How hot is it?
Ah yes, the end if rainy season and the start of ... hot season? No more rain clouds, just pale blue sky and the boiling hot sun. It won't drop below 25 for the rest of the time we're here, even at night. So in honor of these hot summer nights here's a list of hot jokes.
How hot is it?
- It's so hot you could boil ice cream
- It's so hot the cicadas and cockroaches are asking me to turn up the A/C
- It's so hot that when I went outside for a lunch break my shadow stayed
inside
- It's so hot that dinner's cooked by the time you walk home from the
grocery store
- It's so hot that walking on burning coals seems like that a nice way to cool
off
- It's so hot I declined an outdoor happy hour
- It's so hot your butt sweat has butt sweat
- It's so hot that sweat rags are a common fashion accessory
- It's so hot that contact solution is warm coming out of the bottle
- It's so hot that the tap water in the pipes is warm. A cold shower
actually feels kind of warm.
Wait those last three are true. This isn't funny anymore. It's hot.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Cicadas
Now that school is out, you often see kids wandering around in the mornings looking up into the trees carrying butterfly nets larger than themselves. Ahhh, isn't that cute! And they're catching ... really large ugly insects. Not quite so cute. And ... OH MY G... WHY is it SCREAMING!
Oh, it's a cicada, of course it screams. Before I came to Japan my ideas about cicadas were limited to Southern, Gone With the Wind style book passages, where people were gently lulled to sleep by the song of the cicadas. I imagined they were similar to grasshoppers. How wrong I was.
Cicadas are very large, very ugly flying beetle type insects that tend to fly straight at you instead of away from you if you're in their flight vector. They start calling as soon as the sun rises and stop as the temperature rises around noon. They would be better than an alarm clock if that wasn't generally when I'm trying to GET to sleep. When I first heard them 'singing' I thought it was some weird type of motorcycle engine revving. Why would I think it was a cicada? I mean these things are supposed to sing. SING dammit! Not sound like some strange alien hybrid helicopter and bandsaw.
One is loud enough to be painful at close range. (It's true! I looked it up and everything.) Imagine what hordes of them sound like, massed in every inch of greenery along the street. You can't hear yourself think. And of course they make great playthings for the kids. However when you disturb them they stop 'singing' and start screaming. A loud, angry, cranky scream. They sound crankier than me waking up too early.
One thing I never thought I'd look forward to when getting home was the insects. Alberta, where the prairies are vast and the insects are ... quiet.
Oh, it's a cicada, of course it screams. Before I came to Japan my ideas about cicadas were limited to Southern, Gone With the Wind style book passages, where people were gently lulled to sleep by the song of the cicadas. I imagined they were similar to grasshoppers. How wrong I was.
Cicadas are very large, very ugly flying beetle type insects that tend to fly straight at you instead of away from you if you're in their flight vector. They start calling as soon as the sun rises and stop as the temperature rises around noon. They would be better than an alarm clock if that wasn't generally when I'm trying to GET to sleep. When I first heard them 'singing' I thought it was some weird type of motorcycle engine revving. Why would I think it was a cicada? I mean these things are supposed to sing. SING dammit! Not sound like some strange alien hybrid helicopter and bandsaw.
One is loud enough to be painful at close range. (It's true! I looked it up and everything.) Imagine what hordes of them sound like, massed in every inch of greenery along the street. You can't hear yourself think. And of course they make great playthings for the kids. However when you disturb them they stop 'singing' and start screaming. A loud, angry, cranky scream. They sound crankier than me waking up too early.
One thing I never thought I'd look forward to when getting home was the insects. Alberta, where the prairies are vast and the insects are ... quiet.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Sapporo
In my lessons if a student mentions being from or visiting another part of Japan, someone is sure to ask,
"Do you like ... (whatever food is famous for that region)? or "Have you tried ... (this food from that area)?"
Every region has a famous food or dish. If you mention Sapporo the question sounds like,
"Have you tried Sapporo beer or milk or corn or potatos or melons or chocolate or honey or ramen ...?"
Food, while worshipped in other parts of Japan, is everywhere is Sapporo. It's the only place large enough to have big dairy or wheat farms. For our last jaunt outside of Osaka we went to Sapporo, home of fresh produce and many natures (I think I've been in Japan too long).
More anxious to escape the muggy summer than anything else we boarded a tiny plane for a short flight to Hokkaido Chitose airport. The flight was strangely memorable as we were each given a window seat at opposite ends of the same aisle. In between us were 2 families with adorable, but cranky babies. The one little girl found the perfect note to make the inside of the plane resonate as she put all of her suprisingly powerful little lungs behind her screams. As I sat and felt the walls of the plane shift I thought that strangely this was one of the more comfortable flights I'd been on. Maybe it was a portent of things to come. We stepped off the plane and looked up into the cloudy grey sky when Carl stopped.
"Do you feel that?"
"What? The wind?"
"Yes! No humidity!"
I think I'm gonna like it here.
We settled into our very nice business hotel, where they sold giant melons in the gift shop (definitely a step up from the JGH Tokyo) and went for a walk in the park. After buying some roasted Hokkaido corn and potatoes from the park vendors we went to the highest point in Sapporo, the JR Tower, to get the lay of the land. We went from there to yet another Ferris wheel (I'm so predictable), before going in search of Ramen Alley.
Did you know that Sapporo is the home of ramen. This Chinese dish was first named and served in it's current form in Japan's north. And barely a block from our hotel was a narrow alley crammed with nothing but ramen shops. We found a welcoming spot and had some truly delicious and filling food before finally heading to bed. We had a big day ahead of us and we needed our beauty sleep.
We started the next day bright and early by going to a Sake Museum. It was only one small room, but there was lots to see. As we walked up to the museum we noticed a line of people waiting to fill containers from a tap running from the building. We soon discovered that that's because the brewery sits on top of a spring that they use to make their sake. Of course they only use the freshest water, so everyone wants a gallon or two to use at home. We had a cup full of water from the fountain inside the door and watched as the group of ladies that had gotten there right before us made a beeline for the sample counter. I think that would be fun way to spend the day with your girlfriends, get up in the morning and get blitzed on free sake samples. Carl and I ate our sake ice cream, which was truly delicious and discovered the different grades of sake. We *only* bought a couple bottles as we decided there were only so many souvenirs we could carry and our day was just beginning.
As we wandered Sapporo we kept marveling how the neighbourhoods felt like home. All the buildings laid out on a grid with lots of space around them, it kind felt like wandering through some lots in Calgary. We were only a little homesick. *sniff*
Next up, The Factory, a large shopping centre that contains among other things, a Toys R Us and a large indoor park. After that it was a short walk to the Sapporo Beer Museum. BEER! As Carl would say. We followed the beer with more beer and roasted lamb cooked Gengis Khan style, another Hokkaido specialty.
On our last day we had a little bit of time before our plane left so we decided to go the Chocolate Museum (sensing a theme yet?). A large building designed to look like a large Tudor mansion, you could smell it before you saw it. Inside were stained glass windows and holographs and lots of toys and creepy dolls. We sat and had some chocolate and watched kids play in the large rose garden outside before deciding to leave for the airport.
The comedy of errors that followed is hard to comprehend. The Chocolate Museum was an hour and a half from the airport and our plane left in less than 2 hours. That wouldn't have been so bad except that we were out of money and couldn't find an ATM to buy train tickets with. As we raced through the train station we finally decided to go to the train office to buy tickets on credit. We barreled through the ticket wickets looking for our platform and racing to the one that said airport express. Except, it was the wrong airport. After realizing our mistake we raced to the right platform and discovered that the train that takes an hour to get to the airport didn't leave until one hour before our plane left. We sat on the train and made plans for how we would get home. Would we buy another ticket or take the overnight train? To add insult to injury, the train even seemed to be running late. But somehow the train pulled in 15 minutes before the flight left. I raced through the airport trusting Carl and his still wonky ankle to keep up. The ticket clerk had a lot of phone calls to make but somehow we made it through security just as our flight was boarding. We even got a row to ourselves for the flight home.
As we stepped off the plane in Osaka it was like being hit by a heavy, hot, wet blanket. Ah, yes, humidity my old friend, how I had not missed you.
However the humidity has been a little easier to bear now that we've bought our return tickets home. That's right, we're saying Sayonara to Japan. So if anyone out there knows of anyone who's hiring in October, we'd love to hear from you. See you in September!
"Do you like ... (whatever food is famous for that region)? or "Have you tried ... (this food from that area)?"
Every region has a famous food or dish. If you mention Sapporo the question sounds like,
"Have you tried Sapporo beer or milk or corn or potatos or melons or chocolate or honey or ramen ...?"
Food, while worshipped in other parts of Japan, is everywhere is Sapporo. It's the only place large enough to have big dairy or wheat farms. For our last jaunt outside of Osaka we went to Sapporo, home of fresh produce and many natures (I think I've been in Japan too long).
More anxious to escape the muggy summer than anything else we boarded a tiny plane for a short flight to Hokkaido Chitose airport. The flight was strangely memorable as we were each given a window seat at opposite ends of the same aisle. In between us were 2 families with adorable, but cranky babies. The one little girl found the perfect note to make the inside of the plane resonate as she put all of her suprisingly powerful little lungs behind her screams. As I sat and felt the walls of the plane shift I thought that strangely this was one of the more comfortable flights I'd been on. Maybe it was a portent of things to come. We stepped off the plane and looked up into the cloudy grey sky when Carl stopped.
"Do you feel that?"
"What? The wind?"
"Yes! No humidity!"
I think I'm gonna like it here.
We settled into our very nice business hotel, where they sold giant melons in the gift shop (definitely a step up from the JGH Tokyo) and went for a walk in the park. After buying some roasted Hokkaido corn and potatoes from the park vendors we went to the highest point in Sapporo, the JR Tower, to get the lay of the land. We went from there to yet another Ferris wheel (I'm so predictable), before going in search of Ramen Alley.
Did you know that Sapporo is the home of ramen. This Chinese dish was first named and served in it's current form in Japan's north. And barely a block from our hotel was a narrow alley crammed with nothing but ramen shops. We found a welcoming spot and had some truly delicious and filling food before finally heading to bed. We had a big day ahead of us and we needed our beauty sleep.
We started the next day bright and early by going to a Sake Museum. It was only one small room, but there was lots to see. As we walked up to the museum we noticed a line of people waiting to fill containers from a tap running from the building. We soon discovered that that's because the brewery sits on top of a spring that they use to make their sake. Of course they only use the freshest water, so everyone wants a gallon or two to use at home. We had a cup full of water from the fountain inside the door and watched as the group of ladies that had gotten there right before us made a beeline for the sample counter. I think that would be fun way to spend the day with your girlfriends, get up in the morning and get blitzed on free sake samples. Carl and I ate our sake ice cream, which was truly delicious and discovered the different grades of sake. We *only* bought a couple bottles as we decided there were only so many souvenirs we could carry and our day was just beginning.
As we wandered Sapporo we kept marveling how the neighbourhoods felt like home. All the buildings laid out on a grid with lots of space around them, it kind felt like wandering through some lots in Calgary. We were only a little homesick. *sniff*
Next up, The Factory, a large shopping centre that contains among other things, a Toys R Us and a large indoor park. After that it was a short walk to the Sapporo Beer Museum. BEER! As Carl would say. We followed the beer with more beer and roasted lamb cooked Gengis Khan style, another Hokkaido specialty.
On our last day we had a little bit of time before our plane left so we decided to go the Chocolate Museum (sensing a theme yet?). A large building designed to look like a large Tudor mansion, you could smell it before you saw it. Inside were stained glass windows and holographs and lots of toys and creepy dolls. We sat and had some chocolate and watched kids play in the large rose garden outside before deciding to leave for the airport.
The comedy of errors that followed is hard to comprehend. The Chocolate Museum was an hour and a half from the airport and our plane left in less than 2 hours. That wouldn't have been so bad except that we were out of money and couldn't find an ATM to buy train tickets with. As we raced through the train station we finally decided to go to the train office to buy tickets on credit. We barreled through the ticket wickets looking for our platform and racing to the one that said airport express. Except, it was the wrong airport. After realizing our mistake we raced to the right platform and discovered that the train that takes an hour to get to the airport didn't leave until one hour before our plane left. We sat on the train and made plans for how we would get home. Would we buy another ticket or take the overnight train? To add insult to injury, the train even seemed to be running late. But somehow the train pulled in 15 minutes before the flight left. I raced through the airport trusting Carl and his still wonky ankle to keep up. The ticket clerk had a lot of phone calls to make but somehow we made it through security just as our flight was boarding. We even got a row to ourselves for the flight home.
As we stepped off the plane in Osaka it was like being hit by a heavy, hot, wet blanket. Ah, yes, humidity my old friend, how I had not missed you.
However the humidity has been a little easier to bear now that we've bought our return tickets home. That's right, we're saying Sayonara to Japan. So if anyone out there knows of anyone who's hiring in October, we'd love to hear from you. See you in September!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Music
The nearby elementary school has changed its morning welcome song to 'Sleigh Ride.' It's 30 degrees in June and all I have running through my brain is,
"Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling you-hoo!"
I think I may be going crazy.
Does anyone actually call 'you-hoo' anymore? Did anyone ever really call 'you-hoo' outside of a song or a sitcom?
Yep, I am crazy. But many of you already knew that.
Also, in other music news, my new favourite web site:
www.pandora.com
"Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling you-hoo!"
I think I may be going crazy.
Does anyone actually call 'you-hoo' anymore? Did anyone ever really call 'you-hoo' outside of a song or a sitcom?
Yep, I am crazy. But many of you already knew that.
Also, in other music news, my new favourite web site:
www.pandora.com
Saturday, June 17, 2006
How's the weather today?
So I may have been a bit overzealous in my estimation of the amount of rain we were going to get. Already there have been brief hours of beautiful blue sky. But the heat is always lurking. Sucking up the moisture into the sky to release it onto us again. So that when it rains it feels inevitable. Like it's always been.
Everything feels wet. Like it will never be dry again. But still you hang your towels out to dry, offering them to the cloudy sky. Bringing them in the next day not damp, but not dry either.
You urge to shower is constant, even though the feeling of wet is everywhere. Your sweat clings to your skin like magnets, and it feels like it draws other water towards you, like a reverse shower of some kind. Sometimes it feels like you're in a bath on the street. That somehow everyone should be naked because we're living and walking in one giant onsen. Luckily, that is not the case.
Everything smells wet. Not moldy, wet. Like stepping out after a rainstorm when the world feels fresh and you think ahh, yes. Spring, clean. And really that's what it smells like. Nothing is covered with the same layer of dirt and pollution. Everything smells like itself again. The water just helped you find that.
So obviously not everything about rainy season is bad. Despite perpetually wet feet, I much prefer it to the rest of summer. Well, except for festival season, which I hope to enjoy more of this year. Yukatas and fireworks and 4 am ice cream runs. Something to dream of when you're trapped on a train in a suit.
Everything feels wet. Like it will never be dry again. But still you hang your towels out to dry, offering them to the cloudy sky. Bringing them in the next day not damp, but not dry either.
You urge to shower is constant, even though the feeling of wet is everywhere. Your sweat clings to your skin like magnets, and it feels like it draws other water towards you, like a reverse shower of some kind. Sometimes it feels like you're in a bath on the street. That somehow everyone should be naked because we're living and walking in one giant onsen. Luckily, that is not the case.
Everything smells wet. Not moldy, wet. Like stepping out after a rainstorm when the world feels fresh and you think ahh, yes. Spring, clean. And really that's what it smells like. Nothing is covered with the same layer of dirt and pollution. Everything smells like itself again. The water just helped you find that.
So obviously not everything about rainy season is bad. Despite perpetually wet feet, I much prefer it to the rest of summer. Well, except for festival season, which I hope to enjoy more of this year. Yukatas and fireworks and 4 am ice cream runs. Something to dream of when you're trapped on a train in a suit.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Wet, wet, wet
"Which color umbrella do you want?"
"Why, is it raining?"
"Rainy season started today."
"Just because it's rainy season doesn't mean it's raining."
"..."
"Black umbrella, please."
Rainy season was supposed to start today and at 6am the heavens did indeed open and begin to drip. And will continue to do so for the next 2-4 weeks. I love the fact that even the weather runs on schedule here. I hate the fact that rainy season is part of the schedule. I predict 2 weeks of steady rain and 2 more weeks of intermittent rain. Then the real heat begins. Oy. Only 3 more months of running this weather gauntlet. Then we're home to struggle through the Canadian winter.
In other news we experienced our first earthquake. Very minor. If you weren't awake at 5am, like we were, you wouldn't have even known it happened. Even if you were awake you might not have noticed it. Just a slow gentle swaying of the buildings.
Also we just spent some money on a cool camcorder. Very nifty. However looking at the receipt makes me feel a little bit sick. But maybe we'll be adding movies to our picture site soon. Check out our updated photos with pics from Koyasan and karaoke, stories to follow soon.
"Why, is it raining?"
"Rainy season started today."
"Just because it's rainy season doesn't mean it's raining."
"..."
"Black umbrella, please."
Rainy season was supposed to start today and at 6am the heavens did indeed open and begin to drip. And will continue to do so for the next 2-4 weeks. I love the fact that even the weather runs on schedule here. I hate the fact that rainy season is part of the schedule. I predict 2 weeks of steady rain and 2 more weeks of intermittent rain. Then the real heat begins. Oy. Only 3 more months of running this weather gauntlet. Then we're home to struggle through the Canadian winter.
In other news we experienced our first earthquake. Very minor. If you weren't awake at 5am, like we were, you wouldn't have even known it happened. Even if you were awake you might not have noticed it. Just a slow gentle swaying of the buildings.
Also we just spent some money on a cool camcorder. Very nifty. However looking at the receipt makes me feel a little bit sick. But maybe we'll be adding movies to our picture site soon. Check out our updated photos with pics from Koyasan and karaoke, stories to follow soon.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Food Fights
Gah! I've finally done it. I've voluntarily added cornflakes to my salad. Granted it was poor quality fruit salad that needed a little extra something. And they were chocolate cornflakes (don't judge me!!), but I've finally joined the food insanity.
But I REFUSE to eat risotto pizza...yikes!
But I REFUSE to eat risotto pizza...yikes!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
TV
Back in Osaka life continues as normal as it can be in the Bishop household. Today I was going to write about bums, I really was. And I don't mean those cute little homeless people, I mean honest to goodness rear-ends. Even though the subject has been written about numerous times it really is a topic that cannot be easily exhausted here. However, today I have to mention Japanese TV. Again a subject that has been written about numerous times but as I write today I'm watching NHK, Japan's public television channel. Apart from the interesting subscription payment plan, (They don't send you a bill in the mail, they send a person door to door collecting cash instead. This is because while it is said to be mandatory there is no enforcement for non-payment. In fact there have been many article written about how to dodge the NHK man. Strangely, we've never been home when they've called asking for the $600 fee. (We can never avoid the Jehova's Witnesses though, dang Jovies.)), and apart from the scandals over said payment plan (apart from the obvious logistical and logical conundrums, several NHK executives have been convicted of fraud and embezzlement), NHK is a great channel. It's specialty seems to be educational TV for young and old alike. There are interesting exercise shows, great dubbed news programs for us foreigners and lots and lots of language shows. In the evening many people sit down to learn English, Chinese, German, French, Italian and Spanish. In the afternoon they even have a Japanese program for the more conversationally challenged among us.
I have to say I love the other "how-to" shows the most. How to play (insert instrument of your choice here), how to take pictures, how to wear a kimono, and my favorite, how to swim. I'm still trying to figure out how to practice at home while watching TV, but watching the lower level rheumy businessman student struggling to stay afloat is a lesson in perseverance if nothing else.
Not that I've been watching TV. We've both been working too much to do much of anything lately. But the perfect accompaniment for the English lessons has finally been released, and we bought copies the other day. That's right! CD's for the young English learner in your life, complete with chants and songs performed by yours truly. And some guy named Matt. They didn't have auditions for the male part, so Carl isn't on them. If you want I can send you a copy of these strangely catchy tunes. But NHK doesn't have a "how to sing" show so there's no quality guarantee.
I have to say I love the other "how-to" shows the most. How to play (insert instrument of your choice here), how to take pictures, how to wear a kimono, and my favorite, how to swim. I'm still trying to figure out how to practice at home while watching TV, but watching the lower level rheumy businessman student struggling to stay afloat is a lesson in perseverance if nothing else.
Not that I've been watching TV. We've both been working too much to do much of anything lately. But the perfect accompaniment for the English lessons has finally been released, and we bought copies the other day. That's right! CD's for the young English learner in your life, complete with chants and songs performed by yours truly. And some guy named Matt. They didn't have auditions for the male part, so Carl isn't on them. If you want I can send you a copy of these strangely catchy tunes. But NHK doesn't have a "how to sing" show so there's no quality guarantee.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Tokyo!
Many days in the Bishop world, life is like a musical. Some days it's "The Sound of Music," some days it's "Les Miserables." And on our arrival to Tokyo on March 31st we met our very own 'Master of the House.'
Meet Max. Max is the proprietor of the JGH Hotel. Sounds nice doesn't it? A new hotel situated minutes from Tokyo's central attractions managed by a sweet couple of Tokyoites(?)who want to share their love of their city with the world. A double room with private bath, breakfast included, for only $44 a night. It was the price that should have tipped me off. No matter how glowing the reviews, you always get what you pay for...
On our eagerly anticipated first trip to Tokyo we took the Shinkansen into the heart of the big city. All shining steel and glittering glass on a bright blue spring morning, Tokyo took our breath away. It felt like the opening scene to "Wonderful Town" or "Guys and Dolls." But then I hadn't slept since before work the night before so maybe I was a little giddy.
We just as quickly left the city center to head out to Nishi-Kawaguchi and our hotel. We followed the directions to the out of the way house, set off of the street in a run-down residential neighbourhood. I was expecting something homey and hostel-ish so when Max answered the door looking like a short Japanese version of Elvis, the late Hawaii years, I was more amused than alarmed. But Carl's spidey sense started tingling. Streaming cigarette smoke, he took us to the tiny kitchen to sign-in. Max offered us sake, which Carl had to reach for over my head to get. We kampai'd our cups and poured another. Max said I was a good drinker. I'm not sure if that was a compliment.
After leafing through many handwritten notebooks he found our reservation and expressed extreme surprise that we were married. He had us sign a waiver that included a clause that guests indulge in no destructive or untoward behaviour...including sex. They really didn't get too many married couples through there. He took a refundable deposit for linen and cleaning and explained that as a small establishment, they charged a little extra for extras, like extra for the towels and for phone calls, internet, and 350 yen per bath (not showers, thankfully). Huh, OK, that wasn't on the website. But hey, we get our own room with a private bathroom, so that shouldn't be a problem right? We paid for the room up front and then he showed us to our room, by unlocking the bicycle lock on the sliding door right behind us in the tiny kitchen. This is when my eyes popped as Carl's jaw gaped. Homemade bunk beds with not enough room around them to put down our suitcase or stand up and get changed. A homemade dividing wall that divided the already tiny Japanese room in two. And next door wasn't the bath, it was the room of (during the week we were there) British frat boys, a Mormon family, and German backpackers. We know this because we could hear every word they said, just like they could hear every breath we took.
We took one look at the tiny room, and despite our travel weariness, dropped our bags and headed right back out on the road. We went to the Tokyo Bay area and wandered around, trying to sort out our options among the bright lights and technological marvels below the glowing ferris wheel. We resolved to only use the 'hotel' to sleep, and to spend as much time as possible out enjoying Tokyo. So despite the fact that our futons were as thick as paper and the uneaten breakfasts were often reused the next morning, and that on our way back each night we were hassled by pimps and prostitutes (the first I've seen in Japan) to go into the strip joints and other clubs that lined the walk back, and despite the fact that we were also hassled by cops on the one day it was pouring rain and my chest cold was at its worst, we had a pretty amazing Tokyo adventure.
Highlights include the Tsukiji Fish Market, Meiji Shrine, Asakasuka Temple, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, Harajuku, Roppongi, Shibuya, the Metropolitan Government Towers, Tokyo Bay, Ginza, the Beer Museum and hanging with Joe and big glasses of beer on Carl's 32nd birthday.
Coming sometime...butts and breasts and Costco. Stay tuned
Meet Max. Max is the proprietor of the JGH Hotel. Sounds nice doesn't it? A new hotel situated minutes from Tokyo's central attractions managed by a sweet couple of Tokyoites(?)who want to share their love of their city with the world. A double room with private bath, breakfast included, for only $44 a night. It was the price that should have tipped me off. No matter how glowing the reviews, you always get what you pay for...
On our eagerly anticipated first trip to Tokyo we took the Shinkansen into the heart of the big city. All shining steel and glittering glass on a bright blue spring morning, Tokyo took our breath away. It felt like the opening scene to "Wonderful Town" or "Guys and Dolls." But then I hadn't slept since before work the night before so maybe I was a little giddy.
We just as quickly left the city center to head out to Nishi-Kawaguchi and our hotel. We followed the directions to the out of the way house, set off of the street in a run-down residential neighbourhood. I was expecting something homey and hostel-ish so when Max answered the door looking like a short Japanese version of Elvis, the late Hawaii years, I was more amused than alarmed. But Carl's spidey sense started tingling. Streaming cigarette smoke, he took us to the tiny kitchen to sign-in. Max offered us sake, which Carl had to reach for over my head to get. We kampai'd our cups and poured another. Max said I was a good drinker. I'm not sure if that was a compliment.
After leafing through many handwritten notebooks he found our reservation and expressed extreme surprise that we were married. He had us sign a waiver that included a clause that guests indulge in no destructive or untoward behaviour...including sex. They really didn't get too many married couples through there. He took a refundable deposit for linen and cleaning and explained that as a small establishment, they charged a little extra for extras, like extra for the towels and for phone calls, internet, and 350 yen per bath (not showers, thankfully). Huh, OK, that wasn't on the website. But hey, we get our own room with a private bathroom, so that shouldn't be a problem right? We paid for the room up front and then he showed us to our room, by unlocking the bicycle lock on the sliding door right behind us in the tiny kitchen. This is when my eyes popped as Carl's jaw gaped. Homemade bunk beds with not enough room around them to put down our suitcase or stand up and get changed. A homemade dividing wall that divided the already tiny Japanese room in two. And next door wasn't the bath, it was the room of (during the week we were there) British frat boys, a Mormon family, and German backpackers. We know this because we could hear every word they said, just like they could hear every breath we took.
We took one look at the tiny room, and despite our travel weariness, dropped our bags and headed right back out on the road. We went to the Tokyo Bay area and wandered around, trying to sort out our options among the bright lights and technological marvels below the glowing ferris wheel. We resolved to only use the 'hotel' to sleep, and to spend as much time as possible out enjoying Tokyo. So despite the fact that our futons were as thick as paper and the uneaten breakfasts were often reused the next morning, and that on our way back each night we were hassled by pimps and prostitutes (the first I've seen in Japan) to go into the strip joints and other clubs that lined the walk back, and despite the fact that we were also hassled by cops on the one day it was pouring rain and my chest cold was at its worst, we had a pretty amazing Tokyo adventure.
Highlights include the Tsukiji Fish Market, Meiji Shrine, Asakasuka Temple, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, Harajuku, Roppongi, Shibuya, the Metropolitan Government Towers, Tokyo Bay, Ginza, the Beer Museum and hanging with Joe and big glasses of beer on Carl's 32nd birthday.
Coming sometime...butts and breasts and Costco. Stay tuned
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Superpowered Random Adventures
Just a few more short and sweet comments on life in Japan....
I recently discovered that one of my superpowers is the ability to stop trains. In Japan, trains rarely stop, as punctuality is valued above all else. So it takes something truly unique to get a train to stop. However, if a silly , out of shape foreigner shoves an umbrella in the door in order to join her husband, who can run up stairs a might faster than her, the train will stop. The train doors here aren't incredibly sensitive and something like an umbrella won't cause the doors to pop open. You have to stop the train to open the doors to get the umbrella out and the silly foreigner on. Highly embarrassing, but also very interesting.
I also recently spiffed up my superhero look with a new haircut. I went to a new salon where there is some English spoken. My hair looked fine when I'd gotten it cut previously but it was starting to get out of control and I didn't know the Japanese words for 'thin' or 'layer' and the conversation required to go with it was waaaay out of my league.
Men's haircuts here are a unique ritual that you should really ask Carl about. Women's salons aren't so different from home, but there are a few big differences. First, they cover your face when you get your hair washed. Nothing personal, it's just to protect your make-up. Also they comb your hair out after washing it, which combined with the light conditioner used here can cause some massive tangles or giant frizz if you have curly or wavy hair. Often when getting your hair dried or styled there will be 2 people working on your hair. 2 or more people circling you with blowdryers or combs or straighteners to give your hair all the TLC it needs. You could start to feel like a celebrity with all that attention going to your head (hee...sorry, I can't resist bad puns!) However even with all that attention, it took me 2 hours to get my hair washed and cut. Am I just special or a pain in the neck?
Also quick head and shoulder massages are often included in your haircut. Not a lot different from home, but the massage technique is probably very unique. It started with some quick squeezes and pressure point holding, OK, nothing out of the ordinary here. But when she held both hands together and started slamming them onto my shoulders and head with loud clapping noises I started to wonder if I was more tense than I realized. I was literally beaten about the head and neck. All in the name of good customer service. And after some asking around I discovered this was a standard practice at many salons.
Anyway, after all is said and done I have a lovely haircut to take with me Tokyo. Yes, that's right, our next adventure will be all about the wonders of the nation's capital. Also, all about the two most revered days on the calendar, April Fools and Carl's Birthday. Funny how they fall so close together.
We also have lots more pictures uploaded, including a new section of Japanese flower arrangements called ikebana. Stay tuned...
I recently discovered that one of my superpowers is the ability to stop trains. In Japan, trains rarely stop, as punctuality is valued above all else. So it takes something truly unique to get a train to stop. However, if a silly , out of shape foreigner shoves an umbrella in the door in order to join her husband, who can run up stairs a might faster than her, the train will stop. The train doors here aren't incredibly sensitive and something like an umbrella won't cause the doors to pop open. You have to stop the train to open the doors to get the umbrella out and the silly foreigner on. Highly embarrassing, but also very interesting.
I also recently spiffed up my superhero look with a new haircut. I went to a new salon where there is some English spoken. My hair looked fine when I'd gotten it cut previously but it was starting to get out of control and I didn't know the Japanese words for 'thin' or 'layer' and the conversation required to go with it was waaaay out of my league.
Men's haircuts here are a unique ritual that you should really ask Carl about. Women's salons aren't so different from home, but there are a few big differences. First, they cover your face when you get your hair washed. Nothing personal, it's just to protect your make-up. Also they comb your hair out after washing it, which combined with the light conditioner used here can cause some massive tangles or giant frizz if you have curly or wavy hair. Often when getting your hair dried or styled there will be 2 people working on your hair. 2 or more people circling you with blowdryers or combs or straighteners to give your hair all the TLC it needs. You could start to feel like a celebrity with all that attention going to your head (hee...sorry, I can't resist bad puns!) However even with all that attention, it took me 2 hours to get my hair washed and cut. Am I just special or a pain in the neck?
Also quick head and shoulder massages are often included in your haircut. Not a lot different from home, but the massage technique is probably very unique. It started with some quick squeezes and pressure point holding, OK, nothing out of the ordinary here. But when she held both hands together and started slamming them onto my shoulders and head with loud clapping noises I started to wonder if I was more tense than I realized. I was literally beaten about the head and neck. All in the name of good customer service. And after some asking around I discovered this was a standard practice at many salons.
Anyway, after all is said and done I have a lovely haircut to take with me Tokyo. Yes, that's right, our next adventure will be all about the wonders of the nation's capital. Also, all about the two most revered days on the calendar, April Fools and Carl's Birthday. Funny how they fall so close together.
We also have lots more pictures uploaded, including a new section of Japanese flower arrangements called ikebana. Stay tuned...
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