The Holiday Season

"It's the most wonderful time of the year" so the song says.


I personally love Christmas, but I am no fool. I know my history, I know the Bible. I know Jesus wasn't actually born on December 25th. They still have those census records ( the Romans were meticulus about those things) and yeah it was more like June right?

But hey, I am not complaining, Spring has enough to be happy about. Pretty flowers, warm weather, etc.

It is poor cold, dreary winter that needs the pick me up. And red and green are just so festive. Of course in Japan on the evening of December 25th ALL the Christmas decorations come down ( that means all the red and green go) all the wreaths, trees, angels, santas etc and they are all replaced by New Years decorations.

New years is about as "wafu" as you can get. There are giant ropes of straw, red and white banners, paper this and that, oranges, bamboo out the wazoo. For New Years it is red, white, green and gold. Oddly enough the same colours we often see at Christmas, but it is no way makes you think " Christmas"

No this is Japan culture to the max.

A coworker of mine said told me she didn't "get Christmas" since she is Japanese. Too bad I say because unlike in America where New Years is about partying and dancing and revelry. In Japan it is all about obligation. You have to go to your hometown ( you can NOT go, but I imagine the guilt pretty much drives you there) You have to make certain foods ( or you can spend a lot of money buying them), you have to go visit your local shrine and pray for a good year, and you have to eat the mochi ( that has to be the best part) and if you are a kid then you get money, if you happen to have a kid, grandkid, niece or nephew..... be prepared to cough up the cash.

I realize there is more to it that this, but seriously folks... it isn't all that fun.


So this year as you celebrate in your own way, remember to have a Happy New Year



oh yeah and resolutions are for chumps

Day 9: what if it eats me?

So, after a few days of not updating I am back! Who said these 88 days had to be consecutive? Not me that's for sure.


Anyways, look at this photo. It isnt a good photo by any means, I took it on the walk home from graduation this year.

Seriously WHAT IS IT? I know it is a dress, maybe "what" isnt the right question maybe the question should be WHY?

as in Why would anyone buy this and wear it TO THEIR WEDDING?

right there 3 questions in one, if you buy it I say you made a poor decision, if you wear it I might say you lost a bet and if you wear it to your own wedding I say you must really have something going on there I don't want to know about.

Japan has it's fair share of these things ( dresses) in store windows in an obscene array of colours with enough tulle and bows and ribbons and roses to make My little pony offended but every wedding I have seen the girl in in a white dress.

Does anyone wear these cupcake monstrosities OR do they exist to help girls convince their mothers and fathers to pay for expensive tasteful white wedding dresses?

well now the wedding dress syndicate wil be after me for revealing their secret, it was great knowing you ( see you tomorrow maybe)

Day 8: HENSHIN!!!!!

First of all I was slightly disappointed when I drank this and I didn't become a Kamen Rider.
Secondly I was EXTREMELY disappointed that after downing the whole can I was sick for 2 days.

Not because there was something wrong with it. I just don't drink soda. ever.

So why did I drink it? It is KAMEN CIDER that's why and it was only 100 yen.

it used to be called Ultra cider and was designed to look like an Ultraman costume UNTIL someone got smart and thought HEY HEY Cider and Rider sound similar! So Kamen Cider came into existance and Ultraman ended up with the inferior UltraCola.

The most fun thing about Kamen Cider is the can, it comes in 5 different designs AND has info about the rider/bad guy it is designed for... cool eh

the most unfun thing? It just tastes like any clear soda sprite-eqsue

oh and the non henshining thing isnt fun too

Day 7: what? I'm with the band

What is this?

This is me taking photos of the floor in a live house during a show. The band playing on the stage you don't see are former students of mine and I readily admit... they are pretty darn good ( so much so I have gone to 11 or so of their performances)

So when I take photos of anything I like to get all artsy, but there is something here that is of a little more interest than the lights and shadows.

It's the people. Maybe there were 12 or so people leaning on the guard rail in front of the stage and the rest of the crowd was just hanging around, sitting in chairs, leaning on walls. This would make sense I GUESS if it were jazz or something, but this was a ROCK live. These guys were up there jumping around and the people just stand there.

This happens at most of the lives I have been to. It is different from concerts, at a live you generally know the band or a member of one of the bands and I guess in that case you don't wanna jump around and look dumb. I've been to lives of older bands where they have hordes of teen fans who go nuts dancing, but that is OK, you don't know the band then.

It's weird, in a whole room of people who " know the band"

Day 6: orange and green

So, I figured instead of posting something silly or clever I would post a photo I took that I really like.

I took this photo last year on Sports Health day on my walk home after spending the afternoon in the park with some friends. I like to take photos of random things; streets, buildings, cars, shadows, etc. I pass this green phone everyday at least 2 times. I have never seen anyone use this phone, it is right near a station, a few restaurants, a super market and a bunch of apartment buildings. It really doesn't seem like a place that needs a pay phone.

It reminds me that in the U.S. they got rid of most pay phones...Though I hardly use them, the existence of payphones is somewhat comforting.

I have seen people in phone booths laughing, crying, hiding from the rain. I've even seen people living in phone booths.

I am sure my phone booth has been there for many people, maybe someday it will be there for me too.

Day 5: And yet noone notices it

So, if you know Japan you know cherry blossoms. Heck you probably even know they are called Sakura in Japanese and I'd be willing to bet you know that every year in the week or 2 they bloom Japanese people go out for the traditional flower viewing or "hanami"

as traditional as a bunch of people on a blue tarp getting stone drunk eating piles of junk food and leaving more piles of trash around can be.

Just FYI it is more about eating and drinking than it is about flowers. How do I know this? I have done it and night time is the most popular time to do it

How you looking at flowers at night.

So before you ask. These aren't sakura in the photo. You might recognize them. They are Dogwood flowers and in Japan they come in White, White with pink tips, light pink, dark pink and red.

How the heck did they manage that? I have only seen white in America. I grew up with these trees. My mom loves them, has a few in the yard. In Japan they put them by the street to pretty it up ( which is so much better than nasty old ginko trees)

But the funny part is this; I have never, been able to find a Japanese person who can identify this tree. Not by description or by sight.

It's everywhere,yet noone notices it


just like this post title says

Day 4: It's Potty Time! ( for stylish people only)

Everyone knows the "toilet people" that little blue man and red girl with round heads and nubby arms and legs. For years they have been showing us what a Man and a Lady are. There are the various other styles of bathroom signs, some use real photos, illustrations, etc. these are found in your more upscale, theme restaurants, but in general cafes and fast food use the standard nubby man and lady

So how does one explain this bathroom sign with the stylish blue man casually standing by his long haired high heeled red lady counterpart? Perhaps this is some young modern cafe?

This my friends, acquaintances and people I don't even know is a sign in a fast food restaurant. A Lotteria hamburger chain restaurant. When I saw this I stood there laughing for a good 3-5 minutes before snapping a photo. I have never seen another Lotteria in Japan, or Korea for that matter with this sign. It could be passed off as nothing in particular, but it is the location of this Lotteria that is the key.

This particular restaurant is located at one of the busiest corners in the Namba district of Osaka, on the famous, perhaps infamous Dotonbori street. This street is lined with restaurants, bars, and if one walks a bit further out of the way.. love hotels. It is also teeming with hosts, hostesses, bar girls and scouts: the ladies and gentlemen of Japan who make their money off people's dreams. Any given night they can be found, their hair styled high, sparkly shiny clothes and dripping with accesories ( and that's just the men) chatting up potential customers ( most of whom are entirely uninterested) and preening themselves like exotic birds.

Although the Lotteria might generally attract more of the high school crowd and not these mythical creatures of the Osaka nightlife, at least they pay homage to their famous location.. with their sexy bathroom sign


Too bad they hosts won't see it... they generally prefer a cheap bowl of ramen after a long night, you think with all that styling they actually have money to spend on food? ( and the Lotteria closes around 11pm)