Take the Good with the Bad/ 'When I was 23 I bought a squirrel in Ibaraki!'

It was a strange week this week with some crazy times but also, sadly to say, bad news.

Friday night was a major night. I had a concert in Youga to attend directly after work. ‘Carl’ Louis De’Andrade, one of my co-workers and good friends in Tokyo, hosts a open mic jazz night every few months at his friend’s bar in Youga. Louis is a really cool dude and has had a pretty fucking cool life, too. Anyway, I arrived late around 10 and promptly started getting my fill of the brew because it was all-you-can-drink and I only had 2 hours left by then. I had gotten word that my ex-‘living partner’ was going to be in attendance, so I had Ash, Sam, Rohan, and Betty working defense in case she tried anything psycho, but she didn’t and the concert went off without a hitch. Another old friend from work, Junko, came and Trenton came as well. It was a really cool open mic with various jazz and acoustic performances capped off with my personal favorite of the night: “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. By the time ‘nomi hodai’ finished we were already ‘schilaquered’ but Louis needed help carrying his and his daughter’s instruments back to his office/studio. Well after that he invited Ash and I back to his crib, which is sweet, to crack open a primo bottle of 18-year of Tequila and that’s when things started to get hairy. We 3 were tipping back shots of the best whilst Carl’s kid was mixing up cocktails for us and his wife was getting irritated because ‘she doesn’t like it when Carl drinks.’ Ash and I ended up leaving around dawn and getting a little lost in Youga before taking a taxi back to my neighborhood. Once there Ash almost got hit by a car while sitting in the road trying to take a picture then caused a scene at the convenience store under my apartment and topped it off by trying to fight me. What a night. I found a sandwich on my floor the next morning. It was delicious.

Evolution of a bruise, courtesy of 'Bruce' 'Ash' 'Lee' (get it?)

Sunday I went drinking with Eri and her friends, Sho and Emo. They were a couple of really cool fashion designers. And Monday I went out again with Eri and Oz James. It was really cool chilling with them again. I hadn’t seen either one of them for a month. Nothing really crazy though, just drinking, talking politics and catching up. Tuesday I went for a few drinks with my old French roommate, Manu. He is a cool cat who unfortunately got bent over by our company and was forced to leave Japan for a bit. Fortunately he is back but is also struggling to make ends meet at his part time job waiting tables in a French restaurant. All in all it was a relaxing few nights.

There is absolutely nothing like being back on a university campus with tons of hot young honey babies grilling you with everything they have. On Wednesday I headed out to Machida where The General is attending school at Tamagawagakauen (Tamagawa University). It was amazing; these uni chicks were literally tripping over their feet when they caught a glimpse of me. What great feeling. Then The General and I took in some more sugar faces while having dinner and beers before I took off back for Shibuya to meet Toshi. Toshi and I knocked a few cold ones back at my Shibuya favorite, The Funky Chicken. I was pretty wasted, but it was still an early night. And that brings us to tonight; another fairly relaxed evening: dinner and drinks with my good friend, Kumiko.

Back in Uni with The General

Back at it: Big In '08.5

These last few weeks really remind me of mid January coinciding with the kick off of my "Big In ‘08" campaign. I have been throwing fliff like Frank from The Professor Brothers. It is awesome partying every night but I am sure my wallet will be hurting in a few weeks. Whatever.

My work-week started early on Thursday to cover my last help shift from when I went back to Florida last month and I am sure glad that is over with because I am tired of working 6-day weeks. Anyway, I was working in Gotanda and it just so happens that the night before, news broke of a high court ruling against the company I am working for (big surprise). That day there were a heap of weirdo idiots calling up trying to get refund, one dude even threatened to burn the building down. I can understand why these people are so angry but they are really taking it out on the wrong people. Sure staff has their share of everyday fuck-ups, but the complete and utter ineptitude of the upper, middle, and lower level management in my company is 100% to blame. That was a tangent.

I had to work in Shinagawa Seaside the next day, which is kind of weird place, but after that I headed to Azabu-Juban for my buddy Toshi’s concert. It took me a really long time to find the place, but after I got lost 3 times another friend, Johnny, met me and took me there. It was really ‘Yuppie’ style loungy-bar called ‘The Baron’ and I was really curious why there would be a punky type band playing there. But after went down stairs the atmosphere totally changed and so did the drink prices, they went from ¥500 to ¥900 in a matter of 20 stairs. Hurtful, but it didn’t stop me from getting shitty and I missed my last train home then caught the train to Nakameguro with Toshi, his brother, Taka, and Taka’s girlfriend. Toshi and I drank for a while and then I decided to go for broke and take a taxi back to Futako Shinchi. Ouch…

I was still pretty good and drunk most of the day Saturday, but I was in my home environment of Shibuya and work went by quickly. I met up with Toshi again after work and we went for pre-drinks at the ‘Standing O Lounge’ in Shibuya, which is a really cool place that one of my friends, Kimura, is bartending at. After that we headed to the ‘Ruby Room’ because Johnny was going to be DJing there, but we actually bumped into him and a few of his buddies on the way. Kumiko was in the area, so I put her on the guest list (apparently Toshi is the unofficial booking dude and can get folks in for free, which is fucking awesome), but she got lost on the way. After I left to catch the last train home some hooker asked me if I wanted a BJ on Dogenzaka, then I caught up with Kumiko and we took the last train together. It was cool seeing her because I hadn’t seen her since she left for India last month. So that night turned out to be kind of chilled out which my body needed to be prepared for work early the next morning.

After work Sunday afternoon I bolted home, showered and headed for Yooga for Amelia and Jane’s house warming party. They are couple of really cool chicks from New Zealand and Australia, respectively, and they have a sweet crib about 2 minutes walk from Yooga station. Some of my Mizonokuchi friends turned up including two of my best buds, Paul and Matt. Julian was also there and it was cool seeing him again. It was pretty much a typical house party, but we got to hear a crazy story from the dude named Bob who I used to take Japanese class with. He recounted how he has been feeling fatigued, losing weight, and having bizarre nose bleeds over the last few years after swimming in some questionable rivers around the world on his travels. The doctors could never figure out what was happening so he just went on about his life until that morning he sneezed and out came worm. Everybody, of course, cringed at that point and the story more or less turned into a Q & A press conference and then evolved into an advice committee. So after a few hours of house partying I had to make my way to Roppongi for Trenton’s birthday party which I was already 2 hours late for. I had accidentally made commitments for 3 events that night before I realized that they were…… all on the same night. Paul fortunately, or unfortunately, cancelled his BBQ so that left me with only the house warming and Trenton’s thing, which was manageable. So I was on the train and coincidentally ran into Alister, the singer from Sunset Drive (Toshi’s band), and had a chat with him. I met up with Sam, one of my coworker’s at Roppongi crossing and then Ashley met us for to take us to the place. It was cool, but I got more drunk than I had planned for and consequently missed my last train again so Ash and I decided to stay and go for karaoke with a few of the crew then get a taxi home after that. Well, here’s where it gets interesting; a mystery woman takes the cab home with us, pays the bill, goes out for drinks with us in my neighborhood at 3am, then disappears step by step into the dawn dusk. Who are you……..?

Amelia, Steve, and I

me and Trenton

Monday I was surprisingly sober after the events of Sunday night, but work was still shitty. After work Kumiko came over and we were supposed to check out this new café in my neighborhood, Fil.Albero, but it is closed every Monday, so we just went to Potluck for drinks and then to my pad to polish off a 6-pack that Ash and I had bought the night (4:30am) before and not even touched. It is really cool having Kumiko back. Her and Ashley are probably my two best friends in Tokyo at the moment.

Tuesday was pretty chilled out. Ash came round the ever so popular Potluck for a few drinks then peaced-out and I visited the Sandman in Dreamland early from the week long beer fest. Wednesday Kumiko came over in the afternoon to finally go to that café which turned out to have a pretty cool view, but failed to really impress me, so we got beers and took off to the river where we met my friend Sato, his wife and there two dogs. I really love my neighborhood because most days, no matter what I am doing, I can randomly bump into my friends. Anyway, after that we went back to my place and Kumiko helped me sort out some tax shit that has been giving me a headache, then we ate and she went home. She has truly become a genuine friend.

Today I went on a stroll through the neighborhood and down to the river a snapped some photos with my trusty side-kick, the Canon IXY 900IS. Here are a few:





So that is last week in a nutshell and it is 8pm on Thursday night. Who knows what tonight might have in store…………..

Lephty Lucy & Wrighty Tidy

It has been an eventful week. The river drinking has become an almost ever Sunday affair and is frequently filled with fireworks. It is clutch as summer starts rolling in from now.

Last Wednesday Paul, my Bronx friend, and I took a trip to the Electronic Town of Akihabara. It was my first time and it was really interesting seeing so many geeks together in such close proximity, but the novelty wore off after about an hour and we headed back to Shibuya to meet one of his lady friends and then to Futako for river beers. It was a relaxing day off.

Friday Helene, one of my French friends who I used to work with, came over after work to shoot some pictures of me for her upcoming photo exhibition. The whole thing is going to be about the lives of Tokyoites coming home after work and their feelings. I am really excited she chose me as one of her models. Well, after we were finished with that, one of her friends Nils, also French, came through and we went for drinks in my neighborhood spot, Potluck. After a few drinks they convinced me that going out all night to ‘La Fabrique’ was a really good idea, so we caught the last train of the Den En Toshi line bound for Shibuya. It was blast, they were right. Helene’s boyfriend got us all in for a discounted price and we raged until around 5am.

I was still drunk almost all day on Saturday from the previous night’ s escapades, but I got an invite from my buddy Toshi to see his band, Sunset Drive, so I headed to the Ruby Room after work and proceeded to nibble on a late strand of doggy hair. I saw some old faces and met some new ones. It was another cool night.

Sunday I almost passed out after work, but I held on and went out with my two good Futako friends, Kiyo and Baba. We drank at Potluck and then at Kiyo’s place for awhile before we went for sushi at another local spot that I had no idea existed (like so many others in my neighborhood). It turns out that another friend from Potluck is the sushi master/owner of the place and he hooked us up rather nicely. We were getting pretty drunk and they kept tricking me into eating the most spicy shit like wasabi rolls and the whole root of ginger, when in walks in a very important looking older dude. He looked really important because he was old and the woman who followed was about half his age and had a stacked rack. Kiyo elbows me and says, ‘He is famous man.’ He was actually the drummer of an old greaser rock band called ‘Yokohama Gimbai’ and when I mentioned that I was drinking with him the next day to some of my students they were quite impressed. Anyway, his wife gave me some sake and they seemed generally interested in my presence. It was cool. We went back to Potluck for more drinks and were fucking drunk after that. Bed time.

I was once again shitty for work on Monday, but for some reason I had an incredibly fun day. Who would have thought? After work I jetted to Yoyogi park to meet some coworkers, Ash, Rohan, Betty, and Dan, for the tail end of their picnic. We drank and played Black Jack and 31 for a few hours then changed spots and played a game Circle of Death. 31 and Circle of Death are my two favorite card games ever. After a bit, Dan peaced out, then Ash took off with his lady, leaving Rohan, Betty, and I to ponder the meaning of life. We soon were on foot back to Shibuya for sushi. After sushi, Betty headed her way on the Yamanote line and Rohan and I caught the Den En Toshi. I was about to flop from so many days of drinking, but I convinced Rohan to come for a beer at Potluck. We ended up chillin in Potluck for two hours playing 31 again. I won 500 yen off Rohan and we called it a night. Chalked up one more solid day.

Tuesday night Ashley and I hit a familiar watering hole in Shibuya, Jinpachi. The place is famous for its cheap ‘nami hodai,’ or all you can drink, which is only 1300 yen for 2 hours. I thought it would be dead because it was a Tuesday night, but as we entered our ears were filled with the cries of screaming idiots. It was cool at first, because it seemed like such a lax, party atmosphere, but we were quickly annoyed by some random salary men trying to talk with us. Whatever. We shooed them away and got our fill of beer. There were no women to look at in there that night, so we proceeded to have pretty deep discussion about our current situations in life and what we intend to do to make them better. Thanks Ash, I needed that talk.

Now I am looking forward to next week. I have 4 party invites and I am counting on next week being better than this last one. Hit ‘em up, gun ‘em down.

We Didn't Start the Fire

This a really cool video Papa G sent me, We Didn't Start the Fire. Check it out.

Nothing much else crackin' in T-Town, Japan at the moment. Summer was coming with a vengeance, but all of the sudden today I could see my breath. Weird.

Hopefully I will have more exciting news and/or crazy and funny stories next time.

Jimbo Out

PS. I just got word that Gabriel the Tank will be making a Tokyo Cameo come August.

Shaking off the Cobwebs

With the departure of j4 after a belly-filling evening of tabihodai shabu shabu and namihodai with j1,2,4, Chiho, Hana, Eri, and Shinji, the partying has momentarily ceased with a quick spike in my intellectual and creative electro brain waves. I haven’t seen Oz James in week (you still alive?) and only drank with Ashley one night. I have taken this time to dry out somewhat and refocus, and the winter slag seems to finally worn off with my renewed drive to get back into shape.

Nothing special to report on this week, other than I’ve been busting my ass working and have a few weeks of working weekends ahead of me due to the days I have to make up for the leave I took to go back to Florida.

One point of note is the Thai festival I attended before j4’s ‘Ganbatte’ going away party last Sunday. The atmosphere was really upbeat even though I got there an hour before it was officially supposed to wrap up. It would have been a lot cooler if I had been drunk and been with friends, but I had neither at the time. You can’t have everything every time…

Hopefully next week will be more exciting, but something tells me that I am in for more of the same ole’ same ole.’

1st week back in Tokyo: May 2007

Coming back to the reality of Tokyo was kinda sad. Two of my friends, Dirty Dave and ‘Colonel’ Karen Sanders, have gone on their respective ways for different parts of the globe. But on the other hand it has been another non-stop whirlwind with less than 30 hours sleep since I have been back. Chillin almost every night with the regulars never gets old.

Had drinks with Ash and Kiyo on the night of my return and it has snowballed out of control since then. I don't really even remember Monday or Tuesday, but I sure as shit remember Wednesday. The party of J-Cubed did two hours of 'namihodai' in Shibuya then Eri took Oz James, Oz James 2 (j4), and I to this swanky fashion party in Omotesando. The place would have been really happening another time, but we weren't feeling the atmosphere so we bounced for Roppongi.

J-Cubed: James, Jimmy, Jimbo

So it was like this: Three assholes named James looking for a good time in Roppongi. What do you do? You guessed it. Titty Bar. It was actually the first time I went in Japan, and I think it will be the last. We met up with my Nigerian Tout friend, Prince, and he promised to give us a good deal. Fuck That. We were in the club for a grand total of ten minutes when the staff asshole came with a bill of 13,800 yen. I immediately got red in the face and we had a standoff after I threatened to kick the his ass. We left, but I still paid. The night went downhill from there and I won't go into details, but j4 lost his phone and I cursed every Nigerian on the street that night.

Friday Kumiko and I went to The Funky Chicken Disco Yakitori. It’s a Soul/Funk/Disco-themed Yakitori bar in Shibuya’s ‘Love hotel’ district that is constantly blaring tunes from James Brown, The Tempations, etc. I love that place. After I parted with Kumiko I hit up my local watering hole, Potluck. There was this French chick there that started buying me beers and pizza. She was really cool, but also had incredibly offensive BO. So after I got really shit-faced I told her I had a girlfriend and got my bill which was only 1000 yen. Sweet!

Saturday night my Canadian buddy Alex had his last concert at the Ruby Room in Shibuya before returning to Canada, so I hit that up then met up with Ashley, Oz James, j4, Kumiko and Kumiko's Horde (there were 8 of them I think) for the bus ride to this club called Ageha. Man, this place is fuckin rockin! A few buds say it’s the biggest club in Asia, and they could be right. But one source (Ash) said, "It’s the biggest club in South East Asia!" To which I replied, "Japan isn't in South East Asia." Ash: "oh..." So maybe it is or isn't the biggest..... Who knows?

Anyway, Eri put us all on the guest list (except for Ash and Chez, but that was my fault) and we partied like rock stars until 5. This place even played South beats like Rick Ross, but the best part is that it is kinda classy and expensive so there is less of the Shibuya street scum. I have shotty memories of dropping drinks and grabbing random girls while dancing on the edge of pool over looking the river and Odaiba. Like I said before, Great Night.

The Fall of a Legend: Paul J. Leslie, Sr.

The Family

The Friends

The Boundless Beauty of Florida

I was back at home within 36 hours of receiving the call from my sister. It was a hassle to get a ticket so quickly, but my good friend, Kiyo, from my neighborhood, Futako Shinchi, helped me find one that Sunday afternoon even though he was still inebriated from the night before. It was strange being back so quickly; I felt as though Tokyo and Ocala had somehow merged into one place, like I had bridged the gap of our parallel Universe. The viewing tough and the funeral was harder, but my family and friends were there to keep my head above the water, like they always have been. Even though the circumstances were utterly opposite of ideal, I managed to have a good time with my people and bask in the boundless beauty of my home. It was spring so the weather was pretty hot, like usual, but was also uncharacteristically dry. There had been raging wild fires throughout Florida and South Georgia for the month before until then, so every night we got a bright red and pink sunset. I was only back for a few days, so I paid my respects to the grandfather that gave his whole life to serve his family and I was once again headed back for the Beast; Tokyo.

Pimp Daddy Leslie

Big In '08: Japan 2007

As soon as I got back to my apartment from Narita International I quickly unpacked, showered, and was out to party. That’s pretty much what the first 4 months of 2007 were like: partying.




“Big in ‘07” was coined by Puerto Rican Ben after the hi-jinks that transpired during the morning hours on January 1, 2007, so I decided that “Big In ’08” was going to be my slogan for the insanity that was happening in Tokyo.

Almost every night was a different event, get-together, or party punctuated by some really memorable ones like Carl Louis’s Concert, Brett’s Farewell, my Osaka trip for Miho, Miho’s Tokyo for me, Paul’s Birthday Churrasco, the occasional Roppongi Nights, Sugar’s Tokyo trip, Dirty Dave’s Farewell(s), etc…..

It was quite a busy 4 months, but they came to an abrupt halt when I got a phone call one morning at work. It was Sunday, April 29th. My grandfather, Paul Joseph Leslie Sr., had passed away, so I packed my stuff and I was out the first flight the next day; heading home for Ocala, Florida.

Home at last!: Decemeber '06 & January '07

My Family

Central Florida Nature

Going back to Florida for 3 weeks over Christmas was a much needed energy boost. I got to do all the things I had been aching to do, i.e. eat at Taco Bell and drink Olde English 800. More importantly I got to see my family & friends and spend a lot in the Florida nature. We had a few family get-togethers for my homecoming, Christmas, and other events, which were a blast; I never realized how much I missed my family.

Orlando Friends

Ocala Friends

Most of the old university crew, from UCF and elsewhere, showed for Matt’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration: Eric, John Blaze, Jewish Ben, Aaron, Scotty, Abed, Raf, Miles, Chris, Puerto Rican Ben, Wes, etc… It was a hoot, but that’s all I can say. It was 3 days of debauchery topped off with something extra. Wow. I also got a chance to see an Orlando Magic game, which they won, and party hard with my old high school friends, Rob P., Suga Shane, Joey Amodeo, etc… It was really fun.

This is my life. This is Florida.

But what surely goes down as the most memorable times of that vacation were the times I spent with my grandfather. I visited every few days in his nursing home and would stay to talk about the old times while my sister, Mabry, rubbed his head. Those were the last times I would spend with him, and I know I spent my time wisely. I had always felt guilty for not being there more for my mother and grandmother, but I am sure I made up for it with my devotion to Pops. He was a great man.

Mentor & Protege

I said all goodbyes and farewells and I was off again, back to the Far East for a new year full of fun and surprises.

To The Far East: Japan 2006

I got here and then lots of things happened; way too many to recount. Here is photographic evidence (a small portion).

Brazil: Winter(Summer) 2006

This short trip could have possibly been the best vacation I will ever go on in my entire life. The prep-work seemed to be an unsurpassable mountain with two 6-hour drives to the Brazilian Consulate General in Miami, endless phone calls to travel agents, a day long delay in Orlando, and getting an ear infection from swimming in doggy piss-water. But in the end it was well worth all the hassle.

I landed in São Paulo early in the morning and was greeted by my dear friend, Ricardo, and his cousin, Felix. Later in the day I met up with my distant cousin, Simony, and one of her friends and we all went out for a big Churrasco BBQ and then went out clubbing that night. It was amazing going to a country like Brazil and immediately feeling like a local. I have had some pretty strange and bad experiences just ‘showing up’ in countries without knowing anybody there first, but that was certainly not the case in Brazil with my friends and family. I felt right at home within hours and never felt like, and more importantly was treated like, a tourist.

Ricky and I departed for his home town, Salvador, after two days. There I stayed for the remainder of the time. It is an amazing city of Portuguese and African influence, and is on of the favorite domestic destinations for it’s near perfect tropical climate, historical importance, and of course Carnival. While there I experienced the best beaches, best people, and best atmosphere all together of any place I have ever been. The night life was something from a Hollywood movie and the sightseeing was more than I could have imagined (especially the sight of the beautiful ladies). One night this black chick climbed up my back at a club. I couldn’t believe how much these beautiful babies were throwing themselves all over me. Must be the blue eyes. It is my dream to go back there again some day.


So I parted with Ricky and was en route to São Paulo for a day-long layover on my way back to Florida with a killer earache. Simony came to keep me company for a few hours which was an unexpected treat. I really miss her and Ricky.

Mil Beijos,
- O Lobo da Noite

Living the Dream in Florida: Fall 2005 and Winter 2006

The first concrete thing I can piece together about being back in Florida was a week long trip to Orlando to see Matt and visit my old boss, Nicole, & my Italian professor, Signora Spina, to get letters of recommendation for the upcoming interview I had in Tampa. The first night turned into an instant classic. Matt and I had dinner somewhere then went to meet up with Scotty Doo at his pad and drank there for awhile. After that we went to play pool for an hour or so then headed back to CVI for what we thought was going to be a chill night and drink. Well we were drinking outside Matt’s place and some randoms that Matt knew started showing up and before we knew it there was a decent gathering of about 12 people. Well I was enjoying myself and became the life of the party when I started making fun of this really obnoxious black chick. Well, she didn’t take too kindly to my not-so-friendly banter, got all crazed, broke a beer bottle, and proceeded to shank me two times in the gut. She didn’t puncture my clothes, but it was scary and it killed the party atmosphere for a few minutes until she was escorted away by security. After leaving for another small party we returned and then did more others. In between brown-outs I remember getting a free lap-dance from some black chick despite about 5 black dudes willing to pay. I am not going to write about what happened later that night, but it was crazy. I got my letters of recommendation and left for Ocala not to return to Orlando for a month or so.

Matt and I in Belly Buster's, Church Street, Downtown Orlando

Abed, Lauren, and Disinterested James

I had my interview in Tampa and later got word that I got the job and would be leaving for Japan in mid February 2006. So at this point I had two months left before my working life began and I decided to have as much fun as possible. I spent a load of time with my old high school friends Joey, Suga Shane, and Rob P., because I was living back with my dad in Ocala. We went fishing a few times, chilled at ‘Terry’s Bar & Grill’ where Joey’s sister, Tara, was working, and pretty much had a good, relaxed time. I also worked with Joey some at his business, Higher Quality Lawn care. It was really cool working with my hands outside again. I hadn’t done that very much since working with my dad back in the good old days of childhood.

Spending quality time with my father, sister, grandfather, and my cousin Laura also took up substantial portions of my time. Meeting my dad or Laura for lunch at ‘Tacos ‘N Madre’ and then visiting Pops at his nursing home happened 3 to 4 times a week on average. I regret not being able to make it up to Tallahasse to chill with my big sis, Mabry, but she came down to Ocala frequently, so it’s cool. I also spent a lot time at Laura’s house, which was a really cool cedar cabin in the swamp, with her and her future husband, Frank, and going fishing at Butterbutt Landing which was only about 5 minutes walk from her house at the time.

An Orlando friend from Japan, Akira, came down to Florida from Rhode Island, where he was/is studying, to spend Christmas at my house. I found out about a week before he arrived and was a little put off at first, but got over it quickly after he arrived. He is a funny guy. We got drunk almost every night but the first night he was Ocala is the one that has gone down in the books. We were at Laura’s house playing some drinking game with beer, Ouzo, and other random liquors, and Akira & Frank got really drunk. Frank kept making weird hand gestures which were fucking hilarious at the time, and Akira went to the bathroom and was in there for really long time. When we left he whispered ‘sorry’ to Laura. The next day she told me after we left she checked the bathroom and found her shower curtain ripped down and lying crumpled in her bathtub. Anyway, Akira and I made our way back to my house and decide it’s a good idea to take a walk down my road, by the way I lived in an extremely rural, swampy area. I see some headlights approaching and decide it would be funny to mess with Akira’s head so I told him the rednecks were coming to kill us and nobody would ever know what happened. He flips the fuck out. After the truck passed without incident, he was still flipping out and I didn’t help when I told that we were now lost (bad idea). We were making our way back to my house and when I could see the porch lights through the trees I pointed and told him we would break into ‘that’ house and sleep there. Even though were had just been there 15 minutes before, he had no recollection of my house. He was freaked out for awhile, but I finally calmed him enough and he passed out. He swore that he doesn’t remember any of it, but he did buy Laura a new shower curtain.

I went down to Orlando again for Matt’s annual New Year’s celebration, but I don’t remember too much about it to be honest. I guess it wasn’t that great (sorry Matt, but we made up for the next year). The nickname 'The Peace Maker' was deemed appropriate for me at some party in Orlando around that time, but I can't remember why. Anyway, it was a cool nickname. I also hooked back up with one of friends who I have known since the 3rd grade, Troy Byrd. It was fucking awesome seeing him again and catching up. We chilled in Orlando and he came up to Ocala for my going away party after which we partied with some other old high school buds, Josh McKelvy and DohNees.

Driving down to Miami became a bi-weekly thing in January and February, a real Fortnight Event. I would make the 6-hour drive for a half hour stay in either the Japanese or Brazilian Consulate General’s office and stay for a the night at Eric’s parents’ house, for which I am grateful. Especially after a drunken incident that had happened there the year before involving yours truly being woken up by Eric’s mom semi-naked in his sister’s bed. Weird. Anyway, Eric showed me around Boca Raton a few times. It was cool chilling with him in his home world.

Then before I knew it I was heading to Orlando International on that cold February morning not to return for almost a year. It was sad leaving my dad and seeing him turn to walk away, but I don’t think I cried as he left and I think it was the first time. Why is it always cold when I leave places??

And in between all the partying and loafing I found time to go to Brazil to see an Orlando friend, ‘Ricky’ Ricardo Martins, and meet a distant cousin, Simony, and some other relatives. That story will be in my next post.

Die Schwiiz & Türkiye: Fall 2005

"Die Schwiiz. Das ist meine Leben. Und klarlich ist meine Liebe."

Die Schwiiz

Miho and I arrived a few days after Gabriel & Jena and were greeted at the airport by Nadja, another Swiss friend that we had met in Orlando. Miho promptly lost her wallet in airport but failed to realize it until we were half way home on the train. Luckily, she and Nadja arrived back at Zürich International to find it comfortably in the ‘Lost & Found’ with not one Franc missing. It was a good omen to start our voyage.

Miho was going to be staying for about three weeks and those three weeks were a whirlwind of sight seeing and mini-adventures. It was great. We toured around the St. Gallen and Thurgau Cantons first, because that’s were I was living and also visited Appenzell, Lucern and, Ticino, as well as Lichtenstein, Austria, and Germany. A lot of the stories escape me, because nothing really crazy happened while Miho was there, just a solid 3 weeks of kick-ass times with awesome friends. Here are some pictures:

Türkiye
Leaving the cooling Swiss temperatures for the sweltering heat of a late Turkish summer was a drastic, but welcome change. Nadja and I landed in Istanbul and transferred to Adana in the southeast where we were going to be meeting Asli. We planned on it being a different world but what we didn’t plan for was Asli arriving a day later from New York and her family speaking 0% English. Within half an hour we developed an interesting system of bizarre gesticulation and guttural grunting, some of which brought us success, but mostly failure accompanied with laughter. Her family was hospitality personified. Asli arrived and the tour began. The kick off was the first day after Asli arrived and we were guests of honor at her cousin’s wedding. The Turkish sure know how to have a wedding: about a 10 minute ceremony and 4 hours of partying after. Simple and fun. We spent a lot of time in her city, Adana, but also traveled to her parents’ beach condo (they were extremely well off) in Mersin. Wow. After that we took an all night bus to Ankara, which I hope is the worst bus ride I ever have to take because it sucked royally. Ankara was really cool because I got to meet another one of my old Orlando buddies, Arda, from 2002 and a new Orlando buddy, Serdar. They showed us their city with pride & pleasure and we took in the Turkish capital with all our senses. I woke up one morning in my boxers on a couch with absolutely no memory of how I got like that. Asli said, ‘The important thing is that it is over.” I was mortified, but later found out that I had gone to bed without assaulting any ladies and Asli just played a prank on me. I love her. Nicole, my old boss from the teaching internship, had come for vacation with her husband and we rendezvoused with them before heading back to Adana. It was strange being on vacation with a former boss, but she is cool. Anyway, it was a good time. Back in Adana we did more sight seeing, then Nadja headed back to Switzerland, Nicole headed back to the US, and I decided to stay an extra week. Asli and I went back to Mersin to soak up some sun and before I knew it I was sitting in an airplane with the comfortable heat becoming a fading memory. It was a quick 3 weeks.

‘I really needed a Schutzengarten.’
‘Fall’ had set in by the time a got back and by that I mean its more a Florida winter. I got sick immediately due to the sudden temperature change, but that didn’t take me completely out of commission. I was looking for a job, but I was really half-assing it, so most of time I was out with friends drinking or getting into some other mischief. One weekend Marcel, Jean Claude, and Piatti invited me to climb Säntis, the tallest peak in East Switzerland, in Appenzell with them. It turned out to be an extremely rewarding experience although it was one that I was ill-prepared for. My pups were barking for a few days after that excursion. Around that time OLMA, a 10-day long festival in St. Gallen, started and I had the opportunity of going a few times. It is known as an agricultural festival/conference and it is an excuse for people of all ages to get completely inebriated on the locally brewed ‘Schuzengarten’ beer regardless of whether or not they are farmers. An old Orlando friend, Patrick ‘Patti,’ made the trip from his city of Aarau to St. Gallen for OLMA and we partied together a few nights. Patti is still famous in Florida for his infamous 2003 ‘corn’ incident, which I will recount in a later entry. As OLMA was wrapping up I realized my days were numbered and my time in Switzerland was winding down. The snows had begun and it was a bitter sweet departure from the land I have come to know as my second home. I was again heading back to Florida feeling lost after failing to land a job, but on the other hand, I did have an interview scheduled for a school in Japan. Although Gabriel and Jena had become an even more important part of my life, as had Gabriel’s parents, it was a good feeling being out on my own again. But, it was hard leaving them and not knowing if I would ever see them again. I could feel the last cold, wet breath leaving my lungs as I strolled into Zürich International. It was my last breath of Swiss air. I left for Florida in mid November.

Säntis from my bedroom window