Matt-the-Jap (or Matteo Matubara if you dont like the nickname)

Crash · 17-09-2004 12:17am #1

So what is the story? i've heard about the guy from friends of mine in trinity for ages - the guy intrigues me beyong belief. So what are the rumours/facts about his continued presence in trinity, and what do you think of it all?

Agent Smith · 17-09-2004 12:19am

i heard he's batman...

gom · 17-09-2004 12:49am

I'll dig up some the photos from the photo shoot that I did with Matteo last year for TN. I have them hand on a CD but won't be able to get to them till next week probably... He knows how to pose let me tell ya

gom · 17-09-2004 12:53am

Matt-the-jap is the last of the Samurai

After WW2 he could not return to Japan as he must live the life of a hermit forever more as his dishonour to his country forbids anything more

dermot_sheehan · 17-09-2004 12:54am

He's a friendly old guy who hangs around the arts building. He's one of the college's "characters". He's mute, but apparently lots of people communicate with him in sign language.

gom · 17-09-2004 1:02am

gabhain7 wrote:

He's a friendly old guy who hangs around the arts building. He's one of the college's "characters". He's mute, but apparently lots of people communicate with him in sign language.

He is also deaf but can lip read alittle

Crash · 17-09-2004 1:14am

From what i've heard over the years the latest barring was due to use of the big stick towards people in the arts block correct? and before that there was something bout nicking books from the berkeley via throwing them out the window?

ApeXaviour · 17-09-2004 1:42am

I dunno about that crash. He's well known and respected by staff and students alike. A while back he collapsed out on grafton st I think and the president wrote him a get well letter. Always has newspapers on him, seems very well read.

The rumour I heard was that he was a student here years ago, but he burned some original scripts or documents or something and was expelled. He's wandered campus ever since.. Anyone know if this holds any truth or is it a pure lie?

After WW2 he could not return to Japan as he must live the life of a hermit forever more as his dishonour to his country forbids anything more

Did you make that up? Since WW2 the americanisation of japan has long since dissolved any sense of radical nationalism they held.

John · 17-09-2004 1:42am

I've known him to be a bit aggressive (been on the receiving end for being in the queue in front of him in the JCR) but the guy is grand, I've never seen him being violent, just a lot of angry gestures. An awful lot of rumours about him flying about. Certainly deserves the position of college character, I'm glad he's allowed on campus again.

blobert · 17-09-2004 1:53am

There are a great many stories about this guy, most of which are absolute rubbish.

From my own experience he is simply a deeply unpleasant old man.

Crash · 17-09-2004 2:02am

Well the first barring i mentioned there i picked up from a trinity news copy i got free at the open day (was quite an interesting read, if i can find it i might type it up here) so i assume he actually was barred.

Kappar · 17-09-2004 10:15am

I seen him last year in Freshers' week at some place that was giving out FREE Crisps as you can imagine there were hords of scaldy students around trying to get the crisps and he was at the back trying to push in.

Chick · 17-09-2004 12:27pm

is this really a real person? honestly

17-09-2004 12:33pm

He's our very own yoda!

Kappar · 17-09-2004 12:41pm

RuggerChick wrote:

is this really a real person? honestly

He is indeed, wanders around the campus you'll see him and you're heart'll melt.

enda1 · 17-09-2004 1:26pm

He reminds me of mo moleman from the Simpsons. I heard the burning story too, supposedly he was doing a thesis when he came across something he didn't like and burnt the stuff.
Probably bull though!

Chick · 17-09-2004 6:58pm

lol ok ill believe you, cat wait to see this lil guy im intriuged now

John · 18-09-2004 1:26am

you won't have long to wait before you see him once you get on campus

strawberry · 18-09-2004 3:07am

He does really look like Yoda.....

And he's not just a nasty old man. You wouldn't like students either if you were deaf and dumb and didn't have much of an income. Surely you must commiserate with his urge to strike the annoying preppy people who consistently get in his way in Trinity.

Chick · 18-09-2004 6:30pm

Of course yeah i can comersirate if the poor man is both deaf and dumb, but is hitting students with a cane really the way to go entertaining as it may be lol

Crash · 19-09-2004 5:30pm

*shrug* it was the arts block. they're not people. :P

pCiaran · 19-09-2004 6:27pm

>The rumour I heard was that he was a student here years ago, but he >burned some original scripts or documents or something and was expelled. >He's wandered campus ever since.. Anyone know if this holds any truth or is >it a pure lie?

Matt was a student (mature I would assume). He was removed from the college books following an incident with some old books in Early Printed Books. Allegedly there was pen marks on a book after he had finished with it. As College can be quite picky about old books he was kicked out. Matt has always denied that he did it. Communication generally involves a lot of gesturing but if one is bothered you can write him a note. He can read and write although he won't necessarily reply if you're just doing it to say that you wrote Matt the Jap a note.
Occasionally he dissappears for a while and people start to worry but he has always turned up again.
Later
pCiaran

ApeXaviour · 19-09-2004 8:16pm

Cheers for clearin that up for me man

Chick · 19-09-2004 8:24pm

what are they then lol?

Kevin_rc_ie · 20-09-2004 2:06am

I was in UGc cinema, going to see walking tall ( with the rock) and i was late in so i had to sit in the front row and guess who was sitting beside me but Matt the chap from trinity. This is absolutely true. ( was not sitting directly beside me, about 4 seats to my left.) I know he is deaf but he was watching the film intently and was very well behaved.

Chick · 20-09-2004 10:06am

well behaved? ok that makes him sound like a child!

WetDaddy · 20-09-2004 10:20am

Although his story may be touching (I heard the same one years ago: Mature student, doing a Masters, on some kind of grand from Japan), any interractiong I've had with him has proved him to be a bit of a bastard...

All I've ever seen him do is come up to people (myself included, many times) on Grafton St. and repeatedly tap them, his own ear, and a piece of paper he has with him (which explains his prediciment, asks for money, etc.)

That normally wouldn't bother me, but he can be so bloody aggressive sometimes. I don't mind giving stuff away to people less fortunate, but Jesus, he won't take the hint of: Sorry pal, but I can't do you a favour at the moment.

Also, he's stolen my brother's newspaper a few times

Chick · 20-09-2004 10:26am

Reminds me of when youre abroad, and when you sitting in a restaraunt with tables outside and those ppl come up to you with little pieces of paper. it ususally says theyre deaf, or disabled in some way. I kinda feel sorry for this guy tho. Does he not recieve some kind of living expenses grant if he is/was studying here?

illumin · 20-09-2004 10:33am

I used to work as an attendant in the arts block and have had to deal with Matt Dubarra on many occasions. First of all he isnt japenese, he's French (born there afaik). The first time he was barred from the Arts Block was because he used his stick to lift up a students skirt. I was told (by the girls that work in the cloakroom) that he was pointing out the shortness of her skirt and she got the wrong end of the stick (ho hum). Anyways after some protesting by the soppy Students Union he got back in. After years of stealling free coffee/tea/soup from the canteen in the arts block and after numerous warnings about hitting students/tourists/staff with his stick he was barred again. The main reason he was barred this time was because a cleaning lady asked him to move so she could get by him with her hoover. He rufused so she moved the table he was sitting at a bit. He then started beating her with his stick. He was sent another warning saying if he does it again he's out. So a month or two passed with mr dubarra accosting the cleaning lady whenever he could. Then he hit this same cleaning lady again with his stick which caused him to be barred for good from the arts block.
Before i was an attendant i worked in the ground staff and he used to take the newspapers out of the bins. When i started i did my rounds early so all all the bins were empty before he got to them and he used to try and hit me with his stick. I would stay away from this guy as he is a nasty peice of work. I know he may look harmless but its a hard enough job for staff without being harassed by twisted old men.

aodh_rua · 20-09-2004 10:47am

Ace_Rimmer wrote:

He's our very own yoda!

Anyone remember the Vote 'No' to USI cartoon a few years back. It close with a Photoshopped Matt with the slogan Yoda Says No.

Anyway back to Matt's history. He came to Ireland in the late seventies to research links between Arab and Celtic cultures. He had previously been studying in Paris. As part of this he was working with some old manuscripts and he was accused of writing on the margins of the Tain Bo Cualaigne (Brown Bull of Cooley). The accusation were apparently led by Brendan Kennelly. Matt was kicked out of College, libraries and the rest. He did have some supporters in the academic community who got permission for him re-enter the premises bar the libraries.

He's quite an active letter-writer and I remember him showing me replies from the Russian ambassador after the Kursk disaster (in Russian and complimenting Matt on his Russian and cyrillic) and another from Prince Michael of Kent. Apparently he also gets a Christmas Card every year from Jacques Chirac.

He's certainly a College character, albeit quite a dirty one (a friend of mine and former Phil pres saw Matt urinate into a punch bowl in the Hist one afternoon. The punch was for a meeting that evening, however my mate being a Phil man didn't bother informing the Histies).

Chick · 20-09-2004 11:01am

Wow I didnt realise all that. If i had've known that he hit cleaning ladies, just because of a simple request I definitely wouldn't have felt sorry for him. He sounds like quite a difficult man. Thats just not acceptable, how has he gotten away with this for so long? I cant understand it but if he comes near me with that stick....

Hairy Homer · 20-09-2004 11:21am

aodh_rua wrote:

Anyone remember the Vote 'No' to USI cartoon a few years back. It close with a Photoshopped Matt with the slogan Yoda Says No.

Anyway back to Matt's history. He came to Ireland in the late seventies to research links between Arab and Celtic cultures. He had previously been studying in Paris. As part of this he was working with some old manuscripts and he was accused of writing on the margins of the Tain Bo Cualaigne (Brown Bull of Cooley). The accusation were apparently led by Brendan Kennelly. Matt was kicked out of College, libraries and the rest. He did have some supporters in the academic community who got permission for him re-enter the premises bar the libraries.

**** me, he's not STILL there, is he?

He chatted me up once during a particularly drunken Saturday night in the Pav when I was an undergrad in Trinity. And my student ID (which I can still remember) begins with the digits 79 so what does that tell you?

The conversation was through the medium of scribbled notes. He can't speak or hear. In a fit of utter naive foolishness, I gave him my address when he asked for it. Imagine my horror when he showed up the following morning (Sunday) at some unGodly hour. Well before midday anyway.

What I can remember of the conversation:
he was born in Japan but educated in France.
He gives his name as Matteo Matubara
he drinks lots of tea.
he scribbles in English extremely fluently and well.

He gets really angry with you when you blank him the next time in the Pav to avoid a repeat disturbance.

Net Bastard · 20-09-2004 12:26pm

He's notorious for that kind of stuff, when I mentioned him at home one day the mother turned around and told me that he used to scab drinks off the students in some pub (can't remember which one) bout 30 years ago.

Apparently he could lip read very well and used to actually talk to people back in those days.

One time she went in under instructions from her mates to ignore the guy and stop buying him drink. So she's standing there at the bar when matt (they used to call him sony back then, only japenese word they knew) wanders over and stands beside her, just hanging about. She tries really hard not to pay any attention to him, but after a few minutes, cracks and says "well, cold out tonight, isn't it?". Matt replies "yes, but whiskey will soon warm us". The little legend.

celingfan · 20-09-2004 2:45pm

What more can one say
I WANT HIS BABIES
My children will be born legends.

jd · 20-09-2004 3:15pm

Hairy Homer wrote:

And my student ID (which I can still remember) begins with the digits 79 so what does that tell you?

.

Hee, mine begins with 84. Do you remember Maitland, anothe character who use to ang around TCD?

Chick · 20-09-2004 6:15pm

so he must be reaaaaally old by now then.....

Hairy Homer · 20-09-2004 6:49pm

jd wrote:

Hee, mine begins with 84. Do you remember Maitland, anothe character who use to ang around TCD?

Maitland Wolf, the White Witch?

I vaguely remember him, all right. Though he was more interested in little girls than big hairy engineering students like me.

chick wrote:

so he must be reaaaaally old by now then.....

Like a good wine, my dear. Improving with age.

Chick · 20-09-2004 6:52pm

Lol@wine. dunno when the last time was that someone called me "my dear"! aw bless!

:D

IDM · 21-09-2004 8:23am

He's definitely interesting to have around, all right.

Was pretty involved with DIS (Dublin Internation Students) first year and he often showed up to our random parties. Just mentioned this in another thread, but he can read/write in Norwegian. Now since when does a Japanese man born in France understand Norwegian ? Quite a linguist ... Would "talk" with him more often if it wasn't so awkward, really.

Chick · 21-09-2004 11:27am

yeah i read ur other post on him IDM. but just because hes a genius as you called him, i dont see why he should be let away with murder. i dont care how many languages he can speak, he should have respect for other people.

Hairy Homer · 21-09-2004 12:03pm

He had a cameo role in some movie. He can be seen waving from a ship. Can't remember what film it was. Might have been Educating Rita, filmed in Trinity in 1982, but it could also have been some Irish film, the title of which I forget which was about a mother abandoning her two kids in a railway cafe.

Some trivia genius will know it.

jd · 21-09-2004 1:00pm

Hairy Homer wrote:

Some trivia genius will know it.

I think it was "Pigs"
(A much younger) Mannix Flynn was in it too

IDM · 21-09-2004 5:44pm

Chick wrote:

but just because hes a genius as you called him, i dont see why he should be let away with murder. i dont care how many languages he can speak, he should have respect for other people.

I wasn't implying that because he's very intelligent that he should be able to do whatever he likes. I agree that some of his past mishaps weren't exactly endearing and that punishing him was necessary.

Chick · 21-09-2004 5:49pm

Oh ok sorry I took you up wrong there so. Has he ever been punished or was his only punishment being banned?

IDM · 21-09-2004 6:01pm

I don't think they've ever gotten the police involved ... but I'm not the expert here. However, if you knew how much time he spends in the Arts building, banning him from it is definitely enough of a punishment to make him think twice about doing anything silly in the future ...

Chick · 21-09-2004 6:11pm

really? no ive no idea how much time he spends there, so ill take ur word 4 it til i get 2 c this lil man 4 myself

Hippo · 22-09-2004 4:12pm

unfortunately my student number begins with 77........matt the jap so called first appeared in the Lincoln Inn in 1979 and was a persistent pain in the arse with his bits of paper and scrawl. Unbelievable that he's still there. For you current students is Fat Pat Healy still sounding off loudly in Front Square? He was a very long term resident.

jd · 23-09-2004 8:35am

Healy was around when I was there all right- he turned up every now and again in the Hist/Phil too.
BTW were you part of the JCR poker school, Hippo?

Hippo · 23-09-2004 10:05am

Afraid I never played poker in the JCR, jd, although I play a lot now (definitely not in the JCR!). I was too busy helping to put on gigs with the fun-loving Ents crew. My fondest memory of the JCR is of how we used to er, laugh at U2 as they played yet another lunchtime show to a rapt audience of 15 dedicated souls. Ah well.

Hairy Homer · 23-09-2004 10:59am

Hippo wrote:

unfortunately my student number begins with 77.....

You make me feel so young

You make me feel like spring is sprung..........
etc

Hippo wrote:

For you current students is Fat Pat Healy still sounding off loudly in Front Square? He was a very long term resident.

No!!!!! He CAN'T still be there!!!!!!

Next minute you'll be telling me that the fat bloke who always heckled in the Hist and stood for SU president as Apollo reincarnated (along with his retinue of supposedly Vestal Virgins) is still doing a PhD there. Can't remember his name. Thought he'd be dead by now.

Hippo · 23-09-2004 11:11am

Dead by now? it would appear not. I'm sure I saw him cavorting through the George's Street arcade last week.

Matt-the-Jap (or Matteo Matubara if you dont like the nickname)

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