Thursday, 9 October 2008
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
いくらとイクラ
昨日とてもおいしいレストランを偶然に見つけて楽しい夕食ができました。
はいてすぐウエータがちいさなおさらをテーブルにおき、「イクラ食べれますか」と聞きました。
私はえっ？と思って、いくら食べられるってどういう意味ですかと聞きました。もしもうすぐラストオーダーですか？
ウエータはしばらく困ったまま立ち止まりました。「あのう、魚のタマゴ。。。」
小さなおさらにイクラがありました。
日本語はまだまだですね。
On the rails again
We've ended our three days in Kanazawa - it's a lovely, compact town with loads to offer and really nice people. Now on the Hakutaka Limited Express to Naoetsu where we change for Nagano, then on to Obuse where we're staying tonight. It's a beautiful day, and I'm going to stare out the window...
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Monday, 6 October 2008
Best laid plans
I don`t know what went wrong between me talking to the Finnair customer service rep and checking in at Heathrow, but clearly something did.
We decided to be a little paranoid and leave early, up at 6:00 and out at 6:50, leaving Takeshi at the station to continue on and take photos of Mapledurham before continuing on his tour of places associated with English writers. We got into Terminal 3 in good time. Only to find there was no flight to Helsinki listed. Or any Finnair flight, for that matter. Check the e-ticket again. Definitely says T3. Very apologetic man at the information desk says the flight is in fact from T1 and we`re the 40th people this morning to ask. Off to T1 we go.
We come out of the connecting tunnel at check-in area A, Finnair are in area R. Which turns out to be out of the other side of the main hall and halfway to T2. When we finally check in with BA, they have no record of us sitting together on the flight to Helsinki. The best they can do is sitting behind each other. And as for the Helsinki-Nagoya flight... 28J and 51G. We got through security with no problems and had a nice cooked breakfast, followed by himself setting his out-of-office at the internet cafe. The flight to Helsinki was fine, with a rather canteen-style pasta shells bolognaise for me, and couscous for himself - thankfully his meals had been registered. Wandered around a small section of Helsinki Airport for 2 hours and got a most amusing box of Moomin-themed sweets for Bill.
We boarded to find a mother with a young child had taken my seat and that of a young French guy, he had let her child stay in his seat so she was still in mine. He was in the same situation as us - trying to sit beside his girlfriend. I swapped with her, which meant I lost my aisle seat and neither myself nor himself could get anyone to swop. Watched Kung-Fu Panda and Iron Man and several episodes of Bones - prefer CSI, I know the main character for bones is meant to be a bit reserved, but I couldn`t get to like her at all.
Arrived in Nagoya and picked up the phone with no problems, got on a train and programmed in numbers as we went into the city center. I tried to call Narita to get a announcement put out to tell Bill which post office in Narita to go to, but it went like some horrible comedy routine. She kept offering to give them my number, I kept explaining I needed to tell them where to get their phone first. She continued to offer to give them my number. We had something to eat and found the last large locker in the station for our cases, then headed out to Nagoya Castle. It was incredibly hot, and we even got a bit burnt.
Bill and Austa arrived with no problems, and although they had never heard the announcement they had got the phone. We grabbed a quick bowl of noodles and got the Shirasagi express train out to Kanazawa, arriving in the beautiful station with its traditional gate theme at close to 10:00 and staggering across the road to the hotel, Dormy Inn. Himself made use of the sauna and onsen, which I have yet to do.
Anyway - day 2 in Kanazawa is starting, so I will report on Day 1 later!
We decided to be a little paranoid and leave early, up at 6:00 and out at 6:50, leaving Takeshi at the station to continue on and take photos of Mapledurham before continuing on his tour of places associated with English writers. We got into Terminal 3 in good time. Only to find there was no flight to Helsinki listed. Or any Finnair flight, for that matter. Check the e-ticket again. Definitely says T3. Very apologetic man at the information desk says the flight is in fact from T1 and we`re the 40th people this morning to ask. Off to T1 we go.
We come out of the connecting tunnel at check-in area A, Finnair are in area R. Which turns out to be out of the other side of the main hall and halfway to T2. When we finally check in with BA, they have no record of us sitting together on the flight to Helsinki. The best they can do is sitting behind each other. And as for the Helsinki-Nagoya flight... 28J and 51G. We got through security with no problems and had a nice cooked breakfast, followed by himself setting his out-of-office at the internet cafe. The flight to Helsinki was fine, with a rather canteen-style pasta shells bolognaise for me, and couscous for himself - thankfully his meals had been registered. Wandered around a small section of Helsinki Airport for 2 hours and got a most amusing box of Moomin-themed sweets for Bill.
We boarded to find a mother with a young child had taken my seat and that of a young French guy, he had let her child stay in his seat so she was still in mine. He was in the same situation as us - trying to sit beside his girlfriend. I swapped with her, which meant I lost my aisle seat and neither myself nor himself could get anyone to swop. Watched Kung-Fu Panda and Iron Man and several episodes of Bones - prefer CSI, I know the main character for bones is meant to be a bit reserved, but I couldn`t get to like her at all.
Arrived in Nagoya and picked up the phone with no problems, got on a train and programmed in numbers as we went into the city center. I tried to call Narita to get a announcement put out to tell Bill which post office in Narita to go to, but it went like some horrible comedy routine. She kept offering to give them my number, I kept explaining I needed to tell them where to get their phone first. She continued to offer to give them my number. We had something to eat and found the last large locker in the station for our cases, then headed out to Nagoya Castle. It was incredibly hot, and we even got a bit burnt.
Bill and Austa arrived with no problems, and although they had never heard the announcement they had got the phone. We grabbed a quick bowl of noodles and got the Shirasagi express train out to Kanazawa, arriving in the beautiful station with its traditional gate theme at close to 10:00 and staggering across the road to the hotel, Dormy Inn. Himself made use of the sauna and onsen, which I have yet to do.
Anyway - day 2 in Kanazawa is starting, so I will report on Day 1 later!
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Enjoy the silence?
Well, here I am - I feel like I've successfully jumped off one ledge only to find myself preparing to jump off another. Germany was successfully left - minus not closing my bank account and leaving half my books there, but I have a trip freshly booked to go back in November and close and collect as appropriate. Exams are done with - I didn't have the energy to study during the last few weeks, preferring to spend any spare time decompressing and attempting to sleep, but the exams themselves went okay with no blanking or freezing. I'm sure I could have done better if I'd studied more, but that would be an alternate universe.
Monday and Tuesday were spent frantically tidying up as I had a guest arrive on Tuesday evening, the other half of a friend I always stay with in Tokyo. The front room looks great and the bathroom like some minimalist artwork - until you open either of the cabinets, anyway. The cluttered truth is sitting in our bedroom and the computer room until such time as we get around to doing something with it. Probably involving throwing half of it out.
Next on the list was getting some new trousers, since I managed to destroy two pairs in Frankfurt, and I had to face the unhappy fact that I am my usual size only if I get the more expensive M&S trousers whose definition of 'stretch' is a bit more flexible than the cheap ones. I was also ready for a sit down after just walking into town, walking around and coming back, which does not bode well for Japan, where I usually spend all day every day walking. All my own fault, of course (nothing made me choose a packet of pain au chocolat and a coffee over a tray of fresh pineapple and water in the supermarket in the mornings) but still bodes painfully.
Still feeling very unprepared for Japan, but we have the essentials - passport, tickets, money, hotel reservations. Will pick up the phones at the airport and can then do my mobile blogging with pics as I did last year. Looking forward to seeing Kanazawa, which I haven't been to before. Cleared off the camera's memory stick in anticipation. Time to make a dent in that hosting I've paid for...
One final night out tonight, taking my guest and meeting some friends in Sweeney's pie shop, and then it's into bed and up early tomorrow to get to the airport. Have been reading some pretty mixed reviews of Finnair so hope they're all right. Their customer services certainly weren't as bad as I'd heard - ended up calling them yesterday to book himself's vegetarian meal after realising he hadn't done so, and try to get us seated together.
(This was after calling my calling card people, finding out the reason I couldn't make a call was they'd switched me to a new account but then suspended it as I hadn't used it for 6 months... I was trying to use it in Germany, but as they hadn't given me the new account number, I wasn't able to. Usual fun going around and around with this with their customer services.)
Item falling off the to-do list this time is doing my tax return but if I do it online, as I usually do, I can still do it after I come back. There isn't much left to assemble it all, it just takes time and I'd rather not start it now. That will slot into November, along with writing my last essay (on the status of women in interwar Japan and Korea and how it led to their vulnerability to the 'comfort women' system) and trying to come up with a thesis or annotated translation topic. And trying for the nth time to find a tiler for the flat. And catching up with a lot of friends.
Monday and Tuesday were spent frantically tidying up as I had a guest arrive on Tuesday evening, the other half of a friend I always stay with in Tokyo. The front room looks great and the bathroom like some minimalist artwork - until you open either of the cabinets, anyway. The cluttered truth is sitting in our bedroom and the computer room until such time as we get around to doing something with it. Probably involving throwing half of it out.
Next on the list was getting some new trousers, since I managed to destroy two pairs in Frankfurt, and I had to face the unhappy fact that I am my usual size only if I get the more expensive M&S trousers whose definition of 'stretch' is a bit more flexible than the cheap ones. I was also ready for a sit down after just walking into town, walking around and coming back, which does not bode well for Japan, where I usually spend all day every day walking. All my own fault, of course (nothing made me choose a packet of pain au chocolat and a coffee over a tray of fresh pineapple and water in the supermarket in the mornings) but still bodes painfully.
Still feeling very unprepared for Japan, but we have the essentials - passport, tickets, money, hotel reservations. Will pick up the phones at the airport and can then do my mobile blogging with pics as I did last year. Looking forward to seeing Kanazawa, which I haven't been to before. Cleared off the camera's memory stick in anticipation. Time to make a dent in that hosting I've paid for...
One final night out tonight, taking my guest and meeting some friends in Sweeney's pie shop, and then it's into bed and up early tomorrow to get to the airport. Have been reading some pretty mixed reviews of Finnair so hope they're all right. Their customer services certainly weren't as bad as I'd heard - ended up calling them yesterday to book himself's vegetarian meal after realising he hadn't done so, and try to get us seated together.
(This was after calling my calling card people, finding out the reason I couldn't make a call was they'd switched me to a new account but then suspended it as I hadn't used it for 6 months... I was trying to use it in Germany, but as they hadn't given me the new account number, I wasn't able to. Usual fun going around and around with this with their customer services.)
Item falling off the to-do list this time is doing my tax return but if I do it online, as I usually do, I can still do it after I come back. There isn't much left to assemble it all, it just takes time and I'd rather not start it now. That will slot into November, along with writing my last essay (on the status of women in interwar Japan and Korea and how it led to their vulnerability to the 'comfort women' system) and trying to come up with a thesis or annotated translation topic. And trying for the nth time to find a tiler for the flat. And catching up with a lot of friends.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Denied
The paternoster in the Arts Tower is being serviced - so I won't be able to try going around the top this time. Damn. Maybe when I graduate...
I can't connect to the Uni wireless network for some reason, so am on a terminal with a broken keyboard - backspace doesn't work and neither do half the number keys on both the main and numeric sides. Explains why it took me so long to log in, since I couldn't see what was going wrong...
Friday was chaos. The Japan-UK Live message boards, which have been virtually silent since I started, suddenly had a burst of activity which ate into my post-in bed at 3am trying to pack time. I am eternally indebted to Z for not only taking some stuff of mine to store, but then taking even more stuff from work when I realised I didn't have the stomach for going to the post office at lunchtime and trying to send it from there. I will have to go back some time in November. For karaoke too, of course.
The project looks like it will be okay, although apparently the product has now been delayed - news to us. Many kind words were said to me as I left, which I was very happy about - we all worked hard and we got it done when it looked like it couldn't be.
Have done the Writing in Japanese exam and the presentation - both went okay, but would have been better with a modicum of preparation. Only myself to blame for that one, so I have to hope that the marking isn't too strict and my basic level is enough. I didn't want to have to say that but there it is.
I'm going to head off to dinner now with some of the staff, and also stop using this keyboard before I put it through the window.
I can't connect to the Uni wireless network for some reason, so am on a terminal with a broken keyboard - backspace doesn't work and neither do half the number keys on both the main and numeric sides. Explains why it took me so long to log in, since I couldn't see what was going wrong...
Friday was chaos. The Japan-UK Live message boards, which have been virtually silent since I started, suddenly had a burst of activity which ate into my post-in bed at 3am trying to pack time. I am eternally indebted to Z for not only taking some stuff of mine to store, but then taking even more stuff from work when I realised I didn't have the stomach for going to the post office at lunchtime and trying to send it from there. I will have to go back some time in November. For karaoke too, of course.
The project looks like it will be okay, although apparently the product has now been delayed - news to us. Many kind words were said to me as I left, which I was very happy about - we all worked hard and we got it done when it looked like it couldn't be.
Have done the Writing in Japanese exam and the presentation - both went okay, but would have been better with a modicum of preparation. Only myself to blame for that one, so I have to hope that the marking isn't too strict and my basic level is enough. I didn't want to have to say that but there it is.
I'm going to head off to dinner now with some of the staff, and also stop using this keyboard before I put it through the window.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Over the red line
We're still on 10-hour days. But somehow, we've done it. I was in late tonight trying to figure out if we'd missed anything when things went strange with the bug logging system, and had to move my own leaving drinks to tomorrow, but I think - I think - we've got everything. Unbelievable.
Some people had still gone to the pub, so we met up there and went to karaoke. I'm enjoying it more every time although I really have problems singing. I can now switch between my 'high' and 'low' voice within one song, even one sentence if all goes well, but it still sounds terrible. But lots of fun. Sang some Abba and REM, the obligatory Duran Duran (how is it I still remember the lyrics after all this time?) and completely messed up Gorillaz, which is turning into a weekly event.
And we may go again tomorrow, after the rearranged leaving drinks. Why not? I'm too tired to study anyway... although I do need to sort the packing out. I may need to arrange a second piece of hold luggage.
I am now officially dangerously tired, after messing up and accidentally sending one translation to the school mailing list in response to the wrong original email, thereby convincing myself I'd sent both and not sending one until someone realised a few days later. Dammit.
The only other news is that after Z sent me a link, I've been listening to a load of Gackt songs. I like.
Some people had still gone to the pub, so we met up there and went to karaoke. I'm enjoying it more every time although I really have problems singing. I can now switch between my 'high' and 'low' voice within one song, even one sentence if all goes well, but it still sounds terrible. But lots of fun. Sang some Abba and REM, the obligatory Duran Duran (how is it I still remember the lyrics after all this time?) and completely messed up Gorillaz, which is turning into a weekly event.
And we may go again tomorrow, after the rearranged leaving drinks. Why not? I'm too tired to study anyway... although I do need to sort the packing out. I may need to arrange a second piece of hold luggage.
I am now officially dangerously tired, after messing up and accidentally sending one translation to the school mailing list in response to the wrong original email, thereby convincing myself I'd sent both and not sending one until someone realised a few days later. Dammit.
The only other news is that after Z sent me a link, I've been listening to a load of Gackt songs. I like.
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Living for the weekend
It's Saturday. I'm having breakfast before going into work. I think that sums up the week nicely. If it wasn't a flagrant contravention of German labour law, they'd have us in tomorrow as well. Three of us from the UK team will be in to process, enter and fix a truly unreasonable number of bugs.
In other news, Iwase was fantastic as usual and it was a wonderful night out. I would come back here just so I could go there again, and I regret not going there more. Frankfurt has tube mice. And I saw a steam train last Saturday.
Working 10 hours a day - particularly when you know the next day holds more of the same - is pretty tiring and study hasn't had much of a look-in. Today will also be spent at work, working, if we're to have any chance of getting what needs to be done done by when it's needed. I had a brief fantasy of being there in body and studying at my desk but it is not to be.
So, feeling very underprepared for my exams... the plan was that I would spend 6 months translating and ace them, but instead I've spent 7 months reading and proofreading US English and occasionally modifying it. I'm sure it's a skill, it's just not the one I wanted.
Anyway... once more into the office and then I really need to pack. Everything.
In other news, Iwase was fantastic as usual and it was a wonderful night out. I would come back here just so I could go there again, and I regret not going there more. Frankfurt has tube mice. And I saw a steam train last Saturday.
Working 10 hours a day - particularly when you know the next day holds more of the same - is pretty tiring and study hasn't had much of a look-in. Today will also be spent at work, working, if we're to have any chance of getting what needs to be done done by when it's needed. I had a brief fantasy of being there in body and studying at my desk but it is not to be.
So, feeling very underprepared for my exams... the plan was that I would spend 6 months translating and ace them, but instead I've spent 7 months reading and proofreading US English and occasionally modifying it. I'm sure it's a skill, it's just not the one I wanted.
Anyway... once more into the office and then I really need to pack. Everything.
Monday, 15 September 2008
Well, hello there
Sorry it's gone all quiet - I managed to respond to a busy week by feeling I had to do something when I got home and ended up staying up far too late and spending the week in a vicious cycle of tiredness. Still trying to recover, but feeling much better.
So... less than 2 weeks to go in Frankfurt. Less than 2 weeks to exams. Work will reach giddy new heights of busyness as of tomorrow, and I'm coming around to the fact that there is far more stuff in the flat than I have room in my case for.
I've drawn up a list of things I'm not going to take and will pass it around the UK team at work in case anyone wants anything. Anything else can stay for the next resident. Will have to a trial pack at the weekend. And organise some kind of going-away gathering for work.
Another development was finally getting a place on the Japan-UK Live! school exchange translation team, which is pretty quiet at the moment but could change, and also my first piece of work from a new client. They asked me for the first page as a trial and then asked me to do the rest, which I was delighted with - only to find an email in my inbox after getting home tonight to say I'd left a line out. Not fatal I suppose, but not what I wanted as a first impression.
It's birthday season, so we were out tonight with another birthday person from the UK team. I ended up getting the presents and was delighted that they were well received - amusing tshirts can be hard to get right. We have another birthday coming up in two weeks as well, and my farewell do, and I'm going back to the wonderful Iwase with Z for one last time on Wednesday.
Must pack some study in there somewhere.
The bar we ended up going to tonight is the same one we went to for G's birthday, and we always seem to have the most insane conversations there. Our new mottos for the place are "What happens in Klosterhof stays in Klosterhof" and "You shouldn't have had the first one". Definitely making our own fun.
Here's to not being killed by this week. One down, four crazy days to go...
So... less than 2 weeks to go in Frankfurt. Less than 2 weeks to exams. Work will reach giddy new heights of busyness as of tomorrow, and I'm coming around to the fact that there is far more stuff in the flat than I have room in my case for.
I've drawn up a list of things I'm not going to take and will pass it around the UK team at work in case anyone wants anything. Anything else can stay for the next resident. Will have to a trial pack at the weekend. And organise some kind of going-away gathering for work.
Another development was finally getting a place on the Japan-UK Live! school exchange translation team, which is pretty quiet at the moment but could change, and also my first piece of work from a new client. They asked me for the first page as a trial and then asked me to do the rest, which I was delighted with - only to find an email in my inbox after getting home tonight to say I'd left a line out. Not fatal I suppose, but not what I wanted as a first impression.
It's birthday season, so we were out tonight with another birthday person from the UK team. I ended up getting the presents and was delighted that they were well received - amusing tshirts can be hard to get right. We have another birthday coming up in two weeks as well, and my farewell do, and I'm going back to the wonderful Iwase with Z for one last time on Wednesday.
Must pack some study in there somewhere.
The bar we ended up going to tonight is the same one we went to for G's birthday, and we always seem to have the most insane conversations there. Our new mottos for the place are "What happens in Klosterhof stays in Klosterhof" and "You shouldn't have had the first one". Definitely making our own fun.
Here's to not being killed by this week. One down, four crazy days to go...
Friday, 5 September 2008
Softly, softly...
I do have official permission to use my PC at work for doing non-work stuff, but still feels very strange...
I've put up some photos of my new place - I'll only be there for another 3 weeks. Strange thought.
Work is busy and likely to get busier. So, just to really interfere, I've taken on a part-time translation assignment working for Japan-UK Live, a UK/Japan message board site between twinned schools, and started playing Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Between that and attempting to study, I think I'll have to give up sleep...
Himself will be arriving later on, but there's only so much time I can spend at work before it gets strange. I think I will head out to the airport and have a few expensive coffees there and play Zelda... I really do get hopelessly addicted to these things, but (thankfully?) I'm not very good at the puzzle-solving and so tend to give up. But then come back later.
I've put up some photos of my new place - I'll only be there for another 3 weeks. Strange thought.
Work is busy and likely to get busier. So, just to really interfere, I've taken on a part-time translation assignment working for Japan-UK Live, a UK/Japan message board site between twinned schools, and started playing Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Between that and attempting to study, I think I'll have to give up sleep...
Himself will be arriving later on, but there's only so much time I can spend at work before it gets strange. I think I will head out to the airport and have a few expensive coffees there and play Zelda... I really do get hopelessly addicted to these things, but (thankfully?) I'm not very good at the puzzle-solving and so tend to give up. But then come back later.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Denied!
The new flat is quite nice - but has no internet access. So, it will be quiet for a while. The other minor frustration was taking two days to figure out how to convert the sofa into a bed (not two days of continuous effort, I'd like to point out...)
Like most of the months of this year, September has kind of snuck up on me. I'll be in Japan next month!
... and it's now the same month as my exams. Really must concentrate.
Like most of the months of this year, September has kind of snuck up on me. I'll be in Japan next month!
... and it's now the same month as my exams. Really must concentrate.
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