Thursday, April 26, 2007

Yura Yura Teikoku

LOVE this band/video. Stick it out and watch it all. probably the coolest video i've found on youtube ever.


and here's one for the older folks. When I was at karaoke with the co-teachers, someone sang it. apparently it was a big hit in america. It's probably one of the sweetest,best songs i've ever heard, isn't it?!?



got one day of work in the next 8. hmm.... plans....

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

so it didn't take me long~~ 3rd day at judo and i already sprained my knee. Or, stressed the ligament, or something like that. whatever it is you do to it that prevents you from walking. Of course, it was totally my fault. I can't tell you how naturally awful i am at judo. I just don't get how to move my weight, and other people's around in the right way at the right time. Cant keep my feet and arms coordinated, i'm trying so hard to thinka bout it "okay when i spin my foot then i ahve to pull his arm then i have to move my other foot over then move the other foot over a little more..." rather than just doing it, cause i'm all nervous about it and trying to perfect it. It's stupid. I am remembering cameron's hamstring injuries, and am praying that doesn't happen to me, christ. But luckily no classes today, which is why i'm sitting here typing up a blog-- i wrapped my leg with a hankerchief last night, and hobbled to work where the shcool nurse fixed me up with some wrap and cool pack stuff. Got 4 classes tomorrow, then a 3 day weekend. hopefully by monday i'll be walking.

The other night I was sleeping, and was startled awake at 3:30 to this thunderous BWAAAAANG!!! It was awful, i swear to christ my heart almost tore itself out of my chest, it was SO loud in the dead of night. It was the head of my acoustic guitar finally giving and just snapping off. It was like the sound that it makes when bugs bunny breaks a guitar over elmer fudd's head. It just freakin...broke. sitting there.

Then it's starting to get warm, so i was going to start airing my futon, and there's already mold on the bottom. So.... that sucks.

my futon, knee, and guitar are all broken. luckily i fixed my computer *knock on wood*

I seriously have nothing to do at work today~~ i finished the board game i was making yesterday. I'd just play with kids and help...garden and stuff, but with the knee i'm stuck sitting at my desk trying to look busy but not knowing how. Which is awesome, but.... what on earth am i going to do?

your truly
-D

Monday, April 23, 2007

Spring Fever


A happy family
Originally uploaded by mrlovegrove.
It's good times again -- for someone who stays indoors 23 hours a day, i'm freakishly connected with the weather.

I'm speaking of winter, and how much I hate it. It's hard to stay in good spirits when you're alone in the cold, you know? Maybe it's just that loitering is something that comes very natural to me, and walkign around killing time, or sitting at park playing videogames or harmonica, is so great in warm weather and so awful in cold. Also, Kumano has just gotten a hell of a lot prettier since it turned green, it's unbelievable. I can't even listen to happy music in cold weather, i spend all winter listening to emo and bumming myself out, i just can't help it. Or I'm too spoiled to fend off uncomforts without great effort. Long story short, went to my first carp game!!
they lost.
Which lost us a bit of money on beer at Marumiya afterwards. When the carp win, they have 71 yen beers (opposed to 500). Brilliant way to build up a loyal fanbase huh?!?

What else has gone on? I went to another hanami the week before that, here in kumano, which may have been one of my most pleasurable days in japan so far~ Here's some pics.




Met this guy there who is a judo teacher, and he says "you should learn judo", probably half or more in jest, but i spoke in my last post of never rejeting invitations, so now I am taking Judo class. And, god, i am sickeningly weak. Most of you know that, but not the full extent of it. I don't feel like I'd ever have a chance at being good at this sport unless i put on 30 pounds(which i don't want) or shrunk town (center of gravity yeah), but it's cool because i don't have to punch or kick anyone, and i come home sore in muscles i didn't know existed. Lots of elementary school students.... which is....wierd....

Well, speaking of not refusing invitations, I played in a dodgeball tournament in yamaguchi prefecture sunday. The winner of the dodgeball tournament won "delicious meat". Which made more sense when we had a BBQ afterwards,

but, it was still a pretty freakin wierd day. I felt even cooler, if possible, when we get there after an hour of driving and i know one of the hot chicks playing.

I want to thank cam, dave and matt and mikey dikey for filming me those clips.You might have been mocking me about the blogging thing, but I'll take it to heart. I always thought mat looked pretty sweet with longer hair and a beard, but he always childishly insists on cutting his hair. Don't even think about it dude. Also, kinda cory was in the video, though you could just see his hand swatting the camera then hear a drawling "I know you know i know i don't give a f**!" hahahaha

One last note. I was about 5 days late hearing about the virginia thing, but to make it up to the karmic wheel I will see Spiderman3 four days before the rest of america. Wait, 5 if you count the fact I also live a day in your future.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007


Casimir Pulaski Day


Jacksonville


Come on! Feel the Illinoise!
part i: The World's Columbian Exposition
part ii: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream

a bit sloppy live, especially the last track, it's total studio music. but you can get the gist~

Spring has Sprung!


It's time for Hanami, or flower viewing. I'm STILL on spring break. Which is good, but I was sore about it in the beginning~ the day before it started i get told, offchance by one of the teachers not even from my company, that i had the next 13 days off. WHAT?!? I mean, that's a NICE surprise, but i shouldn't get my 2nd largest vacation as a surprise.
Anyways, I kicked around for a few days doing not much, then decided to up and go somewhere.
Got on the train. Ended up in Okayama.
So, I was waiting to hear from Mat. I wanted to visit his country hovel out there, but he wasn't feeling like checking his email, so i was stuck in Okayama city for a night. Shouldered my giant rad backpack (thanks maresa) and hit the bars.
Funny story, I got about 4000 yen of free drinks from a girl! Hah
So, she was talking to me, and being SUPER flirty. We sang duets on the karaoke machine, and everything. I was buying her drinks, feeling good about myself. Anyways, later on, when i was drunk, she mentioned something about leaving to meet her boyfriend, or something, and i was angry. I called her a liar, for letting me buy her all those drinks, and for being so flirty when she had a boyfriend. I said but it's okay, it was nice to meet you and you're welcome for the drinks, in my cold disappointed attitude i have sometimes -- that one that really hurts girls feelings when i'm not trying to. Anyways, she covered our tab, which must have been pretty lofty. Thank god. The next day i felt pretty guilty about it, but not TOO guilty.

So, the next day, I tried like hell to win robert a mario question mark block from this stupid machine, but couldn't do it.
Finally, Mat called, and i went out to his country home to spend a couple days.

Crazy, so, he lives with his girlfriend in her dad's old house, neighboring her parents house. And good thing, because they have no electricity or running water in that old place. Which is really awesome, and a cool way to live for awhile, but i couldn't tough it out. And those walls are japanese style, which means they are literally paper. During the winter, when it's freezing here, i have NO clue how they got by. He said it was hell, that doing ANYTHING was soooooo difficult, and they ended up spending most of their time at the parents house.
I can't get you to understand how cold it must have been. Also, being in that big room is freaking SCARY at night. Sooo creepy, he was telling me about how the night before his girlfriend was out, and he had to go to sleep alone and was horrified.
Anyways, enjoy this video tour. Mat is also a vegan, so, throw out your respect to the man.





Mat's House Tour on Vimeo

oh yeah, together we went to Naoshima, which is like... art island. Check that webpage. It was really awesome. I took a crapload of pictures.


Finally, Hanami. Which was yesterday. Which was so fun~ jerico invited me along, and we partied it up with this super hip group of kids, and a heck of a lot of cuuute girls. It sounds pretty pathetic, but i was/am pretty excited about it. I only hang out with 48 year old men anymore. I'm serious~ kids after high school and before marriage don't live in Kumano. Contacts in Hiroshima are always "busy". Anyways, it's been sort of a tough couple months for me.
Last year, I had this sort of fiery energy-- ANY little ammount of time i had off, which wasn't a lot, i desperately and actively pursued fun. Justin once gave me a little speech along the lines of partying -- he said he will always go out when invited. Even if you don't want to, because you might end up having a great time. You'll always have tests, and homework, or be tired, or hungover. Right? It's true, those things are neverending, and not what i want to base my actions around. But I almost ignored those words, which would have been awful, and i wouldn't even know it!
This year, my job is freaking great, but i don't feel like doing anything anymore except coming home and drawing, or reading.
Anyways, I went, met cool people, had a blast.





Also, I made my first money panhandling! After the party, I'd missed the last train/bus, and was deciding what to do, and i was pretty drunk so i ended up sitting in front of the convenience store playing my harmonica with my hat out like a dork, and some dudes tossed some money in, then brought me inside and bought me booze (that i definately didn't need at that point)
But, we hung out drinking outside the convenience store, and i was drunk enough to give them a little concert.
Good times this spring break, except the small fortune i've spent. Ouch.

Comment for me.
-D