Alcohol Design

Fashion party a dud

Upon returning to Tokyo, we spent the last 3 days off in Tokyo sorting out our lives and unpacking, unpacking and unpacking!! Over the trip we had sent back some boxes full of omiyage and clothes! We started back to work on the Saturday and that night we hit the town….. after feeling so bored already from our first shift!!

We had plans to go to a fashion party, once again in Mori Tower, this time it was an American label… which proved to be a pain in the ass as there we’re millions of gaijins lining up to get in! So we lined up with Stefan, Eri, Hana and Asoko for like and hour and half!! We were metres from the front when we decided to go to another club instead…as everyone was pining for a drink!!! Go figure, although given that by this stage it was 2am!!

So instead we headed to some Hip Hop club, leaving Eri at the fashion party, finally hit Roppongi’s night scene. Nothing great, Shibuya is defos better!! We went to some club which thankfully wasn’t full of gaijin, which was definitely a relief as with Roppongi being the gaijin district and in particular the hip hop clubs! So we drank the night away and once again had some entertaining conversations with Stefan, never a let down! The club was supposedly a hip-hop and trance club. We situated ourselves obviously in the hip-hop section, but before long the tempo suddenly changed and we were apparently now in the trance room. Some local flavour was up on the podium doing synchronised dance moves to the totally cheesy happy hardcore spewing out of the speakers. Stefan and Cam decided that this was an opportunity not to be missed, so they jumped up and showed off their moves. What they failed to realise though, was that the girls actually worked at the club, so it didn't take long for the bouncers to come along and kick them off the podium.

The working podium girls. Like a steel barrier

Day time was approaching and we left the club, followed one of Hana’s friends….. don’t know where we were going due to the language barrier mixed with alcohol= no sense what so ever! So after a while Cam and I decided to head home and get some ramen. The others jumped into a cab and went somewhere.

On our trip home, we had our first female driver in Japan, who evidently turned out to be a complete scammer!!! She took us back and forth around Roppongi, which really is so stupid, sure we can’t understand the language but we can clearly see the navigation system. The idiot! We could see what she was trying to do! So we got out without paying her the full fair and found other means to get home, which we eventually did at 6 am in the morning. Already a fresh start to the day, ready rearing to go to the Design Festa. So ready that we crashed out and didn’t wake till 2 in the arvo.

A VERY late start to the Sunday, yet with hung over determination we ventured to the Deisgn Festa being held at Odaiba in the Tokyo Big Site. Yes, the hangover took its toll and we found ourselves going back and forth on the train between Shibuya and some other station! Eventually we made it to Odaiba with an hour and half to spare! We managed to see all 4 halls and the atrium, minus a few that had closed early.

Our first Design Festa

Tokyo Big Site

Gotta give it to Odaiba for architecture

Kids getting into it

All in all it was a decent exhibition. Lots of photography, illustrations and sooooo many postcards!!!! Interesting to see exhibitions in different areas of the world, particularly with Japan being mainly technological based, most of the themes of the works and products were cute little animations. The cute characters were extended with variation of it for sale.
One of the most interesting things was the fact that so many of the exhibitions consisted of people wearing some interesting head gear!!

I am the egg man, I am the walrus!

I'm sure about this one

Can you tell: real or not?

???? You can let your imagination run with this one!

Of course, the token sleeping Japanese

For Sophi sadly the jewelry range was very limited and the strong 3D art really lacked, resulting in little flamboyance in some areas. Something that you hope for in a design exhibition.

It was a great exhibition and always is great to see some great talent! We managed to fit a lot in our short time there, and picked out the best artists on site. Sophi bought a awesome etching by some university girls for only 2000yen!! It’s gorgeous, finally some art for our room!

The visit inspired Sophi to get her act together and apply for the November festa. Time to get crackin’!!

After a few days back at work and some more work training, Friday arrived and we organised a last minute Welcome Back Dinner! After meeting at the usual Hachiko hangout we went to an izakaya that we had booked previously that day for 6 people.

Being Friday night however most definitely causes problems when 10 people show up instead. So we attempted to get a bigger table, however the massive line to the entrance wasn’t promising, this proved to be true. So thank god for all those gay rock stars that holla at you to go to their izakaya. We went to another one which was much nicer and only 1300 yen for nomihodai.

Nice lighter Stefan. You know how to create an atmosphere

The crew consisted of Ko-chan and a few of his friends (including his ex), the usual lot – Kumi, Andrew Stefan and Andrews lady for the evening.

This particular lady was from a random drinking night, where on the way home on the train we encouraged Andrew to slip his number to some chick as we got off. Evidently she ended up being able to speak English and followed it up! The usual drunken rowdiness was had in all good fun.

Cam trying to do something!

Still trying!

Sexy Ko chan - Ami you should be proud ne!

Once we got kicked out for staying too long we went to the standing bar, an interesting charge this time – 300yen for a seat! After numerous shots we left randomly and somehow got home. Sophi had to teach a new private student at 9am!

Work the next day on Saturday was a killer, we then went to Cams work friends (Jennifer) farewell in Omote Sando. It was at a Mexican restaurant which had some huuuge margaritas!! The food was decent and there was something seriously wrong with the waiters – complete retards in service, had no idea what they were doing! The tequila wasn’t sitting well, so we headed home to get some sleep for work the next day.

The next day was another killer Sunday at work then we had to prepare ourselves for Mel’s birthday that night straight after. We met at Gotanda where they had finished their nomihodai dinner, then we headed to karaoke.

The beginnings

These boys were already well into it!

Interesting considering we, as well as Andrew and Stefan, were pretty much sober cause we’d all just finished work at 8.30. So with a room full of Japanese people, we felt somewhat naked to be joining in on the song bashing. With this we realised we’ve only ever been in a majorly drunken state when we decide to take the jump into the karaoke booth!

Mel's students in collars int he background

First karaoke with Japanese business men!

The Duo

Sweatin' it up

The night went on and we finally got into it a little, we then decided to throw in the towel and head to an izakaya to wait for first train. As per usual though, Sophi decided to get a cab home not long before first train! The soldiers left standing was Cam, Andrew, Stefan and the birthday boy - Mel.

Later that morning Sophi awoke to find Cam still in his clothes awake and drunk, meanwhile Andrew was well passed out on the floor in his bedroom. Earlier, Andrew had graced Cam with his full stark nakedness as he walked around the house with out even a blink of an eye! Sophi realised Andrew had to work today and Cam attempted to wake him. He only received the repeated response of “Sumimasen” “Gomenasai” and “Put your manners back in”. This latter phrase has been the recent motto for Andrew when he gets to a certain point of drunkenness!

What a start to a new week!