I turned 30 and got Drunk

It had to happen soon or later. The God of Chaos has allowed me to age just a bit. It is official; as of January 5th 2010 I am 30 years of age. All my life it has been beat into my head that turning 30 is a big deal somehow. When you reach 30 you should be a `full grown adult.` I am suppose to be a `productive member of society` and all that jazz. Somehow by turning 30 I can`t mess around and do crazy shit just for the fuck of it anymore. I must be a mature person with a career and many responsibilities. Wait a minute...Fuck All That!

I turned 30 and got drunk off my ass. I was really in the mood to get drunk that day too. I had not had a drink in two whole days so my stomach was pissed and my liver a bit too happy. What the hell does turning 30 mean anyway? I don`t feel any different. It is not like I become a different person overnight. I like me just the way I am. Turning 30 may be a milestone, but I look at it differently from the way I was raised to  view the big 30. More or less, I view it as a time to reflect on where I have been and where I am going. Even so, I think it is a waste of time to dwell on it too long. Hell, I still have a shit load of living left to do.  So, in the spirit of reflection without harping on the past I will spend one blog post taking a look at where I am have been and where I am going.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN
  I have been to some low and high places so far. Hell, I was born dirt poor in West Virginia for Christ sake. Growing up in such a situation did give me a lot of unique experiences that most people miss out on. I have even thought about starting another blog just about my days in West Virginia.

I went to college which was a big surprise even for me. Despite, mass amounts of partying I ended up for a degree in journalism. Said degree did land me a lot of freelance work yet I just could never handle working on any paper as a full time writer. There are just too many assholes in the media biz.

I have done a fair amount of traveling but there are still a lot of places on my list to check out. I have been to a lot of places in America but there are still many international locations left to go. Lucky for me I am in a good position to travel around the world(living in Japan has its advantages).

I`m married to a Japanese gal! I never expected in a million years I would end up marring a chick from Japan. It has worked out pretty good so far. There are good days and bad days but overall it is a good deal.

I have had a damn good time overall so far. I have gotten into some wild crazy shit. Sometimes it was pretty shitty at the moment yet looking back at everything I was loving every second.


WHERE AM I GOING


The road ahead looks promising yet twisted as all get out. My current gig keeps things interesting professionally. Although, the more fucked up things get the more I ponder how much time and energy I really want to put into my current job. For now, I am still willing to give it my all.
 
I am still loving writing. I find myself writing more in one week than most people do in a year. I am getting a pretty good stock of shot stories and such on my PC desktop. It might be time to start looking at the option of getting a collection published. My online novel is ready to come back to live again. Yall be on the look out for some new editions of The Life and Times of Johnny Blade to be available for your reading pleasure soon. 

Blogging is still a passion of mine. I keep doing the whole blogging thing because it is fun. My main blog, which you are reading right now, is my creative outlet to share my strange life with the rest of the world. Some people love it and some people hate it. I have learned that the internet is full of more assholes then in real life. It used to get on my nerves but a tthis point I realize folks on the internet will talk shit no matter what you write.

I might want to spawn another life into this fucked up world in the near future. The gal and I have talked about it a few times. Trying my hand at fatherhood might just be the greatest thing I could ever do. Having a kid of some real heavy shit so I will just have to see when the timing is right.

My life could still go in about a million different directions. For now, I am just trying to enjoy the ride and do what brings me happiness.

An American in Turkey: Part One

During the usual down time during the end of year in Japan my ass decided to sneak off the island and head to Turkey. The nation of Turkey may seen like an odd choice, but in reality I just wanted to get the hell away from Japan for a little bit. 2009 proved to be a heavy year for me and I wanted to get the fuck away from everything. Turkey is a good choice because it is basically in between the west and east. It`s far enough away from Japan for me to forget about shit as well as not to close to America. So, for a week I hung out in Turkey trying to relax and forget about the insanity of Tokyo.

What the hell does a greaser from West Virginia who lives in Tokyo do in Turkey any fucking way? Well, the answer to that question is simple enough. I do what ever I can to forget the crazy ass year I just endured. Yeah, I could have been a total out of control asshole in Turkey, but I decided to take it easy. Besides, the Truks are Muslim so they usually don`t take kindly to insane Americans. Yet, despite the limitations I placed on myself I still had a damn good time in Turkey. In fact, I had such a good time that two posts about my trip are needed.




The first part of my adventure in Turkey took me to a place called Kappadokia. I could get into a long boring ass history lesson about Kappadokia but I am not a history teacher so read this if you want a history lesson. In short, Kappadokia is a really old place which many cultures have laid claim to over the years. It is also really beautiful and a great place to relax.

Considering that Kappadokia is in a B.F.E part of Turkey, it was easy to forget everything and simply enjoy myself. I didn`t even need to go ape shit crazy to purge any bent up stress. The beauty and peaceful environment washed over me; filling me with a surreal sense of awareness. My inner spirit got a massive jolt of energy being surrounded by the spiked rocks and rolling wave cliffs of Kappadokia. It was a damn good feeling to say the least.

I didn`t just stare at the surroundings all day drinking up the beauty of it all. I actually was pretty active in Kappadokia. I got into some pretty cool shit while chilling in B.F.E. Turkey. I signed up for a guided hike around Kappadokia. We started out in the morning with a cool ass hike in the mountain area. The guide babbled on about the history of Kappadokia while I enjoyed the beauty and took a crap load of photos. I only paid attention to about half of what the guide was talking about. He was talking about some cool stuff, which did relate to the hike, but I was interested in checking out the amazing scene around me.



Due to cold temperatures the trail was frosted over pretty damn good. It was pretty amazing to see such a thick layer of frost collected on the weeds and shrubs. The gal and I got separated from the other people several times because we kept wondering around taking photos and exploring. The guide didn`t seem to really give a shit so I think we got more out of the hike than everyone else.

After the hike was over went to an `underground city` of sorts. Under the village there is damn near another city. Back in the old days of wars and general hell raising the people used to hide out in the underground city to keep from getting killed by invading armies. The whole idea of it got my attention and I actually listened to the guide a little more closely. Over the course of many centuries an entire maze of tunnels and living quarters were dug out by several different cultures. Going all the way back to Roman times, people used the underground city for protection. As I traveled though the tunnels and dug out living spaces, I thought about what it must have been like to survive in such an environment. They must have been some real tough folks!

People back in the day were hardcore! The underground city was no joke. It was not easy to wonder around though the tunnels. I had to get on my hands and knees a few times. Even when there was enough room to walk I had to hunch over in order to avoid smacking my head against the ceiling. Even the gal, who is only 5`2`, had a little trouble a few times. Despite the tight fit, it was damn cool to get such a hands on experience with an important part of Turkey`s past.

While the guided hike was cool, the balloon ride was awesome! The gal nor I had ever been in a hot air balloon before. It was a big treat for both of us. She talked about it for weeks leading up to the big day. I think it was the romantic and fun factor which got her so up for it. I have to admit it was damn fun. Although, we had to get up at the crack of dawn because the balloons can only fly in the morning hours. We didn`t mind much because it was so worth the early morning start.

Hell, half the fun was watching them get the damn things up and running. They used a huge flame connected to what sounded like a jet engine. While the balloon company got everything ready we were given all the free coffee we could drink. It was so damn cold I must have had half a pot of coffee while I waited. The wait was well worth it. Once we got in the air the scene was mind blowing! All the beauty of Kappadokia in full 360 display. Everyone in the basket were speechless. We all just stared at it eyes wide open. It was a high light of my life for sure.


Aside from all the stuff I saw and did in Kappadokia I did something extra. The staff at the hotel we stayed told us about a guy in town offering ATV rentals and a guide though the off-road trails. I knew I should not be riding ATV`s though one of the world`s greatest nature wonders but I just could not resist. I guess the country redneck buried deep inside of me compelled me to rent an ATV and get in some four wheeling action.
It actually turned out to be damn fun. I got to see a lot of Kappadokia that you just cannot get to hiking or taking a guided tour. The guy who took us along the off-road trails knew some cool spots to hang out. We got to see some really cool shit. We come up on this church build right into the damn mountain! I must have explored that old church for an hour. Four wheeling in Kappadokia kicks ass!

Overall, Kappadokia was great. I felt so relaxed and stress free. The people were so nice and friendly. All the beauty was so inspiring and soul enriching. I suggest it as a great vacation spot for anyone looking to get away from everything for a bit.

I also made it to Istanbul while I was in Turkey. That was a different experience all together; which is why I am going to post a second blog post about my time in Turkey soon. I got some great photos and a few stories to tell about Istanbul so be looking forward to that yall!

Merry Christmas Yall!

Today is Christmas here in Japan. So Merry Fucking Christmas you bastards! I know a lot of us gaijin living in Japan may be having a hard time finding the Christmas spirit due to the fact that Christmas is not a `real` holiday in Japan. Most of us will be working today(me included). Yet despite the awkwardness many of us may feel during this holiday season, we must make the best of the situation.


I got a few e-mails yesterday from a few of my fellow gaijin expressing a very down and out feeling about Christmas in Japan. As usual, I refuse to let Japan kill the Christmas spirit in my country ass. Instead I have decided to roll with the punches and work with what I got at hand. Yesterday, I planned out a pretty good Christmas evening with my gal. We reserved one of those take-out KFC Christmas dinner packs. Yes, I gave in and did the whole KFC Christmas thing; like I said I am working with what I got at hand. It is actually not a bad deal. We got a good variety of chicken with good old American style biscuits included. For 2,800 yen it makes for a right decent Christmas dinner.


I met the gal in Kita-Senju to pick up the dinner and do a little extra Christmas shopping together. We had already exchanged gifts a few days ago but decided to shop together and buy a little extra something for each other. I can`t get her anything from Tiffany`s like I did last year but I was able to get her something she wanted. It is the thought that counts anyway. It is a nice change of pace to enjoy a Christmas not focused on buying some crazy expensive item. It was really nice to just spend time with the gal. We ended up buying each other a little something. Before we left we picked a couple slices of Christmas cake.

When we got home it was time to enjoy the little fest we had set up for ourselves. We set our little meal up on a table and enjoyed some good chicken and pleasant conversation. I was even able to find a Christmas music complication on Youtube to set the mood.

For some people it all might seem a bit lame but the gal and I really enjoyed ourselves. A quiet evening at home just enjoying each other`s company meant more than any big fancy celebration. I don`t know about the rest of yall in Japan but I am living the real meaning of Christmas this year.

Winter in Japan is Now Full On

It has been cold as a witches titty here in Tokyo recently. We have not gotten any snow but it was a sign that winter is now full on here in the land of the raising sun. As usual it will more than likely not snow in Tokyo this winter. Yet, it will get colder than a nun on Sunday. I do not see anymore warm days coming for several months. Those icy days of January will be here before we realize it.

I usually adjust the cold weather in Japan pretty well. Despite my hate of cold weather I can deal with it pretty good in most cases. Winter in West Virginia can get really bad. A person living in the mountains of West Virginia can expect three or four brutal blizzards of year. It is not uncommon for an entire village or town to be completely shut down due to a snow fall. The only places I expect this kind of thing happening in Japan is in the northern region.

Winter is Tokyo does have its pitfalls. The wind can be really hard to deal with at times. The wind whips around the buildings and smacks you in face with an unforgiving sick joy what only old man winter can appreciate. While I am drugging off to work the sting of the wind hitting my face puts me in a right proper shitty mood. Hell, during the winter I actually look forward to getting on the train and warming my cold ass on the heated seat.

There is also the pure magic joy of no central heat in Japan. Now, I have lived here for a while so I am used this fact of life in Japan. The Japanese have come up with some interesting ways to off set the lack of central heat. The method to keep warm I like the most is the kotatsu. It works really well to keep me from freezing to death in my own apartment. During the winter in Japan, few things beat a cold night than a bottle of sake, warm soup and a gal warped around ya while bundled up under a kotatsu.

Anyway, I wanna hear what all of you think of winter in Japan and how yall keep warm.

It`s Christmas in Japan Again

Oh yes boys and girls it is that special time of year again here in the land of the raising sun. Lets all get ready for another twisted version of Christmas here in Japan. As many of you may know Japan is pretty much a non-Christian nation. The very idea of Christmas is so far removed from Japanese culture that the holiday has been oddly integrated in the Japanese mindset. In Japan, Christmas is a completely secular commercial holiday. The natives of Japan make no connection to religion and Christmas. For the Japanese, it seems as if Christmas is all about presents, Santa, KFC dinner sets and illumination(Christmas lights), and spending some extra cash in high-end shopping districts like Ginza.

The Japanese secular take on Christmas has produced some interesting customs. Leave it to the Japanese to completely redefine the biggest holiday in the world.


KFC Christmas dinner:
When I first came to Japan several years ago I was surprised by how much Japanese people love KFC. I mean, KFC is deep fried southern style chicken. This is not something I expected Japanese to really go for. Yet, they love redneck chicken. They love it so much that every year during the holiday season Japanese people line up to buy a big KFC holiday dinner set. Deep fried chicken for the whole family!

It`s Happy Christmas in Japan not Merry Christmas:
I guess this one is a simple cultural misunderstanding. They always say Happy Christmas instead of Merry Christmas. I have actually talked to several Japanese about the difference between `Happy` and `Merry.` They don`t see the difference between the two words. They see every western holiday celebrated using `Happy -------` so it makes sense to the Japanese to say Happy Christmas as well. I try to explain to them that merry implies a special spirit connected to Christmas. Having no religious connection to Christmas they miss the point.

Christmas Cake:
This is something I found completely different. I for one had never heard of a Christmas cake until I started living in Japan. Every year all the supermarkets and specialty shops offer up fine quality beautiful cakes to enjoy. Apparently, the Japanese are taking the Christmas Cake tradition from the Brits(at least it appears that way from the Wiki article). It is usually just a fancy sponge cake. I had one last year and it was pretty good. I plan on picking one up this year as well.

Wham! Last Christmas:
In Japan is seems their favorite Christmas song in English is `Last Christmas` by Wham. I often wonder why the Japanese fell in love with a shitty song by a shitty pop band from the 80`s? Almost every place I go in Tokyo I get treated to this damn song. The Japanese seem to care less that the song is not all that good. I think they like it because it has a easy melody and refers to a happier past(the Japanese are obsessed with the past).

A Japanese Christmas is a bit different from what I used to experience in the states but I enjoy the holiday season all the same.

What do you find different about Christmas in Japan?

The 1,000 Yen Tokyo Haircut

Getting a haircut in Tokyo can be expensive. Usually I go a guy who has been cutting my hair for a long time. I have even followed the guy when he switched shops from Harajuku and Shibuya. Well, times are tough for everyone and a 12,000 yen haircut is just not in my budget right now. I can style my own hair pretty good but I am not yet brave enough to do a DIY haircut. I decided the solution would be to break down and get a 1,000 yen ten minute haircut.

I had heard about the amazing 1,000 yen ten minute haircut for a while but never got one. I don`t let just anyone touch my hair but when money gets low and hair gets too long a ten minute haircut starts to sound like a good idea. So, while enjoying a night out I stopped at Kita-Senju and rolled into one these infamous 1,000 yen hair cut joints.

The deal is pretty straight forward. You walk in and feed a little machine 1,000 yen. After you pony up the 1,000 yen the little machine spits out a ticket. There are a row of about two or three people standing next to chairs. You choose the express barber of your choice and the process get underway. Now, there is no way in hell you can get a full cut in ten minutes. Rather, the deal seems to be a quick trim with no fuss. If your Japanese is not so good make sure to bring a native speaker along with you. There is no time to try and explain what you want in broken Japanese. Currently I have been growing my pomp out bigger so all I wanted was to trim up the back part of my hair. My gal told them what I wanted and before my ass evened settled into the seat it was all over.

I cannot say it was the best haircut I had ever received but the job got done none the less. So if you need a quick trim and don`t have the cash for a professional to attack your hair the 1,000 yen haircut is the way to go.

What Ever I Do in Life At Least I Did Not Marry A Video Game

Like most people, I have done several things which are not up to moral snuff. Sometimes people tell me, `You have lived a pretty unique life so far Ghost.` My response to this is, `If I wrote a book about my life, and was completely honest, no one would believe it.` If I ever write that infamous book one chapter will surely be missing: The Time I Married A Video Game. The reason said chapter will be missing is because I never have or will marry a damn video game. The same cannot be said for a Japanese man by the name of Sal9000. According to boingboing.com Sal9000 recently went completely off his rocker and married a video game girl from a popular game called Love Plus.

Some people may say I should be more understanding of post-modern Japanese culture. I do in many ways try my best to humor some of the more unique aspects of post-modern culture here in J-land, but marrying a fucking video game is pushing `We are Japanese and have a unique culture` attitude a bit too far. If anyone in Japan is still clueless as to why the population is decreasing they have to look no further than the case of Sal9000 and his video game wife. What the hell is going on inside the mind of some young Japanese guys these days? There is no way the women in Japan have become so strong willed that the men have been scared to the point of marrying video games. I live in Japan and I know these gal are not that all that hard to deal with usually. They might bitch and moan a bit more than gals back home but for the most part they are pretty easy going in most cases.

What are Japanese guys expecting? Do they really need a completely passive brain dead chick hanging off them 24/7 to feel secure? I am completely baffled as to the reasoning of marrying a video game women. The only positive I can make out is almost no fighting. I don`t think it is possible to get into a screaming match with a video game wife. Sex is also completely out of the question. I wonder if he considered the lack of crazy hot sex when he decided to marry a video game? More than likely this dude either has never had sex or when he did it was so bad he does not want sex anymore.

In a update Sal9000 wrote a email to reporter Lisa Katayama announcing his plans to introduce his wife his to mom and pop soon. I am sure his parents are gonna flip when his shows them his so-called wife. I would not be surprised if his pop beats the crap out of him and smashes his DS into pieces. His mother will more than likely cry and blame herself for her son`s social failure.

Someone is going to have to sit this guy down and explain to him that marrying a video game is not acceptable. I only hope he comes to his senses and gets a real women.