Rocking in Hakata

Well, surprisingly, I’m still writing a novel this month with the NaNoWriMo crowd. Ha ha. You can check up on my progress here if you like, or just wait for some update asides. I’ve heard that other people in the Japan pool had extensively planned out their novel – going to the extent of drawing maps of their fantasy worlds and whatnot. While I admire this, when I said I was getting my thoughts together, I meant thoughts like “space was colonized by humans.” Yes, I actually pulled that from my notes. That’s my “planning,” you see. The result, of course, is that these folks who have spent loads of time planning and really letting their ideas percolate are waaaay ahead of the curve, writing wise. Some are nearing the halfway point already. And my guess is that their narratives are going to be fantastically ripe with detail and generally lovely reads.

My novel, on the other hand, hasn’t settled into a single genre yet. It has 3 rather flat characters – 4 or 5 by the end of today, I hope. What is does have, and have in spades, is exposition. Oh, the expository greatness of my novel. Ha ha. I’m deciding where to go each day when I sit down to write. It’s pretty ridiculous, actually. The story has evolved into its current 11900 word form based on very small decisions that were made almost arbitrarily. It really reminds me of my days doing improvisational comedy with the Charleston County School of the Arts troupe, the Fighting Gnomes. It all just happens. It’s almost like I’m not even driving. I love it. Ha ha. So…will it be a murder mystery? Will it be an exploration story? Will it be a morality tale? I have no idea! And I think I kind of like it…

Deas Customary Drivel

Ever since Universal Studios Japan, I’ve been hungrily looking for really good film scores or themes from the past. I forgot how energized they make me feel. They take away my sense of reality and put me in some kind of fantastic childlike reverie. So, I’m building a killer playlist. It’s good so far. But there is room for improvement. Could I bother you all to ask for suggestions? I’ve got, right now, on the instrumental side of things:

- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Indiana Jones
- Jaws
- Jurassic Park
- Pink Panther
- A Summer Place*
- Terminator 2
- Olympic Fanfare**
- Star Wars
- Lord of the Rings
- Harry Potter
- Batman Begins
- Spy Game
- Superman
- Back to the Future
- Schindler’s List
- Dragonheart***
- 千と千尋の神隠し (Spirited Away)
- 天空の城ラピュタ (Laputa: Castle in the Sky)
- 魔女の宅急便 (Kiki’s Delivery Service)
- 耳をすませば (Whisper of the Heart)
- 菊次郎の夏 (Kikujiro)

You can tell I’m fairly heavy on John Williams and Joe Hisaishi. Love it. Does anyone know where I can find a copy of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’s theme? It’s nowhere to be found! I searched for open directories and everything…nada. Any clues? Any other recommendations?

* – Cheesy in almost a Weather Channel kind of way. I know.
** – Not from a feature film, I know. But it’s good!
*** – The last one minute and thirty seconds of this theme have been used in a bazillion movie trailers at this point. It’s the best part of the song.

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I only managed to get video of 2 ridiculous things I was involved in during this set of bunkasais. (I had three total. The only thing you’re missing is a choral version of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way, which I sung along with a few students and another ALT and good sport, Jennie, at the Yuge High School Bunkasai.) A bunkasai, for those who don’t know, is a “cultural festival.” Depending on your school, the “cultural” activities can change – but most wind up with songs being performed and carnival-type junk food being sold from stalls. It’s an excuse to have a good time at school, basically. Unless you’re a teacher. Without further ado, please enjoy me making a fool out of myself (so you don’t have to) in the following videos. If you are coming to teach high school in Japan on the JET Programme, you may well find yourself doing this kind of thing. It’s part and parcel of being accepted into school life as a teacher. Ha ha ha.

学園天国 (Gakuen Tengoku), the classic school spirit / pointless enthusiasm song, performed by a squad of teachers dressed as students. I only have the jacket part on cause they didn’t have any pants that would fit me. Too tall. Anyway, this is my, shall we say non-academic, active school? It’s Imabari Minami. Crazy kids! Nice to get a reaction, though.

Daydream Believer by the Monkees and 2/3 of Runaway Train by Soul Asylum, performed by Umakoshi-sensei and me at Hakata High School. (The camera ran out of memory so it cut off. Sorry. It’s ok though, because the end of that song was a complete…disaster. [Totally just avoided saying train wreck.] The wind blew our music over and yeah…hahaha.) You can tell Hakata’s relaxed from the free flow of the conspicuously dinky audience. (Not complaining at all, just noting.)

Alrighty, I’ll be hiding from the world for the rest of today. Ha ha.

Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Video

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Girl Go Home by Gaelic Storm

Don’t say that you’re in love me listen to what I say
「愛している」と言うなよ、聞いてくれ
You’re too young to come with me, I must be on me way.
君が若過ぎて好き合うのは無理、僕は行かなければね
And stop your silly crying now how can I make you see
泣かないでください、どうすれば良いか
That I’m a gypsy rover, love, and you’ll not come with me.
僕はジプシー流浪者よ、君は付いて行かない

Go home, Girl, go home, go home!
帰ってくれ、帰れ！

And I met you at the market when your mam was not with you.
お母さんいなかった時に市場で初めて会った
You liked me long brown ringlets and me handkerchief of blue.
僕の茶色長い巻き毛や青いハンカチーフを好きになってしまった
And although I’m very fond you, you asked me home for tea,
友達とおりに好きな人だけど、家で紅茶を飲むのと誘ったけど、
But I’m a gypsy rover, love, and you’ll not come with me.
僕はジプシー流浪者よ、君は付いて行かない

Go home, Girl, go home, go home!
帰ってくれ、帰れ！

And your brother is a peeler and would lock me up in the jail
君のお兄さんが警察官で、僕を刑務所に閉じ込むよ
If he knew I was a poacher and I hunt your lord’s best quail.
僕は主人のウズラを密漁していることが分かったらね
Well your daddy is a gentleman, your mammy just as grand
お父さんは紳士で、お母さんも偉いけど、
But I’m a gypsy rover, love, and I’ll not be your man.
僕はジプシー流浪者よ、君の男にならない

Go home, Girl, go home, go home!
帰ってくれ、帰れ！

Well the hour’s drawing on my love, your mam’s expecting thee.
もう遅くなったよ、お母さん心配するでしょう
Don’t tell her that you met me here or I’m a gypsy free.
私と会ったとか自分がジプシー流浪者だということ教えないでね
And let’s get off me jacket now, your love will have to wait.
よし、上着を離してくれ、君の愛は待つしかないね
FOR I AM TWENTY TWO YEARS OLD AND YOU, YOU’RE ONLY EIGHT!
僕は二十二歳で、君は八歳だけから！

Go home, Girl, go home, go home!
帰ってくれ、帰れ！
Go home, Girl, go home, go home!
帰ってくれ、帰れ！

I’ve got no real reason for translating this one…albeit poorly. I just had it stuck in my head. Ha ha. Anyway, please correct my steadily downhill Japanese, guys. Hope you like the playful nature of the song in any case. Till tomorrow. (I liked this song before I was 22, and now that I’m 24 it makes me feel old…)

Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Music, 日本語

What this building was at one time, I do not know. I don’t care. It made me giggle. I pass it on Oshima every day I travel into Imabari by scooter. Thought you would enjoy it. I suppose the owner concurred with the person who created the following Venn Diagram.

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Awww…don’t even try to tell me that the mini-pumpkin jack-o’-lantern I carved isn’t adorable. Cause it is. Ha ha. It’s got to be one of the smallest ones I’ve ever seen. Made it for a night class. The teacher got these dinky little pumpkins (2 of them, actually) for carving – I got one and a lucky student got the other. She made the other 6 kids carve persimmons. Ha ha ha. Nasty. (On the other hand, they got a delicious snack by hollowing their persimmons out. I got a handful of mess and seeds.)

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