The musical adventures of Tyrone

In the past two weeks I've bought two musical instruments.
Firstly, I bought an ocarina at a little store in Chinatown in Yokohama. 1000 yen for the ability to make music! The first tune I played was the theme from Rocky :)


While there I also bought a new pet - a gay panda called Ping. He was only 400 yen, how could I resist?


Then last Tuesday I bought a keyboard!


So I'm slowly remembering how to read music - 12 years away from the keyboard, in which time I've played trumpet for 5 years and then nothing for 7 has meant that my musical skills are lacking, but they're slowly coming back. The biggest challenge is learning how to play with both hands again. When I learnt keyboard last I seem to remember only using one finger at a time on my right hand and playing chords with my left hand. Now I'm learning from piano books, and so I have to use both hands to play many notes. 'Tis tough, but I'm getting there, and it's giving my brain a workout, which is what it needed.

Anyway, I thought now was a perfect time to show you my new home. Wonder at it's storage space - a desk! A set of drawers! A wardrobe!


Marvel at the bookcase! Even my bed (yes! a real bed!) has drawers underneath it!


See the Great Wall of Photos! (haha and yes that is the Under the Pink sheet music - optimistic, yes, but I can already play the opening part of Pretty Good Year).



Compare this to the first room I stayed in upon arriving in Japan, which had only a small set of drawers and a clothes rack. And I pay less rent for this place, which has a much larger kitchen, shower and better housemates.

Okay. Will start writing entries showing off some of the places I've visited lately.

But just quickly - I've decided to leave Japan by May or June next year, and will be heading to London. So in the next 8 months or so I've got many people visiting and many places to visit myself. In the next month and a half I plan to climb Mt Fuji, and am taking a trip to Kyushu, where I will visit Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and hopefully climb Unzendake, a volcano that last erupted in 1995. Excitement! Also, at this stage it looks like I may be spending Christmas in Hokkaido with my housemate Jasmine and her friends - so I'll pretty much be guaranteed a white Christmas!
In early September Verity and Lauren are coming to Tokyo for a day or so, at the end of September my cousin Jared is coming with his schoolgroup, and then in December Anita is staying for a couple of weeks. Also, in November I may be going to Thailand with my housemate Sara. Then in February, Mum and Ayla are coming, and Moo is planning to come in March. And that should be it till I leave in May. In that time I also have to see Hiroshima, Niko, and Nara - but I might try to do these when I have visitors.

So the next 8 months are going to be very busy! But I'm very excited by it all :)


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Now playing: Sufjan Stevens - All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!

Hot Town, Summer in the City

Today was apparently the hottest day in Tokyo in 70 years. I'll believe that.

This is a photo of the indoor wave pool area at Tokyo Summerland in Hachioji (from Japan Today).

More Hanabi, and Patrick.

Hanabi seems like an excuse for everyone to wear yukatas (summer kimonos), drink beer and eat fried chicken (well, okay, maybe I'm the only one who used it as an excuse to eat fried chicken. The chicken was so greasy, it was GREAT) with friends.

So here are some more photos from hanabi.

Some yukatas - 'tis very pretty watching everyone walk around wearing them.

A beautiful sunset - who needs fireworks?



I also saw hanabi a couple of Saturdays ago, with my housemate Jasmine and her friends. Very nice people. The fireworks were amazing! They went for about an hour and twenty minutes, and were the most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen. Much fried chicken and edamame was consumed by all.

Not sure why I'm making this face...

... but I'm not the only one, Jasmine also makes odd faces.


The many strange faces of Tyrone and Jasmine.




Rachel is also quite good at posing (Claire was maybe caught off guard?).


Rachel, Jasmine and Adam - the people I usually go climbing with (I've been thrice now! I'm slowly getting better - overhangs are tricky things.)


Also, finally, here is a photo from the Patrick Wolf concert I went to - the only decent one according to the photographer. Yes, those are lederhosen he's wearing. Isn't that great?


I've been quite busy the last couple of weeks, last week I climbed (okay, walked up) Mt Takao. Yesterday we went to Onjuku Beach, and today we went to Yokohama (where I bought an ocarina!!!). So many photos to sort through. So, will be updating soon.

Hanabi on the Edogawa

Tonight I saw the hanabi (fireworks, or literally "fireflowers", or "flowerfire" I guess - "hana" can also mean "nose", so I joked with some of my students last week I was going to see "nosefire") on the Edogawa River in Funabashi. I managed to record some of it on my phone, which I then uploaded to YouTube - dodgy quality, but who's gonna complain? Nobody, that's who.








Prior to watching the fireworks I went shopping at Lalaport, where they have a whole store devoted to tea. Tea and fireworks make for a happy Ty.

fuckin' go (aka Music is my Therapy)

edit: Sleep to Dream also works a treat.

And because too much anger isn't always helpful, Paper Bag has a serenity and sense of resignation that is very soothing (as well as a charming filmclip). Thank you Dr Apple. You made last week much more bearable.

It's the little things...

It's the little things that can make you really appreciate living in a new country. Like the fact that everyone in Japan is tiny, making size 28 jeans incredibly easy to find (unlike in Australia, where they are an incredibly rare beast). Since I've gotten over the shock of paying two months' rent from the one pay cheque (the joy of moving), I decided it was time for new jeans. And I know I should use this blog to discuss politics, literature etc, but seriously, these jeans fit like they were made for me (apart from the legs, which they hemmed for me while I waited - you just don't get that type of service in Aus!). So I present: jeans. (Notice in the corner of the photo you can see a bed. A real bed. No more futon! Joy of joys!)


Also, my hair changed colour. Work seem to be okay with it. Huzzah!



On Thursday I had my first 2nd day of a weekend in a long time, and so went indoor climbing with my new (Kettle-)housemate Jasmine and her friend Rachel. 'Twas fun, I've never been before, and apparently I'm quite monkey-like in my climbing, so I do believe I'll go again. This Thursday in fact.

Not sure who does their advertising, but they should be fired.




Climbing shoes: not sexy.

The start is the hardest part.

Success!!

Not sure exactly what's happening here. I think I got stuck.

Jasmine putting us all to shame - overhangs are so difficult!

This one especially!

I've progressed a bit with my Japanese. I attempted my first kanji characters. Here is my attempt at Happy Birthday.


Also, this notice was left on the noticeboard at work when the typhoon was approaching Tokyo - bless our staff, they try so hard.


Finally, I've decided I'm going to buy a digital piano. I promise to upload my version of Chopsticks in a future entry. You have been warned.

Things I've learnt in the last month.

• Patrick Wolf is a brilliant performer. He better come back to Tokyo soon.

• The world's second largest Statue of Liberty can be found in Odaiba, Tokyo.

• When making sushi, use freshly cooked rice. Rice that has been stored in the fridge for a day loses its stickiness, and doesn't make good sushi rice. It does make the process of making sushi that much more hilarious though, especially after a beeru or wine.
  

• The video for Moloko's Forever More is awesome. Like the song.

• English guys can be real jerks. But then so can I.
  
• Fiona Apple makes wonderfully therapeutic music for when you're angry. (Not really something I've learnt recently, more a rediscovery.)
  
• Standing up to drunks in bars who think they can intimidate you by pointing out your sexuality does wonders for your self esteem.
• Great Expectations really is a very enjoyable book.
• はしでごはんをたべます。

I know I've been really slack lately, and promise to put more photos up soon.