Summer 'Knock-Down'

The merciless and unseasonably long summer here in Japan is finally over, it was the hottest on record so far! Global Warming is real.... ::sigh:: Sorry to all for being so delinquent in updating my blog, but as you'll shortly see, I've been very busy the last few months!

Here's a run-down of the pics below in order of the major events that have occurred since we last met on this blog:

-Saw my friend Jarrod and his fiance Tamaki in Nagayo
-Saw my buddy Wes (briefly) on his way back to Hong Kong
-Random pictures of stuff (at the club, on the street, etc)
-Pics from work and the Tokyo Game Show 2010
-I have a new Japanese girlfriend, Yuka
-I've thrown a couple more parties at my house
-My sister came to visit for a week, we did a lot of stuff in Kyoto
-I've been cooking again!

Hmmm... some other stuff has happened but I'll let the pictures do the talking for now!

CCW from me; Wes, Jamie, Zach's wife (sorry!), & Zach







Me & Jarrod outside Nagoya train station








No bikes allowed! (never stopped us before!)










Stylin on the street near Daikonyama











Shot from my balcony, a summer festival parade







Part of same parade, different float








That's my silhouette! This is a wall that tells the time designed by some famous guy or other in Roppongi....





My sister claims she was innocent...












...even though we both saw this sign!








Mira (my sister) next to the Narita Express train the day she had to leave.... (sniff sniff!)









Me and Mira posing (we saw this pose on the TV at the restaurant we are at in the picture! Not sure what it means, are we secret agents?)





Evening sky from my deck








Gratuitous Lamborghini shot!








This is a ninja, rarely seen in the day...











...and even more rarely seen checking his map! (just kidding he is a Buddhist monk actually, real ninjas can't be seen)









Yokohama by the sea at night








Also Yokohama at night








In Saetama, close to where my girlfriend Yuka lives; this is a place to wash your money and your hands in a Temple






Hey, it's a big city -- people get around however they can! This shot was taken in Akihabara, the major consumer electronics district of Tokyo







My colleague Seth in the mo-cap studio working on our project together









Seth and our other colleague Sekiwa-san; I'm directing them on the mo-cap stage (well just Seth really, Sekiwa-san is helping to translate between English and Japanese)







TGS (Tokyo Game Show) 2010! I was here for work.. no, really....







Still at TGS, live actors for an awesome Yakuza vs. Zombie video game that may never be released outside of Japan ;_;











The new Kinect motion controller from Microsoft -- the girls are playing Dance Evolution, no strings (or controllers) attached!






One of the CAPCOM booths












Cos-Play (costume play) at TGS








Some girls are relaxing in a hot spring next to a replica of a restaurant from Monster Hunter Portable 3 at TGS








A CAPCOM spokes-girl..









Another cute spokes-girl!











Me near a banner for TGS












My girlfriend Yuka on the deck of my apartment










Yuka and my sister in Yokohama near the gate leading to Yokohama's Chinatown








Yuka and my sister Mira, there is an amusement park in the background which we went to after taking this shot






Just another Saturday at my place!








...and the Saturday after...









Girls just wanna have fun! This is Margaret (right) and Rina (left)






Antonio and Lina, his Colombian girlfriend don't realize the parties over and everyone has gone home....






Rie and me fooling about at Ryan's place











Again at Ryan's we're all making "Japanese Ghost" faces!








And on the way to a night-spot from Ryan's, on the bus with beer!






The Shinkansen ("Bullet-train") me and Mira took to Kyoto









Mira in front of the Kinkakujin, the "Golden Temple" in Kyoto









Something is seriously cracking my sister up...










I put a video on Facebook from our tour of the Golden Temple, check it out!

We drink tea, Japanese style!











My sister, the modern Buddha... There is a rock garden also in this Temple which you can see in this Facebook video!











These little guys represent children in the town, alive and dead, and the red capes have good wishes written on them for the children!




This is a statue (covered with paper charms) -- after writing your charm, you must crawl through the hole in the middle; one direction is used to cut-off bad relationships, the other to strengthen good ones!



Me and Mira eating big bowls of ice, mine is tea flavored, Mira has black-sugar






At another temple, these ornaments are actually monkeys that are tied up representing that people are often tied to their faults even though they have good intentions! Tying a monkey is a reminder of this.


Mira near a shrine at the 'Silver Pavilion'













Me too!










Along a path leading to a beautiful view of Kyoto (see this video on Facebook from the top!)









I'm cooking again! This is... hmmm something green!?





OK, this food I remember; omlette, bunch of grapes, and fried eggplant with some salad stuff mixed in!







Phew! That's it for this post, I'll be better from now on, promise! p.s. Visiting Boston from Oct. 23rd to the 28th, see you soon Boston peoples!