I miss you Auckland (and the people there).......

Hi, so I just was coming home on the train, a little drunk cos of the fashion show after party (yes THATS right, more later...) and I ended up maing a playlist on my beloved whizzbang/ipod of mostly NZ music and it made me quite homesick.....like almost crying in the train homesick....but dont worry!!!! im ok!!!! hehehehehe. it just made me remember rad times at parties in NZ and all the mean as gigs in Auckland. you know, NZ/Auckland has a pretty awesome music scene....i miss it quite a bit.....I miss going to 420 and acting like a spaz and mocking all the remuera gangstas, i miss going to Galatos to see rad bands, and the basement of galatos and also rakinos for some dancehall madness (remember that one time Dom/Sean???), and going to see some rad fun whipping cats shows at little tiny bars (see you soon strats!!!), seeing some punk bands at the powerstation (is that still around???), going to the (rasta)Safari lounge and getting WASTED (long islands!!!) etc etc but most especially all the awesome outdoor summer concerts and parties at peoples houses and stuff

just to let you know, I have been starved of turntables for TOO long, thus when i get back and DJ Nicks wedding it will be the KILLER wedding songs mix!!!! i have been compiling a list of appropriate 80's/early 90's songs and 60's/70's songs that is KILLER!!!!! you will die from its awesomeness!!!!! hahahahahahahahahaha!

ps. if you dont like Harry Potter, I HATE you foreverr!!!!!!!!!! (unless i actually like you.....hhehehehehe)

pps Nick, i like Elliot Smith, does that make me cool like you??

ppps remember faith no more?? fuck they rule/d!!!!!

pppps ps's are laaaaaammmmmmme

ppppps but im the lord of darknessssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pppppps drunk blogging rules! keep it real my dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ppppppps blogging is the REALNESS!!!!!

Taiko - Saturday

So, this weekend was pretty much the coolest weekend ever. I was involved in the Kokura Taiko Gion festival, which is this festival in Kokura which involves HEAPS of people playing the traditionl japanese drum (Taiko). I cant even begin to descibe how much fun it was or how cool it felt to actually be a part of such a big community thing (my groups basically comprised of families from the neighbourhood around our clubhouse), i really felt like part of japan, not just a foreigner living in japan. hopefully you can get an idea about it from the photos and videos.....
(hey if you clcik on the photos u can see a bigger version)

First was Saturday, I took a day off work, Saturday was the official traditional day, we pulled the dashi (cart that holds the drums) into Kokura, about 30mins, and started drummng as we pulled it thru the arcade

(1. The Dashi ready to go. 2. And we're off!!!! [note the drinks cart pulling up the back])

(3. And the drinks that went into the drinks cart [Sake and Shochu not pictured]!!! 4. Kids first up in the arcade)

After that we headed out on the road and joined a huge line up of dashi wating to go into the castle, we pulled the cart infront of the station and our best drummers drummed and the kids sung their chant thingy and we ended up coming 6th!!!

(5. Pulling the dashi, the little kid at the front has the cutest expression on her face. 6. Another teams Dashi, its a "Tengu" on top)

after a much needed beer [or 3] and some onegiri and karage and stuff, we headed off down the road and into the arcade again and then to the station where a whole lotta groups were drumming, check this group out, they were badass

After that we headed back to the clubhouse for some more food and beer and then we grabbed one drum, chucked it in the drinks cart, and all the older (or drunker!) members headed off into kokura again to drum some more! we even took the drum into a VERY small bar and got some free beers! then we set up on a corner and guess what we did? drummed!!!! ayasayasayasayasa!!!!!

(6. The Samurai Rapper Kengo! 7. Chillin in the clubhouse.)

(8. nankai desuka? 9. we drum in your bar, you give us free beer, yey!)

(10. otsukaresamadesu! happy people at the end of the day/night)

....................

this shit is straight up AMAZING. this guy is a genius. just watch the video. remember, the things he makes are powered by the wind, nothing else. Basically, Engineering, Maths and Physics RULES EVERYTHING.

glumbert.com - Kinetic Sculpture

Flight of the Conchords, Coffee Beans and Sticks

So, I was looking at a website i look at a bunch of types most weeks, and I noticed an ad for The Flight of the Conchords, instantly I was like "whaaaa???!!????" cos I know them from NZ, but im thinking "why are they advertisng on an American website??". Well, it turns out that the dudes have a show on HBO in the States, awesome! I guess most of you dudes in NZ prob already know about this (or not??). For you non NZers, Flight of the Conchords started off as a musical comedy act with these two dudes (ones from a great NZ band The Black Seeds), playing "folk" music, but it was funny as hell, anyways, i dunno how it happenned but now they have a sorta "reality" type TV series about them trying to "make it" in New York. Its fricking hillarious man, just check the videos I posted below. You can see some of the full episodes online here even. Its so cool to see a NZ tv show that isnt totally lame, NZ comedies especially are always lame AS. Also its cool to hear some NZ accents again. Their band manager works at the NZ embassy! haha. Yay for NZ!
Also, if you are near a 7eleven in Japan, go there now and look for these chocolate coated coffee beans, they are fricking delicious!!!!! If ur looking for some sweet chocolaty style ones then dont bother, these are the straight chocolate coated coffee bean crack!!!!

Also I finally got some Taiko sticks! My man So gave me his brothers old sticks, so much thanks to him. yey! and this week my Yukata came so I will be trying that on in the weekend, photos next week! weeeee weeeee! The Taiko festival is gonna be so much fun! heres some photos that my friend Sam took from the festival last year if u wanna look.

Man, Ive gone all teched out with the links on this post, meanest geekest.

well yeah obviously


2 kinds of dances

yes NZ only has 4 TV stations

Im the muthaflippin'

how bout him in the nude, is that what you wanna view?

Thanks Paul

yup


if you know, you know, hehehehe

Jack Bauer + CalorieMate

haha, anyone who lives in Japan prob knows CalorieMate, this ad with Jack Bauer in a train full of schoolgirls cracked me up.

fixed! I found a youtube version, yay!

and more! yey yey!


I can't eat that right now!!!

He calls the Japanese guy "Ma chan"! Kawaii!!!!!

Jack! Can I eat this one??

Some photos of drunk people

So, last night was Davids leaving party and I took a whole bunch of photos and promised to put them on the net so that they can see them, so here you all go!

(1. who'se that crazy guy with the towel? 2. A Tomomi, a Mizuki and a Sam)

(3. Me: attacking cake with Saeko. 4. One New Zealander + two Vietnamese = good times)

(5. weeeee! 6. A Trinh, a Aiko, a Gary and a Hiromi)

(7. me and So, my taiko master sensei. 8. So can lift a cactus!!)

(9. weeeeeeeeeeeeee! 10. Trinh don't know)

(11. "Do the table. Do the table!" 12. The poor table after the Vietnamese sandwich)

(13. "Dont worry David I'm sjure it wont hurt". 14. "Oh, oops, maybe it does")

You like Whipping Cats yes!

my friend Straton has a rad as band called Whipping Cats, you should listen to their music on their myspace page, and/or buy their t-shirts and their album when it comes out in August, or the wrath of Zororg will behest you (or something)

(Whipping Cats at the Kings Arms, Auckland, NZ)

(Fighting Cats Can't Be Bargained With)