Kin-dza-dza!

"Russian" bread in Japanese stores

    Today is the 1st of December.....Phew....I feel that we just celebrated New 2012 Year.....The end of the year is time to think about what has been done, what not...What to do next year....I ve been so busy all this year..I even cannot understand whether it was long year full of events, people, changes or not.....I guess I am happy .I kind of grew a bit in professional plan. Had a number of projects I handled by myself.Became more independent..But still have a lot to learn about Internet ...(what to say...it is still difficult for me to edit this blog in HTML  Source view..which is rather shame who one who has been working as Web Director for the whole 2 years already....fuck..2 years..It seems I joined this company just yesterday).... 

    Here is one of new faces of Japanese fashion and my crush these months- Kiko Mizuhara (shot from latest DAZED&CONFUSED mag featured Nicola Formichetti)...She also played Midori in "Norwegian Wood"..very cute.

    For Halloween I bought pomade...and still have the whole can.. sometimes doing pomp on weekends )...looking maybe like fagot doing "rockabilly" but whatever...
   Also discovered ASOS - amazingly cheap prices and fast shipping to Tokyo...bunch of good street brands...Clothes as everything else is so expensive here...All Saints is also good..

supremebeing

Kin-dza-dza (Russian poster)

  ...Oh yes...Finally I watched this old-old Russian movie "Kin-dza-dza" ("Кин-дза-дза!" 1986). It seems people here know about it more than Russians - at least I could easily found VHS in Shibuya Rental Store..SF comedy with a lot of hints on modern society with race discrimination, social problems...But very light..I guess it was very experimental film for Soviet cinematography at that time and as a result  it was not accepted well (I don't even remember it is being broadcasted on TV). But movie is good and Leonov who played Wef is so nice actor, I recalled so many his roles in the movies I watched when was  a kid..He was Soviet Danny DeVito for us....

   People around have been posting about new James Bond movie "Skyfall" all day long so I could not resist and bought ticket for late show...



   Yep.....Also went to the Hip-Hop dance battle here recently....Felt a bit shy surrounded by all these people "swagging", saying "Yeah, man Yuji just killed these motherfuckers"....Japanese dancers are one of the most amazing dancers in the world for sure...In the country with the lowest level of crimes and where you cannot find  any "ghetto"  they feel this musics and background of this culture, and dance amazing hip-hop (the more country side they come from - somewhere like Ibaraki- the more old-school style they perform) ...I think it is great national ability of Japanese - they are very good at understanding such nuances of different cultures and adapt them, interpret them from their retrospective..(not sure if I use the last word correctly)/
 
 New Year is coming....Getting cold
Bought tickets to Thailand- should make last reservations and arrangements


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Russia around: KOKON TO ZAI (KTZ)

   Actually I am not sure who is behind this project, but this street brand is super popular among Japanese Harajuku fashion crowd now- you can see people wearing pieces in all parties...I guess it is originally from London. (Here is their site in UK and  Japanese online store selling street fashion brands FAKE TOKYO)
   It is funny that in their AW2012 collection they used  design of  Russian monks` robes with words in Russian saying "You really want to hurt me", " Realize my crimes" and rather  difficult to understand phrases.......At the very same time this robe ornament resembles tattoos they make in Russian prisons all over their bodies...I guess that was idea...I guess...
BTW  the brand seems to be loved by Rihanna, Kanye West and other celebrities..

Fake tattoos, pomade and YouTube tutorials

   After a while writing blog again...Not so much happened though..It is getting colder in Tokyo, everyone buying coats, jackets, preparing to winter.. Our Russian lessons on Japanese TV is over next year in April and as far as I heard they already found new people..Looking forward to watching new season.This experience was really unforgettable and precious for me. Thanks to TV program I met Natalia who are now one of best friends for me, one of the brightest people for sure

    October brought amazing celebration of Halloween.Tokyo fashion people surprise every year with their creativity: cool costumes, make up -  it is fun just go out to watch all these people in Roppongi or Shibuya.
  Actually I was so busy with worksand lazy to do anything  myself so almost decided not to do something special....But  then  I happened to find some fake  tattoo seals in department store ..... bought real pomade in famous rockabilly store in Harajuku CREAM and SODA..then a bit search on Rockabilly in net and couple of YouTube tutorials on how to make pompadour and I was ready for the night out

  I so enjoyed all this process that now thinking of doing kind of dressing up sometimes on weekends..(thanks God it is Japan...the weirdest outfits are allowed in this country)

 

    In October we had exhibition by famous Japanese photographer Shinoyama Kishin. He had taken photos of Mishima Yukio, Misora Hibari, John Lennon back in late 60s, considered as scandalous,av-ante-gard Still working as photographer though...Photos were huge and epic..All exhibition was divided into several parts "BODY", "GODS".....Really interesting after long time of some creepy installations in the city.

 Recently doing shopping a lot, wasting money ( totally in love with TOPMAN...)

Had shooting  after so long time : it was really fun - very professional team, good people (Armani clothes by the way )

 Talking about weird outfits, photo on the left is 50year old male dressed like school girl and it is not Halloween or something just there are this kind of people leaving in my neighborhood.

 oh, yes... I  Aaso got speakers for birthday present and it is my first (!!) speakers actually..So it is already 2 months but I cannot stop listening music  (Russian Red, Muse, Cee Lo Green and Nas are my recent discoveries ...Muse especially good with their dramatic, nervous songs )

Thats all for a while...Will try to write something again soon..

Slow living

Nothing happened so far..English getting a bit worse....Not sure if I can write anything good this time.

Reading a lot: some books for joy, some for work. Found book on Adobe Illustrator, tried a bit and cannot stop now - a lot of fun - all these tools, pen tablets, tricks (thanks to all those people who post their tutorial videos on YouTube). However there are a lot to learn for improving skills:  they require skills in almost all imaginable tools - Photoshop, Dreamweaver, HTML5, programming languages..JavaScript will be tricky for me.

Finished吾輩は猫である ("I Am Cat") book by Japanese writer Souseki Natsume. Have been reading it for almost 1 year..Sometimes bloody difficult (he uses not modern Japanese but a bit old one and words). But I liked his witty style, humour and dialogues.Feeling of accomplishment of something big.

And the rest of time- shopping : clothes and furniture - bought sofa today  - and my room looks great now..If I get good bonus I ll have to think about moving finally.

 Some people leaving Japan, changing jobs - feeling a bit lonely but getting used to be lonely all the time...

This  week is 26th birthday....4 years since I left the country...funny but I don't wanna go..

Almost not checking news - read about PussyRiot - not support rock concerts in cathedral, but it is inhuman how they treat them. How they treat their people as whole..But there is no awareness at all in the people. And it is so sad....30 years of forbidden Christianity, but now they find reason to convince people as "not appropriate" actions toward religion...Weird

 Watched Natalia Vodianova interview in Internet - what a bright person - so pure and kind.

Storm, teeth, poor English

   April, 3rd...Today we had so awful storm here in Tokyo...They let us go home at 15:00, so thanks to our company we could avoid all that traffic jam and at 18 I already was at home watching TV...
  Recently there is something wrong with teeth - I see dentist more often than my friends and there is still something left to repair, clean, change, remove ...This Saturday I am going again.

   Trying to spend 1 hour a day learning programming language Python with great book "Learn Python the Hard Way"  - my friend recommended it me.. This Monday finished "Command Line Crash Course" chapter at last -sometimes it was already complicated for me...So we see...

  It is almost 1 year and a half since I joined my company and I feel I just dropped out from social life for this period of time..Promised  myself again to spend weekends as productive as possible  - meeting new people, going out somewhere, just not to think about work...This Friday there is one fancy party in Aoyama.

 Stupid random writings...English is getting worse and worse...Need to read something written in good English for inspiration

Movie: "Amores Perros" (2000)

   Film from director of "Babel" Alejandro González Iñárritu which I found in "We Recommend" corner in Japanese rental store..
   Movie about love and lost  - three stories of 3 people connected by car accident ... Guns, drugs, shootings, Spanish curse words: "Puta madre" every time when you expect "Fuck"...everything seems so unreal in Japan and because of it kinda attractive..
  Second novel about supermodel who had her leg amputated after car crash and who hears her dog climbing under the floor every night ( don`t know how to explain you`d better to watch) is really driving you crazy...
 One more good point: Gael Garcia Bernal wears a whole range of vintage Adidas  in the movie.

 At my company I have buddy who teaches me Spanish a bit...Should ask him for more new words..Spanish language has some amazing mix of passion and loudness...
 Tomorrow is the first working day in April - first day of a new business (school/academical) year in Japan. Tomorrow we have something about 300 new-graduates in my company and everyone from guys who entered company with me feels like one year older, wiser, more professional.....Looking forward to new year as well...

Movie: "Enter The Dragon" (1973)

  As for self-education...Recently I just realised that I`ve never watched movie with Bruce Lee..I remember how in early 90s I saw poster of Bruce Lee in my elder cousin`s room. In 70s Soviet Russia his movies apparently were forbidden as all Western culture..but somehow in late 80s and early 90s they started to run his action movies in theaters all over the country and they had such huge success that  almost all boys had posters, calendars, souvenirs and other goods with Bruce Lee..Soviet and post-soviet teenagers were drawing his images  in notebooks, collected some stickers, cards (wonder how they get them)...there were a lot of fans .....
 There should be some reason for such popularity I thought and decided to watch "Enter the Dragon" (according to Wikipedia the last movie which has been completed while Bruce Lee  was alive)..
  Boring actors play, sometimes almost hillarious story plot, annoying white actors....but all that just forgotten when you watch these Kung Fu scenes...They are really great and he does amazing things - without all special effects, superb camerawork - just worship of martial arts and human physical body abilities..
 

 After watching it I also read article on his abilities and daily training routine and decided to go to gym immediately......kinda of inspiring day
 

Movie: "LOST" Season2

   Yes..I know I know and my friends keep telling: for some people "LOST" is already vintage but to my own surprise I haven`t watched it yet (shame on me)... so (1) to know what all fuzz was about and (2) to make opportunity to study(?) ..ehm..listen  English more I am witching these TV series now.. Last week done with Season 2..story line getting more complicated, last episode was kind of confusing and as far as I know the more the worse, but I anyhow for self-education should do it
Hm...when I was reading "One Hundred Years of Solitude" I felt so easy to write in English now it is hard again (like at school)....should read more good English literature as well...
 

Russia around: Black Matryoshka from MUJI

Bought this black Matryoshka set in Japanese interior store MUJI. In reality they don`t look as good as on the photo but still not bad and perfect for my room.

Reading: Standard Guide to Website Direction (Webディレクション標準ガイド プロジェクト始動からサイトの設計・構築まで )

     These days I am so lazy to do any studying on weekend so it makes me mad...And today again as usual I slept till 13  and except cleaning room did almost nothing....On weekdays on my way to the company and back I try to read though..
  And here is book I completed last week (started in August last year though...): Standard Guide to Website Direction　(or long-long Japanese title)..

   It was quite expensive (50 bucks !!) book but as I happened to be useful reading - it may be interesting even for people who is not in IT industry: in this Guide authors introduce basic knowledge regarding Web Direction workflow: starting from project organization, marketing research, all preparation and finishing site release, operation, information security..All book is in Japanese and to the end of reading it you start feeling sick of all these characters but yep...it was very good reading (in Japan this book is considered to be one of full Introductions to Web Direction (it was first published in 2004 so there is a bit some old information regarding OS, Browsers and almost nothing about Social Networking)).

  Last week I ordered "Don`t make me think" by Steve Krug - true bestseller on User Experience recommended by may of my colleagues..so looking forward to getting it and starting daily reading routine again  :)

  On Saturdays I go to dance school  -instructor is  Oguri Moto from Japanese street dance group "sh**t kingz"..Lessons are really amazing..Although I feel myself so stiff and stupid every time (other participants are really good in  memorizing all combinations ), but I enjoy it every week. Here is one of my favorite part and this song by Raphael Saadiq  "The Answer" is so good.

   Tomorrow is Monday and it means work week will start again...recently thinking a lot if what I am doing now is really what I want to do...Every Sunday trying to motivate myself for a week..Japanese Google with  management system  of 80-90s...sigh...and they are talking about "Empowerment"

Wake me up when September ends

After busy working days  having normal life again...Almost never going out on weekends though...  just only when Natalia arranges something(like the day we went to Odaiba) Always feeling sorry for that, always promising myself to organise something again...and nothing happens...She seems disappointed I feel bad
Tokyo is chilly these days..looking forward to spring when maybe I will go to Russia to visit family after 3 years..Already feel nervous..w

Got pictures from shooting I did long-long ago...(praying no one from my company will ever check this page). Actually I loved these clothes and would buy something..lost their business card.

And yes continue exploring world of new music for me - now listening Libertines, Oasis, Beyonce, Green Day, 90s hip-hop (all "shuffled" in iPod  nano I bought last week - now I have 16GB and don`t have to think about what to delete as it was with 2GB)..
Feeling kinda of stagnation...nothing changes, every day, week, month are the same...I have to think out something to do..and yes..just bought chair..(I have long list though:next is washing machine)

About music and expensive chairs

OK....After almost 6 months of hard working at my new Japanese company and total silence I decided to continue this blog (f** I almost forgot how to use all this Blogspot Dashbord :)
Yep...It is better to write something on weekly basis at least - just to continue train my brains to think in English and just to save some memories (it feels lately that time flies so fast....)
This week was full of music..Friend of mine introduced me TRAVIS (yes, I heard about them but never listened-shame on me - in place where I was born in Russia people thought you are crazy if you say you love Beatles ...). Travis was a bit monotonous for me...but I downloaded Florence and the Machine as well and she just blew my mind - she sounds for me like some Medieval witch...kinda of Margarita from Mikhail Bulgakov`s novel (I guess almost none knows it ) - some kind of magic in her singing (I listened to "Lungs" only though)
Not to say about Killers and Hurts - I downloaded all their albums 2 months ago and still keep listening

Photo above is one I found - it was taken 2 or even 3 years ago - I remember late night in Yoyogi Park - we were doing this shoot for some Japanese brand...forgot it`s name...cold, we were always hiding from park guard man- that`s all I remember
so...yes, only photos and writings remain. will keep writing....Sometimes I am afraid that months, years pass and nothing happened....

Hope it is not true....BTW should not forget to find desk chair...so lazy to go to Furniture Stores..the one I visited today (it was called something like Otsuka Furniture) has exactly what I need for price of JPY350,000......khhhh...keep looking for...hope I will find something good and cheap