at the spring basho

It was a cloudy afternoon but still good for a walk to the Kokugikan at Ryogoku where the last day of the Sumo Spring Basho was being held. All tickets were sold out so just like other sumo fans, we hung out by the gates. There were the raucous oyajis who obviously had a drink or two while waiting for the results of the final match broadcast via a tiny analog radio, there were a couple of tourists, both local and foreign toting their digital cameras, a group of gangly high school lads who just finished cram school were looking for a nice viewing spot by the gates, others were watching the match on their cellphone and we just listened and looked at the hi-def screens whenever we could.


As colorful banners billowed in the cool breeze, the lower-rank rikishi were already leaving and their presence were known as fans shouted out their names...




This is Takamisakari, he's really fun to watch as he launches into his trademark "gone berserk sumo wrestler" opener at the face-off. He usually loses but is a crowd favorite and I think he's been earning more from his commercials and public appearances.

Here is "Goeido" also a local, he made news this basho with surprising wins.

There's the towering "Baruto" from Estonia, it's exciting to watch him being pitted against smaller rikishi.
As the final face off between Yokuzuna Hakuho (Mongolia) and Ozeki Harumafuji (Mongolia) unfolded, a hush fell upon the gates and as everyone huddled close to watch the match, live on tiny cellphone screens or listened to the tinny radio broadcast. It was a good fight and the Ozeki won!

Now it's time to head on to the nearest izakaya or chanko restaurant for a recap over beer, nihonshu and otsumami. Harumafuji, omedetou! Kampai!

missing the old me

Do I miss chunks of the old me. I am older now but I miss the old me, chunks of 'em.

The body snatchers are real, they live and propagate, slipping stealthily into the unwary victim.

Where's the gym rat that alternates her cardio with weight training?
Fat ass Facebooking. She's gained 3 kilos, which in her and her partner's terms are really massive amounts. The clothes still fit.. like sausage casing.

Where's the party animal that raves til the first trains come in?
After surfing the net and Facebook, she's snoozing. It's just too expensive to get hungover nowadays. The bloody Tokyo trains should run 24/7. Taxis are for the rich here. Excuses.
Got a great job but the pay sucks.

Where's the passionate artist that works on her canvases till the crows come home?
She's doodling still but you'd' see her more online, wasting away time. If there's "writers' block", she is having a great massive wall laid out in front of her. The loud music and alcohol helps but she thinks she should grow up and be able to create without some of these "basic needs".
Acne still bugs her once in a while when she attacks a helpless chocobar.

Where has the "clotheshorse" gone to? UNIQLO

Where are her rapid-fire chats with her online mates? Pulses of life are still sent via e-mail, snail mail or ESP... her mates may have been body snatched as well.

Where's the spirit then?
Nandoon pa rin pero, ewan ko ba. SHE IS JUST PLAIN LAZY... too content, I guess. This is really BAD. BAD! BAD! .... ((((moonwalks)))

tawid na...

thanks to Maey and Maey's friend and Maey's friend of a friend...

I got this from a friend's wall at Facebook.

I dare you... TAWID na!

cafescapades 01

May Tully's na malapit sa min, mga 3 minutes away, at minsan doon kami nagpapalipas-oras.
Ang kaso eh sa Tokyo, every square centimeter counts, so tables at some cafes are placed close to each other, sometimes uncomfortably close. I don't mind this arrangement as long as the person sitting next to our table is quiet.

Usually, most Japanese are quiet naman at cafes, unang una eh dahil nag-iisa lang sila. Unfortunately itong katabi namin eh, tipong may ka-date na classmate nya in HS yata. Ewan ko ba, he was the loudest and most fidgety guy I have ever seen at a cafe!

Yung pa kyut nya sa girl date nya eh parang may nakapasok na alupihan sa pantalon nya. The newspaper force field helped a bit until I read that Man U is just a game away from clinching the English Premier Championship which was on the last page. I even tried reading a bit off C's newspaper but my Nihongo level isn't up to it.

I guess it was the coffee that made him fidgety. The girl was pretty cool, and she was keeping her voice down so as to tell the guy... "huuy, ang lakas ng boses mo, magkaharap lang tayo!"

So with all my reading stuff done, I started doodling, and he also became a bit quiet and less fidgety...aahh... peace be with us.

get trippy

View these fantastic flora and fauna and other trippy vids on 1stavemachine's website.
It's a cold, wet, gray and dreary Tokyo and I am just about to log off until I visited Coilhouse and was transfixed by the latest post on 1stavemachine. They also mentioned Chris Cunningham and flashes of creepy Rubber Johnny came back to haunt me.

Short Films, yehey!

I just love 'em! Heto, mga 10 short films ito. So far, 1 to 5 pa lang ang napapanood ko. I like "Sebastian's Voodoo". These shorts remind me of "The Twilight Zone" - yung TV series noon.
Bukas na ulit yung iba...

Biernes na pala bukas, I have to return some CDs and DVDs I rented, "My Life Without Me", "21" and "Zenzen Daijobu (Fine, Totally Fine)". Looking forward to some social events this weekend!