Work...and Japanese TV!

So yeah I am working in Japan...I won`t say the name of the place obviously but its a nice place to work, the people I work with are cool...and really it is not that stressful.

I have been out twice with my work mates...yeah I know...only twice!? Both times we went out to La Pausa which is an Italitan restraunt. The first time was for Julian`s birthday and the second a kinda welcoming thing for me and the new branch manager. To tell the truth work does drain me and after a twenty minute walk from the station I am ready to kick back and relax watching tv in a language I don`t understand although saying that there is entertaining shit that doesnt require me to understand Japanese.

Take the Smap programme for example. For those in the dark about Smap they are Japan`s biggest and gayest (in my opinion) boyband, the marketing around the band is so clever...they are each in a different soap, they each shoot own commercials and films, they each have their own fan club as well as having the group fan club. They basically have a hand in everything (that sounds dodgier than it really is) so their fame and appeal cannot die.

So one day there I was with no internet (I do now yipppeeee!) and I am flipping through channels. Suddenly I see Michael Jackson and Smap on the same prog...i knew this was going to be an interesting one. Basically the studio reps had arranged for MJ to suprise our boys Smap whilst they practised one of their songs on stage. MJ walks into the building shades on surrounded by bodyguards and he watches from the control room tapping his fingers along to the tone deaf singers downstairs (i.e. smap for all you people who cannot read my inane blabbing!) Suddenly he stands up (cue the commentator of the show shouting and ahhhing is head off) and mj heads to some stairs and walks into the studio (cue mj`s bad song) and smap standing in shock as mj is glaring at them from above. Note at this point that he has only just heard of this group, he knows nothing of japanese music, he has realised they CANNOT sing at all...and he ends up saying...and I quote "you are great, I love your song"...OH PUUUUUULEASE. He could have met someone cool like Ken Hirai who could probably fart and still be more intune that Smap but no he was stuck with an oohing and ahhing boyband who literally wet themselves when they saw mr prudey nose. Anyways so after much ooohing and ahhing from our boys Smap they all took it in turns to speak some well rehearsed english lines e.g. "my name is Shingo, I love you" and then blabbed at him in Japanese whilst MJ`s translator who was prob more obssessed with smap than him translated. All of a sudden MJ stands up and says he has to leave. Many handshakes and bowings later Smap sit on the floor and make stupid comments about their meeting with the King of Pop.

For more clarrification just check out the pics!