Hajike Party: January 2008

I was supposed to post after I arrived in Japan, but a few things happened that slowed things down for me and didn't let me do things as I wanted.

First off, I didn't have net for a little while so it made things a little hard for me.

After that, I got sick, which didn't put me in much of a mood to write.

But I'm here now, that's what matters.

I had really put a lot into this trip. Since I began working part time in July, I had been trying to save what little money I have to make this the most awesome trip that it could be. Actually, concerning money I was surprised that I was able to make it. Both in saving enough money to get there and saving enough money so that I'm not dead broke, but thanks to various freelance jobs I was able to do I made out okay.

That was one of the various good things that came from this experience. Unfortunately, there were a few bumps on my foray into awesome, and I would like to get those out of the way before I go on.

Of course, it started out with that terrible trip over there, but I already wrote about that. But what really kinda took the air out of my tires was that I came down with a cold.

I had spent the time before my trip trying not to get sick. I exercised periodically in the morning, I ate well and tried to stay away from sugar. I took vitamins, and those immune booster things.

But it seems that life has a funny way of doing things. Sometimes it seems like there is a very thin line between being cautious and being too anxious, and when you cross that anxiety line, whatever it is that you were trying to prevent is exactly what will happen to you.

After all that I did, not long after arriving in Japan, I felt a tickle in my throat.

That was it. The beginning of my cold and the end of my grand plans.

Damn you Irony. I shake my fist at thee.

Now, of course it could have been a lot worse, I was still able to enjoy my trip. But I could have done more, including getting some actual sketches done. It was unfortunate that I couldn't do that.

Alright, with that out of the way I can talk about the cool stuff.
Actually, I'm not really sure where to start, there really was a lot going on in my head while I was there.

This trip wasn't a life changing experience, but it was an experience. It's a bit strange to think about it, but I've spent a good chunk of my actual life studying Japanese and learning all sorts of random things about Japan, but this is only my third time there. In addition, in total I've only been in Japan for a total of about 3 weeks between these 3 trips.

To step on the ground and to be in a place where people are speaking Japanese is surreal. Actually, it was intimidating and relaxing at the same time. Having just got there I was kind of shocked into shyness. The overload of Japanese was like jumping into an ocean when you've only swam in rivers. I had no choice to speak Japanese to buy food and books and things, but I felt like an idiot and was stumbling all over the place. However, as I was there I felt more comfortable with Japanese, and I know that if I had a lengthier stay I would be able to once and for all have Japanese conversation with the same confidence that I can have in English.

But the reality of the situation at the time was that I ended up speaking little Japanese when I had someone that spoke English around me...which was most of the time. I'm a little dissapointed in myself, but only a little...I have to give myself a break because I was only there for about 8 days. If I lived there for a year and did that, well then we have a real problem.

Another thing about Japan, though it wasn't what I expected, was how people saw me. Being African American is one thing in America, and something totally different abroad. Usually it ends up that people are nicer and have less hostile to you but you are still at the will of the various stereotypes that have been perpetuated throughout the world. What is also weird is that you can feel even more like an outsider, because you are, and it's so much more apparent in a country that is 99% ethnic Japanese. In America, though I'm disturbed by how people are mostly identified by race before nationality, I still feel American. In Japan, I'm a gaikokujin (foreigner) in addition to being a kokujin (black guy) compounding the degrees of separation... and hilarity!

I joke.

But it turns out that I didn't really feel much of that at all. Yes, I got stares, mostly from young children. But that was it. I started out having all these ideas of the crazy and strange comments and conversations I would get into, because I was the only black, afro sporting (by the way, I shaved my afro a few days after arriving), guy in the city but in the end nothing happened.

...this blog is going a little long, I'm going to try and wrap it up and skip all the details.

Anyway, I'll give a synopsis of what I did.

-Arrived in Fukuoka, stayed in awesome design inspired hotel (Querega I believe)
-Spent a lot of good time with my girlfriend, and I'm a bit sad without her here...
-Did a lot of walking, eating, looking around Fukuoka city, mostly around Tenjin. I like it a lot, and I prefer it out of all the cities I've been to in Japan.
-Took the bullet train to Osaka and hung out with my friends.

Some observations on Osaka...
-extremely crowded (but this was probably because it was a holiday for everyone)
-more fat people
-people dress differently
-feels totally different from Tokyo, or the places I've been to in Kyushu.
- the food is delicious, my pallet will never be the same.

- I did hatumode (visiting temple on new year's).
- I bought a lot of books including the newest volume of Detroit Metal City,completed π/Pai, and a few art books by Katsuya Terada
-I watched a lot of tv, most of it was pretty interesting thought nothing to really write about...except full house in Japanese. The voices are really strange and it was interesting how they translated their catch phrases. For example, Joey's "cut, it, out!" is "Hai! Kore de, owari!"

Anyway, a good time was had by all. I'm looking forward to when I can go again, which I hope is soon because I applied to JET and hope I get in.

Also, this trip made me think a lot and motivated me to make this year a better one then the last. I could write a lot about that and be all...thought provoking and sentimental...but I'll spare you because I know hardly anyone reads this, and if they do just probably just want to see pictures. (Actually, I'm just kind of tired today.)

So, on with some pictures.

I posted all of these on my Pro Flickr account actually. So you can go there if you want. http://flickr.com/samurabi