(no subject)
So um, hi. It's been a while. In fact it's been so long that my LiveJournal Premium account has expired and I'm down to only 6 icons ;_;. I guess I'll go with the Cat Boy icon for now. Aside from Fulein I don't really like the ones that randomly remain. I guess I'll have to pay for premium again to get the ones I like back, but for now I'll just stick with this.
Christmas has come and gone, though as you might imagine I didn't do anything particularly special. It was a normal work day (plus 2 hours overtime) whose only difference was the constant repetition of "Last Christmas" on the radio, which both mocked me for being at work on Christmas and also drove me insane because I hate that song with a passion. They play it all the time here and I abhor it. It was a huge relief to come into the office today to hear Linkin Park on the radio. Finally, music to fit the mood in the office =P.
On Saturday I had my second "party," or "kickback" as Jadice insists it's called =P. Basically just hung out with a couple friends for the afternoon and evening and some of them ended up staying the night. As usual with my Twitter friends, of the 4 people who came I only knew the real names of 2 of them and one of them I'd never met in real life before. So of course there is always that awkward first meeting, where you're standing at the appointed meeting place staring at the person you know for sure is whom you're looking for but are too nervous to actually speak up and say something. This time the guy actually walked past me several times clearly trying to work up the nerve to say something XD. Eventually we finally sorta nodded to each other and it was clear that, yes, we were right. In my case I kinda think it's a bit unfair. I'm clearly the only foreigner in the area, it *has* to be me. This is opposed to the descriptions I always get: "I'm wearing a black jacket and carrying a black bag." Yeah, you and EVERYONE ELSE IN A 5 MILE RADIUS.
Anyway, after the awkward first meeting with my Twitter friend "Noa" at Sakuragicho, we caught up with Taka and went to the Inner City Zoo Noah. Taka's description of it: "It's basically a pet shop that has the gall to charge you 500 yen to enter." He's absolutely right, but it sure has some exotic pets in it, including bats and sloths and monkeys. All the animals are a bit overwhelming, though it's nothing compared to the SMELL. Noa looked like he was going to pass out, and I certainly wouldn't have blamed him. For my part I got bitten twice, once by a ferret and once by a marmoset. Yeah this really is a shady operation they have going there =P.
After that we had CREPES CREPES CREPES because Taka demanded we eat crepes (someone likes to be in charge) and then we went to Hakkeijima Island, a man-made island at the southern end of Yokohama that's divided into an amusement park and an aquarium. In the end we didn't actually ride on any of the rides but instead just walked around a bit and then bought souvenirs, which I now realize are still sitting in my room despite the fact that we all bought our own. Oops. I'll have to give them back to their owners next time I see them.
Then we went back to my apartment and had pizza while getting annihilated by Yutaro in Halo and various other games. I also showed everyone their first glimpse of FFXIII, to the universal response of "ooh pretty!... but there are no towns. Sad." Okay that's actually my opinion which I forced upon my unsuspecting guests, but they tended to agree. Late late that night Coneko made an appearance, and after chatting with him for a while Taka decided to head home. In the end though, Yutaro, Noa and Coneko all stayed the night, breaking the record for most people sleeping in my apartment at any given time. 4 has now been done, and we think we can pull off 5 next time if we can get one or two more blankets.
I still think it odd that everyone finds it so exciting to come over to my apartment, but I'm slowly but surely starting to realize why. Most of my friends, even the ones who work full time, still live with their parents, and as such cannot really invite friends over to their houses. Instead, they jump at the chance to get away from their families for a little while, if only to feel more like the adults they already are. But times are tough, and affording to live alone is getting harder and harder. As much as I complain about being lonely in my apartment all the time, I guess I should be grateful I do make enough money at work to have my own place, small as is it is.
Anyway, the next day we spent just hanging out a bit before everyone left around noon. FFXIII took up the rest of my day, and I caught the "It's too much of a hassle bug" that I trade back and forth with my friend Yoshio. Basically, it's the light depression that makes doing anything aside from sitting at home staring at a computer/television screen seem like too much effort. Thanks to that lovely disease I still haven't bought the iPhone I've been planning to buy for weeks. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
That brings us to today, Tuesday. I'm at lunch break at work finishing up this entry, though I started writing it last night. Sheer craziness is going on today, but at least I get a 5 day weekend today in honor of the New Year's holiday starting tomorrow. The sad thing is I don't have any plans, and all my friends are leaving to spend time with their families so I'm going to be all by myself here. Had I been able to take time off, I would have done so and gone on a trip somewhere or perhaps gone home, but I don't get to take time off until March so I'm sorta just stuck here. All of that has left me quite depressed lately, exacerbating my hassle bug. Even so, 5 days alone will definitely drive me crazy so I have to find something to do, even if that just means going to the movies by myself several times. I still haven't seen Avatar, after all.
The only possible exception will be on Thursday, New Year's Eve. The giant Comic Market is once again being held in Odaiba, and I do know a lot of people who will be going. But I have a fear of large crowds and have never been before, so I don't know if I really want to go. Some of my friends have specifically told me "Don't go. We know you well enough to know it'll just be traumatic for you." But others say if you go in the afternoon it's not so bad, and Yoshio at least wants me to come so he won't be all alone all day. I don't know. Deep down I think I do want to go and it will mean I'll get to at least see 1 friend at least 1 day during the 5 day holiday, but I'm scared anyway.
Oh well, I need to get back to work now. Let's hope my holidays turn out better than they look right now, because I'm getting depressed just thinking about it.
Happy New Year everyone.
Christmas has come and gone, though as you might imagine I didn't do anything particularly special. It was a normal work day (plus 2 hours overtime) whose only difference was the constant repetition of "Last Christmas" on the radio, which both mocked me for being at work on Christmas and also drove me insane because I hate that song with a passion. They play it all the time here and I abhor it. It was a huge relief to come into the office today to hear Linkin Park on the radio. Finally, music to fit the mood in the office =P.
On Saturday I had my second "party," or "kickback" as Jadice insists it's called =P. Basically just hung out with a couple friends for the afternoon and evening and some of them ended up staying the night. As usual with my Twitter friends, of the 4 people who came I only knew the real names of 2 of them and one of them I'd never met in real life before. So of course there is always that awkward first meeting, where you're standing at the appointed meeting place staring at the person you know for sure is whom you're looking for but are too nervous to actually speak up and say something. This time the guy actually walked past me several times clearly trying to work up the nerve to say something XD. Eventually we finally sorta nodded to each other and it was clear that, yes, we were right. In my case I kinda think it's a bit unfair. I'm clearly the only foreigner in the area, it *has* to be me. This is opposed to the descriptions I always get: "I'm wearing a black jacket and carrying a black bag." Yeah, you and EVERYONE ELSE IN A 5 MILE RADIUS.
Anyway, after the awkward first meeting with my Twitter friend "Noa" at Sakuragicho, we caught up with Taka and went to the Inner City Zoo Noah. Taka's description of it: "It's basically a pet shop that has the gall to charge you 500 yen to enter." He's absolutely right, but it sure has some exotic pets in it, including bats and sloths and monkeys. All the animals are a bit overwhelming, though it's nothing compared to the SMELL. Noa looked like he was going to pass out, and I certainly wouldn't have blamed him. For my part I got bitten twice, once by a ferret and once by a marmoset. Yeah this really is a shady operation they have going there =P.
After that we had CREPES CREPES CREPES because Taka demanded we eat crepes (someone likes to be in charge) and then we went to Hakkeijima Island, a man-made island at the southern end of Yokohama that's divided into an amusement park and an aquarium. In the end we didn't actually ride on any of the rides but instead just walked around a bit and then bought souvenirs, which I now realize are still sitting in my room despite the fact that we all bought our own. Oops. I'll have to give them back to their owners next time I see them.
Then we went back to my apartment and had pizza while getting annihilated by Yutaro in Halo and various other games. I also showed everyone their first glimpse of FFXIII, to the universal response of "ooh pretty!... but there are no towns. Sad." Okay that's actually my opinion which I forced upon my unsuspecting guests, but they tended to agree. Late late that night Coneko made an appearance, and after chatting with him for a while Taka decided to head home. In the end though, Yutaro, Noa and Coneko all stayed the night, breaking the record for most people sleeping in my apartment at any given time. 4 has now been done, and we think we can pull off 5 next time if we can get one or two more blankets.
I still think it odd that everyone finds it so exciting to come over to my apartment, but I'm slowly but surely starting to realize why. Most of my friends, even the ones who work full time, still live with their parents, and as such cannot really invite friends over to their houses. Instead, they jump at the chance to get away from their families for a little while, if only to feel more like the adults they already are. But times are tough, and affording to live alone is getting harder and harder. As much as I complain about being lonely in my apartment all the time, I guess I should be grateful I do make enough money at work to have my own place, small as is it is.
Anyway, the next day we spent just hanging out a bit before everyone left around noon. FFXIII took up the rest of my day, and I caught the "It's too much of a hassle bug" that I trade back and forth with my friend Yoshio. Basically, it's the light depression that makes doing anything aside from sitting at home staring at a computer/television screen seem like too much effort. Thanks to that lovely disease I still haven't bought the iPhone I've been planning to buy for weeks. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
That brings us to today, Tuesday. I'm at lunch break at work finishing up this entry, though I started writing it last night. Sheer craziness is going on today, but at least I get a 5 day weekend today in honor of the New Year's holiday starting tomorrow. The sad thing is I don't have any plans, and all my friends are leaving to spend time with their families so I'm going to be all by myself here. Had I been able to take time off, I would have done so and gone on a trip somewhere or perhaps gone home, but I don't get to take time off until March so I'm sorta just stuck here. All of that has left me quite depressed lately, exacerbating my hassle bug. Even so, 5 days alone will definitely drive me crazy so I have to find something to do, even if that just means going to the movies by myself several times. I still haven't seen Avatar, after all.
The only possible exception will be on Thursday, New Year's Eve. The giant Comic Market is once again being held in Odaiba, and I do know a lot of people who will be going. But I have a fear of large crowds and have never been before, so I don't know if I really want to go. Some of my friends have specifically told me "Don't go. We know you well enough to know it'll just be traumatic for you." But others say if you go in the afternoon it's not so bad, and Yoshio at least wants me to come so he won't be all alone all day. I don't know. Deep down I think I do want to go and it will mean I'll get to at least see 1 friend at least 1 day during the 5 day holiday, but I'm scared anyway.
Oh well, I need to get back to work now. Let's hope my holidays turn out better than they look right now, because I'm getting depressed just thinking about it.
Happy New Year everyone.