Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

Three months…

…have passed since I arrived in this land. So tonight, I went out for a huge Indian meal to celebrate. Yum. Tomorrow is a bank holiday, what kind of country gives you the day off just for it being the equinox? Its not like I’m complaining, of course, since my weekend shopping trip got rained off, I just hope its dry again tomorrow.

So, a quarter of a year in, has it been worth it?

Yes, I think so – I’ve learned a whole load of things about getting along with people, I’ve seen a whole load of culture that I wouldn’t have seen in Europe, I’ve largely broken my consumerism addiction (this will never be completely broken, by the very nature of a consumerist society, society falls apart if people don’t consume, and that path, my friends, leads to anarchy…) and I’ve managed to free myself from an emotional hole I’d dug myself into.

The downside, of course, is that I’m so far away from everyone, theres something surreal about feeling alone in a city so full of people. But I’m looking forward to being back at the end of next month, and hpoe to catch up with people then.


Categories: Memories.

/ 15 Comments

15 comments

  3. marvelousmrchip

    > I’ve largely broken my consumerism addiction (this will never be completely broken, by the very nature of a consumerist society, society falls apart if people don’t consume, and that path, my friends, leads to anarchy…)

    So if we stop buying stuff we will end up in a utopian anarchist society? How cool is that? And I thought it was because we buy stuff that we don’t end up in one. ???

    > and I’ve managed to free myself from an emotional hole I’d dug myself into.

    Cool. Sure it wasn’t the curry that did it? You can get a high from it, you know?

    Reply
    • neilh

      Well, I’m trying to do my bit for the revolution…

      And, no, it was a bigger hole than even a really good curry could get me out of. And, hell, that was a really good curry – at last somewhere where you can order just mango chutney with your popadums. Still unsure about the view over the freeway, maybe next time I’ll get a window seat so I can see it better…

      Reply
  4. stompyboots

    I had lots of dreams last night, and you were in one of them! It was weird – simultaneously innocuous and unsettling. Basically (innocuous) you’d decided that you didn’t like it in Tokyo, and so had come back early. And that was the unsettling bit, because I’ve always had you down as a fighter/seeing things through to their resolutions type person. Ah well, other people’s dreams are always dull. Only six weeks till Whitby!

    Reply
    • neilh

      I was originally only going to be here for three months, but the agent talked me into taking a years contract…which is one significant reason for thinking about it being three months.

      Not sure where you get the idea I’m a finisher? I’m way more a starter, rarely actually following things through. Though I dislike letting people down, so if I say I’ll do something for somebody I will try my hardest to do it, and I won’t say I’ll do it if I don’t think I can.

      Reply
        • neilh

          Or maybe I just feel incompetant so try to distract people from noticing how bad I am by dressing differently to everyone else?

          And, no, I don’t believe this, though there is a school of thought which suggests that is how come the Italians ended up with such good suits – they needed to distract people from the expressions on their faces…so, be wary of people in suits, they often have something they don’t want you to know. For me, certainly in Oxford, I knew from the first couple of days that I wasn’t going to be staying (in the job) so I wanted to keep it such that it wouldn’t be a surprise if I turned up in a suit after going to an interview…that was what *I* was trying to hide.

          Reply
          • stompyboots

            Clever!

            I know that the main reason bailiffs and debt collectors wear suits is to disguise any differences between them. When you have six men in suits walk towards you, they’re six men in suits. If they were wearing their own clothes, however, it’s easier to pick out the tall one in the red top, and the fat bloke with bonde hair, etc. Although it would be quite hard to disguise the intentions of six big blokes in black suits standing on your doorstep!

      • godgirl

        Re: reasons marge can’t move to Japan ..no:29384

        Yes i so do!!!

        …. except when i’m eating…. or asleep :)

        heck as i type a fabric swatch order has just been dispatched from bradford, and this week, despite not being at work, i have receivd five parcels of shipped articles…. erm…. i can’t STOP!!!!

        Reply

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