Smoking makes you strong and bald... apparently !Here are the bears I was mentioning earlier....
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Stuffed bears
Why should there be a pair of stuffed bears outside a shop that apparently has nothing to do with taxidermy ? Why do Japanese teenage boys dye their hair brown and wear boots that are several sizes too big ? Why is fresh fruit so hard to find, and expensive when I do find it ? 157 Yen for a single apple ! I could buy a bag with eight of them in it for only a little more in NZ.
It's 27 degrees today. I've noticed a pattern, whereby the day is sunny to begin with but clouds over by about midday. In the overcast heat yesterday I took a stroll around the botanical gardens. Today I've been to another park and a covered, pedestrianised shopping street. I also saw the Sapporo clock tower, but didn't think it would be worth going inside.
I have one more day in this city. I'm planning to use it to visit the beer factory.
Oh... Japanese toilets. They're not as advanced as the ones in Dubai (which perform all sorts of functions), but they do give you the option of a jet or spray bidet, the intensity and temperature of which you can control.
It's 27 degrees today. I've noticed a pattern, whereby the day is sunny to begin with but clouds over by about midday. In the overcast heat yesterday I took a stroll around the botanical gardens. Today I've been to another park and a covered, pedestrianised shopping street. I also saw the Sapporo clock tower, but didn't think it would be worth going inside.
I have one more day in this city. I'm planning to use it to visit the beer factory.
Oh... Japanese toilets. They're not as advanced as the ones in Dubai (which perform all sorts of functions), but they do give you the option of a jet or spray bidet, the intensity and temperature of which you can control.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sapporo - Japan
25 degrees and dry.. occasionally sunny, mostly overcast. I arrived yesterday, on a connecting flight with Japan Airlines from Tokyo. Everything was extremely efficient and fast. One or two things have amused me about the people I've encountered, and the way things are done...
When collecting baggage at the airport, it is someone's job to check that my baggage receipt and the tag on my bag match before I'm allowed to leave the airport; just in case I have taken someone else's bag you see.
Currency exchange at a bank in Sapporo was a drawn out process, only because things are done in a very strict order with various episodes of filling in forms and waiting to be called back to the counter. The rate was better than Travelex offered, of course, and I got 70 Yen for each of my Australian dollars. Departing the bank, every employee stood, thanked me and bowed !
I sent a post-card to my parents, and the man at the counter in the post office insisted on reading every word I'd written before accepting the card for posting. The cost was 70 Yen.. or one Aussie dollar.
Today I took a train trip to Otaru, which is a port town with some old buildings. It was quite pleasant and relaxed. I sought out the ice cream parlour mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide, and had two scoops... one of apple pie ice cream, and one of squid flavour. I've never had black ice cream before. It tasted perfectly fine.
Now, those of you who are interested in my Business Class travels might like to know what meal I selected from Sydney to Tokyo.. Japanese style chicken in lemon sauce with braised cabbage and bacon. Very nice indeed, and followed by hazelnut and vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate sauce. Yum.
OK... off to see more of Sapporo.
When collecting baggage at the airport, it is someone's job to check that my baggage receipt and the tag on my bag match before I'm allowed to leave the airport; just in case I have taken someone else's bag you see.
Currency exchange at a bank in Sapporo was a drawn out process, only because things are done in a very strict order with various episodes of filling in forms and waiting to be called back to the counter. The rate was better than Travelex offered, of course, and I got 70 Yen for each of my Australian dollars. Departing the bank, every employee stood, thanked me and bowed !
I sent a post-card to my parents, and the man at the counter in the post office insisted on reading every word I'd written before accepting the card for posting. The cost was 70 Yen.. or one Aussie dollar.
Today I took a train trip to Otaru, which is a port town with some old buildings. It was quite pleasant and relaxed. I sought out the ice cream parlour mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide, and had two scoops... one of apple pie ice cream, and one of squid flavour. I've never had black ice cream before. It tasted perfectly fine.
Now, those of you who are interested in my Business Class travels might like to know what meal I selected from Sydney to Tokyo.. Japanese style chicken in lemon sauce with braised cabbage and bacon. Very nice indeed, and followed by hazelnut and vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate sauce. Yum.
OK... off to see more of Sapporo.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
UNDERWAY !
And so the journey begins.... I'm in the Qantas Club lounge at Sydney airport, waiting to connect with my flight to Tokyo. As I write, I'm looking out across the runway to the city lights beyond. It's the evening, the weather is calm, and I'm feeling relaxed. Hardly surprising, since I slept through most of the three hour flight across the Tasman from Wellington !
I think the last time I wore a watch was in the early 1990s. It struck me once, while I was stuck underground going nowhere on the Tube in London, that having a watch causes stress. Oh, how frequently I would see the hands ticking by, shouting at me "you're going to be late" !! The way to remove the stress was simple... don't have a watch... realise that I can't get there until I get there, I am not in control of this Underground train, there is no point getting wound up ! (did you like the pun ?)
BUT.. having never seen - let alone owned - a mobile phone with "flight mode", I have always felt uncomfortable being unable to check the time when flying. Well, that has all changed now. No. I didn't buy a posh phone. I bought a Swatch watch just now in Duty Free. Nothing fancy, but quite smart.
The other thing I was going to do was exchange some Australian dollars for Japanese Yen at Travelex. I checked the rate online.. the wholesale rate is 79 JPY to the Aussie $. The Travelex website gives a rate of 75, which isn't so bad.. since they claim not to include commission. BUT... the Travelex outlets at Sydney airport are giving (wait for it....) 66 Yen. Crikey ! That's awful. I mean, this morning, in Lambton Quay, I got 62.45 Yen for a Kiwi dollar. For those who don't know, the Australian dollar is worth about 20% more than the NZ dollar. So, how could the exchange rate to JPY be almost equal ? The answer, I was told.. by someone maintaining a straight face.. was "obviously, the retail outlet rate will be less than the internet rate, to cover staffing costs". Well, I didn't buy it.. the excuse, or the Yen. I'll take my Aussie dollars and exchange them when I get to Japan, or elsewhere along the way.
The flight I just slept through (apart from when the trolley came with a nice butter chicken dinner) was an Economy Class one. The ten hour journey ahead is in Business Class. I'm not hungry for a special meal with fancy cutlery, but I am looking forward to a nice comfy sleep in a bed while I zoom through the sky.
The next time I write, I'll be in Japan.. where I understand the official start of the rainy season has been declared. Just how this will affect me remains to be seen.
I think the last time I wore a watch was in the early 1990s. It struck me once, while I was stuck underground going nowhere on the Tube in London, that having a watch causes stress. Oh, how frequently I would see the hands ticking by, shouting at me "you're going to be late" !! The way to remove the stress was simple... don't have a watch... realise that I can't get there until I get there, I am not in control of this Underground train, there is no point getting wound up ! (did you like the pun ?)
BUT.. having never seen - let alone owned - a mobile phone with "flight mode", I have always felt uncomfortable being unable to check the time when flying. Well, that has all changed now. No. I didn't buy a posh phone. I bought a Swatch watch just now in Duty Free. Nothing fancy, but quite smart.
The other thing I was going to do was exchange some Australian dollars for Japanese Yen at Travelex. I checked the rate online.. the wholesale rate is 79 JPY to the Aussie $. The Travelex website gives a rate of 75, which isn't so bad.. since they claim not to include commission. BUT... the Travelex outlets at Sydney airport are giving (wait for it....) 66 Yen. Crikey ! That's awful. I mean, this morning, in Lambton Quay, I got 62.45 Yen for a Kiwi dollar. For those who don't know, the Australian dollar is worth about 20% more than the NZ dollar. So, how could the exchange rate to JPY be almost equal ? The answer, I was told.. by someone maintaining a straight face.. was "obviously, the retail outlet rate will be less than the internet rate, to cover staffing costs". Well, I didn't buy it.. the excuse, or the Yen. I'll take my Aussie dollars and exchange them when I get to Japan, or elsewhere along the way.
The flight I just slept through (apart from when the trolley came with a nice butter chicken dinner) was an Economy Class one. The ten hour journey ahead is in Business Class. I'm not hungry for a special meal with fancy cutlery, but I am looking forward to a nice comfy sleep in a bed while I zoom through the sky.
The next time I write, I'll be in Japan.. where I understand the official start of the rainy season has been declared. Just how this will affect me remains to be seen.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
I'm going to escape the hail !
In one week from now I will be in the air, making my way across the Tasman from Wellington to Sydney. The first of many legs on this journey will be the hop over to Australia, where I'll be boarding my longer flight to Tokyo.
I've been ready for this since the start of the month. The past few days have been pretty chilly in NZ, and there were even hail showers on Tuesday. I've been having cups of tea and meals with friends. On Monday there was a very nice farewell party for me at a friend's house. The reality is sinking in rapidly -- I'm going away for five months !!
Now, would the Reserve Bank of New Zealand kindly put up the OCR (interest rate) tomorrow morning.. and do so by more than has been forecast ? That would give the Kiwi dollar a bit of a boost, and hopefully push up its value against the Japanese Yen.
I've been ready for this since the start of the month. The past few days have been pretty chilly in NZ, and there were even hail showers on Tuesday. I've been having cups of tea and meals with friends. On Monday there was a very nice farewell party for me at a friend's house. The reality is sinking in rapidly -- I'm going away for five months !!
Now, would the Reserve Bank of New Zealand kindly put up the OCR (interest rate) tomorrow morning.. and do so by more than has been forecast ? That would give the Kiwi dollar a bit of a boost, and hopefully push up its value against the Japanese Yen.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Video test
Here's a short video, to test my uploading capabilities ! It shows Saturday afternoon shoppers in Manners Mall and Cuba Mall. The city council has forced through the destruction of Manners Mall, because it wants to run buses along the pedestrianised street. The idea is to save time on bus journeys... approximately the length of time it took you to watch the video, I reckon. When I get back, Manners Mall will probably be no more !
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Birthday surprise !
It often takes me by surprise when my birthday arrives. June 5th... it's so close to the start of June that I don't think about it, because I imagine June to be ages away ! Then once the month begins, I realise I'm very nearly a year older.
Feliz Cumpleaños
Zum Geburtstag viel Glück
Feliz Aniversário
Честит рожден ден
Boldog születésnapot
С Днем Рождения
Til lykke med fødselsdagen
जन्मदिन मुबारक
Chúc mừng sinh nhật
..... and so on.
After a dose of dreadful weather in Wellington, things have been looking up for the past couple of days. However, the forecast for the weekend is not especially good. It's a public holiday weekend - so what else should one expect ?
Oh... true to my prediction, I found that belt I'd been looking for in an old shoe box.
Feliz Cumpleaños
Zum Geburtstag viel Glück
Feliz Aniversário
Честит рожден ден
Boldog születésnapot
С Днем Рождения
Til lykke med fødselsdagen
जन्मदिन मुबारक
Chúc mừng sinh nhật
..... and so on.
After a dose of dreadful weather in Wellington, things have been looking up for the past couple of days. However, the forecast for the weekend is not especially good. It's a public holiday weekend - so what else should one expect ?
Oh... true to my prediction, I found that belt I'd been looking for in an old shoe box.
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