Today Obama is Pr
esident and our country takes a step in the right direction. I celebrated in Obama, Japan, almost a complete world away with other pe
ople who were right there ready to welcome him into a position for change. I cannot begin to describe how excited, no - awed I am by the patriotism that took place in order for Obama to become the President, but I can describe to you what celebrating that patriotism in Obama, Japan was like. Surreal.
Jeremiah (thank God I can finally spell his name - shit), Dale and I rallied on the train at 6:50 in the a.m. to get to the bus heading for Obama by 7:10. 
We did not know what Obama looked like, or if we would be able to follow the polls. We heard it was a "small fishing town" and with adventure and hope in our hearts we departed anyway, determined to dedicate this day to being America as close to "Obama" as we could be....right? Dale and Jeremiah brought their laptops. We were fully prepared to search for the closest Internet place and hook up if nothing was happening. We were not prepared for what we were actually about to find.
We did not know what Obama looked like, or if we would be able to follow the polls. We heard it was a "small fishing town" and with adventure and hope in our hearts we departed anyway, determined to dedicate this day to being America as close to "Obama" as we could be....right? Dale and Jeremiah brought their laptops. We were fully prepared to search for the closest Internet place and hook up if nothing was happening. We were not prepared for what we were actually about to find.Our 45 minute bus ride was scenic and we watched the sun stretch out over the mountain peeks. We knew we were closer to Obama every stop the meter above the driver added an extra 100 yen here and there.
The police at the "police box" at the train station in Obama, told us the festivities had ended and though initially we were a little miffed we missed "it" we were set on having a party that day and we set off to Moss Burger to find our Internets. As we asked for directions, Jeremiah came upon a Japanese word he was not familiar with....Shomo or something of that nature. Because it was 8 o'clock in the morning and I was feeling very comfortable being around people who don't speak English, I made the very common mistake of just being a smart ass for fun. I said, "maybe we could just act it out" and before I could congratulate myself for being sooo clever, another police man echoed me, "act". Quite possibly the only English word he knows so, part embarrassment, partly in the mood to follow this charade out I started to wobble my arms a bit and rock from one leg to the next - adding the word "act" to it just to have fun. I don't know what the fuck I did but suddenly the police woman who was giving the directions started to mimic my movements and declared, "fireman". I repeated, "fireman?" a little caught off guard that she said something in English. Dale and Jeremiah's jaws dropped as they gawked at my incredible translation of Shomo (or whatever the word was). I was just as confused but however it worked this police woman was able to articulate fireman from my ridiculous smart ass remark which led us to the fire station where we could see the Moss burger.
Honestly, I don't know how the world works and I'm starting to realize it might just be one big joke.
Moss burger was great. It was open. There was no Internet however, though a laptop was set up at the end of the counter by the older man who was working solo. We were more than happy to grab a burger before running off to the next Internet spot...it wouldn't be open for an hour. Coffee and a chili cheese burger, make it 3 please. Dale had run outside to check for wifi...Jeremiah and I set up at an empty table...English rap was thumping through the sound system. I asked Jeremiah if he thought the old man liked the music, so he asked, we got a smile and no response. We took it as a no.
The sun was out in full morning effect, 8:30 heat...thank god I brought 2 sweaters and my uggs! Before I could say - thanks for the free keitai bling, Dale had brought in 2 other Americans who came to Obama to celebrate. Everyone here has a strange name - Gabby brought this to my attention and now it is all I can think about. So in come, Gabriel and Hathem. Gabriel is from Kansas, his hair is dark and shaggy and he has fierce green and brown eyes furrowed under dark eyebrows and stands all of 5'-5" tall. Hathem is ethnic (which sounds so ridiculous to describe someone as, while living in Japan and realizing we are all ethnic, what the fuck). He has dark curly hair and big brown eyes with long lashes behind some fancy glasses. He is from New York. Of course. I am excited to see them (its always excited to run into fellow Americans - except when I get drunk in Kyoto and walk around bitching about all the white people, sorry). 
But on election day, bring em out, bring em out! I am even more excited because they inform us the party hasn't even begun and they bust out a map to take us there. More exciting than all this is the craziness of running into 2 other Americans who speak Japanese as they and Jeremiah now turn to the Moss burger employee and start speaking the garble I have to listen to day in and day out....it was almost a twin peaks experience (I'm assuming, I always hear that but have never actually seen twin peaks. I now assume all freaky shit is a twin peaks experience...you tell me) And it gets better still when some other Japanese person walks into the moss burger and offers to walk Gabriel and Hathem straight to the party so they don't get lost. This is truly a country that cares.
But on election day, bring em out, bring em out! I am even more excited because they inform us the party hasn't even begun and they bust out a map to take us there. More exciting than all this is the craziness of running into 2 other Americans who speak Japanese as they and Jeremiah now turn to the Moss burger employee and start speaking the garble I have to listen to day in and day out....it was almost a twin peaks experience (I'm assuming, I always hear that but have never actually seen twin peaks. I now assume all freaky shit is a twin peaks experience...you tell me) And it gets better still when some other Japanese person walks into the moss burger and offers to walk Gabriel and Hathem straight to the party so they don't get lost. This is truly a country that cares.I grab the bags of food to go and take them outside to eat them with Dale and Jeremiah as our friend Josh shows up. (I make the mistake of introducing him as Justin a few times later in the day but he doesn't correct me until I find out from Dale I've been saying it wrong the whole time, I hate that, but he doesn't seem to mind). At this point it is almost 9 something and we are fully aware we are not drunk yet. Dale resolves this with beers he grabs at the "Family Mart" on the corner...to go with our chili cheese burgers. He has also brought some whiskey which I decide to drink first...liquor before beer, right? 
So it looks like the trip is going to be more exciting than we hoped for. A party. Small or not it was an assembly and we would follow the polls it would not be all for not.
So it looks like the trip is going to be more exciting than we hoped for. A party. Small or not it was an assembly and we would follow the polls it would not be all for not.
For the record, Obama is not a small town. Everyone says it is but it's much bigger than my town. Or any towns in Takashima from what I can tell....but people continue to contest to how small it is. We walk for some time drinking my beer, sipping my whiskey and coffee, alternating my drinks and which arm will be holding my over sized sweater. The morning shade is cool and breezy but the morning sun is incubating my legs right through my dark skinny jeans and my sheep skin uggs. Are we there yet? We see water, there is potential. Before we see the Mermaid Plaza where the party is, we see the biggest sign with an upside down dead fish painted on it. Do I take a picture no? Do we all wonder what that store could be selling with a giant dead fish on it? A little, but this is Japan. We enter the building, me concealing my open beer (it's legal to drink in public but maybe not in public buildings?). There is a small group of people milling around, a table set up to greet handing out Obama chopsticks and I can see a table where they are selling the I heart Obama shirts. Giant flat screen TVs are set up with live coverage in English - we have arrived. A crazy group of Japanese people are freaking out as they always do on Japanese TV, dressed in some strange costumes. One a blue polyester suit, one dressed like a power ranger, one wearing a special helmet with crazy shit glued to the top and a fancy lady in a ruffly blue strapless dress with white sunglasses atop her head.
Not too much is happening so Jeremiah and I head outside - me to chug my beer and Jeremiah to search for a coke to top with some whiskey. We happen across some dudes smoking outside. They ask Jeremiah what press we are with then we say - we're not press and ask for the vending machine. We find one, get 2 cokes and are just about to pour ourselves a perfectly deserved beverage when a string of kindergarten kids walk by holding hands....we wait. We're not saints but we try not encourage too much delinquency, from small children that is. And back into the building for the partay to start.
(to be continued...there is a lot to write about obviously so I need to pace myself. Enjoy the suspense.)
party
newspapers - woah cool
more cameras
oh a video camera cool
obama shirt
obama chopsticks
TVs broadcasting CNN
hula dancers?
Obama ranger?
cameras?
more JETs - more cameras
chants
laughter
more cameras
go on stage - hercules - cameras - hot
jeremiah + kyla = stanch liberals
performances
polls
Virginia
Ohio - it's all over
watched the states turn blue on CNN
get on the table
chants
drinking - pass the cup
song and dance man - Obama is beautiful world
hula - no wait OBAMA IS PRESIDENT
crazy business
interviews!
interviews!
interviews!
hold the sign!!!
CNN
speeches - news papers hot off the press
can I have your jacket?
YES!
lunch? Booze?
Ferry?
Food?
weather and booze
Ferry ride - fast and free
wind beneath my wings
the Kompai!
Dutch photojournalist - natural disasters....nightmares...hands
Kenyan Embassador speaks!
photos!!
running for the bus
kids show us the way
station - drunk lady dale is charming
german journalist who jumps on bus and criticizes my intellect
home
fame.
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