I'm out 行ってきますよ

I'll be travelling in Singapore and Malaysia until around May 8th. Check back in then for the words and photos.

The Rage Comes to Tokyo

I spent the last weekend in the sprawling metropolis of Japan's capital city. The occasion was a supposed scavenger hunt that took place on Saturday. Here's how it went down.

Me, Jamie, Brad and Brooke hopped a plane from Kumamoto to Tokyo on Friday night. After a late dinner of a rare (for Japan) Turkey sandwish, we retired to Jamie's friend Jeff's apartment for some shochu and Lebowski (his lone DVD, nice). Jeff is a works in investments and is in Japan temporarily in an amazing apartment in the heart of Roppongi, one of Tokyo's liveliest and priciest hoods. Everything in his apartment is automated top of the line: The toilet to living room and shower to kitchen intercom (why'd they choose those combinations?) and the heated hardwood floors and toilet flushing control and information system.

The next day we met at a local bar for the much hyped scavenger hunt. Teams for all over Japan met and set off to follow of a list of things to find. We started out in Roppongi and looked for certain things in stores, the prices of selected dishes in restaurants, made a drinking date with Wolfgang Puck in October, played in some fountains, raided a movie theater's ticket box, sexually harassed some fiberglass bears and quite publicly consumed quite a few beverages. We managed to finish the Roppongi section by afternoon. Then it was on to Harajuku for more of the same. However the combination of huge crowds there and the content of spirits in our blood didn't go over so well. We gave up and eventually made our way back well after the finish time.

It was obviously a well-organized, well-thought out and possibly could have been successfully completed had it not been for several issues: (1) The teams had about 7 hours to complete an unknown number of tests in a few different areas of the city. Not exactly enough time to explore multiple districts in a city the size of Tokyo. (2) Beers were given to the teams at several points during the race and teams were given incentives to consume more at bars along the way. Not exactly the way to keep things moving in a smooth, orderly fashion. By 5pm, we were stumbling aimlessly through crowds in Harajuku, only to retire to a bar for more drinks and some well-needed fish and chips.

I really don't know if any teams came close to finishing the hunt, I would be surprised. I was a little disappointed that we barley made it out of Roppongi before we had to return there again. We went back to the comfort of Jeff's apartment for a rest before heading back out to the hopping clubs of Rop...well I wish we did. I fell asleep for the next 12 hours while Jeff Jamie and Brad settled down for a back to back Lebowski viewing. By the time everyone got moving Sunday, we barely had enough time for a Tony Roma's lunch before we sprinted through the airport 1 minute before out flight left for home. It was a pretty fun weekend. I had the insane idea that I would be able to see more of Tokyo, but what do you expect when you are there for a mere 36 tainted hours. I do recommend the bi-annual scavenger hunt in Tokyo. The proceeds were for charity and if you actually apply yourself, I'm sure you could do very well. Maybe next time.

(I didn't include any of the pictures I took because some might be slightly NSFW. Thats notsafeforwork, kiddies) Naturally, feel free to browse at your own risk here (clickit)

馬ちんこ焼き

I am off to Tokyo for the weekend. There is a huge scavenger hunt all over the city on Saturday organized by some Tokyo JETs so it should be fun stuff. In the mean time, please enjoy some pictures of a very special foodstuff. Kumamoto is famous for its uncooked horse meat (馬刺　−　basashi) dipped in soy sauce and ginger or wasabi. However, this is actually horse penis - sliced, skewered and roasted to perfection. Not really, it was really sinewy and tough. Let me know is you want the restaurant's location... (Sorry if it's slightly blurry, it's a picture from my cel phone.)

Toyo Village Hash, 4/16/05

On Saturday, April 16th, the Kumamoto Hash House Harriers headed to a small village named Toyo nestled in the foothills of Kyushu's central mountains. Froilan and Suzanne (aka Nuck-a-nuts and A**hole kool-aid) managed to carve out a stellar path through all manners of terrain. 25 people gathered near a river and a junior high and set out after the hares. After getting totally lost in the Takenoko forests, the group spread out, forded a raging river, and then climbed a hill to find a beer near placed strategically in the middle of a school's baseball practice. Soon after, Brother Dis Nut, in a quest to find cheap piercing in Japan, impaled his foot on a bamboo shoot. He managed to mark the path well with blood for the hashers behind him. After winding through many farms and onlooking obachans, we crossed a swinging rope bridge, found more beer, then sprinted up a buddha-lined mountain path. Winding on down to the river, Brother S.F. was confortably ahead before making a fateful wrong turn. When all was said and done and the smoke finally cleared, a mortal by the name of Allison snatched the lead and finished just ahead of Sliced Bush.

After a quick revision of home, the hash ended next to a gorgeous, yet chilly river. A few decided to swim and Sister Hi and Squeaky decided not to, but then got in anyway. After a rousing religion, folks headed off in all directions to pursue fun in the perfect weekend weekend weather.

Now the nitty gritty, the hash facts:

-25 people came to the hash, a huge turnout.
-There were 3 hash virgins.
-Brother Cock Sprinter's younger brother Chris came all the way from Australia for the hash.
-...plus Chris is only 17, establishing a new youth record for the KHHH.
-Allison Yoder won the hash and was immortalized as Sister "YODA-LADY-ZO".
-...because she is wise like the Jedi master, can yodel like Celine Dion in Karaoke and is a fan of elephants.
-Brother Dis Nut went on to triumphantly finish the hash with a limp and a mighty staff in hand. When told he looked like Moses, he responded, "Oh yeah? Moses never made it to the promised land!"
-3 Miyazakians joined the hash.
-Video footage taken by Brother Sliced Bush during the hash will be used in an upcoming propaganda/recruiting/training video.
-Huge thanks to Froilan and Suzanne, well done. A very successful Hash indeed.

See you at the MAY hash, stay tuned.

Bustin' Out from Kyushu: A Hip Hop Story

This past August, I attended an English Camp for high school students for 3 days. About 50 kids and many volunteers went to a mountain top retreat center for an intensive English experience. We did tons of games and activities and I was really surprised and impressed by such high levels of English of the students.

I worked with the second year students, 16 or 17 year olds. I was the leader of a group of 5 girls and the final activity of the camp was to create a skit and perform it in front of the other groups. As we sat down to think about what kind of skit to do, time started to pass...kept passing...silence...no ideas... So I threw an idea out: hip hop. It is a culture near and dear to many a Japanese teenager. Young people spend tons of money on hip hop brands and music. (Sometimes, as I walk down the street and catch the eye of a young thug pimped out in the latest Sean John and Vokal threads sporting corn rows to make Iverson jealous--I say hello and the dude shyly says hello and laughs as he quickly strolls away. Try that in NYC) As our small group discussion progressed, a story began to emerge:

Hip Hop Girlz -
5 teenage girls innocently try to go to a local hip hop club one fine evening. After a very awkward conversation with the club's bouncer (myself), a strange and embarrassing dance number and their subsequent ejection from said club, the girls make a decision. They must go and learn from the masters at Hip Hop Camp: (That's me, again playing DJ Finger, hip hop guru and camp instructor. The green and yellow symbol on their shirts means 'beginner' for just about anything in Japan.)

After some intensive drills in Shaolin Shadowboxing of the Wu-Tang Style, the crew copped some hot dance flows from the master. The girls were ready to take Detroi...er Japan by storm:

With their newly modified hip hop shirts and a deeper sense of appreciation for all things Biggie and 'Pac, the girls returned to the club. To the beats of Go-ju Sento (In Da Club), the girls proceed to bust their new moves and tear da roof off:

And just like Marshal Mathers lyrically slaying the D-town would-bes, the girlz knew what was next. As the skit came to a close, they spit proudly to the masses, "WE BECAME HIP HOP SUPERSTARS!"


It was a blast helping the girls and wathcing what they came up with. After my initial idea, they took it away and created the dialogue, props and scenes. (I provided the soundtrack with hot beats from 50 Cent and Dre.) I was proud when they got 3rd place in the skit contest and they screamed out in surprise.

An incredible story of 5 girls' rise from the trailer parks (inaka) of 8 Mile (Kumamoto) to become the hottest icons in the world (Japan). "Hip Hop Girlz" - Now playing at theaters worldwide.

Tree Season

The cherry blossoms have just started blooming in Japan, I will surely take a few pictures this week. In the meantime enjoy this bare tree near the Shirakawa that runs near my house. I shot this at sunset recently.