Tokyo 2016 - Saving Money and Looking Good

My top concern before I moved to Japan wasn't the language, making friends or food. It was getting a haircut.

I've been going to the same barber in London for many years. We're so familiar that all I have to do is sit on the chair and nod when he asks, "The usual?"

My barber cultivates my hairstyle, so the first time I had to explain how it is cut was when I was in the United States.

"So.... it's a little long on this side, but the top is heavy...and this part you only use scissors..." After a few more rambling seconds, the hairdresser in North Carolina got the trimmer out and asked, "So what number should I shave it?"

The second time I got my haircut in the States, I conceded defeat early. "Give me a #3 all over," I said. Five minutes after starting, the barber quipped, "You don't say much, do you?" Hey, it's your job to start the conversation!

My Japanese is not as good as my English (just about), so the thought of explaining how I want my hair cut in a foreign language was a nightmare. I looked online for English speaking barbers; I gawped at the 4000 yen ($40) prices.

It was March; my hair had reached an unsociable level, I needed a trim urgently. One day at work, I noticed my coworker's stylish new haircut; I quizzed him, "Where did you get your haircut?"

"QB House", he replied.

QB House is a chain barber store that charges only 1000 yen (+80 yen for tax) for a cut; I had seen stores around Tokyo. I bit the bullet and went to the one closest to my house in Nippori.

I walked in and inserted 1000 yen into the ticket machine. After jabbing some buttons unsuccessfully, one of the barbers came in and pointed towards the section to enter the 80 yen (for tax). I got my ticket and sat in line. At QB House, no barber is jibing at you to start idle chit-chat with him; everyone has their haircut in quiet. The process is beautifully impersonal.

As I got up to get my cut, the barber took my jacket and bag. Then, he pushed the mirror to reveal a secret hideaway to store my items. I had practised certain phrases to say while getting my haircut, but I didn't have to use any of them; I simply showed the barber an old selfie of myself. It may be considered rude to stick a picture into a barber's face in other places, but here in QB House, it's encouraged. They even have an app for you to take selfies from different angles for future cuts. After showing the picture, the barber confirmed where to cut, to which I replied "Hai" (yes) about ten times.

After finishing the cut, I looked to my left and saw the barber clutching a vacuum; I assumed that was for the hair on the floor. The vacuum turned on, and the barber proceeded to run the machine over my head. Because the vacuum catches every little strand, there's no need to shower afterwards; you can go about your day as usual.

The result was outstanding; he emulated it exactly. Since then, I've gone to QB House monthly for a trim.

Chuhai's are Japan's best-kept secret - for a reason. They are deadly. Chuhai's are a doozy of mix shochu and highball. (The name "Chuhai" is a combination of the two drinks). Chuhai's come in many flavours; the flavours are seasonal, so don't get too attached to one (still miss you cherry). The alcohol percentage in these drinks range from 5% to 9% but what makes chuhai's so lethal is not the percentage but the price. Chuhai's are usually around 150 yen ($1.50), about a hundred yen less than a can of beer.

So to recap, a good taste + rock bottom price + a high alcohol % = HELLYEAHKARAOKE!!

Talking about chuhai's, after an 'hai too many, I stumbled out of Golden Gai for the last train. Golden Gai is a drinking area next door to the more well known Kabukicho in Shinjuku. As I walked to the station, I glanced at my watch. It was past 1 am, I had definitely missed my train. I was left with two choices: pay for an expensive cab or walk 5.5 miles home…

About halfway, I conceded that this trek wasn't as scenic as I hoped. However, this mammoth walk confirmed what I already knew, that you are never a few minutes away from a convenience store in Tokyo. The one highlight was seeing the Tokyo Dome on the way.

The following week we had a big farewell party for a few of the teachers and staff. A big group of us slowly got smaller and smaller until it hit 2 am, and we were left with a few weary souls. Everyone made the collective decision to go home. Once again, I walked the 5.5 miles This time, my phone died halfway through, so I didn't have Google Maps to guide me. Thankfully, my memory is not as bad as my worn feet; I remembered certain buildings and roads to make it back home successfully. I've done the walk one other time after that (I didn't use Google Maps at all that time). It's certainly not fun, but at least I'm saving on cab fares.

Heeeeere's Sanji!

Tokyo 2016 – Housemates, Meetups and Food.

When you dream of living abroad, you never think of the minor annoyances.

Such as washing your clothes on the wrong setting because you can’t read the instructions or being so exhausted from work that you fall asleep in your suit.

The honeymoon is over; six-day work weeks are not unusual but the norm. Although, in-between all the work and gripes, there are many fun and interesting things to be found in Tokyo.

Sake. Dangerously tasty

After the Sakura House Party, I had the weekend off to relax. I choose to live in a share house as the price of a one-bedroom apartment in Tokyo is out of my budget. I wasn’t thrilled about sharing a bathroom and a kitchen, but at least I would make friends with the people in my house. Or so I thought...

After three days, I finally encountered one of my housemates in the hall. Before I could raise my arm to wave, he dashed into his room.

While everyone mostly keeps to themselves, I have hung out with a few of my housemates on occasion, but my dreams of drinking games in the kitchen and 4-player FIFA sessions have fallen by the waste-side.

The turnover rate in my house is high; I’ve lived in the share house for six months and am the longest-serving resident on my floor. It’s a roll of the dice on whether you will get a good neighbour or not. When I moved in, the two people living on each side of me were Taiwanese guys, both of whom never made a whisper and were only interested in their PS4’s.

After one of them left, a Korean guy moved in. I could never get anything more than a nod from him, but during the night, he would let out these guttural coughs. He departed a few months back; in his place is a super quiet American girl who has the bad habit of Skyping at 4 am.

I’ve accepted that the share house is somewhere where I rest and recover rather than Party Central. Instead, I’ve made friends elsewhere; one such place has been meetups…

My friend currently living in Australia suggested Meetup.com. After the success of the Sakura House party, I thought I should give it a try.

One of the first meetups I went was a “free” language class in Akihabara. I say “free” with quotations marks as everyone who goes is required to buy a drink. I only went two times; this meetup couldn’t seem to decide if it’s a serious language class or a place to meet new friends.

After that, I mainly stuck to the booze and chat groups. A meetup I used to go to often is titled Tokyo International Meetup. A Colombian-American called Oscar hosted the event. Organising meetups is Oscar’s full-time job, so he’s extremely well known in the international community (although he has gone dark recently for unexplained reasons). This meetup was always quite pricey: An 1000 yen entry fee. My takeaway from Oscar’s meetup was the realisation that meetup.com is a real business for some.

One meetup I do regularly attend is titled Tokyo Spontaneous Hangout. Despite the name, the organisation of this meetup is anything but spontaneous. There are 3-4 organisers in this group; between them, there are meetups every day, from picnics to ‘speed friending’ events. The organiser whom I met the most is a South African fellow called Allon. Like Oscar, he treats meetup like a business, and he doesn’t shy away from it. He even has a loyalty card system. 5 points get you free entry into a 500 yen another event. 10 points earns you free entry into a 1000 yen event. (I’m super close to hitting the 10 point mark).

My favourite meetup is titled Tokyo International Friends (there is a pattern with these names). I recently discovered this group; the organiser is a Japanese fellow called Ryohei. Unlike other meetups that have a limit on attendees, Ryohei’s has none, so it’s not unusual for over 80 people to show up. The most tantalising caveat of all is that there is no entry fee for foreigners.

My top tip is to go for a big meetup, many people enrol in the meetup, but less than half tend to show up.

The biggest problem with meetups is that initial awkwardness at the start, but that becomes less of an issue over time. I now regularly run into the same people.

Another tip: Drink. That helps.

The infamous Choco Potato

When people ask about Japan, the topic of food frequently comes up. Initially, I was apprehensive when it came to Japanese food but have grown to love it. Here are some of my favourite foods and restaurants in Japan:

When I first got here, I stuck to convenience store lunch boxes and “old reliable”: McDonald’s. Although McD’s Japan has its own unique take on the famous brand, this has not been more so evident than with the Choco Potato, chocolate-covered fries.

Choco Potato was a limited-time item in February that got coverage across the globe. I was reading an article on the Choco Potato on Kotaku; I chuckled at the notion before it hit me: I’m in Japan. I went to my local McDonalds (it’s dangerously close) armed with 300 yen to try it out myself. The packet to spray the chocolate and vanilla was ingeniously made; it sprayed just the right amount of sauce. As for the taste, it was fine but nothing extraordinary. The fries weren’t piping hot, which brought the rating down.

My go-to restaurant is Matsuya, a beef bowl restaurant that can be found on almost any street in Tokyo. For only 380 yen, you get a normal-sized bowl with beef, rice and a smattering of onions. All meals also come with a bowl of miso soup.

Kariage Kun is five pieces of chicken nuggets sold at Lawson convenience stores. They might be laced with cocaine as they are ridiculously addictive. On the subject of chicken, recently, I’ve gotten into Famima Chicken, the trademark food of Family Mart. There’s a special 10th-anniversary celebration of Famima Chicken going on, so the delicious pieces of fried chicken are now sold at a reduced price.

My hands-down favourite food, though, is Go Go Curry, and its trademark chicken and rice dish. The SS size is 580 yen and provides a generous amount of chicken, curry, rice and lettuce.

Next time I will talk about haircuts, drunken treks home and probably more about chicken.

Bonus Sleeping Sanji