Hindsight

Like something out of a film, Bangkok’s Chinatown has tiny alleyways with tons of shops that only mostly sell in bulk. Backpacks, shoes, clothes, eyeware, wallets… just about anything. This is probably where the (slightly) bigger stores in the city pick up their goods to turnaround for profit to tourists.

Motorcyclists try to make their way through the alleyway as well, giving almost no mercy to anyone in the way. I just had to go with the flow.

There was no shortage of food. Fruits, food, anything. It was there for the taking, and cheap of course.

To the left are juices or soda in plastic bags with ice. To the right are our standard sodas-in-a-bottle. Take your pick. When I was much younger, roaming through Bangkok, I’d be running around with a straw and plastic-bag-soda in hand.

I’ve been in Bangkok for three days.

It has been strange. Bits and pieces have changed but most of the experience is one big flashback. Nuay and cousins are doing alright, and the place reminds me of my stay ten years ago - I attended an interational school in 1992-1993 here.

Here’s Lynn taking care of Min, Lee’s daughter. She gets lots of love from all the family. It’s good to see her around so many people each day. One happy baby.

Good eats at home (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Hachiban Ramen (”Number 8″ Ramen) is a popular ramen chain here. I had a small bowl of Chashu (pork) ramen, some shumai and a coke for somewhere under two dollars.

Japanese food has gained momentum with the Thai people. Other restaurants include “Oishi Sushi Bar” and “Fuji Japanese Cuisine”. I have yet to try them for myself.

The state of piracy in Thailand is still strong despite better efforts to curb vendors trying to sell illegal copies of games. It was easy for me to see that Game Boy Advance games were not what they seemed - the boxes are easily discernable as [high quality, but flawed] color copies. I’m sensing a strong shipment of HK game goods. It’s amazing how fast they get here from an “original” release.

Most Game Boy Advance games here cost anywhere from 10-20 bucks. The more expensive ones feature “116 games in 1″, but mostly consist of several GBA titles and a slew of very old (and classic) Famicom/NES titles like Contra, Stinger (Twin Bee in Japan) and so on and so forth.

PlayStation2 games cost about 40-80 Baht (USD $1-$2) per game. That’s considered “expensive” by some. Even though I lived here ten years ago to experience the boom of copied Super Famicom (Super NES) games via floppy copies, I still find myself astonished at how fast and abundant copied games are here. It’s like you could literally live off of a few dollars a day just to eat and buy software. From what I gather, most people’s PlayStation 2’s here are modified to play DVD copies.

This weekend I am off to Chiang Mai with my father’s friends.

If I were to attempt to place all my thoughts this posting, it would go on forever.

I spent my last day meeting up with Nanae in Ueno and then sending off some emails at a net cafe in Akihabara. The evening was spent packing (it was harder than I thought) - I can’t wait to meet customs agents. Not so much those in Asia, but the guys in Los Angeles. You know, the “warm” welcome they give whether you are local or not.

***

Back home, a year doesn’t do very much to you. You change a job here and there, you go through a bit of personal drama on the side (or in the foreground perhaps). But it is nowhere near the experience of being abroad. And especially in Japan. Outside Japan, looking in, it’s impossible to experience and see all the subtleties of daily life and interaction. The ups and downs, so on and so forth.

It’s been easy for everyone not in Japan to sympathize, but to empathize? No one who has lived here abroad (more so after college) can come close. Ask Dion, Alex or Chris. Hell, ask any other ALT out here. We’re on the same track so far. Now, though, I’ve chosen to head back.

I’ve said the same thing over and over recently. Prior to this opportunity, I never worked with kids. Even now I still consider myself a pretty serious type of guy. But I’ll say (and happily) that they got to me. Reciprocation. Interaction, internationalization, communication - call it what you will. It was fun. I miss them, you know. I imagine going to the school just to talk to them and say “hello” today. But it’s over now. It’s time for me to go home.

I’ve had my ups and downs. Looking back, that’s supposed to happen, isn’t it? I flashback through moments of laughter with the kids and/or staff, to the moment I stood in my doorway for five minutes because I had no idea what to do that day and no one to talk to. I think about the drunken stupor of yesteryear or the best 3-nensei class at Chiyo. There are so many thoughts - I’m glad that I wrote a bit of them down throughout the year. I’ll be referring to them often.

Some wonder if the JET Program is worth it. It’s worth it. Like people will say, it’s what you make of it. Chris said a year ago that “it changes you”. And how can I not change after being so far away, for one year? Yes, it goes by fast, but what a change.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So rather than say goodbye, I will say this:
Until next time, Japan. Until next time.

Overcast made way for Clear today. The sun is out and the weather is grand. It’s been awhile actually - with tsuyu (rainy season) having come around, I’ve seen more gray then blue for awhile now.

This morning I am at Necca again checking my email. Am meeting Nanae to catch up and chit chat before I leave for Bangkok tomorrow morning.

This trip has been a fast one. I have a rare moment to write down all my thoughts about this time in Japan. One year (slightly cheated by a trip for two weeks during Christmas/New Year’s). I’ll definitely write more about this once I return home.

***

I arrived at Akihabara a little early this morning, so I walked around. One street had a full-on line of (mostly) males, presumably for some game release or what not. I walked up to someone who wasn’t in line and asked him, in Japanese of course, what was going on.

“They’re in line for a game.”
“Oh? For…”
“Ero-game,” he said, referring to an erotic, or adult themed game. He let out a small, modest chuckle. “Zenbuu otaku,” he continued, making a wide gesture to explain that everyone in line was an otaku just waiting for their loot.

Such is Akihabara sometimes. I took a picture of the line, but it wasn’t very interesting.

Kim (and I) using her wireless internet connection at Ueno Park.
Ueno artist.

Living the life (also Ueno).

Quick parts setup in Akihabara.

Stairwell, adult video and book store, Akihabara.

Kanda Post Office (open Saturday and even Sunday).

Dinner at Tenya.

New Koyo Hotel.

Same room, opposite view. Very, very small. But cheap.

Today I met up with Kim and we walked around to Ueno park. It was nice to get away from the loudness and bustle of, say, Shinjuku or even Akihabara (it’s a crowded Saturday).

I was running around, shipping an item back home, running around doing some purchases or friends. Frantic frenzy, yet…. exciting. Natural high? Perhaps.

Tomorrow is my last romp through Tokyo. Monday morning I will on a plane bound for Bangkok, Thailand.

The day started slow - Adam had overslept thanks to his virtually silent alarm clock built into his capsule. He stayed in a capsule hotel the other night while I was at the New Koyo. Four hours or so came and went at one of the Media Cafe’s (again, Ikebukuro).

Not too much to write about today, except that the rain came in as the sun set. Here are a few (of many) pictures I took today.

Ueno Station
Ueno Sci-Fi

The “Gojira” (Godzilla) watermelon on the lower right is indeed around US $100

Shibuya Crossing

Rain hit when we roamed Ginza

Last night, before heading to my guest bedroom at Shinji’s, I wrote back to my friend Adam, who happened to be staying the night at an internet cafe in Osaka.

Adam and I never met in person - he contacted me by way of the Kanno Project about five years ago. We kept in touch on a thread: sometimes we would write and not hear from each other for six months. Then, suddenly, an e-mail would pop up and we’d correspond.

We managed to meet for the first time at Shin Osaka station this morning. Tokyo bound, we chatted about our enthusiasm for Kanno’s work, games and the Japan “experience” as it were - I told him about working as an assistant teacher and he told me of his experiences thus far. The shinkansen ride didn’t seem like 3 hours - we kept talking about all sorts of things.

After checking in to my hotel at Minami Senjuu we made our way to Akihabara.

Apparently my enthusiasm for the place has remained the same. It was Adam’s first time to mecca.

Quite a few stores were pushing Tokyo Battle Zero One this time around.

Adam, like myself, was in the search for games and some related items. We went to Sofmap, Yamagiwa Soft and Asobit City to cover most of our “needs” - I also bought a few games that friends wanted me to find.

Like last time, the searching was fun - it was nice to find the software and think, “They are going to get a kick out of this once I hand it to them”. It’s grand being the “item hunter” of sorts.

Asobit City’s PC software/hardware floor had a small area dedicated to computer audio and music composition. In a corner of the floor was an obscure collection of music books for themes from games and anime. Adam was enlightened to find sheet music for both old and recent game titles. He picked up a few books: Final Fantasy themes, Studio Ghibli themes, and another book that I can’t recall at the moment.

I was happy to see him so excited, to find things that he had probably had in his mind yet could never acquire (for obvious, geographical reasons). Today was his day it seemed.

I roamed one of the TRADER stores in search of other used games. Managed to find some software here and at Sofmap, of course.

Today’s pace seemed rapid. One store to the next, a fulfilling yet quick lunch at a Kyushu-style ramen joint in the middle of Akihabara. A fast dinner at McDonald’s in Ikebukuro followed by another fast romp, this time to an internet cafe to notify friends of my latest explorations.

It was a blast. That really is the only way I can describe it. It was my first time to meet Adam offline and I found him to be an awesome Tokyo companion today. Tomorrow we’re going to check out Shibuya, Harajuku and some other possible places, at least until the evening when he will meet up with his other friends. After that, I may get the chance to catch up with some others in the area.

“…how do you feel?” I ask.

Shinji takes a puff of his cigarette, surfing the internet.
“..drunk. It’s so good.” he says, as if carrying on a standard conversation.

Wonderful.

Let’s step back to yesterday, Tuesday.

I actually had a moment to rest in between the “wrap up” errands I needed to do before closing my time in Kitakyushu. F-Zero AX (the arcade complement to the upcoming “F-Zero GX” for Gamecube) was in a local game center so I tried it out. The sense of speed is definitely there, though there’s a bit more to it now.

(low light + poor hand = blur)

Like other recent arcade games in Japan , F-Zero AX can make you a “license card” for 100 yen. After you’ve raced your first time with the card, you can use it to keep track of your racing stats and upgrade your vehicle parts. Other games like the recent Virtua Fighter arcade game and Initial D (racing game based on the popular manga seres) also feature license cards. It’s a great idea, in my opinion.

After shipping my final boxes off, cancelling my J-Phone service (feeling naked without my cel pone now) returning the English textbooks to the BOE and getting my last great haircut from the guys near Kokura Station, I met up with the Shimomoto family one last time. We ate at a place right below the Lucky Moon (read: gaijin bar) which was really good. Everything was deep fried and tasty.

I had my last Ichiran ramen with Chris and Dion. This is a picture from the 11th floor of Building 7, where Dion now resides.

Dion and I chatted it up well into 2am or so. I’m going to miss our chats about… well just about everything.

This morning I woke up at 5:30. Everything was packed and ready to go the night before, so there was little to run about. I listened to some Mogwai to set the mood right, shut off the gas and power and walked out with my bags. I will miss Building 7. I’ll miss Kanada Kodan.

I took the shinkansen to Osaka and met up with Hiro & Yoshie, Shinji and his wife of three months, Aya. It’s good to see gamer company/friends here again. We went to Nijojo in Kyoto, just an hour-thirty drive away. Temples abound. After we all went to a tonkatsu place that Aya recommended. Quite possibly the best katsu I’ve ever had.

The rest of the evening was spent at Shinji’s (and now Aya’s) apartment. It was a lot cleaner than last time - I’d like to think that Aya had something to do with that.

Things come full circle in strange ways - Shinji was ecstatic to see all of the Final Fantasy soundtracks I had sitting in my laptop and eventually loaded up Final Fantasy X to show me my favorite gaming scene: Yuna (the game’s female lead) walks on water and performs a ritual to send the souls of the dead to a higher plane. Later he played some music from the game. It made me think about my former job where I tested games.

Hiro and Yoshie had to return to Nagoya, as they have work tomorrow. As I said goodbye, Shinji told me “they are good friends”.

“..All because of PSO” I said. All because of a chance meeting at an online console game.
“Yes,” he responded, going on to praise the fact that online games connect people. If he isn’t great, I don’t know who is.

I’ve spent the rest of the evening talking about games with him, and later going online to post this. While I was dabbling on my own PC, he started playing Final Fantasy XI on his PS2. Later, Aya took over the PC.

I feel wonderfully comfortable in this household.