Nothing worthy of a mention has been happening of late really. I went to the beach last weekend (again). This time it was a beach south of Tokyo (Enoshima) but this beach was pretty dirty and not as nice as the beaches in Chiba (and much less nicer than home). Having said that, we still had fun swimming and drinking beers on the beach.
Last night i went to an Izakaya after work and sampled horse sashimi (raw horse meat). It was more tender than i expected and actually wasn't too bad... Neighhhhhh
Also, i have started listening to a new band. They are called Enter Shikari and are kind of a mix of punk/emo/metal and trance. They have punk singing, metal breakdowns and trance synth. It's pretty cool so check it out... Fairly original i guess.
Saturday, 25 August 2007
Friday, 17 August 2007
Earthquake and heat wave
Yeasterday morning i was awoken around 4:20am by my room shaking. It shook for about 1 minute and then subsided. I thought at the time that it must be another earthquake but the next morning i wasn't sure if it had been a dream or had actually occured! Well, turns out there was another earthquake, in Chiba prefecture (my prefecture). This one measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale, but from what i gather, didn't cause much damage. This coincides with a huge earthquake in Chile yesterday, which had a magnitude of 7.7 and caused significant damage and fatalities.
Tokyo is also experiencing a heat wave, and apparently yesterday was the hottest day in the country's history, maxing ot at 40.8 degrees celcius. Fifteen people also died of heatstroke yesterday, induced by this unusually hot weather. The houses here have thin walls and crappy insulation and get much hotter than houses in Australia. Students informed me it is mainly elderly that died (although i know there was at least one school kid among those 15). I was told that elderly often refrain from using air conditioning which would explain it.
All this crazy weather. Good ol' global warming eh... Maybe it's too late??
Tokyo is also experiencing a heat wave, and apparently yesterday was the hottest day in the country's history, maxing ot at 40.8 degrees celcius. Fifteen people also died of heatstroke yesterday, induced by this unusually hot weather. The houses here have thin walls and crappy insulation and get much hotter than houses in Australia. Students informed me it is mainly elderly that died (although i know there was at least one school kid among those 15). I was told that elderly often refrain from using air conditioning which would explain it.
All this crazy weather. Good ol' global warming eh... Maybe it's too late??
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Tokyo Bay fireworks
As i previously mentioned, there are fireworks in Tokyo throughout the whole summer, but one of the biggest shows was last Saturday night. I had planned to meet some Japanese friends there and a guy who i went through training with, a guy from work, and his housemate all accompanied me there. Me and Gio (the black haired lad) were keen to wear a jinbei as the Japanese friends we were meeting were sure to wear Yukata. We decided against geta as many people had told us that they were uncomfortable and cause blisters, so instead, we wore normal thongs. Andrew (the blonde haired lad), however, took a bit of convincing/harassing to buy and wear a jinbei. He finaly conceeded but didn't have any thongs, so he wore shoes (which he was paranoid about the whole night- paranoid of looking like a git... haha). Brendan opted out and wore normal clothes... soft.
So we met at Shinagawa station and caught a bus, and after about half an hour of searching for a 'fireworks watching spot', we decided on a nice crowded corner of footpath next to the bay, which had a nice view of a bridge ( i don't know which bridge). The fireworks appeared to break over the bridge... I had conjured a romantic notion in my mind that the fireworks were going to involve sitting on a nice patch of grass, with plenty of room to move as we consumed food and champagne (well, not exactly, but you get the idea)... It was soon made appparent that my expectations were a little off the mark as we watched from our crowded footpath, and dined on potato chips and cans of Asahi (Japanese beer). But, thats Tokyo for you... Always masses of people everywhere... It was still great though!!
During our walk back to the bus stop, we came across a traffic warden (i guess thats what they are called). They are found everywhere in Tokyo and their prized tool is an electric fluro red baton that they point and swing around. These batons somewhat resemble light sabres, and because our jinbei clad selves somewhat resembled jedi knights, we convinced the warden to let us borrow her baton and we got some snaps.
We then went to Shibuya and had some beers and some food at an Izakaya. We got lots of looks from the young trendy Shibuya crowd, who i'm sure were suprised to see Gaijin wearing jinbeis (at least in somewhere as busy as Shibuya).
We then cught a taxi to Roppongi and went to a club. Some people were very suprised that we wore our jinbeis to a club and many Japanese approached us during the night, and informed us that they were glad we were sporting jinbeis.
P.S my Jedi shot looks more like i'm trying to hit a home-run.
Andrew has shoes, Gio has thongs...
Filing in time on the train
Tokyo Bay
My one and only actual fireworks shot!
Some strange gaijin wearing jinbei and watching fireworks...
Japanese watching fireworks
The team
The mystique and beauty of the Yukata is somewhat lost when the wearer has one sleeve rolled up and is smoking a cigarette!!
The force is strong in this one
Shibuya Hachiko intersection (I have no idea who the Japanese bloke is...)
So we met at Shinagawa station and caught a bus, and after about half an hour of searching for a 'fireworks watching spot', we decided on a nice crowded corner of footpath next to the bay, which had a nice view of a bridge ( i don't know which bridge). The fireworks appeared to break over the bridge... I had conjured a romantic notion in my mind that the fireworks were going to involve sitting on a nice patch of grass, with plenty of room to move as we consumed food and champagne (well, not exactly, but you get the idea)... It was soon made appparent that my expectations were a little off the mark as we watched from our crowded footpath, and dined on potato chips and cans of Asahi (Japanese beer). But, thats Tokyo for you... Always masses of people everywhere... It was still great though!!
During our walk back to the bus stop, we came across a traffic warden (i guess thats what they are called). They are found everywhere in Tokyo and their prized tool is an electric fluro red baton that they point and swing around. These batons somewhat resemble light sabres, and because our jinbei clad selves somewhat resembled jedi knights, we convinced the warden to let us borrow her baton and we got some snaps.
We then went to Shibuya and had some beers and some food at an Izakaya. We got lots of looks from the young trendy Shibuya crowd, who i'm sure were suprised to see Gaijin wearing jinbeis (at least in somewhere as busy as Shibuya).
We then cught a taxi to Roppongi and went to a club. Some people were very suprised that we wore our jinbeis to a club and many Japanese approached us during the night, and informed us that they were glad we were sporting jinbeis.
P.S my Jedi shot looks more like i'm trying to hit a home-run.
Andrew has shoes, Gio has thongs...
Filing in time on the train
Tokyo Bay
My one and only actual fireworks shot!
Some strange gaijin wearing jinbei and watching fireworks...
Japanese watching fireworks
The team
The mystique and beauty of the Yukata is somewhat lost when the wearer has one sleeve rolled up and is smoking a cigarette!!
The force is strong in this one
Shibuya Hachiko intersection (I have no idea who the Japanese bloke is...)
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Nothing too exciting
Nothing much going on lately. I went out clubbing on Saturday night and on Sunday i went to the beach. The beach i went to is called Onjuku. It takes just over two hours on the train from my house. I met the Brasilian guys there, who i went surfing with last time. I took my surfboard but the surf was tiny. I had a short surf but the main purpose of the day was to have a bbq on the beach. I met some more of their Brasilian friends and tried some interesting Brasilian bbq foods, includings chicken heart skewers... tasted salty. I havn't had a decent surf since i got here but i have to remember that i didn't move to Tokyo to go surfing, i came here for other reasons...
This saturday is the Tokyo Bay fireworks. There are fireworks most weekends during summer but this is the big-daddy of them all. I'm going with some guys from work and some Japanese friends and we are going to wear traditional summer festival clothing- Jinbei and geta for the guys and yukata and geta for the girls. More about this later. Will hopefully have some photos too...
Speak soon
Cheers
James
This saturday is the Tokyo Bay fireworks. There are fireworks most weekends during summer but this is the big-daddy of them all. I'm going with some guys from work and some Japanese friends and we are going to wear traditional summer festival clothing- Jinbei and geta for the guys and yukata and geta for the girls. More about this later. Will hopefully have some photos too...
Speak soon
Cheers
James
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Catching up
Caught up with some Japanese friends from Adelaide on Sunday. One of them is from Osaka, whilst the other is from Tokyo. They also brought along a friend.
We went to Tsukiji, which is famous for it's enormous fish market- the world's largest i believe. The market is closed on Sunday, but i have been there during a previous visit to Japan so it wasn't an issue. The purpose of our visit this time was for the sushi. There are hordes of sushi restaurants surrounding the market, as being on the market's footstep allows them to get very fresh ingredients.
The sushi we ate was fantastic, it was so fresh that it seemed to melt in your mouth and the taste was incredible. It was great to watch it being prepared as well. One of the guys i was with sampled some whale sushi but i stuck to salmon (sake), tuna (maguro) and salmon eggs (ikura)- I was more adventurous the other night and was eating beef tongue, but thats another story...).
After lunch, we ventured to Hama-rikyu Gardens (a nearby park/traditional garden). The park was surrounded by a river, and within the garden was a large lake, housing an island in it's centre. A 300 year old tea house (ochaya) was erected on the island, which was joined to the mainland by a bridge. We attended a tea ceremony at the ochaya, and enjoyed powdered green tea with traditional Japanese sweets. We also met a Swiss couple at the ochaya, who were actually in Tokyo for the world barista championships. Turns out she is the Swiss national champion- so we traded cappuccino making tips for suggestions of places they should visit whilst in Japan. All in all, a great, relaxing day.
Left to right: Atsu, some gaijin idiot, Mai and Masa
We went to Tsukiji, which is famous for it's enormous fish market- the world's largest i believe. The market is closed on Sunday, but i have been there during a previous visit to Japan so it wasn't an issue. The purpose of our visit this time was for the sushi. There are hordes of sushi restaurants surrounding the market, as being on the market's footstep allows them to get very fresh ingredients.
The sushi we ate was fantastic, it was so fresh that it seemed to melt in your mouth and the taste was incredible. It was great to watch it being prepared as well. One of the guys i was with sampled some whale sushi but i stuck to salmon (sake), tuna (maguro) and salmon eggs (ikura)- I was more adventurous the other night and was eating beef tongue, but thats another story...).
After lunch, we ventured to Hama-rikyu Gardens (a nearby park/traditional garden). The park was surrounded by a river, and within the garden was a large lake, housing an island in it's centre. A 300 year old tea house (ochaya) was erected on the island, which was joined to the mainland by a bridge. We attended a tea ceremony at the ochaya, and enjoyed powdered green tea with traditional Japanese sweets. We also met a Swiss couple at the ochaya, who were actually in Tokyo for the world barista championships. Turns out she is the Swiss national champion- so we traded cappuccino making tips for suggestions of places they should visit whilst in Japan. All in all, a great, relaxing day.
Left to right: Atsu, some gaijin idiot, Mai and Masa
Monday, 30 July 2007
NOVA gossip...
I don't actually have any gossip about NOVA really.
There was alot of bad press a few weeks ago about the company but things seems to have settled down and it appears to be business as usual (touch wood). There are actually two separate NOVA schools at Kinshicho, but we were informed today that the two schools will be merging, and will form a single large school (at my branch's building). Whether this is a reflection of NOVA's problems i don't know, but no one seems terribly worried. My Knishicho school has lower level students (low level means better ability- 2 is the best, 7 the worst) and no kids classes, and the other school has heaps of kids and high level students, so the merge means that i will have to teach kids, which some instructors are not thrilled about... I don't mind, because it will add more variety to the day.
So more about working at NOVA...
I actually quite enjoy it. I'd heard plenty of negative things about NOVA but it is definately more fun and rewarding than i ever expected. Sure it's not rocket sience, and i can see that after a while, lessons will get repetitive, but most of the students are really nice and some are very interesting (one of our students is a Manga artist, while another student runs a dodgy scam involving Bangladesh and diamonds... I could say more but i'd have to kill u). You form a bond with most of the students and it is rewarding when u hear them using words or phrases that you have taught them in a previous lesson. Furthermore, they are always more than happy to answer any enquiries you may have about Japan.
I like working 5-9pm as i have plenty of time in the morning to go to the gym, or meet people for lunch etc. It also means that u can go out at night during the week, as you have usually recovered by 5:00.
For those of u interested in the money side of things, i work 20 hours per week and earn about 200,000 Yen/month (AU$2000), which is pretty good for a part time job.
"BUT IS THIS ENOUGH TO SURVIVE IN TOKYO???" I hear you ask.
Easily. Work pays for ur train pass, so u don't have petrol expenses, car registration, mechanic fees etc. I go out for a big night 1-2 times per week and still afford a gym membership and 3-4 square meals a day. Plus i save a bit on the side, incase i want to travel. For those Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks out there- I definately think the Working Holiday VISA is the way to go. Good hours, and u can always work overtime to earn more.
P.S. Our part time wage is higher than most of the full time Japanese staff. When you meet young Japanese people and inform them that you only work 20 hours per week, they give u an astounded look and enquire as to how you could possibly survive in Tokyo. The look on their face then transforms from astonishment to disbelief when u tell them that u earn 200,000 Yen/Month... This is because most of them work 40-50 hours per week and actually have a lower wage than this... Don't misinterpret my ramblings- i'm not exactly sitting on a gold mine- but compared to the average 25 year old Japanese, my salary isn't too bad.
The Japanese mentality (particuarly in Tokyo i suspect) is that young people should work hard, long hours and get paid a crap wage. They are then expected to stay with the same company for the next 30 years, climbing their way up the corporate ladder, after which time they are probably in a management role and are very well looked after indeed by their company. I think this type of loyalty is fading in the younger generations of Japanese, but they still have no where near as much freedom as the Youth of Australia, or i suppose, any other Western country. It's such a high pressure and stressful environment- no wonder Tokyo'ites look so glum and exhausted on the evening trains.
There was alot of bad press a few weeks ago about the company but things seems to have settled down and it appears to be business as usual (touch wood). There are actually two separate NOVA schools at Kinshicho, but we were informed today that the two schools will be merging, and will form a single large school (at my branch's building). Whether this is a reflection of NOVA's problems i don't know, but no one seems terribly worried. My Knishicho school has lower level students (low level means better ability- 2 is the best, 7 the worst) and no kids classes, and the other school has heaps of kids and high level students, so the merge means that i will have to teach kids, which some instructors are not thrilled about... I don't mind, because it will add more variety to the day.
So more about working at NOVA...
I actually quite enjoy it. I'd heard plenty of negative things about NOVA but it is definately more fun and rewarding than i ever expected. Sure it's not rocket sience, and i can see that after a while, lessons will get repetitive, but most of the students are really nice and some are very interesting (one of our students is a Manga artist, while another student runs a dodgy scam involving Bangladesh and diamonds... I could say more but i'd have to kill u). You form a bond with most of the students and it is rewarding when u hear them using words or phrases that you have taught them in a previous lesson. Furthermore, they are always more than happy to answer any enquiries you may have about Japan.
I like working 5-9pm as i have plenty of time in the morning to go to the gym, or meet people for lunch etc. It also means that u can go out at night during the week, as you have usually recovered by 5:00.
For those of u interested in the money side of things, i work 20 hours per week and earn about 200,000 Yen/month (AU$2000), which is pretty good for a part time job.
"BUT IS THIS ENOUGH TO SURVIVE IN TOKYO???" I hear you ask.
Easily. Work pays for ur train pass, so u don't have petrol expenses, car registration, mechanic fees etc. I go out for a big night 1-2 times per week and still afford a gym membership and 3-4 square meals a day. Plus i save a bit on the side, incase i want to travel. For those Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks out there- I definately think the Working Holiday VISA is the way to go. Good hours, and u can always work overtime to earn more.
P.S. Our part time wage is higher than most of the full time Japanese staff. When you meet young Japanese people and inform them that you only work 20 hours per week, they give u an astounded look and enquire as to how you could possibly survive in Tokyo. The look on their face then transforms from astonishment to disbelief when u tell them that u earn 200,000 Yen/Month... This is because most of them work 40-50 hours per week and actually have a lower wage than this... Don't misinterpret my ramblings- i'm not exactly sitting on a gold mine- but compared to the average 25 year old Japanese, my salary isn't too bad.
The Japanese mentality (particuarly in Tokyo i suspect) is that young people should work hard, long hours and get paid a crap wage. They are then expected to stay with the same company for the next 30 years, climbing their way up the corporate ladder, after which time they are probably in a management role and are very well looked after indeed by their company. I think this type of loyalty is fading in the younger generations of Japanese, but they still have no where near as much freedom as the Youth of Australia, or i suppose, any other Western country. It's such a high pressure and stressful environment- no wonder Tokyo'ites look so glum and exhausted on the evening trains.
Sunday, 22 July 2007
J-Bay update
It's 6:30 i the morning. Just got back from clubbing in Tokyo. Went to a club called Muse in Roppongi. I'm still kinda drunk and can't sleep so i'm surfing the net. Just found out that Taj beat Slater so that is awesome news. Mick Fanning is still number one in the world and Taj is now number two!!
You beaut
Go Aussie!
Damn, i really hope i go surfing soon. I heard therte may be another typhoon on the way so fingers crossed...
You beaut
Go Aussie!
Damn, i really hope i go surfing soon. I heard therte may be another typhoon on the way so fingers crossed...
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