And now for the *real* post of the day

J83 Monday, July 9th 2007

Oh, what a week it has been! I've been trying to find the time to post (and do many other things) but petty desires like sleep and food have robbed what little free time I have. NEVERTHELESS, I am working toward the eventual goal of daily blog posts here. Small steps, though; I'm thinking of moving up to twice or thrice weekly at first.

Anyway!

Tuesday the 3rd of July
Recovering from the weekend.

Wednesday the 4th of July
Happy Birthday, America! This is the first of *three* celebratory days I will have for this holiday! Don't forget, readers, I'm a day in the future compared to America.

Thursday the 5th of July
Happy Birthday, America! Again! On my Thursday, it was your Wednesday, so...y'know...another celebration. Mostly it was happy thoughts :)

Friday the 6th of July
A slow day. Mercifully, I only had 4 classes thanks to a cancellation at the last minute. My week tends to be heavy at the beginning and end, but Thursdays, and most Fridays, tend to be light, giving me a needed break to collect my energies.

Friday night proved to be a fascinating adventure, though. Josh, resident Guilty Gear aficionado whom with E.J. an I became acquainted while my brother was visiting, invited me to play said game at the B.B.A., given that that bar is equipped with a PS3. I obliged, but we ran into a bit of a snag. Plans had been made without my knowledge, and the evening was not to be spent playing fighting games.

I waited at B.B.A. for a few hours after work, all the while conscious of the time slipping by, time I could be sleeping. Finally, Josh showed up. He informed me that we would be going elsewhere, so I settled my tab and joined him outside. He introduced me to an acquaintance of his, a sushi restaurant owner who's name eludes me at the moment. Josh and his mysterious friend took our small party 'round a corner, just a block down the street from B.B.A. to a small door in the wall. Josh's friend, a heavy set man wearing a Boyscout Uniform shirt over a bright red t-shirt and a straw cowboy hat, ascended the stairs we found behind the door with a speed that his bulk hid well. Josh alighted quickly, motioning me to follow. I asked where we were going, and Josh replied quite simply "A Snack Bar."

A Snack Bar, for those of you who have never been to Japan, is a fascinating establishment. During crowded times, it is very much like a normal Japanese bar; one sits down, drinks and/or smokes heavily, and has a good time yelling what is essentially nonsense at other people. When it is not crowded, however, it transforms. Aside from the bartender, who is usually the owner, the staff is almost always composed entirely of young, attractive women. Their job is to serve the eponymous snacks and the beer. They also are there to talk to you. You don't pay for individual items at a Snack Bar, you pay for time. An hour at this place ran a person about 3,000 yen. A young lady of the place will sit with you as you eat and drink, engaging you in conversation and, generally, appear interested in your job, your life, or any other topic of conversation you care to come up with.

This evening, it was crowded, so no one-on-one treatment. The beer was nice, the snacks were...interesting...and the young attractive women were young and attractive. Josh and I relaxed and had some light geek talk, while every few minutes our mysterious benefactor would talk to one or both of us about his daughter that found him two years ago. From Africa.

After an hour or so of laughter, merriment, and rough translations of African locations, Josh's friend decided to hit the road. I stood to leave, and thus pay, but both Josh and his friend said that I didn't have to. The owner of the bar just smiled and waved as we left. I was shocked, but it was happening before my very eyes; I had gotten a free drink in Japan. Was it some secret agreement between Josh's friend and the Bar's owner? Old friends, or even rivals, sharing a quiet moment of peace before their never ending struggle for the snack-dollars (yen in this case) of the business man resumed? I do not know, nor do I wish to. I had two good beers for free, and that's what matters.

I left Josh and his friend after that, eager to get home and sleep. The next day was Saturday, always an intense, if not necessarily difficult, day. I stopped by Second Earth on my way back, as some of the Gang had gathered there for a Friday night cap. I dropped in, relayed my tale of weirdness, and we all left together to go our separate ways home.

I walked home via back streets and unlit alleys, quite safe and sound. I passed behind the shrine I'd found three weeks prior, and felt peace at the night quiet. I finally got home and quickly got to bed, desiring a nice recharge for the next day's activities.

Saturday the 7th of July
Crunch time. The big push. Saturdays are like a wall of lessons to climb. Not hard. Not impossible. Just challenging. Like long-distance walking; something you can do, but not something you can rush or just sleep through. Still, having done this for over 4 months now, I have become somewhat of a pro at this sort of thing, so it was no problem. The evening came as it always does, after a patient and even passage of time, and M-sensei and myself parted ways for our respective homes, secure in the knowledge that we would meet again later at G-Bros.

Indeed, we did. I grabbed a shower once I got home and relaxed with a rare moment of video gaming. I've been trying out Fallout, finding it quite rewarding and enjoyable. After a few hours of fun, I headed out to Bros. Most of the Gang were there, and we had a nice, loud evening drinking and talking. Claire and I talked some about the attempted bombing in Glasgow. She had found a few pages of jokes her countrymen had concocted about the incident, displaying a refreshing joviality about attempted terrorism I remember once existed in my own nation.

Our drinking was cut shorter than usual, for we desired to celebrate the 4th of July. Well, we Americans, of which there are 4 in the Gang, 3 present that evening. The others, a Scotswoman, two Englishmen, and a Canadian, wanted to set things on fire and watch them explode. Thankfully, Japan has no restrictions on fireworks, so we stocked up at the nearby conbini. I bought some tea and a small snack to help clear my head after drinking, and I'm glad I did. One should never play with fireworks while inebriated.

Our group made its way to Ose Beach, the local spot for ocean-based amusement in Hitachi. We found another small group of fireworks-users once we got to the ocean side, and we decided to set up shop nearby. The next two or so hours were filled with fire and explosions, but of a far more enjoyable form than we've been exposed to recently. We weren't without our mishaps, of course. I was nearly hit by a poorly-placed firework, and my fingers were covered in a dozen small singe marks from my lighter. There was a wicked breeze and it made lighting things difficult.

We all trudged back after we'd exhausted our supply of fireworks (hanabi in Japanese). Some went back to Bros to enjoy a few more drinks, while others, myself included, decided to call it a night. I returned home, walking with Matt (Clive's room-mate, and thus the closest English teachers to my own apartment) and getting home around 3. Blissful, restful sleep washed over me once I lay in my bed.

Sunday's update will be written tomorrow, as it is late, I am tired, and I just may be coming down with something. The glands in my neck have begun to swell and become sore, which is usually a precursor to illness on my behalf.