"Tougher than leather" - Japan Part IV

Never...EVER....trust freaky lookin' festival people...

Only noticing that my wallet was missing 15 minutes after leaving the restaurant was one of the shittiest feelings one could ever have. I rushed back to the restarurant only to find that it wasn't at the table where I forgot it at all. I asked the waitress who sat at the table in the past few minutes and she said that a bunch of delinquents sat there. Guess I could kiss my wallet goodbye...

Having your wallet stolen can be really shitty....especially in a foreign country. I had EVERYTHIN' in that wallet. My social insurance number, Canadian driver's license, birth certificate...everythin'. I went to the nearest Police box to report what happened...

"Excuse me officers, you wouldn't happen to have found a black wallet on the street anywhere have you?" I asked.
"Nope, where did you last leave it?"
"I forgot it in a restaurant and the waitress said that some "Yankii" guys might've taken it."
"Do you have any ID on you?"
"Of course not, it was all in my wallet..."
"What about your passport?"
"I left it in Osaka. Why would I carry around somethin' important as that?"
"Come with me please..."

And so I ended up in....


Dramatization

...Kochi City Precinct Jail.

Everythin' was eventually cleared up and they sent me on my way to Osaka, but there I was with no money. Luckily, Ryo's dad said that I could start work earlier, so I strapped on my coveralls and took my first experience of being part of the Japanese labor force.


Dramatization

Now, I knew that workin' in a sweat shop was gonna be hard, but I didn't think that it was gonna be THIS hard. My job was to take these huge ass rolls of leather and put them on palletes since the factory was gonna move out to the country in Himeji. So I didn't even START doing any of the real work. Nonetheless, here's some of the stuff that Ryo's dad said about my work:

"What the hell are you DOIN' Bueno...?"
"Bueno....what are you....forget it...."
"NO! Don't....argh....gimme that..."
"Why are you are such an idiot?"
"You're useless..."

Welcome to the Japanese labor force...

It felt shitty having to go to a job that you know you can't do, and that if you lose that job, you don't really have much of anythin' else. It got even more stressful when the factory moved out to Himeji cause I lived at the factory....until I finally got fired.

"Bueno, all you've been doing is cleaning the factory and even THAT is done slow...."
"I'm trying my best...I really am..."
"I don't believe that..."
"Please don't fire me...."
"I'm sorry Bueno, but I suggest that you find some other work that you'd be able to handle."
".........."


Kamen Rider: The ultimate anti-depressant

I was depressed (yet again) for about a week but at least I had the debut of Kamen Rider Kabuto to keep me from feelin' too blue. I pondered what the **** I should do. I started doubting myself and was thinkin' that maybe Japan ain't worth it anymore. I tried to come up with a few options of what my next move should be and was thinking that maybe I should just go on back to Canada....and then I thought to myself...

"What the **** are you thinkin'? Stop being such a pussy. If there's a will, there's a way!"

And so, I finally came to a conclusion of what I should do. I called my friend Casey...

"Hey man, I finally decided what I'm gonna do. It's gonna be a big gamble, but if I'm gonna end it, it might as well be with a bang."
"So whatcha gonna do Bueno?"
"..................I'm goin' to Tokyo."

-End of part IV-

Its hitting me now (I'm sure everyone else gets it, but I'm not always the brightest bulb) that you're probably not too much older than me...when did this all take place? Like within the last two/three years?

Anyways...dude I love these posts. I was wondering where your next one was since I hadn't seen you do one in awhile. Entertaining (with the way they're told), informative (info about Japan is always nice), and most of all, inspirational. Reading these stories just remind me that I can't stray from my path no matter what. :thumbs:

Sage Shinigami said:

Its hitting me now (I'm sure everyone else gets it, but I'm not always the brightest bulb) that you're probably not too much older than me...when did this all take place? Like within the last two/three years?

Click to expand...

I'm 24, just in case anyone wants to know.:thumbs:

And this story hasn't taken place in the past two/three years, but the past 5 months. That just goes to show how fast things can change for a guy like me. I tend to live a life less ordinary and usually make choices (or more rather "take gambles"...) that I either regret or am glad about later on. Up to now, there's been times where I've felt like I've made some really SHITTY choices with my life (especially in Japan) that've made me feel like I've taken two steps back, but in the long run I'm happy for the ones that've helped me get to where I am today. And if you're gonna ask "Where are you today?", just wait for Part V.

Sage Shinigami said:

I was wondering where your next one was since I hadn't seen you do one in awhile. Entertaining (with the way they're told), informative (info about Japan is always nice), and most of all, inspirational. Reading these stories just remind me that I can't stray from my path no matter what.

Click to expand...

I ain't out to change anyone's life or anythin', but I'm glad that you find these stories as a good source of infotainment. I'm sure that there are a lot of people on the board that've always wanted to go to Japan and think that its tough (and it is), but I was just like the majority of you guys. But then it went way beyond just being a Toku/Anime otaku that wants to go to collector heaven. It was about my self-beliefs and seeing if I could go to the distance that I say I could.

Lots of people had doubts in me, including me...and I still do. But I ain't got time to feel sorry for myself. Instead, all I can do is try my best and see what happens. That's probably why I live my life so fast.:169:

There's a hell of a lot more on the way, so just be on the lookout.

Bueno out.

Another great entry in the saga of Bueno. Love these things, everyone has to make gambles at times though. It doesn't pay out for people a lot, but when it does, it's usually a pretty good feeling


...and I LOVE those dramatizations.

Ditto. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to change anything, but it's not always wrong. We need that down time of self-reflection before you haul your ass up to make a change. ( oh geez, it sounds like "Obaa-chan itta hasuda" - but it's at the moment you think it's too late, that is the time to start. Nice recounting Bueno. Waiting especially to hear (read) Part V.

Blue: is that Lee Chun Soo or Park? Who dyed their hair blond?

MaraJade said:

Blue: is that Lee Chun Soo or Park? Who dyed their hair blond?

Click to expand...

That would be Lee Chun Soo.

Blue said:

...and I LOVE those dramatizations.

Click to expand...

I never had a camera when I needed one for my duration here, so I just tried to find some of the closest lookin' pics as possible. Sometimes I'll even try to find the most farthest lookin' pics just for laugh factor.

I feel that tellin' a story as well as usin' pics along with it can help the imagination flow by being more visual.