Dunedin - In search of chowder

Today was my full day living in New Zealand. It's a lot further away from Australia and farther below Tasmania than I imagined. It was was my first day wearing a puffer jacket. It was my first day lunching on chowder.

The lucky chowder was the one made by Plato down on Dunedin's wharf. Its residents included local Little-neck clams, swollen Green-Lipped mussels, fish, and a few other crustaceans. The local Riesling made it perfect.

Other putative observations of Dunedin. A strong representation of red-heads. Excellent cheese and coffee. Incredible wines in the supermarket.  Clear air with a slight whiff of open fires late in the day. People dressed in defiance of the cold. Excellent clouds. Sudden late afternoon darkness. Peaceful habour.

Tomorrow's forecast: A balmy 13C

The Period of Last Times

AM

At nearly 9:00am after barely sleeping, I opened the sliding window to a cool-ish day. After the brutal summer, which locals seem to think was the hottest in memory, Autumn may just be arriving. I began to get a nagging feeling last week that I was now entering a time in which I'll be experiencing things in Japan for the last time - at least in this phase of my life. It was a nice thought, though to think that I will never again have to drip through another summer in Osaka. I may never again eat a bowl of cold soemen noodles, a drink another yuzu-laced shochu. These thoughts also have a darker tone when projected into next year. I actually imagined last week the last time the sushi conveyor delivers up a treat,  the end to the delights of kastuo tataki from the supermarket and the end of badly slicing my own sashimi. Awful thoughts.

PM

At about 2:45pm, I walked out the end of a lengthy arcade into an amazing Namba sunshower. Through the glittering (and massive) raindrops, I noticed that it was only 29 degrees. It finally felt like summer was being dismantled in readiness for the Japanese weather switch to be flicked to the Autumn setting. I took a quick photo and skulked into a popular coffee chain for a yuzu iced tea - possibly my last!

Please Do It At Home

24 February 2010

AM

At about 9:58am, a man on my train carriage bound for Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka fell asleep. His newspaper, although appearing to be a respectable broadsheet, was actually filled with full frontal nudity. The paper, slumped forward at about the same time as he did. No-one gawked, nor blinked. A normal situation (right:  Tokyo subway poster)






PM

As I stepped on to the platform at Tsuruhashi station at about 5:25pm, I was confronted by the mingling of two opposing smells. The first, which had assaulted me in the morning was the acrid stench of extinct barbecues and burnt fat - exactly the smell which lingers around a boozy camp fire. This particular smell, wasn't initially included in my short list of 'bad smells in Japan', however since returning from Malaysia (my olfactory organs refreshed) I have noted the putrid stench every wednesday morning on my way to work. It will now forever be in league with my memories of that place. The second, smell, was the incredibly precursor to the first. The amazing smell of tens or hundreds of Yakiniku restaurants, blurs the airs of Tsuruhashi station every night with a blueish haze. It is an amazing and probably delicious place - until the morning. (right: a map of Tsuruhashi that could possibly show the smell radius)

The 365th Day

February 3rd 2010

Exactly a quarter of my 365th day in Japan was mostly spent inside a huge shopping mall in Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka. Eighty minutes of that was completely focused on helping a 50ish year old lady translate an Australian book, 1001 Inventions that Changed the World, into Japanese. The other interesting thing about the 3rd of February is that is it Bean Throwing Ceremony day, when many Japanese literally throw beans at their houses and walls to chase out any devilish spirits that may have made themselves at home during the preceding year. In fact, on my way home, numerous beans were visible on the streets near freshly exorcised houses. Some kind of blanshish nori roll also appears to be part of the ceremony. The only real lowlight of the day was predictibly on the Hankai Tram early in the morning, when some youngish dolt decided that his rideon the rails was the perfect time to thoroughly clean his pipe with a pipe-cleaner. The smell was revolting, but not quite at alarming as the tar that kept coming out of the rosewood bowl for the length of the trip. Simply awful.

My year in Japan has been interesting, amazing in patches, delicious, frustrating, hilarious, lazy, busy and rapid. I have taught the likes of  doctors, nurses, teachers, salarymen, executives, flight attendent trainees, the unemployed, the alcoholic, train conductors, bullet train hostesses, university students, highschool kids, tiny children, the flu ridden, a law professor, a seller of knives, several Shimano employees, the ugly, the beautiful, old ladies, ancient men, man-eaters, mountain climbers, marathon runners, tea ceremony teachers, tour guides, the insane, hotel workers, a belhop, midwives, chemical engineers, steel pipe makers, scientists, programmers, rock and rollers, the tired, the asleep, Koreans, magicians, scuba divers, a crazed Placido Domingo fan, Disney lovers, kindergarten teachers, a paper bag maker, the lonely, shop girls, salesmen, mothers, unhappy wives, grandfathers, gym managers, translators, law clerks, barmen, the interesting and the incredibly boring.

As a sartorial journey, my 365 days in Japan was pretty spectacular, with the occassional and the occasionally chronic lowlight. The clear winner for expanding my palatte was fish and related fishy catches from the sea. Depsite previously enjoying the occasional tray of sushi in Australia, I found the overseasoned rice a little sickening and the range of fish irritatingly small. In Japan though, the rice is addictive and the sheer variety incredible and impossible to list properly. I've mangaged to try most things including the raw and cooked - octopus, tuna of varying fattyness, salmon, sea urchin, yellowtail, bream, scallops, oysters, numerous roes, mackerel, vinegared mackeral, crab, surf clam, turban shell, raw beef, prawns, sardines and their allies, whale bacon (a moral lowpoint) and who knows what else. My sashimi highlight was a night of eating tuna in all its forms, right up to the crazily expensive tuna belly - needless to say it was also a financial lowlight. The other big surprise was my enjoyment of okonomiyaki and modanyaki both at home and in over-priced restaurants. Despite its bland ingredients, it somehow manages to be a delight, especially with a smothering on sauce and mayonnaise. In general, the food in Osaka has been spectacular and incredibly available. Even in the smallest of bars it is possible to get meals that would be impossible to replicate in Melbourne. One memorable night, I ordered the Autumn delight sanma and it was grilled before my eyes as a whole fish at a bar was big as a cupboard - outstanding. The lowlights of Japanese eating have been well-documented and they almost always involve attempts at Western food such as bread and pizza. One exception though was a simply awful udon curry which had been chilled to a teeth shattering temperature - I still shudder every time I stroll past that particular eatery.

After weeks of not writing this entry, I have finally accepted that my year in Japan boils down to food and people. Especially Rosie!

See you soon!

The Return

AM

After a bumpy overnight flight between Kuala Lumpur and Osaka, the last thing I needed was was slow train home - but that's what I got. Despite paying extra for a seat on the extravagant Rapi:t B, the train crept along to Tengachaya station, probably because of work on the tracks. The train ride home perfectly illustrated the contrast between relaxed Malaysia and up-tight Japan. After only ten days in Malaysia, I'd already become re-accquainted with, multiculturalism, relaxed and expressive people, rich flavours and even richer smells. (right) The sterile uniformity of Kansai Airport and its people made my return to Japan almost depressing. This is probably true about the end of any holiday, but like my last return, Japan seemed stranger than ever. Almost to a person, people were asleep in their seats, their heads at a 48 degree angle (some probably drooling helplessly onto their shoulders). Everyone was wearing similar winter uniforms of dull colours, blacks, browns and greens, with a touch of fur to add dazzle. The most pungent odour I came across was a faint trace of laundry detergent mixed with cigarette and morning beer breath. I was underdressed and therefore cold and irritable. Between 8:00am and about 9:20am, I really hated Japan. Having to work at 2:00pm later in the day didn't help either.

PM

At 2:00pm, my foolish plans to maximise my holiday time came back to haunt me. As I walked in the door of the school, I could alreading feel my lids beginning to creep over my eyeballs. The next six hours were perfectly arranged, with every minute accounted for and every word I was to hear utterly predictible. By 3:30pm, I was listening to a standard account of a Japanese New Year's day, and, as my eyes glazed over for the second time that day, I imagined myself back in the Shangri-la Hotel looking out over the tropical city and the Petronas Towers. And in that hotel room, I was imagining myself being dragged through the tropical

waters of the Anadaman Sea behind a yacht - a nice refuge (above). As I walked home at about 8:50pm, it was below five degrees and I could detect the faint smell (left) of three dishes as I passed the massive houses near the station - sukiyaki (and its variations), grilled fish and Japanese curry. I wondered what a street might smell like  in a multicultural Japan?

Beans and Boars in Sasayama

AM

Least: At 10:01am, I had to face the drudgery of calling in sick. The awkward conversation lasted only a few minutes, but after being put on hold a couple of times it seemed to last an hour. At least I felt much better knowing that I didn't have to work today - it's amazing what a day off can do.

Most: By 11:50am, I was speeding through the mountains with my mum, towards Sasayama, about 70km northwest of Osaka. The trees in the mountains were well on the way to their Autumn hues and the landscape was spectacular. The only downside were the long tunnels which took away the views just as quickly as they appeared. A great trip.


PM

Least: Just after 5:00pm, I was beset with a nagging headache. It could've been a lack of coffee, simple dehydration again or the towering beer that I had for lunch with my sukiyaki. Either way, it made the last leg of my journey home twice as boring as it otherwise might've been.

Most: At about 12:45pm, we arrived at the smallish town of Sasayama. After reading about the town in a local English magazine, we thought it might be a good day trip. The town had lots of small interesting shops, food stalls and the ruins of a castle that was built in 1609. The town is famed for its black beans and wild boar - many taxidermied versions of the latter adorned almost every restaurant. For lunch though, we tried the local beef and it was spectacular. As the only Europeans in town, numerous people came up to us and said hello - a really friendly and interesting town off the Lonely Planet map.

Puffer Fish Lunch

Thursday 5th November 2009

AM

Least: At about 10:20am, I finally got out of bed after hitting the snooze button so many many times that the alarm simply gave up. I'm not sure if it was the early day yesterday, but today I felt exhausted. I might have to invest in a series of alarms, each with an increasing volume that will force me out of bed early.

Most: At nearly 11:45am, I rode through Tezukayama on my way to Life supermarket. A huge (and previously mentioned) white house that I often ride past, has finally been completed and appears to have occupants. The ultra modern building, has been tempered with a small garden on one side. The garden has a moss lawn and a few small trees. The interesting feature though, are some obviously ancient stone water features that help make the house accepably Japanese. I just wished I lived there. (photo right)

PM

Least: At 2:35pm, as I walked into work at Nakamozu, it became obvious that the week had dragged on for too long. The overdose on Halloween festivities probably didn't help, and the day off on Tuesday made it feel like ages since I'd walked through the glass doors of the school. It is strange how time plays tricks, both flying by and dragging at the same time.

Most: At about 1:00pm, I sat down to a plate of Puffer Fish sashimi (Fugu). I'd bought it at the supermarket, attracted by the picture of the deadly fish on the label. Given its notoriety it was a little exciting to taste the flesh for the fisrt time. It had a very delicate flavour, but was delicious. It came with a small sachet of soy sauce, a spicy sauce and chopped spring onions. For a supermarket meal, it was amazing (see photo top). I was left with a numb mouth for a few hours, but otherwise I was unaffected and remained alive to tell the tale. Apparently recently, Japanese scientists have been mass producing non-toxic puffer fish so maybe it's not so deadly after all.

The Joy of Beef

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

AM

Least: At nearly 9:30am, I woke with an inexplicable headache. It may have been related to the weekend noise devastation or the sudden change in weather. A more likely explanation is a lack of water. Water is so boring that it is nearly impossible to drink enough. I just don't want to become one of those people who is always chugging from an anodised water-bottle.


Most: By 11:00am, I was beginning to settle into a lazy day off. I'm unsure of the purpose of the national holiday (I now know it's Bunka Day or Culture Day), but it was yet another welcome break from the routine of work. It was especially interesting because it co-incided with the bogan-fest Melbourne Cup. Until I saw it on the calendar, it didn't even make a blip in my thoughts. I wonder who won?


PM

Least: By 6:00pm, it was clear that I had lazed away nearly a whole day off. Because I now have an incredibly early start on Wednesdays, I will also now have the dread of the night before. The day before an early start is never long enough.

Most: Just after 12:20pm, I trundled down to the supermarket in search of a vaguely interesting lunch. As I searched the aisles, I was suddenly drawn to the beef section. I briefly scanned the cuts and settled on an expensive 200 gram porterhouse-ish slab of prime Japanese beef. After a few minutes on the hob, the steak was incredible and I cut it using a butter knife. The sheer quality and taste of the meat will make it very difficult to return to the wasteland of lean beef. Another great reason to live in Japan.

Takoyaki and Tuna

Saturday 31st October 2009

AM

Least: At 8:30am, as I packed my takoyaki costume into my back I was horrified to see that amound of hair it had extracted from my head. I'm no sure whether it is takoyaki-related heair loss or simple the accelerating onset of male-pattern baldness. One positive though, was that today would be the last time for a year that I would have to worry about a wretched costume. After five days, halloween was a crashing bore.

Most: At about 9:35am, I sat on my usual Saturday train in my usual Saturday carriage (number 7). Looking around, I saw all the usual suspects heading off to work in the sticks, but also a sixty-something salary man completely asleep in his seat. This is not unusual, however in the earlyish morning it was incredible to see how comfortable he had made himself. He had taken off his shoes and was laying tangled up on his seat with one of his be-socked perched on the window sill (see low res phone photo right). At least his slumber style guaranteed a seat to himself.

PM

Least: By 1:45pm, I was beginning to feel rage towards a temporary assistant that had been seen to my Wakayama school. She was comically officious and marched around like a woman on a mission. I think she'd forgotten that she was actually in a school full of kids trying to learning English in a fun way. The low point came when she entered my classroom to take the obligatory halloween photo and insisted on speaking in Japanese the whole time she graced our presence despite being a head trainer. This was especially galling after having to remind the kids so often that the room is English only. She was even ruder during my next class. A shocker.

Most: At about 9:00pm, Rosie and I entered a Sushi bar in a dirty street in Namba. The bar was bedecked with wrestling and sporting memorabilia with a suspicious number of celebrity autographs. The main feature of the bar was its selection of Tuna, a corpse of which was laying dismembered in a glass display cabinet. We ordered a platter of sashimi, sushi and tonkatsu of varous flavours. Upon hearing that Rosie liked tuna and tofu, the chef made a bizarre stack, which in its pinkness looked rather phallic. The food tasted incredible, epsecially the tuna sashimi of various grades and fattinesses and the beers kept appearing in front of us. When it came time to pay the bill, the chef said "ichiman, ichiman" to the cashier. The 10000yen bill was a shock and we reeled out the door unsure as to whether our extravagance was worth it. I suspect it wasn't - but the tuna was sensational.

The Red Ribboned Rabbits

AM

Least: At just before 9:00am I accepted that my headache from yesterday's conrete - brain collision wasn't going to leave soon. After a week with a flu, the last thing I need is another headache. The worst thin, though, is the fuzzy confusion associated with the knock, I found it difficult to remember anything in real detail which made writing very tricky. Clarity is golden.

Most: At 11:40am, I walked out the front door of our apartment building (carefully ducking my head) and into the street. Across the street is a massive house, and whoever lives in it has decided to shape their two potted trees into rabbits. To add to the oddity, the leafy green rabbits are wearing red ribbons and have orange eyes, and after writing are wearing Halloween hats. As to their purpose, I can only imagine they're part of some post-modern take on Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Strange but interesting.

PM

Least: At 3:30pm, I arrived to work to find my boss doubled over with abdomen pain. She was basically incapable of movement or any basic duties. She groaned for about two hours before getting relief from another staff member from Komyioke and for obvious reasons was in no mood for conversation.I was left thinking selfishly how boring it was with no-one to talk to and no clear thoughts in my head. Groan.

Most: At nearly 10:15am, I sat down to a pasta dish made with fresh tomatoes. Despite my doubts about the Japanese tomato for sandwich purposes, the oversweet orbs make for excellent sauce. Rosie's sauce had just enough garlic and fresh basil to allow the full flavour of the riper than ripe tomatoes to grace my tastebuds. I hope Rosie records her improvised dish so it is never lost for future generations.

Carbonara and Chopsticks

Friday 16th October 2009

AM

Least: At about 9:35am, I was again forces to rise because of garbage responibilities to find that it was already Friday. I found it difficult to believe, despite monitoring every day, that a full week had come and gone. I could almost understand the time-fly during a routine week, however the last seven days were odd with Rosie away and the flu lurking and should've dragged. The weeks are jetting by and turning into months. With the cold weather approaching, I sometimes get hints of the smells that greeted us on arrival in February - I think it's kerosine heating - and it feels like there's been no time in between.

Most: At close to 10:00am, I depostited the big bag of garbage on the road downstairs and noticied that as usual the housewives had been up early washing the road. As I looked up the street, I could clearly see that a large patch of road outside every house had been drenched in water. I remember one student telling me it was to cool the air, and another telling me that it was to subdue dusts - but I think it's probably another neurotic habit with little purpose. It is interesting for me, being from too-dry Victoria to see people just washing water down the drain with little reason, other than to satisfy some mysterious urge to clean. Looking at some of the housewives, reminds me of elderly people who have clearly run out of chores to do - watering the road is one solution.


PM

Least: Sometime around 2:00pm, I began playing a co-operative version of the Playstation game 'Resistance 2' with the guy next door. The game looked incredibly, with excellent graphics and fantastic blood splatter. The alarming thing though was the darkness of the game made my eyes spin in such a way to make me think that I was losing control of my brain. Many of the games actually have warnings about epilepsy and I wonder if today I experienced some of the side effects of staring at a quickly moving image on a big screen. Maybe a walk in the park is safer.

Most: Just after 7:30pm, we walked with our neighbours into a local Italian restaurant called Il Bigotto. The restaurant resembled most other Italian places, except for the menus in Japanaese and the lack of Parmasean cheese. I ordered a capriccosia pizza, which was very good but for a too-thin base and the others ordered pasta which admittedly gave me slight food envy. Our food came out very slowly, one dish after the other, and it wasn't until I studied the Japanese diners eating their meal that I realised why. As each small dish of pasta arrived at the table, the Japanese would take a small portion each, then proceed to eat the morsels. They would then wait patiently for the next bowl of pasta, or a pizza to arrive then go through the same process. It was very odd to see the ritual of Japansese eating going on in an Italian restaurant, and even stranger to see that some of the guests still insisted on using chopsticks. Japanese habits die hard.

Bordem and Burritos

Thursday 15th October 2009

AM

Least: By 10:00am, I had admitted to myself that I was no longer sick enough to justify taking another day off work. This meant a morning free from pure relaxation and overshadowed by ironing and de-linting. The problem is that we are forced to wear clothes that are those of a 'professional educator'. Most of the professional educators I can think of would never waste energy on ironing, let alone de-linting and almost none of them are in Japan.

Most: At about 11:45am, I ventured up the road to the Family Mart for lunch. On my way to the onigiri section, I must've passed close to ten people thumbing manga samplers and magazines they hadn't bought yet. Approaching lunchime, the Convenience becomes a convenient library for those who can't stand eating with their workmates or simple just need to kill time. The odd thing is though, that the free-readers come from the full sprectrum of the Japanese worker - from massive panted tradesmen, to be-suited office ladies. I wonder what the Family Mart managers think.


PM

Least: At close to 7:30pm, a tear welled in my let eye as I swallowed a yawn. I wasn't sure if it was the painfully stuttering student, the boring textbook or simply the flu, but I was incredibly tired and dry. For some reason, we are not permitted to drink water while in the class-cubicle and this meant that my throat was becoming increasingly irritated. It was boring to imagine that the lack of a simple bottle of water was standing between me and a tolerable day.

Most: At about 9:30pm, I arrived home to find that Rosie had made burrito stuffs. One of the best things about eating Mexican food is that, unlike most Japanese food, it has a strong flavour. Tonight, we had vegetarian burritos with a red bean sauce, avocado, tomato, home-grown lettuce and cheese. They were delicious and I could not stop at one nor four - I think I ate five.

Pizza is the Best Medicine

Wednesday 14th October 2009

AM

Least: At 8:05am, I once again woke in a flu-ridden fog. Although I slept well, I felt as if I'd been hit by a truck and there was no question of going to work sick again. The boring this was however, that without sick days like in most other jobs, I was forced to take a day off as 'leave without pay'. I would much prefer to take a day off when I feel like a human being rather that a stinking pile of virus shells.

Most: At just after 10:00am, I felt the exhilaration of taking a day off work. Suddenly, now that my time was my own, everything I did was more enjoyable. My time was no longer overshadowed by the thought of having to shower and dress up for an evening of teaching and stuffing tissues. I also found that the simple act of doing absolutely nothing instead of worriying about the time became the most interesting and satisfying thing about the morning despite my internal battle against the flu virus.


PM

Least: By 3:00pm, the flu was really taking hold of my sanity. Wave after wave of sickness sapped the remaining daylight hours and the next thing I knew it was dark. It also dawned on me that I hadn't left the house, not even to the extent of exiting the front door to check the mail. Being housebound it about as boring as it gets, even if you're in the crazy land of Japan.


Most: At close to 8:00pm, my lobbying to order pizza had paid off and food was waiting at the door. It as amazing how much better I felt was wolfing down the fatty wheel of dough, tomato, cheese and salami. The pizza had a stronger effect that any of the ineffective treatments that  I had ingested since Saturday. It would be incredible if someone could put the power of a pizza into capsule form - as long as it retained the taste.

100 Days of AMPM

Wednesday 13th October 2009

AM

Least: As early as 7:50am, I was sure that my version of the influenza was going to dominate my day. The searing forehead, the dream-like focus and the various other symptoms, meant a day inside and questions about whether or not to go to work. Strangely, despite some minor nausea, my appetite remained and I was able to eat the well-worn breakfast of poached eggs on toast. Given that I'd felt ill since Saturday, I thought that my flu might be coming to an end, but clearly I'd thought wrong.

Most: By 11:00am, I began to realise that today's blog entry, would be the one-hundredth AMPM. I think that the blog has been a good reflection of my time in Japan - occasional highlights with quite a bit of everyday life in-between. My only regret is that I didn't start the blog earlier in my stay - some classic Japanese moments slid by without notice like the time I was mauled by numerous deer in Nara (right), or the February day when I nearly fainted in a swirl of colour on Dontomburi. I can't really think of a single highlight, but the trip to Yamanashi comes pretty close - as for the unblogged lowlight - being lost in Kyoto while snow flurries chilled our every angry misstep. Hopefully the next one-hundred days will be as full of delightful highs and crushing lows as that last  - and if I start blogging on Janglish, readers be warned that the end is nigh.


PM

Least: By 3:45pm, I was really beginning to regret my decision to go to work. During my lessons, I felt as if I was having an out of body experience and that I was watching someone else respond to the incredibly predictible grammar errors like a robot. I knew I was in a poor state after the school director told me that my face '...looked bad' - she really has a way with words.  Although I had taken some cold 'n flu capsules, they did absolutely nothing to salve my discomfort. Another blow for my already shaky belief in Japanese medicine.

Most: At about 10:10pm, I arrived to a not so lonely home. Rosie had returned from her German excursion and made my otherwise awful a great one. Her stories of the Heavy Metal and Gender conference in Cologne were interesting and funny. As it turned out, many of the academics and students were real metal fans and dressed as such during the conference. Rosie also managed to get herself into some controversy by openly criticising the outdated views of the queen-bee of 'metal studies' - for her trouble though, she got a lot of pats on the back and congratulations. Rosie's paper will be published in a book of the conference.

The Thief

AM

Least: At nearly 8:15am, I woke with an unusually sore throat. The sore throat was combined with a general feeling of fatigue and a minor headache. Clearly, the flu is stalking my cells waiting for the best time to strike. So far this year, I have been in remarkable health, which I put down to a change of job and diet. I suppose when the immune system finally crumbles the swine flu might just be the first ratbag through the door. I just hope I get all possible flus before I go to Malaysia in December.

Most: At just after 10:30am, I peered over the balcony to see an elderly woman being detained by two staff from the Drug 11 across the road. Shortly after, a bicycled policeman arrived to investigate what I assume was a medical shoplifting offence (the pharmacist was holding several boxes of medication). The police began asking questions and taking down statements, then became infuriated at the woman's apparent refusal to cooperate (see above). With the policeman yelling into her face, a police car arrived to take her away. As I watched through the iron bars from the balcony, she steadfastly resisted getting into the car, despite all the screaming and cajoling by the jacks. Finally, another police arrived and prised her from her spot and moved her closer to the car. The woman apparently thought she could talk her way out of it until she was manhandled into the back seat of the police car. Incredible and slightly sad scenes.

PM

Least: At 4:30pm, I made the mistake of visiting Life supermaket on a Sundau afternoon. There were literally hundreds of men, women and children shopping like mad in a storm of chaos. It was actually difficult to navigate without bumping into people or tripping over kids. The incredibly stupid Life theme song, being played on tape-decks scattered through the place only added to the mayhem. A valuable and boring lesson.

Most: At about 1:45pm, I once again visited my favourite conveyor sushi restaurant in Namba. Today, the place was extremely busy and I had to wait to be seated. Part of the reason for the sushi-mania was probably caused by the long weekend, the other reason was that the restaurant was offering three pieces of sushi per plate instead of two. Not one to miss out on a bargain, the locals were going bananas over the sight of  cut-price food. Today, even the whale bacon only made it around one lap before being wolfed down. As usual, I ate one plate too many - but I just had to try the sanma (file photo above)!

Meeting Mr Melor

Thursday 8th October 2009

AM

Least: At 8:00am, I woke to a typhoon-free morning, and to the discovery that I had had a minor nose bleed in my sleep. The little roundel of blood on my pillow suggested that I probably picked my nose in my sleep, or suffered some strange buffeting from the storm. Either way, it will be a crashing bore to wash the stain out when I finally get around to it. One of the few benefits of living alone for a week it that I can put off until Monday, what I should really do today.

Most: At about 2:00am, I was wide awake listening to the howling of typhoon Melor passing by my window. Gusts of wind seemed to be compressing our apartment block and threatening to rip out the windows. A lone pigeon had sought refuge on our kitchen window-sill and cowered a the gale as I snapped his photograph (right). I had to remove the washing and a few loose items from the balcony, but in the end the storm was a bit of a non-event. The only damage for us was a missing ribbon from a decrepit spring ornament and leaves missing from the basil plant. When I woke at 8:00am, it was cool and sunny with no sign of the terrifying winds except for some un-Japanese like rubbish on the road.

PM

Least: Between 3:45pm and 9:45pm, I did no more than 10 minutes of teaching work after most people, like their companies had cancelled their activities in fear of typhoon Melor. The rest of the five hours and fifty minutes was filled with coma inducing tasks, concocted by the busy-bee staff. When I wasn't contructing a poster or stuffing tissues, I was stringing up worn out cliches for Halloween. It seems though, that the staff took the process seriously and darted around scratching their heads and wrinkling up their noses at where to put the next tattered jack-o-lantern. Lamentably, I will probably have to find a costume for the kids' Halloween lessons. Groan.

Most: At about 9:30pm, I began to make okonomiyaki for dinner. This time, I added some dodgy slices of roast pork and tried a few tips on making the dish given to me by students. One of the tricks is not to mix the egg too much, so it retains a little of its character in the finished product. The meal was very successful, and given that I made two, I'll be able to eat the remaining okonomiyaki for my next PM meal.

Sunny Osaka

AM

Least: At 11:20am, I stood at the checkout at the Koyho Supermarket and listened the the unintelligible barrage of Japanese from the clerk. Although it has been nine months and a day since I arrived in this crazy land, I still have been unable to make inroads with my understanding of Japanese. If I was serious, I would take up classes. It doesn't appear that I'm all that serious.

Most: At just past 8:00am, I woke to the sun streaming through my balcony window. The day was very mild and sunny, adding up to a spectacular day. It is amazing to think that just a day or so before, the sky was falling in sheets of water washing everything not undercover. It is weather like today that makes Japan look even more incredible than it already does. Finally, some fresh clear air, after a seemingly endless and uncomfortable summer.

PM

Least: At about 2:00pm, I walked down the footpath in Den Den Town and couldn't help noticing the strange advertising that adorned most shops. The fluttering flag depicted manga-esque schoolgirls with too-sexy looks on their faces. Their cartoon skirts were just short enough to allow the artist to show the beginnings of white undershorts. A boring Japanese cliche (see similar drawing right).

Most: At nearly 1:30pm, two plates of delicious Indian food crowded our table. The naan, which were hand made in the nearby kitchen were enourmous and provided the perfect scoop for the bowl of curry next to it. It was a little bizarre being in the familiar surrounds of an Indian restaurant, but with Indian people communicating only in Japanese. They had a menu in Japanese, Hindi and English. The food was spectacular and spectacularly cheap. Another interesting experience only to be had in Japan.

Only in Tezukayama

AM

Least: At about 8:00am, I was once again reminded of the horrors of living in such close quarter to so many other people. A very loud and distinctive honking noise smashed into our bedroom. My close analysis conducted over many months has revealed that it is a man in the shower clearing his nose. If only I knew the sound's exact origin, I could begin plotting revenge.

Most: At 9:05am this morning, I saw yet another sign that Japan's economic woes have yet to hit Tezukayama. A youngish woman was either dropping off or picking someone up from the local school in a very new red Ferrari. This sighting is only one of many along the same vein. In recent days, I have dodged cars from the numerous Porsche's to an Aston Martin. A recent only-in-Tezukayama moment was a road rage incident outside the Drug 11 involving an old lady on a bicycle and a 30s-ish man driving a blue Roller. The rich stay rich.

PM

Least: Atabout 7:10pm, I arrived to a home bereft of food. By 8:10pm, I treadled off to the local supermarket hoping for something raw and fishy. Instead, I arrived to find the fish shelves almost empty as closing time approached. Literally the only things left were a few scraps of sashimi and slices of whale at half price. I settled for some acceptable beef burgers, however they had so much grease that they almost rendered my sweet bread transparent.

Most: Sometime after 6:00pm, I looked out the window of the train at the speeding landscape to discover it was already in darkness. It is incredible how the length of day has appeared to shorten so quickly (see today's astronomical chart right). It is a reminder of how fast my time in Japan is going, and leaves me questioning myself whether or not I've made the most of it. I definately need to see more of Japan and get out a bit more. Perhaps next year I'll manage a real weekend with two days off in a row. 

The Last Weekend in September

Sunday 27th September 2009

AM

Least: Just after 5:00am, I was jolted out of my fitful sleep by the first of perhaps a hundred tram rollbys for the day. If only the Japanese engineers could have made the track as smooth as the rail network so that my sleep would be left uninterrupted. The Melbourne-ish clunk of the wheels as they pass over the gaps in the rails has the effect of shaking Sanshou at its foundations. I have heard that the Uemachi tramline (see bizarred simulation right) has been in danger of closure in the past, only to be saved by nostalgic locals who apparently live nowhere near the wonky rails.



Most: At close to 9:30am, I finally added wireless internet to our flat after days of technlogical agony. I thought I'd give it one more try after a thought I had in the very early hours of the morning. My idea failed miserably, but an idiot's guide on the internet showed me how to set the wretched thing up in less that ten minutes. Amazingly, the shonky 'bloadband' router came to life gave our laptop new freedom. The triumph I felt literally left me punching the air. Amazing.

PM

Least: Just after 2:00pm,  I scoured Youtube for footage of one Brendan Fevola disgracing himself on national TV during the Brownlow telecast. He was clearly incredibly drunk and displaying the rank boganism that is so rife in the AFL. The most boring part of it will be his fellow players tut tut tutting about his behaviour even though most of them do the very same thing every weekend. Good one Brendan.

Most: Not too long after 1:00pm, I began the very satisfying process of cooking the Autumny meal of Sanma. A student told me how to make the dish a few weeks ago, and I watched carefully as Tee of Tee's Kitchen cooked one up for me. I bought two of the long silvery fish for 200 yen down at Life and prepared them according to the simple instructions. I scored one side of the fish, added plenty of salt then grilled them in the fish grill for a total of nine minutes. The result was spectacular (above) and I served them with grated daikon, ponzu dressing and a squeeze of kabosu. I'm now looking for a new cooking adventure.

The Hankai Tram Horror

Saturday 19 September

AM

Least: At about 10:45am, I arrived at my faraway school in Wakayama to discover that my first task was going to be photocopying sheets for my two kids' classes. To compound my groaning was the fact that my usually empty room was being occupied by another lesson. I had no hope of preparing early to give my self a short break later in the day. If only the upper echelons of the company would send down an extra staff member to help the days run more smoothly.

Most: By 10:15am, my train was hurtling down the hills in to Wakayama. Some of the rice crops had been recently harvested and bushels of rice were hanging on wooden frames waiting for collection. In some of the fields, the second crop had begun to sprout amongst the dot-matrix like stubble. Occasionally, wafts of smoke from burning grass came through the train giving a hint of Japanese farming. It will be interesting to see how the farms change as winter approaches.

PM

Least: Just after 7:00pm, I stood on the Hankai tram, a boring reality precipitated by missing my stop at Mikunigaoka. For several minutes, passengers felt it necessary to barge past, knocking me with their bags and sun umbrellas. I'm beginning to think that the ruthless quest for a skerrick of personal time and a few less seconds communting is at its worst on the tram. The trams hideous noise and the constant buzzing as people get aboard doesn't help either. A thoroughly enraging experience once again starring the Hankai tram.

Most: At 8:10pm, Rosie and I arrived at the Dakokucho chapter of Torikizoku for a birthday bash for Jack Carter. The meal was all-you-can-eat and drink for a couple of hours. The chicken and it's organs were delicious and plentiful. I drank beer and plum brandy. Sometime after ten, a large group of Japanese sat down in at the tables next to us. The raucous group turned out to be an amateur acting troup. Their latest stage production was a science fiction play. One patricularly muscle-ful fellow insisted on taking his shirt off until the waitress gave him an earful. By the end of the night the streets were nothing other than a blur of colourful light.