The Holidays + Recently

Okay, sorry, yes. I'm finally updating about December/January/etc.

For Christmas, Ryo, Maura, and I went to Erin's where her & her mom (Ginny?) were making dinner. Aki came over later. We ate, hung out, had a sock circle, Ryo tickled Aki (which was hilarious), etc. Then we went to Tokyo Dome City and did purikura, then we walked to KaraokeKan. On the way, we found a 7-11 with Slurpees! I don't think I've had a Slurpee in like 5 years. It was awesome. Karaoke was fun. Then everyone went home.

I already posted about the amazing Dir en grey fanclub show on the 27th.

For New Year's Day, we didn't really do anything. But a day or two after that, Ryo & I went to the Asakusa for Hatsumoude (New Year's Celebration). We ate yakisoba and jagaimo and rode in a rickshaw! It was fun.

For Setsubun (February 3rd, Bean-Throwing Ceremony, the day before the beginning of spring in Japan), we made an oni (demon) mask that Ryo wore while Maura threw the beans. It was silly and fun.

I read Jake Adelstein's Tokyo Vice. Everyone who has an interest in Japan should read it. He came to my Crime, Deviance, & Social Control in Japan class today to talk to us. He contributes to http://www.japansubculture.com/, a very interesting and informative site about the less sparkly parts of "cool Japan." His book will never be printed in Japanese officially unless he changes some things, most notably the mentions of certain companies as being either fronts of or friendly to the yakuza. Wonderful book, at times hilarious, but mostly depressing.

Yesterday I went to the Polaris Project lecture. Polaris Project is an NPO dealing with human trafficking (http://www.polarisproject.org/). Ryo came too. He said he was ashamed that Japan is so bad at dealing with these kinds of issues. I told him not to worry, because every country has its own bullshit and dirty secrets and bad histories.

Steff is staying with us while her & Maura go on Miyavi's latest tour. It snowed the night she got here, and again later. Snow in Tokyo is not rare, but seldom happens in winter.

Ryo had an interview in Ginza yesterday. I hope he gets the job. Applying for careers over here is insane.

I will try to be better about updating in the future. Sorry.