[#66] Grrrreat Show!

Ran out of my office right after 5 pm and rushing towards the theatre. I feel I'm such a radical doing this in Japan! I did exactly the same thing last night for the final rehearsal and it was fine. Nobody was blaming me for leaving so why not do it again?

Last night, our first and final costume rehearsal on real stage, I took sooooo many fotos. Might be my only chance to take fotos, and they all surprised me. I didn't use any flash and they turned out to be so fabulous! Each scene I took could be made into a poster or something! I'm so proud of my digi-cam now. Since I have many friends who will go to the shows from tomorrow and so on, I'll not let the pics out until later...

And tonight, the real show #1 was just FANTASTIC! I was working back stage and had no chance watching the show at all but kept peeping through the curtains...OMG I just loved the reactions of the audience and everyone from the cast loved that too! We were having such a blast on or off stage!

So funny that when we had to make smoke for the dream sequence, we were almost choking to death. God this smoke is stinky and it was way too much for backstage. It was my first experience being so close to the smoke and get choked, and that felt...quite nice, haha!

Then after the show, director, who used to be such a strong, demanding bitch throughout the whole rehearsals, came behind the curtain and gave everyone huge bear hugs and lots lots of tears...I'm talking about... a LOT! Well it's forgiven coz it actually WAS a great show! All I did was taking lots of fotos and laughed at her face. Now she can be proud of herself and go home bragging about it to everyone and herself! Actually we didn't go home. We went out to this Kusuo Bar in Nichome, to have a few drinks and to absorb the aftertaste from the show. It's a gay bar and so nice to see that everyone was there. Of course everyone including the director was still excited, so for the first part it was just talk talk talk! Then we, who are not gonna be on stage, sang a few songs...including Lenne, the director. She sang 'Summer Time' and she just went like BANG! and shocked everyone! She's such a great singer and most of the crew had no idea! Then I had to leave coz it was already 2am and I have work tomorrow! Uhh, life sux! But at least this Fiddler is gonna give me some satisfaction untill the final party party party was finished. Oh speaking of which, the cast and crew party is gonna be on 22 May, my birthday, yohoo!

Me wearing the Fiddler Tee, with 'Fruma Sarah' and 'Constable'

John: Tevye. A great friend, a gorgeous singer and an absolutely fabulous actor!

Lenne: Best smile of the year.

[#65] Golden Week

It's Golden Week in Japan, so have about a week's holiday and I'm currently enjoying it!

#1> Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles!

One day morning after I woke up, I found my computer was totally dead and it seemed there is no way to boot it up...not even by giving an artificial respiration! (That was also the reason why I couldn't update for so long!) After asking a few freind's opinion I realized in horror that it seemed it was the mother board's problem! WTH! My computer was bought years ago, second-hand at that time, and has been used for so more than 3 years till now... The mother board was broken means that I'll have to change a new computer but what about the data in my HD! More than 3 years of data!

I opened the computer case, gave it a thorough clean-up (soooo much dust inside, yuk!) but it still refused to start up. So I went to Akihabara, the biggest 'electronic town' to look for a new computer but couldn't find a good-and-cheap one. Even I found one, I thought, I still have to figure out how to transfer the data from my old HDD...such a big headache!

I finally gave up shopping for new one and went home facing my broken computer which looked like a pile of useless waste now. 3 days or so has passed and once when I was touching here and there on the motherboard trying to see if there was a burnt circuit or not... then something dramatical happened. Two nails I took off from the computer outbox in order to open it, fell from desk and directly dropped onto the mother-board. All of a sudden the whole compter started moving again! And the monitor turned on too, showing everything was alright! What a miracle that is! I kept wondering what if the nails didn't happen to fall off and hit the board!?!?!? What a blessing on my head So I hurried copying all my data from my HDD to another extra HDD, just in case it broke down again. However, I'm using 'my precious' like usual now without a problem! Heeeheee!

#2> Karaoke
Dun have to say too much about that, just look at the fotos of the people I sang Karaoke with and imagine how much fun I've had

#3> BBQ
Was invited to a BBQ party at Nishi-Kasai, got to know someone who I was always afraid to know even I've seen him around for 4 years...actually he's quite nice. His parents, aunties and heaps of relatives were there, along with his loads of gay friends/fag-hags and his boyfriend there at the same BBQ...yet no one from his family knows he's gay!!! Guess even they know, it won't be a bit deal to them coz they are too...blunt. It was a lovely group and we had so much Yakiniku and tons of other food. It was by the river and you could see a thousand BBQ spots around. It was drizzling but later it got sunny, so we went out to swan-boat racing. It was sooo much fun! It looks excatly like a Mardi Gras on river.

And...of course, after that we went to Karaoke!

#4> Singer Simon

Met this great singer Simon and can't believe that I just met him...he'd been in Japan for 9 years and was finally back to Australia. This time just a short visit to Japan. I met him through a friend and we went to sing from bars to bars! That's why my voice is so *ducky*  now... Wherever we went people just stared at us coz we were such good combination while singing. Too bad that he had to leave so soon. All the singers I met left soon. Bad luck is all I can say. I'll miss him a lot.

#5> And after all that Jazz

...I have to face the biggest blue after this Golden Week at work tomorrow...that sucks!!!

[#64] Had A Great Weekend!

Put a new song on the background but dun know if you can hear it. Can somebody tell me? Found that in a bar two weeks ago and just got the name from the bar tender yesterday! Guess it's a Russian piano player and it's getting big now in UK. (See link below) Will try to find the whole song later.

I'm going to Karaoke too much recently! Have to let my voice rest! Rehearsals this weekend went great and after that we went out and OMG, there was just so much mischief happening between my friends and I could't even believe that I have friends like this I have taken fotos how they enjoyed themselves in Dragon, a quite *dark* dancing place, just in case they forgot the next day or deny it, hehe. Due to the rank of the fotos, I prefer not to show it here coz I know some readers are not old enough to be legal to see them yet

I've been out a lot recently and the number of guys who want to date me or at least take me home, added up to a pretty 'noticable' degree. But I'm shutting my door as usual and giving no one a chance or in another word, being stupid. The horrible thing is, whenever they knew what my trouble is, they preach! Of course it's always the blah blah blah about moving on with your life, etc. It was ok in the beginning that I still think I can pretend that I'm listening. Later whenever some lesson starts I just wanna say Talk To You Later! Also I wanna tell them that look, I was quite fucked up in my first relationship and dun want to let anything happen now and you just have to respect that. Moving on with one's life is pretty good but life can't always be about moving on, otherwise it must be pretty messy! I'm not sure what I'm looking for now but I know what I DON'T want. And what's wrong about taking my time? It's been more than half a year but I still feel that we just broke up a few weeks ago. It's been over 2 or 3 weeks that he hadn't written me a single word or give me a single call. I feel so strange, think he does too but he's with other people somehow and at least won't be so lonely. I'm not even used to that! I know I'm lonely inside but just dun feel right or ready to start anything with anyone. It's now still as painful as ever and sometimes even worse. I won't mind at all if people want to have a laugh over that coz that's me and that's always been me. If I could change, I would've changed long time ago and that's not me any more...so what's fun in that!?

[#62] Angel   -- Sarah Mclachlan

Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always some reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memories seep from my veins
let me be empty
oh and weightless then maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of the angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you feel
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lies
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe
in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you feel
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

[#61] Wala Wala Wala!

Okay, this is my weekend. A birthday party, rehearsal, then a farewell party...and it's already the end of Monday but I'm still in party mode. Work sucks. Have been feeling low recently, not because of the pressure but something else kept bothering me. I'd not rather say but I know as always that it's not gonna go away for a while.

Have so many fotos from rehearsals and want to share with you little by little. Here is a part.

and...special thanx to:

...for just being around! They are sooooo cute!

[#60] Karaoke Freaks!

I've never been sooo tired in my life! I fell asleep at work on Friday, even it was really shortly...can you believe it?

But to be honest, I love the time when I'm off work. Coz the newby salary man can jump on the train and go have a break with some friends.

William is a friend that I wished I knew ealier but in the meantime, stange enough to say, I feel that I've always known him... we just have way too much in common. He has been in Japan for years and is going back to Canada with his boyfriend in a week. He's such a great singer and coz he's leaving, we (two other friends and I) decided to go to sing Karaoke on Friday night. We went to a place I've never heard in Roppongi...for some reason the girls just love to go to Roppongi. Well, to my surprise, there were much more English songs than other Karaoke Boxes I've ever been to...but the problem was...the wall between our room and the next one was too thin and we could hear every single word the next room sang! So we asked to change room and luckily we made it! Much better this time. William just has such an amazing voice while Anna and Holly, both of which are in the Fiddler show, were kicking-ass singers too.

2 V.S.1  Looks like they are competing with each other Great facial expressions!

From left: William, Holly and Anna. BTW, did I mention that William is Anna's voice training teacher? Girls, fight! Gambare!

Then we ended up going to Fuji Bar where William's friend Takeshi, a very fun, drunk bloke (or...fun because drunk? was waiting. Then another 5 hours singing until 5:30am! I just felt that I've never sung so many songs all at once in my life (Sinlent All These Years!!! )...and last night made me feel great!

[#59] Extra Footnotes

Think I have some extra footnotes about the stuff I wrote in my last entry.

First of all, maybe because it was the first time I went to a hostess club so it made me nervous or a little 'over-reacted' before my boss: I told him once after we got inside that I need to go home early, like a nice child. Maybe I should have just stay relaxed.

Secondly, talking to girls doesn't make me feel bad AT ALL! I enjoy talking to girls and I have many girl friends... I didn't make it clear in my last entry that it's the idea to pay some girls to talk and fake-smile to you gets my nervs. I favour talking to girls but not in this kind of situation. It's not because that I'm gay. Even I was surrounded by boys at a host bar, I won't feel comfortable at all...well I won't go to a host bar for the first place. It's just someone else's interest but not mine... It's ok that there are certain businesses in the world, but I just think this kinda relationship is so bully...especially when I see my boss and senpai tried to touch the girls' breasts while they tried to run away!

Well it's been a long day at work and went to rehearsal after that. Both went well but I need to get some sleep so TTYL!

BTW, do you know that Astro Boy Atom was born in Takadanobaba -- where I live and every year there is a celebration on his birthday?

A few more pics from Saturday @ Roppongi Hills, excellent weather.

[#58] YUK!

First week at work. The training was finished and I have lots to learn. The after-work-rehearsals also went well. Everything's so far so good...except that the worst thing just happened today...The boss took us: me another newbie, plus another guy who's one year above us, to a gorgeous B.B.Q. place...the meat was soooo delicious. But after that, the boss took us staight into a Snack Bar! My virgin experience...but the good thing was I just need to sit down and talk to the girl when my boss is enjoying himself drinking his head off with the girls. Horrible! Eeeew!But anyway, I'm still alive.

I know that I have so many London diaries left there but I promise you will read them as fresh as I was still there, !

London Diary (Day 3, 29 Feb)

Dirk took me to Tower Bridge and we started a walk along the Thames River from there. It was so nice to have him beside me explaining the history of every important building, monument or tower, and big or small stories happened behind them... otherwise I would have had so less fun to just walking past them or reading a guide-book while walking and bump into a tree trunk.

I really love the scene alongside the Thames!

Right across London Bridge Stn. Southwark Church. Surprise! Cherry blossoms so early in London...wait a sec, oh, there are cherry trees in London!

Walked by a small 'torture museum'...welcome to the dark mid-centry! Inside that cage, was that human being once?

2 shots in which you can see the Millenium Bridge

So when we got to the LONDON EYE, the biggest Ferri wheel in world, it was already dark...and this lady, who was a street performer, dressed and paited herself in gold and sat there like a statue. This became one of my favorite fotos!

[#57] Second Day At Work and A Happy Saturday

Thank you all for picking up the tie for me! I've made my decission so I'm gonna go get it! ...Only when I have money!  LOL!

Friday:

WORK: Second day at wok was great. Well as I said it's not real 'work' yet but just training and all that shit. But I felt much 'awake' coz 1. Maybe I was already used to the bubbling hours after hours 2. The stuff one guy talked about in the afternoon got me interested. It was some technical stuff about semiconductor and I'm in market division so I have to deal with technic...which has always been something I was afraid of. But since that training lesson, I was like: hey, maybe I can do it. He was talking about something involves software or computer so I was interested and feel eager to learn. Hope I can keep this 'MOJO' as long as I can after the real work starts. Oh by the way I got my business card...with only one letter 'e' as my English name on the back of it (They asked my opinion and I told them to put on that). How cool is that!

NOMIKAI: After work there is this welcome party for us newbies. So we all went to Nomikai. Nomi is Drink and Kai is some meeting thingy. In Japan you are supposed to deepen your relationships with other people through drinking as a way of communication, so it's also called Nommunication -- a great conbination of words! They all loved me coz some thought I'm cute, some recognized me from the commercial and some thought it's cool that I can speak 3 languages so the company can take advantage later. The things I hate about a Japanese company is they never pay attention to their language in front of girls and sometimes it can be such a sexual harrassment against females! Just because they are the executives? They would ask the boys what kinda girls you like or what kind of guys do you think girls will like...right in front of girls during a class or at Nomikai or anywhere and never give it a second thought or never ask the same questions to the girls. The girls are usually saying nothing or just lowering their head. They are all not really bad people, but I'm afraid to say that in other contries, they are all assholes. They are simply under this culture that females are used  to abusement and harrassment! So sad.

NICHOME: After the Nomikai, they went to the Nijikai -- a second Nomikai...but I didn't feel like it so I just left. I felt good coz I'm not doing something I dun want to just because the boss likes me to do, like all the other people who went! I'm such a rebellion. So I went straight to Nichome (gay area in Tokyo) to have a drink with my friends. On my way, I felt kinda low coz I was thinking about my ex but after 10 minutes I got there, there he was! On the street corner with a friend! We had a conversation...after all I felt that being friends still isn't easy.  After I got back with my friends and had a few laughs, I felt better... I've loving my friends more!

Saturday:

Only 2 days at work already made me exhausted and I didn't get up until 6:00pm! (Well I went to sleep late too.) I thought I missed rehearsal but found out that it's still going on. So hurried up and got there to catch the director losing her temper on the casts talking  too much and too loud around. And obviously, her screaming was very effective. Well it's not hard to imagine the pressure when one has a 50 cast show and people keeps skipping rehearsals while under a time limit. But the rehearsal went well in general and after that, I went to bar Advocates to have a drink with friends. Haychan was back and was spreading all his stories in Sapporo.

Then Laura, Jona C.(C for Cunt) and me went to the Kyusyu Boy Bar to have somee Karaoke fun...while the main purpose is to see Laura's 'love', a cute Taiwanese bar-tender there who only works on Saturday night...and yes, he is very cute. (Pics are in Laura's camera so wait a while and you'll see them.) Syo-chan, the bar-tender sang so many Chinese songs with me and it was nice to have someone singing Chinese coz it's been a while. Then four of us went out for breakfast and Syo-chan was stalked by a 50 y/o professor but we got rid of him using out secret code. That was so much fun!

Here are only two pics I took of Laura and Jona with my fone, in which you can see how PROFESSIONAL they are!

P.S. I finally had my CDS: 'The Phantom The Opera' and Josh Groban delivered to my door. I bought them through Amazon only for $20 and they are not used ones!!!

[#56] E-xhausted!

First day at work went great. Got to company early. It was not 'work' yet at all, no work in the first week. After countless stand-ups and bows, the ceremony was done! Then was the training., then lunch with the president and training in the afternoon again.Coz only 4 newbies so it was pretty tensive and everybody was sleepy after lunch Have never been so consentrated before at any class...ooops. Finally after everything has been taught (for example the use of a copy machine???), it was 5:00 so we could go home. Not a bad day but was just tired.

Hurried off to the rehearsal at Roppongi, new place which took me forever to find it...The first day casts put on costumes and they really look GREAT! Fotos comes later...I'm too tired to upload them now. The whole thing went great.

Then again I was on my way! To see a friend who just came to Japan from the states. He's been to Japan a thousand times and actually this time he came with his boy! (More story about him later.)We had a nice time, they were tired too so we said bye and went home...It was raining cats and dogs when we left and now it's 1:00am and I'm finally at home. Have an early day tomorrow so g'nite and take care!       --^e^