November 3rd, 2004
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Champion of ten minutes’ preparation
Sunday was of course, Halloween. I participated in the annual Kawasaki La Citadella Halloween Parade again (the first thing I can honestly say I’ve done annually in Japan!!), and managed to set new a record in impromptu costume fabrication. If you remember, last year I was an otaku (geek), having not had enough time to be Sora from Kingdom Hearts. This year I went even lower and cannibalized a kazoo and a broken umbrella to become Duckman Champion of Aquatic Fowl] in a matter of fourteen minutes. (I wanted to be a giant maneki neko. Le sigh…)
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Here we see last year’s “quasi-costume” [left] and this year’s hack [center]. Mikiko was of course an Imperial Storm Trooper, err, a French maid. [Hasn't this happened to me before?]
Again my warped body contortions and method acting drew laughter and applause from the crowd (how many techno-dancing ducks do you know?), as well as the occasional “Kawaiiiiii!! (That’s SO CUTE!!)”. I actually had a handful of photographers with professional cameras steal closeups of me, so who knows I may currently be on the net or the cover of Yokohama Walker. The “nicest” reaction of all though was the “Nani are?!” from a couple young boys, which can be best translated as “What the hell is that?!”
