catching the morning train

my intrepid co-workers, Kevin and Yoshi. with so much karaoke practice they will be gods to the teeny boppers and be able to quit their teaching jobs soon.

On Sat. my last train leaves at 11:37pm. so, most people stay out later and I wanted to too. I miss having good friends where I don’t have to second guess my sense of humor ect. So I figured I can wait for the 5am train, it’s another rite of baka gaijin passage. Or you can crash at a friend’s house, which is also common.

So Saturdays are busy at English schools. Some of my students work 12 hours a day during the week and so they come to KM school on Saturdays. These are the same classes that were really worried that if I don’t like to drink, the whole social circle of Sat night will fall apart.

We go out. there is much drinking and food. my boss keeps ordering me more drinks.

this is my boss, Akemi:



I think she’s sooo pretty. and she’s so hilarious because she hardly sleeps and works all the time because being the manager of KM is a big deal. apparently, KM is considered a VIS (very important school) and therefore if we aren’t making enough money the head office comes down on her. she drinks white wine. she thinks I look like Julia Roberts

so we go out with the students and teachers… maybe 12 of us total. I ate something like spagetti with octopus ink… I think. It was good. turned my lips black. and salad with something very raw.. maybe salmon. ect ect

everyone thinks I should try natto again…. ( the only Japanese food that I currently refuse to eat. It’s rotten spoiled rancid soy beans. I don’t care how healthy it is, it’s foul!)

then after food there was Karaoke (Kevin, Yoshi and I). this is a different phenomena than in America. friends rent a small room together and order lots of beer or whatever and sing. there is an extensive list of Japanese and English songs. it’s more acceptable to sing horribly and with ferver than not to sing at all. the best ones are when you have the whole drunken room singing with you.

really, it’s more similar to an SCA bardic than to Am. karaoke.

so there was singing for hours. songs (mine and otherwise) included Wonderwall, Bridge over Troubled water, Cherish, some smashing pumpkins ect ect. I think its hilarious.