Busfro

On my second day at the Ohmeikan, I met a tall guy in the lift with Emma and we had a quick chat, all the niceties: whats your name, where are you from etc... Except I made the mistake of thinking that he was from America. Then, we had another chat when we were going for our alien registration and he carried my small forest of paperwork for me, which meant that I was forgiven for the American comment (though, I have to point out that there is nothing wrong with being American, you know I love you all very much!).

Then, the following day we made a trip to find the computer store because we were both members of the 'Laptop Buying Committee' but Gigas was closed, and so we had dinner and ended up chatting for ages. The rest, as they say, is history.

If you told me back in Bristol that I'd meet a tall, blonde Swede in Japan who used to work for Ikea, and that we would become inseparable in Japan then I would have probably laughed at you and told you to come up with something a little bit more plausible. Sven has become such a huge part of my life, and I really do love him to bits. He reminds me off all my friends back home, the way he made it his mission to tease me mercilessly and he'd have me laughing so much that it hurts...usually because of his English gaffles.

Anyway my busfro, Nagoya will be a lot quieter and emptier without you. I shall miss your navy jumper that I love so much, the chicken with soy sauce recipe, the burnt apple pie, your cold feet... If you ever fancy taking a break from a life in darkness, we'll always welcome you back with open arms. Though, we wont leave George to book it, otherwise its off to the Yamate Inn for you, darling!

The top of Inuyama-jo

It was a beautiful, warm day so the view from the top of Inuyama-jo was as stunning as I've remembered it to be. I'd been with the Americans, Germans and French back in November but it was Sven's first time and he really liked it. We didnt have long in Inuyama because he had to be back in Nagoya for his final room-check later that afternoon, but we spent a pleasant afternoon strolling around the beautiful ceramic shops and looking at teapots (I have a thing for Japanese teapots).

Anyway, we had a lovely last day together and both have very fond memories of the castle. it really was a stunning view!

The first sign of spring

A brave blossom surviving the winter chill on the grounds of Inuyama-jo. Yeh! Spring is just around the corner and the heavy layers will be away for good.

Sven's Leaving Party

Living in Japan can be hard at times, so we have all bonded together sharing the same common experiences, going through the same ups and downs. Having to say goodbye to one of our own is difficult to say the least- it was the beginning of the disbandment of NUPACE Class of Autumn 2004.

About twenty members of NUPACE went to a nomihodai, which is an all-you-can-drink venue. I wasnt exactly looking forward to a farewell party for Sven since I'd much prefer to pretend that he is staying, and having to be merry and celebrate his departure seems a little odd. But, it turned out to be a lot of fun as the jugs of beers and various alcoholic beverages soothed our sorrows. We were so raucous, being heard all around the restaurant despite having our own partitioned room.

Silly DJ made Sven do his speech while I was making a visit to the loo so I missed half of it, a fact which Sven didnt let me forget. Ooops. I made it up to him by starting off our leaving messages to the Swede who we've all become so fond of.

Some drunken scribblings...

Everybody gets a banner for their birthday, but Sven is leaving before he gets to celebrate a birthday in Japan so we presented him with a leaving banner instead. We took it to the nomihodai so people could add to it during the evening, hence some rather random scribblings from the drunken lot. Though, Im sure some messages were written while sober but they are equally incomphrensible.

Casualties

I had no idea Kevin (centre) was so gone until we were leaving and he stumbled about finding his way to the loo. He stayed in there for a good half-an-hour, bless the poor love. Carl was a little worse for wear too, but he was holding up at that point. The pair had been downing warm sake all night, while the others were working their way through the jugs of beer and well, warm alcohol enters your system faster.

Sven couldnt remember the finer details of the night after a certain point, though he made a good display of soberness so we had no idea the state he was in. It only became apparent the following morning when he was nursing a hangover and I had to fetch him lots of water and breakfast. Then, some aspirins and a Lawson breakfast did the trick, and we were off to Inuyama just a little after 2pm. Not bad considering...

Japanese Alps

Sven's last weekend in Japan :'( and we'd planned to go away somewhere but had no idea where. Between us, we've been to a lot of the good places around Nagoya, and so we had to look a little further-a-field. In the end, we settled on Matsumoto, which lies 2-hours north-east of Nagoya and sits at the foot of the Japanese Alps and promised to be a pleasant city with a fusion of old and new Japan. We got there pretty late because we'd been out to the pub and karaoke til 4am the night before so we were pretty tired the following day. Just enough time to have a wander, find a place to stay, get some dinner, and get some rest for the day after but Matsumoto had made a very good first impression. This view of the surrounding snow-peaked mountains is taken from the top of Matsumoto castle.

Mean Sven

We stayed in a quiet family-ran ryokan near the river with the best hot bath I've had in Japan. The steaming water is filled up once a day; you clean yourself first by taking a shower and then you get into the tub which is sunken into the floor. Its heavenly, such a pleasure at the end of the day when the weather has been bitterly cold. The ryokan provided us with these attractive, multi-layered blue robes; Sven looked pretty good in his though mine swamped me and I ended up carrying the train down the stairs and trying not to trip over.

We also visited an onsen in Matsumoto, which was another first for me. Onsens are natural spring pools with various healing properties, and which are spotted all about Japan. I was completely clueless and had no idea what to do, since there are certain etiquettes and guidelines you should observe. I'd thought that you're supposed to be naked at an onsen, but then I'd seen a TV report where the lady was wearing a swimming costume which led me to believe that perhaps the rules are different depending on where you go. Sven assured me that I am supposed to be starkers, though I'd suspected that he was pulling my leg and causing me much embarrassment when I wandered in in my birthday suite while everyone was chilling in their cossies. Anyway, he went to into the men's section (because onsens are divided) and I checked the ladies section just to make sure he was right (which he was).

The onsen was really lovely and relaxing, but I tend to find excessively hot water too unbearable after a while. So, I happily sat around for a while but then got bored and stuffy, its one of those places that would be better if you could go in a group because then you can just relax and have a chat. That is if you dont mind seeing your friends as God had intended them!

Matsumoto Castle

A little history lesson: In the 17th Century during the Muromachi period, Japan underwent some political changes meaning that provincial lords began to build castles at strategic points in their domain as a mean of protection. These acted as their homes and as military headquarters should the domain come under attack, which happened a lot because Japanese history is particularly bloody. Lots of fathers killing sons, and brothers killing each other, and uncles killing newphews- all for supremacy and to guarantee their domination.

Hence, many towns and cities have still have a castle, though some of them have been extensively rebuilt after World War II. This castle in Matsumoto is apparently the oldest surviving one in Japan, though Im sure I've read that in the phamplet of Inuyama castle too. Nevertheless, I really liked it because it had a certain air of charm about it. The surrounding grounds would have been really pretty in the spring when the flowers come into bloom, but the views of the Japanese Alps were amazing. The only criticism is that it didnt have a wooden walkway around the top like Inuyma castle, which would have given better, unobstructed views of the surrounding areas.

A Policy Against the Swedes

This sign was outside an English-style pub that we walked in to ask for directions.

Crazy J

DJ says I never make any mention of him on the blog, so here's to correcting that. Sven, Jonathan and I went out to another Vietnamese restuarant I've found because Sven has never had Vietnamese food and I keep raving about it. Luckily, it served delicious, authentic food and we stuffed ourselves silly. It made me miss the food Charlotte and I had while we were traveling, which were so yummy and readily available. And of course, it mae me miss mummy's cooking.

We met up with DJ, the French, and the Germans at an English pub near where DJ used to work. It was like being transported back home because there were loads of burly English men jeering and shouting across the table to each other. The boys drank a lot of Guiness, since Olivier and DJ have a particular openchant for the stuff, plus it was really cheap at that pub too.

Afterwards, DJ, Sven and I went to meet the Brits, Americans and Sarah for a spot of late-night karaoke, in honour of Carl, who wanted to strike it off his things to do before leaving Japan. This was 'All-night karaoking'. There were twenty songs in the queue when we arrived so some two hours later, Sven and I got our first song in, which was Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid. Dont ask me why, we just really like that song.

The end of Japanese

No more Japanese classes for two months! The semester finished uneventfully with a kanji class, which I failed to show up for because my alarm didnt go off. This has become the cliche of excuses but unfortunately, on this occassion, it is sadly true.

We had the written test on Wednesday, which I thought was a challenge but not 'slit-my-wrists' painful. I had an epiphany the night before while studying for the test, it was like Japanese suddenly started to make sense and I could kinda understand all the grammar points. I could hear the chorus of 'hallelujah' ringing from above and shining light falling on my head.

The last week has been unadventurous and anytime this happens, there is usually only one thing to blame: work. As I've mentioned during Christmas, the semester is finishing, so just like buses, there's a huge hiatus and then all the deadlines come at the same time. Much to my annoyance, my main accomplishments during the winter vacation were finishing the reading for the History paper, and watching about 10 DVDs with Kevin.

Anyway, in the last week, I have had to give a Japanese Powerpoint presentation on English football. My presentation came joint first in the vote (along with the Chinese), and a History presentation on the Matthew Perry's mission to Japan (no, not that Matthew Perry, the 19th Century naval commander version), and the Japanese test. Tomorrow is the oral Japanese exam, which Im cramming for at the mo. Then, I get several days to tackle the History paper, and revise for History finals. And then the week after, I have a Peacebuilding paper to write too.

Still, no more Japanese for two months, which makes me happy.

Posh Twat or Common Prat?

In our circle of friends, Ben is endlessly teased about being a Cheno-wearing rah-rah kiddo by Benos, his Chav counterpart. There are always insults being hurled at Bristolites and our penchant for the pashies, but this is more to do with the jealousy of inferiour UWE students who can only dream of graduating from Wills.

Now, hailing from Plumstead, Greenwich, Im 'hardly rah' but Giles amused us greatly when he used to say that I am the poshest person he knows, which is hysterical considering...well, considering. But then again, Giles comes from Essex, and anything is posh compared to Essex.

Take the test and add yourself to the Posh Twat or Common Prat Top 10. Click on the heading for the Chav Test. Enjoy! (Im still trying to find a way to add the link for the Posh Twat Test but email me if you want to take it and I'll forward it to you)

Gorgeous George

Without whom, I'd be completely lost and probably would have attended the Hatachi Seijinshiki in the Emperor's new clothes. So, here's a public declaration of adoration to the star of Nagoya. You're a gem, darling, thank you so much for everything.

バラド ピット は 二十歳 成人式 に 居ます

Sven caused a bit of a stir when he came to pick me up after the ceremony. The Japanese are still very curious of foreigners, and Sven is a giant of a gaijin measuring in at 6" 4! They insist that he looks like Brad Pitt, although it becomes 'Barado Pitto' in Katakana Japanese, so the rest of us love teasing him about that. No offence to the darling, but he does not look like Brad Pitt...well, maybe if you squint real hard and the lighting is bad.

Snazzy footwear

These shoes were teeny tiny, but this is the style that Japanese people wear so my feet are supposed to hang out of the side like this. I love the Japanese socks with the toe groove for my sandals. They were surprisingly warm so even though my hands were absolutely freezing, my toes and feet were still nice and warm.

Japanese entourage

Thank God for Yuki and her boyfriend for keeping me company and explaining things to me, I'd be completely lost without them.

Japanese Rude Boys

Check out the facial hair and shades! These guys fancied themselves as bad boys, and it seemed like there were quite a few people contesting for Alpha Male of The Day. A lot of strutting around, swaggering and hand gestures from the 'hood. If it wasnt for all the kimonos, I could have been transported right back to SFX and Brixton, yea mun.

Cutie Pie

This little girl was so cute! I thought she was the baby sister of someone who was going to the 二十歳　詩人式* but in fact, she was her daughter. Apparently, teenage mothers are not that uncommon in Japan these days, which really surprised me since I've always thought that it was a Western phenomenon.

* Hatachi Seijinshiki: literal translation is 20 years old Coming of Age Ceremony

anything you can do, i can do better....

It was so fantastic to see all the girls in their finest kimonos, though it seemed like there was a contest for who had the biggest hair and hair accessories. Loads of people came to the event just to see all the kimonos on display because the ceremony is a big event in Japanese traditions. There were photographers and film crews interviewing people, and I hoped and prayed that no-one was expecting me to speak much Japanese. I was on the phone when I turned around and came face-to-face with a huge black camera lens, it was literally 3 inches away from me and the guy was snapping away. Talk about invasion of personal space. We had an hour and a half of 'Conversation Time', which really tested my skills to the max. I would have been really lonely if it hadnt been for the lovely Japanese couple I met who could speak some English. So we managed to communicate through my bad Japanese and their bad English, and the time passed happily away.

always coca cola

Its hard work being groomed for several hours.

Ladies in Attendance

The big day arrived all too soon, and I was still in recovery mode from Hong Kong. Our flight landed a little late, so we didnt get back to the Ohmeikan until 10ish, though I didnt get to sleep until at least 3am. Getting up at 5am for my hair appointment was certainly unpleasant, especially on only 2 hours of sleep and intense sleep deprivation cummilated from the previous nights. Bless George for coming with me, and acting as my translator should something hideous happen to my hair.

My hair was brushed, curled, tugged, tied, and backcombed while I sat yawning away. George and I had gone to see the hairdresser a couple of weeks before to discuss the style we were going to do, so there shouldnt have been any surprises. That proved to be wrong. I wasnt paying much attention until I realised the chic chignon I had envisioned looked strangely like a pineapple balanced on the back of my head. George and I were quite alarmed, but we thought we should wait until the lady had finished before we make our comments. Several minutes passed by, while we umm-ed and ahh-ed about saying something, then the hairdresser weaved some hair extensions into place and bob's your uncle. The pineapple was no more, and my bed-hair was miraculously transformed into a stylish updo. We were mucho relieved.

Onto the kimono fitting. Twenty years old and I need two ladies to dress me, oh the shame! Putting on a kimono is a complicated process and so it took 30 minutes to complete. There were three layers to put on: the undergarment, the plain kimono, and then the top kimono with the intricate designs, as well as tying the obi. I didnt realise wearing a kimono would involve being so vigorously tied up, with every new layers, more ribbons were produced to tie my waist in for the classic kimono-shape. I could barely breathe! The obi, which was stiffened with a lining of thin plastic sheets had to sit snugly on my waist, thus restricting my movement. I spent the whole day with back straight, shoulders back, but the obi seemed to get heavier with every hour and I was dying to lie down.

Wearing a kimono is completely different to anything I've ever worn. The stiff obi do not allow for a bad posture so I was immediately walking taller, and taking smaller lady-like steps. I was carrying off the feminine grace look, until I had to get into the taxi to take me to the hall. Then, I almost fell backwards into the car while trying to carry my long sleeves, mind the hair, swing hips first into the car, and not trip over on my shoes all at the same time. You can take the girl out of South London...

thanhinhongkong

A little departure from Japan as five of us made a short trip to Hong Kong for four days of shopping and sightseeing. I was so excited to go back, because I have nothing but good memories from when my family lived in Hong Kong. It was over 13 years ago, and I dont remember a lot because I was so young, thouhg I definately remember the food. I dont think many people will ever forget the food in Hong Kong. Its utterly delicious.

This picture is taken on the ferry from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, offering stunning views of the harbour for less than 50p. Bargainous or what? I cant remember if my parents have taken me on the ferry when I was little but I was dying to go, since every time a holiday programme visits Hong Kong, the presenter always go on the ferry crossing, and then have a suit made.

Food Lover's Paradise

I love Cantonese food. It was so frustrating not to be able to order what I want because I couldnt read enough Chinese characters to understand the menu, and I've forgotten all of my Cantonese. We went to this Vietnamese restaurant, thinking we'd at least be able to utilise my Vietnamese but strangely enough, noone there spoke Vietnamese. So, I tried English but that didnt do any good either. Suk and Sui-Young stepped forward to try Korean and Japanese. Kevin and Jonathan tried German, Spanish, Italian, whatever we could think off. Nope, it seemed like only Cantonese would do. We were screwed.

We still had a really good meal that evening. We also had dim sum twice, and a home cooked Cantonese meal courtesy of Kevin's friend, Teddy, who invited us over to his flat for dinner. His flat was so plush, really gorgeous with stunning views of Hong Kong's skyline. His mum was the perfect host, and kept pushing us to eat more even though we'd already stuffed ourselves silly. I could barely walk after the meal, and thats when she cut up some fruits for us to have as afters. We nearly died.

Convention Centre

Outside the Convention Centre (a futuristic glass-fronted building) is a sculpture presented to Hong Kong from China on the morn of the handover. The golden flower is from the Cantonese flag, representingHong Kong's prosperity, and the base of the scupture is a pyramid, representing the Chinese motherland as the foundation of Hong Kong. Basically, its depicting the importance of China in 'holding' up Hong Kong so thats why the two flags are flying side by side. All very symbolic, with great political undertones.

Repulse Bay

This little pier is on the end of Repulse Bay, the old pirate's harbour. The name comes from the British military action to repulse the pirates who had previosuly controlled the territory, making it a hostile trading zone. It was a beautiful, clear day and the water just looked so inviting. Jonathan had just learned the phrase for 'Is this water safe to swim in' from his Cantonese phrasebook, and just moments before we'd scoffed at him thinking it'd be unlikely for us to need that line.

hong kong at night

A picture taken on the ferry over to Kowloon.

shops, shops, shops

There was simply not enough time to shop, and the fantastic thing was that Hong Kong have very late shopping hours. The markets, and some shops open til past midnight, though I was always battling with a throng of people to get to any of the decent stuff. As with any markets, you have to dig through a lot of crap to get to anything worthy of buying. We made the mistake of going shopping on the Saturday, when it seemed like the whole of Hong Kong had came out to join us and although it did not make optimal shopping conditions, I was determined to come away with at least some wares.

Serious shopper mode firmly on, I spent many hours trying to pick up pressies but my search was not that fruitful and I only managed to fill half of my 'To Buy' List. I did manage to pick up Lord of the G-Strings, which I thought was a hysterical title because Giles had sent me an email asking for something 'classy' from Hong Kong. Teehee, I guess he wouldnt be expecting this to arrive in the post.

Temple on Repulse Bay

Japanese temples and shrines are very minimalistic, with very little use of colour. I'd forgotten what temples could be like, so it was really lovely to see this ornate one on Repulse Bay.

Damien is not just the name of Liz Hurley's son

The face that has put me off children for a very long time. He is the image of an angel, and is so cute...when he gets his own way, that is. When he doesnt, no matter how small the request is, he'd throw the biggest tantrums, screeching at a deafening pitch, tears streaming down his little face and looking at his parents like they've just murdered Santa in front of his eyes.

Resolutions to Break

Lets not pretend that I'll keep any of these resolutions, but here's to positive thinking and self-deception. New Year Resolutions 2005:

1. Drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day. This appeared on the 2004 list too, and lasted about two months. Helena and I decided the cure to all our ailments could be found in drinking more water so we tried for a while, but we got bored with all the loo visits and gave up
2. Finish assignments at least 24 hours before the deadline.
   
3. Spend more time studying Japanese.
   
4. Stick with salsa, and go regularly.
   
5. Read more. Especially good, quality broadsheets.
   

New Year Box

Everything included inside the box has special symbolism and meanings. For example, young bamboo shoots symbolise growth, and mashed sweet potato represents wealth and fortune because of the golden colour. Kazuko-san's mother had prepared our box as a present, so we tucked into it for breakfast on New Year's day. We also had toshikoshi soba, which means passage from the old year to the new year. Try digesting that for breakfast.