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danieru in tokyo
Monday, January 30, 2006
 
2 overnights, 1 weekend


Friday: spent friday in the akasaka office, trying to secure a contract renewal. Met with
Brian, who does not appear to remember the vinegar incident. Asked him for a two week break
between contracts, he agreed. If I can get Carl to give me two or more weeks off, i've got a
month to go to NZ and China, maybe HK again too. So, spend Friday having coffees, a long lunch
break, more coffee, and then sending personal emails. Leave work, and took a train out to Kamatori with Matt to a bar called Raver's Cafe. This is a seriously cool bar. We drove along some outskirt town, then out of town, and in the middle of nowhere, with no other buildings in sight, we spotted a place that was lit up, or rather decorated, like a Christmas Tree. A slightly deranged tatooed guy outside the cafe was sitting on one of the three sofas he had dragged outdoors, in the freezing cold, trying to warm his hands up against the - now raging - fire he had started in the middle of the carpark. I guess because the weather in Japan is quite predictable, you can do this. So I got a Japanese whisky - suntory owiski roko kudasai - and chilled outside. It was a good night. It was good to get away from english speakers, stare at the stars and actually feel like I was in Japan for a few brief hours. The music was cool too. Train back home, feeling miserable, 8am, sleep.

Saturday: Wake up the next day for about 2pm, read an email from Rimiko inviting me to some Lefty Peace film and discussion thing. I accept, intrigued to know what Japanese people figure about rearmanent (article 9) in the light of N Korea. Figure i've got enough time to run + change + head down there. Forward email to Josh. He's keen, because it sounds like a bunch of rainbow hippies eating organic humous. Turns out that it was. The film was interesting, yet one sided. The directory did not manage to interview an articulate rationale for disbanding article 9. Some interesting ideas from the evening:

+ army bases increase military threat, not decrease.
+ why do peace promotion organizations not target MNCs which are the only clear victors in the growing american empire?
+ japan is less nationalistic than it was many years ago, but the older generation are
desperately seeking to reignite xenophobia.
+ there has been no formal apology for WW2, and China and Korea are still fiercely enraged.
+ some South Koreans see Japan as a more serious enemy than North Korea.
+ some of the gaijin who have been here for years still struggle with the concept of being ntrinsically foreign looking in this rather homogeneous country, and thus feel unaccepted.
Get over it. It could be worse - at least they're not trying to insult you.
+ some of the youth are questioning the pressures of their elders for education, and the
correlating it with the unusually high suicide rate


Nearly gave up for the night, but as I was walking up to the gate by the metro, I got a call from Rheanna. Drunk coffee, exchanged pleasantries with Toby, called Sachin, met up with him and Omar in a bar next to Mori tower - Heartland. It was heaving, and, actually a cool bar in Roppongi. It wasn't even seedy. Impressed, and willing to return. The Sachin + Omar duo remind me of the Dipesh + Shiraz duo. Both good looking (although Rheanna didn't think so), sucessful with women, meterosexual, a similar friendly energy between them, and the Hindu + Muslim partnership thrown in for good measure. Then headed to Vanilla, where we you have to grab a flyer from outside which says "for use by girls and foreigners only" to discount entrance from 3000 to 1000 with two free drinks. that's practically subsidized. Stayed until 4am. Walked to Shibuya, Yamanote home.

Sunday: Woke up, recovered watching Sopranos, got a text from Gerald (my wap profile on my phone is screwed, so no more vodafone email) and jumped on a train to Yokohama, home of the largest ethnic Chinese population in Japan, for Chinese New Year. Yokohama is a pleasant place. Not as crowded and manic as Tokyo. Chinatown is cool, the dock area is cool. The rest is so so. I took photos, got home and looked at them on my PC. Gahhhh; horrible. I need to try harder to take better photos...

It dawned upon me, slowly over the weekend, that Dipesh may be a lazy employee, but he has a business nose like no other. I've learned the hard way what he was telling me 3 years ago. Spoke to Karena this morning. She concurred; but she always does. But: better to learn than to keep getting burned. And: using the theory 'find a new apartment before moving out of your current one' is the thought that is keeping me cool right now. Not like cool and calculated, but cool cos there is no point worrying. I'll cross the bridge when it comes to it. So: Status quo, since you can never have status quo ante. Besides, I dont want ante anyway.

I have an extremely limited understanding of economics, and am therefore confused as to how the
BoE can decide that an annual 12% increase in M4 equates to sub 4% inflation. It scares me to
think that any cash I hold is devaluing at the rate of 8% pa. Message: Dont hold cash. On the other hand, central banks, by definition, can't get it wrong, as they can just change the rules. Or can they....Lamont?

Friday, January 27, 2006
 
office gossip
sat around today, not doing very much. So some stories.

Met with a Sud Afrique and talked about the future. Turns out that nobody has used a domainable Sun box here. So i'm possibly in demand - because i've read 2 pages in a manual more than most. He's been here 5 years and speaks no Japanese. This will not be me.

Vitaly just told me a story about how he used to work at a bank in Moscow, which had a server hidden in a private datacentre, all for itself. He didn't know where the datacentre was. Only one guy in the office knew. {think 'connected'} . This guy used to carry a remote control which had a single button. If depressed, this button would trigger an EM wave in the datacentre, designed to be large enough to destroy the machine's data.
His manager got drunk and hit the button by mistake. Nasdrovia.
edson said:  i spent my teens working, my twenties studying, and now i'm here.

sergie said: i dont want to bring up a family here. the country does not prepare you for the rest of the
world

I think I understand equities. Dont sell. Which means, you should only buy at a price you think is good enough value to hold on indefinitely. Think of the 10+ year plan. Anyway, I'm sure I will understand more in 2 years. Hopefully, I wont. Dont sell. Dont sell. Dont sell.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006
 
Extension exschmension
Crossroads at work. For some reason, probably because he's a good guy, Carl has gone out of his way to ensure my idle butt gets it's contract renewed. He's lost headcount, so effectively I'm fired. Whatever, heard it before, blah blah blah. Really - I dont care. Work just seems to be getting in the way of my life these days. But it's a blessing in disguise. I get to chose which team I want to work for - EMS, DBA, SA Infrastructure Support, or SA Fixed Income. I fancy the latter, because:

1. It seems to be the busiest role, and I need to get motivated.
2. It would mean moving to Akasaka.
3. I'd be working for Edson, and he is in favour of the move. Despite meeting me.
4. It is easily the best thing to have on my CV.
5. I'm going to try and swing a month of unpaid leave from work, and this might be the best way.

Heard a rumour that an American software company are paying ludicrous money for contractors in the UK to come out to Japan. Sounded too good to be true. Spent all day calling their office, only to get stonewalled by the receptionist. Bah.

Left work, swallowed a bag of peanuts, and ran 5km. The gym was interesting. They wouldn't let me use the shoes I had swanned in wearing on the machines, so I had to hire a pair for 300 Yen, leaving me only 100 Yen for dinner. 100 Yen might get you dinner in Sao Paolo, but this is Tokyo. I came home hungry. And, of course, I never wore the shoes I hired, as they looked a bit manky.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
 
Japan Loves Me
because, this weekend, anyone that made conversation by the compulsory "how are you enjoying japan" recieved a raft of hyper positive adverbs.

Flew into Macau and so far so good. Vikram's discovered Buddhism, and he claims that
his new-found calmness in spirit is a direct result. I cite maturity. Either way, he's now tolerant and flexible, which makes for a good travel buddy. We didn't argue once.

Meet Vikash at the ferry port, and two minutes later he's complaining about getting old. Tis true. But I never had a memory before either. That's what blogs and photographs are for. Macau still feels like chinatown in Portugal, and this is especially try in the old town square. Wandering around a city with no destination, friends you haven't seen in years and a fat camera in the cool of the night is superb. Buffet dinner. Eat chocolate like they're banning it tomorrow. Drink, gamble, drink. I introduced the Martingale System. Vic added cumin and corriander seeds. We lost.

The Portuguese annoy me. they could have made Macau super wealthy, but they were too rubbish to stave off competition from HongKong. And then they couldn't be bothered to change. As a result, it looks as if China has done more for Macau in the few seconds they have had it than what those lazy Euros did in four hundred. Got the ferry to Hong Kong island, check in to the hotel, and try to black out; but Vic was snoring like a hibernating grizzly.

Paying for the guest house the next day was an experience. I went to the desk and asked the woman where I could find an ATM. She yelled back at me - "BE BACK IN FIVE MINUTES OR I OPEN UP THE ROOM" que? "Look, i need to get money to pay you, where is the ATM? DO NOT leave the room open, i'm going to be back with the money. My stuff is in the room". She repeated her original statement with plus tempo and plus fortissimo.

Paid up, then headed out of town immediately to go see Big Buddha. Ferry, ferry, bus, hill. Witness what indeed is a rather large statue of The Man Of Chill. Read a little about Buddhism, take photos, head down for a veggie meal, complain that, being China, we should be eating Pig. Bus & MRT and we're on Hong Kong island once more. Walk a decent length through the city, and feel Hong Kong, working class view. It was the expected mix of old and new. Laundry hanging out of one imposingly large aging apartment block next to an even more imposingly large glass office block. So, whilst discussing corporate policy on the 53rd floor you can stare blankly out the window and watch someone's pants dry.


Take the MRT back to Soho and chill at some coffee shop whilst waiting for Nilesh and Barbara to take us out to dinner. Had a fantastic vegetarian feed at Spice, a Thai restaurant. Still, no pork in China. Nilesh drove us up to The Point to see the view over Hong Kong. Breathtakingly cool to watch City Lights at night from a remote spot on a hill somewhere. And then we had tea at his apartment. I looked left of the plasma TV to see one of the most enormous windows I have ever seen. Overlooking Hong Kong. I nearly died. If God moved to Hong Kong, i'm quite certain that Nilesh would be served an eviction notice to accomodate The Almighty. Three days later, i'm still mesmerized by it. His apartment cost HKD40M. The motivation that it bestows upon any visitor is thrown in for free. Dammit, i'm going to be rich. I _must_ be rich. Took the fernicula back down to where the poor people live, and met Vikash on a street corner. Drinks began at 11 and ended 5 hours later with a foot long Subway sandwich and a taxi home.

Wake, find a fabulous Vietnamese place for lunch, and finally get to eat pork. Meet
Monika and kid. Vikash's profound statement regarding interracical marriage: Your country may tolerate it but your house may not. Drop Vic off at the ferry port for Macau and go shopping. Buy stuff. Hong Kong is excellent for shopping. Everything is so perfectly arranged and well laid out. Clothes? Here. Jewelry? Here. And corridors after corridors of shops in the malls for you to waste time and money looking through. I dont do designer brands - at all - but there was still a plethora of options. Chinese New Year is approaching, and i'm told that it's the best time to go shopping in HK. Massives discounts available before, during, and after. Quit the mall and head outdoors. Walking through the streets of Hong Kong enroute to the nightmarket I saw a kid breaking into dance-induced-by-walkman. Happiness is cool. Losing selfconciousness is better. More shopping. Buy myself a fake Hello Kitty keitai toy and keyring.

Monika joins us later and go to an Indian for dinner. Hotel. Sleep a few hours. Bus. Airport. Ridiculous queue to checkin. Marvel at HKIA. Buy omiyage for work. Slept for the full 4hour flight home. Took pleasure in using the short immigration queue which said "Japanese nationals and residents". Jump onto the train at Narita, and two minutes later i'm seeing a snow hit Tokyo.










Tuesday, January 17, 2006
 
The Pianist
Has made me realise that I need to keep some assets outside the UK. Nobody thought that Idi Amin would happen either.

Buddha argues that you should be weary to associate happiness with a particular article or change in yoru life, lest happiness does not come from that article or change. Better to find happiness within yourself. Does that mean I am not going to be happy when I pay off my debt? Perhaps. Today I saw The Score with bobby deniro. A mediocre film, with one inspiring idea: A Jazz Bar. If i got my act together, I could run a cool live music bar, even at a loss, just to pass time. Quote Scully: "Need to make it faster!!!"

An advantage of having children: Dialogue with parents will improve. Disadvantages still endless. I praise Buddha et al for making sure I did not have kids in my twenties.

I now have the coolest ringtone for my phone. It sounds exactly like the phone on my desk at work. Or Jack Bauer's landline.

I have just watched Movern Callar and realised that I hate British people. So now I feel I identify with Jewish anti-Semites. Quote Dom: "I like flying between 2 countries when neither is the UK as it means there are less British people onboard".

Still swinging between notions of London and Zurich. Every non-British person wants to go to London, every British person thinks London is awful. Since I despise British people, surely this is a solid reason to move to London?

And i've realised that taking other people's advice is the worst thing I have ever done. Aside from the fact that they will give me an opinion on what they want rather than what I want, it leads me to blame others for not getting what I was too afraid to take. So going to try to ask for less direction from others. Or, rather, misdirection.

I've enjoyed lounging around watching movies and overeating in a large house in KL for a few days. I watched Crash (2004, with that Hotel Rwanda guy), and thought about luck once more. In typical fashion, the people who own the large house appear utterly ungrateful for their luck in being able to have such luxury. And I don't think it is a matter of seeing people who are worse off than you before you appreciate things. Perhaps i've learned to appreciate housing because i've lived in absolute squalor before? God, i'm lucky. I've never worked a day in my life, I've failed practically every test of mind and moral thrown upon me, and yet, here I am..... Anyway, Crash is an excellent film.

I am obliged to buy people gifts when they have kids. Same way as marriage gifts. In days gone, when people were poor, I could see the point. Nowadays, sod it, cut the charity, and speak the truth: I dont actually care. Really. Marriage is kinda exciting, because it's a big party, and it involves me, and it really signals the death of the friendship that you once had with that person. Until they get divorced. But even so, why should I get the bride and groom something? Besides, As adults, on your birthday, you have to buy everyone else cakes. I dont mind buying people stuff. It's just that I want to do it when I'm not obliged to do it. Then, it means something. Example: when Vikash bought me a necktie when I was in India for his wedding. That was cool.

Went to 1-Utama shopping mall and bought a whole raft of clothing. Soooo much cheaper than Japan. Anyway, stop for coffee with Shobie, and despite the fact that it's just me and a girl, the Icelandic supervisor (NOT supervisor-ess) decides to hit on me. I didn't notice what was going on until he walked away, and before someone else came back with our drinks, Shobie split her sides laughing at the situation. So when trying to pay the bill, a while later, he surfaces. I try and pay quick, Shobie clearly looking to strike up a conversation with him, the till jams, I panic, tell the waitress to forget the change, and walk away...

Sunday, January 15, 2006
 
Adventure
Vic bought a 4wd, and has since discovered the pleasure of driving offroad.



Took a lift into the city centre with The Major, and listened to his stories. He's a dying breed. One of a kind. Gave me travel tips. Yogyakarta sounds fab. Got my v800 unlocked at Low Yat at turned into a Z800. now i can play music, store files, take photos, read email, and even make calls. All from my phone. So much better than an ipod.

Planning the trip to Hong Kong now is an issue. Why? Because Vikash is as horny as a rabbit and is absolutely determined to go to strip joints. I think it is because he is married. Personally, I can't stand the places. It gets my goat the way that power has swung so rapidly towards women in this day. 50 years ago, men had more power. Today, I believe that the swing has drifted so far, that women are now vastly more powerful than men. So going to strip joints, and paying money to boost women's egos is not my idea of a fun time. I will feel the rain seeping through six feet of mud before I let another human feel such an exhorbitant amount of power over me. Sure, male:female power ratio will even out in a few decades - too late for me - but that doesn't make it any less annoying today. My temperament is not eased by news that Fanny got a job programming C++ today, when I am quite sure she doesn't even know what HTML is. Am I wrong to suspect she got the job because they wanted her prancing about the office?

Back on the marriage front, living for a few days with a married couple has allowed me to see why people get divorced. That said, faced with the threat of death, Vic is one of the few peoples whose life I would consider reincarnating into. Apart from the fact that he's had back-to-back success with women, he has creativity. All the time in the world can't make that - at least not in me. And yet, i know i'd pass at the chance to live his life. It's not that I think everyone else is a failure - it's just that I don't know anyone else - who i've spent a significant amount of time with - that's into the same stuff as me.

Quote from an email from Matt that I don't follow: Pink is cool for guys, not for girls.
Does he mean that women aren't really gay, and are just doing it because they are too scared of relationships with men?

Bizzarely enough, in the face of all the potential for misery, I am in a stonking good mood. Everbody I see has an atmosphere of beauty. I feel as if I'm ready to buy the grim reaper a beer. If he does arrive, he's taking me from a place where I've "seen things you people wouldn't believe". And made "Memories. You're talking about memories."

Bells are ringing. Something tells me quarter is over.

 
TOKYO HK MACAU KL

Gotta get this thought out before i forget: i've been spending 80% of my waking hours day dreaming about equities and commodities.

Anyways....Skipped work cheeky early to run to Narita so that I could be ontime to hear the 'flight delayed notices'. Landed in Hong Kong after being delayed for about 2 hours. Got to the train station, and balked at the $100 train fair to the city, so I headed for the bus stop. Spent the time walking to the bus stop being suitably impressed with myself for actually caring about the difference between $40 and $100. If I was in Japan, I am quite certain it would not have mattered. Get chucked off the bus for asking for change from $500 and head back to 7-11 for change. Buy a nigiri, dose it in wasabi and reminisce about Tokyo. Finally get the bus, and arrive at 2am, only to find out that I booked the hotel for Friday night, not Thursday. At least the guy put me up. Woke up thinking "Japan is better". Checked out, bantered with the doorman, got the info i needed and headed out. Hong Kong is cool. Because populous, dense cities are cool. It's been so long since i've really travelled, and it felt strange. All the holidays I took last year were with other people, and I there is no doubt about it, company is good at night, but bad during the day. I like to be alone while I decide where I'm going to eat lunch. Having been spoiled in Japan, Hong Kong didn't strike me as the most hygienic place - despite being cleaner than the UK - so I grabbed lunch in the restaurant next to the Ministry for Food Hygiene. Bulletproof.

Headed down to the Macau ferry port, by foot, which took forever with my payload. Found a free internet cafe and killed some time emailing. Got on the ferry, got more stamps in my passport, jumped onto a plane heading South. I have a knack of meeting interesting people on flights, and this time i sat next to a 19 year old Australian, who had just lived in London for 9 months. I can't imagine moving to Sydney for 9 months when I was 18. It was something that didnt even warrant dreaming about. Spent the rest of the flight filled with jealously, and the notion that I should have tried to grow up prior to going to university. I've now realised that, in hindsight, I did grow up, albeit in Bristol and Edinburgh. At least I did have that opportunity, and nothing is ever wasted. Except internet surfing and TV watching. I saw the twin towers poking a little proud of the other buildings when flying over KL at night. Land, immigration, taxi. Scene cuts to Naan bread at 1am with Vic in Taman Tun. Reminscing about our ignorance, immaturity, and how: {this time, it'll be different}.

Shobie's parents said two things to me: Mother: "You're fat"; Father: "You're bald".

Saturday, January 14, 2006
 
Powder Snow; but no Charlie


I comfort myself with the notion that there are things in life you are bad at. And in parallel, there will be things in life you are good at. In snowboarding, i have found both. I am bad at snowboarding, and good at forgetting how bad i am. It is a situation which leads to pain. And so Onsens are a godsend. I have a memory of falling over in a hideously complicated manner, in a way that must've looked almost as painful as it felt. With my torso buried in snow, i turned sideways to see a 5 year old kid drifting past me, with incredible ease. "Daijoubu!". I mustered all the sarcasm left, and groaned "Genki"

I got invited to go snowboarding with a bunch of guys from work. Now, it's not that I dont like them, but i just didn't really want to go with them. There are a plethora of reasons, all of which could be construed as offensive or otherwise derogratory. So I won't bother. Anywho, I made my excuses, and then got a call from Ricky saying he was going this weekend, and would I like to go. Hell yeah. So I headed off for the Shinkansen to Mount Naeba, and who do I see on the platform at Tokyo? John, Storage Team John, who sits not so far from me. Now, I didn't particularly mind meeting John, because I hardly speak to him, and his docility reminds me of Sharpe. Anyway, got the slopes, tired out, went back for dinner, and John says 'i just met dave and jp out there'. OMG. danieru panics, realising that they now know that despite telling dave and jp that i didn't want to go boarding this weekend, they have now been told by John that, in fact, i am out here anyway. panic subsides, as i realise that I dont really give a monkies, and que sera. A little awkward first day back from work, but it's all iced over now. Of all the slopes of all the mountains in Japan, they had to make it to mine. Sod follows me. God bless him.
And, of course, I met another pyscho. A Japanese guy in his mid twenties on the bus, trying to talk to me. Repeating "how do you do" and "hajime mashite" in various word orders, for a solid 5 minutes. Then he gave me stickers. Then he stood up and started making horse noises at me.



Got no less than 12 missed calls from Rheanna, who I was supposed to meet for dinner, in Tokyo. Had to call back the next day and apologize, rather than explain, about not making it. Seemed to pull it off though. So, all in all, quite a disastrous weekend for the people who I am surrounded by.


Not too bad for me though, I learnt how to spin. Which feels impressive. What goes around comes around.

Friday, January 13, 2006
 
New Year

Met up with josh, which is not an easy task, since he refuses to buy a ketai. trapsed around shibuya looking forthe belgian bar. found it. found it closed. went to the 300 yen bar and ate and drunk and waited for Leffe. Jaime shows up, in Burberry. It reminded that I need to pour more of my cash into the equities matching 'luxury', The stockmarket, once more, has an understanding of the world that people simply do not. Thank god. Make a break for the Belgian bar once more. On entrance, there is a free tombola. I take a ticket. I win a Hoegaarden cutlery set. Wonderful, and utterly useless to myself, who never uses cutlery. Then take a train to Harajuku. New Year is a big deal in Japan. In fact, it is the deal. This is the one time of the year when Tokyo empties, and everybody scurries off the the suburbs to be with family.
The Meiji shrine in Harajuku is right next to the station, and is the place that practically all Japanese left in Tokyo will go to for midnight. We queued for hours with the millions and were herded gradually towards the centre of the shrine chuck money whilst making wishes at the shrine. I wish i had taken a broom. On the fences as you are leaving, you can see people have tied their wishes for the New Year to the fences, and I was left wishing that I was literate, so that I could be nosy. But in reality, I am sure they were all leaving love notes for Hello Kitty. Kawaii.
A thought that belongs nowhere: I am struck, quite often, when I see Japanese girls with their Kitty-Chan ketai toys, and kawaii accessories with disbelief that they are of the same stock that gave their sons to the imperial army, the boys of Nanking. It makes no sense. Contrast to Russia - when i see a Russian girl, I dont, not for one minute, hesitate to think that she would send her sons, by the million, to their death against National Socialism, in the name of Mother Russia.
After all that queing and general flouncing around, i was too tired to respond to the few text requests coming in for Party in Roppongi... so i headed home.

 
breakfast with Slav
for a few seconds this morning, i actually felt like Michael Palin. there i was, in an old restaurant with tired decor at 8am having been guided through the a famous fish market by some dude who wore a heavy coat and spoke with an accent Hollywood has made me stereotype to that of an arms dealer. { If there's one thing I know, it's never to mess with mother nature, mother in-laws and motherfreaking Ukrainians}. But Slav has Charisma. As i still can't stand either the texture or the taste of eggs, I ordered a bowl of somthing containing, amongst others, raw tuna and cooked crab. Slav moved here from New York a good few years back, and works as the only gaijin in a rather traditional japanese company. twice a day, in the morning and the evening, all the staff assemble for a group session where they all chant from a script exclaiming how they are going to be more productive, how they are going to sell more, and how determined they are to make a success. twice a day. the same script. everyone in the company. he expressed a degree of guilt towards sometimes skipping these prayer meetings, a trick that perhaps only he, being gaijin, can make excuses for. He agreed with the misconception surrounding the Japanese work ethic. 24by7 or more, but 24x7minutes of productivity per week. Lots of paper shuffling. He was thankful that there were no morning excercises to partake in. I left the restaurant in a good mood, walking to work. Somehow I managed to fall down in the most spectacularly cackhanded fashion, involving a moped, two bicycles and my ipod. I dont really understand what happened, but as I got up from the ground, people were staring. In Japan, it is rare to be stared at.


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