It's the second half of Monday, July 29, 1991.
I'm in Tokyo with Matthew - a fellow assistant English teacher on the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme.
We're in the big city to meet and greet the new arrivals on JET - specifically the new ones who will be living in our prefecture of Tochigi-ken.
Also joining us is my friend John - from Toronto - who arrived yesterday and is staying with us in our hotel. Along with sneaking him into the welcome party, I've brought him along to join the fun with the new recruits.
Having met a lot of new people, we decide to blow this popsicle stand here at the Keio Plaza Hotel and head out into the real world.. the neon glow that is Tokyo.
We decided to go to a beer garden... essentially an outdoor patio atop a building. After a quick couple of drinks, we head out to another bar... but somehow, we lose John.
Holy crap!
I've lived here for a year and I still don't know how to get anywhere! How can a guy who may not even know what hotel we are staying at survive in a world where no one speaks English!?
Well... he did make it back to the hotel. Skipping a ahead here a bit... when he went to the washroom, we left the beer garden... it's why you always have to tell a buddy!
So... he did make it back to the hotel... and even managed to find the redlight district in Shinjuku that Matthew and I had showed him yesterday.
I won't tell you what he did (sucker), but at least he wore a condom and it only cost Y12000 ($120). Which seems like a lot of money now... and a lot of money then.
MariAnn - our leader because the real leader isn't around - is being the social butterfly trying to make as many friends as possible so she doesn't end up as lonely as she was this past year.
If that sounds harsh... it is.
MariAnn was lonely, despite having a cousin living nearby on the JET Programme. I don't blame her... Japan can be a difficult place to exist in for a weary traveler.
For me it was easier... perhaps because I wasn't always surrounded by a city like MariAnn was in Oyama. In my small-ish city of Ohtawara... I had Matthew living five minutes away, and my ex-girlfriend (but now friend-with-benefits) Ashley living 20 minutes away by bicycle. Because the place was small, people not only knew me... they got to know me.
There's a difference. People know the Queen of England... but do you really know her?
One of the new guys is James 'Jimmy Jive' Dalton from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. He's pretty cool and has an excellent sense of humour. He says he is shy around women (Hey! Me, too!), but no one believes him (Hey! Me, too!).
After having had enough beer--and knowing the official Tochigi-ken party will happen tomorrow night, we head the newcomers back to their hotel, and then Matthew and myself back to our hotel across the street.
Wonder of wonders, John is already there. Yes, we accidentally lost him, but he was smart enough to find his way back by himself in a strange country he has been in for two days and has no Japanese language speaking or understanding ability. Freaking amazing!
After John fills us in on his jaunt into the redlight district, Matthew and I look at each other incredulously and shake our collective head.
John tells me he has plans for the two of us tomorrow... which is freaking me out. Aside from the fact that he has money and I don't, how the heck does he know where he wants to go?
I'd feel better if the boy would offer to lend me a few yen until the 15th of the month (He knows I'm short/tight on cash)... then it would be no problem. But he never offers and I don't ask.
Stupid pride.
Somewhere wondering who the real sucker is,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by: The Chordettes: SLURP! Now do you know what the title means?
PS: Another blog on nuclear power numbers in Japan in 8 hours from the time of this blog's publication.
I'm in Tokyo with Matthew - a fellow assistant English teacher on the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme.
We're in the big city to meet and greet the new arrivals on JET - specifically the new ones who will be living in our prefecture of Tochigi-ken.
Also joining us is my friend John - from Toronto - who arrived yesterday and is staying with us in our hotel. Along with sneaking him into the welcome party, I've brought him along to join the fun with the new recruits.
Having met a lot of new people, we decide to blow this popsicle stand here at the Keio Plaza Hotel and head out into the real world.. the neon glow that is Tokyo.
We decided to go to a beer garden... essentially an outdoor patio atop a building. After a quick couple of drinks, we head out to another bar... but somehow, we lose John.
Holy crap!
I've lived here for a year and I still don't know how to get anywhere! How can a guy who may not even know what hotel we are staying at survive in a world where no one speaks English!?
Well... he did make it back to the hotel. Skipping a ahead here a bit... when he went to the washroom, we left the beer garden... it's why you always have to tell a buddy!
So... he did make it back to the hotel... and even managed to find the redlight district in Shinjuku that Matthew and I had showed him yesterday.
I won't tell you what he did (sucker), but at least he wore a condom and it only cost Y12000 ($120). Which seems like a lot of money now... and a lot of money then.
MariAnn - our leader because the real leader isn't around - is being the social butterfly trying to make as many friends as possible so she doesn't end up as lonely as she was this past year.
If that sounds harsh... it is.
MariAnn was lonely, despite having a cousin living nearby on the JET Programme. I don't blame her... Japan can be a difficult place to exist in for a weary traveler.
For me it was easier... perhaps because I wasn't always surrounded by a city like MariAnn was in Oyama. In my small-ish city of Ohtawara... I had Matthew living five minutes away, and my ex-girlfriend (but now friend-with-benefits) Ashley living 20 minutes away by bicycle. Because the place was small, people not only knew me... they got to know me.
There's a difference. People know the Queen of England... but do you really know her?
One of the new guys is James 'Jimmy Jive' Dalton from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. He's pretty cool and has an excellent sense of humour. He says he is shy around women (Hey! Me, too!), but no one believes him (Hey! Me, too!).
After having had enough beer--and knowing the official Tochigi-ken party will happen tomorrow night, we head the newcomers back to their hotel, and then Matthew and myself back to our hotel across the street.
Wonder of wonders, John is already there. Yes, we accidentally lost him, but he was smart enough to find his way back by himself in a strange country he has been in for two days and has no Japanese language speaking or understanding ability. Freaking amazing!
After John fills us in on his jaunt into the redlight district, Matthew and I look at each other incredulously and shake our collective head.
John tells me he has plans for the two of us tomorrow... which is freaking me out. Aside from the fact that he has money and I don't, how the heck does he know where he wants to go?
I'd feel better if the boy would offer to lend me a few yen until the 15th of the month (He knows I'm short/tight on cash)... then it would be no problem. But he never offers and I don't ask.
Stupid pride.
Somewhere wondering who the real sucker is,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by: The Chordettes: SLURP! Now do you know what the title means?
PS: Another blog on nuclear power numbers in Japan in 8 hours from the time of this blog's publication.
