The Tale of Bobby and His Fight With Japanese Immigration.

Ok let me just state this story is about a friend.... of course. It would be silly of me to write illegal things about myself, what if people like Japanese immigration were to read this. So yes, this is a story about a friend and is probably complete fiction.

What will he do to dance parapara in Tokyo? Anything he can, and sometimes even that's not enough. Bobby (my friend) has been banned from a lot of things in my life but never a whole country? Yeah it's a first even for him.

If you've been following his life adventures you'll know he was meanly kicked out of Tokyo at the beginning of November when his tourist visa ran out and he is waiting to get the green light on his full work visa application. Even though his visa is due anytime now he thought there had been a long enough gap inbetween his last visit to tokyo to just fly out on a tourist visa and enjoy Christmas and New Years there.

Now just to make sure immigration wouldn't give him a hard time about being in Tokyo so much, he applied for a new passport before he left. Somehow he managed to lose his current passport with all those stamps showing he'd been in tokyo for nearly 18 months. What a coincedence. So passport sorted, flight booked, all was set.

The journey to Heathrow started badly, a sign to Bobby that all was not right with the stars. After picking up his passport in Peterborough he boarded the train to London. No gates at the station and a full standing only train means only one thing, free train ride. Unbelievably for Bobby, a Geordie cunt of a ticket master showed up on the train and started doling out his Cameron justice. That'll be £47 quid he said to Bobby. I think not, Bobby said. I think it will be or I'll call the police. Go on then, Bobby said, I'm not paying £47 to stand by a fucking toilet that doesn't even work. And so a cunt off commenced. Alas with Bobby flying out in the morning the last thing he needed was a stand off with the fuck masters at the other end. What with previous court appearances for similar offences... So Bobby stood down and paid the massive cunt price to the massive power mad cunt. A rare defeat in the battle against cunt kind for our hero Bobby.

Onwards to Heathrow airport Bobby, be free and live that dream for all of us!!

Heathrow airport 5am, stage one of the 3 stage immigration rumble plan. Stage one was a matter of checking in on a one way ticket to Tokyo. Not illegal but not exactly allowed by a lot of airlines, must have an onward ticket and all that.

STUMBLE!!!

The automatic check in machines show nothing but error signals to Bobby. So on to the desk he goes to be greated by a smiling woman who is all to happy to check in his bags and give him that all important ticket.

SUCCESS!!!

With stage one complete it looked like plane sailing was ahead, and indeed it was until he landed in Milan. Because of a chnage of airport in Milan Bobby had to collect his luggage and check in at the other airport across town.

COCK BALLS!!

This time the automatic check in robot worked and spat out the final leg ticket, that golden ticket ticket to Tokyo. But of course there was trouble at the desk. Did he have an onward ticket from Japan? Why of course he did.... maybe. Ok maybe not after they checked. Thus began a meeting with the management. After far to long they decided to print out a fake ticket to hong Kong for January 3rd. Fantastic Bobby thought, blank passport, onward ticket, why wouldn't they let me into Japan.

Finally after the grueling 18+ hour journey from London Bobby arrived in Tokyo. The weather was beautiful, he could see Fuji-san all the way from Chiba. It was looking like one perfect day. Just that final most important stage to pass now. Tokyo immigration....

Passport handed over, looking good, finger print and face scan, still looking good...

Can you go with this lady please Mr Bobby?....

Fuck stains, this is not good.

Bobby was taken into a questioning room where he filled out many forms and answered a thousand questions. Of course Bobby had done nothing illegal, it all came down to him having been in Tokyo for 8 months in the last year and so he did not meet with the tourist definition. He told them all about his passion for Japanese dancing, the reason he goes so frequently to Tokyo, but you know what they said to him?

'I think you've danced enough!'

After torturing Bobby for 4 hours.... In which time they tried to find out about friends of his in Japan and of course tried to find out if he had been working in Tokyo. Of he hadn't, not to my knowledge anyway. Strangely even with all their paperwork on Bobby they didn't he was in the process of applying for a working visa. That could've spelled danger for Bobby and his work sponsor.

So four hours of nonsense and they finally told him he had to fly back to England on the next available flight. This of course meant Bobby had to pay the massive on the day flight cost.

And so our hero was defeated, a rare defeat it was, but not one that will stay long with good old Bobby. Yes Christmas and New Years is ruined, yes he dreams of continuing his life in Japan, yes money gone, but money comes and goes, not a big concern.

What are Bobby's future plans? Well he plans to wait for his work visa to get green lighted, any time now, and fly back asap. Hopefully he can have everything sorted before January 10th, that's when his sponsor would like him to start work. A matter of waiting, forever waiting. Of course I hear Bobby has a plan B, C and maybe a plan D, but he wouldn't tell me those.

Wow horrible story huh? If that happened to me I'd be pretty devastated. But we now Bobby will not be defeated, he'll get back there to dance and see those kids he loves so much before you know it.

Funnily enough I'm also applying for a work visa in Japan that is due anytime now, maybe I'll have a drink with Bobby in Tokyo sometime. I'll show him around Koenji.

Comfort

So here I am back in England, back in the house I grew up in. You'd be forgiven for thinking life has taken a massive turn for the worse, but you'd be wrong. A small setback yes, but nothing more than an inconvenience.

I've been back here for almost one month now, and to be honest it's not all that bad. Of course it's a great thing to see friends and family, and to have a break from work and life. But that's just it, a break from life. I don't need a break. Life back in England is so comfortable, no language barrier, nothing to adjust to, just no effort needed. It'd be oh so easy to get a nice career in teaching and take the comfortable road.

Sofas, pint of Stella mate, town please, how much??

But one thought of those kids and the life I've built in Tokyo and I quickly remember where I should be, who I am. Comfortable was never part of the life plan. Life plan?? There was no life plan, but if there was, comfortable would never be included.

So now I just wait for the word from that ellusive lawyer of mine. Word from immigration that I can continue living my life. Just a sticker in a passport, how difficult can it be, just do it before I sit down for too long and get too comfortable.

The status of Max

Hey all in Internet land. Thought I'd update you all on what's going on with me and my whole visa situation.

Basically a couple of weeks ago I got word from my lawyer that immigration had rejected my work visa application. Needless to say that was one of the worst days of my life, I thought my life here in japan was over and I've never cried so much in my life. But the next day things got a lot better. I went to immigration with my lawyer who has handled my whole visa application to see the immigration inspector. We went through my application, and it came down to the fact they can't except part time work as previous experience, and you need to have three years experience in your chosen field to get a work visa if you haven't got a degree. So my total work experience added up to just short of three years.... Bollocks!! But the inspector told us to change the one reference, they know the references are bullshit, and I'll get the visa in about four weeks.

So thank god it looks like I'll get this damn visa afterall. It's just a stupid sticker in your passport but it's the key to me living my wonderful life here. Ok so the only bad thing is my current visa runs out on November 9th and I have no choice but to leave the country and wait for my visa to be sorted out. All this means I'll be heading to England on the 9th and staying until either early December or new years at the latest. It's a total bitch having to leave but I will be back soon. I hate that I miss a chunk of my life for no reason, like a couple of big school events and a Parapara DVD filming, but I have no choice.

So that's the status of Max right now, small setback but no big deal.

D-Day is coming.....

Tomorrow is it, D-Day. The day I find out if I get my full work visa or not.

I am nervous as shit let me tell you. Pretty confident I`ll get the green light, and so is my immigration lawyer. I have to get it otherwise my life in Japan is over, and this is where my life is. My job, my friends, my whole damn life. I would seriously have nothing to go back to in England. I went to immigration on Friday and I basically have 30 days left on my current visa. No way is October going to be my last month in Tokyo. How could I ever leave my kids??? I would cry myself to death, I couldn't do it, there's no way, just no way.

BUT... lets not think think that, I`m confident. Please pray for me tomorrow <3

Life changing day!

Life is pretty sweet right now. Adventures a plenty and good times at school. My German housemate just left the other day, it`s weird going back to living alone, but it`s all good.

Went to see a big fireworks bullshit in East Tokyo on Saturday, turned into an allnighter in West Tokyo drinking on the streets with a bunch of straight up Yakuza guys. They were chilled as shit though, chatting about all sorts of shit, including AKB48...

Speaking of AKB48.... I finally won a ticket to see them at their theatre last Sunday. Of course it was awesome. Six months of applying in that damn lottery and I finally got to see them. The best bit was chatting with them briefly after the show and hugging my favorite girl Miorin. I so wanted to give her my number but alas... security. Next time I`ll have business cards ready.

I`m thinking of starting a book, or a blog series more like, about how to life your life like a massive shit. As in me. I think pretty much everything I do and have done in life I`ve done it in the wrong way, but everything is golden, pretty much always. Anyways I have a lot of interesting and dirty things to share that would make for good reading. It`d also make me one hell of an open book.

Let`s Get Shitfaced on Rumham!!

There`s a lot on my mind but where to start.

Life update!

Still doing what I love, loving life, loving Koenji, and forever waiting for my visa to get the green light. School is great, preparing for sports day which is actually a big festival with lots of dancing and fun times. I`m joining the parents and director for a big Kara dance number, it will be awesome.

It`s been great having a room mate, and also a work mate for the past three weeks. He`ll be around for another two weeks, but we`ve been having fun times. We`ve been interviewing people for the job at my other school for the past forever, everyone has been unsuitable until Friday when Garth from Australia came for an interview. perfect guy and he started today. He`s under my wing for a week, but I can see he loves the kids and loves to get down and dirty. Perfect really.

My search for a love life goes on and on. 31 years 3 months and counting. I had the owner of a local bar trying to set me up, but she couldn`t find anyone suitable, and alas everyone else ever is just not interested. But I keep on looking and trying, surely someone one day will want to join me on the adventure that is my life, or maybe not.

Starfire was awesome as ever, as was SEF Deluxe. I think I love to dance parapara the more I do it. I almost felt personally offended when people at SEF didn`t know a bunch of new Starfire routines. Learn them dipshits.

The last season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was gold, and the first two episodes of It`s Always Sunny have been shit the bed funny. Rumham is just genius. Watch both if you have a funny bone.

Crazy On Emotion

Sup faithful stalkers.

I say stalkers because I interviewed a guy at my school for a job position and he knew all about me through my blog.... weird!!! Hello Aaron if you`re reading this.

The last couple of weeks have been fun gonzo times. My ex workmate and good friend David came over to Tokyo. He`s staying for just over a month and is basically my roommate. Really nice having someone around the house and especially at work, just nice to have an adult to talk to. Anyway we`ve been hitting Koenji and Nogata most nights for jub and yakitori delights, meeting lots of new people and just getting up to no good.

There`s a cracking little jub near my house we found, awesome friendly people and cheap beer. What more could you ask for. The Mama who half runs the bar has made it her mission to get me a woman, so next week me and David are going there for a kind of blind date thingy lol. Who am I to argue.

What about 9loveJ???

Ohhhhhh the woe that it is. It`s no more. 9J is gone.

Ok so we still have 9loveJ but it`s no longer a para event. It`s no merged with a huge otaku and dance night in Ginza. When we got there last week there were massive lines to get in and we couldn`t see any para people. It was the weirdest thing ever. Inside was a heaving mass of otaku`s and no para. After awhile we found a set of stairs going to a bassment bar and a tiny dancefloor that was playing a mix of dance, jpop and about 3 para songs. All the para crowd were down there but it sure wasn`t a para night. After awhile we all just got down with the otaku music and a whole lot of AKB48. It was however all you can drink and it wasn`t long before 20 glasses of wine were on the table and drinking games started.

It`s such a shame to lose a big para event, but it is a fun event in it`s own right. I doubt we`ll ever see any more lessons or dvds from 9loveJ ever again. Ah well, Starfire, SEF, B-1, and a bunch of smaller events live on. Starfire and SEF hold the key to the future of para in Japan. If they ever stopped... apart from my life being over I think para would officially die.

That`s all, move along.

Keep checking my youtube for all the lesson videos as ever. Sorry no Starfire lessons I was passed out in the toilet....

www.youtube.com/user/maxsubobs

A K B....... 48!!!!

What an awesome weekend it was just, happy days all round. Koenji Matsuri, Starfire and the DVD release, and....

AKB48 AT A-NATION!!!!!!

Yeah that`s right, I finally finally finally got to see my beloved girls live after entering the lottery at least 3 times a week for the last 6 months or more. I can now die happy.

I got invited by a friend to A-nation a few months ago and I`ve been looking forward to it so so much. Wasn`t much interested in the other artists tbh. Oh my God when the girls came out I could have died happy, and LEMON-CHAN!!!!! was in the lineup. I couldn`t believe that, she is like my favorite girl but isn`t very popular, but it was all the main Senbatsu like Acchan and Yuko, and then little Lemon-chan in the back. They sang 6 songs and just the big hits like Beginner, Ponytail etc, but that was more than good enough for me. Oh my god they`re so awesome.

I could gush all day, you get the point. Just amazing!

Apart from AKB48 there were loads of other artists like TRF, Koda Kumi, Ayumi, AAA and a million others. I thought most of them were rubbish performers tbh. Ayumi was soooooo bad, I felt offended at her performance. AAA made me want to kill myself. Koda Kumi was average at best. TRF made my ears bleed.

I really loved Moumoon, she was fantastic.





But I`d say apart from AKB the best performance by a mile was the special secret artist, and that was GACKT!!! Haha I couldn`t believe it. It was his new group Yellow Fried Chickenz and man alive did they put on a great show. Flames, sex, guitars, and Gackt just being Gackt. And to top it off they sang Vanilla, it was just like YES!!! when the intro came on haha. And I don`t even like him.... great performer!

Now to see AKB in their own theater and to meet Ami-chan <3

Apart from that cum fiesta of a day, the weekend bought us Koenji Festival. A huge matsuri featuring traditional dancing and of course, half of west Tokyo drinking their brains to death. I can`t say I remember much of it, flashes of trannies, and memories of people in my house drinking spiritus.... good times.

That evening was Starfire.... I was so So drunk　when　I　got　there,　I　spent　the　first　half　passed　out　on　the　bathroom　floor　but　came　around　for　the lesson. Great Starfire as ever, I think.

I`ll do a separate post about the DVD but you can download it now over at para-center.net. I`m actually really happy with my video, came out really well.

Tomorrow is the last day before the new school term starts. Summer school has been going as ever this week, with all of 10 kids, but today a bunch of kids came in before the start tomorrow. It was awesome to see Momo and Julia and my football boys. I can`t wait to see everyone on Thursday!!

By the way, everything is back to normal at school, everything is being chilled out again. PHEW!!