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.

The Art of the Japanese Barbecue

AM
Least: At about 9:15am, I woke to find that I was horrifically dehydrated and that my bag was yet to be unpacked. The plane ride, combined with too much kushikatsu left me with a tired aching head and a parched throat. The unquenchable thirst lasted over an hour and came back to haunt me in the pm part of the day.

Most: By about 11:00am, I began thinking about whether my brief trip home had affected my view of Japan. I'm not exactly sure what the change has been, but it feels like I've been reading a book and had a chance to flip between two chapters. The Australia visit has refreshed my reference point to Japan and may make it even more interesting. I feel refreshed and ready for another stint in this oddity of a land.

PM

Least: Not too long after 12:20am, Rosie and I crawled into the familiar heat of Osaka and went searching for the massive Ooizumi Koen nearish to Nakamozu. We ended up strolling down this road with no shade and a Queenslandish sun roasting our brains. We arrived at the park to meet a decaying water feature (above) and waited to meet with Rosie's Japanese colleagues. We finally met them after a sweet 30mins in the sun. By then our beer was beginning to get warm.

Most: Thankfully, by 1:30pm, our picnic-mates were setting the Japanese barbecue into motion. Charcoal was set smoldering, flammable gels were lit and fans waved to bully the fire into life. The food then was grilled like clockwork. Various meats, vegetables were seared and potatoes wrapped in Disney foil were roasted. The carefully chosen dipping sauces tipped the preferred barbecue nation status to the Japanese. Although the usual flames and manly hotplate scraping were absent, the end result gave amazing variety compared to the often meagre offerings found in Australia. And to think the Japanese look up to Australia as a high ranking barbecue culture.

Just when you thought you spoke English

AM
Least: At 10:18am, I poked my nose through my kitchen window to get a whiff of the weather. The air was as hot as the gas-fired kitchen. Worse, though was the sour smell of decomposing pigeon guano that has piled up between Sanshou and next door. I'm sure that a bird-lover next door is aiding and abetting the local pigeon gangs with crumbs or some such. The scourge is such the we, like thousands of others need netting to defend our balcony against these depraved rats of the sky.

Most: At exactly 11:00am, my phone told me that I had 30 minutes left on my phone card. I spoke to Ceridwen for a whiles and mused about the oddities of Japan. We discussed important birthdays approaching and the growing clutch of babies that are beginning to populate our lives. The conversation reminded me of how hard it is to speak freely in Japan - it's very easy to get the wrong end of the stick - and that's only speaking to Canadians. Just when I think I'm speaking fluent English, my 'space' becomes 'spice' and my 'cram' becomes 'crime' - context, context, context. Perhaps interesting proof that Orstraylians are an outward looking people.

PM

Least: By 1:50pm it was becoming clear that I was about to miss out on the end of another classic war movie - Where Eagles Dare. Working in the afternoons has the effect of obliterating my motivation to do anything substantial in the mornings. I usually wake at 9:00am, eat at 9:30am then eat again just after noon. By the time that the glow of the midday meal wears of, I am usually sweating in my suit-pants, and the movie is not yet over.

Most: Just before 2:40pm, I walked into work to find that all the staff were wearing surgical masks. There was an unintelligible sign at the door explaining that a staff member had fallen ill with the New Influenza. Several disinfecting dispensers of alcoholic gel were scattered around the office. During the one week of swine flu panic last time, I often found myself the only person in a room or carriage without a mask. Some people in Japan seem to wear masks to stop getting the flu, to stop spreading the flu and to stop allergies - these people probably have little time left to travel mask-free. How long does it take to incubate?

General Hospital

大きな地図で見る

AM

Least: By 9:00am I was beginning to think about drycleaning. Like many businesses in Osaka it doesn't open 'till 10:00am. I just wish they could all open and close an hour earlier. Drycleaning isn't in the least bit interesting - unless you ask the local cadres of the Laundry and Dry Cleaning Club.

Most: At approximately 5.40am I rode with Rosie over to the local hospital (see above) Her 'upset stomach', apparently caused by yoghurt had got no better since the same time yesterday. The emergency ward was as grimy as those in Australia but without the drunken maniacs trying to tear the place apart. The nurse was helpful and the Doc racked his brains for a solution. We left the hospital with three paper bags full of medication, including some sachets of white powder with unknown powers. Interesting!

PM

Least: Between 2.45pm and 8.45pm I worked with little more than a few swigs of mineral water to keep me going. My hunger turned every second into an hour. I just hope the tatami-sized pizza that I just inhaled treats me well in tomorrow's am.

Most: By 12:00pm, Rosie was beginning to recover from her malady. The strange medicines appeared to be working and the chalky sachet hit it's mark. I cooked Rosie a bland lunch then had a nap, interrupted only by the alarm clock. Methinks the world owes me about 11hrs sleep.