Out in the Heart of Texas

So the Executive Producer and I ended up flying out to Dallas to visit Funimation, one of our co-production partners, before flying out the LA for the week-long slog of AFM. While I don't recommend not sleeping at all on the plane coming out, it is a pretty handy way to combat jetlag. Unfortunately I had forgotten to take into account dinner on the other side, so was basically in a world of pain for a while. Glutton for punishment? Apparently it's genetic.

The DFW springhill suites has an incredible room arrangement with exceedingly comfortable beds and large rooms. I actually felt slight culture shock coming in.

Meeting up with Chris and his wife Leila (plus their daughter Evie in tow) was awesome. We got the 2 bit tour of Dallas looking for restaurants. And for all that we are in Texas, apparently there are NO BBQ places open on Halloween Sunday. It was rather surreal. We ended up at a steakhouse called Sweetgrass, where I reaffirmed my love for steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and a ranch side salad.

I hate to admit it, but it is the food more than anything else (aside from really wanting to see family and friends) that makes me want to come back here. I supposed I have hit a mental plateau with my Japanese for a bit, (especially given that I have a habit to comparing myself to my coworkers... despite the fact they are Thai and Korean) and it makes me want to throw in the towel sometimes. The idea that I won't be here for another 3 years is disturbing, though I suspect moving back here would make me miss Japan just as much. Perhaps I will try to move to Osaka before the soulkilling pit of Tokyo leaves me naught but an empty shell of gaijin OL. Still, I find as I live there longer, I grow used to the sprawling beast of the Japanese capital and like certain aspects of it.

Again too, there is the memory of meeting up with friends and all the adventures I am having out there, that reminds me that I belong in Japan at this current period of my life. Thank goodness I met up with Mika for a quick lunch before leaving Tokyo, or I suspect this trip might have been substantially more painful.

I suspect LA this week will hold a similar challenge for me. Between the day of what is shaping up to be brutal negotiations with Funimation, 8 days of boothwork at AFM, and then a full week of work after, I am just praying I don't get sick. Thank goodness we have the 23rd off!

Faretheewell Ramen

So I am pretty thoroughly convinced that Fred is not a normal cactus. Far more likely is that Fred is possibly plastic. I can't really tell. Between extreme temperatures and being in my not so tender mercies for more than a month, beyond all odds the cactus is still alive and well. Still prickly as ever, but hey, he is a cactus.

Aaron heads back to the States day after tomorrow, and we got together at Asagaya to have some of the thickest ramen I've ever seen. I mean, I stopped eating and the oil and grease started to congeal into not so much a skin... rather more like rhinoceros hide.... Great for guys, but definitely clued me into why I was the only female in the place. Had some great music ensembles such as "It's Raining Men" and "Nine to Five". That second is especially ironic as my boss called from Singapore to ask me to call London to try to get this contract that I'm negotiating done. I is hard for me to bite my tongue and ask my help, but it is really at a point where I'm chasing the company all I can without annoying the absolute hell out of the guy I am dealing with. Makes me look somewhat incompetent, but I can only do so much at this point.

I admit, it was a bittersweet goodbye. I'm a little jealous that he gets to go back, but at the same time, I'm starting new here, so there are more adventures to be had. That is, if little Californian me doesn't freeze in the winter first. Next on the list of stuff to get is winter running gear. Summer just won't cut it.

Adventures in Voice Acting

So had a particulary interesting adventure today. The script I was translating for work is being used as a flash animation, and they pulled me to be one of the voice actors.

Keep in mind, this is the script where I was translating words I don't usually use everyday and wanted to wash my mind out with soap afterwards.

So between me, the two really chill american guys who have live here for longer than I have been alive, and the French gent from my work... we recorded a monstrosity that I don't think I can actually show anyone for fear of making their ears smoke.

I mean literally... my one line part turned into a 10 minute rant of some of the most profane hick vocabulary I could think of...in fact I was drained after a minute and had to get help from the guys. Needless to say, I was using language I would prefer my mother not know I knew... so the joke is we were making a film that we can't show our parents or children. Maybe I can use a pen name?

Random work chaos

So I ran for the first time in a week or so, and something tells me that, despite the sinus infection, I really need to buckle down to training... or I won't survive this marathon.

In other news, last friday I found out that my workplace has a myriad assortment of cosplay costumes, including a multitude of fake girls "seifuku" school uniforms (no don't ask. I don't want to know either). I found this out because one of the girls at work resembles a character in an anime series we are bringing out... so they dressed her up and had a photo shoot... at work. And I thought making okonomiyaki and takoyaki on the clock were strange enough!

Those Crazy Co-workers

So if I needed any proof that my coworkers are absolutely insane, today just about does it. So I got a message from one coworker at about 330A this morning claiming that she was out with two other coworkers drinking. Given what (Y) looked like when he came in around 10:30, I'm inclined to believe it. Ironically, the two women he was supposedly with seemed to be fine, though I now know why he claimed one of them to be "とんでもない". Y was so hung over, he actually went home after an hour or two to sleep it off. And he isn't a small guy. Needless to say, the two women are considerably smaller, so secretly I'm a little impressed.

SLOW work day which consisted of me finally finding something substantial to do inadvertently around 5. Apparently it was for the other 10 of us that happened to be at work today, and so someone hatched a plot to make takoyaki (octopus dumplings) at work. Yes, I said AT work, During work hours. It was like 230 so I don't even know if that qualifies as lunch break. But like 6 of us were happily making the damn things with the blessing of the Exec. Producer (who is in charge when the boss is out of office). So needless to say it was a somewhat surreal experience, though fun. And as it was explained to me, the office is small and has, as the Japanese put it, a "my home" atmosphere, so something like that is more common than I may guess. Maybe I'll bring in Taco makings next time....

Met up with Rebecca who is out visiting from the states. We met across from Pioneer in Meguro with FuruKa and Steve, also old pioneer co-workers. Wajin, the sushi place we went to was really good, though my budget won't be able to handle that again for a bit.

The New Employee from Thailand

Explored Inokashira Park in Kichijoji yesterday, and I think I found my new weekend running spot. It's absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the running path is brick, so I may need to run along side it rather than on it. NO clue how long the loop is, but I intend to look it up.

So the new employee from Thailand got here this morning. I have no doubt she's at a higher level of Japanese than me, but I tried to help her figure out the Ward office crap and suggest a site or two for looking for housing. Not sure yet what I think of her, but I need to stop getting tongue tied every time I meet a foreigner that can outdo me. Regardless of what my competitive nature commands, I won't likely be the best, so I might as well just be.

Went looking for an application for the JLPT (Japanese Lang. Proficiency Test) lev 1 (last minute decision) and found out the deadline was Sept 25th (after running around to two separate stores). So I won't be taking Lev1 in December this year. That leaves me praying I can pass N2 or N1 next year when they bring out the new tests. This is probably a good thing in retrospect, because it gives me more time to be immersed and study.

Still haven't been told a decision as to whether or not they will send me to Cali in November for AFM. I emailed the director in the UK office (the one I don't really care for) and she asked me if I wanted to go. My answer? "While it would be nice to have the opportunity to see family, I want to do what is of the most help to the company." (Feels very Japanese.) That's actually my feeling on it at the moment. A week long convention with no guarantee that my family and friends will make it up to see me (or that I'll have time to see them mind) can only have so much appeal, especially if it is with said woman from the UK....

Party International

So Typhoon 11 decided to make the morning interesting by almost pulling a Mary Poppins on me while on my way to work. Thankfully it didn't rain horizontally... yet.

Day was nothing to talk about, but we had a "nomikai" at the office to welcome the main manager from London and the main worker from the Korean office. So between the Korean gal, the French Gent, the Japanese woman from London, and me, it felt a very international party... complete with Beer, sushi, champagne, wine and... pizza? An odd mix to be sure. Got to see first hand the difference between the Japanese business face and the one they show out of the office... the nomikai face so to speak. It make a huge difference, and I was relieved to be able to simply just chat with many of my coworkers informally. The French gentleman, Sylvain, gave me a good mix of advice too.

Birthday Madness - Escape To Alcatraz

It's interesting to come in to work, and find that the man that I've been working under for a week isn't in fact my boss... and that the president of the company is the one I report to......... yeah. So my boss (Honda) assigns me to read a ton of scripts from an Anime series they are doing (actually about 3) and to report back to him with each set I complete. I got through 3/10 of the first series. At least my Japanese reading hasn't gotten as rusty as my pathetic speech abilities. OH and had some adventures with answering the phone at work. I had two different people in the last 2 days tell me that I should start answering the phone along with the rest of the office (usually it's a who can get to the phone first kind of thing). Answering as a rep for the company has had me scared witless, but with two people telling me, it means that it's been noticed, remarked on, and probably gossiped about until it's in my permanent record, so I bit the bullet and answered the phone today... a couple times. One went well.... one not so well. But I'll keep trying.

Left work a little early (and by early I mean like 6) to go celebrate Diana's 21st Bday out in Shibuya in style. My boss invited me off the cuff to go drinking with "a guest" at like 5:45 and I winced to turn him down saying it was my friend's birthday (ruining potential chances for advancement as the rumor goes) but this was worth turning it down for. Met Diana, Alex, and Ayumi at Hachiko (yes the dog statue) in Shibuya and we walked to this macabre jail themed All You Can Eat restaurant called "Alcatraz". We were given a special show by the "Doctor" checking out "What was wrong" with Diana and were escorted to our own little dining cell, complete with Japanese style table, Bars, and a cudgel with which to beat the bars with when ready to order (the waiters and waitresses were dressed like nurses). We promptly stuffed ourselves with such "prison fare" as steak, chicken, pizza, weird lettuce-chicken-egg salad thingies, and GIANT croquette (or korokke as they call it here). The establishment then did their hourly show where they kill the lights and do a special skit. In this one, they had the DJ come out and get the entire establishment... guests and staff ... sing Happy Birthday to Diana. We even got this giant cake with honest-to-god sparklers on it. Rather spectacular. At the 3,000yen price, it was well worth it.

In terms of housing, I think I managed to get to a point where I can get enough money by tomorrow. I have to find a Sumitomo-Mitsui in the vicinity of either my work or the ward office, but with the final 70,000 from the bank (I can actually take it out of my TokyMits account if I get desperate) and 40,ooo from the ATM (after 4) I'll actually have enough to pay for the initial down payment. Who would have thought!

Tomorrow promises to be a heck of a schedule. I have to get to the Shinagawa Ward Office in Oimachi to go finally pick up my Alien Reg card. Get my butt to work to fax it to the Realtor. Get to a bank either prior to or sometime during my working hours to get money out of the bank. Have lunch with a coworker who was nice enough to invite me to do so. Get to 7/11 or a post office after 4P to get money out of the ATM. And then get my butt to Kichijoji to go in to the Realtor to pay and do contract related stuff around 8P or so. An oh yes... work a full day in there somewhere. Can we have 36 hour days please?

Girls Night Out

Finally opened the damn bank account. It took an hour RT to get to Nihonbashi from Ebisu, and another hour to open the account, but I finally got it done. It took a lot of time out of my workday (and I paid for it dearly when I got back), but huzzah! Now I can get paid!

So work went from like NOTHING on Monday, to filming on Tuesday, to a pile of crap on my desk today. Believe it or not, I'm reveling in it. I wish I had time to finish editing the contract I started this morning, but the producer plops a 61 page script on my desk at 1:30 and asks me to give it the once over so it can be done by 4:30 or 5. Whatever they paid the translator, it was too much. I was honest with my opinion that much of it was poorly translated and would take time to edit to be suitable for the English speaking market. I managed to get it done rushing things a bit, and then was given more time to go back through it with a fine tooth comb. If my coworkers haven't noticed my quirk of tunneled vision when I really concentrate on something, I think they may start to from here on out. Unfortunately I can only think in one language at a time, so it is just as well that I'm concentrating too hard to attempt to talk to anyone.

Oh and apparently as the only native English speaker, I've been asked to fix the English on the site.

Needless to say I'm happy as a clam. I may not be if this keeps up for months at a time, but 6 months of unemployment left me frothing at the mouth for work.

Oh! So I got invited by one of my coworkers, Maki, to go drinking with the girls of the office. The Japanese call it nomikai. Needless to say I went, and had a great time despite the fact I couldn't concentrate and was only catching about 50% of the conversation. Also, there is something disconcerting about sitting next to your boss' wife and only being told that at the end of everything. Overall, it was very fun and I got to know some of my coworkers a bit more. I did try Oolong-hai (oolong tea with vodka) after food and a couple of cokes, but alcohol and me just don't work well, so a coworker of mine finished it off for me. No one forced me to drink, so it was a much better experience than I was expecting.

I can't believe the week is half over!

1rst Day of Work - Getting in the Harness

I have thusly survived my first day of work in Japan! Huzzah. I have to admit, while it's hard to work in Japanese all day long (I got there at 9A and left at 7P with no break for lunch...and only left because an hour before the Boss told me that we keep no timecards, so don't burn out). Admittedly the office is really chill. I still have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing, but I'm getting to like my co-workers. I was a little worried at first since the morning contingent is anything but warm, but at 9am, I think I was expecting too much. There are definitely more foreigners in this office than I thought, and that is for the good (though they can talk circles around me. One more thing to work on!). One of my co-workers even used to live in Torrance, so I've had "It's a Small World" going on in my head all day... I really need to charge the iPod. They have me helping the Producer that I sit next to...let's call him YG, who is extremely personable and was in America for a while. He's scattered and really smart at the same time. They have me going in at 6:30/6:45A tomorrow to help with some filming being done at the office... considering that we are supposed to end at like 10:00P... I'm thinking it is going to be a really, really long day. Still, it's better than being unemployed!

So, the pain in the ass factor of it all is that the account I managed to make is NG. So apparently I have to go way the hell out to Nihonbashi (about 30 min train ride from Ebisu) and open an account sometime this week...*grumble*. Means it could delay my cellphone procurement too. I'm half tempted to just keep the first account, open the second with a small deposit, and then get the phone and change the payment card later (when I close the MSB account). But goddammit I wish they had told me that in the first place!

So my Dad was a saint and sent over the 30 lbs of books my work had sent me, plus a bottle of mustard *love*, and about 14 weeks worth checks from Unemployment *FINALLY*... which unfortunately are absolutely worthless here. Japan doesn't use or honor checks. Ah, adventures.

Japan Observation: I know you read about it in books or see it on TV, but it is absolutely mind boggling to experience rush hour (or rasshuji) in Japan. I mean, Men In Black got filmed in the wrong country entirely! It's like a veritable tidal wave of black, meets yet another wall of black... and it's heading straight for you! If nothing else, it makes drinking coffee in the morning rather superfluous. At least 8:30 on the yamanote line going towards Ebisu wasn't crowded at all, so I didn't have to get intimate with someone's sweaty back.

Work preview and Hachiko

Finally got to go in and see what T. O. Entertainment looks like. Of course I got horribly lost for half an hour first (damn google maps), but I did manage to find it on my own without help in the end. Needless to say, I think the place is a pretty typical Japanese office (sans the fact that you can wear casual clothing) with various bouts of zany-ness thrown in for good measure. I think they are going to be working me hard (I was only supposed to go in for "30 minutes" and that turned into "3 hours"), but it may actually have some fun to it. Within said first three hours, they had me start watching a movie they are bringing out called "RoboGeisha".......... of which I lasted about halfway through before deciding that my mind couldn't take much more. So I get to watch the rest Monday. Oh and apparently we have a "Shiro Robot" model in the smallest of our meeting rooms. All the people seem pretty quirky, and the boss most of all. They seem to have a similar sense of humor.

Also saw this incredible band called "Johnson's Motorcar" perform out in Ikebukuro. With the violinist from FL, the main singer/guitar from Ireland, and the box drummer a Japanese chick, they were absolutely intriguing. I bought a CD for 10 bucks to hear more of their music, but it's this interesting Irish rock fusion type thing. I'll post the video I took of them once I get i up on Youtube.

Oh, on a side note. It's really freaking humid here. Like ridiculously so. To the point where if I step outside of anything airconditioned for a second, all of my pores open up and it's the great flood all over again, with no olive branch in site. It's a handy way to detox, but makes it somewhat inconvenient if you want to, you know, stand up without taking the chair with you. And it doesn't lessen when it rains. Dah! On the plus side, Firework festivals should be going on over the next couple of weeks. So I'm really, really looking forward to that.

Something amusing today. I went and paid about 20 bucks to see "Hachi" with some friends down in Ikebukuro. The movie itself is an odd mix of deep Japanese story set in the quintessential American family movie. And there is something interesting about having Richard Gere cater to a dog. If you don't want to cry, don't watch it. Come to think of it, don't watch it in a country that doesn't let you blow your nose in public either. That became rather inconvenient. But this movie single handedly moved an entire theater of Japanese people (and a handful of gaijin) to tears... for like 40 minutes. From the sounds of sniffles, I really doubt there was a dry eye in the house.