Chapter 30 Friday 25th - Thursday 31st July
Tokyo!!!!!!!! What a city!!!
We got ourselves onto the Shinkansen(Bullet Train) and zoomed off to Tokyo through Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, etc (see photos) Very Pretty country side but we missed Mt Fuji as we were on the ‘wrong side’ (Note: book tickets early – left side going there and right side coming back.) The bullet goes every 20 minutes or so and you really only just line up for tickets 10 min before and you are usually right but a little earlier would have us on the ‘Mt Fuji’ side!!!
We met up with Michele and Miyuki the Mugen life team, (see photo) Michele had finally arrived from Australia. We then caught several trains and met up with Miniaki (a musician friend of Brian’s). He might be playing the Ockerina and Kalimba in the World Fusion concert we are putting on at the end August in Osaka. We had a ‘home stay’ and his wife cooked us an ‘authentic’ Japanese meal and we slept on the floor in the living room. Very Very ‘authentic’ and not too comfy for us soft Gijin!!! (see photo)
The next day we had a Joy of Singing workshop in another part of Tokyo several trains later.(it is very very big!) It is really cool to look at the satellite photos to see just how spread out Tokyo is. (just go to Google Maps) It is like a country within a country really. The whole population of Melbourne travels through the main Tokyo station every day and over 9 million people live in Tokyo. The train system is pretty complex but once you get the hang of it you can get around pretty well …………Brian’s department……..I’m with him. We did hop on a train that was ‘not ours’ and had to jump off a few stations later and just caught the last train home in time around 1.30am (yep they don’t sleep in Tokyo either!!!) Well they mainly sleep on the trains. There is a lot of snoring and head bobbing. I have to not laugh as they do look funny! I am so in awe of their ability to sleep standing up and be in a really deep sleep too and then when the train stops they jump up and leave at the right station!!! It must be so ingrained into their system that they can hear through the haze of sleep. Amazing!!!
On Saturday evening we met up with the girls and went to see a wonderful young musician play a ‘live’ at a nifty café in the ‘young district’. He has lived in Australia for several years and had only been playing guitar (self taught) for 3 years. Very talented with a Spanish/funk/blues style. (see photo). I really liked the area with lots of great shops and funky fashion,what a wonderful place. Heaps of ‘interesting’ fashion styles walking around and just buzzing with life! (see photos) I found this amazing T shirt shop where all the samples are on racks and have codes with location maps on them and then you find your (tube) and take it to the counter. Rows and rows and rows of t shirts in tubes lots of lights flashing and 3 floors of it. You can also look for designs on the touch screen computer by ‘style’, ‘colour’, etc. really fun and great styles too. (see photo)
The next day Brian had some private singing lessons (with interpreter.)and then we had some time off so decided to go sight see but we didn’t know where to go and didn’t have a tourist map so threw caution to the wind and jumped on a train to ‘somewhere’. I struck up a conversation with a nice lady, Kay. (as I have a tendency to do, even though no one can understand me that has not stopped me yet!!!) We asked her where we might go for the evening and after a few train stops she said. “Lets get off here and I can show you on the map”. So we spent 15 min on the platform looking at maps she offered to take us sight seeing the next day as she wanted to practice her English and she knows Tokyo really well. We were chuffed! So she waved us off in the direction of a ‘neat part of town where all the posh shops are’.(see photos) We were rapt as this really was the ‘Tokyo’ I had in my head with the busy intersections with everyone walking across the road at once and the big screen tvs on the buildings and the flashing lights and pretty colours and funky fashions and cars and busses and ‘Tokyo’ stuff!!! We walked and walked finding all manner of great shops to look at even though it was Sunday.
We were hungry and decided on a Pizza/pasta place. Japanese really don’t do this very well (or hamburgers and fries) not that we go for that kind of food but we decided to give it a go. Well the pictures were deceiving and we ended up with a tiny bite size pizza and a beer and we were still hungry and had paid too much already so wandered off and found a sleezy looking ‘foot path’ café under the railway line. “This place will be cheap”! It had grotty funny red gingham cloths and a mist machine to cool us down that blew out mist (I wonder how ‘old’ that recycled ‘mist’ is??) We sat down and were promptly served a ‘complimentary’ plate of green stuff with pickle stuff!!??!! Then looked at the menu and choked as the prices were astronomical. By the look of the place we thought it would be very very cheap??? So we just ordered a drink each and walked out with a $17 bill!!!
Not complimentary $3.15 cover charge to sit at the funny grotty table. Found out later this is the ‘famous’ YURAKU CONCOURSE which was a popular place to drink and eat before and during the war. There are old posters in the subway area and nothing has changed (and you could sure tell) since the 40s!!!!! Well we can now say we have been ‘Yuraku’d’. (see photo)
We were still hungry and had already spent over $50 for very little food and a couple of beers but we did have some interesting experiences on the way!!! (Note: check the menu before sitting down- that’s why I like plastic food you can see what you are gonna get!)
The next day we met up with ‘Kay’ (see photo) and she took us to a wonderful hotel that had been built 80 years ago in the old wooden style with lots of gardens. The builder had decided to hire lots of out of work artist to decorate his hotel. It was totally rebuilt about 15 years ago and all the artworks were lovingly restored and built into the new structure. It is used mainly for weddings and has many anti rooms and conference rooms and every wall and surface is carved or inlaid with mother of pearl and shell and it has waterfalls and gardens inside and out. We saw a wedding while we were there and spent a few hours just wandering around this amazing place. Not many locals know about it so we felt very lucky (see photo.) Kay then took us to another part of town (more trains) and we got some great panoramic views of Tokyo and Brian liked the building with the clock (see photo) as no people work there it is apparently full of computers only!!! We felt very lucky to have met Kay and she was so generous to spend her time showing us around. We convinced her that her next holiday should be to Noosa to visit us!!
We then caught more trains to stay with a friend of ours from ‘Manshine’ Marco who has lived off and on in Japan but has been in Tokyo for 3 years.
He lives in a fantastic apartment on the 22nd floor just across from the ‘Tokyo Dome’ (see lots of photos.) We had a great evening with him and his girlfriend eating a home cooked meal and drinking good Aussie wine sorounded by spectacular views of Tokyo city that stretches into infinity and beyond!!! (see photos) Marco says he loves Tokyo and reckons it is a country all by itself. We reckon he is right!
We left the next day on the 3 hour trip on the Shinkansen to Osaka for our Tuesday night singing workshop which was fantastic. But we were sure happy to get ‘home’ to Kobe and hit the sack at 1.30 am (Oh just another ‘typical’ night!)
Well here ends another episode of
‘MARTINSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!”
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Thursday, 24 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 29)
Chapter 29 - Mond 21st, Tues 22nd , Wed 23rd , Thurs 24th July
It’s been a busy week with workshops and English lessons. I have picked up another student and am having lots of fun being paid to talk!!! Go figure??
I knew all the talking I do ‘just naturally’ would come in handy on day.
I have never taught English and I am finding that my understanding of sentence structures and grammar is pretty good. I have never had to think about how I talked before!! I have had to learn to slow down though and it is interesting to note that if I talk in an American accent that people understand me better as they hear that accent more often and the vowel shapes are different to Aussie/English. Very curious!!
We are still having late nights not getting home till midnight or 1 am!!!
The way Japanese socialise is usually with their workmates after work. (That’s why the trains are still packed at midnight!) It is also ‘popular’ to have a hobby! So after our singing classes people ‘expect’ to socialise at a café afterwards. Since we start class at 6.30pm we are hungry by 9.00pm so we usually eat dinner have a drink and chat. There were 10 of us last night.
It’s a bit hit and miss as to what we eat as people tend to order for the table (still not sure how they all agree what we are going to eat - all very co-operative.) We had slimy raw octopus mixed in a salad – little sucker snuck in and I didn’t see him. (I swallowed my bit but Brian spat his out – I don’t think anyone saw him!!) Most of the food I really like and have only come across a couple of ‘slimy’ seaweeds and seafood that I am not keen on.
Everyone just eats and chats and orders more food if we are still hungry and at the end of the night the bill is all very quickly sorted and we are told what we owe. Sometimes it is about $10 per head and other nights it could be around $30 per head. Just depends on the restaurant and what we eat.
So we are in a place of trust most of the time. It’s an adventure!
I met Kyu-chan for her English lesson before class sitting outside ‘Starbucks’ and we had an errand to run before we started. She had been writing up a chart on some cardboard with coloured textas, for the class and also had her coffee on the table. She stood up and started to take us to the Post office for our errand. I asked her if it was OK to leave all her things on the table?? She looked at me funny like I had asked her a silly question. I had to explain to her that in Australia or anywhere really, if you leave things unattended they have a tendency to be ‘gone’ on your return. She said that does not happen in Japan and I have to say that I have noticed the lack of ‘naughty’ behaviour here. The shops and supermarkets are all open with no ‘entry gates’ and you come and go as you please. No one would think to take an unattended bag and the general population are honest. There was a notice in the train that said “Stay back from the doors” with pictures meaning that if you get stuck in the doors you will be shamed by all the other people looking at you.
OK! I just wouldn’t want to get stuck in the door as it would hurt, people looking me wouldn’t bother me but then again I am Gaigin!!!
You don’t draw attention to yourself in that way so it is part of the culture.
It does feel very safe here.
We are off on the bullet train tomorrow, Friday, going to Tokyo for workshops and catch ups with lots of friends so we are really looking forward to that. So the next instalment won’t be for a bit as we don’t get back until next Tuesday. So enjoy the new photos and you will just have to wait for another instalment of “MARTINSSSSS INNNNNN JAPANNNN!”
It’s been a busy week with workshops and English lessons. I have picked up another student and am having lots of fun being paid to talk!!! Go figure??
I knew all the talking I do ‘just naturally’ would come in handy on day.
I have never taught English and I am finding that my understanding of sentence structures and grammar is pretty good. I have never had to think about how I talked before!! I have had to learn to slow down though and it is interesting to note that if I talk in an American accent that people understand me better as they hear that accent more often and the vowel shapes are different to Aussie/English. Very curious!!
We are still having late nights not getting home till midnight or 1 am!!!
The way Japanese socialise is usually with their workmates after work. (That’s why the trains are still packed at midnight!) It is also ‘popular’ to have a hobby! So after our singing classes people ‘expect’ to socialise at a café afterwards. Since we start class at 6.30pm we are hungry by 9.00pm so we usually eat dinner have a drink and chat. There were 10 of us last night.
It’s a bit hit and miss as to what we eat as people tend to order for the table (still not sure how they all agree what we are going to eat - all very co-operative.) We had slimy raw octopus mixed in a salad – little sucker snuck in and I didn’t see him. (I swallowed my bit but Brian spat his out – I don’t think anyone saw him!!) Most of the food I really like and have only come across a couple of ‘slimy’ seaweeds and seafood that I am not keen on.
Everyone just eats and chats and orders more food if we are still hungry and at the end of the night the bill is all very quickly sorted and we are told what we owe. Sometimes it is about $10 per head and other nights it could be around $30 per head. Just depends on the restaurant and what we eat.
So we are in a place of trust most of the time. It’s an adventure!
I met Kyu-chan for her English lesson before class sitting outside ‘Starbucks’ and we had an errand to run before we started. She had been writing up a chart on some cardboard with coloured textas, for the class and also had her coffee on the table. She stood up and started to take us to the Post office for our errand. I asked her if it was OK to leave all her things on the table?? She looked at me funny like I had asked her a silly question. I had to explain to her that in Australia or anywhere really, if you leave things unattended they have a tendency to be ‘gone’ on your return. She said that does not happen in Japan and I have to say that I have noticed the lack of ‘naughty’ behaviour here. The shops and supermarkets are all open with no ‘entry gates’ and you come and go as you please. No one would think to take an unattended bag and the general population are honest. There was a notice in the train that said “Stay back from the doors” with pictures meaning that if you get stuck in the doors you will be shamed by all the other people looking at you.
OK! I just wouldn’t want to get stuck in the door as it would hurt, people looking me wouldn’t bother me but then again I am Gaigin!!!
You don’t draw attention to yourself in that way so it is part of the culture.
It does feel very safe here.
We are off on the bullet train tomorrow, Friday, going to Tokyo for workshops and catch ups with lots of friends so we are really looking forward to that. So the next instalment won’t be for a bit as we don’t get back until next Tuesday. So enjoy the new photos and you will just have to wait for another instalment of “MARTINSSSSS INNNNNN JAPANNNN!”
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 28)
Chapter 28 Friday 18th Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th July
BRIAN’S BIRTHDAY TODAY!!! We took the day off today and Brian requested lunch with Jack and Chieko again!!! 2 days in a row. But we had not seen them for a while so it was really great to catch up with them. In the Crown Plaza there is a whole floor dedicated to cafes and it is a little ‘mock’ street with paving and roof tops and it is really neat. (see photos). After lunch Brian and I went exploring Kobe and caught the bus to Sannomiya and found some new streets and shops, of course!!!
We bought Brian a summer Yukata. They have shorts to match and you see the guys walking around in these ‘traditional’ clothes. We also bought him a ‘Man Bag’. Very funky with dragons on it. He can clip it to his belt or wear it with the strap across his body (not over his shoulder like a girl!!!) He is getting used to it and likes it a lot as he usually has his pockets full now days with his note pads for ‘Japanese practice’ his ‘several’ fancy pens, pitch pipe, his phone, wallet and extra bits!!! So he is looking very neat and dapper, no more bulging pockets!! Lots of guys carry bags here. Even girly looking bags!! (Note: To you Aussie blokes – a ‘man bag’ looks much better than ‘fat pockets’!)
Brian’s main request for his birthday was to go to the movies but the only one on at the time we were there was ‘Speed Racer’ (based on a comic strip) with Japanese subtitles. It was a really ‘in your face’ fast flashy movie with a very good cast but I was disappointed. (Note: Don’t bother send the kids!)
The weekend saw us running some extra rehearsals with New World Rhythm people and a chance for new people to get a feel for the choir. We were invited to meet Gerald who runs a theatre in Kobe and who we had missed a few times in the past. He was having a cocktail party with some of his actor friends and we thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new people.
We arrived and was shown into the kitchen which has been transformed into a permanent bar. “Gays don’t have kitchens darling!” Gerald explained. I have never seen anything like it. Every conceivable alcoholic beverage was on the bench and the fridge was full………….no really FULL of grog everything from Champagne to xxxx beer. Which Gerald explained is how Aussie’s spell beer cos we don’t know how to spell. I Cacked myself with laughter. Gerald is Canadian and has lived in Japan for ages and teaches English. We also met a lovely Asian guy. I introduced myself in Japanese (I can do that pretty well now) and he said “Giday my names Hector!” I fell over. He was an Aussie!!! Born in Malaysia but moved to Sydney as a kid. He has lived in Japan for 3 years…………..yep you guessed it………….teaching English!!! Anyone can do it and you don’t need a uni degree.
We met some really great people and they asked us to sing. Well after a few ‘shardys’ I was a bit tipsy and Brian had had a drink too but we threw caution to the wind and launched into ‘Knosi’ the South African peoples national anthem. In 4 part harmony even though there was only the 2 of us………..we are very clever!!!! We sounded pretty good and got a rousing applause with calls of “More More!!!” So ‘Hush’ came next and then a Japanese version of the ‘Water song’ which I botched cos I have not quite learned all the Japanese words yet. But I was forgiven and everyone wanted our business card and got very excited about the singing nights. So we hope to have a few more people at our next music night. Gerald was so excited he, then and there, put us on his ‘facebook’ so that his friends become our friends if you know what I mean in ‘facebook’ terms. It is all very new to me!!! I am writing on ‘walls’ and sending people ‘squishys’ etc!! Apparently I am owned!!
Not sure what to do about that have not quite figured it out!!!
Well you can go to my ‘facebook’ (Noeline Banove) and check it out! Brian has one too (Brian Martin).
Well off to do more ‘workshop’ writing got to prepare for my courses!!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNN!”
BRIAN’S BIRTHDAY TODAY!!! We took the day off today and Brian requested lunch with Jack and Chieko again!!! 2 days in a row. But we had not seen them for a while so it was really great to catch up with them. In the Crown Plaza there is a whole floor dedicated to cafes and it is a little ‘mock’ street with paving and roof tops and it is really neat. (see photos). After lunch Brian and I went exploring Kobe and caught the bus to Sannomiya and found some new streets and shops, of course!!!
We bought Brian a summer Yukata. They have shorts to match and you see the guys walking around in these ‘traditional’ clothes. We also bought him a ‘Man Bag’. Very funky with dragons on it. He can clip it to his belt or wear it with the strap across his body (not over his shoulder like a girl!!!) He is getting used to it and likes it a lot as he usually has his pockets full now days with his note pads for ‘Japanese practice’ his ‘several’ fancy pens, pitch pipe, his phone, wallet and extra bits!!! So he is looking very neat and dapper, no more bulging pockets!! Lots of guys carry bags here. Even girly looking bags!! (Note: To you Aussie blokes – a ‘man bag’ looks much better than ‘fat pockets’!)
Brian’s main request for his birthday was to go to the movies but the only one on at the time we were there was ‘Speed Racer’ (based on a comic strip) with Japanese subtitles. It was a really ‘in your face’ fast flashy movie with a very good cast but I was disappointed. (Note: Don’t bother send the kids!)
The weekend saw us running some extra rehearsals with New World Rhythm people and a chance for new people to get a feel for the choir. We were invited to meet Gerald who runs a theatre in Kobe and who we had missed a few times in the past. He was having a cocktail party with some of his actor friends and we thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new people.
We arrived and was shown into the kitchen which has been transformed into a permanent bar. “Gays don’t have kitchens darling!” Gerald explained. I have never seen anything like it. Every conceivable alcoholic beverage was on the bench and the fridge was full………….no really FULL of grog everything from Champagne to xxxx beer. Which Gerald explained is how Aussie’s spell beer cos we don’t know how to spell. I Cacked myself with laughter. Gerald is Canadian and has lived in Japan for ages and teaches English. We also met a lovely Asian guy. I introduced myself in Japanese (I can do that pretty well now) and he said “Giday my names Hector!” I fell over. He was an Aussie!!! Born in Malaysia but moved to Sydney as a kid. He has lived in Japan for 3 years…………..yep you guessed it………….teaching English!!! Anyone can do it and you don’t need a uni degree.
We met some really great people and they asked us to sing. Well after a few ‘shardys’ I was a bit tipsy and Brian had had a drink too but we threw caution to the wind and launched into ‘Knosi’ the South African peoples national anthem. In 4 part harmony even though there was only the 2 of us………..we are very clever!!!! We sounded pretty good and got a rousing applause with calls of “More More!!!” So ‘Hush’ came next and then a Japanese version of the ‘Water song’ which I botched cos I have not quite learned all the Japanese words yet. But I was forgiven and everyone wanted our business card and got very excited about the singing nights. So we hope to have a few more people at our next music night. Gerald was so excited he, then and there, put us on his ‘facebook’ so that his friends become our friends if you know what I mean in ‘facebook’ terms. It is all very new to me!!! I am writing on ‘walls’ and sending people ‘squishys’ etc!! Apparently I am owned!!
Not sure what to do about that have not quite figured it out!!!
Well you can go to my ‘facebook’ (Noeline Banove) and check it out! Brian has one too (Brian Martin).
Well off to do more ‘workshop’ writing got to prepare for my courses!!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNN!”
Sunday, 20 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 27)
Chapter 27- Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th,Thursday 17th July
Well our courses are chugging along nicely and the numbers are increasing so we are feeling like things are on the move at last and the word is getting out.
I have scored a weekly English lesson and looks like more coming up. I am also doing some workshops on the ‘Love Languages’ and ‘Women’s Wisdom’ (which I have been wanting to do for ages) and I will continue when I get back to Aus. I am also getting booked up for private consultations which I have not done for ages and at last feel I have enough time to dedicate to practicing my craft and what I am really good at. Feels good to be back helping people and I am looking forward to starting my consultation clinic again on my return!!! Blessings, blessings many blessings.
I am doing my little ritual every morning at our alter and have just invested in some ‘very nice’ incense from the ‘special incense shop. Many Japanese have a special room in their house (if the have the space) or a corner where they set up an alter for their particular gods and also for their ancestors. There are special shops that sell incense and holders and pots and all manner of things. It smells divine and the incense can be very very expensive. (I paid $10 for 12 small cones) and that was cheap. It is very easy to pay $50 or more for just a small packet. If I understood more about it I could appreciate the price a bit more knowing that the incense is made from the sweat of ’10 Naked Italian Latin Dancers’ or ‘7 nubile virgins’ etc.
Now I have learnt that in Japan if you get food at a restaurant that is not right, burnt etc ‘you don’t send it back’!!!! We were in a ‘Ye Olde English Tea House’, that really didn’t know how to make tea. The décor was great with Old pictures of London and ‘English’ paraphernalia. I ordered a ‘cinnamon tea’ and expected at pot of tea with milk etc on the side. Instead I got a milky cup of stuff with a ‘skin’ on the top………I think they had micro waved it or ‘cooked’ it too much and they had ‘burnt’ the milk. So it was really yucky and of course I could not drink it. I did try and it tasted ‘scolded’. It also was not ‘cinnamon tea in my book and asked to have something else. Just explaining to our friends (who speak reasonable English) that the tea was no good, was very difficult. They kept saying that the tea was “Ok!!” and I kept saying “No it is not!!!” They eventually got the message and we called the waitress over and had the same conversation over again. In the end they took it away but said that they would not replace it and that we had to pay for the one I had returned!!!! Go figure!!! Service here is exceptional but you do not send food back. Something about ‘saving face’ and it is considered impolite as you do not say ‘No’ very often and you do not draw attention to imperfections or mistakes. There are just some things I have difficulty getting used to.
(Note: Do not shame the Japanese by ‘making a scene’!! Be gracious and accept what you cannot change!) This was a great lesson for me in diplomacy.
We went out for lunch with Jack and Chieko and they took us to their favourite Chinese place (see photos). It has a cooker in the middle of the table and you make a soup and cook your own food. It only costs around $10 each for the meat and all the veges you can eat. Fantastic and really really yummy!!! We had Aussie and New Zealand pork sliced really thinly and it cooks fast in the bubbling ‘soup’. We will go there again as it is in the crown Plaza just across the road!!! So Handy.
After lunch we went out for ice-cream at ‘Wendys’. The only way you will get us in there as the hamburgers look awful!!! But the cones are OK and only 99c. Food is so cheap here!!!
We all had chocolate and while we were sitting we met Casey our landlord, (see photo). She globe trots between America and Japan every 3 weeks (must be exhausting!!) and has several businesses and is very busy. She also works for Mugen Life as an interpreter (that’s how she ended up being our landlord) she lives in the building too. We talked for over 3 hours we really had a lot in common and we liked her very much. She has gone off to Tokyo to meet with the Mugen Life team and we will see her again soon. She wants to do some singing lessons with Brian
Well will keep you posted……………..life is and adventure here for “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Well will keep you posted……………life is and adventure here for
“MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Well our courses are chugging along nicely and the numbers are increasing so we are feeling like things are on the move at last and the word is getting out.
I have scored a weekly English lesson and looks like more coming up. I am also doing some workshops on the ‘Love Languages’ and ‘Women’s Wisdom’ (which I have been wanting to do for ages) and I will continue when I get back to Aus. I am also getting booked up for private consultations which I have not done for ages and at last feel I have enough time to dedicate to practicing my craft and what I am really good at. Feels good to be back helping people and I am looking forward to starting my consultation clinic again on my return!!! Blessings, blessings many blessings.
I am doing my little ritual every morning at our alter and have just invested in some ‘very nice’ incense from the ‘special incense shop. Many Japanese have a special room in their house (if the have the space) or a corner where they set up an alter for their particular gods and also for their ancestors. There are special shops that sell incense and holders and pots and all manner of things. It smells divine and the incense can be very very expensive. (I paid $10 for 12 small cones) and that was cheap. It is very easy to pay $50 or more for just a small packet. If I understood more about it I could appreciate the price a bit more knowing that the incense is made from the sweat of ’10 Naked Italian Latin Dancers’ or ‘7 nubile virgins’ etc.
Now I have learnt that in Japan if you get food at a restaurant that is not right, burnt etc ‘you don’t send it back’!!!! We were in a ‘Ye Olde English Tea House’, that really didn’t know how to make tea. The décor was great with Old pictures of London and ‘English’ paraphernalia. I ordered a ‘cinnamon tea’ and expected at pot of tea with milk etc on the side. Instead I got a milky cup of stuff with a ‘skin’ on the top………I think they had micro waved it or ‘cooked’ it too much and they had ‘burnt’ the milk. So it was really yucky and of course I could not drink it. I did try and it tasted ‘scolded’. It also was not ‘cinnamon tea in my book and asked to have something else. Just explaining to our friends (who speak reasonable English) that the tea was no good, was very difficult. They kept saying that the tea was “Ok!!” and I kept saying “No it is not!!!” They eventually got the message and we called the waitress over and had the same conversation over again. In the end they took it away but said that they would not replace it and that we had to pay for the one I had returned!!!! Go figure!!! Service here is exceptional but you do not send food back. Something about ‘saving face’ and it is considered impolite as you do not say ‘No’ very often and you do not draw attention to imperfections or mistakes. There are just some things I have difficulty getting used to.
(Note: Do not shame the Japanese by ‘making a scene’!! Be gracious and accept what you cannot change!) This was a great lesson for me in diplomacy.
We went out for lunch with Jack and Chieko and they took us to their favourite Chinese place (see photos). It has a cooker in the middle of the table and you make a soup and cook your own food. It only costs around $10 each for the meat and all the veges you can eat. Fantastic and really really yummy!!! We had Aussie and New Zealand pork sliced really thinly and it cooks fast in the bubbling ‘soup’. We will go there again as it is in the crown Plaza just across the road!!! So Handy.
After lunch we went out for ice-cream at ‘Wendys’. The only way you will get us in there as the hamburgers look awful!!! But the cones are OK and only 99c. Food is so cheap here!!!
We all had chocolate and while we were sitting we met Casey our landlord, (see photo). She globe trots between America and Japan every 3 weeks (must be exhausting!!) and has several businesses and is very busy. She also works for Mugen Life as an interpreter (that’s how she ended up being our landlord) she lives in the building too. We talked for over 3 hours we really had a lot in common and we liked her very much. She has gone off to Tokyo to meet with the Mugen Life team and we will see her again soon. She wants to do some singing lessons with Brian
Well will keep you posted……………..life is and adventure here for “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Well will keep you posted……………life is and adventure here for
“MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Thursday, 17 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 26)
Chapter 26 – Sunday 13th Monday 14th July 2008
We went into the ‘old section’ of Kyoto off the main drag along the river lots of little cafes and restaurants serving all manner of different dishes. Little cobbled streets and tiny walkways lit up at night with ‘dook dook fountains’ I call them that- they are the bamboo ones that fill up with water and when they drop down they go “DOOK!” I think they were originally designed to keep the ducks away or something. (“Can you correct me on that one if I am telling a porky pie, Jack??”) Not that there would be ducks in the middle of the city! Ducks??? I think I did make that up!!
We took lots of photos but not many came out as it is dark and hard to capture the atmosphere. Oh well, you will just have to come here and see for yourselves. Just wonderful with lots of little surprises around every corner. Walking around these wonderful little streets and walkways is fascinating every little café has its own ‘entrance’ with the special ‘jappy halfway curtains’ (“What are they called, Jack?”) and manicured baby gardens with ponds and subtle lighting. So inviting you just want to walk down their little paved walkway and enter through the special entrance. I want to take it all home. Looks like we have some landscaping to do when we get home I am getting the “ I want a dook dook fountain”, bug!
We found a cute little café but the ‘water front’ tables were all taken. We didn’t mind as we sat at the counter with the toothless chef cooking in front of us wearing his traditional ‘Yukata’ and wooden platform thongs clunking backwards and forwards. We ordered tempura squid and chicken Yummy!!! We also downed a few ‘sakes and plum wines’ our favourites!!!
On our walk home we found more ‘air-conditioned streets’ and very nifty looking shops but as it was getting late they were shut. “Probably a good thing”, said Brian. We walked passed the Kyoto Museum, this huge building surrounded by shops it was like it just popped out and we weren’t expecting it in such an odd place. Anyway stuck on its side was an ‘outdoor bar’ with this tiny little counter and pretty lights on the tables all white and modern looking. They were playing the title track from the ‘Bona Vista Social Club’ so we were drawn in to have another drink. There were only a few other people there and we rested our weary feet enjoying the music. The track finished and we were anticipating the next track and it just repeated itself and then it did it again!!!! We had to laugh. The barman must REALLY like THAT song!!!! But we had to leave cos we were getting ‘over Bona Visa’d.’
We were really feeling a bit stuffed after all our running around and had a bit of a sleep in. We didn’t get all the touristy things done that we wanted to but figured that if we are here once a week we can visit more good things as there is so much to see.
Sunday saw us heading back to Osaka for an afternoon concert at the Osaka Symphony Hall. We had been specially invited by ‘the main conductor man’ (Mr Nishioka-san) from the Osaka Choral Festival that we met a few weeks ago. Makiko met us there as our interpreter and we entered this huge building. We had the best seats in the house and enjoyed the most wonderful concert. (sorry no photos allowed). 100 strong choir singing traditional and also contemporary songs in amazing harmonies, honouring those killed during World War 2. It was very moving. The second half saw the stage filled with adults and children in traditional costumes and drums and characters jumping around and this cute little kid who was supposed to clap and do a little dance but was too intrigued with one of the characters. Very sweet and the audience laughed and clapped. We really were inspired by this wonderful man and his capacity to create musical stories and co ordinate so many people so easily.
We met him, at his request, after the show and we hope to do some collaborative work with him. We are not sure what but feel a connection to him.
We headed off for dinner and decided on ‘Taco yucky’ (“That’s right isn’t it Jack?”) Brian had missed out on this dish as I got to eat it while he was away in Tokyo and it is one of his favourites. So he felt very good after dinner and enjoyed the hot little squishy balls, very much. Heading home the train was packed, whats new!!! “It is past 10.30pm folks why aren’t you in bed???”
We were really pleased to be ‘home’. Funny how us humans need a familiar place that we can nest in a feel safe. We were sure happy to wash off the dust of the day and crawl into our beds………lots of walking in hot weather and then standing on trains can take it out of a girl I can tell you!!!
Well goodnight see you tomorrow for another instalment of “MARTINSSSS INNNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!”
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 25)
Chapter 25 -Friday 11th -Saturday 12th July
Well went off to Kyoto today to visit Peter Golightly (what a great name.) I have mentioned him in previous postings. (see photo). He runs a theatre and dance, acting and singing classes in a large studio and we are going to ‘check it out’!!! We are staying at ‘The Palace Side Hotel’ next to the Royal Palace for the weekend. Accommodation in Japan is pretty expensive, like everywhere nowadays, but Peter suggested this place and if anyone is visiting Kyoto it’s a pretty good position and only $90 per night for a double.
Most other places we looked at were at least twice that much. It is a short walk from the subway which takes you to all the ‘attractions’ as well as on the bus route and near cafes and not far from ‘Family Mart’ convenience stores so you can buy ‘Cage of Poo’ (yep snacks!) and alcohol if you want. You can get anything at these places and they are on every street corner. Very ‘convenient’!!!! We met up with Peter for dinner and he took us to this very salubrious restaurant where nothing is over $7 and you don’t order your food you go to a machine that has lots of pictures of the food with the price and buttons to push (like a vending machine – well it is a vending machine!) Anyway………….you put your money into the ‘sucking up the note’ slot (“watch your fingers”) that sucker just whooshes it away like lightning. Gone but not forgotten! Then you present your ticket to the lady and she tears it and leaves you the stub (resheto a cood a sy) –translation “receipt please?”
Then in two seconds flat your meal is there and it’s really yummy and we paid only $12 for the 2 of us and we picked the ‘expensive’ dishes. You even get Oolong tea thrown in (bottomless cup too!!!) Most of these ‘fast food’ places give you Oolong or Japanese Green tea (cold) as soon as you sit down with your little wet towellette (as previously mentioned.) We really enjoy this food, its fast, tasty really fills you up and it’s cheap. As we eat out A LOT so we have to watch the budget and we are getting really good a smelling these joints from 50 paces!!!
We checked out Peter’s studio (a 3 storey building) with sprung dance floors and wall to wall mirrors. Really cool and just a walk away from the hotel and also opposite the Royal Palace. We are looking forward to maybe doing some workshops there with all his people. Regular gigs in Kyoto will be fun!!!
The Royal Palace is surrounded by grounds that go forever (a bit like Central Park in NY or Hyde Park in England) it has lots of out buildings and gardens. It used to be the capital of Japan in the olden days and was a small city for the Nobles and the Shogun of course. You cannot walk through the Palace itself unless you are with a special guided tour but the grounds are open to everyone and there are lots of dog walkers and baseball players etc taking advantage of the large trees and shade. It is getting pretty hot here and muggy around 33 C% every day, so the shade brings some relief. Gotta do your sight seeing either early in the day or later in the afternoon cos ya run outta puff otherwise!!!
We are manifesting pretty instantaneously now. ‘Just ask and you will receive’, it seems. We were looking at a tourist magazine with a map and lots of advertising in it and I came across an advert of these nifty shoes that Brian had seen last time we were here. They have ‘toes’ hard to describe.
Anyway the shop name was on the advert but we had no idea where it was and were not really going to go look. We decided to walk to the Nijo Castle
And headed off in the general direction just zigzagging our way through the little streets not really knowing where we were. I took lots of photos of little shops and houses old and modern on the way (see photos.) We stopped outside this wonderful window with gorgeous men’s outfits very traditional and classy and low and behold it was ‘The Shop’ with the shoes!!!! It was like our shoe angels (and you know I have several of those) were sending us right to the place. Well Brian had so much fun trying on the shoes and couldn’t decide which pair to get so I said “Get Both”!!! You can NEVER have enough shoes!!!
I gave the nice lady a ‘little aussie keyring’ as a thankyou as she was so helpful. (why are we not surprised) and to our delight she gave us the most beautiful silk ‘traditional mans bag’ which is worn with the outfits. We didn’t buy any for Brian as they were very very expensive! But he does have a ‘bag’!!
How spoilt are we. What a very generous gesture on her part we were really chuffed. Thankyou shoe angels!
We visited the Nijo Castle built in 1603. It has 2 castles within the huge walls and is surrounded by a big moat and then the other inner castle is surrounded by its own moat, filled with the biggest carp we had ever seen (see photo.)They were all congregated around one spot (the main entrance bridge) as we looked around the rest of the moat and there were only a few stragglers. They know where to get a feed!!! We really loved this place. So full of history and simple beauty as well as its majesty (see lots and lots of photos.) We could feel the spirits of the time as we walked (very reverently) through the designated walkways and looked at all the beautifully painted screens and intricate carvings. The gardens and ponds were just lovely, simple and tranquil. (see photos). A must see to any Tourist. They have also got mannequins in the different rooms positioned as they would at the time with the Shogun and his pageboy, Head Nobles and guards in traditional costume. Very impressive and really gives you a feeling of the time. Not a lot of junk or clutter. I would not survive there……….where would I put all my shopping???
We visited the main shopping street (well there are actually several) all flashing lights and people. It is festival time (not sure which one) maybe it’s the knot tying festival (see photo) Brian wanted is cub scout leader to see these knots. Bloody beauties mate!!! Lots of red lanterns in the street and music playing on the load speakers all the time.
We went to a bookshop and discovered it had 8 floors!!!!! Each floor specializing in different books. Comics are a big go here. Everyone reads them not just kids (they have some pretty saucy ones for grown ups a bit like their cartoon movies on TV.) They look like little books and when you buy a book they give you a cover so if you are reading a ‘naughty one’ no body would know anyway. We went to the floor that had ‘learning books’ and asked for Kunji books. The staff were very helpful (of course) running around, all 3 of them at one stage, giving Brian piles of books to look through.
Well I won’t give you our whole Kyoto experience as there is more to come so stay glued for more of “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!”
Well went off to Kyoto today to visit Peter Golightly (what a great name.) I have mentioned him in previous postings. (see photo). He runs a theatre and dance, acting and singing classes in a large studio and we are going to ‘check it out’!!! We are staying at ‘The Palace Side Hotel’ next to the Royal Palace for the weekend. Accommodation in Japan is pretty expensive, like everywhere nowadays, but Peter suggested this place and if anyone is visiting Kyoto it’s a pretty good position and only $90 per night for a double.
Most other places we looked at were at least twice that much. It is a short walk from the subway which takes you to all the ‘attractions’ as well as on the bus route and near cafes and not far from ‘Family Mart’ convenience stores so you can buy ‘Cage of Poo’ (yep snacks!) and alcohol if you want. You can get anything at these places and they are on every street corner. Very ‘convenient’!!!! We met up with Peter for dinner and he took us to this very salubrious restaurant where nothing is over $7 and you don’t order your food you go to a machine that has lots of pictures of the food with the price and buttons to push (like a vending machine – well it is a vending machine!) Anyway………….you put your money into the ‘sucking up the note’ slot (“watch your fingers”) that sucker just whooshes it away like lightning. Gone but not forgotten! Then you present your ticket to the lady and she tears it and leaves you the stub (resheto a cood a sy) –translation “receipt please?”
Then in two seconds flat your meal is there and it’s really yummy and we paid only $12 for the 2 of us and we picked the ‘expensive’ dishes. You even get Oolong tea thrown in (bottomless cup too!!!) Most of these ‘fast food’ places give you Oolong or Japanese Green tea (cold) as soon as you sit down with your little wet towellette (as previously mentioned.) We really enjoy this food, its fast, tasty really fills you up and it’s cheap. As we eat out A LOT so we have to watch the budget and we are getting really good a smelling these joints from 50 paces!!!
We checked out Peter’s studio (a 3 storey building) with sprung dance floors and wall to wall mirrors. Really cool and just a walk away from the hotel and also opposite the Royal Palace. We are looking forward to maybe doing some workshops there with all his people. Regular gigs in Kyoto will be fun!!!
The Royal Palace is surrounded by grounds that go forever (a bit like Central Park in NY or Hyde Park in England) it has lots of out buildings and gardens. It used to be the capital of Japan in the olden days and was a small city for the Nobles and the Shogun of course. You cannot walk through the Palace itself unless you are with a special guided tour but the grounds are open to everyone and there are lots of dog walkers and baseball players etc taking advantage of the large trees and shade. It is getting pretty hot here and muggy around 33 C% every day, so the shade brings some relief. Gotta do your sight seeing either early in the day or later in the afternoon cos ya run outta puff otherwise!!!
We are manifesting pretty instantaneously now. ‘Just ask and you will receive’, it seems. We were looking at a tourist magazine with a map and lots of advertising in it and I came across an advert of these nifty shoes that Brian had seen last time we were here. They have ‘toes’ hard to describe.
Anyway the shop name was on the advert but we had no idea where it was and were not really going to go look. We decided to walk to the Nijo Castle
And headed off in the general direction just zigzagging our way through the little streets not really knowing where we were. I took lots of photos of little shops and houses old and modern on the way (see photos.) We stopped outside this wonderful window with gorgeous men’s outfits very traditional and classy and low and behold it was ‘The Shop’ with the shoes!!!! It was like our shoe angels (and you know I have several of those) were sending us right to the place. Well Brian had so much fun trying on the shoes and couldn’t decide which pair to get so I said “Get Both”!!! You can NEVER have enough shoes!!!
I gave the nice lady a ‘little aussie keyring’ as a thankyou as she was so helpful. (why are we not surprised) and to our delight she gave us the most beautiful silk ‘traditional mans bag’ which is worn with the outfits. We didn’t buy any for Brian as they were very very expensive! But he does have a ‘bag’!!
How spoilt are we. What a very generous gesture on her part we were really chuffed. Thankyou shoe angels!
We visited the Nijo Castle built in 1603. It has 2 castles within the huge walls and is surrounded by a big moat and then the other inner castle is surrounded by its own moat, filled with the biggest carp we had ever seen (see photo.)They were all congregated around one spot (the main entrance bridge) as we looked around the rest of the moat and there were only a few stragglers. They know where to get a feed!!! We really loved this place. So full of history and simple beauty as well as its majesty (see lots and lots of photos.) We could feel the spirits of the time as we walked (very reverently) through the designated walkways and looked at all the beautifully painted screens and intricate carvings. The gardens and ponds were just lovely, simple and tranquil. (see photos). A must see to any Tourist. They have also got mannequins in the different rooms positioned as they would at the time with the Shogun and his pageboy, Head Nobles and guards in traditional costume. Very impressive and really gives you a feeling of the time. Not a lot of junk or clutter. I would not survive there……….where would I put all my shopping???
We visited the main shopping street (well there are actually several) all flashing lights and people. It is festival time (not sure which one) maybe it’s the knot tying festival (see photo) Brian wanted is cub scout leader to see these knots. Bloody beauties mate!!! Lots of red lanterns in the street and music playing on the load speakers all the time.
We went to a bookshop and discovered it had 8 floors!!!!! Each floor specializing in different books. Comics are a big go here. Everyone reads them not just kids (they have some pretty saucy ones for grown ups a bit like their cartoon movies on TV.) They look like little books and when you buy a book they give you a cover so if you are reading a ‘naughty one’ no body would know anyway. We went to the floor that had ‘learning books’ and asked for Kunji books. The staff were very helpful (of course) running around, all 3 of them at one stage, giving Brian piles of books to look through.
Well I won’t give you our whole Kyoto experience as there is more to come so stay glued for more of “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!”
Monday, 14 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 24)
Chapter 24 – Tues-9th, Wed-10th, Thurs-11th July 2008
Well sorry folks – you have had to wait a bit for this EXCITING instalment as we have been ‘naughty stop outs’ hanging out in Kyoto………..but more on that later.
Firstly, Brian’s whirl wind trip to Tokyo was very eventful with him meeting up with his older brother (in fact all his siblings are older than him as he is the baby of the family- Gary is the next brother up so he is closest in age to Brian.) He really enjoyed the bullet train (see photos) and took a few great shots of ‘very fast passing’ Tokyo scenery! The boys went to a Karaoke Bar and Brian said that it was so loud and smoky that they couldn’t keep in time with the music as they couldn’t hear it. They must have sounded a treat, not that anyone was taking any notice of them. They also missed the last bus back to their hotel and ended up walking for over 3 hours finding a taxi 2 blocks from home and not realizing they were nearly there! Silly nongs!!! The flag fallfor most taxi's is around $6.60 and you can travel almost anywhere within city limits for that before it starts clicking over. So if there are 3 or 4 of us it is sometimes cheaper than the train!
Brian enjoyed his quick trip and spending some time with Gary and caught the bullet train back to Osaka in time for our Tuesday Harmony Class. We did a ‘Gospel Night’ and really had a great time getting the wonderful Japanese accents to sound ‘Gospelly’. They try so hard and it is really inspirational to spend time with them.
Well the week has just flown by and we had another great class on Wednesday even though we would like more members the harmonies were lovely and everyone really enjoyed themselves. It was Aki’s last day with us on Thursday and we spent it doing washing, pushing all the buttons on the ‘blue singing washing monster’ and hoping for the best. We waved her off as she was catching the bullet train back home to Fukuoka (no it is not said how it is spelt) Fookquoka…………OK!!!!! We will miss her as she as been just a pet and teaching me all the different Jappy recipes has been a treat! She slipped out ‘shopping’ and came back with some lovely gifts for me for my Birthday, (remember please send all very expensive gifts to our PO Box cos you love me!)
I have attached lots of photos this episode for your viewing pleasure so enjoy!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNN!!”
Well sorry folks – you have had to wait a bit for this EXCITING instalment as we have been ‘naughty stop outs’ hanging out in Kyoto………..but more on that later.
Firstly, Brian’s whirl wind trip to Tokyo was very eventful with him meeting up with his older brother (in fact all his siblings are older than him as he is the baby of the family- Gary is the next brother up so he is closest in age to Brian.) He really enjoyed the bullet train (see photos) and took a few great shots of ‘very fast passing’ Tokyo scenery! The boys went to a Karaoke Bar and Brian said that it was so loud and smoky that they couldn’t keep in time with the music as they couldn’t hear it. They must have sounded a treat, not that anyone was taking any notice of them. They also missed the last bus back to their hotel and ended up walking for over 3 hours finding a taxi 2 blocks from home and not realizing they were nearly there! Silly nongs!!! The flag fallfor most taxi's is around $6.60 and you can travel almost anywhere within city limits for that before it starts clicking over. So if there are 3 or 4 of us it is sometimes cheaper than the train!
Brian enjoyed his quick trip and spending some time with Gary and caught the bullet train back to Osaka in time for our Tuesday Harmony Class. We did a ‘Gospel Night’ and really had a great time getting the wonderful Japanese accents to sound ‘Gospelly’. They try so hard and it is really inspirational to spend time with them.
Well the week has just flown by and we had another great class on Wednesday even though we would like more members the harmonies were lovely and everyone really enjoyed themselves. It was Aki’s last day with us on Thursday and we spent it doing washing, pushing all the buttons on the ‘blue singing washing monster’ and hoping for the best. We waved her off as she was catching the bullet train back home to Fukuoka (no it is not said how it is spelt) Fookquoka…………OK!!!!! We will miss her as she as been just a pet and teaching me all the different Jappy recipes has been a treat! She slipped out ‘shopping’ and came back with some lovely gifts for me for my Birthday, (remember please send all very expensive gifts to our PO Box cos you love me!)
I have attached lots of photos this episode for your viewing pleasure so enjoy!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNN!!”
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 23)
Chapter 23 Monday 7th July 2008
Well Brian was off to Tokyo this morning. The bullet trains run every 20 minutes!!! You can reserve a seat or hope for the best but you might have to stand for nearly 3 hours!! Brian said its average speed is 270 km per hour……that’s really fast! Aki and I had a day at home making the same nifty pancakes that ‘Katzimi’ at the Tepanyaki place, makes. Okonomiyaki that’s what they are called. I am learning Japanese the funny way Brian says. I listen to the word and make an association. The pancake I remember cos it sounds a bit like ‘economy yucky’ even though it tastes really good. Another good one is ‘Cage of poo’! that means ‘Snack’ but you don’t quite say it like that!!! Another one is ‘Oh Sucky Knee’ that means ‘I will go first’ or something close to that. I am sure Jack is cringing right now aren’t you Jack?
Anyway Aki taught me how to make ‘economy yucky’ and I even flipped it without splatting it all over the kitchen floor. Made Aki laugh though cos I sort of did a bobbing up and down action before the flip………..its all in the hips, mate!
We were off this evening to what I thought was a flower arranging class but the ‘ol lost in translation’ thing happened, which does a lot around here and it was a Flower Therapy class. Which I was not attending just visiting at the end to talk about our singing classes to the group of ladies that were attending the class (it was the first night of their course.) I went off with a lovely lady ‘Rina’ who had lived in Australia for about 4 years and spoke pretty good English. She is a naturapath and was interested in having a talk to me about all my ‘airy fairy stuff’ so we wandered off to a very posh ‘coffee parlour’ very modern and huge and ordered our $7 coffees!!!!! I was maybe expecting a really big cup or a naked waiter but ‘no’ just a normal cappuccino (tasted good) orto for that price…………you pay for the surroundings and they were really nice. The street had Deeor, Peter Cardigan, Lewis Vitton etc all the fancy folk with the prices to match.
We had a good old natter and then got hungry so wandered down the street and I started to recognise the area from the last visit a few years ago and realized that we were in and area that Brian and I really liked.
Rina asked me if it was Ok if she took me to a ‘not so salubrious’ place to eat as they served a local dish. When we got there it made me laugh as it was our very best favourite café in the whole of Osaka!!! And Rina is from Tokyo!!! How she knew where to take me I don’t know but I knew Brian would be really jealous not being there. We ordered the speciality ‘Takoyaki’ pronounced ‘tukoyucky’ (I can remember by saying ‘Taco yucky’.) Yep, sorry Jack! Anyway the whole meal only came to $6 (cheaper than the coffee) though we were sitting outside on rickety old chairs in front of the noisy air-conditioner on the street itself!! (Nothing like a view!) The food is really good though – little round runny inside balls with squid in the middle (sounds a bit off but really nice to eat!)
After our meal we went back to 'Michan's' office where the class was being held. I recognised the building as I had been there before and had an ‘Aura – Soma’ reading with Michan (different coloured oils in bottles with special aromatherapy etc.) If you have never had a session find a therapist and do so as it is really good!!!
I spoke to the class as they were finished and Rina translated, very well I might add for her first time ( she told me later.) I spoke about singing in harmony and the wonderful benefits (as you all know). All the girls are going to come to our class next week which will be great. I ended up talking for quite a bit, I know that some of you are shocked to know that I can talk at length!!! Anyway I rambled on a bit but seemed to go over pretty well and was asked if I could run a course myself!! So looks like I am going to do a ‘Love Languages’ workshop at Michan's office. What wonderful things happen when you least expect it. Blessings, blessings, many blessings! Now I just have to create a course!!!! Better find my notes!!!
So was a very eventful and successful night all round.
Brian gets back tomorrow night and will meet us in Osaka for our ‘Gospel Night’ should be loads of fun!!
Stay glued to your seats another episode is on its way!!!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNN!”
Well Brian was off to Tokyo this morning. The bullet trains run every 20 minutes!!! You can reserve a seat or hope for the best but you might have to stand for nearly 3 hours!! Brian said its average speed is 270 km per hour……that’s really fast! Aki and I had a day at home making the same nifty pancakes that ‘Katzimi’ at the Tepanyaki place, makes. Okonomiyaki that’s what they are called. I am learning Japanese the funny way Brian says. I listen to the word and make an association. The pancake I remember cos it sounds a bit like ‘economy yucky’ even though it tastes really good. Another good one is ‘Cage of poo’! that means ‘Snack’ but you don’t quite say it like that!!! Another one is ‘Oh Sucky Knee’ that means ‘I will go first’ or something close to that. I am sure Jack is cringing right now aren’t you Jack?
Anyway Aki taught me how to make ‘economy yucky’ and I even flipped it without splatting it all over the kitchen floor. Made Aki laugh though cos I sort of did a bobbing up and down action before the flip………..its all in the hips, mate!
We were off this evening to what I thought was a flower arranging class but the ‘ol lost in translation’ thing happened, which does a lot around here and it was a Flower Therapy class. Which I was not attending just visiting at the end to talk about our singing classes to the group of ladies that were attending the class (it was the first night of their course.) I went off with a lovely lady ‘Rina’ who had lived in Australia for about 4 years and spoke pretty good English. She is a naturapath and was interested in having a talk to me about all my ‘airy fairy stuff’ so we wandered off to a very posh ‘coffee parlour’ very modern and huge and ordered our $7 coffees!!!!! I was maybe expecting a really big cup or a naked waiter but ‘no’ just a normal cappuccino (tasted good) orto for that price…………you pay for the surroundings and they were really nice. The street had Deeor, Peter Cardigan, Lewis Vitton etc all the fancy folk with the prices to match.
We had a good old natter and then got hungry so wandered down the street and I started to recognise the area from the last visit a few years ago and realized that we were in and area that Brian and I really liked.
Rina asked me if it was Ok if she took me to a ‘not so salubrious’ place to eat as they served a local dish. When we got there it made me laugh as it was our very best favourite café in the whole of Osaka!!! And Rina is from Tokyo!!! How she knew where to take me I don’t know but I knew Brian would be really jealous not being there. We ordered the speciality ‘Takoyaki’ pronounced ‘tukoyucky’ (I can remember by saying ‘Taco yucky’.) Yep, sorry Jack! Anyway the whole meal only came to $6 (cheaper than the coffee) though we were sitting outside on rickety old chairs in front of the noisy air-conditioner on the street itself!! (Nothing like a view!) The food is really good though – little round runny inside balls with squid in the middle (sounds a bit off but really nice to eat!)
After our meal we went back to 'Michan's' office where the class was being held. I recognised the building as I had been there before and had an ‘Aura – Soma’ reading with Michan (different coloured oils in bottles with special aromatherapy etc.) If you have never had a session find a therapist and do so as it is really good!!!
I spoke to the class as they were finished and Rina translated, very well I might add for her first time ( she told me later.) I spoke about singing in harmony and the wonderful benefits (as you all know). All the girls are going to come to our class next week which will be great. I ended up talking for quite a bit, I know that some of you are shocked to know that I can talk at length!!! Anyway I rambled on a bit but seemed to go over pretty well and was asked if I could run a course myself!! So looks like I am going to do a ‘Love Languages’ workshop at Michan's office. What wonderful things happen when you least expect it. Blessings, blessings, many blessings! Now I just have to create a course!!!! Better find my notes!!!
So was a very eventful and successful night all round.
Brian gets back tomorrow night and will meet us in Osaka for our ‘Gospel Night’ should be loads of fun!!
Stay glued to your seats another episode is on its way!!!
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNN!”
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 22)
Chapter 22 – Sunday 6th July 2008
We went off to Osaka today to sign some papers for the concert hall where we are doing the ‘World Fusion’ concert and then we had a meeting with some ‘new people’!!
A lovely Aussie expat, Blair who is originally from Melbourne and has lived in Japan for 6 years. He and his Japanese girlfriend run a gym where they teach lots of stuff. Mainly martial arts and break dancing as well as gymnastics. He first came here as a stunt man for Universal studios (which is in Osaka) and ended up staying. It was great to have a ‘good old Aussie natter’, we are getting a little homesick for ‘Aussie Talk’. We tend to speak in broken English to those around us and then broken Japanese to the general populous, so speaking good ol’ Aussie at the normal pace was a nice change. He does a lot of theatre work and still works at Universal studios and has lots of contacts in the entertainment industry here. So it was really good ‘networking’ for us and who knows where it will go!!!
Our plan today was to go to the Louvre exhibition (it was the last day) but didn’t make it!!!………gotta learn to be flexible! We had also planned to attend a play in Kobe but the meeting with Blair took all our time so that didn’t happen either. We find that every day brings something new and that what we might plan to do changes at a moments notice.
I have been cooking meals while the girls have been here and experimenting with my ‘I don’t know what that is’ ingredients. My Banana noodle pancakes for breakfast were a bit of a shock but the girls hoed in and ate them and actually enjoyed them!!
Aki offered to make dinner tonight as I like ‘Gyoza’ little parcels of yummy things in thin pastry (bit like dim sims but nicer.) So Brian went off for an explore (see photos) and Aki and I went to the supermarket. This was a bonus for me as I could get a clearer idea of what things were.
I wanted the sauce that we had tried at the BBQ café (I really liked its lemony taste though it looks like soy!!!) and how to find it in the rows and rows of the ‘I don’t know what that bottle of stuff is’ was made easier as I could ask Aki. I watch intently as she moved from isle to isle and took note of all the ingredients she bought so that I can make ‘Gyoza’ later!!
Brian rang Jack and said he was bored and wanted to meet for a drink in the ‘apartments café’ so ‘The Boys’ went downstairs for a bit of a bonding natter while ‘Us Girls’ ………..’Gyoza’d’!!! It is an art as you have to make the ‘inside’ stuff first. We made pork/beef ones but you can have chicken or prawn or anything really. You then get these little round thin pastry things and you put a blob of meaty stuff in the middle and then pinch the top to make a moon shape. Well Aki’s was a lovely moon shape mine looked more like a lop sided piece of moosh. I got better at making them as time went on though I still only make one to every three of Aki’s. I got inspired and decided that banana might go well! Aki was mortified. The look on her face was priceless that I would even consider putting ‘banana’!!!?????? I persisted and made three to try for ‘desert’! (they tasted good though, Aki’s smile was a bit lopsided – I think she was humouring me!!)
I had to go fetch Brian as he was not going to jump up on his own and say
“Oh My Goodness, It must be time to go as I am sure that the girls want to serve dinner and are waiting for me!” So I went downstairs and helped him drink his Sake (or he would have been there with Jack for half the night), and then dragged him away as dinner was ready and Aki had taken lots of trouble to have it ready “On time, Brian!!!!!”
Dinner was yummy and we really enjoyed the wonderful food. I now know how to make ‘Gyoza’. Jack said that when Chieko makes Gyoza he says “Matane” (pronounced matinee) which means “See you later!” It is pretty labour intensive and he said his pinching technique is something to be desired!!!
Well Brian is off to Tokyo tomorrow on the bullet train to visit his brother on his ‘overnight stopover’ flying back from Australia to the UK. It will be a really nice one night visit as they have not seen each other for a few years.
Aki and I are going to do some flower arranging in Osaka!!!
Well stay on the edge of your seat as the next instalment is not far off of
“MARTINSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
We went off to Osaka today to sign some papers for the concert hall where we are doing the ‘World Fusion’ concert and then we had a meeting with some ‘new people’!!
A lovely Aussie expat, Blair who is originally from Melbourne and has lived in Japan for 6 years. He and his Japanese girlfriend run a gym where they teach lots of stuff. Mainly martial arts and break dancing as well as gymnastics. He first came here as a stunt man for Universal studios (which is in Osaka) and ended up staying. It was great to have a ‘good old Aussie natter’, we are getting a little homesick for ‘Aussie Talk’. We tend to speak in broken English to those around us and then broken Japanese to the general populous, so speaking good ol’ Aussie at the normal pace was a nice change. He does a lot of theatre work and still works at Universal studios and has lots of contacts in the entertainment industry here. So it was really good ‘networking’ for us and who knows where it will go!!!
Our plan today was to go to the Louvre exhibition (it was the last day) but didn’t make it!!!………gotta learn to be flexible! We had also planned to attend a play in Kobe but the meeting with Blair took all our time so that didn’t happen either. We find that every day brings something new and that what we might plan to do changes at a moments notice.
I have been cooking meals while the girls have been here and experimenting with my ‘I don’t know what that is’ ingredients. My Banana noodle pancakes for breakfast were a bit of a shock but the girls hoed in and ate them and actually enjoyed them!!
Aki offered to make dinner tonight as I like ‘Gyoza’ little parcels of yummy things in thin pastry (bit like dim sims but nicer.) So Brian went off for an explore (see photos) and Aki and I went to the supermarket. This was a bonus for me as I could get a clearer idea of what things were.
I wanted the sauce that we had tried at the BBQ café (I really liked its lemony taste though it looks like soy!!!) and how to find it in the rows and rows of the ‘I don’t know what that bottle of stuff is’ was made easier as I could ask Aki. I watch intently as she moved from isle to isle and took note of all the ingredients she bought so that I can make ‘Gyoza’ later!!
Brian rang Jack and said he was bored and wanted to meet for a drink in the ‘apartments café’ so ‘The Boys’ went downstairs for a bit of a bonding natter while ‘Us Girls’ ………..’Gyoza’d’!!! It is an art as you have to make the ‘inside’ stuff first. We made pork/beef ones but you can have chicken or prawn or anything really. You then get these little round thin pastry things and you put a blob of meaty stuff in the middle and then pinch the top to make a moon shape. Well Aki’s was a lovely moon shape mine looked more like a lop sided piece of moosh. I got better at making them as time went on though I still only make one to every three of Aki’s. I got inspired and decided that banana might go well! Aki was mortified. The look on her face was priceless that I would even consider putting ‘banana’!!!?????? I persisted and made three to try for ‘desert’! (they tasted good though, Aki’s smile was a bit lopsided – I think she was humouring me!!)
I had to go fetch Brian as he was not going to jump up on his own and say
“Oh My Goodness, It must be time to go as I am sure that the girls want to serve dinner and are waiting for me!” So I went downstairs and helped him drink his Sake (or he would have been there with Jack for half the night), and then dragged him away as dinner was ready and Aki had taken lots of trouble to have it ready “On time, Brian!!!!!”
Dinner was yummy and we really enjoyed the wonderful food. I now know how to make ‘Gyoza’. Jack said that when Chieko makes Gyoza he says “Matane” (pronounced matinee) which means “See you later!” It is pretty labour intensive and he said his pinching technique is something to be desired!!!
Well Brian is off to Tokyo tomorrow on the bullet train to visit his brother on his ‘overnight stopover’ flying back from Australia to the UK. It will be a really nice one night visit as they have not seen each other for a few years.
Aki and I are going to do some flower arranging in Osaka!!!
Well stay on the edge of your seat as the next instalment is not far off of
“MARTINSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Monday, 7 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 21)
Chapter 21 – Saturday 5th July 2008.
We had a meeting today with Qchan’s music teacher. (Qchan is another Mugan Life person) and she was keen to meet us. So Aki, Brian and I did some ‘train hopping’ (that is going on one ‘Train Line’ to another.) Different lines are run by different companies and their interconnecting stations are sometimes shared and sometimes (next to each other) which means you have to walk via subway/or above ground (there are shops everywhere anyway so I’m OK!!
It is reasonably clear but we have been known to jump on the wrong train, momentarily! (Remember the Kyoto incident?) Quchan met us at the station and lead us to her teachers apartment not far from the station. We went up 3 flights of very very steep stairs. (My dad, who was a builder, would have said that they were illegal – you wouldn’t want to be old or have hip problems!! (34 and holding and ignoring the jippy hip!) She was very welcoming and Makiko was there too so it was quite a little party. In this tiny little apartment full to the rafters with shelving and papers and stuff and slap bang in the middle was a GRAND PIANO!!! How the hell did they get that huge big thing into this weeny little place??? I asked, of course. By crane through the window!!! I would have loved to be a fly on the wall that day!!! She had all sorts of yummy cakes and puddings (remember I mentioned that people bring presents – we gave her some little ‘aussie’ momentos and some ‘cakes’. Makiko had brought little mango puddings………yummy. There were little pancakes folded in half and then ‘printed’ (how do you print on food??) with the design of a fish. “Fish Pancakes???” I was a bit reluctant to try those but dived in anyway- remember my motto “Try everything at least once.” To my relief there was no ‘whole fish’ inside……….that was a possibility though I can tell you. There was yummy white soft stuff that tasted slightly sweet and I was told it was the same rice stuff that is in the middle of those little rice cakes that go on the BBQ and puff up like popcorn (refer to past photo). There were really pretty packets of rice ‘cookies’ all shapes and sizes and colours and tasted yummy there was even a very very flat ‘prawn’ yep the whole thing head and all. I gathered up the packets. I do that at the restaurants with the Hashi (chopstick) covers as they are really pretty and I will use them in my ‘paper craft’. All the Aussies will be getting Japanese design cards with the name of a café on it or “Fish cookie” or “Please dispose of thoughtfully” designs on them. You guys are ‘Gaijin’ and can’t read them anyway!!! We had a great meeting and she wants to have some lessons and is recommending some of her students to our courses.
We then made our way (very carefully) back down the steep stairs and did and decided we were ‘on a ky a su tooy ta’ that means “my stomach is empty” (Isn’t that right Jack?). We wandered through the shops at the main station and passed a ‘Gyozza’ shop. (yummy little parcels that are fried – my favourite). We went up the stairs (not so steep these ones) and as soon as we entered the chef and waitress yelled at us really loudly in a sort of greeting so we just yelled at them back and we were all yelling and gesticulating and smiling and laughing. Turned out the other people sitting at the café were the owner and his friend. We got to talking and exchanged business cards (with two hands bowing) lots of bowing goes on here. The food was really good and we had fun yelling and ‘kumpiying’ (cheers).
It is a special festival today. Where the boy star and the girl star can meet across the milky way (they can only do it once a year) and you have to tie your paper wish on the special Bamboo tree. Aki was trying to explain to me several days ago about the festival and I was asking her where the special Bamboo tree was and she couldn’t explain it to me and/or I couldn’t understand so I left that conversation slightly confused. So I asked ‘The Guardian’ to help me find the ‘bamboo tree’ (I thought it might be in a special garden in the city or something) anyway he must of heard me and at our little ‘loud’ café a girl walks in with a little bamboo tree and puts it in a pot and the shop owner comes up and gives us all little strips of coloured paper to write our wishes on and I was the first one to tie it on the ‘bamboo tree’ right at the top!!!! I AM THE MANIFESTING QUEEN………………that is very close to THE BARGIN QUEEN!!! The owner then took us to the station to make sure we got on the right train to our next destination. Talk about service!!!
Off to a ‘University Glee Club Concert’ which we were invited to by the ‘main conductor man’ from the Osaka Choral Festival. The concert comprised of over 100 students on stage all wearing their ‘formal uni gear’ and a mass choir song. (see photos.)Then each individual Uni doing there thing each group walking on like soldiers very stiff and regimented. The audience only claps the conductor and accompanist. (The singers don’t get a look in.) I didn’t quite get that. Also they put the big grand piano in front of the choirs!!!
Then they all changed out of their ‘formal gear’ and came on stage wearing ‘cream casual’ outfits and did a sort of ‘play’ that was on going and was very very organised and wonderful. The ‘main man’ conducted this mass event and we think he may have composed it also. Brian was really impressed with his style and feels he could learn some stuff from him. He has invited us to another concert ($35 a ticket) as his guests so we are very chuffed. We did not get a chance to meet with him afterwards as the students were very excited as it was 4 months of rehearsal and they were throwing each other in the air in the foyer and singing and whooping holding flowers and gifts from parents etc. So we left hoping to give him his (aussie gifts) when we see him next time.
We went home via our favourite local and had Teppanyaki with Katsumi and ordered our ‘specials’. Then went home and watch ‘Pirates of the Caribbean - 2’ on the dvd with subtitles . (Brian bought me a copy for my birthday.) Brian needs his movie fixes!!!
Stay on this page for the next episode of “MARTINNNNNSS INNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!”
We had a meeting today with Qchan’s music teacher. (Qchan is another Mugan Life person) and she was keen to meet us. So Aki, Brian and I did some ‘train hopping’ (that is going on one ‘Train Line’ to another.) Different lines are run by different companies and their interconnecting stations are sometimes shared and sometimes (next to each other) which means you have to walk via subway/or above ground (there are shops everywhere anyway so I’m OK!!
It is reasonably clear but we have been known to jump on the wrong train, momentarily! (Remember the Kyoto incident?) Quchan met us at the station and lead us to her teachers apartment not far from the station. We went up 3 flights of very very steep stairs. (My dad, who was a builder, would have said that they were illegal – you wouldn’t want to be old or have hip problems!! (34 and holding and ignoring the jippy hip!) She was very welcoming and Makiko was there too so it was quite a little party. In this tiny little apartment full to the rafters with shelving and papers and stuff and slap bang in the middle was a GRAND PIANO!!! How the hell did they get that huge big thing into this weeny little place??? I asked, of course. By crane through the window!!! I would have loved to be a fly on the wall that day!!! She had all sorts of yummy cakes and puddings (remember I mentioned that people bring presents – we gave her some little ‘aussie’ momentos and some ‘cakes’. Makiko had brought little mango puddings………yummy. There were little pancakes folded in half and then ‘printed’ (how do you print on food??) with the design of a fish. “Fish Pancakes???” I was a bit reluctant to try those but dived in anyway- remember my motto “Try everything at least once.” To my relief there was no ‘whole fish’ inside……….that was a possibility though I can tell you. There was yummy white soft stuff that tasted slightly sweet and I was told it was the same rice stuff that is in the middle of those little rice cakes that go on the BBQ and puff up like popcorn (refer to past photo). There were really pretty packets of rice ‘cookies’ all shapes and sizes and colours and tasted yummy there was even a very very flat ‘prawn’ yep the whole thing head and all. I gathered up the packets. I do that at the restaurants with the Hashi (chopstick) covers as they are really pretty and I will use them in my ‘paper craft’. All the Aussies will be getting Japanese design cards with the name of a café on it or “Fish cookie” or “Please dispose of thoughtfully” designs on them. You guys are ‘Gaijin’ and can’t read them anyway!!! We had a great meeting and she wants to have some lessons and is recommending some of her students to our courses.
We then made our way (very carefully) back down the steep stairs and did and decided we were ‘on a ky a su tooy ta’ that means “my stomach is empty” (Isn’t that right Jack?). We wandered through the shops at the main station and passed a ‘Gyozza’ shop. (yummy little parcels that are fried – my favourite). We went up the stairs (not so steep these ones) and as soon as we entered the chef and waitress yelled at us really loudly in a sort of greeting so we just yelled at them back and we were all yelling and gesticulating and smiling and laughing. Turned out the other people sitting at the café were the owner and his friend. We got to talking and exchanged business cards (with two hands bowing) lots of bowing goes on here. The food was really good and we had fun yelling and ‘kumpiying’ (cheers).
It is a special festival today. Where the boy star and the girl star can meet across the milky way (they can only do it once a year) and you have to tie your paper wish on the special Bamboo tree. Aki was trying to explain to me several days ago about the festival and I was asking her where the special Bamboo tree was and she couldn’t explain it to me and/or I couldn’t understand so I left that conversation slightly confused. So I asked ‘The Guardian’ to help me find the ‘bamboo tree’ (I thought it might be in a special garden in the city or something) anyway he must of heard me and at our little ‘loud’ café a girl walks in with a little bamboo tree and puts it in a pot and the shop owner comes up and gives us all little strips of coloured paper to write our wishes on and I was the first one to tie it on the ‘bamboo tree’ right at the top!!!! I AM THE MANIFESTING QUEEN………………that is very close to THE BARGIN QUEEN!!! The owner then took us to the station to make sure we got on the right train to our next destination. Talk about service!!!
Off to a ‘University Glee Club Concert’ which we were invited to by the ‘main conductor man’ from the Osaka Choral Festival. The concert comprised of over 100 students on stage all wearing their ‘formal uni gear’ and a mass choir song. (see photos.)Then each individual Uni doing there thing each group walking on like soldiers very stiff and regimented. The audience only claps the conductor and accompanist. (The singers don’t get a look in.) I didn’t quite get that. Also they put the big grand piano in front of the choirs!!!
Then they all changed out of their ‘formal gear’ and came on stage wearing ‘cream casual’ outfits and did a sort of ‘play’ that was on going and was very very organised and wonderful. The ‘main man’ conducted this mass event and we think he may have composed it also. Brian was really impressed with his style and feels he could learn some stuff from him. He has invited us to another concert ($35 a ticket) as his guests so we are very chuffed. We did not get a chance to meet with him afterwards as the students were very excited as it was 4 months of rehearsal and they were throwing each other in the air in the foyer and singing and whooping holding flowers and gifts from parents etc. So we left hoping to give him his (aussie gifts) when we see him next time.
We went home via our favourite local and had Teppanyaki with Katsumi and ordered our ‘specials’. Then went home and watch ‘Pirates of the Caribbean - 2’ on the dvd with subtitles . (Brian bought me a copy for my birthday.) Brian needs his movie fixes!!!
Stay on this page for the next episode of “MARTINNNNNSS INNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNN!”
Sunday, 6 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 20)
Chapter 20 – Thursday 3rd - Friday 4th July 2008
Today we met up with ‘Katie’ at the ‘BIG CAFÉ’, she sang at our first workshop and we had wanted to meet up with her and learn more about her. She is Californian and has lived in Japan for 20 years. She teaches English and does acting and voice work. She laughs and says that they have not figured out that they are paying her for doing something she really loves!!! She is going to visit her parents for 3 weeks and Brian is taking her English classes while she is away.
We are just manifesting all sorts of wonderful contacts. Katie introduced us to Peter in Kyoto who we are going to do some workshops with so we have been supported by the ‘7 gods of good fortune’. Blessings, blessings many blessings. Katie took us to a little theatre just at the back of our apartments just past the ‘terraced gardens’ (see past photo). We had to walk up the mountain a bit….very steep. We were going to meet ‘Gerald’ who runs a theatre group that does most of their plays in English. Unfortunately he wasn’t there but we will go to the play on Sunday and meet up with him. His students will be interested in voice training and performance presentation so we are keen to meet him being so close to home.
I went exploring today in ‘Crown Plaza’ floors of cafes and dress shops and one whole floor of antiques (set up like a market!!) I had a great time looking at all the old Japanese artefacts and old Kimonos and fabrics. I found the most wonderful (short Kimono) that is reversible – very unusual and made in the 80’s (would you believe that is considered ‘antique’ now!) When I got home I paraded it for Miyuki and Aki and made them guess how much I paid. Knowing my ‘BARGIN QUEEN’ reputation, they racked their brains trying to guess what I paid and came up with 5000 yen ($50) they figured that was cheap. As Kimonos are genrally very expensive at the best of times. ”No!” says I. “Rower?” says they (they have trouble with the “Ls”!!!) “$15”. says I. Well were they impressed!!! ‘”NORREEN BARGIN QUEEN – NOREEN BARGIN QUEEN!” They chanted as I am spinning around in my ‘Kimono’, feeling very proud of myself. They want me to take them shopping as I find all the ‘specials’!!
We travel on the trains (a lot) people do have cars and there are lots and lots of taxis but most people travel on the buses and trains. You can get a single ticket but it is best to get a ‘credit card’ and top it up. You cant cheat either cos the gates close on you if you try to walk through without paying and it registers when you enter and doesn’t take the money off your ticket until you get to the other end. Very good if you change your mind mid journey (like we did) very flexible. The buses work well too you can only get on from the back door and exit through the front past the driver and you use your ‘credit card’ and put it in the slot or pop coins in the hole and the right change comes out. The driver wears gloves (they all do) and he doesn’t really touch the money its all done by machine. Very organized. We met these lovely ladies on the train (see photo), they had made space for Brian on the seat, so we gave them a little kangaroo key ring and boomerang key ring. They were so sweet they gave us a gift (just happened to have one on them!!!) of a jar of plum wine with the pickled plums in it!! That’s the drink that Brian really likes too! We then gave them another gift of postcards of Noosa. Lucky our stop came or we would still be there bowing and exchanging our underwear (we would have run out of gifts by then!!!)
Well another episode bites the dust.
Stay tuned for “MARTINNNNNNNNS INNNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!”
Today we met up with ‘Katie’ at the ‘BIG CAFÉ’, she sang at our first workshop and we had wanted to meet up with her and learn more about her. She is Californian and has lived in Japan for 20 years. She teaches English and does acting and voice work. She laughs and says that they have not figured out that they are paying her for doing something she really loves!!! She is going to visit her parents for 3 weeks and Brian is taking her English classes while she is away.
We are just manifesting all sorts of wonderful contacts. Katie introduced us to Peter in Kyoto who we are going to do some workshops with so we have been supported by the ‘7 gods of good fortune’. Blessings, blessings many blessings. Katie took us to a little theatre just at the back of our apartments just past the ‘terraced gardens’ (see past photo). We had to walk up the mountain a bit….very steep. We were going to meet ‘Gerald’ who runs a theatre group that does most of their plays in English. Unfortunately he wasn’t there but we will go to the play on Sunday and meet up with him. His students will be interested in voice training and performance presentation so we are keen to meet him being so close to home.
I went exploring today in ‘Crown Plaza’ floors of cafes and dress shops and one whole floor of antiques (set up like a market!!) I had a great time looking at all the old Japanese artefacts and old Kimonos and fabrics. I found the most wonderful (short Kimono) that is reversible – very unusual and made in the 80’s (would you believe that is considered ‘antique’ now!) When I got home I paraded it for Miyuki and Aki and made them guess how much I paid. Knowing my ‘BARGIN QUEEN’ reputation, they racked their brains trying to guess what I paid and came up with 5000 yen ($50) they figured that was cheap. As Kimonos are genrally very expensive at the best of times. ”No!” says I. “Rower?” says they (they have trouble with the “Ls”!!!) “$15”. says I. Well were they impressed!!! ‘”NORREEN BARGIN QUEEN – NOREEN BARGIN QUEEN!” They chanted as I am spinning around in my ‘Kimono’, feeling very proud of myself. They want me to take them shopping as I find all the ‘specials’!!
We travel on the trains (a lot) people do have cars and there are lots and lots of taxis but most people travel on the buses and trains. You can get a single ticket but it is best to get a ‘credit card’ and top it up. You cant cheat either cos the gates close on you if you try to walk through without paying and it registers when you enter and doesn’t take the money off your ticket until you get to the other end. Very good if you change your mind mid journey (like we did) very flexible. The buses work well too you can only get on from the back door and exit through the front past the driver and you use your ‘credit card’ and put it in the slot or pop coins in the hole and the right change comes out. The driver wears gloves (they all do) and he doesn’t really touch the money its all done by machine. Very organized. We met these lovely ladies on the train (see photo), they had made space for Brian on the seat, so we gave them a little kangaroo key ring and boomerang key ring. They were so sweet they gave us a gift (just happened to have one on them!!!) of a jar of plum wine with the pickled plums in it!! That’s the drink that Brian really likes too! We then gave them another gift of postcards of Noosa. Lucky our stop came or we would still be there bowing and exchanging our underwear (we would have run out of gifts by then!!!)
Well another episode bites the dust.
Stay tuned for “MARTINNNNNNNNS INNNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!”
Saturday, 5 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 19)
Chapter 19 Wednesday 2nd July 2008
We had our first ‘New World Rhythm Chorus’ night tonight and it was very enjoyable, though the numbers were a little light on everyone really had a great time and let their voices out and learning correct English pronunciation at the same time. We taught them a Gospel song and ‘Freedom’ is a challenge to say for the Japanese as they do not really have a ‘Ffffff’ in their language. The closest is the ‘phoo’ sound in Tofu! We pronounce it with an F but they do it with more of a phoo sound. Also ‘L’ is a doozy it comes our ‘R’ and getting them to place their tongue under their front teeth is a challenge. A bit like us learning the ‘clicks’ in African language. It is not naturally occurring so we are not used to the mouth shapes or the sounds.
It is really very exciting finding ways to teach them the correct sounds and finding simular Japanese words that use the sounds is challenging. Brian, of course, is a very good English teacher. Why are we not surprised!!!
After class we all went back to the great café with the chimneys. I think that is going to be our local. Masa (another one we have met 3 different Masa’s so far.), one of the wonderful men in our group had given me a lovely writing set for my Birthday on Tuesday night arrived with more gifts. Sweets in pretty boxes for Miyuki and Aki and a wonderful black fan with a dragon on it for Brian and a pretty pink fan with flowers and a matching necklace for me. Very generous indeed. We were very touched and find everyone here so giving. It’s a pleasure to receive the wonderful service of the waiters and store staff, nothing is a trouble and they go out of their way to be helpful. Brian likes the way they count back the change for you after a purchase they sort of flick the notes one way then back the other way and hand you the change with both hands and a bow!!! Talk about service!!!!
We had another great meal with lots of wonderful food and really well priced and the waiter brought us complimentary fish, all different bits of the fish. I scored the head end with the eye (don’t know where the mouth part was) but I BBQed it and ate it with my fingers as I kept dropping it with my chopsticks or ‘Hashi’.(I even ate the eye………wasn’t bad!!!- I will try anything once but I will eat that again!!)
Now I have discovered that there is ‘Hashi’ etiquette. You do not, under any circumstances, talk and use your Hashi for emphasis or gesticulate with them in anyway. Very bad manners! They must be placed on the ‘Hashi rest’ usually a pretty pottery fish shape or stand and if you don’t have one of those you rest them, together, on the edge of your plate. You don’t stab your food with your chopstick (little babies learning how to use chopsticks can only just get away with it but they get into trouble!!!) Note: Don’t point with my chopsticks cos I get cross looks!!!
Also there is feet etiquette. You do not touch your feet (it’s ok in a shoe shop though???) you do not point at something on the ground with your foot. Brian was doing a workshop and we had notes written on sheets of paper on the floor and he pointed to the notes with his foot……….Not a good idea……..considered bad manners.
I am sure that there are a lot of things that I have been doing naturally that, at home, are innocuous but here in Japan are ‘not nice’. The Japanese are very forgiving however and put up with us ‘Gaijin’ doing ‘stupid’.
We had ANOTHER late night and the trains were full (standing room only….just) and it was 11pm. What are all these people doing at such a late hour???? GO TO BED!!!! We did just that when we got home, even the girls went straight to bed too. I think that the 2am finishes are catching up with them. Miyuki goes to Tokyo for some Mugan Life work tomorrow. She is catching the bullet train. We will miss her but Aki is staying and moving in with us as she has been staying in a little one bedroom place on the first floor and has to move out!! Aki will stay with us a bit longer while the courses get settled in.
We have been contacted by the ‘main man conductor’ at the Osaka Choral Festival and he has invited us to a big recital at the end of the month with complimentary tickets!!!! We feel very special!!!
There is an exhibition at the museum here in Kobe from the ‘Louvre’ of Marie Antoinette’s stuff so I want to go and see that on the weekend!!
Well stay tuned and please send us your news – either via email – info@brianmartin.com.au or you can comment on this blog………don’t ask me how you do it as I am new to this stuff but either way we love to hear from you all.
Goodbye for now from
“MARTINNNNNNNNNS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNN!”
We had our first ‘New World Rhythm Chorus’ night tonight and it was very enjoyable, though the numbers were a little light on everyone really had a great time and let their voices out and learning correct English pronunciation at the same time. We taught them a Gospel song and ‘Freedom’ is a challenge to say for the Japanese as they do not really have a ‘Ffffff’ in their language. The closest is the ‘phoo’ sound in Tofu! We pronounce it with an F but they do it with more of a phoo sound. Also ‘L’ is a doozy it comes our ‘R’ and getting them to place their tongue under their front teeth is a challenge. A bit like us learning the ‘clicks’ in African language. It is not naturally occurring so we are not used to the mouth shapes or the sounds.
It is really very exciting finding ways to teach them the correct sounds and finding simular Japanese words that use the sounds is challenging. Brian, of course, is a very good English teacher. Why are we not surprised!!!
After class we all went back to the great café with the chimneys. I think that is going to be our local. Masa (another one we have met 3 different Masa’s so far.), one of the wonderful men in our group had given me a lovely writing set for my Birthday on Tuesday night arrived with more gifts. Sweets in pretty boxes for Miyuki and Aki and a wonderful black fan with a dragon on it for Brian and a pretty pink fan with flowers and a matching necklace for me. Very generous indeed. We were very touched and find everyone here so giving. It’s a pleasure to receive the wonderful service of the waiters and store staff, nothing is a trouble and they go out of their way to be helpful. Brian likes the way they count back the change for you after a purchase they sort of flick the notes one way then back the other way and hand you the change with both hands and a bow!!! Talk about service!!!!
We had another great meal with lots of wonderful food and really well priced and the waiter brought us complimentary fish, all different bits of the fish. I scored the head end with the eye (don’t know where the mouth part was) but I BBQed it and ate it with my fingers as I kept dropping it with my chopsticks or ‘Hashi’.(I even ate the eye………wasn’t bad!!!- I will try anything once but I will eat that again!!)
Now I have discovered that there is ‘Hashi’ etiquette. You do not, under any circumstances, talk and use your Hashi for emphasis or gesticulate with them in anyway. Very bad manners! They must be placed on the ‘Hashi rest’ usually a pretty pottery fish shape or stand and if you don’t have one of those you rest them, together, on the edge of your plate. You don’t stab your food with your chopstick (little babies learning how to use chopsticks can only just get away with it but they get into trouble!!!) Note: Don’t point with my chopsticks cos I get cross looks!!!
Also there is feet etiquette. You do not touch your feet (it’s ok in a shoe shop though???) you do not point at something on the ground with your foot. Brian was doing a workshop and we had notes written on sheets of paper on the floor and he pointed to the notes with his foot……….Not a good idea……..considered bad manners.
I am sure that there are a lot of things that I have been doing naturally that, at home, are innocuous but here in Japan are ‘not nice’. The Japanese are very forgiving however and put up with us ‘Gaijin’ doing ‘stupid’.
We had ANOTHER late night and the trains were full (standing room only….just) and it was 11pm. What are all these people doing at such a late hour???? GO TO BED!!!! We did just that when we got home, even the girls went straight to bed too. I think that the 2am finishes are catching up with them. Miyuki goes to Tokyo for some Mugan Life work tomorrow. She is catching the bullet train. We will miss her but Aki is staying and moving in with us as she has been staying in a little one bedroom place on the first floor and has to move out!! Aki will stay with us a bit longer while the courses get settled in.
We have been contacted by the ‘main man conductor’ at the Osaka Choral Festival and he has invited us to a big recital at the end of the month with complimentary tickets!!!! We feel very special!!!
There is an exhibition at the museum here in Kobe from the ‘Louvre’ of Marie Antoinette’s stuff so I want to go and see that on the weekend!!
Well stay tuned and please send us your news – either via email – info@brianmartin.com.au or you can comment on this blog………don’t ask me how you do it as I am new to this stuff but either way we love to hear from you all.
Goodbye for now from
“MARTINNNNNNNNNS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNN!”
Thursday, 3 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 18)
Chapter 18- Tuesday 1st July 2008
Today was my birthday!!!!!!!!!!! “34 and Holding” as Jack would say!!! Brian and I went out for breakfast at the BIG CAFÉ and ordered our BIG DRINKS and got breakfast thrown in!! (see photos). Decided to have a quiet day as tonight was our first ‘Music Night’. We have changed our planned schedule since we arrive as things are not quiet working as we expected but we are being flexible and things are flowing really well. So we have decided that instead of a Joy of Singing course we are having ‘Music Nights’ instead.
Tonight was a ‘Harmony Night’ next Tuesday night will be ‘Gospel’ night and the week after that ‘Voice Training’ night. We are being asked to do lots of different workshops so offering them on a regular basis. A nice guy attended,Peter, an Ex-pat American who has lived here for 30 years. He runs a studio in Kyoto and has dancers, singers and directs plays etc. He really liked what we were doing and has asked us to run a series of workshops leading to a small concert. So looks like we may be visiting Kyoto on a regular basis. The class went really well and everyone had a great time with several joining New World Rhythm Chorus which starts tomorrow night. They sang me happy birthday and presented me with flowers and pressies, I felt very loved!
I took concentrated notes on how to get to class from Kobe (several train line changes- mostly in Japanese and a bit of a walk in between.) I will have to get there on my own next week as Miyuki will be home in Nagasaki and Aki will be back in Fukuoka. Brian will be coming back from Tokyo. He is doing a whirl wind overnight trip to visit with his brother Gary who is on his way back from Australia having a stopover in Tokyo before heading home to the UK. Brian’s dad, Darryl is having urgent triple bypass surgery and Gary flew there this week to surprise him. We are sending him lots of love beams.
I put Brian and I on a couple of ‘English Teaching’ websites and Brian got a call within 5 minutes of registering him and was asked to apply for a part time job on offer in Osaka teaching conversational English. What fun!!!! We are open to lots of different experiences here and teaching English is one of them.
After the workshop tonight we went for some dinner (Yep we do everything really late here- dinner at 9.30pm and I just realized its 1 am !!!!!! as I am writing this as we just got home and I have just roused on the girls and me for being up so late…….again!!!!) We stopped at a local café on the walk home to the station and it was so cool!!! It has little chimneys over the tables and they bring these little round pottery BBQ’s with hot coals in them and you cook your own food and it was just fantastic. (see photo). One of my favourite restaurants so far, (as good as Jack and Chieko’s favourite café!!) We had corn on the cob, little round rice patties that look like little rocks until they are nearly ready and then they puff up in the middle. You eat them wrapped in nori (seaweed sheets) and dip them in yummy sauce. Then we had the ‘neck of the chicken’, they eat every little bit here…….the neck is considered one of the best bits and they are not wrong………yummy! Dipped in this sauce that tastes a bit like lemon but spicy. They put a pottery container with lid in the centre, we were still cooking other stuff around the edges, and inside was a whole camembert cheese. We flipped it when it was toasted on one side and then when it was ready the waiter came with heavy clampy tong thingys and took it off the BBQ. We cut it up and it was served on toast…………all gooey and hot…………….yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! It was a really nice way to end my special day. Speaking of ending the day I am going to put my foot down and send all these people off to bed as it is now 1.35am!!!! Goodnight!! Next episode coming soon……………………………………………
”MARTINSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNN!”
Today was my birthday!!!!!!!!!!! “34 and Holding” as Jack would say!!! Brian and I went out for breakfast at the BIG CAFÉ and ordered our BIG DRINKS and got breakfast thrown in!! (see photos). Decided to have a quiet day as tonight was our first ‘Music Night’. We have changed our planned schedule since we arrive as things are not quiet working as we expected but we are being flexible and things are flowing really well. So we have decided that instead of a Joy of Singing course we are having ‘Music Nights’ instead.
Tonight was a ‘Harmony Night’ next Tuesday night will be ‘Gospel’ night and the week after that ‘Voice Training’ night. We are being asked to do lots of different workshops so offering them on a regular basis. A nice guy attended,Peter, an Ex-pat American who has lived here for 30 years. He runs a studio in Kyoto and has dancers, singers and directs plays etc. He really liked what we were doing and has asked us to run a series of workshops leading to a small concert. So looks like we may be visiting Kyoto on a regular basis. The class went really well and everyone had a great time with several joining New World Rhythm Chorus which starts tomorrow night. They sang me happy birthday and presented me with flowers and pressies, I felt very loved!
I took concentrated notes on how to get to class from Kobe (several train line changes- mostly in Japanese and a bit of a walk in between.) I will have to get there on my own next week as Miyuki will be home in Nagasaki and Aki will be back in Fukuoka. Brian will be coming back from Tokyo. He is doing a whirl wind overnight trip to visit with his brother Gary who is on his way back from Australia having a stopover in Tokyo before heading home to the UK. Brian’s dad, Darryl is having urgent triple bypass surgery and Gary flew there this week to surprise him. We are sending him lots of love beams.
I put Brian and I on a couple of ‘English Teaching’ websites and Brian got a call within 5 minutes of registering him and was asked to apply for a part time job on offer in Osaka teaching conversational English. What fun!!!! We are open to lots of different experiences here and teaching English is one of them.
After the workshop tonight we went for some dinner (Yep we do everything really late here- dinner at 9.30pm and I just realized its 1 am !!!!!! as I am writing this as we just got home and I have just roused on the girls and me for being up so late…….again!!!!) We stopped at a local café on the walk home to the station and it was so cool!!! It has little chimneys over the tables and they bring these little round pottery BBQ’s with hot coals in them and you cook your own food and it was just fantastic. (see photo). One of my favourite restaurants so far, (as good as Jack and Chieko’s favourite café!!) We had corn on the cob, little round rice patties that look like little rocks until they are nearly ready and then they puff up in the middle. You eat them wrapped in nori (seaweed sheets) and dip them in yummy sauce. Then we had the ‘neck of the chicken’, they eat every little bit here…….the neck is considered one of the best bits and they are not wrong………yummy! Dipped in this sauce that tastes a bit like lemon but spicy. They put a pottery container with lid in the centre, we were still cooking other stuff around the edges, and inside was a whole camembert cheese. We flipped it when it was toasted on one side and then when it was ready the waiter came with heavy clampy tong thingys and took it off the BBQ. We cut it up and it was served on toast…………all gooey and hot…………….yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! It was a really nice way to end my special day. Speaking of ending the day I am going to put my foot down and send all these people off to bed as it is now 1.35am!!!! Goodnight!! Next episode coming soon……………………………………………
”MARTINSSSSS INNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNN!”
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 17)
Chapter 17- Monday 30th June 2008
Now for something completely different.
Today I am going to talk about ‘Signs’. Yep!! I have to take photos cos they crack me up. Jappy English!! Some of the T shirts walking around – if they realized what some of the stuff says they would freak!!! I try to get photos when I can but T shirts, unfortunately, move too fast to shoot. I have however been able to record, for prosperity, some wonderful cultural examples of ‘Jappy English’. You would reckon that if they are going to all the trouble to manufacture and print an item that they would do the research and get the English right!!!! So please enjoy, as we have, the following photo record!!
Also have had sooooooooooooo many comments on my ‘Toilet’ information that I am repeating it here (with bonus features & new photos!!)
They have a thing here called toilet ‘mannamode’ (they have it for mobiles too – you are not allowed to talk on the trains or have the phone ring so they put them on silent and sms a lot.) (see photo scroll down).
Well ‘mannamode’ for the loos is the other way around. In some public loos when you walk into the stall a flushing sound starts as soon as you sit down.
First time it happened I jumped up and nearly hit the roof thinking the toilet was going to flush on me (lucky I had not started…..if you know what I mean!!!) Well………….the flushing sound is so that we can’t hear each other ‘go’!
Very polite!!! There is also in some loos ‘child minders’ (see photo!) They think of everything here. There are also disposable paper seat cover dispensers with squirty seat cleaning bottles on the wall so you can clean your seat and cover it before and after you sit down. What with all the sounds, squirts, cleaners and covers, buttons and flushers, going to the loo is a major operation and you need a university degree to figure it all ouT and it takes some time!!! The basins also have automatic stuff too. There are two in one soap and water taps. You just hold your hands under the picture of the soap and it squirts a blob in your hand then you move across to the picture of the water and it washes your hands. You don’t have to touch a thing. Then there are these tall funny looking machines and you put your hands in (like a goalie at the footy when Acka kicks a goal!) and you get blown half away by the fans, but your hands get really dry, not like the pithy ones at home!!! The Japanese know a thing or too about going to the loo, I can tell you! They have got it down to a fine art!
(Excerpt from Chapter -1) Now our toilet has a personality all its own. The fan goes on when you sit down and the seat heats up as well. When you are done you can squirt (special places) they have pictures so you know where the water is going and you can adjust the flow, pressure, temp etc to your liking!!! If you know what I mean!!! Then you push another button and you get dried with the nice fan aimed ever so exactly! Then when you flush the water goes through a tap/basin at the top of the cistern so you can wash your hands and not waste the new fresh water filling up the loo!!! All very, very civilized if you ask me!! We were so taken with these loos last time we were here that we bought one and had it installed at home but we have never been able to get it to work (something to do with the voltage being different) we just have to find an electrician who knows about these things). Anyway we have a very expensive loo seat at home with no squirts!!! (see bonus up to the minute- photos)
(Excerpt from Chapter 13) 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!!)
Now that you have all been educated on the fine art of loos in Japan you will all be prepared and forewarned for the arduous task of navigation through the portals of Looland! May the force be with you!
See you soon for another flushing good yarn of “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNNN!”
Now for something completely different.
Today I am going to talk about ‘Signs’. Yep!! I have to take photos cos they crack me up. Jappy English!! Some of the T shirts walking around – if they realized what some of the stuff says they would freak!!! I try to get photos when I can but T shirts, unfortunately, move too fast to shoot. I have however been able to record, for prosperity, some wonderful cultural examples of ‘Jappy English’. You would reckon that if they are going to all the trouble to manufacture and print an item that they would do the research and get the English right!!!! So please enjoy, as we have, the following photo record!!
Also have had sooooooooooooo many comments on my ‘Toilet’ information that I am repeating it here (with bonus features & new photos!!)
They have a thing here called toilet ‘mannamode’ (they have it for mobiles too – you are not allowed to talk on the trains or have the phone ring so they put them on silent and sms a lot.) (see photo scroll down).
Well ‘mannamode’ for the loos is the other way around. In some public loos when you walk into the stall a flushing sound starts as soon as you sit down.
First time it happened I jumped up and nearly hit the roof thinking the toilet was going to flush on me (lucky I had not started…..if you know what I mean!!!) Well………….the flushing sound is so that we can’t hear each other ‘go’!
Very polite!!! There is also in some loos ‘child minders’ (see photo!) They think of everything here. There are also disposable paper seat cover dispensers with squirty seat cleaning bottles on the wall so you can clean your seat and cover it before and after you sit down. What with all the sounds, squirts, cleaners and covers, buttons and flushers, going to the loo is a major operation and you need a university degree to figure it all ouT and it takes some time!!! The basins also have automatic stuff too. There are two in one soap and water taps. You just hold your hands under the picture of the soap and it squirts a blob in your hand then you move across to the picture of the water and it washes your hands. You don’t have to touch a thing. Then there are these tall funny looking machines and you put your hands in (like a goalie at the footy when Acka kicks a goal!) and you get blown half away by the fans, but your hands get really dry, not like the pithy ones at home!!! The Japanese know a thing or too about going to the loo, I can tell you! They have got it down to a fine art!
(Excerpt from Chapter -1) Now our toilet has a personality all its own. The fan goes on when you sit down and the seat heats up as well. When you are done you can squirt (special places) they have pictures so you know where the water is going and you can adjust the flow, pressure, temp etc to your liking!!! If you know what I mean!!! Then you push another button and you get dried with the nice fan aimed ever so exactly! Then when you flush the water goes through a tap/basin at the top of the cistern so you can wash your hands and not waste the new fresh water filling up the loo!!! All very, very civilized if you ask me!! We were so taken with these loos last time we were here that we bought one and had it installed at home but we have never been able to get it to work (something to do with the voltage being different) we just have to find an electrician who knows about these things). Anyway we have a very expensive loo seat at home with no squirts!!! (see bonus up to the minute- photos)
(Excerpt from Chapter 13) 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!!)
Now that you have all been educated on the fine art of loos in Japan you will all be prepared and forewarned for the arduous task of navigation through the portals of Looland! May the force be with you!
See you soon for another flushing good yarn of “MARTINSSSSSSS INNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNNN!”
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 16)
Chapter 16 – Sunday 29th June 2008
Today we went into Osaka to attend the second day of a big Choral Festival put on by the ‘Japanese Choral Association’. We hoped to make some ‘industry’ contacts and just experience some Japanese style choral music.
It was raining (No?) so our ‘wet weather crocs’ were christened with great fanfare. Lucky we brought the brolly too!! There are so many different kinds here…….I am impressed with the very silky fabric elegant ones. We have a natty miniature one that folds up to the size of a Ummmmm??!! Small umbrella! The festival was great with lots of different choirs’ all shapes and sizes. Large 100 member casually dressed singing jiggy Japanese fun songs (apparently from a kids cartoon show.) Then a very serious and passionate conductor, (I think she was a she but a bit hard to tell with the black suit and intense look), with an all women’s choir wearing beautiful deep blue velvet gowns with sparkly jewellery and silver shoes (all matching). They sang a very interesting ‘sound scape’ type song. I like them a lot very very good. Then another choir with the conductor looking like something out of the Victorian era with ringlette hairdo and very dramatic makeup and foofy pink dress. She had the choir (50 members) wearing simular outfits and most of the women were over 60. A bit too much pink for me!!! They only get to sing 2 songs each so the program moves pretty fast. Break for lunch and then back to see the kids and then the mixed program (see photos sorry blurry.)
They dress the kids in all kinds of outfits from ‘sailor suits’ to traditional gear. We got to meet the ‘main man’ and we organised to meet up with him next week so it was a very successful day.
We got ourselves back home through the rain and I had to have a little ‘nana nap’ as I was really tired………Hello!!! We planned to go out with Jack,Chieko and the girls for a pre-birthday dinner for me. My birthday is on 1st July (our first choir night so gotta work!) –Note: send gifts and money to our Post office box………….I will make sure Fiona forwards all your generous gifts on to me (that are very expensive cos you love me.) I told Brian that he has already bought me my birthday gift and that is being here in Japan. It is Brian’s birthday on the 18th so I got out of buying a gift cos his is this trip too! I am quick I can tell you!!! I told Jack that I have decided to be the same age as Brian – Jack said “Right, 34 and holding!” Made me laugh!
Jack and Chieko took us to their favourite local place and the food was great really different mixes of tastes. Tempura, wonderful cooked avocado dish, raw fish – with the head still on….sorry fishy!! :(
Note: To the our visiting Aussies) Right across the food spectrums among all the restaurants and cafes there is no ‘gluten free’ available – in fact I don’t think they know what that is! Most of the noodles are wheat based so rice is your best bet. And they don’t have large rice crackers either (bread substitute) so bring your own with you and remember the vegemite – it comes in handy travel tubes nowadays.) I tested out some more Sake. Brian liked this one that is made out of plums. Mmm! We had a great night except poor Miyuki had a little fall (so tired) so we sent her home in a taxi the 2 blocks and she went to bed for a well earned sleep. She had only had one beer but she doesn’t drink and it went straight to her head and mixed with exhaustion it was all too much. Nothing like a bit of drama on ya birthday!
Well that’s enough!!! See you tomorrow for the next tasteful tale of
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNN!”
Today we went into Osaka to attend the second day of a big Choral Festival put on by the ‘Japanese Choral Association’. We hoped to make some ‘industry’ contacts and just experience some Japanese style choral music.
It was raining (No?) so our ‘wet weather crocs’ were christened with great fanfare. Lucky we brought the brolly too!! There are so many different kinds here…….I am impressed with the very silky fabric elegant ones. We have a natty miniature one that folds up to the size of a Ummmmm??!! Small umbrella! The festival was great with lots of different choirs’ all shapes and sizes. Large 100 member casually dressed singing jiggy Japanese fun songs (apparently from a kids cartoon show.) Then a very serious and passionate conductor, (I think she was a she but a bit hard to tell with the black suit and intense look), with an all women’s choir wearing beautiful deep blue velvet gowns with sparkly jewellery and silver shoes (all matching). They sang a very interesting ‘sound scape’ type song. I like them a lot very very good. Then another choir with the conductor looking like something out of the Victorian era with ringlette hairdo and very dramatic makeup and foofy pink dress. She had the choir (50 members) wearing simular outfits and most of the women were over 60. A bit too much pink for me!!! They only get to sing 2 songs each so the program moves pretty fast. Break for lunch and then back to see the kids and then the mixed program (see photos sorry blurry.)
They dress the kids in all kinds of outfits from ‘sailor suits’ to traditional gear. We got to meet the ‘main man’ and we organised to meet up with him next week so it was a very successful day.
We got ourselves back home through the rain and I had to have a little ‘nana nap’ as I was really tired………Hello!!! We planned to go out with Jack,Chieko and the girls for a pre-birthday dinner for me. My birthday is on 1st July (our first choir night so gotta work!) –Note: send gifts and money to our Post office box………….I will make sure Fiona forwards all your generous gifts on to me (that are very expensive cos you love me.) I told Brian that he has already bought me my birthday gift and that is being here in Japan. It is Brian’s birthday on the 18th so I got out of buying a gift cos his is this trip too! I am quick I can tell you!!! I told Jack that I have decided to be the same age as Brian – Jack said “Right, 34 and holding!” Made me laugh!
Jack and Chieko took us to their favourite local place and the food was great really different mixes of tastes. Tempura, wonderful cooked avocado dish, raw fish – with the head still on….sorry fishy!! :(
Note: To the our visiting Aussies) Right across the food spectrums among all the restaurants and cafes there is no ‘gluten free’ available – in fact I don’t think they know what that is! Most of the noodles are wheat based so rice is your best bet. And they don’t have large rice crackers either (bread substitute) so bring your own with you and remember the vegemite – it comes in handy travel tubes nowadays.) I tested out some more Sake. Brian liked this one that is made out of plums. Mmm! We had a great night except poor Miyuki had a little fall (so tired) so we sent her home in a taxi the 2 blocks and she went to bed for a well earned sleep. She had only had one beer but she doesn’t drink and it went straight to her head and mixed with exhaustion it was all too much. Nothing like a bit of drama on ya birthday!
Well that’s enough!!! See you tomorrow for the next tasteful tale of
“MARTINSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNN!”
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