Wednesday, March 29, 2006
kumamoto city - ntt dream center - abusing a free trail system for high-speed internet.
as perusual, i was still taking care of business the morning of my departure and had to run to catch the 1:30 bus to osaka - giving me ample time to find my ferry to kag0shima by 6:00. i made the bus, but a cloud-burst made traffic in osaka come to a standstill and made me 50 min late! then it was a race against 2 subway transfers and a tram to the ferry terminal! it was going to be close! the tram was going to slow that i became sure that i would miss the boat. i began planning "b" - sleep in the terminal and wait 24 hours? but would you know i freaking made it! i ran to the terminal at 5:55 and got in line behind a stupid ass tour guide who needed 70 tickets for 2 rugby teams.. my god, i almost lost it. when i got to the front of the line i blurted out my destination and the ticket lady pulled out a blank piece of paper and started drawing on it. she was killing me. then she handed me her masterpiece and explained how to get to the OTHER terminal. and i nearly throttled her.
late, but not by much i jumped a cab and told him to step on it - maybe they have a short cusion for people like me? in japan - not a chance. the cab driver found my predicament amusing, and told me to just take the 7:30 to Miyazake and take a train to kagoshima tomorrow morning. ah! a 7:30 to anywhere in kyushu was fine with me - i didn't really care where i was going anyway!
the ferry was big and full of the kind of happy people who all end up shipwrecked together - a newly-wed couple, and old man with no shoes on, a soldier with important secret orders, a kid running away from home - i feared the ship would hit an iceburg for certain. luck would have it, i survived and the truck driver in the bunk across from me is the proud parent of a 15lb lung baby!
i took a look and found a groovie famous sakura spot in the city - or out of it really. i took a bus to amaga castle and set up shop. i literally tuned up and before finishing my first song was given 500 yen~ dinner - sweet. on my second song i was waved over by an old lady at a big bbq party! it was a gate ball team out for a mid-afternoon drink-a-thon! they loved me - they fed me, beered me, and eventually kidnapped me! there was no saying no, my bag and guitar were wisked off to kamacha's house and his wife instructed at length of my needs for my "homestay".
then we played GATEBALL!! it's a japanese orriginal sport, like a combination between croquette and billiards. i played the number 5 ball on the red team, and badly. but no matter, after 2 games we ate sashimi and drank beer. some turned in around 9, but the rest took me out for karaoke (country road at request) and beers and ramen and beer. i crashed at kamacha's place and he sent me off with breakfast in me and all of his doubts about my hitch hiking feasability. show's him, in 20 min i caught a truck all the way here - sure i was aiming for kagoshima, but kumamoto was a 250km non-stop free ride! flowers are everywhere, yo. and the driver was a cool guy, we talked the whole way! just the normal fist time meeting someone shit, but i'm feeling good after 4 hours of japanese~
so here i am - fresh in a new city and doing a hell of a job of saving my money! we'll see how i do!
as perusual, i was still taking care of business the morning of my departure and had to run to catch the 1:30 bus to osaka - giving me ample time to find my ferry to kag0shima by 6:00. i made the bus, but a cloud-burst made traffic in osaka come to a standstill and made me 50 min late! then it was a race against 2 subway transfers and a tram to the ferry terminal! it was going to be close! the tram was going to slow that i became sure that i would miss the boat. i began planning "b" - sleep in the terminal and wait 24 hours? but would you know i freaking made it! i ran to the terminal at 5:55 and got in line behind a stupid ass tour guide who needed 70 tickets for 2 rugby teams.. my god, i almost lost it. when i got to the front of the line i blurted out my destination and the ticket lady pulled out a blank piece of paper and started drawing on it. she was killing me. then she handed me her masterpiece and explained how to get to the OTHER terminal. and i nearly throttled her.
late, but not by much i jumped a cab and told him to step on it - maybe they have a short cusion for people like me? in japan - not a chance. the cab driver found my predicament amusing, and told me to just take the 7:30 to Miyazake and take a train to kagoshima tomorrow morning. ah! a 7:30 to anywhere in kyushu was fine with me - i didn't really care where i was going anyway!
the ferry was big and full of the kind of happy people who all end up shipwrecked together - a newly-wed couple, and old man with no shoes on, a soldier with important secret orders, a kid running away from home - i feared the ship would hit an iceburg for certain. luck would have it, i survived and the truck driver in the bunk across from me is the proud parent of a 15lb lung baby!
i took a look and found a groovie famous sakura spot in the city - or out of it really. i took a bus to amaga castle and set up shop. i literally tuned up and before finishing my first song was given 500 yen~ dinner - sweet. on my second song i was waved over by an old lady at a big bbq party! it was a gate ball team out for a mid-afternoon drink-a-thon! they loved me - they fed me, beered me, and eventually kidnapped me! there was no saying no, my bag and guitar were wisked off to kamacha's house and his wife instructed at length of my needs for my "homestay".
then we played GATEBALL!! it's a japanese orriginal sport, like a combination between croquette and billiards. i played the number 5 ball on the red team, and badly. but no matter, after 2 games we ate sashimi and drank beer. some turned in around 9, but the rest took me out for karaoke (country road at request) and beers and ramen and beer. i crashed at kamacha's place and he sent me off with breakfast in me and all of his doubts about my hitch hiking feasability. show's him, in 20 min i caught a truck all the way here - sure i was aiming for kagoshima, but kumamoto was a 250km non-stop free ride! flowers are everywhere, yo. and the driver was a cool guy, we talked the whole way! just the normal fist time meeting someone shit, but i'm feeling good after 4 hours of japanese~
so here i am - fresh in a new city and doing a hell of a job of saving my money! we'll see how i do!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
here's the cover and track-list for the optionals cd, baby!! these guys came from 5 different photos - from 3 different shows - across 2 years - and 2 states~ i went for gray scale and got a great price on 120 of them!
the optionals' self titled album can be downloaded for free at www.theoptionals.net
the optionals' self titled album can be downloaded for free at www.theoptionals.net
am i packed yet?
hell no - rather than sorting through the things i've already filled my room with i've been running around town buying all kinds of new shit i'll need on my trip. (i.e. the perfect pair of outdoor pants - ready to brave homelessness for the next few months, rain and warm gear to survive under any adverse conditions, adaptors and cases for transferring music and digital photos to you guys, and about 12 boxes of guitar strings complete with a healthy supply of new picks.) my other big project was making original art for the optionals tour of japan! it's just me, maybe, but i'll be selling optionals cd's and buttons to help bring in travel funds~
i've also been busy as all get out in an attempt to give heartfelt goodbyes to everyone i've met here. i played my last show with the carburettors last weekend and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.. i'll miss them, truly. i've been teaching last-lessons and stacking up the parting gifts that unfortunately may not make the cut when it comes to shipping my things home. there have been taxes, here AND there. there has been finding new teachers for all my students. there has been last-chance food from all my favorite places. there's been drinking by the river and no sleep and mac donald's breakfast. but, Oh, then there's the big sayonara party this weekend!! we're renting a small live hall at the "practice" price (we know the guy) and bringing in our own cases of beer - making it the cheapest all-you-can-drink, dj-ed, live music, satonara dance party of all time! it's going to be awesome!! and then i'll be on the first train out of town (as soon as i can stand again, that is).
i guess that's in 3 more days.. the weather was nice today after another week of constant rain so i had a chance to wash my bike and go for one last scoot to the gas station. taku's buying it, which is endlessly convenient. but it was good times~
gotta' get packing! -mike!
i've also been busy as all get out in an attempt to give heartfelt goodbyes to everyone i've met here. i played my last show with the carburettors last weekend and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.. i'll miss them, truly. i've been teaching last-lessons and stacking up the parting gifts that unfortunately may not make the cut when it comes to shipping my things home. there have been taxes, here AND there. there has been finding new teachers for all my students. there has been last-chance food from all my favorite places. there's been drinking by the river and no sleep and mac donald's breakfast. but, Oh, then there's the big sayonara party this weekend!! we're renting a small live hall at the "practice" price (we know the guy) and bringing in our own cases of beer - making it the cheapest all-you-can-drink, dj-ed, live music, satonara dance party of all time! it's going to be awesome!! and then i'll be on the first train out of town (as soon as i can stand again, that is).
i guess that's in 3 more days.. the weather was nice today after another week of constant rain so i had a chance to wash my bike and go for one last scoot to the gas station. taku's buying it, which is endlessly convenient. but it was good times~
gotta' get packing! -mike!
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