After the Fundoshi: Yokozuna Out to Farm

When athletes retire from other sports, they usually retreat into a life full of terrible clothes, even worse golf and lots and LOTS of apparently really good food. If you have any doubts about what that means, look no further than our favorite big man from yesteryear, Sir Charles Barkley…
Clearly the man has not missed a meal!

But what happens when you’re already a big guy, say for example, a sumo wrestler? The recent retirement of the the baby-faced (but drunk and violently tempered) yokozuna, Asashoryu, had me thinking: what do sumo wrestlers do when they leave the sport? Do they go for what they know and take up coaching? Or do they get in to showbiz? Or do they spend their later years knocking down residual groupies? We see you #23!!!
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Well, If You Say Like That….

So you should know from my last post that I HATE being pointed at! There’s perhaps nothing ruder or more threatening than an index finger extended, stabbing the air! The only thing worse – besides actually drawing blood, that is – would have to be someone saying “Hey, you!”. It makes my blood boil! And if finger pointing arouses my “fight or flight” response, a “Hey, you!” is a sure way to get me to stick around and teach you some manners

There is of course always an exception to the rule! And ladies and gentlemen, behold the exception to the rule:

Well, if you say it like that….. LOL But Nakata is ALWAYS the exception to the rule! I mean look at him!!!

Roppongi Bar Touts

So I was enjoying a very pleasant birthday dinner with a real-life Coco-hime, when through the window I became acutely aware of a huddle of touts scowling and pointing… at me!? At ME!!!

WTF!!!

Years of experience have taught me that this is the time when one should raise his personal threat to orange-red! But my fourth SoCo mojito had me feeling very nice. And in my relaxed state, I imagined that they were instead pointing at the very lovely ladies I was dining with. You know, some guys are so crass, picking their women like they pick meat a meat market! Unfazed by their un-gentleman behavior, I continued to enjoy my evening as a rare reprieve from the endless drama that’s become my life as of late.

With hugs and kisses and promises to “do brunch”, we parted ways in front of the restaurant. And I turned to make my way down Gai-en-Higashi-dori, aka the Gaunlet, when I heard from behind: “Yeah, that’s him! GET HIM!!!”

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And the Earth Moved… Black Love Below for Haiti

Living in Japan, I’ve developed a great respect for earthquakes. With my heightened gaijin senses, I am keenly aware that my beloved city is long overdue for its next “great” earthquake. And every respiration of the city immediately triggers my flight instinct only to later give way to the realization that it’s just the wind or the subway or…. anything but the end of the world disaster that I’ve so vividly envisioned in my mind.

But a month ago today, my worst fears were realized when I realized that that interesting fog of the Haitian capital wasn’t fog at all but the dust cloud covering a city of some 3,000,000 people in ruins. My heart sunk! Like most Black Americans I share a special affinity for Haiti. My affinity is even more personal because of my relationship with my fraternity and my resident Haitian old head, Etienne aka “Mr. Liberte or La Mort!”. Watching the sheer devastation of the city, my prayers were for my Brother and hiw wife, their families and all the people of Haiti who have too long been treated as the pariah of the Western Hemisphere.

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Get ‘Em Tiger!

“It’s been a long time! I shouldn’t've left you….”

Indeed, it’s been a minute since my last post! So long so, I have to start off by saying, “Happy New Year!!!” And it’s damn near the middle of February! How pathetic is that!?! In any case, I’m back and I don’t plan on leaving you again any time soon. And now with that out of the way, on to the post….

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The Gregorian New Year started 40 days ago but the Traditional Chinese New Year doesn’t start until Sunday, February 14th. As you must know by now, according to the Chinese zodiac this is – and will be soon in China – the year of the tiger! Tiger years are often described as being a time of great personal and social upheaval. But for the brave and the strong, this is the time to show courage, to summon great inner strength and rebelliously throw the things and ideas that have held you back. In short, it’s a time of personal revolution.

So I ask you what are your goals for 2010? What is your personal revolution?

Shitsugyoteate II

Blogging wirelessly from my bedroom at my Momma and Daddy’s house…. in Oklahoma! G-D bless their technologically striving hearts! =)

I don’t even have to tell y’all how hard it is being broke! Two years in to this recession – yes, despite whatever the J-Gov says, it’s STILL going on – we’re all very familiar with the feeling by now. I’ve mostly gotten over it for real. Instead, I, like the rest of you, have learned to scale it back to something alot less fabulous and alot more pragmatic… like “if I can’t eat it do I still need it???” :-/ LOL

So yeah, being broke…. I can manage that. But through this whole ordeal, the one thing that I’ve looked forward to has been going home to spend Thanksgiving with my family. The tickets were bought back in April so the date has been set… November 24, 2009. As the months waiting dwindled to weeks and days, my anticipation was palpable. But then a monkeywrench….

Continued after the break

Mission: MBA

In my last post, I wrote about Japan’s Yakuza hitting the books for their mobster MBA’s. I got mad jokes about the yakuza and just how pathetic some of them (lemme make sure I don’t wake up swimming with the fishes!) have become in their attempts to wade their way through this recession. Honestly, though we all gotta respect the hustle, especially when that hustle means getting an education. As an MBA student, I especially gotta respect that!

Thinking about my last though, I realized that I’ve made several references to going to school here in the City under Red Sun but, I’ve never really done a post on my educational pursuit. Truth is, that is the MAIN reason why I’m still here even after all the drama of the past few months, and really the past two years! A post on what I’m really doing is like waaay past due!

So here it is….

I’m a second-year MBA student at Temple University Japan, and in less than 6 months I will have earned my MBA. I still remember distinctly looking at schools all over the US, certain that I wanted to go home after my 3rd year on the the JET Programme. But, wanting to study international business, it just made more sense to try to find a program abroad. Yeah, I studied Spanish so there was alot of thought given to going to, you know, one of those really beautiful countries with warm climates and hot boys. But ultimately, I was already here in Japan and it seemed reasonable to stay put (read: I forgot all the Spanish I learned!). If nothing else, it would give me a chance and a valid reason to relocate to the city.

I studied for my GMAT, took the test and got all my application materials together and sent them off. I was so nervous when I came in for my interview that I needed buckets to collect all the sweat from my hands. My voice trembled and when Dr. Leeds extended his hand for a handshake, I felt that my wet, pruney hands sealed my rejection. But about a month later though, I was surprised to discover an email in my inbox kindly informing me that I was accepted! With a scholarship!! WHAAAAT!!! Boy, you couldn’t tell me nothing that day. Blasted that Kanye song ALL the way home! Bounan Middle School just don’t know, I was ready to quit on the spot!

My first class started about a month after that. And so almost every Saturday from 9am to 6pm, you can find me here on the 4th floor of Mita Hall taking in all in. It’s ALOT of work, I can’t lie. And it takes up ALOT of time. But me being me, I think these two factors have kept me out of alot of trouble. It’s also kept me from getting too too caught up in my own ever-changing mental, emotional and financial states. Like, you can’t spend all day in the bed depressed, or all night in the, ummm, far end of that street in Ni-chome when you got a case to write and presentation to prepare.

Looking back on these past 18 months, yeah, it has been alot of work. I’m always saying that I’m studying. And it really seems like I am. even though I’m man enough to admit that there are times when I’ve used studying as an excuse for being anti-social. But for real, IT IS NOT A GAME! And I haven’t been out on Friday night in only G-d knows how long. But I honestly, I feel like I’ve learned what I’ve needed to propel my entrepreneurial spirits. Six months from now when I graduate, I don’t know whether I’ll be staying here in my beloved City under Red Sun or moving on to fairer pastures (read: someplace where I can actually get paid something resembling what I’m worth), but with what I’ve learned in my courses, I really believe that I’m capable of doing it big, doing it right and making millions. And now I’m hungry!

I’m definitely not getting paid to say this! My, how I wish they were!!! But if you’re looking for an excellent MBA program (or any higher learning experience) in an international and very unique learning environment, Temple University Japan might be a good look for you.

Shitsugyouteate

Yeahhhhh, boy!

So in my last post, I had just left the unemployment office WITHOUT the getting paid my 失業手当 [shitsugyoteate - unemployment allowance]. Yeah, I was hot ….and broke!!! The ¥1,000 that I had in my pocket was all the money I had in the world at that point, and I needed half of that just to get home! Normally in situations like this, I’d spend the next few hours yelling the F-word at the top of lungs every 5 seconds. It’s an aggressive (violent even) response to negative stimuli, which serves to focus me on the one, singular source of my anger and attack it. But these days, there just hasn’t been much fight left in me. So today, I pulled my hood low over my face and cried! ALL.THE.WAY.HOME….

I went home and got right in the bed, clothes and all, hoping to sleep straight through my birthday, straight through to Friday. My eyes were closed, but truth is I couldn’t sleep at all, mind following every thought in the darkness. But when I opened my eyes – 18 hours later!!! – I was literally blinded by the light! October 29th…. my birthday!!!

I was done crying, but maybe not quite ready to face the world. But still I did somehow feel better. Renewed. Stronger. For better or worse, I was going to HAVE to stick it out right here… at least until I finish my studies. And maybe that’s why I didn’t immediately call home. My folk back home definitely mean well but would have insisted that I come home right away, without fully accounting for everything I’ve been working for these past two years, namely my MBA program, which I’m 5 months away from completing.

So yeah, most of my birthday was spent in the apartment, studying and generally regrouping, getting myself fully in the mindset that I’mma stand tall, right here, whether I got a million yen or a single yen. By the time the Great Logistician came by to treat me to dinner, I had amped myself enough to face the world and fight another day.

Friday morning, instead of my 4 episodes of the Wire, I only watched two episodes of Omar rocking Avon’s world and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day studying for my Managerial Accounting exam. Yep, all in all, it was a productive day! What I didn’t know was the Unemployment did NOT wait until November 5th to deposit my 失業手当 [shitsugyouteate - unemployement allowance]. No, at some point doing the day, my money was deposited.

I had just chalked up the fact that I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent, and that Miss Lady that’s letting me sublet her place was just gonna have to be mad at me until Thursday. Last night, though, I decided that I’d just give go to ATM and give her whatever was there. Last time I had checked it yas ¥5!, but then this morning….

¥¥¥

Y’all know I ain’t the religious type, but this was something like heaven-sent… EXPRESS! And I had to send up some praises on that one! Praises, indeed!!!

Ninteibi

I’ve been out of work for two months now, and it goes without saying that it’s been hard times financially. I’ve had to scale it waaaay back, so much so that my friends, who are used to me showing up, livin’ it up and generally wildin’ out at every party and event, are asking where I’ve been. I want to think that it’s all because I’ve been studying, but the truth is that I’m broke and generally not in the mood to partying. No, not even on my birthday!

Backing up a bit….

My last day in the office was August 31st. I was looking forward to walking right in the unemployment office the next day to rightfully claim my benefits. But surprise surprise, I was told that I couldn’t claim any benefits without my official separation papers, and the “official” papers I had with me were NOT the papers I needed. Naturally, I made quick and angry call to Scarecrow, who had given me the papers the day before. Only then did he tell me that the papers and forms I actually needed wouldn’t come until after my last payday, and that they had to be sent from corporate headquarters in Osaka.

It took almost a month before those papers came, and not until after repeated inquiries to both my supervisor and Osaka. I was tight, and rightfully so, because I needed to get those benefit payments started right away, especially after I got seriously shortchanged by the financial aid office at school. But yeah, the forms I needed finally came, and I was off again to the unemployment office.

This time, forms in hand, they accepted my application. They explained to me that I would receive my benefits but not until after some time. First, there was a week for which I would receive no benefits at all, then I would have to come back on my 認定日 [ninteibi - certification day], then after another week I would receive payment. Seems I missed the most important part though!

I showed up to the unemployment office fully expecting to walk away with cash in hand. Imagine then my shock when they nice young office worker politely told me that I’d get my money in a week!!! WTF I had budgeted my whole month up until that day. And the ¥1,000 yen that I had in my pocket was the only money I had left! I was seeing red!!! I collected myself just long enough make it back to the train station before I fell apart. Those of you who know me personally already know… I’m emotional. But these past few weeks have really pushed me to the breaking point, and now maybe past. Life, like the moon, waxes and wanes, but I’m not sure if mentally and spiritually I can go on like this. I certainly can’t do it financially! Today is my 29th birthday, and at the end of a very long year I’m thinking maybe my adventures in the City Under Red Sun have indeed come to an end…

Two Sun Dawn and My Jerry Maquire Moment

In the 7 weeks that I’ve been out of work, I’ve decided that for the time being at least I should focus on trying to do a lot of the things I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time to actually do. One of these things that I’ve been dying to do is to create an online magazine. Getting everything together for that though has been a process that is still ongoing. Y’all are NOT ready! LOL

In the meantime though, you know, I’ve been working on getting an internet media firm together to manage the magazine and a few of my other creative projects. In addition to managing the magazine, I want to get in to writing, publishing, and artist management. It’s ambitious, I know. But I’m starting with what I can do now, just me, my MacBook and Adobe Suite.

I’ve always down web design and development projects, so I figured I’d churn out a few projects to make some dough to subsidize my income (or rather lack thereof). I know I haven’t actually designed a site in a while, but please believe ya’ man still has it! I did after all get this blog up and running, and designed the logo. As for the extent of my skills, give me a few weeks and I think I’ll knock your socks off!

So I’ve been meeting with a few potential clients these past few weeks. And needless to say, it’s been HARD as HELL! I mean ,they all were interested in my work, which was definitely a good thing seeing as though I don’t have an extensive portfolio (or any portfolio to speak of right now). It was also good that they all wanted things which are well within my technical capabilities. But what was definitely not good was how much they were talking about paying! I mean I know it’s a recession, but DAMN!

I know alot of y’all out there HATE Kanye. But the man is a genius and the inspiration of genius in others. I found this clip on his blog the other day, and it so sums up so much of my interaction with my potential clients as of late.

Sometimes I so just want to scream, “Show me the money!” FYI, I do have one serious client and also is an effing genius. I can’t wait to get his project up so y’all can see what we both can do!