SUD!!

Well, ladies, my blog posts are about to get a lot shorter. You see, nerds all around the internets are cracking their backs and rubbing their bellies and choosing not to trade a master knowledge of memes for unhealthiness anymore. I first heard about this trend from my friend Frederik and soon Krijali was joining in. If the two most otaku people I know are doing it, surely I want in.

Yes, I am talking about the stand-up desk. Or SUD, as I am now calling it (coin!).

So yesterday (actually three days ago, I'm writing this post in 5 minute intervals*) I transported everything out of my big Japanese closet and plopped it in my tatami room (Motto is thrilled), leaving me space for my very own SUD! So far, so good.

I'm not sure how long image editing projects or the total overhaul of my website (in hand coded CSS) will go, but I'll wait a while before I get into that and give my muscles time to adjust. If muscles have memories, they need only remember 3 years ago when I stood at a cash register 8 hours a day. Drawing on receipt tape and brown bags.

Unexpected results: tweets (@jeannetto) are instantly more unbearable; I haven't written a single email (sorry mom); my kitchen is damn clean.

Other results of computer geeks around the world abandoning their chairs may be: less sarcastic responses on forums when you ask a question; your IT guy may soon be able to kick your ass (or at least make it to your desk); bandwidth will be freed up for poor people in Africa. Et cetera.

But like any internet trend, or health kick I go on, what goes up, must come down.

*psych! I wrote this all in one go.

Big Apple

The other day I bought a really huge apple. It cost about 500 yen, but I was feeling sad and thought, I've never bought myself a really huge, expensive, apple before. So I did.


It was thiiiis big. It took two days to eat.

Speaking of impulse buys, I also got myself a 27" iMac last Sunday during a trip to Yamada Denki. Anyone who has read my blog or sketchblog for a long time and has been witness to my many fundraisers/complaints knows what a big deal that is.

Edit: damn, I should have said, "Speaking of Apples..." I'll get you next time, pun!

She Don't Need No Sleep

What I Do

As my Facebook status reads, I am at an internet cafe in Fukuoka right now. This is part one of a very long journey back to Amerika. Land of veggie burritos and size 8 Women's shoes.

It's almost 4am. Ive been in this booth since 12:30. I drank 3 free beverages: peach soda, green tea, and water. I watched one DVD: Little Miss Sunshine. I surfed about 600 websites and realized the internet is boring and maybe I dont need an iPhone.

I'll go to Starbucks in about 30 minutes. Then, catch a taxi to Fukuoka airport. I have to say, "福岡くうどまでおねがいします" to the driver.

After that I'll be sitting around in the Tokyo airport for 7 hours waiting for my flight to L.A. There, I'll collect my shit, go through customs, and hop on another plane to Portland.

Total travel time: 35 hours.

Seriously, Alex, you better only get married once.

UPDATE (4:11am): I already smell bad.

hiniku ne?

Im really sad that neither my scanner nor my digital camera picked up the green and brown tones. Im also sad that Blogger isnt communicating with my domain, making uploading and publishing on my sketchblog impossible. Im especially sad because Ive left myself wide open lately, coming off as really desperate.

But Im happy because sadness helps me draw!

Facts of Life

Ok, I guess it's getting confusing to some readers (more like lurkers, stalkers and family members). Or maybe it's your first time here (you probably Googled Gaijin Showers and found my blog by mistake). Anyway, here's what's going on with me and the fiasco-that-is-Japan, presently:


I am sitting at a table I stole from my last apartment, writing this offline while waiting for the unsecured wireless internet signal to bless me with it's presence once more tonight. I cant stop thinking about the fact I only have 272 MB of free disc space left on my hard-drive. A balloon in the right hand corner keeps reminding me. This just leads to thoughts about buying an external hard-drive, which leads to thoughts about just buying a new laptop, which leads to thoughts about paying for internet service so I dont have to hold my laptop up with one hand at a 30 degree angle while facing northeast to get a connection. But then I remember my credit card bill. And how I havent worked in three months.

I came here in September, wide-eyed and ready to love Japan and all it's backwards kookiness. Some things helped me steer off that path; in mid-October company I worked for collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. Also, the food sucks.


It was all fun and games for a while (in between panic attacks and chocolate binges) and being unemployed and not paid for a month's work was OK because there was a big group of us going through it... having tea parties, OC marathons, and countless nomihodi. Of course, one-by-one parents stopped sending money and people started going home. Being the newest of the bunch I was determined to stick it out and have my year in Japan. I would not going back home to retail.

I went job hunting. My internet service at home was cut off, due to not paying the bill. So whenever I had ¥472 to burn I'd bike twenty minutes to the nearest internet cafe and send off my resume and headshot. The job market was flooded with thousands of gaijin newly looking for work. But by early November I'd received a few offers. One of them was at a school in Korea. I didnt want to uproot myself again so I chose an English school in Tokuyama. It's right next door to Kudamatsu and where I spent most of my time anyway.

There was one problem though, the position didnt begin until January 22. I had a brilliant plan of working at a Korean winter camp for the two months in between, but even after a phone interview I was unable to work it out.

So, to make a long story longer, I spent a few months squatting in my apartment (no one paid the rent, no one made me leave). The days went by slowly. I spent them reading books, taking baths, cooking, meeting people, drinking and trying to get private English lessons. Poverty and stress took the fun out of unemployment, but there were some adventures.


Jon came in early December and saved me from total despair (temporarily), he left for Australia, came back, and we met up in Tokyo. After a week I went back to Kudamatsu, packed up my stuff and moved into my new apartment in Tokuyama. I have two weeks before my new job begins. I have two months before I receive my first full paycheck. And I never got the money owed to me from the first school I worked for.


Right now I'm stuck in Japan, financially. I refuse to leave before paying off the debt accumulated by coming here.

I live in Japan out of spite.


(Christmas party photo)

Hiroshima

I am at an internet cafe in Hiroshima. I have no idea how much this is costing me. I somehow switched the keyboard over to kanji, but luckily there was an Australian next to me who knew how to fix that.

It is really hard typing on this keyboard, I dont know what to write about, except maybe how crappy my laptop　is.

I havent gone out and seen the sites of the city yet, I plan to on Thursday morning, right before I get on the train to Kudamatsu. Oh, Kudamatsu, I miss you. Honestly, I like it better there than here. Too many people here, it is isolating. And I really appreciate my roommate now, after meeting people I could have potentially lived with.

I started training today, very strange. It is hard to get comfortable talking in front of strangers. Especially Japanese ones. I think the key is to relax and be natural, while sticking to the strict lesson　plan.

Ok, my time is up! I guess I go find somewhere to pay (I know I did this wrong)?Sorry if I cant respond to people's emails right away.

Uh, good afternoon.

So now it is a little after noon. Ive been up since five (see previous post). At around seven I went for a walk, nothing was open, not even The Mall. I couldnt find any coffee. I came back here and waited around for ten o'clock, when this town gets bustling! I sat watching a documentary about some sort of animal and checked my emails (not enough, guys) and then headed back over to The Mall. I bought a pillow, shampoo, and hangers. So it took a few hours.

Im still not on my computer, so I cant really add pictures yet. You guys have to see The Mall. It's a big concrete building with a green sign that says The Mall. And there are some palm trees. And Asians.

Attention nerds: If anyone can give me some computer tips, I want to get my internet working! I have a Dell Inspiron 1100 (I know). My wireless card works, but when I plug in the cable that doesnt work. It was the same situation in my house in Walpole, so I know it is my machine. Anyone know what I need? Maybe a driver to instal? I tried "repairing" the connection, and it said I needed to renew my IP address and call my ISP. I totally would, but my ISP doesnt speak English. Help!


TV from the hotel in Osaka

I appreciate everyone's comments. Whoever come visits me first gets to buy me dinner.

So I just killed another twenty minutes. I think I am going to borrow my roomie's bike and find city hall to get my alien card. Then probably go back to The Mall.

1/3 in Kudamatsu

Ever been to Kudamatsu? Or Kooder, as I like to call it? No?

Everything is going awesome. Only complaints: it is HOT and I am sweaty (I didnt pack any shorts). It's like returning to the land of my youth. Also, my hands are raw from carrying my luggage across the planet. But Im glad I over packed. I will not find Bristol board in this neighborhood. Last complaint, my computer sucks and only works with wireless. We dont have wireless. We have wireness. Luckily my new roommate is letting me use her computer. Oh, and last last complaint, I just showered and had no towel. It's in my bag that'll be delivered tomorrow night.

Today I traveled to my apartment. I took the train by myself. It made me really happy. This is exactly what I wanted from this trip, challenges in everything. Im in my euphoric phase, everything is new and I have to use my survival skills and brain cells. Not right now though, whenever I write these posts Im exhausted.

So I am one of three English teachers in my city. I live with one, and one Australian is across the hall. My roommate has been living alone for two months. And in this place that mustve been hard. The main attractions include the mall and a burger place (both are wicked awesome!). Roomie was extremely nice and picked me up from the train station, showed me around, took me to the grocery store, turned on the A.C. Euphoric phase.

This living situation reminds me of Massachusetts, where an hour of travel is needed to get to the city, and four hours to get to THE CITY (Tokyo=N.Y.).

I may not be making any sense. Im really a better writer than all this.

Once I get the camera/internet figured out I'll give you a video tour of the apartment. And trust me, getting the internet working is priority #1. I think I'll be doing A LOT of drawing and blogging here. You know, when Im not at the mall.

Only English TV station is discovery channel. SCORE!

ALIVE

EDIT: PICTURES!

I am in Japan.

There is a small chance I left the wire that connects my digital camera to my computer at home. I'll find out Friday when they deliver my luggage.

I remembered my passport, so that's good.

Im not really sure what time/day it is. But I do have to be up in seven hours to continue my journey to Kudamatsu. So far the trip has been pretty good. Except that I packed way too much and had to throw a lot of stuff out at the Boston airport.

And I exchanged too much money at the Detroit airport, where it was basically $1=100yen. Not good. But the four hours sitting at the bar was good. The flight was only bearable because of my new Jeffery Brown comics and the inflatable neck pillow I bought impulsively.

And the company was really great with picking us up at the airport, setting up the luggage delivery, buying bus tickets, taking us to the hotel.

Right now Im at a hotel in Osaka. It's a small room and thank god Im all by myself. I did go out with my fellow travelers tonight to get sushi and drinks. It was easy to order food with no fish. We're all cautiously optimistic about the company. So many people have quit, they need us! Tomorrow when I meet my roommate I'll find out what's really up with the pay.

From what Ive seen of Osaka it seems really fun. I only walked around a bit, most of the time holding four huge bags and sweating. Everything here is so small and bright. There are tons of bicycles. You could play dominoes down the streets. The people are so hip and pretty. I wish I could be more poetic or descriptive for you, but they'll be pictures and drawings. That's what Im good at.

With all the uncertainty, it was really worth coming here. Even if I dont end up staying the whole year.


I bought some weird juice with a purple carrot on it.

I'm so tired and a total zombie right now. And the next few days are going to be crazy with travel, paperwork, trains, bank accounts, finding things, updating my blogs, my training in Hiroshima, sleep. And finding an adapter before my laptop battery dies.

Thingies

Last night I was packing and someone was using my computer to creep around Facebook when my monitor suddenly shut off. And it wouldnt come back on. I gave it the night to rest, fix itself. But nothing, it would not turn on. And there was the burning smell.

Being lazy and busy doing other things (starting a new blog, eating cupcakes) I hadnt transfered all my files to my new* laptop. Most importantly I hadnt backed up any of the high resolution scans of my drawings. And some of the drawings are gone for good, sent off in the mail to better homes.

So, I figured it was the monitor. I asked Lauren to come over and bring her monitor. Yes, I ask Lauren to do a lot. I plugged in her pretty little flat screen thing and it still didnt work. This is not what I want to be dealing with 48 hours before I leave.

Turns out my video card burnt out or broke or something, so I just had to take it out, yell at it, and plug the monitor into a different hole.

Perhaps this blog will get more interesting once I get off the plane.

*hand-me-down