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I finally got a copy of Freestyle today!  After weeks of searching and hunting and considering buying one from some girl in the states (at some jacked up price, plus shipping = twice what I'd pay here) but my stubbornness paid off.  I checked the Kinokuniya website after Chelsea told me they had copies and found that the Otemachi branch had some in stock.  I had Andrew call first thing this morning and get them to hold one for me which I picked up after work today.  I also applied to see the show, which I was not picked for but I'm alright with that.  I wonder how "random" it really is.  They say "apply between 9om and 4pm" but I recieved an email back around 11 that said I hadn't been chosen.  Why didn't they wait til the submission deadline?  Whatever.  I'll keep trying but if I don't make it in, Oh well.  I've spent enough in train fare going to Tokyo this week.  And I'm going again on Sunday for an teaching seminar in Chiyoda-ku.  The event itself is free and I'm almost tempted already to blow it off because I'm still exhausted from the weekend.

Arashi announced they're doing a dome tour this summer!  They're playing Tokyo Dome on June 14th and 15th.  Tickets are actually kind of cheap (as far as tickets go I guess) at Y6800.  Koda Kumi was almost Y8000, I think.  It's just a matter of how to go about getting tickets.  From what Chelsea told me, most of them go to the fan club which neither of us are members of.  I couldn't see any dates for when ticket "sales" start so we have time still. 

In not so good news: I left the aircon on ALL day today.  Fuck.  My bill is going to cost me an arm and a leg this month.  >__<  Maybe I shouldn't bother trying to go to the show anymore and save the money to put towards my bill... that and I bet my phone bill will be higher because I've been going on J-web and called Yvonne...  Fuck.  There goes my birthday money! 

Now, to check out my book and get to bed.  I went to sleep before 10pm last night and was still exhausted this morning.  I guess that's what happens when you don't get much sleep because you're busy getting it on.
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So I all day I was looking forward to going to Ohno's show and enjoying myself alone soaking in some artistic genius.  I booked it straight to the station after work at 4:30, stopping off at home to dump some crap and shed a layer (it's finally getting WARM!).  I grabbed the wrong contact case this morning, so I wanted to get that too.  I can't lie, I dressed nicely in case anyone famous (read: Arashi) happened to be at the show.  I rode the Chiyoda line for an hour and made it to Omotesando at 6:15.  I navigated my way out of the subway station and found Omotesando Hills.  It's actually a pretty area, with all the high end shops (Vitton, Gucci, Max Co, Benneton).  I found the place no problem and started to document the occasion by taking a picture of the pretty Omotesando Hills Sign.  Then I noticed a girl standing next to the stairs taking tickets from people, handing out the postcard gift.  Then I noticed the line of people down the street.  Alright, I thought.  This is fine.  It's only 6:30, it will probably take an hour to get in.  I brought a book and my phone had 3/4 batteries left for music.  The staff probably gave you a chit to get your postcard while you lined up.  I get in line, which started to move pretty quickly.  They were taking people in big groups which was a good sign that I wouldn't have to wait that long.  Highlight of the night: I was reading my book when this British dude comes up to me and asks "Excuse me, can you speak English?"  Then he asks me what the line up is for because he has no idea.  LOL!  I told him it was for an art show, and that there's an event space in the basement of Omotesando Hills.  He was thankful for the answer to his seemingly silly question.  It made me laugh and the ladies behind me probably got a kick out of it too, even if they couldn't understand. 

Then a staff guy came down the line, checking something.  People were showing him something.  He asked the girls in front of me if they had a ticket, which they didn't.  They paniced and he was only half-apologetic saying if you didn't have a ticket, you can't see the show.  Then he asked me, and of course I didn't have one.  What ticket?  No one mentioned tickets.  The girls behind me showed theirs to me and I asked where I could get one.  He said you have to show up early in the morning and line up for tickets they distrubute between 8am and 10am before the show opens for the day.  I was actually feeling a nervous on the train there, like what if Ohno was there?  What if someone else from Arashi or famous was there?  It felt like stone just dropped in my stomach.  I actually felt like crying which I admit is extremely pathetic for a 23-year-old woman.  I graciously got out of line and proceeded to cal Yvonne in Nagoya and rant to her about the retardedness of Japanese society and complain about how upset I was for half an hour.  I didn't even take time to eat anything because I went straight from work.  I tried calling Ben since I was so close to Shibuya anyway, but he didn't answer so I turned around and went back home.

I am waking up early tomorrow and showing up in Omotesando at 7am tomorrow.  I'm actually meeting a girl from the [community profile] a_ra_shi comm and we're going to go geek out together, since she couldn't find anyone to go with either.  I'm assuming its the same spot outside Omotesando Hills as the line up tonight.  7am might be slightly overkill, I'd rather stand outside for an hour to get a ticket before noon than possibly having to stick around in Tokyo until 5 or 6.  Plus, it's the weekend so there will be more people going - that is people like me who have to work during the week and won't take a sick day.  I bet it's a first-come-first-served basis so hopefully we'll be one of the first ones.  I will come prepared with a new music selection, book, food, and maybe some crocheting. 

On the bright side: I did see people leaving with Ohno swag!  And copies of his book!  There is still hope.  I was pissed off when I saw some high school skanks walk past me with bags full of posters and stuff.  I want to go so badly!  I'm hoping my gung-ho spirit prevails.  Just for good karma, I made a prayer at a little shrine next to Omotesando station.  But I'm thankful my excitement got the best of me and I couldn't wait until next week to go.  If I went on Monday with Justin, I would have been totally fucked because I wouldn't have the weekend to go.  I really wanted to avoid the weekend crowds, but it can't be helped.  At least I have someone to waste the waiting time with now, even if she is a stranger.  But she's the same age as me, so we should have something in common to talk about...

I am not relishing the fact that I will be waking up at 5am tomorrow, leaving the house at 5:50, and will be on a train into the city at 6:05.  I most likely won't get to sleep until midnight or after because I'm still angry about what happened and excited about going tomorrow.  I'm also nervous because if people are as retardedly crazy as Yvonne says, we might already face a huge line up by 7am.  I don't want to get stuck with a time slot like 6:30 or something... but if that's the way it goes, so be it.  I'll be late for my own birthday party.

I'm also working on a music mix for [personal profile] frazzled_niya.  I unknowingly put 150 songs in the folder.. so I'm purging.  There were so many good ones!  I realized its a mix of J-pop, C-pop and Canadian rock with a dash of Big Band.  Go figure.  I'm still trying to get it down to a reasonable size since the first file would have taken 11 hours to upload. O_O
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I amaze myself sometimes.  DAMN.  Dinner came from a combination of google searching and Mago Mago Arashi, believe it or not.  I had some eggplants lying around that were threatening to go off so I figured it should cook them up some how.  I had already planned to make misoyaki salmon which turned out awesome.  A little on the dry side because I forgot to turn the pan down to medium heat, but the flavour was amazing.  Must repeat that one for sure. 

The original recipe was four times as big as this, but even at half the amount there was still a lot of waste.  Next time, maybe make a 1/8 batch (or marinate more fish!).

Misoyaki
1/2 cup white miso
1/2 cup sake
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 oz ground ginger (I cut off a rough chunk and finely chopped it since I don't know how much 1/4 oz is.  Would probably get more ginger flavour out if it was ground up.)
1/4 oz green onion (Didn't have any.  Don't think it would make much of a difference.)

Mix all the ingredients together in container, blending well.  Get most of the lumps out of the miso.  Marinate fish in the sauce overnight.  Heat pan.  Remove fish from sauce, removing excess and patting with paper towel.  You don't need to make the fish bone dry, but not dripping.  Fry over medium heat, 3 minutes each side.  I used sashimi cut salmon and it was delish.

I saw Sho do this recipe on (the first?) Mago Mago Arashi.  I also found it on an Italian cooking website!  It was slightly different (balsamic vinegar instead of soy sauce, with garlic and mint) but reminded me of Sho's version so I figured, why not?  I always wondered what it tasted like.

Fried Eggplant Japanese Style
2 eggplants
Oil for frying (I don't remember how much I used, to each her own.)
Soy sauce
Mayo (Because Japanese people put mayo on everything).

Slice eggplant lengthwise into ~1/2" thick slices.  Press between paper towels to remove excess water.  Heat oil in pan until surface shimmers.  Gently slide eggplant into oil, frying until golden brown underneath.  Turn and fry the other side.  Remove after crispy and brown and drain on paper towels.  Arrange on a plate, sprinkle with soy sauce.  Garnish each slice with a stripe of mayo, as much or as little as you like.

Admittedly, it was a pretty high-cal meal since I fried everything and also ate a cheese-corn-bread thing that I will never buy again from the Prego bread shop on the way home from work.  I had a grilled cheese last night (balanced out by wakame-miso-ginger soup) and chicken parm two nights in a row before that.  Stop frying things!  Eat some rice! 

I saw Yamapi's AnAn photoshoot.  WOAH.  I'm speechless at the hotness.  The model (gaijin - bonus!) is kind of fug.  Definitely picking that up tomorrow when I go to buy Freestyle from the bookstore after work.  Providing they have copies...  I might cry!  Subaru better have it since it's paired up with Tsutaya, but if they don't I'll have to go to the station to check Wings and HMV.  I'd rather not, unless I'm meeting up with Andrew, who is still AWOL.

April 2010

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