Last week I saw “8 mile”, the so called semi-autobiography of Eminem.
The movie was somewhat interesting, so I decided to follow up and try to listen some music by Eminem (just as he’s rumored to be retiring from singing !). It was funny when I discovered that the title of one of his songs is “fack” ! Fack fack !!
I think that Eminem is so popoular because he’s some sort of reality show. He sings about his continuous struggles in life. That strikes a chord for all those people that feel short-changed in life (most people I believe) and keeps them interested as he recounts what’s like to be rich and famous. Clearly everything also works because he’s some cute whiteboy in a world of meanies, etc etc.

The other day, coming back from work, I met a salesman (young guy) of the phone company by the entrance of my building. He was pitching the 100 megabit Internet line. He asked me if he could get in my apartment to see if I were interested. I’ve been planning to get the 100 Mb, so I let him in.
I got in first and greeted Aibo telling it to switch off from guard mode. The salesman was pretty impressed ! “Robotto ?!”, he asked 8)
Aibo has been around for years even in Japan, but still, most people have never actually played with one.
Before getting into business, we had a little chat. I told the guy a bit about my job. When I mentioned that I used to work for Squaresoft the guy wanted to shake my hand. ….geezz !! People get wet over that ! If I played it right, I’d probably be able to get laid for that ! (possibly even with a girl !)
This reminds me of some English guy I met once in Tokyo. He was working for one of those very popoular Japanese game companies. At the time he said that he was a translator and a programmer.. wowwww !! Can you imagine that ? He’s not an ex employee of a famous company, he’s actually currently working for a famous company and he’s translating and programming ! He surely must be getting a lot of pussy for that !
Well, actually, I think that he was a translator which happened to have written a couple very basic routines.. something that a kid does when he or she starts programming. But STILL !! ..he’s a translator and a programmer for that famous game company and chicks dig that ! That’s probably at the peak of popoularity in his life, and he’s probably happy with that.
Doesn’t work for me. Being indirectly great is bullshit. I don’t want people to think of me as “the man of XYZ company”. I want to be appreciated for my very own individuality.
Of course, it’s not easy to get laid with that. I mean, individuality can make an impression but that takes time !

Yesterday night in a bar, I met again some non-Japanese girl through another friend. I recognized her right away, while she needed some help. I assume that this has something to do with the fact that she has multiple piercings on her face and some large tatooes on her arm, while I dress normally and blend in with the Japanese popoulation. I even remember that when I first met her, I told to one of my friends that the piercings on her face were distracting my visual focus much like when a digital camera can’t autofocus 8)
So there you go, you need image to be immediately popoular !
A friend of mine combs some mean spiky hair when he goes out, chicks recognize him without any troubles ! Some people want to touch his hair, he quite simply stands out.

Image !

This remind me of some very funny/shady event. It was again with my friend, maybe 2 years ago. One night in a club he meets a girl, they get somewhat friendly, talk, dance, perhaps kiss. Great !
Next time we go to the same club. I see him going to some girl trying to talk to her. She’s not receptive at all, he insists, but nothing. He eventually gives up, walks towards me looking all pissed: “She doesn’t want to talk to me ! We talked the other day and now she ignores me ! I hate it when that happens !”… me: “ehh ?? She’s not the girl from last time !”, him: “are you sure ?!” …yes i’m sure.. you (spiky) fuckhead !!!
That was funny 8) but also a bit lame. Well that’s the nature of my friend, but man, try to put a little more heart into girls hunting. It shouldn’t be me the one that tells you who’s the girl that you liked last time !
In his defense I have to say that she was Japanese. Non-Asian-looking chaps tend to have problems at discerning individual traits on Asian faces. This also probably explains way Japanese girls, on the other hand, seem to recognize me with ease ! I think that this is where social and racial issues inevitably overlap.

Posted by Davide Pasca in Society, Diary, Japan