Homesickness, Spiderman and Cadbury's...

During the past couple of weeks I have had a few days where I have missed home and British things generally, and, despite loving Japan, enjoying new experiences and meeting new people, I was feeling (don't cry, Mum!) a little bit homesick. However, after searching craigslist.com, I found something to distract me:

So, on Friday I went to pick up my new bass! The brand is G.I.G. (a Japanese brand). It's a Fender Jazz bass copy, and came with a 10 watt practice amplifier, 2 leads, a strap, a tuner, a spare set of strings and a softcase. The people I bought it from said it had only been used a handful of times. Upon playing it, I could tell it had barely been used; the strings sounded bright, the paintwork was flawless and there was no sign of any wear on the neck. I paid ¥8000 for it, which comes in at about £55-60. A total steal in my opinion! J-pop stardom, here I come!

Today, I received a package in the post from my girlfriend, Hannah. It contained a magazine, some vitamin and calcium tablets (due to the distinct lack of dairy and fruit in my Japanese diet), two Cadbury's chocolate bars (which you can't get in Japan) and a pair of Topman socks. Thank you Han!

Anyway, what have I been up to? Well, not that much other than uni work to be honest. But, on Saturday I went to an 'izakaya' with my dorm mates. An izakaya is a Japanese style pub, and was unlike any pub I've ever been to in the UK! When we arrived, I instantly noticed the drunk, shouting Japanese men, and the also drunk, screaming and laughing Japanese girls. Anyway, we had to take our shoes off and put them in plastic bags which we took to the table with us. The table stood about 1 ft. tall and we knelt on cushions. We ordered our drinks and chatted and people-watched. When I went to the toilet, I had to wear rubber slippers, and after doing my business, washed my hands in the first sink I saw. As I turned around to leave, a man gave me a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. I looked back at the sink and realised above it was a sign saying "...kibun ga warui..." - "...feeling sick...". There was a sink especially for vomiting! I went to the toilet again later, where someone else had got it wrong too. Only, this guy was on all fours, puking into the urinal.

Later, a Japanese man wearing Spiderman socks repeatedly told us in a Japanese accent, "I AM SPIDERMAN! OH BABYYYY! OH YEEEEAAAH!". Definitely a quote to remember amongst my friends and I!

Also, I found out the Japanese word for a transvestite: Mr Lady! Honestly!