Tuesday, August 29

Outfit 06.08.29.



I like this t-shirt. It is all quiet but it is still bringing the hotness. I got this one in NYC a long time ago. It was part of one of the first seasons that 2K T-shirts offered. I have forgotten who designed it. I happily bought this one. I'm obviously fond of brown and have been into pink from the get go. This brings them both.



This is it, the top of my tiny shoe pyramid. This is the pair that reignighted my love of kicks. I got these in April this year. It was love at first sight, although I didn't buy them that day. But after a couple of days of obsessing about them I pulled the trigger.

No regrets on that purchase. They are not the easiest kicks to match a t-shirt to...but it's worth the effort. I love the brown snakeskin and the pale pink. The sand colored suede is kicking it on the low. And those laces...I mean...are you kidding me: hot pink striped laces. They launch the shoes into a whole other realm.

They are part of the same "Clerk's pack" as my black Air Max 90's. Both from the shop "Size?" There is a third pair, some hot yellow and purple Air Stabs. I don't have these. I want them. I can't find them. I hope I do....soon.

The Rocket



I like cars. While walking around I notice cars all the time. I swear between looking at people's shoes and cars on the road it's a wonder I don't walk into buildings more often.

Tokyo being such a big and wealthy city there are tons of nice cars out and about. It is always fun spotting the good stuff. It is clear that in Japan the car that carries the most panache is the Benz. I must see hundreds a day. They are the preferred car of execs, yakuza, rich housewives, and on and on. (Plus there is a whole VIP car movement which is a story for another day.)

So because there are Mercedes every where, how does one establish a little individuality. This being Japan, it is not everyone who wants to establish this....but there are a lot of people who do. So, the discerning owner goes for the after market route; usually subtle and dignified. The ruler of that roost is BRABUS. They seem to have just the right amount of exclusivity and the products that hit the spot.

Benzs are not my favorite, but I can easily appreciate that they are generally great cars. I usually prefer the bolder choices taken by BMW and the overall design care of Audi. But my favorite Mercedes right now is easily the CLS and BRABUS has filled this one with their magic. So much magic that it is now the fastest 4 door car available. It is sick.

[image source]

Wednesday, August 23

State of Fear

Let’s talk about books. So far I have only talked about “cool” books I have read. “Cool” is not really the best word for it. But I’m not sure how else to describe these authors; modern lit, trendy, ???. I don’t know how to quantify it, but I know it when I see it. These are the books you proudly display when you are on the train, at the beach, at the coffee shop, ect.

Anyways, don’t think that is all I read. No sir. I read all kinds of books. I actually never have a good answer for the question, “What kind of books do you like?” I just want say, “Good books.”

This brings us to this review:



First things first, I read a lot of crap fiction to. Clancy, Grisham, Koontz, ect... I ain’t bragging, but i’m not gonna lie either. So yeah, Michael Crichton. As crap/pop fiction goes, this is all right. I believe it is my favorite out of all of Crichton’s books; exciting, intelligent, fast paced, and surprising from time to time.

I believe this book got a lot of attention besides its best seller status. I remember reading a very critical review of the book in Rolling Stone magazine in one of their “Save the World” editions. Crichton has a lot to say about the environment and specifically the green movement. It is worth reading to hear an interesting and unconventional critique of the current environmental debate.

Monday, August 21

Blow your mind




So I was crawling all over the wide wide wide tonight. Trying to make up for my weekend away from Tokyo and my cpu. The only thing I found worth passing on is this. I have been trying to understand it. I watched it twice already. High level math/science has always interested me. I have started lots of books and even finished a few of them. Books take a lot of time, and have no moving pictures. This is different. It takes about 5 minutes to expand your mind. Worth it, no???

ps. Go to Imagining the Tenth Dimension inside the Navigation side bar.

Thursday, August 17

Focus




Hello faithful readers. You may or may not have noticed a lull in posting last week. Some of you might have thought I'd already given up. Just one more example of my less than rock hard will power. Not so! (Not yet anyways....)

No, it was something else. It took me a while to figure it out. But I think I got it now.

See, I've been looking for a focus for this blog. I was hoping to kind of stumble upon one. Clearly, this has not come yet to pass. Rather the opposite has happened really: every person (all 5 of you) that has read my ramblings has liked something different. One of you thinks the Japan stuff is most interesting, one person thinks the music comments are the truest stuff, one person thinks the book reviews make me sound smart, and one person likes the outfits.

All very nice comments for sure. Thank you very much. BUT...it is not getting me any closer to a focus.

When you read something you like...throw up a comment. I fixed it so that now anyone can comment.

Maybe we can find a focus together.

Wednesday, August 16

Outfit 06.08.15



T-shirt first. I got this one a long time ago in NYC. It was from my shop. It was from some independent seller. He walked in the shop and made a deal with the owner to sell the shirts. I loved the colors of them. He always combined some muted base with some bright touches.

Sadly, I am almost completely uninformed about the various revolutionaries that are cool. I’m not going to embarrass myself with some explanation of what this t-shirt has to say. Track the artist down and ask him.

Basically I just like that it has a little pink on it.




On to the shoes. Yesterday I went out to Chiba to meet my friend for a goodbye drink. It is a long trip, but I had an ulterior motive as well: I wanted try to find some shoe laces at the outlet shops there. Little did I know that I would be confronted with such a smorgasbord of kix.

The Nike Outlet in Chiba was more crowded than all the other stores at the complex. They were having quite the sale. I looked briefly for laces but I couldn’t find any. So I started browsing thru the shoes. That is when my jaw hit the floor. The rest of my time there...I was just dragging my poor jaw around from one aisle to another.

I found at least 6 pairs I liked! All of them I had seen previously in other shops over the last couple months. But now they were all more than half of the original price. My head was exploding! I tried on 4 pairs and carried around 3 different boxes.

I finally settled on the Air Max 1 that was part of the "Evolution of Air Max" pack. It was a really tough choice...really tough. But I love the muted muddy colors mixed with the vivid lime green. It speaks to me somehow.

I have a feeling they are going to be hard to work into my wardrobe, I don't have that much green. But, I've never been one to back down from a challenge.

Stay tuned.

ps.


A special shout out to my friend. He's moving on to bigger and better things. Japan ain't gonna be the same without you. Take care and stay in touch!

Sunday, August 13

Outfit: 06.08.11.



This was a good day outfit wise. I have decided to only post the good outfits. Who wants to read about some mediocre crap....and more to the point.....who wants to write about it!

So, t-shirt first: repping a little Dutch love. You know how I do! I just had to represent the motherland during the World Cup. (A lot of good it did!) I picked up this Nike t-shirt in Boston just this past spring. I went into Niketown on a whim, just see if they had anything I needed. And they did! It was cheap, like $20, and the perfect orange. Strange but true: I wear size small in Nike. Bizarre, cause I am not small.

On to the shoes: These are my most recent acquisitions. I picked them up about 3 weeks ago. They are 1 of 3 pairs included in a “Clerks Pack” from the shoe store “Size?” in the UK. When they first came out, about 2-3 months ago, I only had eyes for another pair in the same pack. I bought them instead. I passed up on my chance to get these and I have been thinking about them since. I was finally able to find them at Mita Sneakers in Ueno. I even picked them up on sale. Nothing wrong with that at all.

There is a nice balance between the gray and black. And plus, I just love the orange highlights. From what I found online, these are rain proof, which is nice. I'm not sure I will be putting that to the test anytime soon, but it's nice to know.

I like them a lot. Sadly, not one person I know likes them. But its cool, cause I don’t get upset. I kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then I jet. (A little Rakim for all y'all)

Friday, August 11

Girl Hunters



Last night I met my friend for drinks after work. I arrived at the station at 9:30. He did not show up until about 25 minutes later, stupid work! I wasn't mad though...it actually gave me a chance to study something that I've only seen in passing before.

At any station or crowded place in the city, you will see these guys standing around. They are always wearing bad suits and terrible haircuts. Their actions have always confused and intrigued me. They are sometimes in packs, but more often than not, there are 3-5 of them working independently...but of the same group. They scan the crowds looking for a specific target. Once they spot a candidate, they home in like nobody's business. Often they try to look as casual as possible, that it was only by chance they ended up right next to the target.

Now from what I can tell, their target is this: Any women between 20-30. She has to be alone. She should be kind of slutty looking...they never approach women in business suits. It is usually girls in short skirts, revealing tops, high heels, or any combination of these.

Now...you might ask, "What do they say to the girls...what do they want?" Me too! Since my girl does NOT fall under their target criteria ...and none of my friends do either, no can tell me exactly what they say. BUT...from what I have gathered from various sources and asking around, the guys are trying to get the girls to come with them to their club. The clubs are called "kyabakura". (A bastardization of "cabaret bar.")

But, in Japan, these are commonly called host or hostess bars. These are the places where a guest pays for the company of the opposite sex. Tons of attention for the lonely person. Other people go in groups, or just to experience the luxurious atmosphere, to be treated like a prince or princess for one night. The only catch is that you, as the guest, pay for all the host's drinks plus a large service charge. The more drinks you order, the more attention you receive and the more hosts that talk to you. Doesn't sound bad, except when you realize just how much a typical guest ends up paying for 1 night of fun. Hundreds and hundreds. On TV they often show programs about the extreme examples of the people who go to the bars. THESE people spend thousands of dollars per visit. It's crazy!

Anyways, often these guys are relentless. They talk to the girl, hound the girl, until she basically runs away. They rarely take no for an answer. I have NEVER seen a girl say yes and go with one of these guys. The guy in the photos was the least aggressive I have ever seen. He must have been new. He will learn.

I will keep investigating to get more info.

Tuesday, August 8

Outfit: 06.08.08.



Today, we didn't have nice weather here in Tokyo: warm, very humid, and rainy. The weatherman says it's because Typhoon #7 is working its way up the island toward the city.

Side note: In Japan they give typhoons numbers instead of names. (Typhoons are the same as hurricanes except for the location: Pacific vs. Atlantic.) I think it is an interesting naming strategy ...but I prefer the US style better. Proper names give the storms a lot more personality. And as everybody knows, personality goes a long way!

On to the shirt. I got this one maybe 4 years ago in NYC. I bought it from the shop that I managed in the East Village. It was fun being able to influence what items we stocked and then to get a huge employee discount on the stuff I liked. It was the best of times...t-shirt wise.

I love the Spanish flavor of this t-shirt. I don't know if these are famous wrestlers or not...but the masks are flawless. And the lime green... marvelous! And the lawn equipment.... bizarre! Overall, this t-shirt is a winner. (All attempts at finding a witty wrestling pun failed. Maybe that's a good thing)

To the shoes we go. Again, I bought these a while ago. I want to say 6 or 7 years ago. It was during a serious New Balance phase. I was totally off Nike and Adidas. At the time they were both making crap kix and it was before they started releasing retro or exclusives. I was on the look out for interesting shoes and I was loving New Balance. I still do, but I am always going through my phases of hot or not.

I got these NB in Kyoto on a visit to Japan. They were really expensive...like ¥23,000. At the time I was off the bright color, I wanted just a hint of funk. The 3M reflective "N" and heel fit the bill perfectly. As you can see, they are not in wonderful condition. But considering the age and the amount of wears, I'd have to say they have held up well.

The black laces are relatively new. The change from (dirty) white laces to black has give them a new lease on life. I have fallen back in love with these bad boys after a significant time in the closet.

Advice: Look in the back of your closet, you may discover some forgotten gems!

Monday, August 7

Gun, With Occasional Music



I wonder if I will ever review a book on here that I don’t like? If I don’t, I’m not sure if I should call these entries reviews: it would be more aptly titled “Book Recommendations” then wouldn’t it? Hmmmmm..... It seems a bit premature to start renaming things already. So, on with the show.

On of the best titles I ever come across is Gun, With Occasional Music. I believe it is the first book published by Jonathan Lethem. If you have read any of his more popular books, this is quite different. It is a nour-ish science fiction book. A dark look into the future filled with genetically modified animals and babies, a strict police state, wide spread government sanctioned drug use, and “karma point cards”. It is an interesting vision to say the least.

I have read it twice now. I really enjoyed it both times, maybe more the second go round if I had to chose. Lethem has a wonderful way with words. If I could write novels, I would aspire to his smooth effortless style.

I recommend this book to people who have read his other books and enjoyed them. For me, it feels like a 1940's detective novel set in the future. But in this book, finding out who did it is WAY less important than spending time in this world with this character.

Get out there and track it down.

Happy Birthday!!



Today is my brother's birthday! I miss my brother a lot. He is the only member of my family to have made the trek out here to Japan. The last time he came, in Feb, was a blast. Me and my girl where able to have dinner with him. After that I was able to help him get a pair of sneakers. And then to top it all off, we got to see him play a rockin’ set in Shinjuku. I absolutely love watching his band play. Super fun! If you ever have the chance, check out Silent Drive when they are in your area.

I hope he and his girl and his band are all doing well!!

Enjoy your happy day!!


Saturday, August 5

Tales from the ipod 06.08.05.



This selection comes from my commute to work on Saturday morning. I work a Tuesday - Saturday kind of job. Saturday morning is the toughest not only because its the last day of the week, but I also start 1 hour earlier. Balls. Plus, I went out for a drink with my friend Friday night. Great time as always, but it didn't make getting up an easier. On to the tunes....

#309:
No Surprises
Radiohead
OK Computer

Beautiful Radiohead track. Perfect morning track.(I had to skip thru 1 drum & bass track from last night to get to it. I love d&b, but it is no way to start a day.) Some old Radiohead songs hit the spot better than the more difficult (read: messy) new songs. But they always the chance to deliver an amazing song.


#310:
4/16
Silent Drive
Love is Worth It

This is the opening track from my brother's band, Silent Drive. I love it. Nice muted beginning before launching into an ass-kicking riff. Some syncopated goodness between the vocals and the rest of the band. The emotional content matches the aggressive nature of the song. Truly one of my favorite songs in the world.


#311:
Gotta Lotta Walls
Atmosphere
Seven’s Travels

Some nice indie hip hop representing the Midwest. It doesn't get a lot of love on my ipod...but there are some decent beats. The lyrics are a little too introspective for my hip hop tastes. But, if they hit me at the right time, I'll nod my head head to it.


#312:
Different Strokes
State of Mind
Bad Company/Maldini & Vegas Presents: Bad Taste

One of those d&b tracks that just wants to rip your head off. Quick build up before dropping a thick meat loaf of a beat. After that the beat is constantly rising and falling like it can't sit still. Midway through it has the nerve to just mellow all the way out, only to come back to finish the job. Too bad they didn't change up the beat for the second go round. Maybe the best track of the commute.

Side note: Because that track came from a mixed cd, I could hear the next track being mixed in...and in this case...it was truly a killer...but I stuck to my guns. I gotta be strong and keep this going. Don't stop me now!)


#313:
The Nurse Who Loved Me
Failure
Fantastic Planet

An indie rock whiney song. I think my brother gave me this cd for a couple of good tracks. This can’t be one of them. I think I gave it less than 15 seconds before skipping through it.


#314:
Track 15
Derek Marin
Get Your Boots on 2

This is a tech house mash-up track that was given to me by a dj friend in NYC. Again, it was before I even knew what a mash-up was. It’s well done with some David Bowie over some medium weight beats. Not a bad way to roll into work. “Put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Lets dance!”

Stay tuned...

Outfit: 06.08.05.




Today was kind of a dud outfit-wise. There are several possible explanations for this fact: it's Saturday...the last day of my work week, or maybe because I decided what to wear last night...and then proceeded to change my mind in the morning, or maybe it is just too damn hot and my brain is toast. Who knows....anyways, I have to chronicle the good with the bad.

T-shirt first: I got it at Uniqlo about a year ago or so. I needed a gray shirt at the time...and with this I could rep a little love for Boston...and it was cheap. After the fact, the sentimental value of the shirt shot up when 1 of my sisters worked on a project at MIT. Big ups to her...and good luck winning the "lottery."

Now for the kix. Got them soon after I landed in the Land of the Rising Sun. I needed a summer shoe, and these fit the bill. Not super comfortable or wicked cool...but ugly by no means either. Irregardless!!!! They are cool kicks for those hot summer days.

You can't knock'em dead everyday...no matter how hard you try.

Side note: When I was living in NYC I had two different apartments in Queens. Me and my girl bounced in and out of 4 different apts in 8 years. Anyways, we fell into the habit of segregating our clothes into 2 groups: one of these was for work, school, and going out in Manhattan, the other was for around our apt. We called the latter, “Queens-wear.”

My outfit today comes awfully close to falling into that category.

Next week is another chance to right all the wrongs and find the perfect ensemble.

Outfit: 06.08.04.




Another blistering day today. Shorts and t-shirts were the order of the day.

Again, I decided which sneaks to wear first. My Nike 180s were calling to me. They are reissues sadly, not originals. But when I saw them on sale last spring...I snapped them up. Wicked shoes. Love the pink and royal blue.

T-shirt wise I had a bunch of options. I chose Andy Mueller’s "Foxy Says II". It was put out maybe 4 years ago thru his company The Quiet Life and Gingham. They had/have a good thing going: producing artists t-shirts at a fair price. The boutique I worked at in NYC carried their line. With the employee discount I bought A LOT of them.

Side note: Back in the day, 9th grade, I had the Charles Barkley 180s. I NEEDED them for JV basketball. My mom bought me those bad boys at Foot Locker after much pleading. Thanks mom.

Friday, August 4

Tales from the ipod 06.08.03.




I took a break from my ipod for about 3 months. Starting this week, I’m back on the horse. As I have been known to do, I put it on shuffle all. It is a interesting experience. I usually give up after a few days, or find something I REALLY need to listen to, and stop. But this time, I have been trying to see how long I can stick with it. My ultimate goal is to go thru it all, all 2341 songs.

Side note: All the music on my ipod has been obtained legally: either I have the cd or I have borrowed it from a friend or family member.

From time to time I might chronicle what I come across. I’ll be as honest as I can, even reporting the embarrassing tracks. This edition comes from my commute back home on 06.08.03

Tracks 263 - 270

#263: Muslimgauze (Paul Simon / Ladysmith / Miriam Makeba)
DJ Rupture
Gold Teeth Thief

Great track. This stuff came right before “mash-ups” exploded. It jumps off with the gospel singing of “Homeless” before continuing the ethnic flavor with a Brazilian(?) singer. The track is mellow and chill.


#264: The Whole World
Killer Mike Featuring Outkast
Big Boi & Dre Present

NIce Outkast track. Outkast can easily hit or miss with me....but this hits it. Killer Mike kills it with his verse.


#265: Dollar Man
E-Z Rollers
Moving Shadow 05.1

Ahhh....E-Z Rollers....maybe they can do no wrong. NIce rolling track with some nice horns for accent. When the bass drops for real....its the goodness! Plus the CD was cheap! (1000YEN) This track almost made me abandon my quest....but I persevered. But you know once this project is over, I’ll be back to that track!


#266: Proverb (Remix)
Nobukazu Takemura
Reich Remixed

As I was listening to this, before I check what was playing, I was assuming this was a Kid 606 track: all vocal + glitchy. But I was wrong. Its a remix of a Reich track. Really beautiful and a bit haunting. It has just enough glitchy, techy stuff to keep me happy, but not too much. Its a long track, but it kept me entertained.


#267: All For You
Namiae Amuro
Queen of Hip Pop

To be honest I skipped right thru this track. I got this album for one track I liked. This is not that track. This track supports the notion that 90% of J-pop sucks.


#268: Roses
Outkast
The Love Below

Another decent Outkast track. I think this was super popular in the US, I kinda like it, but I aint lovin' it THAT much.


#269 : Buckle Up
Kid 606
Kill Sound Before Sound Kills You

Now we hit the 606, but before I checked, I thought it must be a ragga track my sister gave me. Oh no, it was all 606. But man does it rock! All rough and ready! The MC fighting his way thru the heavy beats. Best track of the commute home!!


#270: Al - Naafiysh (The Soul)
Hashim
Fabric Live. 24: Diplo

This whole album is really good. This track being no different; straight up nice! All early techno/acid beats. It was a nice way to arrive at my apt.


Stay tuned......

Thursday, August 3

Umbrellas



When I was growing up in Worcester, umbrellas were for sissys. Cool kids didn't mind getting wet...more than that, it gave them something to bitch about. Plus, everybody had cars, all you had to do was run from your car to the mall, school, house, gas station...whatever.

After moving to NYC, sans car, I began to understand the benefits of umbrellas. Not that I liked them...although maybe nobody LIKES umbrellas.

These days, in Tokyo, I have 3 umbrellas: 1 at work, 1 at home, and 1 compact one for rainy season. The season consisting of a month+ of on & off again rain. Not a happy time for anyone in the city.

Here in Japan there is another type of umbrella: the summer UV parasol. I see them every sunny day. You would imagine that it is mostly popular with women of the elderly persuasion, but there you would be wrong. It is quite a mixed group, of course there are the older women, but you also see many many younger women with the summer umbrellas. Even my girl has one, and she is NOT old. She also just told me they are expensive!!!! (13,000YEN) Yikes!

Men in Japan never use the summer umbrellas...nor shall I.

Outfit: 06.08.03.



Today was just another regular hot summer day. I went with black shorts...that was easy. But when it came to the important things...I had a little trouble. I knew I wanted to wear my ZX 700s, they have not been getting much love lately...but what t-shirt?

I ended up wearing another band t-shirt. This time from a punk band I was friends with in NYC: Peelander-Z...they are amazing live! Plus, they make a nice t-shirt. The green picks up the 2 shades of green on the Adidas.

Back to the kicks. I bought them in November last year. The laces stole my heart...I mean, shit , I just HAD to buy them. Although they are a winter model, I think the bright colors work year round.

Side note: When my brother was on tour in Tokyo in February, we went halves on a pair for him (different colorways). I just love buying that kid shoes!

Black Swan Green



Post #0005

I like to read. One of the things I'd like to do on this blog is talk about books I've read, liked, hated, etc....

So, to start with "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell. I warmed up to this book quite slowly. It was a bit more subtle and sophisticated than his other books. But after the 1st third I was hooked.

It was an honest, if slightly dreamy, story of a young British boy coming of age under the rule of Thatcher. Some of the cultural references did not register...but many did. It is always nice to run into something that meant a lot to you while reading.

Overall it was darker than I would have thought...but not without moments of hope and beauty to keep me reading. I trusted Mitchell not to completely tear my heart out...maybe only half way.

I recommend it to anyone who grew up without all the confidence in the world.

Outfit: 06.08.02



Post #0004

Today was a hot and sunny day. I knew I was going to wear jeans...which are too hot, but I thought I would counter-act that with my ClimaCool kicks.

I bought them last summer. A bit too sporty for my taste...but man do they work. Your feet get a breeze all day long! But because of the overt sportiness...I have to be careful what kind of shirt I pair with it: not interesting enough and I look like a marathon runner. I went with my brother's band t-shirt. Nice flower design...plus the red also picks up the red on the shoes.

Everyday is a chance to make a new equation.

T-shirt + sneakers = ___________

Wednesday, August 2

Belt

Post #0003





Belts are tricky things. If you've ever gone shopping specifically for a belt, you know of what I speak. Where does one look for a belt. There is no belt store, at least none that I know of. So, you go to your fav brand shop. Good luck! Each store maybe has 3, maybe 4 belts. Most likely you will just wander around, finding belts in the corners of shops, hiding behind other crap. And.....you wont like any of them. So, you either buy one that you don't love.....or just give up.

So, on Monday, I was out and about, and came across this Lacoste belt. I have no Lacoste shirts, but I do like them. I can just never justify spending so much YEN on one solid colored shirt. Anyways, I found this belt. I liked it a lot. So I bought it. In truth, I have no need for a new belt. BUT!!!! I might soon, and I just couldn't take that kind of chance. (4000 YEN)

I like my belt. I'm wearing it now.

Night

Post #0002




I like the night better than the day. Not that I hate my job....and the sun. Its just at night, I get to be with the person I want to be, and do what I want to do.

PS. This post just an excuse to try loading a picture. Please do not use this post to judge this blog. This is just a test.

Humor

Post #0001

So I was thinking that this might be harder than it looks.....and maybe not as fun. But I will try. I'm curious if my sense of humor....such as it is....will come thru on the wide wide wide. I mean, I'm not a comedian, but it seems people have a good time when they are around me. (And not ALL of them can be laughing at my shoes!!!!)

Humor in Real Life:

I was at a conference for work. Inevitably, there was a lunch break. Great! Too bad i now have to find a place to eat at the same times as 100 other people. Anyways, I located my one friend, but.....6 other people had located him as well. Nice guy that he is....he said we should all eat together. I almost went my own way....but I thought THAT would be childish. So they we 8 are eating lunch. Now my one friend knows I'm not a huge fan of people. But I'm doing my best to have a pleasant conversation with these people. Mostly that means me not talking. So, this being Japan, the conversation eventually turns to the small apartment issue. Now, at the time I was living in the postage sized room that most Tokyoites would be used to. But this one girl was saying that her apt was big, but cold. She was going on that it was so bad. And other people joined in debating the cold vs. small apt issue. I just said, "I'd rather live in a big apt with my jacket on." Much laughter. I then proceeded to say nothing much the rest of my lunch. My friend later told me it was killer, not say anything, nail’em with a joke, and then disappear again.

Now, I’m just not sure how that kind of thing is going to translate to this site.

We shall see......