Most of my class (J Class) and some of K Class and about four teachers all went to karaoke today. A girl in my class had been organising it on everyone’s behalf since the middle of the term and it worked out really well. I met a few new teachers and got to talk to some people from the other class who I hadn’t spoken to much before. I sang One Night Carnival by Kishidan, as I’ve done every time at karaoke up until now, and the teachers were pretty impressed with it. I also sang I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers with a Scottish guy, me doing the harmonies and backing and him leading it, and I did some Abba with a Swedish girl and some Barry White with an American guy with a deep voice. I did some Aiko with a teacher too. Even though the only thing I was drinking was cream sodas, everyone else was drinking and Tani-san, the Chinese guy from my class, was getting really into his songs and kept “helping” everyone else with their songs, so I was able to sort of feed off that energy and it made it really enjoyable. Mike-san, who’s usually really quiet and even when he speaks, speaks in a really low, soft voice, surprised everyone by screaming out some of the lines in his song. It was just past that threshold of singing loudly and actually screaming in an absurd voice. He was fantastic and I was in stitches laughing.
Fred-san, the guy from Tahiti, surprised me with how high his voice could go. We were going to sing some Muse together but the time ran out (even though we had 3 hours all together).
Even though I most certainly do not consider myself an extrovert, and any personality tests I’ve taken, for whatever they’re worth, have told me that I’m an extreme introvert, I was the person who made sure everyone got into the karaoke room, I was helping with the booking even though I had no relation to it, I sorting out the machine and sang the first song, I started up conversation with the teachers, took their coats to hang them up, and instead of sitting in a chair, I was actually more comfortable standing so I could wander around the room and talk to different people.
Last Friday, 6 Japanese people came to our class to practice conversation and before they came into the class, I spotted them in the hall and went out to them, approached them and introduced myself, guided them to the classroom and had no problem joking around with them and what not. I even have two of them as friends on mixi now (that’s a Japanese social networking site, like Bebo, Facebook, MySpace, what-have-you). When the rest of the class was sitting inside the classroom, I walked with the Japanese people to where they were having lunch and ate with them, eventually getting the rest of the class to join in.
I guess the only reason I’m introverted in Ireland is because I’m not that interested in talking to people, but I’m always up for conversation with Japanese people and I can make them laugh and chat really easily… much more so than Irish people. I wonder why… ideas?
Photos coming soon 
I’m quite introverted most of the time, regardless of where I am. Its nothing to do with not being interested in talking to people. I could be next to one of my favourite people in the world and not talk.
Apart from being a very unique and talented character Daniel (admittedy I’m somehwat biased expressing this viewpoint!) as an Irish Japanophile, you must be a subject of absolute fascination to your Japanese friends and acquaintances. They spend their lives aping the Yanks and here’s this Irish blokes who loves who they are and what they do. What is there not to love and cherish from that perspective? Aside from that it’s also a case of your “being inspired” I felt very similar to you when I was travelling around Europe using the smattering of a half dozen odd languages I had upstairs. I think that you tend to learn more about yourself; your hidden and untapped talents in every sphere; how far you can push the boundaries; and also your own limitations when you’re out there on your own and, believe me, there’s no better feeling in the world.
Since the onset of SMS Texting, the Net, Bebo, Facebook, death of pub life and social interaction, Irish people simply do not like to talk anymore and are rapidly loosing the art of conversation. However, I digress. Many of my friends emigrated from Ireland in the 80′s in the last recession to find work. Some left because they wanted to live and work in melting pots like Brussels, Paris, London, New York and they basked in the company of beautiful european women, less repressive and open cultural and multi-cultural mores, new found wealth, and the relative anonymity of their newly adopted homes. Some others left, not because they were inspired, but because they wanted to be anywhere but here (“here” being Ireland). Not a good reason to leave your initial home base, be it Ireland or elsewhere. What does become apparent, with the onset of time, and when one chooses a base, is that no matter where you are in the world, when that alarm clock goes off, it’s still a pain in the ass getting out of bed; deadlines still have to be met; and routine sets in. Of course, the other attractions of their chosen location always compensated but strangely, call it homing instinct, lack of family ties or support netwrok, or due to the economic upturn at home , most of my friends returned back home. It’s all part of getting to know yourself and feeling comfortable in your own skin. I don’t think anyone ever really gets to know themselves completely but right now you’re grabbing every opportunity to do so and doing a very good job by all accounts!