Saturday, June 11, 2005

Mboogie is Back!

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It's been a rough couple of weeks for those of us in the J-blogging community, first with the almost fatal blow dealt to Gaijin for life's Mobile Man, ending the short-run yet incredibly entertaining "Ketai Cinema". Then there was the inexpliable disappearance of my entire blog, which seems to have magically reappeared thanks to the kind folks at Blogger (and the grace of God)! Mboogiedown-Japan has been MIA for some time now, lost in cyberspace, but having been given a second chance, I am determined to take my blog to new heights...to create a new and improved, possibly trilingual Mboogiedown 2000, capable of ruling the world! Same great taste, less filler! Or more filler? I don't know...wakaran! 分からん。Ganbarimasho! 頑張ろ!

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View of never-ending skyline of Tokyo from my hotel room at Keio Plaza, Shinjuku.

The Tokyo Recontracting Confrence and the strange sequence of events leading up to it have brought me to ask the question: "What exactly am I doing here, anyways?" This is a question all JET's must ask themselves, sooner or later, even when they don't know the answer. Sometimes it is the asking of the question that makes one realize that they don't know the answer. That would be me right about now, and there's nothing like eating Mexican food and hanging out with a Mariachi band from Cuernavaca to call one back to one's latin roots...

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Me and J-Blo, Fiesta style at La Fonda de La Madrugada in Harajuku, Tokyo!

Well, Mexico is slightly out of reach at the moment, and I'm not really sure what God has in store for me, but the great thing about Tokyo was that I was able to fill my yearly quota of 'refried beans and guacamole eaten' in the span of about three days! The actual confrence part of the trip was slightly bunk, as expected, but afterwards, Tono crew trips to Little Mexico and a late night round of Karaoke made up for it! I also finally got to meet Gaijin himself (of Gaijin for life), and made it to Asakusa Shrine to see the famously huge red lantern. Me thinks, however, that I shall have to go back to Tokyo on a non-JET related adventure for furthur exploration...and to find me buried treasure. Arrrgh! (cue best pirate accent).

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A mother leads her child through the famous 'Kaminarimon' (Thunder Gate) of Asakusa Shrine on their way to preschool. 雷 is the kaji for thunder (kaminari). 門 is the kanji for gate (mon).

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Preschool children in their uniforms. Cho-Kawaii! 超可愛い!

4 comments:

Luke and Yuko ELLIOT said...

Hey, you’re back. Welcome back! I wondered what had become of Mboogie. It was nice to meet you down at the re-contractors’ conference. If I seemed a little dazed and dehydrated in our all too brief conversation, I apologize. I was a little dazed and dehydrated (you know, the normal debilitating effects that Tokyo has on country gaijin). Anyway, all the best on Mboogiedown 2000 Rebooted! Gaijin for Life should be back and better after the wedding.

Lindizzy said...

Hey girl! Thank God your blog is back. And yay for Yahoo BB! Your pics are as amazing as ever, and I'm glad to hear that you went out for Mexican in Harajuku, cuz I know you are deprived of that up there in Ena-shi. Come back to Osaka & I'll make ya some guacamole!

Any news on Thailand? I'm hangin' by a thread here! As much as I want to go to Thailand, I'm sorta dreading two weeks with my roommates... And please don't tell them I said that...But besides that, you totally deserve a vacation! And, your blog needs a little more flavor- j/k. But seriously, I need a photo-taking buddy & Thailand may be able to wait, but I can't! I'm heading back to the US be4 Sept 6th. I hope you can come with us!!!

Melissa said...

Thanks Luke! Its good to be back! I'm so happy to hear that Ketai Cinema 00 will be coming to a laptop theater near me soon!May your union be blessed by the presence of the Lord, and His love be made manifest in you two, a testimony to all who know you! Peace and Joy! Is there any hope for a Ketai Cinema production of this blessed union of souls?

Melissa said...

Lindz! Which picture is most amazing? The one of the Japanese style toilet? Hehehe...I am deprived, and you do make some good guac! Dont make me come down there! Its been awhile, hasnt it? Now that Miho is back from Finland I think we need to have a Kansai Kid reunion Karaoke style!

Thailand, my happy thought. Its not looking good, but I refuse to give up hope. Are the Aussies not treatin' you right? After all that effort you put into learning how ta speak Strain. I do deserve a vacation though!And you are the perfect picture taking pal... Im not giving up!