money for nothin

i have so many f'ing jobs, the hardest part is keeping them straight. i simply couldn't do it without horace! little guy's like a second brain.

my latest gig is perhaps the most interesting yet. i landed a job commentating soccer matches for the local J1 (professional) team, Vissel Kobe. maybe not as exciting as it first sounds... i don't sit in a booth, wear a tie, or have my ticket paid for. nay, i commentate via cell phone to one guy sitting in front of a computer. he in turn updates a web system. the web system broadcasts the game "live" to tens, hundreds, or thousands (i have no idea how many) of viewers interested in tracking the progress of the bets they previously placed on said game through said web system.

i don't know where the viewers are, or what they use for currency, but i like to think that there are millions of {insert unknown currency} riding on my every word. it kind of provides a little pressure to perform. i don't have to mention player names or use fancy adjectives, just basically state which team has possession and where they are on the football pitch (that's "soccer field" for any americans who may be reading).

i was a bit surprised at the stress early on, as i struggled to not confuse home and away, free kicks and throw-ins, quick changes in possession, etc. i made a few small mistakes, including missing a yellow card (shhhhh......), but i think i got all the important stuff right. i had occasional help from my british mate (that's friend, again for the americans) who understands the sport a great deal more than myself. i plan to get in on a lot more of this hot, non-stop action, and maybe eventually move on to sumo (if only to satisfy bro-san's vicarious desires).

the atypical office setting. a retractable dome which was closed today due to rainy weather. pretty cool to be in a dome, but holy shit, LOUD. at times tough to hear the broken english of my cellular counterpart.

poo parking. 24 hours!