Chapter – 13 Thursday 26th June 2008
Today was another eventful day.
We decided to venture out to our local ‘mountain’ yea the big one at the back you know the one!!!! The easiest way to get up there is by the ‘Shin Kobe Ropeway.(see photos) People do walk however but we couldn’t cos we didn’t have the right ‘outfit’. That’s right! Jack told us that the Japanese are very serious about looking the part for whatever they endeavour to do (remember the uniforms) well there is one for ‘hiking’ which is what you do seriously if you are going up the mountain by foot. It’s a long bloody way up mate! I saw proof with a group of middle aged ‘hikers’ with their hiking boots, hiking leggings, hiking vests, hiking hats, hiking staffs (yep you gotta have the proper ones from the ‘Hiking shop’!!! no sticks off the tree for this lot I can tell you!) They looked every bit the part and they didn’t looked puffed out either! Very fit people here too……….no fatties aloud (in fact if your waist measures over a certain amount here, once you are over 50, the government threatens to take your ‘benefits’ off you and you have to go on a fitness program-compulsory!!!!)
So as we did not have our ‘gear’ we had to take the ropeway (cable-car.) “What a shame. I was so looking forward to that really really really long walk up up up the high mountain!” Oh well maybe next lifetime! The views were spectacular. Looking out over the city that hugs the mountains out to the harbour. Just beautiful and right on our doorstep. There is a dam and waterfalls, beautiful Japanese buildings and a Kobe Nunobiki Herb Park. Very very pretty and you can walk from the Chalet (you could be in Switzerland) down through the glass house (see photo) and along pathways and water features, gardens and parks to the cable car (halfway connection tower). Then on you hop and down you go. You can buy a return ticket (which we did – remember no ‘gear’) or one way and walk back down (only with the right gear but!) or you can just walk all the way up and all way back (and have your head read in my opinion!!) Horses for courses I suppose but not for this little black duck!!
We had a meeting in the afternoon at ‘Café Freundlieb’ a German tea-house in a renovated church!!! It is just up the road from our house and we had organised to meet Mayumi and one of her fellow singers. (I discovered by accident a wonderful 6 piece A Capella group singing at the Crown Plaza early last week.) They sing the most wonderful arrangements of Amazing Grace and Jazz standards as well as sound scapes and the bass sings ‘true bass’ like a man – the most amazing range I have ever heard. Brian was in Osaka on that day so had not heard them sing……….even though I was trying to ring him and record them on the ‘Japanese mobile phone’ with little success. So today we met up with them to talk about how we can all work together. We attended their rehearsal (just around the corner from our place) and Brian was ‘blown away’ by their talent and style and really was excited about spending time working with them. We bought their Cd and have been enjoying their music at home.
We also have received an email from an organisation in Kyoto (1 hour by train from us.) who wants us to do some workshops with them. So the word is spreading and we really feel that our visits to the 2 Shrines has been very beneficial. Blessings blessing many blessings. I have bought a lovely ‘Japanese blue thing’ and put it in our entrance and light incense in it every morning and bow and talk to the Gods and ask to keep the blessings coming. It must be working!!! “Thanks Gods keep them blessings coming!” I have also bought slippers for inside as you have to take your shoes off at the front entrance. In most places this is the custom. (see photo) So we are very very authentic now. Tonight we went to another of our local restaurants ‘La la la” nice food and very snazzy décor with down lights that make circles on the walkway and cubic patterned leadlight screens at the front. The loo’s walkway has round stone ‘stepping stones’ surrounded by polished black pebbles. (I wanted to go to the loo even though I didn’t need to ‘go to the loo’ just so I could step on the stones.)
They have a ‘all bells and whistles’ loo like ours at home. Lots of places do, very fancy!!!
Speaking of loos (had heaps of feedback from you all with regard to my last description of our loo so here is some more information – very important if you are a visitor.) It’s the ‘squat and drops’! “What is that?” You ask! Well they are traditional style loos that have been ‘modernised’ so pretty much tear shaped porcelain holes at ground level with flushers that you have to squat frontwards over (for the girls only!) don’t know what the boys do haven’t been in their loos to see. (note: “Ask Brian?”) The problem is that some are cleaner than others (depends if you are in a building –like our venue for workshops (clean) or ‘the stations’ (not so clean). Some places have maybe one ‘western style’ loo but a lot do not. So I have learned to balance on one foot and carefully remove my shoe while I delicately lift anything that may accidentally ‘dangle’ in places that are ‘dangerous’ and at the same time concentrate and ‘aim straight’………….not so easy boys I can tell you!!!!
Well I think I have given you a ‘picture’. (note to our Aussie visitors – wear skirts – pants are harder to delicately dangle!!)
Well on that note I will close this chapter and make you wait with baited breath for another tantalizing episode of “Martinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns Innnnnnnnnn Japannnnnnnnnnnnnnn!”
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