Yamashita Tomohisa: 0409 Vol. 80
0409
Vol. 80 "Refresh!!"
This summer, Yamapi has earned himself an extended vacation from work, the first since he joined Johnny's Jr. in 6th grade! Allowing himself to refresh by traveling Europe and doing things around the house is also a great way to get motivated for work!
This is the first time I've had such a long break since I started working. During my time off I took trips to Bologna, Italy and Los Angeles. It was my first time to go to Italy. I didn't have any special reason to choose Bologna. I wanted to go to Europe, to any place I hadn't been before. It was a beautiful place, and the beach was only a short train ride away. One day, about 10 Italian girls came up to me and said, "Are you Yamapi from Johnny's?" in English with an Italian accent. I was so surprised that they knew who I was! You know, I don't like to feel pressured to go see certain things when I travel. I don't care about tourist spots at all. If I'm traveling to relax but I have a tight schedule, it's not relaxing at all. I like to set out with no plans, and go where I feel like going that day. At first I found Italian food to be really greasy. My stomach hurt, and I started to miss really fresh Japanese food, but around the third day I got used to it, and then I was fine. At the place I was staying you could get a slice of pizza for about 100 yen, and there was a really good one with tuna on it. I ate so much pizza... Also, instead of pasta and spaghetti, I ate some really different Italian foods. And because I was in the birthplace of meat sauce, I ate some of that too. But each meal was so big. Even so, I think I did a pretty good job finishing each one. Then when I got home I was really bulky from all the weight I put on!! All the old men over there have big stomachs. But I lose weight easily, so gaining a few pounds was just right for me. For about three days after I got back, fresh and simple Japanese foods weren't very satisfying. (Laughs.) But I quickly went back to my regular weight.
I went to LA to visit a friend who's living there. I really like the climate there. But the air is really dry. We kind of just sat around the whole time. I don't really like shopping, so I didn't buy anything, and we didn't drive around enough to call it a trip. In the end, we didn't really do much of anything.
At home in Tokyo, I saw Kanjani8 and Arashi all over TV! I realized I don't have the confidence to talk freely in a variety show like that. When I'm on TV as myself, not a character, I don't know what to say.
During my break, I did a ton of housework. Up until now I hadn't been at home very much so it wasn't necessary to clean, but when you're at home for a long time, the chores really pile up. Laundry and cleaning are such a pain. I'm really bad at folding clothes, so they end up strewn everywhere. To clean, I just run a lint roller across everything and I'm done. I ride my bike to the supermarket for grocery shopping. I've gotten really good at riding my bike lately. (Laughs.) Seriously, this is the first time in my entire life to be eating at home and doing chores like this. Until now I would always eat out. I make really good pasta. First, I add chili pepper while the noodles are cooking to make it spicy. Then salt and olive oil for flavor. Garlic is a hassle so I often leave it out, but it makes the pasta taste so much better! When I used to make pasta and ramen, I would put it on a plate to eat it but then I had to wash that plate too. So I learned to eat out of the pot. (Laughs.) Oh the convenience of eating from a pot! I had no idea. Also, I learned to not leave any leftovers. Leftovers just become trash, and taking out the trash from the sink is a pain, so I've learned to eat everything on my plate. I've once again realized how much I hate doing chores. To be honest, I almost wouldn't mind eating delivery every single day. I usually order ramen or mapo tofu. And I hate washing dishes so much, it's enough to make me want to hire a housekeeper. I do have a dishwasher, but I don't really know how it works, so I've never used it. But I like the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish washing the dishes by myself!
In my free time I like to watch movies, read books, or go to the gym. Surprisingly, I didn't have much to do. I did absolutely nothing for the first three days, but that got boring fast. For me, reading books and watching movies is a way to get better at my job, so in that sense, I never really stopped working. In the end I thought, Wow, I don't have much to do outside of work, my life is all about working! When work is good, I'm happy--work is what makes me feel that I'm really lucky to have this life. I don't know about girls, but I think all guys are like that. So in a way, being unemployed can be a positive thing. I think I might get tired of it, but I've realized its merits.
After a long vacation, I feel completely recharged. When you work too much, you only focus on finishing each task. Taking a break has given me even greater motivation to do my job! I'm ready to work hard so I can once again produce excellent work for you to enjoy.
[Seventeen, November 2011 / translation by amapi - Please credit if using/quoting]
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Thank you to watchful21 and kyara for the scans! By the sound of this article, Yamapi is done with his break(?) and ready to make things again! Yay!! Also, congratulations on the 80th publication! Yamapi mentions some girls who came up to him in Italy, could they be the same ones who got his picture and autograph? Also, I wonder who he could have met in LA? Hm.......... ;)
As always, comments are much appreciated. I love to hear what you have to say and see how many people are reading my translations. I've been doing a bad job keeping up with the back issues but please be patient, I will get to them! Thanks always for reading. And happy birthday to chocolaier!
-Amanda