Waiting, waiting, waiting. Still no word back from the university I'm hoping to apply to. I guess the next few months are going to be full of extended periods of hanging on for an answer. This is the price you pay you pay for trying to move your life in a new direction. I watched 'Shakespearse in Love' tonight: a great film I hadn't seen in ages. It gave me inpiration and I changed my blast accordingly. As my wonderful Aussie friends say, 'She'll be right, mate!'
Nothing else is going on in my life right now, so I thought I'd finally talk about my brother's trip all the way back in Dec 06.
He really got me out of my shell with his visit. I am the world's least spontaneous person. I need to be crow-barred into doing anything outside my comfort zone. But at his request, he had me watching professional wrestling live and direct, visiting the world's largest haunted house, and sitting in a traditional Japanese room observing his first calligraphy lesson - he was really good: he had a natural talent. Unlike me - my handwriting looks like a drunk spider has crawled throught the inkpot.
He arrived safely and smoothly and surprisingly unjetlagged. I was mortified to arrive late to meet him at Shinjuku Station. This was a big deal for me as Japanese tend to be completely anal about punctuality. Usually I'm so good. It was Murphy's Law.
Because flights from Europe arrive in Tokyo in the morning, I really felt the need to keep him as active as possible to prevent him getting too sleepy. So we had a beautiful walk through the autumn leaves in Shinjuku Gyoen, my favourite park in Tokyo. I also treated him to his first experience of a 'Manga' cafe - a 24 hour windowless den of iniquity where people go to read Japanese anime magazines and surf porn on the internet. Plus you can get free coffee and whipped icecream. What more could you want?!
We met up with his friend who lives in Japan and my Japanese friend the next day. I took them for make-your-own okonomiyaki. This is a kind of Japanese pancake meets pizza meets omlette dish. It's so good. The evening was a lot of fun, but I felt so old - these young people nowadays speak in a language all of their own. What with all the 'claw' and 'fang' being thrown about, I had no idea what they were talking about. God knows what my Japanese friend thought. Luckly she was drunk on one sniff of the barmaid's apron!
Next was Fujikyu Highlands. This is Japan's premium theme park. It's so cool. My bro wanted to go there to visit the world's biggest haunted house. I was skeptical, but it turned out to be a real thrill. Imagine me, him and two Japanese friends huddled together, running through the corridors of a deserted mental institution, screaming all the way as we're being chased by zombie doctors for thirty minutes. I thought I'd hate it but I'd go back in a shot.
I'm a big fan of rollercoasters and attractions of all sorts. My bro, not so much after a bumper-car incident many years ago. This park has the longest, the highest and the fastest rollercoasters in the world. The newest attraction is the coaster with the most loops in the world. Needless to say - I was in heaven! There may even be video footage of me running about and screeching in happiness like a little girl.
The best thing about the theme park is the team spirit that 'we' Japanese display. Honestly, waiting in line for a ride everyone is your friend. Take a look as we wait in line for the rollercoaster with the biggest drop in the world. Seriously, you try to scream but the air rushing into your mouth at great speed muffles the sound.
I had my usual dose of shame at the park. Due to bad weather, the 'Big Drop' ride was shut. I have loved these so much ever since my time in Lux. I may perhaps have gone on about it a little bit too much though. By the end of the day, my bro and friends were ready to strangle me if I mentioned the godforesaken ride again.
I was also pretty embarrassed by the fact that my bro was able to identify my shouts and screams from way down on the the ground as I rode a couple of the more thrilling rides. Basically people in my family are taught to 'project' from an early age. You don't speak up in my house, you don't get heard.
The main event of my lil bro's trip to Japan had to be going to see a live pro wrestling event. Those of you who know me will know how out of character such a day out would be for me. But my bro is a big fan and takes it seriously. I LOVED it. It was so spectacular. I recommend you check out the photos I've uploaded in the 'Stevo's Visit 06' album.
Now, my bro doesn't really drink. But I have been known to enjoy the odd glass of sherry. I'm pretty sure my bro was about ready to swing for me when, a few beers in, I started thinking it might be a good idea to add my own 'boing boing' sound effects to the action taking place in the ring only a few rows in front of us.
The 'wrasslin' even gave me one of the most charming photo opportunities I've ever had over here in Japan. It's the photo I've put at the top of this entry. So we turn up at this big stadium full of sweaty, overweight, wrestling geeks and there perched amongst them is this petite Japanese lady fully decked out in traditional kimono. And she was so into the whole thing. We figure she was showing respect to her beloved wrestlers by making the effort to wear this ceremonious garb. It was incongruous and lovely - like so much of the best that is Japan.
I've given you the trip almost exclusively from my point of view. But hey- it's my diary. If my bro were talking to you, I'm sure he'd be telling you about the hours of joy we spent in Akihabara - Tokyo's computer and electronics heaven. Or the almost religious experience he had visiting 'music' street in Ochanomizu - a street devoted entirely to musical instrument shops. No kidding - we spent a good hour shopping for guitar pedals alone.
But I think the high point for him of the whole trip was the calligraphy lesson my friends kindly arranged for him. We had just had a literal feast in my favourite traditional restaurant. The dishes were cleared away. Room was made for the 'washi' Japanese paper and 'fude' brushes. It was really moving for me to see my lil bro be inspired by the language and culture that has bewitched me and caught me in its grasp.
Highpoint for me of the trip - sad but true, probably ice skating. I was just so stoked that I could remember how to do it after a break of about 10 years.
I couldn't let a post about my bro's trip go by without mentioning the famous rest-stop coffee machine. I have blogged about this before. It is the world's funkiest coffee vending machine. It plays music and shows you a video of the inner workings of the machine as you wait. Here it is in video splendour entitled 'Dripping Just for You!'
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