....line and sinker my friend, line and sinker

I'm thinking I need a hook. Not in the 'shiver me timbers' kind of way, although that would be an interesting thing to have in the office and would be a good explanation on why a parrot has been sitting on my shoulder that last few days.

No, I'm thinking I need a hook for this shindig of a blog.

See before, way back when Pluto was still a planet, my blog consisted of interesting observations and anecdotes about my carefree university existence. Then I shamelessly ripped of a Nick Hornby idea and toyed with the '83 songs' concept (see below) which eventually turned out to interesting observations and anecdotes about my carefree university existence but with a song as its heading. Then I got a girl and pretty much slowed down my blogging to a halt on number 48. Come summer of 2006/07 I went to Japan and me being both the lazy and arrogant individual I was, believed that a post on a blog equated to a group email to my friends.

So then where did it leave me? I came back from good olde Nippon (dear god I wanna go back) and found myself moved out of my family house and the very room I spent my entire 23ish years sleeping in, to a little two bedroom apartment in South Yarra that is currently very cold. So now I can't throw it down with the ehills krew, but instead I spend my time doing chap laps in a push bike making doof doof noises under my breath.

Oh yeh, I also woke up one morning and discovered that I'd joined the ranks of the corporate suits although to be fair, I don't wear a tie that often. Its a distinction that probably doesn't mean much until you have to wear a tie everyday I suppose. So I'm making some money, not enough of course, but enough to justify some sought of dependency on illicit material of some kind...like really soft 4-ply toilet paper.

Fast forward a few months and I'm single again and there's this thing called facebook that smells like friendster, tastes like myspace but is so "new and innovative" that its worth $5 billion in loss productivity in Australia alone.

And I'm back here again.

So whats my hook? I really don't want to start raging against the corporate machine or bitching about how manager so-and-so said something to mr 'no-one cares about' that ultimately resulted in a dead prostitute and a very confused elephant.

Nor do I want to start getting all emo and writing poems and random outbursts about my relationship woes. I really can't afford to start painting my fingernails black, they're already a lovely shade of crimson as is.

So where does that leave me? I'll tell ya, it leaves me sitting in front of a computer with a damn parrot on my shoulder.

And it really loves nibbing at my ear. But I think all the blood may not be good for my jumper.

Its all swings and roundabouts

I'm not saying that I'm back, be I could be.

Lets just view this as a little dip of my toes in the pond, and to stretch the metaphor a bit longer, lets just say that while I haven't rolled my pants up yet, I've at least taken off my socks.

So this is where I am at the current time, as you may have realised I've done a little change up of the layout. But considering that the last few people who have commented on this blog were all about the free penis enlargement and related products, I don't think there will be a massive up-swell of emotion on this regard.

So thats it for now; I can't be too hasty I guess. It'll be a gradual process to return to my former glories, but considering the extent of my former glories, well let's just say that I'll try to aim a little higher this time around.

I didn't find a transformer but...

I probably dont need to spend a blog post talking about the greatness of the japanese can vending machines.

But I will nonetheless.

Firstly, no; I did not manage to find a dirty panties vending machine. Believe me, I tried. I really really did. I was going to ask someone but my vocabulary in that respect is a bit lacking...

(sumimasen, [dirty panties] no [vending machine] wa doko desu ka)??

I'm sure someone out there can fill in the gaps. What I normally did was try to perform some leet gaijin katakana work on it.

I did, however, find the wonders of the hot can vending machines from which you can get a nice hot can of japanese green tea, or something that proclaims to be a cafe latte (but is hot and full of caffeine so who am I to argue). But more importantly, you can get a nice hot can of corn soup.

I love canned corn soup from a vending machine.

Oops anyway, while I'd love to continue me wonderful conversation about the vending machines, I need to leave for the airport so I can fly all the way home. But I'll leave you with this,

Beer vending machines

= gold.

tokyo apple

So we are in Tokyo, Godzilla's favourite town. Haven't managed to get a meeting with the beast just yet but I'm staying positive.

The free internet at the Apple Centre in Ginza is quite something. Saves me that ¥100 per 15 minutes at my hostel...because ¥100 can get you so far in this country. Well actually it can if you choose to shop at the ¥100 stores; I managed to get a pair of boxers that while saying "L" on them are more like a "S". Needless to say, not very comfortable undies.

We managed to get tickets to the 31st Grand Sumo Tourney on Sunday so I'm looking forward to seeing large overweight men run into each other. It should turn out to be very interesting but I've got a suspicion that it won't be anything like a WWE match.

Food in Japan is still good but I've noticed a love of deep-fried crumbled meat. But we did go to a revolving sushi place last night and each ourselves stupid. Drinking 1 Litre of beer afterwards is not recommended.

Beer is cheap, 500ml of good beer for only ¥190 cheap.

Anyway, I'm about done, going to try and find a way to take some pictures so it looks like I'm crushing buildings in downtown Tokyo. On that, a fair warning to all travellers; do not make jokes about wanting to pretend to be Godzilla to the customs/immigration people as the reason why you are travelling to Japan. They give you strange looks. I mean really strange looks. And even some dirty looks from the supervisors.

Oh I might be screwed when I try to return to Australia.

malaysia-sapporo-kyoto

I'll break it down for you real easy.

Malaysia is malaysia, still waiting for that 2020 boleh to kick in. Food is good and cheap though, unless you undercook your food at the roadside hotpot place and you end up wasting a day sick in bed. That didn't happen to me, but my buddies weren't that lucky.

I did however, get my customary Jay Chou cd, something I've done the last 3 or 4 times I've dropped by malaysia or its cleaner but not better rival singapore.

Malaysia is also stupidly hot.

Sapporo on the other hand is cold.

Very very cold in fact.

But oh so good.

To explain why sapporo is good is quite simple. Its one word (and its not '10'...unfortunately)

The word is 'snow'

Lets just say that I didn't get to snowboard but the snow I saw on the SIDE of the street in downtown Sapporo is far greater than any snow I've seen on any ski resort in Australia. And don't even get my started on the powder...its fricking awesome.

So yeah, I'm coming back.

Right now I'm sitting in the lobby of Budget Inn Hostel in Kyoto using the 'net. Its costing me 100yen per 15minutes, just over a buck really. On that front, my 9 times tables are getting better :) I'll be hanging out in Kyoto for the next 7 or so days before heading up to Tokyo and my Optimus Prime robot.

Beer is cheap. Shoes are cheap.

No godzilla sightings just yet. No dirty pantry vending machines as well. But I've fallen in love with the hot green tea from the vending machines.

It begins...

Yup, its holiday time.

In 5 hours time I'll be on a plane flying off to "Malaysia - truly asia!"(tm) for a short kicked-back, do nothing, eat heaps few days before we embark on the excitement of Japan for a 18ish days.

I do believe a 'woot' is in order, even a 'W00t'.

Co-starring in this adventure will be Melanie (aka B1), Euge, Dan and Melissa (aka B2). A five man team that would rival even the best amazing race team from season 2.

Go team go!

Cyas all in a bit.

48. Das Glockenspiel - Schiller

So its come to this.

I just applied for a contract/summer/christmas job via seek.com

Dear god what happened to my summer of nothingness? Haha well the obvious answer is that I've woken up and realised that I have a) no money and b) I'm going to Japan next month and it just might be better if I could afford things more than instant ramen from the local 7-11 or its Japanese equivalent (nana-juuichi?).

Well the good news is that the job, provided I get it, starts this wednesday (!) and it would mean that I will be working during all the December public holidays (better be good penalty rates).

Well thats not really good news.

Umm how about the fact that its "inbound telecommunications" providing "customer telecommunications services"?

Jeez thats not good at all.

Ahh interviews are going to be held tomorrow or tuesday? Haha well considering I'm down to play 18 holes of golf in 9 hours time I guess it'll be on tuesday then :)

Good news....ahh I'll probably end up working on my birthday?

That's a no

How about the fact that it'll mean that I'll have to wake up at a reasonablely early time, as opposed to the unreasonably late times of 'whenever I get up' (last week's record was 12.30). In fact the only why I get up before 9am these days is to play golf :)

Hmm no sunny side yet...

Oh thats right.

Money

So I'll make some money. Quite a bit of money (hopefully) and I'll be able to do what I want to do in good olde Nippon, namely eat fugu and get a photo with at least one of the iron chefs. So wish me luck in this employment endeavour, and no matter the outcome, I promise to you that I'll continue to pay little regard to this blog in the coming weeks and really put to shame that originally great but now so unrealistic idea of mine to get to 83 songs by the end of 2006.

I haven't broken 50 yet? Damn.