the japanese montell jordan??

nah, we probably shouldn't go that far. but toshi kubota is still pretty darn entertaining! it's like everything good about the 90s rolled into one extended carefree sequence of mushroom cuts and topknots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHugWXF2lPU

whenever I think about this song (which is often) I start smiling uncontrollably - until I realize that the lady I'm squashed next to on the train is now staring and likely trying to inch to safety. then I try to force my mouth into expressionlessness (is that a word?) but I just end up with this strangled half-grin on my face and a little more breathing room than even I should expect...

it's good that TK can get me in a such a nice mood, because registering for classes is a headache and a half. the only one I got was my Japanese (aka intensive Death), so I had to spend this past week trying to finagle my way into the anthro classes I want to/have to take in order to not have the worst senior spring ever. my daily 3-hour monster of a Japanese class kind of cut down on my choices, but that was cool because the one I really wanted to take since I was home in the States was open! Yes, the Anne Allison (famous anthropologist) course which, oh wait, EVERYONE wants to take because she's only here for the semester.

so yeah, I was pretty much ready to give up on this particular Tokyo dream and console myself with more La-La-La Love Song when I went to speak to her today (again with EVERYONE else). it was interesting, though... when it came time for me to give her my story, I felt especially uneasy about having to name drop to get myself in.

clearly I've been name dropping all my life, probably more so when I went Ivy and definitely last summer, when I had to get those rich bums in Connecticut to believe that I wasn't some black delinquent going door-to-door for the charity of Regina. I knew that if I gave A. Allison the one-two combo (pre-thesis at Harvard, and with Prof Bestor for an advisor, baby!) she'd wave the white flag, but I wish I didn't have to. I'd rather try to do the academic thing and have her judge me on that, instead of being tied to the amazing credentials of others I'm affiliated with. disappointing other people can turn into the worst kind of kryptonite, ne?

I'm not too worried about that right now, though. as TK says, "maware maware (spin, spin) merry-go-round/I wanna be your Shining Star." and indeed, the great merry-go-round of life shall spin, resulting in brand new la-la loves for some and fulfilling work experiences for others. thank you, Toshi.