So, 2011...Hmm...
I got married. Which has been awesome.
There was a massive earthquake in an area I used to live in. That was bad.
Radiation. Bad.
Ongoing trouble with back pain. Bad.
What else happened?
Worked on manga. Good.
Worked on stories. Good.
Uh...what else?
Went to a lot of awesome wrestling shows. Great!
Lost touch with a lot of friends. Bad.
Got back in touch with lost friends. Good.
Taught some English. Uh...good?
Learned some Japanese. Good.
So what am I doing in 2012? I don't know. Here's some ideas.
1. Work on more manga
2. See more wrestling shows
3. Train to be a knight (yes, really)
4. Teach more English
5. Be married and be nicer!
6. Finally find out the source of this mystery back pain
That's about it.
2011. Some great things. Some good things. Some bad things.
2012. Let's do it.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Story Time: World Wide Wandering Wendigo Wrestler
(for the terribleminds.com challenge)
World Wide Wandering Wendigo Wrestler
by Philip Overby
Wally Wreckluse pulled his tights over his mangled jock from the previous night's wendigo wrangling. Not that any women in Mudmap had shown interest in Wally's oiled up physique and orange, ogre-esque appearance. They liked lumberjacks and bikers. Hunters and hockey players. Men's men.
This night pitted Wally against a wily wendigo called Goatdrinker. How he drank goats, Wally didn't know. Battle in a steel cage tonight. His home. No trees to hide behind. No mountains. Just Wally, hot oil, and steel
The announcer's voice crackled from a busted microphone. "On his way to the ring. From Parts Unknown. Weighing in at 295 pounds. The Jacked-Up Jaguar. The Blond Butcher of Bhutan..."
"Bhutan? I'm from Milwaukee." Wally danced in place like he was about to piss himself or kick someone's ass.
"...the Warlock Womb-thief of Wisconsin, Wally Wreckluse!" The announcer shouted. The drunk people in the crowd clapped.
The butt-rock music blared and Wally burst through the curtain, screaming "Come on!" and "Alright!" He clapped hands with a toothless woman in the front row, a man with a massive beard, and a kid eating a powdered donut. Wally got some jelly on his hand. He tried to play it off, wiping the strawberry smear across his chest like he just killed a buck.
He rattled the cage, yodeling to get the crowd behind him. They wanted blood though.
"Get in the zone, bro. Make him tap and get some gym time in before 10."
No music accompanied the wendigo. Handlers led the beast to the ring, his eyes crazed. His chains jangled as they took the blood-lusting beast inside.
"Here's Goatdrinker!" The announcer scaled up and out of the cage before the wendigo was unchained. Wally tried to smile, but in truth he shat his black trunks every time one of the beasts stood across from him. Winning was his only option. How else would he make a living if he couldn't twist abominable snow men with abdominal stretches. If he couldn't give the big boot to Bigfoot. Or, yes, suplex a Sasquatch. His livelihood relied on humiliating mythical forest monsters. If he couldn't do that, he just didn't know what he'd do.
The chains came off and the trainers scurried away. The cage door slammed behind Goatdrinker. A pinkish foam rolled from his mouth. His black within black eyes cold and dark.
The bell rang. Some woman hollered "Tear his fuckin' head off, boy!" Wally assumed she addressed him.
Adjusting his junk, Wally circled the beast, eyes locked on its leg. Always the weakness. Wendigo legs snapped like twigs. But those snapping jaws. Those ripping claws. Meat falls right off the bone like BBQ ribs if that wendigo gets its hold. The luchadore El Blowfish became quivering hamburger after a match with a wendigo named Warthog Assassin in Pittsburgh.
Wally shot in, but Goatdrinker was too spry and darted out of the way. No reaction. Just watching. A smart one. Wally looked for another opening, but he side-stepped.
He'd try a different approach. Brute strength.
"Let's go!" Wally rallied the comatose crowd and barreled into Goatdrinker with a dreaded double-axe handle to the jaw. The wendigo staggered back into the bars of the cage. Spat blood. Roared, much to the delight of the crowd and went for a cross-body block onto Wally. He ducked and the wendigo hurtled over him, cracking his face on the other side of the cage.
Wally then locked in a sleeper hold, clasping his arms together around Goatdrinker's throat. The beast sputtered, falling to one knee. The crowd chanted. "Wally! Wally!"
Then something curious happened. The wendigo talked. "Come on, brother. Let me win. My woman's here."
"Huh?"
"In the front row. Brunette in the red sweater." Goatdrinker gasped for air. "I won't hurt you much. I'll just spread that jelly around. It'll look like I just mauled the shit out of you."
"Uh, I won't get paid." Wally whispered to the fading wendigo. "This is my life, man."
"I'll make it worth it." Goatdrinker said. "Rematch of the century. In Toronto. I've got connections. Believe me. I can hook this up."
"I don't know, dude. If this gets out--" The wendigo's arms went rubbery. The crowd whipped into a frenzy now, even the hookers and junkies who outside came in to join in the fun.
"Seriously. Do me a solid." The wendigo mustered. "Please."
Wally, his credibility on the line, realized he had to do something.
He squeezed tighter. Goatdrinker tapped.
Victory. He'd won the day. There would be no rematch.
Wally hopped out of the cage to approach the sexy woman in the red sweater. She looked Wally up and down as he flexed his pectoral muscles, putting her in a beefcake-induced trance.
Wally, that glistening stud, extended his hand to the woman. "Hi. Name's Wally. Couldn't help noticing you as I totally choked that guy. That's how hot you are."
The girl suddenly burst into tears. "I'm pregnant you jerk!" She slapped Wally across the face.
The crowd "oohed" as she stormed out of the building. When Wally looked back into the cage, Goatdrinker kicking invisible sand, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't ruin this. Take money away from a struggling forest creature and his family.
"I'm not finished with you. I want more! Me and you. Next week. For the Mudmap Championship."
The crowd exploded as Goatdrinker jumped out of the cage and mauled the shit out of Wally. Wally held his chest, the jelly smeared into his well-sprayed skin.
"Call an ambulance!" Wally writhed on the floor. As Goatdrinker walked away, Wally thought he saw him wink.
Wally screamed. "Get ready for vengeance, bro!"
People took pictures, covered their mouths in shock. As Wally screamed, "God, so much blood!" There was more money to be made. For everyone.
World Wide Wandering Wendigo Wrestler
by Philip Overby
Wally Wreckluse pulled his tights over his mangled jock from the previous night's wendigo wrangling. Not that any women in Mudmap had shown interest in Wally's oiled up physique and orange, ogre-esque appearance. They liked lumberjacks and bikers. Hunters and hockey players. Men's men.
This night pitted Wally against a wily wendigo called Goatdrinker. How he drank goats, Wally didn't know. Battle in a steel cage tonight. His home. No trees to hide behind. No mountains. Just Wally, hot oil, and steel
The announcer's voice crackled from a busted microphone. "On his way to the ring. From Parts Unknown. Weighing in at 295 pounds. The Jacked-Up Jaguar. The Blond Butcher of Bhutan..."
"Bhutan? I'm from Milwaukee." Wally danced in place like he was about to piss himself or kick someone's ass.
"...the Warlock Womb-thief of Wisconsin, Wally Wreckluse!" The announcer shouted. The drunk people in the crowd clapped.
The butt-rock music blared and Wally burst through the curtain, screaming "Come on!" and "Alright!" He clapped hands with a toothless woman in the front row, a man with a massive beard, and a kid eating a powdered donut. Wally got some jelly on his hand. He tried to play it off, wiping the strawberry smear across his chest like he just killed a buck.
He rattled the cage, yodeling to get the crowd behind him. They wanted blood though.
"Get in the zone, bro. Make him tap and get some gym time in before 10."
No music accompanied the wendigo. Handlers led the beast to the ring, his eyes crazed. His chains jangled as they took the blood-lusting beast inside.
"Here's Goatdrinker!" The announcer scaled up and out of the cage before the wendigo was unchained. Wally tried to smile, but in truth he shat his black trunks every time one of the beasts stood across from him. Winning was his only option. How else would he make a living if he couldn't twist abominable snow men with abdominal stretches. If he couldn't give the big boot to Bigfoot. Or, yes, suplex a Sasquatch. His livelihood relied on humiliating mythical forest monsters. If he couldn't do that, he just didn't know what he'd do.
The chains came off and the trainers scurried away. The cage door slammed behind Goatdrinker. A pinkish foam rolled from his mouth. His black within black eyes cold and dark.
The bell rang. Some woman hollered "Tear his fuckin' head off, boy!" Wally assumed she addressed him.
Adjusting his junk, Wally circled the beast, eyes locked on its leg. Always the weakness. Wendigo legs snapped like twigs. But those snapping jaws. Those ripping claws. Meat falls right off the bone like BBQ ribs if that wendigo gets its hold. The luchadore El Blowfish became quivering hamburger after a match with a wendigo named Warthog Assassin in Pittsburgh.
Wally shot in, but Goatdrinker was too spry and darted out of the way. No reaction. Just watching. A smart one. Wally looked for another opening, but he side-stepped.
He'd try a different approach. Brute strength.
"Let's go!" Wally rallied the comatose crowd and barreled into Goatdrinker with a dreaded double-axe handle to the jaw. The wendigo staggered back into the bars of the cage. Spat blood. Roared, much to the delight of the crowd and went for a cross-body block onto Wally. He ducked and the wendigo hurtled over him, cracking his face on the other side of the cage.
Wally then locked in a sleeper hold, clasping his arms together around Goatdrinker's throat. The beast sputtered, falling to one knee. The crowd chanted. "Wally! Wally!"
Then something curious happened. The wendigo talked. "Come on, brother. Let me win. My woman's here."
"Huh?"
"In the front row. Brunette in the red sweater." Goatdrinker gasped for air. "I won't hurt you much. I'll just spread that jelly around. It'll look like I just mauled the shit out of you."
"Uh, I won't get paid." Wally whispered to the fading wendigo. "This is my life, man."
"I'll make it worth it." Goatdrinker said. "Rematch of the century. In Toronto. I've got connections. Believe me. I can hook this up."
"I don't know, dude. If this gets out--" The wendigo's arms went rubbery. The crowd whipped into a frenzy now, even the hookers and junkies who outside came in to join in the fun.
"Seriously. Do me a solid." The wendigo mustered. "Please."
Wally, his credibility on the line, realized he had to do something.
He squeezed tighter. Goatdrinker tapped.
Victory. He'd won the day. There would be no rematch.
Wally hopped out of the cage to approach the sexy woman in the red sweater. She looked Wally up and down as he flexed his pectoral muscles, putting her in a beefcake-induced trance.
Wally, that glistening stud, extended his hand to the woman. "Hi. Name's Wally. Couldn't help noticing you as I totally choked that guy. That's how hot you are."
The girl suddenly burst into tears. "I'm pregnant you jerk!" She slapped Wally across the face.
The crowd "oohed" as she stormed out of the building. When Wally looked back into the cage, Goatdrinker kicking invisible sand, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't ruin this. Take money away from a struggling forest creature and his family.
"I'm not finished with you. I want more! Me and you. Next week. For the Mudmap Championship."
The crowd exploded as Goatdrinker jumped out of the cage and mauled the shit out of Wally. Wally held his chest, the jelly smeared into his well-sprayed skin.
"Call an ambulance!" Wally writhed on the floor. As Goatdrinker walked away, Wally thought he saw him wink.
Wally screamed. "Get ready for vengeance, bro!"
People took pictures, covered their mouths in shock. As Wally screamed, "God, so much blood!" There was more money to be made. For everyone.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
National Novel Writing Month: Confessions of a Jobber
It's still several months away, but I've been discussing National Novel Writing Month on the Mythic Scribes forum and it's already got me excited. The last three years I did fantasy stories:
2008: Wall of Dead Unicorns
2009: Kingdom of Buzzards
2010: Drink the Wyvern
All three years I hit the 50,000 word (175 pages?) mark. However, none of these novels are really finished. Because they need heavy, heavy editing.
But that's besides the point. NaNoWriMo is more about challenging myself and hitting a goal than getting something ready to be published. It's fun and uplifting and depressing and soul-destroying all at the same time.
This year I've decided to take a different approach. No fantasy. I'm going to try to write a wrestling story. Yes, that's right. Wrestling.
Tentatively titled, "Confessions of a Jobber," it will be a semi-autobiographical adventure into the weird, wacky world of professional wrestling. It follows an unnamed wrestler (don't know his name yet) that travels all over the world for over 25 years, but never wins a single, solitary match. His goal? To finally just win one match.
Some of the things detailed in this story will take pages from my ACTUAL experiences on the independent scene and years of reading about and watching wrestling.
Things to expect;
1. Being passed over for championships
2. Being a hated heel and getting turned babyface for being too good at it
3. Doing matches he didn't want to do
4. Communication/Miscommunication in the ring
5. Backstage politics
6. Fan clashes
7. Ring rats
8. Dirt sheet writers
9. Rookies/backyarders
10. Kayfabe
11. Masked gimmicks
12. Tag team wrestling
13. Crappy shows
14. Reality vs. wrestling
15. Wrestling a bear
These are some things that will be covered in the book. And I have plenty of source material. This story is entirely FICTIONAL and will only be loosely based on things I've seen and experienced as a pro wrestler.
Coming in November! NaNoWrimo 2011!
2008: Wall of Dead Unicorns
2009: Kingdom of Buzzards
2010: Drink the Wyvern
All three years I hit the 50,000 word (175 pages?) mark. However, none of these novels are really finished. Because they need heavy, heavy editing.
But that's besides the point. NaNoWriMo is more about challenging myself and hitting a goal than getting something ready to be published. It's fun and uplifting and depressing and soul-destroying all at the same time.
This year I've decided to take a different approach. No fantasy. I'm going to try to write a wrestling story. Yes, that's right. Wrestling.
Tentatively titled, "Confessions of a Jobber," it will be a semi-autobiographical adventure into the weird, wacky world of professional wrestling. It follows an unnamed wrestler (don't know his name yet) that travels all over the world for over 25 years, but never wins a single, solitary match. His goal? To finally just win one match.
Some of the things detailed in this story will take pages from my ACTUAL experiences on the independent scene and years of reading about and watching wrestling.
Things to expect;
1. Being passed over for championships
2. Being a hated heel and getting turned babyface for being too good at it
3. Doing matches he didn't want to do
4. Communication/Miscommunication in the ring
5. Backstage politics
6. Fan clashes
7. Ring rats
8. Dirt sheet writers
9. Rookies/backyarders
10. Kayfabe
11. Masked gimmicks
12. Tag team wrestling
13. Crappy shows
14. Reality vs. wrestling
15. Wrestling a bear
These are some things that will be covered in the book. And I have plenty of source material. This story is entirely FICTIONAL and will only be loosely based on things I've seen and experienced as a pro wrestler.
Coming in November! NaNoWrimo 2011!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Drill Bits: Drinking Elf Blood (Or Stuff I Like)
I thought the title of this blog would get some attention. I don't really like drinking elf blood. I prefer ghost blood. It's tasteless and low-calorie.
Anyway, here is a list of things with my stamp of approval:
1. Kizuna: Fiction for Japan.
An awesome charity book with over 70 authors in it from all over the world. Personally, my interest is in the Japanese writers in this book. You don't know how many times I've wandered around book stores in Japan and dreamed that I could read Japanese more. This anthology gives me the chance. Lots of great authors in this, some known, some unknown, but all working for the common good of raising some money for those affected by the Tohoku disaster.
Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Kizuna-Fiction-charity-anthology-ebook/dp/B005GFID4O
Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for different devices (Kindle for PC specifically and I think they have an app for Android and Blackberry or some other devices I'm not familiar with.)
2. terribleminds: Blog by Chuck Wendig (www.terribleminds.com)
For writing advice, Wendig does a great job of making it entertaining and inspiring at the same time. I recently bought his book Confessions of a Penmonkey which are collected essays from the site. Really funny (and often weird) stuff. Highly recommended. And he would probably approve me drinking elf blood.
3. Bizarro Central: Revamp (www.bizarrocentral.com)
I really like the new re-vamped Bizarro Central. Always cool articles, pictures, or news over there if you're into weird stuff. I prefer this version of the website because it seems more focused in the shared-blog format. Kudos to whoever spear-headed this one!
4. Mythic Scribes (www.mythicscribes.com)
As fantasy forums go, this is a good one. And not just faeries and dragons and all that crap most people think I'm a dork for liking. But other "edgier" stuff too. Really good community that don't troll each other.
5. Game of Thrones TV Show
I recently finished the first season of the TV series Game of Thrones based on George R.R. Martin's book series. I have to say, I'm very impressed. Great actors all around and Peter Dinklage is definitely a highlight as Tyrion. Love me some Tyrion. Can't wait for the next season.
6. The Laugh Factory Youtube Page
If you love comedy, seek out some of the stand-up acts listed on their page. Some are hilarious and familiar, some hilarious and unfamiliar, some not so hilarious and not so anything. But hit or miss, it's good for some mindless entertainment.
7. Salad UK
A guy that does excellent dubstep videos on his Youtube page. Lots of great mixes of film, Youtube junk, and cartoons for hard-hitting dubstep cream corn action. Pump up the volume.
8. ALL TOGETHER (New Japan/All Japan/NOAH)
A big wrestling show I just got tickets for this Saturday in Tokyo. A big, big show. I can't even explain how excited I am. And all the proceeds go to charity, which is also super bad ass!
9. Fat-Pie.com (David Firth animations)
This my have been around for some time, but I recently just saw some of David Firth's incredibly creepy and weird cartoons floating around on Youtube. His most famous is Salad Fingers, which is funny, creepy, and sometimes sad. I highly recommend any of the Fat-Pie animations because they will probably make you pee.
So that's it for this edition. Mata ne!
Anyway, here is a list of things with my stamp of approval:
1. Kizuna: Fiction for Japan.
An awesome charity book with over 70 authors in it from all over the world. Personally, my interest is in the Japanese writers in this book. You don't know how many times I've wandered around book stores in Japan and dreamed that I could read Japanese more. This anthology gives me the chance. Lots of great authors in this, some known, some unknown, but all working for the common good of raising some money for those affected by the Tohoku disaster.
Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Kizuna-Fiction-charity-anthology-ebook/dp/B005GFID4O
Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for different devices (Kindle for PC specifically and I think they have an app for Android and Blackberry or some other devices I'm not familiar with.)
2. terribleminds: Blog by Chuck Wendig (www.terribleminds.com)
For writing advice, Wendig does a great job of making it entertaining and inspiring at the same time. I recently bought his book Confessions of a Penmonkey which are collected essays from the site. Really funny (and often weird) stuff. Highly recommended. And he would probably approve me drinking elf blood.
3. Bizarro Central: Revamp (www.bizarrocentral.com)
I really like the new re-vamped Bizarro Central. Always cool articles, pictures, or news over there if you're into weird stuff. I prefer this version of the website because it seems more focused in the shared-blog format. Kudos to whoever spear-headed this one!
4. Mythic Scribes (www.mythicscribes.com)
As fantasy forums go, this is a good one. And not just faeries and dragons and all that crap most people think I'm a dork for liking. But other "edgier" stuff too. Really good community that don't troll each other.
5. Game of Thrones TV Show
I recently finished the first season of the TV series Game of Thrones based on George R.R. Martin's book series. I have to say, I'm very impressed. Great actors all around and Peter Dinklage is definitely a highlight as Tyrion. Love me some Tyrion. Can't wait for the next season.
6. The Laugh Factory Youtube Page
If you love comedy, seek out some of the stand-up acts listed on their page. Some are hilarious and familiar, some hilarious and unfamiliar, some not so hilarious and not so anything. But hit or miss, it's good for some mindless entertainment.
7. Salad UK
A guy that does excellent dubstep videos on his Youtube page. Lots of great mixes of film, Youtube junk, and cartoons for hard-hitting dubstep cream corn action. Pump up the volume.
8. ALL TOGETHER (New Japan/All Japan/NOAH)
A big wrestling show I just got tickets for this Saturday in Tokyo. A big, big show. I can't even explain how excited I am. And all the proceeds go to charity, which is also super bad ass!
9. Fat-Pie.com (David Firth animations)
This my have been around for some time, but I recently just saw some of David Firth's incredibly creepy and weird cartoons floating around on Youtube. His most famous is Salad Fingers, which is funny, creepy, and sometimes sad. I highly recommend any of the Fat-Pie animations because they will probably make you pee.
So that's it for this edition. Mata ne!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Japan Hammer: Writing Manga
I always have been interested in writing but never thought I would write anything that would be visualized. That has changed recently as I've been working on a manga over the past several months called "Wanderer." The premise is this: demonic creatures from the "other side" are sent as "exterminators" to cleanse the earth of humanity to presumably make way for a new race.
To see my vision of a post-apocalyptic world visualized and in Japanese is rather surreal. I'm not doing the art or translations, but being part of this team is great for me.
Does this mean I'm giving up writing traditional stories? No. Just won't be as much I suppose. I have tons and tons of ideas suddenly, stuff that has been lying dormant in my head. Now that I can see my ideas visualized it just seems so much more amazing to create for me.
So the first manga we did together is pretty dark. But the second one I'm writing now is lighter, has more of that "Phil" humor everyone loves so much (I guess).
Anyhow, 2011 I will be spending more and more time on manga. It's really fun! If anyone has any character ideas, send them my way and I'll try to include them in the next manga.
Mata ne!
To see my vision of a post-apocalyptic world visualized and in Japanese is rather surreal. I'm not doing the art or translations, but being part of this team is great for me.
Does this mean I'm giving up writing traditional stories? No. Just won't be as much I suppose. I have tons and tons of ideas suddenly, stuff that has been lying dormant in my head. Now that I can see my ideas visualized it just seems so much more amazing to create for me.
So the first manga we did together is pretty dark. But the second one I'm writing now is lighter, has more of that "Phil" humor everyone loves so much (I guess).
Anyhow, 2011 I will be spending more and more time on manga. It's really fun! If anyone has any character ideas, send them my way and I'll try to include them in the next manga.
Mata ne!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Japan Hammer: Japan, Home, Life, Future
Seems like every couple of years I post one of these. "My life has taken a new direction" or "Time to change things." Well, for those who know me, I live in Japan. For those who haven't been under a rock, things have drastically changed here.
I won't go into a lot of details about what I think about the disaster here. People have went on about it and probably better than I ever could. But I lived in Fukushima. Kumi's family is from there. I made some friends that live there.
Sadly, I don't think it will ever be the same. Just like after Katrina, things never seemed to be the same.
I take pride in living in Japan. The people are kind. It's a beautiful country. The culture is respectful and honorable. But even before this disaster happened, I had second thoughts about making it my permanent home. I now know that it will always be my home. Even if I leave here.
I'm not going to make some far-flung statement about how I'm going to reinvent myself or find another career or something along that line. I plan to continue teaching, wherever I am.
I started to write an angry blog about how lots of people have pissed me off with their flippancy and self-centered viewpoints about this disaster. I was going to rant about it, but there's no point. Stupid people will always be stupid. So I don't give a shit what they say.
I'll soon have a wife and therefore will no longer be responsible only for myself. My purpose first and foremost is keep her safe and healthy. If that means ultimately leaving Japan, then that is what we'll do. I won't be happy, but I'll do it.
In the midst of all this chaos, I also lost a friend and brother Billy Tackett. He was always kind to me, a great guy to be around. His love and passion for wrestling and his family shined through. He may not have realized it, but he was in a lot of ways an inspiration to me. I realize life is too short to not appreciate your passions in life. My passions are Kumi, writing, and wrestling. Those will be my focuses.
I feel I can no longer wrestle. My back and neck are shot. I have to get another MRI done tomorrow to see why my body feels like it is shaking. But I want to continue to do something in wrestling. And I will do that.
I've made more of concerted effort in my writing. I'm submitting places and working on old pieces. In my future, that will be a hobby of mine, no matter if I am widely published or not. I take comfort in creating. Whether it's mindless crap or my master opus.
It sounds cliche' and stupid, but it is always good to follow your dreams. My dreams are to be safe, healthy, and happy with Kumi, involved in wrestling and writing.
In Japan or elsewhere. My heart will always be in Japan though. No matter where life takes me.
I won't go into a lot of details about what I think about the disaster here. People have went on about it and probably better than I ever could. But I lived in Fukushima. Kumi's family is from there. I made some friends that live there.
Sadly, I don't think it will ever be the same. Just like after Katrina, things never seemed to be the same.
I take pride in living in Japan. The people are kind. It's a beautiful country. The culture is respectful and honorable. But even before this disaster happened, I had second thoughts about making it my permanent home. I now know that it will always be my home. Even if I leave here.
I'm not going to make some far-flung statement about how I'm going to reinvent myself or find another career or something along that line. I plan to continue teaching, wherever I am.
I started to write an angry blog about how lots of people have pissed me off with their flippancy and self-centered viewpoints about this disaster. I was going to rant about it, but there's no point. Stupid people will always be stupid. So I don't give a shit what they say.
I'll soon have a wife and therefore will no longer be responsible only for myself. My purpose first and foremost is keep her safe and healthy. If that means ultimately leaving Japan, then that is what we'll do. I won't be happy, but I'll do it.
In the midst of all this chaos, I also lost a friend and brother Billy Tackett. He was always kind to me, a great guy to be around. His love and passion for wrestling and his family shined through. He may not have realized it, but he was in a lot of ways an inspiration to me. I realize life is too short to not appreciate your passions in life. My passions are Kumi, writing, and wrestling. Those will be my focuses.
I feel I can no longer wrestle. My back and neck are shot. I have to get another MRI done tomorrow to see why my body feels like it is shaking. But I want to continue to do something in wrestling. And I will do that.
I've made more of concerted effort in my writing. I'm submitting places and working on old pieces. In my future, that will be a hobby of mine, no matter if I am widely published or not. I take comfort in creating. Whether it's mindless crap or my master opus.
It sounds cliche' and stupid, but it is always good to follow your dreams. My dreams are to be safe, healthy, and happy with Kumi, involved in wrestling and writing.
In Japan or elsewhere. My heart will always be in Japan though. No matter where life takes me.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Japan Hammer: Top 5 (Moderately) Fast Food Places in Japan
Traveling to Japan? Looking for fast food? Want to eat something good? And cheap? Well, I got some news for you! You're in luck! I'm going to make my list of the top cheap, good, and fast places to eat in all of Japan. These are my personal opinions, so if you think there are better places, feel free to comment.
5. Sukiya/Yoshinoya/Matsuya
If you want the cheapest, easiest, fastest food in all of Japan, look no further than gyudon (beef bowl) fast food chains. I spent the first 3 months of my first stay in Japan eating pretty much nothing but Sukiya. If you are too nervous to eat other Japanese food (sushi, sashimi, soba, etc.) then gyudon is the way to go. It is probably the cheapest food you will find as well at about 250 yen (about 3 bucks) for some of lower end stuff. It's all good though. One time I got my gyudon in literally 1 minute. It's amazing!
And one of my favorite Japanese idols Suzanne used to do commercials for them. This isn't it, but she does other awesome commercials like this:
4. McDonald's
Yes, it is American. But McDonald's has some pretty distinctive Japanese style burgers as well. And it's pretty cheap. And their french fries still taste spectacular. They have been doing a series now of "Big American" burgers which look like monstrosities. Like the Idaho burger (which I tried) which has some sauce and a piece of hash brown on it.
Or the Miami burger which has salsa and chips on it.
But they did have "Nippon All-Stars" series as well. Which dealt with shrimp burgers and burgers with egg on them. I don't understand the fascination with putting eggs on hamburgers.
Overall, McDonald's in Japan has weird marketing strategies. Like showing sexy models looking like Ronald McDonald.
Or this popular one with children screeching shrilly over Sponge Bob.
They are way too excited. I've never been this excited in my whole life, except that time I got Street Fighter 2 for Christmas.
3. Kappa Sushi/Sushi Ondo/any kaiten sushi place
If you like sushi (I know I do) you can get relatively cheap sushi at kaiten sushi places. These are the ones with the conveyor belt that goes around and around.
I actually prefer these places to the higher end sushi places, because you can eat a lot more for a lot cheaper. The quality isn't the best, but it's the most bang for your buck. Plus if you don't know much about sushi you won't know the difference anyhow.
2. Any "cheap looking" ramen place
Ramen is super cheap and super filling. I can get a bowl of ramen for about 500 yen here and not eat anything for the rest of the day. Here's what REAL ramen looks like.
Plus there are tons and tons of "cup noodle" you can buy in the store which are far superior to the ramen noodles you would eat in college. It buries them. Kills them. Eats them.
1. Saizeriya
This place is relatively fast, pretty good, and you can get a variety of Italian food. It is the choice of most foreigners because you can get decent pizza, pasta, and other pseudo-Italian food. The food by no means matches real Italian food or even the crap we have in America, but it is a good substitute. I eat here any time I want something decent, cheap, and fast. Plus you can drink wine! Woo...
Here are some real Italians ranking what they think of Saizeriya. It's all in Japanese and Italian, but you can see what the food looks like.
Well, that's my list. I'm sure there's tons of things I'm leaving out, but that is the best, cheapest, and fastest food to get in Japan. If you want other stuff, like yakiniku or okonomiyaki, you have to wait a while. And it can get really expensive.
Especially with lots of beer!
Ichiro approves!
5. Sukiya/Yoshinoya/Matsuya
If you want the cheapest, easiest, fastest food in all of Japan, look no further than gyudon (beef bowl) fast food chains. I spent the first 3 months of my first stay in Japan eating pretty much nothing but Sukiya. If you are too nervous to eat other Japanese food (sushi, sashimi, soba, etc.) then gyudon is the way to go. It is probably the cheapest food you will find as well at about 250 yen (about 3 bucks) for some of lower end stuff. It's all good though. One time I got my gyudon in literally 1 minute. It's amazing!
And one of my favorite Japanese idols Suzanne used to do commercials for them. This isn't it, but she does other awesome commercials like this:
4. McDonald's
Yes, it is American. But McDonald's has some pretty distinctive Japanese style burgers as well. And it's pretty cheap. And their french fries still taste spectacular. They have been doing a series now of "Big American" burgers which look like monstrosities. Like the Idaho burger (which I tried) which has some sauce and a piece of hash brown on it.
Or the Miami burger which has salsa and chips on it.
But they did have "Nippon All-Stars" series as well. Which dealt with shrimp burgers and burgers with egg on them. I don't understand the fascination with putting eggs on hamburgers.
Overall, McDonald's in Japan has weird marketing strategies. Like showing sexy models looking like Ronald McDonald.
Or this popular one with children screeching shrilly over Sponge Bob.
They are way too excited. I've never been this excited in my whole life, except that time I got Street Fighter 2 for Christmas.
3. Kappa Sushi/Sushi Ondo/any kaiten sushi place
If you like sushi (I know I do) you can get relatively cheap sushi at kaiten sushi places. These are the ones with the conveyor belt that goes around and around.
I actually prefer these places to the higher end sushi places, because you can eat a lot more for a lot cheaper. The quality isn't the best, but it's the most bang for your buck. Plus if you don't know much about sushi you won't know the difference anyhow.
2. Any "cheap looking" ramen place
Ramen is super cheap and super filling. I can get a bowl of ramen for about 500 yen here and not eat anything for the rest of the day. Here's what REAL ramen looks like.
Plus there are tons and tons of "cup noodle" you can buy in the store which are far superior to the ramen noodles you would eat in college. It buries them. Kills them. Eats them.
1. Saizeriya
This place is relatively fast, pretty good, and you can get a variety of Italian food. It is the choice of most foreigners because you can get decent pizza, pasta, and other pseudo-Italian food. The food by no means matches real Italian food or even the crap we have in America, but it is a good substitute. I eat here any time I want something decent, cheap, and fast. Plus you can drink wine! Woo...
Here are some real Italians ranking what they think of Saizeriya. It's all in Japanese and Italian, but you can see what the food looks like.
Well, that's my list. I'm sure there's tons of things I'm leaving out, but that is the best, cheapest, and fastest food to get in Japan. If you want other stuff, like yakiniku or okonomiyaki, you have to wait a while. And it can get really expensive.
Especially with lots of beer!
Ichiro approves!
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