The MASSIVE Update Part 2 - the era of self

Well, that took more than one day didn't it. Sorry. It really is hard to blog these days, but I want to get it down before my mind hazes over.

I want to start by talking a little bit about the new apartment.

It’s located in Kichijoji, a town about 15 minutes west of Shinjuku on the Chuo-line express train. You can take the Inokashira-line to Shibuya in 15 minutes too.
Sometime I’ll walk around Kichijoiji with a camera, and you can see for yourselves why it’s such a great place to live. I’m pretty chuffed.

The apartment in its current state

It took me a couple of weeks to get the apartment in order, and there are still a lot of things to sort out. But it’s much nicer now than when I’d just moved in!
It’s a pretty old building – made in the 70’s (ancient for destructo-happy Japan) so it has lots of… quirks. I couldn’t cook anything for two weeks because firstly the stove was on the opposite side of the room to the gas taps and it took me ages to find somewhere that sells a 3m hose, and secondly because the electricity went in the kitchen and I was unable to work out how to switch it back on (antiquated system).

No real complaints about the bog, although the lack of a window or extractor fan soon persuaded me to invest in fragrant sprays

There are other quirks too. There are three CATV cables for the TV. Why? Why oh why?
I had no lock on the balcony door for two weeks. And the balcony door is such a bad job. It doesn’t close fully. I can see why – when I asked the landlord to put a lock on the door, he got some cowboy guy around who tried his best to fob me off with just sticking a piece of rubber at the bottom of the door – like a wedge – to stop the door from being opened from the outside. After demonstrating to him that merely by applying strength to the door you could dislodge the wedge, he got off his arse and went to the hardware store to buy a proper lock. Even then, he didn’t remove the old one fully – it just dangles from the middle of the door now.

The balcony, and Kichijoji beyond

But without a shadow of a doubt, the most peculiar aspect of the apartment is the rather bizarre placement of the shower room. It’s on the balcony. You open the balcony door, and there is a pod there that you get into. An individual pod. It’s rather fun. You can sit on the sofa and watch someone shower. If you’re into that kind of thing.

Balcony, shower, TV. Everything you need in one meter.

So a couple of weeks ago I had a little house warming party with 5 friends. We barbequed stuff on the hot plate outside, and played Wii Sports. Unnecessary metal trinkets on the back of girls’ jeans have etched black patterns onto my walls now though. There goes my deposit!

Proof that I have at least 5 friends

I am now determined to make friends. To hang out with them. To expand. For too long I was locked away. People are rather interesting if you give them a chance.

I went to an event for fans of the band “Supercar” in a club in Shimokitazawa. It was fun. I chatted with these Japanese guys and we exchanged business cards (yes you even do that in clubs here). I sent them emails, but no replies. There’s something about Tokyo people where it’s deemed socially acceptable to just not reply to emails. It really boils my blood. Stop being pathetic! I can imagine them waking up hung-over, in a cold-sweat, thinking “god… I made friends with a foreigner! What am I going to do? People will think I’m weird and look at me”, or some such thing. Or perhaps they threw themselves onto the Chuo-line – many other people do after all. Perhaps I have that effect on people.

I’m just kidding! I’m quite amazing actually.
In fact, I’m worried that I may appear “too cool”, if this is possible. When I talk with people, I inevitably mention that I was an actor, and now I work at a video games company, my Japanese is great blah blah blah – maybe they just think “hmm, he probably has loads of swanky mates, and will think that I’m of petty significance in the grand tapestry of his life”.
If they are thinking that, they are wrong! Ordinary people are most welcome. I don’t bite.

Lately, I started doing something that I’ve wanted to do for about 14 years now. I finally started to learn the drums. It’s great.
The studio is half way between the station and my home, which is dead handy. I pop in there every other day for a rat-a-tat-tat. Once a week I meet my teacher who pushes me forward. I can really feel the progress.

My sensei, "Monkey T Nissy"

It’s not cheap, but you know, you have to do these things. I’m 26 already. 14 years of procrastinating right there.

That’s a whirlwind tour of what has been pertaining. Tonight I’m going to Yotsuya to see my friend Matt’s band, Placebo Sound. They’re a good unit, very tight, with some top songs too. Tonight is their last scheduled Live event for now, and it has drink-as-much-as-you-want too. Great! More good for me!
Goodness goodness goodness
I just realised that the words “good” and “god” are very similar. I feel nauseous now and must stop writing.