USJ & Host club report
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAAAN.
November just started, but that's not stopping Universal Studios Japan from having an early Christmas! Christmas decorations are up, snowmen and candy cane mascots are out, even the parades are all about white snow and jingle bells. It felt a little off, but it was fun stuff. :D
Also, I've been to USJ twice, but I've never been there when there's such a small crowd. We actually got to ride our money's worth. /o/ Clearly, the trick is to get there before 12pm on a random weekend.
And you know, USJ is USJ, so I don't really have anything special to show you dears, but! We ran into this awesome cleaner on our way out of the park, who was drawing - on rollerblades - a picture of Elmo for a little girl with his water spray. Needless to say, he attracted quite a crowd, so after he was done with his picture, he zipped off looking kind of embarrassed.
USJ, seriously, this guy can do so much more than just clean. Use him wisely.
A receipt we got when we got appetizers at a restaurant before dinner. Crazy coincidence with those numbers!! We figured it was a good sign about our upcoming host club adventure... and it kinda was. 8D
And now!
Host club adventuuuure 8D
It started out so bad. XD We were hoping to have a host approach us when we crossed the bridge to Shinsaibashi Arcade where all the hosts hung out, but none of them tried anything. In fact, they really failed at pimping their clubs, because they chose to stick together in their little groups, instead of chatting up the tons of girls that walked by.
Because that initial plan fell through, confidence dropped too! The group was like, omg so nervous, can't do this, why don't we just karaoke? I suggested that we walk around and check out the host clubs in the area; if we liked one, we ought to just go straight in. The three girls - let's call them Cute, Classy and Cooking Mama (CM) - were really iffy about the idea, but we walked around anyway. Eventually, Classy decided that we came all the way down to Osaka for the very purpose of trying out a host club, so she helped to look out for host clubs.
And we did find a few! One seemed to have cute boys and a cheap entrance fee, too. But Cute and CM didn't want to go in. XD; Classy suggested that I should just go right up to the hosts and ask them how much their club entrance fee was, but I was hesitant, 'cause for all you know, that one guy might happen to be an elite businessman in the suit and suggesting he's a host may be kiiinda offensive. Eventually, we decided to have a quick karaoke session first, so we can down some alcoholic drinks to gain more confidence to do this host thing.
At karaoke, we were having so much fun that CM was like, LET'S JUST KARAOKE ALL NIGHT and Classy went, NO WE WILL GO TO A HOST CLUB DAMMIT. Then Cute came up with our brilliant strategy for the night.
"Why don't you just ask a potential host to take a picture for us? That way, it'll give them a chance to invite us to their club."
italics - Japanese
~At the bridge~
AKI: So? Point out which ones you think are cute and I'll ask them for a photo.
CM: Really? We're really doing this?
AKI: Yep. What do we want as a background? That Shinsaibashi arc?
CLASSY: Yeah that looks good. Mm... those guys look like hosts, but they're not cute.
CUTE: Are we seriously going to do this?
CLASSY: YES. We didn't come all the way down here to chicken out! ... oh oh!! Those two over there! They're not bad! Middle of the bridge, right there.
AKI: Right-o. Excuse me, could you take a photo for us?
HOST: Oh! Sure thing!
CM: Oh my god oh my god oh my god.
After we took the picture, they started to ask where we were from, and I think they were leading into an invitation, but Classy. Oh my god, Classy. XDDD She just blew me away by saying,
CLASSY: Where?
HOSTS: ??
CLASSY: Where you from? Host club?
HOSTS: Yes, yes! We're hosts.
CLASSY: Good. We want to go to a host club.
HOSTS: REALLY. Why don't you come to ours?
AKI: Well, how much is the entrance fee?
HOST: 1,000 yen for your first hour as first-timers and a complimentary shochuu.
AKI: [translates]
CLASSY: Sounds awesome to me!
CM & CUTE: as;lkdff.
It turned out that the one who took a picture for us was the club owner and he had been to Singapore before. XD The other cutie was called Rion. I was designated as interpreter for the day s-sob, but oh man, such a great experience.
We started out with the club owner and Rion at our table! They poured us our shochuu, we did a little kanpai!! in Mandarin, then we started chatting. Halfway through, more hosts joined, until there was about 8 people - 4 hosts and 4 of us - at the table. It was such an intellectual conversation, it surprised us. XD We talked about Singapore, the differences between Singapore and Japan, then we moved onto music and how music could connect all people in the world regardless of language or culture, then we talked about universally recognized body language... at one point, even the exchange rate between the Singapore dollar and Japanese yen was brought up. *snrks* Of course, we did have a bit of banter:
KYOICHI: So what do you guys work as?
CLASSY: Uhh. I don't think we should tell them we're English teachers.
CM: Tell them it's a secret.
HOST (whose name I don't know 'cause he didn't give us his business card lol): Awww. Can we guess anyway? I say civil servants!
KYOICHI: English teachers!
RION: [to me] I think you're an elementary school teacher.
KYOICHI: Oh dude! Yes! You look so sweet and kind. Totally fits.
HOST: Even if you aren't an elementary school teacher, we hope you'll be one. For the sake of our children!!
AKI: Hahaha. What about my friends? If they were teachers, what subject do you think they'd teach?
KYOICHI: [points to Classy] Science teacher.
CLASSY: Oho, I look smart. I like that.
HOST: [points to Cute] Music!
CUTE: What?? I suck at music!
KYOICHI: [points to CM] Home economics.
CM: No way! Tell them I can't sew.
KYOICHI: But she can cook, right?
CM: Yes, I can cook.
KYOICHI: Works out, then. 8D
RION: Can you think of any universally recognized gestures?
KYOICHI: Like this? [does the Japanese gesture for Money, Please]
AKI: Must you bring up such an unpleasant topic from the get-go?
HOSTS: LOL o SNAP
KYOICHI: Well, I didn't mean it that way, you know? It's just, I'm just saying, that you know, money makes the world go round, you know?
RION: Nice try, but that's not saving your ass tonight.
KYOICHI: If you didn't tell me you were Singaporean, I'd think you were Japanese. I mean, you even look like my younger sister.
AKI: Oh, really?
KYOICHI: Did I tell you that my younger sister's really cute?
AKI: ... wow that's awkward.
KYOICHI: ... oh wait. I didn't mean it... you know. That way.
RION: Hey. Pass me a lighter.
KYOICHI: Why don't you say that in English and I'll give it to you?
RION: Lighter. Please.
KYOICHI: Damn.
RION: I didn't go to high school.
HOST: Neither did I. We all didn't.
KYOICHI: HEY. I graduated from high school, thank you very much!
HOST: All right, fine. ONE of us went to high school.
KYOICHI: You make it sound like it's a bad thing.
HOST: What kind of food do you like?
CLASSY: French food.
HOSTS: Ohhhhh. Yeah, you have that look.
KYOICHI: That celebrity sort of look.
HOST: High-class type of girl!
CLASSY: Ufufufu. I am liking this club.
My personal favourites were Rion and Kyoichi. XD Owner was... you know, charming and elegant, as befitting of a host club owner. Host was obviously the joker of the bunch - full of energy, very animated. (As Cute put it, Host had to make his personality a selling point, because he was... well, the least good-looking. XD;)
Rion was a lot more calm than the others, but he really knew how to turn on the charm. He's actually the kind of host I'd imagine Nino would be if he ever did this job. I also noticed that he spoke to me most of the time, as opposed to the other three hosts who focused on the group. Obviously, he had hopes that I'd select him as my main lol. But he was extremely attentive, paid attention to what I said - "Your friends want beer? But you don't like beer, right? I can just get you another glass of shochuu." - and, get this: he does magic tricks. XD
RION: Do you like magic?
AKI: Yes!
RION: Great. Watch this. I'm going to make this cigarette disappear.
He held the burning cigarette - yes, still burning - in his left hand and covered it with his right. Gradually, he moved his right hand away and the cigarette had vanished.
I still have no idea where it went. /o\
RION: Okay. Now a magic trick for the group. Don't translate what I say, okay? I want to see if I can surprise them with just the actions alone. If I can surprise them, then all of you will have to drink an extra toast with me. Sounds good?
AKI: [asks the group]
CLASSY: Yeah sure.
RION: Okay. [pulls out a pack of cards from his pocket]
AKI: ...do you carry those with you everywhere?
RION: Pretty much.
RION: [does the card trick]
CLASSY: [halfway through] Oh wait... I might know how this works.
AKI: [tells Rion]
RION: Oh?
KYOICHI: Never underestimate foreigners, dude!
RION: [finishes trick]
GIRLS: OHHHHH. [applauds]
RION: Did you see through the trick?
CLASSY: No. xD
RION: Cool. As promised, let's have a drink then, ladies.
I thought Kyoichi was the cutest in the bunch, but I realized he knew how to make a girl feel good, too. After Rion's magic tricks, Classy tried a magic trick, but unfortunately, it failed! So Kyoichi was like, I CAN DO A CARD TRICK ... and he failed too.
KYOICHI: Oops! Haha, guess these things happen, huh.
And I realized, wow. He's trying to make Classy feel better, 'cause she was kind of embarrassed that her trick failed.
These boys are good.
Also, extremely honest. When our hour was up, Rion actually asked whether we wanted to extend. (Just a few seconds ago, Cute was worried that we had stayed for longer than an hour, and that the hosts were going to conveniently stay silent about that.) Because we had asked for beer, the cheapest drink on the menu, our bill was almost disgustingly cheap. Including the entrance fee, it came up to 1,700 yen per person... dirt cheap for a host club.
We actually felt so bad about paying so little that Classy and CM, who lived in the Kansai region, considered the idea of returning to the host club to give the boys more money. They worked so hard, we thought! They were so charming and sweet and they entertained us so well, we thought!
Then we stopped to think about it and realized: wow, in one night, we've already been taken in by those men.
Again, I say, they are good.
And you know, it's interesting watching them interact with each other. (No, I don't mean that in a BL fashion. ... or do I? |>) The hierarchy is actually pretty clear. They always make way for Owner, for obvious reasons, and they use honorific form with him. Amongst themselves, I get the feeling that Rion is of a higher rank than the others, because they tend to light his cigarette for him.
Just in general, these men... they're not actually zomg drop-dead gorgeous, but they're so charismatic and charming (and the dim lights of the night club helps too) that they appear really hot. I can see why some Japanese women would fall head over heels for these guys.
Randomly, Owner actually asked if a host club would work well in Singapore and went into a discussion with CM about the possibility of setting one up there. Now CM is seriously considering the idea of starting one as a joint venture with him. XD
The boys from top left to bottom right: Rion, Owner, Host, Kyoichi.
The ladies: Me, Classy, Cute, CM.
By the way, if anyone's interested, this club is called Club GOLD and can be found in the Shinsaibashi area. They have a website, but it seems to be down at the moment. ^^; I highly recommend it!! Check it out if you can.
And I'm off to bed. Didn't get very much sleep last night. *sheepish* How are you loves doing~?