TravelStream™ news feed for member maverickranger on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/maverickranger en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:29:34 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1244088000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1244088000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1244088000/tpod.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:29:34 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

Yesterday I got to see VAMPS live! \(^o^)/ Someone has already posted a set list. This was my first non-visual kei concert so I wasn't sure what to expect. After grabbing a quick dinner at the nearby McDonalds, which had been taken over my VAMPS fans, I met up with Kavita. We were in the C line, which was the very last set of people.&nbsp; The VAMPS crowd was different from what I was used to: older and a lot more guys.&nbsp; I regretted not wearing my boots since Kavita and I wound up behind tall people.&nbsp; Every last inch of the place was packed.&nbsp; Zepp Sendai had transformed into the VAMPS castle.&nbsp; The graffiti decorations on the black walls alongside the candles and red curtains typified VAMPS style: rock 'n' rollers with street style and gothic sensibility.&nbsp; Projected over the stage was a giant digital clock.&nbsp; Kavita and I wondered why the concert was scheduled to start at 7:06.&nbsp; Then we put two and two together and realized that 7:06 = 6:66, which is Hyde's trademark number (chosen for its dark connotations and because "666" in Japanese is "<i>roku roku roku", a homonym for "rock rock rock").When the clock struck 6:66, Hyde, K.A.Z., and their support band burst onto stage.&nbsp; I couldn’t see the guys, but I felt the energy soar.&nbsp; They began with “Sex Blood Rock 'n’ Roll”, which sounded to me like “Six Foot Rock 'n’ Roll” (sorry, Hyde).&nbsp; Arimatsu’s furious drumming really set the beat for the rest of the night, as there was lots of headbanging, fist pumping, and jumping to that song and a lot of others.&nbsp; The next tune, “It’s Sad”, had deliciously (yes, deliciously) dark guitar riffs by K.A.Z. and an equally sexy bass line by Ju-ken.&nbsp; Ju-ken enjoying getting the crowd pumped and showing off.&nbsp; After playing “Dolly”, Hyde addressed us with a growl and a string of rapid Japanese that I didn’t understand… besides the part when he yelled out “Sex!” ^^;;&nbsp; The first bars of the next song made the crowd go wild because it belonged to “I Gotta Kick Start Now.”&nbsp; Everybody clapped along during the catchy chorus.&nbsp; The mood mellowed out with the ethereal “Cosmos”.&nbsp; Hyde’s vocals were beautiful; he seamlessly transitioned from his usual low sound to the high notes.&nbsp; The lighting, his 80s rocker-esque flowing hair, and his white outfit constrasted with the black of the others made him seem like an angel…a vampiric angel like Lestat, that is.&nbsp; :D&nbsp; “Time Goes By”, another softer song, had a floating, dreamlike feel.&nbsp; Then, Hyde growled at the crowd again.&nbsp; This time, I managed to pick up on a few things he said.&nbsp; He almost forgot that this was their fourth concert in Sendai (VAMPS’ tour involves them playing six shows in every city).&nbsp; He also mentioned shopping at Loft and Parco, buying eyeliner, and making a surprise visit at a Dominican high school with K.A.Z.Hyde announced that “Secret in My Heart” was up next.&nbsp; His pronunciation of the title was flawless, which made me conclude that his English is very hit or miss.&nbsp; Headbanging resumed with “Countdown”, another really sexy song.&nbsp; Then the spotlight was on Jin playing a beauitful keyboard solo.&nbsp; Ju-ken joined him on bass, and that led to “Sweet Dreams,” one of my favorites of the night.&nbsp; This song was the kind that would cause people to whip out their lighters/penlights/cell phones in America. (You get that, guys?&nbsp; Sell some penlights at your next concert.)&nbsp; The “windows” of the VAMPS castle showed a starry sky and a crescent moon, which added to the otherworldly feel of the song.&nbsp; The guys drifted in to “Evanescent”.&nbsp; I was swaying along with Hyde’s breathy singing.&nbsp;&nbsp; I also enjoyed K.A.Z.’s guitar solo (even if I couldn’t see him).&nbsp; Then Hyde asked us if we were having fun.&nbsp; He asked us if we actually understood him or if we were just responding to anything he said.&nbsp; :p“Love Addict” got the crowd riled up again.&nbsp; It was around here that K.A.Z. seemed to step out of the shadows.&nbsp; Or maybe he was making his way to our side of the stage more.&nbsp; Next was another old Hyde favorite, “Hello” (I remember it from freshman year of college).&nbsp; Everybody was jumping/bobbing along, and Hyde got us to sing the chorus.&nbsp; The PV was one of my favorites so I was thrilled when Hyde did his coy side-to-side glance from it.&nbsp; “Trouble” was fun song with a very sassy tone.&nbsp; You could tell that Ju-ken and K.A.Z. were having a blast.&nbsp; K.A.Z. reminded me of a little kid who is soaking up his time in the spotlight.&nbsp; “Hideaway” made a very sudden ending; I guess I’m used to slower songs closing a set.&nbsp; Somebody liked creating feedback a little too much; my ears were ringing through the break.&nbsp; -_-;;Instead of yelling out “Encore”, the audience started chanting VAMPS’ name.&nbsp; I didn’t recognize it at first since the Japanese pronunciation is a bit odd.&nbsp; VAMPS and its two members’ names acquire extra syllables when they get converted to katakana: <i style="">Vampusu, Haiido, Kazu.&nbsp; Anyway, the guys came back on and “watered” the fans before chucking the bottles out.&nbsp; Ju-ken’s landed a couple feet to Kavita’s left.&nbsp; So close! 0_0 The first song of the encore, “Hunting”, didn’t have lyrics besides the chanting Hyde got us to do while Ju-ken and K.A.Z. played.&nbsp; Then, they played “Glamorous Sky”, and I let out a fangirl scream—something I’ve only done 5-6 other times in my life—because it was the song I was hoping they would play (Mika Nakashima sings the original version, which Hyde composed).&nbsp; Even with the lower key, Hyde still had to hit some high notes. *_* The back-up vocals were a nice touch.&nbsp; The final song was “Midnight Celebration”.&nbsp; Hyde’s voice was showing some strain by then.&nbsp; It wasn’t my favorite, but we ended on such a high note that I didn’t mind.I hung around for an hour and half to see if VAMPS would make an appearance, but the fatigue was finally getting to me.&nbsp; Many people had left so I figured that the guys went out the back of Zepp.&nbsp; I had a ton of fun, but I couldn’t help wondering what it would’ve been like closer to the stage.&nbsp; Lucky fan club people!&nbsp; Although my dream of seeing Hyde in the flesh came true, I wound up being a huge fan of K.A.Z. at the end of the night.&nbsp; Maybe it’s me playing devil’s advocate since the fans rarely ever shouted his name (I heard Ju-ken’s name more, but that could be because I was behind his fangirls).&nbsp; Maybe I just have a thing for shy guys who suddenly go wild with guitar solos.&nbsp; He seemed to embody the cute playful side of VAMPS while Hyde was the sexy rock god.&nbsp; Their first album is coming out soon, and I am saving up.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1240386420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1240386420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1240386420/tpod.html Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:28:14 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Sendai, Tohoku, Japan

This is the condensed version of my Alice Nine live report. 0_o&nbsp; I still can't believe I saw them live. *_* It was exactly like what I saw on Youtube, only I could feel the energy and emotions.&nbsp; It didn't feel like I was in the back at all.&nbsp; Of course, being one of the taller audience members helped (yay for platform boots!). A brief intro to Alice Nine, whom everyone should check out: they formed in 2004 and have been steadily getting popular.&nbsp; Shou is on vocals, Tora on lead guitar, Hiroto on rhythm guitar, Saga on bass, and Nao (the leader) on drums.&nbsp; I guess they're on the pop-rock end of <i>visual kei, but they can definitely rock out.&nbsp; They like to incorporate different genres into their songs so there's a bit of everything. Back to the concert, the only thing that signaled the beginning was the lights.&nbsp; The background music was still playing when it happened.&nbsp; Everyone was clapping to Beck when Alice Nine rushed on (and they clapped along too ^^).&nbsp; Once they picked up their instruments, the energy inside the place went out the roof!&nbsp; I've got the memory of a goldfish so I can't name all the songs that were played.&nbsp; I did recognize a lot because they came from Vandalize and Alpha (the most recent albums, which I've been listening to nonstop).&nbsp; They threw in some older tunes though.&nbsp; I struggled with the <i>furitsuke, but Shou directed us with the more complex moves.&nbsp; He should create a J-rock workout video because man, I was sweating like crazy.&nbsp; How does he move all over the stage and sing his heart out?&nbsp; In leather pants and a fur-trimmed jacket!&nbsp; No wonder all J-rockers are skinny. It's really hard to choose my favorite songs.&nbsp; "Rainbows" had the most energy.&nbsp; There was lots of jumping, headbanging, and fist pumping.&nbsp; Hiroto totally rocked out in the guitar solo.&nbsp; Then Saga came to the center with his bass.&nbsp; We knew he was going to do his signature bass lick, but the man was such a tease!&nbsp; Licking things is kind of gross in my mind, but that was such a turn-on.&nbsp; The sexiest song, however, was "Kiss twice, Kiss me deadly".&nbsp; While it already had a sexy melody, the performance just made it almost X-rated.&nbsp; There was Shou moving his hips and licking his lips, Saga sticking his tongue out towards his base, and Shou x Saga and Shou x Hiroto fanservice.&nbsp; During "www.", Hiroto does this thing where he runs his hand up and down the fret to make a scratching sound.&nbsp; It was so cool because I've never seen or heard anyone do that to a guitar before.&nbsp; For the lack of a better adjective, "the beautiful name" was beautiful.&nbsp; The intro featured Saga on keyboards and Shou singing English lyrics.&nbsp; We got to see his vocal prowess with that song and "Subaru."&nbsp; His falsetto is amazing.&nbsp; During "Subaru", Shou got everybody to bring out their lights (I didn't bring/buy one ;_;).&nbsp; At the end, he made us repeat, "We are the world."&nbsp;&nbsp; My mind immediately jumped to the song, "We Are the World", which is the bane of all ALTs.&nbsp; I thought about how Alice Nine will make me not hate that song because the repetitiveness will make me think of "Subaru" instead. ^_^&nbsp; Going in the order of their appearances on-stage for the encore, Nao had a killer drum solo.&nbsp; Then he was joined by Saga who made the bass guitar the sexiest thing known to man.&nbsp; Nao was so cute during his MCs.&nbsp; He started off by saying, "You know what?&nbsp; I ate <i>gyutan last night...enough for 7 people!" (I'm paraphrasing.)&nbsp; Then he said he was kidding because he's on a diet, but his diet isn't working.&nbsp; Nao, you don't need to go on a diet!&nbsp; He confessed that he lied about his weight on his blog.&nbsp; I think he said that the number on there is how much he weighs after a live.&nbsp; XD He's so adorable.&nbsp; Next was "Saga-<i>kun".&nbsp; Shou teased him by saying he had a very "rock 'n' roll" appearance.&nbsp; That embarrassed Saga.&nbsp; It's funny to see Saga go from sexy bass licker to the shy one.&nbsp; From what I could pick out from his MC, he told everyone that the heights and weights listed on their profiles aren't accurate.&nbsp; I would hope so because otherwise, they're only a few kilograms heavier than me but 10-20 cm taller.&nbsp; "Tora-<i>chan" had a cute MC.&nbsp; While playing, he is the epitome of cool rock star, throwing the "rock on" signs and giving mysterious glances.&nbsp; Then he starts his MC off by talking about a silly gesture Nao taught him.&nbsp; While saying,&nbsp; " 乙でーす " ("<i>otsu de-su"), you put your hands in the shape of " 乙 ".&nbsp; I'm not quite sure about the translation since " 乙 " can mean "quaint/odd", "second", or (in web slang) "<i>Otsukaresama deshita". In any case, the guys pointed out that it was going to appear on their DVD in the future.&nbsp; He got embarrassed.&nbsp; Tora also said that he doesn't update his blog because he forgot his password.&nbsp; :p He got a bit serious when he was talking about his spinal disc hernia, which nearly paralyzed him after last year's Sendai live.&nbsp; He's glad he can come back to make good memories, and I'm glad to see that he's alright.During Hiroto's intro in "Dead School Screaming", he played "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine.&nbsp; I didn't expect it, but when I finally figured it out, I was ready to squeal.&nbsp; In his MC, Hiroto teased Tora about the gesture, and then he teased Shou for wanting to be as cool as Date Masamune.&nbsp; My love for Hiroto has gone up exponentially because he moves around non-stop and just gives it his all in his solos.&nbsp; He's starting to look/act like a younger version of Hyde from L'Arc~en~Ciel.&nbsp; Finally, we have Shou, who couldn't figure out which way Tora's gesture went.&nbsp; He kept asking us, "<i>Tanoshiikatta?" (Are you having fun?), but I couldn't understand at first.&nbsp; His word of the night was "happy" (yes, in English), which described the mood and the band's feelings.&nbsp; You could tell he was being honest because he smiled almost the whole time.&nbsp; Call me a delusional fangirl, but I am sure that he saw me a couple times.&nbsp; When he'd get the crowd pumped up, he would ask the back to jump or wave their arms and look out into the crowd.&nbsp; I would always jump/raise my arms/throw the "rock on" sign at those times, and he always stopped when he looked in my direction. &nbsp; Anyway, the encore had two favorites of the night.&nbsp; "Shunkashuutou" was a catchy, feel-good song.&nbsp; I could feel the positive energy radiating throughout the room.&nbsp; My absolute favorite was the last song, "Waterfall".&nbsp; Shou had lost his voice somewhere in the middle of it, but he gave it his all.&nbsp; It was gorgeous, especially the acapella part.&nbsp; There were tears in my eyes.&nbsp; Afterwards, they threw a bunch of stuff out, including their hoodies.&nbsp; Hiroto tried to throw a water bottle to the back, but it hit the ceiling instead.&nbsp; His second attempt was better.&nbsp; He, Nao, and Tora have really strong arms because their stuff fell around me.&nbsp; Saga and Hiroto stripped off their shirts.&nbsp; They tried to get Nao to do it, which excited the fans.&nbsp; However, Nao was too embarrassed so he only slipped an arm out.&nbsp; The man is adorable. &nbsp; I was going to talk about my adventures the next day, but they seem rather anti-climactic.&nbsp; I'll just elaborate in the photos (when I get them up).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1238808420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1238808420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1238808420/tpod.html Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:24:28 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Sendai, Tohoku, Japan

I am trying to hold my inner fangirl back, but it will probably fail.&nbsp; After freaking out the teachers with my pink wig (a little guerilla advertising for Pantomime), I wound up freaking myself out by missing the bus from Toyoma to Sendai. &nbsp;Luckily I managed to get a cab in time to the bus leaving from Sanuma so I was only half an hour late in meeting up with Julia.&nbsp; We drop my stuff off at the hotel and grabbed dinner.&nbsp; Finally we make it to Hook Sendai, which was a small venue (for you Rice people, the area excluding the stage was about as big as Willy's Pub).&nbsp; I didn't mind too much since it made the experience more intimate.&nbsp; I was glad I decided to be a crazy Japanese girl and wear a skirt despite the cold weather (though it was nice and warm in the afternoon).&nbsp; The room got hot pretty quickly as the girls packed in. &nbsp;There wasn't a single guy in the audience, from what I could tell, but that's typical of visual kei bands. The concert started on time, which&nbsp;shouldn't have caught me off guard considering how punctual everybody in Japan is.&nbsp; However,&nbsp;I was used to long delays and someone coming about and announcing that the band was taking the stage.&nbsp; Although Julia and I stood in the middle of the crowd, it still felt like the closest I have ever been...maybe because the stage was lower.&nbsp; In any case, Duel Jewel appeared larger than life and I felt like I was dreaming. *_* The Japanese concert experience is extremely different from the American one.&nbsp; Although I've never been to a proper American rock concert with crowd surfing and moshing, I have had the pleasure of seeing Duel Jewel play at an anime convention.&nbsp; In America, the headbanging, fist pumping, and waving happens whenever, like the cheering.&nbsp; As with anything in Japan, there is a proper time and place for all that.&nbsp; Headbanging occurs in unison at certain moments of the song.&nbsp; That's really bizarre-looking.&nbsp; There's also this thing called <i>furitsuke, or "<i>furi", which involves doing certain hand motions during the song.&nbsp; Here's an example: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gctLg7-hr6A&nbsp; (they didn't play this song though).&nbsp; At some points, usually during the slower songs, the audience stands very still.&nbsp; Julia says that the Duel Jewel fans are more unresponsive than fans for other bands.&nbsp; Cheers are reserved for when the band takes a break and the lights are dimmed.&nbsp; By cheers, I mean shouting band members' names-- or in my case, "We love you!!!" (I was being&nbsp;a stereotypical&nbsp;<i>gaijin so that I could stand out).&nbsp; When the lights come on, there is simply clapping.&nbsp; The guitarists got the most shouts, and Shun's fans always growled his name (very strange coming from young Japanese girls). Now onto the fun part. ^^ Over the years, Duel Jewel, like many visual kei bands, has toned down their image.&nbsp; They still looked pretty glammed up though, and man, I wish I had hair like that.&nbsp; It was teased up more than the recent photos.&nbsp; The lead singer Hayato resembled David Bowie in Labyrinth with less Goblin King-ish clothes.&nbsp; I was in love again.&nbsp; I'm convinced that he's my first love because when I saw him on stage 4.5 years ago, I had heart-pounding, breath-taking reaction unlike anything I had ever experienced.&nbsp; That night (and tonight), I would've done anything for him.&nbsp; This is how groupies are made.&nbsp; This time around, I had a similar reaction to Shun, the lead guitarist, but I think that was more a result of my guitar solo fetish. &nbsp;I love anybody who can shred, and Shun's solos were killer.&nbsp; He's gotten better throughout the years; the entire band has.&nbsp; They were so energetic, and you could tell that they enjoyed themselves.&nbsp; On a side note, Shun is known for flipping the audience off, and some of the fans have adopted that as almost a sign for "rock on".&nbsp; I have to wonder if they know that it means.&nbsp; The other guitarist, Yuya, was being silly as usual, making faces at his bandmates and the audience.&nbsp; Natsuki, the bassist, hung out in the back, but it seemed like he enjoyed coming up front.&nbsp; Out of habit, I threw the "rock on" horns many times and was the only one to do so.&nbsp; I saw Natsuki do it twice during some of the later songs.&nbsp; I wonder if he saw me (yeah, I know I am probably being delusional, but I can dream).&nbsp; Poor Val got little love from the fans, as typical for most drummers. I lost track of what songs they played, partly because I don't remember the names and partly because the songs were blended into one another.&nbsp; "Hanauta ~Sakura Ryouran~" stood out because it's one of my favorites and the <i>furi was fun to do even if I kept running into people (there was jumping).&nbsp; I used to not like "BULLETxSTAR", but seeing it live with all the energy made me enjoy it.&nbsp; My favorites were probably "es" and "Never Blue".&nbsp; Being a slower song, "es" had no headbanging or <i>furi so I was able to just enjoy the music and be mesmerized by Hayato's presence.&nbsp; It was obvious that he was pouring his heart and soul into singing.&nbsp; "Never Blue" brought back the nostalgia of when I first saw Duel Jewel. There were two encores, which were obviously planned.&nbsp; After the first encore, the band did a long chat session.&nbsp; Hayato spoke throughout the performance, but in their chat session, each of the members said something about Sendai or their lives.&nbsp; Despite not understanding most of it due to the slang and fast talking, I was able to pick out the general idea of each member's comment...I think. Hayato talked about how it's good to be back in Sendai and promoted this special event where you got to hang out with the band.&nbsp; "Shun-<i>sama" made what Hayato called a "speech" about how he enjoyed playing here (and promptly hid behind the speakers the rest of the time). &nbsp;Almost everybody mentioned the foods Miyagi-<i>ken is known for, <i>gyutan and <i>zunda.&nbsp; Yuya seemed to go on and on about it; he mentioned <i>zunda cheesecake.&nbsp; He also talked about&nbsp;getting a lot of fan emails.&nbsp; Natsuki promoted one of the items they were selling, a small pouch.&nbsp; He had his I-pod in his, and in his I-pod, he had episodes of Heroes.&nbsp; I got super excited when I realized he was talking about the TV show.&nbsp; He made Yuya do an impression of Hiro Nakamura.&nbsp; Last was Val, who created a song about <i>zunda mochi and <i>gyutan.&nbsp; I wish I knew more Japanese. :/ After the show was over, Julia and I hung around to see if we can catch the band.&nbsp; They almost slipped past us. &nbsp;Just on a side note, they're still insanely attractive without the make-up and costumes, but they are definitely much shorter than they appear.&nbsp; Some of the fans gave them gifts and asked for autographs.&nbsp; We just did the typical Japanese thing and thanked them for their hard work ("<i>Otsukaresama deshita").&nbsp; I wished I had done something a little more, but I'm sure we (or at least Julia) made an impression by being the only foreigners.&nbsp; They had to drive to the next venue so it was probably good that we didn't distract them, especially since there were fangirls standing next to the van.&nbsp; I'm still beating myself up for not having a camera to sneak in pictures or a video. ;_;&nbsp; Now I am super sore from all the moving around, but I would relive this day in a heartbeat. &nbsp;I hope I get to see them again-no, I WILL see them again in the future (even if I have to fly across the U.S. or schedule a trip to Japan around them). Glossary<i>furitsuke - "choreography"; dancing done specifically at concerts (not to be confused with <i>parapara,<i> a type of dance)<i>gyutan - beef tongue<i>zunda - green soybean; <i>mochi - rice cake
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250826652/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250826652/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250826652/tpod.html Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:05:45 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Southlake, Texas, United States

Well, I didn't run off with a rock star, and I've made it safely back home.&nbsp; Re-packing my stuff and handling my 3 suitcases plus backpack was a nightmare. 0_0 My parents said that everybody at the airport was staring at me when I came out because of my clothes.&nbsp; It's because they haven't seen anything so cool.&nbsp; :p&nbsp; I was wearing my Sixh pants, black T-shirt, Deoart vest, gouk blazer, and platform boots.&nbsp; It was on the J-rock side of fashion, but nothing really outrageous (in my opinion).&nbsp; Then again, I was wearing a lot for summer, but I had to find a way to not have my baggage be overweight.&nbsp; My theory is that they were staring at how much stuff I had.Anyway, this is the end of my JET travel blog.&nbsp; It's pretty cool that this is my 111th post (counting map pins...I've technically written only 109 entries, which is still a cool number).&nbsp; Thank you for following along.&nbsp; If you find yourself missing your period dose of Japanese lifestyle and culture, you can check out my post-JET blog: http://hibari-sensei.livejournal.com/Right now, I'm uploading revised editions of my "Japanese Culture and Communication" posts.&nbsp; I'll be touching upon the things I never got a chance to talk about and writing about my favorite topics, like music, fashion, and food.&nbsp; So if you've still got questions, make your way to my LiveJournal.&nbsp; Maybe they'll get answered (and of course, you can always message me ^_~).'Til my next adventure!Glossary<i>Owari - end
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250482562/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250482562/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250482562/tpod.html Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:54:43 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Toshima, Kanto, Japan

Today was my <i>otaku day, which meant I would be journeying to the anime lover's paradises of Ikebukuro and Akihabara. However, I also decided that today would be the day I tried to start a new fashion trend: military punk Lolita.&nbsp; Therefore, I planned a travel route that would take me in a giantic circle around Tokyo.&nbsp; What I didn’t plan for was my tendency to get distracted and get lost. -_-;;First stop was another visit to Harajuku to show off my outfit.&nbsp; I meant to get some photos of the area, but that didn’t really happen.&nbsp; At least I didn’t spend more money in LaForet.&nbsp; I did, however, get stopped by a couple who wanted my picture. :D They probably thought I was Japanese.&nbsp; If that doesn’t make me a legitimate "Harajuku girl", I don’t know what does. :p&nbsp; Actually I do.&nbsp; To be truly legit, you have to be accepted by the insiders.&nbsp; I already had someone ask where I got my clothes the other day, but was I punk/Lolita enough?&nbsp; There was a more important problem at hand.&nbsp; My h.Anarchy skirt was a little too short for comfort, and the crowds got me paranoid.&nbsp; I wasn’t going to spend over $50 on a pair of bloomers so it was off to Bodyline to see if they had a decent pair.&nbsp; They did, for $30, so my next destination was a bathroom to change.I got distracted, however, and ventured into the shops below: JIMSINN and Yellow House.&nbsp; The latter may not be as famous as Baby the Stars Shine Bright or h.NAOTO, but any hardcore visual kei <i>bangya should know the name.&nbsp; Okay, I didn’t know about it until I started planning my trip to Tokyo.&nbsp; However, the minute I stepped inside, I understood.&nbsp; All over the walls and ceilling are autographs from various rock bands, Japanese and Western.&nbsp; Yellow House designs clothes for many J-rockers, and its owner/designer has been part of both the Japanese and Western rock scene since the Sex Pistols hit it big.&nbsp; She wasn’t there, but the shopkeeper I met seemed just as knowledgeable (and really good with English).&nbsp; Anyway, back to my main point, I took one step in, and she said, “Oh a punk!” as if she’s been dying to see someone dressing in the proper fashion.&nbsp; Best compliment ever.&nbsp; After she realized that I wasn’t Japanese, we started talking about the various bands I liked (which revealed how “Japanese” I was).Next door was JIMSINN.&nbsp; The shopkeeper was attending another customer, but she managed to identify me as "Lolita" and grab a black lace chocker with a chain connecting to the matching wristband.&nbsp; Very tempting, but I was reminded that 1) money doesn’t grow on trees and 2) my luggage was not going to magically expand.&nbsp; Not that a chocker-wristband set would take up much space.That was the bulk of my Harajuku adventure.&nbsp; Next stop: Ikebukuro.&nbsp; On the train, three Chinese guys were talking about my outfit.&nbsp; I wanted to reveal that I understood everything they said, but I didn’t.&nbsp; Ikebukuro seems to be an amalgamation of Tokyo’s hot spots.&nbsp; In one area, you’ve got the trendy department stores; in another, the shrines.&nbsp; Then there was Otome Road, the female otaku paradise and my destination.&nbsp; It took me a very long time to find it because it’s not marked on my map.I don’t know what I was expecting, but unless you’re looking for <i>doujinshi, there’s not much that’s new.&nbsp; My curiosity satisfied, I went looking for B:Lily-Rose, the boys love-themed butler café.&nbsp; What makes this café different from other bulter cafés, like the uber-fancy Swallowtail, is that all the bulters, or rather <i>garcon (male waiters), are actually female.&nbsp; Their androgyny allows them to pull off the <i>bishounen look of many anime characters, and that’s partly why I chose the place.It took me over an hour to find B:Lily-Rose because it’s not actually on Otome Road.&nbsp; By then, I had given up on going to Akihabara today and exploring the rest of Ikebukuro.&nbsp; I would’ve given up on the search had I not been overcome with determination.&nbsp; Finally, I enter into a very modern-looking place with a bar on the right and coffee tables on the left.There were three <i>garcon: Hayato, Kazuki, and Cei (I think that was their names…I only ever heard Hayato’s clearly).&nbsp; I chose to pay the extra $5 and sit at the bar because I would get some conversation time.&nbsp; I was a bit nervous since my Japanese isn’t great, but then I thought about how I did just fine at my farewell party with the junior high teachers that spoke little English.&nbsp; There were two businessmen at the bar, which was interesting since I thought the place only appealed to women.Kazuki was the first one to approach me.&nbsp; “He” (yes, I’m referring to them by their assumed genders) was the shortest and not the most androgynous, but he did have a low voice and boyish mannerisms.&nbsp; He portrayed the youthful boy-next-door type.&nbsp; He quickly learned that I’m not from here.&nbsp; I gave my spiel about how I’m an English teacher, which surprises everyone because I look young and am young.&nbsp; That created some excitement since he told the other two while he went to take other people’s orders.&nbsp; We talked about anime and who are my favorite characters.&nbsp; He noticed that I seem to prefer dark-haired guys, which is true, but I also like Dino from Reborn!&nbsp; I also mentioned that I like visual kei, and Hayato was sent to me.&nbsp; Hayato could pass for a young visual kei guy—tall, thin, amazing hair, and a confident and hip aura.&nbsp; We talked the most, and I showed him pictures of my Hibari cosplay.&nbsp; Finally Cei approached me, and I learned that he was a Hibari cosplayer too.&nbsp; He was their token <i>megane (glasses guy), and his cool, mature air reminded me a lot of Kyoya from Ouran High School Host Club.Actually the whole place reminded me of Ouran, minus the ridiculousness and making everyone crossdressers.&nbsp; The drinks were expensive, but you pay for the delivery (with a shaker).&nbsp; I got a “Cutie Boy”, which was just chocolate milk.&nbsp; The food was good, and I recommend the <i>omuraisu because one of the guys will draw a picture with ketchup.&nbsp; You can tell them what to draw, but I let them pick.&nbsp; I got Rilakkuma since they thought I was “cute”. ^_^&nbsp; I really enjoyed my time there.&nbsp; The atmosphere was chill, and the <i>garcon definitely did their job of being charming pretty boys.&nbsp; The $5 picture was also worth it.&nbsp; I think it was Cei who told me and Hayato to get into the pose (see photos).After B:Lily-Rose, I decided it was time to head back.&nbsp; I stopped at Shibuya because I wanted to buy lingerie at Peach John.&nbsp; However, my bust size has decided to increase with my waist size (I bike to school every day; I shouldn’t be getting fatter!) so now I don’t fit their stuff.&nbsp; :(&nbsp; With the exception that and getting lost, I had an awesome day.&nbsp; My dream is to be like the B:Lily-Rose <i>garcon. &nbsp;I think the fact that we had so much in common made me forget that they were supposed to be pretending to be guys.&nbsp; Or maybe it was the fact that because the theme is boys love, they didn’t have to hide the fact that they thought a particular anime <i>bishounen or visual kei musician was hot.&nbsp; Then again, I also aspire to be like people (male mostly) who I think are cool, and they definitely were.Glossary<i>garcon - male waiter<i>otaku - the Japanese equivalent of a geek, usually in reference to anime fanboys and fangirls<i>bangya - short for "band girl"; a hardcore visual kei fangirl<i>doujinshi - self-published manga based on existing titles (not just manga titles... I found some on Lord of the Rings)<i>boys love - a genre (anime, manga, and sometimes live-action) centered on homosexual love between bishounen<i>bishounen - literally "pretty boy", a term that describes attractive, androgynous anime guys<i>megane - usually means "glasses", but can also refer to someone wearing them; an archetype in anime/manga<i>omuraisu - omelet with rice inside, topped with ketchup
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250749355/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250749355/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250749355/tpod.html Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:31:08 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Chiyoda, Tōkyō, Japan

I was determined to go to Akihabara. However, I also wanted to get some photos of Yoyogi and other parts of Ikebukuro.&nbsp; It was really hot and sunny.&nbsp; So much that I was convinced my toes were going to get burned if I didn't put sunscreen on them (I wore flipflops today).&nbsp; Not to rag on charities or belittle the earthquake that ravaged the Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures last year, but OMG, those people asking for tourists’ money were annoying!&nbsp; They were everywhere, and they kept hounding me.&nbsp; I finally relented because this guy would not leave me alone even though I pretended to not speak Japanese.&nbsp; He even spotted my large bills and gave me a weird look when I only gave change.&nbsp; <i>Mendokuse!&nbsp; I needed that money to pay off my cell phone.Or so I thought.&nbsp; I wound up not being able to pay off my bill that day without a lot of hassle.&nbsp; I’m hoping there’s enough money left in the bank account I left open.&nbsp; That took longer than expected, and I wasted more time buying stuff from Animate because I thought I would get rewards on my point card.&nbsp; For whatever reason, the points I had didn’t count toward their special promotion.&nbsp; -_-#&nbsp; I didn’t want to risk getting lost so I decided not to explore the other areas.&nbsp; Most of what I wanted to see were shrines, but I was bummed to not have found the owl that was Ikebukuro’s equivalent of Hachi (the dog statue in Shibuya).Finally I made it Akihabara in the late afternoon. After hearing about how great of a place it is for an <i>otaku, I was a bit disappointed.&nbsp; Maybe it was because I stuck to one street, but that seemed to be the main place for electronics and anime.&nbsp; I guess Otome Road had satisfied my anime fix (I don’t care much about electronics). &nbsp;There was one interesting store that had a variety of character/mascot goods.&nbsp; I finally found a Hello Kitty <i>keitai charm to replace my Shinjuku Hello Kitty, which doesn’t represent me at all.&nbsp; Actually I got two because I couldn’t decide.&nbsp; One can never have too many <i>keitai charms. ^_~There were a lot of maids out in the street trying to promote their cafes.&nbsp; I decided to take a flyer from one because when will I ever get the chance to go to a maid cafe again?&nbsp; Originally I had decided not to go for fear of <i>moe overload/death by cuteness.&nbsp; The maid was caught off guard by me taking one.&nbsp; It’s always bugged me that most people don’t hand me flyers and stuff because I don’t look like their "target" customer.&nbsp; For that reason (and the fact that the maid outfits looked skankier than some of the others I had seen), I decided not to go to her cafe.&nbsp; Later I would regret that because the place also had female butlers. :(&nbsp; The cafe that I decided to go to was called @home Cafe.&nbsp; I chose it because I remembered reading good reviews and it was one of the two cafes I physically walked by.&nbsp; It occupied three floors.&nbsp; I had no idea what the differences were so I went to the first one.It was an assault of bright colors and upbeat J-pop, which were probably anime and game themes.&nbsp; Nothing like the chill atmosphere of B:Lily-Rose.&nbsp; The place was crowded, and before I even make it out of the entrance, I get handed a list of rules: no photography, no touching, no asking for personal info, etc.&nbsp; There was also a $7 fee.&nbsp; This was all in English, and the maid who led me to my seat spoke a little bit.&nbsp; There was a stage for photographs and probably special performances, and you could play kids game for $5. &nbsp;I decided to pass on that.&nbsp; I did, however, get the special dinner set that included a drink and a photo.&nbsp; Their dishes, which included <i>omuraisu with a picture drawn in ketchup, had cutesy names that made little sense.&nbsp; My spaghetti was called "<i>Mazemaze Otsukimi Meat Sauce" (Mixed-up Man on the Moon with Meat Sauce…this was probably the one that made the most sense).&nbsp; I must admit that the desserts were almost too adorable to pass up, but my set was already $19.Although the maids wore the same outfits, they had different accessories to portray various types of girls: the <i>meganekko, the mature sexy one, the dork, the one who reminds you of your little sister (or your friend’s little sister), etc.&nbsp; Very few actually stood out in my mind because the maids were not as attentive as you might imagine.&nbsp; Sure they do cute things while they serve you and call you “master” or “mistress”, but I never got to talk to any of them.&nbsp; They only ever chatted with the regulars.&nbsp; It was pretty obvious who the regulars were because many of them looked like you stereotypical <i>otaku and/or have albums full of photos they got with maids.&nbsp; Kinda creepy.&nbsp; However, @home Cafe was filled with all sorts of people, ranging from girls wanting to try something different to pervy college guys.&nbsp; I was the only lone girl so I probably got some weird looks.Anyway, my drink came, and the maid asked me to repeat a silly string of onomatopoeias with my hands in the shape of a heart.&nbsp; Tada! My drink was charged with super <i>moe lovelove power (something like that).&nbsp; The same happened with my food while the maid mixed it.&nbsp; Even the maid taking my picture repeated a nonsensical phrase.&nbsp; To help me choose which maid I wanted a photo with, they gave me a bulletin board with all the girls who were working.&nbsp; I chose the one who had the cutest pose, Keito.&nbsp; You get to choose a prop or animal ears.&nbsp; Being the indecisive individual, I let Keito pick and decide on the pose; she chose black cat ears and a kitty pose.&nbsp; See my image gallery.Although B:Lily-Rose is my type of place, I was disappointed in @home Cafe.&nbsp; $26 was kind of expensive for the service I got.&nbsp; I actually got bored while waiting for my food.&nbsp; Maybe the maids were overworked, but they seemed to be in the back a lot or focusing on the regulars.&nbsp; Also, their greetings sounded too rehearsed.&nbsp; It was an interesting experience but a bit overrated and silly.Glossary<i>Mendokuse! - annoying (informal "male" way of speaing)<i>keitai - cellphone<i>otaku - geek; in this case, anime fanboy/fangirl<i>moe - an obsession with a type of character, maybe even fetish; often exclaimed when said type is before one's eyes<i>omuraisu - omelet with rice inside&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250139405/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250139405/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250139405/tpod.html Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:57:55 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Tsukishima, Japan

Today was kind of an off day. I decided to explore what the hotel area had to offer.&nbsp; When forced to choose between the aquarium and the movie theater, usually I'd pick the former.&nbsp; However, I’ve been dying to see Gokusen the Movie, and they were playing it.&nbsp; It was entertaining in the same way Rookies ~Sotsugyo~ was—good for drama fans, probably mediocre for everyone else.&nbsp; I had a harder time understanding the dialogue because of all the slang being used.In the evening, I went on a hunt for the life-sized Gundam and <i>monjayaki.&nbsp; I’m a huge Gundam fanatic, and when I heard about the 1:1 model in Odaiba, I knew I had to check it out.&nbsp; As for <i>monjayaki, one of my teachers recommended it after learning that I loved <i>okonomiyaki.&nbsp; You can only find it in the southern areas of Japan, and Tsukishima happens to be famous for having a lot of restaurants that serve it.Believe it or not, it took me an hour to find a giant robot that’s as tall as a building. -_-;; I was expecting the Gundam to be glaringly obvious so I didn’t check which park it was in (Shiokaze).&nbsp; Also, the trees tall enough to hide it, and I got distracted by taking picture everywhere.&nbsp; Nevertheless, I’m awful at locating stuff without a map.Tsukishima was a little bit easier to locate because I had a map of the different train routes.&nbsp; However, I did get off at a stop too late (Shimbashi, instead of Shiodome).&nbsp; Luckily the stations aren’t too far from one another, and I got to see a bit of Shiodome, which looked cool in passing.&nbsp; I was starving by the time I got to Tsukishima so I went to the closest place that advertised <i>monjayaki.&nbsp; It was this hole-in-the-wall bar on the third floor of an old building.&nbsp; <i>Monjayaki reminded me of liquified <i>okonomiyaki.&nbsp; I think I prefer the latter, but their tastes are really different (that may be the result of me getting pork instead of shrimp and <i>soba).GlossaryGundam - an anime franchise about space politics and giant robots (It's a lot better than it sounds.)<i>okonomiyaki - Japanese "pancake" <i>monjayaki - a runnier version of okonomiyaki found in the Kanto region
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250027717/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250027717/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1250027717/tpod.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:45:33 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Shinjuku, Tōkyō, Japan

There wasn't anybody at the Meiji Jingu bridge in Harajuku! D: Did I not get a memo?&nbsp; Was it too late (I left my hotel around noon)?&nbsp; Was it because of the weather?&nbsp; I did see some rockabilly guys leaving Yoyogi Park, but I was too intimidated to bother them for a picture.&nbsp; It seemed like they were off to get lunch.&nbsp; For a while, I was the most goth out of anybody in Harajuku.&nbsp; That was kind of cool until it started pouring.&nbsp; Then the trailing vest became a bad idea.I did find Lolitas, punks, and goths in the basement of LaForet, but finding the department store and then finding where all the shops I was looking for were took some time.&nbsp; Getting lost would be a recurring theme while I was in Tokyo. -_-;;&nbsp; Still, as always, shopping cured me of any irritation.&nbsp; I was hell bent on getting something from Putumayo because I love the style.&nbsp; They were having a big sale, but the shirt I wanted didn’t fit (another recurring theme).&nbsp; Then I saw a black skirt with leg warmers that had a little purple on them and remembered my new Peace Now shirt.&nbsp; The salesperson said that I looked like a pants person instead so I tried those on.&nbsp; They’re like shorts with leg warmers; I couldn’t resist even if they weren’t on sale.&nbsp; I wanted one of their cute hats, especially the Mad Hatter one, but I wanted to spend my money elsewhere.&nbsp; That elsewhere being Atelier Boz.&nbsp; They had corsets, and I’ve been meaning to get one.&nbsp; I think what I wound up getting is technically a waist cincher since it’s smaller (and cheaper).&nbsp; The salesperson helped put it on me.&nbsp; She asked me where I got the bell-sleeved Black Peace Now shirt that I was wearing, which is cool, because I never have cool-looking salespeople ask me where I get my clothes.LaForet teamed up with Kiyoharu, the former lead singer of Kuroyume, to promote the upcoming release of his new album.&nbsp; If you made a purchase at any of the stores in the basement, you got a prize drawing ticket, as well as a pass to his art exhibit that would open next month.&nbsp; I got two but felt bad for going twice (even though the Putumayo girl said I should ^^).&nbsp; I wound up getting Justin Davis keychain, which was pretty cool.When the rain stopped pounding on us, I wandered around Takeshita Dori for a bit.&nbsp; I realized how much of a tourist trap it is.&nbsp; All the clothes are sub par compared to what LaForet had to offer; I suppose you get what you pay for.&nbsp; It’s funny how in half a year, I’ve become such a fashion snob.&nbsp; Back in December, I was in heaven at Body Line.&nbsp; This time, most of the things there looked cheap and/or tacky.&nbsp; Not to say that everything in there is bad, but I think their main appeal is their low pride.&nbsp; I also noticed that the majority of the people going in were tourists, high schoolers, or wannabe Lolitas/punks/goths.&nbsp; I also found Closet Child, which is a thrift shop for the aforementioned styles.&nbsp; Nothing there jumped out at me, and they really weren’t much cheaper.In the evening, I headed for Shinjuku to meet my successor.&nbsp; It took me longer than expected so I was hoping that she would still be waiting since I had to way of contacting her.&nbsp; She, one of her roommates, and I had dinner at a restaurant that served various types of <i>udon and rice dishes.&nbsp; I got <i>sarada udon, which was exactly as the name implied: salad on top of <i>udon noodles.&nbsp; It was a nice cold dish.Finally, I returned to my hotel.&nbsp; My feet were finally starting to kill me, and the adrenaline of all the excitement of the weekend had worn off.GlossaryLaForet - a department store famous for its trendy brands on Omotesando St. in HarajukuPutumayo, Atelier Boz, Black Peace Now - Japanese gothic and Lolita clothing brandsJustin Davis - American jewelry designer (who seems to be more popular in Japan)Takeshita Dori - "Takeshita Street"; the famous shopping street in Harajuku<i>udon - thick wheat-flour noodles
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249886939/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249886939/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249886939/tpod.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:22:49 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Shibuya, Japan

I didn't go to Matsushima yesterday because I was too tired and sore from the concert.&nbsp; I also woke up late and figured that the trip wouldn't be worth it.Not going to Matsushima didn't really matter becuase today, I met h.Naoto! ^o^ Not only that, we talked for over half an hour on fashion and Japanese versus American culture! He also gave me much-needed fashion tips.&nbsp; I wound up spending more money on clothes, but not as much as I would have if I bought the full h.Naoto Blood outfit the clerk gave to me to try.&nbsp; The pants were too big and the shirt too small.&nbsp; Darn, the whole ensemble was <i>kakkoi too.&nbsp; However, gouk was having a sale so I got a jacket from there as well as my h.Naoto Blood vest.Navigating my way through the train station in Tokyo took longer than I expected so I didn't have time to go meet Sixh in Shinjuku.&nbsp; Or attempt to catch Alice Nine at Shiodome.&nbsp; Had I learned that they were playing a show there, I might have tried to catch an earlier train.&nbsp; But then I wouldn’t have met h.Naoto.Anyway, I got to the Shinagawa Prince Hotel (which is actually in Minato-<i>ku) after lots of aimless wandering and unhelpful people.&nbsp; Then Anna called to see if we could meet up.&nbsp; I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have time to get to Shibuya O-East for the Duel Jewel/Kra two-man live.&nbsp; However, Anna said that she would help me find the place.&nbsp; While I wasn’t late, the venue was pretty much crowded by the time I arrived.&nbsp; That’s okay since it wasn’t very big.The two-man theme was a parody of 24-hour TV, "2.4 hour live".&nbsp; Duel Jewel made a video that featured Yuya as a school girl marathon runner.&nbsp; He was trying to get to Shibuya O-East from Yokohama, I think.&nbsp; The opening act was Keiyuh and Yuhra from Kra and Shun, and Val from Duel Jewel.&nbsp; Everyone except Keiyuh was in <i>yukatas.&nbsp; Keiyuh cosplayed Haruhi Suzumiya.&nbsp; As shocked as I (and everyone else) was, I thought he looked really cute.&nbsp; He introduced their crossover group as “MonHan” (short for Monster Hunter, a popular video game) and said Yuhra was drunk.&nbsp; After one song, he decided to change for fear of indecency, leaving the other guys to fend for themselves.&nbsp; They felt awkward and wound up talking about Monster Hunter and how Keiyuh is a weirdo.&nbsp; Yuhra also said he wasn’t drunk.&nbsp; Keiyuh came back in a yukata, but then he discovered that the fans could peek up that if he put his leg on the amp.&nbsp; He pretended to be embarrassed, and we said it was okay.&nbsp; His reply was “Shut up.”&nbsp; Keiyuh is my height so any moment in which he shows a bit of attitude is really cute.Duel Jewel was really enthusiastic about playing though I think Shun might’ve been shell-shocked by Keiyuh’s antics.&nbsp; They looked more casual, but still typical glam rock.&nbsp; Natsuki was so energetic, almost like a little kid.&nbsp; They played a mix of old and new songs.&nbsp; There weren’t any slow songs though.&nbsp; I was blinded by Shun’s guitar during the solos because the light shined off of it at just the right angle.&nbsp; Yuya and Natsuki engaged in fanservice, and Yuya and Hayato helped us with the <i>furi. The second team-up was Hayato, Shun (on guitar for the first song), Keiyuh (on guitar for the other songs), Natsuki, and Yasuno.&nbsp; They dressed like high school students, which was adorable.&nbsp; Keiyuh and Yasuno wore glasses.&nbsp; Natsuki, the youngest, made the most convinced school boy.&nbsp; I think Hayato made a joke about Keiyuh not being in a skirt.&nbsp; As with the first team-up, I didn’t recognize any of songs they played. Kra’s portion of the live was amazing.&nbsp; It was like a dance party and a rock concert.&nbsp; When I wasn’t headbanging, I was waving my arms and jumping up and down. &nbsp;Keiyuh really made us work, but he was bouncing all over the place too.&nbsp; His voice is amazing; he can go from screaming to singing softly.&nbsp; I think because Kra’s songs are generally more upbeat, it was easy to enjoy myself.&nbsp; Yasuno was the most flirtatious drummer I’ve ever met, winking and blowing kisses whenever he had to exit.&nbsp; Keiyuh likes talking…especially about video games and anime.&nbsp; Yuhra mentioned something about Prince of Tennis (possibly wanting to cosplay either Seigaku or Rikkaidai).&nbsp; Keiyuh punched Mai for saying something and then regretted it, but Mai didn’t want his sympathy.For the encore, everybody came out on-stage except for Yuya, who dressed up as the school girl again and ran in from the back.&nbsp; Hayato had to make sure the crowd cleared a path (and I suddenly regretted not being on the other side).&nbsp; He and Keiyuh split vocals, picking their favorite songs from one another’s band.&nbsp; Their contrasting voices made the songs more interesting.&nbsp; I think I prefer Hayato’s deep resonant voice, but like I said, I think Keiyuh is very skilled.&nbsp; It sounded like he was at least an octave above Hayato because man, did he hit some high notes.&nbsp; At the very end, we did the jump that Kra likes to do at the end of their lives.&nbsp; It was a great closure. ^_^Glossary<i>kakkoi - cool<i>yukata - summer cotton kimono<i>furi - short for "furitsuke"; choreographed movements performed at visual kei concerts, looks like Para Para dancing<i>yopparai - drunk (I seem to only remember words when my favorite musicians use them.)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249714888/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249714888/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/maverickranger/6/1249714888/tpod.html Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:47:03 -0400 A Year in Ambarónënor - the tale of a JET participant in Tome-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan

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Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

OMG, the Alice Nine live was amazing! I was in the very back, and it was a seated auditorium so I actually enjoyed the Zepp concert more.&nbsp; There's something about seats that makes me feel a bit restricted.&nbsp; However, the guys have refined their performance since their livehouse tour.&nbsp; I was more focused on their music this time.In the morning, I decided to go to Zuihoden (the Masamune clan's mausoleum) and Aoba Castle.&nbsp; The rain put a damper on the experience, but it was still cool.&nbsp; While waiting for the bus, two French girls saw that I was wearing an Alice Nine shirt.&nbsp; They got lost trying to find the venue so I pointed them in the right direction.&nbsp; Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to squeeze the sightseeing in that morning.&nbsp; Anyway, Zuihoden was gorgeous.&nbsp; The stairs are really steep so it took some effort to actually get to the mausoleum.&nbsp; Aoba Castle was somewhat disappointing because all that’s left are some rocks.&nbsp; It's definitely a tourist trap with all the shops that are there.&nbsp; The view overlooking the city was cool though.I returned my hotel much later than I wanted because the crowds prevented me from getting off the bus at the nearest stop.&nbsp; That meant I couldn’t write letters to the Alice Nine guys.&nbsp; At least they get interesting presents, and I was able to write Nao a quick birthday message (his birthday's tomorrow).&nbsp; I got into my Tora cosplay and met up with Monica, to whom I was selling my extra ticket.&nbsp; Monica is a Taiwanese-Canadian working in Tokyo.&nbsp; We ran into the French girls from earlier who introduced themselves as Amelie and Rola (sp?).&nbsp; It was nice to be able to pass the time talking to fellow <i>gaijin, especially ones who are very open and friendly.Eventually I’ll get around to writing a full live report, but damn, was Alice Nine amazing.&nbsp; They opened with the intro to "the beautiful name", which felt more gospely with the stained glass window background.&nbsp; Instead of going into the actual song, they kicked things off with “Rainbows.”&nbsp; Shou was so sexy.&nbsp; His legs are really skinny though…at least his sparkly red and black pants made them look that way.&nbsp; Tora looked so hot with a black bowtie; he needs to dress up more.&nbsp; It was like he and Saga switched places in terms of style because Saga had a more casual outfit.&nbsp; Hiroto has adopted a really mature rocker style.&nbsp; His hair reminds me of a broom (Shou’s words) though. XD I don’t remember what Nao’s outfit was like, but he got a haircut (which he talked about in his MC).Highlights included headbanging like crazy to the harder songs, whipping out my light for “Fantasy” and “Subaru”, and getting to hear their new single, “Hana”.&nbsp; It sounded so much better live.&nbsp; Shou told us that we called him by the wrong name during “High Collar Naru Rondo”, and then we remembered that he wanted to be “Masamune”. ^^ The encore was the best.&nbsp; They played older songs like “Cradle to [Alpha]” and “Tsubasa”, and there was a lot of fun headbanging and <i>furi.&nbsp; I was a bit overenthusiastic during “G3” because I ran into the chairs in front of me.&nbsp; It was definitely going to leave a bruise.&nbsp; The guys got into “G3” so much that Tora and Saga wound up trading instruments.Then it was time for the band MC.&nbsp; I could only understand Tora's and Nao’s.&nbsp; Saga growled “Sendai!” a couple of times before saying “Konnichiwa” in his normal voice (which sounded high-pitched and cute).&nbsp; Tora, who had plopped down on the floor, spun on his butt before standing up.&nbsp; He talked about a Saga model bass and asked us if we wanted it and a Tora model for guitar.&nbsp; He also mentioned that their manager’s mother was in the audience.&nbsp; Nao began by saying he didn’t eat <i>gyutan.&nbsp; Then he talked about his blog on Ameba and the pictures of his interesting new glasses.&nbsp; I need to join since he locked that entry.&nbsp; I can’t remember anything of Hiroto’s MC. T_T&nbsp; I think Shou said that he was very happy with our response, especially with “Hana”.I didn’t cry as much as I thought I would during “Waterfall”, the last song.&nbsp; However, I had this strange feeling in my chest.&nbsp; It was like my heart was going to burst out but not because it was pounding hard.&nbsp; I still don’t quite get it, but I think it was a good feeling.&nbsp; That song definitely moves me whenever I hear it.Right after the concert, Monica had to rush to catch her train.&nbsp; I lost track of Amelie and Lola after taking cosplay photos.&nbsp; I totally forgot to fill out the enquette and didn't realize it until the people shooed us out of the hall.&nbsp; Oh well, I'll just email the guys. ^_~Glossary<i>gaijin - foreigners<i>furi - short for "<i>furitsuke", choreographed movements done by audience members at a visual kei concert<i>gyutan - grilled cow tongue (Last time Nao said he ate 7 servings so we were surprised to hear that he didn't eat any.)
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