Oh, hi! I didn't see you there! It's been a while, but you're looking good.

Tokyo Station by night

The masked Peter chases after the cloaked Japanese experience in the night. So in Japan, people where these masks for many reasons: germ prevention, allergies, no make up, and so on. I was forced to wear one at work when I came down with a case of the plague. Believe it or not, Japan's level of modern medicine can be quite disappointing. Hospitals actually close everyday, blood tests are done sparsely, and communication boundaries play heavy roles. At least the healthcare is incredibly cheap! A typical doctor's visit will cost me 10 dollars, medicine and all.

Everyone can be a Mortal Kombat character in Japan!

Today, I found myself unable to sleep due to a cold and lack of insulation in my apartment. I wandered out for an early lunch with a friend at a local Cafe in Kichijoji. I always find myself getting the same thing. They only have 4 dishes on the menu but each one is delicious. I never ate curry in the U.S, so I can't really compare, but Japanese curry is the bomb. I eat it on cold days for a spicy shot of energy and season filled flavor. I highly recommend it! During the lunch, we discuss cultural differences. A girl was held in captivity for 10 hours the other day, as she was milked for the funds in her bank account and other assets. This makes nation wide news. In another incident a 4000 police officer search was underway for a missing girl who later turned up, as seems to be the norm, unharmed. I explain that in any given major city in America there is at LEAST 1 murder per night. Minds were blown. 1000 experience earned, my love for the safety of Japan levels up. Soon, I'll move on to the next stage.

Cafe Zenon! A Kichijoji favorite!

My vegetable curry dish along with a cup of coffee. Each meal comes with another dude taking pictures of your food. Talk about a gimmick!

Patrons can use computers at their leisure, or mingle with Kenshiro in the backround. He is known as the fist of the north star. 

Lastly, I was interviewed by a couple magazines in Japan. I'll write more on that along with the horribly awkward pictures on my next post. So, I'm getting by...how are you? :)

My new life in Kichijoji

"Humans are cowards in the face of happiness" ~ I heard this from some crazy (Yanki) girl in Japan.

Yanki are one of the many subcultures in this crazy cartoon country I live in. They typically have dyed blonde hair streaked with remnants of brown or black, wear dark, torn clothing, ride on majestic scooters into the sunset after some scheduled Wednesday night brawl with the rival gangs. They love to loiter, smoke cigarettes, down wine coolers in front of the local Don Quixote or convenience store. I've never been bothered by one, but they seem to be looked down on by the majority of the populous. I heard some of them upgrade to Yakuza if they're lucky. But what do I know. I'm white XD.

It's not easy being a foreigner in Japan sometimes. I moved to Tokyo, recently, to start my new job as an underwear model ;). I also write when I can and teach English; typically to doctors, businessmen, and international departments at my new company. The lifestyle here is drastically different from the Kyoto area. Millions of fashionable people crammed into sardine can sized streets, trains, and department stores mindlessly stampede in cycles around the city on a 24 hour basis. Despite the density of this ant-farm, there are days where I feel I have hardly spoken a word to anyone. Foreigners are always foreigners here. It takes time to sort through the hoards of solicitors, for people actually interested in your genuine friendship. I should wear a sign or T-shirt with the answers to the routinely stated comments or asked questions:

Where are you from? o_o
Can you teach me English? x_x
What did you come to Japan, of all countries? Z_x
You're Japanese is really good isn't it? -_-
You're (cool/handsome)! (-_-);;
You have a tall nose! I_I

It was flattering and exciting the first 200 times.

 I live in Kichijoji now. It's 15 minutes from central Tokyo, an incredibly good area I'm told. I love it. I'm a 9-10 minute walk from the train station. A labyrinth of shopping arcades, restaurants, bars, chains, department stores, coffee shops, grocery stores, pachinko parlors, and movie theaters riddle the space in-between my apartment and the station. I find myself on many late night strolls exploring the area. The day is infested with shoppers, families, couples, and youngsters. The night seems to belong to other solitary people like myself. I run into the occasional pack of drunken salary men or cackling young girls looking for the next drink.

There's a beautiful park, as well: Inokashira Park. The pond is a battlefield, controlled by swan boat pilots and the resistance. I don't know who's winning the fight, yet. There's a small zoo, which boasts one elephant, and seemingly every single bird from every single Disney movie.

I haven't forgotten the handful of friends I have made in Hikone, almost 2 years ago now. On occasion, I have a run in with them even while dispersed across this tiny country. They haven't changed a bit...

I wonder if I have.

Long Time No See

Sorry, I know, had it not been for the occasional nagging, I'd forget to update the handful of people who actually care.

Nick managed to snag this picture of the conveyor belt of shoes at the Bathing Ape shop before the employees rushed over to deny us any more photography

We took shots of this HABU drink...perhaps the deadliest snake in Japan? Needless to say, I found the whole ordeal disgusting but my manhood was on the line.

Nick with the under-aged sirens

What have you been up to, Peter. Brace yourself, cause here it comes.

Nick "the feenom" Mellusi came to visit me this month, he is an old neighborhood pal. The day I picked him up we ended up here ^ in the picture above, Cream bar. My friend Yukari works there, so we stopped for a few free drink tickets, darts, and catch up conversations. I forget the names, but many under-aged girls who fooled us, initially were there enjoying zima's and smiirnoffs, as many girls...and unfortunately boys, do in Japan. Rarely, am I, a foreigner, carded or ID'd, so it's no surprise that Japanese folk are rarely carded as well, making it easy for minors caked with make up to sneak into naughty establishments for alcohol and such. After being propositioned by young girls, we were wise enough even in our intoxicated state to walk away and say no to drugs...and thugs. 

A swift trip to Toyko had us doing all sorts of sight seeing. Roppongi, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukura, Harajuku, Yoyogi, blah blah blah whatever. 

HUB in Shibuya offers all sorts of lovely beverages, messy.

I bought a sweet BAPE shirt at the Bathing Ape shop. If you check out there website, it says Only rich black rappers wear BAPE...and Petes.

Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world

Ambushed by a rogue pack of field trip students in a temple in Kyoto, we were forced to sign a good 30 or so autographs.

Nick got a splendid impression of Japan. I have a twisted view of Japanese people now. I'm not sure what to believe anymore. To any short time visitor, Japanese people will come off as the most respectful, honest, polite, giving, disciplined people in the world. I still believe most of this to be true. However, their culture and way of thinking baffles me at times, sometimes it's frustrating, sometimes it's refreshing. Due to their undying wish to please and conform, it makes it complicated and hard to tell when someone is being genuine or just conforming to the norm of their society, unless, of course, I've known this person or people for a lengthy amount of time. Sometimes I wish I knew what people REALLY thought? Know what'm sayin dawgz? chyeah you totally do :)


Anyway I'm not in much of a mood to talk, so I'll let the pictures and captions speak for themselves. Enjoy.

Cleansing the impurities of my soul with the finest of temple fumes

Dinner at my gym buddy's home. His has was amazing...as was his cuisine and 7% beers...and sake...and ruffi's.

Nick and my dawg Asumi, I can't remember at what point in the night his shirt came off, since I blacked out X_x

HAHAHHAHA I don't even remember

Kyoto

Took Nick with freinds to Karaoke, a must experience in Japan...Kiki's sister trying to look cool.

Hanging with Nao in Hikone...I look blubbery 

Tokyo Nights and Random Poo

Hello World...Peter put beeper :>

Slots and Pachinko Parlors...great for the hard of hearing. Deafening.

This is where I collect my millions...of debts X_x JK! Pachinko was an interesting experience. I won some bling my first hour playing it...which lured me into playing again, thus negating said winnings X_x...Japanese Yakuza run pachinko parlors...you clever dawgs. Pachinko parlors tend to smell of smoke and metallic balls. The whole idea is to shoot your balls with a pinball like lever into a tiny slot...every ball that lands in the slot gives you one spin at the slot machine display. If you are quick and hit extra buttons when prompted too you automatically get 2 numbers for the slot lined up, if the 3rd one matches the 2, boom jackpot...but you win no money. A jackpot simply opens up a MUCH larger slot (at least 4-5x the size of the smaller slot) for a set period of time. The machine chooses a random multiplier. Every ball that lands into this much larger slot pays off a TON more than the smaller the slot. Let us say you get about 3 balls for every 1 ball you manage to shoot into the small slot. For the big slot, you can get as many as 15 balls, or more, or less, for every one ball you shoot into it, and again, it's MUCH easier and bigger...like American women...womp womp

Dinner with Kiyotaka and Paraiso Crew...Delicious Korean food

So the owner from my local bar and the regulars invite me out from time to time to eat or drink. When a friend from America comes to visit I look like one popular muppet, but in truth, that's not the case. I have grown fond of my town and have put myself out there on several occasions. This has payed off :) My Japanese is improving, as always, but it's getting much harder! Kanji or chinese characters are the death of me.

Awesome

I went to teach at a high school in Kyoto for a day. It's a private school for children ... or teenagers I should say, who don't fit in at normal high schools. Some of the girls there are wearing clothes so scandalous that I hesitate to even look in their direction. Despite these crazy anomalies, everyone there turned out to be incredibly nice. The Japanese teacher that I assisted was very young and pretty, a cool mentor. I got to go play baseball with them in my suit and tie in the million degree Kyoto weather. Many a ball was punished by furious American power ;) A fun experience to say the least.

Toilet paper here is much cuter than in America

 So I've conquered Fuji, partied all night in Tokyo on a few occasions, among various other activities. what's next jerkface? Well let me tell you. My friend Nicky, a high school buddy of mine, is coming to visit in October. He will be my 3rd or 4th visitor to Japan. Crazy that I move so far and people are eager for the opportunity to come. I love it. I plan to take him to Koyosan to stay overnight with the monks on the mountain temple there. Of course we'll check out Nara and pet many a ravenous deer. We'll check out Tokyo once more as well as Nagoya and Kyoto, but maybe no time...or money for Osaka. The job is going well. Not much to report on that front. I love my students at one school :D

Karaoke with Liu Mumu

I won't pictures from it here but I went to Roppongi, the foreigner district in Tokyo, and partied to the break...of...dawn...shawty got it going on...To be honest it was amazing. I was not myself. I put on a wonderful facade and acted way cooler and different than I've ever been. In Tokyo, once you miss the last train at 12am, you have to wait til 5 or 6am to catch the next...Fortunately the bars and clubs don't close til well after these times... You walk out after the sun comes up to find many Japanese sleeping on the sidewalks in pools of various substances. I had at least 5 girls who I did not speak a word to come up to me asking for my number...this isn't bragging and I'm not cocky...BECAUSE THIS NEVER ONCE happened in America to this degree or level of intensity. I think the girls in Roppongi are just hunting for Americans or interesting foreigners. It was nice to be THAT GUY for the first time ever xd. That, combined with my outgoing confident masquerade = 1 cool cat. I had to turn down every girl, that made me look cooler I'm sure. My heart belongs to another perhaps tehee. I ended up karaoke'ing with Liu Mumu up above and her friends Lee Tan and Qiaoyuan on another night near Tokyo. I look forward to going back and exploring, experiencing...

Club Greenland in Roppongi Tokyo

There's still so much of Japan I long to see and do. I'm grateful for my family for the support and encouragement they've given me and all my new friends here in Japan. I hope this ride never ends :>

Okonomiyaki

I'm becoming a monk, and climbing Mt. Fuji

There once was this boy...

Fuji San

I know what you're thinking...and yes, it's all true. All the rumors, all the fables, all the urban legends... No one has ever climbed Mt. Fuji and lived to tell the tale. I may or may not be the first. I'm taking no oxygen tank, probably doing it in sneakers, and I certainly won't bring a g-string...why would I? All the pictures of survivors are photo-shopped by the Japanese yakuza, and any friends you've had who have personally told you that they've been to the top are liars, so you should drop them as friends. as soon as possible, before they lead you down a route of deception like a tricky turn in mario kart riddled with banana peels that other players have strategically placed to prove to you once and for all that Luigi is better than Toadstool.

There is a word in Japan that has no English equivalent. I have grown to appreciate it more and more as my time here extends into buzz light-year, especially since effort, value, presentation, and service at work are taken to the highest level imaginable here, at least compared to any other country I've ACE ventur(ed) A to. It's literal meaning is something like, "the tireless man?" but it's meaning is something like "hello + thank you for your tireless effort" combined into one word :

otsukaresamadesu. 

This is a VERY important phrase for any of you thinking of working in Japan, so thought I'd make it a note.

It's literal meaning is not important, what it MEANS is "thank you for your hard work."

You will hear it EVERYWHERE! Salarymen shouting it at each other as they bow to say goodbye after a hard days work and hard nights drinking, teachers saying it to their students after a lesson, coworkers saying goodbye at the end of the day, colleagues thanking someone for their help in a small or large task, basically anywhere in the world of work where someone has helped someone else. You may sometimes here the slightly more casual お疲れ (otsukare!) when said between close, more casual coworkers.
It's very professional, very polite, and feels really good to say and have said to you after a hard days work!

Salmonella  Sickkkk

Lastly, for today, the next thing on my list of things to do is spend some time with the good ol monks of Japan. You are welcome to climb, or walk, to certain monasteries and stay with them/go through their routine or daily lives. My training has begun, which means I must disappear, yet again, for an extended amount of time. Sorry, I don't update frequently. There's always so much to say, but sometimes I just don't know how to say it or what to choose from. Health sucks, life is rarely boring now, my chin is up, and U.S. stocks are down XD

~Be water my friend

Peter's Japanese July

I'm still alive

Kyoto Station

NABEATSU!

That's the name of the Japanese tv personality I met. He's known for counting then screaming out in a Tourette's Syndrome like manner whenever he reaches certain numbers or multiples of numbers. You'd think doing slight variations of this gimmick would get old quick, but he's still around and people seem to continue to giggle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KslVPf_Hpg

I finally have a few consistent students and classrooms. We've been understaffed in our area since I arrived to Japan, but with new trainees and employees coming each month, I'm slowly being assigned my permanent classrooms. It's a great feeling being able to recognize and remember my students names, faces, and personalities. I strive to make them laugh or have more fun each lesson. I'm glad I naturally feel that way; it makes me feel mature to realize I'm here for more than just the Yen and Japanese adventure. Although, teaching in this environment where there seem to be no taboos (from time to time) is an adventure in its own. -_- I've had more than the occasional attempt on my life by students trying to jam fingers up my butt X_X while screaming "kancho!" or punch me in the "chin chin" and, sadly, a fresher Peter fell victim to a couple of these unexpected assaults. There is much less personal space when working with students in Japan, and much more flies. Half the things I see that pass in this country would be instant law suits in America, haha..."I swear that's how we shook hands in Japan, officer ;)"

The rough copy of me profile hanging at each of my schools for parents and students to see. This version is one of the rough drafts. The final copy has translations in Japanese.

So since I last spoke to you, I was overcome by the plague. A co-worker and myself simultaneously fell to an unknown month+ long ailment. Constant cough, congestion, chest problems, headaches, and chain smoker voice. I like to say I'm over it now but TINY aspects of it linger still, although it is clearing up every week, just at tortoise like speeds. We both went to doctors for it and pretty much had the same diagnosis and mystery medicines, powders, and scorpion stinger prescriptions.

Paul and Peter...trouble

Pedo-Paul came to visit me in Japan! We had a merry frolic, though short lived. Pretty much the day after he arrived, we ventured forth to a co-workers Sayonara (going away) party in Kyoto. It was in a beer garden atop Kyoto Tower. It was sahweet. At this beer garden, which was a rooftop event, we had all you can drink beer and all you could eat buffet for a set price (30-40 dollars maybe?). It was quite a bargain considering typical bar prices and the hours/amount consumed. The place was quite crowded.

Awesome fireworks festival with Sarah. They shot fireworks that made numbers when they exploded, count down from 10 and then kaboom big show

 We karaoke'd all night long to Gaga, Blink 182, Brit Brit, Avril Lavigne, and several other painful artists. The karaoke room was huge and easily fit 20 of us. I made a few new friends and Paul got a sweet punch in the face by Japanese night life. The rest of the week I had to work, but Paul adventured out to Hiroshima, Kyushu, Nara, only to get attacked by deer and snakes...good times.

I've been so busy with work and random events. I'm scheduled to climb mount Fuji in mid-August. Other than that, I hope to have a quiet month. I want to work out and stay grounded for a bit, maybe drink less and save more...we'll see if it lasts.

Couple random things:

I saw a bird slap a 4 year old in the face...was awesome

I don't think friendship here is the same as in America...random people, although mainly girls, have met me and say "let's be friends" or want to exchange phone information after what seems like a one or two minute convo with them. I don't trust em...doesn't sit right I tell ya, doesn't sit right at all...

If life were a video game, moving to Japan gives all Americans + stat points to looks or attractiveness. I assure everyone here that I'm average, in terms of apperance, AT BEST back home. My apparently super attractive high school friends back home can vouch for it as girls flocked to them on every outing with me and simply gave me the hello or nod XD. I've had a Japanese teacher at one of my schools tell me that mothers have commented on how attractive I am. The other day I had to cover for another teacher and the Japanese teacher told me that the students were saying how much more handsome I am than the other teachers they've had :> yay point for Peter! ...shut up

Routine: Teaching, Martial Arts, and Japanese Celebrities

Greetings Citizens...Okay it's been a few minutes so I'll give one long post on random stupidity:

I love the neon seas I occasionally drift into on pieces of floating trains 

Let's start with some mundane and boring news :D

SLOW DOWN life! You're moving wayyyy too fast. All I want to do is buy a playstation portable game or sit down at a local theater for something classy and cultural like Harry Potter...is he joking?

Well, I would love to see a movie and I certainly wish I had time for a video game! I used to always say, in America, "man, Petah, I bet you would be one productive muppet baby if you gave up even one of your many addictions or slothful habits" (pro gamer, cinema addict, expert nap taker, cigarette lighter repairman, the list goes on...) Now that I've completely given up on ALL of those things, in Japan, life moves at the speed of light.

shopping arcade

I'm in a perpetual state of need. My apartment still requires many little gizmos and gadgets, appliances and tools, decor and what not...as do I, in terms of accessories. I could really use a new watch and a new wallet. You would think, that being American and all, the American dollar would be obese and fat, by comparison to other forms of currency. That is certainly not the case. My Japanese dolla dolla billz, or yen, are always protruding out into the open air from my thin leather wallet, like the bellies of slightly overweight girls or boys while wearing high rise t shirts or...whatever you want to call them...*shivers. Japanese wallets are a few centimeters thicker. So I need to adapt...I-Ching, Nietzsche, Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Collateral. Shopping here can be done in shopping arcades. They are a bit daunting and overwhelming, at times. Masses of locust like Nihon-jin flood them in search of every day desires. I feel like I'm crowd surfing. Once I step into one, I simply have to let the flow of the current of 5 foot 4 bodies carry my through in a lazy river like manner. Heaven forbid I want to actually stop to look at something or else cities might explode. 

suburban block

Hikone, located on Japan's largest lake (Biwa Ko) ...Osaka is about 1.5 hour distance, Kyoto is 40 minutes to an hour (depending on what train I take) and Nagoya is a mere 30 minute bullet train ride away.

It's times like those that make me appreciate the slower pace of things in my semi-rural, semi-tourist, lake town, conveniently located thirty minutes to an hour and a half train ride from 3 of Japan's 4 biggest cities. 

Work has been nuts. It's a roller coaster ride with ups and downs but the downs will continue to decrease in the following month or two, if I can only survive next week >_< It's always darkest before the dawn. I have a thing called the CM which involves demonstrations, work related, and all the staff in our area (Maybe 14 or so Native English speakers and about 50-60+ Japanese employees, 90% female...I guess teaching isn't the cool or macho thing to do for Japanese dudes). Then I have a sweet three day business trip for what might be my last time to Obama...Hiroko Sensei here I come for more merriment. Also, various challenging Kaiko, or super duper young 2-3 year old classes.

Meaningless to you I'm sure XD...couldn't get it to keep posting sideways ><

Step into my office

Okay, so last night I went out...shocker, I know, but first I got together with my performance supervisor and company and dabbled in martial arts :) It has been a long time so it was refreshing, although very little real training was actually done. We played around in a small room so I was intimidated to try to many acrobatics, but my butterfly twist, butterfly, 540 and aerial came off beautifully considering I have not attempted them in almost half a year. I think walking, jogging, sprinting and riding my bike practically everywhere on a daily basis, and with a backpack 80% of the time, has increased my leg strength to super hero levels. No wonder Asians are so good! After some messing around and interesting knife defense/locks/grabs/holds/breaks/ and other tutorials, a sweatier Peter made his way home.

My Japanese teacher has so much prepared for me at my Yasu school ... shout out to Naomi sensei, you rox my sox

Even empty subway trains are not as comfy as the cozy JR seats

Kiyotaka gave me a ring ring while on the train...apparently it's considered kinda rude to talk on the phone on any sort of subway or train here so everyone simply texts or emails, but on empty trains I sneak a convo or two in. He picked me up at my station and we rode off into the sunset on translucent steeds. We went to Yabs sports bar and gut wrenching...something...long name. It's a bar where all the Americans and other University of Michigan study abroad students come to unwind. It was interesting, considering I don't see ANY foreigners in my town ever, yet on this night, like cockroaches scurrying away from the light of education, here they were. Perhaps, seeing a non university student foreigner, or the fact that I rolled in with a local and bar owner friend was intimidating or daunting, iono. People were hesitant to come up to us, but I was fine shooting the breeze with Kiyotaka, Yabs, and a couple other tomodachis. 

As the night went on, and more empty glassed piled on the counter, the bar became absolutely packed. A bartender from yet another bar, Skyjoker, walked on in. Her name is easy for me to remember because I need only think of pokemon. Her name is said phonetically like "I'll catch you". Not too much worth saying but: there were various drinks, more wanderers' stories, more strangers met for temporary convenience, good food, good times. We made our way back to familiar waters sometime in the weeeeeeeeeee hours of the night...I'll never let that Japanese man drive again in that state - _ - ...at least with me in the car. I take my seat at my usual place in the bar and a normal looking man strolls in casually and saddles up beside me. Everyone in the bar gasps and the girls sitting around various tables whisper loudly and stare. Kiyotaka tells me the guy sitting next to me is like "the Jim Carrey" of Japan. I wouldn't have guessed by his half-asleep demeanor and coke framed glasses. I offer to switch seats with my friend. I'm asked by Joe, the owner, and countless people to take about 300 pictures of them with this character. I am now a professional iphone photographer. I knew I'd forget his name so I asked like 10 times so I'd remember...it didn't work -_- but I'll ask again next time I head out with those goofballs and post a picture.

After he bounced, I switched into autopilot with the guys and gals I was introduced to. My Japanese is improving at frightening speeds, but then again I have been here at least 2 months, immersed and forced to study and experience the language on a daily basis. Last night was the first time I caught myself simply asking questions about the people I met that I wanted to know, as opposed to asking the usual few and only questions I knew how to say in Japanese, even if I didn't care. It was like enlightenment...zen...feng shui...good thing I rotated my apartment plant 30 degrees last night...I knew it would make all the difference... ;)