ExhAugusted

Warning: This post has nothing worth warning you about in it.
So August has come and gone, and my summer is basically over. I'd say the end came just after Mr. Chris's visit around Obon, as I spent the rest of the month in China. Looking back, it was all a bit intense:

- The locals of the last year all began to depart back to their countries of origin, and we lost a few good men and women. Still, I increased my potential locations to crash while travelling, if one is looking on the bright side. See you soon guys.

- Jake arrived and we hit Summer Sonic, which I was too busy to even do a delayed "live blog" for. If you're feeling ripped off, Jake's report on it sums the 2 days up well. While I missed Soulwax and Birdy Nam Nam, I did get to see NIN in their last tour (who were most excellent), and Aphex Twin, who was also quite intense. Boo-urns to Phoenix and Placebo for letting little things like their health get in the way of playing - you shall be redeemed when you come back for a separate tour. All in all, not as good as Fuji, but at least my clothes didn't get permanent mudstains.

- Jake left, to be replace by another certain Wellytownian. Chris and I, along with a tiny but fierce Swiss girl trekked down to Shikoku to Tokushima's Awa Odori. Thousands of dancers, tens of thousands of tourists, a warm evening by a river and more taiko than you can shake a drumstick at. Good times, though as our host was right to point out, it's OK to watch, but much more fun to do. And do I...uh...did.

- Chris moved on to bigger things (Europe), but not before getting his karaoke on - good times. Then I was left with 2 precious nights with the missus, one of which I had couch surfers, the other one she had work. Fantastic. Oh well - off to China.

- Various work-related crises overted, I return home to find my cellphone bill for roaming in China is 94,000yen. 940USD. 9 Bajillion New Zealand Dollars. Oh well - not using the iPhone overseas again...

- I made a mix of some tracks I got in August, and some tracks I've wanted to hear in a mix but haven't. It's terribly amateur at times, the volume needs normalising for starters, but hey it's a start. Start of what? We'll see, if I actually do continue trying to mix music. The mix is here.

- Somewhere in between China and coming back, all the Gaidai exchange students left, so now I have no friends I can pretend to be 20 with.

- Mio left for Spain for 3 weeks, completing my bereavement and leaving me with a next-door-neighbour, 2 random german guys crashing at my house and 3 bottles of South gin. Dangerous parameters.

September is gunning to be 3 weeks of recuperation, abstinence, exercise and work, with a final week with the parentals on a 5 day tiki tour of Japan. All of which are well needed.