Monday, 22 March 2010
Dessert Uji style
Lunch in Kyoto
Today was a bank holiday, so many museums that are normally closed on a Monday will have opened today and be closed tomorrow, my last day in Kyoto. I probably won't get to see the Fureaikan Museum of Traditional Arts, which was top of my list.
But never mind. Tomorrow is my oyster. And my wash day.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Next!
Had a fantastic meal and chat with a teacher from my Japanese school and a far too short catch up with Dawn and Simon. Now arriving in Kyoto to stay with the Mizutanis!
Thursday, Friday, happy days
Thursday got off to a late start due to an enjoyable breakfast with my host's husband after he came back from dropping their sons off at the creche, and spending some time on the computer planning routes. I really wish this phone had data for that and maps.
I exchanged my voucher for the JR Rail Pass at Shibuya, then went to book my seats for travelling to Nagoya the next day, plus my crazy overnight route back from Nagasaki to Narita. By the time all that was done there wasn't much time before I was due at an agency for lunch, so I parked myself in a cafe and did some emailing, managing to trash the phone battery in the process. I got badly lost in Shiro-Kanedai, and the battery died as I was explaining to the agency that I'd be late - a great show all round. I finally got there and they loved the chocolates and double-sided business cards, and I ended up having a very nice lunch and chat with the boss.
I had had some vague intention of going on the Big O hubless and spokeless ferris wheel and the Thunder Dolphin rollercoaster at Tokyo Dome, or else looking for craft kits in Shibuya or Shinjuku, but once again there wasn't time before heading out to Chiba for 6pm.
In Chiba I met up with a translator I'd been working with for the last two weeks on a particularly large project. We ate at an Indian restaurant which was quite nice but the state of the waiter's jacket might have made you leave before you found that out - it looked like he had rolled in curry. I headed back at 8pm and got off at Suidobashi just after 9pm, hurrying across the road to Tokyo Dome as the guidebook said it was open until 10, but unfortunately that was the area and not the rides. Foiled! I made my way back to Meguro for my last night in Tokyo.
I was far enough over my jet lag that I slept through my host leaving the the next morning, so we resorted to saying goodbye over email. After breakfast with her husband I went back to the station with my cases and headed towards Yokohama to get to Kamakura, where I had a fantastic lunch and stroll up to Hachiman-Jingu with my friend and her little girl. I was sorely tempted to just keep on going to the giant buddha and Enoshima, but Nagoya beckoned.
The bullet train was on time as always, and I transferred to the Chuo Line to get to the Iidas' for the evening. We had a wonderful meal and great chat, and I was sorry I had to leave the next morning. But the whole trip has been and I think will be like that. There's only so much you can pack into 2.5 weeks.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Friday, 19 March 2010
Vive le dimanche!
Thursday, 18 March 2010
The evening before and morning after
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Yokohama
No prizes for guessing where I'm going
Plan B
Headed out at 9:00 and got lost in about 5mins. Got on a bus I thought was going to Naka-Meguro and ended up at Shibuya instead. Decided this was an omen and went straight to Yokohama instead of following one of my shopping guides around the area I'm staying in. Might do it tomorrow.
Even getting the train wasn't without its challenges. I kept asking the poor guard if I had the right ticket for the limited express on platform 3 while he tried to tell me it was on platform 2. Jet lag, I hope.
And JR are holding a contest to name the next bullet train! That's the poster for it outside Shibuya station.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Breakfast of champions
Passengers are requested not to sleep on the floor
No joke - it`s in the SAS flight safety video. Makes you wonder what class of passenger they get...
The flight from Zurich to Copenhagen was fine, in a thin plane which had two seats each side of a very narrow aisle, apart from the man beside me who would alternately nearly smack me in the face with his elbow while tearing pages out of magazines and stuffing them down the front of his sweater, breathe out open-mouthed making a humming noise, and adjust his privates conspicously. I hoped he was not going to Tokyo.
Copenhagen airport is very nice, and has a Lego shop with Lego Star Wars t-shirts! I could only see kid sizes. I sat and read my guidebooks until it was time to board the Tokyo flight. It was packed solid and my neighbour couldn`t operate the in-flight entertainment, kept hitting the call bell by mistake and tried to take a used hot towel from the attendent collecting them. The meals were okay and seats pretty comfortable. I watched New Moon until the vampire came back in, at which point it got pretty boring and I listened to music and tried to doze through my neighbour getting changed and repacked in her seat.
Tokyo was an incredible 20 degrees when we landed, and I made my way through immigation and customs without problems. There were several adorable sniffer labradors on constant patrol, and I was asked if I lived in Japan for some reason (as the customs guy was flicking through my passport with the embarcation card stapled to it). I found the post office and got my phone, stopped for a drink, then on to the Keisei line to Ueno and then out by subway to Kami-Meguro where my friend lives.
We got back to hers and I told her about the Niagara Curry House featured in the English-language Asahi paper that weekend, and it turns out she brings her kids there all the time! We went and had what she tells me is an average curry, but it`s all good for me. Photos are here!
After we got back to her house we chatted until she went to pick her sons up from the creche about 5:00, and I went for a lie down. Woke up at 10:00 as the boys were being put to bed. Went back to sleep and woke up very early indeed - it`s now just gone 7:00am and people are moving. Time to get washed and dressed and hit Tokyo!
The flight from Zurich to Copenhagen was fine, in a thin plane which had two seats each side of a very narrow aisle, apart from the man beside me who would alternately nearly smack me in the face with his elbow while tearing pages out of magazines and stuffing them down the front of his sweater, breathe out open-mouthed making a humming noise, and adjust his privates conspicously. I hoped he was not going to Tokyo.
Copenhagen airport is very nice, and has a Lego shop with Lego Star Wars t-shirts! I could only see kid sizes. I sat and read my guidebooks until it was time to board the Tokyo flight. It was packed solid and my neighbour couldn`t operate the in-flight entertainment, kept hitting the call bell by mistake and tried to take a used hot towel from the attendent collecting them. The meals were okay and seats pretty comfortable. I watched New Moon until the vampire came back in, at which point it got pretty boring and I listened to music and tried to doze through my neighbour getting changed and repacked in her seat.
Tokyo was an incredible 20 degrees when we landed, and I made my way through immigation and customs without problems. There were several adorable sniffer labradors on constant patrol, and I was asked if I lived in Japan for some reason (as the customs guy was flicking through my passport with the embarcation card stapled to it). I found the post office and got my phone, stopped for a drink, then on to the Keisei line to Ueno and then out by subway to Kami-Meguro where my friend lives.
We got back to hers and I told her about the Niagara Curry House featured in the English-language Asahi paper that weekend, and it turns out she brings her kids there all the time! We went and had what she tells me is an average curry, but it`s all good for me. Photos are here!
After we got back to her house we chatted until she went to pick her sons up from the creche about 5:00, and I went for a lie down. Woke up at 10:00 as the boys were being put to bed. Went back to sleep and woke up very early indeed - it`s now just gone 7:00am and people are moving. Time to get washed and dressed and hit Tokyo!
I'm here!
Just a quick one to say I arrived safely and am now at Hanae's. More tomorrow when I have a proper keyboard!
Monday, 15 March 2010
Early one Swiss morning
I got an early train this morning to get to the airport on time, buying a ticket for the first time in ages - probably since I got the post-9am pass last November.
I've never seen Monday morning commuters so cheerful. Talking, laughing, slapping each other on the back... one man even jumped down the stairs to catch a friend as they got off.
I must be missing something!
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Ready, steady, go!
Well, the day has finally rolled around! I have checked in online and have the case mostly ready to go, half full of presents and half full of clothes. I normally spend weeks working myself up before I go to Japan, which has not been the case this time as the last two weeks have been stupidly busy - I learned a certain amount, mainly not to overestimate how much I can do and that working with hard copy documents with complex formatting is far worse than I even thought it was.
We almost got there with the flat in the UK. It should take another day to pack the last few boxes, seal them and really be ready to have the movers come. I will try again after I get back. Other things that did not get done were me registering - still stuck in a Catch-22 situation for that but got some help from people in himself's office - and getting back into my smaller jeans. Oh well, I tend to walk all the time in Japan. And eat a lot. Well, hopefully it won't get any worse.
In good news, I got the provisional pass on my MA (need to wait for final approval from the exam board) and I won the ITI Japanese Network translation competition 2010 in the novice (less than 3 years in the business) category! Not so good news is that my homestay father in Japan has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He sounds in good spirits and is writing in his usual almost impeccable English so I hope he's going to be all right.
It's still cold in Zurich and snowed heavily last weekend. Himself built a snowman which is still standing despite a substantial thaw, although he has lost an eye and his nose and is listing badly. Weather forecast for Tokyo is around 14 with scattered showers.
I will be renting a phone in Japan as usual, so will put up some updates and photos here! And really should try to put more here generally. But it will have to be added to that eternal list...
We almost got there with the flat in the UK. It should take another day to pack the last few boxes, seal them and really be ready to have the movers come. I will try again after I get back. Other things that did not get done were me registering - still stuck in a Catch-22 situation for that but got some help from people in himself's office - and getting back into my smaller jeans. Oh well, I tend to walk all the time in Japan. And eat a lot. Well, hopefully it won't get any worse.
In good news, I got the provisional pass on my MA (need to wait for final approval from the exam board) and I won the ITI Japanese Network translation competition 2010 in the novice (less than 3 years in the business) category! Not so good news is that my homestay father in Japan has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He sounds in good spirits and is writing in his usual almost impeccable English so I hope he's going to be all right.
It's still cold in Zurich and snowed heavily last weekend. Himself built a snowman which is still standing despite a substantial thaw, although he has lost an eye and his nose and is listing badly. Weather forecast for Tokyo is around 14 with scattered showers.
I will be renting a phone in Japan as usual, so will put up some updates and photos here! And really should try to put more here generally. But it will have to be added to that eternal list...
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Hibernation 2
Maybe I should just resign myself to the fact that unless I'm on holiday - usually in Japan where I'm taking pictures of anything that moves and that doesn't - I don't update that much.
For the last two weekends I have mainly been making out like a bandit. First the Zurich Swiss-Japanese Friendship Society's (チューリヒスイス日本同好会) New Year's party. Apart from the amazing guitar, taiko drum and shamisen performances and making the partygoers do Obon dancing on stage, there was an interminable raffle at the end. They had to recycle the tickets twice! I won two sky lanterns, a JAL fine art calendar and a set of Sensai moisturisers, which was the only thing I saw that I really wanted. Well, if I knew what the sky lanterns were I'm sure I would have wanted them too, but it took me a while to figure out what they were. There were also amazing bento boxes from the legendary Usagiyama restaurant - I still can't believe Aarau has an onsen and ryokan - along with sushi and traditional sweets being sold in the lobby. I also picked up a new belt and a book for a few francs. Much fun had by all.
And last weekend I went over to see Mom and Dad - most of the time was spent exploring the settings on Dad's new camera and tying them up with those on his old camera and the ones he covered in his very good photography course (at the Irish Institute of Photography) and consolidating Mom's various address books, post-its, backs of envelopes, etc. into something we could get onto the computer and let Dad print labels for so that she can get back in touch with people. After spoiling the cat rotten (not that she isn't anyway) I came away with a pair of pearl earrings and a book on Hiroshige (that should have been my Xmas presents but had been "put away somewhere safe" and been sold out, respectively), a home-made paté sandwich, my plane fare, a tiny Slovak ceramic pig and a pair of snowball tea light holders, which I have loved for many years. Mom now has three small and one large one, and she gave me two of the small ones. Airport security were interested in them, but otherwise everything made it back safely. Even the paté sandwich.
It had thawed, but snowed again last night and is pretty cold today. I popped out to post something and get some stuff to clean the bathroom with. Yes, I'm at such a loose end that I'm cleaning. I've already baked a batch of muffins today (base recipe with chocolate chips and candied orange) and may even resort to studying German by the end of the day. I've got the wash room tomorrow morning, so I have some clean clothes to bring to the UK. I really hope that the week there lets us finish things up for good.
Other than that, getting back in touch with people in Japan and realising how soon my trip is! Just over 4 weeks now. I went a little mad at the airport and bought a Mondaine pocket watch for my homestay dad, but it was perfect. I've seen lots of pocket watches, but they were all too ornamented. This is beautiful. More than I was thinking of spending, but you can't put a price on how kind they've been to me and my entire family over the last 10+ years. I have a list of presents - mainly from the expensive but worth every rappen Heimatwerk - for others I am hopelessly endebted to. And the usual plethora of choccies for the agencies I'll be visiting and people I'm meeting up with. That combined with the strength of the yen is making even a 2-week holiday mostly staying at friends' houses quite damaging, but hell, I can afford it. I have to make a dent in my hosting space somehow.
For the last two weekends I have mainly been making out like a bandit. First the Zurich Swiss-Japanese Friendship Society's (チューリヒスイス日本同好会) New Year's party. Apart from the amazing guitar, taiko drum and shamisen performances and making the partygoers do Obon dancing on stage, there was an interminable raffle at the end. They had to recycle the tickets twice! I won two sky lanterns, a JAL fine art calendar and a set of Sensai moisturisers, which was the only thing I saw that I really wanted. Well, if I knew what the sky lanterns were I'm sure I would have wanted them too, but it took me a while to figure out what they were. There were also amazing bento boxes from the legendary Usagiyama restaurant - I still can't believe Aarau has an onsen and ryokan - along with sushi and traditional sweets being sold in the lobby. I also picked up a new belt and a book for a few francs. Much fun had by all.
And last weekend I went over to see Mom and Dad - most of the time was spent exploring the settings on Dad's new camera and tying them up with those on his old camera and the ones he covered in his very good photography course (at the Irish Institute of Photography) and consolidating Mom's various address books, post-its, backs of envelopes, etc. into something we could get onto the computer and let Dad print labels for so that she can get back in touch with people. After spoiling the cat rotten (not that she isn't anyway) I came away with a pair of pearl earrings and a book on Hiroshige (that should have been my Xmas presents but had been "put away somewhere safe" and been sold out, respectively), a home-made paté sandwich, my plane fare, a tiny Slovak ceramic pig and a pair of snowball tea light holders, which I have loved for many years. Mom now has three small and one large one, and she gave me two of the small ones. Airport security were interested in them, but otherwise everything made it back safely. Even the paté sandwich.
It had thawed, but snowed again last night and is pretty cold today. I popped out to post something and get some stuff to clean the bathroom with. Yes, I'm at such a loose end that I'm cleaning. I've already baked a batch of muffins today (base recipe with chocolate chips and candied orange) and may even resort to studying German by the end of the day. I've got the wash room tomorrow morning, so I have some clean clothes to bring to the UK. I really hope that the week there lets us finish things up for good.
Other than that, getting back in touch with people in Japan and realising how soon my trip is! Just over 4 weeks now. I went a little mad at the airport and bought a Mondaine pocket watch for my homestay dad, but it was perfect. I've seen lots of pocket watches, but they were all too ornamented. This is beautiful. More than I was thinking of spending, but you can't put a price on how kind they've been to me and my entire family over the last 10+ years. I have a list of presents - mainly from the expensive but worth every rappen Heimatwerk - for others I am hopelessly endebted to. And the usual plethora of choccies for the agencies I'll be visiting and people I'm meeting up with. That combined with the strength of the yen is making even a 2-week holiday mostly staying at friends' houses quite damaging, but hell, I can afford it. I have to make a dent in my hosting space somehow.
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