JAPAN NEWS FROM BRIAN AND NOELINE

Healing Concert Kobe 10th July 2010

2010-07-15T13:43:00.000+09:00

Healing Concert – Kobe 10th July 2010

Brian and I had the immense honour and privilege to perform with some amazing musicians at a ‘sold out’ event recently.

The tickets went on sale in March and 1100 tickets sold out within a week!!! WOW!

The wonderful Ozaki Satomi and Shimabukuro Kouji organised this amazing concert and brought us all together. They looked after us so well...........we stayed at the

Crowne Plaza Hotel on the 27th floor overlooking the Kobe Mountains and ropeway with a perfect view of our old apartment (we waved to Jack too!)

We met our fellow musicians 2 days before the concert and had so much fun just jamming and playing together............’Jun’ who owns over 100 crystal bowls brought along 48 of his collection of all different sizes and colours........quartz crystal, amethyst, obsidian and all sounding so unique and beautiful. ‘Lisa’ a most elegant and graceful dancer who is a famous Japanese Bollywood Movie star! was divine and we were so in appreciation of her as we sang to her movements.............nothing was planned and every rehearsal was different as we improvised and just got to know each other better musically, such a joy! ‘Kazaoto’ played beautiful traditional Japanese bells and also played hand made pottery wind instruments and flutes. ‘Tsuyoshi’ a fabulous percussionist from Osaka was the musical director and created a wonderful nurturing space for us to play and be together. Brian and I joined them with our voices and also had fun singing our own songs and performing body percussion with the audience and teaching them an African song................amazing hearing over 1000 people singing Thuma Mina in 3 part harmony and they sounded wonderful!!!

The concert also included each musician soloing in their own unique style culminating in a lead meditation by Satomisan. The concert was a resounding success and we felt like movie stars as we were hugged and hugged by lines and lines of people wanting to meet us afterwards.

We had a celebration dinner in a local Kobe restaurant and bathed in the glow of giving to so many people and feeling very blessed and in gratitude for being part of such a wonderful experience................so successful was this concert that all the musicians are already booked to do it again next year!!!!!

We felt like a family and there were tears when we had to say goodbye and head to our respective homes as we all came together from all over Japan.

Thank you everyone for your support and contribution and to Mugen Life and the Harmony Planet Team for their tireless energy working to make it such as successful concert...........They were promoting our next concert ‘Waraku’ which will is held on November 3rd every year and is included in our Japan Singing Tour.........fully booked for this year and our Aussie singers are going to have an amazing time singing with the Japan New World Rhythm Choir! YAY!!

Brian and I will be heading back to Australia on the 22nd of July to join our Aussie New World Rhythm choir and we are looking forward to singing with them again soon!

Love and till next time................Noeline

50th Birthday Dinner

2009-07-03T00:57:00.001+09:00

Lots of friends gathered at R Valentno and great Italian Restaurant in Sannoymia Kobe!
Lots of presents and flowers great food and wonderful company..............Thank you everyone for making my 50th birthday so special.............and thank you to my amazing husband Brian for organising it all!!! I love you all dearly.

Nara - our first visit to the original Capital of Japan!

2009-04-04T19:48:00.001+09:00

Nara………………We were invited to visit Nara (the original capital of Japan) by a friend Yusan who most generously showed us around his home town.
Nara is a small city with many parks and gardens and lots of shrines and temples. It is also the home of over 1200 deer who roam free (cars drive very slowly in Nara- deer crossing!!!!) There are lots of little tourist shops and cafes and most sell little stacks of flat biscuits which are made for the deer to eat. You are not allowed to feed them other food and every packet you buy helps to support the deer hospital and their upkeep. They are very tame and have been trained over the 1300 years that they have been in Nara to bow for their food!!! You hold the food above their head and they nod up and down before you feed them. It is amazing as even the tiny babies do it too………….my theory is it is like the 100th monkey and it is now in their genes! Apparently the deer here is very sacred and in the olden days if you were caught hurting or killing one you were put to death!!!! Even if a deer was found hurt or dead in your yard and it wasn’t your fault you were blamed and put to death so the people learned to get up very early in the morning to check their yards for dead deer!!! The tradition is alive and well today (even though they don’t kill you any more) and the folk in Nara are early still rises!!!
The other big tourist attraction is the shrines and temples which are numerous and spectacular. The highlight is the 50 metre high brass Buddha housed in the largest wooden structure in the world!!! Even after several fires and rebuilds and now being only 33% of its original size the building is till the largest in the world. They have models of the original buildings and there used to be 7 tiered towers on each side as well as motes and surrounding walls etc. The fact that the Buddha survived at all is amazing as due to many wars over the centuries it has been attacked and semi destroyed several times. It completely melted and they had to rebuild it several hundred years ago. Sounds weird but it is so old (puts our bicentenary to shame really) originally it was covered in gold………….now that would have been a sight!
We visited many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines paying homage to the different deities that look after your health or money or family etc. Lots of bowing and clapping and washing hands not in that order!!! It is quite an honor to follow the traditions of hundreds of years and to know that millions of people before me have followed the same rituals. Lighting incense and writing on wooden tablets making a wish. Hanging your tablet next to hundreds of others creating a wall of wishes!!
There is something very special about the energy around these buildings……………just outside the walls the city bustles around us but inside it is tranquil and still and very beautiful and we are so lucky that they have been preserved or restored for so many years for us to be able to experience them still. Nara is particularly preserved and is a must for any tourist visiting Japan.
Yusan took us to all his favorite places and we walked a lot!!! It was getting darker and the late afternoon cold was dropping in very quickly we came out of a wonderful shrine on a hill which has spectacular views of the city of Nara and Yusan opened a sliding wooden door. Inside was a cozy old café that had been there it seemed for 100s of years. A big copper urn with an intricately cast lid steamed and welcomed us in from the cold. Ladled hot tea was served in delicate cups and a small plate of miso paste (the specialty of the monks) was served. I had never tasted anything so delicious. Then Yusan ordered us sweet bean soup which is served with a salty seaweed on the side…………..amazing flavour and Brian and I were in heaven!!! It was so cosy and inviting with the old tapestries on the walls and the low tables and cushions. So Japanese…………..I must say though I have realized I have ‘gaijin legs’ I can only sit on my feet for a short amount of time before I have to stretch out my legs under the table……….not very Japanese I’m afraid…………I give myself away oh that and my blue eyes!!!!
The soup and the little café I would have to say was the highlight for me……………..the big Buddha was pretty cool too!!!
Well next installment being written as we speak!!!!
Martins in Japan!!!!

HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY HANNAH !! LOVE MUM & BRIAN

2009-03-03T16:43:00.003+09:00

2009-03-03T16:03:00.002+09:00

Day 1- 12/2/09
Japan Hello!
We had a great flight just watching movies/eating/drinking you forget you are in the air in a metal tank!!! The time just flew……………..no pun intended but I think knowing we were flying to our second home made time stand still. Leaving the sunshine coast in muggy hot temps and arriving at Osaka in winter woolies was a major fashion feat in itself. Multi layered colour coordinated applications were planned well in advance and dressing while we are taxing into the docking bay was a sight to behold. Looking like Neo and Trinity from the 'Matrix' (ok she doesn’t have curly grey hair – use your imagination!!!) in our long black leather ‘Matrix’ jackets does make a bold statement and the fact that we are waddling down the walkway looking like layered Michelin Men “DOES NOT LOOK FUNNY!!”
We wore our heaviest clothes – NOTE: travel to Japan in summer you can pack more clothes, they weigh less. However I did notice that some of the Japanese ‘exceeded’ their baggage allowance ‘tenfold’ and did not get ‘picked on’. EXTRA NOTE: carry on luggage they don’t really check and you can take more than you think…….just carry it like it is as light as a feather!!!
Catching the shuttle bus from the airport is a journey in ‘back to the future’ up high on a ‘third level’ freeway driving past a power plant that looks like a mini city with pipes and lights and stuff. Then passing the river with the lit up signs that have to be 2 stories high with the ‘big screen TV’ floating on the water!!! “What The!!???” Then we spy the ‘Crown Plaza’ our Kobe home landmark with the mountains in backdrop and feel a sense of peace………………………. “Shit!!! Lucky we caught the right bus!!!!”
Get off the shuttle bus in down town Kobe and catch one of the million taxies to our front door. Now……………what was Jack and Chieko's apartment number?? We have to punch it into the intercom and I did email him as I had forgotten………..was it 1011 or 1101 or 1001 …………..”Shit!!!! Lucky we caught the right bus!!!” Okay Okay….its in the computer…….get the bag open get out the computer find the email that Jack sent a month ago with the right number……………..nope can’t find it………come on its late and Jack will be asleep soon………..what time did we say we would be arriving??? Was it 9pm or 10pm……what time does he go to sleep??? So we punch in 1011 yep that’s it!!!! No answer! Is he asleep??? Or is the number 1101??? Ok third time lucky lets try 1101???? “Hello?” Fuck thank GOD!!! Its Jack with that familiar drawl……we are home!! Lucky Brian remembered the number 'cos I had put the wrong one into contacts!!!!
Jack emerges from the lift like an angel from heaven with the key to our apartment. We like Jack! Hugs all round…of course and off we go up the lift to the apartment we left over 3 months earlier. We open the door to find it is EXACTLY as we left it down to the milk in the fridge…(scary thing was that it did not stink and we probably could have drunk it……”how many preservatives did you say were in it darling???” not going to risk that one……..down the sink to feed the fish, it goes! Weird coming back to a place in a time warp………….everything as we left it. KC our landlord decided we were SO NICE that she kept it for us and did not rent it our to anyone else while we were back in OZ. How lucky are we and how does is get any better than that???

We couldn’t wait so, even though it was late and had been a very long day, we unpacked and put EVERYTHING in its place. Like we had never left. All our stuff just knew where it lived and literally jumped out of the suitcases into their ‘spots’!

Day 2 - 13/2/09
Shopping!!!!
Did I mention shopping????
We walk to ‘Crown Plaza’ and HIT THE SHOPS!!! The supermarket is ‘as I left it’ and I cruise around the isle with the familiar items as well as the “what the fuck is this??” items also and I buy what I know as well as the customary one item that I have ‘no idea’ of what it is but “Hell” lets try it anyway!!! Stock the pantry and wait for the internet man – Brian does an ‘awesome’ job speaking broken Japanese and I smile a lot. He understands but the internet is still not connected………….working on it!!! We arrange to meet with Hiromi, Natsuko and Robert. Dear dear dear friends whom we love and adore. The bell rings and we hug them until they drop……….it is so nice to be with family again. Lucky they can understand Japanese as we have Natsuko working on the computer trying to get that naughty naughty internet installed (the man has gone to leave us with the pesky (more than one) pass words/codes/unity numbers/ and just in case you needed another number number!!! Internet still not working!!! We give up and go for OBE big coffee shop for lots of coffee!!! More hugs, laughs, catching up and planning as Hiromi is Brian's . musical possible protégé and Natsuko is my right hand morphed into a clone of me interpreter extraordinaire. Robert (Natsuko’s wonderful ex-pat American husband) leaves for a ski trip and we catch up…………how wonderful to be group hugging family. We missed these wonderful souls who are our blood even though we don’t speak the same language we look into each others eyes and we don’t have to!!!
We hug again and leave for home and the internet…………….Brian tries most of the night on the mobile phone speaking to ‘just about everyone’ to get it connected. We go to bed in hope that the internet fairies will come and connect it while we sleep???

Day 3 – 14/2/09
Breakfast downstairs at our ‘apartment coffee shop’ for noodles and a catch up with Jack and Chieko. Jack comes upstairs to help us ‘decode’ the appliances……we were having trouble making the air conditioner heat instead of cool…………..not used to being here in winter as it was over 30 C last time we were here. Also wanted ‘detailed’ instructions on the many facets of the toilet and its many personalities. Jack was very forthcoming!!!
Bloody Fairies must have pissed off as the internet is still not working………….I am writing this at the end of today and the report is that Brian has spent ALL DAY well nearly, trying to get it connected- it does not help that all the instructions are in Japanese and he is talking to several people all over the country trying to work out which pass word goes into which box on which screen was it this one or the one before????
IKUTA SHRINE TIME………….we let go…………..and let be……….. the internet can function or not without us…..time to visit the guardian of Kobe at the Ikuta Shrine and pay our respects. We don our ‘matrix leather jackets’ and walk familiar streets to the shrine.
Its Valentines day (is that why it is so busy at the shrine with a line of people waiting to ring the bell and pray) another bonus was a traditional Japanese wedding was being held at the same time so all us ‘strangers’ got to ‘look in’ while we waited in line for our turn to chat to the guardian. We walk up ring the bell and have a little chat. The guardian welcomes me home and reminds me that the street paved with gold is mine and that he is guiding me…………..NO……….. I had not been drinking…………did that later!!!!
An oasis in a sea of multi story buildings. We leave the shrine and walk the streets and malls of Kobe……..hit China town and enjoy the familiar shopping – winter in Japan is so different to the summer. Boots lots and lots of boots………..legs in shorts and boots….how do the girls do it when it is so cold??? Some don’t even have tights on????
Lots of black and grey – reminds me of Melbourne!!! With a splash here and there of colour but most of the time black!!! Long long socks over the knees ………they were doing that in summer too??? It is not as cold as I imagined though Robert did tell me that the winter so far was mild and that snow was on the way!!! Yippee………such a contrast to Noosa and 35 C
You know those air-conditioned streets that I mentioned last time……….well they are heated in winter!!! Don’t you just love Japan???
Home………….and we spend the rest of the evening on the computers working on getting the internet fairies to talk to the internet. It works at just past midnight!!!!
Brian is very happy………..high five…………I go to bed!!

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of ‘MARTINS IN JAPAN’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for delay on news!!!!!

2008-09-04T21:41:00.002+09:00

Hello everyone!!!
Sorry I have been very slack in updating the news as SO MUCH HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
The aussies arrived for the lead up to the WORLD FUSION WARAKU CONCERT which was SENSATIONAL by the way and have now been and gone and we are gearing up to leave Japan- packing/cleaning and crying!!!!
So I will write the next - very long installment, on the plane and add lots and lots of photos then!!!!
sending love to all and see you back in OZ very soon.
Noeline and Brian

JAPANESE VERSION!!

2008-08-21T14:59:00.001+09:00

2008年6月19日木曜日
ブライアン・マーティン・ミュージックニュース
第五章－6月18日水曜日
こちらは暖かく、湿気があり、でも快適な気候で、明らかに7月の終わりにはもっと暑くなるのでしょう。私達は地下を歩くし、大抵の場所にはエアコンがあるので、大丈夫と思いますが。高い、高い屋根つきの、ながーい通りが、全てエアコン完備なんですよ！想像つきます！？そして勿論、お店群！！どのくらい私が天国にいる気持ちなのか言い尽くせないほどです。

ジャックが今日、彼の〝ミュージシャン″仲間の一人で、マイケル（結婚式の司祭であり、ミュージシャン、そしてマジシャンでもある・・・とてもいい人・・彼きっとこれを読むのでここは書いとかなくちゃ！）とのランチを計画してくれました。又、彼の友達のブレントもミュージシャン。（彼らは一緒に結婚式やレストランで働いています。）
ジャックいわく、「今日は僕らのお気に入りのイタリアンのお店に行くから！オーナーのペドロの誕生日なんだ！」と。又歩き出し、新しい通りを進んで・・・「あれ、どこに今いるんだっけ？」ジャックと豆の木のような、人が作ったつるに覆われた建物を通り過ぎて・・・ジャックに、「あの建物は何故あんなふうなの？」と聞くと、彼が言うにはあれは「ラブ・ホテル」だというじゃありませんか！私は眉毛を吊り上げ、解せない表情で「え？つまり売春婦のための？」と・・・微妙な感じで・・すると彼は〝ＮＯ！！″と。あれは恋人達の為であり、短い（数時間！）時間の為の場所なのだと言います。「オッケー！！」と私はそこで話をおきました。その時カメラ持ってなかったので、又もう一度戻らなくちゃ・・・（写真を撮るためだけにね・・・わかってますよ、あなたが何を考えてるかは！（笑））
レストランに着き、ペドロと他の人たちに会い、ミュージシャンとして（勿論！）ハッピーバースデイ！！をどーっと5パートのハーモニーで合唱しました。ペドロは大変感動し、私達にシャンペンを一本！と叫びました。食べ物は素晴らしく、仲間達は更にそれよりも素晴らしかったです。テーブルをはさみ、お互いからかい合いながら、素晴らしい時を過ごしました。マイケルがパーティ風船を取り出し、膨らませて、私に素晴らしい大きな赤い花を（そして私達の周りのお客さんたちもそれを見て喜んでいましたが）作ってくれました。私はそれを、誕生日のペドロにあげたので、マイケルは今度は私に紫のプードルを風船で作ってくれました。彼らは素晴らしいドライなユーモアがあり、お互いふざけあって楽しく過ごしました。マイケルはこんな風に会話できることを本当に懐かしく感じてくれました。やはり日本人とはこのように（ロスト・イン・トランスレーションですね！！）繋がることができないので、と言っていました。マイケルもブレントもこの国に10年以上住んでいて、話すのも読むのもとても上手なのです。
飲み物の多かったランチの後、私達はお店（勿論）を経由して、よろよろと家に帰りました。ジャックが私に、ウールを買える店を教えたい（私が作っているお洒落なバッグを作る為・・・・多分日本の皆さんも好きだと思うし私から買いたいと思うに違いない＾＾！）と言うことで立ち寄りました。その通りは、ファンキーなジーンズや洋服屋さん（ブライアンは来なかったから、クールなジーンズを見せにつれてこなくちゃ！）があり、彼がお金を稼ぎ、私がそれを使います（笑）。家に着いて暫くして、ブログを書くことを思い立ち、足も痛かったので、その後は家にいることにしました。そしてブライアンは味噌スープとヌードルが入った（大変手早く簡単・そしておいしい）物を作り、食し、私達は韓国映画・日本語字幕つきを鑑賞しました。アクション映画だったのはラッキー・・・水面下の怪物が下水道に沢山の人を引きずりこんで貯めて置いて、お腹が空くまで待って食べてしまう！という話だったので・・・言語は必要ありませんでした。それでは、「マーティンズ・イン・ジャパン」、次の回のエキサイティングなエピソードをお楽しみに！

2008年6月18日水曜日
BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC
ジャパン・ニュース（第１，２，３，４章まで)

第一章－6月14日土曜日

こんにちは皆さん,
無事日本の神戸までたどり着いたことをお知らせします！特に何も無いフライトと、ささっと済んだ税関を通った後は、関西国際空港にて私達の素晴らしいオーガナイザー、みゆきと落ち合い、40分かけて神戸へ、そして私達のアパートへたどり着きました。夜の11時半ごろでした。大変長い一日でした。

Ｎｏｏｓａからブリズベン空港へ行く為朝3時半に起き、それからずっと起きていたので。言うまでもなく私達は疲れていましたが、とても嬉しく、この素晴らしい小さなアパートメント（日本人の人たちには少しい大き目の基準かも）に興奮、圧倒されていました。

2つ寝室があり、大きなバスルームと、壁についているスイッチなどもすごく近代的なのです。お湯の温度もいつでもボタンを押して変えられ、シャワーの温度も38度で保つことが出来るんですよ！洗濯機は大きな青いロボット（使い方や説明は勿論日本語で書かれている）みたいで、ライトがついたら乾かすのまで全部やってくれるのです！まだ試してませんが・・・なかなか冒険でしょうね。

小さいつぼのようなものはお湯を瞬時に沸かしてくれ、沸いたらモーツァルトの曲で教えてくれます。炊飯器がコメを炊く他に何が出来るのかは、全く見当がつきません！トイレはこれまた日本特有なんです。ファンが座ると同時に回り、シートも暖めてくれるのです。終わったら、特別な場所を洗浄までしてくれます。絵がついているので水がどっちに飛んでくるか分かるし、水の飛び方、水圧、温度をお好みに自由に変えられるのです！！！意味わかりますか！！！そして違うボタンをおすと、また素敵なファンがあなたを的確に狙い、乾かしてくれるんです！そして、終わると、上から水が流れ出て、新しい水を無駄にすることなく手が洗うことが出来るのです！全てが、私に言わせれば、物凄く文化的にできている！！

前回日本に来た時にすっかりこれに魅せられたので、実は家用にも購入したのですが、まだ使えていません。（電圧が違うとか何とかで）こういうことをしっている電気屋さんを早く見つけなくてはと思っているところです。とにかく、物凄く高価な便器（噴射器なし）を家に持っているんです！

今日、土曜日、地元エリア（素晴らしいスーパーマーケット、私達のアパートの5階から徒歩一分）をガイドさんつきで観光しました。私達の窓からは教会が見え、今朝はそこで結婚式が行われていました。

丘があり、緑が後ろにあり、ケーブルカーに大変近く、それでも神戸の中心地から徒歩10分なのです！港や、沢山のお店、そしてカフェからも決して遠くは無いのです・・・・

野菜やフルーツもここでは安く、二人で15ドルも出せば食べられないくらいのディナーの量がありました！最近は豪ドルが強いので、なかなか快適です。

午後、私達は大阪へ、30分かけて電車で移動しました。大阪では地下鉄や電車を使い、大阪中を旅しました。そして地下街を歩き回ったのですが殆ど迷宮で、ショッピングモールは次の電車線に繋がっており・・・物凄く沢山の人がいました・・・・特にピーク時・・・。
ここでのファッションテイストは型にはまっておらずベイビードールスタイルのフリフリ衣装の女の子からグランジ系のパンクな子まで様々な服を着ています。素晴らしい！！！27度ぐらいで、暖かい日だったので、ちょっと蒸し暑かったけども、物凄く暑いと言うこともありませんでした。

私たちが演奏するワールド・フュージョン・コンサートの会場や、ニュー・ワールド・リズム・ジャパンと、ジョイ・オブ・シンギングコースを行う会場などをチェックしようということもあり物凄くたくさん歩きました。大阪の端から端まで歩き、大体夜9時ごろ家に戻りました。それが今です。

丁度38度のシャワー（壁に備え付けられた私達のスペシャル・ボタンにより調節）を浴びたところです。ではそろそろベッドへ向かいます。明日は又大阪の開催地を見る予定ですが、今日ほど長い一日にはならないでしょう。次の冒険をお楽しみに！
Sayonara　ノーリーンとブライアン

第二章－6月16日月曜日・15日日曜日
今、丁度この辺りのエリアを少しばかり探索して戻ってきたところです…私達は神戸の中心地からも程近く、ロープウエイの近くの、最良のエリアに住んでいます。新神戸駅からも近く、三宮駅からも徒歩10分ほどです。このリンクを見ていただけたら、大体私達がどの辺にいるか理解してもらえると思います。
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/hyogo/sannomiya.html

山々の本当にすぐ隣で、素晴らしいお店群があり、とてもお洒落な町だし、アパートも素晴らしいです！ブライアンは今日と明日、大阪に行き、昨日も見ましたが開催地を見ていますが、私はもう十分でしたので、神戸にとどまって、この土地を見てみようと思ったのです。

私達の本当にすぐ近くに、山に登るケーブルカーがあり、丁度後ろには緑が多く、とてもキレイです。すごく大きなショッピングモールとホテルが一緒になった建物が隣にあり、すごくお値段も高いのですが、あまりに素晴らしいお店群、とても素敵です。

子供達のファッションはこれまた素晴らしく、もうわたしも何でも買ってしまいたいのだけど、Ｔシャツの値段は50ドル、ビブスが25ドルからで、でもすごーーーーーーく素敵なんです。素敵なジーンズを165ドルで見たんだけど、太ももがあいませんでした。（日本では皆すごく細いの）そしてちっちゃなちっちゃな足だから、靴も私に合わないのです。

このあたりの女の子皆が、ピンヒールとかプラットフォームシューズでどうやってあんなに歩き回っているのか全く信じられないわ。素敵な靴と、素敵な長い黒いオーバーニーソックスが人気みたいで、きらきらしたバッグや靴を持っています。すんごくお化粧が濃くて、ブロンドとか明るい栗色の髪の女の子、ストレートも巻き髪もいるけれど、あれでは出かけるのに何時間もかかるのでは？と思いました。付けまつげも！！男の子もよ！（って言うのは冗談ですが）まあとにかく、男の子達については、とても着るものに気を使ってる感じがします。

私達はショッピングを楽しんで、私は100円ショップで昨日アパートで使うものを沢山買いこみました。プライスがついてなかったから、よくわからないままレジに持っていったら、なんと全てが一ドル（つまり全部が100円）だったのです。（今ちょっとドルが円より強いのです）バスマットを買おうが、ライトを買おうが、全て同じ値段なの！！彼らはきっと、お客さんが色々買い込んで、平均すると儲けが出る、と想定してるんでしょうけど、それにしても物凄く安い！そして品物もいいの。

素敵なグラスとワイングラスを買って、ウルフ・ブラス・ワインをスーパーで8ドルで買って（ワインはもっと高いと思ったので驚きました）。食べ物もなかなかお買い得です。バナナひと房は（を山のように買って、）オーストラリアより1ドル75セント安いだけだったけど、カンタロープ（ロックメロン）は30ドルで、頭のところに素敵な弓みたいな、ボウがついていて、皆、贈答用に買うと50ドルもボックス込みでするんです！食べ物はお寿司みたいにパッケージに入って売られていて、大体3ドルぐらいでディナーのものが買えるのよ！！
今日、月曜日はお休みをしてこの二日間の歩き回った体を休めようと思ってます。（コンサート会場などを見て回ったので）
又次のエキサイティングな出来事をお知らせしますね
Ｌｏｖｅ，
ノーリーンとブライアン

第三章　6月16日　月曜日・17日　火曜日

新しい友達のちえことジャック（11階に住んでいる、私達は５階）と夜に出かけました。ちえこは、最初の日、私達を地元のスーパーマーケットに連れてってくれて、土地の概要を教えてくれました。彼女はジャックの奥さんで、ジャックはもう退職していますが、生まれはアメリカで、そして今でも司祭として結婚式の神父をしているそうです。

多くの日本人が西洋式の結婚式を望んでいるので、彼がセレモニーをとりしきり（法的に、では無く、ショーとして！）するのだそう。なかなかいいお金になるということなので、私は新しいキャリアの可能性について胸躍らせていたら、ジャック曰く、日本人は結婚式を男の人だけに執り行って欲しいらしいよ！と私のアイデアは即座にノックアウトされました！まあ言うならば、結婚式の司祭としての美しくも輝かしい私の未来は、本当に薄命で美しく燃え尽きた、といえます（涙）

神戸のダウンタウン、素敵なお店群が並ぶところに、彼らが連れて行ってくれました…私には全部素敵に見えます！
まあとにかく・・・ベッドシーツが欲しかったのです（私達、シングルベッド使用です・・・ブライアンはあまり嬉しくなかったようです・・・）が、二つをくっつけあわせてひとつにしました。そしてベッドはすごくすごく硬い（８月にオーストラリアから来る人たちへの注意！）ので、私は良く眠れそうです。日本人は床に寝る（そうよ、床よ。ゆ・か）か、その場合はちっちゃな平な〝スリープマット″を使う－どっちかっていうと、〝朝になったらマッサージが必要″なマットと呼んだ方がいいかも－そうでなければすんごく硬いベッドに寝るのです！厚手の掛け布団もあるのだけれど、夜はちょっと暑いのでシーツを買いに行こうと思ったのですが・・・なんてこと！シーツを買うのがこんなに大変だとは誰も想像できない程でした！でもホントなんです。シーツはあるのですが、カスタムメイドで、その〝平らなスリープマット″用だからサイズが合わないのです。他のものは小さすぎるし。だから、私は大きな、大きなタオルブランケットみたいなもの、夏にうわ掛けするものだといわれたんだけど、それを買いました。汗まみれになりそうだけど、いいえ、そんなに暑くないの。だってエアコンがあるから！

そしてブライアンの「新しい」ヘッドフォンを買いにでかけました。古いのが壊れちゃったので・・・・（なぜか驚きませんが！）そこでは、おっきな壁一面に５０ドルから５００ドルのヘッドフォンがあり、同じ曲を聴き比べられるようになっていました。ブライアンが５００ドルのやつを聞いていたのでちょっと怖くなりましたが・・・ですよね？安いのを勧め続けたんだけど（私には違いが解らないし）彼は「ＮＯ」っていって、２００ドルのやつを買うことに決めたの。（特別価格だったのでそれはそれでＯＫだけど）それは小型で旅用に小さくたためるタイプです（その時まで持てば、の話しですが！）。彼は今「Listen」という曲を編集中なので、編集が早く終わればそれだけ皆さんに早くお聴かせすることもできるのでいいと思いました。

家に帰る途中でジャックとちえこのお気に入りの“カフェ”に立ち寄り私達はチキンを食べました・・・・・このお店はチキンしかないのです。チキン・・・あらゆる部位があるのですが、そのちっちゃなお皿に載せられたチキンレバーは、なかなかおいしいマヨネーズみたいなのがついてました（私は気に入ったけどブライアンは気に入らなかったみたい、そういう顔してました）。続いて串刺しの“関節”を注文。油っぽい白い背骨（ぱきぱきしておいしい）そして串刺し皮（明らかに脂肪を削ぎ落とし、小さなボールにしてあって、それをバーベキューにしてあるの）・・・おいしかった。それから小さなチキンの玉を（いいえ、そっちの“玉”じゃなくて・・・トリにも“○玉”ってついてるんだっけ？？）。とにかく私達全員、日本のビール（ブライアンとジャック用）、そしてお酒（女性用に）を沢山飲みました。あんなに沢山のお酒の種類があるって気がつかなかったので、全部飲んで試してみないと！と決意しました。又その後の経過をレポートします！フラフラしながら家に帰って、私達が結論付けたのは、日本人って、あんなに細いのは、彼らはとにかく歩くからだ！！と言い合いました。（注意：とにかくやたら歩くの！いつでも！楽な靴を履いてきて！！）

火曜日は家にいると決めてあり（歩くのは無し！！）今、ブライアンはアパートの下にあるコーヒーショップにいます・・わー！すごい！私たちってお洒落じゃない！？彼は家で仕事をしなくても済むように、家の外で編集したいみたいなの！私は家にいて、これを書きながら、後で彼に合流してカプチーノを飲む予定・・そこ、すごくおいしいの！
それから多分ぶらぶらと（すごくゆっくりの予定）スーパーにいって、エプソムのお塩を買うつもり。私達の疲れた足の為にね！
次回のエキサイティングなエピソード、「マーティンズ・イン・ジャパン」をお楽しみに！！
Ｌｏｔｓ　ｏｆ　Ｌｏｖｅ，
ノーリーンとブライアン

第４章　６月１７日　火曜日　水曜日　18日　水曜日

火曜日はジャックが電話してきて「退屈してるんだ。ランチでもどう？」と言うまではとても静かな日でした。だから、私は既においしい餃子（というこちらの料理。オーストラリアにあるディムスィム（揚げ餃子）を月のような形にしたもので、もっとおいしいの。）と、イタリアンサラダ（何でも色々な種類を混ぜるのが好きなの！）を作っていたんだけど、「いいよ、じゃあ中華でも行こう！」と二人で返事しました。ジャックのお気に入りの中華料理店で素晴らしいランチをして（日本人のウエイトレスがチャイナドレスを着てるの）、なんだか今どこにいるのかわからなくなっちゃった！食べ物はおいしくて、ブライアンは前の晩に（チキのところ）ジャックがお支払いをしてくれていたので、トイレに行くフリをしてこっそり抜け出し、お支払いを済ませました。

ジャックと別れて、100円ショップへ・・・後ろ髪引かれたのよ！そしてお互いに素敵な日本のおわんと味噌おわん（とっても小さくてフタがついているの）を買ったから、これで家でも伝統的に食べられます。家に帰る途中でちっちゃなカフェ兼ショップに立ち寄りコーヒーを頼みました。そこの女性の縫った、パッチワーク刺繍が見事なバッグや可愛いものが沢山あって、お土産に数点買わずにはいられなかったです！（すごくキレイなの！）お店の親切な男性が、ブライアンにいつでも日本語を使うよう、ちょっと強引に（＾＾；教えてくれたので（家にいて私といるときでさえ！二人きりで！）、ブライアンに「それはやめて」っていう顔をしました。！

それから、違う方向へ、カフェを探しに－コンピュータをセットアップできるところ、そうすれば仕事が出来るので、そんな場所を探しに行きました。ブライアンの「Listen」の編集はもうすぐ完成しそうで、私はみんなに送る写真を編集-そうすればみんなのコンピュータメモリーを壊すことが無いように－していました。

私の息子、ハ－ヴェイ曰く、ブログはずっと続けていけば、どんなに楽なことかわかると言います。楽しみだわ！

マンションの前の小さな通りを、夕食を摂るために二人で歩き、地元のお祭りを見ました。小さなカフェ（そう、日本では人間を含めて何でもちっちゃいの）に立ち寄り、そこは鉄板の周りに10席しかない！とにかく地元の人たちが食べたりするところで、私達を見て、私達「外人」（「外の人」という意味－これは失礼な言い方で、日本人同士が外人の聞こえないところで使う呼び名）を見慣れないようで変な感じで見てきました。しかし私達はとてもいい態度で、一生懸命日本語だけを使おうと努力しました。すると彼らは私達を笑って、そして助けてくれました。そこで学んだのは、指を刺してオーダー、或いは他の人が食べているもの、オーダーしたものを頼むのはなかなかいい方法だと気がつきました。よさそうならオーダーしてみるのです。多くの飲食店では沢山の料理の写真がありますが、私のお気に入りは外にあるプラスティックの見本料理です。あれを見れば、何が運ばれてくるかすごく良くわかるのですもの！勿論プラスティックは食べられませんけど。この小さなカフェには写真やプラスティックのものは無く、何も英語で表示されていなかったので、「他の人たちが食べているのを見るため待つ」方法を試しました。私たちはラッキーでした。料理がとてもおいしかったですから。私達の前で調理してくれて、それを同じ鉄板から食べるのです。シェフが、食べ物をすくって、アルミフォイルに入れ、素敵なお皿に二秒で入れてくれます。家に帰ってから練習しなくちゃ、「アルミフォイル・折り紙皿」を！シェフはすごく簡単そうに作っていたけど、私にも出来るかどうかはわかりません。これらのすごくおいしい「パンケーキ」（日本名はお好み焼き）、沢山の野菜や肉が入ったものを食べ、これはある意味アートかも、と思えるような調理法はただ楽しく、そして食すことが出来ました。他のお客さんたちも私達の日本語が上手くないのにとても親切で、私達はお互い顔の表情とジェスチャーで殆ど分かり合えたようでした。

ブライアンは小さなノートを持ち歩いていて、両方の言語で何でも書き留めているのです。. 片方には日本語、片方は英語・・・ブライアンは両方とも学ぼうとしています・・・そして私はそんな彼について歩くのです！
それから、笑顔とお辞儀はすごく効果があると言うことを発見！温かいお酒（あつかん）も戴きました・・・・・私、このお酒が好きなようです（最新酒レポート）・・・暖かいお酒はいいです！とにかく、食べ物は素晴らしかったし、すごーーーーく安かったです。二人で25ドルぐらいでおなかいっぱい！大体家から２０Ｍぐらいの場所。この日本での経験を私達、本当に楽しんでるって言えるでしょう？

Martins In Japan -Chapter 32

2008-08-16T23:51:00.002+09:00

Chapter 32 Sunday 6th – Saturday 16th August 2008

We love Japan!!!
Our stay here has been both enlightening and perplexing. The Japanese are a people of paradoxes- so generous and welcoming but also reserved. They are very forgiving of me with my stilted and mispronounced Japanese yet I am not sure if all my faux pas are overlooked. It is hard to tell as they smile at me anyway even when I am doing ‘Big Gaijin Dag’!!! So the ‘front face/back face’ dichotomy continues to confuse and delight me. I am also learning to bow in increments as there are certain degrees in the angle and depth of the bow depending on the situation. ‘Bow etiquette’! Lots of subtle behaviours that I am just now learning to recognise as I ‘Bull in a china shop’ around the place. The wonderful Japanese just bow and smile!

This week has been a busy one. It is ‘Summer Holiday’ time here. The Japanese take their holidays seriously as they don’t take many and everyone is on trains/planes and automobiles travelling to family or holiday destinations. Which means the city is pretty empty – for Japanese standards – still looks like ‘Burke Street’ on a Saturday morning as far as I can tell. All the summer sales are on “Hold me Back!!!” and lots of places are having ‘special’ events and entertainment. We attended ‘several’ little festivals in different locations going to see some of the musicians that are playing in our concert perform. The wonderful ‘Kimono ladies’ doing ‘Japanese Line Dancing’. All the kids and teenagers out in their ‘Yukata’s’ looking gorgeous and watching the little ones ‘fishing’ for gold fish in little ponds is funny as they get their sleeves all wet!!! (see photos). There are street stalls selling all manner of food and drink as well as side shows etc. One guy was selling BUGS!!! Really really BIG BUGS (see photo!!) Only in Japan!!
We went to harbour land and had a ride on the ‘big Ferris wheel’ it moves really slowly and has great views of the harbour and the city as well as the fun park with the Double Decker carousel etc (see photos).

I ran my ‘Women’s Wisdom workshop and ‘Rinako’ came on the bullet train from Tokyo to stay over with us and translate for me. It was a wonderfully received workshop and it will be one that I am looking forward to repeating in Australia. Natsuko (another wonderful lady that we have met here with her husband Richard) also helped to interperet and will being interpereting my Love Languages courses. We all went out for dinner and Rina had a great time as she had never been to Kobe. Brian and I took her ‘up the local Ropeway’ to look at the view and walk in the herb garden. We also went up the 36 floors to the top of Crown Plaza to look at the night view (see photos) and drink cocktails at the bar which was really fun!!! It will be a spot to take all the Aussies when they arrive. Speaking of which, Imogen is here now and has attended the Music Facilitator Training with Brian and is already ‘turning Japanese’ getting into the food. I have initiated her in the art of ‘100 yen shopping’ and she is hooked!!! This is her first trip out of Australia so a bit of a culture shock for her.

Its been a very exciting holidays for us as we have had no choir on this week so Brian has been mixing and mastering his solo album at ‘Vintage Studios’ with Yuichi and it is finished!!!!! YAY!!!! So if you have ordered the cd you will be receiving it soon!!!! Thank you all for your patience.
Brian is very very pleased and it sounds amazing Yuichi didn’t have much English but a real feel for the music and took it home at night and listened to it working till the wee hours of the morning and has done a great job.
We are really enjoying ourselves and are looking forward to the rest of the Aussies arriving so we can show them around!!!
Sending love to all that’s it for another episode of ‘MARTINSSSSSS INNNNNNN JAPANNNNN!!!!!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 31)

2008-08-09T15:27:00.003+09:00

Chapter 31 – Friday 1st August – Saturday 8th August 2008

Now the Japanese love playing games and they spend time in ‘Ball Parlours’.
These places are very very noisy, smoky and flashy and I could not think of a worse place to spend my spare time but they love them. They buy trays of little silver balls and put them into ‘slot’ machines and play, not sure of the rules but it looks a bit like a cross between ‘pinball and slot’ machines. Anyway each to his own. (see photo taken from ‘outside’ through the window!!)
There are also other places (aimed more at kids) that have coin tokens and this looks a bit more interesting (looks like money so you feel you are winning!!!) Interactive Monopoly, a ‘push the coin into the slot at the right time and a whole lot fall down and pay you’ game. A game with fish and you shoot them using the coins in a slot!!! (That one actually looked like fun and the little girl playing it seemed really good at it! No age limit in the ‘coin’ place.)
Its funny who you will talk to just crossing the street (or maybe it isn’t for me………….anyway.) There are not many ‘Gaijin’ around so when we see another one of ‘our species’ we tend to flock together!!! We met these really nice people Cash (Canadian) and Michael (Sydney) crossing the street in Tokyo. They are filming a documentary and are only in Japan for 2 weeks before heading off to Taiwan……….what a life!!! Only poor Michael had to carry a very heavy back pack camera. He looked like a camel. (see photo.)

Went shopping (what’s new!!!) and found these really natty little usb flash drives (you know the memory stick thingys that go into the computer.) Not happy with the plain looking ones they Jappy them up and make them into food!!! (see photos) In fact I have purchased some plastic food to hang off my phone. They make all sorts of wonderful things to hang off your phone and there are many phones adorned with countless ‘dingles’. Brian even has one now………a very stylish silver keyboard and musical note!!!
“I think I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so da da dad a dad a da.”
Brian likes shopping here as they have really neat clothes for guys. Mind you a lot of them look a bit ‘gay’!! With teased dyed hair and ‘very ornate’ sandles. But Brian has taken a liking to their ‘man bags’ and we have purchased him a couple. Also their shoes are awesome. Of course Brian liked the blue ones in the window, we went in and all the shoes were from Italy and the ones with price tags started at $300 (The blue ones didn’t even have a price tag so we guessed they were around $2000) yep for a pair of blokes shoes!!!! We found a nifty equivalent though in a fantastic shop that had floors and floor of mazes and great stuff and bought him some funky shoes for a little less than $2000!!!! Hold me back!!

Brian had his last English class this week. He took over for Katie who was going back to America for a holiday. He has really enjoyed the class and they got to learn a song in harmony (bet that doesn’t happen in many English classes!!!) I am doing ‘group’ lessons now and having a great time. I went on the net to get some ‘hand outs’ and some reference material as this is new to me but if you are a native speaker you can get work just teaching pronunciation. That is really the hardest thing for them to master and even the seasoned interpreters have trouble getting around the Rs’ and Vs’.
Japanese is a vowel dominate language and they tend to miss the beginning and ends of words. Cant do that when speaking English as we end up eating ‘Lice’ instead of ‘Rice’!!! When you explain it to them they squirm too!!!!
They just don’t hear the difference and yet it is so clear to us. Very interesting!!! He also did a singing workshop with some mums and their kids and they had a great time – body percussion went over particularly well. (see photo)!
Went to a jazz bar the other night to listen to a violin player who is going to play in our concert with a pianist and singer they were really good though the singers English was really bad and I had to change my filter and just listen to the sounds rather than her funny English cos is spoils the songs otherwise. They were doing Jazz standards like ‘Blue Moon’ etc. Some songs I had not heard before and could not understand what she was singing about so listened like it was a new language and enjoyed the music. It is a shame though that most of the Japanese singers we have heard do not sing English very well at all. Now there is an opening for a ‘Singing Teacher’!!!!
Brian also go to sing one of his songs and played piano and then sang a bit later with the jazz singer it was great and they had a lot of fun together improvising.
We met the owner (really funny sweet man) he owns the bar for fun but he is a jewellery designer and has 11 stores.
I had been admiring a few rings in a cabinet that was at the bar, one ring I really liked $150 and a couple more that took my fancy. When he mentioned that he had designed them I said to Brian “can we buy the $150 one” so the guy went and got it out of the cabinet I tried it on and it fit perfectly he said he would give us musicians discount $30!!!!!!!! Are you sure I said yep only $30 so we bought all 3 rings for the grand total of $100!!!!! Bargain!!!! We will look at getting his jewellery to Australia as it is really unique. What a nice man I think he was being extra generous as he liked us!!!
He uses silver and semi precious stones my favourite is huge ring with spirals and zircons just gorgeous!!! Not a shy persons ring!! Very big and out there!!
That’s it till next time for ‘MARTINNNNNNS INNNNNNN JAPANNNN!!!’

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 30)

2008-07-31T18:54:00.001+09:00

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!!!!!!!!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 29)

2008-07-24T12:56:00.000+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 28)

2008-07-22T11:49:00.000+09:00

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 MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 27)

2008-07-20T19:18:00.001+09:00

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!!!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 26)

2008-07-17T01:04:00.000+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 25)

2008-07-16T00:54:00.000+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 24)

2008-07-14T20:30:00.002+09:00

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!!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 23)

2008-07-09T23:58:00.002+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 22)

2008-07-08T14:07:00.003+09:00

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!!!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 21)

2008-07-07T00:00:00.000+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 20)

2008-07-06T12:59:00.002+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 19)

2008-07-05T10:31:00.000+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 18)

2008-07-03T16:36:00.001+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 17)

2008-07-02T12:12:00.002+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 16)

2008-07-01T14:24:00.002+09:00

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!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 15)

2008-06-30T11:32:00.002+09:00

Chapter 15 – Saturday 28th June 2008

Today we planned to go and see ‘Takarabune’ the A Capella group that we met, sing at a large department store in Kobe. Here we go another ‘navigation adventure’!!! We found the right train and changed train lines and actually got there just in time. The girls were wonderful with tight harmonies and fantastic percussive expertise. We chatted with them after the performance and they each got a ‘trusty key ring kangaroo’ we made sure that they matched the colours of the kangaroos vests with their gorgeous long gown outfits. Yep! Another ‘Nols Fashion Triumph!!!’ Brian and I then went shopping…………No!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep!!! I found some new shoes. “Why are we not surprised!!” I cant believe how much walking we are doing. (Note to the Aussie lot coming over here soon: BRING COMFY SHOES and ones that can handle wet weather!!!!) Brollys are cheap and prolific here so you buy one when you arrive! We found a ‘Croc’ shop………..you know the bright rubber shoes everyone wears. Well I have never been a fan of them though people who have ‘originals’ tell me that they are really great! So Brian and I have relented and we are now wearing our ‘Crocs’. Brian got a pair that are all covered in (no holes) so look more like ‘interesting’ shoes and I got a ‘Minny Mouse’ red pair that don’t look like ‘Crocs’ at all……..waterproof!! We looked for jeans for Brian……….they have really ‘cool’ styles here with lots of patterns and chains and tears and stuff. The more tears the more expensive! Brian saw a pair with dragons embroidered on them problem is sizing it is hard to find things to fit. (Including shoes – my size 8 is considered about the biggest size and of course you have less choice!!) So no dragons for Brian as they didn’t fit! :(
I love all the wonderful fabrics and paper here and am having heaps of fun playing in the ‘craft’ isles. I am stocking up on wonderful Japanese designs for my ‘Fizychik - card creations’ and am looking at doing ‘fusions’ of Jappy and Aussie designs in my spare time. Huh? What spare time!!!
Brian wanted to buy some mugs. Whenever we do a course or have a special event we anchor it with a mug so that when we drink out of them it reminds us of the person or event. We found a wonderful shop full of bowls and plates, cups and glasses. All very Japanese. There is just something about their designs that I really love and I just wanted them all. In the end we found very simple hand thrown pottery mugs. The shop keeper kept bowing so low and running around serving us Japanese tea (in wonderful little cups of course.) and gift wrapping our purchases. I want to go back there just to experience his humble sweetness. Everyone is so helpful and the service is excellent. The ‘Croc shop’ guy ran across the road in the rain with us just to give us some directions. (I gave him a ‘trusty kangaroo’ in thanks!) Another lady I bought shoes off………….yes I know more shoes……….what can I say I like shoes!!!!! She took us out of the department store into the main shops to show us where the cafes were. Very polite and very helpful. Aussies take note!!!

We are spending a lot of time with Miyuki and Aki (Mugan Life Team) and as their English is minimal and our Japanese is the same, we have lots of fun and a little bit of frustration trying to communicate. Miyuki is staying with us in the ‘music room’ and Aki has a little one bedroom unit in the same block as us but they spend most of the time in our living room on the computers. There are 4 of them going all at the same time…………a hive of activity!!! I have to put my foot down and send them to bed as they stay up till past 1 am most nights working. Can’t believe how late the Japanese work here. Still making phone calls at 11pm. We had a business meeting with some wonderful guys ‘Jin & Yuminaka’ and we met them at 10pm for dinner!!! (See photo)The trains are still full at midnight!!!! “GO TO BED!!!!”

We have taught the girls to swear!!! Brian even wrote a phrase (which will not be repeated here) in Katakana so they could get the pronunciation exactly right!!! “F##KING AWESOME, MATE! (whoops!) It’s a Kak just listening to them practicing – breaks us up!!! They are so sweet looking too it just doesn’t seem right! Trust me to get them into mischief!!
Anyway stay on the edge of your seat the next instalment is on the drawing board……………………..”MARTINSSSSSSSSSSSSSS INNNNNNNNNNN JAPANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 14)

2008-06-29T23:41:00.001+09:00

Chapter – 14 - Friday 27th June 2008

We were off on another ‘adventure’ today on the other side of Osaka to visit
‘Kimiko’ a friend of ours whom we have met several times in Australia and Japan in the past. Kimiko, very kindly, offered to be the drop off point for 3 ‘boxes of stuff’ that we posted before leaving Australia, mainly filled with ‘gifts’!
Japan has a gift giving custom that is prolific. You give everyone gifts all the time it seems. Well not quite, but it is the custom to bring a gift if you are meeting someone for the first time or as a thank you. ‘Local area’ gifts are considered the best as they represent the place that you come from and many Japanese exchange cakes or delicacies common to their region. So we have come armed with lots and lots of local ‘Noosa’ & ‘Aussie’ goodies. But I have been waiting for the boxes to arrive for ages (2 of them went missing and lots of phone calls back and forth eventually found them!! Thank you to our wonderful Fiona who is holding the fort at home.)
We had to navigate the ‘world wide web’ train system to get to Kimiko’s place and mobile phone/information booth/’you are here’ boards and crossed fingers, found us eventually on the right train. We did jump on one train and just at the very very last minute discovered we were heading for Kyoto!!!
Very nice place (one of the oldest preserved cities in Japan) but “Not today please!”
Kimiko was there to meet us in her car with her sister and very shy daughter. They took us to a fantastic local restaurant decorated in ‘traditional’ style (see photos). We ordered udon noodles and tempura (veges and prawns lightly battered and deep fried – very nice not like ‘normal fried food’.) Brian ordered the ‘Home Run’ dish and it was HUGE!!! He managed to eat it all though. Why are we not surprised! Kimiko took us back to her house. This is a great honour as most Japanese meet at cafes or away from their homes. So we felt very special to be invited. Kimiko had lots of different cakes and sweets on offer as well as several different kinds of drink. Oolong Tea is served cold as is traditional Japanese tea (both smoky in flavour – I prefer the Japanese Tea) Also hot tea and variations of the above. The sweets are very interesting looking. Bamboo leaves wrapped around ‘gluten’ – green in colour from the mugwort, would you believe and in the middle ‘sweet red bean paste’. Very very sticky – Note: “Don’t eat the bamboo leaves – very tough and for wrapping only!” Another variation is a green globby ball which is made out of ground rice. Then there is the pale green rice balls wrapped in maple leaves (Note: Maple leaves are OK to eat!)
Bamboo leaves………no eat……….maple leaves………eat………bamboo leaves…….no eat………….maple leaves……….eat! OK I think I have got it!!
We had brought our empty suit cases and back packs to fill up with all the goodies out of the boxes. Much easier to navigate home with wheels than carrying boxes. It was like Christmas with me unwrapping all the things I had packed weeks before and I was very pleased to have all the gifts as we had been meeting lots of new people and were ‘gift less’ so I have been happily dishing out the ‘kangaroo key rings’, Kitschy, but they love them.

On our way back we got to talking to these wonderful ‘older’ ladies in their Kimonos going home from somewhere special. We stood in line for the train with them and also on the ride back home. One of the ladies handed us her fan which was tucked into her ‘Obe’, that is the wide banded belt that goes around the waist of the Kimono. We were very touched as it is very beautiful with see through butterflies and golden wooden fanny bits. She then apologised that it was not ‘new’!!! We said we preferred that it was not as it had her ‘energy’ on it. Then another lady gave us a pretty cloth cover for it!!!
They were so generous and humble. I was so happy that I had ‘gifts’ and rummaged around in the suit case and found our ‘trusty clip on koalas’ they loved them and they all looked very fetching in their soft coloured, elegant Kimonos with their iridescent clip on koalas carrying aussie flags!!! A wonderful cultural fashion fusion!!! Tasteful very tasteful – good on ya Nols! Trust you to create a whole new fashion look!!!
The Gods have been working overtime with the blessings as we have had lots of ‘spooky synchronistic’ events happening!! Always nice confirmation that we are ‘in the flow’! We were getting on the train…………”Yea I know……..again”!!
And were just about to go on the escalator with that nice ’voice’ lady that talks to us but decided on the lift at the last minute (another nice ‘voice’ lady there too!) A girl jumped on at the last minute with us and just happened to be Australian!!! Kim! So we walked to the train together and sat and got talking and as stories go she is a singer too and lives in Sydney but used to live on the North Coast and sang with ‘Isabella A Cappella’. “Have you heard of the choir, Brian”!!! Well……………..just so happens that Brian sang with that choir for many years and Isabella was his mentor. Also seems that Kim is good friends with the ‘Best Man’ at our wedding, Simon!!! OH MY GOD!!! (I say that a lot!) What an amazingly small world it really is………..just don’t fart sideways cos someone will find out even across the other side of the world!!!
Well gotta go to bed…………….these Japanese working hours are crazy!!! Its midnight and here I am still on the computer!!!
So there closes another episode of “Martinssssssssssss Innnnnnnnnn Japannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn”!

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 13)

2008-06-28T12:22:00.001+09:00

Chapter – 13 Thursday 26th June 2008

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

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 12)

2008-06-26T22:01:00.005+09:00

Chapter 12 - Wednesday 25th June 2008

Today we went to a café close to our place which looks like a whole forest has been chopped down to build it! No, seriously! All the tables are big and I mean big slabs of wood. The round tables are whole trees and seat 10 people (at least). The walls are all lined with wood and the beams are huge trunks. So of course all the food is BIG. We ordered an iced coffee each and a coffee jelly to share, lucky as when they arrived we just laughed in disbelief. The coffees came in 1 pint tankards like German beer and the coffee jelly was in a bowl the size of a salad bowl covered in cream with maple syrup on the side!!! The people next to us had the same situation. Her ‘fruit smoothie’ was served in a bowl like a gold fish bowl and as big and he had a lemon drink that came in a long tall jug rather than a glass as well as an ice-cream sundae that was over a foot tall with an ice-cream clown on top with a cone for a hat and cherries for eyes.
We were all laughing and wondered at how we were going to put all this stuff inside of us! (We couldn’t finish our food.) but the price was really really good and we saw that if you order a drink you get breakfast free!!! Toast and jam with an egg!!! We will try that next time. They were lovely people and were both primary school teachers and their English was passable they helped Brian with his ‘Kanji’ (One of the three Japanese alphabets that he is learning) it is also the hardest. Trust Brian to take on not just one but three!

Brian has been doing a lot of editing on the ‘Listen’ album and it is sounding wonderful. It is getting closer and closer and will be produced over here and all you wonderfully patience people in Aussie land will get them first and signed as promised! Thanks for hanging in there. By the way- you can hear a sample of 'My Heart Listen's', on the website - just click the link at the bottom of the homepage (just above the blog link!) Happy listening. Well done to Brian (of course) Lea (backing vocals) Rick Halstead(sax)Brett Young (guitar).You guys rock!!!

I went shopping at the supermarket today. There are so many different things on the shelves that I walk down the aisles with my eyes bugging out.
Most of the stuff I can maybe guess what it is but a lot of stuff I just have no idea. Baby eels in slime, tiny dried fish, dried fungus and other wonderful things. So I buy what I can recognise and then I buy some stuff that I don’t, got to experiment! I found a little display on one of the shelves with the most adorable miniature miniature food and cutlery and plates and stuff. You buy the sets in little boxes and on the back is what might be inside (it’s a lucky dip.) I was standing there ohing and awing with this little 3 year old boy. We were both in awe. (I bought 5 boxes!) Couldn’t wait to get home and open up my ‘special surprises’. (you get a piece of chewy too! Bonus!) I got an Italian meal (it has a little bottle of beer and tiny knife and fork and even a tiny receipt in a holder!) see photo sorry its a bit blurry. I scored in one of the boxes ‘A day at the fair’ with pop corn and toffee apple (so tiny made for fairies). I’m such a big kid. I have set them up on a counter near the kitchen so I can look at them all the time. I am hopeing that the fairies will come to our place to have a meal. Well there is Italian, Japanese and desert!! I may share them with the nieces and nephews if they are lucky but its going to be really hard to part with them!

Tonight is 'Cooking at home' night and I am experimenting with some of the interesting "I’m not sure what it is?" Ingredients, more lucky dip? I am blessed with a husband who will eat just about anything and in lightning fast time so if I’m lucky he won’t notice the octopus testicles! (Do they have balls?) Well you never know what you are going to get in “Noelines Japanese Kitchen!”
Cheers and stayed tuned for another ripping episode of “Martinnnnnnnnnnnns Innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Japannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 11)

2008-06-25T12:56:00.001+09:00

Chapter 11 - Tuesday 25th June 2008

Today it was our trip to the Nagata Shrine for Ebusi-Shin the God of Business and prosperity.(see photo). We got ourselves to Nagata via the subway and did a pretty good job of navigating our way through the labyrinth of Japanese subway/train lines. There are sub stations within sub stations and different companies run different lines. There are machines that give you your ticket and luckily with some of the machines you can push an ‘English’ button and it all converts to our language (just a little easier to understand!!). You can buy ‘credit’ and feed your ‘card’ through the gates.
You put it in one end and it gets sucked out the other and tells you how much credit you have left. Some lines have a hard plastic credit card that you pay a deposit on (so you don’t chuck it out) and you can top it up. Other lines sell you a floppy card that is disposable.
Now which rubbish bin do I put that in?
Burnable paper or metal and foil???? Oh dear just trying to figure out the rubbish etiquette is getting to me and Brian has given up I think and looks at me with that ? face. Which bin dear?”
The trains run regularly and on time! Yay! So if you miss one it’s not long till the next one and they are very very clean. Come to think of it you don’t really see any rubbish around anywhere other than on collection days. If you are lucky enough to know which kind of rubbish day it is!!!!
At the moment it is ‘big rubbish’ day. That happens once every 2 months and there is anything from tables and chairs to clothes and bric-a-brac a bit like our kerbside council pick up. You only see the street people (and there are not many of them) picking through it. They score pretty well I think as the Japanese seem to like ‘new’ cos the stuff I saw on the piles looked pretty darn good! Bit like an op shop on the street and it’s for free!!
Now where was I…………….???? Oh yes, the Nagata Shrine. Very beautiful and the district of Nagata seemed more ‘local’ like little shops and the buildings not so big. Cheaper veges and some shoes that were only $20. Shoes are very expensive in Japan and they don’t have my size. (I’m only a size 8 but that’s like ‘big foot’ here.) Did I mention that the women are like little sparrows and have feet to match also no thighs; a pair of pants doesn’t go past my knees let alone get over my leg. So if you are bigger than a size 10 you are very limited to what you can buy unless you go for the baggy look!
Linen is popular with the older ladies and cool in this climate too. Looks like ‘baggy linen’ for me! I don’t iron so it will have to be ‘baggy, crinkly linen’ – nice look Nols!
Now where was I again……………..????? Oh yes, the Nagata Shrine. Hang on we are getting there! Yes…………very beautiful and lovely wide open grounds surrounding the main shrine and lots of little ones for the 7 other gods.
We did the rounds and rang the bells. Oh yea………….now the deal is that you have to make a donation (gift) to the gods so that they help you out (or no blessings for you buster) and there is a special ritual that you do. First you go to the water fountain (which is out the front of every temple) and drink and wash your hands.
Then you bow before entering the gates (the big archway things that look Japanese (funny bout that!) – you know the kind you see in all the pictures.) Then you stop by the shop and purchase either a pray book thingy which has the prays that you want already in them, like prosperity or good health or good luck or no senility (I need that one.) Or a wooden plaque that you can write your pray on or several other versions of same. You then go up to the stairs to the front entrance. Throw your money offering into the big box container, Bow, clap 3 times, ring the bell (which is at the top of a big thick rope and looks like an over grown cow bell and sounds just as tinny (not like a pretty chapel bell),
Then you say your prays (whatever they are) and when your done you clap 3 times again and bow again. You do the rounds of all the other little shrines which surround the main shrine and do the same thing (these are the ‘support team’) not all of them have bells though. Lots of clapping and ringing and bowing going on around these places. If you did it anywhere else they would put you away! Then on exiting you bow at the entrance arch and your done. You got your blessings!! Yay!!
How did we know to do this? Watching the locals!! You think that they would have an instruction book just so we don’t look like dickheads! Now there is an opportunity for a bright young thing! ‘Noeline’ famous for her ‘Temple etiquette for ‘Gaijin’ (that’s an impolite way of describing everyone who is not Japanese).
Well another successful ‘Shrine day, we feel adequately blessed and grounded and now can be considered as acquainted with our hosts. Dually noted and in the record books of the gods. Blessing, blessings many many blessings.
Sending many blessing to all of you (we can cos we have heaps to spare.)
Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode of “Martins In Japan”.
(Remember the Muppets and ‘Pigs In Space’???) every time you read it you gotta say it like the Muppets. OK?! Ready
“Martinsssssssssss Innnnnnnnnn Japannnnnnnnn” with that big booming voice and you gotta look up in the air like Miss Piggy used to do looking for the voice. It gives you a better effect then! Good!

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 10)

2008-06-24T22:06:00.003+09:00

Chapter 10 Monday 23rd June 2008

Today was a special day as we planned to go on a pilgrimage to the Ikuta Shrine (see photo) which houses the god that protects the city of Kobe and has many devotees. It dates back as far as the 700s AD. Yep really really old!
It is very important to introduce yourself to the guardian of the land in which you are a visitor so they can let the other gods know that you are here. You wanna as much help as you can get.
We decided to walk along the line of the mountain (see terrace photo) just along our street. We live in such a pretty part of Kobe. The further down the street we went the prettier it got with lots of little shops and exclusive wedding boutiques. There are lots of little chapels around (see photo) to cater for the ‘western style’ weddings which is what Jack does (as mentioned in earlier blogs). It is a very popular place as it is so pretty.
We wandered down the hill away from the mountains toward the Shrine and passed a line of teenagers waiting to go into a night club of some sort even though it was the afternoon. They were dressed in all sorts of garb from platform shoes and shorts with those funny long socks to ‘Baby Doll’ (see photo). I will endeavour to get more ‘fashion’ photos but most of the time people are moving fast and are hard to catch. But I am on task you can count on me to capture the fashion ‘essence’ of Japan!!!
(See attached photo ‘Male Fashion’ – a MUST for Brian don’t you think?)

The Ikuta Shrine (see photo) is surrounded by tall buildings, shops and by crazy city life yet is a wonderful peaceful oasis . There are old old trees and there is the Ikuta Wood at the rear rich in greenery which is popular with the locals to ‘get away and get back to nature’. The energy of the place was very tangible and Brian and I both experienced a feeling of ‘coming home’ and were drawn very strongly to the oldest section of the grounds. We were very moved by the whole place and are grateful to Yusan for advising us to visit this Shrine to ground us here in Japan. We will visit the Nagata Shrine tomorrow (which has over 1800 years of history and is the home of the guardian of business and prosperity and good fortune.) There are also ‘The seven Gods of Good Fortune’ represented there who are a group of gods from India, China and Japan. So we will defiantly be visiting there to get all their blessings!! Bring on the blessings!!!

We were drawn to the harbour and walked through more shopping streets and wonderful buildings (the architecture here is so diverse and modern – only 10 years old due to the earthquake destroying so much of Kobe proper.)
The Kobe harbour area is wonderful lots of space-age buildings.(see photos) We visited the Memorial to the earthquake victims, very moving but also inspiring watching footage of the re-building. We wandered around getting the lay of the land and made our way back in the direction of home via Chinatown. Lanes full of wonderful food vendors and grocery shops, cafes and gift shops. (see photo) We had a good Chinese meal and met a cute little lady who was 90 years old (see photo) Yep, have been taking just a few photos! Chinatown is right next door to one of the ‘covered air-conditioned’ shopping streets. Only in Japan!!! We found a great T Shirt for Brian that says “I love Kobe” (like the I love NY) but in Japanese with the love heart!!! We also found some cotton kimonos (we like to wear them as robes) very authentic and we really look like locals now! But only at home cos it wouldn’t be right to wear our bath robes down the street, I don’t think.

We passed a small little shopfront with the most wonderful and amazing artwork. It was the workshop of 'Itousan'. He has the most fantastic imagination and attention to detail that we have ever seen. We were fascinated with his ‘miniature mechanical music boxes’ so intricate and magical very ‘other world like’. Hard to describe and I wondered at the odd little moon man serving a drink to the odd little sun lady and see him pour the drink and her drink it, wearing weird coloured clothing very angular but soft and etheric. He says it takes a month to make each miniature. In the photo he is standing next to a very large (by his standards) ‘village’ which took him even longer to make. He sells the miniatures for $1500 and we are determined to do well enough here in Japan to be able to buy one to take home with us. He doesn’t have a website which is a shame as we would encourage you all to go to it and support him by buying his work. He is also studying Anthropology as he wants to learn more about all cultures. He is a gentle spirit with a lovely heart and a talent to express it through painting and intricate models.
What a wonderful way to end a very long and eventful day.
Stay tuned for another fascinating episode of “Martins In Japan”

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 9)

2008-06-24T00:13:00.001+09:00

Chapter 9 Sunday 22nd June 2008

Our first ‘official’ working ‘Workshop’ day (though we have actually been working pretty hard all week doing admin and Brian editing and admin.)
But today was our first introduction to the Japanese singers of our ‘World Music style’ with a 3 hour Joy of Singing Workshop in Osaka. We found our own way to the venue.(We were very proud of ourselves!) A couple of different train lines and subways and a bit of a walk but we navigated (well Brian did- “I’m with him!” there on our own. Yah!!!
We got there just before the rain too (did I mention It’s the rainy season here? Yep!) We met up with Masa (who had stayed overnight at our place and had left earlier the next day to meet up with Skeeter (our interpreter who was coming from Tokyo.) It was good to meet him as it is helpful to get a feel for a person before you work with them particularly in this situation where we are teaching people. The “Mugan Life Team’ arrived and we had a pre-workshop meeting. We had a full turn up of all the people who booked even though it was really raining hard and the workshop started at 6pm.
It was such a joy to be surrounded by so many enthusiastic people all willing to step up and have a sing. We taught them ‘Bayavuya’ first and they sounded
great straight away, a really cohesive group. Several songs later and lots of clapping and laughter we ended with a whoosh (as usual) and lots of smiling happy people. The ‘team’ ended up at a really cool restaurant. It had 3 floors and a big fish tank in the middle with 2 big eels, lots of medium sized fish and one big one swimming upside down. I don’t think he was very happy! I don’t think I will order him!
We were sent downstairs and had to take our shoes off and put them in a shoe rack (another opportunity to upgrade here like the umbrellas!) then we all sat in a booth with our feet dangling in a hole so it felt like we were kneeling but we weren’t. Tricky! The waitress arrived and slid our screen aside and gave each of us a little hot towel (I like this custom a lot – depending on the ‘standard’ of the restaurant you either get a cloth hot towel wrapped in a plastic bag, they must microwave them to get them hot, or you get a wet ‘towelette’ in a little bag. It’s really nice to clean your hands and refresh before eating.) The waitress also gave us chopsticks and a nearly raw egg floating in some sort of liquid. Mmm? Wasn’t sure what to do with it so just slurped it down. Tasted great once I got past the slight sliminess. I will try anything once and have learnt not to ask what something is as you can be put off by knowing I have found and its better to taste it first and decided it you like it, then ask what it is. I had pigs intestines for breakfast in Manila once (it was tasty but a bit chewy as I recall.) I have also tried sheep’s eyes!! (didn’t like them!)
Sucker for punishment!!! Aki ordered for us all so it was lucky dip!!! Most of the dishes she ordered were great except for this bowl of green slimy stuff…………I have decided I don’t really like slimy. I gave it a go though and I didn’t like the taste either. At the end of the meal Brian and I ordered the pudding and to our great delight found it to be ‘Crème Brule’ our very best favourite desert and they did a bonzer job of it too. We had our regroup meeting during dinner and got out just in time to walk to the train station and get the very last train to Central Osaka station at 11.45pm. Whew!!! Then it was a 30 min train ride (standing) from main station to Kobe. Masa, Skeeter, Brian and I got home around 1 am. They work really really late here in Japan and the trains are still packed really late at night. We were all a bit stuffed and fell into bed. Skeeter on the couch! We have a very big apartment by Japanese standards but Masa had already claimed the spare (music) room. Lucky I had just bought new bedding and a $3 (I am a shopping genius) curtain. We are a bit short on everything though as we only have 2 cups, 2 towels, 2 sheets, etc so I have had to do the ‘Jesus fishes and loaves thing’! Have I told you that I am a genius when it comes to manifesting!!!
The boys both had to leave early next morning. Skeeter was catching the famous ‘Bullet Train’ to Tokyo. It leaves from Shin Kobe Station right next to our place!!! It costs as much as flying about $250 but only takes 3 hours instead of overnight on the bus (though the bus is a quarter of the price.)
We will probably give the bullet train a go when we travel to Tokyo for the experience alone!
Well another episode bites the dust. Stay tuned for the next instalment as we have had a very exciting day today (Monday) but it is midnight………did I mention that we ‘Japanese’ stay up working late into the wee small hours?!!!
I am off to bed. I did a big wash today and got to talk and sing to the washing/drying machine! It really does both. I can’t figure that one out!
Goodnight!

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 8)

2008-06-22T10:39:00.003+09:00

Chapter 8 – Saturday 21st June 2008
Today I am going to talk about the 'talking things' that seem to be everywhere. I walk into the lift and the nice lady there in ‘liftland’ says “Mighty Mighty Mouse.” I have no idea why and I have not seen Mighty Mouse there yet but I thank her anyway and bow as I get in and out of the lift. It seems the least I can do as she is so diligently good at her job and never takes any time off. But there is a really truly lady (there are 4 of them who share the job) who is standing (all the time) in the foyer and her job is to bow and say hello………..that’s about it…………she doesn’t have a computer or anything and it’s a long day just standing there (she sits down sometimes.) But stands up as soon as we arrive or leave. Very friendly.
The street talks, there are upright speaker thingys and the lady in that says stuff too. The escalator talks as well. Lots of talking. I told you so.
Then there are periodic loud speakers in the street that we hear from our apartment. Must ask Jack what they are saying. Just hope it isn’t an earthquake warning and we are happily oblivious to it all. Yep, I will check with Jack. Yep! Now I have mentioned the musical kettle and washing machine as well as the fridge! It beeps when the ice maker is ready.
It’s like a little ‘appliance family’.
Then there is our front door alarm speaker phone video surveillance machine.
Brian answered it and as there are lots of buttons (in Japanese) he hit the big red one!!! Not a good idea! That was the big apartment alarm wasn’t it.
Remember that nice lady who bows at the front door? Well she was not so happy after that as she rang us back and we sort of got the idea that we should not have pushed that particular button. We said sorry a lot and bowed though she couldn’t see us…………funny how automatic bowing is becoming. We saw her later downstairs and bowed a lot (she could see us that time) and lots of sorry sorry more sorry. I think she forgave us cos she smiles at us still.
When you cross the street there is a dinging sound as well as birds chirping.
Well that is what it sounds like to me . Maybe that is for all the blind Japanese!?
Sounds pretty anyway. You don’t get lonely here there is always an appliance, the lift or the street to talk to.
It is the rainy season here and everyone carries umbrellas. Now they are very honest in Japan as out the front of all the shops there are umbrella stands and I have discovered that I can upgrade my umbrella just by hanging around the entrances!!!! No, I don’t really do that but you could, except I did find a ‘lock up your umbrella stand’ and have added the photo.
Uniforms- they love uniforms. The road worker guys look really cool. They have these flashing light cross-over jacket things and they look very official and they wave these long flashing red light sticks. It looks like fun.
At the train stations there are guys who wear one type of uniform and have whistles and white gloves and they are in charge of pushing you into the train at peak times. There is also another guy with a loud speaker telling everyone to squeeze in and hurry up etc. It is all pretty organized. We all stand in lines of 2 by 2 behind a mark on the ground and the train stops just in the right spot to line up with the doors. We wait while everyone gets off the train and then we all get on-there is defiantly a system. The trains and subways are very organised and it’s pretty easy to get around. Though as you get further out the signs are no longer in English and Japanese and only in Japanese. Brian is getting really good at reading. “I’m with him.”

Its been a busy Saturday. The ‘Mugan Life’ team (they are our organisers here in Japan) arrived for a meeting at 2pm. Aki, Akko, Ryoko and Yusan we had not seen Aki, Ako and Yusan for a few years so it was ‘old friends week’.
Down to business though and Ryoko doing most of the translating with Yusan helping, he speaks pretty good English too. It is long and tedious work doing everything twice and getting the right information across. Lots of questions and answers for the team and getting everyone on the right page. It was a long meeting but productive. We waved them off back to Osaka.
Then we rang Jack.
“We are bored wanna do dinner?” So we walked 20 metres to a local ex-pat bar and it was full of Yanks who were smoking, drinking beer and BBQing buffalo chicken wings on the street, compliments of the owner. So we ordered Pizza and beers and ate heaps of wings…..BBQ spicy sauce, the sauce was so strong the smell stayed on our hands for ages afterwards. There were 4 guys in the corner playing cards and were so noisy Jack couldn’t tell his usual jokes over the din. We had fun though and caught some guys on the way out Jerry, Dan and Peter all working for a company in Osaka doing the engineering of a big building. Only been living here around 6 months and none of them spoke any Japanese. I introduced myself in Japanese and they looked at me funny!!! Speaking of which, my Japanese is improving but Brian is ‘The Star’ and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to ‘show off’ and impress our Japanese friends. Which they duely are as he is now reading and writing Katakana (Japanese alphabet for foreign words) Hiragana (Japanese alphabet for Japanese words) and they are both phonetic alphabets. Brian is going to start learning Kanji (which is the pictorial alphabet – a lot harder not even the younger Japanese know all the symbols now days.)
We start ‘official work’ tomorrow Sunday with a Joy of Singing 3 hour workshop in the evening so we are looking forward to getting started!!!
More soon stay tuned to ‘Martins in Japan’.

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 7)

2008-06-21T12:32:00.006+09:00

Chapter 7 - Friday 20th June 2008

Well its been a week since we arrived in Japan and it feels like we have lived here forever. We have not ventured too far from home base yet. Brian says we are like a couple of cats circling our territory and making bigger and bigger circles. There is the harbour district, the mountains and lots and lots to see just here in Kobe let alone Osaka ,Kyoto and beyond.

We walked up the walkway next to Crown Centre (you know that little shopping centre of ours!!!) and “OH MY GOD!!!” it was the entrance to the cable car (apparently it’s the longest in the world-better check it out and report me thinks!) we just looked at each other and thought what dill pickles we are not to even know that its on our doorstep!! It was overcast and drizzly today so we will pick a sunny day and go for an explore.

We decided to go downstairs to our apartment block ‘Café’ to have breakfast and who should be there but……........wait for it.............Yep you guessed right. 'Jack and Chieko.' They helped us order breakfast and we mentioned that we only had 30 minutes before Brian’s lesson so Chieko jumped behind the counter to help make us food!! Jack informed us that she is “A force to be reckoned with!” (he has mentioned that often) “Yes Dear!” and told us that she is an ‘adviser’ of body corporate and organised the café to have all the mode cons included when it was designed. They bought their unit ‘off the plan’ nearly 4 years ago when the units were built. Very new and modern. Oh yea you know that already (note the photo of our washing machine as proof- did I mention it plays Mozart like the kettle- they must be related.)

We woofed down breaky and raced upstairs just in time for Ryoko and Masa to arrive for Ryoko’s lesson. (she is one of the organisers/interpreters and we met her 4 years ago when she was visiting Australia) she is a doctor and so is her friend Masa (she is staying with him and his wife and kids while in Kobe) It was a crazy organising time for a bit while Brian and Ryoko got ‘Japan stuff’ sorted. So Masa asked me if I could help him with some correction in a paper he had just translated from Japanese to English.He works with an organisation called ‘Weave’ which runs workshops for Hospice patients who are terminally ill as well as for their families. It is based on the teachings of Dr Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (very famous for her grief counselling and support). The paper was to be sent to her son in America and it had to be right! So I helped out by editing his transcriptions to his great delight…….there was quite a lot of things getting ‘lost in translation’ and in the end we finished with a wonderful written honour to Dr Ross and her work. I think her son will be very pleased when he receives it.Masa was very grateful and it felt good to be able to help him in such a way.It seems people who can translate written material correctly are few and far between so you never know I may be of help again. Thank god for spell-check I can tell you!!!

Ryoko had her lesson and before we knew it, it was 2.30 and we were hungry so off we went to have lunch and chat in a local noodle bar. Yum!Masa looked up with a look of pure shock on his face. “What!?” “I forgot that I left my dog in the car!” Says he. Shit!!!! So we race downstairs to the car park to find “Leo” the gorgeous 5 month old poodle happily lying in his big cage in the back of the station wagon. Lucky it was an overcast rainy day!Masa had gotten so involved in what we were doing that he plane forgot the dog but he was no worse for wear. (the dog not Masa)……..I was talking to him and realized he only spoke Japanese.(the dog not Masa)……….That’s funny!! So we waved them farewell and Masa promised that he would take us on some excursions as he is a local lad and we really felt that we made another wonderful connection. People are so so nice here.

We went supermarket shopping and I wonder at the funny looking food.I risked buying some rubbery grey looking blocky stuff today. I have decided that I am going to try something new every day. So added it to the meal tonight (Chicken and noodles with greens funny long skinny pale yellow mushrooms and grey blocky rubbery stuff) was OK! Brian reckons my cooking has improved since we got here. Maybe I am channelling my past life Japanese chef! Hai! I’m getting the hang of cooking here and now that we have purchased our ‘authentic dinner ware’ we feel like one of the natives. Even bought a little sake set (Jug and 2 weeny weeny cups) “Not gonna get pissed drinkin outa them honey!” (I hear Jack say.) It’s for warm sake which I am learning to ‘cook’. Very nice. Told you I was going to test the sakes. Speaking of which we ended up at our little Teppanyaki guy (The word "teppanyaki" is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled.) I have found a great dictionary website! His name is ‘Kastsumi’ and as we walked in all heads turning again (I’m the only girl) lots of smoke………….yea they haven’t caught on that it gives you cancer and you die!!!! But we waded through the fog to the only 2 spare seats in the place and sat next to the sweetest man who was on business from Tokyo and was pretty good at speaking English he said he practices by listening to the radio. He helped us order our meal, a wonderful pancake with veges and meat type thingy and mixed vegies presented in that origami alfoil plate again (Katsumi is a master at work to watch him make it). The ‘Tokyo guy’ can’t remember his name…..ordered us another drink ‘Imoshyou’ you drink it long with ice. It’s made out of potatoes or wheat (we tried the potato one…tastes sort of like Sake but not.) Now did I mention that I am testing all the different Sakes? We did not stagger home though as we only had one and they water it down a bit so it’s not so potent and more healthy for you, so the ‘Tokyo guy’ said. Jack said “That’s bullshit”! (I like Jack.) We liked drinking it anyway and felt very ‘healthy’ afterwards.Anyway gotta go……….stay tuned for the next exciting episode of“Martins in Japan”

Cherry Blossom time in Japan!

2008-06-20T19:00:00.003+09:00

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 6)

2008-06-20T10:12:00.005+09:00

Chapter 6 - Thursday 19th June 2008

Well what a day its been…………so much shopping and walking that I broke my shoe………(had to catch the bus home 3 stops) and it (the shoe)just missed making the front door by 10 metres before falling apart!!! But was it worth it!
Jack rang again and said ‘Hey I’m bored wanna do lunch?” We said “Yea, which country this time?” “Chieko and I wanna take you guys to our favourite ‘Turkish place”!!!(We get to travel the worrld through food here I tell you.) Jack and Chieko lived in Turkey for several years and love the food…………..We walked (you know that’s what we do a lot of here.) It was threatening rain so brollys are the order of the day……..Jack brought 3 with him -he has his name on them so we couldn’t nick them!!! Damm!
We had a great lunch with lots of authentic food as the owner cooks food his mother makes. It seems that lunch is the main meal of the day here in Japan and there are so many different places to choose from you can’t get bored with the choices and styles. They have musicians there and belly dancers so Brian is sourcing them to play at our World Fusion concert.
Us girls decided that the shops where calling and I had a few essential purchases that needed to be made (of course!). So the boys went home (Brian to work and have a massage) and Jack to have a nap (he reminds me that he is old) 68 going on 18 and needs a ‘nana nap’ in the afternoon- he walks me into the ground so I think he is telling me a ‘porky pie’!
Chieko and I went off down another street (I have NO IDEA where I am going) and rely on those around me to point me in the right direction. We passed this amazing set of buildings……..I thought I was back in Rome!!! See photo below! They have all sorts of funny buildings that look like ships or vines growing up them or Robots. Or lots of colour and movement………they like lots and lots of colour here……..gets your attention.
Brian is doing a singing lesson tomorrow and we decided that we are using our ‘spare room’ to do the lessons in. It was looking very bare. The single bed needed a cover and the window needed a curtain so I was on a mission. I have found that the Japanese are very very accommodating and if you ask or even mention on the side that you are interested in something all of a sudden it is happening. I have to be careful what I ask for!!! So Chieko very graciously took me to lots of wonderful shops to look for my stuff.
The most wonderful shop ‘in the world’ is a department store called ‘Yuzawaya’ floors and floors of craft stuff……….One floor for jewellery making stuff, beads beads and more beads. Next floor all paper, so pretty Origami designs and stick on bits another floor with lots of tables where they run classes of all descriptions from leadlight to sewing or beading or pottery (I got the class list and can't decide which class to attend first!) Another floor of – fabric (OH MY GOD) the most fantastic Japanese designs I was like a kid in a candy store running around……..Chieko lost our umbrellas(found them but) as I kept running from one spot to the other, one gorgeous fabric to the next. (I wanted a curtain and was going to make one tonight to be ready for the lesson tomorrow) I was all set to get all the fixings and fabric when I spied a BARGAIN BIN……..I have an eye like a hawk and a nose that can smell are bargain a mile away………even Chieko was impressed!!! $3 curtains…………yep!! Discarded samples……..and of course I found the exact right design and colour to go with the very tasteful (of course) cover and pillow I bought to cover the bed. I’M A LEGEND IN MY OWN SHOPPING HEAVEN!
Couldn’t wait to get home and ‘fix up’ the room before Brian got home……………he walked in and was very impressed. “Nice music room Nols!!!!”
Chieko also took me to some pretty small shops where they sell Kimonos etc…….So So So beautiful I can’t describe. You only occasionally see a woman walking around in a Kimono and usually later in the day. They are either leaving work (tea houses or cafes where they dress up) or they are going out to some special event like a wedding or celebration. It is a shame as they look so beautiful. I have not been quick enough to get a photo yet except for the one (below) of this pretty girl at a café. Mostly I see the older women in them. I will probably buy myself one before we leave just so I can look at it to remind me of our stay here.
Its ‘burnable’ rubbish night tonight…………you put it outside your front door and the cleaner comes and collects it. But you have to know which night is the right one for the right rubbish.
‘Plastic’ night, ‘Folded Paper’ night, ‘Bottle and Can’ night. We have lots of little bins and Brian asks me “Which bin do I have to throw this in, Nols?” Pity anyone who puts the wrong kind of rubbish in the wrong bin and on the wrong night………You need a university degree to work it out! At least they recycle!! But they do have a lot of packaging particularly food. The packaging is so pretty it’s a shame to throw it away Plastic only bin’! Get it right now!!!
Well its dinner time and we are off to try another little place down the road a ways…….What country shall we visit tonight?????
Until my next exciting instalment! Sayonara.

BRIAN MARTIN MUSIC NEWS (Chapter 5)

2008-06-19T19:25:00.003+09:00

Chapter 5- Wednesday 18th June
It is warm and humid here but still pleasant apparently it gets hotter later in July. We will be good though lots of places have aircon and you walk underground a lot.
There are whole long streets that are undercover with high high roofs and air-conditioned!!! Go figure!!!?? And of course SHOPS!!! I am so in heaven here I can’t tell you!
Jack had organised for us to go out to lunch today to meet with some ‘musician’ friends of his
Michael (who is a wedding celebrant/musician/magician and all around good guy………I gotta say that cos he is going to read this!!!) also his mate Brent who is also a musician. They work together at weddings and restaurants.
Jack said “Today we are going to our fav ‘Italian Place’ as it is the owner Pietro’s birthday."
So off we walked (again) down a new street……….”where am I again?” We passed this building covered in ‘man made’ vines like jack in the beanstalk. I asked Jack what was the reason and he said that is was a ‘Love Hotel’!!!! I raised my eyebrows with the odd look saying “What for prostitutes?” Real subtle like……….and he said “NO!!!” Its for lovers to visit on a short stay (a few hours!!) “OK!” I left it at that. I didn’t have my camera with me so I have to go back (only to take a photo………I know what you are thinking!!!)
We met the guys at the restaurant and Pedro arrived so of course (being musicians) we all burst into “Happy Birthday’ in 5 part harmony. Pedro was very impressed and shouted us a bottle of champagne. The food was great and the company even better. We had a great time bantering back and forth across the table. Michael pulled out his party balloons and ‘blower upper’ and made me a fabulous big red flower (to the amusement of the guests around us) I gave it to Pedro for his birthday so Michael made me a purple poodle. The guys have a wonderful dry humour and we had fun outdoing each other. Michael mentioned how nice it was to converse in this way as he misses it not being able to connect like that with the Japanese (lost in translation!!) Michael has lived here for more than 10 years and so has Brent so they speak and read the language really well. After a very liquid lunch we staggered home via the shops (of course) as Jack wanted to show me where I can buy wool (to make my nifty bags……….I think that the Japanese are going to like them and buy them from me!!) There were also great walkways with funky jeans and clothing (Brian was off on an errand so I will take him there to look for some cool jeans!!) He makesa da money I spenda da money.
After being at home for a while and discovering BLOGGING we decided to stay home (sore feet) and Brian whisked up a miso soup meal with noodles (very quick and easy and yummy) and we watched a ‘South Korean’ movie with Japanese subtitles…………lucky it was an action movie with an under water monster that eats lots of people and takes them down into the sewer and stores them till he is hungry….. no language required.
And now stay tuned for the next exciting episode of ‘MARTINS IN JAPAN!’

JAPAN NEWS FROM THE BEGINNING (Chapters: 1/2/3/4)

2008-06-18T10:10:00.006+09:00

JAPAN NEWS (CHAPTERS: 1/2/3/4)

CHAPTER 1 - SATURDAY 14TH JUNE

Hi All,
Just a note to let you know that we made it safe and sound to Kobe, Japan!!!
After a very uneventful flight and whisk through customs we were met at the Osaka airport by our wonderful organizer Miyuki and a 40 minute bus trip into Kobe and taxi to our apartment we arrived at around 11.30pm a very long day as we had to get up at 3.30am for the shuttle to pick us up from Noosa to take us to Brissy airport.
Needless to say we were pretty tired on our arrival but very excited and overwhelmed at our wonderful little apartment (big by Jappy standards) 2 bedrooms, large bathroom very very modern with switches on the walls for everything. You can change the temperature of the hot water by pressing buttons so we have a 38 degree
shower every time!!!
The washing machine looks like a big blue robot (the directions and buttons are all in Japanese of course, it lights up and does all sorts of things and it dries the clothes too!!) Have not tried it yet..........that will be an adventure. There is a baby urn that boils water in seconds and plays Mozart when it is ready. Don’t even want to know what else the rice cooker does besides cooking rice!!! Now the 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!!!

Today Saturday we had a guided tour of our local area (fantastic super market 1 min walk from our 5th floor apartment) there is a church just outside our window and there was a wedding there this morning. We have hills and green trees behind us as we are really close to the cable car and only a 10 min walk from the centre of Kobe!!
We are also not far from the harbour and of course lots of shops a cafes.................veges and fruit are cheaper here and we had dinner for both of us for $15.00 with more food than we could eat!!! With the dollar worth more than the Yen nowadays we are doing really well.
This afternoon we took a train into Osaka 30 min and then travelled all over Osaka by subway/train and mostly walking through the underground city which is a labyrinth of shopping malls connected to different train lines............so many people...........especially around peak hour..........fashion tastes here are unconventional and you see everything from 'Baby Doll' girls in there frilly outfits to grungy punkers and everything in between. Love it!!!
It was warm today 27 C and a bit muggy but not too hot. We did allot of walking as we were checking out the venues that we are going to perform the World Fusion concerts in as well as running New World Rhythm Japan and Joy of Singing courses. We travelled from one end of Osaka to the other and got home at around 9.00pm which is where we are now. Just had a 38 degree shower (regulated by our special push buttons on the wall)
So will head of to bed for a good nights sleep and tomorrow we do it all again looking at more venues in Osaka but not such a long day planned.
Stay tuned for our next instalment.
Sayonara
Noeline and Brian

CHAPTER 2 - Sunday 15th /Monday 16th June

I just got back from doing a bit of a reconnoitre around the local area...............we live in the best area right in the middle of Kobe near the rope bridge and a step away from the main Kobe train station called 'Shin Kobe' and a 10 min walk from 'Sannomiya' station. Look it up on this link and you can get an idea of where we are.

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/hyogo/sannomiya.html

It is really pretty right next to the mountains and great shops and hotels very posh area and our apartment is awesome!!!
Brian is in Osaka today Sunday, looking at venues we did that yesterday too but I am stuffed so have stayed in Kobe to get the lay of the land.
We also live right next to the cable car which goes up the mountains which are behind us very green and pretty. We live right next to a big big shopping/hotel complex that has the most amazing shops very expensive but nifty. Amazing kids fashion which I want to buy everything but t shirts start at $50 and bibs at $25 but sooooooooooooooooo coooooooooooooooooooool.
Saw a great pair of jeans for me $165 on special but my thunder thighs didn’t fit (they are so thin here) and tiny tiny feet so shoes wont fit much for me. I can’t believe how all the girls get around in their stilettos and platforms as there is alot of walking to be done regardless of who you are. They love their fancy shoes and wear these long black socks over the knees and lots of sparkle bags and shoes. Lots of make up and blonde and light brown hair all straightened and then ringleted must take them hours to get ready.........false eyelashes too!!!! The girls do it too!!! (That was a joke!!) But not far from the truth I have to tell you the boys are just as particular about their 'look'!! We are really enjoying ourselves and I shopped at the 100yen shop yesterday to stock up on bits and pieces for the apartment. They didn’t have any prices on anything so I was not sure what things cost ended up at the check and EVERYTHING was $1.00 (our dollar is a bit stronger than the Yen) it didn’t matter whether I bought a bath mat or some tea lights they all cost the same price!!! They must figure that you will get a mixture of items and that they even themselves out but it is still very very cheap and nice stuff too!! Got some really nice drinking glasses and wine glasses. Wolf Blass wine at the supermarket was $8.00 (I was surprised thought wine would be more expensive) food is pretty good value too. A bunch of bananas were only $1.75 cheaper than home but a cantaloupe (rockmelon) $30.00 it had a pretty bow on the top so people must buy them as gifts (if it is boxed it costs $50.00!!!!) Alot of food is pre-packaged like sushi so you can get a meal for $3 that will do you for dinner!!
We are having a day off today Monday and resting from all our walking over the last 2 days (looking at venues for the courses).
Will keep you posted on the next exciting instalment t.
Love Noeline and Brian

CHAPTER 3 Monday 16th/Tuesday 17th

We went out tonight with our ‘new friends’ Chieko and Jack they live on the 11th floor (we are on the 5th floor) Chieko helped us find our way around on our first day taking us to the local supermarket and giving us the lay of the land. She is married to Jack an expat American who is retired but still works here as a marriage celebrant. Many Japanese want western style weddings and he performs the ceremonies (not legal just for show!!) It pays really well too he said and I got all excited planning my new career but he knocked that on the head quick smart as the Japanese only like males to perform their weddings!!!
I have to say my short lived career as a wedding celebrant burned brightly brightly and with beauty!! They took us out to downtown Kobe to all the ‘good’ shops………….they all look pretty good to me! Anyway………I wanted sheets for the beds (we have single beds……….Brian wasn’t happy) but we have pushed them together and I am getting good sleep as the beds are very very firm (warning to the team joining us from Aus in August) The Japanese either sleep on the floor (yep right on the floor) with teeny flat type ‘sleep mats’ more like ‘I will need a massage in the morning mats’ or very very firm beds! We only have big thick doonas and are already getting a bit warm in the night so off we go to find sheets!!! OH MY GOD! You would think that buying sheets would be an easy task………sorry no! They have sheets that are custom made for those ‘sleep mat’ things and then other kinds for the other kind of sleep mats and “which size do you want and I think that one is too short!”……..SO I bought 2 big big big type towel blanket thingy’s that I was told are used instead of top sheets in summer (soak up all the sweat I reckon) no its not that bad we have aircon! Then off to buy Brian some ‘new’ headphones cos he broke the last pair………..(why are we not surprised!) They had a BIG WALL of the buggers priced from around $50 to $500 and you can compare them as they are all playing the same music. I got scared cos Brian was listening to the $500 ones wasn’t he.
I kept showing him the cheaper ones (I couldn’t notice the difference anyway) but he said “NO” and decided on a $200 pair (which were on special so that was OK) They a small and fold up and will travel well if they last that long! He is editing ‘Listen’ so it is for a good cause the sooner it is edited the sooner you can all be listening to ‘Listen’.

On our walk back we stopped at Jack and Chieko’s fav little ‘café’ where we ate only chicken………..that’s all they cook. Chicken……….every single bit of the chicken so we had chicken livers in teeny weenie dishes with nice kind of mayonnaise stuff (I liked it but Brian made a face L) Then we had the ‘joints’ on skewers……the grisly white bit of the back bone (crunchy but nice) then skin on skewers (they apparently scrape all the fatty bits off and scrunch it up into little balls and BBQ it (yummy) then we had little wee chicken balls (no not that kind…………do chickens have balls???) Anyway all washed down with Jappy Beer (for Brian and Jack) and Sake (for the girls) I did not realize that there were so many brands of Sake so I have decided to test them all and I will be reporting on my progress!
After staggering home we decided that the reason the Japanese are so thin is because all they do is WALK!!!! (Note: lots and lots of walking always!!! Wear comfy shoes!!)

A day at home Tuesday is planned (NO WALKING!!!) Brian is downstairs in our ‘apartment coffee shop’ Hello!!! Are we posh or what!!! He wanted to do the editing out of the house so that we don’t work at home!!! I am here at home writing this and will join him shortly for a cappuccino……….they make good coffee here!
Then I may stroll (very gently) out to the supermarket to get some Epsom salts for our tired feet!
Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of “Martins In Japan”!!!
Lots of love from Noeline and Brian

CHAPTER 4 Tuesday 17th June/Wednesday 18th

Tuesday saw us having a quiet day until Jack called and said ‘I’m bored wanna do lunch?” so even though I had just whipped up a yummy lunch of gyosa (a local delicacy- a bit like a moon shaped dim sim but nicer- I cheated it comes in a packet) and Italian salad (we like to mix it up a bit!!) we said “Yep lets do Chinese!” We had a great lunch at Jack’s fav Chinese restaurant (Japanese waitress wearing Chinese cheongsam) I get a bit confused as to where I am! Nice food and Brian snuck out pretending to go to the loo and paid the bill as Jack had shouted us dinner the night before (at that Chicken place)…..we left Jack and went down to the 100yen shop………..just hold me back!!! And bought ourselves some nice Jappy bowls and miso bowls (they are baby ones with little lids) so we can eat ‘authentic’ at home. On our way back we stopped at a tiny little café/shop and ordered coffee the lady there sews patchwork and very fine needle work bags and pretty things and I just had to buy a few things to bring home for pressies (so pretty)! The nice man there helped Brian with his Japanese as he insists on speaking it all the time (even to me when we are home on our own!!!) I just look at him and make a faceJ!!!
We then headed off in the other direction to find a café to set up our computers and do a bit of work. Brian editing for ‘Listen’ its getting there and me editing photos so I can send them to you and not break your computer memory. My son Harvey reckons I should get myself a ‘Blog’ and just keep adding to it so you might find that if I keep this up a ‘Blog’ might be the easiest way to go.
Looking into it!
Dinner found ourselves walking down our little street and looking at the local fare. Stopped at a tiny little café (yep everything is tiny in Japan including the people) with only about 10 seats around flat hot plates (Tepenyaki) can’t spell it let alone say it! Anyway its where the locals eat and they look at us funny as they are not used to ‘gaijin’ (outside person- this is an impolite name which they only call us out of earshot)but of course we are very nice and try hard to speak only Japanese and they laugh at our efforts and help us out. I have found pointing is very effective and have learned to wait until someone else orders and if it looks good I order it. Lots of places have pictures but my favorite is the plastic food out the front.
You know exactly what you are going to get! But you don’t eat the plastic stuff.
This little place did not have any pictures or plastic and nothing in English so we work on the ‘wait and see what that guy is having’ method and have the same thing. Well we were in luck cos it was YUMMY. Cooked right in front of us and eaten off the same hot plate. The ‘chef’ scoops the cooked food into alfoil that he has fashioned into a nifty plate in 2 seconds. I am going to go home a practice my ‘origami alfoil plate’. He made it look easy but I’m not so sure. We had these great ‘pancakes’ that are full of lots of good stuff like veges and meat and the art in the way he prepares and cooks it is just as fun as the eating. The other customers were very helpful and even though our Japanese is not very good we all seem to understand each other with gestures and facial expressions. Brian is carrying around a little note pad and writes everything down in both languages. One is Japanese and the other is Japanese/English Brian is trying to learn both…………I’m with him!!!
I find smiling and bowing works really well!!!
We had warm Sake…………..I’m liking this Sake stuff (latest Sake report)…..warm is good!!!
Anyway the food was fantastic and soooooooooooo cheap.$25 for the both of us and we were really full!!! Just 20 metres down the road from home. What can I say we are really enjoying this Japanese experience?