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日本に来て二年

It feels like just the other day when I stepped off the plane in Narita, drank my first train beer, ate my first Japanese food and uttered my first "sumimasen"....but two years can go very fast in the largest city in the World (meaning the sprawl of Tokyo that doesn't stop until well past Yokohama....some 30 million people or so). Nowadays I'm stuck in the daily grind, but it ain't so bad, so to celebrate my 2 year anniversary, I give to you my "Living in Japan Top 5". These are based on my experiences living here and are in no particular order. Enjoy......

Top 5 vexations (yeah, I looked that one up)

1. Taxi Driver

I don't take them too often but their aggressive driving style isn't my cup of tea (AT & Steve, you remember that guy who thought he was an F1 driver!). Drivers that run red lights and try to intimidate pedestrians and cyclists are the worst and more often than not, they seem to be taxis!!

2. Where's the Green?

"You're not in the sticks of Waikato now ma'boy".....you got that right! Welcome to brick city, where grass is a rarity, and what grass there is is not maintained by able hands. Fortunately I have a grass park across the road from the pad......unfortunately, they only cut it twice a year, the last time being just as the summer heat came on hard, making it impossible to enjoy the outdoors. Now, 2 months later, it's grown to my knees and small children and animals get lost in it's depths. Only one way to fix that - put concrete over the bugger!

3. Who wants to be a Sardine?

All I can say about commuter trains at rush hour is that they suck...big time! Squashed between sweaty salarymen with their who-knows-what rubbing against your don't-wanna-know, makes for a totally unenjoyable train ride. Luckily for me, I now work in a place where catching the busy line is a thing of the past...fingers crossed!

4. People, People everywhere, let's stop and look around

Okay, I know it's got the largest population in the World, so yeah, it's gonna get crowded sometimes. But there are two types of people that seem to boil my blood the most. First, the "non-lookers", they who walk while they simultaneously read the latest manga and text message their friend to say they are reading the latest manga, while those in their path have to dodge a scud missile gone astray (I find a dropped shoulder usually wakes them out of their happy little world). These non-lookers also have the annoying habit of charging out of shops without looking at who might be using the footpath before them . This first group is most commonly of the younger generation, while the second group is at the other end of the spectrum. The mostly old people form the group known as the "roadblockers". They share the common trait of stopping in a crowded place (eg. the top/bottom of a train station escalator/stairway) for no apparent reason, forcing the following hordes to dodge and weave around them...absolute chaos!

5. Can somebody clean up?...please?

Another sad truth of living in the city is the pollution. Parks, water, bushes and roadsides are littered with all sorts of trash (including broken down mini-scooters and TV sets). It doesn't help that for some strange reason, there are very few rubbish bins in public places, causing people to litter instead of the alternative option that is to carry the trash home or to the nearest convenience store (about the only place there are public trash disposal units). Even beaches can't escape the slippery hands of some people as they leave their former belongings in the sand. Here's hoping it never gets this bad in NZ.

Honorable Mention

The Salarymans Noose - Gotta wear a tie, but at least 99% of working men here are in the same

boat.

Last Train - Going out for the night? Don't miss the last train home or be prepared for a long night out.

Pay to Play - Basketball is restricted to 2 hours per week ($5) at the local gym.....and tennis? Get on the waiting list buddy, some courts are booked months in advance ($10 p/p 2 hours)...swimming is highly regulated, cap, googgles, shower before entering pool, no diving, only swim up and down ($3 p/h)....and don't even ask about golf coz I havn't played here (around $150 per round).

Disclaimer: In no way did I mean to offend the Japanese people, culture or country in the above ranting. They are purely observations on my part, possibly biased or not, so just get over it and enjoy the next.....

Top 5 reasons why I havn't come home yet!!!

1. What's Cookin'?

Ah, food, glorious food....what would I do without it (probably starve a miserable death, I guess)? Before coming here, I was not a fan of anything raw or squishy, but have now adapted my taste buds to enjoy the best cuisine Japan has to offer. Restaurants are affordable if you know where to go and they are everywhere (my nearest one being the karaoke snack bar three floors below, which serves a nice hamburg setto). Some of my favourite local dishes include okonomiyaki, takoyaki, miso soup, nikuman, sashimi and nabe just to name a few. But I will not go anywhere near natto, that is one kind of food that I'm never gonna like!

2. Entertain Me

There is no shortage of entertainment in this neck o' tha woods. For drinking, one may go out for a big night in Roppongi or Shibuya, where some of the biggest and best niteclubs are situated. If a quieter night is called for, there's always a local bar to enjoy, mine being The Full Monty (http://www.fullmontyyokohama.com/ -I'm in a couple of pics on the website, absolutely smashed, coz I can't remember when they were taken!). Or of course I can enjoy some home made cocktails, made easier by the great low price of spirits in Japan....about $15 for a 750ml Bacardi! Other fun options include batting cages (and game places in general), karaoke (but I have to be drunk for that) and other special events like the neighbourhood festivals held yearly.

3. They're not bad once you get to know them

Well actually, they can be pretty good to begin with....the students I've met who are soon sharing jokes and personal anecdotes; the salarymen at the bar who wants to buy me whiskey shots so he can practice his English; the children who chase after my bombs in the park and return the ball while they say "My name is........"; the many ballers who battle with me week after week; the neighbours who always greet me cheerfully; and many others who have brightened up my days with gestures of goodwill. Oh yea, the many ex-pats I've met have also been (mostly) great people!

4. Get that money

Work is a neccessary evil that I'd rather not be doing, but it's made a lot easier by the fact that it's so....well.....easy! I'm technically a part-time worker, clocking in about 32 hours a week. An average day consists of waking up at 8, out the door at 9 for the 9:20 train, arrive at work at 9:35, plan lessons for the day, teach 8 lessons, finish at 5:40, home by 6:10. Lessons vary widely from childrens classes (a whole lotta fun!), absolute beginners-advanced speakers lessons, general group conversations, and my personal favourite.....no-shows, cancellations or free lessons! Right now I'm at my 3rd different branch and it's all gravy....great camaraderie among teachers and staff, good mix of students, easy schedule (I'm one of the chosen few with weekends off), and there's a subway just up the road for lunch!

5. The future "Mrs. Trotter"

I never thought I would've met someone as great as Aki over here! Fate (or luck, or destiny?) brought us together (we met at bowling, thanks to Terry, my then workmate, and his wife Saki, Akis workmate) and we've been inseperable ever since. It wasn't easy at first as the language barrier caused plenty of miscommunication (and still occassionally does!), but she's getting much better at English and I'm studying Japanese a bit. Aki's easy going nature has been a great match for mine as we let each other do our own things when we want. Her cooking skills are as talented as anyones (they say that's the way to a mans heart....could be true). Aki's family has also been great, welcoming me kindly into their family. I'm looking forward to repaying them somewhat by showing them a good time in Aotearoa next year.

Honorable Mention

Convenience - Vending machines on every corner, convenience stores everywhere, shops catering for everyone.....it's consumerism at it's best!

Internet - Extremely fast speeds and pretty cheap compared to the joke that is NZ broadband....oh, and unlimited downloads makes for a happy Brendan.

Public drinking - None of those pesky laws about drinking in public. Alcohol is available 24/7 and you can drink pretty much anywhere (trains, parks, city centre, bowling alley).

Beautiful Women - Somehow this slipped out of my top 5, but it's fair to say that not a day goes by without seeing a handful stunningly gorgeous women, usually in the latest fashions with the latest accessories. But I bet they can't cook!

Top 5 events I was at

(Check my previous blog entries for the details)

1 - 2006 FIBA World Championships

NZ did crap, but the Japan v NZ game was epic and had an awesome time. Even met Manu!

2 - Fuji Rock Festival

The Beastie Boys and Iggy Pop rocked the crowd pretty darn well for a bunch of old guys...

3 - Big time Rugby games

Japan v Classic ABs (Jonah, Carlos & co.) and Japan v NZ 'A', made me proud to be a Kiwi

4 - Tokyo Motor Show

It was my first big event and opened my eyes to how the Japanese do things - fast cars and beautiful women!

5 - 3,2,1 Bungee

Not exactly an event, but memorable just the same. Most scary and fun moment of my life!

Honorable Mention

RHCP - the Chili Peppers put on a great show at the Tokyo Dome!

Beerfest - for 2 years running, thisYokohama event has been a fun time.

NY06/07 - Partying in Shibuya is a great time, especially at New Years.

Liams sportsday - Liam smoked the comp in the running race....natural born athlete.

Sumo - those Big Boys sure eat a lot!

and finally on the Top 5 list.....

Top 5 places I've been

1 - Okinawa (Ishigaki & Iriomote)

Beautiful beaches, good weather, friendly locals and great food!

2 - Kyoto

Old school Japan at it's best.

3 - Hiroshima

Miyajima, the A-Bomb dome and the Peace Museum were amazing.

4 - Minakami

The great outdoors - bungee, rafting, canyoning and lots of Kiwis.

5 - Niijima

Another beautiful island with nice beaches and sights.

Honorable Mention

I didn't list anything in the Kanto region because I live here but some of the cool places include:

Shibuya, Hakone, Roppongi, Kamakura, Yamanasi, Shinjuku, Asakusa and Akihabara.

So there you have it, these are my memories after living here for 2 years. I might update the list next year (but probably not). Hope you enjoyed it and if you wanna come and experience some of it, there's always a futon at my place to lay your head......see ya later, B.

End of the Summer Dayz

Well, it's officially Autumn now and the temperature has just become bearable in the last week after a long, hot August that hovered around 35 degrees almost every day. I managed to get to the beach with Aki and family, in Chiba for one day, where I tried (unsuccessfully) to surf. It was great fun to get into some decent sized waves....must've been at least 2 years since I'd last been smashed by some big surf!!
Last weekend I went to help out at Bungee Japan in Minakami. My first job was to test a new bungee cord.....just to make sure it was the right length and wasn't broken or anything. Unlike the Auckland Harbour Bridge jump, the Minakami jump is over a rocky, white-water river, which is only a few inches deep under the jump spot....so, as you could imagine, I was absolutely crapping myself before I jumped!! Anyway, the jump was awesome, then Mark and I spent the day (and Sunday), retrieving the jumpers in a boat at the bottom (no casualties!). I'm looking forward to going back some time to enjoy some more leisure activities as canyoning, rafting and sledging are all on offer.
Finally, twenty years of waiting will be put to the test starting Saturday and you can be sure I'll be supporting the ABs along the way....here's hoping I'll have something good to write about in October. Until then...GO THE MIGHTY ALL BLACKS!!!

Liam turned 5 at the end of July and got a Transformer (which I thought was a rad movie!)

Day at the beach.....Heisaura in Chiba

Bungee Japan; From the top; Rafters galore; Hard at work; From the bottom; After a hard days work