orientation and hot coffee

tuesday january 31, 2006



Orientation on Monday went alright. It took place at Nova headquarters located at Shibuya station. If you’re a Lost in Translation fan this is near the place where that crazy diagonal intersection lies and where you can see life-size dinosaurs walking across tall building fronts. I didn’t get to walk into the madness because Nova is located on the other side of the station but I’ll be sure to visit soon.


I decided to sport my vintage tweed suit and shoes from Stella Luna, I don't know how business-like this attire was but no one said anything. I suppose my branch manager will pull me aside and give me a talking to if it's inappropriate...sigh, gone are the days of bright coloured stockings and comfortable jeans and here are the days of black black black pin stripped pant suits, simple skirts and grrrr nylons! I hadn't worn a pair of nylons in YEARS but I got through the day alright, my legs felt smooth and crossing my legs was a new found forgotten experience ; )

Some peeps and I went out to a delicious sushi boat bar afterwards followed by happy hour at a British pub. I drank half price Shirley Temples that tasted a little like watered down strawberry Canada Coolers…delicious. That was my first drink in a week and it felt like months, do I have a problem? Amy, Dave, Alison, you don’t know me.

Had my first training day today and it went alright. The first half of the day was spent going step by step through our lessons then there was a little bit of role playing (insert clever comment here).

Tokyo is never ending. Every time I step out of a train station it’s like being at Yonge and Dundas amplified by ten. Huge malls, Gap, Starbucks, McDonalds, am pm convenient stores and 100 yen shops aka dollar stores cover every inch of the horizon. Apparently the Nova branch I will be working in at Iwatsuki is a little bit out of the city. They call it the countryside so maybe it will look a little bit more like Queen and Bathurst? I don’t mind, I keep hearing super things about my branch so that’s cool.

I had my first vending machine coffee around 6pm and it was damn delicious. Imagine little V8-like cans full of warm coffee. I think I may have found a solution to my soon to be expensive Starbuck habit. Of course I will still have to cave in and get myself a delicious chai latte or mocca but damn these vending machine coffees are great and only about $1.50. It might take me a while to find sleep, I’m still wired.

Ueno and Electric Town

Went to Ueno and Akihabana aka Electric Town this afternoon. I managed to find myself a cheap alarm clock and a small table side lamp for my bedroom. I wandered around for what seemed like hours in a sea of arcade-like noises. Every store here seems to have about 3 radio stations going on at once plus people yelling about the latest deals on cell phones or computer discounts. I like walking in this place, I feel like I'm in a dream. A swarm of people all around me and yet I have a strange inner calm. I simply float along in the wave and let it carry me wherever it may.

Walking with a camera in hand makes all the difference, I feel myself having to look harder.

I think I may have spotted one of those famous Gwen Stefani-type side kicks today and it was a little disturbing. Young girls who look like they're about 12 years old stand in the street with teddy bears and Charlie Brown blankets as men flock around holding every type of recording device possible. The girls simply giggle, smile and thank everyone profusely for taking pictures. What's the deal? Are they hired by someone or do they simply show up and start posing? I need to do some research, it's really rather intriguing.

Ummm, something to make your body and soul warm.

Wild Drip

7:45am and I can’t sleep, hopefully my next night will see an end to this jetlag. I just finished watching the last episode of Six Feet Under and I think I’m pretty relieved. The past 4 episodes have been total tear jerkers and I think I’m also a little sensitive to things right now, emotions are still running a little high.

It’s going to be another beautiful sunny day. Yesterday I went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and saw a Shoji Ueda exhibition. Beautiful black and white prints of people strategically placed in sand dunes and children in a Japanese countryside.
It took me a while to find the gallery but about 30 minutes of my intuition finally got me there. I bought myself a little gift at the gallery shop, a Fisheye Lomo camera! I can’t wait to take it out for a test drive this week! So fun : )

The trains here are a little intimidating but I think I’ll get the hang of it soon enough, people are very helpful. They play happiest music in the stations, it’s like being on the “It’s a small world” ride at Disney Land. Happy little sing song music accompanies a swirl of black business attire and brightly coloured advertising for Wild Drip and CC Lemon beverages. After ordering your ticket through a machine, a lovely cartoon of a Japanese lady bows and thanks you for your purchase “domo arigato gozaimasu”.

When I was on the train, I couldn’t help but notice how easily people fall asleep. Everywhere you look everyone’s bobbing their heads after a long day at work. People are even sleeping on their feet. I don’t know how they wake up for their stops, I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

I passed by a laundromat on my way to the museum and one of the signs inside caught my eye…

I think I’ll go take a stroll in the Akihabara district this afternoon. I need to find myself a small bedside lamp, the florescent overhead lighting in my bedroom simply ain’t doin’ for me.

touch the button you like

I applied for my Certificate of Alien Registration card yesterday and needed a couple of photographs . The photo booths here are top notch! I thought it might be tough finding a booth but they pop up like vending machines here. The lovely female voice spoke to me in English during my photo experience then only had me wait one minute for my prints!

I went grocery shopping for the first time today and couldn't help but smile at what situation I had gotten myself into. It's so cool trying to buy food when you have no idea what's written on the package. The check out was a trip as well, I have never felt so appreciated as a consumer. The cashier kept bowing and thanking me for my patronage. Customer service is a very different thing in Japan.

At rush hour I saw two men sitting in chairs at each major intersection with little counters in their hands and clipboards in their arms. I wonder what they're all doing? It looks like they're city workers counting every car that passes through. Hrmmm.

destination saitama

Good morning Saitama!

The past two days have been a bit of a blur. I got about 2 hours of sleep before my departure then headed to the airport for 7am. My Toronto – Vancouver flight was pretty good, I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep thanks to The Cinderella Man. Times have certainly changed with Air Canada, gone are the days of continental breakfasts and hot lunches. Their domestic flights now a small selection of Subway sandwiches and Pringles at a small fee…I tiredly declined.

It was a beautiful day in Vancouver, during my two hour lay over anyways. I found an outlet and powered up my little baby. I would have check my email but unfortunately I’ve had very little luck finding wireless networks to piggy back on. Please bare with me while I try to sort things out.

Vancouver to Tokyo was smooth sailing but I started to get a little antsy by the 7^th hour. I got to a point where I was staring at the video screen in a zombie-like state. The Notwist and Elbow contributed to my journey into the fog, I don’t remember what I was thinking about but I think it was a whole lot of nothing. I couldn’t concentrate.

I landed at Narita airport around 3pm. There, myself and others were greeted by a Nova representative named Deborah. We all got information packages on how to get to our new homes, banking, shopping etc. and a very informative weekly magazine called Metropolis. There are many cool things going on in Tokyo and I’m happy to say that I’m only a 20 minute train ride away!! M.I.A.? The Album Leaf? You wanna sing karaoke in a private pool? Go cosmic-bowling with Hello Kitty? Hire a puppy by the hour?

I was super tired upon my arrival and my heavy carry on bags did not help the situation. Deborah was kind enough to accompany me to my new place and boy am I ever glad she did. By the time she waited for another plane from London to arrive and helped some more Nova instructors with directions it was 6:30pm. We hit the subway stations just after rush hour and got to Yono station around 8:00pm. Everything from Narita airport to Yono station is a blur, I’m just a little frightened about taking the trains by myself. I here I thought New York was bad!

It was bloody cold outside, Tokyo got dumped with snow on the weekend and the cold chill is still kicking up in the wind so Deborah thought it would be nice to take a taxi.

Rule number one, never take a taxi unless you know where you’re going. We had a detailed map of the area but this proved to be useless.

Rule number 2, never get into a cab when the driver’s been drinking.

This guy was psycho, at one point he was headed full speed towards a red light and we both started screaming for him to stop. Admitting defeat he pulled into a local police station where they told him where we needed to go. Deborah told the police she thought our driver was drunk but they claimed they couldn’t smell anything on his breath. Anyways, we got dropped off in front of an apartment building we thought was Prime Court Yono but it wasn’t. So there we were lost on some small street in Saitama freezing our asses off and my shoulders were about to fall off. We circled the area for about 45 minutes on foot, asked two people who kept pointing us in the direction we had just walked from…we eventually found the building just around the corner. I got home all tired and achy, talked to my roommates for about 5 minutes, took a hot shower and hit my new mattress.

Here I am, it’s 9am and my room is sunny and bright. I have no idea where I am, I’m starving, and I have no cloths to wear cuze my luggage will be delivered between 10am and 12pm. Happy? Absolutely. Today I get to walk around in my new neighbourhood, I get to shop in a store where I won’t be able to read what’s what. The next few months are going to be full of risks…something my life has been lacking in quite a while.

Top Tens

Ok, here are my top ten movies and concerts in order of preference.

Top Ten Movies

1) Brokeback Mountain - This is probably one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever seen. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are extraordinary!

2) Junebug - A total gem! Once again the acting is superb. I was transported back to my hometown with this film. So many great shots with the camera standing still on a tripod simply allowing the viewer to settle into the pace of the countryside. An unlived in living room with the sound of a grandfather clock, a well-groomed lawn with leaves rustling on a nearby tree, a well made bed on a beige carpeted floor. So calm yet so unsettling.

3) Shopgirl - Alison came up with a perfect term for this kind of film "shadowlands". I don't know why but we were blubbering uncontrollably at the end. We lost it when Steve Martin's character apologizes for the way he treated the Claire Danes character. I guess we can both relate to being mistreated by a significant other.

4) Wedding Crashers - So many funny moments. I haven't seen a good comedy like this in years.

5) Squid and the Whale - Very dark but so true to life.

6) Sin City - Visually stunning.

7) C.R.A.Z.Y. - A trip back in time, beautiful characters!

8) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - Nice little jabs at Hollywood which is always enjoyable.

9) Lord of War - Nicholas Cage is back!!! FINALLY!

10) Munich - I'm still on the fence about this film but I keep thinking about it, it stirred up a lot of questions which to me is a good sign. I could have done without the last half hour, the scene where he's making love to his wife and sweat is beading off his locks of hair...c'mon, the guy's super hot but that was over the top.

Top Ten Concerts

1) Out Hud at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC with Mimi, Geraldine and Josuee. That was my third time seeing this band in 2005 and they were on FIRE! Thanks for introducing their music to me Dave.

2) The Go! Team at Lee’s Palace with Isy, Jenny, Bev and Alison. Lee's Palace was an oven that night, many Stella and ice cubes were melted on sweaty skin.

3) M.I.A. and LCD Soundsystem at The Opera House with Isy and Alison. The second hottest show I have ever been to next to The Go! Team. Jeezuz! I danced for about 2 hours straight "London quieten down I need to make a sound!"

4) Kasabian at Kool Haus with Alison, Brad and Duncan. "I just can't stop losing control" WOW! Thanks for enhancing our experience Duncan! Too bad about the opening band, yiks!

5) Tom Vek at The Drake with Jenny and Dave. Too bad poor little Tom started losing his voice during " I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes", his cuteness made up for it though : )

6) Arcade Fire, Final Fantasy, Wolf Parade at Danforth Music Hall with Bev, Jenny, Rob and Duncan. Sweet little Owen Palette !

7) Controller.Controller and VHS or Beta at Lee’s Palace with Dave. VHS or Beta blew my socks off!Dave saved my life that night.

8) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Fembots at The Horseshoe Tavern with Mimi. We were a tad bit loaded on Cinquante when CYHSY came on then somehow ended up at a skater boy/musician/painter named Terry's place where we learned how to sign "woman". CREEPY

9) Motley Crue at Molson Amphitheatre with Jenny, Brent and Mike. Umm yeah, we watched most of the show on TV from the members only AMEX lounge. At least we got to see "Wild Side" live : ) Good times!

10) The Octopus Project at The Horseshoe Tavern with Dave. These guys are the cutest! I love how they dress the stage up with cardboard robots and wear fun little masks.

I'm sure I've forgotten some good ones. It's been a stellar year for shows.