often strange, always intriguing land of the Rising Sun and Vending Machines on
Every Street Corner. Yes, it's FRANCIS IN JAPAN!!!!
Translated from the French by Melanie Jackson, staff writer at Hom-UHT Publishing.
Read the original here at http://francisaujapon.blogspot.com/
1-2-3 OSAKA
I leave for Osaka, from the first (today) until 5th August (of course). I will return with
lots and lots and lots of photos, promise, promise!
I hate to take the Shinkansen (Japansese TGV), it’s like plane which doesn’t have
wings. I’ve taken it before, but I hate it every time, I just can’t avoid it...
4-5-6 Yokohama!
I have returned to Yokohama, my home sweet home far from my house.
I left on August 1st, and returned yesterday, the 5th.
Today I'm going to go to see an NFL game in Tokyo, life is good, no?
I’m going to sort out some photos and prepare a rundown of Marc Andre and
Catherine’s visit. They leave Japan on August 8th.
I just want to say this about the trip I went on with them… There are people who
give you the joy of travel, who let you leave behind the torpor that you have let
yourself slip into without even knowing, or wanting to know. They show up at your
house with their system D (in travel mode) on your doormat and you wake up and
talk about how you were when you arrived in Japan. Thus the promise for a recap
and some photos…I’ve got 140, so I’ll put them up in a day or two.
And a week passes very, very quickly
Sorry for the week's absence.
This week, as Emperor of Kanagawa, I went to welcome the new JETs (the other
English teachers) who arrived in Japan last week. I helped and participated at the
orientation organised by the BOE (Board of Education) of Kanagawa.
I'm going to try to resume the account of my holidays with Marc Andre and
Catherine as soon as possible. I must do it quickly as Marc-Andre (Maf) is coming
here 16th August and leaves the 29th. I'm rushed, I'm rushed!
Maf arrives today
To go to meet him I have to take the following trains:
Futamatagawa to Yokohama; Yokohama to Tokyo (the city and the station) Tokyo
to Nippori; Nippori to Narita (the airport, not the city).
Two and a half hours later, I’ll meet Maf. We’ll gossip a bit and then we’ll take the
same trip only in reverse.
Free Japan!
NB: Koizumi has dissolved parliament, he’s been named Emperor of Japan and
killed all the Jedis on the council. I’m joking of course…but seriously, Japan is
going to have an election following a controversial vote on privatising the postal
system (the world’s biggest bureaucracy and the most profitable too). Will Mr
Koizumi be the new el jefe of Japan…wait and see…
For Vanessa
Hello
Good luck to you! (I know that you don’t need it.) I have some things to give to you, I
just need your postal address when you have it.
Long live Free France!
Long live Free Vanou!
V you Rock!
You know why…
I love you.
Thanks!
PS. I’ll talk to you on MSN soon.
I must get used to blogging more often!
Thus my new resolution.
I’m going to do a detailed recap of my summer, when Marc-Andre leaves Japan
and I have a few days to put in order everything that I have seen this summer.
We went to meet up with some friends in Kamakura, old, old capital of Japan,
around 10.15 this morning.
In our dynamic little group, there was a German girl who was trying to steer the
group with a guide from 1984...resulting in a tiring march into the mountains for
30-45 minutes to go and see a cave where 800 people were put to death.
After having celebrated the death of 800 people, we naturally went to the beach to
relax. The water was very warm, but also very, very, very salty. I had some things
my friends didn’t think they would see in the sea or the beach (an apple)
We finished up in a yaki-niku restaurant. It’s a type of restaurant where you cook
meat at your table. The waitresses bring slices of raw meat and we attempt to
cook them on our barbecue in the centre of the table. Fantastic!
We went bowling, but I will keep this terrible experience secret…all I will say is that
Maf and me are not having our best summer…I’ll not say any more.
26 the 26 year of grace, 2005
And yes, today is the fateful start date of my lucky year!
I’ve got to get adjusted to this new stage in my life. I don’t feel much older or more
responsible but a bit more intelligent all the same (perhaps it’s the Canadian
whiskey which Maf brought me…who knows) I don’t have grey hair, nor hair for
that matter.
We returned from Kyoto, which was lots of fun.
I’m going to spend tomorrow with Maf (without Marty for an undisclosed reason) in
Tokyo. We are going to rejoin the sweet and sumptuous Nozomi (more details of
her in my post entitled (“A Summer with Francis…” ohh, mum reads this).
I’m going to post an account of my holidays in two parts, because anyway I have to
do it for my job. I’ll just have to translate the English into French into new Dutch.
So, happy birthday to me, the presents are for me, happy birthday to me, happy
birthday to me!
Maf has gone, Life returns to normal
Maf left this morning around 6.30 am, and his plan left the Land of the Rising sun
at 11.45. He has been flying for two hours now. I’m going to miss him. I hope he’ll
enjoy his trip.
He saw his first typhoon, this photos shows it.
We went to Hakone, in the south west of Yokohama. There, as well as enjoying
the hot springs, we met three pretty young ladies. On 26th August, a very beautiful
day, we went to eat with two of them. Nozomi, next to me, and Sachiko, next to Maf.
The supper was sublime, the girls very, very nice. We went with them to play pool
after supper.
For the last weekend Maf was in Japan, we decided (Marty and me) to go out a bit
in Tokyo. By coincidence, Paul was spinning at Bar Shifty. We had a nice and
convenient joint and we decided to participate at this evening. As you can see, Maf
was giving a dance clinic to the electric hits of Paul (alias DJ Pmck).
Really dancing….
I helped Maf discover the pleasures of returning home at 5.30 in the morning. It
took an hour and a half to get back to our place. I hope that he had fun, in any
case, he was a little tired…
So here ends the adventure of Maf in Japan. I don’t know what souvenirs he’ll
keep. I hope that they are good souvenirs. I hope that he’ll appreciate his trip, even
if we didn’t have time to do everything. If you’d like a report of his voyage, click
here: Japan according to Maf.
see the photos
Internet
The Japanese bureaucracy is slow, very, very slow.
I decided to change my internet provider and I am between two companies. All this
means that I don’t have internet at my house until the 9th or 10th of September. I
won’t be able to post much during this period. You have my apologies.
See you later.
Internet, Elections and Others
Internet has returned to my house, this time it’s wireless! Ooh er missus, you
have read that right, wireless! The speed seems the same as the other
connection, and I’m going to receive a PSP soon, who could ask for more??? Two
PSP, no, that would be just rather greedy.
There was an election in Japan today. There was a rally for the office of depute of
my region (I say region because I don’t know how the Diet seats are divided)
yesterday evening. Thus, in all likelihood, I’ll be elected without opposition. I don’t
think Koizumi will have much of a chance against me. It’s because that will launch
a riot and a civil war I’ve decided to bow out of the race. My supporters cry and
gnash their teeth. So, now, it seems certain that Koizumi will regain the prime
ministership of Japan today, the 11th of September.
The music to which I am listening to: Jean LeLoup, Love without pity.
The book that I am reading: Kevin J. Anderson, The Dark Apprentice
Sometimes, life …it’s good.
I had to go to hospital two weeks ago for an operation. Nothing really, really
serious, but enough to necessitate a visit to the local Japanese quack. I have to
tell you, but you must keep a secret. Japanese hospitals are the best in the world.
I like all of them, without exception. Moreover, one of my students has a 21-year-
old sister, who is? A Nurse! And then…nothing really, but I really like the idea!
I had to spend a week in bed at my house … without internet… “God, why are you
doing this to me? Me? Your biggest fan (perhaps I lie a bit)…”
“Find yourself a new hobby and you will be rewarded.” He says o me in a cheesy
tone. (Yes, yes that’s from Marc Dery, but I find it funny.)
“Okay Buddy! You’ve given me a challenge! You don’t know what you’re talking
about, perhaps I’ll know what to do.”
I thus started to paint some lead figurines (I’m not very good, but like it) and
watching Japanese television. Evidently the first is my hobby, the second is very
annoying. If you find that TQS is touristy…you’ve not seen NHK. We don’t have
Gilles Proulx to say monumentally inane comments, but perhaps we’ll have him
here eventually…
I digress, I digress. Thus I was at the house and I was painting lots.
I can’t go to work so I’m getting worn down little by little. It came to the last meeting
with the doctor. “Mister Fortin (yes, Mister), if you want to work, I give you the blue
light (green lights are blue in Japan, I fib not)” Thus I have been back for a week,
with a constant pain. Internet arrived on 9th September, 2005...215Kbps…for a
geek that means:
“Fasten your seatbelts! We have lift-off!”
The pleasure which I’ve felt in class compensates for this little pain. I’m happy,
that’s all! I love my students, I love my colleagues (save one…but okay…) and I
love Japan…but I hate the temperature. In all honesty with regards to that? (the
temperature) it’s okay, the pleasant week is coming. There are two a year, so it’s
best to enjoy them.
Last film watched: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 7/10
Final Fantasy Advent Children 11/10
Album I‘m listening to: Phantom Power, The Tragically Hip, 9/10
Book I‘m reading: Moon Palace, Paul Auster, (p.119) 7/10
Translated from the American by Christine Le Boeuf
A post without a photo is a bit empty. Me from another epoch. 18 February 2005,
with hair!
