Culture Day

Thursday, 03 November is Cultural Day (bunkano-hi)- one Japan's national holidays. This began as a celebration of Emperor Meiji's birthday and was sustained as Culture Day when he passed away. It is also the day the Japanese Constitution was officially announced in 1946.

Today, 03 Nov. is a day for the promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. The Order of Culture Awards is held in the Imperial Palace and the Emperor presents honours to people who are outstanding contributors to Japanese culture and society.

Here is a picture of a fish tank located in our local shopping mall's food court- a place we frequent as a meeting spot in Mizonokuchi.

To celebrate Culture Day, Stephen & I are planning to attend the "White Heron Dance" an old tradition which is performed at the Sensoji Temple in Taito-ku. Later that afternoon, we will attend the Tokyo Jidai Matsuri (Jidai meaning era in Japanese), where 1,600 participants clad in costume representing the historical epochs of Tokyo, will parade around the precinct of Sensoji Temple in Taito-ku- beginning from the Niten-mon Gate behind the temple.

-rebekah

Saucy

This is an intersting dressing that you see in lots of Japanese restruants, it contains vinegar and fruit juice and honey and a lot of and.

-smele

Motor Show Car Models

Stephen went to see the cars... I went to see the fashion.


Much to my disappointment...the car models were not attractive, nor were they wearing anything very interesting (the theme was white...and their white calf-high, kitten-heeled boots just don't STAND a chance against MY white thigh-high stiletto boots...)

So I stepped in. Tough job. But someone has to do it! (Why else do poor boys go to motor shows?!)

While not paid in cash, a certain Mr. Smele PROMISED that he would PERSONALLY put in a bigger stereo into my Bentley...when I get it...


Interesting

Feel Fine

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW 2005
What an odd coincidence! This is the exact Bentley that Stephen is buying me! Same colour and everything! ...except mine is the model up--it comes with the boy named James who carries my shopping and opens champers for me upon reaching home ...after a bloody exhausting day of looking at shoes!

Yes! This car will indeed make me FEEL FINE!
-r

The Trains of Tokyo

Tokyo has an excellent public transport system, so I am told. There is an extensive systems of trains and underground subway trains. Of course there is the usual problem of trying to work out where you are going, but this is handicapped by the fact that most of the maps are in Japanese. Not all of the lines having English stations names as you are traveling along in the train, so you have to remember how many stations you need to go before you need to get off. Then of course there are Express Trains, which only stop at certain stations to add some confusion. Just when you thought you had it all under control, there is also two train systems, the Subway and the JR Line train system. That means you need two maps to work out where you are going. Now don't even get me started on trying to use the ticket machines.


Tokyo JR East
PDF Version
JPG Version

This is a large map of the Tokyo JR East underground railway in Tokyo.

JR East Has a website with lots of info on tickets that you can buy. Some tickets are extra cheap and can only be bought by visitors.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/

Tokyo Metro Subway Map
PDF Version
JPG Version

This is a large map of the Tokyo Metro Subway .

Tokyo Metro has a website with lots of confusing information about the many different types of tickets that you can buy.
http://www.tokyometro.jp/e/


To make a trip on either the Subway or the JR railway, the travel planner website by Jorudan makes the whole adventure much easier. It works across both networks and gives you prices and times. Now there is no excuse to be late for that meeting.

Jorudan Traffic Guide

-smele

Roadside Robots

Why use valuable human resources when digging holes in the road to wave cars by? Is it really necessary to have a chap in uniform waving an illuminated stick at you, while bowing and apologizing for delaying your journey to work? No, of course not. Instead millions of dollars were invested in a realistic robot that can safely wave you on with a satisfyingly secure wave.

Press play to watch the video.



-smele

MC and Eddi, this one is for you!

Amid the chaos of Yokohama's ChinaTown... We found a cat. On a ledge out front of a noodle shoppe... sleeping. With a sign that read DO NOT DISTURB...Can't you see I'm sleeping?!... Stephen swore it wasn't stuffed...but I still have my doubts...

-rebekah

Stephen ROCKS my WORLD!

Well, shake it up, baby, now, (shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout. (twist and shout)
C'mon c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now, (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out. (work it on out)

We were in Shibuya with Katayama--exhausted after looking for a cell phone for me for HOURS! ...

Popped into a bar for a bite and some shochu on rock...
When...it really started to rock!

Our first earthquake!
Risk Management advises to GET UNDER THE TABLE...and bring the shochu down here as well....
-rebekah

This one is for Daniel

Everything is small here in Japan. I love the portion sizes! And June, you would as well!!!

Daniel MacLeod...however would struggle with the size of the icecream pots...!

-rebekah

(Smele says "Bloody hell, my hand looks like a giant's.")

Apple Rings or Ringo's

Washington State is famous for apples, Japan is famous for high prices. As you can imagine apples are really expensive in Japan. Luckily a friend from Seattle sent me some Apple Ring's (apple is ringo in Japanese) after reading about the last apple fiasco apple fiasco. Thanks Laurie.

Toy shop of horrors

Japanese toy shops contain an exciting array of toys. Whilst browsing an isle of radio controlled cars, I heard "Ahhhh, urrr, that is disgusting" from the other side. Rebekah had wondered into an area containing comic book action figures. I particularly like the way that this character comes with a spare head, but appears to have no way of changing it.

Stephen's Birthday Day

We went to Yokohama. Chinese for lunch in ChinaTown. Then up to the centre for sightseeing and dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant.

The first picture is the Yokohama ferris wheel. All lit up like a Christmas tree.

The second picture is at dinner. A little bird had told the waiter that it was Stephen's birthday. After our meal, a crowd of wait-staff presented him with a personalized sorbet and proceeded to sing Happy Birthday in Japanese. It was fantastic! Then the waiter took our picture and put it in a Happy Anniversary card. (I think that is the only one that had English writing on the front.)

Not a bad way to turn 29.
(again).
-rebekah

How do you like THEM apples??

Last Sunday-the day after Stephen's Birthday- as we were having breakfast and pouring over the newspaper, we were startled by an urgent knocking on our front door. We looked inquisitively at each other. No one knows where we live...?

I opened the door to find a little man holding a big box. He began jabbering in Japanese and waiving some papers at me. (As he was quite a bit shorter than I, he had to raise his arm to do so...all the while holding this huge box...really quite a sight!) The papers were official mail documents that-among a mess of things- showed an address and a name. He could not comprehend that I had no idea what I was looking at...just kept standing there jabbering away with the papers and the box... I finally just nodded and said hai.

Opening the box...to our utmost astonishment...APPLES! They smelled delightful! It was strange though...there was no note. We assumed someone had sent them for Stephen's birthday.

We were so excited, we took a picture of them before slicing up one of the apples to share. We examined each of the apples. Which one did we want to eat first? But...before we had made our selection, the furtive pounding on the door resumed. The little man didn't wait for me to open it this time. Jumping up and down, jabbering away again... I assumed this was concerning the box he had just delivered. I opened the door a bit and pointed to it. He excitedly nodded (jabbered on a bit more) and then, stepped right into our flat, picked up the box, peaked under the lid and then...ran back out the way he had come in...with The Box.

Wrong address.

Pixie Dust

I have discovered my Japanese replacement for Charlotte Rouse, Next and Pilot...

Jam Pixy! This is now my new favourite "teeny-bop" shoppe! Very NOW fashions at unbelievably small prices! almost free!!! ...Stephen begins mumbling about our lack of closet space every time I even THINK about this shoppe...

Finding trousers for tiny waisted, small bottomed girls isn't a problem here -- it was always such a HUGE problem for me in America (pun intended).

Now, however, the problem is finding trousers that are long enough... It looks like I ran out of money half-way through sewing them...just couldn't afford the bottom half of the legs. Not so bad in the summer, but the calves are beginning to get a bit chilled. Solution: I can sew a 4 inch band of fancy fabric to the hem...but am considering just wearing boots and bringing back the capri.

Tops can also be a problem. The arms are never long enough and the chest area is never big enough. I can't bend my arms and they just stick straight out from my shoulders. If I inhale, all the buttons pop off. If I move my arms, the sleeves rip off. Solution: short-sleeved size large stretchy tops. I won't even start on the brasiers here...!

AND...there is just no point in mentioning the difficulties Stephen has in finding a shirt or trousers.
-rebekah

Comments?

Comments should now be working again, please give me your cheese, I mean thoughts.

-smele

Suzuki LC. Real, not a toy.

This is the new Suzuki LC that will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show which runs from 22 October to 6 November. Planning to go and have a look at this exhibition and a closer look at this car. Wonder if it is turbocharged? The Japanese can ceratinly make cute little cars.

Eggs glorious eggs, poached boiled or fried...

This is a typical menu from a Noodle joint in Mizonokuchi. Nothing out of the ordinary about that you would think? The Noodles are reasonably priced in a variety of styles. But, can you spot a similarity between all the dishes? Having noticed the similarity before, I remarked to a colleague of mine "Why does all the food in Japan seem to come with an egg on top of it?" To which he replied, "Urrr umm, I don't know, I had never noticed before." At least it is not as bad as a restaurant that I visited in near Seattle at Snoqualmie Pass shortly before I came to Japan, where everything came with three eggs, have a butchers at the breakfast menu Salish Lodge

Now you have to look at a larger version of this picture, so click on it to see the full version.

This is a sign on a tube train on the way to Yokohama. A public service annoucment about good manners. Always make sure that you are friends with the person behind you when you fart in their general direction.

-smele

Guess what?!!!!!
I have a job! Well...not THE job...but A job!

I am teaching English.
Part-time in Yokohama.
To children.
To children ages 4 and 5.
Aughhhh!!!

Can you see ME in a classroom ALONE with 4 and 5 year olds for 3 HOURS a day???
(and 7 hours on Wednesdays!!!)
Neither can I !!

What type of shoe does a pre-school teacher wear??? I think I may need to stock up on Eigo ga Sensei Kutsu -English teacher shoes.

But I am excited. It will give me some pocket money and something to do until I land THE job.

In the 2 weeks we've been in Japan (it seems like SO much longer than that!) I have had 3 interviews and have managed to find part-time work!! Not bad....

Next is to land that 9 figure paying job... !
So that I can buy CHEESE and fruit!

Pictures are from Kawasaki City (where my Japanese course is located).
-rebekah

I don't know how they do it, but now you can buy socks that will give you an instant slimming feeling, "Let's Diet!"

-Smele

Whew! What a week!

Monday I went to the dentist. My first visit to a Japanese dentist. The Sun Clinic.

My dentist speaks a bit of English (which is why I chose him). He is so tiny and cute. And he is very, very nice and a good dentist! I filled out a new patient form with the strangest questions. "Do you consider yourself a nervous person?" Hmmmm... I marked "yes"... I AM v.anxious at dentist or doctor's offices...

Tuesday, I had the joy of a treasure hunt for drain un-plugging liquid (Drain-o) ... FINALLY found some-- at the Y100 shoppe (like a $1 /£1 shoppe of all places! Brought it home... Couldn't read the directions... Dump it all in. It was a powdery substance that foamed up like baking soda and water. Didn't really work. Also tempted the gods and bought some bog roll at the Y100 shoppe. Haven't tried it...Stephen refuses to even look at it!

Wednesday I had another job interview (my 3rd now in 8 days here!) Fingers crossed.

Today I went BACK to my dentist...for a root canal thingy. Ugh!!! But it wasn't sooooo bad. I brought Latin dance music to listen to. Imagined a beach...and Stephen in a bright Hawaiian-like shirt. Heehehehe. ...hmmm. perhaps they gave me too much anesthesia?!

After a bit, my dentist taps me on the nose (since I have my music up really loud)... "Rebekah-san? I am thinking we are done for today. You are more nervous than you told me. I am thinking we are done for today. You come back another day..." So I have a temporary thingy on my tooth and get to visit my little friend again next Tuesday and then the following Tuesday. My total bill thus far is Yen 4,850 ... or $48 / £24 Can you BELIEVE it?!!

Found some liquid drain un-clogger today. Seems to be working...I'll keep you posted. Still haven't had the pleasure of Y100 bog roll...

Tomorrow, both Stephen and I start Japanese lessons.

Saturday, is Stephen's birthday -- down to Yokohama for October Fest during the afternoon and then to Yokohama's China Town for Chinese. http://www.chinatown.or.jp/

Monday is a holiday (AGAIN! The Friday before last was one as well!) ... so a long weekend!

-rebekah

Hehehehe. THE funniest thing just happened.

I left the flat and walked to the end of the street to put our rubbish into the bins...

Before leaving, I pondered going barefoot --I had just done a lot of walking and my feet weren't interested in shoes (Imagine THAT!!), but then decided to put shoes on. Spotted my red knee-high boots that I had just taken off. Right. I just pulled them right over my trousers- looking a bit like a Seargent in the Army or Madonna!--at least that's what I was telling myself. But to be honest...I looked quite ridiculous.

I just tucked the trousers into the boots and zipped them up -because:
1--I was feeling lazy and just going down the road.
2--People think I look weird already...
3--Who is around this time of day anyway....

I had just put the rubbish in the bin, when...a bus-load of school children approached and stopped to let a few off. The entire back of the bus turned around, looked out the back window and stared at me. Look at The Strange Lady. (Or maybe they thought I WAS Madonna!)

The children in the front of the bus wanted to know what the back of the bus was looking at. So then THEY all came to the back of the bus...clamouring all over each other to get a glimpse of The Strange Lady.

I didn't want to disappoint them...so in true celebrity fashion, I smiled and waived at them. Huge response! They started laughing and then waiving back. Any child that hadn't made it to the back was climbing on the seats to get a look.

When the bus drove off, I smiled and turned back home. And strangely...I felt a tear cascade down my cheek. Home. And it struck me ...I LIVE in Japan!!
-rebekah

Kirin City, a local beer company, has beer that is reasonably rich in taste and only 490 yen for a half pint with a rather large head. Luckily this is a form of communication that I can understand in an always agreeable presentation for me.
-Stephen

This is how wired Tokyo IS to us...

we didn't even bat an eye at this 80 foot baby waddling around in Shibuya on Sunday.

We thought it looked funny, and took a picture.

Japan's Mandatory Population Census 2005 "MASCOT"

It wasn't until 2 days later that it dawned on me that this wasn't just some wired person in a costume... that it is actually a part of the Census campaign... duh...

http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/e_cen_en.htm

Can you see the person's head in the baby's mouth?? Ewe! And...poor guy...it was about 30C that day!

-rebekah

Here is how desperate Stephen and I are for some cheese... we'll even go for Safeway, off-brand Velveeta...

And fruit! An apple is about Y300... ONE apple! ($3.00 / £1.50). Oh how I took those Washington apple's for granted!

What I HAVE been eating... It is not polite to turn down a dish when offered. And in my further attempts to avoid looking like a COMPLETE gaijin... here is the list of things that I have never had before, but have had in the past 8 days:

~Raw Ahi tuna (weird texture with a strange taste--Stephen really likes ahi...and I was expecting something much different)
~Octopus (I had a horrid fish taste in my mouth that even whiskey couldn't take away!)
~Shrimp (quite nice actually)
~Pasta looking things that were made out of some sort of fish (like pasta, except much more chewy...like a rubber band)
~Little fish (like a mackerel?) complete with heads and tails and bones (oh! I just shiver thinking about those!)

My favourite dish is called Ocha Zuke. Rice in a bowl with a piece of grilled salmon, a pickled plum, bit of cabbage, over which green tea is poured. Brilliant! It is my new Ploughman's!

One cuisine motif that Stephen is very fond of: Eggs... steamed, runny, hard-boiled, grilled... ON TOP OF EVERYTHING!!

Stephen is moving out a few notches on his belt...while I keep tightening mine. Must learn to read menus in katagama/kanji so that I can end up with something I would eat!

Dried apples would work also! AND that Cheese-in-a-Tube stuff.... !
-rebekah

Street scenes....

This is some wired, little place we just randomly jumped off the subway to explore. Very "authentic" Japan! Even though we couldn't read ONE sign... we loved it!!

More Ginza...posh shopping... fabulous shoe WINDOW shopping!!

This one is Shibuya night-life. See and be seen!

More Ginza...posh shopping... fabulous shoe WINDOW shopping!! I am teaching Stephen to say "hai" upon being asked... "1,000,000 yen onegai shimasu!" **

** "$10,000 / £5,000 could you please?!"

Unfortunately, I think he is catching on... and now replies "Iie! Sumimasen...yen zen zen arimasen" (No! Sorry...I have no yen!)
-rebekah

Our new drinking game... don't looooooose your head!!

This game is brilliant!! (mostly due to the fact that I can beat Stephen 9 times out of 10!!! ... Michelle will be so proud of me!!)

Mr. Hanning, this is more fun than Shut the Box...trust me!!

Shown here is our new friend Raz-ma-Taz. He works with Stephen and lives in our building. (Kaz also beats Stephen 9 times out of 10...)
-rebekah

Saturday- I went to Hibiya park (near the Imperial Palace) with my new friend Ryah. There was a big international-cultural festival taking place.

Over spicy noodles and octopus dumplings, we discussed shoes, men, politics, moral values... it was THE BEST time!!!

AND -for the first time, here in Tokyo, finally got to see some REAL Gothics. Apparently, handbags and backpacks are OUT !! THE way to cart ar0und y0ur essentials...is a carry-on sized suit-case. SERIOUSLY!! Handle extended...they drag them around after them!! I suppose it is handy...they can carry around cans and cans of hairspray to keep the hair 20 feet in the air and enough black eye-liner to write the lyrics to Prodigy's FireStarter on the sidewalk....

Note to self: get a cool shiny carry on case. And learn to rat hair 3 feet tall... But Risk Management advises to quit smoking- if going to use that much hairspray....
-rebekah

You can find convenience shops in Japan all over the place, virtually on every corner. Open 24 hours a day, they are apparently the most popular place for young single people to get something to eat on the way home from work. I can see why, who would not want to eat some sandwiches that are "So Delicious! So Happy!" Never got on well with eating those sad English sandwiches anyway.