It had to happen

I've just used my JR Rail Pass to pass the ticket gates at Shibuya. Not because I want to get a train - I'm meeting someone here - but because there seems to be no other way of finding the exit we're meeting at. Oh, Japan.

Howl's moving clock

The law knows

Students and old ladies asking for directions at the Marunouchi exit police box.

The problem with Tokyo station

... is that I spend too much time in the warren of tunnels under it and never appreciate how beautiful the overground building is.

Just peachy

Nashi pear juice

Dr Yellow to the rescue

Nom nom nom

You're losing out by not having these in my size

On board

There was a stand selling train merchandise at Tokyo station - several people I know would have gone wild.

Sign up

Fire brigade recruitment poster at Tokyo station.

Danger!

Sign at Nakameguro station warning people about 'nagara-aruki', doing something while walking.

Inside outside

You may have heard that Muji sell houses in Japan. The Yurakucho Muji has an entire show house inside.

The long tail

My future pet

A fashionable cat

Ginza manhole cover

Fox among the skyscrapers

Inari shrine near the Tokyo International Forum.

You find religion in the most unexpected places

Like inside train stations! This shrine is inside Yurakucho station.

Figured out where the line break character is, but it looks like I can only post one photo at a time at this resolution (and I still can't figure out how to rotate them) so I'll try that as a format.

And I might save the long posts for when I have a real keyboard.

Smells good to me

Arrived!

Arrived safely, more to follow!

Typing on an SMS keypad is a pain.

お尻からいれますよ

Overheard at the gate as an older man was explaing to his wife that the flight was boarding by seat row number.

"They're loading it from the arse."

White rabbit

A white rabbit near the gate at Helsinki Airport.

There was some serious turbulence as we landed, but no-one else seemed bothered by it. Time for tea and the reactivity of metals until the Tokyo flight boards.

And Starbucks isn't ruinously expensive for a change.

And we're off

Boarded the flight to Helsinki! Was up until 2:00 trying to kill the to-do list, which didn't quite all get done, but as himself pointed out there's only so much you're fit to do at that time of the morning.

Was a few metres out the door when I realised I'd left my phone charging, but managed to run back and get it, drag the case to the station, buy a ticket and throw myself on the train. Not bad, compared to how my long trips can start. Now it's about 14 hours in the care of Finnair and Book 3 of the Molecular World all about the reactions of metals... or possibly me waking up in Narita with paper marks on my face. It still doesn't feel real.

And finally

This should get me up to date with my phone photos!

News for today, I passed my last two Open University modules from Year 1, S187 Elements of forensic science and ST174 Inside nuclear energy! The pass was never seriously in question, although it's the only official mark you get - there is some additional feedback and I was scored very highly on that too, which is nice to see! That will definitely help to keep me motivated for my current studies. S294 Cell biology is proving to be a wonderful recap of things I've already come across in other courses, S240 Analytical science is looking like it will be very useful for when I next come across an analytical technique, and S205 The molecular world is, well, turning out to be a substantial challenge. But I have two twelve-hour flights and many hours of train journeys ahead of me in the next few weeks...

I managed to get out for some walks by the river, although not as many as I should to get ready for Japan. The local herons are almost always out.

Christmas has reared its ugly head again, mainly in the form of chocolate and cake. Advent calendars seem to be the thing here, rather than selection boxes. I like the rather optimistic resealable sack o'chocolate.

I know about umami - the mysterious "fifth taste" - but didn't realise it was so in fashion. First "umami paste" at Coop (made entirely of non-Japanese ingredients) then "umami spray" at Globus.

Globus also had some yuzu and ginger-based hot sauces that look very nice indeed, and what I can only describe as icing soy sauce.

We wanted to get David's nephew this for his birthday, but the parents voted for an equally acceptable Playmobil pirate ship set.

There were further culinary delights in the shape of a (real, wooden) box of different smoked fish from Germany, and the wonderful Japanese baker/patissier Hiro Takahashi has started to sell his cheesecake as well as his breads at the Korean food shop in town. I also had a look in the window of Merkur, one of my usual stops when I need Swiss gifts.

Although there isn't much in the way of autumn colours yet around Adliswil, I walked back from Leimbach on Monday and saw some beautiful foliage there. Hope to be seeing the Japanese version of it soon! (Just as beautiful, but fewer sheep.)

Sheep! Paris! Fire!

Yes, I'm combining a few unrelated photos here!

First, some floppy sheep seen on the way back from the local surgery. 

And next stop, Paris! I was there for four days with Mom and Dad in September, and Dawn came up to join us for the weekend. I saw a few fire-related things - an old tender and river fire brigade - that I snapped for Austa, and we did the obligatory Bateaux Mouches trip.

We also visited the excellent museum of oriental art, which unexpectedly had a traditional fireman's jacket made of indigo dyed fabric.

I also found some Japanised French in the museum gift shop.

And after Mom and Dad were disappointed by two of their old favourite restaurants, we found a few more good ones. The Bistro des Amis around the corner from the hotel had simple, delicious food!

Although not nearly as many shops were open on Sunday, including Book Off! Paris must try harder.

After a last tea and cake (a the gourmand) at the station, Dawn headed back to Geneva by train and I went back to the airport. We both got a guidebook to Japanese shops in Paris, though, so I'm sure we'll be back!