Today there is an assload of things going on, and I'm invited to them all. My host parents are going to the nanmon festival, to visit their relatives that run the famous Takada-bokusha (高田牧舎) restaurant just outside the main gate of campus, there's the festival itself, which includes performances by a wide array of clubs, Happy Hour at the hub, at which time I have already arranged to meet with Billy, Hanna's birthday party, which is to consist of nomihoudai and okonomiyaki tabehoudai (Japanese pancake filled with all kinds of different materials; look it up, it's tasty), and finally, a trip to a supposedly amazing club called Ageha that Bob has been harping about for weeks now, at the end of some rail line in the middle of nowhere, where the only thing nearby the station is the club and a bunch of convenience stores so people can drink before going to the club. I'm going to have to prioritize.
After class I went with Hans to Nakano to see if I couldn't find some clothes that fit. We went to a shop that Hans had gotten some shirts at, and I actually found a nice set of three shirts for 2,000 yen; a bargain by Japanese standards. We returned to campus and ran into Juha (Finnish guy in my Japanese class who wears black almost exclusively) and a British guy named Craig. We went to Hoshien so I could ask about the upcoming trip to Fukushima. They, who hadn't yet even finished making the posters advertising for the trip, asked how on Earth I knew about the event. I just have an amazing gift for realizing when a good deal is around the corner, ok?
We talked in front of the dorm for a while, and at around 4pm, made our way to the Takada Bokusha to meet with my host parents, who had stopped there to say hi to their relatives running the place, and to observe the frenzy of the festival outside the retaurant. Already several small performances were under way as we walked through the crowd. We sat and chatted with them and enjoyed some small talk over beer and appetizers, before heading out into the crowd. We watched the Waseda Breakers' performance, and everyone split off to take care of their own minor business before heading to the Hub later. I walked back and forth up and down the street, enjoying the various performances being put on by the school's clubs. I ran into James, Willy and Ehtesham just as the 男の祭り started dancing around wildly in fundoshi (loincloths). They were on their way somewhere, but I invited them to the hub nonetheless.
I went to the hub and met up with Craig, Juha and Billy. We enjoyed happy hour and chatted it up, then Billy and I met up with Hanna's birthday party, and went to the Okonomiyaki restaurant. We ate our fill of the fluffy Japanese pancakes, and chased them with as much alcohol as the waiters could carry. Billy, who had already downed a lot at the Hub, was now very happily smashed. Hans was flushed bright red, as usual. As the nomihoudai ended, we started migrating back towards the Hub. On the way, we met up with Issa, one of the Japanese students, whose friend had gone over the edge and was lying unconscious on the sidewalk. An ambulance pulled up, and the paramedics rolled over a gurney and scooped up the remains. Issa worked out a rotating schedule with his friends so someone could be with Takashi (the fallen comrade) at any given time. In the meantime, he joined us at the Hub. We hung around a bit longer and acted social. I didn't order any more drinks, not because I had already drunk enough, but because happy hour was over.
When it came time to go, Issa and I walked the girls back to their dorm. It may be Japan, but just cause the streets are a bit safer at night doesn't mean we have to throw chivalry out the window. Some strange white guy passed us on the street, and we then saw him hanging out in front of the dorm entrance. None of us knew who he was, so we stopped for a moment. After a brief conversation, we turned to see that the mysterious creep had disappeared. We walked up to the door, then turned around to head back. It was about 3am, which was about the time Issa had to be at the hospital to look after his friend. I talked to him briefly, and he rode off on his motorbike. I walked home from there, and passed out as soon as I hit the pillow.
Today there is an assload of things going on, and I'm invited to them all. My host parents are going to the nanmon festival, to visit their relatives that run the famous Takada-bokusha (高田牧舎) restaurant just outside the main gate of campus, there's the festival itself, which includes performances by a wide array of clubs, Happy Hour at the hub, at which time I have already arranged to meet with Billy, Hanna's birthday party, which is to consist of nomihoudai and okonomiyaki tabehoudai (Japanese pancake filled with all kinds of different materials; look it up, it's tasty), and finally, a trip to a supposedly amazing club called Ageha that Bob has been harping about for weeks now, at the end of some rail line in the middle of nowhere, where the only thing nearby the station is the club and a bunch of convenience stores so people can drink before going to the club. I'm going to have to prioritize.
After class I went with Hans to Nakano to see if I couldn't find some clothes that fit. We went to a shop that Hans had gotten some shirts at, and I actually found a nice set of three shirts for 2,000 yen; a bargain by Japanese standards. We returned to campus and ran into Juha (Finnish guy in my Japanese class who wears black almost exclusively) and a British guy named Craig. We went to Hoshien so I could ask about the upcoming trip to Fukushima. They, who hadn't yet even finished making the posters advertising for the trip, asked how on Earth I knew about the event. I just have an amazing gift for realizing when a good deal is around the corner, ok?
We talked in front of the dorm for a while, and at around 4pm, made our way to the Takada Bokusha to meet with my host parents, who had stopped there to say hi to their relatives running the place, and to observe the frenzy of the festival outside the retaurant. Already several small performances were under way as we walked through the crowd. We sat and chatted with them and enjoyed some small talk over beer and appetizers, before heading out into the crowd. We watched the Waseda Breakers' performance, and everyone split off to take care of their own minor business before heading to the Hub later. I walked back and forth up and down the street, enjoying the various performances being put on by the school's clubs. I ran into James, Willy and Ehtesham just as the 男の祭り started dancing around wildly in fundoshi (loincloths). They were on their way somewhere, but I invited them to the hub nonetheless.
I went to the hub and met up with Craig, Juha and Billy. We enjoyed happy hour and chatted it up, then Billy and I met up with Hanna's birthday party, and went to the Okonomiyaki restaurant. We ate our fill of the fluffy Japanese pancakes, and chased them with as much alcohol as the waiters could carry. Billy, who had already downed a lot at the Hub, was now very happily smashed. Hans was flushed bright red, as usual. As the nomihoudai ended, we started migrating back towards the Hub. On the way, we met up with Issa, one of the Japanese students, whose friend had gone over the edge and was lying unconscious on the sidewalk. An ambulance pulled up, and the paramedics rolled over a gurney and scooped up the remains. Issa worked out a rotating schedule with his friends so someone could be with Takashi (the fallen comrade) at any given time. In the meantime, he joined us at the Hub. We hung around a bit longer and acted social. I didn't order any more drinks, not because I had already drunk enough, but because happy hour was over.
When it came time to go, Issa and I walked the girls back to their dorm. It may be Japan, but just cause the streets are a bit safer at night doesn't mean we have to throw chivalry out the window. Some strange white guy passed us on the street, and we then saw him hanging out in front of the dorm entrance. None of us knew who he was, so we stopped for a moment. After a brief conversation, we turned to see that the mysterious creep had disappeared. We walked up to the door, then turned around to head back. It was about 3am, which was about the time Issa had to be at the hospital to look after his friend. I talked to him briefly, and he rode off on his motorbike. I walked home from there, and passed out as soon as I hit the pillow.
2 comments:
Good man, walking them back to their dorm. Hope that the fallen man came out of things okay.
-D
yeah, I later heard from Issa that they pumped his stomach and around the time he arrived at the hospital, the guy was leaving under his own power. I wonder what something like that costs... and hope to never find out.
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