To go before we get on the plane for NZ. This time next week we will be recovering from the long flight between Tokyo and Auckland.
Sonia will have a long week (or short depending on your viewpoint). She flies to Bangkok as normal on Monday afternoon. Then Thursday night (instead of Friday) she flies overnight back to Tokyo. Friday evening we fly to Auckland overnight. So she is only really working for 3 days this coming week. Although if you ask her, I am sure she will claim that she works from home for the other times. Yeah, right.
At the other end of the trip, we leave Auckland very early in the morning on Monday. Flying all day gets us back to Tokyo in early evening. Then Tuesday afternoon we fly to Shanghai. Returning to Tokyo on Sunday afternoon.
Think of the mileage points...
On Friday morning I went to the Chinese embassy to apply for my tourist visa. Arriving at 9:00am (when it opens), I was disappointed to see a long queue stretching down the road outside the building. However the queue disappeared within 5 minutes once they opened the doors.
Getting inside I worked out that the instructions on the website omitted one crucial piece of paper that you are required to provide - photocopies of your Japan Resident Alien card, and the front page of your passport. There are signs up on the walls (in Japanese of course) explaining how to photocopy correctly. I dutifully dug out some change and fed it into the copiers that are conveniently located for this purpose.
Then getting a ticket number, I waited for about 5 minutes before getting to the counter. Another 5 minutes while they checked the documentation (record of return air ticket, hotel booking, application form, and passport), and it was done. I now have a little receipt (for the passport) which I need to go back on Monday morning to (hopefully) swap for my passport with a visa. If there are any problems, I will have to figure out an alternative very quickly - probably rushing around in NZ to get it done there.
Sonia has not done hers yet, and is planning to apply while in Auckland.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
This weekend
Was rainy - very rainy.
Saturday Sonia slept until 3pm, at which point sushi seemed like the thing to do. So off to すしざんまい (Sushi Zanmai) for a few pieces for lunch. We ended up sitting along the counter from some people with a French accent. One of them was particularly irritating - asking in heavily accented English for something with no fish. Why did he bother going to a sushi restaurant if he didn't want fish? The guy behind the counter looked understandably suprised and eventually chopped up a bunch of lettuce and poured some dressing over the top. One salad coming up. And then the customer decided that he really wanted some wasabi - but fresh, please, not made from powder. It's always fresh here - ground from the wasabi plant root, and used quickly. I think this guy needs to go back to France or wherever else he came from.
Saturday night was a visit to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We started with crabcakes (Sonia) and lobster bisque (me). Swapping halfway through to try the other dish. The crabcakes could have done with some chilli or something - a bit bland for my taste. And the lobster bisque was unfortunately nothing special.
Then on to the main course - both of us had the Petit Filet (8oz), and shared Lyonnaise Potatoes and creamed spinach (wait for the comments). Very good - the steaks come out on a sizzling while plate - the plates are so hot that the steaks continue to cook in the butter on which they are served.
Finally the cheesecake for desert - the deserts are so big that you need to share one between two. And it is not often that I am forced to say that. The cheesecakes are about 6 inches diameter, and about 2 inches high. Packed full of fatty, sugary goodness. Oh well, back to the gym we go.
Saturday Sonia slept until 3pm, at which point sushi seemed like the thing to do. So off to すしざんまい (Sushi Zanmai) for a few pieces for lunch. We ended up sitting along the counter from some people with a French accent. One of them was particularly irritating - asking in heavily accented English for something with no fish. Why did he bother going to a sushi restaurant if he didn't want fish? The guy behind the counter looked understandably suprised and eventually chopped up a bunch of lettuce and poured some dressing over the top. One salad coming up. And then the customer decided that he really wanted some wasabi - but fresh, please, not made from powder. It's always fresh here - ground from the wasabi plant root, and used quickly. I think this guy needs to go back to France or wherever else he came from.
Saturday night was a visit to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We started with crabcakes (Sonia) and lobster bisque (me). Swapping halfway through to try the other dish. The crabcakes could have done with some chilli or something - a bit bland for my taste. And the lobster bisque was unfortunately nothing special.
Then on to the main course - both of us had the Petit Filet (8oz), and shared Lyonnaise Potatoes and creamed spinach (wait for the comments). Very good - the steaks come out on a sizzling while plate - the plates are so hot that the steaks continue to cook in the butter on which they are served.
Finally the cheesecake for desert - the deserts are so big that you need to share one between two. And it is not often that I am forced to say that. The cheesecakes are about 6 inches diameter, and about 2 inches high. Packed full of fatty, sugary goodness. Oh well, back to the gym we go.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Holidays
Well, we seem to have settled on some dates for a trip back. We will be flying from Tokyo on Friday 12th, arriving on Saturday 13th, probably grumpy and tired. So don't try talking to me until later on when I have slept.
We will return on September 22nd, having to be at the airport early (8:30 departure). So we will probably be grumpy that morning as well.
Warn the sproglets!
We will return on September 22nd, having to be at the airport early (8:30 departure). So we will probably be grumpy that morning as well.
Warn the sproglets!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Rain
Well, strangely the temperature has dropped - far, and suddenly. Since Friday the temperature has been almost 10 degrees lower than previously - so down around 25 degrees.
We headed out to Costco yesterday morning. Sonia's theory was that by getting out early we would be able to avoid the busy times. Leaving home around 9:30, we got there to find that it was as packed as normal. Oh well. We did the usual - 2kg packs of chicken breasts (very cheap because people do not like the bland breast meat), bags of dried cranberries, and so on. We also arranged a new pair of glasses for me. A couple of weeks ago we got some for Sonia. Mine should be ready in a week or two.
Saturday was rainy pretty much all day and through the night. The cloud has been very low, bordering on misty, and as a result you cannot see far across the city. Normally you get a great view.
We headed out to Costco yesterday morning. Sonia's theory was that by getting out early we would be able to avoid the busy times. Leaving home around 9:30, we got there to find that it was as packed as normal. Oh well. We did the usual - 2kg packs of chicken breasts (very cheap because people do not like the bland breast meat), bags of dried cranberries, and so on. We also arranged a new pair of glasses for me. A couple of weeks ago we got some for Sonia. Mine should be ready in a week or two.
Saturday was rainy pretty much all day and through the night. The cloud has been very low, bordering on misty, and as a result you cannot see far across the city. Normally you get a great view.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Not much to say, but still
Amazing thunderstorm tonight.
And a big earthquake the day before yesterday.
What else? Cannot think of anything...
And a big earthquake the day before yesterday.
What else? Cannot think of anything...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Yoyogi Koen
Koen is the Japanese word for Park (こえん), and today we went to Yoyogi Koen to take a look at the B-boy festival. On the way, we paused to look at the bands and the Elvis impersonators.
The bands set themselves up along the footpath just outside the park boundary. Because the park rules prohibit loud noises inside the park itself. No matter that they are so loud that you still hear them inside the park - they are following the rules by being outside.
The first band we came across was a rock (?) band with a huge bunch of female groupies. Click here to watch the video from YouTube (taken on my digital camera, so apologies for the quality):
The groupies were particularly amusing, dressed up in all sorts of things. I liked the girl dressed entirely in white on the right side of the screen, and the opposite in black on the left.
What made it more entertaining was when the two policemen on their bicycles wandered through the middle of the performance, and no-one batted an eyelid. They were followed by an older lady on her bike:
Ok, and for photos of the Elvis guys. They are not really trying to copy Elvis so much as some of his style (?!):
Elvis needs a car - preferrably a pink Cadillac
And just because we saw it, here is a picture of a dog pram, complete with two fluffy-looking animals.
There were bands of different styles, and there appeared to be a hierarchy in terms of location. The better ones were closer to the entrance of the park, with quality dropping as you carry on down the footpath. These guys were very close to the entrance, and were not bad.
They called themselves:
The bands set themselves up along the footpath just outside the park boundary. Because the park rules prohibit loud noises inside the park itself. No matter that they are so loud that you still hear them inside the park - they are following the rules by being outside.
The first band we came across was a rock (?) band with a huge bunch of female groupies. Click here to watch the video from YouTube (taken on my digital camera, so apologies for the quality):
The groupies were particularly amusing, dressed up in all sorts of things. I liked the girl dressed entirely in white on the right side of the screen, and the opposite in black on the left.
What made it more entertaining was when the two policemen on their bicycles wandered through the middle of the performance, and no-one batted an eyelid. They were followed by an older lady on her bike:
Ok, and for photos of the Elvis guys. They are not really trying to copy Elvis so much as some of his style (?!):
Elvis needs a car - preferrably a pink Cadillac
And just because we saw it, here is a picture of a dog pram, complete with two fluffy-looking animals.
There were bands of different styles, and there appeared to be a hierarchy in terms of location. The better ones were closer to the entrance of the park, with quality dropping as you carry on down the footpath. These guys were very close to the entrance, and were not bad.
They called themselves:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A new week
Well, it's now Wednesday. Actually the end of Wednesday.
It's still hot. And overcast.
This is Obon (I think that is the correct spelling), which means that many people are away on holiday. Work is therefore quiet - unusually so. Next week will probably be the same.
However I am currently driving a project to find a new Claims Management System for the company, so my team is actually busier than everyone else. Oh well, how sad. About time that someone actually gets something done. Maybe we can achieve something useful while the rest of the company is on holiday.
Sometimes working here has it's frustrations. More on this later...
It's still hot. And overcast.
This is Obon (I think that is the correct spelling), which means that many people are away on holiday. Work is therefore quiet - unusually so. Next week will probably be the same.
However I am currently driving a project to find a new Claims Management System for the company, so my team is actually busier than everyone else. Oh well, how sad. About time that someone actually gets something done. Maybe we can achieve something useful while the rest of the company is on holiday.
Sometimes working here has it's frustrations. More on this later...
Monday, August 11, 2008
The weekend
Well the weekend came and went, accompanied by theme song. The theme song was a troupe of protest vans/buses/trucks going up and down the road. I have no idea what they were blaring out of the speakers as they drove (slowly) past. Whatever it was, it was objectionable. I don't actually even care. They were plain obnoxious.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Sonia has arrived...
And according to the sign at the airport, the temperature was 27.8 at 7:10 this morning. You can probably guess that it is now getting to the point that you need a good reason to bother going outside.
Having said that, we are about to head out to get something to eat for lunch (probably noodles to slurp) and then to the supermarket.
Later we need to get to the gym.
Fun...
Having said that, we are about to head out to get something to eat for lunch (probably noodles to slurp) and then to the supermarket.
Later we need to get to the gym.
Fun...
Thursday, August 07, 2008
What to say?
Yesterday was the wedding anniversary - which both of us failed to remember. Well, my excuse is that I remembered and Sonia forgot....
It has gotten incredibly hot in Tokyo now. Temperatures have made it to 34 degrees today, and the forecast for tomorrow is the same. The problem is that there is sufficient humidity to make it intensely uncomfortable, without being quite as problematic as HK or Malaysia. In HK and Malaysia the culture adapts by turning the air-conditioning up a notch, and as a result the interior of the buildings is actually quite comfortable. Here, everyone grabs a fan, umbrella, and sweats (or perspires if you are a girl).
Fireworks are the big thing at the moment. This is the season for festivals, which are usually accompanied by a large number of fireworks being let off. People crowd into the parks to watch, although some smart people look for more comfortable (air-conditioned and less crowded) alternatives. For example, I was asked by a couple of people at work if it was possible to see a particular park from the apartment windows. The suggestion was that they would come over tonight for pizza to watch the fireworks. However, the apartment faces the wrong way so they departed with downcast faces to look for alternatives. :-)
It has gotten incredibly hot in Tokyo now. Temperatures have made it to 34 degrees today, and the forecast for tomorrow is the same. The problem is that there is sufficient humidity to make it intensely uncomfortable, without being quite as problematic as HK or Malaysia. In HK and Malaysia the culture adapts by turning the air-conditioning up a notch, and as a result the interior of the buildings is actually quite comfortable. Here, everyone grabs a fan, umbrella, and sweats (or perspires if you are a girl).
Fireworks are the big thing at the moment. This is the season for festivals, which are usually accompanied by a large number of fireworks being let off. People crowd into the parks to watch, although some smart people look for more comfortable (air-conditioned and less crowded) alternatives. For example, I was asked by a couple of people at work if it was possible to see a particular park from the apartment windows. The suggestion was that they would come over tonight for pizza to watch the fireworks. However, the apartment faces the wrong way so they departed with downcast faces to look for alternatives. :-)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Another Monday, Another Flight to Bangkok
Oh dear, he is back to giving you lengthy restaurant reviews. Suffice to say dinner was delicious and I am sure we will be back.
It's been a scorching weekend in Tokyo, and I am almost looking forward to returning to not-quite-so-hot Bangkok later today. I think if you looked at the weather forecast the two cities probably have very similar temperatures at the moment, but Tokyo really feels a lot hotter. It might just be that I spend a lot more time outside here. I have had a nasty cold all week that is just starting to clear up - I don't think the constant moving from air con to the outside world is really very good for me.
Our weekend was pretty standard with a 6.15 arrival at Narita airport, and home to the apartment by 8.45. Andrew had been out late the night before and so was not in the mood to be woken up. I managed to grab another couple of hours sleep before he decided that enough was enough and we needed to face the day. One thing about living without a car is that everything we do takes takes so much longer than it would normally. We needed to get across to Costco to pick up my new glasses (even though I only ever wear them at home, we figured that seeing my existing ones date to prior our marriage in 1994 it was about time!). I reckon it would probably take 15 minutes to drive to the closest Costco from the apartment. With taking the Subway, Bus and Taxi combination it is about a three hour round trip. Does mean we don't ever buy too much - we have to carry it and that is no fun!
Sunday night we caught up with a collegue and friend from Hong Kong who has recently moved to Tokyo. I like his wife's style... she is happy to move country when necessary for his job, but the rules go like this... Moves only ever happen over the summer. She leaves the house and heads with the kids to the US for six weeks. While she is gone he is responsible for arranging for the packers to pack the house and ship it to the next location. He then unpacks and has the house looking like it should before she gets back. Perfect. I am going to need to learn a lesson or two I think!
I worked out yesterday that we have 14 weeks left in Tokyo (assuming always that the next job does not end up being here). Time really has flown by - the end of this week will mark Andrew's one year anniversary. It has been interesting, but in all honesty, kind of weird too. The Japanese culture is really so unlike anything else we have encountered in Asia. It is formal at times when you would expect informality, but slurping your noodles is completely acceptable. The people are intelligent, but slow to embrace new ideas or ways of doing things. Life is lived by rules, and there is no stepping outside of the rules. Even minor repair works on the footpath require that barriers are put up to ensure that no-one slips into the rough area, a rubber path is laid to show you where to walk, and at least two men with lit up oranage sticks point you the way and bow to you as you obediently follow their instructions on how to safely walk past. Just think how much could be saved if they just stuck with the barrier and a 'take care' sign. Shopping is the national pasttime, and huge amounts of money are spent on designer gear - a Gucci belt on your Armani suit is a sure sign that you have made it. But bizzarely for a nation that appears very with it, of all the money saved (and the Japanese have one of the highest saving rates in the world) over 50% of it is either under the mattress or in bank accounts that earn no interest. It really is the most 'foreign' of all the places we have lived.
Not sure any more which week I will be travelling down to Melbourne for work - might be the 25th August rather than the 18th. I have learnt that planning just one week at a time is the way to go! We still hoping to be back in NZ for week mid to late September. No tickets booked yet but maybe soon.
Better get started on my Monday morning. Andrew left early for his Japanese class. He used all the milk before he left... guess it will have to be a bagel for breakfast.
Sonia
It's been a scorching weekend in Tokyo, and I am almost looking forward to returning to not-quite-so-hot Bangkok later today. I think if you looked at the weather forecast the two cities probably have very similar temperatures at the moment, but Tokyo really feels a lot hotter. It might just be that I spend a lot more time outside here. I have had a nasty cold all week that is just starting to clear up - I don't think the constant moving from air con to the outside world is really very good for me.
Our weekend was pretty standard with a 6.15 arrival at Narita airport, and home to the apartment by 8.45. Andrew had been out late the night before and so was not in the mood to be woken up. I managed to grab another couple of hours sleep before he decided that enough was enough and we needed to face the day. One thing about living without a car is that everything we do takes takes so much longer than it would normally. We needed to get across to Costco to pick up my new glasses (even though I only ever wear them at home, we figured that seeing my existing ones date to prior our marriage in 1994 it was about time!). I reckon it would probably take 15 minutes to drive to the closest Costco from the apartment. With taking the Subway, Bus and Taxi combination it is about a three hour round trip. Does mean we don't ever buy too much - we have to carry it and that is no fun!
Sunday night we caught up with a collegue and friend from Hong Kong who has recently moved to Tokyo. I like his wife's style... she is happy to move country when necessary for his job, but the rules go like this... Moves only ever happen over the summer. She leaves the house and heads with the kids to the US for six weeks. While she is gone he is responsible for arranging for the packers to pack the house and ship it to the next location. He then unpacks and has the house looking like it should before she gets back. Perfect. I am going to need to learn a lesson or two I think!
I worked out yesterday that we have 14 weeks left in Tokyo (assuming always that the next job does not end up being here). Time really has flown by - the end of this week will mark Andrew's one year anniversary. It has been interesting, but in all honesty, kind of weird too. The Japanese culture is really so unlike anything else we have encountered in Asia. It is formal at times when you would expect informality, but slurping your noodles is completely acceptable. The people are intelligent, but slow to embrace new ideas or ways of doing things. Life is lived by rules, and there is no stepping outside of the rules. Even minor repair works on the footpath require that barriers are put up to ensure that no-one slips into the rough area, a rubber path is laid to show you where to walk, and at least two men with lit up oranage sticks point you the way and bow to you as you obediently follow their instructions on how to safely walk past. Just think how much could be saved if they just stuck with the barrier and a 'take care' sign. Shopping is the national pasttime, and huge amounts of money are spent on designer gear - a Gucci belt on your Armani suit is a sure sign that you have made it. But bizzarely for a nation that appears very with it, of all the money saved (and the Japanese have one of the highest saving rates in the world) over 50% of it is either under the mattress or in bank accounts that earn no interest. It really is the most 'foreign' of all the places we have lived.
Not sure any more which week I will be travelling down to Melbourne for work - might be the 25th August rather than the 18th. I have learnt that planning just one week at a time is the way to go! We still hoping to be back in NZ for week mid to late September. No tickets booked yet but maybe soon.
Better get started on my Monday morning. Andrew left early for his Japanese class. He used all the milk before he left... guess it will have to be a bagel for breakfast.
Sonia
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Caprice
So to the menu from dinner at Caprice.....
I started with the warm Duck Foie Gras appetizer - at least that was after the two teasers. The first was a small piece of salmon with pesto on a spoon. Just a nice mouthful to kick-start the tastebuds. Then a smoking bowl (the cone-shaped plate was sitting atop a bowl of dry ice) with jellied beef and vegetable topped with horseradish foam. Not bad, although Sonia was not keen on the jelly...
Sonia started with a trio of scrambled eggs with truffle. Three eggcups, filled with nicely done scrambled eggs, each topped with a small slice of black truffle...
Not a bad start to the meal.
Then Veal fillet for Sonia, and Veal for me (Sonia's was most expensive!). What I should point out is that mine was Veal Sweetbreads. Nice - and I hope you are all impressed with how adventurous I have become.
Then to desert. The cheese that we say going out looked good, so we settled on cheese (each) and a shared Black Forest something or other. Cheese turned out to be a selection from about 12 different cheeses on a trolley. Each cheese was a significant chunk sliced off the whole cheese sitting on the trolley. Predictably Sonia went for mostly blues, while I aimed for the camembert/brie and goats cheeses.
And.... full.
I started with the warm Duck Foie Gras appetizer - at least that was after the two teasers. The first was a small piece of salmon with pesto on a spoon. Just a nice mouthful to kick-start the tastebuds. Then a smoking bowl (the cone-shaped plate was sitting atop a bowl of dry ice) with jellied beef and vegetable topped with horseradish foam. Not bad, although Sonia was not keen on the jelly...
Sonia started with a trio of scrambled eggs with truffle. Three eggcups, filled with nicely done scrambled eggs, each topped with a small slice of black truffle...
Not a bad start to the meal.
Then Veal fillet for Sonia, and Veal for me (Sonia's was most expensive!). What I should point out is that mine was Veal Sweetbreads. Nice - and I hope you are all impressed with how adventurous I have become.
Then to desert. The cheese that we say going out looked good, so we settled on cheese (each) and a shared Black Forest something or other. Cheese turned out to be a selection from about 12 different cheeses on a trolley. Each cheese was a significant chunk sliced off the whole cheese sitting on the trolley. Predictably Sonia went for mostly blues, while I aimed for the camembert/brie and goats cheeses.
And.... full.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
HK
Hong Kong was good - I start writing this sitting at the airport (first-class Cathay Pacific lounge).
Important things first.
We went to Caprice on Saturday night - in theory a belated birthday celebration. Caprice is the French restaurant at the Four Seasons hotel. Very nice - nice atmosphere if you are prepared to discount the tipsy/drunk Japanese guy at the table next to us when we arrived. Still, they were just finishing and left after about 20 minutes. The other members of his party (businessmen) were fine, so I guess he must have had one glass of wine too many?
Dinner was very good - a good menu (not too much, not too little), great presentation, excellent taste. I kept the receipt with the dishes on, and will post later.
Continued from home...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Pots and Kettles
I (Andrew) just want to point out that it was Sonia that picked a selection of restaurants for Saturday night, and put them in front of me for a decision. None of them was less than expensive. So blaming it on my birthday and my expensive tastes (which I am not trying to deny) is a little unfair.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
My Turn
Figured it must be my turn - Andrew has been providing you with restaurant reviews for far too long!
Today is a public holiday in Thailand, and so the office is closed. I've been hanging out working in the Exec lounge at the Conrad all day - they have mangaged to feed me complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner today. It pays to be in the right place at the right time. I'm currently enjoying the evening cocktails with 15- 20 hot and cold snacks. Plenty for dinner! They even have a georgous bitter chocolate mousse with sour berries - yumm.
My project in Thailand is going ok, but is suffering a bit from very slow testing by the users. The go-live date is looking at the moment like it will be towards the end of the year, with October being mentioned by all the big wigs. We shall see - they will really have to get moving if they want to achieve that date.
The constant travel is getting to be a bit of a drain - more from a feeling settled point of view than a physical exhaustion viewpoint I routinely travel to BKK on Monday afternoons, and then get back into Tokyo very early Saturday morning. Thank goodness for Business Class - I sleep very nicely and cannot really complain. Japan Airlines (JAL) is nothing to write home about - they serve exactly the same meal on every one of my flights, and it changes every three months, but they do provide the best timetable :-). Japan's ridiculous need to fill up most of a page in my passport with a sticker everytime I enter the country is a bit of a pain - the new passport I got in July last year now has less the 8 pages left (it started with 48). Time to get a new one I guess. One great discovery I have made is a thing called an APEC card. Basically it is for frequent travellers, and you get pre-approved for entry into different Asia/Pacific countries. You can then use the Diplomatic or Crew immigration lines. Saves me hours of queuing!
I tried working out of Japan one week not so long ago but just about went insane. The apartment was too quiet and there was no one interrupting me every five minutes. I have decided that working from home would never be my forte - I thrive on the stream of people wanting things from me. The cleaner who wanted to know if she could vacuum now just did not cut it... Once we see what happens with Andrew's job in October a decision will have to be made - I don't think I really want to be away from home most weekdays for too much longer. Please pray for us as we head towards October. Andrew's secondment to Japan is scheduled to end then, and we really do not know what is next. We have been looking at going back to the UK, returning to HK or trying to find something else in Japan, but really do not know what is the right thing to be doing, and where God would have us be next. The current global financial crunch does not make it a great time to be looking for opportunities in the Financial Service Industry, and the recruitment agents really do not seem to have a lot going on.
Holiday plans are also on our minds at the moment, and we are hoping to find a week or so that works for both of us to return to NZ in September. Andrew's contract includes one set of tickets home and it would be a shame not to use them! It is looking like maybe 15th September, but my advice is don't count on it until you see us :-). We would also really like to get up to see Evan and Kirsten in Edmonton in Feb/Mar when we head to the states for Paul's wedding. I am planning, Andrew is procrastinating.... Story of my life when it comes to holidays :-).
Nothing much else of interest happening. It looks like I'll end up in Melbourne rather than Bangkok for the week of the 18th August, but none of you are there so I don't guess you care. I had a great visit with one of my collegues from Melbourne here in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago. Penny was working with us in KL when we were there, and went to the same church that we went to. It was really good to catch up with her again. I miss some of the friends from the church and particularly the home group from KL.
Like Andrew said in his last update, we are off to Hong Kong for the weekend which we are looking forward to. Trying out a cheaper hotel option this time - hopefully it will not be too much of a dump - staying at the Conrad kind of spoils you for budget accomodation :-). We will head off to our old church on Sunday - they have moved to a permanent building since we left, so it will be good to see where they are now. Andrew also has interviews with a couple of different people at one of the other insurance companies in HK - please pray that these will go well. Other than that, I am sure there will be another restaurant review as we head out on Saturday night for Andrew's delayed birthday dinner. His theory is that with a cheaper accomodation for the weekend he can use the saved money on an exceptional dinner. We shall see.... Other plans for the weekend include a return to my more excellent nail lady, and some more highlights in my hair - some things just are not the same in Bangkok or Tokyo!
Till next time....
Sonia
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Heat
It looks like we have now moved past the rainy season. Today was hot - up to 32 degrees according to the forecast. While we were out for lunch it did feel hotter at times. Particularly as we walked home, which triggered the need for an ice-cream from the 7-11 in the building.
Lunch was at Union Square, an American brasserie in the Tokyo Midtown complex. Not bad, although not cheap. We did sit outside on the terrace and enjoyed the view over the park and the people walking by.
Of course the ice-cream did then necessitate a proper workout at the gym - what goes in must be worked off.
Back to the weather - the forecast does mention rain around midnight tonight, before going back to being fine for most of the week. Temperatures up to around 29 degrees most days this week. Ouch.
Next weekend we will be in HK - flying down Friday night and back on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday in Tokyo (not sure of the reason), so a good chance to get away for a short break.
Lunch was at Union Square, an American brasserie in the Tokyo Midtown complex. Not bad, although not cheap. We did sit outside on the terrace and enjoyed the view over the park and the people walking by.
Of course the ice-cream did then necessitate a proper workout at the gym - what goes in must be worked off.
Back to the weather - the forecast does mention rain around midnight tonight, before going back to being fine for most of the week. Temperatures up to around 29 degrees most days this week. Ouch.
Next weekend we will be in HK - flying down Friday night and back on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday in Tokyo (not sure of the reason), so a good chance to get away for a short break.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Always be sure of your point
I thought last night (after writing about the new PC) that I needed to be prepared with the receipts when going back to the Apple shop to sort out the memory. Just as well I checked. Despite asking them to put 8 GB in the machine, they only put 6 GB. And I only paid for 6 GB. So in the end I decided to stick with it and see how things go. If it performs ok with 6 GB then we'll have avoided spending the additional money. And I can always upgrade if it ever gets too slow. Right now it does not seem to be in any particular danger of this speed a problem, but to be fair I have mostly just been downloading the software and getting things installed. Over the coming days I will start to do some development and then we shall see. Loading up the web/application server software, the development tools, the database server, and the browser (for testing) will put some load on, and that will really be the acid test.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Macs
Not "Big Macs", and not referring to Dad either...
Today is a milestone in this blog. This is the first entry that has been created on a Mac instead of a PC. Yesterday we set off to Ginza to find the Apple store. A very nice building, shaped a little like a Mac computer. We left after half an hour or so with a receipt for a PowerMac. After a walk around (while they fitted the extra memory), we got back, collected the enormous box, and went home (in a taxi).
For anyone who is really interested, the specifications are:
2 x Xeon 4-way 2.8GHz CPUs
8GB Ram
320GB Hard-disk
Dual video card
Actually I have just noticed that although we paid for the 8GB memory, the system actually thinks it has 6GB. Tomorrow I will have to go back to the shop to find out what's going on.
Then today we needed to get a monitor to go with it. I had resisted buying the Apple Cinema display. While it's very nice, it's also extremely expensive compared to other brands. We went out to Akihabara - where the guy went mad a few weeks back and stabbed a number of people at an intersection. I am sitting in front of a 26inch wide-screen Samsung monitor. Actually the desk is a little too small - I end up sitting closer to the monitor than is strictly comfortable.
The next task will be to learn how to use the Mac - everything is just that little bit different to a Windows PC. Should be interesting.
Today is a milestone in this blog. This is the first entry that has been created on a Mac instead of a PC. Yesterday we set off to Ginza to find the Apple store. A very nice building, shaped a little like a Mac computer. We left after half an hour or so with a receipt for a PowerMac. After a walk around (while they fitted the extra memory), we got back, collected the enormous box, and went home (in a taxi).
For anyone who is really interested, the specifications are:
2 x Xeon 4-way 2.8GHz CPUs
8GB Ram
320GB Hard-disk
Dual video card
Actually I have just noticed that although we paid for the 8GB memory, the system actually thinks it has 6GB. Tomorrow I will have to go back to the shop to find out what's going on.
Then today we needed to get a monitor to go with it. I had resisted buying the Apple Cinema display. While it's very nice, it's also extremely expensive compared to other brands. We went out to Akihabara - where the guy went mad a few weeks back and stabbed a number of people at an intersection. I am sitting in front of a 26inch wide-screen Samsung monitor. Actually the desk is a little too small - I end up sitting closer to the monitor than is strictly comfortable.
The next task will be to learn how to use the Mac - everything is just that little bit different to a Windows PC. Should be interesting.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
News
Well, not that much to say right now. Have just booked a flight to HK, planning to be there over the weekend of 19th July. The Monday is a holiday in Tokyo, so I will catch the Friday afternoon flight down and then back on the Tuesday. That gets a long weekend with one extra day of holidays. Not that the annual leave balance is a problem - I have a few days outstanding.
Went and got a haircut this evening after work. The nice girl doing the chopping took the opportunity to practice her English, which at the same time challenged my Japanese capability. We established that Japan has lots more history than New Zealand, but that NZ is a really good place to go snowboarding (one of her customers is heading that way soon). Also that my hair is very nice (I don't understand why), even if it's gray.
Now sitting down in front of the TV (some useless movie is showing) and eating a bowl of instant noodles. Not the Maggi noodles of olden days. Instant noodles here can come in a big bowl, with about 5 different sachets of ingredients to mix in. Since I have no idea of what they are (one is an anemic white paste, two others are sauces of some kind), I generally empty them into the bowl, poor hot water over the top, and hope. These ones seem to have come up ok.
Went and got a haircut this evening after work. The nice girl doing the chopping took the opportunity to practice her English, which at the same time challenged my Japanese capability. We established that Japan has lots more history than New Zealand, but that NZ is a really good place to go snowboarding (one of her customers is heading that way soon). Also that my hair is very nice (I don't understand why), even if it's gray.
Now sitting down in front of the TV (some useless movie is showing) and eating a bowl of instant noodles. Not the Maggi noodles of olden days. Instant noodles here can come in a big bowl, with about 5 different sachets of ingredients to mix in. Since I have no idea of what they are (one is an anemic white paste, two others are sauces of some kind), I generally empty them into the bowl, poor hot water over the top, and hope. These ones seem to have come up ok.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Spring
Well, in view of needing to write more frequent updates, I tried to keep my eyes open today. Turns out that spring has well and truly arrived - there are plants and greenness everywhere!
Walking back tonight I noticed that the plants have been let grow for a little bit too long - time for the caretakers to get out and about with their choppers and do some weeding and tidying up!
Walking back tonight I noticed that the plants have been let grow for a little bit too long - time for the caretakers to get out and about with their choppers and do some weeding and tidying up!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Updates
Well, after getting Dad's email today pointing out that the blog needs updating and broadening past food, I figure that I should write something. At the same time I realise that it's been a couple of weeks since the last entry.
Well, what has happened? Sonia was here for the weekend, but left today to go back to Bangkok.
This weekend we decided that we'd had enough of sitting working at the computers (our home laptop, Sonia's work laptop, and my work laptop) at a desk the size of a postage stamp. The answer (or course) is to buy a wireless router. Which we did at a place called Bic Camera. It's essentially a department store, but focused mostly on electronics.
So off we go to Bic Camera in Ginza (posh area in central Tokyo). Easy enough to find the wireless routers, but a bit more difficult to figure out which one is a good balance between the cost and the features. Given that we have one in storage in HK, we were not in the market for a good one. Rather, just something that will do the basics until we get the shipment sent up to Tokyo. Eventually we selected a box that had a good picture on the outside, and some logos that looked like they meant the router would do what we want.
After getting it home, I unpacked it and started setting it up. Problem is, the software is all in Japanese. I tried looking at the appropriate website to download a software update in English, which I found. However, the version available in English was older than the Japanese version on the router. In the end I decided to make do, and after some mucking around I managed to get the appropriate settings made.
So I write this from the coffee table, where the laptop sits comfortably. TV is showing the movie "The Transporter" except here it has the French name "Le Transporteur". Not sure why, but that's what they call it.
I have just got back from the gym, after doing 30 minutes on the bike. These days I'm up to resistance level 12, and doing the time at about 90rpm. That turns out to be about 11.3km, burning somewhere around 470 calories. At least that's what the bike readout says.... Doing that between 4 and 5 times a week, with weights 2 or 3 times.
Daryl: time to get a move on - you are falling behind!
That's all for tonight. More later.
Well, what has happened? Sonia was here for the weekend, but left today to go back to Bangkok.
This weekend we decided that we'd had enough of sitting working at the computers (our home laptop, Sonia's work laptop, and my work laptop) at a desk the size of a postage stamp. The answer (or course) is to buy a wireless router. Which we did at a place called Bic Camera. It's essentially a department store, but focused mostly on electronics.
So off we go to Bic Camera in Ginza (posh area in central Tokyo). Easy enough to find the wireless routers, but a bit more difficult to figure out which one is a good balance between the cost and the features. Given that we have one in storage in HK, we were not in the market for a good one. Rather, just something that will do the basics until we get the shipment sent up to Tokyo. Eventually we selected a box that had a good picture on the outside, and some logos that looked like they meant the router would do what we want.
After getting it home, I unpacked it and started setting it up. Problem is, the software is all in Japanese. I tried looking at the appropriate website to download a software update in English, which I found. However, the version available in English was older than the Japanese version on the router. In the end I decided to make do, and after some mucking around I managed to get the appropriate settings made.
So I write this from the coffee table, where the laptop sits comfortably. TV is showing the movie "The Transporter" except here it has the French name "Le Transporteur". Not sure why, but that's what they call it.
I have just got back from the gym, after doing 30 minutes on the bike. These days I'm up to resistance level 12, and doing the time at about 90rpm. That turns out to be about 11.3km, burning somewhere around 470 calories. At least that's what the bike readout says.... Doing that between 4 and 5 times a week, with weights 2 or 3 times.
Daryl: time to get a move on - you are falling behind!
That's all for tonight. More later.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
California Grill
Just a short update this time.
Tonight was dinner with the CEO (his wife and kids just left for a holiday in Thailand). We went to a place that I'd previously been to with a friend. Called California Grill Yoshi (not sure why to Yoshi on the end) in Azabu-juban. This is about a 15 minute walk from the apartment, and serves fairly standard fusion food.
However it's definitely worth a visit because it's very good quality, and at a reasonable price. The set dinner (big range of appetisers and main dishes) is ￥3900 per person for three courses. Dessert is pretty small - a sliver of cheesecake with a dollop of coffee icrecream, but it's still great food.
The restaurant is typically small - four tables plus two seats at a counter. Tucked away upstairs, and easy to miss from the street. In fact, I had not been able to find it again after the first time I went there the first time with David.
Anyway, I had soft-shell crab entree (masala sauce), and then the foie gras burger. A huge heart-attack-inducing slab of foie gras on top of a medium-rare burger. A little mashed potato on the side (which is not really needed given the pile of carbs that make up the burger). Definitely recommended.
Tonight was dinner with the CEO (his wife and kids just left for a holiday in Thailand). We went to a place that I'd previously been to with a friend. Called California Grill Yoshi (not sure why to Yoshi on the end) in Azabu-juban. This is about a 15 minute walk from the apartment, and serves fairly standard fusion food.
However it's definitely worth a visit because it's very good quality, and at a reasonable price. The set dinner (big range of appetisers and main dishes) is ￥3900 per person for three courses. Dessert is pretty small - a sliver of cheesecake with a dollop of coffee icrecream, but it's still great food.
The restaurant is typically small - four tables plus two seats at a counter. Tucked away upstairs, and easy to miss from the street. In fact, I had not been able to find it again after the first time I went there the first time with David.
Anyway, I had soft-shell crab entree (masala sauce), and then the foie gras burger. A huge heart-attack-inducing slab of foie gras on top of a medium-rare burger. A little mashed potato on the side (which is not really needed given the pile of carbs that make up the burger). Definitely recommended.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Bikes
Well I heard today that Evan (of M&M fame) now has a Honda Gold Wing! I am officially green with envy. Well not so much green as slightly off-white. The racier bikes are more my thing, but still....
Spring continues to play havoc with the weather here, rainy-sunny from one day to the next. I did manage to get sunburnt arms on Sunday, sitting at Starbucks with the paper for a couple of hours. At the time I did not think it was that bright (which might be attributable to the sunglasses). However by the time I was on the treadmill at the gym last night, I could see the warmth rising. Ended up spending 45 minutes on the treadmill while watching the final of American Idol. I think I mentioned we are a few weeks behind?
Spring continues to play havoc with the weather here, rainy-sunny from one day to the next. I did manage to get sunburnt arms on Sunday, sitting at Starbucks with the paper for a couple of hours. At the time I did not think it was that bright (which might be attributable to the sunglasses). However by the time I was on the treadmill at the gym last night, I could see the warmth rising. Ended up spending 45 minutes on the treadmill while watching the final of American Idol. I think I mentioned we are a few weeks behind?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Food & cooking
Well, as Sharon so kindly points out, my blog entries are by no means as informative (or picturesque) as Paul's.
We found a Japanese cookbook on the weekend - an English book by an English author who describes how to make Japanese food. It seems to be authentic - when I described making Soba dipping sauce from scratch, my colleagues 'oohed' and 'aahed' in amazement. Most of them (it turns out) buy instant dashi powder, which when mixed with water turns into the same sort of sauce that I cooked up.
Funnily enough, the jar that I put the sauce into to keep (glass jar with a metal lid) could not be opened last night when Sonia and I had soba for dinner. In the end after much struggling, I made two holes in the lid with a pair of scissors. Now I need a new jar for the next time I cook the sauce...
For anyone who's interested, the recipe goes something like:
100ml soy sauce
100ml mirin (go to a Japanese grocery store)
400ml water
Boil the mirin for a couple of minutes to cook out the alcohol.
Bring the soy and water to the boil, then turn down, add the mirin, and then add 75g of dried bonito flakes. Simmer for about 2 minutes, then leave to sit for 10 minutes. Then strain, and leave the liquid to cool - put in the fridge.
The make the soba (boil 100g per person) and wash thoroughly in cold water (the noodles need to be cold by the time you finish). Then serve with the sauce in a separate small bowl. Sprinkle chopped nori (seaweed, about 1 inch long) on top of the noodles.
Yummy. And much nicer than asparagus soup.
We found a Japanese cookbook on the weekend - an English book by an English author who describes how to make Japanese food. It seems to be authentic - when I described making Soba dipping sauce from scratch, my colleagues 'oohed' and 'aahed' in amazement. Most of them (it turns out) buy instant dashi powder, which when mixed with water turns into the same sort of sauce that I cooked up.
Funnily enough, the jar that I put the sauce into to keep (glass jar with a metal lid) could not be opened last night when Sonia and I had soba for dinner. In the end after much struggling, I made two holes in the lid with a pair of scissors. Now I need a new jar for the next time I cook the sauce...
For anyone who's interested, the recipe goes something like:
100ml soy sauce
100ml mirin (go to a Japanese grocery store)
400ml water
Boil the mirin for a couple of minutes to cook out the alcohol.
Bring the soy and water to the boil, then turn down, add the mirin, and then add 75g of dried bonito flakes. Simmer for about 2 minutes, then leave to sit for 10 minutes. Then strain, and leave the liquid to cool - put in the fridge.
The make the soba (boil 100g per person) and wash thoroughly in cold water (the noodles need to be cold by the time you finish). Then serve with the sauce in a separate small bowl. Sprinkle chopped nori (seaweed, about 1 inch long) on top of the noodles.
Yummy. And much nicer than asparagus soup.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Update
Well, what to say?
As I said the other day, it's become very changeable here in Tokyo. While Sonia enjoys the usual hot weather in Bangkok, Japan has moved into the rainy season. Almost every day this week it has rained part of the day, and it's raining even now as I write. This will apparently continue through into the start of July.
Sonia is flying back to Tokyo overnight tonight. We don't have anything really planned for the weekend, so it will probably be another quiet one.
TV is the usual boring stuff - it seems to run somewhere between 4 weeks up to one whole season behind everywhere else. Although American Idol has finished everywhere else in the world and people are celebrating David Cook, here it's finishing this week (tonight I think).
The Day of the Jackal is on at the moment - the original version. Much better than Bruce Willis' version in 1997. Strange how the remakes are often not as good as the classics.
What else? Well I cooked cold Soba noodles tonight, with authentic dipping sauce. A bit of a rigmarole, as you have to cook the sauce, cool it, and then cook and cool the noodles. I now have a jar of sauce in the fridge for next time. I am not sure how long it will keep, but as it is primarily soy sauce, mirin, and water it will probably be ok for a week or so.
As I said the other day, it's become very changeable here in Tokyo. While Sonia enjoys the usual hot weather in Bangkok, Japan has moved into the rainy season. Almost every day this week it has rained part of the day, and it's raining even now as I write. This will apparently continue through into the start of July.
Sonia is flying back to Tokyo overnight tonight. We don't have anything really planned for the weekend, so it will probably be another quiet one.
TV is the usual boring stuff - it seems to run somewhere between 4 weeks up to one whole season behind everywhere else. Although American Idol has finished everywhere else in the world and people are celebrating David Cook, here it's finishing this week (tonight I think).
The Day of the Jackal is on at the moment - the original version. Much better than Bruce Willis' version in 1997. Strange how the remakes are often not as good as the classics.
What else? Well I cooked cold Soba noodles tonight, with authentic dipping sauce. A bit of a rigmarole, as you have to cook the sauce, cool it, and then cook and cool the noodles. I now have a jar of sauce in the fridge for next time. I am not sure how long it will keep, but as it is primarily soy sauce, mirin, and water it will probably be ok for a week or so.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
A quick note
Just rushing to check email and then get off to work - through the rain again.
Weekend before last I got the chance to ride a BMW K1200S - very nice bike. A bit bigger than I am used to, but amazing amounts of smooth power.
Then last weekend we went to Costco - highlight of the weekend.
As you can see there is not much happening at this end of the Pacific....
Weekend before last I got the chance to ride a BMW K1200S - very nice bike. A bit bigger than I am used to, but amazing amounts of smooth power.
Then last weekend we went to Costco - highlight of the weekend.
As you can see there is not much happening at this end of the Pacific....
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Eggs Benedict
To answer Jonathan - no, no Kobe beef yet. Although I did read a review of The Oak Door (Grand Hyatt) which raved about the beef (not he article that I have linked to). We've been to the Oak Door before, but Kobe Beef tends to be expensive - up to USD 130 for a main course. That is stretching things just a little!
Yesterday we had brunch at Roti - an American contemporary restaurant. They had Eggs Benedict on the menu, so of course this completed my decision-making. Sonia had the soup, which turned out to be Mexican Black Bean with Chorizo. A little heavy for first thing in the morning, but nice and spicy.
The Eggs Benedict looked nice as it came out. However it was let down by the yolks, which had been cooked just a little too much and were no longer runny. Other than that, it was good - the English muffin was fresh, the ham was good, and the hollandaise was fine if nothing exceptional. We were sitting outside, as Tokyo was experiencing one of the warmer spring days. Coffee was well done. And so to the scores:
Yesterday we had brunch at Roti - an American contemporary restaurant. They had Eggs Benedict on the menu, so of course this completed my decision-making. Sonia had the soup, which turned out to be Mexican Black Bean with Chorizo. A little heavy for first thing in the morning, but nice and spicy.
The Eggs Benedict looked nice as it came out. However it was let down by the yolks, which had been cooked just a little too much and were no longer runny. Other than that, it was good - the English muffin was fresh, the ham was good, and the hollandaise was fine if nothing exceptional. We were sitting outside, as Tokyo was experiencing one of the warmer spring days. Coffee was well done. And so to the scores:
- Eggs - 6/10 - over cooked the yolks.
- Bread - 8/10 - English muffin toasted nicely.
- Hollandaise - 8/10 - could have used a little more, but otherwise good.
- Coffee - 8/10.
- Ambience - 8/10 - nice sitting outside, although it could quickly fill up with too many ankle-biters.
- Total - 38/50.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hong Kong and Earthquakes
Well, I guess a few things have happened in the couple of weeks since the last entry.
Sonia and I spent last weekend in HK. It's been "Golden Week" in Japan, and this means many people take a few days off, turning two public holiday days into a holiday week. Sonia and I travelled to HK on Friday (Sonia from Bangkok, me from Tokyo), and back on Wednesday. We didn't really have anything specific to do there, more just a chance to get away from the usual places. And an opportunity to catch up with friends and to go back to a favourite restaurant. It was a fairly uneventful trip.
Nothing much to report other than that we stayed at the same hotel that we stayed in when we first arrived. We ended up cooking there a couple of nights (mini-kitchen in the room) after having eaten out at lunch time. Still trying to be good and not put on weight!
Managed to make it back to the church we went to when we were living there. They have two weeks before they move into a new building. Up to now the services have been in various parts of the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. With the new building, it's a dedicated facility. However, it does mean that each service will be split over two auditoriums on two floors. The music will be live in each auditorium (separate bands on each floor), but one of the places will have the speaker via a big screen showing live video.
We ended up the weekend getting back onto separate flights - one to Bangkok and one to Tokyo.
The second thing that is news is the earthquake in Tokyo earlier this week. I was woken up at 1:45am, not knowing why I woke up or realising what was happening. Then I saw the doors swinging on their hinges and the curtains swinging to and fro. The earthquake went on for a while, and at one point the ironing board fell over onto the floor - it was leaning on the wall behind a door. Eventually I started to wonder whether I should be getting out of bed - although what I was planning to do being the 26th floor, I am not sure!
Having lived in Wellington, I thought that I was used to earthquakes. And in the past 9 months that I've been in Tokyo, I've been through a few more. This must have been the biggest one I have been through - 6.7 on the scale.
Can someone please tell Kyla that she should be putting something on the blog - to keep everyone up to date with what is happening.
Sonia and I spent last weekend in HK. It's been "Golden Week" in Japan, and this means many people take a few days off, turning two public holiday days into a holiday week. Sonia and I travelled to HK on Friday (Sonia from Bangkok, me from Tokyo), and back on Wednesday. We didn't really have anything specific to do there, more just a chance to get away from the usual places. And an opportunity to catch up with friends and to go back to a favourite restaurant. It was a fairly uneventful trip.
Nothing much to report other than that we stayed at the same hotel that we stayed in when we first arrived. We ended up cooking there a couple of nights (mini-kitchen in the room) after having eaten out at lunch time. Still trying to be good and not put on weight!
Managed to make it back to the church we went to when we were living there. They have two weeks before they move into a new building. Up to now the services have been in various parts of the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. With the new building, it's a dedicated facility. However, it does mean that each service will be split over two auditoriums on two floors. The music will be live in each auditorium (separate bands on each floor), but one of the places will have the speaker via a big screen showing live video.
We ended up the weekend getting back onto separate flights - one to Bangkok and one to Tokyo.
The second thing that is news is the earthquake in Tokyo earlier this week. I was woken up at 1:45am, not knowing why I woke up or realising what was happening. Then I saw the doors swinging on their hinges and the curtains swinging to and fro. The earthquake went on for a while, and at one point the ironing board fell over onto the floor - it was leaning on the wall behind a door. Eventually I started to wonder whether I should be getting out of bed - although what I was planning to do being the 26th floor, I am not sure!
Having lived in Wellington, I thought that I was used to earthquakes. And in the past 9 months that I've been in Tokyo, I've been through a few more. This must have been the biggest one I have been through - 6.7 on the scale.
Can someone please tell Kyla that she should be putting something on the blog - to keep everyone up to date with what is happening.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
News
Well, two pieces of news this week.
On Sunday, I teamed up with a friend from HK (who is in the process of moving to Tokyo) to hire motorbikes for the day. We rode down to Mt Fuji and around the side of the mountain. It takes about 1.5 hours to get there, riding along motorway (Tomei) most of the way. The countryside around Mt Fuji is wonderful when contrasted with the sprawling metropolis that is Tokyo. Then we rode back to Tokyo along another expressway (Chuo).
While at Fuji-san (as the mountain is referred to), we visited one of the lakes. Only to witness an amazing boat with a swan neck at the front - towering maybe two stories above the boat's roof! The boat takes people for rides around the lake. Only in Japan...
I rode a Z750 - not a bad bike at all. Pictures here. David (the friend from HK) hired a Yamaha MT-01. This was after initially booking a BMZ K1200R. Then changing his mind when he realised that it might be too big, given that he had not ridden for around 10 years. We were in Mt Fuji and had stopped at a Yamaha dealer to look at bikes when the guy at the dealer told David that his bike was a 1700 cc bike. We did not really believe this. The following day we looked it up on the internet to find that it was true. So after aiming for a smaller bike, David ended up renting a bike with a motor the size of a car! Still, it was fun to ride albeit a little on the heavy side.
Second piece of news. Last night I moved to a one-bedroom apartment instead of the studio that we've been staying in. Too many trips carting trolley-loads of stuff from one apartment to the other (in the same serviced apartment block). I will get organised with a few pictures at some point.
Tomorrow morning it is off to the airport to catch a plane to HK for the long weekend. Sonia arrives later tomorrow night. That's all for now.
On Sunday, I teamed up with a friend from HK (who is in the process of moving to Tokyo) to hire motorbikes for the day. We rode down to Mt Fuji and around the side of the mountain. It takes about 1.5 hours to get there, riding along motorway (Tomei) most of the way. The countryside around Mt Fuji is wonderful when contrasted with the sprawling metropolis that is Tokyo. Then we rode back to Tokyo along another expressway (Chuo).
While at Fuji-san (as the mountain is referred to), we visited one of the lakes. Only to witness an amazing boat with a swan neck at the front - towering maybe two stories above the boat's roof! The boat takes people for rides around the lake. Only in Japan...
I rode a Z750 - not a bad bike at all. Pictures here. David (the friend from HK) hired a Yamaha MT-01. This was after initially booking a BMZ K1200R. Then changing his mind when he realised that it might be too big, given that he had not ridden for around 10 years. We were in Mt Fuji and had stopped at a Yamaha dealer to look at bikes when the guy at the dealer told David that his bike was a 1700 cc bike. We did not really believe this. The following day we looked it up on the internet to find that it was true. So after aiming for a smaller bike, David ended up renting a bike with a motor the size of a car! Still, it was fun to ride albeit a little on the heavy side.
Second piece of news. Last night I moved to a one-bedroom apartment instead of the studio that we've been staying in. Too many trips carting trolley-loads of stuff from one apartment to the other (in the same serviced apartment block). I will get organised with a few pictures at some point.
Tomorrow morning it is off to the airport to catch a plane to HK for the long weekend. Sonia arrives later tomorrow night. That's all for now.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Spring claws it's way into Tokyo
The days are getting longer, with sunup now before 6am each morning, and sunset somewhere between 6 and 7 at night. But for the past week it's been a tenuous situation with the sun battling to shine through the clouds and rain. Apparently this is normal - everyone expects April, May, and part of June to be wet and windy on and off.
We headed off to Akihabara last weekend, where maid cafes and electronics shops vie for the attention of geeks and tourists. If you're interested in some stereotypical Japanese wierdness, click here.
This weekend it was a little tamer, with a visit to CostCo to refill the freezer with bagels, cheap chicken and beef, and some sundry bits and pieces. Including a 2kg back of gummy bears!
Sonia is on her way to Bangkok now, followed by a trip to Melbourne next week.
I just realised that at the end of April I will have been here in Tokyo for 9 months. Time flies!
We headed off to Akihabara last weekend, where maid cafes and electronics shops vie for the attention of geeks and tourists. If you're interested in some stereotypical Japanese wierdness, click here.
This weekend it was a little tamer, with a visit to CostCo to refill the freezer with bagels, cheap chicken and beef, and some sundry bits and pieces. Including a 2kg back of gummy bears!
Sonia is on her way to Bangkok now, followed by a trip to Melbourne next week.
I just realised that at the end of April I will have been here in Tokyo for 9 months. Time flies!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sushi for lunch & wives
Two topics today....
First, we had sushi for lunch on Sunday - mountains of it. This time we had two set meals. The first meal was a tray of nigiri sushi - the rectangular lumps of rice with pieces of fish on top. Because this was a set, there was tuna on two of them, plus a white fish that we did not recognise, a darker brown fish that looked almost like anchovy (but was not as smelly), one with salmon (we think), one with salmon eggs, one squid, one cod roe, and on ark shell (some sort of shellfish). Guess who scoffed the "normal" ones. And who had to eat the Ark Shell?
The second set meal was a rice bowl with nice red tuna strips all over the top. The thing to do with this is to put the wasabi into the small dish of soy sauce, mix it all around until the wasabi dissolves, then pour it all over the tuna and rice. Very nice!
Both sets came with miso soup (with seaweed floaters). Sonia's sushi set came with a custard (mushroom and crabmeat), and orange (yes seriously) ice cream.
The second topic for today is that Sonia is useless and despite many promptings has not put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard) to document her Soba-eating experience at the local noodle restaurant. I don't know why - she just won't!
Jordan & Kyla - please send text messages to Sonia reminding her that you're waiting to hear about the slurping!
First, we had sushi for lunch on Sunday - mountains of it. This time we had two set meals. The first meal was a tray of nigiri sushi - the rectangular lumps of rice with pieces of fish on top. Because this was a set, there was tuna on two of them, plus a white fish that we did not recognise, a darker brown fish that looked almost like anchovy (but was not as smelly), one with salmon (we think), one with salmon eggs, one squid, one cod roe, and on ark shell (some sort of shellfish). Guess who scoffed the "normal" ones. And who had to eat the Ark Shell?
The second set meal was a rice bowl with nice red tuna strips all over the top. The thing to do with this is to put the wasabi into the small dish of soy sauce, mix it all around until the wasabi dissolves, then pour it all over the tuna and rice. Very nice!
Both sets came with miso soup (with seaweed floaters). Sonia's sushi set came with a custard (mushroom and crabmeat), and orange (yes seriously) ice cream.
The second topic for today is that Sonia is useless and despite many promptings has not put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard) to document her Soba-eating experience at the local noodle restaurant. I don't know why - she just won't!
Jordan & Kyla - please send text messages to Sonia reminding her that you're waiting to hear about the slurping!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Spring in Tokyo
Is actually quite wet. It's become variable, with each week encompassing both gray and sunny days, wet and dry, and warm and cold. For example, this past week started dry but gray, changed to dark and wet on Wednesday and Thursday, and ended on Friday with a sunny and warm afternoon. Saturday started looking like continuing the climb back to warmth, but ended gray again. Raining overnight, then a gray and "spitty" Sunday. Apparently it's going to continue this way for the next couple of months.
Sakura (cherry blossom time) is now finished. I managed to get a few photos that begin to showcase the trees, but it is so much better in person. I've included some photos below. In the end, there is about one week where the blossoms are at their best. By the time Sonia was here for the weekend she had missed the best - the blossoms were thin and most of the petals were already on the ground. Just not the same.
Looking up one of the streets close to the apartment, where cherry blossom trees line both sides of the road, meeting over the top:
At times you can look out/up and not be able to see the sky because the flowers are so dense:
A close-up on the cherry blossom flower:
And an attempt at an artistic shot:
Sakura (cherry blossom time) is now finished. I managed to get a few photos that begin to showcase the trees, but it is so much better in person. I've included some photos below. In the end, there is about one week where the blossoms are at their best. By the time Sonia was here for the weekend she had missed the best - the blossoms were thin and most of the petals were already on the ground. Just not the same.
Looking up one of the streets close to the apartment, where cherry blossom trees line both sides of the road, meeting over the top:
At times you can look out/up and not be able to see the sky because the flowers are so dense:
A close-up on the cherry blossom flower:
And an attempt at an artistic shot:
Monday, April 07, 2008
Noodles
Please encourage Sonia to write about the Soba noodles that we had for lunch today. I took her to a local place that I go to sometimes. Very local. Very, very, very local.
Have any of you been to a Japanese restaurant where the Japanese diners are slurping their noodles?
Have any of you been to a Japanese restaurant where the Japanese diners are slurping their noodles?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Grammar
Some kind soul pointed out that my last post was a little disappointing on the grammar and plural/singular. However they omitted to sign their name, so I guess I will not be able to publicly flame them!
My only excuse is that it was late, I was tired, and I was trying to talk to Sonia at the same time. When I re-read the entry today, it was pretty poor!
My only excuse is that it was late, I was tired, and I was trying to talk to Sonia at the same time. When I re-read the entry today, it was pretty poor!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Altura
About time that I wrote a story about the visit to Altura in Auckland. Actually, technically speaking it is in Albany. Altura has been a long-time favorite for coffee and breakfast. They roast their own coffee, so the place usually smells good.
Anyway, we went there with Sharon, Sandra, Jayna, plus Mum & Dad. The Eggs Benedict was always one of my two favorites, the second being Sweetcorn Fritters. In keeping with tradition I went with the Eggs Benedict, thinking ahead to this blog entry.
Altura-style Eggs Benedict is delivered on an English muffin, with a hash brown in the middle, plus smoked salmon and the usual eggs. My memory told me that this was a treat to be looked forward to, however in the end it was a little bit of a let-down.
The hash-brown was a bit too light on the "brown" side. A few more seconds in the deep fryer would have made a world of difference. And the hollandaise sauce was a little thin on the ground. Other than that it was fine, but as I said it did not really live up to the memory.
So in summary, it was good but not as good as I recalled.
Anyway, we went there with Sharon, Sandra, Jayna, plus Mum & Dad. The Eggs Benedict was always one of my two favorites, the second being Sweetcorn Fritters. In keeping with tradition I went with the Eggs Benedict, thinking ahead to this blog entry.
Altura-style Eggs Benedict is delivered on an English muffin, with a hash brown in the middle, plus smoked salmon and the usual eggs. My memory told me that this was a treat to be looked forward to, however in the end it was a little bit of a let-down.
The hash-brown was a bit too light on the "brown" side. A few more seconds in the deep fryer would have made a world of difference. And the hollandaise sauce was a little thin on the ground. Other than that it was fine, but as I said it did not really live up to the memory.
So, the scores:
- Eggs - 9/10 - nicely runny but the whites were done just right
- Bread - 9/10 - nice English muffin
- Hollandaise - 7/10 - was fine but it needed some more
- Coffee - 8/10 - the coffee was ok
- Ambience - 7/10 - on the hot side with not enough ventilation and a bit noisy/echo-y
- Total - 40/50
So in summary, it was good but not as good as I recalled.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The dream is over
Well, the holiday is, anyway.
Both of us are back at work now. We flew out of Melbourne, Sonia leaving on Tuesday afternoon, and Andrew on Wednesday morning. Sonia flew back to Bangkok, without the excitement of the trip to NZ. I flew to Tokyo and today was back at work. Both of us managed to get upgrades using points, so the flights were easier this time. I managed to watch four movies on the way.
Arriving back last night I walked from the bus dropoff point to the apartment, passing a side street. Normally the side street is fairly barren, however this time it was covered in cherry blossoms. The trees that line both sides of the street turned out to be cherry trees! This weekend I will endeavour to get out with the camera and get some nice shots.
Back to the routine tonight, with a dinner of chicken and salad followed by a visit to the gym. Luckily, I managed to only gain about 1/2 kg over the holiday, so the visits to the gyms in the different cities paid off! Daryl - you need to catch up!
Both of us are back at work now. We flew out of Melbourne, Sonia leaving on Tuesday afternoon, and Andrew on Wednesday morning. Sonia flew back to Bangkok, without the excitement of the trip to NZ. I flew to Tokyo and today was back at work. Both of us managed to get upgrades using points, so the flights were easier this time. I managed to watch four movies on the way.
Arriving back last night I walked from the bus dropoff point to the apartment, passing a side street. Normally the side street is fairly barren, however this time it was covered in cherry blossoms. The trees that line both sides of the street turned out to be cherry trees! This weekend I will endeavour to get out with the camera and get some nice shots.
Back to the routine tonight, with a dinner of chicken and salad followed by a visit to the gym. Luckily, I managed to only gain about 1/2 kg over the holiday, so the visits to the gyms in the different cities paid off! Daryl - you need to catch up!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sisters!
Who needs them?! Well in the end I was lucky enough to get three seats to myself - the 747 was far from full. So I managed to sleep a reasonable amount between Tokyo and Brisbane (skipped breakfast). Then a shower at the first-class Qantas lounge before catching the 2.5 hour flight to Auckland. M&D were there to meet me, and waited while I waited for Hertz to get themselves sorted out. After getting the car, we then took 1.5 hours to get to their place. Auckland traffic is terrible.
Writing this quick update from the hotel in Queenstown where we arrived on Saturday around midday. Saturday afternoon was off to Cromwell for lunch and a quick look around. Including a stop at the dried fruit stall. Dinner last night at Wai, which was not bad. Interesting to eat NZ-style food again after so long in Asia and particularly in Japan.
Today started with breakfast at a local cafe, then off to Arrowtown. Dinner at home in the hotel room (kitchenette included) after a workout at the gym. Well I worked out, Sonia just mucked around and giggled a lot. Amazing how someone that old can still giggle...
Writing this quick update from the hotel in Queenstown where we arrived on Saturday around midday. Saturday afternoon was off to Cromwell for lunch and a quick look around. Including a stop at the dried fruit stall. Dinner last night at Wai, which was not bad. Interesting to eat NZ-style food again after so long in Asia and particularly in Japan.
Today started with breakfast at a local cafe, then off to Arrowtown. Dinner at home in the hotel room (kitchenette included) after a workout at the gym. Well I worked out, Sonia just mucked around and giggled a lot. Amazing how someone that old can still giggle...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tokyo: Narita Airport
Well, this comes to you from the Qantas lounge at Narita airport in Tokyo. Last update before I get on a plane to Brisbane and then on to Auckland. Dirtbags that they are, the Qantas flight is operating by JALways, which means that I was unable to use airpoints to upgrade. And that means that I expect to arrive into Auckland late tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, grumpy, smelly, and generally unimpressed with Qantas. The only non-Qantas flight and I end up on it!
GRRRRRRRR
Oh, well. See how it goes. Sonia says the planes are nothing flash. The Qantas lounge is not full, so hopefully this means I might be lucky and have an empty seat (or two) next to me. In that case I stand a small chance of getting some sleep between here and Brisbane. Then I have about an hour to transfer to the flight from Brisbane to Auckland, hoping all the while that my bag manages to make it onto the same flight. Then, on arrival in Auckland, negotiating the travails of the Hertz counter (has anyone ever had a good experience with car rental companies at the tail end of a long-haul flight?) before a 1-hour (or more) drive out to Kumeu.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
By this point in the narrative, astute readers will have worked out that this part of the holiday is not working out right!
Small consolation that Sonia's flight from Bangkok to Sydney is delayed (but not enough to preventing her making the connection to Auckland).
More once we get to the end of this trip....
GRRRRRRRR
Oh, well. See how it goes. Sonia says the planes are nothing flash. The Qantas lounge is not full, so hopefully this means I might be lucky and have an empty seat (or two) next to me. In that case I stand a small chance of getting some sleep between here and Brisbane. Then I have about an hour to transfer to the flight from Brisbane to Auckland, hoping all the while that my bag manages to make it onto the same flight. Then, on arrival in Auckland, negotiating the travails of the Hertz counter (has anyone ever had a good experience with car rental companies at the tail end of a long-haul flight?) before a 1-hour (or more) drive out to Kumeu.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
By this point in the narrative, astute readers will have worked out that this part of the holiday is not working out right!
Small consolation that Sonia's flight from Bangkok to Sydney is delayed (but not enough to preventing her making the connection to Auckland).
More once we get to the end of this trip....
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Saturday
Well Saturday involved a very long walk. Initially I figured on walking to Tokyo Midtown to find a birthday present for day. According to his postal order, I was to find a small brass object representing something traditionally Japanese. In the end I walked a very long way. I made a map of it:
If you have trouble seeing this online, Click Here to see the full-size map. It also shows the names of the places I stopped or walked past.
If you have trouble seeing this online, Click Here to see the full-size map. It also shows the names of the places I stopped or walked past.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Hong Kong
Well we were back in HK on the weekend - Sonia needed to sort out her Bangkok work permit.
I took the opportunity to take eight pairs of suit trousers and three suit jackets in to the tailor to get them altered. Too big for me now! Unfortunately the trousers and jackets are all still in HK, as it was a bit tight to get it all done between Friday morning and Sunday midday. However, they have been delivered to Sonia's hotel room, so I guess I'll have them back soon. In the meantime I'm down to one suit and one jacket. The joys of shedding weight!
HK itself was smoggy on Friday - a horrible reminder of the high levels of pollution compared to Tokyo. It was good to get back here with clear air and cooler weather. Sonia leaves HK tomorrow, having flown in on Saturday and needing two business days to get her visa sorted out.
Right - off to the gym again...
I took the opportunity to take eight pairs of suit trousers and three suit jackets in to the tailor to get them altered. Too big for me now! Unfortunately the trousers and jackets are all still in HK, as it was a bit tight to get it all done between Friday morning and Sunday midday. However, they have been delivered to Sonia's hotel room, so I guess I'll have them back soon. In the meantime I'm down to one suit and one jacket. The joys of shedding weight!
HK itself was smoggy on Friday - a horrible reminder of the high levels of pollution compared to Tokyo. It was good to get back here with clear air and cooler weather. Sonia leaves HK tomorrow, having flown in on Saturday and needing two business days to get her visa sorted out.
Right - off to the gym again...
Monday, February 25, 2008
Holidays
Well the holidays are coming up fast, which means we spent time this weekend looking for presents! Saturday was another trip to Costco, where Sonia was determined to wander around every aisle looking longingly at the merchandise on display. Luckily for the bank balance, Sonia was aware that we had to be able to carry it all home in our arms, and thence to NZ on a small baggage allowance. So in the end the damage was not too bad, albeit we did end up buying an iPod Touch. Which did hurt the bank, but not the baggage.
We now have bookings for rental cars for the two weeks in Auckland, and the flights and hotel in Queenstown are also sorted out. Next is the accommodation and car in Melbourne. We hope to get the chance to drive the Great Ocean Road. I must confess that this is something that I have heard a few mentions of but don't know the details, so it could be great or could be a great waste of time.
This Thursday I'm off to HK for a long weekend while Sonia get's her Bangkok visa renewed. Friday will be spent visiting the tailor, a colleague or two, and a couple of headhunters (I need to arrange the appointments tomorrow morning). Hopefully also get a chance to visit one or two of the restaurants we like. Oh, and sort out the mail forwarding from HK to the company office in HK.
We now have bookings for rental cars for the two weeks in Auckland, and the flights and hotel in Queenstown are also sorted out. Next is the accommodation and car in Melbourne. We hope to get the chance to drive the Great Ocean Road. I must confess that this is something that I have heard a few mentions of but don't know the details, so it could be great or could be a great waste of time.
This Thursday I'm off to HK for a long weekend while Sonia get's her Bangkok visa renewed. Friday will be spent visiting the tailor, a colleague or two, and a couple of headhunters (I need to arrange the appointments tomorrow morning). Hopefully also get a chance to visit one or two of the restaurants we like. Oh, and sort out the mail forwarding from HK to the company office in HK.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Kawagoe
Saturday saw us going out to a less-known town/suburb called Kawagoe, which one of our NZ/UK friends had seen in the paper and decided to have a look at. Turns out to be an area where some of the streets and buildings are relatively preserved. Relatively as in some of the buildings are pretty old wooden creations with narrow stairways, etc.
There is also a street where a bunch of candy/sweet-makers have their stalls/shops. Japanese sweets are a little different to what we're accustomed to, and while nice are less sugary sweet.
As we walked on down the road, passing an old wooden bell tower, we noticed a shop selling japanese hanging scrolls. Sonia immediately fastened her eyes on one of the pictures, and after looking at about 10 other ones (which the shopkeeper had to unpack from the boxes and hang for inspection), we finally settled on the first one and purchased. It's going to need a pretty tall room, with very plain walls/furniture to show it off to best advantage. Warning to all nieces and nephews: your fingers will be broken if you touch it!
Unfortunately the scroll was packed into a fancy wooden box before I thought to take a photo. I'm not sure when or if we will get up the courage to unpack it before we have a room to hang it in...
Oh, and as we were walking down the road in Kawagoe, it snowed again - only for 10 minutes this time, but there wasn't any snow in the forecast!
Lunch was sushi (very nice), and dinner was Udon noodles (good, but not as good as lunch).
There is also a street where a bunch of candy/sweet-makers have their stalls/shops. Japanese sweets are a little different to what we're accustomed to, and while nice are less sugary sweet.
As we walked on down the road, passing an old wooden bell tower, we noticed a shop selling japanese hanging scrolls. Sonia immediately fastened her eyes on one of the pictures, and after looking at about 10 other ones (which the shopkeeper had to unpack from the boxes and hang for inspection), we finally settled on the first one and purchased. It's going to need a pretty tall room, with very plain walls/furniture to show it off to best advantage. Warning to all nieces and nephews: your fingers will be broken if you touch it!
Unfortunately the scroll was packed into a fancy wooden box before I thought to take a photo. I'm not sure when or if we will get up the courage to unpack it before we have a room to hang it in...
Oh, and as we were walking down the road in Kawagoe, it snowed again - only for 10 minutes this time, but there wasn't any snow in the forecast!
Lunch was sushi (very nice), and dinner was Udon noodles (good, but not as good as lunch).
Monday, February 11, 2008
Pictures
I managed to get some photos off my phone onto the PC. First, picture of the sushi plates stacked high after lunch yesterday.
Lights at Christmas time in Roppongi Hills complex.
Then a shot I got of a dog standing up on the chair at Starbucks while it waited for it's owner to return with coffee. I guess it was a cold day so maybe it was hanging out for a grande mocha latte?
And a couple of photos of kangaroos in Perth. At least they are kangaroo sculptures.
Sonia having breakfast in the sun at the Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at in Margaret River.
And another picture of the hire car - just before we gave it back.
Lights at Christmas time in Roppongi Hills complex.
Then a shot I got of a dog standing up on the chair at Starbucks while it waited for it's owner to return with coffee. I guess it was a cold day so maybe it was hanging out for a grande mocha latte?
And a couple of photos of kangaroos in Perth. At least they are kangaroo sculptures.
Sonia having breakfast in the sun at the Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at in Margaret River.
And another picture of the hire car - just before we gave it back.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Snow, Costco, and にほんご
And even more snow last night. It was forecast and we wondered all day when it would arrive. At about 7pm last night we looked out the window and saw that it was finally snowing. It only snowed for a couple of hours - heavy enough to settle, but it was gone by morning.
Yesterday we signed up at Costco in Kawasaki - a huge store, with the same sorts of things we were able to buy in Canada and the UK. The biggest problem will be the distance to get there from the apartment. If we do the train, we take the subway two stops, then switch to the JR train line for two stops, then back to a local subway line for another four stops. Then about a 15 minute walk to the shop. To get from one train to another takes about 10 minuets walk in one of the changeovers. All in all it takes around 45 minutes travelling. Then you have to carry things back with you. I think we will end up trying to catch a taxi back to the apartment at least one time - see how much it costs. If we end up being here longer and getting a car, it will of course become much, much easier!
Sushi (すし) for lunch today at a restaurant close to the apartment. One of the places with a train that runs around the restaurant. This is not so common - most places that we've been so far make it in front of you and only to order (i.e. you ask for two salmon sushi and they make it for you, before you order your next pieces). We managed to get through 15 plates today, with two pieces per plate. Very nice... We will be looking for somewhere with quality sushi in Auckland when we are back.
I've started to learn to read and write Japanese. There are three character systems, and to be literate you need to know all three.
First is Hiragana (ひらがな), which has about 50 symbols representing the basic sounds (5 vowels plus consonant combinations).
Then you need to know another 50 symbols for Katakana (カタカナ). Katakana is used for any foreign words. For example my name written in katakana is アンデリユー, which when you sound it out sounds something like my English name. Actually more like "ah-in-der-y-ew".
Finally there is kanjii, which are the chinese characters. Each character needs to be memorised, and can be used in multiple different combinations to make different words. The sound for a character varies depending on the position of the character in a word! They tell me you need to learn about 200 basic kanjii for it to be useful.
Luckily, when using a keyboard to write in hiragana or katakana, you actually type the sounds using roman characters. The computer is kind enough to translate for you! So in order to say "thankyou" (arigatou gozaimasu), you need to type the sounds for "ah", "ri", "ga", "to", "u", "go", "za", "i", "ma", "su". The pc translates this to ありがとうございます. Easy!
However if you're trying to learn to read it, you need to memorise the characters and link them to the sounds. Not so easy...
Yesterday we signed up at Costco in Kawasaki - a huge store, with the same sorts of things we were able to buy in Canada and the UK. The biggest problem will be the distance to get there from the apartment. If we do the train, we take the subway two stops, then switch to the JR train line for two stops, then back to a local subway line for another four stops. Then about a 15 minute walk to the shop. To get from one train to another takes about 10 minuets walk in one of the changeovers. All in all it takes around 45 minutes travelling. Then you have to carry things back with you. I think we will end up trying to catch a taxi back to the apartment at least one time - see how much it costs. If we end up being here longer and getting a car, it will of course become much, much easier!
Sushi (すし) for lunch today at a restaurant close to the apartment. One of the places with a train that runs around the restaurant. This is not so common - most places that we've been so far make it in front of you and only to order (i.e. you ask for two salmon sushi and they make it for you, before you order your next pieces). We managed to get through 15 plates today, with two pieces per plate. Very nice... We will be looking for somewhere with quality sushi in Auckland when we are back.
I've started to learn to read and write Japanese. There are three character systems, and to be literate you need to know all three.
First is Hiragana (ひらがな), which has about 50 symbols representing the basic sounds (5 vowels plus consonant combinations).
Then you need to know another 50 symbols for Katakana (カタカナ). Katakana is used for any foreign words. For example my name written in katakana is アンデリユー, which when you sound it out sounds something like my English name. Actually more like "ah-in-der-y-ew".
Finally there is kanjii, which are the chinese characters. Each character needs to be memorised, and can be used in multiple different combinations to make different words. The sound for a character varies depending on the position of the character in a word! They tell me you need to learn about 200 basic kanjii for it to be useful.
Luckily, when using a keyboard to write in hiragana or katakana, you actually type the sounds using roman characters. The computer is kind enough to translate for you! So in order to say "thankyou" (arigatou gozaimasu), you need to type the sounds for "ah", "ri", "ga", "to", "u", "go", "za", "i", "ma", "su". The pc translates this to ありがとうございます. Easy!
However if you're trying to learn to read it, you need to memorise the characters and link them to the sounds. Not so easy...
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
More snow
Well we had more snow on Sunday. It snowed all day from first thing in the morning until about 4pm. In the end it sort of petered out and turned a bit sleety (technical term).
Monday morning dawned icy, with the footbridge across the road covered in ice from snow that froze solid overnight. Lovely clear day though!
The new DM Head has started work and by the end of today had already managed to ruffle a few feathers. There are a large number of feathers that need to be heavily ruffled, but at the same time it's normal to take a few days to understand what's going on before you start changing things significantly. Wait and see what happens.
Monday morning dawned icy, with the footbridge across the road covered in ice from snow that froze solid overnight. Lovely clear day though!
The new DM Head has started work and by the end of today had already managed to ruffle a few feathers. There are a large number of feathers that need to be heavily ruffled, but at the same time it's normal to take a few days to understand what's going on before you start changing things significantly. Wait and see what happens.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Changes
Well my new Head of DM starts on Monday, which means I can handover the sales activities to someone else. This is great because it means I can concentrate on the real work that I came here for. I guess the first 3-4 weeks will be handover anyway, so a more gradual phasing out of the activities.
Anyway, today was a bit warmer, and not windy for a change. In fact when I went out for lunch ("Asian" bento which means a combination of curries on rice), it was actually quite pleasant. The sky was bright blue, and Tokyo was generally a nice place to be. By about 4pm it had come over cloudy which was a shame. However, still a nice day.
No idea what it was like in Bangkok - if people post enough comments, maybe we can convince Sonia to add something here?
Anyway, today was a bit warmer, and not windy for a change. In fact when I went out for lunch ("Asian" bento which means a combination of curries on rice), it was actually quite pleasant. The sky was bright blue, and Tokyo was generally a nice place to be. By about 4pm it had come over cloudy which was a shame. However, still a nice day.
No idea what it was like in Bangkok - if people post enough comments, maybe we can convince Sonia to add something here?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Winter
Well it continues to be cold around here. The temperatures are getting down to around zero most nights. A few times the wind is strong enough that it gets a lot colder, and walking down the street can actually be painful on the face. However it's quite dry so at least there isn't ice all over the place. Both Sonia and I now have coats, so at least most of us is warm. A scarf takes care of other parts, just leaving the nose and tips of the ears. And the hands!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Itineraries
Believe it or not he not only made a decision but he got it wrong. Typical! Instead of flying out of Tokyo on a Thursday night as originally planned we are now flying Friday night. Goodness knows what we will do with the days leave we have booked for Friday :-)
The tickets are booked and here is the plan
Tokyo - Brisbane Friday 7th March
Brisbane Auckland Sunday 9th March. We are conveniently arriving at 3.55 in the afternoon, so if anyone wants to come out to the airport it will make a nice Sunday afternoon diversion :-)
Saturday 15th March we are heading to Queenstown, returning Monday 17th. (Sorry Craig, even knowing that you were organising it I could not convince Andrew that church camp was what he really wanted to do with his one weekend back in NZ...)
We are heading out again on Friday 21st March and spending Easter in Melbourne before returning to Tokyo on the 26th. A bit of a flying visit all around, but it will be good to catch up with everyone again.
Let me know if there is anything anyone wants bought back from Thailand or Japan. Dried fish snacks anyone????
The tickets are booked and here is the plan
Tokyo - Brisbane Friday 7th March
Brisbane Auckland Sunday 9th March. We are conveniently arriving at 3.55 in the afternoon, so if anyone wants to come out to the airport it will make a nice Sunday afternoon diversion :-)
Saturday 15th March we are heading to Queenstown, returning Monday 17th. (Sorry Craig, even knowing that you were organising it I could not convince Andrew that church camp was what he really wanted to do with his one weekend back in NZ...)
We are heading out again on Friday 21st March and spending Easter in Melbourne before returning to Tokyo on the 26th. A bit of a flying visit all around, but it will be good to catch up with everyone again.
Let me know if there is anything anyone wants bought back from Thailand or Japan. Dried fish snacks anyone????
Thursday, January 24, 2008
An update
Well the snow arrived in full force. From about 6:30 in the morning yesterday, it snowed. It was still snowing when I walked back to the office from a meeting at 1:30. Then sometime before 5pm it finished. Unfortunately it was not really enough to actually settle on the ground, but it looked great while it lasted. I got a couple of photos that I will transfer from the camera soon, and will post these so you can see what it looked like from the apartment window.
Today has dawned sunny with a bit of cloud, so I guess there will be no more snow today.
Today has dawned sunny with a bit of cloud, so I guess there will be no more snow today.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Trips
Grrr - Sonia will not make a decision on which itinerary! She insists that it is my decision, except that I know from many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many years of experience that whatever I choose will at some stage be considered the "wrong" choice.
Oh well, here goes again!
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many,
many years of experience that whatever I choose will at some stage be considered the "wrong" choice.
Oh well, here goes again!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Weather forecasters
Are not much better in Tokyo than anywhere else. Usually the forecasts here are quite accurate, however the snow has not materialised!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Some more pictures
A shot of the crowds waiting to get into the shrine in Kamakura. It took about 30 minutes of inching forwards to get to the shrine itself.
Guards at the bottom of the final steps up into the shrine itself.
Lovely sign!
And looking back down the stairs at the next group of people who
And I've just found this picture of the gate into a small shrine in the centre of Tokyo - actually from last winter:
Guards at the bottom of the final steps up into the shrine itself.
Lovely sign!
And looking back down the stairs at the next group of people who
And I've just found this picture of the gate into a small shrine in the centre of Tokyo - actually from last winter:
Snow!
Sonia has just left to go to the airport for the week in Bangkok. As we walked to the bus we stopped at the local 7-11 to get some cash. There is a friendly guy there who likes to practice his English on me, and he was kind enough to pipe up and tell us that the forecast is for snow at 6pm tonight - in about and hour and three-quarters!
And one morning last week I got out onto the street and noticed that the ground was wet. Strange, but it had not been raining that I'd heard. I found out later that there had been a small amount of snow overnight. Not enough to stay on the ground, but enough to make it wet!
I have just got around to saving a few photos from the camera onto the PC.
This is one example so far for our new collection of dog photos. We saw this one at the shrine in Kamakura in the New Year week...
And these two of Mt Fuji from our trip to Gotemba. The first one is from the train station where we had to change trains part-way through the trip. You can see clearly that there were no clouds anywhere in the sky. Apparently this is a bit unusual.
Not long later on (we'd arrived at the Gotemba outlet shopping village), I saw that clouds had built up:
And one morning last week I got out onto the street and noticed that the ground was wet. Strange, but it had not been raining that I'd heard. I found out later that there had been a small amount of snow overnight. Not enough to stay on the ground, but enough to make it wet!
I have just got around to saving a few photos from the camera onto the PC.
This is one example so far for our new collection of dog photos. We saw this one at the shrine in Kamakura in the New Year week...
And these two of Mt Fuji from our trip to Gotemba. The first one is from the train station where we had to change trains part-way through the trip. You can see clearly that there were no clouds anywhere in the sky. Apparently this is a bit unusual.
Not long later on (we'd arrived at the Gotemba outlet shopping village), I saw that clouds had built up:
Saturday, January 12, 2008
First week at work
This is the end of the first week back at work in 2008. An interesting week in Tokyo, as many people are trying to ease into work as slowly as possible. However, we are trying to launch a call centre for Direct Marketing (you know, the people who call you at dinner time to try and sell you something). As such, we have been working with a few external companies to put the project together. This week was getting things finalised and a budget submitted to our regional office in HK for approval.
I have also been recruiting my replacement, and this came to close on Friday when the preferred candidate signed a formal acceptance of our job offer. Sigh of relief... This means that instead of double-hatting (Acting Head of Direct Marketing was now what I came here to do) I can focus my attention back on the projects side.
Sonia did her first week trip from Tokyo to Bangkok (and back). Seems to have worked ok.
The weather has been cold but sunny most of the week. Today dawned cold and rainy, so I guess everything comes to an end.
Grocery shopping this morning, and the gym this afternoon. Tonight off to dinner at the boss's house.
I have also been recruiting my replacement, and this came to close on Friday when the preferred candidate signed a formal acceptance of our job offer. Sigh of relief... This means that instead of double-hatting (Acting Head of Direct Marketing was now what I came here to do) I can focus my attention back on the projects side.
Sonia did her first week trip from Tokyo to Bangkok (and back). Seems to have worked ok.
The weather has been cold but sunny most of the week. Today dawned cold and rainy, so I guess everything comes to an end.
Grocery shopping this morning, and the gym this afternoon. Tonight off to dinner at the boss's house.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Holiday week
Well it has been a relatively busy holiday week here in Tokyo as we have rushed to keep up with the rest of Tokyo. Having been warned in advance by people at the office that most of the residents of Tokyo depart the city, we felt it was incumbent upon us to follow them. We searched carefully and decided on a couple of places where we felt it was most likely that we'd find them, and then set off on our way.
Sure enough, we'd correctly guessed that everyone in Tokyo would be at the big shrine/temple in Asakusa on Tuesday 1st January. We arrived about midday (45-minute trip on the subway to the end of the line), and the queue to get into the shrine was out to the roadway. Discretion being the better part, we hived off along the road, through small streets of shops and stalls, eventually coming to the shrine through a back entrance. Which conveniently led through all of the Japanese junk food stalls that had sprung into being on the grounds of the temple. After watching the crowds of people (resembling farm animals being herded into the shrine) for a few minutes, we sampled some of the food. Being the adventurous one, I chose a pancake that is grilled/fried with a big handful of shredded cabbage, an egg, and sauce. Sonia chose a plain baked potato with butter. We found a small area to one side of one of the pathways and joined a number of other groups that had stopped to "savour" the food. By the time we'd finished and made our way back through the streets and round to the main entrance of the shrine, we found that the queue had grown and now stretched all of the way down the road (conveniently closed to traffic) and almost to the main road (about 100 metres?). We took this as a good sign, because we now know where Tokyo goes on the first day of the new year.
Wednesday was shopping day - trying to find a winter coat at the sales. However, it turns out that all of Tokyo congregated in one of 3 or four shops. One attraction of the sales is what is called fukubukuro, which is sometimes translated into English as a "Happy Bag". This is a big shopping bag into which the company puts some stuff, seals it, and sticks a price on it. You take your luck with what you get. So if you are wondering where everyone is, they are at the department stores on Wednesday.
Sushi for lunch - there are a few places in Tokyo with the sushi "trains". This one was good, and we got through about 14 plates between us (each plate has two pieces of sushi).
Thursday, we went to an outlet village in Gotemba. This required a train trip of about 1 and 3/4 hours, with a change of lines after an hour. At the changeover point, we had about 30 minutes between trains and decided to have breakfast. The only places in site were a small noodle shop and a 7-11. Since we are now seasoned travellers, we decided on the noodle place, which conveniently had pictures of some of the dishes on the wall outside. When we got in the door, we found the vending machine where you purchase the tickets for the food you want. Which only had Japanese writing, and no pictures. I ended up with my head out the door trying to match the pictures to the writing. In the end we got two tickets for what we expected would be noodles with some pieces of meat. While I waited for the food, Sonia went off the find a table. Which was difficult since there were only four tables in the place, all within one foot of each other. When I saw them dishing the noodles I noticed the guy scoop a big spoon of gloop and put it into the bowls. Turns out we'd ordered noodles with curry sauce. Which turned out to be very nice.
At the outlet village, we were reminded of Cheshire Oaks in UK. Basically the same, but some of the brands were different. And full of everyone who was living in Tokyo. Did I mention it was freezing? This area is close to the foot of Mt Fuji, and I managed to get a few pictures that I'll load in soon.
The following day (Friday) we went to Kamakura - a place outside of Tokyo that one of my colleagues had introduced me to previously. It was apparently the capital at one point? Getting off the train at the station we ended up standing to one side as this stream of people from the train tried to exit the station at the same time. We must have waited almost five minutes as they filed past. Then we got out and walked our way towards the main shrine. Again, loads of people - I guess the people who went to Asakusa on Tuesday must have decided that they needed to hedge their bets and go pray at the Kamakura shrine as well. A number of people were dressed up in very nice looking kimonos.
After standing in line to get into the temple grounds for a look we made our way through and back out to the streets. Since it was past time for lunch we decided on Soba noodles - a place we had passed earlier. I am now at the point where I can manage to get food in Japanese, so we were not too worried about the menu that only had Japanese and no pictures. When you're in a Soba restaurant there is not much choice (would you like hot soba or cold soba?), so we ordered soba with tempura. When it arrived it was a big bowl of noodles in clear soup with a huge tempura prawn on top (maybe 15cm long). Not bad for JPY1300 each, although it is more expensive in this touristy part compared to the soba place around the corner from the office where I normally pay about JPY 1000 for noodles with more tempura (prawn, pumpkin, mushroom, and something else that I cannot identify).
Saturday has been out looking through a suburb called Hiroo for a supermarket that Sonia had read about. We found it, but I think the one I usually go to is bigger and has a better selection of stuff. Expecting to catch up with a couple of friends from UK for dinner tonight, although I am not sure if this will happen because they are not answering their phones. We will have to see...
Sure enough, we'd correctly guessed that everyone in Tokyo would be at the big shrine/temple in Asakusa on Tuesday 1st January. We arrived about midday (45-minute trip on the subway to the end of the line), and the queue to get into the shrine was out to the roadway. Discretion being the better part, we hived off along the road, through small streets of shops and stalls, eventually coming to the shrine through a back entrance. Which conveniently led through all of the Japanese junk food stalls that had sprung into being on the grounds of the temple. After watching the crowds of people (resembling farm animals being herded into the shrine) for a few minutes, we sampled some of the food. Being the adventurous one, I chose a pancake that is grilled/fried with a big handful of shredded cabbage, an egg, and sauce. Sonia chose a plain baked potato with butter. We found a small area to one side of one of the pathways and joined a number of other groups that had stopped to "savour" the food. By the time we'd finished and made our way back through the streets and round to the main entrance of the shrine, we found that the queue had grown and now stretched all of the way down the road (conveniently closed to traffic) and almost to the main road (about 100 metres?). We took this as a good sign, because we now know where Tokyo goes on the first day of the new year.
Wednesday was shopping day - trying to find a winter coat at the sales. However, it turns out that all of Tokyo congregated in one of 3 or four shops. One attraction of the sales is what is called fukubukuro, which is sometimes translated into English as a "Happy Bag". This is a big shopping bag into which the company puts some stuff, seals it, and sticks a price on it. You take your luck with what you get. So if you are wondering where everyone is, they are at the department stores on Wednesday.
Sushi for lunch - there are a few places in Tokyo with the sushi "trains". This one was good, and we got through about 14 plates between us (each plate has two pieces of sushi).
Thursday, we went to an outlet village in Gotemba. This required a train trip of about 1 and 3/4 hours, with a change of lines after an hour. At the changeover point, we had about 30 minutes between trains and decided to have breakfast. The only places in site were a small noodle shop and a 7-11. Since we are now seasoned travellers, we decided on the noodle place, which conveniently had pictures of some of the dishes on the wall outside. When we got in the door, we found the vending machine where you purchase the tickets for the food you want. Which only had Japanese writing, and no pictures. I ended up with my head out the door trying to match the pictures to the writing. In the end we got two tickets for what we expected would be noodles with some pieces of meat. While I waited for the food, Sonia went off the find a table. Which was difficult since there were only four tables in the place, all within one foot of each other. When I saw them dishing the noodles I noticed the guy scoop a big spoon of gloop and put it into the bowls. Turns out we'd ordered noodles with curry sauce. Which turned out to be very nice.
At the outlet village, we were reminded of Cheshire Oaks in UK. Basically the same, but some of the brands were different. And full of everyone who was living in Tokyo. Did I mention it was freezing? This area is close to the foot of Mt Fuji, and I managed to get a few pictures that I'll load in soon.
The following day (Friday) we went to Kamakura - a place outside of Tokyo that one of my colleagues had introduced me to previously. It was apparently the capital at one point? Getting off the train at the station we ended up standing to one side as this stream of people from the train tried to exit the station at the same time. We must have waited almost five minutes as they filed past. Then we got out and walked our way towards the main shrine. Again, loads of people - I guess the people who went to Asakusa on Tuesday must have decided that they needed to hedge their bets and go pray at the Kamakura shrine as well. A number of people were dressed up in very nice looking kimonos.
After standing in line to get into the temple grounds for a look we made our way through and back out to the streets. Since it was past time for lunch we decided on Soba noodles - a place we had passed earlier. I am now at the point where I can manage to get food in Japanese, so we were not too worried about the menu that only had Japanese and no pictures. When you're in a Soba restaurant there is not much choice (would you like hot soba or cold soba?), so we ordered soba with tempura. When it arrived it was a big bowl of noodles in clear soup with a huge tempura prawn on top (maybe 15cm long). Not bad for JPY1300 each, although it is more expensive in this touristy part compared to the soba place around the corner from the office where I normally pay about JPY 1000 for noodles with more tempura (prawn, pumpkin, mushroom, and something else that I cannot identify).
Saturday has been out looking through a suburb called Hiroo for a supermarket that Sonia had read about. We found it, but I think the one I usually go to is bigger and has a better selection of stuff. Expecting to catch up with a couple of friends from UK for dinner tonight, although I am not sure if this will happen because they are not answering their phones. We will have to see...
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Tokyo Christmas
It was an interesting Christmas day in Tokyo. It was the first working day of the week because the Emperor's birthday was on Sunday and therefore moved to Monday. Tuesday was a working day, except that for the expats it's Christmas, so you really don't want to be working. And for the Japanese, it's the start of the last week of the year.
I was invited to Christmas lunch at the boss's house, so after spending the morning in the office, I left to catch the subway. At the other end I ran into a couple of other people on their way to the same lunch, so we shared a taxi to the house.
Lunch turned out to be the full monty - an enormous turkey, baked honey ham, brussel sprouts (which I gave a miss of course), stuffing, potato, etc. Desert was apple pie, pumpkin pie, and Christmas pudding. Not bad!
Finished at around 4:30, at which point I headed back to the office to pick up my bag. Then a small dinner with a couple of New Zealanders that I knew from Wellington and who now live in Wilmslow (UK) but are in Tokyo. Dinner was at a restaurant set up by Francis Ford Coppola - the guy who made the Godfather trilogy of movies, along with many others.
I was invited to Christmas lunch at the boss's house, so after spending the morning in the office, I left to catch the subway. At the other end I ran into a couple of other people on their way to the same lunch, so we shared a taxi to the house.
Lunch turned out to be the full monty - an enormous turkey, baked honey ham, brussel sprouts (which I gave a miss of course), stuffing, potato, etc. Desert was apple pie, pumpkin pie, and Christmas pudding. Not bad!
Finished at around 4:30, at which point I headed back to the office to pick up my bag. Then a small dinner with a couple of New Zealanders that I knew from Wellington and who now live in Wilmslow (UK) but are in Tokyo. Dinner was at a restaurant set up by Francis Ford Coppola - the guy who made the Godfather trilogy of movies, along with many others.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Tokyo Festive Season
Well the festive feeling has touched Tokyo. This afternoon it seemed that all of the residents of Tokyo (and possibly the surrounding prefectures as well) had decided that it was time they went shopping. Only made worse by the wonderful sunny day, which they needed to enjoy by walking sooooo slowly. The sun was down by 5 (maybe a little earlier?) and the streets were getting colder so it was time to head home.
I got the news that Paul finally found someone... the pressure is now on, Jonathan.
I got the news that Paul finally found someone... the pressure is now on, Jonathan.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tokyo
Things are creeping slowly towards Christmas next week, although for the locals it is more about New Year. Apparently the city empties out a bit from 31st through until Monday 7th. Getting colder now - not sure what the temperature actually is, but it's very chilly in the morning on the way to work.
Nothing new to tell - parcels of Christmas presents are safely in NZ with one exception - Paul - which we missed sending because we thought he would still be in PNG. Then we find out that he's just arrived in Auckland. Oops!
Nothing new to tell - parcels of Christmas presents are safely in NZ with one exception - Paul - which we missed sending because we thought he would still be in PNG. Then we find out that he's just arrived in Auckland. Oops!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
What a difference...
...one day makes, 24 small hours... (look it up).
Back in Hong Kong for the weekend, arriving around 1:00pm today. Amazing how bad the pollution is. As we walked through the shops in Central, you could see the fuzziness of the air (?) across the space of maybe 50 metres. Probably worse for me having grown used to Tokyo's relatively unpolluted environment. As I sit writing this, I can look out the window towards the west where I should be able to see the sun setting. Alas, the pollution is so bad that you can hardly see the boats passing (M&D remember how big the ships are and how close they pass?)!
As soon as I got here today, we were off to the tailors to collect a suit that I'd got made. It fits really nicely, and they've done a great job quality-wise. Apart from a couple of chalk marks left on the jacket, that is. Three-button blue/gray with thin pinstripe. And four white shirts. This is the second suit I've had made in HK by the same crowd. They were recommended by a guy at the office who was impressed with their work.
Previously I'd got a couple of suits made in Bangkok by one of the tailors that most of Prudential seem to favour. The suits are good, but the quality is not up to the same standard as the HK guys. The Bangkok tailor is an Indian guy who was borne in Bangkok but spent a lot of time in the UK. Then moved back to Bangkok and married a local lady (if I recall correctly). Apparently he spends much of his day trading stocks in between consulting with clients!
I am now faced with a bit of a problem - I've lost just over 10kg and some of the suits are looking decidedly baggy. I think it will be back to the tailor to get some of them altered.
Tonight it's off to our favourite restaurant (Harlan's) for dinner. We've been there a few times and they know us well. To the point that desert is usually complimentary. However we do actually want to sample things off the desert menu, so we have strategised how we will jump in and ask for the menu before they bring out the desert.
Christmas presents are all either in NZ by now or on their way, with the exception of Paul and Jonathan because they are (1) troublesome to find something for, and (2) in countries where we cannot easily get the presents sent (Philippines and PNG). Now I just have to find a present for Sonia!
Back in Hong Kong for the weekend, arriving around 1:00pm today. Amazing how bad the pollution is. As we walked through the shops in Central, you could see the fuzziness of the air (?) across the space of maybe 50 metres. Probably worse for me having grown used to Tokyo's relatively unpolluted environment. As I sit writing this, I can look out the window towards the west where I should be able to see the sun setting. Alas, the pollution is so bad that you can hardly see the boats passing (M&D remember how big the ships are and how close they pass?)!
As soon as I got here today, we were off to the tailors to collect a suit that I'd got made. It fits really nicely, and they've done a great job quality-wise. Apart from a couple of chalk marks left on the jacket, that is. Three-button blue/gray with thin pinstripe. And four white shirts. This is the second suit I've had made in HK by the same crowd. They were recommended by a guy at the office who was impressed with their work.
Previously I'd got a couple of suits made in Bangkok by one of the tailors that most of Prudential seem to favour. The suits are good, but the quality is not up to the same standard as the HK guys. The Bangkok tailor is an Indian guy who was borne in Bangkok but spent a lot of time in the UK. Then moved back to Bangkok and married a local lady (if I recall correctly). Apparently he spends much of his day trading stocks in between consulting with clients!
I am now faced with a bit of a problem - I've lost just over 10kg and some of the suits are looking decidedly baggy. I think it will be back to the tailor to get some of them altered.
Tonight it's off to our favourite restaurant (Harlan's) for dinner. We've been there a few times and they know us well. To the point that desert is usually complimentary. However we do actually want to sample things off the desert menu, so we have strategised how we will jump in and ask for the menu before they bring out the desert.
Christmas presents are all either in NZ by now or on their way, with the exception of Paul and Jonathan because they are (1) troublesome to find something for, and (2) in countries where we cannot easily get the presents sent (Philippines and PNG). Now I just have to find a present for Sonia!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
And dropping even further
I saw the forecast for Monday - down to 5 degrees at 6pm tomorrow night! Ouch.
This afternoon I took a ride with some friends - a lady from work and her husband. We hired motorbikes and rode out to a beach - about 250 km round trip.
I'd forgotten how cold it gets on a bike, especially once the sun goes down. I hired a Honda CBR600RR - a very nice ride. Red and black, nice and powerful. See it here.
We rode out to a beach and stopped for coffee at a local cafe (not an NZ-style cafe), where there were a bunch of guys on customised bikes. It's difficult to see on the pictures, but these are large two-stroke bikes (maybe 400 cc?) that have all sorts of cosmetic changes including back supports for the passengers - a la "whale tails" on cars. As well as cosmetic changes, they've changed the mufflers (or removed them?). You can just make out a police car at the far end of the carpark (in the last spot). This police car follows the bike gang around to make sure they don't cause too much trouble. When the bikers decided it was time to go, the policy car starts up and follows them out with lights flashing - but doesn't stop them.
The next picture is of the second set of bikes to arrive - these were larger four-stroke bikes, therefore being much more serious. Apart from using the length of the carpark to do wheelies when they arrived.
After warming up with koohi (coffee), we rode up the beach to a lighthouse. The views were great but the pictures I took didn't work so I've not posted them.
Then back towards Narita (the international airport) and back into town.
Click here to see the points of interest on Google Maps. When it opens up, click the "Satellite" button to see actual pictures.
By the time we got back around 7pm, it was positively freezing. But I do remember what I enjoyed about riding.
This afternoon I took a ride with some friends - a lady from work and her husband. We hired motorbikes and rode out to a beach - about 250 km round trip.
I'd forgotten how cold it gets on a bike, especially once the sun goes down. I hired a Honda CBR600RR - a very nice ride. Red and black, nice and powerful. See it here.
We rode out to a beach and stopped for coffee at a local cafe (not an NZ-style cafe), where there were a bunch of guys on customised bikes. It's difficult to see on the pictures, but these are large two-stroke bikes (maybe 400 cc?) that have all sorts of cosmetic changes including back supports for the passengers - a la "whale tails" on cars. As well as cosmetic changes, they've changed the mufflers (or removed them?). You can just make out a police car at the far end of the carpark (in the last spot). This police car follows the bike gang around to make sure they don't cause too much trouble. When the bikers decided it was time to go, the policy car starts up and follows them out with lights flashing - but doesn't stop them.
The next picture is of the second set of bikes to arrive - these were larger four-stroke bikes, therefore being much more serious. Apart from using the length of the carpark to do wheelies when they arrived.
After warming up with koohi (coffee), we rode up the beach to a lighthouse. The views were great but the pictures I took didn't work so I've not posted them.
Then back towards Narita (the international airport) and back into town.
Click here to see the points of interest on Google Maps. When it opens up, click the "Satellite" button to see actual pictures.
By the time we got back around 7pm, it was positively freezing. But I do remember what I enjoyed about riding.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
11 degrees
That's the daily high temperature at the moment, but most of the time it's down around 8. And I assume colder at night, although I must admit that I don't stay up to find out!
Getting colder, but still lovely clear blue skies...
Getting colder, but still lovely clear blue skies...
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