I only drank once this week

I'm quite proud of myself this week...in total I only drank once this week...ONCE...although that once was one hell of a drinking session.

It all started Friday night. We (me and Chris) rode our bikes into the city (takes abt 30-40mins or so). After watching the hour long fireworks display at Toyohira river (which make the Sydney NYE fireworks look like fire crackers) we head to a cinema to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 2...despite what our American friends told us...they weren't screening any shows that night and we were told that the movie opens on Saturday...fair enough...left with nothing to do we went to eat dinner...Little Spoon...a decent curry house...after that we met up with the others (Brian, Cody, Yuji and this girl whose name I can't remember) and told them that we aren't watching a movie tonight. It was about 10pm or so right now. We kinda wondered the city a bit doin pretty much nothing until about 12am when the others left to take the last trains home. Me and Chris stayed in the city though...

This is where our night begins...we were still kinda hungry so we went to get more food...burger and chips...12.30am...wondering around Susukino looking for a bar to drink in...something different...I vowed only to have maybe 1 or 2 drinks before making the long ride home. We ended up checking out Rad Brothers II. Walked in...seemed to have a decent atmosphere. It was someone's b'day party. So we sit at the bar...order a drink each...bourbon and cokes...Chris starts flirting with the girl next to him. Order our second drinks...long island ice teas...nice...It seems the b'day boy...or one of the guests or something...was a Yakuza type dude...evident because of the tatoo he was sporting...nice guy...actually so far...I've found most of the gangsters I see around to be quite nice and polite...so long as you don't piss them off...you'll be fine...

Anyway...At about 1.30am or so...we were informed that if we paid ￥2000...we'd have a 飲み放題 (all you drink) until closing time...which was 6am..nice...I didn't want to...but seeing as I had already spent about ￥1200...and the fact that they allowed us to just pay the difference to get the 飲み放題...i figure why not...

And so...after that I had...another long island ice tea...2 moscow mules...3 tequila shots (or so I'm told...I only remember 1...)...2 whiskey shots...a vodka shot (or so I'm told...I can't remember that one) and 3 Kamikazes (again...I only remember skulling one of those)...

So we end up leaving at about 5.30...6am or so...I cant really remember because I was still blind drunk then. The sun comes up here at about 3.30-4am...which is damn annoying considering we always seem to leave the bars and stuff around about that time. And so...we ride home on our bikes...drunk as a skunk...a 40min ride thats mostly uphill with cars all over the place...that was fun. I was crashing into a few walls and poles on the way home...actually...I don't remember too much of the ride home. However, depsite the odds, I managed to actually make it home safely and passed out almost immediately...waking up at about 1pm with the biggest hangover I've had in a while...to meet up with everyone and go to Yuki's (Japanese friend) bbq party.

So Begins the Summer Holidays

Well yesterday was my final class...and besides the fact that I've got a 2000 word society & culture report due on the 28th and my 2nd methodology report due on the 31st...I've got nothing else in the way of uni work or classes. No exams and the like...and about 2 months or so of free time. Life is good...

But...what to do with all this free time? Seeing as I'm probably not going to start my summer trip till round about Aug 10th or so...that leaves me with about a month or so to make a mess in Sapporo/Hokkaido. A new tradition has been started amongst the exchange students here...one that is perhaps not entirely legal...but not overly damaging either...since I like this city so much...heh. All I have to say is that by the end of my time here...I'll have obtained a large variety of souvenirs, photos and videos that are...well lets just say...a little out of the ordinary. I shall keep you people updated on our exploits during these next few weeks...

SOBER FOR ALMOST A WEEK NOW!!!!

Well its been a while since I lasted posted on here...it's not because I've been too busy or anything like that...it's more that I've been too drunk. And that's all I've been doing lately...drinking - although I've remained sober for the last...umm...6 days now??..I know that doesn't sound like much to the folks back home but believe me...its an accomplishment!! My aim is to go a week without drinking (I'm being realistic here...) But its not without good reason...Last Mon was the first time hanging out with a different group of people...so that was cause for drinking...until 6am...and last Wed was Steve's (the other Aussie here at 札大...from Queensland) farewell party. He was only here for like 3 months. So that was also cause for celebrations...that also lasted till 6am...and last Fri...ok so there was no good reason for me drinking that night...but that was only a light drinking night...and I caught the last train (12:15am) home...

Anyway, I won't go into detail about my lastest experiences of being drunk...I mean you've heard it all before...so I thought I'd reassure everyone that whilst I'm here...I'm not just getting drunk everyday and am going out there and doing other things as well. Case in point - the Yosakoi Soran dance festival. The festival took place around early June. The center of the city was basically closed off for all the various parades...at Odori koen there was a huge stage where the Soran dance off took place. And there was this part of the park where everybody could join in and do the dance...yes I took part in that...and yes...I looked like a idiot...but it was fun. Below are photos from the festival - and no...you won't be seeing me do the dance in these photos...


The above photo...the main dance stage at Odori koen...here's one of the groups starting their dance...


One of the parade floats going down the street...


The place where anybody can join in and dance...


Join in the dance and you score one of those cool looking blue thingys...thats advertising ice cream...and yes...I do have one of those...