Today was White Day and Pi Day, but I didn’t eat white chocolates or pie.  Instead I was waiting in line for day-of tickets for the otherwise sold out POLYSICS show at the Budokan (which can seat 14000 people).  I really wanted to see this show because I keep missing chances to see them live, and because Kayo is my favorite member, and it would be her last concert with them.

It was SO worth the wait.  Being in line seemed like no issue because the crowd was amazing.  Almost everyone was wearing some kind of orange- tights, shoes, hats, or in the case of the girl right next to me, perfectly normally dressed but with orange nail polish with perfectly painted stylized black “P”s on a few random fingers.  And of course, orange boiler suits.  There were mini (5 years old) and micro (baby) POLYSICS in orange boiler suits. Kids in Japan are always SO cute and make me feel like making babies soon, but these children were BEYOND just normal cute.  Gah!  And as for boiler suits on adults, it would be a lie if I said that they don’t do a thing or two for me.

The concert itself was incredible.  I’ve been to my share of concerts but no one I’ve seen has ever put on a show in the way that POLYSICS did.  The energy was contagious and endless- I was screaming and jumping up and down and dancing but just got more excited over time rather than tired.  The lighting and effects were perfect (psychedelic background animations, explosions of glitter and balloons).  Even the few of their songs that I wasn’t so fond of became amazing live.  I read in an interview that they’ve never played in such a large venue just by themselves, but I wouldn’t have guessed it.  They had such good chemistry with the whole crowd– the interaction was so natural and easy.

Kayo was so freaking cute.  She led the crowd in little hand dances, played the recorder and the keytar, and at one point she broke out golden pom poms.  Hiro was INSANE in a great way.

It was bittersweet at the end.  There were 3 rounds of encores.  Kayo announced “Thank you for everything up until now.  I love POLYSICS,” in a robot voice.  Everyone was screaming her name, and the group gave her a bouquet of flowers, and she bowed so properly.  Even though I’ve only been a fan for about a year, I almost felt teary about all of it.

What a day!  Best wishes Kayo, we love you, and you will be so missed!

I went to see Shonen Knife in Shindaita– they are touring to promote their new album “Free Time”.  It was such a fun concert.  The crowd was really rowdy (even trying to crowd surf in that tiny tiny club) and knew all the lyrics.  The girls themselves were so full of energy.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a group that was so obviously having fun on stage.  Ettchan the drummer had a constant huge grin on her face (and looks adorable in her long newly fringed blonde locks.)  Despite the ubergirly outfits, glitter on their faces, and lighthearted lyrics, when it comes to rocking, these girls mean serious business.  They’ve been playing these pastel-colored instruments for 28 years, impressing even Kurt Cobain, after all.  When I’m 49, I’d be happy to be half as awesome as Naoko (yes she’s 49!)- what an amazing woman.

Oh it has been crazy busy since arriving in Japan!  In the best way of course.  Yu planned a welcome-back trip– 5 of us went to Nagano and soaked in hot springs while it snowed outside.  We also did a bit of guitaring and singing and bowling and shopping.

We came back and I stayed with Yu at her apartment until mine was ready to move in.  I moved in yesterday.  The apartment has a loft and it is across the street from an Indonesian restaurant and it is by 3 music stores!  I will finish decorating soon and then show you!

And, today was the first day of work!  Everyone I met was so amazing, I can’t wait to tell you about some of their projects.  It feels so so wonderful to be paid to work on this frivolous dream project of mine.  It is like being paid to eat an ice cream sundae.  It doesn’t really make sense, but I won’t say no!

Anyway I will write more when I am more coherent and less swamped.  I am really looking forward to this weekend– not because I want the work week to be over with, actually I might keep working on my project anyway or at least conduct “research” by shopping for cloth and dress forms– but because I just want the chance to breathe and stock my fridge with fresh vegetables and dance to bad hip hop while painting and maybe convince some wonderfully disgusting vintage plastic kaiju (my latest obsession) to be my roommates.

xoxo

I got well enough to venture outside today.  My mom and I ate burgers at Toot’s Grocery, a modest but tasty local burger joint.  I’ve always loved the signs on the building that say “Toots”.  I picked up some souvenirs to bring to coworkers and friends in Japan.  I’ve gotten the most favorable reaction in the past to food souvenirs (who doesn’t love trying local delicacies?)  I decided to bring cheese straws, a rich cheesy Southern spritz cookie.  A friend of the family’s makes them downtown and when we went to fetch them, I got to see the spritzing in action.  She’s happy to know that her cheese straws are traveling the world!

Next time I write I will be in Japan!  Goodbye for now!  xoxo

!!!!!!!!  This arrived in my mailbox a few days ago.  It might be the cleverest Valentine I’ve ever seen.  Girl Scout cookies arrived a few days ago too!!

Also, I am sick.  I’m sleeping a lot and chugging down lots of electrolyte drinks.  My favorite in the US is Propel.  They have the least sugar per volume and come in tasty flavors like black cherry and peach mango.  I will defeat this cold before I leave in 2 days!

I went downtown and snapped photos of some of my favorite things.  This pawn shop makes me giggle whenever I see it.  The sign, the charming gorilla family, everything really.  These photos say more about my town than I could ever express in words.

While I was leaving the house my mom yelled out, “I did my duty, I put weight on your bones before sending you back to Japan.  And ALL of it is in your BOTTOM.”  hahaha.  Oh, it is true.  It has been a delicious 6 months at home.