Next Time

Some inspiration for the third batch:

Sushi Attempt: Take Two

Not bad again, with Oli joining in this time, as Head Bamboo Mat Roller. I think he was impressed, and said it was the same as the stuff he tried in Las Vegas. Maybe a review from him in the comments to follow.


A tip for cleaning rice stuck on the bottom of pans: wash with cold water; hot water cooks starchy food further onto the pan.

Easier still, ask your Grandma to wash it!!

Here Comes The Sun, And I Say It's...

...Autumn.

Yesterday was the first day of the new season.* Perhaps in apology for a rubbish Summer, the Sun made a brief appearance this weekend. A farewell perhaps?


The beach was beautiful, and the sky was clear, with views over to the Isle of Wight, Old Harry Rocks and Corfe Castle.


*The Autumnal Equinox being the first day the Sun crosses the celestial equator southwards.

Blog Ben

On Thursday, I had an enjoyable day in London showing a friend the main sights. I think I appreciated it as much as him and, if anything, it made me remember how much I ejoyed being a tour guide back in Kamakura/Enoshima and that it could be a fun side-job if I live there in the future.

My bearings are pretty good around the most famous areas, but I wouldn't say I know London well. I'm sure I've been to the Changing of the Guards before but can't remember it, so I must've been quite young. Luckily, Buckingham Palace is just a stroll from Victoria Coach Station, and we arrived there just before 11am. The Police were out on horses, clearing a path between the gates and the Victoria Monument. Strangely, however, the procession didn't pass through there, and just continued into the Palace at a side gate.


We strained our necks over the crowds, me sadly realising that Europeans are taller; much easier to see over the Japanese!


We gave up soon after and strolled to Westminster. Suddenly, another procession came down a side road, so we had an excellent view. (By the way, Dad explained that there was significance behind the leopard-print vests, but it's a fashion faux pas regardless.)


Liran, my friend, spotted a squirrel in some grass, and was excitedly trying to take photos. To him, camels are typical, he said, but I laughed at the idea of a crazy tourist snapping a creature a few hundred yards away from one of the most famous attractions happening that moment.

He was impressed by Big Ben, although the sky gloomed over. I was nearly flattened by a crane if it hadn't have been for the operator pushing me out of the way.


We timed a boat ride along the Thames to perfection and set off, with a funny and informative guide explaining the monuments/buildings as we passed, including Cleopatra's Needle, the Tate, Shakespeare's Globe, OXO Tower, where Oliver Twist was formed, St Paul's, and onto Tower Bridge.




Incidentally, Tower Bridge is NOT London Bridge, whatever popular culture may deem. That's you Fergie I'm talking to.


Google too! Type 'London Bridge' in and look at the Image results...

The boat terminated at Greenwich, where International Time is set, and we had a beer in a typical pub. We took the Docklands Light Railway and Jubilee Line back to Westminster and walked to Trafalgar Square which has lost a lot of charm since the pigeons were deported.


On to Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, which Liran was amazed at how close they were to each other. Along Regent Street, we stopped at Hamleys to buy a present for his cousin, and then further along Oxford Street. Every tenth shop was an H&M which was slight overkill, and I even saw two UniQlos - the Japanese alternative which has just come over here.


We cut through Green Park, and past the Palace, to Victoria for the return coach to Bournemouth. Of course, the bus from Bournemouth Station was twenty minutes late, but that didn't detract from a grand day out. There's lots more to do and see in London but I was thrilled when Liran looked at the postcards in a souvenir shop and said he had seen everything displayed in the pictures.

Post Box

Finally my boxes arrived this morning! Books, photos, souvenirs, clothes, my coat, and lots more, least not forgetting my... bongos!


I like to imagine they've been on an adventure. Touristing around Kobe at the ferry port, a nice cruise along the Ganges, hitch-hiking in Russia, kidnapped by pirates somewhere in the ocean, and a leisurely cross-country drive back to Bournemouth.

The most curious part is that everything smells like Keiko's house in Sendai. I can't imagine why, but it definitely has that fragrance about it.

Maybe they stopped off for tea, or something.

Instincts, Don't Fail Me Now

I really miss Japan.

I Timed That One Well

Yesterday, H&M unveiled their first store in Japan, in the centre of the Ginza shopping district. Apparently, over 3000 customers queued before the shop opened.


In a few weeks, the second branch will open in the more suitably located fashion capital, Harajuku.

Turning (My Readership) Japanese Part Three

Because I couldn't resist.

Turning (My Readership) Japanese Part Two

Fancy a Japanese date of birth as well?

The Gregorian Calendar is used in general now, since 1873. However, for official documents such as bank accounts, the 'Emperor' method is imperative. Even for foreigners! This is represented as the name of the Emperor at that time, followed by the Year of their ruling. For example, mine is Showa 59 (Emperor Hirohito - Showa means 'illuminous peace).

To convert your birth year, click here.

(It also tells you your Chinese year of the animal.)

Turning (My Readership) Japanese Part One

Hands up if you're feeling a little oriental today? How about reading your name in Japanese for starters?

Click here and type your name in for the katakana spelling. Katakana is the script used for foreign names and loan words (mi-ru-ku tea, for example!), whereas Kanji or Hiragana are for Japanese native words. Try the calligraphy or manga (comic-book) styles too.

You can copy and paste it into the comments, if you'd like.

Re-Learner

I passed my driving test over six years ago and, apart from a drunk occassion in a friend's driveway, that was the last time I was behind the wheel. So you can guess I'm not the most confident of drivers, and I wouldn't trust myself on the roads now.


At least the Japanese and Honkonese(?) drive on the left as well, so I don't have to worry about swerving into the wrong lane.

I'm doing a six hour Pass Plus course, which is for advanced driving and reduces the insurance. I spoke to the instructor, Trevor, on the phone today and explained my situation. We decided to start with a refresher and see how it goes, and if I don't have enough time to pass all six modules, I can add on an extra hour to finish the course.


Wish me luck.

I miss the train, sigh.

You Call That A Potato?

This is a potato!

Ei?

In Japanese, ei means stingray. This guy is rather cute:


Since it's breathing, it's good enough for the Japanese to eat, of course. People in North Japan dry them out and then snack away. But look at it:


Are you sure?


I'm warning you.




Scary! It looks like an ei-lien.

(Atom) Smashing News

Tomorrow sees the launch of the atom-smashing machine under Geneva which may answer the mysteries of the Universe, or end it all with a black hole. Or will it? A fascinating experiment and a great demonstration of confidence in scientists, although answers aren't expected until some years later. Here's information I've borrowed from Sky News:

What's the point of this experiment?
Scientists are trying to unlock the secrets and answer unresolved questions about the universe. There are fundamental gaps in our basic understanding of physics and how the universe works. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will recreate conditions just after the Big Bang (the theory that a massive explosion created the universe) and may help to fill in missing knowledge. Physicists hope the experiment will help them understand what the universe is made of, what propels its expansion and predict its future.

How does it work?
Inside the accelerator, two beams of particles will travel in opposite directions at close to the speed of light. Thousands of magnets of different varieties and sizes will direct the beams around the accelerator. Because the particles are so small, another type of magnet is used to squeeze them closer together to encourage them to collide.

Scientists hope previously unseen particles will be discovered in the debris when beams smash together. The new particles are expected to provide new leads for physicists and may confirm existing theories.

What is the Higgs particle?
The Higgs particle is a theoretical idea to explain mass in the universe but it has never been proved. The theory suggests particles had no mass just after the Big Bang. When the temperature fell, an invisible force field was formed. When particles interact with the field they become heavier. If scientists could identify the Higgs particle or field using the LHC, it would explain why some particles have a greater mass than others and would support the current understanding of how particles work.

Who is involved in this?
The new particle accelerator might be buried along the Swiss-French border but it has attracted researchers from 80 countries. The £2.4bn project has mostly been financed by 20 European member states but the US and Japan are major contributors with observer status. Ten thousand scientists from 500 different institutions have been involved in developing the LHC.

What are the risks?
Sceptics have filed suits in the US District Court in Hawaii and the European Court of Human Rights to stop the project. They claim the experiment will create a big black hole which could suck up all life on Earth. Several safety reviews of the LHC have been carried out which show there is no measurable risk.

Will it create black holes?
Nature forms black holes when stars collapse on themselves at the end of their lives. There is some speculation that the LHC could produce microscopic black holes. If they were created, they would evaporate away very quickly and would be too small to suck in any matter. The accelerator may help scientists understand more about black holes.

What impact will this experiment have on everyday life?
The work carried out by scientists at the European Nuclear Research Centre might seem far removed from everyday life, but it does push the boundaries of existing technologies and engineering in a way that can be adapted to benefit us all. For example, earlier work led to the creation of the internet. Scientists working on the LHC have also created the "grid" which is described as the next generation internet and is 10,000 times faster than most broadband connections.

And The Winner Is...

Yeah, I know I shouldn't care but it really is a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm so pleased the winner was a lovely sweet-natured girl who survived the whole 13 weeks not bitching, being miserable or fame-hungry. Instead she stood up to, and prospered over bullies. A win for society I thought, until the chavvy audience booed her.

Pinch And A Punch

Happy September y'all*.

A bit of News going on in Japan:

The PM, Yasuo Fukuda, has resigned, ending a rather vacuous year-long term. The mostly-popular Koizumi has been followed by two uncharismatic leaders, and a less-traditional move forward to someone similar would probably be a help. But I don't pretend to know much about Japanese Politics, so I could be wrong. Hey, when their Parliament is called the Diet, anything goes.

In other news, the Michelin Restaurant Guide finally took on Tokyo, which previously saw Paris as number one with 65 stars. The Tokyo survey resulted in 191 stars.

Finally, a fairly accurate and honest look at Japan's environmental awareness in the TimesOnline. Take this section, for example:

Japanese people are used to importing from China, unwrapping and then throwing away — on average ten minutes later — 25 billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks every year. Most have also grown used to another comfortable fact of Japanese life: that there is at least one vending machine for every 20 people. The machines are, more often than not, illuminated 24 hours a day and most can keep drinks both chilled and warmed to the perfect temperature.

While there is no doubt that packaging, and the number of vending machines lie somewhere between quirky and environmentally unfriendly, the article forgets to mention some positive aspects. A fact in the comments section mentions that while the UK has 6% woodland, Japan is 60% forest; meaning that the carbon deposit easily outweighs Britains.

The other main issue is Japan's copious recycling. Take this picture, which I was saving for an Image Of The Week, but it's appropriate:


That is (from left to right): paper, pet bottles, cans and other bottles, recyclable waste, other materials, plastic and vinyl recyclables, and foodstuffs. Phew.

Finally finally, a little tune which has nothing to do with the above but is rather appropriate for today:


*As trailer-trashy as y'all reads, it's actually quite a useful greeting for a group (you plural) which is otherwise lacking in English, and when 'you guys' just isn't polite enough.