Well, not exactly a seminar, but for all of you who want to hone their Modern Colloquial Japanese, Tokyo Pop DJ Lingo Style, and who happen to find themselves in Tokyo next week, please feel free to tune into J-Wave for a sure-to-be-fascinating interview and polite measure-taking of Floyd and myself by the famous Ms Sachiko, who, I am led to believe, is the reigning Bawbwa Waltews of the genre over there.
Actually, the interview will occur this Thursday, in this part of the Pacific. Specifically, it will be undertaken in Ms Sachikoʻs sumptuous studio-den, which overlooks the new scenic Waikiki canyon that is Beachwalk, I am also led to believe. Should be a hoot and a frolic, with our own Ms Ryoko holding down the translation chair. Since we have her sympathy on our side, I confidently expect relatively few snide comments to loft over our mousey-brown haircuts, intended for the sole amusement of Nihongo-fluent hipsters.
Okay, okay, perhaps Iʻm being a bit too paranoid here. Hell, they can make fun of me. I got thick skin. Or at least, white skin, which, I am also led to believe, is genetically-programmed thick (or is it the skull?). And yeh, the validity of this claim may be somewhat akin to that olʻ boast of Native Japanese intestinal length, but hell, Iʻm stickinʻ to it.
Erm, this whole digression seems to be spontaneously bursting out of the normally quiescent volcanic shield that is otherwise labeled my "demeanor," on account of a long-repressed incident which transpired when I first met and played with Ms Hai Jung. She and I were working in the legendary Cheetah 2000 Night Club, an after-hours dance-ʻnʻ-dally joint which for awhile enjoyed the #1-in-the-world status of being The Non-Union Music Venue Most Annoyingly Close To A Functioning Musiciansʻ Union. (We maintained a very loud and daily presence smackdab across the back-alley from Local 677, much to my own amusement.)
Anyway, the incident in question was about a month into my Cheetah gig. A clownish Korean comedian was guesting. He kept gesturing to myself, our South-Carolinian-born-a-cracker guitarist Shamus, and local-born yet definitely African-American drummer Jesse. Upon each gesture, knowing laughter ensued from every Korean in attendance. Suspecting a pattern, I politely inquired of Hai Jung: whatʻs he saying? She feigned new-immigrant inability to adequately express the English, repeating only, "he is very funny!" between her own stream of giggles. To this day I hold it against her, and remind her at every opportunity. I await in lurk for the next opportunity, Ms HJ!!!! Nyah ha hah!!! ...Yeh yeh, guess I should think again about that "thick skin" boast.
Raja dat, ovah anʻ out,
Perry