Darlo's World

So yesterday started late, my body and soul (as well as my alarm clock) deciding I was due a nice lie-in. Yesterday was the 14th of March and that meant it was White Day. On this day in Japan men who received chocolate (or other assorted goodies) on Valentine’s Day, return the favour. I received a piece of chocolate from my dorm managers wife so I planned to buy some chocolate as an お返し (okaeshi, return gift).

Setting off at about 3 o’clock, not too long after getting my lazy arse out of bed, I headed off in search of some lunch and an appropriate gift. After not too long I found myself in Umeda, under the bridge in the restaurant that I ate in on Monday, eating the same niku-udon. After giving thanks to the woman at the counter I headed towards the far side of the Umeda Sky building, an area I hadn’t yet walked around.

Passing a wide range of small factories and small businesses (including a lot of mechanics), I was reminded of Telfords own industrial areas, the kind of places a normal guy like me could work. Maybe not a fantastic job with a great pay, but work is work. I also pondered the possibility of working in a place like this after my degree. I also considered the average part-time job done by my fellow exchange students, and how all but a few seemed to be doing the well paid English tutor/teacher thing. But the people I really take my (metaphorical) hat of to are the guys working ‘normal’ jobs, like in a cafe, or in McDonalds. Yeah the pay isn’t as good, but this is the sort of job where you’re using real Japanese in a real Japanese environment.

I (metaphorically) salute you.

Coming from the other side of the Umeda Sky Building I soon found myself face to face with a nice garden area with waterfalls, walkways and awesome plant-life. If the weather would have been more Summery (I had to allow for the fact that it wasn’t summer), like when we first arrived in Japan this would have been a very tropical environment, similar to when we went to Jamaica‘s Dunn’s River Falls over 10 years ago.

On the walk back, walking a different way from usual (as usual) by chance I looked up to see a sign attached to a fire escape advertising an ‘anime and manga production and training school’. Now I know that I’m more likely to find one of these in Japan than in England but I really wasn’t expecting to actually see one. Walking around the corner I came face to face with it, so casually picked up one of it’s leaflet packs from outside (which came with a copy of one of the schools manga publications). As much as I’d love to go to 大阪アニメーター学院 (Osaka Animator School), it’s a bit expensive for me. Not to mention I’m only here for another 2 months.

On the way home I stopped at the Family Mart convenience store to pick up some chocolate. I decided to buy a piece for all the staff members at the dorm, let’s face it they’ve been pretty awesome, so I bought about 15 or so small pieces. When it came to giving them out, the staff member seemed to be really shocked at the gesture, but at the same time really greatful.

Seeing as I didn’t go out the night before last, I made a point of deciding I would without a doubt go out last night. Checking the schedule for Sam and Daves (once again I couldn’t be bothered to go to Shinsaibashi, wanting to stay in Umeda) they were going to be having ‘Playboy Mansion Party’ theme, so decided to go to that. Unfortunately trying to convince others to do the same wasn’t so easy, especially as I’d left it so late to email everyone. For the homestay students, it was understandable if they didn’t want to go (the same reason I seldom go with them to Sannomiya, it’s too damn far) and for the dorm guys they had other reasons ranging from illness to plans already being made.

“Sod it” I thought, “I’ll go solo”, and so I did.

As far as Playboy Parties go, with the exception of the barstaff wearing dressing gowns on top of their normal uniform, there wasn’t really much different to be honest. Non of the customers were dressed up (neither was I thankfully), so if it wasn’t for the fact I’d seen it advertised on the website I wouldn’t have been any the wiser. However, apparently there were bunny girls there before I got there.

Even though I went alone, by chance I met three people in the club who I knew; a guy who I study with at Leeds, a Japanese girl that he knew and I’d met a few times at Konan (despite the fact she goes to another Uni), and one of the guys I met when I did that 初めての日本 (hajimete no nippon, first time Japan) TV show a few months back (skip to the bottom of this entry to watch the show).

So throughout the night I managed to practice Japanese and also held the occaisional conversation in English as I met a few people wanting to learn the language. I did meet one very irritating American buggar though. Here’s a brief of how the conversation went

Him: Approached with a nod of the head
Me: 今日は (konnichiwa, hi)
Him: Yeah, I could speak to you in Japanese, but I save that for trying to score with the ladies
Me: Riiiight … good luck with that.

I was very thankful to see him then walk facefirst into a wall. Karma, you gotta love it.

So like yesterday, the majority of today was spent in bed due to the fact it was about 7 o’clock this morning I got home. Hangover? Meh, if that’s what this is it’s not doing a very good job, more like I ate something funny. And speaking of eating funny things, I now present to you my first (and probably only) television appearance in Japan. Enjoy! (The Room of Living Dolls is on the second video)

So Christmas Eve was spent doing my usual last minute Christmas shop, but it seemed very different this year. Obviously I was in a new country and so things would inevitably be different, but what struck me was the fact that people weren’t fighting each other to get that last toy on the shelf, or turkey in the freezer. It was pleasant. Though the gifts I’m sending home won’t get there before new year (and probably my older sisters birthday … crud, forgot about that), I did manage to finally get some postcards sent. It’s definately an interesting feeling going to the Post Office on Christmas Eve.

I spent Christmas Eve night in my favourite (aka cheapest) bar, the 280 place. That isn’t it’s real name, but I tend to forget it’s real name everytime I go to say it and make something up for it instead. Ironically that’s how I get by in a lot of the Japanese I speak; if I don’t know a word, I make one up and occaisionally I get lucky. I was quite gutted at the fact that I couldn’t seem to drink two giant beers as I normally would, but I’ll put that down to the slight cold I’ve got.

On Christmas Day I woke up bright and early (7.30) and went down for some breakfast. After which I then proceeded straight back to bed. Oh the life of a single man is truly a tough one. Emerging from my pit I did a ring around (via text message) to see who else fancied a traditional Japanese Christmas lunch at KFC. No, I’m sorry, I still can’t type that (let alone say it) with a perfectly straight face. Anywho, moving on.

Three of us in total went into Umeda to get some chicken and share the season with one another. I also took the opportunity to try something American that KFC served, a biscuit.

Now don’t start lighting pitchforks declaring the only true biscuit is along the lines of a Rich Tea, Custard Cream, or the debatable Jaffa Cake. What the Americans consider to be a biscuit is totally different. It’s like a Jamaican fried dumpling, only lighter and less crispy. Why they’re called this I have no idea, and why Japan’s KFC has one with a hole in the middle stumped my one friend, but tastewise they’re really not bad. KFC also gave us some maple syrup with the American biscuit (which again confused my one friend) but we tried an experiment.

Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls. Maple syrup goes amazingly on KFC’s chicken. Yes that’s right, we’ve found a way to give it even more calories and even more flavour. Don’t believe me? To be honest I don’t blame you. From the sounds of it you’d think we were drunk and had nothing better to do. Well, we weren’t drunk that’s for certain. It’s the kind of flavour that you’ll either enjoy or dislike. It’s not as comparable as the love it-hate it relationship which Marmite (hate it) has, but it’s probably not for everyone.

After saying goodbye to one friend, off to get his hair cut, my other friend headed off to The Room of Living Dolls. He hadn’t seen it, and I wanted to see it with my eyes open. It was while we were waiting in the queue we realised something that had been muttered to us earlier. Christmas in Japan was more a time for couples, especially young couples, and as we looked around all we could see were couples holding hands or being romanticy (probably not a real word). Here were were, two foreign men with identical hair (mine being a lot shorter) going to one of the scariest attractions in Osaka. I’m pretty sure we recieved a few unheard comments.

Christmas dinner was an amazing curry, but I felt I loaded my plate too high as it took me around 50 minutes to get through the whole thing. I’m not going to say it’s better than Christmas dinner would have been at home, but it was definately comparable.

Which brings me to Boxing Day … that’s it. With the exception of making a new forum for the guys who’re studying at Konan, I’ve slept most of the day away. I wish I could have more exciting things to bang on about … but really, that’s all. So here’s a video explaining how takoyaki is made from Cooking With Dog!