11.28.06/04:45  slumming in rabanastre                 

We're really coming down to the wire here.  And administrative changes have been implemented, for example, much to Gabi's dismay, we've started referring to ourselves as 'the tribe.'  She doesn't think that the tribe has the authority to refer to itself that way, especially since the tribe only consists of one person, but the tribe begs to differ.

Activities for the tribe's last week in the 'states?  Paperwork, packing, making flash cards and props, and getting in those last-minute visits and consultations.  What else?  Currency exchange and dry cleaning.  What else?  Moving the bulk of Gabi's stuff to Oakland, and cleaning the house.

The tribe has been subsisting mainly on Berry Lemonade Jones Soda and corn dogs for the last few days, and will continue to do so as long as supplies hold out.  The tribe also needs to find some good GBA games and books for the long flight ahead.  If you'd like to 'lend' the tribe a book you'll never see again, drop us an e-mail.

11.21.06/14:43  the end of an era                      

So...Sunday was my last day at the crazy house.  I left two hours early, for the first time ever.  It felt good.  All these people in the post are my co-workers, who grudgingly agreed to be photographed with me after much bribing and threats of blackmail.  Good times.

I think I was supposed to do an exit interview or give my keys back or something, but it's over now.  I'm done...

You may wonder why it's taken me 11 days to put up a new post.  I'd like to say it's because I've been having ridiculous amounts of sex, but since we got married, that's just not true.  Mainly I've been running around doing random and pointless stuff.

And I've only spent 72 hours playing 12.  By all accounts, it should be 90 by now, and it's not.  Everyone is keeping me from my one true love.  Why do they hate freedom?  What exactly is it they have against America?  I love freedom, the freedom to twelve.

11.10.06/21:06  looking dynamic                        

In case you haven't heard, there's been a change of venue.  Not only am I not going to Vancouver for training, I won't even be teaching anywhere in the island of Kyushu.  Apparently, everything is now taking place in Tokyo.  And the word is that I will be training with fellow GEOS hires from Britain.  Brits!  Freaking love it.

So I've been relegated to the rural village of Yachiyo-shi (pop. 176,000) which looks to be about as far away from Tokyo as I live from Pittsburgh now, something like 20 miles.  And I think it's somewhere near an airport, called 'Narita' or something.  I don't know if it's a big airport.

And this suit?  It was a present from Charlotte, a generous gift indeed.  I never knew pinstripes could make me look so svelte.  Or so much like a tool..?

It's definitely going to be a big change, going from my bearded, completely free lifestyle to a button-down corporate existence, but it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.  After all, I've been yammering on about doing something like this for as long as I can remember.  And look at my son over there, dressing up in daddy's clothes.  He's so cute...

11.5.06/13:59  zombies and whores                      

My two favorite things, really, if you think about it.  You may or may not probably know this, but Pittsburgh is the epicenter of zombie culture.  According to Gabi, kids are playing this game called Zombies vs. Humans where one wears a bandana on the arm or head to indicate team affiliation and nerf guns and fun noodles are used as weapons to score kills.  Freaking awesome.  There is nothing I don't like about nerf guns and zombies.

Speaking of zombies, I did a horrible cover of a The Zombies song that I thought I might record and post here for your listening enjoyment/masochism.  And in case you're wondering who's doing the high vocals in the background...it's not me.

[time of the season (zombies cover)] .mp3 file

And that takes us through half of this post, but you didn't read this far just to hear about zombies, did you?  Of course not, you're wondering where the whores come into play.  If you can read the sign above, which was taken at great personal risk by one of my colleagues in Japan, you'll know.

Damien Diablos: it's like the holy grail, having your [edit]hole licked by a japanese prostitute
[edit]: i'd put that in my profile if my parents didn't use AIM

According to a Japanese guy I knew when I was there, when a businessman was planning to take a trip to the Soapland, he might tell his associates he was 'taking a business trip to Turkey' because it's technically a Turkish bathhouse.  Oh, and there was some girl doing a report on that from our program...I think that holy grail thing costs around 350 USD.

Yeah, and I'm still twelving like mad.  What's twelving?  It's the newest craze to sweep the nation.  Everyone's doing it.  Hell, they've been twelving in Japan for six months now.  I can't believe you've not heard of it, maybe you didn't notice the commercials, the online articles, the parades?  No?

11.2.06/04:50  five am ramblings                       

You may be wondering where we stand.  I'm wondering that myself.  The plane ticket from Vancouver to Fukuoka (with a little stop in Narita) has been purchased, or will be purchased sometime today by whoever is in charge of that.  My arrival will be December 9th.  If you've any desire to see me while I'm still in the 'states, you have until December 3rd, because that's when I'm going to Vancouver.

And I've been FF-twelving like mad since it became an option.  It's quite spectacular, as you probably already know.  I really like it so far, and I'm excited to see what the rest of it is like.

People keep asking me if I'm nervous, if I'm getting nervous, what I'm getting nervous about.  You want to know?  Money.  That's the only thing I'm worried about.  I have some degree of control over everything else, but during this first month my only real concern is having enough yen to buy ramen and beer.  I need to talk to Eric about having a karaoke night where we sing only the katakana versions of English songs.

Uai yuu hafu tsu go ando mekku shingu so komupurikeiteddo?

They love Avril Lavigne there, don't you know.  At least they did last time.  Who knows what horrible pop stars have made Japan their niche in the intervening two years, certainly not me.  Also, I've really been getting into The Zombies.  Rock!

10.30.06/01:15  happi halloween [greasy and dangerous] 

Nope, it's not a typo.  A happi is that thing I'm wearing in the picture, my Halloween costume, a Japanese bartender, or a 'sake-san' in the words of one eloquent Japanese girl.  And Gabi won the costume contest at the Halloween party thrown by JSS and FSA.  That's the Japanese Speaking Society and the Filipino Student Association.

And it's been a weirder weekend than that, in ways I can't describe.  I've not slept in many, many hours, and I'm getting cranky and hallucinatory.  Today's going to be a big day; FF12 comes out tonight and I plan to be there to get it.  Probably not dressed as Sephiroth or anything, but we'll see.

You may have noticed that it's still October, but the rest of the month has already been archived.  I noticed that, too.  But the staff of peachycomics.com made a decision to start the next month early in order to ensure a quality product is pumped into your computer while it's fresh and piping hot.