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Published: August 15th 2006
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Beer and Studies
My main two pastimes these days. Drinking beer and studying Japanese. I'm really digging it here in Sapporo. I've been very busy the past few days trying to figure this place out. I am hardly ever in my apartment because I am constantly going out in an effort to meet new people, both Japanese and foreign. When I am at home I'm usually studying Japanese. I have a TV, but I don't plan on getting it hooked up anytime soon. There is a VCR that plays VHS tapes. Hopefully I can get somebody to tape college basketball games and send them over to me.
Saturday morning definitely was interesting. I woke up and walked over to the school. Everything was going great, but when I got into the building the door to the office was locked so I was able to deactivate the security system. You have to turn off the alarm within 30 seconds of entering the building. As soon as I realized this I was like oh crap I'm so screwed. All of a sudden a deafening alarm went off. Damn, Damn, Damn.
But, I'm actually pretty chill about this kind of thing so instead of bolting for the door and fleeing the scene. I decided hey why
Japanese Statue
I saw this statue as I walked through the park after my run-in with the Sapporo PD. not just stick around and see what happens. I went up to my classroom and started working on my computer with the alarm still going crazy. The alarm finally decides to stop ringing about 10 minutes later. So I relax and keep on keeping on. But, then after about half an hour goes by I begin to hear these voices downstairs. I look over the railing and see these Japanese cops wandering. So I call down with a smile on my face "Hello, I'm up here!!" They look up startled and motion me to come down to them. I walked down the stairs to accept my fate.
When I got down there I found myself surrounded by five uniformed officers, none of which spoke english. In my extremely limited Japanese I told them I was a teacher. They wanted to know where my ID card and keys were. I hadn't been given them yet. No Papers again!! I desperately tried to think of the Japanese word for "new" was, but could not. So finally after about 30 minutes of so of milling around and them calling for back-up we got the whole mess sorted out and they let me
Nakajima-Koen
Serene Japanese scene. be.
* * *
After spending the rest of the day exploring this beautiful park with a big lake called Nakajima-Koen I decided to hit the town for a big night out a little unsettled after my incident with the law. I began to chill out after a ramen dinner with one of my fellow teachers. After that I headed into Susukino, the entertainment district. I was going to a Gaijin type bar I had scouted out earlier.
I get there at about 9pm and there really wasn't anyone there, but I order my beer and begin talking to the Kiwi bartender, there were also two Japanese bartenders, and he says that by the time I start working on my third beer the place will be full-up. Slowly over the next hour the place begins to fill with a mix of foreigners and Japanese looking for a foreign bar type atmosphere. I get to talking to this English guy who is a Japanese language expert. Eventually we both get to talking with these two Japanese girls who had seated themselves near us. Thankfully for me they could speak a little English. One girl asked me for my
Bar in Sapporo
I scouted out this bar during the day, so i would know where to go at night. phone number, but not having one yet all I could offer was my e-mail. So we exchange details, but she has to go home because the subways stop promptly at midnight. If you miss that its either pay like $15 for a taxi or stay out till the subway re-opens at 6am.
I knew I was in for a long night when all of a sudden at midnight a flair show broke out. Bottles were being thrown around, drinks were being mixed up, and vodka was poured down my throat. My new friend and I had arranged to meet a couple girls at a club a short distance away. So we go in there and chill out. Then the girls were with have to go home, but not to worry my friend gets a text message and says that another club is absolutely hopping.
We get there and the place is filled with all sorts of cool people who are all very relaxad and chill. There was like three foreigners, including me in the whole place. The large room downstairs is all dark and smoky. The dance floor is packed. There is fantastic guest DJ and everything is
Odari Park
Another Statue blowing my mind. I decide to take my place and rock out. It's funny at this club, and maybe in all of Japan, they dance differently. They don't dance with people they all stand facing the DJ, and just do their thing. Of course I was like a foot taller than everybody and had a bright orange basketball t-shirt on so I must have stuck out like crazy. However, people seemed to want to dance near me, pleased to be near the crazy big white dude.
By this time it was like 4am and I was feeling light headed, so I headed out to the lobby area. Through an amazing stroke of luck I found myself seated next to this incredibly hot 25 year-old Japanese hairdresser. She was wearing these like really short shorts and as our legs brushed up against one another we got to talking. She couldn't speak much English and I couldn't speak much Japanese, but her friend could speak decent English so he translated some.
At 4:30am I am I decided it was time to go. So I grabbed a Big Mac from MacDonalds, did you expect anything else, hailed a taxi, and sped off for my new home. It was amazingly light outside for that hour and the sky took on a fairy tale blue. I crashed out on my couch, savored the special sauce of my Big Mac, amazed at the night that had just occured.
* * *
Last night I went back to the Gaijin type bar, but not wanting to pay for another taxi I headed home on the last subway before midnight. As I walked from the subway station I passed this local bar with a Japanese girl sitting by herself and another young Japanese couple. It was so cool in there. I was able to speak a little Japanese and they had a few English expression. The vibe was so relaxed. I loved it. They even put on some Offspring and Nirvana to make me feel at home. The girl and the college-aged couple all moved next to me and we chilled until about 2am. By the way that place is literally a one minute walk from my place.
Anyway tonight me and some friends are going to a Japanese baseball game. We have box seats provided by the American manager of the home team. Should be good.
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