6.23.2003
Lately, a particular group of japanese (thus freaks) have been hanging
out at Keiko`s working place, wearing sunglasses, nice yet fake Italian
suits, slick at most times greasy hair, rolling their `r`s when speaking,
rolling around with big cars with tinted windows....and with their pinkies
missing. Oh yes, the Yakuza!
It`s funny how I never mentioned them before, being the local mafia a
presence that is ordinarily visible in comparison to other famous organized
criminal organizations, say in Italy and the U.S..
Hmmm, I think I mentioned that during a drunken spell in Osaka my soccer
buds and I improvised a soccer match in the streets with a bunch of
hard-ass yakuza youngsters, ending strangely with no goals, and even
more strangely with one of us bleeding from an eye and another with blood
all over his face coming from...who knows. I think one of the opposing team
hit an English guy in the shins and the dude just pushed him into some
bushes.
Anyway, to summarize what so many websites, such as
this, and this, and this and this one too, can tell you, the Yakuza have been
around for a long ass time kinda like the Mafia started in Sicily centuries ago.
Therefore, it becomes obvious how deeply entrenched this phenomenon
is in this society.
Not only entrenched, but almost institutionalized to a point where each faction
has an office and known representatives, as well as symbols that (less these
days however) are proudly displayed on lapel pins or wild tattoos as you can
see here.
Of course, the famous excuse that organized crime is better than random acts of
violence or perpetration of crime and corruption is nonsense, as if the Yakuza
really did subscribe to its code of honor and brotherhood. So, if they are
so out there, why can`t Yakuza be stopped? For the simple reasons that
1)Crimes are often so detached from the real perpetrators, the bosses
2)Despite having laxer rules than in the US, Japan police is not as effective
3)Japan police, being part of the Japanese bureaucracy, is clearly bogged
down by the heavy bureaucracy`s complicated and unnecessary -if not corrupt-
line of communication and command.
4)Omerta`, of course, who`d want to get his ass kicked even if it`s greaseballs
with no pinkies and small dicks...
5)Since the Japs are dependent on sushi, the yakuza control the sushi industry.
of course, that`s straight out of my ass, but u get the idea...many vital industries
are directly controlled by these syndicates, for example trash collection or
political campaign funding.
Many of my students` parents are Yakuza, sexy huh?! haha and some of them
do have the stereotypical character or attitude of their family, despite their
age. I should just start kicking their ass now. Sad to learn though that I am
or have been kind of depended on this system. I found out that Keiko`s
work boss, the guy who hooked me up with the car for an extraordinarily
cheap price whose 3 sons I have taught since I first arrived in both jr and elementary
schools...is a Yakuza.
It's quite obvious that even the titty bar/miniskirt police hq right below
Keiko's place is run by mobsters. Thus, I should perhaps stop making fun
of them, eg calling them "Wasssuuuup Mr Oppai!" in their face or moving
their trash everyday blocking their door so that it wont block the stairwell causing
a dire fire hazard. Or I should perhaps stop yelling "You have the right to remain...
excited!!!!" whenever I drive in front of it.
Small things like these may save my life. I dont know if I can pull off the "I'm Italian,
I got a family, u'll find a severed horse's head in your bed tomorrow" thing.
But, I'm bored, so it's worth the try.
On a side note, I watched japanese pro wrestling last saturday!!!
but that's another story
1. Incognito - Pieces of a dream
2. Incognito - Pieces of a dream [Roger Sanchez 7min mix]
3. King Tubby - Zion gate dub
4. Everything but the Girl - Five fathoms [DJ Sneak-a-dub mix]
5. Julien Jabre & DJ Gregory - Eve
6. Digital Underground - Doowutchyalike
7. Big Daddy Kane and Spinderella - Very special
8. The Skatalites meet King Tubby - Herb man dub
9. Jess & Crabbe - Council
10. Augustus Pablo - Baby I love you so
..and people used to tell me..."the miniskirt police can be found only
in the big cities!"
For a day I was happy that the sketchy place below Keiko's apartment closed down.
It was a so called "snack bar" with filipino hostesses, and my only beef with them was
to have theur karaoke machine turned on so loud that u could hear the sorry voices
of drunken salarymen till 3am. Then again, walls here are made of shit and paper.
But, lo and behold, this place (named "Playgirl") just moved a building away
getting replaced by a sketchier place called "Flash Beat"....featuring touching
titties for 3-4 minutes while the stupid ass owner sings a really stupid ass song
(that, worst of all, is in japanese)..the lyrics are as follows
Ai
Ai
Ai ai ai
oppai oppai oppai
Oppai of course means boobs. Oh yes, the 'victims' during these 3-4 minutes are
the policegirls. Argh, the retardation.
I mean it would be cool if at least the girls were minimally decent looking.
1. Royksopp - Remind me [Someone else's club mix]
2. Roni Size Reprazent - Share the fall [Full vocal mix]
3. David Guetta - Just a Little More Love [Elektro remix]
4. Bob Sinclar - Kiss my eyes
5. Thick Dick - Insatiable [Junior Jack vs Kid Creme Remix]
6. Vibration Inc - Dr. Drum [Original mix]
7. Lenny Fontana - Stompin' in America
8. Metro Area - Dance reaction-tronik
9. Cricco Castelli - Through changes [Johnny Fiasco's Tantrum Mix]
10. Saphir - Corrosion
please welcome, my pride and joy, a new member of the family, mr baby Daniele!!!!!
Say hi to my son Ichiro Daniele!!!!!!!
no, that's me as a baby buddha
JUNE a month of 2 happy days of sun and the rest shitty
heavy rainy days. yeeepppeeeee! can u feel the excitement in the air?
1. Stylophonic - Soul reply
2. The Biz - Satisfaction
3. Sebastien Leger - Victory [Josh Wink interpretation remix]
4. Shakedown ft. Terra Deva - Drowsy with hope [John Ciafone Mix]
5. Studio 45 pres. Joe & Jessey - Pure Hooney
6. Roman Salzger - Above the rules
7. Solitaire - I like love [Morris T remix]
8. Mambana - Libre [Axwell Essence Dub]
9. Alphonse Brown - Le Frunkp
10. Atjazz - Touch the sun [Tom And Joyce remix]
Since the last update it's been, what, like, 2 weeks? Really, for me it feels like
it's been freaking a year. PERHAPS it's because I havent been working that
much and PERHAPS because leaving Japan, or my entertaining countryside,
has a galvanizing effect on me....am I going up the culture shock curve again?
Are the blue and depressing times over?
Of course, Murphy's Law says no, but it doesn't hurt to pretend that that's over.
and those tits are mine, ok!?!?!
So, after lying and lying and lying to my co workers about my trip to Italy
(officially my parents were coming to meet me in Japan) yea right, they'd be
bankrupt if they did that. So, Italy was fun, perhaps it was the last visit for a long
while since my family is moving back to the Estados Unidos. My trip was
really way too short, 7 days, but because of the trip it was really just 5 days
but had some really good quality family time especially with my bro
and with old friends
what made the journey back happy was that I had only 2 days of work ahead
of me, then a whole weekend, and then 3 days of all-expenses-paid
conference in TOKYO!! for first years JET who will keep working in Japan.
The funny thing, during the first meeting's Q&A session someone dared
to ask the million yen question...."Is attendance gonna be taken at the
meetings?". U should have heard the sighs of relief from the crowd, when
the PA answered with a tint of sarcasm "You are all responsible adults".
Needless to say, after that the conference was truly a blast.
Because of many scenes like this
alchies alchies alchies, it became a real problem attending the
meetings.
Yup, what a problem...so besides people waking up naked in towel rooms
and people pushed on subway tracks, etc etc etc, we had an awesome
time all bonding and clubbing like it was 1999.
good times, eh!?
cheershhshsh!
oh, yea, saw the MAtrix today, phat, i thought.
12:51 午前