Cosplay: Corruption of the English Costume Play; To dress up in character (maid, schoolgirl, anime, furry animal). A cultural expression of socially awkward Japanese. Also a popular genre of Adult Video.

Karaoke: From the Japanese Karappo meaning empty, and the English Orchestra (oke); A worldwide phenomena wherein people who can’t really sing are encouraged to sing publicly.

A few friends and I went in November. This is the video that wasn’t supposed to get out…

Since I’m moving to Japan in precisely two weeks, I thought it would be appropriate to look at what I wrote about the wonderful and mysterious land of the rising prices, on my first trip way back in 2002 (reading my old writing, I get annoyed with my too-liberal use of brackets… aw crap.)

-To Japan-

Early morning on April 25th I drove to the airport with my Mom, Dad, and friend Skye, a student from China (originally on exchange to St. Mary’s) who would be participating in the same exchange program as me. After a bad taste of 80`s rock, typical of an unnamed Halifax radio station, the news came on: seems that scientists have discovered evidence to back up the phenomenon of “Spring Fever” — the theory that says males are more aggressive in pursuing females in the Spring season — typically thought of as an old wives tale. They said something to the effect that male hormones actually increase involuntarily in the spring season. “Good,” I thought to myself, as we pulled into the airport parking lot, “not even on the plane yet, and already I’ve got an excuse ready.”

Read the rest of this entry »