows a thing or two about soccer.

there you have it. if it was up to me, and1 would be the official apparel provider for the team as a way of establishing street credibility. jon miller and joe buck would do the play-by-play. and color commentary will be provided by john madden, charles barkley, and mike krukow. admittedly, these guys wouldn't stand a chance:

sorry for being MIA

2006-10-29T18:47:00.000+09:00

...but i've had a valid excuse!!

my first month of living in japan has been pretty good, with the exception of me picking up a case of colitis that derailed me for an entire week. it was pretty crazy, with my entire family getting sick. i lost track of how many times i puked and even crapped a pair of pants. i discovered that it actually is possible to lose three kilograms (almost seven pounds) in one night, although i wouldn't recommend it to anyone under any circumstance, ever. ever.

however, i can attest to how convenient it is to have national health care (yes, one of those perks i get for being a citizen), as well as how convenient it is to live in a big overcrowded city where the doctor's office is literally around the corner. to illustrate, it's closer for me to get to his office than it was for me to get to the mailbox at my house in mountain view.

anyways, at least i survived to tell the story. lots of other things have been going on, from parties to tv shows to even getting a job. i'll try to get around to posting pictures and interesting news over the next couple days. hope everyone back home is healthy!!

ethnic grubbage

2006-10-09T22:24:00.000+09:00

as a graduate of the only college of ethnic studies in the world, i think i have a certain amount of clout when i stress the importance of embracing ethnic traditions in all aspects of life. perhaps the one single aspect that everyone can relate to--since everyone does it--is eating.

if you know me at all, you know how much i appreciate a good meal, regardless of what style cuisine. versailles, pho tau bay, you's dim sum, nak won, mona lisa, la victoria's...my personal list of ethnic grub goes on and on. but the one constant about all of those restaurants is the fact that their menus remain bounded by the laws of the land.

i've definitely had some surprising meals here in japan. turtle soup (suppon), live sweetfish (ayu), raw horse (basashi), and recently, seared--as in raw in the middle--chicken (sasami tataki). but my meal last night really took a whopper of a turn.

first of all, we were cooking the meal at the table, so there was this humongous gob of raw meat right in front of my face. i was slightly shocked that this meat was lamb...not exactly one of my personal favorites. suffice to say, i ended up using a lot of sauce and even more spice, and went through plenty of rice to work my way through the distinct lamb taste.

another dish that i used to mask the lamb was this bacon that my uncle offered. i thought it was some funny shaped bacon, but it tasted alright, especially when mixed with soy sauce and mustard. i wish i had an actual picture of it, but here's one i found on the internet that illustrates what it looks like:

now it's important to note that by my aunt's and uncle's standards, i eat at the pace of takeru kobayashi. so i made my way thru my share of lamb meat and more than my share of bacon long before the two of them finished their meals. near the end of the meal, my uncle offered my aunt the last couple pieces of bacon, which is when i realized that she hadn't even touched the dish. i asked why, and she said it has always made her kinda queasy since she was in elementary school. i know it's not that healthy and all, but honestly, who doesn't like bacon!?

then my uncle turns to me and says, "oh, did you know this is whale bacon?"

at that instant, my stomach was definitely ready to free willy. so much for embracing culture.

lazy day...

2006-10-06T17:32:00.000+09:00

i woke up around 7am this morning, it was raining hard, so i went back to sleep. woke up again at 8, still raining. woke up again at 9, and it was pouring, so i decided to just get up. it's about 1730 now and still raining. was gonna go out tonight, but this typhoon just makes for a lazy day inside.

got some translation work done, took care of some school business, and watched the latest densha otoko special! computer geeks unite, there is hope for us losers. but regardless of how geeky all that tech stuff is, it sure can help make the world a much smaller place. here are a few examples:

1) cell phones. i have no idea how previous generations were able to have any type of social life without cell phones. seriously, it's ridiculous how much we take them for granted nowadays. and here in japan, the cell phones are on steroids. my mitsubishi d902is slider for docomo has a 4.0 megapixel camera with flash on the back. and what's better than one of those, is putting another camera on the front! it also has an english/japanese dictionary, music player, full high-speed web access, etc. if you ever feel like droppin a line, please send a message to initial_dean[at]docomo.ne.jp (but use the real @ sign) i feel all cool when i get emails on my cell phone.

2) voip. i officially endorse skype as the coolest voice over ip solution. my mom was telling me how she would pay $20 for a couple minutes of trans-pacific talk time back in the day, and now it's virtually free! couple skype (and skypein) with a bluetooth headset hooked up to my powerbook, and it's like i'm still the hermit hiding in my room in mountain view.

3) slingbox. this is pure genius. i hooked it up to my dsl at home before i left, and now i can watch mountain view's comcast cable here in tokyo--with no monthly fees--via "placeshifting." the things i do for american sports...

i have no idea how i could survive out here without the internet. but just to show how cool japan is, as well as prove that i've actually been doing stuff, check out these new glasses i got! there's this chain out here called zoff--think of it as lenscrafters meets ross. all of their glasses are marked with a colored sticker, representing three different prices: ¥5000, ¥7000, or ¥9000. i picked up a pair of the cheapest variety, gave them my prescription, and they had new spectacles for me in 45 minutes! with tax and the current conversion rate, that comes out to $44.49 for prescription glasses! what do you think?

herro flom japan!

2006-10-04T22:06:00.000+09:00

i made it. i'm actually living in japan. well, i haven't even been here a full week yet so i guess it still feels vacation-ish. we'll see how i feel after a month. so besides not updating this blog like i said i would, what else have i been doing out here?

i officially registered as a resident of taito-ku (the ward in tokyo that i'm living in). this means that i am covered under japan's national health insurance, and it also means i can vote! i really need to start paying attention to the politics here.
i got the cell phone i've been drooling over for the past three months. it does everything short of wiping my behind. i have no idea what kind of plan i signed up for, so we'll find out how much it all costs when the bill comes.
i am officially a graduate student at sophia university (just got my spiffy student ID card). school has gotten off to a terrible start. due to my status as a kamokuto rishuusei (non-matriculated student), i basically have no idea what is going on, so not only did my class get moved, but the meeting date got changed as well. so i missed my first day of class. and then i couldn't buy my books because they only take cash. and the lunch room (although it is cheap and has good food) is ridiculously crowded, since the entire school has the same lunch break. couple that with the bell schedule, and it's just like we're back in high school. at least there are a lot of girls. OH! speaking of sophia girls, i saw crystal kay on campus yesterday!
been hanging out with randy, which has made my life so much less stressful. it's great to have someone around, not just in my city, but at my school, to make everything a bit more familiar. we've already had a couple crazy nights, and we're just getting started. speaking of friends, it seems that there will be a reunion of sorts this saturday. randy, mike morita, lauren nakasato, et al shall be good fun.
i saw a playstation3 in action. as absurd as i think it is for sony to charge $700 for a videogame system, i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw the graphics that thing was shooting out onto a 42" 1080p hdtv. better than real life, i'm not even kidding.
aside from transitioning to a new city, i'm transitioning to this new type of family life. since i grew up as an only child and even only grandchild, relatives for me have been few and far between. now that i'm here, i'm with my grandma, aunt, uncle, cousin, and her baby. lots of new responsibilities, but i'm embracing them.
i got a job doing some translation work for my cousin's husband's company. check out his webpage, he's beyond dope.
i'm still looking for other job opportunities, esp since i will only be doing a couple hours for central-west. i know i should use my college degrees for something grand, but what i really wouldn't mind doing is something brainless, at least for a few months. i talked to this dude last night that said i could easily get a job as a bartender at gas panic in roppongi. maybe i could use that as a starting point for some kind of dj gig.

i guess that's about it for now. i have a lot of stuff lined up to blog about; hopefully it'll be worth an occasional read. i apologize for all the grammar mistakes in the previous entry...i was writing that without any sleep. i also apologize for making this post so blah. i'll have pictures and videos up soon. and in case my personal life bores you, i'm trying to make some kind of regular schedule to write about too. for example, one of my goals is to visit a museum as well as a new restaurant every week. i'll also include some news from out here, event reviews, and whatever else comes to mind. stay tuned :-P

it begins...

2006-09-27T23:23:00.000+09:00

so it's about 730am, the day i move to japan. i already reset my laptop clock so that it reads 1130pm japan time. actually, i did a lot last night. even despite how little sleep i've gotten over the past two weeks slaving away on my thesis, i couldn't even sleep a wink. all my stuff was already packed since the weekend. i dunno how to explain it, but i think sometime around 2 and 3 am, when i would normally go to sleep, everything just hit me.

yes, i really am moving to japan.

i've said a million times that this has always been a dream of mine. and i've done the moving away thing before, but this is different. maybe these are the anxieties people feel before they go off to college for the first time.

the past two years that i have been home have been a whirlwind. it's been so hard to balance the social life i had during my time on my own in los angeles, to being back with my parents. then throw in having to figure out a whole new social scene while trying to maintain old connections. car accidents and illnesses. oh and those drama-filled relationships.

my past two years living at home and going to grad school have been a huge growing stage for me personally. for once, nothing worked. failure, inability, and just plain bad luck really gave me a new perspective not just on the world, but also on myself. yes, the world is far from perfect. and yes, i'm really not as i brilliant, handsome, and funny as i like to think i am.

i'm not saying just yet that i think i'm going to fail in japan. in fact, i don't even really have any plans or expectations, so since there isn't anything to fulfill, i'm not worrying too much.

but what i am worrying about is failing at the things that i know i shouldn't. my decision to move to the other side of the world doesn't just affect me. it affects my family, my friends, and other people that i really don't want to let down. i worry about everything i'm going to miss: birthdays, weddings, maybe even funerals. and that gets depressing.

but, that's my personal challenge. i can say now that i won't be with so many of you in person over these next few months or even years. but i'm going to try my best to be with all of you in spirit. i'm so thankful for everyone who has helped me become the person i am today, and i just hope i can be there for you all in whatever way i can.

come to think of it, i just made a plan that i need to work on, so let's make sure that i don't fail this time. so keep me updated, or else expect to hear from me. man, where we we be without the internet....

alright, it's official

2006-09-15T18:42:00.000+09:00

i just booked my flight to tokyo for wednesday, september 27th. less than two weeks to go. after having such a desire to move out there as soon as possible, finally the fears are beginning to manifest themselves. for example:

1. what if my application to audit classes gets denied?
2. how am i supposed to make any friends?
3. can i find any circles to participate in? band? hip-hop dance? snowboarding?
4. what if i have problems with my citizenship?
5. will my speaking/reading/writing improve at all?
6. what are the chances that i can find some kind of job?
7. will i involve myself with japanese politics, or just be an onlooker?

over the past couple weeks, i've been spending a lot of time hanging out with those i don't get to see much. i've realized how amazing it has been to reestablish these friendships, but now that i have, it's time for me to disappear for awhile. a long while. will i be missing out on local opportunities? is this really the right decision? and how long am i even going to be gone?

the irony is that none of these questions have any answers. well, at least not yet. the non-refundable one-way ticket has been paid for, and i have no remaining choice but to throw away these doubts and embrace the unknown. wish me luck!

here are some pictures from the awesome going-away party my parents threw for me. tentatively, i'm planning on coming back late-march/early-april to eat mexican food. uhh i mean for the association of asian american studies annual conference. hopefully i can see everyone again then!!

my worst nightmare becoming a reality...

2006-08-23T12:17:00.000+09:00

it's been nearly three months and this blog is off to a horrible start. actually, i did dedicate it to my experiences in japan, so since i'm not there yet, i guess it's still to early to judge.

just a couple very important updates on this whole japan thing anyways. i believe i'll be going there around september 15th. i would go earlier, but i'm STILL finishing the thesis. i hate myself so much right now for being such a slacker. oh well, i deserve it.

if you read my previous post, i discussed how my whole relationship with yuka really put this idea in motion. sadly, the relationship has come to a grinding halt. we definitely had our unforgettable moments, but more importantly, we've had more than our fair share of forgettable moments. i know i'm just too much of a dreamer. the reality here is that i'm moving into a completely new environment without the crutch that i was counting on. right now, all i can hope is that this will only force me to work harder and grow on my own.

nevertheless, i'm still completely stoked about the move. it's awesome to know that a few of my good friends will be fairly nearby. aside from actually finishing up graduate school, i've been occupying (probably too much) of my time thinking about all the cool gadgets i should be getting.

1) docomo d902is

this phone is WAY too cool and i NEED it (in platinum). 2.8inch screen!!

2) belkin f1pp000gn-sk

i can holla at all you americans for cheap!! and you can reach me by dialing an american number, thanks to skypein!!

3) still debating on this one, but i've heard so many good things about the slingbox.

how else can i watch the giants and warriors from tokyo???

FAQs

2006-05-25T15:55:00.000+09:00

ok, so a week has passed and i’ve contributed nothing to this blog. patience, my friends, I’M STILL IN CALIFORNIA. actually, i’m not planning on moving to japan until the beginning of september. until then, i’ll be updating with my plans, my expectations, my hopes and dreams, what i want to accomplish, etc. anyways, time for the highly anticipated FAQs:

so dean, why are you going to japan?
it just seems that this is exactly what i need to be doing at this time in my life. it definitely works as a temporary fix to quell all those questions i’ve been pestered with throughout the past few years. i definitely wasn’t ready for the “real world” after ucla, and grad school offered me a direction in life. i’ve decided that my career will be in academia, hopefully educating tomorrow’s asian american leaders. in order to become a university professor, i need a phd…but first i need a break from the seemingly endless cycle of reading and writing.

so i will dedicate this next year to mental recovery and rejuvenation. but that’s not to say that spending a year abroad won’t be educational. i’m pretty sure that gaining an international perspective and taking myself out of my comfort zone will only prepare me for what lies ahead. in fact, spending a year in japan has always been a personal dream of mine. going into college, i made sure that all of the schools that i applied to had study abroad programs that i could participate in. but seeing that i’m now done with college (for the second time, actually), i need to do the damn thing before i get old and miss this last chance.

aside from my own selfish desires, this whole japan plan has been approved by my parents. although i’m not really starting a career as my dad had hoped (grad school in preparation for a career in academia doesn’t qualify according to his twisted logic), i will be moving out of the house, but more importantly, completely off of his payroll. as for my mother, she has always supported this idea of mine, with the main reason because it will give me the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with her mother and the rest of my family in tokyo. since i have lived in california my entire life, i have relatives there, but it’s tough to really call them “family.”

now be honest, are you moving there for a girl?
ok, you got me. here’s the truth: this japan thing has been in the back of my mind for years. but as my relationship with yuka developed, i began to realize that this dream really could become a reality. previous relationships and other commitments have always held me back from following my crazy dreams, but now i’m in a relationship that’s actually calling me out there. i need to take advantage of this situation while i can.

i really don’t want to make any assumptions right now as to what the future has in store for yuka and i. maybe it’ll work out, maybe it won’t, but either way, i know i will always be grateful to her for encouraging me to finally do this. if i’m sure about one thing, it’s that i will not regret this opportunity to get to know my grandmother better, to work on my nihongo, and to live out my dream.

fair enough. where in japan are you going to be, and how long are you planning on staying?
asakusa, tokyo. i will be living at my aunt and uncle’s house (i’ll even get my own room and bathroom!), which happens to be next door to my grandma’s house. so basically i will be getting free room and board, which is exactly what my dad disagrees with, but too bad for him. i know it’s an american ideal for children to grow up and buy their own houses to start their own families, but it’s not necessarily like that in japan, where it’s common for multiple generations to live under one roof.

growing up as an only child and even an only grandchild, i guess i’ve always longed to be part of a larger family. for once, i will have a chance to get closer to my only two cousins, and hopefully i can help them out with their kids too! i’m sure people with huge families may not always enjoy a lot of the responsibilities associated with relatives, but for someone like myself with very few familial obligations to fulfill, it will be a new experience and hopefully one that will make me a better person.

as for my intended stay, my return is tentatively slated for june 2007. if all goes as planned, i will be making a trip to new york city for the association of asian american studies annual conference during the first week of april.

what exactly will you be doing in tokyo?
well, i am applying to audit one course on transnationalism from the graduate division of global studies at sophia university during the fall semester. hopefully that will keep my brain moving, as well as provide me with a paper to submit at the aforementioned aaas conference. specifically, i want to do a brief study on japanese americans living in tokyo, and the importance of homeland in their own identies.

i also want/need to find a job. i’m hoping that a master’s degree, a ucla education, and a complete grasp of the english language will be good for something. a dream job would be as a writer for the japan times or the daily yomiuri, but something more realistic would be as an english tutor, be it private or at a university. in case you were wondering, i have japanese citizenship and thus do not have to go through the hassle of trying to obtain a work visa.

and come on, i’m twenty-three years old and will have a girlfriend living nearby, so there’s a lot of fun that i’m planning on having as well. i will continue to test my theory that there is no such thing as a bad restaurant in japan. i will come back with a definite answer as to my favorite sake and shochu. i will go snowboarding. i will party in hip-hop clubs until six in the morning. i will take lots of pictures in random karaoke booths.

let’s see, what else. hopefully i can do a lot of recreational reading and writing. i still have a pile of books that i want to get through, and i really want to provide a progressive, social commentary on my stay in japan. as a half-yonsei/half-shin nisei asian americanist, i want to take advantage of my unique positionality by providing this blog as an educational tool for other japanese americans trying to connect to the homeland. maybe it’ll just turn out to be dean’s boring rants, but who knows, i really envision this as my grand contribution to my community, because i’m sure you’re out there.

can i come and visit?
yes, i would love to see you in tokyo! my aunt is super accommodating, and as long as you don’t mind crashing on the floor of my room, you’re more than welcome. hotels there cost hella much, so this may be your one and only affordable chance to visit what i think is the most interesting city in the world. depending on my class/work schedule, you might be on your own during the day, but believe me, you will never run out of things to do, even if you don’t speak japanese. just out of respect though, don’t ask me if you can bring along six friends and stay for a month, k?

what will you be doing in california until september?
actually, i’m going to japan next tuesday for a couple weeks. i have to take my dad around tokyo so my mom can spend time with my grandmother without him bothering her (he speaks ZERO japanese). gonna try and spend a lot of time with yuka, and also kick it with a bunch of my ucla friends that are living out there right now. i’ll be back stateside on june 13th, then i have until august 12th to finish up my master’s thesis. wish me luck!

and don't worry, i will be having a going away party, so stay tuned ;-)

bending machine?

2006-05-18T03:04:00.000+09:00

before i get the wheels spinning on this blog, a brief explanation on the title. as a huge engrish fan, here's an original to share with the public (photo by yuka):