27 October 2004 We had a great trip to Nagasaki. The Dutch theme park, called "Huis Ten Bosch", was better than expected. We had a really pleasant stay. Unlike most any tourist spot in Japan, it wasn't completely choked with people, and it wasn't just filthy with el crappo souvenir shops (though there were a few, to be sure). They were having a special wine and beer-tasting festival - 1000 yen for all you can taste. We tasted plenty. We bought 8000 yen-worth of German beer, Dutch cheese and German sausage and had it shipped home. It's all waiting seductively in the fridge now. The weather was perfect for 2 days and rainy for the third. I'm going to put photos up in the next week. They're at the photo lab now. I'll let the pictures describe the trip further when they go up. Suffice it to say now, my socks and sandals were a huge hit. They gave me the key to the city and I was thronged by attractive Dutch maidens.
22 October 2004 Tomorrow morning we're heading off to Nagasaki for a couple of days. We're going to stay at a Dutch-themed park on Saturday, and then in the city on Sunday. Should be lots of fun. The park is having a beer and cheese festival in October, so as long as there's a place to sit down, I think it'll be a nice vacation. This will be my first visit to Kyushu. By the way, here's the look that caused such a controversy, for those who want to see. I'll fit right in if I wear these at the Dutch park.
21 October 2004 We had a really interesting day on Wednesday. There was a typhoon dumping rain on us since the night before, which started picking up in the early afternoon. At 1:00pm we braved the rain and made our way to Yotsubashi station to attend a concert. I had the day off for the occassion. It was an enka concert. Enka is the music old people listen to over here. Lots and lots of it is absolutely terrible, but there are a few great singers and songs out there, kind of like country music. Also like country, it's highly emotional and sappy and easy to predict. That said, this concert was my choice. The singer was Shimazu Aya, who has an incredible voice and chooses a lot of great songs. She was fantastic live, but like all concerts I go to, I was ready to go after the first set. I think she did all of the kind of songs which I love in the first hour. Then she did three Elvis songs in Japanese, which were rediculous. The final piece of the show, was a kind of musical melodrama, recreating a famous Japanese story. It was hard to take. After the performance, the audience was informed that anyone buying a CD would be entitled to shake Ms.Shimazu' hand. I didn't buy a CD, but by the power of standing out from the crowd (youngest person there, plus the only non-Japanese), I was able to make eye contact with her and exchange "arigatou gozaimasu's". That's enough for me. When the concert let out, the storm was starting to rage a bit more, and we got pretty wet going back to the station. Later in the evening, the rain let up, and the wind took over, howling through the trees and bending them way down, and paper bags were flying around gracefully. There were clouds moving in various directions and at various altitudes, including what looked like 20 or 30 meters. It was cool! I like typhoons.
18 October 2004 I've been remiss. Surely something has been worthy of comment in the last 5 days. Let's see. I've been reading an old Philo Vance mystery called The Bishop Murder Case. It's set in New York City in the 1920s, like all the Philo Vance books I've read. Vance, as always, is just barely tolerable as a character, because he's so disgustingly elitist, and preposterously expert in every imaginable field of science, art, sport, and history. Still, I read them. The first murder in this one involves an arrow to the heart, so there's a lot of talk about bows and arrows and archery (each of which Vance knows everything about). On top of this I've started reading Robin Hood. Just a coincidence that I'm reading two books featuring bows and arrows, but the effect they're having on me is typical of my malleable interests. I've been researching/shopping for a bow and arrows. I really want one. Not for hunting, of course. Just target practice. I don't imagine I'll actually buy one, but it's fun to dream. We've had a week of perfect weather. I love cool fall weather, and this October has been wonderful. It's getting better every day. The photo project I talked about below is partially under way. I've selected a couple of likely spots. One is peopled and one is panoramic. Both are near my office, so I won't be taking the shots on my days off, and the timing won't be precise to the minute. It will be more relative: just before I come in or the end of my lunch break. I'm having a problem though. When I push that shutter button, I can't be satisfied with one shot. I have to discipline myself.
13 October 2004 It might not be original, but I really want to try the photo project of taking a picture in the same spot at the same time everyday for a year. I saw that in the movie "Smoke". I'm sure it wasn't an original of that film either, but the idea has stuck with me. Just gotta figure out the right spot. Perhaps I'll start tomorrow morning. I was so happy to get my coin case back today. I'd left it at the bar on Sunday, but Danielle from my office is a regular at the bar, and she retrieved it for me yesterday. Thanks, Danielle! Because this is Japan, it was still there. No one had made off with my precious 91 yen. Thanks, people of Japan!
11 October 2004 Nice day today, but good to be home. We've just come in after being out and about in Umeda for about 8 hours. We had to go into Umeda pretty early in order to meet Ueda-chan and pick up a video tape from her of the England/Wales soccer game. We're watching the tape now. We rooted around Umeda aimlessly for a few hours, then went out to eat at a friend's sushi restaurant, where we feasted, and got the royal treatment when it came time to pay: 300yen for everything. I picked up the tab on this dinner. Next time it's Kumiko's turn.
10 October 2004 Everyone made fun of me today. Isn't there anyone out there who thinks it's acceptable (and feels good) to wear socks and sandals? I really think it's the best of both worlds. You have increased air flow, plus the sweat absorption and cushioning of a sock. It's the way to live! The beer festival was fun today, but I didn't stay so long. Only about an hour and a half. I thought that people from my office were going as well, but those that did went late, so I was by myself, which reduces the enjoyment of such an activity. I did have some good beer. I finally tried Speckled Hen, after first hearing about it from a guy I used to work with in the shipping room at Techworks (a computer memory manufacturer) when I was about 20 years old. I've been passively looking for it ever since he mentioned it way back when. It was the best thing I had at the beer festival. The second best was a beer from Hokkaido called something like "Yona Yona". Can't remember exactly, but it was nice. The worst thing I had was a fruity Belgian ale with a name that started "Icht...". It was way too sweet. Food wise, I started with tandoori chicken, then went to bratwurst, followed by a Turkish kabob, then another sausage. All delicious. No one made fun of my footwear until I arrived at Half Moon for Tammie's birthday party. Everyone jumped on the Matt-bashing there: the sport-os, the dweebies, the sluts, the motorheads, the jocks, the freaks, the geeks, the band weenies, the preps, the skaters. They all joined forces, but I think I made my point well, and I imagine there'll be a few folks trying the sock/sandal combo for themselves come tomorrow morning.
9 October 2004 Well, tomorrow looks to be a great day. I've got photos ready to pick up in the morning, a garden full of turnips waiting to be pulled, then it's off to Umeda for the international beer festival, aka Oktoberfest, to be followed by a proper booze-up at the Half Moon in Tsukaguchi, in celebration of my friend Tammie's birthday. Kumiko unfortunately has to work. All that booze would be better drunk together, but we'll go out on Monday to eat sushi at her friend's restaurant. Good times! I have a trivial information request. Does anyone remember a series of cartoons called "Little Audry"? How about "Gooddeed Daily"? Those came to mind yesterday, from way back in the past, and I'd like to know if anyone else watched those as a kid. Brian? Mike? Oh, one more thing -- I put up some more photos, mostly scenics, all from this September.
6 October 2004 I found out yesterday that the Sky Building Oktoberfest is probably this coming weekend. That's a relief. I won't miss out on sausage and beer after all. Sausage is a pretty amazing food. What could sound worse than the description of how it's made? Yet, what could taste better? Actually, there was a good description of a type of sausage-making in the Juzo Itami movie Tampopo, in which a rich epicurean recounts hunting a wild boar in the forest. The boar had been gorging on nothing but sweet mountain yams, and the rich hunter pulled out its entrails and roasted them over an open fire. I've been fascinated with the idea since I saw this movie in my highschool days. Sounds delicious. Speaking of forests, Kumiko and I watched a Warner Brothers cartoon last night starring Daffy Duck as Robin Hood. The background scenery was really stylish and beautiful, but the laughs were ho-hum. The important thing is that it made me realize I know nothing about Robin Hood. So I've ordered a book with cool illustrations. I want to know about Robin Hood. Important, don't you think?
3 October 2004 Worked an extra day this week. I had to pay an instructor back for a shift she worked for me in August. Today was another cool autumn day, so I wished I could have been out in it. After work I went into Umeda to partake in the last few hours of an annual Oktoberfest at the Umeda Sky building. I've been meaning to go for three years, and I finally gave it the old college try, but when I arrived I found no trace of Oktoberfest. It had either finished and packed up, or I had the wrong dates. I hope it turns out to be next weekend, otherwise it will be next year. Since I was around there, I stopped in at Yodobashi Camera and picked up the soft case I ordered for my newest camera. It fits! Looks pretty classy too. Looking forward to taking it out and putting it back in many happy times. Lately I've been reading the Inspector Frost series by R.D.Wingfield. I love detective stories, and these are top notch. The characters feel very real, and the stories always follow several cases (murder, kidnapping, extorsion, robbery) going at once, which must be what real police detectives have to do. Thanks to Linda for giving me these.
1 October 2004
I got my photos back from the new camera, and they look good. It's now taken it's place as my everyday in-the-briefcase camera. Sorry, Ricoh digital. You're good too, but usurped. Yesterday was a perfect example of very good weather: cool breeze, fluffy clouds rolling by, clean post-typhoon air. I was at work, but I used the outdoor stairs rather than the elevator all day, and I went out with my camera during my lunch break, and ate in the park. Last night we watched hour-3 of the series "24" on Fox. It's really exciting, but I only just realized what this one hour per week rate means. We won't see the completion of this one-day story for another 5 months! I can't wait. But I have to.
