Back From the Dead (PART 2)

[drawma_boy]

My train pulls into the ugly cavern of unadorned concrete and steel. The door opens and passengers gush out with a unified gasp. They hemorrhage onto the platform, drain through the rows of automated ticket gates, and spray forth in all directions. This is Shibuya: one of Tokyo's many foci of intense gravity, white-hot energy, pulsars of pure

Comments

[akronohten]

On the Circle Line in London, there used to be an announcement for Victoria Station that said "This is Victoria. Change at - Victoria - for the - Victoria Line." I use the dashes to indicate where there's an awkward pause, since the recording was cut and pasted by computer and the like. It was the highlight of the time Patrick Mellor and I rode all the way around the Circle Line. . .

[drawma_boy]

although this'll mean nothing to you, the highlights of my year usually revolve around hearing new and ever more awkward station announcements.... especially when they are first said in proper japanese, and then horribly butchered by the english translators. it's like someone saying "indiana" and then hearing someone else say "aindiaaaanah"!

DING DING DING NO-LIFE ALERT!!!

[akronohten]

No, that's really, really awesome.

I loved the station announcemens in Denmark, cause Danish is just so crazy. I could compare what they were saying to what was written on the little electronic signs in the vestibules; it was great just how different they were. And I think there were a couple of places where the announcements were in both Danish and Swedish, since it was a train that went to both countries. I was in no-life heaven.

[drawma_boy]

oh, the list of tippy top favorite station names is long indeed. but some of my newest favorites include:

Takadanobaba
Futakotamagawa-en
Higashihakuraku
and
Chitosekarasuyama

yeah, try and say those four-times fast.

oh, and another goody is Oookayama - with THREE muthafuckin' o's!!

[akronohten]

Wow. Wow.