clean room

I had a friend arrive in Japan on Earthquake day or thereabouts, My Mrs will arrive here, well has arrived and this is meant to be Typhoon day, and me well I arrived on a weekday, Exactly bad luck comes in threes right.
As usual when my Mrs comes a round I look at my room and think yeah, i need to clean up, even though i cleaned up yesterday. I am just one of those guys, not dirty but messy. There is a difference you WILL NOT find fungus in my room or Tuesday's cornflakes on my pillow , but you will find boxers on the chair. Traveling halfway across the world you will expect to come to a clean room. I don't want her to look like the girl in the picture. Obviously I don't want her to transform into a 8 year old girl but it's that facial expression I don't want to see.So I will remove the boxers and put everything in the sliding door cupboard :D and keep it clean at least for the arrival.

Don't be mad if I don't blog much I will be gallivanting around Japan getting wet as yeah rainy season has very recently started. Rainy season kai.雨が大嫌い. I think by the time rainy season is over I will be over the rain in London. in reality most things you do are inside so it is just the getting there and a bit of preparation before it. Saying this I didn't prepare well and finding a rain jacket in any size other than small in Uni Qlo is pretty much impossible.you know when you go into the same shop like 3 times thinking your size will magically appear. yeah. it doesn't work


I'm also tired, taking the Shihatsu train two days in a row will do that to you but I thought I may as well make myself tired for when my Mrs arrives as she will definitely also be tired. Am I not so thoughtful. I didn't think so. Champions league match kick of was at 3.45am I could not keep my eyes open I was falling apart just like Man UTD - ooooooooh.

nanimo nai

I'm not a journalist but I think I can string a sentence together, and if I'm going to be paid for it, I think I can string a sentence together well. This blog is basically a mind dump a straight to "paper" deposit of my thoughts in no direct order.

nothing really exciting happened yesterday (wednesday).i had a test on chapters 50-60 but I started school midway through chapter 56 so it wasn't the best situation to be in. I tried my test and will learn from it. Walked with a guy from school achi kochi here and there and had a burrito near Shinsaibashi. It was dirty hot the kind of heat where u dnt want a backpack on your back, the kind of heat where u wish your beard wasn't so bushy, where you would like to sit down in front a fan all day. No fan, plentY of backpack and excess beard is the way I would describe myself on this day in particular so it will not feature in my top 10 daysof comfort

I had a dream last night and I was home I had just arrived home, I was happy to see my family but it wasn't the time I was not ready. I realised I was dreaming because I noticed that I didn't transfer during the flight stage of the dream. Point is I was so happy to realise that I was still in Japan but it made me miss my Family more than I do now. Not like I don't miss anybody else but this was based on the dream.

Influenced

I was tired I was thirsty and I didn't know what to drink, but this , this is prove that I am influenced , if i was going to have an energy drink, I wanted one that would give me this kind of power, the power to turn me into a Super Saiyan.For me there was no other choice. Even the can looks like pure energy extracted from the centre of a super nova by claws of steel.

10yen is less than 10pence

Picture the scene. I am in Tesco, and i drop 10p and it falls and rolls towards the giant fruit baskets, i try to stop it but am unable to reach it in time, it is lost forever, a single tear escapes and makes a run for freedom down my cheek, no one is there to help me, the tesco store clerk sniggers and points behind my back, my money is lost forever.

Now same scene in japan, you have for arguments sake Ryu the shop worker , teenager he sees my situation, he pokes his head around the side of the fruit baskets, he moves them here and there he desperately searches for my 10 yen, i reassure him that there is no hope and that I can somehow live on without the 10yen, I smile politely and tell him 大丈夫 and I thank him. After searching for what seems like minutes Ryu reappears apologising for not finding the coin i dropped. I reassure him it's okay and I leave the shop 10yen poorer.

This is just a little testimony to the Japanese way of doing things. We do our best for you mentality.

Anyway the story doesn't end I 'm about to step into the car and I turn around and there I see Ryu running out of the store in my direction, he arrives where I am standing slightly out of breath and reveals a less than shiny 10yen piece.
I believe the yen is from his own personal stash of yen, but either way I am blown away

Wow I think Only in Japan would this happen.

Onsen for the first time

Onsens are usually a problem for the tattooed gaijin or nihonjin for that fact but we had no trouble,
you have to leave your shy at the door though, memories of embarrassing communal showers at school came flooding back, it is nice and relaxing hot springs reminded me of my time in Dominica but in Japan there was a lot of full frontal nudity. But hey we all have the same equipment. So you wash yourself on the side of the onsen make sure your clean and then u enter the Onsen , nice and hot relaxing water, perfect after a long night and then day of brutal football, helped the muscle ache a good deal.

Awaji Island and the reasons i don't play football

Friday after school sees me making my way to my friends place in Kyoto so that we can get an early night sleep for the football match in the morning we have to wake up early so what's better than going out all night and leaving yourself with about 45 minutes of deep sleep to prepare you for the day, adding this to the fact that you have as much skill with a football as a baby hippo will equate to a poor result.

Noted i slept most of the journey and missed crossing the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the wrold, but with a grand total of 2 .5 hours sleep I was ready to take on the Gaijin football world. We played 4 won 1 drew 3. I had my fair share of mistakes but more good plays than bad me thinks.

Tetsuo meets Tetsujin

I'm not an Otaku, I'm not a geek but today I went to see Tetsujin -Iron man, the real Iron man in Kobe, he is hench, he doesn't say much he is pretty much a super big poser but hey, so am I sometimes.

Kobe is a town I've never seen but have been to and had the best steak date of my life.

Anyway I saw the lovely harbor land and the sea and the shops and all the new buildings as in 1995 there was a major earthquake in Kobe, the earthquake happened in the early hours of January 17, 1995. It had a magnitude of 7.3 and killed more than 6,400 people. Damage was estimated at $100 billion.

Enough facts , a lot of Kobe is new and rebuilt and there is a town called IjinKan which reminded me of my brief time in Barcelona.
Kobe is a port town so there were a lot of foreign settlers with their own buildings.

I met Totoro outside the Ghibli shop , you may see a picture of me with him one day maybe in the future, gwa

ooh and akashiyaki, like takoyaki but yeah better- have a go.

Noticed my Japanese getting better I mean I've been studying for 2 weeks (here) almost and I'm understanding more just need to get my head around some more grammar- I'm just hoping that the learning doesn't stop when school finishes.

月曜日's cheesecake

Picture is of Rikuro Ojiisan's cheesecake shop in Namba, just bought the cheesecake, me and my homestay enjoyed a slice or 2 of cake and tea, delicious :D Different to the cheesecake i've grown to love but still a a happy customer. Took my camera out so I could take some snaps, i want to snap people but , i think it's weird to photograph strangers and then i think it's weird to ask.

Saturday I was a bouncer well not really but I helped out at an international party which was cool, a nice place where you get to meet people who learn English so you can gengokoukan good place to have conversation with the all so elusive Japanese person. Yes elusive even in Japan.

I did some studying for the school day which was today, for a class which I understand well. it's amazing how much you can learn when you actually enjoy what you're doing. Yes I've often said I would never go back to school but a masters in japanese and something or just a course in Japanese would be fun for me and fluency would make me super asset, so yeah im thinking about it hard.

Sunday was recovery because last trains finish at 11 and if you go out you have to wait for the first train at 5am. So you can dance all night till the trains start or you can go and sleep in Mcdonalds or some other establishment.

This wouldn't happen in london. Remember happy slaps , indeed I haven't seen so many good happy slapping opportunities in my life, but no matter how tempting it may look, happy slapping is very wrong but cruelly funny and I would never do it :D

I've just been informed that my younger brother is counting down the days to my return which is extremely touching, i'll have to bring him out here if he is anything like me which he is- basically he's almost everything like me, just lighter and less hair on the face but more on the head- anyway if he is anything like me he'll love it.

I need a shave, i wanna shave my head but i’m not sure if Ill do a good job, i need a barber. Patchy head is not a good look in my eyes.


Have I mentioned that they need to ban smoking here, like in public places, well ,yeah they do.

no place like home

now this Post has no relation to me being in Japan at the moment, anyway let me start.

Where ....From? is a question i'm often asked in Japan to which I reply IGIRISU- (england). Then there is the shock exclamation because people that haven't been to England think black people don't exist outside MTV and charity adverts. I'm sure people expect me to say AFRICA somewhere or even USA.

I digress , the blood in my veins is thanks to colonialism from a west African country named Nigeria.
Although I am Nigerian by blood, birth or whatever I don't feel very Nigerian. I often get the you don't look Nigerian comment- which is another story. I do look Nigerian as am Nigerian, this is what Nigerians look like.

If the BNP got into power in England which is very possible I'll be sent back HOME (Nigeria) f I go to Nigeria , I need a Visa, if I went back to Nigeria I would be called Oyinbo (white guy) immediately even though I am the same as any other Nigerian genetically speaking generally. Like sometimes I get the feeling that I don't belong anywhere. It annoys me when Nigerian say say I'm not Nigerian because I was raised and born in the UK. I hate that if I say I'm Nigerian there is a stigma attached and a shock reaction.

our name has been tainted by a minor percentage of our people BUT i hate the fact that negatively spreads at the speed of light.

At the end of day I'm a child of God placed on the earth.
Some people are scared of different things but I embrace it, i love the difference in people cultures and language, which is why I am on the other side of the world i guess.

Anyway my point is even though I know London is multi cultural bla bla,

there is no place in the world where I don't think I will feel like a foreigner even in my homeland.

New School Old School

Have you seen the Japanese series Drama My Hero My Boss? No!
well in short the gangster son of a Yakuza boss has to go back to school and graduate in order to take over from his dad.
He is a big 30 and he has to pretend he is a school kid again.
That's how I feel!
You remeber the awkwardness of walking into a classroom, and halfway through a semester, all the little groups of friends are formed.

I walk into class with a big Ohayou Gozaimasu and get response from half the class, then slump into a seat at the bag of the class, only to realise that I was in the wrong room :( Gwa

I promptly leave the class , as discreetly as I can but there are giggles there are always giggles.

My classis next door , I was given the wrong class number- Thanks admin worker.

So two lessons go through with little trouble, my heart skips a beat everytime i answer a question. As I have studied mainly by myself some of the stuff they are teaching I havent learned and vice versa so I stumble. but I get back up

But when I think it is all safe-- It's time for a TESTO on the last ten chapters-

sucks, just my luck, anyway test shows I need to play catch up but that's fine. I'm not sure if i said this yesterday but if I had the money I would come to a Japanese school until I was Pera Pera there are guys of big ages who come to the school so I gots time.

Went for lunch with this guy from Hawaii and a guy from DC then roamed Shinsaibashi for about an hour before making my exit back to Esaka in the rain. I should study but I have tomorrow for that. I'll relax for a while and get ready for la Bachata tonight. I'll get some studying done mind you- It's my goal

My Hero My Boss check it out.

day of rest

So I literally did nothing today, well I went to the local library to do some preparation for school tomorrow.
Have to wake up at 7 so gonna keep this brief,
I had a crazy nap which threw my balance out and my host big sister, she's too young to be my mother had a friend round and I enjoyed trying to chase the conversation and got involved,
Got me thinking to get a Japanese flat mate once I return to the big bad England--bleugh.
We drank the fortnum and mason tea and enjoyed the shortbreads i procured from London which was kinda delicious.
Organised a meet up next week for Kaiten sushi which should be good.
I have plans everynight form tomorrow till Monday which is good but I think I need to stop making plans as plans cost money. I need a job but my visa status wont allow it.
Tomorrow is a Bachata party which should be cool.

Enjoying yourself Ari??

Yes I am

Blending in

There are foreigners in Japan
plenty but few of them stand out as much as I did on the rush hour train this afternoon. Yes there are differences between the typical Korean or Chinese/Cantonese person from the typical Japanese such as bone structure etc but what makes me different is noticeable from a mile away.
It causes the gawps and stares from some people and the smiles and waves from others.

I moved into my residence for the next month which is a nice apartment in Esaka, northern Osaka with a couple who rent out their room for foreigners like myself who want to experience real Japan. we cal this a homestay.
I was met by my host at Esaka station and escorted minutes away from the station to a nice APAATO building. took the ERIBAITA o the 3rd Kai which is our 2nd Kai as the Japanese don't have a ground floor (oooh spooky)

Today was my level test for a japanese language school 214 questions which graded me as intermediate. i sampled a couple of classes and have agreed to start on wednesday 3 times a week for a month, which is what I could stretch to financially.

how much can you cover in a month i wonder. Ganbarimasu I think.

I am shattered I have a full diary from tomorrow I think and my legs are killing from football the other da. Tomorrow I am going to study and rest, study and rest. My futon is already spread out so, now im a roll into bed i mean Futon and watch Naruto.

Yaye internet is back

where am I..

Looking around me I would believe i was in a basement club in a caribbean Island but then i focus on the clientele who are 99% Japanese ,please believe.

I am in Rub a Dub jamaican reggae bar in Kyoto where you can get anything from curried rice to ackee and saltfish. For real and you will get some real reggae music played by Bedi who is from Indonesia but looks and sounds like a sibling of damian marley.

spent a portion of the last 3 nights in this eatery.

Had a few Jerk sausages especially after 2 hrs of 5 a side soccer in Osaka which finished me off physically.
Today was hot bordering on 30 degrees, spent my day walking by the river and diving between STA BA and a Kissatern an old school coffee house- im tired after hitting the town. From tomorrow it's homestay in Esaka and school--oooh oooh oooh

AINT NO PARTY LIKE A...

So yesterday was eventful.

Jazz festival with not much jazz and not much festival.

best part was having a conversations one with a 10 yr old boy who told me he dreamed of being a shinkansen driver, pretty cool aye.
Went to a house party of a Professor, Dj Photographer and just enjoyed that vibe, bar one terrible thing happening to me which i will not share.

House was live, kinda setup i would love.

Saw a couple of examples of how not to handle your drink and the fact that you can take a dude out of Kingston but not kingston out of the dude, some any racist guy against your own brothers. Just dumb.

MC D's breakfast yes please Captain.

38 years and PuriKura

IT IS Relatively early I am in Bed at 1am and I went to Osaka from 1pm to meet my friend that I met at a language event in England. Had enough time to eat some okonomiyaki and do some Purikura which is the most feminine ditsy thing you can do. No doubt if you go out with girls in Japan you will do Purikura.
think a normal photo booth, then add, pixie dust, rainbows and gumdrops
I went in though, gave it 110% .

no homo though

Went to a BBQ all you can drink language party in Osaka with my boy Francis afterwards and then chilled at various bars got good news from my mrs and dodged going to Karaoke (although I wanted to go) and grabbed Takoyaki in time for the train back to Kyoto.

met a guy who had been here for 38 years
i could not blame him
at all
he was so 'shiawase' happy

I quote- i love kansai'

お誕生日- My Birthday

Today is my birthday and I am by myself ,I don't feel like I celebrated my birthday by myself because I celebrated it in Wales just over a week ago with my Mrs.

I just slept for like 12 hours straight which is double my normal sleep time.
I blame the clubs that close when the sun rises. And my social life which seems busier than it was in London @ the moment anyway.

I hit Osaka to try and do some shopping and just hang out with one of my friends which was cool. I love Kaiten Sushi we need to sort it out in Endland without it being overly expensive.

One thing struck me on the way to and from yodoyabashi though. No mater how busy it was nobody wanted to sit next to me, and I know I didn't smell but the coldness I feel from some people gets to me. You know that if I was Japanese the space next to me would have been filled by anybody but because I am Gaijin and not a small one at that people are hesitant. I try not to let it get to me, but my skin is not thicker than anybody elses really and it got my back up a bit.

But on the contrary there are a lot of really warm people flashing smiles and giving high fives and the over friendly DUDEs at clubs gawping at your muscles. TABOO.

I think I will go to my river spot and read a book for a couple of hours. Before I go to El Rumbita to ZOuk and Salsa my evening away.