Hindsight

Another pointless (but hopefully meaningful) image I took today. I was going through my things stored in boxes, and here is an offering from XianMrtyr (see: sidenav).

I was journal hopping and stumbled onto an interesting post by Jim O’Connell: Conbini Nation. He talks about the number of convenience stores near his home in Tokyo and how people may think along a “human scale” rather than one relative to driving distance.

Last weekend I drove down to San Diego County to meet up with potential places to live… and their resident(s). I stayed with my friend on Friday night where a good session of Def Jam Vendetta (trust me, it’s good) was had, among other games. Saturday morning I started my day too early – at 7:30am.

I asked questions, took the dime-tour of each place and so on and so forth. It’s the first time I’ve done so to move in with a complete stranger and they all turned out to be positive experiences.

I’ve made a decision already about it, so I’ll be about 10 miles from my new job if all the proper red tape checks out.

There was a lot of time to kill once I was done. Wrapped up at 10 or so and had no place to go until my friend returned home from his overtime shift at 2, so I took the 78 around. Stopped by a Fry’s Electronics here, a Best Buy there and other such geekness. I realized that I really have not gone out in awhile and all these movies I had forgotten about are now on DVD. I’ve been living in my bubble.

Driving – I feel more comfortable about driving now then I did before I left Japan. It doesn’t quite make sense since I’d walked and rode trains in Kitakyushu. I would think that the hiatus just refreshed me. That and not being at home was the big sell.

So I am thinking of what my new room will be like and how it will be living alone again. Grocery shopping not at the Sun-Live down the corner across from Nishikokura Post Office but across the street at a Ralph’s or some other variant with the Post Office a five minute drive away.

I feel like I’m taking another small step in my life with new unknowns. Not as adventurous as going abroad. Still, another case of the nomad soul working with a new set of circumstances.

Lost in Translation isn’t so much about Japan. In fact, there is very little of Japan itself in the spotlight. It is about relationships. Loneliness. Dealing with decisions, personal lives, abandoning them for a night or three, finding out more about yourself. Japan serves as a backdrop to place two of these people in a situation where they have more of a reason to connect and look into their own lives. In a way, watching “Lost” was a way to reflect on how I felt at times living in Kitakyushu.

I loved it. My ability to understand most of what the Japanese cast said (subtitles are not provided in the entire film, which makes perfect sense) was an added plus. I brought with me to the theater the bit of enthusiasm and nostalgia I’ve always had for Japan since I returned.

Can’t say much more. I was pretty moved by the final scene. I recall having a note jotted down for a video project very similar to it. I want to see it again sometime, so I’ll most likely acquire it once it’s out on DVD.

Jello shots. Beer. Smirnoff Ice Triple Blacks. Vanilla-Vodka shots. Last Saturday seemed to break my super sobriety and a good time was had by all. I saw a lot of faces I hadn’t talked to [in person] for quite some time, and being a little off kilter didn’t seem to hurt. Laughs and such. It got so wacky that Jon, one of my former coworkers, was practicing his martial arts skills with others. A sort of mini Fight Club if you will. But never violent.

Kidding. Maybe? Entertaining nonetheless.

Maybe I am getting too old, or maybe my drinking habits were more sensible when I was in Japan. The hangover the following morning was not very forgiving. In fact a mild headache accompanied my Sunday for the rest of the afternoon until I decided to give into a geltab of Advil.

Prior to all of this madness, I had dinner with Linda at a TGIFriday’s she spotted off the street as we drove through Brea for something to fill up on before the mingling. It was nice. Chat and good food, Jack Daniel’s steak for me. It was a good night to splurge. That Saturday night was probably the start of a brighter week, which seems to be happening now.