Calling on comrades for favours can sometimes challenge us. Am I cowardly for not wanting to take care of a cat? Can I really clean up someone else's crap?
A while back in the midst of a summer daze, I noticed some bizarre activity in the back street beside the river... Some goofball's car windows were all steamed up like he had a jacuzzi in the front passenger seat. I wanted to see if it was true. Nup. Just another office worker taking a lunch break siesta with the air-con running full blast.I would like to see something sorted out here and now on this earth.
It’s hot in Hiroshima now. We’ll burn a lot of fuel, nuclear or not, this summer just keeping cool. Look out Kyoto. We are heating things up to stay chill. In Hiroshima, drivers park next to Peace Park and leave their engines running and sleep or gaze at their phones.
Tonight, despite the temperature and humidity still a ridiculously high combination that causes profuse sweat disasters, the apparent change of season means I should no longer be wearing sleeveless tops after hours! It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realise it, one walk past the dozens of identical vending machines all cranking out more than their fare share of heat to keep the precious products cool, you'll quickly come up with a way to do something about it. Thanks to one of my students for pointing that one out to me!
Hey Jill, thanks a million. The book arrived in the post last week and I have made a start on reading - very interesting so far... Just like The Lord of The Rings, I plan to finish reading this one long before the movie hits the cinema!A true geisha can stop a man in his tracks with a single look.Sounds scary! Want to see some photos of the real thing?
The long wait is finally over. And good things do indeed come to the waiters. Actually, I thought good things came from waiters... Anyway, it is here at last, the all new Federation Hut, pictured beautifully by Narelle Trottman in recent snow.
All good things come to an end. Kavita, a fellow Nova teacher, has finished up and gone back to Adelaide. With little advance notice, we drank and said our goodbyes at a farewell party in Four-tune and G's Bar.
You're beautifuland other blunt pick-up lines.
Dwindling GeishaAdam has taken off for the white stuff in Australia's back country. So Jill has kindly taken charge of posting me a copy of the book. A million thanks there. For the movie buffs unaware of the Internet Movie DataBase, check out this movie's entry at imdb.com
In all Japan, Kyoto still has the most geisha. But as more ladies retire and are not replaced, their numbers continue to fall: today there are probably around 100 geisha, and 80 maiko (apprentice geisha) left in the city.
Okay, I admit it, I love chocolate. Maybe having a Belgium ex-girlfriend contributes to that. Maybe not. I always thought Australian chocolate was pretty good. We never got into the Cadbury's factory in Tasmania though. For some strange reason the factory was closed that day...During the Second World War Rowntree KitKat was seen as a valuable wartime food and advertising described the brand as 'What active people need'.Considering my vast alcohol intake of recent times though, perhaps a beverage should be recommended. The Toblerone recipe is something I like to keep handy.
Kim called today to inform me that my over-time shift tomorrow has been scrapped. Apparently there's a typhoon on it's way and many students have cancelled their lesson. Where's the dedication? If this is my last post because Hiroshima gets wiped out tomorrow, thanks for your readership.
Otherwise, I might go surfing tomorrow: after all, it is my usual day off. I probably should go to my Japanese class in the evening too.
Banking in this country is the pits. After attempts to get my money from 4 different convenience stores all failed, I wondered if I really should be trying to get a beer and a feed? I called my co-worker for help in the temporary finance department - she knows when to not answer the phone! As I climb the stairs into Kulcha, I'm starting to pray and luckily Nikki cashed me up. Over nachos and Heinekens, it's always better to watch the All Blacks beat the Safros than Australia losing in the cricket. Especially when the bar is half full of Kiwi colleagues!
After the game, it was time to ramp up the Saturday night action. Besides, the low ceiling and crowd of smokers in the bar were killing the oxygen loving folk. It was time to escape to a dance floor. Marcia, another Kiwi co-worker, and a rather drunk Kyoko joined us for the boogy underground in Jamaica. It's amazing how many times you discover hidden places literally under your nose in this Japan - the shop selling climbing gear is right on top of it! At first, the music is great and the dancing quite ballistic. Nikki and I started chugging down bottled water to continue sweating away on the dance floor. The funky lesbians got in the middle of us all and enjoyed some extra hips grinding. Then the music didn't really change beat at all and quickly became mundane. The air, well, I don't think you can call it air. More like a sea of grey. Stage left!
A sandwich to tie us over for a little longer, and of course there's a scene outside Mac bar. Too many familiar faces and a near brawl brewing, we climbed into the bar to avoid the trouble... We had a laugh and a beer when we met Wes inside as we'd both agreed that we weren't going out tonight. The crowd waxes and wanes but the music is always great. The atmosphere was pretty good except when one of the guys started to lose control, a broken glass, but Sam managed to diffuse the situation. In a drunken state, he didn't really like rejections from the guys he approached. More dancing, with women... and a smile of survival.
Yukata clad girls and boys dotted the building crowd throughout the afternoon. Just over an hour before kick-off time, I received a call from Yuko and convinced her to come to the show. Swimming against the tidal onslaught of arrivals to the Miyajima ferry port, I began to realise how popular this event really is.
Dancing with strangers and friends the night before, at the Mac bar. Only after Carlos had one-by-one driven each group of women out of the bar, including the last draw, the prostitutes, did I enquire to his fruitless efforts. There were bets being put on the single digit number of minutes before the next group would escape him into the balmy night. I was enticed at the last minute to buy a ticket, Yoshimi mentioned the Sun Dance was where they were headed.
Wes called me during my brief sleep, "Time to get up if you want to go to the Sun Dance. You bought a ticket last night, remember?" On the ferry down to the island, last night's bartender was behind dark sunglasses promising us a beach full of bikini clad women. Full points to the bartender, promise upheld.
Working on the sun tan, swimming in the shallows and sucking up to any jet-ski owner/driver for a ride, without a doubt 100% of these girls are hot - literally. Definitely cranking the mercury well past 30 and a smile on our dials, to boot.
The beer was flowin', the food was edible, the sun was cookin' and the music was pumpin'. I must admit I was rather oblivious to the volleyball competition that was held all afternoon. Slapping on sunscreen, sleeping under a shade tent, relaxing and floating in an inflated ring occupied a fair amount of the afternoon. Later, dancing to the stage bands and other amusing performances. Somehow Wes and I managed to score a lift back into town afterwards. Not a bad way to spend a day off work really...
Instead of our usual Tuesday night Japanese class, a social gathering for all-you-can-drink-and-eat at the Kirin Beer Garden was on for students and our sensei alike! With people from Brazil, China, Thailand, Canada, Australia, and of course Japan, we were quite a cosmopolitan bunch. I was quite surprised at how everyone was really getting into the swing of the atmosphere: sculling beer and stuffing ourselves full of food, like there was no tomorrow; language sandwiches and plenty of universal laughter.
On the 25th hour, no planning was required to jump in to my first lesson of the day, a Voice class. I was most pleasantly surprised and impressed that a student had brought in a gift jar of the mighty Vegemite for me! I am totally stoked! Not only did I gratefully receive the present, but I also have clear directions and a map of where to buy more of the mighty stuff. The simple things in life... are often the best.
words like kaaaaaawwwwaaaaaaiiiiii!
Which is cute?
yep. a staple of the japanese female vocab.
Thought so.
Cool.
said with eyes clenched and hands waving
ha hah ahhaah ha
classic.
toes pointed
Oh yeah!!!!
shopping bag uncomfortably on the crook of the arm
Talk about leaning towers of footwear!
legs bowed
Some ferret dog under the other arm.
6 inch footsteps
and somehow not falling over!
mobile phone on the ear
What a vivid picture.
in pink
Like your job? Love your wife?
All sorts of interesting and shapely goods can be enjoyed during a shopping experience at the all new Di-a-mon-da Si-tee. You have to say it like that if you're asking for directions from any Japanese person. If you ask for "Diamond City", apparently you will receive a rather confused look, as if you've asked for directions to a nearby coffin convenience store.
Okay, recently I joined the Flickr: visit the world - the travel guide group as... Well, it's free and I reckon it's a bloody good idea. The new traveling guide : Why not? Planning your trip on photos is better than on boring and insignificant descriptions. In the group discussion lies the answer that, albeit it is in my Lonely Planet phrasebook, I need to practice it (in Japanese!) a lot. May I take your picture?- seems like a simple enough phrase, right?
Welcome to my GuestMap! Okay all you itchy-footed friends out there. Mark your location, or where you are planning your next holiday and leave a message of the utmost significance! "I so need a holiday!" - I know you don't think so!
Following the title of this post; unless you have a thing for Tom Cruise, don't waste your hard earned on the latest War of the Worlds movie - why won't Tom Cruise simply die in his next movie? What are the chances of losing him in M.I.3? If you're really into the War of the Worlds story, buy the original novel by H.G. Wells or the vivid 2 disc musical version by Jeff Wayne.
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