Beer and Halloween! 2008!

Bonfires burning bright, Pumpkin faces in the night, I remember Halloween!

Halloween --Just the name makes me want to quote the Misfits and swing a baseball bat! But seriously, Halloween is a good time in Japan if you know where to find it. The Japanese don't celebrate it as a holiday, but foreigners living in Japan? They worship it! So much that in the major cities of Japan the police are put on full alert for "naked, drunken revelers." A few days before Halloween I watched a news story about police intercepting online communication for a "Big Party" in Tokyo's Shinjuku station. Well, it could be worse. Halloween could be twice a year.

This Halloween, your Good Beer Country Boys went as half of a Dirty Futon set. If you look at the picture, you will see me in the rectangular flowery futon and DH in the white ghost-esque blanket futon. Making up the quartet are Good Beer Japanese Girls Michi and Miyuki as a Pillow and an O-basan (Japanese Grandmother) that beat the dirty out of the futons, respectively.

The party, courtesy of the JET organization, was set up by some beer lovin' good guys that also teach English in Japan, Nick and Roy. Speaking of Nick and Roy, they put down some mad free styling as the night wound down and the alcohol took over, but we are getting off track. The party was all-u-can-eat, all-u-can-drink. The food was, well, I don't really remember the food and the beer was Asahi Super Dry in 500ml bottles. This was awesome for three reasons. 1. Asahi Super dry is great for all-u-can-drink situations. It goes down smooth and it takes alot to make it come back up. 2. Beer out of glass, rather than aluminum, tastes better. And 3. Holding a glass bottle by the neck, busting a move on the dance floor, then taking a swig looks awesome!

There were some great costumes at this party and sadly I don't have pictures of all of them. There was Nick and Tom as Castro and Guevero. A guy as Hellboy (took 1st place and he deserved it!), The Joker, A toothbrush, Roy as Lil John, and a bunch more. If you were there you know. If not, you can imagine. New Zealand Steve, who also likes beer, was at the party dressed as Chopper Read. Chopper Read! What a great costume! We asked him if his costume was portraying the real Chopper Read or the comedian impersonating Chopper Read. He said, "The real one." Badass.

As I mentioned earlier, I was a futon. This had its ups and downs. For example, I could do whatever I wanted on the dance floor and it was ok, even if it was stupid. When you are a giant futon with arms and feet, drinking beer, you can get away with about anything. However, when my hand got close to my mouth with food or beer, it would leave my line of vison. Hence, bad hand eye coordination that got worse with every swig of the super dry. This left alot of food and beer on my futon. Thinking on it now, this actually enchanced my "Dirty" Futon costume. Not only was I "dirty" on the dance floor, but I was also dirty, as in needing to be cleaned. This was my experience as a 3 piece folding floor futon. DH, being a comforter blanket type futon, had a different experience, I am sure. Maybe he will post it.

Finally, at this Halloween party was a certain individual that goes by the name 'College Boy Chris'. I have also heard of him referred to as 'Wisconsin Chris' or 'Chris Wis'. Like the Good Beer Country Boys and Nick and Roy and many others, this man teaches English in Japan, but there is a big difference. College Boy Chris is the Arch-nemisis of the Good Beer Country Boys. There are no known photos of this man but GBJG Miyuki made this sketch.

Watch out for this man. At the Halloween party he was either a Reindeer or a Fireman and he was armed with an AK47 and a kitana. He may still be dressed like this. Frankly, this meshing of costumes confuses the hell out of me, but that may very well be College Boy Chris's game. Confuse, divide, and conquer. Also, I've heard that given the choice between a Suntory Premium Malts and a Yebisu, he would take the Yebisu. Oh, the Horror!

Until next time, tread lightly, carry a big stick, and drink the Black Malts because it is here for a limited time only!