Back to Life Blog Party #1: Saboten Girl
Hey Y’all, it’s your boy, Loco here!
I was at my good friend’s house. She lived on the 4th floor. She was defrosting her out-of-control tiny fridge. I was helping her. There was so much ice all over that thing, it was crazy. So I broke off a piece and thought to myself, “what will this look like if I threw it off the balcony?”
So that’s what I did. I looked around, saw there were no cars or people, and tossed it. It shattered into a million pieces and looked amazing. Wow, I want to do that again! “Hey, look at this,” I said to my friend, and tossed another chunk. Except for this time, my hand slipped and it fell straight down and tore a hole through the awning of the izakaya on the first floor. I immediately realized I was being totally stupid, I could have hurt someone, and I needed to calm down and reassess my life.
Minutes later, a cop showed up at the door. “Did you throw ice?” No. “That was very dangerous if you did.” No, no I didn’t, what, someone threw ice?
A few days later, I went down to say hello to the izakaya people. “Did you hear about the falling ice?” the owner asked me. I went white. “Nooooo, what?”
“Ice fell the other day. From a plane. Can you believe that? The local news came and filmed us and asked me about it. I told them it was a huge piece and it just fell out of the sky, made a huge noise too!” said the izakaya owner, holding his arms out wide to indicate a piece of ice about the size of a person. Then, he showed me a newspaper article about ice falling dangerously from a plane.
Anyway, I’m glad nobody was hurt, and I’m also glad I didn’t get in trouble. And I have tried not to be such an idiot since.
2. Why do I blog about life in Japan?
It’s more that I blog about my life, and I’m in Japan. My beautiful mama’s Japanese and I consider myself about as Japanese as I am American too. I spent half my childhood and all my adult life here, I don’t know much else.
3. Can you tell me about minorities in Japan?
Why yes I can. Despite what everybody says, Japan is not a mono-ethnic, mono-cultural country. It’s not fair that these Japanese minorities don’t get to be included in the Japanese Identity. And that’s what I’m studying right now. I’m in grad school pretending to know what I’m doing.
If anybody wants to talk about their experiences or knowledge or ideas on this subject, please feel free to tell me about it. Like you, Loco. Are you planning on staying here in Japan indefinitely?
Loco told me I could give something a plug. I would like to promote my dear friend’s memoir.
Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights As a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess
By Lea Jacobson
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Bar-Flower-Decadently-Destructive-Nightclub/dp/0312368976
It’s funny, it’s entertaining, you’ll be happy you read it! I make a cameo in it as her bitchy annoying friend. Just like real life. If you want a taste of what she’s like, have a look at the link below. She answers the infamous Kazuhide’s (http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/3015/contact) questions. It’s truly the meeting of two great minds. Try not to laugh too loudly.
http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1694/Kazuhide+Asks!!+(Lea+Jacobson)+
That’s it! Thanks Loco, for letting me stop by your blog.
Check out my tumblr blog if you want at http://sabotengirl.tumblr.com. If you are offended by any of my stories, if I talk about you in any of my stories, or if any of my stories can get me into trouble, please understand that it’s all fiction so lighten up. Otherwise, it’s all true.
Saboten Girl
@ Saboten Girl- Thank you for warming this party up and setting the tone! I feel charmed just to know people like you and be in your good graces. <3
@My readers- Please show my girl some love at the above links. And drop a little love here too if you’re in the spirit and feeling like it’s high time we climb out of the rubble and get Back to Life!
And, please don’t forget to keep Praying for Japan! People are still struggling and suffering!
If you haven’t gotten your copy of Quakebook 2:46 yet, well, it ain’t just gonna materialize on your Kindle! See that big ass link in my sidebar? Use it! And spread the word. A paper version, as well as a Japanese version, are coming soon!
This party WILL continue…
Loco
follow me on:
And, if you got a sec, and in the mood for another side of Loco, check out my new blog:
…
Raw Like Sushi
@rindakat Hey Saboten, Hmmmm…indefinitely is a mighty long time. But I got my new three year visa yesterday so who knows what the future holds? But as long as there are people like you around, I'm sure it'll be a hell of a ride! Or, maybe I'll even be quarantined here with what's going on these days. lol Thanks again for blessing my blog! Nothing but love!!
thanks for letting me crash the party!
Great to hear from you Saboten Girl! that story about the ice was "chilling". Haha OK yeah but seriously I'm glad, as I know you are, that no one was hurt.
I agree that Japan is not so "mono-cultural" as some would have us believe. You can all kinds of influences here if you look: American, Jamaican, French, Indian, Hawaiian, Russian, German, African etc.
And ainu, okinawan, chinese, korean, thai, phillippine, ethnic Japanese "returnees" from south america and china, various ethnic groups a few generations in, mixed raced people from all these combos, even third generation russians born and raised in Japan! exactly.
sorry for the "chilling" tale, haha.
Hello Saboten Girl.
I've only recently discovered your blog and will not deny being one of those who enjoys reading it. I usually start with Loco, visit Badboy (recently more Badboy), and then go on to Saboten (and maybe a few others).
You mention that you are in grad school focusing on minority experiences in Japan. This reminds me of a post a friend made in response to a recent article by Nick Kristof in the New York Times. His notes (as well as Badboy’s reality check “Post Earthquake looting in Japan”) helped me from letting my thoughts get totally derailed with regard to the disaster response and, at the same time, addressed issues around minorities in Japan.
Still trying to find a more efficient way to follow everyone's sobering and relevant posts.
Thanks.
Hello Will!
Have you tried google reader? There are other similar things out there too, but it's a good way to get a feed of all the blogs you're following in one place. It's very convenient, it's how I catch up on all the blogs I read.
Uh… have not tried google reader. I've basically been doing it the hard way. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
Hahahahaha omg that ice story is AMAZING!
Haha, plane ice. Excellent.
I got slammed by this girl a few times. I also got a couple of the most classic one liners ever from her. She gets naked sometimes….not literally …(if anyone has pics though please send em' my way) but emotionally. Absolutely butt naked. I started my new blog with an eye on this site and hers. Envy…it makes ya do things. I wanted to set myself free and watching you 2 showed me the way. I know your both no more than 25 years old
but ya inspired me to get naked and swing my unit infront of the world…rub it on stuff…including peoples faces…..I never felt so much peace and the blog gave me that and I owe both of you.
I don't gas anyone. You both gotta be the best reads on the net.
Saboten's revolving Tumbler themes wreak havok with my AHDH (where the fuck am I?…oh….OHHHH…another theme.) but bein a kid that used to rearange his room about every week…I get it
Nice opening shot on this series.
You have set yourself free, my son. Taken off your pants and set yourself free ; )
WOOHOO! partay! everybody throw ice!
thanks, Loco! (this is Saboten btw).
Great posting. Made me lol several times. Ice on a plane. Classic!
Hahaaa! I`d forgotten that ice story. Wow, you are such a brilliant idiot.
love you too girlfriend! you're lucky I didn't tell a Lea @tokyodaisy story ; )
What a great "ice-breaker" to start the party in motion. Look forward to checking out Saboten's blog as well as the guest bloggers to come.
- daft (aka the ex-lurker who just started posting as B. Nielsen in some of the blogs I've been following. Hope I can keep it up and give the bloggers that deserve it some feedback)
this woman, this Lady Cat – will she rock my rocking chair?