Windy

It's 2:49AM, Wednesday June 19, 1991. The sexy Japanese university student named Junko lies naked beside me in bed.
We met on Monday, as she and a bunch of other university studentsvisited Ohtawara Chu Gakko (Ohtawara Junior High School - aka Dai Chu)to see what it's like to be a real teacher. 
Despite the awesomeness of the past two nights with this tigress--shekeeps coming back for more--I have no idea what her last name is - andI'm well beyond asking her - especially if I want more.
I think I do.
I was actually asleep and woke up from a dream. A dream I had about Ashley.... which made me horny again.
Now looks-wise, while Ashley was cute, but Junko looked like she could be a lingeriefashion model - but I hardly ever saw her in lingerie. Unfortunately, I knew my relationship (physical) with Junko was going tolast as long as she was in town... she had to be back at her universityby next Monday. Wherever the heck that was.
I was 26-years-old to her 21 - and while writing about having sex with a21-year-old now in 2011 when I'm 46 seems strange, I never even gave it a secondthought back in 1991. I just thanked my lucky stars I didn't have agirlfriend this week.
So... why was I dreaming about Ashley? Looking at what popped up, I'mpretty sure I knew what I wanted from her. Oh well. No sleep for Junko.
No need to wake-up, we roll out of bed at 6:15AM, have separate showers, look at each other and then get dirty again.
I kick her out at 7:30AM - she shouldn't be seen leaving my place - notthat I'm embarrassed - actually, quite the contrary... I just don'twant any students at Dai Chu to see her leave my place... then she'llget talked about, and I don't want her to feel shamed by anyone.Although... I'm pretty sure she doesn't care, as she leaves myapartment wearing one of my dress shirts.
It's so obviously my shirt. Not only is it a man's shirt, It's purple -and no Japanese man would ever wear anything like what I wear.
Shunning Junko's offer of a drive to school (again, people talk in thistown - already my boss Hanazaki-san (Mr. Hanazaki) seems to know I'veslept with this hot tamale. We're not that loud, are we? Besides... we'd probably never even make it to Dai Chu.
At school - considering I've just had sex with a woman who should be afashion model - everything is great! The students are nice to me. Themale teachers are looking at me with awe, while some of the womenteacher's are giving me the squint eye--like they know who I'm sleepingwith and are wondering if I'm the predator or if Junko is. I think theyknow it's Junko, as one of the teachers comments (in English) "NiceShirt-o" to Junko. She says it loudly, glances at me and goes off tomake o-cha (green tea) for all of the male teachers.
I don't get any from her, but that's only because Junko has already brought me a cup, gently blowing on it to cool it down.
I'm pretty sure that blowing on the gaijin's (foreigner's) tea is a Japanese social faux pas - I don't care because Junko doesn't care.
What the hell is her last name?
Man - if only Ashley could see me with her!
During my classes, I talk with the idiot students who weren't nice tome a few days ago - but even their attitude toward me is softened toone of awe and respect as they seem to know I'm boinking the hotuniversity student-teacher, Junko.
At 4PM, I head to my back doctor for some quick adjustments - Junko andthe rest of the teachers have a meeting beginning at that time.
I stop off and get a bottle of Coca-Cola and head back to my place wondering what I'm going to eat for dinner.
As I open the door, step in and close it, a gentle rapping ensues. It's Junko.
Well, I guess I know what's for dinner.
She brought food, too.
When we're done, we eat dinner and tell her that it looks like tonightmight be our last night together. I'm busy tomorrow night, and onFriday I made plans to go to Disneyland with my ex-girlfriend Ashleyand a few other Tochigi-ken JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching)Programme people.
Despite the prospect of not being with Junko this weekend, I'm looking forward to spending it with Ashley.
I am so screwed up in the head.
I tell her what I am doing this weekend and with whom. Even thoughshe's not from Ohtawara, she knows who Ashley is. Junko begs me to lether come with me to Disneyland.
World's are colliding.
In 2011, I look back at this moment and realize this woman would havedone anything for me. Anything... she would have come with me toToronto, we could have started a family and she could have made moneyas a model... Not only is Junko super sexy, sexual and smart - shespeaks English very well. And, she doesn't seem crazy.
I reaffirm the 'no' answer, as I'm afraid she is either falling for me too quickly, or she's a lot more than just crazy in bed.
She is about to leave my place at 9PM so that I can do some laundry and iron some shirts. Junkogave me back my shirt and wore the one she had on from yesterday whichshe had hidden under my bedroom pillows. Oh and when she puts onyesterday's clothing, I notice she didn't wear any form of underwear atschool today... She'll never be a lingerie model with an attitude like this!
I think I'm going to run out of condoms...
She's still at my place when the doorbell rings at 10:30PM and Matthew beginspounding on the door. Junko says she'll answer it for me, but I pushher naked body back into my room and tell her to be quiet.
Matthew just popped over to say hi - use my washroom - and then stagger home after an enkai (party).
I have no idea why I was hiding Junko - perhaps to keep her to myself.
While Junko and I watch a television show about porno stars in thecountry - and why is this only on when Junko is around? And man is there alot of nudity in this program - I have to make a few phone calls.
I don't know about you, but I find talking to other women on the phonedifficult when I'm straddled by a 21-year-old sex goddess. Still, Italk to Melissa and Mari Ann and discuss plans for Canada Day in Tokyo asMari Ann invites me to a celebration at the Canadian embassy -I have no idea how she got that invite. We need to find out if Matthewcan be my guest, and if Melissa can be Mari Ann's, as she and I are thetwo Canadians.
Meanwhile, Junko is being Junko on top of me. She's feeding me food while she rocks my world.
I call Ashley - while Junko is entertaining me - and tell her about the final plans for our trip toDisneyland on Saturday (we're spending the evening at Susan St. Cyr'splace on Friday).
Why am I calling and thinking about Ashley et al when I have a Junko food craving?
Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Somewhere Junko doesn't need sleep when she's with
Andrew Joseph

Today's blog title is by The Association... Junko reminds me of WINDY - breezy and easy.

PS: Wasn't that wicked of me to call Ashley while I was under Junko? It was. Being evil can be fun!

Lucky Man

Despite the euphoria of having just slept with a gorgeous 21-year-oldJapanese university student, I'm cranky today - Tuesday, June 18, 1991.
It might be a lack of sleep - a thought that makes me smile because of why I had no sleep.
This morning, Junko sees me and coyly smiles at me in the teacher'soffice of Ohtawara Chu Gakko (Ohtawara Junior High School - also knownas Dai Chu) here in Ohtawara-shi (Ohtawara City), Tochigi-ken (TochigiPreferecture/State/Province) in Japan.
She repeatedly gives me the eye,and once licked her lips at me. Holy smokes! This woman is a tiger! Shedoesn't say too much to me today - a fact that makes a couple of theteachers pay even closer attention to me.
They know something happened between us last night.
They also know it was nothing bad, as she keeps looking at me (andobviously I'm looking at her to have noticed her looking at me).
The teachers - first all of the women - look at Junko, then stare atme. They then go into a huddle and seem to have confirmed that yes, Idid sleep with the university student. They seem concerned that perhapsI will attack the other two female university students doing an internshiphere at this school.
I might. But, it's not often I make the first move... I'm only aggressive after I'm sure I'm not going to be rebuffed.
The men... they just kind of figured out that I probably already sleptwith Junko, and while glad for me, probably hated my guts.
Now... here's an embarrassing thing that I'm truly not very proud off.
I know.. you've read a lot of things in these blogs that I should beashamed of, but this one is up there. Yes, it's worse than trying todeflower the university student. I tried. But someone beat me to it.
Anyhow... the students are all asses today. It's like they too hate me for sleeping with the sexy Junko.
In order to silence one of the 2nd-year students (grade 9's/14-year-olds)--a fatand obnoxious brat--I actually put him in a headlock and squeezed himuntil he changed color.
I'm going to guess this was a bad thing. And probably not something Ishould be admitting (though I did tell a few of my fellow gaijin(foreigners) about it later).
I did it after I repeatedly warned him that flipping the middle finger at an American of Canadian could get him into a fight.
Anyhow... I don't know how long I held him in that headlock... itseemed like a while. It wasn't really a choke hold, as I did squeezehim around the forehead.
What am I doing? I'm a lover, not a fighter! Just ask Junko!
Later on, I offered to shake the kid's hand in apology... but he saidhe wanted to fight some more. This he said in English! I could havecried in happiness!
But, after repeatedly sticking my hand out, he relented and went to grab it... in a judo throw.
Bugger! He didn't toss me, however, as I do know judo. He should haveknown that too, if he had remembered my self-introduction a few monthsback. Instead, I just held and squeezed his hand until he went down onhis knees.
He won't do that again (and truthfully - he didn't. He and I, while never best of friends, were friends after that!).
Obviously, I'm hyper now. So I go out to the front of the school andstare at the pond that is home to countless frogs. Despite beingcountless, I attempt to count them anyway. I get up to 47 beforebecoming bored, and instead wonder why the pond water is rust-coloured.
At lunch, my boss from the OBOE (Ohtawara Board of Education), Mr.Hanazaki, says he is coming over. I panic for 10 minutes until hearrives - fearing that it just might be wrong to fight a student!Instead, he has me sign my contract for next year, and tells me Ishould take it with me when I go down to the (work) Visa office inTokyo to essentially be allowed to stay in Japan another year.
He walks me around the school pointing out that his father was theprincipal at Dai Chu 15 years ago. He shows me his dad's photo. Youwon't believe this, but the man was smiling in the picture! The exactsame smile my boss has on his face every time I see him! Awesome!
Hanazaki-san (Mister Hanazaki... san also means Miss or Ms.) asks me if I had a nice time with Junko last night. How the hell did he know that?
I smile a crooked smile, raise my right eyebrow and say: "Hai!" (Yes!)He slaps me on the back and asks me about Ashley-sensei (Ashley teacher- my ex). I tell him we broke up. He says "Okay, secret,"  bows andwalks off.
How can he know I've slept with some woman whose last name I don't knowthat I met yesterday - but not know Ashley and I broke up?! I mean,weren't we yelling at each other loudly enough?  
Regardless, after school I arrive back at my apartment to see Ashleysitting on the front steps of the building. She looks pretty good,despite having put on a few pounds these past couple of weeks. She comes in, we chat, watch anepisode of Designing Women on a video tape I have and then walk over to a Chinese restaurantnear the Ashikaga Bank about four minutes away from my place. There'san enkai (a party) for something or another. Whatever. I was invited,and in turn asked Ashley to join me.
Despite being a non-couple, it's still my goal to get her good anddrunk and then... well, do whatever it is you do when you're drunk. Pee, Isuppose.
Matthew is there, and so is French-Canadian Martin and the American Kevin(the last two work for American corporations here in Ohtawara). Takakois there (Matthew's girlfriend), as well as Sugawara-san, and a couple of ladies Irecognize but don't know by name.
The food is not that filling, but the beer and whiskey is. I drink morethan my fair share, as I correctly assume that gaijin drink free. Ashley helps herself to my whiskey.
She and I are pretty chummy - I even let her get in a few good rips atme for old times sake. I dominate the entire conversation because I'm aloudmouth schnook - but no one seems to mind. I  make jokes and mimiceverybody there. I make a total ass of myself - but since we're allhaving a good time and not acting false, no one cares!
At 9PM, the party is over. I know. 9 P.M.! That's when the sidewalks are rolled up in Ohtawara-shi.
Still, the group of us go to a local coffee shop near the Ohtawara BoysHigh School where Ashley teaches. Narita, Brian, Naoko and thebeautiful girl from my evening conversation class--Shoko--are there.Ashley sits beside me. I'm sure Shoko is giving Ashley the evil eye.
We have something called Royal Tea and cheese cake - and I swear, if Ididn't have so much muscle there, it would have gone straight to mythighs. I don't know about anyone else, though.
At 10:30, we leave the shop. Martin drops Ashley and myself off at my apartment and then drives Matthew home.
Ash and I go up to my place take that wonderful pee we've been holdingin for hours and then sit and relax in my place while I make a phonecall to Susan St. Cyr to confirm that Ashley and I do want to go toDisneyland (probably... just not as a couple).
When I talk with Susan, she invites me to stay at her place this Friday night - and when Imention Ashley is coming, she hems for a second before saying Ashleycan stay too.
Cripes. Does everybody love Andrew? Or maybe she just didn't like Ashley.
Even though Ashley didn't ask me to, I rode my bicycle to accompany herback to her place 30 minutes away in Nishinasuno-machi (NishinasunoTown). The ride was nice and relaxed - probably because we were bothhammered.
And, even though we were both drunk - sleeping with her tonight is not part of my plan. Tonight builds trust.
I go into her place for a Coke. I notice my photo is gone and wonder ifshe burned it to exorcise the demons - much like she did the first timewe broke up back in November? Regardless, when I leave at 11:30PM, I geta really long (non-sexy), big hug.
I ride home getting there at about 11:50PM and see Junko leaving my front door.
What the hell. I call to her quietly. She turns, smiles and waits for me to unlock the door.
I still don't have a pair of indoor slippers for her - not that she needs to have anything on.

Somewhere the kami (gods) are smiling this week on,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Emerson, Lake and Palmer: ELP 
PS: There's another blog eight (8) hours from the time this one is published - about something evil in Japan! 

Interlude

It's Monday, June 17 - a day I taught at Ohtawara Chu Gakko (Ohtawara Junior High School) in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken in Japan (Ohtawara City in Tochigi Prefecture) - and stuff begins to happen. Yesterday, I began plans to sleep with my ex-girlfriend Ashley again.   
Today? Well, it's another day, right? 
It's a hot day - kind of sticky. School is boring so I teach some of the teachers (and students) a few naughty words in English - uh, just the guys, of course. The women are too demure. There are several university students/would-be teachers at school - observing classes (and me). A really good-looking lady, with an almost bronze complexion  keeps trying to talk to me all the time. Her name is Junko (no idea what her family name is!). She's about 21, 5'-4" and slender, but has curves in all the right places. And, more importantly, she's paying attention to me plus her English is superb!
Regular readers may have noticed that I often don't appear to be trying very hard to get laid. It's true, because here in Disneyland, I mean Japan, I have found that the women will hit on me. I think it's because I'm taller than the average Japanese man by about four inches, am decent enough-looking (I've never thought I was good looking), have longish, but neatly styled hair, am Western (always popular with the Japanese ladies), but don't look like your typical American or Canadian - I'm a bit of a rarity... exotic to the Japanese if you will. While it's true I almost always have a smile on my face, I can't say that my sense of humour or personality stands out (actually my two best features after my butt) because with the language barrier, few Japanese truly get to see what I'm really like. But Junko's English seems to be good enough to almost pass as a native Canadian speaker. It's probably why I was able to relax and just be my usual shy self around her.  
Junko is forever talking to me about my relationship status (very single - as is she), about how much she wants to live in Canada, or find a boyfriend (and when she said that, I swear she looked me straight in the eyes, squeezed my thigh, and batted her eyelashes at me).
I'm not stupid. I wrote out my home phone number and address on my business card and told her to come over to my apartment later this evening after 9:30PM.
Why so late? Did I have to clean my place?
Nope... I had a night school English conversation class I had to teach.
That class is okay.... people now know how to make real conversational introductions. Sort of.
"Mayonnaise is Narita-san".
... mayonnaise is how many beginner Japanese pronounce the phrase: 'my name is'. It's cute, actually. I can only get them to try and repeat the proper pronunciation after I say it, but we are talking years of actually saying it incorrectly. My favourite mispronunciation is the name Catherine (Komlodi), who's forever known in my mind as "Gasoreen", which is a lot like Gasoline...which is perfect, because she has the octane to make me go-go-go!
I get paid Y12,500 for the evening = $125. Yahoo!
I race home, pull out a bottle of wine, then put it away knowing I won't need it.
Ten minutes after arriving home, there is a gentle rapping on my apartment door. It's 9:31PM. Exactly. A very shy Junko walks in, takes off her shoes and looks about for my apartment slippers (for guests).
She asks where they are. I say she won't need it, and move in for a long kiss and am not rebuffed.
The next morning after she left my apartment, it appears as though I was correct. We did not need the wine, and Junko did not need the apartment slippers.

Somewhere needing to buy orange juice,

Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is crooned by Morrissey & Siouxsie: SHHHH 
PS - Another article will be published eight hours from this - this is from the Wall Street Journal and is about the Honda car factory in Tochigi-ken. It is presented in its entirety though, I have added my own notes and comments as a forward and backward to the article.

Walk This Way

I've never actually seen one in person, so I'm not even going to begin to describe what it looks on the inside. Let's just say that on any given evening between 7PM and 10PM, it's packed full with junior high and senior high school students trying to prep themselves to get into the next level of school in the best shape possible. They are known as Yobiko - cram schools.

According to some statistics, about a full one-third of all Japanese students go on to university. It's something that is expected if a young Japanese person is looking to maximize their future earnings and hoping to get in with a good company, or is looking to use to attract a spouse.

Me? I did 14 years of high school (I like Grade 12 so much I did it twice  - and in Ontario at that time, we had Grade 13); I did five years of university goofing around doing Political Science; and two years in College doing journalism, the results of which are on display here. Sorry about that. Perhaps if I had gone to yobiko? 

Just as there is fierce competition for students to get into a good university, so too is there fierce competition to get into a good high school, as entrance exams taken when you are 14 or 15 years old in junior high school can determine your lot in life. 

Now maybe that's the way it is in a lot of countries, but in Canada you can be a screw up for 30 or 40 or 50 years before coming to your senses to head back to school and learn a new occupation.

For those students who fail their entrance exam, they can try again the next year. These students are called 'ronin', which actually means masterless samurai which happens if a samurai fails his master or if the samurai and the family are killed. 

The yobiko is for two types of students - those who are looking for more help to pass the entrance exams, and the ronin students. 

The cram schools are plentiful in Japan. Why, because there is a demand for them as students (that is, their parents) place a high esteem on them. 

Of course, once a junior high school student gets into a good high school and again into a university - that's when the party starts. For maybe four or five years, Japanese university students get to act like little sho-gakkusei (primary school students). It's true. Apparently Japanese universities are notoriously easy (I'd say that is just for the undergraduate programs, and not for those looking for an MBA, MA or PhD).

Friends of mine told me they quickly forgot how to study and learned instead how to imbibe copious amounts of alcohol. Of course, this may also be the first time in their life they are away from their parents, so what the heck?! Japan was my first time away from my parents, and all I did was drink and try to get laid. See - we are so much alike!    

So... anyway... back to cram school. They learn a lot of the same stuff they learn in their regular day school - plus they get to do a lot of mock tests to help them prepare for their entrance exams. They learn tricks and mnemonics and often get ahead of their day school - the result being they actually do better at day school. This promotes a better feeling about school, itself, which makes spending 14 hours of one's day - multiple days a week inside a class room seem like a small price to pay just so you can get laid in university.

Somewhere knowing that seven years of post-secondary education didn't get me laid,

Andrew Joseph  

Today's title is by Aerosmith (though I like the Run DMC version, too): HIGHSCHOOL LOSER

Okay, okay... here's the Run DMC version. They deserve it for their part in resurrecting the career of Aerosmith - plus it's a cool video: SASSY.