Vernal Equiknockers

As a part of my Spring Spontaneity Initiative, I went for a 20-minute run this morning instead of taking a 20-minute snooze.


However, what I did not expect was the 20 minutes of vomiting that followed.


Okay. That last line was inserted only for comedic effect. In actuality, I did expect the 20 minutes of vomiting.

Legal

Three years, baby! In all honesty, the whole visa process here in Japan was super quick and easy. I submitted my application on a Friday, and received a letter telling me it was approved the following Thursday. The documents I needed to submit were all provided by my employer and all I really needed to do was fill in my vitals and sign the application form. Gosh darn walk in the park! I've completed visa applications in Canada for international students and for the most part they were NOT easy, nor was the process as efficient.

Hirugohan

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Notice a theme? Well, I'm getting as much exercise as possible--let's put it that way. And to be honest, I actually don't work on Fridays.

Clean your microwave with a lemon

Don't you hate it when you stumble onto the most beautiful public bathroom in the world and you don't even have to use it?

Pictured above is what the Japanese call "An Man." It's a steamed bun with some sort of bean paste inside. My mom used to make these things for breakfast all the time and recently they have been my "go-to" food whenever I need a quick snack. They're always hot, the paste is sweet and delicious, and you can get it in any convenience store for 110 yen.

The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin

So yeah. I think the majority of the public needs to be educated or re-educated on the greatness that is Ice Cube. As mentioned earlier, I've been working on a mix that tells the story. It's now ready for download for your listening pleasure. Seventy-five minutes of nostril-flarin', hoo-bangin' gangsta shit: *INQUIRE WITHIN*
I made a gif to accompany this mix. BoomPingPING!
The track listing is:

1. The DOC - The Grand Finale
2. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
3. NWA - Fuck the Police
4. NWA - Gangsta Gangsta
5. NWA - A Bitch is a Bitch
6. Ice Cube - Giving Up the Nappy Dug Out
7. Ice Cube - Steady Mobbin
8. Ice Cube - Jackin' for Beats
9. Ice Cube - Gangsta's Fairytale
10. NWA - I Ain't the One
11. Ice Cube - Once Upon a Time in the Projects
12. Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day
13. Dr. Dre & Ice Cube - Natural Born Killaz
14. Ice Cube - When Will They Shoot?
15. Ice Cube - What Can I Do (Remix)
16. Ice Cube - You Know How We Do It
17. Ice Cube - You Know How We Do It (Remix)
18. Westside Connection - Hoo-Bangin' (WSCG Style)
19. Ice Cube - Friday
20. Ice Cube - Ghetto Bird
21. Ice Cube - How to Survive in South Central
22. Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted
23. Ice Cube - Wrong Nigga to Fuck Wit
24. Ice Cube - Check Yourself (Remix)
25. Ice Cube - No Vaseline

Enjoy and share!

I had goosebumps

That's right. I saw Lord Finesse and LEGEND Big Daddy Kane perform live at Billboard Live in Roppongi. Holy shit I had no idea that I would get goosebumps like I did when Kane got down. I guess that's the feeling you get when you grow up listening to someone's music and then you see them do their thing on stage in person. Twenty years strong and brother didn't lose a step either. He was totally on point line for line during the entire set. He also did his dance routine with Scoob Lover (as seen recently in VH1 Hip-Hop Honors). I'm not the biggest fan of Lord Finesse but he gets props too. They both signed autographs after the show-some fans even bringing their entire Kane LP collection for him to sign.

The Billboard Live venue itself was pretty sweet. It was on the 4th floor of the Tokyo Midtown building in Roppongi. The seating was kinda like dinner theatre-style: everyone was sitting at a table or along a bar, surrounding the stage. There was no dance floor or standing section. After the show, the curtain behind the stage was drawn and revealed the floor to ceiling window looking out into the Tokyo skyline.

Photos were not allowed. My friend was secretly taking some and the a venue staff member was standing behind us for 10 minutes. After they left, I thought I would give it a try with my phone. I guess it was pretty obvious because I was standing completely still trying to film a video (while the rest of the time I was dancing my ass off). I quickly put the phone down and closed it when I saw the staff member come back in my peripheral vision. He said something in Japanese. Now, the BEST thing to do when you're in shit in Japan is to 1) act stupid; and most importantly 2) SPEAK ENGLISH: "I'm sorry I don't understand."
He then politely replied, "Photo. Delete." Well, I guess he got me. Or so he thought. I "clumsily" navigated my phone to my Pictures folder and showed him that I didn't have anything. I even showed him the picture of vinegar that I took at the supermarket (so that I could get a friend to translate the label)

and the picture of the Valentine's chocolate that I got from one of my students.


"I don't have anything," I protested. Convinced, he left me alone. Ha! Little did he know, I filmed a VIDEO and it was stored in the microSD card so there would have been no way he could have found it without taking the card out and plugging it into a computer.
Henceforth, the highly illegal video is below for your viewing pleasure. The sound is terrible of course (turn the volume DOWN), but it was worth it.

!Updated!
Photos from said night. Pictured with me are Soh and Yuuka (aka Matty).

Conference Call

The Great Equalizer

Mayah gives buttons an inferiority complex

First thing's first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYAH!!! Mayah is now one years old. To celebrate, some interpretive art with the help of my cell phone.

This one's pretty self-explanatory

Lots of things to cover today. I went to a friend's hip-hop night last night in Ikebukuro. He was djing and played a pretty good set, though I was really hoping he'd mix in Ice Cube's "No Vaseline" after he dropped "Dazz" by Brick. I guess I've been on an Ice Cube binge lately. After downloading NWA's discography 'on a whim,' I developed a new appreciation for Ice Cube's writing and Dre's production. I made a "Classic Cube" mixtape that covers all his dope stuff before his 'rhymes' become synonymous with 'weight.' Let me know if you're interested in a copy and we can work out a file transfer.

Anyways, the party last night was a late one that started at midnight. I was planning just to take the first morning train back but then realized later that I couldn't tough it out all the way to 4:30am. After deciding at 3:30am to share a cab back to Koenji with some friends, we were all ready to go until I needed to retrieve my jacket. It was somewhere behind the stage and my dj friend didn't want to interrupt the rapper's show to get my jacket. So we basically waited another 45 minutes until their long-azzed set was complete before I got my jacket back and we could leave. My legs were so rickety from standing all night and my eyes where burning from the cigarette smoke. Ugh. There's always so much on-stage talking during live shows in Japan. I, on the other hand, was screaming inside. I think some of it leaked out. Iona would have called it an "Arturo moment."

Baby pandas have nothing on Mayah

I've been loving riding my bike. So far, I been able to bike to the following places (places that seemed so far away at first [as I would usually take the train]):
-Shinjuku
-Shibuya
-Daikanyama
-Takadanobaba
-Shimokitazawa

Usually the soundtrack greatly enhances the enjoyment of the ride. Today it was Songs in the Key of Life. I'm not sure why it took me so long to realize that that album existed. And guess what? A Japanese man asked me for directions today, in JAPANESE. And I replied, in JAPANESE. However, I'm a still little skeptical about the situation. We were both on bikes at an intersection. He looked a little confused and then asked me where Koenji station was. I pointed and said "this way, over there." I was skeptical because it wasn't very far at all and if he had ridden just a little further, he would have seen it himself. Plus, it's a pretty big station. So I followed him to see if he was bluffing. He ended up riding past the station down another street. His question still could have been legit, so maybe he's just stupid.

I just thought this template was funny

I'm going to try a new facial hair design. I think the 'handlebar-less goatee' is what's in right now, with some hair about halfway along the jaw from the chin. I'll keep you updated!