Tokyo Gaijin Christmas Party

So the Tokyo Gaijin had their end of year Christmas party.  I went along in my training gear, everyone else being somewhat more traditionally attired.

Honestly, I can't stand ties and shirts - what's the goddamned point?  People tell me it looks good.  Why?  What makes a suit, shirt, tie and shoes more appealing than a T-shirt?  Your preconceptions as to what 'good,' is, nothing more.

Anyway, rant over.

I had a great time, and I won a couple of awards.  I got the best tackle of the year award for smashing an all-France prop.  The write up is here.  For this effort I got a brilliant new shirt listing the countries that have contributed players to the Gaijin team throughout the years.  It's fantastically designed - but the best part is that Nikola Pavesic, one of the many great players on our team and the only Croatian, was unfortunately relegated to the armpit.  At first we couldn't find Croatia at all; only when I raised my arm did we stumble across it.

It turns out that the Gaijin are the only entity on earth that officially recognise the basque as sovereign.  Take that, United Nations!

We have a fair play award, taken by an American by the name of Bryan O'Brien.  He went all american when he was announced for the award, which was ironic considering it's essentially for the calmest player.  I, on the other hand, felt the expectation that being a big tough manly man, I should shout and holler for the biggest hit award.

The only two players representing the basque walked away with their own awards.  One was the inaugural 'running twenty metres backwards and then losing the ball on our own try-line,' award.  I can't imagine many people winning that one in the future.

The other was dirtiest player.  Considering how often we get sent off during matches, I thought it was going to be a close call.  It was a shoe-in for the Basque man however, as he seems to bottle the anger and rage, generally leaving it on the field.

The other award I won was a joint one - most tries for the year.  I managed 18 during the matches I played (I was often away with Lion) and tied with another player with whom I can't recall playing a single game this year.  Basically, whenever I wasn't playing, he was and vice versa.  Thirty-six tries for the pair of us.  Not bad.  We were going to arm wrestle for it, but somehow everyone forgot.  The other player is a 115kg Fijian who I'd imagine eats entire boar for supper.  Normally I wouldn't be shy about trying my luck, but a twenty kg difference is an awful lot.

Arguably the most important award is the players player of the year.  Everyone gets two votes, and the person with the most votes get a brilliant tankard.  I came fifth overall (they counted down the top 5) but the winner was our flanker, vice-captain and general nice guy.  He won it last year too, which is bloody rubbish.  It's mine next year!

It was great fun, and having recently sprained my ankle, pulled a hamstring and hurt my knee, I decided to drink a few beers.  The first time I've done that in a long, long time.  The trains stop ridiculously early in Tokyo, so we ended up staying out all night; taking the early trains home.

I have literally no idea how people can be so enthusiastic by the end of such a night.  I was a goddamned zombie.  I'm pretty sure I fell asleep a couple of times.

Anyway, onto the pictures.

This is the guy with whom I shared the top try scorer award.

This is Gareth doing what I'm pretty sure happened to me a couple of times.  A much improved player from the start of the year, he's really found his stride and I'm sure he's a shoe-in for most improved player next year.

Big Joe with the ears that went around the whole party.

The winner of the 'going backwards twenty metres,' award.

Accepting the best tackle.  Shit speech but I'd already drunk a lot by this point so...

The captain of the team who's let me stay round his house a few times the night before matches. Thanks!

The girls who help everyone out on match day.  One of them recently had a baby so the girl looking quizzically at the kettle, wondering what kind of kitchen utensils women use these days, is actually accepting it on her behalf.  Also, interestingly enough, a contender for the dirtiest player of the year award - you wouldn't think it to look at him.

Lockie, a new recruit from Oz, constantly pretending to be Japanese.

I'm really poor at the group photograph.  I've read a few books that suggest developing a niche for yourself in order to create an identity.  Something that if not unique, you pride yourself in.  Group photographs are not that thing.

The winner of the players player.  Smug bastard!  Next year it will be mine!

Apisai Bati on the right is actually a chef - he prepared the various meats we ate during the party.  The place was really expensive, but damn it was awesome.

Just after getting the award.  How awesome is that shirt right?!?!

The eventual winner of the dirtiest player of the year award.   Yeah...

Me and big Joe getting the tries scored award.

Two of the Japanese guys.  Koba, the guy on the right, is actually a prop.  When you see him in person you immediately understand why.

The same crappy speech, (photograph courtesy of Matt Downer, thanks!) now in b/w!

There were a lot of locals dressed up for Christmas.  I have no idea why.  Also, why would you dress up as a horse?

Having to drink during the tries award.

I've also included photographs I like just because, and this is one of them.

Mojee, with the ears that everyone had on at some stage.

And those ears again.

Possibly the most amazing hair you will ever see.

An entirely unrelated picture that I came into possession of recently.  Thanks be to the man who took it (I can't type his name in Japanese, it's too difficult!  Sorry.)

The chef Bati, the smile is free but the food most certainly isn't.

For the ladies.

Rich, the smiling Welshman and Hitomi, the smiling Japanese girl.

Never try to take a picture in front of a great big bright Christmas tree.  It will not work.  Unfortunately I didn't figure that out until after I took the picture.  Whoops.

What's Up Chuck

So I haven't written anything for a week.  There's been no particular reason for this, beyond normal laziness.

It's been a terrible past couple of weeks, for all kinds of reasons.  Last week we had a game that would determine whether we were to be promoted or not (this is for Lion).  We absolutely sucked.  I pulled my hamstring after thirty minutes (it had been bad all game, but it tweaked when I went in for a tackle).  This put me out of the match and I have never been so annoyed.  We lost in the last minute to a try scored on the wing I would have occupied.  So yeah.

In a kind of twist of fate, it wouldn't have mattered.  The other team we needed to win lost, so we actually ended up fourth in the league.  From second to fourth on the last day of the competition.  The league is nothing if not competitive.

So that was my last game for Lion for a long time (the season is incredibly short) which left the ambassadors cup this past weekend.  Me and Nik had been selected despite only playing in one of the selection matches (of which there were three) and even then it was against the select team.  Then, a handful of minutes into the game (with my leg taped up like the mummy, protecting against my sore knee and pulled hamstring) someone pushed me (miles off the ball) and I twisted my ankle.  Un-be-frickin'-lievable.  I carried on for fifteen or so minutes, but it hurt too much and I couldn't run, so the coach took me off.

Every separate part of my right leg now has problems.  Knees, ankles, toes, muscles.  My luck for these past two weeks has been woeful.

I guess I've used up all my bad luck for this month, so I'm due some brilliant luck in the future.

I have a few months off until Lion start training again, and a couple until the Gaijin start their second season of the year (they compete in two separate competitions).  This will be a perfect time for some serious rehabilitation, I'm going to do all kinds of light-footed activities (swimming, cycling) and a lot of weights on the hamstrings (to stop injuries next year, such is the theory).  I'll give my ankle a couple of weeks to calm down:

A terrible picture, but you can still see it's swollen... a bit

In other news, dad is coming over to Japan soon.  I've got a few things lined up but I'm already getting nervous.  A few things went okay when mum came over, but a lot of stuff ended up being godawful.  Luckily dad loves skiing and wouldn't you know it, it's Winter right now.  The slopes open up this weekend and I have a friend heading up some mountains, so I'll get a snow report from him.

I finally got written confirmation that I passed my first module for my Masters.  I can go full-steam ahead with my second module now (I haven't felt this lack of confidence in a result since I sat a first year French test, some twelve years ago).  I've been waiting for this for ages, and now that I know I can do this thing, I'll start putting nose to grindstone.

And finally, whoever told me to stop wasting time playing video games on this post:  Would you rather I waste time reading dumb internet blogs?  Or watching TV?  Ass.

(But don't stop reading)



See you later!

The Walking Dead

Housekeeping:  I finished the previous post with all the pictures.

My internet has been down for four or five days, and I've pissed off my boss again, so I have been insanely busy and therefore unable to answer all e-mails.  I'll get round to them, I promise.

Rugby:  The whole country had Friday off, so Lion had an all day rugby training session which meant about three hours of meetings, and three hours of training (total).  I damn near crocked myself with the amount of work I put in, but it was worth it on Sunday when the gaijin had a game against the representative team for our league (the best of all the other teams combined).  We won, I scored three but, frankly speaking, I had a shocker in defence.  I just couldn't do anything right.  Luckily I set up a try within seconds of the game starting, along with a few other setups and the aforementioned scores, so the two I let in were made up for with positive contributions elsewhere.  Alongside that, I actually managed to stop a couple of definite scores, one by dragging a poor guy over the try line, holding him up, over the dead ball line.  Poor guy.

Anyway, onto the actual beginning of this post:

The Walking Dead

This game.  This goddamned game.  Holy jesus.

I've never read the books, nor have I seen the T.V. show, I have no intention of doing either until there is a concrete resolution (something that will never happen, there's too much money at stake after all) which means I'll probably fail to start, let alone finish, either entry.

This game though.  I see most people regard it as a story of survivors in a post-apocalypse.  I don't.  I see it as the story of Lee Everett, a convicted murderer on his way to prison as the zombies start roaming.  This isn't a game review so the spoilers will come thick and fast from this point onwards.  You have been warned.

The second I became aware that Lee was an actual murderer with actual (as opposed to zombie) blood on his hands, I knew he was destined to die.  Our Christianity laden (/burdened) society seeks redemption exactly one way, no matter the literature you read.  First comes the great, humanistic redemption through a goodly deed (in this case, saving a girl) followed promptly by death.  Having taught the girl how to survive, then loosed her into the wild with tools and experience, you work is done and your fate sealed.

It is absolutely unthinkable, a physical impossibility, that a murderer lives a normal life, with no repercussions for his actions.  Remember that this game is marketed towards one of a tiny minority of advanced countries that still practice the death sentence, so expect comeuppance (rather than reality) to be the modus operandi.  What kind of message would it send the children if bad people survived?!?!  That would border on real life.  Unacceptable.  We must live in a world of dreams, fantasy and delusion.

The fragile american grasp on reality, leading to an inevitable conclusion (worked out some two hours into the first of five episodes) aside, the game is excellent at manipulating your emotions throughout and despite the transparent, face value choices (save him, her or neither) the time you spend with everyone is time well spent.  The only reason this works is because the writing and voice acting are quite good.  It's not the best, other games nail the acting better, while the dialogue doesn't quite flow at times due to tech constraints.  The game is all about choices.  You choose responses to almost every piece of text (all voiced) and choose who to save, which supplies to take etc.  The reason this causes problems is relatively obvious.  With every choice having multiple outcomes, it's difficult to react to every conceivable permutation.  To combat this limitless branching, they bring the dialogue back to a set point every couple of decisions.  While the end result is nowhere near as clinical as the process sounds, there will be times when your companion is happy at a choice you made (giving them food for instance) and they they'll jump straight back at you with an insult that doesn't fit the conversation path you chose, does does fit another where you told them to shove it.

This game is custom built for anecdotes.  While they story is every bit as linear as a novel, the name and by extension the interpersonal relationships vary drastically.  In reality the changes are minor, with the protagonist dying no matter what.  A lot of people die no matter your choices.  But that fact that I, me, you choose who dies and quite often how, in what order, makes a personal story unavailable with other mediums.

A bit went crazy and shot one of the guys I'd saved earlier (choosing him, a defenceless man, over a woman armed with a pistol).  I decided to outright leave her on the side of the road, zombies shambling towards the sounds of our gunfire and shouting.  Her fate is undecided as are a few others, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the inevitable sequel, whether that's alongside Lee in a photo memorial or as a survivor, that's something that I can't predict.

Seriously though, that bitch shot the guy who rigged up an early warning system for the encampment our group survived for three months in.  Who would shoot someone so useful?  In fairness it was accidental, she was trying to shoot a different survivor (not much better really, now I think back on it).  She'd lost her shit weeks ago, so it was probably better this way, but as she was disappearing into the distance via the cliche rear-view mirror shot, I did feel guilty.  Her and her dad were scum that deserved to die; it was therefore a guilt born of empathy for the person at having to portray such a person.  Bear in mind that this is a computer game and they are not, in any way, physical human beings.  This kind of meta-empathy is an extremely impressive feat that overcomes written and technical limitations.

I don't like the art style.  I find it difficult to look at the washy textures that were lifted directly from 2004, particularly the faces.  Pro-tip: if you're writing a human drama based upon which emotional connections are all important, spend a decent percentage of your technical budget on the faces so that you can form bonds beyond the realisation of this being a human within a game.  Also, so away with load screens on the PC.  My box has sixteen gigs of ram, this game is four gigs, so why don't you just load it all up front?  One three or four minute load is preferable to twenty seconds loads that happen at every single crucial juncture.  Yes this game is made for consoles that have two hundred megs of ram, but it wouldn't be difficult to make this happen when porting it over to the PC.

Complaints aside, this story is brilliant.  The decisions are brutal as are the depictions of the results.  Obviously there can never be a perfect game - as much for the impossibility of accounting for taste as for accounting for the innumerable genres within 'gaming.'  This is a bloody good adventure game however, and I recommend it for anyone who likes a good story, a good adventure game, or good games generally.

Lion Versus Hitachi

For some reason I always thought Hitachi was Korean or something.  It doesn't sound particularly Japanese to my naive ears, but as it turns out they originated in Japan.  It also turns out that the town of Hitachi has a rugby team that kicked our collective ass.

Having come off the back of a strong win (by two points) against the current leading team in the league, we were all far too relaxed, ceding dozens of points in an embarassing game.  No one wanted to tackle, and to prove this, once I get my hands on the video I'm going to count the total number of missed tackles.

It's funny because if I speak in a session (in Japanese or English) everyone nods, shows understanding, then immediately ignores everything I said.  They have a set game-plan that they are physically unable to deviate from.  If you're being beaten in the loose at the breakdown then you need to start chucking it about to avoid contact and use two off runners, instead of the usual one off.  Split the opposition up, do something about it.  Our kicking game was pedestrian as usual, but that is our only backup.  We have first phase plays and kicking.  Nothing else.  Whenever I do some tricky, top draw off-load in the tackle I'm chastised.  If the recipient is a back it's more often than not dropped cold because our backs couldn't catch a cold in a Russian bio-tech lab.  Our forwards are much better with their hands and much more willing to try the French style off-load game.  The very same style that has them annihilating the southern hemisphere teams where no one else can touch them.  All I can hope is that they don't completely crush the (sparse) creative will I hold onto at the moment.

But I digress.

Keita is a great little scrum half, who has ceded his starting position through no fault of his own.  He isn't as physical as our current half, but he has bucket loads of energy once he gets on.  He's not abrasive, he's elusive.

Nik, the other foreigner, is shoo-in for player of the season because no one else on any team we've played against seems to want to tackle him.

I took an awful lot of photos at the weekend.  Most were just larking about, but a couple of them came out okay.  I think this one falls into both categories, but let not my opinions sway yours!

This tiny little fella' has a bigger chest than me.  Pretty impressive considering his size.

So there are three out and out back 3's and me.  To be honest I should probably be playing at inside centre considering the fact that they only use me as a battering ram (I am ten kilo's heavier than everyone, and faster too) (Sam, no passing out of the tackle!) but I don't mind being on the wing.  This season I've probably had ten tries dismissed because I've been running a supporting line that puts me through, and instead of passing they go to ground.  I am not exaggerating with that number either.  I just hope someone sees the videos and recommends a gameplan change, or a change of scenery.  It's so unbelievably frustrating.

Anyway, this guy is one of the aforementioned catchers, and weighing in at seventy kg's isn't anywhere near the lightest winger we have.  Unfortunately, the only reason I've started the last few games is because the captain, who usually plays at full-back, was on vacation for a couple of months.  His return and the recovery of an injury prone back mean that I'm almost certainly out of the team for next week.

For coaches who are new to the game, here's a pro-tip:  Always pick the players who have been in the group for the longest and with whom you've formed personal relationships, not the better player.

It's interesting because I rarely get on better with the forwards in a team, but the amount of BS spewing from behind the scrum means I naturally gravitate towards guys like this, who have personality and a touch of fun.

It's obviously not all complaining though, it is a lot of fun to hang around most of these guys.

Like this scrum-half.  He's all of fourteen inches tall, but he's good fun (and he looks like a monkey).

And this guy, who got his first start (since I've been here) at the weekend.  Good for him!  He's dead nice and always smiling, so you can't help but be happy about someone like him getting game time.

As you can probably tell I haven't got all their names yet, but the guy pulling an attempted Usain Bolt is Gaito (sp?).  He's a number 8 who gets around the pitch and does his work.  Interestingly, walking alongside someone who does absolutely no work whatsoever.  An interesting combination.  Also, one of the people who doesn't chime in with useless 'advice,' that's immediately countermanded by the next player in line, who is then undermined by the next person who gives polar opposite 'hints.'

Who ever heard of a full-back who is only allowed to come into the line outside the outside centre?  Never allowed to come in as a dummy runner on the inside, or dare I say it, take an inside ball from the fly-half or inside centre?

Telegraphed much?

Whenever I shake things up I make a few yards, and then get told off.

Sigh.

Honestly, that's my last complaint.

This guy always takes a good picture.  He's absolutely got the face for it.  I don't really understand why he takes a better photograph than another person, but I get a lot more keepers with him than with others, it's certainly interesting.

The environment around the Hitachi town is superb.  There's a bit of rubbish on the beach (honestly, where isn't there rubbish on a beach these days?) but it's pretty much spotless besides.

I don't know why I added this one, but it tickles me for some reason.  It's nothing special, I understand that much, but the lines really break it up well and make for something that isn't too jarring on the eyes.  That's all I'm going for at the moment, something that doesn't give you a headache when you look at it.

Getting a natural smile from people is really difficult.  I don't have a small camera so I can't go all pervy and try to hide it, so I tend to do the complete opposite.  I stick the camera in their faces, let them get their awkward faces out of the way, then when they start talking to each other I snap away and get shots like this one.

Also check out the sheer number of black and white photographs I've taken.  What's up with that?

(The simple answer is that colour harder because you need to get the exposure absolutely correct, along with the framing and other things you've got to worry about.  Black and white is a lot more forgiving during the actual shot, and in post-processing (just look at the number of botched colour pictures that I've over saturated or over-exposed in this selection)).

The food at the restaurant was actually pretty good.  Of course, my tastebuds have been dulled to western food, so I have no idea whether it would pass muster in Europe.  The portions were, of course, miniscule; but I knew they would be so I tucked away a convenience store dinner before we headed out.

For some reason there was an army of Santa Claus' storming this building.

The temporary captain looking out onto the ocean.

I quite like how you can see where he is looking, as the other half of this conversation is just about in the frame too.

The dark side of Nik.

Massive contrast doesn't usually work with colour photographs, but I quite like this one.

I'd like to live in one of these houses, until a frickin' great big earthquake comes along and causes the sea to wash you away.

Subaru is the same age as me, and his parents come down to pretty much all the games we play.  They didn't come along this time and we lost, so I have a feeling that they are our lucky supporters.

The physios are incredibly stretched keeping an entire squad up and running.

Subaru also takes a really good photograph.  Not to mention being a bloody good guy.