A Southern Ghost that Just Will Not Die

My life has been a unique experience so far. I started out as a poor punk kid growing up in the coal fields of West Virginia. Now, I find myself married, living in Tokyo, and working in middle management as an English instructor. My father(R.I.P.) was born to German immigrants. My mother was born of Native American/Dutch blood. Their blood lines gave a face that some love and others want to smash into the dirt. I had a complex relationship with my father; which still hunts me to this day. My relationship with my mother is conflicted at best. I grew up dirt poor and rebellious as hell. I have experienced shit that many people in Tokyo could never stomach. Although, somehow here I stand trying to make a life for myself in the unforgiving land of the raising sun.

During the course of my life I have noticed one constant; there have always been a fair amount of people who activity attempt to assist in my failure. Sadly, the list of people who have supported my efforts to be a success is rather short. Recently, I have been pondering as to why there have always been more people who want to fuck me over than desire to uplift me. I have thought that maybe this is human nature. Once someone is down others are quick to put on their jackboots and start stomping. Well, then you start life with your face already in the dirt you tend to see more jackboots than smiles. Well, dammit I refuse to give up!

I realize that I am at a very important time in my life. In about another six months I will be 30 years old. I must do everything in my power to raise above the masses. There is a lot of competition around me. There are several people, which I know of, who are out to take my job and bring about my ruin. There are others will refuse to listen to sound advice I give them. Instead, they keep on doing the same shit which will get them fired and make me look bad. In sort, I have been too soft on people.

So, I have decided to be much more harder on people. I have tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I can see clearly now that most people do not want to be given the benefit of doubt. People are either going work with me or against me. It seems there is little room for gray area. At this point, I must care more about number one. Until more people understand that I really am not playing around; my treatment of those I am responsible for will become much more harsh if they choose to give me too much resistance. I have warmed others that a weeding out process is coming down the pipeline. If they are too dense to understand what that means then may god have mercy on their sorry souls.

I have to care about running things more smoothly and building my career. I may have greaser tendencies, yet I am a grown adult as well. I cannot allow the constant to get in my way anymore.

So ends my rant about fucked up people who will do anything to see my down fall.

Warning: This City Protected by Giant Robot!

It is well known that the Japanese have a `thing` for robots. The nation of Japan is the world leader in robot technology. It seems that the recent unstable relationships between several Asian nations have spurred Japan into creating a protector for Tokyo. Taking inspiration directly form a popular manga/cartoon, we now have our very own Gundam. Now, Tokyo may be considered the most badass city protected by its very own giant ass kicking robot! I would like to see the faces on the North Korean military commanders when they try to attack Tokyo and are greeted by a giant pissed off robot! I would love to be a fly on the wall during a Chinese military meeting. Just think of the debate that would go down deciding what to do about the `Tokyo robot situation.`

`Should we nuke it?`

`No. Nukes don`t scare Japanese anymore.`

`Well...maybe we could create a female robot to seduce it`

`The Japanese do love strange sex.`

`Yes! We could get Japanese robot to have sex with Chinese robot. We sell tickets and make big profit!`



While N.K. and Red China try to figure out what the hell Tokyo is up to, those of us lucky enough to live in Tokyo get to enjoy viewing something truly wondrous. To my knowledge, no other nation has created a giant robot model. While I was looking the damn thing, I could not help but think of the future of technology. How far are we from actually seeing such a robot used for military purposes? Would it even be useful during a live military battle? It would need a type of armor I am sure has not been invented yet. Current armor would surely not be enough to provide enough protection from constant missile fire. There is also the problem with speed. It would have to able to make very flexible movements fairly quickly. Unless it can make almost human like reactions to movements, it would pretty much useless in battle.

Life in a Godless Nation Pt. 1 Sex is not Dirty

For all intended purposes Japan is pretty much a godless nation. Some people may give me shit for making such a statement, but the fact cannot be overlooked that most Japanese people have no real faith in a higher power. They seem to only believe in themselves. Some people may say that Japan does indeed have a deep religious backbone. It is true that Japan has many Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines, yet for the most part, it appears Japanese consider such things only for big events or useful when someone dies. At lest one person, who appears to be Japanese, has attempted to explain Japan`s religious nature. Taking from my experience of not only living in Japan but forming relationships with Japanese people over the course of my life; I have formed my own opinion regarding the mostly godless nation of Japan.

The biggest thing I have noticed about Japan is the tendency of Japanese to indulge their inner desires. I have ran across just about every kind of sex service one could think of in Tokyo. Such things are shunned in the more religious west. The Japanese seem to have no problem paying for a gal to fondle for a bit. In Japan it seems to be viewed as just `blowing off a little steam.` In my home nation `blowing off a lttle steam` by spending some time at a sex club or girl parlor is still taboo; although we do have such places. In the states society tries to encourage us to resist our inner desires, while in Japan, society views the sex business as natural and even necessary. I think this casual attitude towards sex is a reflection of a lack of religious moral authority.

It is a common theme in many religions to instruct their followers to resist casual ideas concerning sex. Religions seem to take pride in spreading the idea that `sex is a dirty devilish act.` The followers of Christ push this attitude towards sex the hardest. Hell, even masturbation is painted in a bad light by most religions. Yet, in Japan the rule seems to be `whatever gets you off.` What passes for normal sexual behavior in Japan would shock the rest of the world. Spend a few evenings on the hunt in Shibuya and there is a good chance you will have some interesting experiences.

The only thing is while Japanese have very open cultural feelings towards sex, they have problems producing enough babies out of all those sexual encounters.

Shiso Pepsi: Has Pepsi Finally Scored a Hit?

I have been waiting for several weeks for the new pepsi drink to hit the shelves. Unlike in the states, Pepsi gets creative with their drink flavors here in Japan. This year pepsi has decided to combine Shiso together with their classic pepsi blend. In the past, a lot of folks have despised pepsi`s ventures in cola experimentation. Even this year`s offering is getting some heat.

As for me, I actually kind of like Shiso pepsi. Hell, when I am hanging on the streets of Tokyo I usually go for two kinds of drinks; beer or soda. Well, it is not always the best decision to grab a beer. They say in Tokyo, `Remember T&P(time and place).` So, when I cannot have a beer I go for a soda. When the new pepsi showed up at my local quick stop I had to give it a go.

Well, how does my no good southern taste buds take to Shiso Pepsi? I actually found Shiso pepsi to be pretty good. My taste buds must be as adventurous as my general nature. It reminds me of an odd Mountain Dew kind of taste. It has a sweetness to it yet the after taste is surprising. The first time I drank it I ended up having a second round. Although, after a few days of Shiso pepsi being my soda of choice I am starting to have trouble getting through an entire bottle.

I guess Shiso pepsi is another temporary cheap trill to get the summer started off on a lighter note. I will end up having at least a few more bottles of the stuff before it is pulled from the shelves.

By the way, it is a good drink to have with Ramen. Drink it with your next bowl of Raman and leave a comment telling me what you think. Also, please feel free to offer your overall opinion about this odd offering from Pepsi.

Hard Times In Tokyo: Selling Our Tooth Fillings to Pay the Bills

As the market keep going to shit and everybody either getting fired or scared of getting fired, us Tokyojin are finding unique ways to keep our heads above water. When times get tough you just have to tighten your buckle and carry on. Many things we would not considering doing to save a few yen in the past now seem to made a lot more sense.

I was out in Ameyoko recently and ran across a rather interesting kind of Japanese pawn shop. They seem to understand that times are hard for the people of Tokyo. The bills have got to be paid no matter if you have a job or not. When you get really hard up this pawn shop will buy the metal right out of your teeth!

I am not sure how this whole exchange goes down. Do they remove the metal for you or do you have to have a dentist do it? If they remove the gold/silver for you it would be make the process a whole lot faster. Hell, you could most likely stop in during your lunch break, get the money making tooth removed, grab the cash and be ready for your evening shift. The only problem would be any pain issues involved. You always would run the risk of getting doped up too much and making a fool of yourself at work. I could see a situation which some hard-up salaryman took a bit too much pain killers at the pawn shop and passing out during a meeting. How does he explain? `Sorry sir. I sold my gold tooth on my lunch break. The guy at the pawn shop must have given me too much pain killer.` An awkward situation for sure.

Well, if we have to sell our tooth fillings to make ends meet then so be it! I got some silver in my teeth. I wonder how much I can get for it?

Green Tea Coca-Cola-In Name Only

Recently, a little buzz was created over the release of green tea coca-cola in Japan. I first got wind of it though rinkya blog. So, I checked the local quick stop until GT coke showed up on its selves. It took about a week or two until it finally showed up on the selves of my local 7-11. As I always enjoy trying something new, as soon as, I spotted it I grabbed a bottle.

Looking at the bottle, as I walked to the station, I felt that the bottle of soda in my hand was not going to be as good as it promised. I mean, coca-cola was a very strong taste. Green tea is a very light sensitive taste which can take years to fully enjoy.

Anyway, I sat down at the station waiting for my train to give green tea coke a go. Well...I must say this stuff is...really bad! For starters, coke plus is a pretty shitty drink. All the damn fake sugar is enough to make me toss the bottle away. I really had to force myself to finish the entire thing. I did not even taste a hint of green tea. Did they even put any green tea in the damn thing? What the hell was coke thinking? Maybe they were hoping that by putting green tea on the label Japanese people would just but it without question? I have tried some pretty bad drinks in Japan but this one really takes the cake. If coke is trying to compete with pepis in the flavored soda market they are doing a really bad job.

I have lost respect for coca-cola for producing such a shitty drink. I did not taste even a drop of green tea in the damn thing. It was like talking to a cute gal and taking her to a love hotel, only to find out that she is really a lady boy with a thing for gaijin men.

I could go on and on about this piss poor offering from coca-cola but I will let you be the final judge. If you live in Japan head over to the local quick stop and indulge yourself in a green tea coca-cola. Hell, you might actually like it; but I doubt it.

Watch Your Money or Else you will End Up Homeless in Tokyo Real Quick

It is very true that Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. You must have money to survive in Tokyo; at least a decent amount of money. Unless you are living off of daddies bank account, you also must have a job which provides you at least around 200,000 a month just to be able to avoid living on the streets. I have met a few people who are pretty much homeless, because they lack the ability to hold down a steady job and spend money like water. For example, I know this guy who runs around Shinjuku often. He has no job yet somehow survives in Tokyo. He usually has to do all kinds of crazy shit just to get by. He sells pot, pimps a few young gals looking for some spending cash, pimps himself out to lady boys, and has a few mama-sans. Yeah, his life is tough for sure. So, if you don`t want to live as hardcore as him I suggest you spend your money wisely.

If you got a stable gig in Tokyo you must be fully aware of how hard it can be to survive from day to day while maintaining some kind of budget. Hell, just trying to manage daily spending during an average work day can be a real pain in the ass. Almost everything has an overpriced tag on it. From experiencing the chaotic lifestyle I have build for myself here in Tokyo, I have developed a few tricks to stretch my yen out a bit.


1) Getting your coffee fix

Coffee is pretty much the liquid of life in Tokyo. There are enough coffee shops in Tokyo to give Seattle a run for its money. I assume that most Tokyojin drink a good amount of coffee every day. All that coffee can really put a dent on the old wallet after a while. The price of the coffee does not always equal the quality. Some shops are expensive coffee which tastes like dog shit, while others shops featuring cheap coffee taste like the nectar of the gods. If you want to save money on your coffee hit a mister doughnut. They got coffee for under 200 yen, although cheap it really does taste like crap; and you cannot smoke. For the highest quality and best price hit a Doutor. You can get a glass of ice or hot coffee for 200 yen.


2) The lunch time hustle

A common issue for just about everyone is how to get a cheap yet decent bit to eat on lunch break. It can be a little hard to get the cheapest lunch when you are pressed for time. It is easy enough to hit up a McDonald`s or some other fast food spot; yet that is not the healthiest or cheapest option. There are several Japanese fast food places which have kind of low prices, but they are still not the best deal for someone living in Tokyo on a budget. For a real cheap lunch hit up a convenience store. There are convenience stories all over the place. There is always one within short walking distance in Tokyo; as well as most of Japan for that matter. Usually I can have lunch for between 250 to 350 yen. I can have lunch for 250 yen if I do not get a drink. Two rice balls will cost me just about 250 yen. I can drink some water from the sink in the restroom at work. If I do decide to get something to drink, I can usually find a vend machine offering a small drink for 100 yen.

Thinking more in a month to month basis, packing a daily bento really is the best option. A bento is a Japanese lunch box; kind of like the one mother used to make for you in Jr. High. They are very popular and there are many different types. For saving money off the monthly budget, just make the damn thing at home the night before. When I pack a bento to work I usually have a couple of rice balls and stir fry or even jazzed up leftovers from last night`s dinner.

3) Drinking

It is very true that many people in Tokyo drink heavy. It is just the way it is here. People work their balls off and need to unwind after work. Well, drinking can get expensive if you drink on a regular basis. Of course you can find bars which offer really cheap beer. Hell, I know of a few places which offer a glass of beer for 300 yen. Yet, we cannot always hit up a bar and keep within out budget. A good way to catch a decent beer buzz and not break the bank is to simply drink on the street or at the station. I know that some people will turn their noise up to such an idea but it really saves money in the long run. All you have to do is hit up a convenience store; where you can get cans of beer for under 200 yen in most cases. After you stock up on enough beer to catch a decent buzz, find a nice little spot outside. It is great for people watching and enjoying the energy of the night.

So, there are just some things I do on a daily basis to save a little yen. While I am not rich by a long shot, I do earn enough money that I could spend a little more if I wanted. At the end of the month I can see how my yen cutting efforts have paid off. My bank account never runs low and I can still have a hell of a good time. Even if that good time is somewhat lowdown and lacking class.

This post is my entry for this month`s J-blog matsuri. It is hosted this month by tune-in-Tokyo. If you fancy getting some extra attention for your blog submit a post. This months topic is `living in a budget in Japan.`