To Boldly Blog

Took a walk through Leicester Square tonight to go to the theatre (The Woman In Black). Brilliant, but that can be another post. Was caught up in the Star Trek premiere which you can read about here. I saw Simon Pegg and some woman from the film, whose name I've forgotten since checking on the IMDB. Keiko apparently saw Eric Bana but didn't realise. She was more excited about seeing a guy that was on the same train as her into Piccadilly. At least he was famous to her!

This is my 900th post. [Insert corny Star Trek related pun about the future here.]

Nothing's Ever Straightforward

Trafalgar Square

It's not the same without the pigeons, although I'll give it credit for being much much cleaner.


If you ever want a laugh (and some mild panic from the chance that someone will fall and break their leg - it's a long way down!), watch a Japanese girl shimmy her way up the plinth and onto a lion. Oh, and losing her top when she's up there...


Just like Narnia.

A Brothel Of Sparrows

I'm not sure what the real collective name is for the birds, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't this in the 1800s, whatever the following artist may have believed. Roz and Michael kindly took Keiko and me to The Royal Academy (between Green Park and Piccadilly Circus) for a Japanese artist's exhibition.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was one of the great woodblock print and painters, alongside the more famous Hokusai and Hiroshige (the former being the creator of my favourite "Great Wave at Kamakura" print). However, whilst these two stuck to the more traditional nature and portrait types, Kuniyoshi took the alternative route.

Some of his work is pretty naturalistic and doesn't seem out of place but the others are so abstract and crazy and ahead of his time, such as this montage of humans:


The artist was famous for his triptych style - the use of three woodblocks to create one canvas. I don't think this has the religious sentiment that triptychs found in churches (e.g. the Holy Trinity) were purposely designed for. Instead, because the woodblocks were constrained by size, Kuniyoshi used three at a time to create a larger scene. Usually he featured a central character or object on each block with a grand design linking them together. Most of the time, they even matched up perfectly - a pretty incredible feat considering the intricacy of carving. Also consider that thin lines, such as hair would've been individual carvings.


This is one of my favourites for its sheer bravery; by omitting everything from the middle block entirely, it shows the waterfall's real scale.


The triptych also allowed to show the size of this whale:


Kuniyoshi was also fond of cats and, although the exhibition didn't feature many, there are a lot on the web. One that was hung on the wall was amusingly entitled "Ouch, That Hurts".


A really incredible exhibition, especially considering that only 150 of his 100s of prints were shown. I have no idea - except for the definite need for assistants - how he was able to achieve so many.

One thing's for sure, he must've had some seriously messed up nightmares!


(By the way, I can't find "A Brothel of Sparrows" online but I'll keep looking.)

At A Crossroads

The big news today is that the main Oxford Street junction is going to have a £5 million upheaval based on the Hachiko crossroad in Shibuya, Tokyo. Instead of the four straight crosses, the area will be less cluttered with barricades and will also allow for diagonal crossings. The full story is here.


I like the idea in theory but where the Japanese can all circle eachother bump-free, can you imagine the chaos of tourists not looking where they're going, stopping without warning and general rudeness?

Perhaps it'll become a popular spot for people-watching.

I Am Blogger, Hear Me Roar (Soon)

Had a brilliant jam-packed weekend, including a visit to Trafalgar Square. I'm down in Bournemouth from Wednesday for a week so there'll be more time to attend to my site.

Like Water Off A Duck's Back

Or something like that anyway:


There seems to be something in the water in Hyde Park - the birds are acting strange. They're fearless, perhaps they know of a rebel uprising against humans and this is the first wave. We tried to eat some sandwiches by the pond and commented how the smaller birds had no chance against the geese and swans. Suddenly one swooped up and took the sandwich out of Keiko's hand! This is the little fella. Notice the egg and cress-covered beak.


Then there were the pigeons who took a shining to the bread we fed the squirrels near the Albert Memorial. They stalked us the whole way down the path, stopping and acting oblivious when we turned around.


And it's not just the birds rebelling against humans. Some are fighting for their own individuality; spot the odd one out:

You Can Take The Girl Out Of Japan, And You Can Take The Cherry Blossom Too

I suppose I should start here:

Sadly the dog stayed in Sendai.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon when I left work early to the new terminal at Heathrow. It's very aesthetically pleasing, with a glass frame. However, the actual arrival gate is terribly designed - there are two doors about 200 metres apart and no indication of which side the passengers will exit from. So standing at one end could mean missing the person entirely. In the end, I opted for somewhere in the middle and re-enacted an audience member at a tennis court.

I just about saw Keiko as she came out and ran over to meet her. A train ride home (delayed, of course - how does "imposing a 10mph speed limit" on a tube line as explained by the driver make sense?), dropping her suitcases (bigger than her) off at the apartment and then down to Pizza Express for a welcome meal. Keiko was jet-lagged so sleep beckoned.

The next day we went for a leisurely walk into High Street Kensington. Or Kensington High Street. I'm still not sure which one is correct because the Tube Station name is different to the street sign. Maybe I need an abbreviation, although I keep thinking it's High School Kensington.

On the way, we stopped at Holland Park - about 10 mins from the apartment. It's a lovely weekend spot with football pitches, dog walks, places for picnics, a peacock enclosure and much more.


One of the highlights - and actually rated the best place to go for a leisurely Sunday by one tourist website - is the Kyoto Gardens, based around a Japanese set-up. They have a rock feature, koi carp, and statues replicating any typical temple. It's beautiful and I can foresee many a lazy afternoon chilling out there.


There was one cherry-blossom tree, and I tried to take some arty photos. I'd like to theme this collection around 'focus', and pretend I knew what I was doing. Let me know what you think:


I was even really lucky with this one:


That's enough for today. The rest of the day, mostly in Hyde Park featured a pervy duck, a sandwich-stealing bird, a fearless squirrel, and some unsubtle pigeons. But that'll be available tomorrow. I've just introduced Keiko to iPlayer so we're going to start on The Apprentice. I thought this sign in a Chinese noodle bar in Leicester Squre was quite fitting - something Alan Sugar would probably order:

Typical

You wait a year to show someone Westminster all lit up, and the one night you finally get down there, it's switched off.


I think it's in honour of 'Earth Hour', leading up to the G20 Summit. At least it's for a good cause.

There'll be plenty more nights, I'm sure.

Safe And Sound And Tired

Just to let you know I received one Japanese girl from the airport. I'd like to say 'fresh' but she's extremely jet-lagged and dead to the world right now.

I've tried poking her, and offering snacks, but she's unresponsive. I wonder if you can send them back and get a replacement?

Or does that only work for Thai brides?

Bachelor Pad No More

Eight and a half months later, a two year visa, tomorrow's the day!!


An accurate portrayal of both the flight plan and plane size. As long as there aren't any snakes on the plane I think it'll be fine.

It's so exciting that I can't quite believe it. The only downside: in my nice minimalist (in every way!) apartment, there're going to be loads of girl clothes and shoes. The sacrifices we make.

(I'm leaving work a few hours earlier to meet Keiko at Heathrow. Which is fine since I'm starting earlier to help out on an HIV project. I wish I could write more about the job here but I think it's better to be more cautious than sorry.)

Your Wisely Monthly Metro Post

Just in case you missed staring at February's poster for over a month (I'm updating fairly regularly now!) here's the hayfever-relevant warning:

Hidden Japan

BBC4, my new favourite channel, is in the final furlong of its Japan Season; which is a little late know, I know, but there are always repeats.


The channel adopted a new ident (four in Kanji) as well as short VTs of "words of the day" etc. There have been some interesting documentaries on, including one about the search for 'wabi sabi' - the art of imperfection - as well as one documenting the nation's love of fish. Neither were particularly insightful as they both dumbed down slightly by highlighting the 'strange cultures' of the East, such as maid cafes and the geek culture. However, there were some brilliant inclusions, not the least being a scene in Tsunashima!

They went to the fish restaurant where you catch the fish you want to eat. The presenter was just as shocked as me when the sushi turned up on his plate along with the main body of the fish, still flapping. That's fresh!


Still, I can't help but wonder why both presenters for these documentaries were chosen: they had never been to Japan before, couldn't speak the language and were too wide-eyed overall that the programmes' aims were put on hold. I understand that most viewers were seeing Tokyo et al for the first time through them as well.

However, this is 'Hidden Japan' season after all. Take the fish documentary, for example. I could've shown an audience Hidaka, where the goldfish are released into the river during the annual town festival, or the koi carp streamers flying high during Golden Week.

Now, that's Hidden Japan.

In conclusion, I want to be a travel presenter. Awesome job.

Musings

Exactly today, three years ago, I arrived in Japan. If only I knew then what I know now.

Actually, I have no idea how that applies but it sounded appropriate and wise.

I do remember turning up just as the cherry blossom was making its annual appearance. It seems this year is no different:

Grr Argh

Speaking of zombie attacks, this is my favourite YouTube clip in the world. A Japanese TV show pranked some young children who love horror movies. The whole neighbourhood was in on it, and the childrens' reactions are fantastic:



It doesn't matter if you can't understand Japanese. All you need to know is that zombies can write to let you know they're coming over, tabasco sauce can be mistaken for blood, and cling film is a monster deterrent.

The bucket over the door is hilarious. Pure gold.

Nice To See I Was Missed

3 comments already! That's enough motivation for me to type a little more.

Another weird one today - back at my Auntie and Uncles' house for a funeral-type thing. I swear, I'm never in my new apartment for more than two days in a row. And now it's late, so that'll do for today.

I'll leave you with this interesting thought: we have 'parents', 'sibilings', 'grandparents', and even 'cousins'. So why is there no collective for aunt and uncle? It's a frustrating aspect of English and I'm sure I've written about it here before, but never more has it been so burdensome when I explain (in a longer than necessary breath) "I'm staying at my uncle-and-aunties' house. Also, isn't 'uncle' such a strange-sounding word!

Finally, of course I enjoyed living with you Oli. I miss living with you now but I was in Bournemouth way too long and it was time to leave. I'll never forget the months we shared, or the memories: the coffee cake, The Office, the zombie attack that we just about survived. You're always welcome to come and stay.

Like Riding A Bicycle

That was the longest break on my blog since it began. A whole month between two posts. I'm not ashamed, I've been more than busy what with a new job, new home, new city, and non-stop things happening around me (friends coming, family etc).

But I'm definitely back.

Everything's going well, and the big news is... Keiko will be here in 9 days! It's been 8 months since I left Japan and we were considering how we would've felt if we knew then what we know now. I hope you'll be glad to know that we still would've gone for it.

I'm finally settled in now, without any big changes to routine, so I'm sure the weekends will be touristy and I'll have lots to report on. The evenings too, as the summer draws near; I'll explain in greater detail soon but where I'm living is great - today I walked home across Hyde Park and through Kensington High Street. Can't ask for much better in London.

However, I'm not going to write about the past month in one big go. I need to wean myself back into writing; I haven't forgotten how but I'm not ready to write an essay just yet. (Apply that to the bike analogy as you will.)

So just know that I'm happy and positive, and finally excited about the present, not just the future.

While my heart belongs in Tokyo - hence the remaining title name*/** - I'm content in London.

Here we go...

*I dreamt about Tokyo every night so far this week. This is a love story that isn't going anywhere.
**And I'm not changing the web address.

Love Is In The Train

I'm finally in London but I don't know on a map where exactly, I started my job but I don't know what I'm doing, and I finalised my rent and picked up the keys but I haven't moved in yet.

So, you could say it's a transition. I have a lot to write about but since I'm not settled it'll have to wait a few more days.

For now, enjoy February's Tokyo Metro poster, which appropriately suggests lovers should take their business elsewhere (away from priority seats at least).

That's A Lot Of Candles

Happy 200th Birthday to one of the World's greatest men. To read a brilliantly written article, go here.

Quelle Horreur!

Asian horror movies do it well - the psychological torment - replaced by cheap scares in the Hollywood remakes. What lets a lot of those movies down are the ghosts and paranormal explanations (Ring, Grudge, The Eye). European movies are where it's at.

Although some take a monster route (werewolves, zombies), the gritty realism of them bring the scares closer to the viewer; this could be happening. It's usually the human choice and aggression that results in bad stuff happening. (Although it's neither technically a horror or European, the Canadian 'Cube' is a good example: how many of the cast die because of the traps compared to each other?) Anything from [Rec] (Spanish) to 28 Days Later (UK), they are tense and terrifying. The only movie I've ever stopped to regain composure is Suspiria, a 1970s Dario Argento Italian, which helped to define the genre with its music and use of false scares.

The only movie until now. Last night I watched a recent French film, À l'intérieur (Inside). I stopped twice, and even screamed once. The premise, about a pregnant woman living alone being tormented by a woman who wants to get inside (her house, and her belly -oooh) was fraught with peril.

This scene freaked me out - look closely and you can see why it was hide-behind-your-pillow-worthy.


It was so bloody and so bloody scary, and a modern classic.

Valentine's KitKat

With this box (lemon flavour), you can open it up, write your message, re-fold it using a special design so it completely closes again, and send it on anonyously.


from your secret admirer xx

Blog Is Like A Box Of Chocolates

Valentine's is coming up, which means a chocolate explosion around the world, dragging into White Day in March. So a few related entries to follow.

How about starting with this one. Although Snickers and a few other Wetern chocolates can be found in Japan, the most popular is KitKat. I don't know why but they're everywhere. And what's particularly special is the variety of flavours they come in. Like drinks in covenience stores, there seems to be a new promotion every month.

Nestle have a website, with a time machine and world tour.


There's also a community-website dedicated to the flavours. Some of the highlights include: sweet potato, cherry-blossom, the infamous green tea, chocolate banana, muscat, soy sauce (!), caramel macchiato, and watermelon.


There are, literally, hundreds of flavours, either season-based, just for the hell of it or for occassions, such as entrance exams. Or...

You Spin Me Right Round

Anything regarding tricking the mind, or inattentional blindness is fascinating. This is one of my favourite illusions. Which is darker, A or B?


Neither, they're the same shade.

This is the new illusion that has been flittering around the Internet. Which way is the woman spinning?


If you see her spinning clockwise, you are using your right hemisphere, and vice versa. The left brain relates to logic and fact-based knowledge, whilst the right is the more creative and emotive.

Only 14% of tested participants can see both, and are able to 'make' her spin in the opposite direction. There's a knack to it - focus on the outstretched leg and push it behind her body against the flow. Can you do it?