... and November means Novembeard!

My good friend Daniel Kaluza, who became a whacked-out assassin in a fit of supreme boredom.
The greatest picture ever of our true feelings.
Feigned enthusiasm.
The guy on the right is Fabien, sexiest Frenchman alive.


Indeed, it is true, and I have not shaved since the beginning of the month in observance of Novembeard.

Let's see... where were we? Ah yes! A splash of water on my face and off I was to the Sou-Kei game（早慶戦）!　Turns out the early reveille wasn't strictly necessary, as the game didn't actually start until three hours after our arrival at the stadium. The interval consisted of ninety minutes of standing around outside waiting for latecomers, and ninety minutes of fierce pregame cheering in the stadium (which, with my fatigue and headache, I could have done without).

The game itself, as I tend to find baseball in general, was blindingly dull. I would have enjoyed myself a great deal more, I think, if I was actually familiar with the cheers and anthems that were perpetually being belted out in unison by the crowd, or if I had had any energy for enthusiasm. The experience was made better by good company and good food (instead of hotdogs and beer, you can buy bento boxes and beer!).

Keio and Waseda have had a fierce rivalry in baseball (among other things) for over one hundred years, and classes at both universities are canceled for the games. In the end, Keio was triumphant for a second day (the games are held in sets of three), thus winning this year's 早慶戦 (soukeisen)!


A couple of days after that, Maya and I perpetrated our greatest crime ever when I managed to successfully sneak her into my room, in clear violation of my housing agreement. That was Tuesday night last week... the plan being to smuggle her in after the Hongos had gone to sleep, and have her leave by four-thirty the next morning in order to avoid the watchful and stern Mr. Hongo (who is quite the early riser). All was going according to plan, except for one thing: Maya was so sleep-deprived that it would have been an act of cruelty to send her on her way at such a bloody unthinkable hour. As a result, after a night of much-needed couple time, we agreed upon a change of plans whereby she would sleep in with me and leave the following night. Meaning, for all of Wednesday, Maya was trapped in my room like a fugitive, unable to leave... : )

We spent the early afternoon cocooned in my room watching anime and a dumb (great) movie called "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle." Around 4pm, I left for my very first boujutsu practice.

What is boujutsu? Boujutsu is the art of beating the crap out of people with a long, heavy staff made of smooth hardwood. The "warm-up" exercises were so intense, my thigh muscles were all but turned to acidic pulp and destroyed. I nearly fell several times the next day attempting to negotiate the staircases at school, I was so incapacitated- even now I can feel a slight tightness in my legs to remind me of the beating they took! Pain included, I found the practice extremely rewarding, particularly because I find both the staff and the method of its use to be elegant and great fun.

Upon returning to the dorm and showering, I fixed a humble meal for the two of us. Preparations were made for Maya's stealthy departure. Hat, gloves, and a face mask were donned. At around 7:30 I slipped alone into the elevator and took it to the lobby, then punched the button to send it back up to the second floor. After a quick scan of the lobby and the office, I rang Maya up on her cell phone to tell her the coast was clear, and then walked outside. Without a second's hesitation, Maya caught the elevator back down to the lobby, walked through the door double-doors undetected, and met up with me outside. Operation complete!

Security really isn't very tight at my dorm, and the office is never occupied after 6:30 pm, but still, I figure caution pays off in the long run. This was actually the second time Maya has trysted with me to my room- the first time being rather more ridiculous and involving knotted sheets.