臺北, Day 0.75

臺北, Day 0.5

臺北, Day 0.25

大阪, Day 1.5

大阪, Day 1

京都, Day 1

Earnings: ¥0, 2 minutes
Song of the Day: Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

江の島, Day 1

Uh there's been no time. So to stay on task here will be a bunch of posts in notation form, that may or may not be filled out later.











escalators, clouds, wind, bridge, flautist at fujisawa, hawker on bridge

confusion, shy smiles rare, girls, one group "kawaii"

workers look at me from inside shop, also across way

photos, videos, eating nearby

smiling widely and surprised at me from downroad

no tippage few even look down, most just to see the rep list.

look to westerners

nervous at first, get into groove, no one slows. all knock out songs, country roads, fly me to the moon for anime, etc.

Hey Ya for American, no requests

No Ue Wo

ganbatta ne!

takosenbei





Earnings: ¥0, 1 hour
Song of the Day: -

What, I write songs too? Part XVII

Watching the sun go down
Behind the waves that bathe this town.
A pelican wings its way.
Past the rocks to the ending day.

Autumn chills, and people pass.
Burbling shore and the feel of grass.
Golden fringe round deepest blue.
I still don't know what to do.

Seagulls float against the breeze,
Strokes of black on this tapestry.
A gift from God for weary eyes,
Gorgeous Southern, Southern sky.

Laughing dogs and barking men,
Down the path and back again.
Irish lilts on Aussie tongues,
Smiling bright at what I've sung

Winter looms; a cold wind bites.
Rising black with the Easter night.
Harbour lights begin to glow.
I just don't know where to go.

It's too cold, but I won't leave,
Rooted thick in this magic weave.
Foaming crests lap soft goodbye.
Rippling softly with a sigh.

Raindrops sound a foreign poem.
Warm within a foreign home.
Cuban meal and German cake.
Fill the void a nomad makes.

Summer beckons from the rising sun,
Far away from this gentle hum.
Wreathed in steam of Earl Grey tea.
I still don't know who to see.

It's too quiet to go to sleep,
Lost within this reverie.
Silent bats flit shyly by.
I'll go with them, soaring high.

What, I write songs too? Part XVI

There's a silver to the silence
In the linings of our minds,
And it glimmers in the distance
From forgiveness we can't find.

But my earnest words go sighing,
Into shadows pressing in.
Now the sound of friendship dying
Echoes static with no end.

CHORUS
Your message holds no emotion,
Still I dangle on the phone.
Like a ribbon on an ocean
Adrift and sinking past the tone.

In each empty conversation
There's still music kept at bay.
For they lack that quiet patience,
Dripping false notes of our days.

CHORUS

Our seams dissolve below us
Tearing every word apart.
Trust withers quite unnoticed,
Swift as starlight in the dark... in the dark.

There's no silver in the silence
In the space after the beep.
I saw it die out in the distance
With the friendship we couldn't keep.

CHORUS

料理の東京, Day 0.5

As before (below? above?) mentioned, I didn't make my goal down under. Whatever. I've reached a point in my travels where it may be irresponsible but I'm going to continue enjoying myself, go through with my plan to spend and see friends in Asia, and burn through the "savings" from my father. So on reaching Japan I'd converted my NZD into JPY - a very surprising conversion due to the strength of the Yen. I had 41,000 Yen. My budget now calls for me to spend that much total in cash or less through the month in Asia. Knowing the price of things relatively in each country, I budgeted half of that for Japan, alone.

All of my Asia tour is planned with a single objective - to see friends I haven't seen in a long while. 東京/横浜 to see David. While staying with him in 戸塚, I got a first hand look at what Japanese work culture is like: terrible. We were able to hang out all weekend, but the next two days I saw him a total of maybe two hours, as Monday he headed to work at 5:30 and didn't report back until 23:30, and my bus on Tuesday departed before he returned (left at 23:30). I got to see him audition for an improv comedy group and at one dinner with friends he performed much of his standup material, which was great fun. For his part, he insisted on buying my CD.

Here's a quick photographic look at the weekend, which was actually highlighted for me more by the food than the sights. 戸塚 Ramen was so good I ate it twice. I think it's a combination of great food in a country that cares about it and my sudden freeing of inhibitions to spending money and choosing enjoyment of food over mini-starvation. Japan is a dangerous place for a traveler on a newly loosened budget.


鎌倉


Snoopy!


明治神宮


明治神宮

Song of the Days: Skinny Love - Bon Iver
Earnings: ¥750