Damn Erick Sermon always flipping shit up. Make them beats so funky. Gotta love it. Dilated Peoples all day.

If I was a rapstar, I always wanted to make a music video like this. Isn’t this music video great? Low camera angles, the whole beastie-boys in your face type video (0:42). Yea…Just like that.

I’m looking forward to getting back on the turntables. My babies have been collecting dust for the last 4 month. Gotta scratch them so they feel good when I get home. Lube up the fader… and just have a nice session.

Before I leave. I was watching this video before I slept last night. Watched it about 4x. Music is something else. Don’t know how to describe it. It is the only sort of medium that can provoke so many emotions, thoughts, memories. Watch the Legend and see how he makes you feeeeeel.

Some people
You might meet for a week, but the words they utter in one night can stick on your mind for years.

Some people
You have known for years, yet you still feel like strangers in silence without all the flashing lights, friday nights.

Some people
Help you find where your definition of love, success, and happiness lives.

Some people
Provide the motivation to go out and get it (whatever it is)

Some people
Make you walk down memory lane.

Some people
allow you to see the devil within yourself. while others let you see the light within yourself.

All in all.

The human experience is one’s development though interactions with other individuals. As I spend more time traveling, I have had the blessed opportunity to meet many different individuals who see the world in different shade of colors. Much of the things that I thought I knew like the back of my hand, from personal religion to personal fullfillment, blends into so many shades of gray. It’s hard to argue to someone that the color (blue) in which I see the world is what truth is. How can they see understand blue when they have been seeing their whole life in orange? Orange is home. Orange is stability. Orange is natural to them.

So as I bump into more and more individuals in the future, I look forward to understanding what color they see the world in. I want to understand orange. green. purple. Though my natural set of lenses is blue and my basis for comparison, understanding various different colors will ultimately (hopefully) help me see in full color and truly understand the big picture.

Understanding a color has nothing to do with personal emotions. It is all about understanding perspective. However, if all you can see is your color, no matter how hard you try, that is fine. The only thing that you must keep is respect. Respect for different colors. The understanding that your color is by no means an absolute color that is superior to others.

If you don’t know what your color is. Maybe you should start interacting with people who you think are a different color than you. Knowing orange will help you understand blue.

Now get on your train of thought, experience dedication, and shine your light on this world.

Originally I was gonna write about experiences about Phuket, but this thought of colors came into my mind (haha)
Take it for what it is.

Before we met him at a hotel, I was telling Mika that I wanted to pretend like I didnt know how to speak english. So I met him, I introduced myself as Ji hun Oh and tried to speak japanese as smoothly as possible with alot of the pitch. That eeEehH?!? and the SO nan Daahh! . and all the ups and lows. Everyone was dying in the car–I don’t know how I kept my composure. “Could you teach I how speak engrish?” kinda sealed the deal on me being a Korean international exchange student who studied engrish in high school for 2 years and who likes hip hop. Westo Coasto! I was going to tell him it was a joke once we got home…

But I changed my mind. The kid is a pain in the ass. We took him out to dinner & ordered a couple of drinks. Theres a drink called Nihonshu (my personal favorite) which is the strongest Japanese sake. It taste like rice sake. Simply put, it basically gets the job done. Drinks arrive. It came in a pretty decent sized glass cup. This kid takes it all at once. Gulped it. Looked at me and said “I can drink anything. C’mon-Back at home, I drink 8 shots of tequila and I’m fine”.. blah blah blah.

I’m thinking…..this is gonna be a long night.

Fast forward about 15 minutes–kid still talking about how cool he is. I told him I believe him. But he kept insiting on giving me a resume about all the crazy things he’s done. Kid started asking all sorta real personal questions to the host mom, showing his biceps to me, telling me that he had 8 girlfriends in the past (4 which he got in one night?) I don’t know if that even makes sense. At one point, this kid had the nerve to be snapping his fingers at me to get my attention? That’s when my english almost leaked…but ehh kept it real international. Kid lacks sense, common ettiquette, all of the above? Well if you can’t get a image of the kid, he’s 19, Candian, and looks like the type of kid that would be spending all day picking his ass.

And thus…when I go home and his face looks at me like he wants to have a conversation, I reply “my engrish no good., sorry!” I wonder how long I can keep this up. It almost leaked when friend called me on the phone and I answered with a native, “what’s cracking?” I’m getting a real kick outta this. You guys would be very impressed by my acting ability. Give Bobbly Lee a run for his money.

I found it kinda interesting how the Kid take this tough guy or superior mentality to those who don’t know how to speak english. It was pretty interesting to listen to this guy compare every little cultural difference and say how much better Canada is. He rants and raves, thinking no one understands. Pretty ridiculoud I ask him to teach me about American values or culture. What he says is very funny. This kid is clueless. He told me the best way to pick up an American girl is to “be mean to them” because american girls “like to be insulted.”

Maybe on my last day here, at the airport, I’ll fill him in on what realness is and the month long engrish joke. Cheers yall.

My persona

Currently:
-have a 30 page paper due next monday
-realized I have 3 weeks left in Tokyo
-listening to Planet Asia. (Fresno, CA) STAND UP!
-daydreaming of Phuket, Thailand

The okonomiyaki in Hiroshima was pretty good. I am not particularly a fan of this in Tokyo, but Hiroshima has their special style of making this Japanese pancake. Very good. We also took a ferry over to Miyajima IFsland. There are lot of deers just chilling around-which was very entertaining. Funny thing- couple of friends told me to watch their stuff as they went to go use the restroom. Didn’t seem like too tough of a request. As I’m chilling, I feel something sniffing me. Turned around, and there were 2 deers sniffing me down. One of their friends started eating the bags (including my friend’s bags). Trying to salvage their desserts they bought, I looked like a madman trying to hit (very gently) away these damn deer while trying to pick up my friend’s desserts. I think bunch of Austrailian tourists were recording me and laughing. Some help before I die by bambi’s crew? I guess I probably would have laughed and pressed record as well. Anyways that was kinda embarassing.

The ride on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) was very comfortable. Lots of leg space and outlets for electronic devices. I think it goes about (186 mph). Nice smooth ride.

Here are some photos:

Hot, sticky, humid… Can feel that sweat on your skin~
Jeans become wet from the inside. Shirt starts to show sweat marks. All the clothes sitting in my room are a bit damp.

What do you do when you feel like an ice cream cone melting? (& all hope is lost?)

Put on a nice pair of headphones & float.

Currently listening with a pair of K 271 AKG MK II headphones (sounds like a gun). This is my baby
Would recommend it.

Beautiful Track no?
Jay Dee still my #1 favorite producer of all time.
Beats take you out of this world.

Just finalized travel plans in Thailand.
Got plane tickets from Bangkok to Phuket for $60! (roundtrip).

Mika made reservations at THE CHEDI (Surin Beach, Phuket)

Reserved the Beachside Deluxe Suite that is…
-Room Doors open to the view of the beach
-Complementary Massages
-Outdoor terrace (for personal bbq

Welcome 2 the Goodlife.

The Chedi

Deluxe Suite!

Change Clothes & Go!

Hmm alot different than a Notre dame Football game. I’ll tell ya that. First off, food is really cheap. They have hamburgers, fried chicken, tempura sets, rice bowls for all less than $5.00. Amazing. Secondly, they have organized cheers for almost all the plays but everyone is silent during the play itself. Therefore, no heckling-haha. We tried a little though. Third, the crowd consists mostly of salarymen who come with their firms or employees. It was hard to see individuals or families coming by themselves. Enough of the game. It was alright. but was looking forward to the festivities to follow.

Afterwards, we went over to Club Ageha to have some fun. This club is the largest club in all of Asia. It did not disappoint. Cover was about 3500 yen (roughly $35.00). Some of the girls were dressed with different colored wigs, 4-inch platforms, and all of the above. A good visual to set the mood for the rest of the night. They had a special guest coming to the club: Daishi Dance. I didn’t know of him before, but he is a house DJ. Besides the enormous scale of this warehouse looking club, I was blown away by the sound system they have. They have 35 (Transfomers Cannon looking like) speakers with 2 pre-amps on the ceiling rack (positioned in a circle). They also have a huge middle dougnut speaker in the middle. It was unbelievable. I’ve dj’ed at clubs and I’ve never seen anything remotely close to this. They have some major firepower. Constantly, didn’t know whether it was my heartbeat or the bass. The type of bass that just brings out the funk~

Daishi Dance was pretty amazing. But what made it unbelievable is the amount of energy going back and forth from the Japanese fans/clubbers to the Dj.  The Dj brought some amazing house but the Japanese have crowd energy like no other. I would love to spin at this place sometime in the future. They bringing in heavyweight though. Dj Tiesto, Dj Kentaro, Dj Whoo Kid to name a few. But hey, you never know haha. In the middle of his L.O.N.G Set, Daishi dance had several vocalists lace his instrumentals. Phenomonal singers. Man I was really blown away and reminded of why I love live music so much. He had about 3 vocalists lace his tracks with incredible singing. Damn these girls got live! What i mean…is they brought the house down. Don’t remeber the names of the other ones, but one of them was named ColdFeet. Good stuff.

On a different section was the Reggae level. I wasn’t really feeling the Dj and the hypeman that was glued to the mic, but there was a pool in the middle of the floor and it was outdoors with Tokyo skyline in the background. Couldn’t complain. Amzing.  Lot of the clubbers were just so into their reggae dances. Each one has their own little vibe: 1’2 step, robot, chicken or just outright funky grooving. Really funny. I’m really suprised no one fell into the pool. (JT & Kelsi-close call.) Reggae music is very popular in Japan. They have taken their own take on reggae and flipped it. Good stuff. Keep Innovating.

Anyways, after alot of empty cups, sweating buckets,  and 6 hours of dancing- I slowly crawled back on the 5am train back home.
Hands down, the best club I have ever been to in my life. Vibe & energy was unreal. If you’re in Tokyo, you must spend a night here at AGH.

I was i could have snapped a couple photos, especially of the pool-side reggae party. But at the time, I couldnt stop the funk. Dancing machine.

before the game

jt excited!

About 6 weeks left. Time is flying by~
I’ve grown so comfortable here.
This weekend, trip to Hiroshima.
Will update afterwards.

Hmm.. heres a story which I found very entertaining and still laugh to myself about.

I think this was about 2 saturdays ago. I got a call from a couple of my Naka-itabashi neighborhood buddies and Mika. They were at a izakaya (bar/restuarnat) and they needed help home! I was like wtff… damn it’s only like 1:30pm in the afternoon. Anyways, I went out and found them. They were at a restaurant literally 100yd from my house. They didn’t know where they were-hahaha. As soon as I got in , Mika slaps me and tells me about how she doesn’t want me to leave Japan. I don’t know why she loves to slap me and beat me up when she’s drunk. But it’s ok.. i kinda enjoy it. hahah. anyways, I ended up getting them more drunk… And after several afternoon drinks, there was this grandpa who was sitting at a different table that was getting ready to leave.  He was knocking everything over. He was one of those people who reached an age where you really don’t care what you do. Making inapproriate smirks to my friends and cracking  awkward jokes. yea that kind. Anyways, he was knocking stuff over and all of the above. We started yelling at him, “Good luck home!” in Japanese… But as he was walking out of the store, he reaches into his jacket, turns around and pulls out what looks like a gun….. I was like, I’m either really drunk or that is a gun! The barrell was aiming straight at us. [Damn check yo self. Ji OH!] I looked at my friend who was from the states, and his face said duck! motha fuc** duck!

I ain’t going out like that in Japan… damn…So naturally,  I ducked like a  pigeon under the table. I’m like “oh hell no.  some 88 yr old Japanese grandpa..” cmon now.. Then I hear Bang Bang! Look up.. there was smoke coming up the barrell as well.  Look up and around. But the 88 year old is laughing his ass off. I look up at Mika and Mina, my other Japanese friend & they are all dying.. from laughing.

The grandpa leaves with a smirk on his face and says some stuff to us. As I was crouching under the table shocked (with my other friend from the States), what had happened was… the old man thought it would be hilarious to pull out a toy gun  and shoot a couple of blank rounds at us. I don’t know why he was carrying a toy gun around… but he was.

Blame it on Cultural Differences? I didn’t really know what to say, other than…..

Only In Japan.

Don’t think that would fly to well in Los Angeles….
I ended up saying “haha” with a half-smirken omg. type face. but… i guess all is good. Meanwhile, Mika & her friend is imitating my half second pigeon type reflex to duck under the table over and over again. They didnt stop till we got home… “Ji Oh.. are you pigeon?”

Anyways, this took way too long to tell one story. I got to get some ZzZ

Moral of the story. Don’t shook fake guns. It gives fat kids high blood pressure.
Bang Bang Ya’ll. Tell you the rest when I see you person, peace!

July:
Climb Mt. Fuji (July 4-6th)
Surfing in Chiba (July 11th)
Thailand Trip (July 16-18)
Notre Dame Alumni vs. Japan National Football Team at Tokyo Dome (July 25th)

August:
Going back to Cali Cali (2nd)
Trip to New York (10th-14th)
Route 66 Roadtrip from LA to Chicago (17th-25th)
-Las Vegas (24th)
-Grand Canyon (25th)

Very very satisfying to see the pieces falling into place. Join me.