I tried so hard, & got so far...
Jun. 1st, 2008 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
japanesedream_72Last night was productive. I’d done very little most of the day, feeling tired from too much work, too little sleep, & a bit of chiropractics (the latter always drains me, for some reason). Perked up a bit later in the evening (after an early nap), doing a touch more research for story stuff & making 1 or 2 notes (the head thing is a little better, so the kids [Edit: those of you with access to my private entries have been introduced to the whole contingent of short story characters I am currently obsessed with working with, but for the rest of you, this is one of the only ones I think I can make fully public right now] had a moment or 2 to let me in on a few additional details), a couple other artistic ditties, & clearing out the already backed up pics from my camera, as well as backing up the unsaved ones. Also put away my washed dishes, did the unwashed dishes, got myself set up for my trip to NYC, & snarfed some veggies & hummus while taping Death Note (on weekends, I often need a Midnight snack). Figured I’d go to bed after the show & get up early. It takes at least an hour or more to get ready, & nearly an hour to get to the City from here. As the festivities began at 10:30, I wanted to have enough time to find the location before then, since that part of the City is unfamiliar territory.
Up at 6:30. Wore my corset (w/the usual black t-shirt underneath), long black lace skirt over my black Capris, & my Mana socks (so called, as most of you know, ’cuz I saw Moi dix Mois in them). Also donned my spiked collar & the Rozen Maiden charm (Reiner Rubin, aka my "Loli dolly") that I got in Akihabara (which I made into a necklace), as well as my sunscreen, which came in extraordinarily handy! Thought I’d skip breakfast to save time - & because I’d snarfed Saturday night - & maybe get a donut or something at the train station. But I hit a bit of a snag in the morning that got me out of the house slightly later than I’d wanted, & with the stupid detour down the street I usually take (which has been there for a month or more), I also got a bit lost. I’m used to one route, & any deviation makes it difficult to get my bearings.
This would be a running theme of the day.
Managed to get to the station with about 5 minutes to spare before the 8:59 train, so there goes my donut. When I got to Penn Station, I caught the subway up to 72nd St., like the directions said (I’d brought a print-out of both the events schedule & the directional map; my still off-kilter printer didn’t mangle them to the point of unreadability), but wasn’t entirely certain in which direction I needed to go once I left the subway station. Started walking toward where I thought I saw a number of people going/gathering, but figured I’d ask the policeman I thought I’d seen from the corner of my eye near the subway station, just to be sure. He pointed me in the direction I’d been going before doubling back, & said it was “all the way down”. Okay, fine.
So I get to the entrance to Central Park, but there’s a problem: I see no sections marked, nor can I find any directions as to where the Rumsey Playfield Summer Stage (where the festivities had been advertised as taking place) happened to be. Further, I saw no signs of any kind advertising Japan Day. (When we went to Philly, there were flags up all over the place noting that the Sakura Matsuri [Cherry Blossom Festival] was being held there.) Walked around for a bit, hoping I’d find a policeman or a map or something. Passed Strawberry Fields (incidentally, I went by what I believe was the Dakota on the way down, & took photos of it on the way back up), where a lady park guide (or whatever you call them) was telling the group that had gathered around it about how Yoko Ono had it dedicated after John Lennon’s death. I got a quick glance at it (it’s just a circle with a design ‘round it that says “Imagine”) but didn’t take a picture, a) ‘cuz there were too many people, & b) Kevin from work sent me one he’d taken from his trip to Central Park, & the circle was not only people-free, but decorated with flowers & candles & such, which it wasn’t today.
Started to get worried, as it was just about showtime & I didn’t want to miss the first event, which was a Taiko drummer - I think it had said on the website that this guy had even played his drums for some bands, including Siouxsie & the Banshees. Still no cops, signs, or maps. Just ‘cuz I thought it might be an omen, I even started following Asian guys in case they were on their way to the festival (okay, not so much “guys”, just the one that looked a little like Hiroyuki Sanada, though I did spot a couple of other Asian bishi during the course of the day - Edit: they may not have been the androgynous type like traditional bishounen, but they were lookers all the same), to no avail. When I did finally find a map posted, I a) couldn’t figure out where I was, since I’m used to those things in the mall that say, “You are here,” & b) when I did ascertain remotely where I might be, I couldn’t figure out how to get to where it said the playfield was.
So I kept wandering. And wandering. And wandering. And stopping cops, who couldn’t, for the life of them, tell me where I should be going! The one in the little police mini-car tried (only able to have an inkling of the section I was talking about after I showed him the directions, mind you). The one on horseback ‘wasn’t familiar with Central Park’. The garbage man (who picks up litter in the park) told me to go through the zoo. So I went through the zoo. Still nothing.
Ended up near a street where something did seem to be going on, & on the other side of said street, I saw some flags through the trees. One was Japanese! Could I have FINALLY reached my destination?
Not bloody likely.
Asked another policeman, who said this wasn’t Japan Day. (You’ll find out what it was later.) He recommended I ask the drivers of the horse & carriage things that cart tourists around Central Park. And do you know what the carriage driver told me?
I’d have to go BACK THROUGH THE ZOO in the OTHER DIRECTION!!!
Okay, now I’m getting mad. Actually, I was already mad. And it only got worse. Because the upshot of all this rambling is that not only did I come to find out that I’d actually gone RIGHT PAST the damn playfield at least TWICE (though in the back of it, which is why I didn’t realise it was the place I’d been looking for), but when I did, at last, come to the actual entrance (& took a photo of the sign to prove I’d found it, ‘cuz it seemed like the greatest, Goddess-given moment of my life at that point), there was NOTHING THERE.
What it boils down to is that I wandered Central Park for TWO FREAKING HOURS, going up & down & across & in circles, only to find out from the LAST policeman I came into contact with, further down that street I’d come to earlier (where something was going on), that the festivities were NOT IN CENTRAL PARK AT ALL, but rather...
TWENTY BLOCKS AWAY!!!!!!
There I am on 72nd St., many of the cross-streets of which are blocked for this thing that I’ll tell you about in a minute, & he’s telling me Japan Day is on 98TH!!!! And there’s not even a frickin’ subway to get there, ‘cuz the nearest subway is on Lexington. First off, I don’t know where Lexington is; second, my feet are KILLING ME; & to top it off, he’s going, “It’s only a 20-block walk,” even after I a) showed him the official website’s listing of Central Park as the location, & b) just finished telling him how I’d been walking the park for the last 2 hours. Is this guy out of his freaking mind?!!?!
Got severely pissed off, & decided to walk BACK across the park to get to the other side of 72nd, where I’d come in, catch the subway to Times Square, & hit my usual haunts. I was determined not to go home without SOMETHING Japanese in my possession. I was also starving & quite thirsty by then, so I also vowed to get some lunch.
If I could ever get out of the park, that is.
So I figured I’d first try walking along the street (72nd), instead of going back through the park, ‘cuz even though I did snap some photos of what is a very lovely, scenic place, I was angry as hell & sick of the sight of it. What I didn’t bank on was that this particular section of the street is THOROUGHLY unevenly paved in cobblestone, & packed with people celebrating & watching the parade.
Which just happened to be commemorating Israel’s 60th anniversary.
So off I go, managing to snag some video of a bagpiper troupe from the parade (I adore bagpipes!), & catching - on the same clip - a young guy with blue hair who was walking past with some friends. Got a bit worried that I was gonna be wandering this part of town all day, ’esp. since I had to go back through the park anyway, seeing as how the street further up was blocked off. But at long last, I found the way out. After that, it was past the Dakota, back up toward the subway station, with a quick detour into the newly-opened Kumo Sushi (which I’d noticed on the way down) for a spot of lunch.
What a nice place! The service was ultra-friendly, & the food super-yummy! Plus, they were giving a 10% discount, as it was their grand opening. I got a bento lunch (I was just saying to Carlos the other day at work that I was missing “real bento”, having taken my Western-style, bastardised version of ’bento’ for lunch all this week), with miso soup (with tofu & kelp, just how I like it), salad, fried gyoza, crab & avocado sushi, rice, a touch of pickled ginger, & vegetable tempura. Oh, & a Diet Coke. ^_^ When I was done, & the waiter asked me if there were anything else I wanted, I sprang for green tea ice cream. I’d noticed it on the menu before I ordered lunch, & I thought I deserved it after the morning I’d had (I even said, out loud, after the waiter left, “What the heck? I deserve it.” I think the guy sitting at the next table thought I was nuts). They give you 2 big scoops! It was total heaven.
Fate seemed to begin smiling on me at that point, ‘cuz I didn’t have any more singles for the subway, or for a tip, but I got 5 of them in the change from paying the bill. So I kept 2 for the ride to Midtown & left 3 for the very courteous staff, & made on my merry way.
Sadly, back in my usual territory, I couldn’t seem to find my sense of direction (not that I have one to begin with, but you know what I mean). I kept having to double-back or go around in a circle before I could find anything. Part of this, I attribute to the fact that Kinokuniya moved, & I’d not yet gone to their new location. But I eventually found it, & happily ducked inside.
Had a gander at the music ‘zines first. Saw the latest issue of CURE, & although it included a wee snippet on Chariots (Riku from Phantasmagoria’s new band - Mago disbanded last year), there wasn’t enough in it to warrant the $15 price tag. Noticed a trio of girls across the aisle, & overheard one of them explaining to the others about Gothic Lolita. Went over to the section they were perusing (they were beginning to leave just as I was approaching) & saw that there were lots of issues of the Gothic Lolita Bible, which made me happy, ‘cuz Mana-sama, whose clothing line is one of the more prominent in Loli culture, is a frequent contributor. One of the girls said to the others, “Oh, she looks nice.” I smiled & thanked them for the compliment. Looked in 1 or 2 of the GLB issues (& did, indeed, find several appearances by Mana-sama), but figured I’d save the cash for the second level, where the music, movies, & anime were situated.
Caught sight of a little flyer on the wall on the way up that said next Saturday, they’re doing a Goth-Loli & Maid day! Ack! Why couldn’t it have been today? Ah well.
Began wandering the aisles of the music section, in search of my K-boys. For some reason, I really had the feeling I might find the Malice Mizer album Bara no Seidou, but I didn’t. I’m sure I will one of these days*, & until then, I have most of those songs on the concert DVD (“Bara Ni Irodorareta...”), but I did see a few things that I’d bought when I was in Japan. Had to laugh, ‘cuz it was, like, “Oh, NOW you get this stuff”. But I didn’t mind. They had a bit of Diru, but nothing I needed, & a bit of L’Arc-en-Ciel that was kinda pricey (Book Off, where I was headed next, always has a ton of L’Arc, & at better prices.) Was happy, though, that they had lots of Gackt. I’ve actually got very little of his solo stuff, CD-wise. Had to be choosy, though, ‘cuz these things are expensive, & I had limited funds with 2 other stores to hit. Ended up with the “7th Night - Unplugged” CD (matches up with the “6th Day - Singles” CD, which I already have), & the “Mars” album.
While I was trying to make up my mind as to which Gackt to get, I was approached by a young man. He asked my opinion about Gackt, saying he’d just begun to get into J-rock & was still trying to find artists to listen to. This led to what must have been at least 15-20 minutes of us yaking away about Asian music, movies, manga/anime, culture, & all those things I’m sure those of you who read this blog regularly are sick of hearing me write about by now. It was an awesome conversation, which included him lending me the earphones to his Ipod to hear a song he’s into by Abingdon Boys School (which I liked), us introducing ourselves (his name is John, aka Ryuu), & me telling 1 or 2 of my Japan anecdotes, as well as us throwing about a bit of Nihongo, & me giving him my e-mail addy. ^_^
I’d told him about the day I’d had (when I got to the part about the cops that knew nothing, he was, like, “Oh, don’t ask them anything”), & mentioned where the festival REALLY was. He was anxious to go to a J-related event (having, I believe, gone to a recent Sakura Festival, though a different one than we attended), & said he might try to go with some friends. I hope they made it. Hell, I hope SOMEBODY found that danged thing!
Not long after we parted ways, with a high-5 & a “Ja ne” (which is, like, “see ya”), a young lady complimented my bag & asked me where I got it. It’s the coffin/cross bag I got in Harajuku the day of the Moi dix Mois show, & I said that I got it in Japan. She asked if I knew of any on-line stores that might sell stuff like that, & I said unfortunately not, but told her the name of the place I got my bag from (Body Line), & she could look it up.
Took a photo of a cool “Death Note” display board. Then had a gander at the films, & decided to get the DVD of Sharkskin Man & Peach Hip Girl, which I have on video but always tell myself I’m gonna get on DVD, & either I don’t when I see it (saying, “I’ll get it next time”), or not seeing it when I convince myself “this will be the day that I get it”. As I’d been feeling down pretty consistently this week, I figured I deserved the treat.
Went & paid for my goodies, & yes, brought some bags from home with me. Used the Kyoto-style figures bag I got from my mom. Then it was another trip & a half (still couldn’t get my danged bearings) to find Book Off, with an interesting moment: while waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, one of those bicycle rickshaw guys said, “I like your colour combinations.” I thanked him, & just before he rode off, he said something to the effect of, “You should come for a ride sometime.”
EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention here. Another thing happened during my walk from Kinokuniya to Book Off. I saw someone pan-handling; actually, I’d seen a couple that day, as well as a few musical buskers. But this guy had the most creative sign I think I’ve ever seen (outside of the one at the Gelato place we went to following the Sakura Matsuri, that is) - “Brad & Angelina are having twins & I need money for a gift”. ^_^ Now I can’t be entirely certain, but I think he may have whistled at me as I walked past.
You’d think no one in New York had ever seen a Goth chick!! Which is super-funny, ‘cuz like I was telling my mom, people had, for YEARS, been urging me to go to NYC, saying I’d fit right in with the funky/artistic crowd. Yet, whenever I go (not counting the Diru show), I’m the only Goth around!
Book Off was a tiny bit disappointing, ‘cuz while they had sections marked off for Diru, Malice, & Hyde, they either didn’t have any or didn’t have anything I needed. I was a little surprised there was hardly any Hide (that’s “Hee-day”) to be found today, but for a “best-of” in Kinokuniya & the commemorative X-Japan ‘zine I saw floating about. I’m still sorta-kinda kicking myself that I didn’t get the Pink Spider single (I can thoroughly identify with that song - plus, it’s...well, a good song) when I saw it in Shibuya (I say ’kind-sorta’ just ’cuz it was, like, $10 for a CD of just that song & the instrumental version; but Toshie said she had some of his stuff & could send it to me sometime, although - worse comes to worse - I can catch it on YouTube [with my slow-@$$ connection], to tide me over, if I get really desperate to hear it). They did have a Gackt concert, but I figured I’d bought enough Gackt for one day (besides which, I have yet to watch some of the ’bonus’ stuff on the Gackt concert disc I bought the last time I was there).
Anywho, had a giggle at a couple of books - not only did they have Making Out In Japanese, which Bill Murray carried around with him (& used phrases from) during the filming of “Lost In Translation”, but there’s a Making Out In English, too! Got myself L’Arc’s “Dune” album (for half the price Kinokuniya’s charging), & scoped out the soundtracks. On my previous visit, I’d seen a “Death Note” tribute album. They had the actual “Death Note” soundtrack this time (at least, the first one - often, with show soundtracks, there are multiple volumes), & I debated whether or not to get it, ’cuz I do like the music for that show. I prob’ly would’ve done, if the first opening & ending themes had been the full songs instead of “TV size” (which means they’re about 30 seconds long), or if they’d had both opening & ending tracks - they had the Nightmare ones, which are still my faves, but I’m growing progressively fond of the Maximum the Hormone ones, too (Nightmare’s more melodic, & the tracks really fit the show well; MTH is kind of so-metal-it’s-funny, esp. that opener track!), & those weren’t on there.
Decided against the DN disc (my logic, often times, is that every dollar I save here is one I could, potentially/eventually, be spending over there), & went to pay for the L’Arc. Got my member card stamped (next time, I can get the discount), & figured since I only got the one disc, I could throw it in with the stuff from Kinokuniya. Normally, when I’m in Book Off, I am hesitant, for whatever reason, to use even a little of my modest amount of Japanese with the folks behind the counter. But today, I don’t know, it just kinda fell out of me. I told the girl serving me, “I have a bag,” in Japanese! I think she said, “Thank you for that,” & handed my disk to me, adding, “Douzo” (as in “here” or “please”). A small but significant moment.
My poor, poor aching feet just had one more stop: Virgin Records in Times Square. Didn’t get anything there, but had a few more interesting encounters.
First, I was in the foreign film section, & a guy comes up to me & compliments my outfit, asking where I got it. “A little bit of everywhere,” I responded. He said he sometimes dresses along the Goth lines, but didn’t today, though he noted he was still wearing dark colours (a grey shirt & black pants). We introduced ourselves (I think his name was Tane, or something very much like it), & launched into a long, rambling conversation somewhat similar to the one I’d had with John/Ryuu in Kinokuniya. He (Tane) noticed my necklace, & knew of the manga from which the character came. He mentioned his dad having been stationed in Okinawa, he himself having spent about 8 months in Japan (largely Okinawa, but all over - he said Hokkaido is really beautiful). He’s studying graphic design & would like to go back to Japan to do work in that field over there. He’s also in the Army Reserve, which pays very well toward college, apparently, & I mentioned about my brother being in the Army & serving in Iraq. Tane used to be in the regular Army, & did TWO tours in Iraq! Luckily, the Reserve unit he’s with isn’t slated to go over there.
He asked if my Cat’s Eye ring was an engagement ring. “I don’t think so,” I said, a little perplexed - & a little miffed, ‘cuz I just took that Jun/Iori photo off my camera! (I’d taken a video clip of it to show Kevin, ‘cuz I told him about how people keep asking me if I’m married & I’d planned to use Jun as a deterrent to unwanted advances.) But Tane went on to tell me about a friend of his who’d gotten his fiancee an onyx engagement ring, & she’s planning on a black wedding dress! I thought that was cool, though he thought it was a tiny bit overboard.
After we wrapped up our conversation, he said, “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.” And I think he winked at me! ^_~ I told him to take care, & when he left, I continued to scan the DVD’s. Don’t know why, but I always seem to bank on the possibility that I will one day find Nekromantik in that store, though I have not done so, to date. So I moved on to the anime section.
Lots of lovely titles, though none at an affordable price. There were a couple of guys looking at the anime DVD’s, too, who were leaving that section as I started looking in on it. And though I’m not 100% certain, I could swear up, down, & sideways, that one guy said to the other, “God, I wish I could get a girlfriend like that.” Maybe I’m totally off on this, but either he’s into Goth chicks, or he doesn’t know any girls who like anime (or currently has a girlfriend who isn’t into it). WEIRD.
My feet were about done at this point (to be honest, I think they were way past done), so I left Virgin & caught the subway back to Penn. I usually get some sushi on the way home, but I’d already had some for lunch, though I was thirsty, so I planned, if nothing else, to get a bottle of something for the ride home. But Penn Sushi was closed (guess they lock up early on Sundays), so I hit the Delicatessen a few shops down from there, & got myself a bottle of Green Tea with Asian Pear.
Hit the NJ Transit waiting room just in time - it was 4:47 & the next train home was the 4:54, already boarding! But the line to the gate was backed up for some reason. Asked 2 ladies in front of me if I was in the right place for that train, & they said I was, one of them adding, “But it hardly seems worth it.” I told her my feet would disagree with her on that, & she said, sympathetically, “Ohh...you’re tired?” I explained about the Central Park fiasco, but said it hadn’t turned out all bad, that I’d gone for sushi & stopped at my fave Japanese shops, “And had a Japan Day of my own.” ^_^
The train ride was a sigh of relief, wherein I drank at least half of my tea (the rest when I got home), ogled the goodies I’d bought, & checked out the pics from the day (I will post some next time). After I got back, I called my mom to tell her of my adventure (giving her a few giggles in the process), & have basically been getting ready for hell...er, work...tomorrow, transferring the photos to my computer, & typing this.
Think I’ll put my PJ’s on & pass out now. And save sending that incensed e-mail to the Japan Day organisation for tomorrow.
NEW! Here are some photos of the day’s adventure:
Me, just a quick shot of my outfit before I left the house.
Train station, church visible behind the platform. That’s the side I come home on; I took this from the other platform, while awaiting the train into the City.
Central Park, just one of a few shots I took during my trek.
More Central Park.
One more shot of Central Park.
Moment of blessed relief, the Rumsey Playfield Sign. Too bad the festivities were located elsewhere. :P
The Dakota. At least, that’s what I think it is.
How cool is this? A railing ornament outside the Dakota.
Bento! Lunch at Kumo Sushi.
Bryant Park, one of a couple of shots I took while traversing 6th Ave.; I pass it whenever I’m haunting my usual spots, but have never taken photos of it ‘til now.
Death Note display at Kinokuniya.
*EDIT: I eventually did.
Up at 6:30. Wore my corset (w/the usual black t-shirt underneath), long black lace skirt over my black Capris, & my Mana socks (so called, as most of you know, ’cuz I saw Moi dix Mois in them). Also donned my spiked collar & the Rozen Maiden charm (Reiner Rubin, aka my "Loli dolly") that I got in Akihabara (which I made into a necklace), as well as my sunscreen, which came in extraordinarily handy! Thought I’d skip breakfast to save time - & because I’d snarfed Saturday night - & maybe get a donut or something at the train station. But I hit a bit of a snag in the morning that got me out of the house slightly later than I’d wanted, & with the stupid detour down the street I usually take (which has been there for a month or more), I also got a bit lost. I’m used to one route, & any deviation makes it difficult to get my bearings.
This would be a running theme of the day.
Managed to get to the station with about 5 minutes to spare before the 8:59 train, so there goes my donut. When I got to Penn Station, I caught the subway up to 72nd St., like the directions said (I’d brought a print-out of both the events schedule & the directional map; my still off-kilter printer didn’t mangle them to the point of unreadability), but wasn’t entirely certain in which direction I needed to go once I left the subway station. Started walking toward where I thought I saw a number of people going/gathering, but figured I’d ask the policeman I thought I’d seen from the corner of my eye near the subway station, just to be sure. He pointed me in the direction I’d been going before doubling back, & said it was “all the way down”. Okay, fine.
So I get to the entrance to Central Park, but there’s a problem: I see no sections marked, nor can I find any directions as to where the Rumsey Playfield Summer Stage (where the festivities had been advertised as taking place) happened to be. Further, I saw no signs of any kind advertising Japan Day. (When we went to Philly, there were flags up all over the place noting that the Sakura Matsuri [Cherry Blossom Festival] was being held there.) Walked around for a bit, hoping I’d find a policeman or a map or something. Passed Strawberry Fields (incidentally, I went by what I believe was the Dakota on the way down, & took photos of it on the way back up), where a lady park guide (or whatever you call them) was telling the group that had gathered around it about how Yoko Ono had it dedicated after John Lennon’s death. I got a quick glance at it (it’s just a circle with a design ‘round it that says “Imagine”) but didn’t take a picture, a) ‘cuz there were too many people, & b) Kevin from work sent me one he’d taken from his trip to Central Park, & the circle was not only people-free, but decorated with flowers & candles & such, which it wasn’t today.
Started to get worried, as it was just about showtime & I didn’t want to miss the first event, which was a Taiko drummer - I think it had said on the website that this guy had even played his drums for some bands, including Siouxsie & the Banshees. Still no cops, signs, or maps. Just ‘cuz I thought it might be an omen, I even started following Asian guys in case they were on their way to the festival (okay, not so much “guys”, just the one that looked a little like Hiroyuki Sanada, though I did spot a couple of other Asian bishi during the course of the day - Edit: they may not have been the androgynous type like traditional bishounen, but they were lookers all the same), to no avail. When I did finally find a map posted, I a) couldn’t figure out where I was, since I’m used to those things in the mall that say, “You are here,” & b) when I did ascertain remotely where I might be, I couldn’t figure out how to get to where it said the playfield was.
So I kept wandering. And wandering. And wandering. And stopping cops, who couldn’t, for the life of them, tell me where I should be going! The one in the little police mini-car tried (only able to have an inkling of the section I was talking about after I showed him the directions, mind you). The one on horseback ‘wasn’t familiar with Central Park’. The garbage man (who picks up litter in the park) told me to go through the zoo. So I went through the zoo. Still nothing.
Ended up near a street where something did seem to be going on, & on the other side of said street, I saw some flags through the trees. One was Japanese! Could I have FINALLY reached my destination?
Not bloody likely.
Asked another policeman, who said this wasn’t Japan Day. (You’ll find out what it was later.) He recommended I ask the drivers of the horse & carriage things that cart tourists around Central Park. And do you know what the carriage driver told me?
I’d have to go BACK THROUGH THE ZOO in the OTHER DIRECTION!!!
Okay, now I’m getting mad. Actually, I was already mad. And it only got worse. Because the upshot of all this rambling is that not only did I come to find out that I’d actually gone RIGHT PAST the damn playfield at least TWICE (though in the back of it, which is why I didn’t realise it was the place I’d been looking for), but when I did, at last, come to the actual entrance (& took a photo of the sign to prove I’d found it, ‘cuz it seemed like the greatest, Goddess-given moment of my life at that point), there was NOTHING THERE.
What it boils down to is that I wandered Central Park for TWO FREAKING HOURS, going up & down & across & in circles, only to find out from the LAST policeman I came into contact with, further down that street I’d come to earlier (where something was going on), that the festivities were NOT IN CENTRAL PARK AT ALL, but rather...
TWENTY BLOCKS AWAY!!!!!!
There I am on 72nd St., many of the cross-streets of which are blocked for this thing that I’ll tell you about in a minute, & he’s telling me Japan Day is on 98TH!!!! And there’s not even a frickin’ subway to get there, ‘cuz the nearest subway is on Lexington. First off, I don’t know where Lexington is; second, my feet are KILLING ME; & to top it off, he’s going, “It’s only a 20-block walk,” even after I a) showed him the official website’s listing of Central Park as the location, & b) just finished telling him how I’d been walking the park for the last 2 hours. Is this guy out of his freaking mind?!!?!
Got severely pissed off, & decided to walk BACK across the park to get to the other side of 72nd, where I’d come in, catch the subway to Times Square, & hit my usual haunts. I was determined not to go home without SOMETHING Japanese in my possession. I was also starving & quite thirsty by then, so I also vowed to get some lunch.
If I could ever get out of the park, that is.
So I figured I’d first try walking along the street (72nd), instead of going back through the park, ‘cuz even though I did snap some photos of what is a very lovely, scenic place, I was angry as hell & sick of the sight of it. What I didn’t bank on was that this particular section of the street is THOROUGHLY unevenly paved in cobblestone, & packed with people celebrating & watching the parade.
Which just happened to be commemorating Israel’s 60th anniversary.
So off I go, managing to snag some video of a bagpiper troupe from the parade (I adore bagpipes!), & catching - on the same clip - a young guy with blue hair who was walking past with some friends. Got a bit worried that I was gonna be wandering this part of town all day, ’esp. since I had to go back through the park anyway, seeing as how the street further up was blocked off. But at long last, I found the way out. After that, it was past the Dakota, back up toward the subway station, with a quick detour into the newly-opened Kumo Sushi (which I’d noticed on the way down) for a spot of lunch.
What a nice place! The service was ultra-friendly, & the food super-yummy! Plus, they were giving a 10% discount, as it was their grand opening. I got a bento lunch (I was just saying to Carlos the other day at work that I was missing “real bento”, having taken my Western-style, bastardised version of ’bento’ for lunch all this week), with miso soup (with tofu & kelp, just how I like it), salad, fried gyoza, crab & avocado sushi, rice, a touch of pickled ginger, & vegetable tempura. Oh, & a Diet Coke. ^_^ When I was done, & the waiter asked me if there were anything else I wanted, I sprang for green tea ice cream. I’d noticed it on the menu before I ordered lunch, & I thought I deserved it after the morning I’d had (I even said, out loud, after the waiter left, “What the heck? I deserve it.” I think the guy sitting at the next table thought I was nuts). They give you 2 big scoops! It was total heaven.
Fate seemed to begin smiling on me at that point, ‘cuz I didn’t have any more singles for the subway, or for a tip, but I got 5 of them in the change from paying the bill. So I kept 2 for the ride to Midtown & left 3 for the very courteous staff, & made on my merry way.
Sadly, back in my usual territory, I couldn’t seem to find my sense of direction (not that I have one to begin with, but you know what I mean). I kept having to double-back or go around in a circle before I could find anything. Part of this, I attribute to the fact that Kinokuniya moved, & I’d not yet gone to their new location. But I eventually found it, & happily ducked inside.
Had a gander at the music ‘zines first. Saw the latest issue of CURE, & although it included a wee snippet on Chariots (Riku from Phantasmagoria’s new band - Mago disbanded last year), there wasn’t enough in it to warrant the $15 price tag. Noticed a trio of girls across the aisle, & overheard one of them explaining to the others about Gothic Lolita. Went over to the section they were perusing (they were beginning to leave just as I was approaching) & saw that there were lots of issues of the Gothic Lolita Bible, which made me happy, ‘cuz Mana-sama, whose clothing line is one of the more prominent in Loli culture, is a frequent contributor. One of the girls said to the others, “Oh, she looks nice.” I smiled & thanked them for the compliment. Looked in 1 or 2 of the GLB issues (& did, indeed, find several appearances by Mana-sama), but figured I’d save the cash for the second level, where the music, movies, & anime were situated.
Caught sight of a little flyer on the wall on the way up that said next Saturday, they’re doing a Goth-Loli & Maid day! Ack! Why couldn’t it have been today? Ah well.
Began wandering the aisles of the music section, in search of my K-boys. For some reason, I really had the feeling I might find the Malice Mizer album Bara no Seidou, but I didn’t. I’m sure I will one of these days*, & until then, I have most of those songs on the concert DVD (“Bara Ni Irodorareta...”), but I did see a few things that I’d bought when I was in Japan. Had to laugh, ‘cuz it was, like, “Oh, NOW you get this stuff”. But I didn’t mind. They had a bit of Diru, but nothing I needed, & a bit of L’Arc-en-Ciel that was kinda pricey (Book Off, where I was headed next, always has a ton of L’Arc, & at better prices.) Was happy, though, that they had lots of Gackt. I’ve actually got very little of his solo stuff, CD-wise. Had to be choosy, though, ‘cuz these things are expensive, & I had limited funds with 2 other stores to hit. Ended up with the “7th Night - Unplugged” CD (matches up with the “6th Day - Singles” CD, which I already have), & the “Mars” album.
While I was trying to make up my mind as to which Gackt to get, I was approached by a young man. He asked my opinion about Gackt, saying he’d just begun to get into J-rock & was still trying to find artists to listen to. This led to what must have been at least 15-20 minutes of us yaking away about Asian music, movies, manga/anime, culture, & all those things I’m sure those of you who read this blog regularly are sick of hearing me write about by now. It was an awesome conversation, which included him lending me the earphones to his Ipod to hear a song he’s into by Abingdon Boys School (which I liked), us introducing ourselves (his name is John, aka Ryuu), & me telling 1 or 2 of my Japan anecdotes, as well as us throwing about a bit of Nihongo, & me giving him my e-mail addy. ^_^
I’d told him about the day I’d had (when I got to the part about the cops that knew nothing, he was, like, “Oh, don’t ask them anything”), & mentioned where the festival REALLY was. He was anxious to go to a J-related event (having, I believe, gone to a recent Sakura Festival, though a different one than we attended), & said he might try to go with some friends. I hope they made it. Hell, I hope SOMEBODY found that danged thing!
Not long after we parted ways, with a high-5 & a “Ja ne” (which is, like, “see ya”), a young lady complimented my bag & asked me where I got it. It’s the coffin/cross bag I got in Harajuku the day of the Moi dix Mois show, & I said that I got it in Japan. She asked if I knew of any on-line stores that might sell stuff like that, & I said unfortunately not, but told her the name of the place I got my bag from (Body Line), & she could look it up.
Took a photo of a cool “Death Note” display board. Then had a gander at the films, & decided to get the DVD of Sharkskin Man & Peach Hip Girl, which I have on video but always tell myself I’m gonna get on DVD, & either I don’t when I see it (saying, “I’ll get it next time”), or not seeing it when I convince myself “this will be the day that I get it”. As I’d been feeling down pretty consistently this week, I figured I deserved the treat.
Went & paid for my goodies, & yes, brought some bags from home with me. Used the Kyoto-style figures bag I got from my mom. Then it was another trip & a half (still couldn’t get my danged bearings) to find Book Off, with an interesting moment: while waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, one of those bicycle rickshaw guys said, “I like your colour combinations.” I thanked him, & just before he rode off, he said something to the effect of, “You should come for a ride sometime.”
EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention here. Another thing happened during my walk from Kinokuniya to Book Off. I saw someone pan-handling; actually, I’d seen a couple that day, as well as a few musical buskers. But this guy had the most creative sign I think I’ve ever seen (outside of the one at the Gelato place we went to following the Sakura Matsuri, that is) - “Brad & Angelina are having twins & I need money for a gift”. ^_^ Now I can’t be entirely certain, but I think he may have whistled at me as I walked past.
You’d think no one in New York had ever seen a Goth chick!! Which is super-funny, ‘cuz like I was telling my mom, people had, for YEARS, been urging me to go to NYC, saying I’d fit right in with the funky/artistic crowd. Yet, whenever I go (not counting the Diru show), I’m the only Goth around!
Book Off was a tiny bit disappointing, ‘cuz while they had sections marked off for Diru, Malice, & Hyde, they either didn’t have any or didn’t have anything I needed. I was a little surprised there was hardly any Hide (that’s “Hee-day”) to be found today, but for a “best-of” in Kinokuniya & the commemorative X-Japan ‘zine I saw floating about. I’m still sorta-kinda kicking myself that I didn’t get the Pink Spider single (I can thoroughly identify with that song - plus, it’s...well, a good song) when I saw it in Shibuya (I say ’kind-sorta’ just ’cuz it was, like, $10 for a CD of just that song & the instrumental version; but Toshie said she had some of his stuff & could send it to me sometime, although - worse comes to worse - I can catch it on YouTube [with my slow-@$$ connection], to tide me over, if I get really desperate to hear it). They did have a Gackt concert, but I figured I’d bought enough Gackt for one day (besides which, I have yet to watch some of the ’bonus’ stuff on the Gackt concert disc I bought the last time I was there).
Anywho, had a giggle at a couple of books - not only did they have Making Out In Japanese, which Bill Murray carried around with him (& used phrases from) during the filming of “Lost In Translation”, but there’s a Making Out In English, too! Got myself L’Arc’s “Dune” album (for half the price Kinokuniya’s charging), & scoped out the soundtracks. On my previous visit, I’d seen a “Death Note” tribute album. They had the actual “Death Note” soundtrack this time (at least, the first one - often, with show soundtracks, there are multiple volumes), & I debated whether or not to get it, ’cuz I do like the music for that show. I prob’ly would’ve done, if the first opening & ending themes had been the full songs instead of “TV size” (which means they’re about 30 seconds long), or if they’d had both opening & ending tracks - they had the Nightmare ones, which are still my faves, but I’m growing progressively fond of the Maximum the Hormone ones, too (Nightmare’s more melodic, & the tracks really fit the show well; MTH is kind of so-metal-it’s-funny, esp. that opener track!), & those weren’t on there.
Decided against the DN disc (my logic, often times, is that every dollar I save here is one I could, potentially/eventually, be spending over there), & went to pay for the L’Arc. Got my member card stamped (next time, I can get the discount), & figured since I only got the one disc, I could throw it in with the stuff from Kinokuniya. Normally, when I’m in Book Off, I am hesitant, for whatever reason, to use even a little of my modest amount of Japanese with the folks behind the counter. But today, I don’t know, it just kinda fell out of me. I told the girl serving me, “I have a bag,” in Japanese! I think she said, “Thank you for that,” & handed my disk to me, adding, “Douzo” (as in “here” or “please”). A small but significant moment.
My poor, poor aching feet just had one more stop: Virgin Records in Times Square. Didn’t get anything there, but had a few more interesting encounters.
First, I was in the foreign film section, & a guy comes up to me & compliments my outfit, asking where I got it. “A little bit of everywhere,” I responded. He said he sometimes dresses along the Goth lines, but didn’t today, though he noted he was still wearing dark colours (a grey shirt & black pants). We introduced ourselves (I think his name was Tane, or something very much like it), & launched into a long, rambling conversation somewhat similar to the one I’d had with John/Ryuu in Kinokuniya. He (Tane) noticed my necklace, & knew of the manga from which the character came. He mentioned his dad having been stationed in Okinawa, he himself having spent about 8 months in Japan (largely Okinawa, but all over - he said Hokkaido is really beautiful). He’s studying graphic design & would like to go back to Japan to do work in that field over there. He’s also in the Army Reserve, which pays very well toward college, apparently, & I mentioned about my brother being in the Army & serving in Iraq. Tane used to be in the regular Army, & did TWO tours in Iraq! Luckily, the Reserve unit he’s with isn’t slated to go over there.
He asked if my Cat’s Eye ring was an engagement ring. “I don’t think so,” I said, a little perplexed - & a little miffed, ‘cuz I just took that Jun/Iori photo off my camera! (I’d taken a video clip of it to show Kevin, ‘cuz I told him about how people keep asking me if I’m married & I’d planned to use Jun as a deterrent to unwanted advances.) But Tane went on to tell me about a friend of his who’d gotten his fiancee an onyx engagement ring, & she’s planning on a black wedding dress! I thought that was cool, though he thought it was a tiny bit overboard.
After we wrapped up our conversation, he said, “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.” And I think he winked at me! ^_~ I told him to take care, & when he left, I continued to scan the DVD’s. Don’t know why, but I always seem to bank on the possibility that I will one day find Nekromantik in that store, though I have not done so, to date. So I moved on to the anime section.
Lots of lovely titles, though none at an affordable price. There were a couple of guys looking at the anime DVD’s, too, who were leaving that section as I started looking in on it. And though I’m not 100% certain, I could swear up, down, & sideways, that one guy said to the other, “God, I wish I could get a girlfriend like that.” Maybe I’m totally off on this, but either he’s into Goth chicks, or he doesn’t know any girls who like anime (or currently has a girlfriend who isn’t into it). WEIRD.
My feet were about done at this point (to be honest, I think they were way past done), so I left Virgin & caught the subway back to Penn. I usually get some sushi on the way home, but I’d already had some for lunch, though I was thirsty, so I planned, if nothing else, to get a bottle of something for the ride home. But Penn Sushi was closed (guess they lock up early on Sundays), so I hit the Delicatessen a few shops down from there, & got myself a bottle of Green Tea with Asian Pear.
Hit the NJ Transit waiting room just in time - it was 4:47 & the next train home was the 4:54, already boarding! But the line to the gate was backed up for some reason. Asked 2 ladies in front of me if I was in the right place for that train, & they said I was, one of them adding, “But it hardly seems worth it.” I told her my feet would disagree with her on that, & she said, sympathetically, “Ohh...you’re tired?” I explained about the Central Park fiasco, but said it hadn’t turned out all bad, that I’d gone for sushi & stopped at my fave Japanese shops, “And had a Japan Day of my own.” ^_^
The train ride was a sigh of relief, wherein I drank at least half of my tea (the rest when I got home), ogled the goodies I’d bought, & checked out the pics from the day (I will post some next time). After I got back, I called my mom to tell her of my adventure (giving her a few giggles in the process), & have basically been getting ready for hell...er, work...tomorrow, transferring the photos to my computer, & typing this.
Think I’ll put my PJ’s on & pass out now. And save sending that incensed e-mail to the Japan Day organisation for tomorrow.
NEW! Here are some photos of the day’s adventure:
Me, just a quick shot of my outfit before I left the house.
Train station, church visible behind the platform. That’s the side I come home on; I took this from the other platform, while awaiting the train into the City.
Central Park, just one of a few shots I took during my trek.
More Central Park.
One more shot of Central Park.
Moment of blessed relief, the Rumsey Playfield Sign. Too bad the festivities were located elsewhere. :P
The Dakota. At least, that’s what I think it is.
How cool is this? A railing ornament outside the Dakota.
Bento! Lunch at Kumo Sushi.
Bryant Park, one of a couple of shots I took while traversing 6th Ave.; I pass it whenever I’m haunting my usual spots, but have never taken photos of it ‘til now.
Death Note display at Kinokuniya.
*EDIT: I eventually did.
