Awoken by cocks two mornings in a row

[rkold]

My first morning in Japan, I was awoken by cocks. I kid you not. My hotel room overlooks some sort of school which has an outside cage, holding what is best described as.... as... chickens. Yes, I am staying in relatively central Tokyo only about a 10 min walk from Tokyo Station. This was not a happy thing since I had slept relatively poorly before I left for Japan and on the plane. >.< Despite getting up at 6 am, I still managed to take too long in the shower and had to switch up my meeting time with dilettantka by 15 minutes and thanks to Libro made it to Starbucks first. :P We spent the morning shopping and then met up with ee970 who was delayed by a human accident on her train line. The 3 of us then headed over to our reservation at the School Boy Cafe, Edelstein in Haraujuku.

I'd first heard of this cafe from misspaulette and triplepunch who had gone earlier. I've sort of always wanted to go to a host club just to see what one is like, but realized between the smoke, the price, the smoke, and the fact I don't know a lot of Japanese it seemed like a huge waste of time and money. It also doesn't help that they seem to operate more at night and I tend to turn into a pumpkin at 9:30 pm/10. lol But a School Boy Cafe is more like a host club light in that you get to ogle attractive young men, but they're really just waiters who make a bit more conversation with you than actually flirting with you. Sadly, you can not take pictures inside. other than of your food All the guys working there were very cute and dealt well with 3 foreigners coming into their domain. The cakes also weren't bad! :D I got some sort of brown sugar cake with beans in it! :D If I lived in Tokyo, I would so want to go back, for one thing if you go enough times you can get your picture with a school boy! Plus really, it's just a nice timed cafe where you can get cakes and teas and have pretty waiters. We then hung out in Harajuku before breaking as I was starting to fall asleep and Eda was still searching for the magazine Libro had not had earlier in the morning.

The 19th was the reason for my trip to Japan at this time, the Area 37, the GinoSuza Only event It was in a part of Nihombashi was that Nihombashi still technically? I had never been to before. I'd picked my hotel partially though for convenience to said event and between that and jet lag I got there at 7:15 and was the first person. I promptly started scaring the other fangirls by being foreign. Around 8ish staff showed up and told us I think to come back later but I didn't move. Eventually around 9:15 we were brought inside and were given little stickers with a time on it. This was my first definitive sign this was going to be a timed event like I had feared and this would be my first timed event. I've been to many smaller events now in Japan (3 Yuuta ones, a Midoriyama/Jousei one I think that was the tiniest of all!, Yagyuu/Niou, and probably something else I don't remember, well as some slightly larger series only ones for Tenipuri, Seed and Geass, but none of them had ever been timed. or well the Yagyuu/Niou one was, but by the time we got there it was no longer timed because it 1ish. I was in the first group at 11:00-11:30 and the event started at 11:00 so I had high hopes. One nice thing about the event is they were selling the anthology when you got your guidebook. I also lol'ed at the list of songs the Japanese had picked as GinoSuza songs according to the Area 37 website, because one of them was Shinning Tears and another was Pop Star

I went out to Starbucks, watched some old episodes of FMA on my ipod and then headed back getting there about 10:45 and being what looked like #5 in line. Some guy came out and babbled to the staff, they had us move and like 5 minutes later there was a new line there and I ended up being #60 or so. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR Next time I am playing foreigner not moving. This so SUCKED and I blame this for missing the few books I wanted I missed. ~.~ Actually next time I am signing up as a circle so I can cut out all this stuff. We then stood in line for nearly an HOUR before they let us up! WTH?!?!?! I know the only people who could have shopped before us were circles themselves/their friends so WTF. And the event was supposed to start at 11 and they didn't/couldn't make it an hour longer o_O;;;

So then began the mad dash to get things. I missed the Rainy copyhon I wanted and the Homeopathy copyhon. I also missed any of the books by Black Camelia, which makes me sad cause their art looked so nice. Renbu was MIA despite having a space as well as having had pictures from their book on their blog as well some pretty Hikago circle I had wanted to try and a circle that looked like they did Gino and Lelouch double teaming Suzaku which would have been AWESOME. ;;_;; Most circles wouldn't do sketches though RocknDolless did sign my sketch pad. I got a Zerozaku sketch from Kitagawa (OMG Zerozaku, and I doubt she had any idea I have a huge hard on for Zerozaku) as well as one other sketch. I bought a few books with Zerozaku in them, which makes me so happy ♥ The event was hugely popular and so many circles sold out so fast. About 12:40 they kicked us out and when I asked the staff when I could go back in they said 2:00 O_O

So I went back to my hotel, dropped off the books and had lunch I know scary concept! and headed there arriving at 1:55. I had to wait in-line for another 15 minutes and I discovered they had SOLD OUT THE GUIDE BOOK and so were now handing out sheets with just the circles listed and their locations. SO WTH! Back upstairs a bunch of circles had closed up shop and just left since they'd sold everything and others were starting to pack for the show wending at 3. Just wow.

So I got a lot of books and I am glad there are so many GinoSuza fans but still... the event would have been better with a friend who I could have made run to booths for me while I bought things for them. I was the only foreigner I saw there. Overall I've done better with sketches at the larger Geass Zenkoku or a Comic City, but luckily I have one of those in Osaka to try!

I then was going to walk to Tokyo Station so I could catch a train to meet Eda and Erin for dinner but when I got to the AM/PM I suddenly recognized where I was! This was the same AM/PM I'd gone to with muscatlove and yanchamonkey before I went to Comiket in 05! Which means the Starbucks was the Starbucks I had gone to numerous times that trip as well! I felt a bit like a moron and decided to walk to Kanda instead, since Kanda is not so far from Mitsukoshi.

I had huge foreigner cooties on the train and had an older woman literally hiding behind a piece of paper since she was afraid of them. Go me and my cooties! Maybe it was because she knew I had gay porn. >>;;

We went to an interesting Italian place with delicious bread that they served for free and they made me the dinner special without scallops and added more veggies. *______* If you could tip, I so would have! &heart;

I was going to go to Nikko today but I'm not sure I can take a 2 hour train trip so now I might hang out in Tokyo. I need to think about what I can do that is not just shopping. I might see if Erin wants to meet for lunch. >>;;


Happy Belated Birthday to Yagyuu Hiroshi since it's the 20th in Japan now. I ought to write a fic about him and Yuutan and Yuki-kun, but instead I was working on something GinoSuza. >>;; Interestingly enough it was 10/19/03 I went to my first real character only type event, so it feels very full circle. Though this one was scary more popular O_O

Comments

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

The cafe sounds wonderful! That timed event sounds, I dunno, stressful? Hope you can get some sleep!

What's a circle?

[ginarolo.livejournal.com]

Glad you got some cool things.

[twotone]

Aw, sorry you had such a stressful time with the GinoSuza event! I hope you're managing to have fun as well, though.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

The timed event was stressful, but it was still better than the October doll event I went to last year. At least I mostly got what I wanted, which is happy. :D

The cafe was great, it was incredibly cute, I got the special October drink and my friend got asked which pumpkin she thought our waiter had made.

Re: What's a circle?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

A circle is the term for either a single fan-artist or a group of them who produce these fan drawn comic books.

I've also heard it used in reference to people who sell handmade doll clothes like say Modern Tulip or ALG, they'd be a sewing circle. :D

[rkold.livejournal.com]

On the bright side, I did manage to find the building which was cool, because it's just outside my detailed map.

I am definitely having fun, I just think I need more sleep. ;;_;; And I just can not face a 2 hour train trip one way when I know I am going to Mito on Wed, Ise on Thurs and Kanazawa next Mon. ;;_;; Seeing Autumn leaves is not worth it, I saw some in NY before I left >>;;

[jougetsu.livejournal.com]

Ack, sounds like things got a little stressful for a bit but I hope you had fun! I'm gonna have to go to that cafe though one of these days (maybe when you're back in Japan for a visit!). ^__~ Thanks for keeping us updated and I hope the rest of your trip is lots of fun! *hugs*

[twotone]

PS: I know this is a long way off still, but I wanted to let you know that I just saw the first ad for the new season of 24!

Looks like they're doing a 2-hour special debut on November 23rd titled "24: REDEMPTION" or something like that. :D

[mec]

Timed event? Yikes! Sounds pretty intense. Buying your smut under pressure, and all that.

The school boy cafe sounds like fun, though. If my Japanese ever improves to "casual conversation with cute waiter" level, I might have to go investigate. ^_^

Maybe it was because she knew I had gay porn.

Oh, c'mon, you know the old ladies like it too. Maybe she was just into other ships. I'm glad you managed to get some of the things you wanted!

[paleonaturist.livejournal.com]

Wow . . .

Did you manage to actually _get_ anything you wanted?

_Can_ you sign up as a circle? If you sign up as a circle, do you have to rent a table and have stuff for sale??

It sounds as though you guys are bumping into a lot of folks who are afraid of gaijin-cooties. Is that a typical attitude, even in Tokyo? For some reason, I'd thought that many Japanese were as interested in Westerners and their culture as we are in theirs.

~Bruce

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update. :D My trackpad is dying and my computer is so going to need to go to the Apple Store when I get home which is making everything sort of suck. I think my goal for today is buying a new mouse at the Apple Store in Ginza since then I can at least avoid the track pad completely until I get it fixed. >>;;

I've gotten better at sleeping through the birds now! :D

[rkold.livejournal.com]

It was extremely stressful! I think this was my most stressful doujinshi event ever. >>;;

Those sorts of cafes are so much fun, but they only really have them in Tokyo and maybe Osaka. I particularly enjoyed this one because it was sort of low key and the cakes were good! :D

*hugs*

The trip is going mostly well, I'm so excited for you getting to come here again soon too!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was my first one, or rather my first one when I wanted to go during the timed part. >>;; It was quite intense, I did manage to get several things I really wanted, it's more the things I missed that I notice.

I would definitely recommend the school boy cafe.

But how can one not love GinoSuza????

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Yes, I got a lot of books I wanted. :D I got the 2 new books and copyhon as well as special event back from one circle I adore, the regular release book by one of the circles I missed the copyhon of, and a bunch of other things I wanted. :D I just am sad about the things I missed. Though I think one is on Y!J now, so I might have to bid. >>;;;;;;

Me personally? If I knew enough Japanese, yes I could have and I actually thought about it but the event was much more popular than I think the people hosting it anticipated as originally it was only 40 circles, then 70 and then it was 100 and completely filled in the middle of JUNE! O_O I was still dickering when this happened, as I would have asked a friend in Japan to help me sign up. I would have printed up my own copyhon and tried to sell it lol Even if no one bought it, I would have gotten in early and could have gotten everything I wanted. The problem is by the time I was ready to try to do this the spaces were all gone.

Some Japanese are, and I've definitely met people who are fascinated by gaijin, but some definitely think we have cooties and it can vary where friendly people are. the people at the event I think were more startled and surprised rather than actively put off by my gaijin cooties. The staff people were very friendly when I returned and I had a few Japanese fangirls give me smiles and most of the circles were super nice.

The older woman on the train is probably the rudest person I've ever encountered in Japan. On the other hnd yesterday I got called cute by some Japanese fangirls when I asked them to move so I could throw out garbage lol

I once had a little old Japanese woman call me gaijin-san, tell me I was cute, and then asked me if I dyed my hair since being a gaijin how could I have naturally black hair lol

It just varies.

[clair3.livejournal.com]

Oooo the cafe does sound appealing XDDD

[kerina.livejournal.com]

Ouch, a timed event sounds stressful ^^;; Hope you got a lot of cool stuff anyway! :o

Oh no!

[triplepunch.livejournal.com]

Hon, my cell phone totally died! I'm getting a new one today (same number etc) but if I don't get your phone mails for a bit that's why. I'm totally looking forward to seeing you today--Kanayama station at about four, right? I should have my new phone by this afternoon.
Sorry about this!!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

If you could get me your mailing addy in the next 10 hours I can send you a postcard form Japan, I realized I only have your school mailing addy! ;;_;; And you're not at university anymore ;;_;;