Arrival

Ok what the hell, the blogger interface in in Thai. But hey, at least I can type.

Arrived into BKK last night towards 10. Got checked in at a guesthouse towards 12. I was a little nervous, and still am: the weather is predicted to be rainy the whole time that I am here. I hope that it passes because I would really like to tan. I am also a little nervous for even with all the research I have done, I still am not quite sure what to do here... In any case, the important thing is that I am safe and have my shit and that the day has not even started so things can only go up from here.

By the way, there are quite the sexy foreign backpackers here: muscled, tan, tall... yum. I need to get like that. I need to get one of those, too!

BANGKOK

Bangkok, Pattaya, Ko Samui, here I come!

With only a school bag, my ticket, and my passport, this will be the biggest stunt I will have pulled to date. Let's hope I can find lodging, ne.

January 12th

I finally finished going through my Japan picture library. All I need to do now is tag the pictures and then watch out for a mass replacement of the pictures on Flickr.

January 12th, with only two suitcases, a carry-on, a teary face, and hope, I left all that I knew and held dear and stepped into the unknown. On the plane I thought that I was doing the stupidest thing in my life. I feel otherwise now. Coming to japan was the best decision I have ever made. But when ever I look at the pictures I took on that day, I feel as if I was leaving home all over again.

Here's to the journey.

The Toilet

So the other day, fearing pungent recourse, i decided to flush an avocado peel down the toilet. I wasn't able to fluch much else after that.

After about a week of holding the more substantial goods from the throne, i decided that buying a plunger would not be such a bad idea.

At a store

Pierre: Sumimasen. Puranja wa arimasu ka?

Clerk: (confused Japanese expression)

Pierre: (makes appropriate gestures)

Clerk: (confirmatory Japanese speech)

Returning home, I confronted the throne. I pumped. And then there was a squelch. Brown fluid flew. And then the toilet flushed. I may now shit in peace.

WOOT WOOT

MY MOTHER, SISTER, GODMOTHER, AND GRANDPARENTS ARE COMING TO TOKYO IN JULY! WOOT WOOT!

Budget

"I have 6,000 JPY in my wallet. I am going to make sure that it lasts until next Monday".

2 hours later...

"Shit."

Who's at the ATM, huh?

So hard to save in this country.

But Bangkok in 12 days...

Random!

Working Saturday was not as bad as some people made it out to be. I'm a little nervous, though, for a lot of students are used to Claire's way of teaching, and I am not Claire. Also, there's one student who is frankly a bitch.

In any case, after work Eri and I accepted Sei's invitation to go to his area for a few drinks celebrating his friend's birthday. We had no idea where we were going, who we were going to see, and what we would be doing. It took us 90 minutes and 1000 JPY each way on a rickety train as well. But it was all well-worth it: we had a blast revelling in cheap drink with fights breaking out all over. We then played spin-the-bottle like a bunch of high-schoolers.

The next day, Sei took us to the beach. I saw the Pacific Ocean. It was very pretty and massive. The drive there we forgot that we were in Japan. There were cars a-plenty. There was space. And sky. And children. It was like being up north from Montreal, but the signs were written in kana instead. But before that, we went to a restaurant in which food was cheap and plentiful. We were very confused.

After missing the Limited Express, Eri and I get home and change quickly to celebrate her birthday with the rest of the crew in Roppongi. We had Brazillian, thanks to Thomas, and it was an incredible recommendation, with tons of food and a great atmosphere. We then proceeded to walk around randomly, liquor in hand, past Tokyo Tower and through a temple in the dead of night. We finally arrive at a bar at Shimbashi, after I realize that there is not much open by walking the area and succeeding in nothing but being heckled by whores for "masaji" (massage). We ended up later on at Karaoke, because, I mean, what else is there to do at 3 o'clock?

Another one...

There's another cute one in class. He says he has been to Montreal and had made friends over the Internet prior to his arrival. He dresses well and has good hair. He smiles and appeals to my Montreal roots. Lastly, he said he stayed in a hostel but there are only hostels in certain "happy" parts of town, a location traingulated througha series of carefully asked questions.

Further investigation is required. Eigo-sensei out.

Just watch us burn

This weekend was a three-day weekend, thanks to a schedule switch. And not one moment was wasted. Saturday I went to Shinjuku Gyoen, where one may actually risk forgetting that they are in the biggest city in the world even though the world's busiest train station is a hop, skip, and jump that way. After seeing the cherry blossoms there I decided to get lost in the cherry blossoms at Senzokuike. Don't ask me where that is: many people who live here do not know, either.

The havoc started when I met up with Nicky and Eri in Shibuya. After being schooled in how being in the biggest city in the world need not necessitate that you will not run into someone who you have hit on in the past at some random bar, pretend to ignore,but tell your friends, who will in turn stare and catch him staring, and he will in turn tell his friends who will in turn stare back, causing a ping pong of stares which is not comfortable at all, we decided to go to Naka-Meguro on Sei's promise that there will be many more cherry blossoms. We saw a few, but it was quite windy, so we took refuge by trespassing under a shelter in property that was fenced off to the public. After sufficiently inebriating ourselves there, we proceeded to Roppongi where I was made a drink with much alcohol and little juice but tasted like the other way around.

When I woke up the next day I believe I was still under the influence of that drink. After spending an age going to and from because I left my passport behind, we proceeded to the military base where we consumed a magnificent feast, courtesy of Rico who has a wonderful pad and cooks magnificently. I think he actually through a better house party than I can, and seing that I cannot beat him, I said when he needs to throw the next one, I will be more than glad to assist. After the sumptuous repast, we met up with Aaron and got smahed at Nicky's place, where single men and women, gay man and straight man alike all commiserated on how having loved ones afar caused frustration near. Well, perhaps except the gay man, who did not leave anyone behind, is atracted to those near, but alas nothing works out as much as he would like it to.

He presses enter and starts a new paragraph, and promises to use first person singular from here on in.