not quite fluent

i like to draw peektchars

2010-05-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

ive got another blog. just for drawings and junk.
新しいブログを作りました。今度はイラストのためのブログです。よろしくおねがいします。

click HERE for my illustration blog!!!

i MAY update this from time to time :)

ポッキーパンダと一緒

2010-04-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

went for a stroll around a not so family friendly park. wanted a shot of the circle of homeless tents, but couldn't muster up the courage.

カントリーライフ

2010-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

i entered into the world of my mom's classic old country living magazine collection...the japanese edition she hid from us kids under her mattress.

this is the house i was gracefully given the opportunity to live in for a week by the incredibly hospitable mario and sari

久しぶりの旅

2010-04-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

its funny how quickly you can get used to your surroundings. i came to japan awhile ago, but now that i live in my own apartment, have a job, go to school, i kinda lost that feeling of traveling...i missed the feeling of not knowing what my destination would be like.
初めは珍しくても周りの事に速く慣れるってちょっと変だと思う。結構前日本に来た。でも、もう何ヶ月自分のマンションに住んでるし、バイトもやってるし、学校に通ってるし、その周りが新しくて毎日発見がある時が最近あまりない。行く先はどんな所だろうなあって気持ちをもう一度感じたい。

so when i woke up at 6am to get on a train headed for oita, where i would be picked up at the station by the sister of a friend of a friend of a friend, that sense of ''dude...what am i DOING?!'' came rushing back.
大分県に行く電車に乗る前にワクワクしながら朝６時起きた。大分駅で友達の友達の友達の妹は僕を迎えに来てくれる約束があった。アドベンチャーだろう？

because im tired of being surrounded by apartments. because i wanted to get out into the countryside. just get away. see a different part of japan. experience a lifestyle completely different from my own.
マンションだらけの生活にあきたけん。田舎に行きたかったけん。出かけたかった。日本の行ったことない所へ。僕の生活と全く違うのを見るため。

forgive me father, for i know not what i do

2010-03-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

yesterday because of the freezing rain, customers were scarce. only the truly brave could muster up the strength to walk down the long, cold alleyway to our restaurant. with 4 staff just standing around picking our noses, one of us had to be sent home early. there was no drawing of straws involved. just a simple "ryan go home"

my apron flys off. i grab my backpack and zip-up hoodie (didnt realize it was going to be 2 degrees today when i got ready in the morning) from the back, and walk out to the main floor to say the mandatory お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu...or, i'm going to be rude and leave first)

i'm putting my right arm through the sleeve of my sweatshirt when my boss, with a look of horror, says

ライアン！裏、裏！裏でやれ！お客様の前で着替えっちゃダメだよ！
ryan! in the back in the back! you cant change clothes in front of the customers!

you'd think i was standing there in my underwear.

change clothes? i'm just putting on my sweatshirt...i must have had an expression of complete confusion

with a laugh mayumi tells me that in japan, before you leave the staff area, you need to be completely dressed, even down to having your backpack on. the simple act of putting a bag over your shoulder in front of the customers can be taken as an offense.

i hope my gaudy display didn't make any of the customers lose their appetite.

FlowerChildrenSeedのイベントに参加してきた！

2010-02-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

i was asked to participate in a charity event for the children who flee tibet over the himilayas to live in india where they can get an education.

it was a good time with lots of awesome people. a day full of music, painting, dancing, and little ol' me drawing the faces of the people who participated in the event on postcards. DUDE! talk about nerve wracking! i love drawing portraits, but to whip one out in five to ten minutes while someone is waiting (and watching you draw) is daunting! im just glad i was allowed to do it in my own style.

皆さんありがとうございました！楽しかったです！
参加させてくれてありがとうございました。

my first snow.

2010-01-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

ok, ok. so i lied. its not my first time seeing snow, BUT! its the first time (i can remember) actually living somewhere that snows, not just visiting for a day or two. and when i woke up this morning to this view i was stoked!

i dont want to here "thats not snow! you should see the 6 feet of snow our house has been buried in for the last 3 months!"

you're just jealous cause i don't have to bust out my shovel to get out of the driveway.

for a guy who grew up with 100 degree christmas afternoons (not australia buddy, san diego! it technically WAS winter), this is glorious, fluffy SNOW that fluttered ever so gently down from heaven and kissed the rooftops of my quiet neighborhood.

someone built this hilariously ugly snowman in the park.

スケッチブック

2009-11-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

大宰府の秋！

2009-11-07T02:34:00.000-08:00

sketchbook

2009-10-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

合格！JLPT 2 !

2009-10-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

for those who wanted me to write more. this is my gift to you.

this is also my bragging blog.

for foreigners living in japan there's a test called the JLPT (japanese language proficiency test) with 4 levels.

level 4 is crazy easy

level 3 bumps it up a bit, and then a HUGE gigantic king kong size climb in toughness to...

level 2. the test required to be considered for entry into japanese universities, and get jobs as a foreigner in japan.

level 1 is like...i dunno, i guess if you wanna be a doctor in japan or if you want to be the next emperor maybe.

i have no desire to be the next emperor (besides that was a lie about becoming the emperor if you pass the test. sorry) so i took level 2 today. its a 2 hour test that is insanely boring, but made even more painful when you have a bad cold. anyway, i ran out of time and took my remaining 10 seconds to guess on about 8 of the remaining questions...naturally those questions were all worth 5 points each rather than the usual 1, or 2.

i got every single one those 8 wrong. minus 40 points right there. ouch. this is why i don't play the lottery.

a passing score is 240/400.

i got 315.

now im about to brag, but hey, i'm stoked. in order for learners of japanese to prepare for these tests, there are about a billion books with sample problems, essays, previous years tests, study points, grammar patterns...are you bored yet? cause i was after about 5 minutes of buying one of these books. i got through the first 2 pages and just couldn't bare to open it again. i think its in my closet somewhere.

how long could you spend trying to memorize such useful phrases as:

この法案は国会により承認された。
This bill was approved by the National Diet.

i know that comes up all the time in my conversations.

forget that. i learned the basics about 2 years ago at a japanese school (and would actually recommend that as a good starter point if you're like me and never know where to begin). but now i just watch tv. i hang out with my japanese friends. i owe a LOT to my old roomies in california who corrected a lot of my mistakes (thanks meg and chaki!...and shinobi), and listened patiently to my broken japanese for almost a year. i only read comics in japanese. i only read japanese novels. its insanely hard at first, but you get used to it. eventually things just start to make sense. i don't know what an intransitive verb is, or whether "manabu" is a group 2 or 3 verb, i couldn't tell you the object and subject of a sentence in english for cryin out loud (sorry mom, but its true), and i sure can't do it japanese.

but somehow, i can usually tell when a sentence is wrong, and when its right.

of course im not perfect, and like sebastian in the never ending story i still have a LONG LONG way to go. i've strayed off the japanese road to fluency a number of times, and completely given up on this beast of a language. i still misunderstand things, or don't understand them at all. i can only read 500 of the 2000 some odd characters. creating my own correct sentences is ten times harder than listening to japanese people's sentences. but im up for the challenge, and rather than struggle to stay awake reading boring textbooks, why not continue reading that novel about street gangs in tokyo?

oh, but the bummer is, today's test didn't count. the real deal is in december, but i didn't sign up to take it. the test i took today was the test from about 2 or 3 years ago, done just as practice. so while it doesn't count for anything on paper. im just glad to know i could do it.

モーモーランド　moo moo land

2009-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

to those of you who are wondering what im doing here...im not trying to be vague. i just dont feel like writing unless i can make it interesting. no one wants to read a boring blog. i study japanese like crazy at school, and i dont usually feel like writing anything, so i just post pictures instead. my mind thinks in pictures, so when i see a picture theres a whole story there. i guess i just assume everyone can read my mind :)

in a nutshell:
over the summer i worked at a restaurant and a farm as a volunteer, then settled down in fukuoka. now i live in a dorm, school started a week ago, and its harder than i thought it would be. i go to a church here and draw lots of pictures for them!

went to a HUGE petting zoo in the mountains with the church and ate sofuto kuriimu (soft cream)! there was a drawing contest...and i won but was embarrassed that they even considered my drawing over the little kids drawings.

ramen!

its a nice view...

2009-10-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

...if you're into that "under construction" look

here's the view from my dorm room window! this is actually a welcome change from the first couple of days i was here. in order to keep my window protected from paint, it was covered over by this semi transparent plastic sheet that basically made the outside just look like a big bright blur. it was INSANELY claustrophobic.
僕の部屋の窓からの眺めだ！

工事中なんだけど、今より一週間前の眺めは本当に酷かったけん、これを見るのはとても嬉しい。だってさ、前はペンキから窓を守るため、半透明なプラスチックシートが外側に張ってあった。それで光がちょっと部屋に漏れたけど、全く何も見えなかった。僕の閉所恐怖症が出て、めっちゃいらいらした。

長野 ! NAGANO!

2009-07-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

i had to say goodbye to kurume and to the wonderful matsunaga family the other day. i didnt really know what day i was going to head to nagano so at the last second (of course), i packed my bags and headed out. there wasn't time for a proper fairwell, which was a bummer. it was a great experience, full of good food and wonderful people :)

and on to NAGANO! its hard to believe its summer here. while most of japan is suffering from sweltering, humid heat, nagano is nice and cool, with snow still on some of the mountains.

CORN!

2009-07-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

食べ物について日本の文化はけっこう多い。
美味しい食べ物を食べるのが大好でよかったね！
この前は、小さいテーブルの周りに座って皆とトウモロコシを食べるっていう文化の初体験だった。
ちょ～うまかった！
Japanese love to sit around eat corn on the cob together, and i got to join in. i've yet to have bad corn on the cob here. maybe it just doesn't exist.

こんなにきれいに食べられたトウモロコシは今までに初めて見た。
the most perfectly eaten corn on the cob i've ever seen.

glow in the dark fun

2009-07-05T07:37:00.001-07:00

i try to take a walk around town everyday, just to see whats around. its freakin' hard to take pictures at night with this camera.

fireflies!!!

leapin' lizards! 飛んでるトカゲ!

2009-07-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

they were keeping me company while i was studying, watching me through the cloudy glass.

カメラマン

2009-07-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

カメラマンはレストランのパスタコースのプロの写真を撮りに来た。
それを見てやっぱりカメラマンになったらいいな～って思った。

雨！

2009-07-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

あめあめふれふれかあさんが
じゃのでおむかいうれしいな
ピッチピッチチャップチャップ
ランランラン

すぐ近くに right around the corner

2009-06-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

こんな素敵な場所は歩いたら１０分に行けることで驚いた。
to think a place this awesome is a ten minute walk from where i live.

ジャングルへようこそ第２ welcome to the jungle 2

2009-06-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

ok...so i'm not scared of spiders. i don't want to pick them up and let them crawl on my face, but they don't bother me...or they didn't.
クモはあまり怖くない。まあ、持ったり、自分の顔を這わせたりするのはいやだけど、それはあたりまえやろ？でも。。。でも。。。めっちゃめっちゃ怖いものを自分の目で見た。

we were moving a bookshelf and found this little lady hiding behind it, holding on to her eggs for safe keeping. of course it was a huge deal and we were all snapping pictures. i got my hand close enough to take this picture when it bolted. eika screamed and ran to other side of the shelf, when we realized that just above her head, clinging to the shelf was another monster sized spider! this place is craaazy!
本棚を別の部屋に持って行こうとした。本棚が壁から少し離れたら、後ろに隠れてるところで卵を握ってる女性を発見した。もちろんみんなはびっくりしてカメラ持ってきて、いっぱい写真を取ったよ。僕はこの写真を撮ろうとして手をクモのすぐそばに近づいて、クモはバッと逃げてエイカさんを（まあ、僕も）すっごいびくりさせた。エイカさんはきゃ～～と悲鳴を出して、本棚の横に隠れた。その時、エイカの頭のすぐ上にはもう一匹のでっかいクモが待っていた。こわっ！

i'm sure you're wondering...so, did you kill it? nope, just tossed it outside :) i can't kill something that magnificent.
「で、何ばしたと？殺したやろ？」っと皆は思っとーと？違う！そんなに立派なものはどうしても殺せない。外へ出した。

i never thought i'd be on a boat

2009-06-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

まさか船に乗れるなんて信じられなかった

お疲れ様松永さん

2009-06-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

matsunaga san worked more than anyone else today, cutting down the forest of weeds in the yard.　here she is enjoying a nice cold iced tea in the shade.
今日は皆より松永のほうが頑張って働いた。庭の雑草の森を完全に切ってしまった。アイスティーは美味しいそう。お疲れ様です！

焼きそば！

2009-06-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

焼きそばを作った！
まあ、って言うかエイカさんを手伝った。。。

じゃじゃ～ん、出来上がり！

ジャングルへようこそ。welcome to the jungle

2009-06-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

このカマキリをキッチンで発見した。
Found this little guy in the kitchen.

ムカデ！！！！
毒が持っとるばい。
「触るな！」ってよく言われとる。
I guess these things are poisonous.
I have to be reminded constantly to not touch them.

見て見て！
こいつは蛇のような大きい！
この山みみずを見て、写真をどうしても撮りたかったけん、２階の部屋にスルスル走って、カメラを取ってきて、が～ば気持ち悪い写真を撮った。
このようなばけものは見たことがあると？
ないやろ？
dude. so check out this earthworm. it's a big as a snake!!! when I found it, i had to take a picture so i ran up to my room and grabbed my camera. have you ever seen a monster like this?

まだこの家に住んでるクモの写真は撮ってないね。
いっぴきのものすっごい大きなクモはおる。
仲良しになりそうけど、現在はただ敵でも友達でもない。
お互いに尊敬してるらしい。
I've yet to get a picture of the huge spider that lives here. We're not quite friends yet, but I think we've developed a mutual respect for each other. you don't bite me, i won't crush you kinda thing.

ほら、見て。
この所で蚊に食べられてる。
I'm being eaten alive by mosquitos out here.

the dog whisperer

2009-06-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

my name is taro.
i'm a little scared of people, so please don't pet me.
if you want to pet me, wait just a bit more...
-taro

matsunaga san, the woman who owns the restaurant i work at, has turned her land into a sort of foster home for neglected or abused dogs. in the few days i've been here i've already seen 5 dogs come and go. she brings them here, and people on a waiting list come by to see if the dog would make a good match for their family.

the other day she took me along to pick up one of the dogs. i expected to show up to some old run down shack, the dog owner screaming at us as we stole the one thing they could use to take out their anger on.

instead we show up to a house with a kind elderly couple, the man helps us load all the dog food and such into the car, while the woman sits in the doorway sobbing, eyes red from probably hours of crying. im thinking, why are we taking this dog away? he looks healthy, loves people, and he's still just a puppy.

i find out that japan has a law, where when someone reaches a certain age, they are no longer allowed to have a dog, simply because they can't care for them anymore. now i understand that...it really is best for the dog to be with a family that can take him for walks and all that junk, but in japan, after they take the dog away to the pound, if no one claims him in 3 days, he's killed. doesn't matter how wonderful a dog he may be.

so now tomu chan is the newest member of this ever growing family. this guy LOVES to go for walks. we're already best friends.

my new home away from home

2009-06-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

so i was pretty nervous about my first experience as a volunteer worker. there's all kinds of people out there, and what if i got hooked up with the crazy ones who would make me work 12 hours a day, and feed me only if i pleaded?

i lucked out like you wouldn't believe. look at this place!

the family that owns the place treats me as one of their own. i'm given an endless supply of delicious food, work about 5-6 hours a day, with 2 days off, get my own room, and use plenty of clumsy, awkward japanese.

its crazy to be working at a restaurant in japan, helping cook the food, serve the customers, the whole lot. SWEET!

manly love

2009-06-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

being fashionable always a concern for girls and guys alike over here, mizuki styles gucchi's hair with the curling iron.

for the first time really ever, my japanese was good enough to have a real conversation with my good friend ai. great to see old friends again. had a wonderful dinner with her family, and it was like no time had passed at all.

JAPAN!

2009-06-12T19:42:00.001-07:00

been in japan for almost a week now! heres my first day of quarantines, airport showers, riding the train into tokyo, and grocery shopping with my displaced fukuoka friends, sachiko and wataru.

3rd times a charm?

2009-06-05T01:09:00.000-07:00

take a good look.

soak in its beautiful simplicity.

(yeah so i'm quite proud of myself)

this is everything i'm carrying on my shoulders for the next 3 months while i wander around japan, helping out at farms and such here and there through wwoof.

what's wwoof?

just click here, they can explain it better than i can.

so after my glorious packing job, i thought it would be smooth sailing from here out. i was dead wrong.

challenges and setbacks are a part of travelling. you gotta just roll with it or it'll drive you crazy. the real bummer is when those setbacks start from day one and don't let up (not even a little) on day two.

so here was my itinerary:

alaska airlines:
san diego - portland
portland - vancouver

air canada:
vancouver - tokyo

it all started with a delayed flight out of portland. when i get to vancouver for my connection to tokyo, ive got about 20 minutes to get through customs, find my bag, recheck it, and then get RUN to my plane.

my sandals are just gonna slow me down so i rip em off and run barefoot, as fast as i possibly can. flying around corners, jetting up stairs, barely missing a few collisions with slow moving passengers. i show up at the air canada ticket counter, out of breath, head throbbing (running and me don't mix well), only to find that i missed my flight.

so now i gotta lug my junk alllllll the way down to the alaska airlines desk.

then the complete asshole at alaska acts like its MY fault. i tried first to be the calm, but still irate customer, but this guy just pissed me off so now i'm yelling at him.

after i explain everything to him, asshole says to me, "sir, this is not my problem, go talk to air canada, its their flight you missed."

ryan:
"what? not your problem?! not your fault maybe, but it sure as hell is your problem. the airline YOU work for got me here late, and i missed my connecting flight, so now what?"

asshole:
"i don't know what you want me to do. you had plenty of time to get to your plane. maybe you were just too slow..."

ryan:
"so you're really not gonna help me? this is how you're gonna be? can you atleast call air canada? see if they need anything from you?"

asshole:
"no. we cannot call air canada. this is not our problem. you have to go back and talk to them."

ryan:
"%^#$WtfiyuhT*^&56d4srCTVbgu876f&%!!!!!"

thank god for michelle, the next rep i talked to, who without question booked me a hotel room, food, got me on the flight the next day, and took care of my bags.

BUT WAIT. the next day...i get on my plane. i'm stoked, rested, well fed, and so ready to get to tokyo. but of course, that's just not gonna happen.

40 minutes into the flight, the pilot comes on the radio.

"we're having a computer system malfunction and need to land the plane, so we're heading back to vancouver."

perfect.

as the plane is approaching the runway, he comes on again.

"everyone, please take a second to locate your nearest emergency exit."

is this it? am i really gonna finally get to use one of those slides and feel like i'm fighting for my life?! AWESOME.

no such luck. it was a very rough, but safe landing. good job mr. pilot sir.

the flight is cancelled, and i am once again sitting in a hotelroom in vancouver, when i should be in tokyo.

oh well. really nothing i can do except take this opportunity to relax. there's a japanese supermarket right across the street, so i can still feel like i'm KINDA there, even though i'm still thousands of miles away.

maybe tomorrow will turn out a little better?

i do still draw, i just don't show you everything

2009-05-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

but then i thought...why don't i show people this stuff? that's one of the reasons i draw isn't it?

mom did you know I was doin' drugs?

2009-05-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

i always thought that would make a great lyric for a song. for some odd reason the subject of drugs came up today as part of our mother's day conversation (what mom doesn't just adore the topic?) and it got me thinking about that lyric that never did find its way into any of the songs i've written in my lifetime (...2). between the song about cereal brands, and the one about the wonderful girl i met at my part time job, there just wasn't a good place for it.

mom, you raised me right. as much as it would thrill me to put a line like that in a song and actually MEAN it, i really am thankful that i can't do it without it being a complete lie.

i love you :), and i love knowing that i am your favorite son.

the only way to fly

2009-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

i hate crowded planes. once i got sick on a plane coming home from thailand. since i was in the middle seat in a row of 5, the folks next to me were woken up about every 20 minutes so i could go to the bathroom. felt like i was gonna hurl the entire way home. good times. now i always ask for an aisle seat, but when i asked for one this time, the dude at virgin australia said "an aisle seat? how 'bout i just give you your own row?"

i guess if planes were always this empty they would cease to exist, but i wish it could always be like this.

made it safe and sound to oz, and after an hour of roaming the parking lot, found my rental car.

ex-roomies for life.

2009-02-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

now, i wouldn't recommend flat out neglecting a friend, but its nice to have friends who you can call after six months of no contact and just pick up right where you left off.

its cloudy days like these that i live for. sunshine is great, and we get plenty of it, but the textures of overcast skies like this are gorgeous.

The cliffs here erode away more every year. if you were to come here just a few years ago it would have looked completely different. its sad to see some of the cliffs that have been cemented over. somehow i doubt the cliffs are too happy about it.

perhaps a once strong, proud sign...now weathered and defeated.

trying desperately to look big and failing miserably.

rolando "ansel" simeons setting up for one last shot. this guy will spend an hour in the same spot to get just the perfect picture. i wish i had that much patience.

The 64 dollar photos.

2009-02-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

I came back to my car to find a ticket for 64 bucks. Nice.

Just like the ones I used to know...

2008-12-26T20:18:00.001-08:00

Respect meeeeee

2008-12-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Today Scott and I drove straight to Washington. We did not sleep for 45 hours. Nice.

On the way, it started raining and Scott's windshield wipers were out of control terrible. T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. I couldn't see anything and was really worried about when we would get up to places were it would be snowing.

We could not figure out, for the life of us, how to get those stinkin things off. Easily spent an hour fooling with them. When Kragen opened at 8am, we asked the lady who worked there if she could help us. It took her, seriously, 2 seconds.

Once we made it, Scott had to celebrate.

sports were never my strong point

2008-12-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

Deck the halls

2008-12-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

All 4 of us in the graphics department created a different christmas card in our own style to send out to all the offices. Here's mine:

But they just moved in

2008-12-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning an F-18 fighter jet crashed into a San Diego neighborhood without warning.
昨日の朝、F-18の戦闘機がサンディエーゴの住宅地に急に墜落した。

Eating lunch with some co-workers, I'm watching the crash site from a heli-cam on the news. The street looks so familiar, but...that's impossible. I mean really, this kind of stuff doesn't happen to people you actually know, it just happens on TV right?
レストランのテレビで、空撮からその墜落事故のニューズをじっと見ていた。道は僕のをすごく似てるだろうかと思っていたけど。。。うそ。ぜったいそんな事はないよ。

I get a call from the roommate. It was across the street.
ルームメートから電話がきた。「俺らの家の前だったよ」

Across the street?!
「まじで？！」

Yeah...a fighter jet crashed into our friend's house. It's gone. The house is just gone.
「そう。。。ジェットが前に住んでいる友達の家に墜落したよ。なくなった。。。すっかりなくなった、家は。」

Nothing can really prepare you for hearing that. Suddenly this whole thing went from being incredible to being gut wrenching.

. . . . .

Last month my friend's aunt and uncle moved into the house across the street from me because they needed more room for their growing family.
先月僕の友達はおじさん家族と僕らの前にある家に引っ越した。赤ちゃんが最近生まれて、家族がちょっと大きくなったからね。

That two story house now looks like this:
その二階ある家は今、このかんじ：

I took this picture from my roof last night after being escorted to my door by the police. As you can see the house is just completely gone. There's really no heap of rubble, its just gone. The saddest part of this is that, while my friend and his uncle were at work, the rest of the family was home. The mom, grandmother, and 2 kids were all killed in the accident.
夕べ、警察が玄関まで連れてくれてから、この写真は僕の屋根の上から取った。見えるとおり家はなくなってしまった。一番悲しい事は、友達とおじさんがいなかったのに、おばさんも、おばあさんも、子供たちも、墜落事故の時、家の中にいたから、皆いなくなりました。

The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's like a warzone in my neighborhood. Military personnel are walking around, police, firetrucks, and a swarm of news vans completely block the road.
この写真でちょっとだけ見えるけど、近所は戦争のような所になった。兵軍とか、警察とか、ニューズキャスタとかが近状のあちこちを歩いている。

This is the site that greets me now in the mornings on my way to work. Right outside our dining room window is a horde of newscasters and cameras. My car is parked up the street so I walk through them all on my way.
ダイニングの窓から、こんな景色が見えるようになった。ニューズキャスタばっかり。

It's an incredible tragedy that affected the whole neighborhood. My house has very somber atmosphere right now considering we all know the guy who lived there. But at the same time of course we feel an eerie sense of relief and thankfulness. The jet passed right over our house on the way down. Had the pilot aimed just a hair lower, it could have collided right into us, and with all 3 of my roomies home at the time, it's not a pleasant thought.

And to think the only reason I came into work (I was going to call in sick) was to show a co worker a portrait of her family I had finally finished.
仕事からサボってないわけは同僚の家族の肖像を描いて終わったばかりだったから、見せたかったさ、俺が最近かぜひいちゃったのに。

What an intense day.
大変悲しい日だったな。。。

Proud Beginnings

2008-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Rocket Boys

2008-09-22T17:39:00.001-07:00

I've been reading this book off and on called Rocket Boys. It's a true story from the late 50's. Some high school kids, in an attempt to escape the life of a coal miner, start building rockets to win a science fair, and most likely get college scholarships from it. Very inspiring, and i thought of this as i was reading it.

.

Long time no see

2008-09-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've been in school. Just started going again, and the first few times were pretty shaky (i don't think i'll be posting the results here), but I finally feel like maybe I'm getting it back.

No non-orange soda drinkers allowed.

2008-09-18T12:30:00.002-07:00

Blank walls are for babies 2

2008-09-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

Blank walls are for babies.

2008-09-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'd been meaning to do this for awhile. There's this gigantic wall in my office. It was begging for a mural. I've never done one before, so this is definitely new for me, but its fun to watch it take shape. I wish I had taken more step by step pictures, but here's what I have so far:

.

I'd Rather Dance

2008-09-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Back in 2005 Matt started traveling around the world. He would film himself doing this ridiculous dance at each major place he went to. The folks at Stride Gum saw what he was doing and decided to pay for him to continue doing it. They basically told him, we don't want to interfere, but we want you to keep doing this, so here's some money, just do what you've been doing. (of course he puts their name at the end as a thank you) This is his new one.

One of the most moving and inspirational videos I have ever seen.

Where the Hell is Matt?

Here's a "about Matt" section on his website in case you might think he's some rich kid who doesn't know what else to do with his money.

２００５年にマットさんと言うアメリカ人は世界中に旅行した。色んな所で自分がダンスしてるのビデオをとられた。そしてストライドと言う会社の社長がそのビデオを見て感動したから、マットさんに旅行をつづけるためのお金をあげた。これはマットさんの２００８のビデオ。

見たことがあるビデオの中に、これは一番感動なと思う。ごらんください。

マットはいったいどこにいるか？
.

Test Your Color IQ

2008-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Test it already!

I got 11. But I blame my horrible monitor at work. The lower your score, the better your color perception.

Hello my name is Simon

2008-08-17T00:37:00.001-07:00

Ever drawn a picture and then thought how cool it would be to watch yourself draw it? I know this junk's been around for ages, but I just did it for the first time and got a kick out of watching my drawing actually being drawn, but at super high speed! SICK.

Not exactly the most creative thing in the world, but I'd never tried this program so I went with the tried and true.

ず～っと自分が絵を描くことを見たかったけど、ビデオテープいがいはちょっと無理だと思ったけど、このすごく簡単なプログラムを昨日見つけた。

書いた絵なんかあまり面白くないけど、ぜったい目がちゃんと描けるからかいた。これは初めてこのプログラムを使ったから。

Thailand Day 2: Oh the Things You'll See

2008-07-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

"Want some snake whiskey?"

"....ummm, what's snake whiskey?"

"You want?"

"I mean well, sure, but...what is it?"

Out travel agent, who told us her name was Helley...Helley Kopter (cue courtesy laugh here), puts this giant bottle of whiskey on the desk in front of us. We weren't expecting this:

Now, I've never tasted snake before...but seriously, this tasted like SNAKE whiskey. Nasty.

Back in our Tuk-tuk for the Thai version of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

I just don't understand. This would never work over here. Scooters were EVERYWHERE. This line alone had about another 20 bikes behind it.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the families of 4 or even 5 riding on these bad boys (love the manly pinkness), but this'll do.

Standing Buddha. This thing is MASSIVE. I couldn't get the whole thing in the frame.

Our last stop before heading to the tailors, was Golden Mountain. Not very Golden, but at the top of the stairs had a great view of Bangkok. This city just goes on and on and on and on.

Our Tuktuk driver with a big ol' smile on his face because of the suits we bought.

Thailand Day 2: Atleast we'll look like studs.

2008-07-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

This would be our staple for the next few days in Bangkok. Pad Thai from the street carts. For 60 cents you could get a plate of the stuff. This also paid for my stomach aches and diarrhea.

Warning (from the Lonely Planet Guidebook):

If a nice looking stranger approaches you on the street and speaks perfect English, this is the set-up for a huge scam.

The conversation will go something like this:

Hi, where are you from?
America.
Oh, very good, when did you come to Bangkok?
This is our first day (never a good idea to admit this. Always say you've been in town a month or so)
Oh, this is a good day to be in Bangkok. It's a government holiday. (it seems to always be a holiday) Many special attractions are open only today. Let me show you.

He will then take you to the nearest map, and write down all the places you should go.

Also, because it is a holiday, the there are special tuk tuks (these are the 3 wheeled taxis) that will take you to all these places, and wait for you all day, for only 60 cents!

Then he waves down a tuk tuk for you, and off you go.

Enjoy the sites on the cheap while you can, cause you're about to get taken for a ride in more ways than one.

Last stop: A special "government" tailor where you are pressured to buy suits for (while still cheaper than back home) an inflated price, which the tuk tuk driver will receive a hefty commission on.

So now Scott and I are the owner of tailored suits, thanks to the greatest salesman either of us have ever met. A small Indian man, Jack, with 4 fingers on his left hand.

Thailand Day 1: This ain't yo mama's vacation

2008-07-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

avatar!

"Dude I think I have food poisoning. I've been throwing up all night"

7am I get that text message from Scott. We are supposed to be on a train to the airport in 2 hours, and he's puking his guts out. How's a guy with food poisoning gonna be able handle 24 hours of travel?

He says he needs to sleep a few more hours and we'll catch a later train. Alright cool, not sure how he's gonna feel better that quick, but there's not much I can do.

9am he calls me and sounds like a new man. We're good to go.

Our clean-cut cabbie takes us to the train station for $45 (its only about 10 minutes away)

Well, there's no way we can make it to LAX via train in time to catch our flight, so we have two choices. We either take a cab all the way to LA, or we don't go to Thailand today.

$245 and 2 hours later we are safe and sound at the airport with an hour to spare. We board the plane with no problems and are on our way to THAILAND.

Have you ever sat on a flight, especially a long one, and thought "What would happen if someone had a heart attack on the plane?...would we have to land?" Maybe I'm just morbid, but this thought ran through my mind when not 10 minutes later, somewhere over the pacific ocean, a woman had a seizure about 5 rows behind me.

"IS THERE A DOCTOR ON THE PLANE?!" I imagine that flight attendant had waited his whole career to yell that out.

She ended up being fine. We didn't have to make an emergency landing (although there was talk about it amongst the crew), but I witnessed my first airplane emergency. So far, this trip was AWESOME.

When you show up to Bangkok the first thing you notice besides the heat is the line of cabbies waiting for your business. This is pretty much your only option for getting into the city, so you have to trust they are not going to try to rip you off. We got lucky.

I think now is a good time to show you the difference between our clean, polite San Diego cab driver (10 minutes, $45.00):

and our first cab driver in Bangkok (50 minutes, $8.00):

We get dropped off at this seedy street that has clearly been designated as the city's trash drop-off location. This is the filthiest place I've ever seen. There was even a BABY ELEPHANT roaming around. What more could you ask for?

First business at hand: FIND A HOTEL. We had no reservations anywhere. Just kinda figured something would be available. First place we found must have been designed without us tall foreigners in mind. We didn't bother looking at the rooms.

The place we did eventually find was called The Four-Sons, though we soon adopted the classier name of The Four-Seasons. For $15.00 a night we got our own room with our own bathroom.

Wiped out from traveling, we thought for a moment about just going straight to sleep. A brief moment. That thought lasted about 10 seconds before we were out the door and in the nearest dance club until 5:30am. No pictures of that. Didn't feel like bringing my baby in. You'll just have to use your imagination.

My Parents are so STRONG!

2008-06-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember that a mere 2 months ago it was Mother's Day. Here's my card.

My Father's Day card lovingly crafted from a CD since my dad loves cd's...ok that's a stretch. I mean everyone loves CDs. I just didn't have any cards on me at the moment.

My menu at our Black Angus Mother's Day lunch. Yes I asked for the crayons:

Go OUTSIDE for Once in Your Life!

2008-06-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I haven't really posted any pictures of this lil' place called Southern California yet. About 4 months ago I bought this really nice camera, thinking I would be a professional photographer overnight...but I haven't had time to learn how to properly use it. So while here are some of my humble attempts at photography, they were taken with the little point and shoot that could.

Right now I live in a hotel designed for old people. But here's the view from my balcony:

Usually when I work downtown I get this RAD view. This time I'm not so lucky, but we'll just pretend this is still the view I see on a daily basis:

This is about a 15 minute walk from my current place (i'm borderline homeless at the moment, but that's another story). But lets be real. I never walk there. Driving only takes 3 minutes and I'm impatient:

On the way to Santa Monica. This is pretty close to the famous warning sign of the Mexican immigrants darting across the freeway:

Santa Monica sunset:

Something about this makes me of think of an 80's movie. Or maybe Baywatch?

"SATAN LIVES!"

2008-06-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

This was screamed at me when I was about 7 years old. I was just an innocent child riding my bike, when a man sitting in his car on the side of the road threw his fast food trash at me as I passed by, peeled out, and stopped next to me to yell, "SATAN LIVES! I WORSHIP HIM!!!" (By the way, he looked like the black haired robin hood from the 80's British TV show. The man in the car. Not Satan.)

I never thought anything of this (I mean besides being terrified and emotionally scarred for life), until I actually met The Lord of all Demons.

Last night I’m turning off all my lamps in my hotel room so I can sleep, when this giant black flying bug the size of China comes out of the curtains. Not wanting the beast to fly into my face while I’m dreaming peacefully, I try to open my sliding doors to let the “little guy” out. But guess what, they're electronically LOCKED. (I guess so drunk people won't try to jump over the edge) No go there.

Of course while trying to open the doors DESPITE the lock (I actually considered pulling out the wires in an act of desperation), the monster vanishes. I poke around the room for awhile, but nope. Nothing.

3am. I hear this rapid clicking sound, wind blasting into my face from the giant wings of Satan himself. I get up. Grab a towel. And smote the demon on the side of the wall.

Being quite proud of my kill, I pick it up to admire my prize. The thing had pincers that could bite through solid cast iron, eyes that glowed bright red, and claws that Wolverine would be jealous of. I couldn’t waste such a trophy in the toilet, so I put it on the bathroom counter, figuring it'd give the maid a little scare.

Now I could return to my wonderful dreamland. The evil presence had been lifted from the room.

Brushing my teeth in the morning, I vaguely remember the battle that ensued just hours ago.

I gotta take a picture of this thing!

But wait....its nowhere to be found. Not on the counter where I so carefully placed it. Not under the counter. Not in the trash.

I'm not sure what's worse. The thought that the bug crawled away to die somewhere respectable (leaving a decaying corpse under my bed or in my underwear), or that something even bigger carried it off.

Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to that guy who screamed at me. Was he aware that Satan was staying at the Westgate? I would love to find him today, and see the look on his face when I tell him that the demon he so worshipped is now rotting in my hotel room.

you're on candid camera!

2008-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Ai asked me, "do you ever draw smiling, or laughing faces?" In response I drew this:

romaji de kaite suimasen. tomodachi no Ai chan ga "waratteru kao nanka kaiteru?" to kiite, ore no kaitou wa kore:

hahaha, guess not.

(warau) ma~iika. kanashii kao ga suki kana

I'm TRYING

2008-05-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my boss bought me a shiny new 6x8 Wacom tablet! I've been using the old cheap model with food stuck to it for far too long. It works, its just not that good for drawing. I tell myself I need to start practicing drawing in photoshop, but never find the time to do it (im really trying to narrow my hobbies down to one...maybe 2...3? 3's a good number.)

I don't see it at all, but people say my drawings always end up looking like me.

長い間ちっぽけなワコッムのタブレットが持っていたけど絵を描くためにあまりよくないから、社長が新しいワコッムの６ｘ８タブレットをくれました！Photoshopでいつも絵を描こう描こうと思うけどやっぱなかなか時間がないな～。趣味が多いすぎるからな。もっとよく絵を描きたい！

僕がこうと思わないけど、みんなは僕が描いた絵はいつも僕に似てるって。どう？似てる？

Burgers anyone?

2008-04-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

I had felt sick since that drink from the water fountain.

So I'm walking home and it hits me. Halfway through the 45 minute trek, as the gag reflex kicks in, I plug my nose, hold my hand over my mouth, and manage to keep myself from losing my lunch all over the sidewalk in view of the entire neighborhood.

I couldn't believe it.

I didn't throw up! And just because I had covered my mouth and plugged my nose!

I was never going to throw up again, ever! I had discovered the secret trick. Who knew it was so simple? Maybe this was my new mutant power I had been waiting to develop! I smiled to myself the whole way home.

I was eleven. It was November. Sixth grade was tough, but throwing up? I had that completely under control.

The next 3 days I must have run to the toilet about 10 times, and not just to pee. I felt so defeated. What about the trick I learned? It worked when walking home, but it sure didn't work that evening during reruns of The Golden Girls.

Following those 3 days of pure joy, I made a vow. I had clearly lost the magic I had the other day, but I promised myself and God (no, really) that I would never, EVER throw up again. No matter what.

That promise lasted a solid 15 and a half years.

Anyone who knows me decently well knows that I am deathly, and I do mean deathly afraid of throwing up. I actually would rather die. You know in Lord of the Rings when the ring is being forged at the beginning of the movie? I would rather have that same hot, molten metal poured into my eyes, while rabid wolves tear violently at my rib cage to reach my beating heart than throw up one time in the next hundred years. That or a quick bullet to the back of the head, whichever is more convenient at the moment.

Last Saturday my family invited me over for a bbq. I saw the pictures of the last bbq on my mom's blog and got jealous. Dad was fixing burgers and I hadn't been over there in a few weeks, so why not? As usual I was a bundle of exploding energy, running around outside with my sisters, throwing rocks at the neighbor kids, charging up and down the hallway with the dogs, and pretty much just being me.

We eat outside on the deck with the new...canopy thing, and basically just have a good time. Eatin' outside, makin' up songs with Leah, watchin' the dogs eat mosquito hawks, you know? After a good burger, what's better than watching Shrek 3? Hadn't seen it yet, so hey I'm down.

About...oh 30 minutes into the movie, my stomach is killing me. Nobody better touch me cause I must have eaten too much. It keeps getting worse. Man I really do feel sick, this is weird.

The peach cobbler's ready to eat, so everyone except me scoops heaping helpings into bowls and smack after smack, devours the sticky, slimy peachyness. I can hear the cobbler squishing in their mouths, I can feel the moist peaches in my mouth and I'm not even eating it. Its grossing me out. I can't take anymore.

"I have to go to the bathroom"

For ten minutes I sit in front of the toilet.

"There's no way, there's no way. I'm fiiiiiiine. I'll be ooohhhkay."

"Don't....don't woooorry Ry, you're not gonna throw up, it's all in your head."

.....

Ok, I feel really....light. No....heavy. What's this strange feeling, it's like...there's this mist in the bathroom. Is that smoke? I can't really see very clearly right now. Why do I hear a high pitch... whistling? Mom's not making tea, she never makes tea. Maybe....maybe if I just smile I'll be ok. (Please keep in mind my fear right now. Don't laugh)

I smile. I'm in a happy place, yeah. This is just fine, just wait...wait...it out....it'll.........paaassss. No, no ok this is real, no no no no

Those hamburgers didn't taste as good the second time.

Or the third.

The fourth.

aaaand the fifth.

......

It's funny how under normal circumstances I avoid touching the toilet like the plague. Anything other than my butt cheeks are absolutely off limits. Even flushing it is a bit gross for me. So why is it that in your most vulnerable moment, you will lay your head on the toilet seat. Not even the lid, the INSIDE of the toilet. You know the place we like to pretend pee doesn't collect on. I had absolutely no qualms with my hair and my face touching every bit of that filthy, germ invested monster (my parent's toilet is actually very clean as toilet's go, but still...gross).

Writing this made me realize I owe someone an apology. So...

I'm sorry God. I broke my promise.

...

2008-03-14T08:27:00.001-07:00

BUSY.

You can see right through him...and he flies.

2008-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Last year I lived with a few guys out in Mira Mesa. We all bonded really well, went on various adventures, experimented with various oatmeal recipes, had a petting zoo in the backyard we charged admission to, practiced our golf swing in the front yard, colored on the walls with crayons...you know, normal guy things.

All except one. The mysterious, elusive roommate no one ever met, and rarely saw. Many of my friends refuse to believe he exists, but I am here to prove you all wrong, and myself right, once and for all. I have seen him. I have proof. After months of trying I was finally able to get photographic evidence.

The other day I was at Rolando's house (the place I used to live), and while he was showing me how to make better use of my camera, I saw something move in the hallway behind us. I fumbled with the camera, raised it to my face, ripped off the lens cap, and as he was climbing the stairs snapped this picture:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
wait for it...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
wait for it...
.
.
.
.
.

I expect no more doubts from any of you.

My baby.

2008-01-31T01:53:00.000-08:00

This is a shot taken by Ro of me with with my new baby girl. Isn't she beautiful?

I'm a Believer!

2008-01-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

My mom used to poke fun at me for believing everything people told me. You could tell me something crazy like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were real, and sadly, I would have believed it. Eventually I outgrew my childish gullibility, but she continued to tell people how easily I could be deceived. Determined to prove her wrong, I became who I am today - Ryan the skeptic. The one who absolutely will not be convinced something is true, unless it is reported from the most reliable news source, but even after that I'm often still unable to swallow it.

Rolando and I shared the same house for 4 months I discovered he was a drummer/bass player for the band Project Analogue. He told me this only after I asked if he was a musician when seeing the practice drum kit in his room. He had set it up beside his bed, likely due to a lack of owning a proper stool. Now...this would be ideal for one who's first thought after waking is "I gotta play drums-IMMEDIATELY." But on one finger, I can count the number of times I actually heard those drums.

I never believed him when he'd tell me he had to go to band practice.

I thought perhaps his "band" was a codename for his group of friends who played first person shooter games online, like Counter Strike. Not wanting to sound like a complete dork, he masked his obsession over videogames with the identity of a cool rock band.

Other reasons for my skepticism:

-What kind of bass player doesn't actually own a bass guitar?

-He never left for these practices with an instrument in his hands.

-His band's Myspace site at that time, had ZERO photos of him, only of some random ninjas and pirates.

-The one video he showed me of "his" band was shot at a party in a room with just enough light to make out some dark shapes playing instruments.

Well, last night, at a seedy club in an equally seedy area, complete with creepy old homeless men carrying hockey sticks in dark alleys, I saw my old roommate on stage rocking the bass like I'd never seen before. Because really...I'd never seen him play before.

These two other guys and I were without a doubt, the loudest, most abnoxious people watching the show. But hey, we had to support our bro. Besides, no band wants to play for a dud audience.

I believe him now. But I'm pretty sure that wasn't his guitar.

While I certainly feel I have proved her wrong, to this day my mom still thinks I will fall for anything you say.

(All photos taken by someone else with a real camera)

Dreamer

2008-01-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

On cgtalk.com, or for you noobs cgsociety.org, there is a daily sketch group with a different topic for each day. If work wasn't killing me I'd love to do a sketch everyday, but I'll do it as often as I can. Today's topic was dreamer. I had already done a similar sketch but thought it fit in my strange mind.

Every kid LOVES letting a balloon fly off into the sky. We dream about where it might go, where it might land, if it will go into space...will the passengers of an airplane see it floating amongst the clouds? Well what if balloons really dreamed of nothing more than being set free? All those times my parents told me not to do it, the balloon was really insisting...I know I wouldn't want to be tied to a string and made to be held down by someone's hand my whole life.

On the Road. Chapter 3

2008-01-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

With the number of times I road on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train), I still can't believe I don't have a picture inside one.

This is the last thing I saw leaving Osaka on my way to Kanazawa. After spending about 30 minutes walking up and down the train, I was finally able to figure out which seat I was in. Even got to walk through the glorious smoking car on my way to find it. That's right, there is a car on every Shinkansen in which every man and woman smokes like a chimney for the entire ride. Pray you don't ever get stuck in that car during rush hour. It is what I imagine hell to be like.

Kanazawa station. I thought this entry to the station was beautiful. You really feel the richness of this area. Its in the northwest of Japan, so it is FREEZING cold, and everything is of a very high quality. But that is of course why I came to Kanazawa. By the time I found my hostel and then walked all the way down to the park, it was dark, and closed, so I went to get a bowl of delicious ramen, rest up for the night, and head out early the next morning so I could take my time before nightfall.

Working my way up the giant stone steps leading to the castle, this "little" guy greeted me. I wish I had put my hand next to it. Pretend I put a quarter next to it...it would be a little bit bigger than the head.

This is the gate leading to one of the most famous parks in all of Japan. I was so excited to get here, I wanted to save it for last so I spent as much time wandering the castle grounds as possible before going in.

Well...

My camera battery started to die. I HAD to find a convenience store and buy some more batteries before I went into the park. Anywhere you go in Japan, you can throw a rock and you will hit a convenience store. Stand outside an 7-11 (yeah they have them there), and you can usually see another one just down the street, with 2 different convenience store chains in between. Anywhere that is, except the vicinity of Kanzawa Park. After all that walking to find batteries, to no avail, in my cheap Converse shoes (i'll never do that again) I basically wanted to just die.

But I had come all this way. I had to see what was so wonderful about this park.

If it weren't filled to the brim with tourists, I could see how it could be called one of the most tranquil and beautiful gardens on earth. But dude...there were a grip of tourists.

This is it. The one picture I took right when I entered before my battery died.

Sucks.

On the Road. chapter 2

2008-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

After a good nights sleep on a futon in a room the size of a walk in closet, it was time to return to Nara in the early morning. Lucky for me there was a constant light mist of rain which kept most people at home. Once I passed thousands of stone lanterns, I came to a mountain path with many forks and twists to get lost in. For hours I enjoyed every peaceful moment of aimless wandering.

Once reaching the top, I found a large temple full of, not tourists, but monks! There wasn't another camera, or pair of jeans in sight. I felt like I had slipped back to a time long forgotten by today's society in Japan. There were no cell phones here, no vending machines or convenience stores. No sounds of Japanese pop music coming through speakers in the lamp posts. Most importantly...no blonde Japanese.

I hung around until dark, hoping to see the stone lanterns lit in all their glory. When I realized they weren't going to be, I thought it best to get out of this place before night fell. There were no street lamps to guide my way, and those deer could make some pretty scary noises.

On my way down the mountain I came back to the temple with its doors now closed, but the warm light of the lanterns begged me to take a picture.

It was a great day of relaxed travelling.

Walking to the train station, I was hit with a hunger beyond measure. Under the cover of the shopping alley, searching for something cheap and big to eat, I heard a young guy singing his heart out and playing his acoustic like it was his last day on earth. I requested a few old Japanese 70s songs, which he suprisingly knew every word to, and chatted it up with him. Before I walked away, he asked a lady who was carrying atleast 15 shopping bags to take our picture, when his girlfriend was sitting right there the whole time like a lazy bum.

Can't remember his name anymore. But I'll never forget those teeth.

I made my way back to my hotel in the GHETTO of Japan, reading 星の王子様Hoshi no Oojisama (lit. Prince of the Stars or The Little Prince) on the way.

On the Road. chapter 1

2008-01-04T00:07:00.001-08:00

My last class with Tetsuya Senei.

I had 2 weeks. 2 weeks before my flight left for America, and no more classes to attend. While I hadn't mastered Japanese just yet, there was still so much of the coutry I hadn't seen with my own eyes.

With a small backpack and nowhere in particular to go, I got on a night bus, which is designed to, in theory, allow one to sleep peacefully through the night, waking up at their destination refreshed and full of vigor to take on the day. I would wake up in Osaka, and take the short train trip to the beautiful city of Nara.

Well, I sat in front of a jerk.

The seats on these things rival a first class seat on an airplane. I could have been carrying a contra bass in front of me and still had room to spare. Because of this, everyone leans as far back as possible to allow for a comfortable and reclined night's rest. That is until the man behind me decided to lay with his back where his butt should have been, causing his knees to be blocking by seat from going back more than an inch or two. Of course, being the jerk that I am, when he started shaking my seat to wake me, I leaned back farther. He didn't appreciate this, and continued to shake my seat until I rose up for his wonderfully long legs.

What did I say to him?

Nothing. What could I say? You could hear a pin drop on this bus of sleeping people, so arguing was out of the question. Plus there's the nerve-wracking thought of "What if I say something stupid? What if he doesn't understand?" That would completely negate my authority. And so, like a pansy, I dealt with it.

I was not even slightly refreshed when I arrived.

But, I had a lot of exploring to do. And I was determined to do it, so after renting a bike for 500 yen, I pedaled my way around this ancient little town.

After riding up the street full of shops and restaurants, and eating a HUGE breakfast of eggs and rice I came to a park which I would find was bigger than I could have imagined.

The first thing I noticed was the abundance of deer running about. I had heard they were here but I figured there would be ten or so. No--They. Were. EVERYWHERE. Even without food you could get close enough with some stealthiness for some great pictures.

But put some food in your hand, and you don't even have to try. They will come to you, and attack you if necessary. I felt bad for this guy. Those deer were filthy.

I could not believe how empty this place was. Aside from the deer, it was extremely rare to see another sign of life. In a vast field of grass and a few scattered trees, I saw only this man, who wasn't having to compete with anyone for a picture of his tree.

This place was too big to explore in one day and I wanted to get back to my hotel to be well rested for the following day when I would explore on foot (those trails were almost ALL uphill. no fun on the rented one speed bike)

No spiders in this one.

2007-10-31T01:17:00.000-07:00

Up the mountain I went, dodging spiders left and right. At first it was so tranquil with the sound of a nearby river, but soon the scary Japanese crows that sound like laughing demons came. I started to get a little freaked out, but I made it out alive and came into this beautiful place:

I wish I could adjust the contrast on this bad boy cause I love the picture...oh well.

The sun began to set and I had to make my way back to the train station before it got too dark and all the REALLY nasty bugs came out.

I'm glad I made myself go find some place new.

Thank God I'm a country boy

2007-10-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling a longing for some nature. I live in the downtown area of Fukuoka, and very rarely ventured from the streets filled with restaurants, clothing stores, and pachinko parlors. Yesterday I decided instead of going out to eat, I would venture alone into the country side. Turns out it was a lot closer than I thought. Only took about 20 minutes by the local train. Probably about 5 by the express.

When I first got to my stop I was a little concerned when I saw the mas amounts of power cables above the city gate. But all that was needed was a 5 minute walk to reach a giant park full of people playing sports with their kids, running with their dogs, and this kid, practicing his trombone skills.

Behind the park were a few narrow streets with old fashioned houses and scattered shrines like this one.

Walk a little farther up the hill and city streets become old tattered roads dotted with quaint little farms.

Past the farm land lies a beautiful forest trail leading up a mountain. Thats not mist, just some farmer burning trash on his farm.

Ok here's where it gets a bit scary. In Japan any area that has trees is guaranteed to be filled...FILLED with the biggest, nastiest spiders I have ever seen. These things are absolute giants, and if you look up into the sky you can usually find about 6 or 7 of them hanging out over your head. I am not exaggerating. They are everywhere.

I managed to be able to get right up on one with my macro lens. That's right, no zooming here baby. My hand was about an inch away from satan himself. There are 2 different types. This one with the fat body, and one with a not quite so fat, but extra long body. Both are equally frightening.

More to come of my brush with nature.

A day full of Japanese culture

2007-10-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to Rolando, and Sean (they have the same return policy here as well bro)

Living in the city, there's plenty of American influence to be found. Mc Donalds, Starbucks (there are 2 right a cross the street from each other, I keep meaning to take a picture), Kinko's, etc. But drive out into the countryside, and you find something truly surreal:

Everything from the brands to layout is EXACTLY the same. The only difference is the signs are all written in Japanese.

I went with my friend Hanaka who lived in America for 4 years. She speaks perfect English, but speaks in Japanese 99% of the time to me to help me learn. I wish I was that nice.

Even the pizza is the same size. You could never find pizza this big at a normal Japanese restaurant.

I was home for a few glorious minutes.

I think mufflers make me look more friendly.

2007-10-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

In Japanese, what we call a scarf, is a muffler. (think spanish vowel sounds)MA-FU-RA.

Brutal best descibes the summers in Japan. Various sicknesses are named after summer to give you an idea. The last 4 months have been "sweat until you look like you just jumped in a lake...5 minutes after you walk out your door" hot. So when the weather turned cold without warning, giving me a chance to don a warm scarf, I was STOKED! Hisashiburi mafura san! Long time no see, Mr. Scarf! I didn't own one, so I went to Hanjiro, the used clothing shop, and bought one for the (in Japan) fabulously cheap price of 5 bucks. Best bang for my buck since I came here. Maji desu. Seriously.

To celebrate the cold my friend Nori and I went to starbucks to paint and draw some peektchars outside on the deck. It had been a long time since I last sat at a cafe and drew with a friend. Nori is really into chaotic abstract expression as you can tell. I don't really understand it, but it looks fun.

An interesting character, Nori is. He spent a year in New York...homeless, paying for food by selling paitings and getting the odd job at a moving company. Lived in parks around the city, where he learned some pretty vile slang (which he likes to use a LOT). Its always a bit odd to hear Japanese use bad words, cause I know they don't really understand why they're bad. It just sounds...unnatural.

The painting session was followed by ramen at the famous (in Fukuoka) Ippudo Ramen. BARI BARI UME!!!! DELICIOUS!!! When you finish your first bowl of Ramen, you can order Kaedama, which is another helping of noodles that you put in the broth thats left over. Usually 100 Yen, or about 85 cents. An incredible deal.

The bathroom was interesting.

Oh I LOVE trash! I love it because it's TRASH!

2007-10-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

I've never been the cleanest person (a nicer way of saying Im a complete slob), but in Japan its a little harder to keep the mess to a minimum.

I have still not figured out how to dispose of plastic bottles, and those who know me know I drink an abnormal amount of liquid. Water doesn't come in convenient 5 gallon jugs here. You buy it by the 2 liter bottle at most stores. This pictures doesnt do it justice, but I have about 50 of these 2 liter bottles sitting by my front door. It really is quite the pathetic site.

I need a girlfriend or something.

Whos got time for that?

2007-10-09T01:36:00.000-07:00

Ive been trying to draw more often, but I usually end up watching TV.

My Japan inspired doodles.

Sure SOUNDS delicious...

2007-10-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

Japanese have a tough time with L and R. So I can understand (although why they didn't just take 10 seconds to look it up, I don't know...EVERYONE has those electronic dictionaries). Who doesn't love flesh fish. Reminds me of home.

But Mand Handicaft? What the?

And make sure you boil those vegetables for a long time so they lose all their flavor and nutrional benefits right?

I swear I was in America last night. There is not a single thing here to bring about thoughts of Japan. Except the Japanese people.

This place has 2 ferris wheels that run from morning till evening everyday, but no one rides them. Japan is huge on energy conservation. No really, they are.

Really.

せんたく

2007-10-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

In the land of technologically advanced machinery, this is how most Japanese dry their laundry.

Ghetto style.

Jealous?

The Raging River of Death: Part 2

2007-09-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

After a grueling 3 hours of rafting in the pouring rain, we were all in dire need of relaxation. Where do the Japanese go when they want to relax? To the public bath of course! This is called an onsen. (oh-nsen)

Naturally I wasn't able to take pictures IN the onsen. Bummer I know. Especially since we were all naked. Thats right. The only thing you can bring in is a small towel to cover your...personal area. Men and women are in seperate rooms by the way. Don't get too excited.

This was my first onsen experience. Hatsu Onsen.

First, I strip off everything, and walk into a room with about 10 shower heads lining the right wall. On the left is a huge steaming hot bath, full of naked old men, but before I can jump in, I have to get myself completely clean. I sit on a small stool in between two guys I've never met, and begin to bathe. It's a strange feeling, but no one is watching (unless you're a foreigner, in which case EVERYONE is). Of course my shower head is broken, so it takes much longer than I want it to. When I finish I wait for awhile to see what I'm supposed to do next. I copy the man next to me and dump a bucket of water over my head to rinse off, pick up my coverage towel, and sink in the giant bath alongside everyone else.

Once you get over the discomfort of being naked in front of everyone, it really is relaxing.

Tetsuya and I after our...manly bath together. The blue curtain behind us is the men's entrance, the red one for women. The girls took significantly longer than us, so we sat and read children's comics while waiting.

I forgot the name of the girl on the left. She's from Korea and is also studying Japanese. Then there's Natsumi, and Machiko.

When I got out of the onsen it looked so beautiful I had to make everyone wait while I took a picture.

This is the onsen entrance, and the fancy Japanese style car we rode in.

We still had not paid for the rafting trip, so we headed back to the office to hand over the cash. Why they trusted us to do that I don't really know. That's just the Japanese way I suppose.

We were all starving after our excercise, so we headed to this little ramen shop. The sign says Suzuran...Lily of the Valley.

This area is famous for Hakata ramen. The broth's flavor is made from pig bones. YUM!

To get back we had to pass a fairly wide mountain range. When I saw it on the map I was a little concerned about driving for an hour through windy roads followed by a 3 hour ride in a boat, then back through the windy roads. I took my meds (yoidome) just in case, but in Japan, you don't drive around mountains. There's just no time for that. The ENTIRE way looked like this. Tunnels were built all the way through the mountain range. Hardly a curve in sight.

Japan is wonderful.

The Raging River of Death: Part 1

2007-09-25T00:46:00.000-07:00

I don't have a stomach for boats, or long car rides, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to leave the city behind, and reunite with the color green. My friend Tetsuya invited me to come along with his friends for a rafting trip in Kumamoto, about 2 hours south of Fukuoka by car.

It's not officially a road trip until I take my token road trip mirror photo.

We got there just as the bus was about to leave for the river, so we had to get ready while everyone, in typical Japanese fashion, waited very patiently for us.

My "I'm ready to take on the RAPIDS" face

From here I obviously couldn't bring my camera, so I only have the few pictures one of the rafting company employees took.

First we got a brief lesson in how to survive, in Japanese. Its so wierd to understand what people are saying. Im still not used to it.

About to embark on our adventure.

I wasn't feeling sick just yet...

Around this time I got sick. I didn't puke, but as we approached this 5 meter rock and were told we would jump off, the nervousness must have gotten to me. I'm not a fan of being up high without a rail to hold me back. I don't have a picture, but I DID jump. I was quite proud!

The guide told us the rock is called Tiger Rock because it looks like a tiger lying in the river. I really didn't see it...just said "E----H?!" along with all the Japanese people.

3 hours. 3...stinkin....hours. But it really was a lot of fun.

UFO CATCH!

2007-09-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't touch the crane games in America with a ten foot pole. A waste of money AND crappy prizes? No thanks.

In Japan however, the arcades (or geemu sentaa) are packed from wall to wall with the things. And they almost always have prizes that make you actually stop and consider playing. The staff walks through the aisles, occasionally opening the glass doors to align the prizes in a way that makes them ridiculously easy to get. There's no easier way to impress a date than to win her a cuddly stuffed animal. Its better to fail on purpose the first time so it looks like it was really a challenge.

Take a look at the cute little pink bear on the bottom left. What girl wouldn't want one?

But when you come closer, you find its not quite what you expected. Whats great is they are next to those adorable hamster like brown things.

The ad here says something to the effect of:

"Gloomy is Pity's pet bear. Pity properly disciplines him, but it appears he can't remember that he's not suposed to attack people."

God bless Japan.

夕焼け

2007-09-19T02:22:00.001-07:00

Not the greatest day, so when I got to the park and saw how beautiful the sunset was, I parked my granny bike and just watched it for awhile. Right now is typhoon season so we are getting some of the most incredible clouds.

I've been asked a lot lately why I am in Japan. It's simple really. I've always wanted to learn Japanese. Not just textbook Japanese like I learned in high school, but how to truly speak and think in Japanese. If I don't do it now, I might never have the chance again.

Sometimes I think of giving up. Its been very difficult to make good friends. My phone is full of numbers, but none of them feel like my true friends. Mostly just people I hang out with occasionally. The usual, go out to eat, go to a bar...but it very rarely goes beyond small talk, due to my limited ability to speak the language. Of course, I improve everyday. When I run across someone I haven't seen in a few months and they are blown away by how much better I have become, its a huge encouragement.

But trust me...this is the most difficult thing I have ever done. I have a great amount of respect for all the Japanese people who have become fluent in English. They are two drastically different languges, and completely switching the way you think is close to impossible.

がんばってます！

The wheels on the bus go round and round

2007-09-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Public transportation is one of the most wonderful things about Japan...once you figure it out. You can get just about ANYWHERE by bus, and they are almost always right on time. You can set your watch by it.

All the destinations are written in Chinese Characters, with only the bus's final destination written in English, which makes catching the correct bus a bitconfusing. There is a chart that is very easy to read...if you can read Japanese fairly fluently...which I cant.

When you get on the bus, you pull a number from a box at the door, like you're waiting in line to return something at Target.

At the front of the bus there is an electronic sign with all the different ticket numbers on it, and the bus fares written below. These fares keep changing the further you go. When you reach your destination, you check the fare written below your number, get your change ready, and move to the front of the bus.

Here's where it gets tricky. Remember everything is written in Japanese, most of the time using a lot of the Chinese characters that I can't read. At the front of the bus (I didn' get a picture) imagine this metal box with about 76 different places to insert things. Rather than insert your money into the coin slot ( that just gives you change) you put your ticket, AND your money in this clear box at the top with a conveyor belt at the bottom. It took me about 10 times before I figured this out, each time the bus driver giving me instructions into his microphone so EVERYONE on the bus can hear.

Anyway, I have the bus system down now, and last night had a nice peaceful bus ride to the sounds of Nickel Creek on my ipod.

When I reached my destination, the river look so sweet, I had to take a picture.

These little carts are a Hakata (Fukuoka) tradition. You can find one for any type of tradiational Japanese food, and share a meal with a bunch of Japanese strangers.

Just Dance

2007-09-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

My good friend Ai Ueno invited me to a concert on Friday night at this extremely compact club, Keith Flack. The band was Little Fats and Swingin Hot Shot Party (ridiculously hard to pronounce for Japanese people...go figure) from Tokyo. This was their second time in Fukuoka, and they were INCREDIBLE. It was my first time seeing an all Japanese Jazz band but all my fears were put to rest as soon as the first note was played.

EVERYONE was dancing their hearts out. It was a blast, and I was the ONLY white guy there. It was like...heaven or something.

My incredibly creative artist friend Ai. We met quite randomly on a missionary ship that was staying in the Fukuoka harbor. Sometimes I go to church with her and her family, but it takes about an hour and half to 2 hours to get there, so I dont make it every Sunday.

Ai`s boyfriend is a stinkin awesome DJ

The concert was followed by a 2 hour conversation downstairs in the lounge, ALL IN JAPANESE!!! Naturally, it consisted mostly of me intently listening, wracking my brain for any words I could understand. The guy in the sailor outfit spoke about as fast as the micro machines guy, which certainly didnt help in my ability to understand, but he was such a good storyteller I couldnt stop listening.

Good times. Many dances were danced. Many friends were made.

A long time coming...

2007-09-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ive been in Japan for what...4 months now. A bit hard to believe, especially considering how much trouble I have communicating, but this whole language learning thing is finally starting to come along.

Rather than try to create an interesting story in the 20 minutes of remaining break time I have between classes, Ill just how you pictures. Stories can come later.

I lost my camera in Korea and had to buy a new one, these were the first pictures I took.

Ohoori Park. I pass through here everyday on my way home. Its a good way to get away from the smell of exhaust for a few minutes.

an old man i found reading the newspaper in a sweet little resting spot.

a river pretty close to my apartment

my sweet basket carrying my trusty umbrella.

the building on the right is my apartment. Chris if you read this you will love to know that my apartments name is Riberaru...or "Liberal". I just moved in here about 2 weeks ago. It was quite the experience.

a sneak peak at my TINY apartment. Its actually pretty big for Japan standards.

this is the cooking equipment that came with my "fully equipped" apartment

this so-called stove is an old electric MESS. and it stinks.

These things are my best friends. Throw an eggand some boiling water in there, and BAM instant gourmet dinner.

BARI UMA! Delicious!

I miss you all, Ill write more later. Sorry for not putting up ANYTHING in the last 4 months. Ja!