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.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
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. :-)
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