Q

Fatal Error

I was late an hour and a half to work on Saturday. I think that was a fatal error. There's no way they would hire me now. It seems like they really don't even need me -- a native Japanese speaker would be much more qualified for the job. This has been made very clear in the office, so I'm resigned to my fate. But I'm still going to try my damndest and have them thinking after it's all over "wow! look at all this stuff Kira accomplished!"

(kira's hope)

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Black Ships

And also, I introduced a drinking game to these Todai kids and they got so trashed and were calling me "kurofune" at the end ("black ships," as in the ones Perry sailed on, opening up Japan to the evil West). Four people missed the last train, me and my roommate included. Uh oh.

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Korean Girls

Here are pictures from when I hung out with my Korean roommate and her Korean friend! Her friend, Heri, did our make up in the bathroom of a train station in about 5 minutes. It was incredible. We looked like such gyaru. We went to a nightclub together in Shibuya after going to Super Deluxe in Roppongi for Tokyo Art Beat's 4th Anniversary party. Both the party and clubbing were not fun, but somehow it was a huge relief to go out with everyone after a bad day at work. Man was it expensive though! I don't plan on ever going to a regular nightclub like that again.

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Floundering, Bowling

I'm still floundering by the way.. lately I've been considering design and law school. Both have been long-time dreams, so it's really really hard to decide. I'm interested in the work and communities associated with both, and I've been told I could do well in both. I don't think I'm particularly gifted at design, but I think I've naturally been more driven in the direction of acadaemia, so.. ahh! It's tough.

Anyway, here are some pics from bowling and hanging out in Kichijoji with Hiroko, my roommate Su-chan, and a bunch of Todai students!

More purikura!

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Roommate

So before, I kept saying that my roommate just kept doing touristy things instead of getting a job... well she finally got one at a Japanese lunch place a week ago or so. It's a total crap job that pays poorly, is only part-time, and has a boss that yells at her constantly (she came back crying today). And because she blew all her money in the beginning (as I was suspecting), now she has no money and now has completely run out of food. She gets a free all-you-can eat meal at work for lunch and just uses that one meal as food. And she borrows money from her friends when they go out for food. She doesn't get paid until two days before I leave next month. No doubt a lot of mooching will involve me in that time.

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Donald

Donald I bought in Ikebukuro! Why is Disney incredible in Japan?

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Late Night Visitor

I never mentioned this, but about a week ago, I heard somebody milling about in our common area at like 3:45 AM. Then I heard a knocking at our door. I didn't get up. Then, more knocking. I left it. Suddenly, the door just opened and there was some salaryman looking guy standing there looking into squinting into our dark chambers, saying something in Japanese about having bought the stuff. It was 4 in the morning and I had just woken up and my heart was thudding in my chest so I just said in a flat voice, "Anta dare." When I tell Japanese people this, they start laughing and say "what??" It's a really gruff way of saying "who the hell are you," and probably doesn't match my normal Japanese speech patterns. He continued on about the stuff he bought and I just repeated "アンタ誰" and he said "アンタって" or "What the hell do you mean 'who am I?'" And then he started saying his name and about himself and then all of a sudden said "あっ。部屋見違えた。ごめん" or "Oops, wrong room. Sorry." and then just left. Su and I were both totally freaked out but it was probably just some drunk guy that was really excited about sleeping with some desperate chick in the room above or below ours.

I maintain the strangeness of the event however.

Here is a shelf at work:

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Annette Kelm's Opening

Drinking with Tomoo Gokita and Keita Suzuki at Annette Kelm's opening:

A gift from a collector for Annette's show: