A Very Random Halloween

So, I had full intention of actually planning out my first Halloween in Tokyo. I did a bit of research like a good little boy and thought that I was ready for a pleasant evening. Well, the god of chaos frowned on me for turning my back on him. He sent a jolt of electric current down my spine and demanded that I bend over and do the brown eye smile. As punishment for making plans to celebrate Halloween I was cursed to a night of randomness.

A spell was placed on me and I did not wake up on the 31st until around 2:00 pm. I woke up feeling all warm and happy wrapped up in a thick soft blanket. The gal must have been nice enough to wrap me up into a comfortable position before she left on a little mini-holiday to her home town. For a moment I thought about just drifting back off into a deep sleep. It is real easy to just say screw it and not get out of bed when there is no work to attend. I knew that I had to get up because it would be a damn shame for me to sleep away my first Halloween in Tokyo. I forced myself to get up and took a long relaxing shower.

After surfing the net for a while and finish waking myself up for a few hours I started getting ready to head out. I did not buy a costume, I know that I should have pick one up but I just did not feel like going though the trouble this year. Last year in West Virginia I dressed up as a cop just for laughs. That was an interesting night. There is something about a man in uniform that drives the ladies wild. Although, this year I just dressed as my usual self. I wanted to remain low key and not attract any kind of unwanted attention.

By the time I made it Shibuya it must have been around 6:00 pm. There was plenty of people out and about. A lot of attractive, hungry for the night, types who are like juicy poison apples; they give a lot of pleasure to bit into but can send you on a trip to hell and back real quick. Now I had already slammed down a tall boy of 7 strong on the Joban line so I felt relaxed not even close to rocking a beer buzz. I kept another one hidden away in my inside jacket pocket for later.

It proved to be an excellent night for people watching in Shibuya. So many people in costume! I saw a lot of different creative and entertaining costumes that I cannot comment on all of my favorites. While just hanging at the Shibuya meet up spot it is worth noting two of my favorite costumes I laid eyes on. There was this one really sexy Japanese gal wearing almost nothing. She was wearing a bunny outfit that was something out those old playboy bars from back in the late 70`s and 80`s. It was pure eye candy for sure. I also say this guy who looked just like the joker. A real professional make-up job. It was impressive to say the least. I actually, talked to the guy for a few minutes. He was cool enough. He told me that he had a friend who did make-up for a production company in Tokyo. He was even nice enough to give me a shot from a little bottle of whisky he had stashed away in this coat pocket.

After a while I wanted to walked around so I headed to Yoyogi park. I expected the park to be alive with action but to my surprise it was all silent for the most part. I did talk to a few skater punks for a little while. One of them spoke good English so we talked about punk music and smoke a few cigs.

I ended up at the Hub in Harajuku. The gals working there were dressed up all sexy like in the spirit of Halloween. This one gal had a dead sexy little red ridding hood outfit on showing off a nice pair. I could not help but look at her way too much. I don`t think she cared too much as I was respectful enough to leave her to her work. I was setting at a round table with a couple of white guys on vacation from the states. They were a little rough around edges but hell I am used to that kind of attitude. We struck up a good conversation and swapped a few stories.

Around 11:30 pm we made our way over to Shibuya though Yoyogi park. For some damn reason we ended up at one of the Hubs in Shibuya, It was full to the brim with gaijin and Japanese college gals. Everyone was trying to get laid. This crowd would have been better off going to a swinger club than an English pub but to each his own I guess. I had started to grow tired of the my present company. The more drinks they had the more asshole came out of them. As luck would have it the gal called me which provided me a good excuse to get out of there. I found a semi-calm back street and talked on my cell with the gal for what have must been two hours.

The night ended with me passing out at a really nice internet cafe. I woke up around 6:00 am and made my way back to my apartment to get ready for work. It was a fun evening for me overall. I stayed low key and enjoyed myself in a mellow kind of way.

The Green Fairy in Tokyo

Of all the drinks that are available to me in Tokyo the one I never thought about was Absinthe. The odd green drink of legend never crossed my mind in the land of the raising sun. I did not give much thought to the idea that the Japanese had developed a taste for the green fairy. Considering the rep that Absinthe has, and the Japanese government`s view of anything that provides a little extra groove, I assumed that the chances of trying the stuff out in Tokyo was next to nothing. Yet again, Tokyo has surprised and amazed me.
I was throwing back a few at the Hub in Kita-Senju on Sunday after work. You know, just the usual drinking binge nothing special. I wanted to try something new and realized that I had never really dug deep into the Hub`s offerings. I usually just stick to a tower beer or a Cuba Libra and all the good with the world. Well, after downing a tower beer(one liter of beer) I desired a change of pace. Towards the back of the drink menu there is was; Absinthe Classic. I could not believe my eyes. A drink that I had heard so much about yet was never allowed to have due to some fucked up US law(which was recently lifted at the end of 2007). I had to have one; or two.



I want up to the counter and order one. The gal gave me some messed up attitude but served me one glass of the strange green drink of lore. By the way, why do so many gals who work at all the Hubs around Tokyo have a messed up attitude? I guess the world may never know. Anyway, I got this thing back to my table and just kind of stared at it for a bit. I really did know what I had in front of me. Over the years I had heard so much stuff about Absinthe that I was almost a little afraid to try it. I have heard tales of actually seeing a sexy green fairy to being able to gain the power of witchcraft. I only half believed most of the stuff I had heard. After all it is just a really power drink that gives you a slightly different effect from normal alcohol; plus it is green!

Well, after taking my first taste I was hooked. It taste really good! This is due to the manner in which Absinthe is served. It is a really power drink so sugar is dissolved into it using a special spoon and really expensive mineral water. This gives it a nice sweet taste. Although, there is no getting around flower taste which comes cutting right though the sugar.

The thing which has given Absinthe such a lore is the fact that it contains a chemical called thujone. Thujone is a psychedelic chemical found in Absinthe which acts on the GABA receptors in the brain. It is believed to induce a slight psychedelic experience to the person who drinks Absinthe. Although, this fact has never been proven. Well, after drinking two traditional Absinthe drinks and one hard cocktail(without bring watered down). I have to admit that I did not feel drunk but not sober either. It felt like some strange mix of a alcohol and weed. I felt as if spiders were gently crawling on my skin. You know, kind of like a whole body tingle. I do not know if Thujone was causing that or if my body reacts different to strong alcohol due to my experiences with moonshine. Either way Absinthe is a great drink and I suggest it to anyone. So, the next time you are at the Hub order you a few rounds of Absinthe and see how it effects you.