a look around the corner

Here are some photos I took today on my travels around Ofuna. I wanted to show everyone the area in which I'm staying. Maybe I'll do it again to another area sometime. OOOOhhhhhhIIIIIIIAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUREEEEETTTT>.......

this is hilarious

what is he saying?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUpfqO7jIwc

すみません、懐かしい

Recently I haven't been on this website to update the viewers with my life and goings on. I apologize for that as I have no good reason to have slacked, perhaps I was just feeling a bit lazy lately. I went to a picnic with the Leafcup Cafe group last weekend to Kasai Rinkai park near Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba. It was a lot of fun. Last night we also had a crazily packed party in the cafe where probably about 60 or more people showed up. Fun times. I wore a polka dot sweater and deemed myself "domino man." That was the extent of my costume. In other news I am going to be a hair model for a salon show in Jiyugaoka. I am very proud of all the hard work I put into getting this job. I just randomly decided to stop in Jiyugaoka for lunch or something (neither of which I got), but as soon as I stepped out of the train station some girls stopped me and asked me to model for a haircut in a couple of weeks. Of course I said yes because firstly I have lots of time to give away these days, secondly I'll need a haircut by then, and THIRDLEEEE because it's free! Maybe they can give me a perm or something very stylish. I can only dream. Today, Naoko's mother sent us a box of Mikan oranges. A very full large box of oranges!!! Lots of vitamin C and lots of juggling practice! I'm trying to record music tonight but it's a bit akward sitting on the floor with cats running around all the time. Oh well, gotta work hard for the money right? I had a strange dream last night in which I had returned to the US and was visiting my brother Danny in his new studio apartment in some strange part of Seattle that doesn't exist. I felt that I intensely missed Japan, when I woke up I tried to remember what it was I missed so much but for some reason I couldn't think of anything. It was a weird feeling, not longing for someone or something, just some strange absence I couldn't lay my fingers on. or toes.

たくさん子供ですね

inari sushi on a blue tarp still tastes the same

Well I've been staying with my friends Aki and Noriko the last few days. I've had some commitments around Tokyo consecutively so I figured I may as well stay closer to that area. It was fun, our friend Yudai came down from Sapporo, Hokkaido and we went bowling one evening, watched a movie about Bobby Darin, relaxed and such. I then worked at the Leafcup cafe a couple days and yesterday, we went on picnic@@@!! So exciting. I felt like we were on a fieldtrip or something amazing like that. The Old man in the picture owns a fruit stand. I was buying fruit with Yudai and decided we should have our photo taken. Then he gave us both free mikan oranges. Nice guy. From what I know of him anyhow; always giving things of value to others, smiling, saying 'thank you.' etc. I know it's all topical stuff but I'm probably never going to see him again, so in my mind he is wonderful. what?!?!?!? I'm having contact lenses shipped to me from the states as well, hooray. only about 1 month left here? strange.

JAPAN IS AN ISLAND (several)

My musical brain itches! I've been playing guitar a lot these last few days, and so many ideas have been popping up, I need to play these ideas loud, in a nice place, with some good people. I'm pretty slow with the cubase recording program, so it's not so easy for me to just sit down at the computer and record music quickly. Plus, this apartment is tiny tiny and not so comfortable to set up a space to record in. Sitting on the floor isn't so bad though, I just don't have a proper stand to hold the microphone with. Maybe I'll buy one!? maybe. Last night was fun. Naoko, Aya, and myself made a funny dinner together and watched the movie 'hotel rwanda.' It was interesting, I think it was hard for Naoko or Aya to laugh for some time after watching the movie. I'll be working more at the cafe leafcup this week and next, and actually we're going on a 'staff picnic' to some really nice park by the ocean. alright! we can build employee morale. Anyway I'm off to purchase more tofu then I think I'll be meeting up with Atsushi to exchange languages.

it's hot today! I thought summer was finished

The music is from the newest buffalo daughter album which I purchased yesterday, sometimes they are so goofy.

euphorica ka kah kAA

I purchased buffalo daughter's latest album today. It's called, "euphorica" and it has some mean music recorded onto it. I guess it also serves some dvd functions and I have yet to view them, I'm sure it will be interesting. Speaking of Japanese music, I found out about a Takagi Masakatsu performance that will be going down on the 27th of this month in Harajuku. I'm really excited to see his visual element mixed with really interesting musical compositions. Today I met up with Mino and his friend Shiori in 'Naka Meguro' where we dined for dinner at a vegan restaurant called 'cafe 8.' It was GOa od. I had Eringi mushrooms with tofu in a curry sauce and liked to eat it and put it down my throat. enough blah blah blah I'm listening to my new cd I purchased today. and look at the photos? tyler

hope you're concentrating come on baby

Here are some pictures of a beautiful day in Ofuna. The sky was intensely blue and the clouds had no threat of dumping liquid. It's starting to get really cool in the evening and it actually feels like a comfortable place now! It's really nice..... Today I'm going to Machida city to meet with a guy from the internet and we'll be exchanging languages; I'll be teaching him some more English skillzzzzz, and I'll learn some Japanese from him too. Then after that I may be heading down to Yokohama to attend a 'jam session' hosted by a group called "soil and pimp." I guess if you are a musician, any musician, you can join them on the stage for some time and play music with them, so I'm gonna do it. peacE!!!

nejtubg dabytc (melting dance)

asian balance!

here's some of the latest "cuisine" I've prepared (usually just for myself, no one else is home). i made a latte for aya and she was so "ureshi." happy. woohoo!! I know i look tired in that video, don't worry I fee much better now!

g e o m e t r y .

here's to angles!

walking walking walking

Today I spend many hours just walking around. I had no commitments, so I figured I should at least get out of the apartment and get some excercise! My journey on foot took me all around Ofuna, visiting areas of the city I've not been to yet. So it was interesting when I would pop out at some intersection or park and think to myself, "oh, this place. I know this place." Then I recorded some music with my brand new mic cable! yeah! microphone cable!!!! It works great of course, and I hope that soon I'll be uploading some new music onto the internet for all to hear. Speaking of recording, I've been using a new program (new to me) called cubase, it's a lot more complex than n-track (what I used to have) but I'm getting the hang of it. Did you know that Leonard Cohen wrote novels!? I'm going to start reading "beautiful losers" after I finish "the narrow corner" by l......W. Somerset Maugham. heard of him? her?! I'm not really sure but it's a strange story so far about a doctor that lives in china and travels to some strange islands for operations. And he likes to be entertained by peoples' unique qualities. I don't know, Demian was much better. here are some photos I took today!? And tomorrow I'll be meeting with a guy named Atsushi near Ofuna to discuss possiblites of English Lessons. It would be really nice because he wants to have lessons 3 times a week and he would be paying of course. !! =tyler

nevertheless wondering wanderer

I need to buy a microphone cable. Of the two that I brought with me, neither one of them are functioning very well. I just plug them in and here "crackle crackle zipploy" and I can't really record anything musically and clearly like that! So tomorrow before my shift at the English cafe I think I'll head on over to Ochanomizu for some extreme musical instrument shopping. The town 'Ochanomizu' is really interesting and I haven't yet seen it this time in Japan. A crowded music shop is packed to the ceiling and front door with guitars, basses, violins, keyboards, african drums, everything you can imagine. And it's not just one store either, there are literally about 20 or so that have all the same offerings. Totally insane. So I'll be there tomorrow and then afterward I'm going back into the paid conversation world. Maybe we'll talk about alternative energy sources again! Or maybe whether mandatory foreign language classes have a proper place in the Japanese school system. I met a professional koto player last time, and she also studied surfing in Hawaii. After my first day working there I'm all the more excited to find out whatever these new faces are thinking! Last night I hung out with Noriko and Aki in there place, it was very fun funf . Today was pretty slow, just cooked some sweet potato, shiitake, tofu, bok choy stew. tasty tsasy! sado alright hope you are still out there! love, tylerrrrr