Brief Note: My Empire Expands

My good friend Devin bought a shirt. Doesn't it look great? You should get one too.

Anecdote: Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas guys, and happy holidays and all that. This picture was taken and put up together by my workmate.
Anecdotally, I was Santa Claus for the Christmas party we hosted for the babies. When I walked out the door, they started screaming and crying hysterically, because I looked like some kind of big red monster to them with my beard. Parents, on the other hand, were laughing out loud at the world's smallest Santa Claus. It was either gonna be me or a woman, so you play with the hand you're dealt, right?

Hoot Hoot!

That's one handsome bird.

No, it's not stuffed. That's an honest-to-god owl perched on my shoulder. It's real, quite lively, and will kindly nibble at your finger if you try to touch his chest.
 "But Sean!" says you. "That's a wild animal! It'll claw your eyes out!" Well, in normal circumstances, yes. But you see, this is an Owl Cafe! It's an interesting concept. Come in, have a drink, and play with a bunch of owls of varying sizes. They're sprouting up all around Japan, and Tokyo got its own not so long ago. This particular one is located in Tsukishima. That's rather convenient for me. I walk there quite easily.
 A fair warning! It's not all that easy to get in. The place has enough space for 10 people standing. You can't reserve by phone, so you have to actually get to the place, reserve, and then come back later in the day at the appointed time. It's not likely you'll manage to walk in. At least not during a weekend.

But that aside, once you do get it, it's quite a treat! There are a dozen different owls of varying sizes and species. Once everyone is seated and has ordered a drink (which is a requirement), the rules are spoken, and they're pretty reasonable. Treat the animals kindly. Don't cause panic. Ask if you want to hold an owl. And, most especially, don't let the big guys next to the small guys. Big owls eat smaller birds. That'd suck.
 Actually, all the owls in the owl cafe are actually for sale! They'll all cost you a fortune though, with the biggest ones a whopping 500,000¥. That's around 5800$ or so.
 Handling the owls made me think they're quite nice for pets, though! They're quiet, they don't smell, and they're pretty bad-ass to top it all off. The owls in the cafe are all docile and thoroughly domesticated, so they're very easy to handle and don't tend to shy away from being touched, held, or perched on your body.
Do I recommend a visit? Hell yes I do. Set aside the initial hassle of getting in, the place will only run you down a mere 800¥ or so, and that nets you a whole hour. You really can't go wrong.

47 Ronin - Some Skepticism Please

The other Ronin, not so important!

Ken's about to leave for Fukuoka this year as he does annually. I got to meet up with him before his departure, and we hit the movies and watched 47 Ronin. Heard of it? It's one of (if not the first?) Hollywood movie to ever get released in Japan's theaters before America's - they usually take several months before making it to this side. But there's a reason for that, you see. If you couldn't guess by the movie title, the movie takes place in Japan! It's based on the famous Japanese story of the 47 master-less samurai who got revenge for their slain lord. You can read about the famous parade celebrating the happening here, but, the story goes,

 "A feudal lord was forced by law to commit suicide after assaulting a court official, leaving his loyal samurai masterless. After a 2 year plot, the samurai in turn avenged their master by slaying the court official and committing suicide themselves. It's a story that's referenced for its connotations of loyalty and determination in the face of duty."

The movie version stars Keanu Reeves alongside a bunch of actual Japanese actors, and that's neat. And I just want to make it clear that I didn't hate the movie. It's entertaining. I took it for what it is - it's a popcorn flick, and I guess you judge those by different standards than you would a movie that earns itself the right to be taken more seriously.
 I don't want to talk about plot (at least, not in detail) or how the actors did or what the movie looks like, but rather...how odd it must be for a Japanese person to look at the movie, think about the well-known actual story, and ponder the differences and similarities.
 In 47 Ronin, Japan is portrayed as a place of magic and fantasy and dragons! And that's alright, right? Medieval Europe is often portrayed the same way. But consider this - the actual story of the 47 Ronin happened in the 18th century. That's...not such a long time ago, folks. George Washington was president of the United States during the 18th century. Whoops!

Legit as fuck.

 The American movie being released in Japan first is a strange way of directing the attention of Japanese viewers to it, in a naive way. It's as if Hollywood was saying, look! Look, Japan! This is what Americans think feudal Japan was like! Or so I felt. Do you get what I mean to say?
 What if Japanese cinema made a movie about the aforementioned George Washington example, and the premise went like this:

"The American Revolutionary War nears its end...but in the face of the Yetis and Bear-Riding British warriors, the revolutionaries head towards bitter defeat. Little is it known, though, that the Great Warlord George Washington, raised by the great bald eagles, has a plan to turn this war on its heels. Armed with his two laser guns, named Freedom and Eagle, George sets forth to battle the British and reclaim peace for his people."

Also, the movie would be in Japanese.

"Father, why are we speaking in English?"

 No, think about it! They just pulled that shit off! What kind of reaction did they expect?
 Ken left the theater really confused, and I can't say my brain drank it all down so easily either. It's not like the movie was bad, it was just, well, queer. But hey! Feel free to check it out and tell me about your own reaction!

The Hotel

Sometimes you don't have to go too far to find exactly what you're looking for. It was a while ago that Ken and I walked by a closed-down capsule hotel on the way to my place, wondering if there was a way in. We tried at it briefly, but to no avail. It was only recently that I decided to try at it again, and had a little more luck.
 Dead of night on a Sunday, I headed there determined to find the one way to lead me in. I headed up the exterior staircase, and from there, climbed onto the roof. Another set of stairs connected to the actual topmost floor, and from there, shimmying through narrow spaces, I managed to find the emergency ladders. Down one floor, and I was looking at another door, with a vent over it.

 I called Lo over, and with a little work, we were in the abandoned capsule hotel. Dario joined us too, and it was time for a little bit of exploration.
And frankly, we found everything in such good condition it was a little scary. Mattresses were laid out in every capsule, in good condition. Televisions were strewn about, a vacuum cleaner and air conditioning unit were still in the building, and the hair styling products sat neatly were they were left. It was as if the place was still in use, if not for the thin layer of dust and the sheer emptiness and silence of the space around us.
I had never even been to a normal, running capsule hotel, so I had myself a bit of a field day with the five floors laid out before me. Exploration time was imminent, and we swept from area to area, looking through every very nook in the place.
 And yet, the building had no interior stairs! How was one to get around?
 But with an elevator of course!

And yes, it turned out the elevator was still running. We were surprised to see it answer to our call as we pressed the button from the fourth floor, doors opening with lights and everything, spilling its glow into the otherwise dark building. Every floor was open to us, and we roamed for the better part of an hour flowing from the capsule floors, into the reception hall, through to the dining area, the office, the employees' lounge area and even the breaker rooms, but the best was yet to come, and we saved that for the very last.

As it turned out, the hotel also had a bath area on the topmost floor, complete with its very own sauna room. It was a bit of an eerie feeling, walking into a place usually so well lit and finding it disused and dry, sitting in the dark. I wondered out loud why there was only one bath area as opposed to two catering to each gender, but capsule hotels are very much facilities used only by men on domestic business trips, and so you'd be hard pressed to find anything servicing women. Come to think of it, there was even only one bathroom per floor.

All in all, the hotel was a good discovery! As it turns out, Tokyo has more abandoned facilities than meets the eye. One has only to look, though.

Interesting Tidbits: Gaijin Eat Gaijin

Most of my friends in Japan are Gaijin - that is to say, foreigners. I have a handful who aren't, but they're a minority. Moreover, they're almost all fluent English speakers who have been raised atypically from Japanese norm. I've met my foreigner friends through others, or through work, but never simply by approaching one and trying to establish a friendship. The prospect of that isn't very interesting to me at all.
That's because I'm a Gaijin-Eating Gaijin. And I'm one of many. It's a little bit of a phenomenon, let me explain to you how it works.

From the Yamanote Line Walk!

You see, like many other Gaijin, I've come to Japan to get a whiff of something new, different from what my life had been like until then. And so far, so good, I'm still loving it here. Culture, food, and sights, everything really, but people especially. The Japanese as a lot are a hard-working people with high standards - so much so that service when it comes to just about anything is incomparable with what you get elsewhere. If you're a paying customer, you're just about God.
 You could say the same about daily life, really. People are respectful enough that you don't ever have a bad day just because some random person decided to be a dick to you. As crowded as downtown Shinjuku is, for instance, you won't get shoved by someone in a hurry.
 But you see, Gaijin have a different set of standards than the Japanese common-folk do, I'm afraid, when it comes to manners and littering for one, but, gasp, I'm gonna say it, a more likely tendency towards crime in general. Was that racist? I'm a Gaijin too. Canadian, by nationality, I'll remind you.
 I tend to avoid Roppongi like I would a pool full of AIDS. I used to go clubbing in Tokyo quite frequently, and, if you like a fun night out I'd recommend it to you too, but all my favorite clubs were outside of Roppongi - Shibuya, Ebisu, and Ageha in Shin-Kiba. Why? Because Roppongi is foreigner turf, man. Everything I liked about clubbing in Tokyo doesn't apply to clubs in Roppongi - they're just worlds trashier. You're more likely to get shoved and cussed out or something, and frankly, if I wanted that, I would've just stayed and clubbed in Montreal. And it's not the Japanese people doing the shoving either.
 Well maybe that's petty, you say. But even that aside, the American Embassy issues warnings about Roppongi. People don't get robbed or killed or assaulted in Tokyo - but when they do it's usually in Roppongi! Who'd have guessed! Me. And it's unsurprising.
 But you know, it has a lot to do with rivalry too. In a room full of Japanese and one other foreigner, I'm always eyeing that guy, seeing if he's up to no good. Maybe he's doing the same. Usually it ends up he's just a pretty normal dude.
 And I'm staunch when it comes to defending this country against Japan-bashers. I'm usually the first one to wonder out loud why the person doesn't just go home when they finish complaining about the country (and once they leave the table.)
 The bottom-line is, I like Japan to be its own thing. I like my coworkers and my friends too, but Japanese society as a whole is a beautiful thing that works well on its own. Yeah, there are flaws, too. I can write articles about the things that don't work as well, but I like Japan better when people aren't turning it into something else. When in Rome, right?

Visa Renewal

It's been a pain in the ass. You wouldn't think it, but renewing a visa is almost as bad as getting one in the first place. Five trips to the hell that is the Tokyo Immigration Bureau it took, and four times did they send me back home. I was wrong to think renewing a long-term visa that was given to me because I had Japanese blood relatives would be easy. Why wouldn't it be? I still had the blood right?
 This time it took:
 -  A document certifying I still worked where I claimed to work.
 - A document showing how much tax I owed to the government.
 - A document certifying I paid said taxes.
 - A document proving I live where I claim to live.
 - A signed document from a guarantor (should I murder someone and flee the country.)
 If you want to know what it took the first time around, you can look here. That's a lot of running around and getting signatures and sheets from the city hall. And once I did round the documents up, they said to me "wait three weeks."
 I waited 7. My visa had expired one month already. After two, you're illegible to get deported. Fun. "Present yourself to the appropriate department should one month go by after the expiration of your visa." So I went.
 And they just gave it to me! To think I was expecting wave upon wave of more bullshit. This next visa doesn't expire until December 2016. I'm good for another three years, Japan. You're not rid of me yet.

Here's to a few more years of adventure!

Silly Inventions 4 - Live Urine Analysis

#4: Live Urine Analysis

Live as in, on the spot. Instant. Walking into the bathroom of an arcade in Osaka, I was caught completely off-guard by this.
It's simple, really. You pee on the target pad and the machine supposedly reads your urine (whether you like it to or not) and tells you something about yourself, on top of quantifying the amount of urine you expelled.
 Mine said I was mostly LOVE and CUTE (as opposed to STINKY and PERVERTED among others.) A lady then appeared in the bottom left, saying "You're totally an Akiba-type." Yeah, it's nonsense to me as much as it is to you, but it sure as hell makes me want to try again.
Of course, I must've looked like a hell of a tourist taking pictures of the screen atop the urinal, but, what the hell.

The Deer of Nara

I've been sitting on the most amazing thing about Nara. If you've been to Japan and subsequently Nara, or if you're Japanese, you know right away what I'm talking about.
 One has only to stroll into Nara Park for an amazing encounter with the deer of Nara.

 Protected by law, the deer of Nara Park number around 1200 and are beloved by tourists and the local populace alike. Their presence can be attributed to the fact that they figure very prominently in the Shinto religion that was once the head religion in Japan. It used to be punishable by death to kill one of the deer, but that hasn't happened in many centuries.
These deer are tame. And by that, I mean they don't give a shit about anything, really. Get close, pet them, chase them around, see if that phases them in one bit. It generally doesn't.
As a matter of fact, you see them approaching people more often, eager to get their hands on anything they can eat. The deer are notorious for lifting skirts and eating paper - yes, that includes your guidebooks and maps. You better watch out!

Alright, ready? Here's the kicker:

Damn right, the deer will even bow to you if you tip your head to them first. It's a fact most foreigners I've met were totally clueless about, but with you as my witness, it works. They've learned a handful of nifty tricks to get their hands (hooves?) on the deer crackers that are sold around the park for 150¥ for a set of 10.
I'll leave you guys with a quick video I shot of the park.

The Wonderful Things About Nara

Only a 40 minute train ride away from Osaka is an elegant town named Nara. Compared to its bigger neighbor, Nara's beautiful in its own right. It's a little more suburban, a little more ancient, a little more refined. It has a large host of temples and shrines, an old styled town with merchandise filled streets, beautiful parks. And some of those set Nara aside more than others.
Take, for example, the enormous Todaiji temple. Its gate alone towers over almost any other in Japan, but it's the main hall that steals the prize for being the biggest wooden building - in the world. At the time it was built, Nara was the country's capital, and the temple was the flagship of all Japan's Buddhist temples. The current building is a reconstruction - the original was even bigger, a fact that's a little hard to digest when you're standing in front of its massive halls.

Fitting, then, that it houses one of Japan's largest statues of Buddha, a towering behemoth sitting on an elevated platform. The size of its hand alone is practically the same as that of a man standing. 14 meters tall, the sitting image of Vairocana Buddha is slightly bigger than its counterpart in Kamakura, which I've also visited several times already. Its entourage is almost equally as impressive, as it has two Bodhisattva sitting at its side. One of the pillars in the temple has a hole in it the size of its nostril, and kids  go through it. It's apparently good luck.

Outside of the Todaiji, the town of Nara itself has a number of other beautiful sights that the shortness of my trip didn't allow me to visit in detail.
Worthy of notice is the Kokufuji temple and its 5-story pagoda, Japan's second biggest after the one in Kyoto (which I've also been to!) It's easy to catch sight of, given its proximity to one of the main streets. The temple's main golden hall is currently in reconstruction until 2018, and you bet your ass that it's going to be worth seeing at that point, if food shortage hasn't destroyed humanity by then.
 As a matter of fact, the whole area around Nara Park (which deserves an article of its own and will be getting one quite soon) is gorgeous and full of amazing sights. By gaining a little elevation, one can easily spot the rolling hills beyond the city, twice as nice in the autumn colors I had the chance to see them in.

Sarusawa Pond and its turtles

And of course, its only a few hundred meters from there to the lively city center. Sarusawa pond has a bunch of turtles and minnows in it, and its presence is quite soothing. You can buy turtle food at nearby trinket shops to try to feed them, but I'd imagine feeding a turtle is a lot like watching dust settle in your belly button.
The shopping streets are filled with Nara-themed things, and it appears that their college basketball team is called Bambitious (Bambi+ambitious) which is the single worst portmanteau in the existence of mankind, but not inappropriate. You'll know why soon. I'm not done with Nara.

Osaka Bang

One of the most interesting things I had heard about Osaka and its people was the Osaka Bang myth. The thesis is simple: Osaka people are so fun-loving and easy going, that no matter who you approach and no matter what the situation you approach them in, if you make a gun with your fingers and point and them and yell "bang!" they will pretend to get shot. The myth was made famous and gained attention worldwide with this video:

But of course, I had to test this for myself. Would it work? Drumroll!

Oh, shit!
Well the video didn't tell me how embarrassing it is when the guy just looks back at you blankly. Someone find me a rock to hide under, quick.
 Alas, this proves that, no, not everyone will play along. But there is yet a silver lining behind this fart cloud that has been cast over my dreams!
 Unfortunately I didn't catch it on camera, but when I attempted it on one of the waiters in a kushikatsu restaurant, he flew back so splendidly that he bumped into another waitress and had to explain to her that he did it because I shot him! Osaka Bang fares a little better against the young crowd. If I'm ever there again I'll have to try some more. For science, you know.

Osaka in a Heartbeat

Ta-dah! I just got back from a 2-day trip to Kansai - the western region of Japan. And a great 2 days it's been, filled with experiences and things I've wanted to see and do for a long time now. The flight was cheap and my schedule was willing, so why the hell not. You only live once.
 My first stop in Kansai was the heart of it. The third biggest city in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama, Osaka is vibrant and lively and has a totally different vibe than what you get here out east. With the limited time I had, every hour counted, so I went right smack for the most exciting part of the city: Dotonbori.

Located in Osaka's central Namba area, Dotonbori is district that's explosive with energy and colors. Dragons and cows and crabs burst out of buildings here, each one trying to lure you into a restaurant or a shop or another. It's no wonder the place is such a famous tourist destinations in Osaka. And somehow, amidst all the chaos and colors, Dotonbori manages to have its own identity. It's campy but flashy and somehow alluring - the district kind of represents everything I know about Osaka and its people. On top of that, it's a great destination for both shopping and eating.

Takoyaki, Kushikatsu, Okonomiyaki

Eating, which I got to do quite a bit of. Osaka's food culture is a little different from that of Tokyo's, and therefore has its own local specialties. Many regard Osaka's takoyaki, the octopus-filled batter balls, as being the authentic one, as it was pretty much invented there. They're more tender than their Tokyo counterpart, and ten times as easy to find in a street corner.
Kushikatsu is also a famous local dish, consisting of deep-fried vegetables or meat on a skewer. It's tasty, but I wouldn't overdo it. Since the sauce is served in a communal pan (at least in the restaurant I went to), double-dipping is a serious offense.
And last, there's also okonomiyaki, which is kind of regarded as Osaka's soul food, and is pretty much a mix of vegetables or cheese or meats or a mix of those thrown into batter and made into a giant pancake. I find it to be pretty heavy.

Of course, the adventure wouldn't have been complete without some run-in with the locals. Osaka people are known to be much more passionate and fiery than their mild-mannered Tokyo counterparts. A man I met at the small okonomiyaki restaurant I went to promptly engaged in conversation with me.
"Where are you from," he asked.
"I'm originally from Canada," I said.
"I got a girl pregnant in Vancouver once," he began, and told me all about it. I lost most of the conversation to his thick local accent.

Despite the short time I spent in Osaka, it was a great experience and I'm so glad I got to do it. It's difficult to cram all the things I saw and did into one short blog post, but I've got to move on - Osaka wasn't my only stop in Kansai, and I've got lots more to share. Keep an eye on the blog! I'll be posting frequently in the next few days!

Interesting Tidbit: Convenience Stores

Over a month ago I made a list of things I loved about Japan. Right on top of that list, the first thing I could think of, were Japanese convenience stores - or combini as they're called here. No, seriously. You just don't understand how freaking awesome they are.

7/11. Lawson. Family Mart. Sunkus. Circle K.
Some of these you recognize as existing in other countries, but in Japan, they've long since claimed their own independence by buying themselves free from their foreign owners. They're the first thing I'll miss if I ever leave Japan for a long period of time. Hell, I miss them when I leave Japan for a short amount of time. Shit, I walk into a convenience store at least once a day. Wanna know why?

1. To Get Some Cash
Combinis have ATMs, and I can't be assed to look for a bank every time I need to make a withdrawal.

2. To Get Some Food
 Unlike their American counterparts, convenience store food in Japan is actually pretty good, packed in cheap priced lunch sets that are fresh of the day. Of course, they also sell snacks in abundance. I probably eat something or another from a convenience store once a day.

3. To Take a Dump
Combinis have public bathrooms. In a pickle? Walk in, do your thing, walk out. No one's gonna look at you weird, you don't need to buy anything, you don't need a key or some retarded thing like that.

4. To Read Comics
Well I don't really get a chance to do this because I'm still illiterate. But lots of people just go straight for the magazine rack and spend their dead time reading the comic books. There's also, always, without fail, a section dedicated to porn.

5. To Pay My Bills
Combinis also offer a service where you can just walk in with your bills (electric, gas, water, etc) and just pay them off right there, with cash money. I personally find it to be the easiest way to pay mine.

Now that's what I call convenient.

Vampires, From Fad to Food

In nearby Ginza district is a themed restaurant named "Vampire." Given the proximity to my place, I sure have taken my sweet time to try it out, but better late than never, right?
 As I stepped out of the elevator into the dimly lit room, I was greeted by a goth-looking employee, dressed in black, pseudo-victorian attire, who led me to my room, taking slow and measured steps. The interior has a crimson and black scheme, lit with candles and decorated with skulls, crosses, and, of course, coffins, which I guess goes on par with the theme.
The restaurant isn't so big, and it wasn't long until I was lead into a small, private table with a red curtain to separate me from the main hall. "This is the victim's room," the waiter said calmly, showing me a map. He instructed me to ring a bell when I was ready to order.

The Gorgonzola cheese fettuccine and the banana-tinged Vampire's Castle cocktail 

I thought the food itself was pretty decent, but take into account that the portions are not too big at all. My pork fillet was just as tiny too, and the time it took for that one to come made me wonder if they weren't breeding and slaughtering the pigs in the kitchen. Also note that, though the food itself isn't so pricy (thankfully, given the portion size) there's a cover charge of 500¥ per person. My cocktail was pretty nice though, but that one didn't have such a modest price tag on it. In themed restaurants they rarely do.
 What I enjoyed the most was the waiter's sudden way of barging through the red curtains of the room whilst still wearing the same void facial expression. I tried to take a picture with him, but he said, to my chagrin, "I do not appear on photographs." Ah, you smooth bastard, I wanted to reply.
 Altogether, thanks to the waiter though, it was a pretty fun experience, I'd say. Try it, but bare in mind what I said about the food.

Brief Note: Climbing Ladders

Cha-ching! I've been promoted at the workplace!

Silly Inventions 3: Corn Holder

#3: Corn Holder

Please, someone let me know if this is not exclusive to Japan. Mankind has been eating corn since it could take a dump. It's fascinating how something introduced so late in the game could be considered useful in any way, so this has got to be a joke. "Put your corn on a magical horn" is such an amazing product-selling line that they just couldn't pass up on the opportunity to deliver the joke. But look at how awkward it would be to grip the damn thing. Whatever the case, your guests will be amazed once you start pulling out the corn holders.

 Silly Inventions is a segment describing abnormal Japanese products I stumble upon. See more by clicking here or on the Silly Inventions tag.

Meiji University Torture Museum

Yes, I know. This picture of me posing in front of a crucifix upon which Japanese prisoners were impaled from waist to shoulder on both sides is of questionable taste. But it shows how happy I am to be at such an interesting exhibit!
 The Meiji University grounds are host to a museum showcasing anthropology and the evolution of the human condition. I'm sure the administration wouldn't be too happy if the place became known as the Torture Museum, but really, the rest of the stuff has been seen and done before.

In a nutshell, the criminology section of the museum, located in the basement, holds replicas of items used for torture (and execution, I guess, since you won't get to use that guillotine on the same guy twice.) It's pretty grizzly to look at, and there are very few explanations in English, but you really do get a sense of what each contraption was used for, with the help of some disturbing-ass traditional wood-block paintings on the walls, showing people getting maimed or crushed or dismembered or beheaded or whatnot. Just another day in feudal Japan, I guess.
 The museum's collection is pretty sizable, with items such as the aforementioned guillotine, the iron maiden (pictured), blocks used to crush legs, scaffolds for hanging people (with or without killing them) or burning them alive, a variety of spiked rods, displays for the heads of the recently executed, etc.
 However, keep in mind that this is only one section of the museum, and you'll probably be through with it after an hour or so.

Just to make sure everyone's on the same page about torture being a big no-no, the museum also has merchandise! A great way to cash in on people's fascination for the ultimate misery of others! Oh come on, let's be frank, if your museum's official shirt has an iron maiden on it, then you're kind of acknowledging that the most interesting thing there is to see is an apparatus with which people made Swiss cheese out of other people. No More Torture! But look how cool this thing is!

Year 2: Summary

I've just returned to Tokyo from a trip to Canada, and we've come full-circle again! This year I'm determined to make it to all the once-a-year events that I've missed the first two times. Let's see, now.

Year 2: Summary

Status:

Job: Children's Fitness Teacher
Financial status:  Good

Location:

City: Tokyo
Ward: Chuo-ku
Train station: Kayabacho
Residing in: My apartment, Hermit Fortress

Cast of Characters:

Major Characters:
Ken Tanaka
Aala Kansali of Tunisia
Millo, Julian of France
Dario Lupoli of Italy
Lo, Jean-Paul the French Laotian who came back from the dead!
 
Minor Characters:
 
Eri Karasawa, who manages her own branch.
Nana Takeuchi, who works with me once more!
Erika Mochizuki (and Maxine!)
Kuniaki "Forest" Mori 
Kazue Inoue 

Retired Characters:

Sofie Monrad of Denmar
Julian "Shank" Einschenk of Germany
Anton "Foxboy" Jermaine of England
Rodrigue Zapha of France

Clement Sanchez of France

Top Five Highlights:
(since last time)
Ascending Mount Fuji
Kasai Rinkai Park
Beautiful Oshima
Chiba Countryside
Visiting Quebec City

 
Still to Come:

- Ninja Restaurant
- A cafe with Penguins
- An Abandoned Hotel
- Another Country in Asia?
- The Museum of Torture Devices

Quebec City, Tabarnac

My vacation in Canada's drawing near to its end already. It's a little colder here than I remembered it being, and I'm glad enough to be ducking out before Winter draws its big ugly face around the corner and breathes icy death upon Montreal. The American border might as well be The Wall (you know what I mean if you're a big enough dork.)

 And although I missed my beloved Zombie Walk this year, I did get a chance to go even further north (I know, right? I'm an idiot, shoot me,) to Quebec City. I often say Montreal has history, but Quebec is even more ancient than my hometown. This is where North America as we know it began. We're talking 16th century.
Accompanied by old friends of mine, we rented a car and made the trip in three hours and spent a good day there, basking in the sights I hadn't seen in...six, seven years now? Shit.

Hell, you'd be tempted too.

Forget what you know about North America's distinction from Europe. It all blends in here as you go down into Old Quebec, where new structures are built shouldering truly ancient ones, dating from the colonial days. Quebec is a city of battlements and fortifications, and castles and canons, but also damnable cold where you might get your tongue stuck to poles, and old men with thick old accents. It might be relatively close to Montreal, but hell is it different here. Good luck using your English anywhere, we're in deep French territory here! Shit, good luck using your European French. We're in
DEEP French territory here.
 Walking around Old Quebec inevitably ends you up in the Plains of Abraham, where American history was written as, in a nutshell, the English toppled the French. Having been occupied by both, you can sort of get why the province of Quebec holds both languages.
 Regardless of your interest in history, it's a nice place to take a walk, and gives you a nice view of the Saint-Lawrence river and the other side of the riverbank, and that's good.

On the side, if you're anywhere near Quebec, or even in most parts of Canada if you look hard enough, you can try out a beaver tail, one of the local desserts. Don't worry your vegetarian ass, it's actually just fried dough topped with different condiments like chocolate spread or cinnamon. It's worth a try - if you aren't counting calories. It'd been at least two years since I last had one of these, seeing as I missed out during my last trip.


 That aside, the Montmorency Falls are only a 20 minute ride away and are definitely worth the stop. They're actually higher than Niagara's, and the tallest in the province, which might not seem like a big deal until you realize that Quebec by itself is almost four times the size of Japan. At night the falls are illuminated by bright lights projected upon the surface of the falling water.

Is that a camera you have pointed so close to my face?

 I really skimmed the surface on this one. If I were living in Quebec city rather than Tokyo I could easily write an article about each of the things I touched upon here, but that'll have to do for now. Quebec's worth a visit, folks. If you ever do, don't forget to greet people by saying "tabarnac," loud and proud. All the locals will be so impressed!

From My Uncle's Estate

I'm in North America!
 On my way to Montreal I stopped along my uncle's place for a long overdue visit. He owns goats, horses, a pool, a gigantic house atop a hill with a pond at its foot, and all the things that make life good. Here are a few pictures.

An aerial shot of the property. Notice the barn too.

My uncle, aunt, and cousins. You can't tell but they're twins.

Dude, this place is a petting zoo. That's an alpaca. He looks sympathetic.

My cousin and his dwarf pony. It won't ever grow bigger than that.

The Workmates

Today we celebrated the 4th year anniversary of my current branch at the job! I've been working with some of these guys for quite a long time. They are, left to right:

Leftmost, yawning: Kei! He brought me up into the company from when I had just started. He's so graceful, as you can tell.
In white, kneeling: Yumi! She's the newest receptionist at our current branch. She's kind of quiet. She has really long, skinny fingers.
Guy with a mask, top: Jay! He's actually a member of a very well known break dancing crew called Now or Never (where he goes as G.) He often makes jokes during class about how Chinese he is.
Sitting, black: Nana! Remember Nana? She's back in the company and she's as good a superior to me as she is an adventuring mate.
Top: Mana. Yes, there's a Nana and a Mana. She's been the manager at this location since the dawn of time, back when My Gym was for dinosaurs instead of kids.
Holding up a V: Takashi! He's the art teacher. He's actually really good.
Big, in front: If you don't know who this is, I must kill you.
Thumb up: Tad! His actual name is Sean too but he had to change it because he came in after me. Haha. Only room for one Sean here.
Ginger: That's Daniel. He's the newest instructor in the crew. Watches a little too much South Park.
Far right: Michael! He plays the guitar. Babies hate him.