Da Weekend

It's June.

And it's still cold in Muroran.

We are still using the heaters at my school some days.

In June.

The plan this weekend was to head out and climb a mountain, maybe another volcano.

That was the plan, anyway.

Woke up Saturday. Rain. All day long. Yeah. Not exactly conducive to mountain climbing.

So I played a video game instead.

Ryu Ga Gotoku ("As A Dragon"). Known in the U.S. as "Yakuza". Not even released in the U.S. yet.

And one incredible game.


You are Kazuma Kiryu, a member of a Yakuza outfit. You get sent to prison for something you didn't do, and then return to your city ten years later.

It is an incredibly detailed game. You can go and eat a beef bowl. You can shop at a convenience store. You can go into bars and drink. You can hit at the batting cages. You can gamble. You can play that crane game where you try and get the toy out of the box.

And you can get in street brawls. Lots of them.

The story is well-written, well enough to make you a little weepy near at the end. Bravo to the creators.

So I was immersed in this game all day Saturday. In the evening, I got a phone call from Katie inviting me to a Mexican food party at her place.

Hmmm? My interest, as they say, was piqued.

So I saved my game and cruised on out to Katie's, an hour late but just in time for the food. Damn I'm good.

Good fajitas. Excellent fajitas. Mmmm, yeah. Then came the England vs. Paraguay match in World Cup soccer action. Judy, who also made the party, was an absolute mess, being that she's from England and the English always seem to expect the absolute worst. Or maybe that's just her. But England managed to pull out a win, despite being "pants".

Fun stuff.

I cruised back home and spent way to much time playing my Yakuza game.

Sunday was much of the same. Lousy weather and Yakuza action interrupted by a concert in Nakajima. Good times all around. A nice lazy weekend at home.

And now you know why it took me so long to post up these articles.