My New Favourite Crazy Plan- Seoul Searching!

Insadong, on my visit to Seoul two years ago

A crazy plan if ever there was one. Moving to Seoul will allow me to save 100,000yen a month (500 quid), while also living very comfortably on barbequed meat and all-you-can-eat kimchi. I can then spent the saved money on- well- some travel*- before starting my SOAS degree in September 2009 (hopefully with funding). The big disadvantage- looking deep into the future- is that this will rule out a World Cup trip in 2010, at least for the group stages. On the other hand, a World Cup trip would undoubtedly be a nightmare in terms of finding places to stay, plus South Africa’s theives and criminals will be having a field-day on the streets of Jo-burg and other cities- the country is more dangerous than a Stan Lazaridis cross! I could always go to South Africa after, but anyway I digress…

If I did go to South Korea, it would be on the wonderfully acronymed SMOE scheme, an English teacher programme run by the City of Seoul. I’d be trading one acronym for another, and a country I love for a country unknown, replete with beginner language difficulties and cultural cluelessness. どうしよかなぁぁぁ！！

Reasons to Go
- I can save lots of money while living well.
- I get to experience living in another country
- They have Japanese, English (and of course Korean) karaoke!
- Its close to Japan; meaning lots of Japanese culture seeps through, including hopefully Hanshin Tigers!!

Reasons Not to Go
- I’d like to live in Tokyo more, but I couldn’t save money there.
- I could end up constantly comparing it to Japan, which would probably win.
- Opportunity Cost! What would I be doing otherwise? Well, if it’d be living in Birmingham then…

I’m more confused than panda with a headache…and time is ticking…

The Groups Have Finished…

…the results are in, and I am 500-yen richer, beating Kawa-T by getting a fantastical all but one team right for the final 8.  Of my predictions only France was incorrect- with the team of the tournament so far, the Dutch, gaining qualification at the top of the Group of Death at their expense.

Que the final eight predictions…

1. Germany vs Portugal- an extremely hard one to call. Portugal are the form team but the Germans, like the Italians, can never be written off. Nonetheless, I’m gonna go for Portugal.

2. Croatia vs Turkey- Croatia have been strong so far, while the Turks justified their place in the last 8 through an amazing 3-2 comeback against the Czechs. It might not be clear cut, but I think the Croats have enough to win this one.

3. Netherlands vs Russia- a team full of belief, and bolstered by the return of their star player, Andrey Arshavin, take on the team of the tournament so far. Arshavin propelled Russia to the 2-0 victory over Sweden, but the Dutch have shown consistent class and I expect their run to continue.

4. Spain vs Italy- another hard one to call. Just like Portugal, Spain have the form going into the clash, but just like the Germans, Italy can never be written off. Arguably Spain have a greater burden of expectation on them than Portugal, and they certainly have a consistently-underperforming past that reminds many of England’s ability to always choke on the big stage. I think Italy will sneak it.

Soccer Saturday and Clarity Perfected

Gaining Some Understanding

So much to blog! Not having a laptop anymore has clearly affected my “creative output”, but I’ll try to set that right now from the comfort of an Internet Cafe easychair. First up I had an entertaining weekend, getting to watch two of Euro 2008s best games (Italy 1 Romania 1, France 1 Holland4), even if it did mean staying up all night. Both were absolute classics, with amazing goals, and have now been equalled by the highlights I just watched on footytube of the Czech-Turkey game. That means the Group A qualifying teams- Portugal and Turkey- are as my predictions suggested (hard luck Pip, the Czechs came so close!).

This week I’ve been snowed under with Interview Tests, for the last time. That look of fear that crosses student’s faces as they realise they’ve forgotten what “What do you like to do in your free time?” is in, well, English, is one I’ll definately remember. And despite the lack of sense in it, I do find myself repeating the Brits-abroad technique of speaking slowly and very loudly in the hope that somehow the meaning will reach the other side of the interview desk. I was pleasantly surprised today though, when my night-school class had clearly done some revision and did  well.

In other news my clarity ring has been finished, and is being exhibited at Alapaap, an art cafe on the coast between Kojima and Tamano. I met up with Yutaka, Kawabe (quite literally the Lord of the Rings) and co. on sunday. Its a lovely ring, and an amazingly generous gift. In receiving such an item I am both humble and very appreciative, and I hope my photos do it justice. I like to think of the photos I take as some sort of art- although theres a very serious danger of sounding pretentious saying this. Yet Kawabe is not at all pretentious, and is undoubtedly an artist- maybe the trick is in being amazingly good at what you do, or at least treating it seriously, and devoting time and energy to it. Anyhoo, cheers Kawabe!

There are no real updates on my decision making, although I did buy a big box today to start packing up stuff to send home. I’m gonna be going back for a bit whatever, yet still if I’m gonna come back to Japan in September I need to decide soon!!! At the moment there are two more-probable options…

- Work in Tokyo for a year at a school (less salary than JET, no chance of significant saving)

- Work in (oh god) Birmingham for six-seven months, save up enough to go away for six months, travelling from Turkey to Japan overland! (This could be altered to living in London, although I’ll have to save which seems unlikely if I head daan sawwf)

Which is better? Someone please tell me! Either way, I got positive responses from all the SOAS people about both changing course (from “Pacific Asian” to “Japanese” Studies, a minor change) and deferring for a year- seem they want me (or my money!). It’ll give me the chance to apply for lots of scholarships…

A Plan Of Sorts

As many of you know I’ve been fairly stressed recently, with an uncertain future and a rapidly vanishing present. I’ve come to some kind of decision, and I thought I’d announce it on the blog to strengthen my resolve that its the right thing to do.

- Work in Tokyo at a school from September 2008.

- Traipse round Asia and Europe from early 2009 (possibly)

- Begin a SOAS Masters in something fun from September, 2009.

Its a plan of sorts isn’t it.

Betting Tips!

Well, its all going swimmingly isn’t it. And the grand Euro tournament is reaching a peak of sorts on Friday, when the second Group of Death games get underway. Fortunately I’ll be able to watch these games live, for the first time since the opener, although it will involve an all night effort. Not one to make unnecessary effort unless there’s a financial inducement involved, I’ve placed my last 2 quid in my bet365 account on the two games.

Italy to beat Romania 2-0, at 6/1
Holland to beat France 2-1, at 9/1

Could I be 6 pounds better off, 9 pounds better off, or even 15 pounds better off? Or will I be left with zero. Let’s find out…

Steve’s Grand EURO 2008 Preview

“We’re staying home, we’re staying home, we’re staying, England’s staying home”

Yes, with an absence of WAGs, beer-bellied chavs and excessive St.George’s flags in Austria and Switzerland this summer, we can all truly enjoy the EUROs in a relaxed manner, free from the fear of penalty fluff-ups, perennial under-performance, and more shocking play that a game of water polo in an electricity station.

But who will you support? While this topic has been done to death in most of the major papers, it ain’t been done here! I’ll be rooting for, well, Spain I suppose, although my confidence isn’t exactly sky high (it’ll be a lot like supporting England then). My tips are France and Germany- expect a final between those two. And in the mean time, let’s lead off with a look through the four groups that make up this summers tournie…

Group A- The Group of Hope

First up is, appropriately enough, Group A. I’ve called it the “Group of Hope” as any of the four teams could easily get through. The general consensus is that Cristiano Ronaldo, sorry Portugal, will end up on top, while the remaining position will be  a three-way between Turkey, Switzerland and the Czechs. My hunch is that Turkey will just pip those chocolate and cheese-makers to it, with Czech (minus Rosicky) propping up the Group in 4th.

1. Portugal, 2. Turkey, 3. Switzerland, 4. Czech Republic

Group B- The Group of  Dreams- If You’re German

The most clear-cut group in the tournament. Germany will win it, and Croatia will come second. Poland third. Austria forth. Not much else to say is there.

1. Germany, 2. Croatia, 3. Poland, 4. Austria

Group C – The Group of Death

Every tournament has one, and this year its the unlucky Romanians who take there place in a group made up of three historically great football teams. Luckily for Romania, the Dutch are past-masters, and are unlikely to do much in this group. The really tight, and crucial call for the quarters, is who will win it. While France have perhaps the strongest squad in the tournament- Ribiery, Makelele, Malouda, Evra, Gallas, Vieira, Anelka, Henry, plus newcomers Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema- I get the feeling that Italy, as always, will somehow emerge on top.

1. Italy, 2. France, 3. Romania, 4. The Netherlands

Group D – The Other Group

Group D. Its the sort of group you can imagine England being placed in- not particularly strong, but with enough teams that could do something to give you pause for thought. That’s exactly what Spain will be thinking as they take on Russia, Greece and Sweden. Sweden are past it these days, but you can’t write off the Greeks after their unbelievable victory in ‘04. Surely they can’t do it again? Russia would be a sure pick for 2nd place if they had Arshavin available for the first two games, but as he’s out suspended I think they might just manage to sneak it.

1. Spain, 2. Russia, 3. Greece, 4. Sweden

And Finally…The Bets

With no internet at home any more- well no computer at all- all my blogging, emailing and internet betting is being done, err, away from home. Due to this, my tips may be rather infrequent. However I’ve led off this tournaments money give-away, sorry betting, with two from the first round of games…

Switzerland to beat the Czechs 2-0 (11/1)
#Steve’s Tip# German to draw with Poland (11/4)

Other Tips include…
Croatia 3, Austria 0
Romania 1, France 1
Greece 2, Sweden 1

We’ll see how many I get right!

Kinosaki Onsen Town

A couple of weeks ago I went to Kinosaki, an onsen town in the north of Hyogo Prefecture, about 3 hours by car from OKC. Kinosaki is a small town in the middle of nowhere, and while the surrounding area has nothing of real interest, Kinosaki is a tourist hotspot, with people coming from miles around to stay in the traditional ryokan and onsen-hop from one of Kinosaki’s seven famous onsens to the next. We stayed in one of said expensive ryokans overnight, and it was a great experience. To start with, the ryokan we stayed in had three private onsens- one in an outside courtyard, one more traditional one with two circular baths, and one with bamboo and special “wet” tatami around it. For our tens of thousands of yen we got a magnificent course dinner, large traditional Japanese breakfast, and excessively attentive service. The highlight of the stay though was dressing up in the provided yukata, and wandering around the town to join the assembled crowds. Being (seemingly) the only gaijin in Kinosaki at that time, I got lots of stares as I hobbled around in my traditional geta shoes. But it was all worth it- the yukata are comfy and kakkoi, with excessive long sleeves that you can store all manner of things in- keitai, keys, tabacco, like a wizard! (well, a wizard with a mobile phone).

As night approached we sat on our window seat overlooking the street with beers and umeshu, while families and couples hobbled past below, only showing their feet beneath the large brilliantly coloured umbrellas they held as they went from one onsen to the next. The only sounds were the click-clacking of shoes and the pitter-patter of the rain, until a ramen van added its looping tones to the night, further increasingly the feeling of some sort of “traditional” scene, far away from the Japan of pachinko parlours, karaoke and Shinkansen. It was an incredibly peaceful place, and a really nice weekend away.