Week end post

It's Saturday and I came at work, but not for working :P
In fact, I came because I was too bored at home and because 3D Realms finally released the demo of Prey, a game I wanted to try.
So I left for work like everyday, except when I got here, there were nearly no one (or there was surprisingly someone, as you wish).

As for the game, the gameplay is quite original in itself. It has good ideas and I expect more (as what is said on the demo preview) from the full game.
This is also caused by the fact that I haven't played one good occidental game for a while, and I needed that, here are only you-know-what kind of games (I generalize of course, but occidental -> action/violence/gore/fps and stuff while in Japan you only get to see RPGs, fighting games, mechas and hentai).
Go for it, it's worth trying.

For those who are waiting for more posts about life in Japan, well...the thing is, I get to see tons of facts everyday, facts that may probably scare all of you gaijins (-> foreigners). But those are common here, too common, that I would be ending up taking a picture and remembering everything that goes by. This is just impossible.
Like the other day I saw someone from the back, thin and tall, white skin, hair stuffed with some gel product AND a girl's handbag.
I ASSURE YOU that at first glance, it was a girl. No doubt about it. But looking at his face, it turned out to be a guy (not that I started a conversation, I'm not crazy, I know where I am and know that things like that happen everyday). Hell I was scared :|

Another custom here, besides "taking off your shoes", is politeness at work (and elsewhere too but I'll only cover a small part of politeness at work).
When you meet a co-worker, like when you go to the toilet, pass by him in a corridor or simply meet him in the morning, it is common sense to say ”おつかれさまです” (pronounce "otsukaresama desu"). You can even use it when writing e-mails or starting a conversation, instant messaging or not.
What does it mean ? For us foreigners, nothing. But what is it for then ? It's just plain politeness. And this only applies to co-workers during working hours.
Honestly, it took me quite some time to get used to it. Managing to trigger your own mind to pull that sentence out at the right situation, definitely not easy.

As a last anecdote, I'll tell you about this Thursday.
What was so special on that day ? It was the release of Valkyrie Profile : Silmeria on PS2. Yes. It's special because video games have a really important place in Japan. So important that a colleague, knowing me and my tastes for games, asked me to go with him get a copy of the game. That was perfect since I had to try and get the Artifact Box for a friend in France. So we purposely left earlier (it was 9PM) and headed for Akiba, in the probably only store still opened at that time : Yodobashi Camera.
It's a huge mall disguised in a building (I'll get pictures the next time I go there, promise). They sell everything from TVs, cameras, computer stuff, watches, DVD, video games...well everything you need in our electronic world, and video games are on the 6th floor.
Upon arriving, it's surprising to see so many people around. And Valkyrie Profile Silmeria is there as well.
Unfortunately for me (well, for my friend in fact), the Artifact Box was already sold out. My colleague got his copy and we were prepared to leave when....he headed over to the Gachapon area :D
For those who don't know, gachapons are small toys you get in a machine, by inserting coins and turning a crank.
The area was filled with those machines, that was pretty impressive. There already were people (adult and rather "old" people, like 40+ years, meaning those are not only for kids) around, examining the machines and trying to get an interesting gachapon (there, you are used to this word now).
My colleague didn't see anything interesting and we left soon after.

Well, that's all for today (sorry no pictures this time).
See you later.