Memoirs of a Geisha was released in Australia yesterday and I ventured out to see it, after my second-to-last shift at my yucky part-time job!
I have only found out since watching it that it has been reviewed pretty badly. But I (perhaps with some level of bias having just visited Japan) found it to be a mesmerising and beautiful story. I am yet to read the book, so that might have made a difference. I did think it was peculiar that all of the main geisha were played by Chinese actors though, and I am curious to see whether that will impact upon the film's reception in Japan. This had an effect on the English accent that each had- i.e. it did not sound like a Japanese accent, but to criticise the way the English was spoken (ala The Movie Show) I think was a bit rich! Watching geisha shuffle around with American accents for example, would have been absolutely ridiculous.
(See: http://www20.sbs.com.au/movieshow/index.php?action=review&id=1865)
Anyway, I enjoyed it and I am fussy about films! I am curious to see what other people think.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Pirate-Eye Reprisal
Keith is a champion- I received a new Graniph t-shirt in the post today- it is super-Kawai!
In other news, I had to send this letter to the insurer for the Japan tour today and when I re-read it I thought it was rather funny:
Tuesday, 17 January 2006
To whom it may concern
On December 7th while in Japan, I was preparing to leave my hotel room when I felt something fall into my eye. Assuming that it would eventually fall out by itself, I proceeded to try and ignore it. However, the irritant caused my eye to become extremely watery, red and sore. It remained in my eye all day, and it became very swollen overnight. After approximately 36 hours with the irritant in my eye, it was decided that Eri-Chan would accompany me to an ophthalmologist. The tomato-sauce-smelling ophthalmologist removed what he believed to be a piece of bark from my eye, and fortunately, I experienced instant relief and required no further treatment.
Yours Sincerely
“Pirate Eye”
AKA
(L)Adelle N
N.B Some names may have been changed.
In other news, I had to send this letter to the insurer for the Japan tour today and when I re-read it I thought it was rather funny:
Tuesday, 17 January 2006
To whom it may concern
On December 7th while in Japan, I was preparing to leave my hotel room when I felt something fall into my eye. Assuming that it would eventually fall out by itself, I proceeded to try and ignore it. However, the irritant caused my eye to become extremely watery, red and sore. It remained in my eye all day, and it became very swollen overnight. After approximately 36 hours with the irritant in my eye, it was decided that Eri-Chan would accompany me to an ophthalmologist. The tomato-sauce-smelling ophthalmologist removed what he believed to be a piece of bark from my eye, and fortunately, I experienced instant relief and required no further treatment.
Yours Sincerely
“Pirate Eye”
AKA
(L)Adelle N
N.B Some names may have been changed.
Monday, January 16, 2006
And now for something else completely different.....
Well, actually life is just ticking away right now. I have 8 days till departure and I hve my visa and my tickets and my insurance and all that stuff...... Now it's a case of buying all the things I need 6 months worth of that I won't be able to buy there.... Naturally i have extended this logic to clothing and have purchased virtually an entire new wardrobe to take! He he he. Any 'xcuse'll do.
So yes, it is nice hot weather here, and such phenomena as the rainbow depicted below are nice distractions from things like packing my bag, packing up my room (parents are moving while I am away) etc etc etc. And the next few days will be hectic with catching up with friends, and last days at both my jobs and getting my hair dyed a more managemable colour than blonde! And so it goes.
Please don't stop reading my blog btw, just because I am boring right now....... I promise to be more interesting in 9 days time!
So yes, it is nice hot weather here, and such phenomena as the rainbow depicted below are nice distractions from things like packing my bag, packing up my room (parents are moving while I am away) etc etc etc. And the next few days will be hectic with catching up with friends, and last days at both my jobs and getting my hair dyed a more managemable colour than blonde! And so it goes.
Please don't stop reading my blog btw, just because I am boring right now....... I promise to be more interesting in 9 days time!
I Can Blog a Rainbow
I suppose one pleasant by-product of Adelaide's increasingly humid, global-warmed climate is that if the conditions are right, a crappy shift at a crappy part-time job can be brightened by the appearance of a rainbow.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
i got my visa, i got my visa, i got my visa
I got my visa for indonesia.
I got my passport back.
Yay, phew!
I got my passport back.
Yay, phew!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Odaiba Lemonade Bottle in Adelaide!
Look what I found at Genki Roll (sushi bar) today!!!!! It is the exact lemonade that I had in Odaiba (Tokyo) where you push a ball bearing into the bottle and it goes all fizzy! How bizarre!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
humdrumhum
It has been rather a while since I blogged hasn't it....... To be honest since New Year life has been rather quiet..... although final preparations for Indonesia are consuming a lot of time and my cousin Charlotte's wedding was also a wonderful distraction from the humdrumhum of everyday life!
I am still waiting for my passport to be returned from the Indonesian Consulate in Perth which is rather alarming given that I leave 2 weeks tomorrow- but ACICIS (Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies) assures me that they will arrive on time, so I am not going to stress. I also managed to get my hands on some Tami-Flu the anti-bird flu drug. I hear it is relatively ineffective or has side-effects or something- so it might be $29 wasted, but on the other hand it might be $29 well spent.
I have also been typing up my final report for Mitsui which is due by Friday. I have actually really enjoyed writing it, though I did have a slight heart-attack the other day when my computer stopped working. I was pushing the power button and nothing was happening. Turns out that for the first time since I have had it- it overheated, so after several rather frantic phonecalls and rapid consideration of where I would find funds to purchase a new laptop, crisis was averted.
And finally, as you may have noticed from the photo's below- I was in my cousin's wedding on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day, quite hot actually (33 degrees) but really perfect for the ceremony. The reception was also at home, and catered in the back garden. Compared to other weddings I have been to, it was very relaxed and enjoyable. Charlotte and Michael are now enjoying their honeymoon in Vanuatu! Lucky for some eh??!
Anyway, must get back to my report and other miscellaneous things that need doing....
Sampai bertemu lagi!
I am still waiting for my passport to be returned from the Indonesian Consulate in Perth which is rather alarming given that I leave 2 weeks tomorrow- but ACICIS (Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies) assures me that they will arrive on time, so I am not going to stress. I also managed to get my hands on some Tami-Flu the anti-bird flu drug. I hear it is relatively ineffective or has side-effects or something- so it might be $29 wasted, but on the other hand it might be $29 well spent.
I have also been typing up my final report for Mitsui which is due by Friday. I have actually really enjoyed writing it, though I did have a slight heart-attack the other day when my computer stopped working. I was pushing the power button and nothing was happening. Turns out that for the first time since I have had it- it overheated, so after several rather frantic phonecalls and rapid consideration of where I would find funds to purchase a new laptop, crisis was averted.
And finally, as you may have noticed from the photo's below- I was in my cousin's wedding on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day, quite hot actually (33 degrees) but really perfect for the ceremony. The reception was also at home, and catered in the back garden. Compared to other weddings I have been to, it was very relaxed and enjoyable. Charlotte and Michael are now enjoying their honeymoon in Vanuatu! Lucky for some eh??!
Anyway, must get back to my report and other miscellaneous things that need doing....
Sampai bertemu lagi!
The Bridal Party
My cousin's wedding was truly Aussie style- a garden wedding, at her parent's home with the gorgeous gum-trees as backdrop! I am standing on the far-left and my sister is next to me.
Friday, December 30, 2005
this year is over
I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night, after about 3 months...
That nasty Snape!
After 5 happy years together my stereo (well the CD player) has stopped working. :-(
It was 42 degrees here yesterday! B-E-A-utiful! No seriously. Finally a hot day in Adelaide that did not culminate in a thunder storm. Usually I don't like hot weather like that, but it was really dry heat- the AC worked perfectly- no complaints here!
Anyway, that is about it from me this morning.
A quiet NY for me this year........ See you again in 2006. :-)
That nasty Snape!
After 5 happy years together my stereo (well the CD player) has stopped working. :-(
It was 42 degrees here yesterday! B-E-A-utiful! No seriously. Finally a hot day in Adelaide that did not culminate in a thunder storm. Usually I don't like hot weather like that, but it was really dry heat- the AC worked perfectly- no complaints here!
Anyway, that is about it from me this morning.
A quiet NY for me this year........ See you again in 2006. :-)
Monday, December 26, 2005
A perfect blend of cultures
I chose to drink Asahi beer at Christmas Lunch with my family! Of course, it tastes better from pint glasses in Tokyo isakaya. But it certainly quenched my thirst!I found this photo opportunity irresistible. ;-)Xmas was nice this year, quite relaxed really. I got lots of great gifts, in particular a beautiful photo album from Morgan which is made with Japanese silk! So it is all over with for another year....... *sigh*.
Friday, December 23, 2005
the unfinished definitive list
The moment you have all been waiting for.... scroll down this page to see the "unfinished definitive" list on Japan, as compiled by Chrissy, Beth, Dan, Adam and myself...... I eagerly await contributions from you other crazy kids!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Miscellany
So I graduated yesterday! I can finally say I have an LLB (Hons). And it sure took long enough.... I will upload some photo's tonight of me wearing the silly clothes and celebrating afterwards.
Only 2 days until Xmas. Proudly I can say that I have only one more person to buy a present for - altogether organised don't you think? :-) The weather for Xmas day is supposed to be quite warm? Certainly warmer than Japan anyway, where I hear mother nature has been dumping snow all over the place? Has there been snow in Tokyo?
Lots of Japan/Australia related news lately too:
1) Miyamoto (Japan Soccer Captain) has been making some fairly interesting statements to try and psych out the Socceroo's in their opening World Cup game. BRING IT ON!! Can't wait for that one!
2) The Wiggles are "turning Japanese" - for those of you who have not had the pleasure (displeasure?) of hearing about The Wiggles- they are a group of four Aussie guys who have made themselves very rich by writing and performing songs for kids including "Dorothy the Dinosaur", "Hot Potato", "Big Red Car" and "Wake-Up Jeff". They are taking their franchise to Japan next year. All you crazy MPE's should audition. Seriously!
3) Whaling is back on the radar again with Greenpeace ships chasing Japanese ships all over the Southern Ocean to try and prevent them from catching their research quota. I honestly did not hear a thing about whaling in Japan- it doesn't even seem to be an issue there? Isn't it interesting how something that arouses such negative feeling in Australia is not really up for debate in Japan? Meanwhile it is plastered all over Australian news websites.....
Oh, and in Indo/Australia news- the travel warning has been AMENDED not upgraded for over the Xmas/NY period, and in Aceh- there was a ceremonial handing back of weapons by GAM to the Indonesian military which is pretty amazing given that in pre-Tsunami times peace looked extremely unlikely there.
And that concludes today's look at news and current affairs. Thankyou.
;-)
Only 2 days until Xmas. Proudly I can say that I have only one more person to buy a present for - altogether organised don't you think? :-) The weather for Xmas day is supposed to be quite warm? Certainly warmer than Japan anyway, where I hear mother nature has been dumping snow all over the place? Has there been snow in Tokyo?
Lots of Japan/Australia related news lately too:
1) Miyamoto (Japan Soccer Captain) has been making some fairly interesting statements to try and psych out the Socceroo's in their opening World Cup game. BRING IT ON!! Can't wait for that one!
2) The Wiggles are "turning Japanese" - for those of you who have not had the pleasure (displeasure?) of hearing about The Wiggles- they are a group of four Aussie guys who have made themselves very rich by writing and performing songs for kids including "Dorothy the Dinosaur", "Hot Potato", "Big Red Car" and "Wake-Up Jeff". They are taking their franchise to Japan next year. All you crazy MPE's should audition. Seriously!
3) Whaling is back on the radar again with Greenpeace ships chasing Japanese ships all over the Southern Ocean to try and prevent them from catching their research quota. I honestly did not hear a thing about whaling in Japan- it doesn't even seem to be an issue there? Isn't it interesting how something that arouses such negative feeling in Australia is not really up for debate in Japan? Meanwhile it is plastered all over Australian news websites.....
Oh, and in Indo/Australia news- the travel warning has been AMENDED not upgraded for over the Xmas/NY period, and in Aceh- there was a ceremonial handing back of weapons by GAM to the Indonesian military which is pretty amazing given that in pre-Tsunami times peace looked extremely unlikely there.
And that concludes today's look at news and current affairs. Thankyou.
;-)
sakamoto kyu
Look what i found! Where were these fabulous phonetic lyrics on the last night at karaoke? Does anyone know what the song is about by the way?!
Sakamoto Kyu
Sukiyaki
by N/A
Ue wo muite
arukou.
Namidaga koborenai youni
Omoidasu, haru no hi
Hitoribocchino yoru.
Ue wo muite
arukou.
Nijinda hoshi wo kazoete
Omoidasu, natsu no hi,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni,
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni.
Ue wo muite arukou.
Namidaga koborenai youni
naki nagara,
aruku, hitoribocchino yoru.
Omoidasu, aki no hi,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kageni,
Kanashima wa tsuki no kageni.
Ue wo muite arukou.
Namidaka kobore naiyouni,
Naki nagara, aruku,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Hitoribocchino yoru.
Sakamoto Kyu
Sukiyaki
by N/A
Ue wo muite
arukou.
Namidaga koborenai youni
Omoidasu, haru no hi
Hitoribocchino yoru.
Ue wo muite
arukou.
Nijinda hoshi wo kazoete
Omoidasu, natsu no hi,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni,
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni.
Ue wo muite arukou.
Namidaga koborenai youni
naki nagara,
aruku, hitoribocchino yoru.
Omoidasu, aki no hi,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kageni,
Kanashima wa tsuki no kageni.
Ue wo muite arukou.
Namidaka kobore naiyouni,
Naki nagara, aruku,
hitoribocchino yoru.
Hitoribocchino yoru.
Monday, December 19, 2005
stage, candles and cool night sky
i believe that the title of this one is probably self-explanatory.
beetles and carols
As a cynical and ageing 23 year old not many things make me feel like Christmas these days. One of them, that does not happen every year is "christmas beetles"- they have just hatched and are everywhere tonight. I think they usually die within 24 hours which is a bit sad.... But for now, they remind me that it will soon be Christmas! (In 5 days in fact....)
The other thing is something of a corny family tradition- our annual visit to the Elder Park christmas carols by River Torrens in Adelaide. I went last night with my family, and yet again, I shook off my "ba humbug" Uncle Scrooge tendency in favour of some merry xmas spirit! It was a beautiful night, and for all those of you who either a) don't know anything about Adelaide or b) laugh at the fact Adelaide even exists, I have attached some rather pretty photo's to this post!
Yes, I have worked out how to blog my pictures. Aren't I clever??!
The other thing is something of a corny family tradition- our annual visit to the Elder Park christmas carols by River Torrens in Adelaide. I went last night with my family, and yet again, I shook off my "ba humbug" Uncle Scrooge tendency in favour of some merry xmas spirit! It was a beautiful night, and for all those of you who either a) don't know anything about Adelaide or b) laugh at the fact Adelaide even exists, I have attached some rather pretty photo's to this post!
Yes, I have worked out how to blog my pictures. Aren't I clever??!
Friday, December 16, 2005
listing random things
Updated and condensed 23/12/05
Still lacking contributions from Elizabeth, Peta, Damon and Caroline and MPE's!
- Butter flavoured potato chips
- Teriyaki Boyz
- $2000 puppies
- 20 second zen exhale
- 6000 homeless in Ueno Park
- Yodobashi: God's gift to Geeks.
- I-Dog (cute or irritating….?)
- Koala...She's my Bitch
- Showing your neck is sexy
- Giving someone the finger either doesn't mean anything in Japan, or is THE most offensive gesture possible: I'm still not sure.
- Japanese girl's try to avoid becoming a xmas cake
- Factory uniforms make people look like serial killers.
- Butt-welded pipes are important
- The waitress at Denny's
- The world's smallest beer at Denny's
- Cuttlefish: A cruel joke, or something more sinister?
- So called 'coffee' from vending machines.
- Drunk guys shouting at us to drink beer at Tokyo University
- Hot sweet sake
- The Beatles Live 155
- Brainwashing Candy (Caroline……)
- Joypolis: Not quite as kinky as it sounds - but fun nevertheless
- Girls’ Box at Joypolis (what was this?????!!!)
- OJ in a cup in a bag: Overpackaging gone mad in a city with no bins.
- Smiling Robot Tour Guide at Toyota. Someone accidentally set her to 'Slow Walk' that day.
- Production line at Toyota- makes human’s seem terrifyingly redundant…….
- Showering together at the Crazy House Ryokan. It wasn't gay - I swear.
- Blood Type Fortunes
- Lucky charms for anything
- Nightinggale Floor Boards
- Ninja walk to avoid making nightingale floor boards squeak!
- Gum Syrup
- Cider meets Condensed Milk
- Panda Hotrods
- Geisha in an elevator in Hakone
- School Uniforms in Chigasaki
- Screaming children in high school in Chigasaki
- Signing pencil cases in Chigasaki
- I would like plastic model ... if it actually existed
- Vending machines
- 1 yen coins -damn they're annoying still have a small pile of them!
- construction hats
- huge glasses
- Aomarushin tempura
- Ginza
- Shibuya
- Akihabara
- Ueno Park
- Momiji leaves
- Kinkakuji
- ferris wheels
- love hotels (inc. Hotel “Pay-up”)
- Palette Town
- B-Flets!
- NTT
- Sakamoto Kyu "----da da da da da da da -aruko -ooooo"
- kimonos
- phone cards
- pim, pim pom
- Damon ----“Hey U..S..A!!!!”
- crunky
- air crunky
- dars
- ghana
- pinky
- nara
- crazy deer
- 23rd floor at mitsui
- 24th floor at mitsui
- tsukiji fish market -need i say more!!???
- eri-chan
- samurai
- ninja restaurant
- MPE's
- Family Mart
- Aoyama -itchome!!!
- Lesson No. 9!!! -adverts with Big Bird
- Astro Boy poster saying to stop illicit drugs!!!
- Wanted posters in sub-way equpped with helpful artist’s impressions of the effect of the ageing process….
- McDonalds Happy "Sets"
- Wham! xmas carols
- "popstar"
- I can't tell if the coffee at the *chemicals was bad or if the chemicals in the coffee were bad
- Scary smiling ladies with pink dresses and pink lace shoes
- Toyoda
- Steam cooked food thanks to sharp (to help control the pervading obesity problem in Japan- NOT!)
- The outfits of the two guides at Tokyo metro government (a bizarre cross of James bond henchmen and flight attendants)
- Skytime “Yuzu” (choose JAL for this reason alone!)
- Kirin Beer
- Crunk U
- Beer from vending machines
- Ramen
- Slurping noodles is ok, if not obligatory
- Tom Cruise, Last Samurai AKA Damon
- Apple Tea
- Soba Noodles
- Surgical Masks to stop colds spreading
- Opthamologist treatment for Pirate Eye
- Red Dragon : ingredients illegal in 37 countries, but not Japan
- Bins not being present, despite the streets being oddly clean
- Those comfortably uncomfortable bean pillows at Okatami Ryokan
- Not being handed samples of tissues or vouchers for karaoke
- Fake glases
- Graphic design T shirts, Graniph
- Being harrassed physically and sexually by deer (peta knows what I'm talking about)
- That brilliant guide at Hakone
- Fuji san hiding
- Hello Kitty EVERYTHING
- Izakaya
- Yoshinoya
- Aussie beef in Yoshinoya
- suuumimaasseeeeenn!!! (when calling for a waiter in a restaurant)
- Falling down stairs at the champagne club (Beth…..)
- Vomiting in Salsa Club (Sorry B!)
- Being chased by menacing African from Salsa Club
- Mopping up vomit with ineffectual cloth at Salsa Club
- Nap time at the ambassadors (sorry C!)
- Pinky peach mints
- Pianissimo Peche/Duos/Capri/Rose
- Wardrobe malfunctions (i.e. Beth and my trouser leg, Adelle and her heel...)
- Gaspanic cafe (huh?)
- Keith cakes
- Shouting out "Keith!" at the train station
- Being deafened when Adelle found Keith
- Charades with crazy ryokan ladies
- Drunken man passed out on genkan in Hakone
- Hankyu
- Sankyu Berry Muchie
- Happy Smile Christmas
- 200 Yen Dlinks
- Lets enjoy
- watering kiss mints
- bed up
- roppongi
- yoko san
- harajuku
- wah-oh-nine (109)
- hell-o
- it’s beautiful, it’s art, it’s new, it’s the vibe, it’s life….. yeah it’s just life
- melty kiss chocolate
- pocky
- pocky mens
- clorets
- CC Lemon
- Hot Vitamin
- pork buns
- AM PM
- Dogs in clothes
- hottokennai (MAKE POVERTY HISTORY - IN JAPAN)
- Uni-Qlo
- Pedestrian Paradise
- screaming irritating boy at Kabuki
- ineffectual translation and commentary at kabuki
- fish flavoured “candy” biscuits at kabuki
- host family generosity
- MOS Burger
- Turry's Coffee
- natto ("not suitable for foreigners")
- limosine buses
- chigasaki breeze
- volcanic sand
- karaoke
- as you can
- healin' feelin
- fake food (that one is for you caroline!)
- metro train (especially in peak hour)
- green tea
- okonomiyaki
- fresh whitebait
- umeshu AKA "prum wine"
- sho-chu
- free sho-chu from drunk salarymen
- asahi
- free asahi from drunk salarymen
- cassis
- sickening cocktails with 0.05% alcohol (or thereabouts)
- sho-chu RTD's
*sorry!- alcohol interlude*
- ecocement
- ecocement coffee (so environmental!)
- nippon steel
- gion
- geishas
- odaiba lemonade bottles with ball bearings
- yellow candy wrapped in dissolving rice paper (what was that called again??)
- braille footpaths
- opthamologists who smell like tomato sauce
- ninja restaraunt
- Harry Potter (say with Japanese accent!)
- "let's go people"
- ladies night- champagne included!
- chicken bizarro
- chicken abstracto
- tokyo style
- M-FLO (especially Vanessa)
- gingko trees (male AND female y'know!)
- gingko nuts
- egg custard
- onsen
- modesty towels
- modesty toilets
- heated toilet seats
- miscellaneous buttons in toilets
- hard gay
- japanese television generally!
PS- If you feel offended that I removed your comment- it was to save space- and because it must be really irritating for people to read "double-ups"!
Still lacking contributions from Elizabeth, Peta, Damon and Caroline and MPE's!
- Butter flavoured potato chips
- Teriyaki Boyz
- $2000 puppies
- 20 second zen exhale
- 6000 homeless in Ueno Park
- Yodobashi: God's gift to Geeks.
- I-Dog (cute or irritating….?)
- Koala...She's my Bitch
- Showing your neck is sexy
- Giving someone the finger either doesn't mean anything in Japan, or is THE most offensive gesture possible: I'm still not sure.
- Japanese girl's try to avoid becoming a xmas cake
- Factory uniforms make people look like serial killers.
- Butt-welded pipes are important
- The waitress at Denny's
- The world's smallest beer at Denny's
- Cuttlefish: A cruel joke, or something more sinister?
- So called 'coffee' from vending machines.
- Drunk guys shouting at us to drink beer at Tokyo University
- Hot sweet sake
- The Beatles Live 155
- Brainwashing Candy (Caroline……)
- Joypolis: Not quite as kinky as it sounds - but fun nevertheless
- Girls’ Box at Joypolis (what was this?????!!!)
- OJ in a cup in a bag: Overpackaging gone mad in a city with no bins.
- Smiling Robot Tour Guide at Toyota. Someone accidentally set her to 'Slow Walk' that day.
- Production line at Toyota- makes human’s seem terrifyingly redundant…….
- Showering together at the Crazy House Ryokan. It wasn't gay - I swear.
- Blood Type Fortunes
- Lucky charms for anything
- Nightinggale Floor Boards
- Ninja walk to avoid making nightingale floor boards squeak!
- Gum Syrup
- Cider meets Condensed Milk
- Panda Hotrods
- Geisha in an elevator in Hakone
- School Uniforms in Chigasaki
- Screaming children in high school in Chigasaki
- Signing pencil cases in Chigasaki
- I would like plastic model ... if it actually existed
- Vending machines
- 1 yen coins -damn they're annoying still have a small pile of them!
- construction hats
- huge glasses
- Aomarushin tempura
- Ginza
- Shibuya
- Akihabara
- Ueno Park
- Momiji leaves
- Kinkakuji
- ferris wheels
- love hotels (inc. Hotel “Pay-up”)
- Palette Town
- B-Flets!
- NTT
- Sakamoto Kyu "----da da da da da da da -aruko -ooooo"
- kimonos
- phone cards
- pim, pim pom
- Damon ----“Hey U..S..A!!!!”
- crunky
- air crunky
- dars
- ghana
- pinky
- nara
- crazy deer
- 23rd floor at mitsui
- 24th floor at mitsui
- tsukiji fish market -need i say more!!???
- eri-chan
- samurai
- ninja restaurant
- MPE's
- Family Mart
- Aoyama -itchome!!!
- Lesson No. 9!!! -adverts with Big Bird
- Astro Boy poster saying to stop illicit drugs!!!
- Wanted posters in sub-way equpped with helpful artist’s impressions of the effect of the ageing process….
- McDonalds Happy "Sets"
- Wham! xmas carols
- "popstar"
- I can't tell if the coffee at the *chemicals was bad or if the chemicals in the coffee were bad
- Scary smiling ladies with pink dresses and pink lace shoes
- Toyoda
- Steam cooked food thanks to sharp (to help control the pervading obesity problem in Japan- NOT!)
- The outfits of the two guides at Tokyo metro government (a bizarre cross of James bond henchmen and flight attendants)
- Skytime “Yuzu” (choose JAL for this reason alone!)
- Kirin Beer
- Crunk U
- Beer from vending machines
- Ramen
- Slurping noodles is ok, if not obligatory
- Tom Cruise, Last Samurai AKA Damon
- Apple Tea
- Soba Noodles
- Surgical Masks to stop colds spreading
- Opthamologist treatment for Pirate Eye
- Red Dragon : ingredients illegal in 37 countries, but not Japan
- Bins not being present, despite the streets being oddly clean
- Those comfortably uncomfortable bean pillows at Okatami Ryokan
- Not being handed samples of tissues or vouchers for karaoke
- Fake glases
- Graphic design T shirts, Graniph
- Being harrassed physically and sexually by deer (peta knows what I'm talking about)
- That brilliant guide at Hakone
- Fuji san hiding
- Hello Kitty EVERYTHING
- Izakaya
- Yoshinoya
- Aussie beef in Yoshinoya
- suuumimaasseeeeenn!!! (when calling for a waiter in a restaurant)
- Falling down stairs at the champagne club (Beth…..)
- Vomiting in Salsa Club (Sorry B!)
- Being chased by menacing African from Salsa Club
- Mopping up vomit with ineffectual cloth at Salsa Club
- Nap time at the ambassadors (sorry C!)
- Pinky peach mints
- Pianissimo Peche/Duos/Capri/Rose
- Wardrobe malfunctions (i.e. Beth and my trouser leg, Adelle and her heel...)
- Gaspanic cafe (huh?)
- Keith cakes
- Shouting out "Keith!" at the train station
- Being deafened when Adelle found Keith
- Charades with crazy ryokan ladies
- Drunken man passed out on genkan in Hakone
- Hankyu
- Sankyu Berry Muchie
- Happy Smile Christmas
- 200 Yen Dlinks
- Lets enjoy
- watering kiss mints
- bed up
- roppongi
- yoko san
- harajuku
- wah-oh-nine (109)
- hell-o
- it’s beautiful, it’s art, it’s new, it’s the vibe, it’s life….. yeah it’s just life
- melty kiss chocolate
- pocky
- pocky mens
- clorets
- CC Lemon
- Hot Vitamin
- pork buns
- AM PM
- Dogs in clothes
- hottokennai (MAKE POVERTY HISTORY - IN JAPAN)
- Uni-Qlo
- Pedestrian Paradise
- screaming irritating boy at Kabuki
- ineffectual translation and commentary at kabuki
- fish flavoured “candy” biscuits at kabuki
- host family generosity
- MOS Burger
- Turry's Coffee
- natto ("not suitable for foreigners")
- limosine buses
- chigasaki breeze
- volcanic sand
- karaoke
- as you can
- healin' feelin
- fake food (that one is for you caroline!)
- metro train (especially in peak hour)
- green tea
- okonomiyaki
- fresh whitebait
- umeshu AKA "prum wine"
- sho-chu
- free sho-chu from drunk salarymen
- asahi
- free asahi from drunk salarymen
- cassis
- sickening cocktails with 0.05% alcohol (or thereabouts)
- sho-chu RTD's
*sorry!- alcohol interlude*
- ecocement
- ecocement coffee (so environmental!)
- nippon steel
- gion
- geishas
- odaiba lemonade bottles with ball bearings
- yellow candy wrapped in dissolving rice paper (what was that called again??)
- braille footpaths
- opthamologists who smell like tomato sauce
- ninja restaraunt
- Harry Potter (say with Japanese accent!)
- "let's go people"
- ladies night- champagne included!
- chicken bizarro
- chicken abstracto
- tokyo style
- M-FLO (especially Vanessa)
- gingko trees (male AND female y'know!)
- gingko nuts
- egg custard
- onsen
- modesty towels
- modesty toilets
- heated toilet seats
- miscellaneous buttons in toilets
- hard gay
- japanese television generally!
PS- If you feel offended that I removed your comment- it was to save space- and because it must be really irritating for people to read "double-ups"!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Where do we live???
Excuse me? Can someone let me know what country this actually is??? Why the hell is there race-related violence on Sydney beaches?
For the benefit of people O/S- in the past few days there have been large gangs roaming the streets in Sydney and attacks on people of middle-eastern descent in Sydney- and then retaliatory attacks apparently by young Lebanese.
After my own recent extremely positive cross-cultural experiences in Japan, what is going on now makes me sick to the stomach. How is that on one hand people can be so tolerant, generous and willing to embrace diversity and on the other, prepared to hurt others based on their place of birth? All I can say is - thankfully, the majority of Australians are appalled and disgusted with this pointless violence and hatred, and that this rowdy mob certainly does not speak for me.
For the benefit of people O/S- in the past few days there have been large gangs roaming the streets in Sydney and attacks on people of middle-eastern descent in Sydney- and then retaliatory attacks apparently by young Lebanese.
After my own recent extremely positive cross-cultural experiences in Japan, what is going on now makes me sick to the stomach. How is that on one hand people can be so tolerant, generous and willing to embrace diversity and on the other, prepared to hurt others based on their place of birth? All I can say is - thankfully, the majority of Australians are appalled and disgusted with this pointless violence and hatred, and that this rowdy mob certainly does not speak for me.
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