Hey all, just a quick update to let everyone back in Americaland know that I am still alive and well. Since coming to Tokyo, I have done the following:
-Obtained a Chinese visa.
-Explored a completely self-contained city within Tokyo where one could live their entire life without ever going outdoors.
-Attended a huge festival held in the exact part of Tokyo where I’m staying (meaning that instead of regular meals, I got to eat non-stop FESTIVAL FOOD).
-Gone out partying and drinking to the extent that I completely lost my voice and was unable to talk for nearly two days.
-Broke my cellphone.
-Went to the beach in Chiba. Instead of sand, this beach sported a lovely array of cigarette butts and inside-out dead fish. I think I like Japan’s southern beaches better.
-Got lost walking through an industrial area of Chiba. I now know where Tokyo gets its milk, refined sugar, and newspapers.
-Ran into a friend who I met last time I was in Tokyo (talk about a small world).
-Attended a nice dinner party with some of Nick’s friends.
-Replaced my cellphone with a temporary loaner during repairs.
As of this moment, my voice is 99% healed and ready for another weekend of hardcore nightlife…this time with both Nick and David (who arrives tomorrow afternoon). Our first stop will be Velfarre, one of the largest clubs in Asia.
You know, this is now my fourth time in Tokyo. Some people might ask if I ever get sick of traveling to the same spot, and to that I answer both “yes” and “no.” Sure, I’ve been here before, and of course I love exploring new areas (as if the last week wasn’t enough of a hint about that). But somehow no matter how many times I come, Tokyo never fails to blow my mind.
While I would never have chosen to study here instead of Kyoto I still can’t help but love the craziness of it all. Every once in awhile I stop and look around, thinking to myself “How can all of this be possible? How can these endless bright lights, millions of people, and blasting music be part of the same country as the steaming volcanoes, light blue whirlpools, and vast rice fields I just saw less than seven days ago? And how can all of this be in an area smaller than the state of California?”
It’s really pretty hard to comprehend…and for the life of me, there is only one answer that I can come up with.
This is Japan.
Note to self:
Never eat “small portions of fish body” from a guy cooking them on a steel grate over a paint can filled with boiling feces sitting on a dirty brick from the side of his house, cutting the pieces with weed cutters from his garden, while wearing ladies knitting gloves 🙂
Seriously man…..that does not look right at all! It reminds me of that guy who used to work at rathskeller and wear those cut-up bicycle gloves as he made burritos for people….bleh
Andy
A Chinese visa??
Glad to hear that your voice is back, take care of yourself! =)
-Linda
That is another thing about Japan, germs and bacteria do not work the same way as in America. I do not understand it but I will guarantee you that nobody got sick from the fish parts in the picture. I have visited several places on the coast wher you can walk in the town areas and see tuna bodies without the guts sitting on the public sidewalk in the sun. All of that is heading for a restaurant somewhere. In America, you are not supposed to eat raw eggs because of salmonella. In Japan it is a popular dipping sauce for meat. Go figure. I have eaten lots of questionable stuff in Japan and have never sufferedill effects. How about you, Justin?
Nice pics, especially the last 3 🙂 I have to agree with andrew tho, it looks not yummy at all, but hey what can i say, haven’t eaten it yet. 😛
What are y’all talkin ’bout.. that fish looks great… certainly no worse than Mongolian bbq back in Westwood.
-Noz
Ho hum. Appears to be just another day on planet Justin. Awesome!
Haven’t heard from you in a while, but hearing that you got your China visa, it’s safe to assume u’re still coming? 9/7 if i remember correctly. What time does your flight get in? Mike gets back to Beijing from Cali on the same day (his visa expired and he had to book a flight at the last minute). If you guys can somehow meet up at the airport, it would save you the cabfare and avoid getting ripped off by the BJ cabbies. Email me with your flight info.
Nice pic at the end.
Justin-
I would not be too keen on cooked anything from a fecal paint can. Sure I took on the “poop-water” in Sevilla and survived without consequence, but you never know what thems crazys Jappos (or Chinkos) have in store for you sefeedis, lol.
Btw, just a quick update for you; Erika Herman is living with me for a bit. She and I spend hours talking about how much we hate… er, I mean MISS, you… yeah, that’s the ticket! 😛
Take good care of yerself, Kimosabi, and let me know if there’s a phone number I can reach you at occasionally.
-Shahin
How was the slow boat… to Shanghai?
xox