Day 162: Birthday Celebrations, Tokyo style

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I checked the time on my phone 23:48pm. Why am I always so early to meet people? I sighed deeply and turned the music up on my I Pod in an attempt to fight of my boredom and avoid the irritating noise of the white girl screaming "Oh my god!" nearby and walking around the hachiko statue importantly with her group of gaijin friends.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked to my right. A young asian man was smiling at me and saying something. I removed my earphones and asked him what he wanted.

"Hello" he said, and smiled.

Oh god, I thought to myself, one of those. But then I looked at the clock again and realised I still had 12 minutes to kill before meeting up with the girls so decided to humour him.

"Onamae wa?" I asked him.

"My name?" he answered me proudly "My name is Daiske"

"Daiske?" I replied "Doesn't Daiske mean favourite in Japanese?"

"Yes" he said "My name is Daiske".

I held out my hand for him to shake "Well, it's nice to meet you Daiske"

Daiske picked up my hand and pressed it to his lips "You are American"

"No" I corrected him gently "I am Australian"

"Ah ha" he said knowingly "I like Americans"

I was saved by responding to his refute of my home country by the arrival of Lucy, Jenny and Hai An. I passed responsibility of talking to Daiske over to Lucy and was commenting on Jennys outfit when I felt another tap on my shoulder.

Slightly apprehensively I turned around and was face to face with a beautiful, fringed Australian goddess

"Tiff!" I cried and then checking the time turned back to the Korean girls and we started the countdown:

"Ichi, Ni, San OTANJOBI OMADETO!" and all piled on top of her with hugs and birthday wishes.
Tiff grinned at us "Aww thanks!" she paused and glanced around at the hundreds of people milling around Shibuya "It didn't even click that midnight was already my birthday!" and then linking arms we were over Shibuya crossing and heading into the heart of Shibuya towards Harlem for a brilliant night out of girls only fun with Daiske tagging along behind us trying his best but not really accomplishing to get his flirt on.

At Harlem things started to get unusual. First the camera was confiscated, then Daiske grabbed Lucy on the butt, and then one of the most famous Hip Hop clubs in Tokyo started playing House music. Unimpressed by the butt grabbing, strict camera laws, musical turn of events and emboldend by tequila sunrises we made the adventurous decision to change clubs, and ventured back into the night. We decided on Camelot, my favourite club in Tokyo, and several drinks in I got my usual dance lesson, Tiff got a birthday song Um-bah-rella request and the korean girls danced like wild animals for hours without stopping.

The hours passed and suddenly we were back on the emptying streets of Shibuya, walking with the other early morning revellers past the Love Hotels and the homeless and the drunks to the station where I somehow managed to snag a seat on the train and wearily realised I still had a big day ahead of me.

I arrived home at 5:50am and was belting out the tunes and sipping on Apple cocktails with Tiff at karaoke by 3:30pm that afternoon before venturing off to her birthday dinner at nearby Kagaya... but thats another story altogether.

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Comments

[Jenny]

aww it brings back the old memories...so lucky you, you got the chance to discover Harlem (was dyin' to know what it was like, is it better than Buenos??).. remember Camelot? Kusotare said it sucked. Proven he's got low-taste! Miss ya, Britney!

[tiffatron]

sssoo much fun!
and what a memorable escapade it was... !! highlight was definitely my birthday song... i felt so special !! thaaannnkkkuuu loveliesss!!