Charles in Japan

Brazil festival in Yoyogi Park

Before the concert.

Evils of the internet

A trend that I hate has gotten worse and worse lately.  Articles on the web sites that have been split into pages.  In many ways there is no real reason you should have to split them up anyway, although if it's really long it might be tolerable. 

I wanted to read this article about Apple vs Microsoft and the WWW.  Look at this blasted page?  Huge fricken banner, an incomplete tab list duplicated on the side, way too much white space and finally halfway down the page the article starts.  You start reading, hit the down arrow twice and it's already asking you to go to the next page.  Their navigation bar still continues on past the bottom of the page.  Hell, on the right side they have a huge graphical ad the text of the article doesn't even reach.  I'd be pissed if I paid for it.  The second page is just as bad and the third only has two paragraphs.  I know you want to show more ads, but at the very least make the content go to the bottom of the page.

This interview with Bjarne Stroustrup I thought would be interesting, but look at this page.  Left sidebar, two right sidebars!  Mostly filled with ads leaving a 20% of the page for the article averaging about 8 words per line.  Seriously, can you tone it down a little bit and still stay in business? 

This is another reason I tend to enjoy reading personal blogs.  They tend to have a much better layout.  I'd call them biased, but most sites are just as bad and try to hide it more.  Some sites like Reid Reviews put most professional publications to shame. 

This article on the rescue of the Cougar Ace is how articles should be put on the web.  One nice long page to scroll and scroll.  Actually I think it was orginally paged, but they have a link clearly labeled 'Full Page'.  This is an amazing article and if you have the time go read it. 

In related interesting articles I've bookmarked I love this one about a Coke machine in Seattle.  I'd almost expect to see something like this in Japan, but I don't think the Japanese would appreciate the humor of the 'mystery' button. 

After seeing kids run around here in Tokyo all by themselves I loved this story about a mother leaving her 9 year old to find his way home.  And no, not about of cruelty, but he wanted to do it himself.  As she points out we aren't living in Baghdad.

Lastly, check out what dogs are learning in Moscow.  In Tokyo all you see are cats and rarely the occasional rat and neither are particularly friendly.

A few thoughts on city planning (part 1?)

One of the great things about living in Tokyo is how convenient things are. I used to think I lived in cities, but how wrong I've been. Kansas City, Dallas, both are just boomburgs. What's a boomburg? Basically just a suburban area that kept growing. It really should be urban, but just never grew up. That got me thinking, what makes a suburb a suburb? I'm sure there are lots of things, but I'm going to say the fault lies with zoning laws.

What brought all this on? Reading about the gas prices going up all over the world has had a lot to do with it. I read today that gas prices are near 8 dollars a gallon in Spain and that the truck drivers are striking and nothing is getting delivered. The higher gas prices are making everything more expensive and food has been going up by itself, gas prices just make it worse. No matter what governments say I don't think we can really do anything about the prices. They aren't coming down, or at least not noticeably. The gas prices are kind of what got me thinking more about Tokyo, but the more I live here the more I really appreciate the good parts of the city.

It's not about designing for public transportation, or discouraging car use. It's really about designing a city for people rather then around cars. I read an article that I can find now that suggested the ratio of parks to parking lots may be best way to determine how livable a city is. When I think back to Dallas the parts I'd liked the most and would prefer to move back to had more parks, smaller streets lined with streets and smaller parking lots. Another thing the article suggested was that humans have an innate need for contact with nature and when people are deprived of that people suffer psychologically. Honestly I think it's true. I've been happier and more relaxed as the weather warms up and I find myself spending more time outside. It made me wonder why I didn't do it more in Texas and really it's just easier here. There are so many little areas to sit out and relax here in Tokyo.

That brings me back to the US and zoning laws. The are designed to protect existing residents and businesses from new developments. Basically it subscribes to the belief that different types of land use are incompatible and undesirable. So what you do end up with? Large areas of houses, then large areas commercial areas, strip malls or shopping malls. All the offices are off in another area. Often these areas don't have through streets or even are surrounded by gates and fences. Ideally you should a 5 or max of 10 minute walk away from the daily stores you need and in many neighborhoods it would take you 10 minutes just to walk out of it, let alone get to a store of any type. That means everyone needs a car, so to connect all these zones you need a large system of roads, preferably large fast roads. Assuming they choose to venture out the large dangerous intersections make crossing to a commercial zone dangerous. Even if you do everything is so far back from the road to accommodate the massive parking lots it's just a pain in the ass.

City planners have seen this as a problem and tried to develop more people friendly areas using different design movements. I'd say most haven't been that successful. One of the main complaints has been that they haven't reduced traffic. They create a web of streets all over. Smaller streets. Stores are set up close to houses and apartments, yet people still drive. Why? They don't really give pedestrians an advantage. If you want people to walk, bike, roller blade you should give them short cuts. One example might be City Place in Dallas as well as some other developments. They generally build them around some residential areas and have some apartments above the stores. There is even a train and bus station nearby but people don't take the train to it often. I think one reason is that they have a large free parking garage right in the middle of it. It's much easier then going to the station, even though it's a short walk away. They tried to make the streets busy, but they are very crowded making it harder on pedestrians and bikers. They probably should of moved parking a little ways away and hopefully it could of been turned into something else in the future. These new developments should really be centered around the station and this is where I think Dallas has made a mistake with many of them so far. Surrounding the train station is just a large parking lot.

Another thing Japan does a great job of is using the front of buildings. There are several places in city place where you walk a long ways besides a new building and see nothing but wall. It's a hotel, but they should of used all that street level space for stores, probably the basement and maybe the second floor too. Now it's just wasted space, not even a small park. A place for the individual or a place for friendship. New apartment builds have the same problem. If the first floors had shops it would of made for a much more lively and interesting area. Zoning laws are probably partly to blame.

Dallas seems like it's made attempts at these public places, but just don't get it yet. I'm not sure I can explain, but even in a city as crowded as Tokyo they are like little oases and you really feel you can go there and relax. You always see kids playing in parks, friends sitting together and talking, people napping or reading books. In Dallas, even where people walk around they just seem abandoned or placed there because someone said they needed it, but without really any thought.

I'd like to write more, but writing this has helped sort things out in my mind too and given me some more things to think about. I just don't think hybrid vehicles and electric cars are going to be the answer for america. How we turn our sprawling suburban nation into something more efficient and people friendly will be an interesting challenge. These large housing developments we've built recently may not be desirable soon and I think people are already starting to see that.

So a gaijin walks into a bar...

just kidding. no bad jokes.

I've been interviewing a lot of people lately for positions at my company. Kind of hard work, but surprisingly, or maybe luckily we've been getting some good people. If you are interested in a software or infrastructure position in Japan let me know. We are looking for people. I met this candidate in Shibuya. I'm surprised we managed to find each other since she left her cell phone at home today. She was a surprisingly strong candidate.

Since I was in Shibuya though, I stopped by Tight for a drink before heading back. I walked in, two Japanese guys, three Japanese women. Awesome! I get to speak some Japanese... until they ask where I am from. 'The US' I say or rather 'amerika desu'. Then I find out all but one speaks English much better then my Japanese and they all was practice English. I get the 'will you teach me English request a couple more times'. I've stopped giving an answer to it anymore and just change the subject, although I'm still too nice and indulge them in English. I didn't come her to teach English and I certainly won't do it for free. 'Teach me English' is the biggest conversation killer you say to me now. No, I don't want your number, no I don't want to see you again. You've been a nice 60 minute friend, but that's all you'll be. It really feels like discrimination, and it is I guess.

I'm kind of looking forward to having everyone's visits done with though. Don't get me wrong, I love everyone who has come over so far and it's been great hanging out and showing people around. I'm SO ready to start some new things and I need the time. Of course these interviews need to end too, or at least I'm going to have to tell them I need more days off from doing that. Rob sent me some ideas to try out too. I'm such a klutz at sports, but I think I'll give it a go.

The Japanese national pastime

If you can only pick one thing for that national pastime in Japan you'd have a hard time convincing me it's not construction. This city is under perpetual construction and often for no good reason that I can tell. I've seen them tear up and repave the same section of street three times since I've been here and apparently it's not uncommon. Coworkers have similar troublesome streets near their houses it.

I went to the coin laundry to wash clothes last week. I was only there for 50 minutes and on the way back I'm greeted with rows of glowing cones, flashy lights, men in bright red uniforms and glowy sticks directing me around (like I could of missed it). There in the middle of the road is a 10'x10' square hole about 8' deep? How in the world did they do it that fast? The next morning it was back to normal.

Ebisu stations has these metal tower things attached to the side of the station. I'm pretty sure they are fire escapes made to look nice, but I'm not 100% sure. I walk by one morning and they have covered scaffolding going all the way up the 8 or so floors. It's there for two days with lots of guys milling around the bottom. I never saw anyone on it, then it's gone and up on the other one the next day. I can't see that they did a blasted thing to it. Put the scaffolding up, tear it down, put it up, tear it down.

The part I love most about construction here is that it reminds me of caterpillars. Everything gets covered up completely. Tall walls and cloth completely covering the building blazoned with the company name. For months nothing seems to change as the building undergoes a metamorphosis. One day it's all gone there is a shiny new building like a butterfly just out of it's cocoon. Yeah, I'm weird.

This building near my apartment just started it's metamorphosis. I wonder what it's going to transform into?

Torture Garden

Well, I finally have time to write about Torture Garden. To sum it up, it was a blast and I'd go again. If it was another country it would probably be a different experience.

First we had a pre-party starting at 7, although I got there a little fashionably late. I found a few new shops near Ebisu Gardens on the way there though, including a good wine shop. I live close by, but I haven't really explored that area at all yet. I picked up some wine and gouda cheese and headed over to the house. The guy must be pretty rich. I got a quick tour of it and it was a really nice place. He had it custom built, so it even had insulation and double paned windows! Yes, double paned windows are something you get excited about when you spend enough time here. Drank a lot of wine and ate snacks and everyone changed clothes around 10 before heading over to the UNIT, which is where Torture Garden was. I had some leather clothes for the event, which I have to say, I look pretty bad ass in.

We had a short wait to get in, and it was cold. It was supposed to snow that night. There were some fantastic costumes there, and some skin, although those people were freezing their ass off out there. The entrance fee was 5000 yen, or almost $50. I must be getting more used to Japan, because I didn't even hesitate paying it and didn't think about it until later. I'd rather go homeless then pay $50 to get into a club in Dallas.

I described it earlier as a fetish fashion party and that turned out to be a pretty good description. Most people were wearing some kind of leather, latex clothing or otherwise in costume. The amount of skin varied, and sometimes they weren't wearing much. :) One guy next to us in line had this amazing lightup kind of dinosaur looking thing. Others weren't wearing much more then a body harness.

If that's all it was it wouldn't of seemed much different then a really wild club, but it was the other stuff and shows they had going on that made it more interesting. On the first floor they had a fashion show that I caught, and Lucifire. I know she played around with fire, fire breathing, extinguishing the flame it in her mouth and other stuff. At the beginning she called up a volunteer and pounded a nail into her skull through the eye socket. At least that's what it looked like, I was a little far, but it was a real nail. That much I'm sure of. Ugh, my eye and head hurt thinking about it. She made the cute little volunteer pound it in then pull it partway out and put it back in before finally removing it. What I wasn't expecting was her husband(!?!). At least that's what she introduced him as. He was more like a heavily tattooed pain slave. I don't remember everything in particular, not that you want to hear all of it anyway. One part that stands out vividly was when she stapled (with a staple gun) several balloons to his back, then proceeded to pop them by throwing darts at them. These darts stuck under the skin and the blood wasn't a lie.

This was nothing compared to the Psycho Cyborgs though. I forgot to take pictures of them, but if you search on the web you can find lots of images and videos. They are a body modification group, so lots of fun stuff poking out from the skin. Imagine the borg, but it's all real and you get to see it go in. Just be prepared with a strong stomach. Definitely an experience though.

By the time we left around 4 or 4:30am it was snowing outside which made the walk home rather slippery. I probably should of taken a cab, but it wasn't far.

I took a few pictures, but it was really too dark for anything to turn out and I'm not sure photos were that welcome there. If you noticed I haven't been posting much lately. The trial version of the software I was using expired and I haven't decided if I'm going to purchase it yet. That and I downloaded some videos so my hard drive is almost completely full.

Overall it was a lot more fun then I expected. Part of the reason is probably because it's Japan. No matter what you do things feel safer here. If they return next year I'll probably go again. I could write more and try and describe some of the cool outfits I saw, but I don't think my words would do it justice. Just something you have to go to. Anyhow, following this you might see some more reviews on some more rather unique underground stores and events in Tokyo.

The interviews at work went well Sunday, at least a couple possibilities out of 6 people which is better then we've had lately. We went out to eat afterwards and I got home around 2pm I think and crawled into bed and slept.

The Japanese are the laziest more boring people I've ever met

I don't want to say I'm speaking for all Japanese, just a large number of them that I've here.  I've heard it many many times, maybe you have heard.  The national pastime in Japan is sleeping.  It's true.  On the weekends maybe 2/3s of the Tokyo population is out.  The other 1/3rd is sleeping.  Not cleaning their house, cooking, reading, watching TV, playing video games...  No, they are sleeping.  If you here otherwise, don't believe it.  I've been here... what, four months?  I've made plans to meet with someone after noon, mostly at 2-3pm or later.  More times then I can count on both hands I've gotten a message an hour or less before when we were supposed to meet along the lines of "I just woke up, can we meet [an hour or two from the time we decided]?"  Ok, sure, whatever.  I'm not mad, I only turned down 2 or 3 other things I could of been doing today.  I'm already on the train going to where ever, so I find a coffee shop, order something made from beans and proceed to add enough milk and sugar that the employees who made it wouldn't even be able to identify it.  Perfect.  Browse the internet on the my cell phone.  Finally, the new meeting time approaches!  "I'm running late, I'll be there in another hour.  (^_^;)"  WTF?!  They always add some face to the message to show how sorry they are.  Hell, I bitched all the time about how long it took people in Dallas to get together and go someplace, but they look like the road runner compared to these people.  So finally they show up, IF I'm lucky.  Just this past weekend I went through this whole process again only to have them cancel 90 minutes after we were supposed to have met in the first place.  If I go homicidal here, this will be the reason, and you'll know they deserved it.   Otherwise they show up, long past the time reservations were made, the museum was open or whatever we had planned to do.  What's left?  Go eat and drink. 

Every form of entertainment for the Japanese involves food or alcohol.  100%!  I've met one person that has a boyfriend that surfs in the summer.  Women shop, but that includes lots of time eating at cafes and buying sweets, so it doesn't count.  Seriously, no one here has hobbies.  Clubbing and karaoke do not count.  The great Dallas area, including Ft. Worth has about 5 million people.  The great Tokyo area has about 35 million people, 7 times as many for those of you bad at math.  There are more hobbies and extracurricular activities going on there then the entirety of Tokyo, possibility Japan.  This has been my new quest recently.  Find people here that do something besides work, eat, shit and sleep.  I think I'd have a higher chance of meeting Lord Voldemort on the streets of Shibuya.  Occasionally, after sleeping for a month, they get the energy to go do something like to go Disney Land.  I only find out about this when I get a response from them a few days late about their weekend plans.  "What am I doing?" they ask?  Wishing I was at f**king Disneyland too.  Thanks!  (^_^)

The obvious  solution is to find my own hobbies.  I've started looking, but I have to admit it's hard finding classes or other things here.  I'm sure the language barrier isn't helping, but of those I do find, times and/or distances make it difficult if not impossible to attend.  Foreigners by far seem the easiest to meet, but I've been trying to avoid that.  Some Japanese guys I know here have said they'll invite me to a gokon, basically a group blind date that might be a good way to meet Japanese.  What does it involve?  Food and liquor.  It's mostly used to overcome the shyness that the Japanese claim to suffer from.

Now, after all the complaining, I'm not unhappy here.  Things are still new, fun and I'm still adapting.  I just can't shake the feeling that people here are rather two dimensional and boring.  I'm slowly remembering things I've heard from people in the past, foreign and Japanese along similar lines that I dismissed in the past.  Anyhow, on a good note, I have plans for this Wednesday, Thursday and probably Friday.  Every single one of them involves food and probably more alcohol then I should be drinking.  If one of them work out it will make for a pretty good week.