Page 1 of 6 123456 LastLast
Results 1 to 50 of 261

Thread: Birts Adventures in an Ethnics Land

  1. #1
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default Birt has left the building

    Just a big thumbs up and a thanks to the people of teknoscape for providing me with much amusement and much fun over the last number of months.

    I have been influenced by what people have said I have found out about many things and it has given me a lot of well how do you say it time on here when I should have been doing something else.

    Its not one of those I am leaving its a case of I cant leave as I will always come back and find out whats happening.

    So anyway thanks again to all the people I have met and talked to, I will try to keep you updated and let you know how my travels go.

    Have fun


    Birt


  2. #2
    disregard anything written below this GoOsH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Posts
    8,643

    Default

    where are you off to? anyway, good luck with everything
    samskwamch!

  3. #3

    Default

    bye bye birt

  4. #4
    'hipster corridor' outremont's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    4,484

    Default

    birt will be back !

    i'm off aswell [to my location], same day incidentally. respect to all the genuine people out there i've met... i'll still be posting the odd stirr or rambling from time to time.

    i might get the chance to have my ts FiTe with illmatic ! i'm excited.

    anyway. . i can safely say i'll be having a ball and might grow up a tiny bit in the process (really !).

    see some of you in a year

  5. #5
    Urban Villager
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Posts
    2,230

    Default

    Have a safe trip James. I look forward to reading about your adventures...

  6. #6
    IM-PEAR-A-TORE imperator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Posts
    1,055

    Default

    finally going on your holiday! have a great time man

    poor uwa tav will be sadder without you... haha although apparently the tav committe have voted to kick us out of our slot because we go too hard, lol
    Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

  7. #7
    Mummy K K Babey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Padbury
    Posts
    7,710

    Default

    Awwwwwwwwwwh
    We never got to meet either.
    Muchas Gracias El Chico for the Ozomatli CD, LOL, even if Capitan Australia still has the copy....LOL.
    I'll catch up with his ass soon and grab it.
    Take care Birt.
    Muchas Respectos my nigga!
    Livings a problem cause everything dies.

  8. #8
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Posts
    19

    Default

    yo James

    enjoy the saki and the birds will all LOVE you.

    sorry I havent been in contact as much as I would have liked to but as you said that English keyboard is almost an essential item for your suitcase. although Im sure in Tokyo there will be net cafes around with them in.



    fear nothing, as a man's dreams are an index to his greatness....the best of luck and have the time of your life - you'll LOVE IT! you probably won't wanna come back!

    Marky Mark

  9. #9
    show pony geisha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    34,328

    Default

    good luck birt!

    glad that TS has kept you amused!
    let them eat cake...

  10. #10
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    HAHAHAHAHA

    You cant escape me, I am back with a bang, well a short one they kick you off the Free Internet every 15 minutes here in Singapore airport.

    Oh well hope all is well I will be in touch and cheers for all the kind messages.

    I will let you know what the nightlife is like in Tokyo hope its as good as a night out in scarbs.


  11. #11
    show pony geisha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    34,328

    Default

    BIRT IS OS!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    baby do u have your designer LV sars mask on?

    heeh

    have fun
    let them eat cake...

  12. #12
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by geisha
    BIRT IS OS!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    baby do u have your designer LV sars mask on?

    heeh

    have fun

    Just picked it up in the duty free LV shop


    rock on!



    Anyway have to run final call for flight



    Will let everyone know how things are in Tokyo in a few hours I hope.

  13. #13
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    Originally posted by K Babey
    Awwwwwwwwwwh
    We never got to meet either.
    Muchas Gracias El Chico for the Ozomatli CD, LOL, even if Capitan Australia still has the copy....LOL.
    I'll catch up with his ass soon and grab it.
    Take care Birt.
    Muchas Respectos my nigga!
    Woops..........totally fergot about that cd.
    I'll drop by traffik not this weekend but the following one to drop it off to ya.........does this mean ur gonna grab my ass?

    Sorry i didnt make it satdee james.....i wont make any half arsed excuses cos you wont believe me anyway. Dont blow all ur money on geisha's over there aaight.

  14. #14
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Geishas pfft havent found them yet, although at the moment money is being blown on raw squid and fish and much Jap beer its quality. Kareoke is the bomb!


    Being pushed head first into another culture is interesting, I am going record shopping tomorrow will let you know how I do.


    Lots of love

    Birt



  15. #15
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    Make this thread a "BIRTS ADVENTURES IN AN ETHNICS LAND"
    with daily updates on shenanigans.

  16. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    1,615

    Default

    Keep it real Birt.. !

    tokyo =]

    was listening to marvin gaye today, it reminded me of how I was going to pick up an album of you...

    next time, who ever you are...


    GOODBYE HOTDOG!> PENDULUM @ HEATnightclub Sat. Oct. 9th+ Special Guests/Greg Packer/Muller/Uisce/AJM/Rregula/Weez/Technine+ LIVE VISUALS+STAGE DESIGN+DRINKSPECIALS+MORE *

    ***Part proceeds go to Feed Perths homelss ***
    http://members.westnet.com.au/pwilcox/pendulum.jpg

  17. #17
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Capitan Australia
    Make this thread a "BIRTS ADVENTURES IN AN ETHNICS LAND"
    with daily updates on shenanigans.
    if a mod sees this can the title be changed for caps amusement, even though he doesnt email me the big girl...

  18. #18
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    *checks email*

  19. #19
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by FridgeBuzz
    Keep it real Birt.. !

    tokyo =]

    was listening to marvin gaye today, it reminded me of how I was going to pick up an album of you...

    next time, who ever you are...



    Nevermind tis just one of them things, record shops are great over here. Walked into asmall one today andfound about 15 of my most wanted records onb the first wall i saw, I ended up counting about 50 pieces of wax "i must" have...



    The record store was a smnall one of only three stories, I managed to fit three large ones in and then you can find so many small ones i will never be able to get to every record store in tokyo, this is just one suburb too. Its pretty full on though.

    On another note if anyone wants a@travel log on the ups and downs of an english teacher in japan i am more than happy to.

    PS jap keyboards blow goats, i should have bought mine from home now...booo

  20. #20
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Originally posted by PKING
    but as you said that English keyboard is almost an essential item for your suitcase.


    thats the beauty of travel - broadening your horizons, opening your mind, living live the way it is supposed to be lived - to the full

  21. #21
    legislators. mount up. Dogma's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    14,983

    Default

    bugger that it's just nice to be out of australia

    don't work too hard james
    Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. -
    Kahlil Gibran

  22. #22
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Posts
    19

    Default

    don't work too hard james
    take after YiPPii

  23. #23
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Teknoscape update

    Ok well here I am again on another one of them crazy Jap keyboards, alas with much less beer its much easier o type but still costs many pennines

    By the way if any^one wants scat porn I can find more than enough of it over here its pretty funny what you can find and Ihave to say even funnier when you take a girl into an "adult" shop (which is naturally a small 4 stories in size)


    I just started work this week which is pretty bizare teaching people english when they are used to engrish if anyone does intend to do this working with Nova is ok you get paid poor pay more fore rent but they spoon feed you the easiest job in the world (talk to people for a couple of hours a day)

    I have found the place to be daunting and consequently have periods when I havent beenhappy, yet this week I have found tiny record shops that are one room specalising in hip hop or funk or anything else selling records for 300yen (about $4) for Eric B and Rakim Paid In Full (The Coldcut remix) which I think is pretty quality, the people are really nice when you talk to them. Most of the time they just ignore you as they are too scared too talk to you. They may speak poor english but if you write something down they are spot on.

    The places here are huge I haveonly visited Shibuya and Shinjuku (the busiest trainstation in the world at over 2.2million passengers a day) its huge you cant explain hoe big Tokyo is its massive I have been to big cities and certainly this takes the cake, although I intend to find w^my way round of it all.

    I hav yet to venture out for a club gig as you have to pay entry usually around 3500yen which makes it $45 aus for a night out with a free drink to see a no named person I am determinded to track down Jazzy Jeff in October, also Qbert who is djing down the road from me but all the trains stop at 12 and start running again at 5 so if you miss the train you have to pull an all nighter when that happens I am sure I will let you know.

    Other than that its jsut expensive everything is but I am trying to find a niche I can survive in and get by.

    Anyway with Internet at $5 an hour I cant go broke so peace out and if you have any wants let meknow.

    Birt



  24. #24
    Semior Menber Bubbs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    trendy leedy
    Posts
    1,024

    Default

    hmmmmmmmmmm
    *dreams*

    prefer to be povo in japan rather than povo in perth!

    top stuff.

    *back to finnishing degree*
    You cant regret something that didnt happen.

  25. #25
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    At the moment I am trying to live on 10000 yen a week which is about $150 doable but hard at $5 an hour for internet it eats up the pennies

    But you should finish your degree and come over I recommend it just bring an english 101 keyboard and you will be fine, its the easiest job in the world.



  26. #26
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Jap Import Cds are normal priced ds over here but that comes in at between $30 and $40 although you can find quality stuff that you would neverdream of getting in Perth

    Towere Records at 7 stories HMV at 7 stories (they are both opposite each other as in over the road) they have every cd ever thought of in them places.

  27. #27
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    Serious question james.........have you scored a root yet?
    Take it easy mate.

  28. #28
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Capitan Australia
    Serious question james.........have you scored a root yet?
    Take it easy mate.
    Alas no all i know is " my friends a homosexual he likes it up the bum bum" i tried itand the girls just laugh

    Will let you know how I go

    Jap school girls on the train are pretty freaky, in fact Harajuku isone of the most unusual places I have ever been will sho weveryone i^pics when I get back

    If typing is bad I blame it on the keyboard not the fizzy pops


  29. #29
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Just posting another update on here to keep me sane of sorts.

    Again Jap keyboards are whack with the smallest spacebar in exsistence and everykey being differnet on each keyboard bizare.

    But I thought I would just post a few things.

    Most Japs think when they look at me I am an American and about the only thing the Japanese dislike more than Americans are Koreans and Chinese.

    Jap TV is bizare it has 24 hour subtitles. It has lots of cooking shows, and then bizare late night tv involving hosteses bowling and the one with the lowest score gets a pie in the face genius I say.

    Everything over here is generally expensive to do anything, booking movies for example can only be complicated in Japan. For any one area for example say the greater Tokyo area you can see many movies from many cinemas alas the only problem is you can only buy tickets for these movies from one place. Which makes it a bit busy and you cant just go see a film, you need to book in advance. Then when you see a film and if you do see a "comedy" be it funny or not and you do laugh you will be the only one laughing in the cinema even though it will be full.

    Other things of note when you go to a bar in Tokyo you generallybpay a seating fee before you get in $5 then its $11 minimum for a pint pretty steep for a night out. Although you can go local to places and each as much and pour your own drinks for as little as 500 yen for three hours $7 its bizare and freaky as its a "family restaurant"

    If you ask a Japanese person what there hobby is they will generally tell you it is either sleeping or cleaning their room.

    Anbyway enough of a rant. I am going to head out sightseeing today and maybe buy a digital camera if i do i will seek webspace to host pictures to give you afeeling of what its like. I also have tobuy a mobile soon so that will be an effort trying to work out how to use it the new one they released has ridge racer on but its a bit pricey for me.

    Anyway keep groovin

    Peace Out

    And I cant wait for my TS Sticker

    Oh and Japan has more record stores than you could imagine they are cool.

  30. #30
    bokehren vapours's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Brunswick
    Posts
    11,542

    Default

    I don't normally care for peoples diarys but thats an interesting read.

  31. #31
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by vapours
    I don't normally care for peoples diarys but thats an interesting read.
    Well its the best way I have got of getting my thoughts out and sou fourth its very easy in the life here i had last week to go three days without talking to anyone not by choice either so it can be hard.

    Things are picking up now though which is good.

    I have a wbole list of things I will point out when I get chance but I guess if anyone wants to challenge myths i can piut them straight.

    This week i intend to track down some "used teen inderware" for a "friend" alas apparenlty at around $70 aus from a vending machine i will see how i go.

    I am looking at picking up an imac(anyone make suggestions) for about $1300 so it means i can get online from my apartment (which is tiny) internet is cheap thjough at $15 aus a month for 12mbps its not too shabby

    My rent on my apart that the three of us pay in total is around 200 000 yen a month which works out to be around $2800 per month for a tiny pad in a not too shabby suburb of tokyo.

    If that put anything in perspective I am 25 minuts out from shibuya station 35 minutes from shinjuku and 20 minuts away from yokohama (where I am going tomorrow to buy a railpass) before i am heading out to the akihabra tomorrow toshop for gadgets they have many cool toys over here.

    Edit update some people may get this twice as they are on my spam list but others might be interested or maybe not...

    I have officially started work working Mondays to Fridays 5pm to 9pm in Toronomon which is the heart of the business district of Tokyo which is about an hour by train from where I live. After my first day the impressions were good the other teachers seem good and i went out with a few of them after my first day they told me not to worry and just relax. Which made me feel a lot better again, it was a period when i needed a bit of reassurance after a tough patch I had gone through.

    However I did get througb training which really is useful but also very silly they make it so much harder than it is and so much more daunting but what can you say. I was taught by small minded people who thought they were the bizness as they were a "nova trainer" (wooohooo!!!) But my branch where I am seems good so I am happy with that its a start.

    I am going for an adventure tomorrow to yokohama to buy my train ticket (teki) to get me to work everyday. I am then going to use said pass to get me to Akihabra wwhich is the electronic district of tokyo to price digital cameras and mobile phones. From there I will probably go to Harajuku to the park which is famous for the people that dress up there in gangs. It used to be famous for Elvis and teddy boys but not its more towards anime characters so i will let you know. And i might even have pifctures if i can get a deal on a camera.

    Other than that I have been focusing on living on a set budget for a day which is very hard over here but i think i can do it wasily i did a big shop today that should last me a week I think I wont be mnaming many dinners so its mostly lunches and brekkies, they dont have ceral much over here so I am trying to make do the cereal they do have comes in 300g boxes and i tried frosties last week with strawberries it was possibly the sweetest thing i have ever tasted although thankfully the box reassured me that if i had one small bowl it was equivilent to eating 12 slices of bread. Which leads me to bread it is sold in slices rather than loaves so you buy six slices of bread. Freaky i know but thats just the way it is.
    Althougb if you go to a big department store like the Tokyu store you canb wander around and try everything and have a big lunch for free rock on i think.

    Jap shops open at 10am and close at 9pm everynight which is also handy but they also have lots of minimarts which are open 24 hours which I am just about to visit before i go home.

    I am also looking at investing in an Imac for arounddecember to keep me intouch with people back home as getting a co‚puter would mean getting adsl at 12mbps for 15 aus and then getting cable tv but most importanyly a phone line.
    Phone lines of course need to be bought off someone else as you cant rent them over here.

    I dont make these things up they are the way they are, and it still freaks me out the way they say hello and goodbye when you go in and out of a shop, you also get into the habit of saying domo alot (thanks) and its a competition to who stops first.

    Anyway I am going to sign off again and head to bed its nearly2 am i need to be up in 6 hours foir my trip.


    This is going to break me but if you want a jap postcard let me know bulk postcards will be sent out next week that means i also need an address. So get them emailed through.

    Also other things of note is who wants to be a millionaire japanese version is for kids the guy on it is so hard on the kids but well worth the amusement factor.


  32. #32
    Master of the classroom
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    29

    Default

    hey birt.cheers for the updates. ive been thinkin of going to japan to teach english for a while now (applied for JET but didnt get) i contacted nova but got a little leery when i realised that it is like a franchise. (meaning you could get lucky with a good branch or unlucky with a shit one.) something that i dont want to happen especially being in japan. you think that youll save much $ or is it more for the experience? very interesting and informative (for me anyhow) cheers mate

  33. #33
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by poloko
    hey birt.cheers for the updates. ive been thinkin of going to japan to teach english for a while now (applied for JET but didnt get) i contacted nova but got a little leery when i realised that it is like a franchise. (meaning you could get lucky with a good branch or unlucky with a shit one.) something that i dont want to happen especially being in japan. you think that youll save much $ or is it more for the experience? very interesting and informative (for me anyhow) cheers mate
    Ahh no worries Nova has many good and bad points like all the others if you want to know send me a pm and I can point them out to you.

    As for saving umm it might happen if you worked full time at Nova even then its whack. I am on "Party Time" which means I work 4 hours a day five days a week and get about 180 000 yen per month rent is 70 000 yen and at 77 yen to the aus $ you do the muff.

    What do you want to get out of Japan and I can fill you in on the details.

  34. #34
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    You know what i wanna know james.....spill the goss.

  35. #35
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Japan Update Time again


    Oh folks here it is James weekly roundup of what I managed to do and learn and will talk to you about Japan. So I am sure some wont like it but Ihope a few do.

    First off Japan has a huge homeless population, which I didnt expect lots and lots of old people who live along the train tracks and in the cities in their little buildings or tents, its kind of freaky really to think of its policy of full employment and you have so many people like this.

    Other things to point out, after going electrics shopping and getting my mobile phone, a fancy Toshiba one with games and all sorts of gadgets its pretty funny. Most of the rather large electronic stores about 6 stories high full of fancy electric gear have excalators up, but alas none done. This trend is followed in lots and lots of Japans large buildings which is both a pain in the bum but hopefully it will keep me fit.

    Taxis well these are bizare they are very expensive with a $10 entry fee just to get in them. but you are not allowed to touch the doors, if you do they drive off, you see the reason for this is that the doors open automaticly they open and close for you which is kind of freaky. And the taxi drivers get very irate if you try and open or close them, as Ihave been told I wouldnt have done this of course, as I cant afford to get in a taxi.

    Also all the cars have fancy gps systems in them and tvs which are really cool. They also like mini vans of here which are pretty flash when I get my camera up and running pictures will be forth comming so to speak.

    Anyway there you go another update on all things Jap.

    This Sunday I am going to try and watch the Sumo wrestling finals in Tokyo so I am going to try and beg and plead to get a ticket. I will be buying a trusty disposable camera and will try and get my picture taken with as many big men as possible I just hope they dont slap me. Other trips I am planning include a trip to the record store district yes they have a district of record shops. Here is me thinking that a place that has heaps of record sho@ps in most shopping districts isnts enough they have one suburb dedicated to music rock on. Speaking of record shops I went into a super cool one today I liked it lots it was a large room with one copy of a record on racks on all the walls with a guy behind a counter. In the room was about 14 decks just plonked down for you to listen to tunes or as I found out to practice mixing if you wanted as he asked me to have ago i declined as I just dint think it was my place too, but then what was even better he let me have a go on his copy of sit down space invaders. Which was cool. I then went to the second record shop next door and the guy wanted me to dj in there its funny if you ask them quesions and they find out you aint an American they like to mess around with you its cool.

    Anyway enough of my blog for another update I will keep it real


    Peace Out


    Word to your Mother!

  36. #36
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Capitan Australia
    You know what i wanna know james.....spill the goss.

    HAHAHAHAHAHA

    Alas still no Mrs Palmer and her Five Daughters are keeping me entertained, will let you know whenI gp out on the town though.

    A funny thing though when I walk around my little home town with its hostess bar the girls dont approach me as I am not an asian and I dont think I am that scary. But I guess its one of them things, I have learnt my few words of Japanese and they get me buy usually I can drop words like discrimination or so fourth and you get so many funny looks.

    Ahh the joys of being a foreigner

  37. #37
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Tokyo is modestly western compared to Osaka.

    get over there and the ladiez will come swooning........train down there aint too much...if my memory serves me correctly

  38. #38
    hard on for love Haile Selassie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    11,830

    Default

    Birt, a few questions..

    How hard is it to get by w/ minimum japanese skills? I heard NO ONE speaks english??

    Would a week in tokyo (on a round the world trip) do it justice?
    And so your life's been a success and you have pleasure in excess
    Don't worry it will all end soon, the crack of doom is coming soon
    And so your future's looking bright and you've reached the giddy heights
    Don't worry it will soon end. It is all shallow and pretend.

  39. #39
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Haile Selassie
    Birt, a few questions..

    How hard is it to get by w/ minimum japanese skills? I heard NO ONE speaks english??

    Would a week in tokyo (on a round the world trip) do it justice?
    Yes no one here speaks english well if they do its not much.

    But if your a westener you can sort of get by, if you want to plan a trip to japan you need a lot more than a week you can easily spend a day at each train station on the yamanote line and thats about 20 stations naturally the bigger station you can spend a week at and still not cover it.

    I still cant find places in shibuya my first big stop in Tokyo but thats juist how it is. If you stayed a week in Tokyo it would be good but extremly expensive and you wouldnt see realjapan and get by on eating fast food and the rest.

    Why do you want to come to Japan? and when?

  40. #40
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by PKING
    Tokyo is modestly western compared to Osaka.

    get over there and the ladiez will come swooning........train down there aint too much...if my memory serves me correctly

    HAHAHAHA

    You havent travelled on JR possibly the most expensive trainline in the world.

  41. #41
    legislators. mount up. Dogma's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    14,983

    Default

    sounds like you're having fun birt keep it up!
    Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. -
    Kahlil Gibran

  42. #42
    hard on for love Haile Selassie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    11,830

    Default

    Originally posted by Haile Selassie
    Birt, a few questions..

    How hard is it to get by w/ minimum japanese skills? I heard NO ONE speaks english??

    Would a week in tokyo (on a round the world trip) do it justice?
    allways wanted to goto tokyo to check out a megalopolis...
    just dont know if i can allocate it the time/funds to do it justice
    And so your life's been a success and you have pleasure in excess
    Don't worry it will all end soon, the crack of doom is coming soon
    And so your future's looking bright and you've reached the giddy heights
    Don't worry it will soon end. It is all shallow and pretend.

  43. #43
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Haile Selassie
    allways wanted to goto tokyo to check out a megalopolis...
    just dont know if i can allocate it the time/funds to do it justice
    If you want to come to checkout a megalopolis Japan is the place to come to its bizare in all aspects but also good value.

    If you want to come and see the lifestyle and buy things you will need maybe $100 per day then accomodation.

    I suggest you read Dave Barry in Japan it will give you a good idea.

    Japan is a quality place that is bizare I have to say the longer I stay the more you get used to it which is hard. You cant give it one week I have now spent three weeks here and it feels like almost 4 months there is so much to see and do its a mind drain to be honest but well worth it.

    Then if you just do Tokyo you aint doing Japan justice you need to do Mt Fuji Osaka Kobe Kyotoe and then some.

    But I do think if you finish your degree in Perth cant be arsed to work then geti in touch to come do Party Time and work in Japan you need cash to get over here and then to get established but its the best thing I have ever done well at the moment anyway.

  44. #44
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    Originally posted by Birt
    Alas no all i know is " my friends a homosexual he likes it up the bum bum" i tried it.........
    James...........i am seriously disturbed by this comment.

  45. #45
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Capitan Australia
    James...........i am seriously disturbed by this comment.

    From the man with a fondness for goats, what can I say...

    Although after reading Last Night A DJ Saved my life I am very worried about the dj during the "disco 1 and disco 2" periods



    Oh and a sidenote second hand record shops rock

  46. #46
    Yaddah! YaddAH! yaddah! Wank!Wank! Wank! Uncle Tom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    10,495

    Default

    Originally posted by Birt
    From the man with a fondness for goats, what can I say...
    I will sue you for these lies ur spreading about me!

  47. #47
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Capitan Australia
    I will sue you for these lies ur spreading about me!

    What lies???

    Its just what DJ Craze told me


  48. #48
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Ok here it goes another update in the World of Birt.

    That is if anyne wants to read it, being pushed back to page five in the history and then no one reading it would suggest no. But I think its my best way to keep a cheap blog of sorts and hopefully it will be saved, and of course I can keep contact with people on here which is always a bonus.

    Anyway here it goes things i will talk about well ramble on about today are.

    Japanese people and umbrellas
    Japanese TV
    Japanese Kitchens No ovens
    Jap bizare celebrities ie Kahn (German Goalkeeper) and tv ads with famous people in them
    Gaijins
    Japanese Food especially Nato
    Cost Of Japanese Drivers License
    How I am going to try and see what effects earthquakes and typhoons have on me.
    Also I need to find things I can do to get rid of a flatmate with causing too much trouble or breaking the law. I am having serious reservations about my flatmate I think he is a dickhead.
    I dont think its very nice to walk out into the lounge and see someone clipping there toenails on the dinning table, its not my bag baby.

    Anyway to other things
    First Up is well how I survived the Earth Quake and Typhoon the earthquake was last saturday and the typhoon was Sunday. Anyway the earthquake had been predicted all week and it finally happened between 2 and 3 pm in the afternoon it was pretty freaky i felt the ground shake i was buying stuff at the time i looked at the salespersons they looked at me that was it, i ended up buying the cd, so I guess you could say the cd rocked my world and it will always be remembered as the cd i bought after my first earthquake pretty cool well i think so. The CD was

    MC Hammer 2 Legit 2 Quit

    Its a great album and for $1:50 you cant argue with value like that.

    Well after the earthquake on Saturday I went out to Yokohama on Sunday which has the tallest building in Japan which naturally has the fastest elevator in the world, this is also combined with the largest department store in the world all 14 stories (which is huge and i got lost and took me ages to try and escape from) its really cool although after I escaped I found myself lost in another department store maybe only 12 floors and i got lost trying to get out of it too, but it all ended up well. However the interesting thing was that this particular Sunday was the first Typhoon of the season so all what i wanted to do like go on all the attractions the viewing tower etc were closed or not worth going to due to crappy weather. But what made it more worse was that every in Tokyo who was outside was carrying an umbrella that is everyone except me so I have never been hit as many times well I have but not for awhile. Other than that Japan fully caters for Umbrellas with machines to try them before going into shops, people have racks for umbrellas and then plastic bags so you dont drip them anywhere its well cool and peoplebleave them as no one steals stuff here.

    Anyway shopping was quality lots of malls which were very americanised i felt like I had left tokyo and gone to LA the only thing that suggested i wasnt was the large number of asian people around me. But it was all good fun, met a cool girl from San Diego who spoke fluent Japanese and she lent me hre brolly so we saw the sites together, ate a great meal in china town and saw the football stadium.

    Nest up is Japanese TV, which is either filled with cooking shows or variety tv in the style of hey hey its saturday except its on almost everyday, these shows revolve around the bad jokes with mean wearing wigs in the style of a shogun ether with a piece of plastic or gaffa tape which ever is better.

    You dont get to see the bizare stuff you expect thats on cable although on thursday nights they shw a bizare gameshow which is unusual which well i will bring home a video tape for people to watch.

    Japanese Kitchens are terrible they have no ovens, people will say ahh but they have no space, its all lies everyhouse/apartment needs an oven they are not big and would be very usefull infact i think if someone offered a service here of selling them to the Japanese it would make millions.
    Anyone want to give me cash to start it up. Either that or open a store that sells animation, space robots and guns you got a winner too.

    Jap celebrities people who are huge over here David Beckham advertising almost anything but at the moment is bread sticks covered in chocolate, his voice is dubbed as he has a girly voice and people couldnt understand him. Oliver Kahn is huge over here and I dont know why just because he missed a penalty in a world cup, the japs are crazy about him.

    Adverts on TV that are rather funny include Queen Latifah and Madonna advertising for the GAP and also Posh Spice advertising a daihatsu mini van. Respekt!

    Gaijins or aliens in japan are people like me who can either get away with anything as we are foreigners or they see us with contempt as i dont speak the language it can either be one or the other, having said that Japanese people in the classes I teach are great it just seems to be outside they give you a hard time, and one thing to remember dont mention the war!

    Japanese Food when I ask people if they want to ask me any questions it follows this path
    When did you come to Japan?
    Do you like Japanese Food?
    Have you tred Nato?

    Nato is fermented Soy Beans and yes it smells and looks just like it sounds stay clear of it, its awfull i am not going to eat it I dont mind squid and raw fish but i draw the line at fermented soy bean.

    Last but not least to get a drivers license in Japan you have to pay for it like most things here although the cost for a license is 300 000 yen which is over $3000 aus. Very expensive and too be honest everyone gets it i dont know where they get the cash from its one f the wonders of the world anyway thats me off for another week. I will keep you posted

    Birt

  49. #49
    hard on for love Haile Selassie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    11,830

    Default

    bestthreadever
    And so your life's been a success and you have pleasure in excess
    Don't worry it will all end soon, the crack of doom is coming soon
    And so your future's looking bright and you've reached the giddy heights
    Don't worry it will soon end. It is all shallow and pretend.

  50. #50
    Word to your mother Birt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    2,618

    Default

    Originally posted by Haile Selassie
    bestthreadever

    Cheapest and easiest way for keeping my blog, and no better way than to keep an aging thread going than posting in it once a week.

    At least it seems to be loosing interest...