Ren's Footprints

In the game of life I have been constantly dealt the winning cards. Rarely do I ever regret my move, nor do I find myself making a foolish bet. However, today life scored a point or two.
I woke up around 9AM in my freezing room and turned on my heater as it was cold and had been snowing through the night. I didn't end up sitting up until 9:27 and at that moment a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Chiba prefecture, giving Tokyo quite a shake as well. My heart raced and I scoped out me surroundings quickly to see if I was safe. I was and just rode it out there on my bed. My windows shifted and my clothes hangers dangled but nothing fell which was a big relief.
I spent 9000 yen last month to get a ticket to see the American band Rage Against the Machine play here and today was the day to see the show. I was very excited and also nervous to see what was in store because I had never been to a hard rock concert before.
The venue it was held at was packed tens of thousands of fans and I happened to meet some New Zealanders in the crowd. I then remembered that I had my small American flag in my pocket which I then held up high, upsidedown, with two statements in mind: One was to support this band which was censored from Saturday Night Live for having upsidedown US flags. And the other was to show my support for those who stand up against what some might call "upsidedown" policies of the US.
This brought tension and shortly later I had a few non Japanese guys (possibly military judging by their short hair and huge bodies) became really angry at me. We argued a bit with my point being "This is what Rage Against the Machine is all about" and them saying "Put that down, you're in the way". I stashed the little flag into one of my empty pockets and soon after that the show started.
I had never intentionally been in a mosh-pit atmosphere but this was my time to experience it full on. Rage Against the Machine makes music driven by politically themed songs based on global social issues. One way to describe them might be that their music is made to have their fans "rage against" the machine-like ways of modern times which is a world of violence, disagreement, and injustice. In other words, fans get very pumped up for these shows.
Around ten minuted into the craziness of the show, after they played the song Guerrilla Radio, I felt someones hand in my back pocket. They had grabbed my bagel and I immediately turned around and among the crowd was one of the New Zealanders making his way away from me. We made eye-contact and I really think it was him digging for a wallet. I yelled back at him but he and I were separated by the crowd and I never saw him again.
It was around that point in time I realized that my cell phone had been snatched (one of the nicer phones available in the world today), and my flag as well. Everything was in different pockets yet they all found their ways out somehow.
I know I have no room to whine as I am an overall lucky guy who would never in a million years trade positions with whoever now has my phone (that will register as stolen if ever tried to be activated). The madness of a drunk, moshing crowd made me long for the stoned, reggae crowds of Northern California. I have been to so many shows in Northern California where people are peacefully enjoying the music, dancing, passing monetarily valuable marijuana to complete strangers, and are overall happy. At this show I saw drunkenness lead to women crying, people shielding their selves from being hurt, and bitterness between fellow concert-goers.
Through all the hassle I did still enjoy the music. Being in the crowd for "Bulls on Parade" and "Sleep Now in the Fire" were great moments indeed.
I hope to have another phone by tomorrow. We'll see.