2007, year in the rear view...

So, as mentioned before, it's now 2008. So I figure it's a good time to look through some pictures and try to piece together the previous year...

Wow, from January-September I posted a total of 4 times, time to see what I did...

Jan '07
The year started off pretty regular... and in fact, no decent pictures survive from January. I can tell that I did go to a couple of parties, and also played poker, but that was about it. Also, from reading my one Jan 2007 post I realize that at that time I was doing the whole split days off thing... so onto the good stuff...


Feb '07
Feb kicked off with a Tool concert in Odaiba. It was a good show, they played alot of favorites, but the show was a bit short, and the Japanese audience was a bit of a let down with their ultra laid back politeness, it's rock folks, freak out!
Next up was a visit from dude? that became the L.W.D. (the Long Weekend of Debauchery 2007, see April 2007 post)




Mar '07
March saw me applying for a visa renewal and also saw the last time I cut my hair. That's about it.






Apr '07
April was packed with action, starting with a trip to Kaneyama Shrine for the Penis Festival coupled with a trip to Yokohama Stadium for an unfortunate beat-down of the Baystars on opening weekend of the NPB season. Shortly after I went over to Meiji Jingu Stadium for a match-up of the Swallows and Tigers where Kanemoto hit a grand-slam on his birthday to send the Tigers to an opening win! Also during April I went to Saitama to see my first J-league game with the Reds taking a thrilling 2-1 victory late in the game. Next I headed back to Yokohama stadium for another Baystars game, and finished the month with a wicked drinking party under a bridge by the Tama River.




May '07
May included a trip out to Chiba for my first game at Chiba Marines Stadium between the Tohouku Rakuten Eagles and the Chiba Lotte Marines, as well as a going-away party for my favorite staff member at work. Also came across some crabs in bags...





Jun '07
In June I tried the "Mega Teriyaki Mac" (couldn't even come close to finishing it), I observed the "crocs" epidemic, bought a drum machine, and again back to Yokohama stadium for a game between the Baystars and Tigers. June also brought dude? in from Osaka, and saw the formation of the world's greatest band! The Wang Bangers?!!! and the creation of their masterpiece "...il phiasco de opus...a lesson in epicness..." Also we went with A.O.S. up to Saitama to see the Tigers and Lions (tigers lost...) and then dude? and I headed out to Chiba for a game between the Marines and Tigers, probably the best game I saw this year with the Tigers coming back late and scoring 9 in the 9th (I think).

Jul '07
Looks like July was a quiet month... Not too much happened, probably because of the stupid humidity and heat, but it seems the only things that I did were go to a strip club for a friends bachelor party, and also go to a football game between the U.S. and Korea during the group play stage of the World Cup of American Football where the U.S. won something like 81-0... don't remember the actual score, but it was close to that.


Aug '07
August held another Tigers game in Yokohama, and a Baystars game in Jingu. I also made a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame at the Tokyo Dome and visited my old college here in Japan, Takushoku University. During August I also bought a Dreamcast in order to play my favorite game of all time, "Pro Yakyu Team de Asobou!" a brilliant Japanese baseball game made around 2000.

Sep '07
In Septemeber I went out to Osaka to visit dude? and we went to a Pelican/Envy show that was absolutely amazing! Went to the Tokyo Dome for a battle between the Giants and Tigers that saw the Tigers take first place in a dramatic win (it was short lived as they plummeted to 3rd place to finish the season) and also back to Jingu stadium for another Tigers game. Sept 15th was the last time I was payed.

Oct '07
October was my b-day and the beginning of the end for VONA. Oct 14th marked my last day of work. October also marked my first post since May, and the revival of 'no airplay'. Went to an O-eshiki, went to Oktoberfest out in Yokohama, went to Burger King, ate some giant nan, and began the long march towards the JLPT test...



Nov '07
November saw the creation of the 'no airplay' podcast and the overhaul of the site. Also we had the final death gasps of the once great and powerful VONA corporation. The biggest event of the month though was the 1st annual Yukigayaotsukapolooza! This is also when I started to go up on the roof pretty much daily to watch the sunset.




Dec '07
December began with the JLPT test and ended with a series of unfortunate events. Not too much in-between. I revitalized my interest in bike riding and I did have an interview near the end of the month... The very end of the month was packed with action as Tora came into town for a visit, we went to The Emperor's Palace but didn't get in, also met some of his fellow Hokkaido Gajin down here and in 1 day had 2 tabehoudais (Indian Curry, and Yakiniku) and drank a ton, visited a shrine at midnight, and ate some Toshikoshi Soba.

2008...
This year I'm hoping for some stuff to turn around. Hopefully starting next week I'll be back working. I want to take a trip home for the first time in 2 years to see my nieces and nephew, and also my big sis, bro-in-law, daddy-o, and Punk. I'd like to really dedicate myself to studying Japanese much harder and prepare for the JLPT test level 1. I'd like to eventually change to a not teaching English but rather using the Japanese that I started studying exactly 10 years ago this month (I didn't study continuously, really probably studied for about 4 years total, just started that long ago). The other thing I think I would really like to do is save some money. I have alot of traveling I'd like to do, and alot of stuff I'd like to buy (check the next post for more info on those) but I'd also like to cut out alot of the stupid money that I spend this year. Don't get me wrong, I don't make new years resolutions, this is just general planning...