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Wednesday, 1 July 2020
THIS BLOG HAS MOVED
Hey thanks for dropping by, this blog has now been split apart and moved to Word Press.
Tuesday, 7 April 2020
Nintendo Switch: My new love for local multiplayer
Yet I can’t stop playing games like Super Mario Party, Super
Smash Bros Ultimate, Astral Chain and to an extent Animal Crossing New
Horizons. With the last few Nintendo consoles I’ve owned I’ve only really used
them sporadically unless something like the new Pokemon had just came out and
you’re probably thinking the reason I’m playing so much at the moment is
because of games like this all releasing near each other.
This is not the case though, surprisingly it’s actually because
I’ve taken more note of the kind of experiences Nintendo can offer outside of
just single player. Over the last few years I’ve really wound down my online
play and co-op experiences due to factors like work and generally not having as
much free time as I used to.
I used games as more solitary experiences until my wife
started to take an interest in what I was playing. Sometimes she would just
watch me while doing other things but at times she would tell me about what she
used to play as a kid on the Nintendo 64 and would ask if I had any games similar to what she had played that we may be able to play together.
Initially she watched as I played Tetris 99 while we were living
in Australia and all I had with me was my Switch. She was filled with nostalgia
for it and asked if she could play, intrigued by the concept of battling other
people online. She found it extremely addictive as I’m sure a lot of us have
and began clocking in the hours quite quickly on her days off.
This opened the door for us to start talking about games
like Smash Bros and how she loved playing it at her cousins house as a kid.
When I told her the series was still going and I could buy it she got super
excited. Since then we’ve been religiously playing Smash Bros, Puyo Puyo, Super
Mario Party and more.
I felt Nintendo really allowed me to share my hobby with my
wife but also give me a new reason to play and enjoy games. I find that one of
us is usually playing the Switch at any given time now and most evenings we will
look at each other and just say ‘Switch?’. I still do play other consoles when
I have the time but I’ve found that Nintendo has almost changed my perspective
on gaming at the moment and that now I would rather have it be this fun joint
experience for the both of us.
Now this will likely change as time goes on as we tire of
playing the same games and while I’m currently enjoying experiences like Animal
Crossing which has kept me coming back to the Switch for single player and
online, I feel as though I want to experience more ‘co-operative’ games with
people around me.
I want to do some couch co-op on Until Dawn and treat it
like A movie, or keep playing party games like Jackbox with my friends when we
meet up. I’ll always hold a candle out for playing alone but I’m happy to have
experienced this change in me thanks to Nintendo.
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Autumn Ferrum: Short Story (2020)
Autumn Ferrum
I sat down upon a grassy hill overlooking what seemed like
an endless meadow. Brown and orange leaves began to fall and cover the horizon
while birds tweeted in song as the cool autumn breeze flowed through my hair. I
could smell what I could only describe as nature in all its splendor, the
rough wooden musk of the forests and a damp but cool grassy aroma was all
around me.
In the distance was a single country road that only seemed
to have one car pass every half an hour. The road was full of cracks and hadn’t
seen any repairs in years, there were no markings on it and you would struggle
to fit anything bigger than a VW Camper van on it, yet it served its purpose
well. The road seemed to go on forever and lead from the larger towns that were
miles away to a small village that seemed like it had not changed since the
1950s.
That village was where my family had used to live and I
guess you could say where we originated from, it was a beautiful sight all year
round and I’ve always had fond memories of being there. The people had a
neighbourly feel, they would do anything for you and you could always count on
them to give you a smile with a wave every time they saw you. I was born there
but moved away from an early age to the city. The city was a place where I
never really felt like I belonged, I would always ask my parents ‘When are we
going back to see Grandma and Grandpa at the village?’.
It was a fair drive to get from the city to the village but
the excitement would overflow within me every time we left the city and I began
to see those Green landscapes. My mind would fill with the memories of Sunday
lunches at the village pub which for some reason was always roasting hot
regardless of the season. Or sitting by the stream and looking at all the tiny
fish and bugs that would coexist in harmony. It made me wonder why we as humans
couldn’t be as peaceful as these creatures sometimes.
You could walk the length of the Village and the surrounding
areas relatively quickly but it never got boring for me. The summers here were
some of the best times of my life, you could never experience nature like this
in the city these days which made me feel a slight guilt to all those kids who
never had the opportunities like I did to come to such amazing places like
this. I loved this place so much and wanted to make more memories
here. I’d always said to myself I’ll come back for good someday and I
eventually did, just not how I envisioned.
I was sat upon the grassy hill once more but now the smell
of burning and ash filled the air, the lush foliage was all but a small patch
of black and broken tree trunks and the picturesque locale was now a crater
filled barren wasteland of misery.
There was metallic wreckage everywhere with a mixture of
blood and the oil from what once was a killing machine spilled onto the cracked
country road. My countries flag was torn apart but still waving in the ghastly wailing
wind. This flag had been a gift to the village
that was brought back by the young men who had fought a war in this countries
name years ago but was now no more than a tattered symbol of what once was.
I pulled my long hair away from my face and found dried
blood upon my forehead, it felt like dried paint that had flaked and peeled
from an old building wall, it itched like hell. How long had I been out for and
why was a dreaming about the past? I stood up and dusted myself off, there were
small rips within my suit but I was otherwise alright, my vital signs were showing
all green but I was desperate for some water. I drank a small amount from my hip flask and gasped. The battlefield seemed relatively empty; all I
could hear was the ghostly moan of the wind and the sound of the rain that had
begun to fall in front of me.
England had been at war for some time, the country was in
ruin and the majority of those I knew before the war that hadn’t also joined
the defence force were long buried in the ground, I’d buried a lot of them
myself in fact. The war came after years of turmoil between countries and England had
lost the support of many of its peers thanks to blindly following the USA and
their decisions.
Nobody is truly right or wrong in war but regardless England
paid the price much like the countries that fell before it and like those who
would likely fall after it. I had always felt proud to be British, my family
would always tell me stories about the past and what the British had fought for
during the First and Second World Wars but I only joined this battle to protect
those around me. I wanted to fight to protect the places I loved and this
Village was one of them.
Smoke had filled the air of the once beautiful country side
and it looked as though the sky could fall apart at any moment. I grabbed my
pilot helmet and put It back on my head before picking my pistol out of my leg
holster, for all I knew I could be attacked at any moment and I didn’t feel
like taking my chances. I still felt disorientated and dizzy as if I’d had one
too many drinks earlier in the day but I knew I had to move to a safer location
or I wouldn’t be seeing the end of this war.
I looked behind where I had awoken and saw my machine was lying
in a crater looking a little worse for wear. The OX-450 was meant to be a
state-of-the-art machine designed for the modern warfare of both air, land and
sea depending on what attachments you had. It was gunmetal grey, humanoid in
shape and almost looked like a robotic SWAT team member but with some not so
subtle sci-fi elements mixed in, I guess the designers were big nerds. My
machine was the Armoured variant, basically it was slower but could take a
punch or two and had a huge amount of missile pod attachments that had since
been jettisoned in the battle.
Looking at the damage it had sustained the Armour had done its
job however my machine was now a shell of its former self, what remained was a
torn exoskeleton frame, a single arm and a half-melted visor which meant the
main camera would be useless. I began to wonder if it would turn on at all, but
if there was one thing I could be sure of from the British was that we make
machinery that can take a beating and keep chugging along like an old Land
Rover.
I got into the machine, strapped myself to the chair and
initiated the start sequence. The lights flickered within the unit a number of
times before staying on as the operating system flared up In front of my face
albeit on a cracked and dirty screen. ‘So far so good’ I thought to myself as
the chugging along of the motors began to fill the silence of the battlefield.
I began checking if everything was in order and found that I could get the unit
back into the upright position but as I thought the main camera had been
rendered useless thanks to the melted visor.
I attempted to use the built-in radio to try and reach
somebody for an evacuation but the radio would not even turn on. ‘Ok looks like
I’ll have to get out of here the hard way then.’ I said to myself with an
unenthusiastic tone. With the main camera gone it was not going to be easy
getting around and I began to feel the dread of the journey ahead of me.
I knew I would have to keep the main hatch open if I wanted
to navigate myself to a safer location but all I could think about was the risk,
It made me an open target. I popped the emergency hatch release lever and
watched as the compressed air shot the door a few feet in front of me into the
boggy mud below. I thought back to the briefing we received before deployment,
the village was to be a fall-back zone if anything went awry and it clearly had
by the looks of the battlefield.
I decided the best course of action would be to head to the
village and try to find some sign of my squad or a way to contact somebody so
that I get out of here. I felt uneasy but wasn’t sure if it was because I was
seemingly alone on the battlefield or because I had to go back to the Village.
That place was full of only happy memories for me and yet I’d have to return
when it was no more than a dilapidated husk compared to its former self.
When I’d received the briefing on this mission before
deployment, I was hesitant for the first time in my military career. I was
supposed to be the person that my squad looked up to and followed the orders of
without question and yet I remained silent and looked at the floor like a child
waiting outside a class after being sent out. I don’t know what I had expected
when I heard the battle had moved to this region but I never wanted to return
to this place, not until the battle was over at least but it would seem that if
we were fighting here then everything and everyone I’d known from this place
wouldn’t be coming back anyway.
That was the only resolve I had left at this point, I wanted
to do right by my family and protect what was left of this place so that we
could eventually rebuild and in time have other people live in peace, create
memories and be like I used to be.
I felt the cool chill of the air breeze by my arm where the
material had been torn and shuddered, it made me long to sit by a fire place
with a nice cup of warm tea. I began to attempt to get the machine to lift out
of the crater but it seemed to struggle, the mud was so thick the exposed legs
of the machine were getting covered like a pair of shoes after you’d tried to
walk into a boggy puddle, all the air was trapped and keeping it in place.
I knew I’d have to try and dig it out but that just meant
more time out in the open and a larger risk of getting caught by the enemy. I
reached for a shovel kept in the back of the machine and hopped back down while
being careful not to get myself stuck in the same mud. The shovel was a little
bent up thanks to the impact of the attack but with a little elbow grease it
could still did the job. I got to work while I began to think back to when the war
began.
***
I was helping in the garden with my Mother and Father, we
were planting numerous vegetables in a new patch of soil we had just dug out as
we had always wanted a vegetable garden like my Grandparents had in the village. I’d begged for cherry tomatoes to be included in our new patch because it reminded me of visiting my Grandparents and getting sent home with a whole heap of them. I was around 16 years old during this time and had just
finished high school, this was going to be my final Summer vacation before I headed to College.
I knew my life was about to change after that summer but I
never expected it to take the turn that it did. My younger brother came running
out of the house screaming ‘Mum, Dad you have to come look at the news right now it's horrible, I'm scared!’. My
parents tried to calm him down but he was in a state of shock, we all came inside and saw
the headlines scrolling across the screen ‘Breaking News: San Diego hit with an
Atomic Bomb’. It felt like a dream, like something out of a movie but we quickly accepted this this was
real and soon after that our lives would begin to change.
The worst part of all this was that to this day all these years later
we still don’t know who was responsible for the initial attack, nobody ever
claimed to be involved. Was it terror related? perhaps the Russians or North
Korea? Quite understandably the USA went into a panic trying to figure out who
had attacked them. They began to deploy their Army in multiple countries,
anywhere they would have had some sort of anti-US intel over the years and
began what the world media called their ‘personal war for revenge’.
Of course, the UK supported the US in their deployments, the
special relationship was something the UK needed and because of the fear that
the same thing could happen to us we were more than happy to do as we were
told. Nuclear deterrence was still in full swing for quite some time after this
event though, likely because the USA didn’t know where to drop one even if they
wanted to.
This would soon change however, with their constant
deployments those living in the deployed countries would begin to tire of
their aggressive and frankly oppressive attitude which would culminate in a
number of countries allying together in order to fight off the USA and their
allies.
The USA were becoming the ‘bad guy’ they wanted to stop and
the UK along with them like their minion. Perhaps they never saw it themselves
but the UK did and it was with one event that we and other allies parted ways
with them for good. It was 4 years ago this month that they dropped a nuke of their own
over the Atlantic Ocean, their excuse was that they believed they were due to
be the victim of one themselves and they had to act.
Perhaps it was true or perhaps it was the paranoia they had no doubt felt since San Diego, perhaps they
wished only to show the rest of the world they were not afraid to use a nuclear
weapon again if they needed to. Whatever the reason was they decided to only
give a short warning to their own troops and the allies that had been
supporting them for so long. They succeeded in wiping out a huge part of the enemy’s
naval forces and who knows perhaps they did stop a nuke hitting them first but
the cost to their own side and our troops was too great.
Even with the order to retreat there was little to no time
for anyone to get far enough away, the blast took out enemy and ally alike. After the
realisation of what had happened the allies all but abandoned the US who
remains an ever present wildcard that has been fighting ever since.
***
I joined the war without much choice, there was a sense of
doing what is right and helping our allies who had suffered a terrible tragedy
but nobody really wants to go to war do they? The draft to National Service was
reintroduced just before I turned 18 when deployments were on the increase and
loss of life was rising.
Training was hard, I had never been pushed so much in my
life. How I wished I was back in an exam hall struggling with GCSE maths
questions rather than running through an assault course everyday and being
shouted at by a drill sergeant who had the most punchable face in the country.
I felt that my struggle was nothing compared to those who had survived (if you
can call it that) the nuclear attack on San Diego and so I had to keep on pushing.
I was scared the same thing could happen to us at any time so
I used that fear to try and excel and do my part for my country and others,
perhaps I became a poster child for the UK Army in a sense but I knew I had to do my best
if I wanted to survive. When I was told I had completed my training I was
ecstatic to get deployed and protect what I held dear to me, but I didn’t
realise I’d already lost it.
The day I finished my training at the academy was the day I
found out my parents and brother were wiped out in a bombing run a month prior.
Nobody felt the need to tell me, they had had a few cadets go AWOL or worse
when they informed them of this kind of news so I guess their thought process
was if I had already graduated, I could use the grief and anger to their
benefit.
They were right, I didn’t shed a single tear I just grit my
teeth and asked when my first deployment would be. As soon as I got to the
battlefield I unloaded on the enemy and screamed but I didn’t feel any better,
after that I struggled to feel anything again for some time.
I continued to progress and move through the ranks of the Army, from infantry to the Tank regiment and finally to where I am now, the
‘Machine Regiment’. It’s strange when the whole worlds at war we have all this
time and effort put into making the best killing machine but when the worlds at
relative peace we can’t figure out half of the worlds problems no matter how
many people we throw at them right?
Regardless of position I just struggled to care about it
all, I thought every day would be my last and just did what I had to do. It was
only recently that I found some form of compassion again, when I was selected
to be a squad leader for a bunch of rookies. Kids that looked fresh out of high
school, a little stubble, rosie cheeks and spots all over.
Initially I felt a sense of dread in having to be responsible
for those that would likely become expendable but they were nothing like I
expected, they wanted to learn, to do well and to protect. They weren’t just
here because they had to be or because they felt it would be ‘cool’ to be in
the Army, no they were here because they wanted to be.
We became the closest thing to a family I had in such a long
time, we had only been together for 6 months before I woke up in this crater
but I cherished every moment of my time with them. To hear about their worries,
their successes and their dreams once the war was over, It made me feel my own
sense of hope, these guys would usher in the next generation once this was all
over so let’s make sure we fight not just for them but for those that aren’t
even born yet.
We were all deploying together once again, the youngest two a lad named Joe and a girl named Estelle were joking around like they always did, I always suspected they liked each other. My most promising student Phil was leaning up against his machine with a stoic look I was sure he did on purpose and finished his cigarette. The others were all cleaning up their machines and looking at me like they knew if they were with me they would be alright. This deployment was to be as routine as any other but as you
now know, it didn’t quite go to plan.
***
I had finally finished digging my machine out of the mud, I
was sweating profusely and desperately needed some more water, thankfully my hip flask
still had a small amount of water left. I drank it down without stopping which
was followed by a huge gasp for air, I felt a little better and somewhat hopeful
that I could make a move to safety soon.
I began the bootup sequence again, the machine made a familiar
whirring sound and the display flickered to life once more. I buckled myself in
and began to operate, I knew I would have to be quick or my machine would get
stuck once again. I had just enough thrust left in the legs in order to make a
quick jump out of the crater but I had to make it count.
I turned the thrusters to full and pushed the lever forward
as quickly as possible while revving the pedals below, I could hear my parents
voices in my head while doing it. ‘Why do you always rev the engine so much?
It’s not a race car, are you trying to relive your misspent youth, boy racer?’
my Mum would say to my Dad. ‘What are you on about love I’m just trying to get
us there on time!’ he would respond.
I couldn’t help but laugh but I missed their almost constant
bickering. I put everything I could into the pedal and the machine began to
thrust upward while making a loud whooshing sound like a blowtorch attached to
a megaphone. The machine began to lift
slowly as it hovered out of the crater, in hindsight it was for the best that
most of the armour plating was destroyed otherwise I’d never have gotten out.
I landed the machine on more stable ground and began to walk
it slowly to the village, a lonely Golem wondering the wastelands of rural England to
find solace and peace once again. I’m sure it looked like something out of a
dystopian Sci-fi movie, I felt like one of those lone ranger types who moved
from town to town drifting from one job to the next.
I wondered to myself if those kind of lone wolf characters
ever actually felt lonely or not? They’re always portrayed as tough as nails guys who
don’t care about anyone but themselves and yet I’m already feeling the
crippling isolation of silence take hold of me. I guess I’d never be the main
character in a story like that.
A rumbling sound in the clouds began to get louder, I’d
hoped it were reinforcements and worried it may be the enemy coming to mop up
those of us who may still be on the battlefield. It was neither as the sky
began to flash intermittently and rain began to pelt across the open hatch door
of my machine. The damp air began to feel good against my exposed skin and for
just a brief moment I felt relieved that I didn’t have to return to another
battle.
I began to feel like these constant battles had gone on long
enough, Yeah I was good at what I did but I never felt good about it. The
amount of people that had their lives ended by my hands that I’d never even
seen the faces of. Each person behind a helmet, a machine or a building. These
thoughts weighed on me from time to time but I was a squad leader and I
couldn’t let my squad see any sign of weakness, they had to follow me without
question and because of that I’d push my feelings away as best I could.
It’s sad isn’t it?
I continued moving and came upon a large hill, just over
this hill it would be around 5 more minutes until I reached the village and
hopefully find some of my squad or some way to contact someone. At the foot of
the hill was what looked like the wreckage of another machine, from the incline
I was at I couldn’t yet tell if it was a friendly or not.
I began to worry if the village had been taken over or was
this one of the enemies who tried and failed to take it, maybe over this hill
I’ll see my whole squad waiting for an evacuation and ecstatic that I’m still
alive.
I reached the foot of the hill and saw it was my own sides
wreckage, an older model machine that was now just a pile of scrap, inside were
the remains of someone but I couldn’t make out if it was my own squad or
another, I didn’t wish to know. ‘Sorry you had to go out like this, I hope that
wherever you are now you are at peace’. I sighed; this was a common occurrence
on the battlefield but it never got any easier to see death up close.
I scanned the horizon; I was in a large humanoid machine on
the top of a hill in which every side of the hill would easily be able to see
me. I couldn’t be any more of a target if I tried, I wondered if I bailed and
ran from the machine towards the village would I be able to make it should I be
attacked…. No I’d definitely meet my end.
I let the machine wait upon the hill like a statue of some
sort of deity looking over its domain. Minutes went by and… nothing happened, no
army came charging after me, no projectiles came flying my way and sadly nobody
from my squad or any other came out of the village to welcome my return. It was
just as I thought, I was still alone.
Any hope that I had held on to was beginning to dwindle away.
I knew my chances for evacuation were slim but I had to get to the village, I
had to see if the base camp was still in tact and if I couldn’t try to contact
someone, anyone. I really didn’t want to return to this village I didn’t want
my positive memories to be stained with the ash of what it had become but I
knew I had to go back if I wanted to get out of here alive.
I pushed onward and let the machine slowly walk down the
hill towards the village, the footing thankfully didn’t slide too much and I
made it down without any issues. I walked by the old farm houses on the
outskirts and saw the remains of tractors and equipment that had likely been
there since before I was born. Isn’t it funny what seems to become a fixture of
the landscape in these kind of areas, almost like it’s all part of the charm
and a way of the village saying ‘Yeah we don’t change with the times, deal with
it’.
I always found old machinery like that fascinating and felt
like it had a long life story it could tell if only it could communicate,
perhaps the machinery left on the battlefield would have their own stories to
tell, I wondered what my machine would say.
As I walked along the cracked and pothole ridden road I
began to step over telephone poles and attempt to move abandoned cars out of
the way. It was becoming a chore to get to the village but I made it. The
machine would have to stay outside the centre as the building were so close
together it would never get through. I knelt the machine down and jumped out.
I looked back up at my machine and was thankful I got to my
destination in one piece. ‘Thank you, you’ve always done a good job for me’ I
said as if I was expecting a ‘Don’t mention it’ back from the Golem. I walked
through the village and headed towards what remained of the village hall, I
remembered in the briefing that would be where the comms team would be based
and perhaps their equipment would still be there.
I walked through the streets as the wind made a
ghastly howl, I truly felt like the last person on Earth and for all I knew, I
was. The village was in a sad state and the village hall was now nothing more
than rubble on the ground. I found the remains of the comms teams’ equipment
was strewn across the road, it looked like they had left in a hurry but for
what reason? What had happened here?
I found a discarded radio on the floor and picked it up
desperately hoping that it would work. Before attempting to use it I walked to
the children’s play park across the street and sat down on the remains of a
rusted out swing set, the same swing set I’d loved as a young girl. I took a
large breath and pressed hard on the radio as it crackled static.
‘This is Ferrum Leader can anyone read me, over?’….. But
there was no response.
I tried again ‘This is Ferrum Leader I repeat can anyone
read me, what happened out here over?’
The radio began to buzz and distort in an almost angry
manner for some time until I heard the faintest response.
‘Ferrum leader this is control, what the hell are you still
doing out there we thought you were KIA, over?’ The voice responded with slight
sign of horror.
‘I got thrown from my machine after they attacked us, they
got us by surprise. The rookies were getting slaughtered out here I had to rush
in and give them some time to fall back…. Did they make it, did we do it?’ I
said in such a way that I couldn’t believe it was me talking, I was beginning
to sound like a mother who had lost their child.
‘Ferrum Leader, the rookies made it back safely thanks to
you’ the voice said. I felt a sense of relief, these kids that never wanted to really be here in the first place but were thrown into the fight like I was years ago.
I wanted them to keep on living and for now they were, I felt like I could rest
easy and that everything was going to be alright, but that wasn’t going to
happen.
The voice continued after a pregnant pause, ‘Ferrum Leader
we thought everyone in that zone was out or KIA, we tried to wait at an evac
point but it was too crazy out there. We had to leave the battle was lost, I’m
sorry.’
My heart sank. ‘What do you mean? There is nobody here at
all, the enemy is nowhere to be seen it’s just a wasteland now. If they won then
wouldn’t they still be here somewhere?’ I shouted in disbelief.
‘Ferrum Leader…. I’m sorry but we had received intel that
the area you’re in is going to be carpet bombed, the enemy have begun to do
this on all fronts before they take over as a means of making sure there is no
further danger to them. That’s why there is nobody there, it was already due to
have happened… yo- hav- get….‘ The radio died along with my chance of retrieval
and with that a silence filled the air. I began to feel hopelessness take over,
I began to panic.
‘Hello, control!... CONTROL!?’ but there was to be no
response. I threw the radio against the ground and it shattered into pieces. I
felt betrayed, how could they leave me here after all I had done for them and
this country? But I knew deep down that they had no choice but to retreat, we
had lost and command would have wanted to withdraw as many viable soldiers as
possible to fight another day.
I couldn’t really fault their decision, it was smart from a
tactical point of view but it didn’t make me feel much, I was happy my rookies
were out of the battle but for how long were they safe? If we lost here then
what’s to say we will ever win, that they will ever see the peace that I’ve
fought so long for?
I knew my time was limited now, I had always thought to
myself if I knew I were going to die what would I do with my remaining time? A
part of me just wanted to be surrounded by family and have a good time, another
part of me felt like I should have a bucket list of some sort. Either way I
thought I’d like to have returned here at some point and feel at peace. I guess
in a way I got my wish right?
Although everything was now decrepit, I wanted to take a
final walk around until I was wiped away from this Earth like so many of those
I’d cared about before. I took off my helmet and left it in the dirt behind me.
My eyes scanned the horizon but all I could focus on was my machine, its
decimated body and face leaning over the street before it as if it were a
monument to those that had fallen before me.
What was left of its exposed facial features almost looked
sad as if it were in mourning for me, a dark rain began to fall from the clouds and splash off the metal exterior as I walked away. It felt as though I was
walking to my own funeral. My mind filled with images of my family, my old
friends and my old squad. I ended up in the middle of the village after a few
minutes of walking, I’d arrived at what was my Grandparents home, now no more
than a few walls and half a roof but I entered regardless.
I looked around the living room and saw the old fireplace
was still intact. It reminded me of Christmas day, sitting in front of the open
fire opening my new gifts while the family were induced into food comas from
Grandmas famous Christmas Turkey recipe. I took a closer look at the fireplace
and found a picture frame was laying face down in the dust and debris that had
accumulated over time.
I picked it up and blew as much of the dust away as I could
before wiping the residue away with my gloved hand. Once it was clear I found
it was a picture of the whole family, me, my brother, my parents and
grandparents. It must have been when I was around 10 years old
I took the picture out of the frame and into my front
pocket, at least I could have my family with me in some way when the time came
to go. I sat in the doorway of the home and smiled, I’m happy I could return
here one last time. As I left I felt that I had nowhere else to go, what more
could I do with this short amount of time I had I wondered.
A few doors down the street was the local pub, I thought to
myself if I was going to go out I may as well try and get pissed up first, it’d
take some of the edge off I guess. I felt like a teenager again who was
secretly drinking without my parent’s knowledge although in hindsight I suspect
they always knew what I was doing.
I found my way to the pub, The ‘Red Lion’ A name that always
made me laugh, it was inescapable. I mean it was the most common pub name in
the UK but this place had its own distinct charm, the hanging baskets were still
outside the front door from a number of summers prior, yet the flowers had long
since died out.
A large black wooden door which had been here since the Pub
opened decades ago was still standing in front of me, in fact the majority of
the building was still there save for a few of the windows on the first floor
being blown out. I attempted to open the door but it seemed to be jammed tightly.
I was not about to let this door deny me a final drink
though. ‘Oh come on…. alright then have it your way’ I muttered to myself.
I
took a run up and sprinted into the door using my shoulder to smack against it
hard. A large bang escaped as the door opened and the lock on the other side
broke off. I winced a little as my shoulder felt like it had come into contact
with a brick wall rather than a wooden door.
‘Ok ouch, that hurt more than I thought, nothing better than nursing a
wound with a nice beer though…or maybe some whiskey’. I’d taken to talking to
myself more and more that longer I had to wait for the end, It drowned out the
loneliness.
I walked around the bar and saw the same fixtures you’d find
at any village pub, a fruit machine that scammed you out of your pocket change,
a dart board nobody would have used even before the war and a Pool table that I
reckon was damaged way before the war started. I walked up to the bar almost
expecting a barmaid to come waltzing out of the back room and serve me. After
I’d realised that was not going to happen, I walked beyond the bar myself and began looking for
some whiskey.
It would seem that when this village was abandoned most of
the alcohol was taken with it either by the residents themselves or by those
passing by from time to time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Army took it
before retreating knowing some of the bigwigs up top. I began to open draws and
old bottle fridges desperately trying to find something when I noticed an old
bottle of a local ale had become lodged under the bar unit floor.
I picked it up and dusted it off the glass was cracked and could
have done with a good wash but at this point I could not have cared less. I sat
on the bar stool and faced where the front door used to be, the grey ashen sky
being my only view of a battlefield we failed at winning on.
I began to hear the droning of warplanes far off into the
distance. I wondered if any of my comrades could hear the same if they too were
still alive out there. I began to sip on my beer as a tear rolled down my
cheek, the realisation that it would all soon be over was too much but the
thought that I could hopefully find peace in the next place allowed me to smile
one last time.
A small ray of sunlight broke through the dark clouds and
hit me, the short burst of warmth made me think of the long summer evenings
here with friends and family. I began to think of a world that could have been.
I was seeing flashes of a life I wanted for myself like holding my new baby and
introducing them to everyone here in this pub, seeing them grow older each
year, seeing my parents into retirement and more. These are the moments I’d
never live.
I finished the rest of my beer and closed my eyes as the
sounds of the planes got loud enough to drown out any thoughts I could have. A
tear rolled down my face as the scorching heat from the blast took me away.
Thursday, 9 January 2020
The comfiest Japanese show ever: Midnight Diner
This week I’d like to briefly talk about a show that’s become a real staple of evening viewing for me and my wife, a show that I’d originally got into when Netflix aired their first series in 2017. I feel the show is a real hidden gem on the service and want to get more people into it so that they can hopefully enjoy it as much as I have, so without further ado I wanted to talk to you about perhaps my favourite ‘J-drama’, ‘Midnight Diner’.
Midnight Diner or Shinya shokudō is an anthology series based on a Manga of the same name by author Yaro Abe. The Manga began in 2006 and has gained a lot of attention due to its simple yet gripping stories surrounding a Diner open in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district from midnight to dawn every day. The Diner is owned by a character only known as ‘Master’ and each story focuses on a different dish and patron of the diner.
The Manga was successful early on and has had a number of screen adaptations, the first of which is the Japanese TV series which began in 2009 and is still running to this day. It’s interesting that the Manga’s success has allowed adaptations to also be made for the Chinese and Korean markets although I do not know how closely they follow the original story, but judging from the brief scenes I’ve seen online it looks to be a decent enough adaptation.
I found out about Midnight Diner thanks to Netflix, it was around three years ago in 2017 while I was still working a number of night shifts that I scrolled through Netflix the morning after, already sleepy and found this show in my suggestions, It was a Netflix original series called ‘Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories’. At the time I had no idea that this show was not a true Netflix original but a show that had three previous seasons on Japanese television hence the ‘Tokyo Stories’ sub heading.
I was unsure what the nature of the show really was, was it a cooking show? Was it a drama or a comedy? In actuality it is a piece of all of these genres rolled into one to become what I can only describe as the ultimate ‘comfy’ show. I believe I watched the entire first series within two days between shifts and I have to say I adored every minute of it. It was a new type of show for me as It didn’t rely on shock value, an overarching plot or anything like that as it just showed a dish, a person who enjoyed said dish and what that dish meant to them.
It was so simple yet so brilliant at the same time and was a catalyst in me trying out a number of other Japanese shows once I was done with it (Please see Million Yen Women). As much as I loved the first Netflix series, I did not think much of it once it was complete because I thought it was just a one and done show and I’d never see more of it. I did hope that there would be another series but it didn’t seem to arrive for some time and I moved on to other shows.
It was only this year when I got an email from Netflix telling me it was back that I literally jumped for joy. It came at a time when my life was changing quite a bit, I’d gotten married, moved countries twice in the last year and was about to begin a new life with my wife in a new town back in the UK. To say I was a little stressed out the last half of 2019 would be an understatement. However, seeing this show was back gave me a familiar ‘comfortable’ feeling and in a weird way too me back to that calming time before all this stress, I wanted to watch it immediately.
Initially I was just going to continue the show when it returned, but as I couldn’t contain my excitement I began to mention it to my wife (Who is Japanese for those who haven’t read the previous post) and the general concept of the show, while she had never heard about the show before she was familiar with some of the cast, specifically the actor who plays Master (Kaoru Kobayashi). So rather than jumping into Season 2 of the Netflix series I went back and started from Netflix’s first season instead, as a means to refresh myself and also get my wife involved. Instantly she was as hooked as I was and I felt happy to be sharing such a comfortable show with her.
She quickly agreed that it was a calm and peaceful show as well as the perfect sort of show to watch together after a days work in order to unwind. We quickly finished both seasons available on Netflix when I explained to her that it had been on TV in Japan prior to this and we should search out the previous seasons. I found that they were also available on Netflix Japan albeit without any English subtitles (which was understandable) so that was out of the question for us.
I’m perplexed as to why Netflix UK do not have these series valuable to us also unless there is some kind of a rights issues? Regardless I was able to find some fan subs of the first three seasons online and while they were of a questionable quality at times, they did the job. While it was nice to go back and watch where the show began, I honestly feel that overall the Netflix series are a lot better.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the production values or perhaps a change in the staff involved with the show but the Netflix series seem to have much better cinematography, camera quality and generally I feel the individual stories are consistently better.
Don’t get me wrong there are some real stand out episodes in the original series and if you watch the original series you will definitely get certain jokes or aspects of certain characters in the Netflix seasons more, however if you really don’t wish to search the original season outs then you’re still good to go on Netflix. In fact, you could watch any episode from any season as your starting point and I guarantee you’d understand the show.
So with my history with the show out of the way I wanted to talk about some aspects of it that really stand out for me and what I think might resonate with a number of people who would otherwise be none the wiser to.
I keep saying this show is ‘comfy’ but what do I mean by that exactly? Well immediately when you begin an episode you are sung into a state of peacefulness as you find yourself being driven through the nightlife of Shinjuku in the back of a taxi. The beautiful song ‘Omoide’ (Memories) by Suzuki Tsuneyoshi plays and really sets the scene as the Master speaks to you directly explaining what his diner is and what the show is all about, it’s a simple opening and explanation but it’s truly all you need to know what you are in for.
I love that this show as well as many others have brought my wife and I closer together, it’s allowed me to see different sides of the culture of Japan that I had not experienced myself on my travels. I’ve been able to see her connecting with some of the dishes shown in the show and have her tell me stories about certain foods and where she would eat them, who in her family would cook them and what memories that triggers for her.
I think that’s the beauty of food sometimes, we’ve all got those meals that trigger something within us, for me it’s the smell or taste of my mums chilli that reminds me of the first time I tried it and how I’ve always looked forward to it every time I knew it was for dinner that night (by the way I still can’t match her recipe). For others It may be what they had on their first date or perhaps their favourite dish as a child but regardless everyone has something like that in their life and that’s the focus of the show, but I feel the show wants you not only to connect with the characters or the meals but think about what meals stand out to you in your own life.
Although the majority of the show is set in the Diner it does venture out from time to time (however this happens a lot less in the Netflix series) and shows not only the night life of Tokyo but the day to day lives of our characters and their professions from Police officers, to Food critics and even to Strippers. It shows not only the seedy underbelly of Tokyo but the family run businesses, the people struggling to do their best and those that are coming out on top from all walks of life.
I really like that regardless of the people involved and their backgrounds it shows their struggles and that ultimately, they are good people deep down, even when they are people like Yakuza bosses or people fixated on gambling. It almost makes the show feel like a soap drama, generally the characters introduced in an episode are a one and done kind of deal but there is always room for them to return if they benefit another character’s story.
There are however a number of characters that become like a fixture to the diner and are generally there to react to the other characters and input their own spin on things. I really like that they have this because not only does it add a number of characters from different walks of life (businessmen, gay bar owners and mysterious travelers) opinions on things which can at times create a small conflict, it also shows that this Diner has history, regulars that have been coming here for a long time which just makes me feel like I’m going to the same pub all the time and seeing my friends.
A charming aspect of every episode is at the end, once the story is over the characters involved in the episode are shown at the Masters Diner as he prepares the meal the story revolved around. The other characters will then address the audience directly and give them a slight tip on how to make the food the way they would or the way they prefer it. It’s almost as though you’ve been in the diner with them and asked them exactly how they like their dish. I’ve certainly learnt a lot from these small tid bits and feel like every episode just ends with me feeling hungry.
I think the star of the show has to be the Master, while he is never really the focus of the show, he is the constant in every episode. He prepares the dishes, responds to questions and gives his own opinions on the situations that arise. Yet he always has this stoic aura and presents himself as such a likeable guy no matter what happens. I think this is a credit to Kobayashi's acting ability.
As mysterious as the Master is, I do think that mystery adds to his character, I almost don’t want to know about his past or how he got his facial scar, there are brief hints throughout the series but we never get anything concrete. From what I’ve heard in the Manga it’s pretty much the same deal and yet I think it just adds to the elements of the story, this guy with ‘no past’ opens a diner and will cook whatever you want if he can, he doesn’t judge anyone he just does his job and does his best for his customers, the Master and his diner almost become like a local legend to the area.
It's really difficult for me to pick out some aspects of the show that I actually dislike other than wanting to see certain characters again or get a little more backstory shown for other more permanent characters. To be honest it’s a show I’m quite content with.
As much as I’ve enjoyed Midnight Diner I’m in the twilight of what’s available currently. All I have left to watch at this point are the movies but I’m a little apprehensive, not that I don’t feel they will be good but I’ve gotten so used to watching the show in a brief window after dinner and before bed with only a small amount of run time at each episode that I wonder how well it would translate to a longer form like a 1hr 30+ movie. Perhaps once I’m done with them ill add a little follow up!
I hope that this show continues to gain popularity worldwide thanks to Netflix and continue to produce series after series of ‘comfy’ content , I would like to think that this would allow the Manga to be translated into English as I want to see what differences between the print and television is, if any.
So overall can I recommend this to anyone? I feel as though I could, I think its easily accessible with Netflix being in so many countries, without the opening and ending it’s around a nice and easy 21 minutes each per episode and I feel the translations on Netflix are easily understandable and make a good use of spinning a sentence in a way which could avoid any difficult cultural differences that would otherwise be tricky to understand or explain to the English speaking Audience.
On top of that it’s just extremely chilled out even when there is some form of drama happening to the characters involved. Yeah some episodes are just alright but for the majority they all have a decent arc, message and a satisfying ending to them. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you open your mind a little to the differences in cultures perhaps Midnight Diner can be your entry not only into the world of Japan and Japanese TV but world media as a whole.
In any case if you finish an episode, I think you’ll find yourself feeling a little hungry.
Friday, 22 November 2019
Review: Dragon Ball: That time I got reincarnated as Yamcha
With this room being formed in June of 2016 almost a year after the airing of the first episode of Dragon ball Super I was really excited to see what they could come up with, but I can honestly say I had no idea they would facilitate a Manga like 'That time I got reincarnated as Yamcha'.
I originally heard about this Manga online when the first chapter was released in English by Viz for free. However I never found the time to get around to reading it other than catching some scans of the odd page here and there when people would talk about it online. It was due to discussions about this Manga on Twitter that I would come to see images posted that initially I believed were from this Manga with one well known example in the fan community being Yamcha fighting Golden Frieza.
When I saw these kind of images I would laugh out loud at how ridiculous the scenarios were and decided to look a little closer into why this Manga existed in the first place, it was then that I came across the Mangaka Dragongarow LEE. LEE is responsible for the art used within this Manga as well as the general story and is well known within the Dragon Ball community due to his Doujinshi (Fan Manga/Art), so it is easy to see how he would come to be scouted to work on a one-shot like this.
According to an interview with an Editor at Shueisha it was not LEE that came up with the concept of the story initially. However due to his previous work in which Vegeta came to Earth as a child rather than Goku, being so popular amongst other staff members it was decided that LEE could also be trusted to come up with his own ideas for the story and create something that the fans would love to see.
The thing about Yamcha is, he's just a little bit useless. When he was introduced he seemed to be a pretty cool character and really fit into the adventure setting of the original series. Yet as time progressed he was shown to be a bit lazy and neglect his training until he has no other choice. It was not long after Dragon Ball Z began that Yamcha would become a joke. This was due to his loss against the Saibamen via one of them self destructing.
At the time this technique wiping an established character out instantly really showed the level of power the enemy had, even if it was just a small minion of the main threat, but in retrospect the horrible way he died just became a little funny and has become somewhat of a meme within the community. It's no secret that Shueisha would know this and perhaps it's a reason why they chose LEE who is passionate about smaller characters like Yamcha, to take the reigns.
So what is the plot? Well as the title suggests it's about being turned into Yamcha after your own death and having to deal with the world that he resides in. In other words the overall story is a case of a what if scenario where Yamcha has full knowledge of everything that was going to happen in Dragon Ball and what he would do with that information.
I'd rather not give too much away about the story because it would ruin some of the comedy involved but I will say the comedic timing and style of LEE is not dissimilar to that of original Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama. Perhaps that is because we are reliving certain scenes where the comedy is already in place for the most part, yet LEE puts his own little spin on it and adds that extra layer that really feels welcome in the Dragon Ball world.
The art style is another big plus for me and perhaps I'm not the best authority on the matter but I really wouldn't have been able to tell that this was not drawn by Toriyama if I did not already know it was LEE. LEE's emulation of the traditional Toriyama style is absolutely fantastic and I would argue it is much better than the majority of the work on the Dragon Ball Super Manga which is headed by Toyotaro, another member of the Dragon ball community who also began as a Doujinshi Mangaka.
That is not to say that Toyotaro is bad and he has certainly improved but it has been a gradual journey that the fans have seen with each Manga chapter. Yes, LEE likely had way more time to work with and was only working on a single volume rather than an ongoing series but the differences in their emulation of Toriyamas art is hard to ignore.
I think one of the funniest aspects of the whole Manga is that the character inhabiting Yamcha just wants to get together with Bulma initially. After he realizes he's likely stuck as Yamcha forever he thinks about how he's going to survive as arguably one of the weakest character in the franchise. Thankfully he actually gets serious about making Yamcha stronger and uses his knowledge of the Manga to push himself to the highest level he can.
What's interesting is that while he does his best with his training, he is still limited in how far he can push Yamcha. He quickly discovers that he will still be no match for enemies like Frieza or Cell and due to this the Manga actually keeps itself 'realistic' within the world that it is set in. That is not to say that the story abruptly ends because of these points but it's interesting to see that Yamcha can only be pushed so far until there is no way he can continue to keep up with characters like Goku and the power of Super Saiyan.
I think that delves a little deeper into a common problem many may find with the series, in that the power levels are just astronomical at this point and you never get to see a lot of the side characters like Yamcha or Piccolo during the latter parts of Z. This has been slightly rectified in recent years with Revival of F movie and the Tournament of Power Arc in the Anime but it is still very much the 'Saiyan show' overall.
Skipping ahead, the last chapter honestly took a turn that I did not expect and even involved the Mobile game Dokkan Battle which I'm embarrassed to admit took up too much of my time in the past. I wasn't sure how I felt about the sudden change in story and tone at first but now I have had time to sit on it, and after reading the Manga a number of times since then, I felt it was a satisfying end to the story rather than having Yamcha just 'Retire' it gave one last hurrah to the character in some form.
There are some Bonus chapters that answer questions such like, 'if he knew everything why didn't he use fusion on some tougher enemies' which has a hilarious result and even uses the characters knowledge of games like Dragon Ball Fusions to their advantage. The Manga generally ties into so many different aspects of the franchise and the whole reason the main character even got reincarnated as Yamcha is etched into characters I thought would be totally absent from this story.
It's fair to say this is a Manga by a fan for the fans, much like the Doujinshi worked on in the past by LEE. It's reasons like this that make me so proud to be a part of this global community that never ceases to amaze me.
The Manga is relatively short, so much so that you will likely finish it in under 30 minutes. I wouldn't say this is a complaint as such because the quality of everything involved is fantastic but I wish I could have seen a little more about Yamcha during the Namek Arc or prior to the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa as the story skips around quite a lot. We do get some slight looks at Yamcha fighting Burter or Tambourine and although the outcome is predictable due to the nature of the story I wish I could have seen some of that action.
Overall I really enjoyed this Manga because it did something different while remaining linked to the core of Dragon ball, a nice fun adventure. In no way do I want to see the market flooded with titles like this and I feel like you need to have a franchise like Dragon Ball to be able to do something like this effectively. Nevertheless I would love to see some more crazy stories set in the Dragon Ball world whether they are canon or not.
I hope the Dragon Ball Room continues to expand and give new artists and writers a chance to shine, especially those with proven track records from within the community like Toyotaro and LEE. I will say that I believe they have to be particularly selective in who they allow to take the wheel of such an important franchise.
I think if you're a fan of the series and want a short but great read then you absolutely have to pick this Manga up when you can, you won't be disappointed!
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Let's talk about YOU!: Aya Yamamoto Jane and her life in Australia
This week I wanted to take the time to start to interview people I
think have interesting life stories. I thought the best place to start is with
my Wife Aya because she is from a totally different background to me and yet we
both met each other in a country different to our own while working and are now
married. She had been in Australia a lot longer than I had and was essentially
my guide to a lot of Australian life in Melbourne during our time together there.
I always found her life in Melbourne interesting so wanted
to take the time to sit down with her and talk about her experiences there, I
hope you enjoy!
(Each question has been translated into Japanese by Aya so that her family and friends can easily read it! Thanks Aya!)
(Each question has been translated into Japanese by Aya so that her family and friends can easily read it! Thanks Aya!)
今週は、興味深い人生を送っている人にインタビューをしたいと思います。そのスタートにふさわしいのは私の妻、彩かなと思いました。なぜなら彼女には全く違うバックグラウンドがあって、さらに私たちは自国でない国オーストラリアで出会い、将来を共にすることになりました。彼女は私よりも長くオーストラリアにいたので、実質私のメルボルンでの生活のガイドのようでした。私は常に彼女のメルボルンでの暮らしに興味を持っていたので、彼女の経験についてインタビューの時間をとることにしました。皆さんに楽しんでいただけたらと思います！
Q: Introduce yourself to us, what is your name and where are
you from?
Q:まずは、自己紹介を。名前と出身を教えてください。
A: My name is Aya Yamamoto, I was born In Tokyo Japan but
I’m from Sayama City in the Saitama prefecture North of Tokyo.
A: 山本彩です。生まれは東京、埼玉県の狭山市という所で育ちました。
狭山は緑茶（狭山茶）の生産で有名な場所です。
Q: When you were growing up did you feel like there was a
lot to do in Sayama or did you always want to go somewhere else?
Q: 狭山で育つ中で、生活は充実していたと思う？それともどこかに引っ越したいなと感じていた？
A: Sayama is mostly a residential area, it’s close to Tokyo
so it’s easy for people to commute. It’s great for nature and I feel it was a
great place to grow up, I never felt bored enough to want to go elsewhere.
A: 狭山（埼玉全般）は、東京から近いので通勤・通学するための人たちの居住地区として便利な場所なの。自然はたくさんあるし、幼少期を過ごすには素晴らしい環境だったと思う。だから、どこか他の場所に行きたいなと思ったことはないかな。
Q: Can you remember the first place you ever traveled to
abroad such as a family vacation and what that was like?
Q: 家族旅行とかで初めて行った海外旅行を覚えている？それは、どんな感じだった？
A: I remember going
to Malaysia when I was around 1 ½ years old, But I mostly remember it from the
pictures I’ve seen.
A: 確か一歳半くらいだったと思うけど、マレーシアに行ったのを覚えているよ。まあ、ほとんどが写真からの記憶だけどね。
Q: What vacation
did you remember the most with your family if any stand out to you?
じゃあ、家族旅行の中で一番記憶に残っているのはどこに行ったとき？
A: My family went to Hawaii often when I was in Primary
school so those were some great memories for me but I have two trips in my life
that stand out a lot, one is Egypt and the other is a trip I took to multiple
places Sweden,Finland and Denmark.
A: 私の家族は、私が小学生の時によくハワイに行ったかな。それはすごく良い思い出だけど、それとは別に私の記憶に残っている旅行は二つあって、一つはエジプトへ行った旅行と、もう一つは北欧（スウェーデン、フィンランド、デンマーク）へ行ったときかな。
My trips to the latter places were part of a business trip
for the company my Dad worked for. When I was a university student I was
looking for a job after graduation but I struggled to think about what I could
do as a career. Then my Dad went on a business trip with his colleagues and I
was asked if I wanted to come along with them.
最後の旅行は、父の仕事関係のものだったけどね。ちょうど私が就活中で、将来何をしようかと悩んでいる時だったんだよね。そんな時に父に一緒に来るかと声を掛けてもらったの。
It’s funny because I actually had an interview with a
wedding company at the time and the trip was the same time, I asked if I could
change the interview but I couldn’t. I chose to travel instead because I was so
interested in other places and I don’t regret that!
Because I went on these trips it made me think a little
about working abroad in the future because I saw other cultures up close.
実は、その時ウェディング関係の会社の最終面接と旅行が被っていて、面接の日程を変更できないかとその会社にお願いしたんだよね。でもだめだった…。そして面接を蹴って旅行を選んだの。海外にすごく興味があったからね、その選択を後悔はしていないよ！なぜならこの旅行で他国の文化を近くで感じて、将来海外で働くということに興味を持ったきっかけになったから。
Q: Was travel a big part of your life as a child?
Q: 幼少期の自分にとって旅行は重要なものだった？
A: Yes I think so definitely!
A: うん、もちろんそう思う！
Q: Wow that’s great, so in general what is one of your
favorite places you’ve visited?
Q: それは素晴らしいね、じゃあ今まで訪れてお気に入りの国はどこ？
A: It’s difficult because I’ve enjoyed everywhere I’ve been
to. Japan Is quite an isolated island so compared to other countries we don’t
have such a mix of culture so I find traveling a good chance to experience and
meet people from different cultures.
So everywhere I have been holds it’s own memories and
experiences for me I can’t pick any specific one.
A: 難しいなぁ、全部が素晴らしかったから。日本は他国と比べると比較的閉鎖的な国で多文化ではない。旅行は他国の人と出会い、異文化に触れる素晴らしい機会だなと思う。だから旅行それぞれに思い出があるし、経験したことも違うから一つに絞れないなぁ。
Q: Did you ever picture yourself working abroad before you went
on that trip with your Dads company?
Q: お父さんと行った（北欧）企業研修旅行よりも以前に海外で働く自分を想像していた？
A: My dad used to be a Musician and he had a lot of friends
from foreign countries due to this so I got a chance to meet a lot of different
people from a young age, I think that’s a reason why I was so interested in
other cultures early on…. But I’ve forgotten the question haha!
A: 父は昔ミュージシャンだったから外国人の仕事仲間もいたし、幼いころから外国人に会う機会とか多かったかな。だからこの時から他国の文化に興味を持っていたんだと思う。 …で、質問は何だったっけ？（笑）
Q: * Repeated the question *
（質問を繰り返す）
A: Yeah I didn’t have any chance to study abroad but I was
interested to do that or even work abroad from an early age, it was always a
thought in my mind.
A: そう、留学したことはなかったけど、幼いころから留学にも興味があったし、海外で働くことに関しても興味を持ってた。常に頭の片隅にはそんな考えがあったと思う。
Q: Ok so I want to talk to you about Australia which has
been a big part of your life for the last 5 years. When was it that you decided
to go to Australia and why?
Q: オッケー、じゃあここ５年間の大半を占めるオーストラリアでの生活について話そう。オーストラリアに行くことを決めたのはいつ？そして、その理由は？
A: I worked at an international Hotel in Tokyo but my
English was not at a great level at the time, due to a general English
education in Japan and my lack of confidence. So I thought if I went to an
English speaking country I could improve my abilities.
It’s quite easy to get a working Holiday Visa in Canada or
Australia for Japanese people. At the time I felt the UK was quite far from
Japan and it was too difficult to get a visa there so I focused on Canada and
Australia.
A: 私はもともと外資のホテルに勤めていたんだけど、当時は英語のレベルも低かったし、普通に義務教育の中で英語を学んだだけだったから自信もなかった。だから英語圏の国に行けば英語力が上がるかなと思って。（非常に浅はかな理由…笑）
日本人にとってはカナダやオーストラリアのワーキングホリデービザを取るのが比較的簡単かなと。その当時は、イギリスは遠いしビザも人気で取得するのは難しいと思っていたから、カナダとオーストラリアに絞ったの。
Q: Which is funny because now you’re in the UK on a similar
Visa!
今、YMS（旧ワーキングホリデービザ）でイギリスにいるのに面白いもんだね！
A: Yeah! I felt that Canada was also too cold for me at the
time and that Australia was a safe place with great people and weather as well
as being multicultural so I decided to go to Australia in May of 2014.
A: ホント！あとカナダは寒すぎるんじゃないかと思って。オーストラリアは治安も良くて人も優しそうだし、気候も良い。それに多文化の国家だからね。2014年の5月にオーストラリアへ行くことにしました。
Q: Where In Australia did you arrive?
Q: 初めに到着したのはどこ？
A: Sydney!
A: シドニー！
Q: What were your thoughts upon arrival and you first few
days like?
Q: 到着して初めの数日はどんな感じだった？
A: I’d never been to Australia before, but I never felt like
I was ‘away’ because there were so many people from around the world there
living together, I was excited but it felt strange to be around so many
different cultures, it felt different than visiting European countries.
A: オーストラリアはそれまで一度も行ったことがなかったんだけど、たくさんの国の人が共に暮らしているからなのかアウェーな感じが全くしなかった。新しい生活にわくわくしたけど、なんだか不思議な感じだったな。ヨーロッパの国に行った時とは違う感じがした。
Q: Where Did you stay in Sydney at first? Was it with other
travelers like in a Hostel or was it a Home Stay experience?
Q: 初めにシドニーでステイしたのはどこ？他の旅行者とホステルとかに滞在した？それともホームステイとか？
A: I used a Homestay which I found through an agency in
Japan.
A: 日本から留学エージェントを利用してホームステイファミリーを見つけて、そこにステイした。
Q: What was that like because in my traveling experience, I
have never used a home stay before but always found them an interesting
concept.
Q: それは、どんな感じだった？というのも自分の経験の中でホームステイってしたことがないんだよね。でもいつもコンセプトが面白いなと感じていたから。
A: I stayed with an Australian Family, A Mother, her Son and
her Boyfriend. I found it interesting because she had two sons and only one
stayed with her the other with her ex husband. The whole family still had a
really great relationship despite this. It surprised me because in Japan if the
parents divorce then there relationship can be quite poor, but in Australia it
seemed like they worked as a team still for their kids.
A: 私は、オージーファミリーの家にステイさせてもらって、お母さんと息子、そしてお母さんの彼が一緒に暮らしていた。そのお母さんには息子が二人いるんだけど、一方の息子は共に暮らしていて、もう一方の息子は元旦那と一緒に暮らしていたんだよね。それにも関わらず、家族関係がとても良かったのには驚いた。日本では、両親が離婚すると家族関係は崩壊することが多いけど、オーストラリアでは例え離婚したとしても子供のためにはチームであり続けているようだった。（もちろん個人差はあると思うが…）
Q: So it was interesting for you to see that lifestyle?
Q: オージーのライフスタイルを見るのは面白かった？
A: Yes
A: ええ、そう思う。
Q: Did you stay with them for long?
Q: そこに長く滞在したの？
A: Not that long but my entire time in Sydney
A: 長くはないけどシドニーにいる間はずっとそこにいた。
Q: What was your first job in Australia and did you find it
difficult to find one initially?
オーストラリアでの初めての仕事は何だった？そして仕事探しは難しかった？
A: I was meant to join a language school at first for a
month but at the same time I was looking for a job, I found one in Hamilton
Island in my first week so I decided to go there straight away, I left the Homestay quite quickly because of this.
My Job in Hamilton Island was meant to be working in the
restaurant as a waitress but when I got to the interview in Sydney the
interviewer said the job was no longer available but they would find me a new
position.
Then they told me about a position which would be ‘Public
attendant’ but it was actually cleaning. I didn’t have much money at the time
and wanted a job As soon as possible so I took the position which I held for 6
months.
Hamilton Island was a unique place because one huge company
ran everything, from the hotel to the golf course like a resort. It’s the
biggest island in the Great Barrier Reef and had its own airport.
I found that a lot of people on a working holiday visa want
to have a lot of fun as well as work. For me I focused on the work more than
the fun because I wanted to do well and build a life in another country through experience or getting recognized and offered a sponsorship.
A: 初めの1ヶ月は語学学校に通う予定だったんだけど、同時に仕事探しもしてた。滞在1週目にハミルトン島での仕事を見つけて、すぐそこに行くことに決めたからホームステイは先からはすぐに出た。
元々ハミルトン島での仕事は、レストランでのウェイトレスという予定だったんだけど、面接に行くとそのポジションはもうないと言われて…でも、他のポジションを探してくれたんだよね。
それで「パブリックアテンダント」っていうポジションについて説明されたんだけど、結局はクリーナーだった。お金もなかったから、できるだけ早く仕事が欲しかったということもあって、この仕事を受けることにした。そこで6ヶ月過ごした。（※オーストラリアのワーキングホリデーでは、同一企業で働けるのは6ヶ月と決まっている。）
ハミルトン島ってところはとてもユニークで、ホテルからリゾートゴルフコースまで全てが一つの大きな企業によって運営されているの。グレートバリアリーフにある島の中では一番大きくて、島内に空港もある。
多くのワーキングホリデー利用者は、仕事よりも楽しむことを優先するような気がする。でも私の場合は、楽しむということよりも他国に基盤を作って働くということが優先だった。これは向こうの生活を経験する中で気づいたんだけど、最終的には会社にスポンサーしてもらうことに繋がったんだよね。
Q: So it was Melbourne that you went to next?
Q: じゃあ、そのあとがメルボルン？
A: Yes
A: そう。
Q: What brought you to Melbourne?
Q: なぜメルボルンへ行くことになったの？
A: After my six months ended I decided to look elsewhere for
work. I felt that Island life was nice and relaxed but at the same time there
was little to do, it was too relaxed. I thought if I stayed here longer I would
not be able to get used to city life again.
I thought about going back to Sydney but many travelers and
friends told me that Sydney was not a good city to live in, they recommended
Melbourne. I wondered what the difference was but so many people to me to try
Melbourne out. I thought ‘why not?’ and decided to go.
A: 6ヶ月が終了したら、どこか違う場所で仕事を探そうと思ってた。島での生活はゆったりしていてとても良かったけど、時にやることがなくて刺激が少なかった。ここに長くいたら、都会での生活には戻れなくなるだろうなと思ったの。
シドニーに戻ろうと思っていたんだけど、島で出会った沢山の友達がシドニーは住む場所ではないと。彼らにメルボルンを薦められた。何が違うのか疑問だったけど、多くの人がメルボルンを薦めてきた。それなら行かないって選択肢はないでしょ？だから行くことに決めたの。
Q: So you didn’t have
a job ready you decided to look when you got to Melbourne?
Q: じゃあ、メルボルンに行くときには仕事も決まっていなかったの？
A: Yes that’s right.
A: そう、そういうこと。
Q: Where did you stay in Melbourne?
Q: メルボルンではどこに滞在した？
A: I stayed in a Hostel this time.
A: この時はホステル（バックパッカー）にステイした。
Q: What was that experience like for you because I found
Hostels in Melbourne to be quite poor compared to anywhere else in the world I
had been to one.
Q: 世界中のホステルと比べるとメルボルンのホステルはあまり良くないような気がするんだけど、どんな感じだった？
A: I’d never stayed in one before so I didn’t want to be in
a messy backpacker room, I paid more for a more ‘luxury’ hostel.
A: 今までホステルに泊まったことがなかったから、汚い部屋とかには泊まりたくなくて少しお金を余分に払って良さそうな部屋をとった。
Q: You only
worked for the one job in Melbourne didn’t you?
メルボルンでは一つしか仕事をしていないよね？
A: Yes I worked for DOA for a number of years until I left
the country this year
A: うん、今年オーストラリアを出るまでは数年間DOA（D.O.A Australia 日系旅行会社）で働いた。
Q: How did you find that job?
Q: 仕事はどうやって見つけたの？
A: I used a Japanese website which helped people find jobs in
Melbourne.
A: メルボルンにある日系求人サイトを使った。
Q: What are your honest thoughts on that job now that you no
longer work there.
Q: 退職した今、正直仕事についてはどう思う？
A: I was planning to become a tour guide for foreign people
in Japan when I return to Japan so found the job a good opportunity to train as
it was doing tours for Japanese people in Melbourne. Melbourne is not a popular
city for Japanese tourists compared to places in NSW or Queensland.
Melbourne has lots of different events in different seasons
like the Tennis, Formula 1 etc.
The company was looking for new staff at the
time I applied to help with the Australian Open Tennis. I found the job an opportunity
to learn about a country and the city because I had to take in the history the
culture and everything. I learned a lot of things and became more interested in
the country through this job.
However it’s a really hard job physically. I had to get up
super early and work until Midnight or even later.
A: 元々は日本へ帰国後、外国人観光客向けにガイドをやりたいなと思っていたから、メルボルンで日本人観光客向けにガイドをするのは絶好のチャンスかなと思って。ニューサウスウェールズ州（シドニーのある州）やクイーンズランド州（ケアンズ、ゴールドコーストのある州）に比べるとメルボルンは日本人観光客が多くないけど、シーズンによって沢山のイベントがあるでしょ。全豪オープンテニスとかF1グランプリとか。会社はちょうど全豪オープンテニスの時期に求人を出してた。
ガイドの仕事は、まず国や街の文化や歴史、至ることを勉強する必要があるから、国や街を知るためには良い機会だった。でも、間違いなく体力的にはキツイね。ものすごく早起きしなくてはいけないかと思えば、深夜やそれ以上に遅くまで働くこともあったから。
Q: Looking at it from
the outside, I felt you were being forced to work by Japanese standards rather
than Australian, I don’t know how the government of Australia would view that
practice but you worked super hard regardless.
Q: 外から見ていると、オーストラリアの基準というよりは日本の基準で働くことを強いられていたようだったんだけど。オーストラリア政府がどう見るかはさておき、とにかく物凄い働いていたよね。
A: I felt it was too much, the company supported my business
visa but I felt like because of that I was forced to do everything, I felt that
was the expectation.
A: 少し働きすぎだったかなと思う。会社は就労ビザをサポートしてくれたから何でもやらなきゃと…。会社もそれを期待していると思ってた。
Q: What was your
favorite thing about Melbourne and least favorite thing?
Q: メルボルンについて、好きなところと嫌いなところを教えて。
A: Melbourne is a really unique city I think, there are many
people from different countries mixed together and they created some new things
due to that mix of culture, for example Art or the Café scene.
A: メルボルンはとても個性的な街だと思う。沢山の国から多くの人がやってきて、それらの文化が入り混じって新しい文化を生み出す。例えば、アートとかカフェの文化がまさにそう。（好きな部分）
Q: Yeah I felt the same way although I was not there for as
long as you I felt some areas of Melbourne were more multicultural than even
London.
なるほど、僕もそう思う。彩に比べるとメルボルンに長くいたわけではないけど、それでもいくつかのエリアはロンドンよりも多文化的なんじゃないかって思うよ。
A: Really? Well in
terms of what I didn’t like that much, I felt the crime rate was continuing to
rise over the years and there were many homeless people around the CBD (Central Business District) area. I
felt it was difficult to keep balance due to the increased population from
overseas.
A: 本当？うーん、好きじゃないと感じるところは犯罪率が増加しているところかな。メルボルン中心部には、ホームレスの人も増えたし。海外からの移住者による人口増加に対して、うまくバランスを取れていないのかなと感じるかな。
Q: Yeah Melbourne is
expanding a lot, there is so much building work going on currently and so many
new apartment blocks being built. Kind of like London is now there are aspects
that don't accommodate the large amount of people.
Q: あぁ、メルボルンの街は広がっているよね。沢山の場所で工事をしていて、新興ビルがたくさん建っている。多くの人を収容しきれていないという意味ではロンドンと同じように感じる。
A: Yeah.
A: なるほど。
Q: What was one of your favorite experiences in Australia
Overall?
Q: オーストラリアの生活で一番楽しかったことは？
A: That’s difficult, we went to Tasmania and all-around
Australia on road trips, that was really fun because I never got much of those
tourist experiences. We went to Grampians, Great ocean road, Brisbane, And the Gold
Coast. I enjoyed those trips with you.
A: それは難しいな…旅行者として旅したことがあまりなかったから、タスマニアに行ったり、一緒にロードトリップしたのはとても楽しかったよ。グランピアンズやグレートオーシャンロード、ブリスベン、ゴールドコーストに行ったね。楽しかったなぁ～
Q. So what was the best food you had out in Australia,
weather in a restaurant, something you tried yourself or someone made for you?
Q: では、オーストラリアで食べた中で一番美味しかったものは？レストランで食べたものでも、誰かが作ったものでもなんでも。
A: That’s so difficult Right? But I loved the Restaurant
Matilda on our Wedding day. It was a really posh looking place but fantastic
food, atmosphere and the Service. It made me feel special!
A: それを選ぶのは物凄く難しくない？でも結婚式の日に行ったMatilda（マチルダ）は良かったな。上品な空間で料理も素晴らしかった。店の雰囲気やサービスもとても良かったよ。凄く特別な感じがした。
Q: Yeah it made our day much more special.
Q: うん、僕らの日をより特別にしてくれたよね。
A: I also Loved Auction room, the café and restaurant you
introduced me to in North Melbourne.
A: あとはAuction room（オークションルーム）も好き。ノースメルボルンにあるカフェを教えてくれたんだよね。
Q: Yeah my boss introduced me to it and they did such
amazing brunch that I had to take you! We went so many times… I miss that
place.
Q: あぁ、元上司が教えてくれた場所でブランチがとても美味しかったから彩を連れて行ったんだ！あそこは何度も行ったよね…。恋しいなぁ。
A: But overall Melbourne has a high quality of food. I never
experienced a disappointing meal in Melbourne, sometimes just OK but never bad.
The coffee culture was great there too!
A: でも総合的に見てメルボルンの食事はレベルが高い気がする。メルボルンで食事に失望した経験はないかな。たまにまぁまぁってのはあっても、不味いものってのはなかった。コーヒーの文化も素晴らしかった！
Q: Yeah it got me into coffee!
Q: そう、コーヒーに夢中になった。（※イギリス人は圧倒的に紅茶を飲むにも関わらず）
A: I felt Asian food was great there, in Japan we have many
different kinds of food but Asian food there is not too hot or rich. We don’t
get much ethnic food there and if we do its not amazing. For example Thai or
Vietnamese.
A: あとはアジアンフードが美味しかったなぁ。日本ではたくさんの食事のジャンルがあるけど、アジアの料理はスパイスを減らしたり、マイルドに日本人好みの味にしてあるような気がする。エスニックフードに関しては、他の料理に比べて感動するものが多くないと思う。タイ料理やベトナム料理とかね。
Q: Maybe because there are so many people from those
cultures in Melbourne the quality is better.
Q: 多分、他国から来る多くの人たちが食事のクオリティーを上げているんだろうね。
A: Yeah I agree.
A: 私もそう思う。
Q: So what is an underrated aspect of Australia, something
you think is great but most people don’t talk about enough?
Q: じゃあ、オーストラリアで素晴らしいのに評価されていないなって感じるものは何？
A: I think it’s the food to be honest, I never expected the
food to be that good. I thought it followed what I perceived as UK culture at
the time, easy meals with not a lot of adventurous flavors.
A: これは正直食事だと思う。オーストラリアの料理が美味しいなんて想像していなかった。当時はイギリスの文化に沿っているので、シンプルな料理というかあまりバラエティーが多くないようなイメージを持っていたの。
Q: I think a lot of people find UK food boring haha.
Q: 多くの人は、イギリスの料理はつまらないって言うよね。ははは
A: Yeah I thought they just had Pie and Fish and Chips in
Australia too!
A: そうね、オーストラリアにもパイとフィッシュアンドチップスしかないと思ってた！
Q: Well now you know that’s not true in either country
right!
Q: 今は、どちらの国もそうじゃないってわかったでしょ！
A: Yes sorry haha.
A: そうだね、ごめんなさい。ははは
Q: This is a bit of a negative question but did you feel you
experienced any racism because you are Japanese?
Q: これは少しネガティブな質問だけど、日本人だからという理由で人種差別を受けたと感じることはある？
A: Not so much that I am Japanese but sometimes people think
I am another Asian race and use racist words to that race. It’s not a frequent
thing and generally it was only the Homeless drunk people or people with Mental
health issues in the city.
A: あまりないけど、日本人はアジア人でも別枠というか。日本人ではない他のアジア人に対して差別的な言葉を使っている人はいるような気がする。頻繁ではないけどね、多くはホームレスの人とか、アル中の人とか、精神異常者かな。
Q: I see, so it was never directly aimed at you being Japanese?
Q: なるほど、日本人だから直接的な差別を受けなかったってこと？
A: Yeah I don’t really know why though.
A: そう、何故だかよくわからないけど。
Q: In all of your time in Australia did you ever get home
sick?
Q: オーストラリアにいた中でホームシックになったことはある？
A: Never, well maybe at first I missed things like Japanese
food and washlets haha but It’s easy to keep in contact with my family these
days due to technology like LINE or Skype and also I would go back to Japan
once a year.
A: 一度もないね。ただ初めは日本食とウォシュレットが恋しかった。ははは
現代ではラインとかスカイプなどテクノロジーを使って家族と簡単に連絡が取れるし、1年に一度は日本に帰っていたからね。
Q: Overall how did you find Australia and the working
environment there?
Q: 総合的に、オーストラリアの暮らし、そして労働環境はどうだった？
A: I enjoyed it overall, my work environment did not follow
the Australian working practices, only Japanese and that was disappointing to me, however it was interesting, I met a lot of people through it and it was still a great experience. I
felt that due to my job it was difficult to enjoy my life outside of it and my
free time so it’s hard for me to comment on that. I could be called to work at
any time so I struggled to meet friends and spend time with you, that was sad.
A: 総合的には楽しかった。労働環境はオーストラリアに従ったものではなかったから納得できない部分もあったけど、それでも仕事を通じてたくさんの人に出会って素晴らしい経験だったと思う。私の労働スタイルの中ではプライベートを充実させることがすごく難しかった。突然仕事が入ることもあったから、友達と過ごすことももちろんあなたと過ごすことだって難しかったから、それは少し心残りかな。
Q: If you had the chance would you ever return to Australia
to live and work?
Q: もしまた機会があれば、働くにしても暮らすにしてもオーストラリアに戻りたいと思う？
A: Maybe if I had that kind of opportunity, I would go back
but it depends on the situation. I think in general Australia has a good salary
rate compared to Japan or the UK.
A: もし機会があれば、恐らくね。でも状況によるかな。一般的にオーストラリアの給料のレートは、日本やイギリスに比べても凄く良いと思うけどね。
Q: So now you’ve left and begun a life in the UK with me,
you have a new job starting here soon too, what do you hope for the future
here?
Q: そして今、オーストラリアを離れて僕とイギリスでの暮らしが始まって、新しい仕事ももうすぐ始まる。ここでの未来に何を望む？
A: I just want to do my best!
A: とにかくベストを尽くしたい！
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