Karaoke!

Karaoke is a wonderful thing. It's a great thing. If the UN all got into a karaoke bar in Osaka for the night, the world would be a much nicer place by the morning. You go in with a bunch of friends - if you're lucky you get a theme room with Hello Kitty mics - order drinks, food and open a huge book with lots of songs to choose from. There are probably thousands of songs in that book, but that's not a problem as I'm probably only going to sing three or four times in a night, and two of them will be the same track. I actually don't like to sing, but when with a group of friends and some Japanese beers, things seem to get better.

The thing is, while you watch the words going along the screen, nearly everyone else in the room either has to look at you looking at the words, or has to watch the video going on behind the words. Of course licensing and all that mean you can't have the *real* videos playing, so what is the karaoke company going to do? I think they steal footage from home movie processing labs and bits from 1980's teen dramas which never made it past pilot. They mix this up with drive-by footage they got in Hawaii while on holiday and edit chunks of it into 4 minute MPEGs (preferrably really badly encoded) and run them randomly behind songs.

What this means then is that while we were getting heavy with a Metallica track, a young couple are hugging on a beach in Hawaii. My favorite was a girl crying all the way though my friend's rendition of 'My Way'. If you're really lucky, you get a video with a sequence of bikini beach babes playing volleyball half way through Radiohead's 'Creep'.

I think in it's own way, the rather randomly edited video clips, combined with random music sung by a tone deaf drunken maniac has become something of a media platform and artform in itself. Next time I go, I'll try to get some pictures, and put thm up here to better illustrate my point. Until then, next time you're singing 'Roxanne', try to do it in the style of one of the characters in the video. I can't wait until instead of buring a CD of yourself singing the song, you get a Quicktime movie showing the video too. Rock on.

Boys Night Out!....

Tomorrow is the big Boys Night Out! The agenda is to have a "few" drinks and head to the Outback Steakhouse for a "real" meal. Steaks and beers, just like home.

Echo Echo...

If you are reading this.....please post a comment.

Why My Bed Hates Me...

First it tried to jump off a balcony when I first got here and I ended up finding it drapped over a blanket. And did I ask it any questions?...no I took it back into my room like a loving parent and enjoyed my bed. Until today. Again I try to do something nice and hang it outside to air-out, and indirectly it spites me again. Today was a clear sunny day when I went to work. But not when i got back! It was pouring out when I got back home and my bed decided to take a shower. AHHHHH, I cant win with this third world bed. Tomorrow is the beginning of my weekend, and it looks like im off to buy a bed.

Dont Mess with this Guy

Dont Mess with this Guy
Originally uploaded by mtstaffa.

Sitting in front of a computer at work? Digging holes in a fairground? Working as an Intern getting "experience" in a field but not the paycheck to go with it? Is YOUR job boring? After you see what this guy does, you will realize just how nice of a job you have.

First let me set the scene. It is hot out. Really hot. Heck, lets say its 90 degrees. While we are at it lets throw in 80% humidty. The sun is beating on your face like you've misbehaved. Now go put on a long sleeve shirt, long pants and matching hat and walk along an endless row of bikes. Why? Well your new job is to make sure that EVERY bike is in line. And by line i mean an exact row. The more bikes you can fit in order the better...but remember to keep them in a straight line. People have gotten tickets for a haphazard parking of their bike. This guy's job is to ticket the perp and restore the line to it's Feng Shui'ed line. Ughh. At least it puts Ramen on the table.

Big Sister!

Wed is the big day! My sister will be in town (unfortunately only for a few hours) but im going to meet her for a beer or two with Sayo in a ritzy area of Osaka called Umeda. Besides being able to finally speak english with another Minnesotan, I will be picking up a few things from the land that is fozen half the year! One thing i'm excited for is some wild rice! Not that I am an avid fan, but becuase I want to show all my Japanese friends "black rice"!

What job do you think I had?....

One of my favorite things to do with students is to ask them what job they thought i did before i came to Japan. Yound and old, their imaginations and ideas of America shine through in their replies. I have gotten some normal ones such as: Cook, Teacher, Engineer, McDonalds worker, Taxi Driver and a Computer Programer. But then there have been some real gems. Below are some of the best.

10: DJ / Singer
9: Librarian
8: Security Guard
7: Used Car Salesman
6: Tour Guide
5: Novel Writer
4: TV Reporter / Sports Announcer
3: Olympic Athlete
2: Fashion Model
1: Treasure Hunter

Yep, someone thought I was a Treasure Hunter! I laughed at her. And many of these replies are from multiple people. Who ever said I was a fashion model must have stepped on their glasses the night before. And Security Guard huh? Ha. And who thought I looked like a Used Car Salesman?! Punk. Many people said TV Reporter or Sports Announcer because my accent is really easy for them to understand compaired to other English speakers. My only regret is not asking the kid who guessed I was an Olympic athlete because I was laughing so hard, I never asked him what sport I played. What you have to remember is that I am now in Japan, so those jobs they "thought I HAD in America" are then jobs I left to come to Japan! Why would I quit some of those jobs. So I ask you, which one of those jobs should I apply for after Japan? You never know, maybe these people see something in me that I never knew exhisted!

hmmm #2

math?
Originally uploaded by mtstaffa.

Sick again, went to the doctor and while wondering around the building looking for some office type waiting room full of those funny posters of a talking tooth telling kids to brush, i found "this". What "this" is I don't know. Very often there are signs in english that are kinda odd. It is called Engrish. If anyone has any interpretations to this sign...lets hear it!