How long have you been carrying that funny money?

Old man stopped me on the street today. Actually a few of them did during the course of the day. But this one claimed to have been to America. He produced out of his wallet some bills. "These are Canadian money." he said. I looked at them. They said "nippon" (Japan) on the front, and "peso" on the back. He had a lot of those spurious notes. And I wondered how long he had been carrying them out of this 75 years on earth.
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I've been having the most elaborate dreams lately. And at least one person thought I got married for real to Gina when
I mentioned my last one. That was funny.
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My nose feels like it is made out of woven-metal super-helixes on the inside. Not pleasant. I hope they get softer as I heal.
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Choco-mint icecream on a stick is my savior.
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I finally got a video store membership. This means I can catch up on my Trick. That show has the most charming crazy woman...
But these stills are from Takashi Miike's Great Yokai War.

Lost in translation

after 30 minute conversation in which I wish he had just tried to tell me the details in Japanese so I could of understood it better...
me: So your daughter auditioned... for gabai-baachan* tv show?
fun teacher: Oh yes! That. Audition. But too young!
me: Wow. A tv show in Takeo. I wonder if they have roles for foreigners.
him: Foreigners?
me: Like me. I would love to be in such a show.
him: Oh wow!

I thought his enthusiasm was just Japanese over-enthusiasm. But another half-hour later, I discovered he had told everyone in the office that I had already auditioned and won a role on the tv show.

*Gabai-baachan is a movie set in Saga, using saga-dialect. It looks surprisingly good. You can see a preview here.

Disproving the stereotypes

I like this video because it proves: White guys can dance, little bald guys with glasses can be cool, and dork suits can be the height of fashion.
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I went to a profit-shinto-festival in Northern Tara. I was very honored, and am trying to get the videos for that and other things together, but the internet be gu-gu-going nuts, so hang in there.

In the future, our cats will fight our wars for us

Are you familiar with cat-helmet construction techniqes?

Thanks for your donations

Belated thanks. You've brightened the cockles of my heart. I think there are cockles there. Anyways, a nice sum of 160 dollars is going to baan unrak childrens home. Good work, people. If you wanna check on the orphanage, I suggest Steve's blog to the right there; its always interesting, as Steve doesn't fit the stereotypical volunteer image at all.

Moleskin

Moleskin sketchbooks are fun. I still have the one Benny gave me; I need to use it more often. My last drawing was of old people in the hospital.
I found a really keen webcomic/blog drawn in a moleskin sketchbook about Japan. You'll like it, so go to the site.

I really liked the sword-smith story. I want to meet one of those guys.

Right speech for modern times

I've been contemplating the Buddhist concept of right speech for about a year now. The seeds go even deeper, to hearing Rachel speak of an enlightened time when she could think no evil towards others, and later to noticing that Benny rarely ever said bad things to say about anyone or anything. Everyone teaches us something, isn't that beautiful?
Anyways, so yes, what is "right speech?" Well, one source I liked said, "Abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle chatter." Pretty simple. The ones I've been reminded of lately are gossiping and back-biting. Poisoning other's perceptions of people in other words. It's all irrevocably tied into "right thought," another Buddhist principal. I think Jesus summed it all up pretty well with, "Love one another." Most words, thoughts, or deeds either bring you closer to or farther away from love.

So one caveat I would like to add to the wisdom that has come before. More of a safeguard than anything: Never try to solve a dispute through online communication, specifically email. Humans can't get their emotions across correctly, and its so much easier to be concerned about your own feelings when you see a field of text instead of a person. Such selfishness isn't love. Maybe future, more internet savvy generations will evolve to get around this space that the internet provides, but until then, that's my advice. When I have talked things out with someone face to face, it has always been good.

Fight Club is an Updated Calvin and Hobbes

It makes a lot of sense, as this article explains it.

catch-all photodump

Photos from the last month. I still have to do videos (if they aren't crap; I haven't checked yet).
First group is Nagasaki Obon. I think the idea is to send the dead to the afterlife by making loud sounds. I.E. firecrackers. It started to look like a riot as the night went on. If you go to this, bring earplugs and be prepared to dodge drunken lobs of explosive devices! And yes, that's my girlfriend in the pic, but I'm not trying to show off about how lucky I am; I can't help it if she's beautiful :).

Expand the post to see me post-nasal surgery! Yay!




From my hospital stay:Wow, that's what swelling does to ya.


My logger friend.


Other cute old people.

Misc:
JET beach party in Karatsu.


5-year-old calendar/flower I found magnetically attached to the bottom of the desk.


I like nuke-head man.


Don't smoke while pregnant or you'll kill the cute penguins.


A family shrine found on a random farm I visited. Nice folks there.


Summer school.



Paintings from the airport:

Recovering

Had nasal surgery. Slight pain. More later.
I will say that the medicine, while not hallucinogenic, did lend itself incredible envisioning. I could imagine more vividly. I have to wonder if the guy that did this was in a similar state of consciousness.

So do I relate my 14-year-old-boy prostitution story or not?

Okay, first off, these are just a few photos of many taken (go here to see not only mine, but everyone in the group's photos). These are just the ones I found comments to be necessary for to experience full enjoyment. Second, said prostitution story goes along with a photo. I'll post videos later.
Elephant ride. I am scared to death in that shot, because I am the one driving.

Anyways, expand the post to see everything and read my funny/creepy story.
Pigs in love at the Bangkok art college. My they were confused by me.


I like starving buddhas the best.


My Dr. Who suit. Made to match what the current doctor wears on the show. Not bad for $130 American, custom made, custom fitted. Here I am imitating the doctor's manic grin.





I can't get over how incredible the detail is on this guy. My favorite statue in all of Bangkok.


Two acrobats that happened to be at the town the orphanage was in. They were invited to the yoga show, then did one themselves! As he looks a lot like Christian Bateman and can lift her easily over his head, I bet the guy's girlfriend is rather happy.


Even monks aren't above poking dead body's with sticks.


I started a trend when we played with playdoe. Go see the album link to get more.


I've discovered that girls, upon seeing a guy don a woman's hat in a store, will instantly call him the funnest guy ever.

Okay, so this is a beautiful waterfall. You can see more pics at the album link. I swam in the turquoise pools. But I had to change before the van ride home. I saw a three-baht bathroom. No change, so I started to move on. But a 14 year old boy that was running the stand nearby eagerly waved and motioned for me to go in. The only words he knew in English were "me," "yes," and "you". So I go in, and he follows, and I think he is there to guard against random people coming in and seeing me change. But then I realize he is looking at me. So I wrap my town around myself so I can change shorts without him seeing my bits. But this concerned him. He walked up and pointed to my crotch. Then he said "me" sucking something cylindrical pantomime "you!"
"Um, no thanks!" I squeaked out, making an X with my hands (an artifact of living in Japan, that gesture). I get my dry clothes on without exposing myself. He was still insistent. "No, really. I'm good." And I am running out of there.
So there is my 14 year old boy prostitution story. I used to joke about such things, but now I've experienced it. Ew. But he may have just been a confused young man, and not looking for money. Thailand is different that way too. Lots of boy-girls and whatnot, their sexuality is very different.

Tv and my acting dreams

Today I was ambushed by the local TV woman on the street. I don't know what she was up to, but suddenly she was upon me with questions about where I was going and what I had bought at the supermarket (she put the camera right into my bags to look after I gave permission). A year ago, my Japanese would have failed me in such an unprepared situation. But I was cool this year.
But as if that was not enough, I was schedualed to film a commercial at 3 anyways with the same woman for a language class I am teaching. We convinced the man also being shot that his candid camera moment should be included, but he was being rather Japanese about the whole thing one way, when we needed him to be Japanese in the self-depreciating way.
So yeah, I'm on TV too much.
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Cue my dream life yet again having continuity. Tonight, I sadly realized I was not ever part of the Dave Chappell show. Yet while dreaming, I had a running career for a long time over several dreams as a very minor actor in on the show. These continuous dreams are starting to stack up; I'm creating a nocturnal alter-ego. Soon, I may start to not distinguish my dream reality from the real reality. So if you see me acting stranger than usual, don't worry. Chances are I'm not taking reality seriously, and that's okay; it's all maya anyways.