Miyako

The one thing that I really wanted was some sun, so of course the sun was the one thing that we didn't get. I didn't let it ruin my vacation, but it really would have been nice to see the famous Sunayama beach without all the rain. Miyako still turned out to be beautiful, albeit for different reasons. We saw the sights during the day, and spent the nights wandering the island's almost-but-not-quite town, hopping from izakaya to izakaya and bar to bar. We ended up meeting some of the most incredible people along the way, and though there's really not much outside of the beaches and the food that would warrant a second visit to the island, I could honestly see myself going back just to chat with some of the folks that we met.



Ikkei-san. Very weird pants, very gay, but also a very good Ryukyu and Hula dancer. I told him as much when he asked me, and honestly so, but I had also had a ton to drink at that point. That being said, I don't think that confidence will ever be an issue with him.



Me with my boy Dave and the brilliant Honda-san. We stopped off at what we thought was a cafe for some coffee, but ended up in what appeared to be Honda-san's house. Turned out that he was a former university professor from Osaka who had moved to the island to spend his days somewhere warm. He apparently dresses like that all the time.



Our GPS Navigation System, also known as the Lie Machine. It failed to help us find anything, but it was nonetheless entertaining to have along for the ride.



Sunakawa-san, who elected to give us an impromptu concert when we wandered into her music store. Her kindness and hospitality were matched only by her wonderful singing voice.



Maybe I'll be back when the weather is a little more accommodating. I certainly couldn't ask for much more from the people.

Getting Away...

...for the weekend. I'm typing this from my iPod touch at Naha airport. A couple of things have been bothering me, so I figure a few days in beautiful (or so I've heard) Miyako will do my mind some good. Just hoping the weather holds up.

Suzuki, Japan Capture WBC Title

Japan wins the World Baseball Classic again. Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki singled with 2 outs in the 10th to push "Samurai" Japan past South Korea. Needless to say, this was a huge deal for the Japanese people. I even took a few good-natured jabs after Japan eliminated USA the other day.



Most of the staff at our school spent over 4 hours in the principal's office watching the game this afternoon. That's dedication. To baseball, not work.

Blue Monday

Listening to:
安室奈美恵
WILD / Dr

I woke up 15 minutes after I was supposed to be at work today, which marks the first time that I’ve been late before even leaving the crib. I don’t know if my alarm clock failed to go off or if I just slept through it, but I think that the thing is about ready to be replaced anyway. I’ve actually been looking to get one of those swank blue LED clocks for my nightstand, but I already bought a little something for my iPod the other day:



I suppose that it can wait.

I was on the fence about Amuro's "WILD" single, but that animated video for "Dr." sealed the deal. Oddly enough, it's the instrumental for "Dr." that's been getting the most play from me. That beat is just incredible.

Dragonball Evolution

Dragonball Evolution
(spoilers below)

Turns out that we get certain movies before they come out stateside. Unfortunately, it's usually trash like The Legend of Chun-Li and Dragonball Evolution. I figured that Dragonball was going to be bad, but I didn't quite anticipate it being the worst movie that I'd ever seen. For one reason or another, the plot revolves around a teenage Goku, which means we get to watch him daydream about the most popular girl at school and cope with rich kid bullies. You know, all the things that immediately come to mind when you think Dragonball. We eventually move away from the science classes and the house parties, but the rest of the movie doesn't fare much better, as an out of place (but cute) Emmy Rossum joins the fray as Bulma, and Chow Yun-Fat gives a spirited but painful to watch performance as Muten-Roshi. Even Yamcha makes a completely irrelevant appearance, literally adding nothing to the story. The special effects are as bad as the script, the fight scenes are bland, the villain doesn't get enough screen time, and...well, you get the picture. Avoid like the plague, naturally.

AU Wooo H001 (Hitachi)

My W63SA has been both durable and dependable, but the soon to be released H001 is filling my mind with adulterous thoughts. It supposedly features a 3D display, which I'm assuming is the first of its kind as far as mobiles go. These things usually sound better than they actually turn out being, but my interest is piqued to the point that I'll probably hit up an AU spot to check out a floor model in person. I really, really don't need to be buying another phone right now, but that black and red one is a sexy little thing.

Danny Granger Enters The Matrix

I actually like Granger a lot, but wow, Marion just ENDS him here.



The fact that I’ve resorted to posting highlights of former Suns is pretty indicative of how this season is going. The latest blow: Leandro Barbosa goes down with a hyperextended left knee.

My Kryptonite: Kids, Cartoons

Listening to:
The-Dream
Love vs Money

I’ve gotten sick for the first time since coming over to Japan. That's about a 7-month stretch, which is a pretty long time for me. It's nothing but a common cold, but nonetheless proof that 500 mg of Vitamin C per day doesn't make you invincible. I was working closely with a student for most of Friday, and I’m almost positive that she’s the one who got me sick. I told her that she had effectively ruined my weekend, and she proceeded to celebrate like she had just won the lottery. This is my life.

Oh crap, Eureka seveN Blu-Ray boxes are on the way.





Give me strength. I can't spare the 70,000円.

RIP Test

And we lose another one. Former WWE star Andrew "Test" Martin was found dead in his Florida apartment. Martin was only 33. It's kind of scary that the wrestlers from the late 90s Attitude Era are already starting to pass away. I can't say that I'm surprised, especially considering that Test was looking absolutely jacked during his second WWE run under the ECW brand and supposedly had a history of alcohol problems. The sad part is that Martin had reportedly cleaned up and had been hinting that he would be making a return to the ring in Japan. I can't say that I was a huge fan of his, but he was a solid, stiff worker with a great motor and excellent agility for a big man. Watching Test was sort of like watching Kevin Nash in fast forward, and Test would have probably been a huge star if it weren't for his limited abilities on the microphone. Nevertheless, it's a tragedy to lose another one of our generation's wrestlers so early.

旅立ちの唄

Listening to:
Mr.Children
SUPERMARKET FANTASY
「旅立ちの唄」

My 3rd years graduated today, and I was pretty bummed about it. I don't even remember my junior high school graduation, but the Japanese equivalent was some next level business. Confetti, flowers, singing, speeches that never end, an afterparty...the works. I'd complain about having to work 11 hours under normal circumstances, but this was an exception. Things would be emotional anyway without any unnecessary prodding, but they do crazy stuff here like loop Mr.Children instrumentals during the ceremony just to make sure that all the students cry. I didn't quite lose it, but I have to admit that I came close once or twice.









I'm really going to miss a lot of those kids.

Wishing I Were Niko

Playing:
Grand Theft Auto IV
(PS3)

I beat Persona 4 a while back, but I’m guessing that I messed up somewhere along the way because the ending was a bag of asses. Guess I’ll just have to get it right the second time around. I’ve also pretty much abandoned Street Fighter IV and have been playing Grand Theft Auto exclusively. It’s possibly the best game that I’ve ever played, though not necessarily my favorite. Stealing cars and blowing stuff up is still fun and all, but it’s really the weird little things about the game that I love. For instance:

-Going to a burger joint every day of the week and being greeted by the lifeless girl at the register who flatly says, “Welcome to Burger Shot.” Then during the following week, some black dude is randomly working the counter and he’s like, “Welcome to Burger Shot muh-fuckaaaaa!!!” Tremendous.

-Accidentally running over your Jamaican homeboy at about 3 mph in your car, to which he simply exclaims, “Bumbaclut!”

-Doing weird shit like picking up a prostitute, crashing your car in dramatic fashion outside of a police station, then getting head while your ride is upside down.

-Taking your killer/coke dealer/gangster homeboy out to the bowling alley for a game or two, and hearing him shout, “YEAH! THIS IS FUN!” at around the 5th frame or so. Dude needs to calm down.

-Opting to get shot to death rather than arrested because the police confiscate your weapons. “Dying” will get you sent to the hospital, but the doctors and nurses apparently have no problem with you keeping your assault rifle and hand grenades.

-Managing to get laid by feeding the girl you’re dating a steady diet of billiards and hamburgers. Not quite so simple in the real world.

-Taking one of your buddies to go and grab some fast food and being inexplicably charged like $100-$200. I mean, damn, how much did they eat? I guess they probably burn a ton of calories while running from the cops, but that’s like 50 burgers right there.

Mavs Put Suns On The Ropes

Looks like things could be up. On the heels of an impressive win against the Lakers, the Suns have proceeded to lose five in a row and now effectively require a small miracle to make the playoffs. Nothing like a win over the Lakers to get me all giddy and irrational. I honestly don't even remember the last time that this team lost five games straight, but I'm willing to guess that it was in 03. I'd probably be a lot more bummed any other year, but I guess I have a lot more than basketball on my mind for once. Um, like I said, at least they're a fun team to watch. If they're going down, they may as well with guns blazing.

Taken yesterday:



Thanks Steve!

Quarter Life Contentment

Listening to:
Do As Infinity
Tangerine Dream
track: "Wings"

My 25th came and went without much to note. I was actually sitting with a student today and had forgotten that it was my birthday, a certain sign that I’m starting to get old. After work was through, I went grocery shopping, had some good sushi, spent some time with my new favorite person in the world, and stayed up past my bedtime to watch Gaki. A few years ago I might have considered turning 25 something monumental, but I think the reality is that once you hit your mid-twenties, every birthday just represents another reason why you have to settle down and be more responsible. Maybe this could be construed as me being immature, but I don’t even want to imagine what it’s like being in your thirties. At 25, I think that I’m probably as satisfied with my life as I’ve ever been up to this point. I’ve realized that it’s in my nature to be at least a little uncomfortable with my life no matter what, but if you can find contentment in your world’s little things, there’s no reason why your happiness has to be determined by size of your check or the make of the car in your garage. That being said, I certainly wish that both my check and my ride were a little bigger, but I’m also quite content and mostly at ease with my day-to-day existence. So…cheers to that. =)

More 1/2 Cents On The Way

Green and black isn’t bad. I like how the swoosh’s lightning bolts look in green, but the Royals and the blacked-out version still have these beat.



And it looks like there’s also a silver & black pair on the way, which is reminiscent of the Foamposite Pro.



I can’t imagine them not making a black & red pair, and an “Eggplant” version (there, I said it) also definitely works, so we could be quickly approaching overkill territory with this sneaker. Nike could probably put these out in pink & brown and call it the “Strawberry Dookie” and the damn things would still sell. I'm hoping that they'll stop at four colorways, but I'm not holding my breath, especially given how hard they've been milking the 6 Rings.

Oh well. I think I've got a pair of Royals in 10.5 on lock, so I don't know why I'm complaining.

Lashley Versus Shamrock Fight In The Works

Bobby “Battletoad” Lashley is reportedly set to take on Ken Shamrock in his next mixed martial arts fight. Lashley quietly won his first MMA bout by TKO, but it remains to be seen whether he is capable of having the type of impact that fellow former wrestling star Brock Lesnar has had. The similarities are there: freakish build/strength, excellent agility, an amateur wrestling background, etc., but oddly enough, much like he did as a WWE superstar, Lashley comes off as a guy who does a decent Lesnar impression (hence the "Black Lesnar" nickname) but isn’t quite as good across the board. Either way, age will likely be the determining factor in the Lashley/Shamrock fight. Lashley could very well fall due to his inexperience, and Shamrock due to the fact that he’s rapidly approaching fossil territory and is 3-7 in his last 10 fights. It’s a pairing that might be better suited to a wrestling ring, but it’s also one that should have the casual fans interested. I'd expect Lashley to overpower Shamrock and win handily, but you never know.

Suns 118 Lakers 111

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The Phoenix Suns beating the Los Angeles Lakers is as good as sex to me. Probably even a little better.



The win is particularly noteworthy given the absence of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. I don’t want to get ahead of myself since the next 10 games or so are absolutely brutal, but a win over the Lakers is as good a way as any to kick things off. Some notables:

-The Suns are now 6-2 under Alvin Gentry, and averaging a pretty staggering 125 points per game over that span. Impressive, especially considering that they were without STAT for 6 of those games, and without Nash for the past couple. They probably won't be able to keep that 125 ppg pace up, but it's good to have the most exciting squad in the league back.



-Good to have Leandro back. Barbosa is averaging 21 ppg as a starter since Amare went down, and he’s also done a decent job running the point in Nash’s absence. I still believe that this kid is going to be an All-Star someday.



-Diesel is averaging 39 ppg as the focal point of the offense with Nash out. Not bad for a guy who supposedly can’t run. Upon being accused of cheating by Toronto's Chris Bosh, Shaq had the following to say:

"I heard what Chris Bosh said, and that's strong words coming from the RuPaul of big men. I'm going to do the same thing (in their next meeting) I did before - make him quit. Make 'em quit and complain. It's what I do."

Damn. I've got nothing against Bosh, and I would have welcomed an Amare/Bosh trade, but I suspect that the "RuPaul of big men" thing is something he's never going to live down. That's just cold.

-Grant Hill, the team’s other old man, is also playing some inspired ball and has apparently decided that he wants to dunk on the entire league before he retires. Just hope those ankles hold up.





And I kid you not, the delivery guy came with these as I was in the midst of typing this entry.



6 Rings in PHX colors. I live a fairly simple existence. My mood goes as my team goes, my happiness comes when my kicks come.