Entries this day: Back_in_Japan Crazy_busy Kris_byebye_in_Yoyogi harajuku_girls hitomi

Back in Japan

1:22pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

I am back in Japan. Staying in Kellie's house and she is bunking up with her husband in the next room. She has really worked to help me feel at home here and I'm really thankful for that.

1:31pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

Booyah! and my bags have just arrived and I had enough cash to pay for their delivery. Barely.

I'm watching the news of Katrina the hurricane's impressive devastation. I hope my peeps are okay, but there doesn't seem much chance that everyone got out unscathed. Interesting to see an area that I have been to on the news like this. I can say "I've been there" for some of the images on TV. Also interesting is the financial effect of losing the casinos.

Crazy busy

3:31pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

I'm just now beginning to get my shiznit sorted at Kellie's. Way tired, but heading out to Yoyogi park to meet the peeps for Kris' byebye party. She is leaving tomorrow and therefore won't be able to attend the handover.

I've got to start getting my flight tickets to Palestine and figure out WTF I am doing. Man - so super crazy busy and it's just like waaaaaaathhhhaaaaafuckkkkkk am I doing???

4pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

I've emailed Niveen and a local travel agent. Actually two.

Kris byebye in Yoyogi

8pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

I walked into Yoyogi Park and people saw me and hollered over. Then Petra *RAN* to greet me with a flying leaping hug and DID NOT STOP, but just was like [whoooosh] through the air and straddled onto me. I was flat scared for my health (especially the back of my head), but somehow I was able to catch her and retain my balance, though I was knocked back a few feet.

I brought my remaining WONDERBOY disc and played disc with Petra, who enjoyed having to catch throws that were a bit beyond her reach. I kept throwing directly to her and she said "boring," a lot. When I threw it to one side or another, or over her head, she was like "yeah!" but it was a bit of a trick for me to specifically throw not *to* someone.

We ended up congregating around a picnic table once it got basically dark and people kept trickling in, each for big yelling hugging greetings (but no more dangerous greetings).

Drummers arrived and played a continuous groove near the fountains where we had been, and for a while our party was there, watching two girls do a super crazy dance (crazier than Rob's Crazy Dance (but a bit choreographed (but really fuckin' fast))), and one of them even did it barefoot. I joined them barefoot and had cheering support from other GET Teachers, but I didn't maintain that level of nuttiness for very long. The pebbly sidewalk took a toll on my footses, but I've still got pretty tough soles even after a couple years of wearing shoes here in Japan.

I talked to T, who was on the 47th voyage and will be on the 51st voyage. She seems cool; she worked in Galapagos for a few months, doing some research (data collection?) about the activities of sea turtles on the islands. She learned Spanish during the first month of that time, which is awesome. She said it was really difficult to be there at first, not knowing the language.

I'm walking to the convenience store now (happy that someone chose to join me (T)) to get two cokes, diet coke, umeshu, and hazelnut snickers for various people.

10:20pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

I was ready to go and was all, "aight see you guys later," and I was Kris: "see you tomorrow; oh shit you won't *be* there tomorrow!" and I put my stuff down and just hugged hugged hugged her. She is such a beautiful girl with incredible blue eyes and incredible heart and incredible dilligence at work. It hit me that I might not see her again, but I know we'll stay in touch via email.

harajuku girls

10:30pm JST Wednesday 31 August 2005

Oh my gosh I am seeing all these Harajuku Girls (as noted in Gwen Stefani's song) wearing little cat ears and giant boots and frilly lacey goth-French-maid outfits. Stuffed rabbit necklace pendants, tight shredded pants, necktie worn as a belt, streaky bleachie white hair, lip piercing, black oversized hats on sideways. The fashion here is just so confused: rap, hip hop, goth, cos-play, etc, all combined.

hitomi

1:30am JST Thursday 1 September 2005

I forgot to mention that I've been ignoring text messages and calls from Hitomi today.

bedtime now. I am at Kellie's house.