This is the view from their hotel...
Nice one guys. We hope to see you visiting in NZ soon!
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Mformation meeting
We were very lucky to meet up with some of my Mformation Windsor work mates in Tokyo because we are doing a lot of business there. It was great to meet up and talk a bit of shop which we strangely miss during the days of travelling and pleasuring ourselves.
This is the view from their hotel...
Nice one guys. We hope to see you visiting in NZ soon!
This is the view from their hotel...
Nice one guys. We hope to see you visiting in NZ soon!
Temples, castles and cool stuff
Kyoto alone has over 200 temples and it feels like we saw them all twice. But in truth we barely scratched the surface. He are some pictures of the wonder that is Japan...
Geisha overload
Back in Kyoto and it is time for more geisha baiting. The RSPCA should have this banned. We bumped into these ones while walking the back streets of the Gion district.
Not satisfied, we went to a Geisha show, only on once a year for ten days. It is the time when the geishas present their apprentices to Kyoto, with dancing and tea ceremonies, to show how well trained they are and how ready they are to entertain and become full geisha.
I'm no expert, but the singing made me wonder whether the ladies were secretly mouthing the words while squeezing cats to prduce the desired effect. And why they purposefully detuned the instruments is beyond me. But, this is how it is done and it helped me to stay awake during the dancing.
Since I'm a bit of a philistine here, I'll write with Nic's opinion in mind:
The beautiful geisha came on stage, all dressed immaculately and made up perfectly. They each went through their dance routines showing the beauty and elegance that is the Geisha way of life. Their care and attention to detail and grace was so impressive. How wonderful it would be to be a geisha. "No Mark, they aren't dancing prostitutes. They are beautiful and pure".
I loved the show!
Not satisfied, we went to a Geisha show, only on once a year for ten days. It is the time when the geishas present their apprentices to Kyoto, with dancing and tea ceremonies, to show how well trained they are and how ready they are to entertain and become full geisha.
I'm no expert, but the singing made me wonder whether the ladies were secretly mouthing the words while squeezing cats to prduce the desired effect. And why they purposefully detuned the instruments is beyond me. But, this is how it is done and it helped me to stay awake during the dancing.
Since I'm a bit of a philistine here, I'll write with Nic's opinion in mind:
The beautiful geisha came on stage, all dressed immaculately and made up perfectly. They each went through their dance routines showing the beauty and elegance that is the Geisha way of life. Their care and attention to detail and grace was so impressive. How wonderful it would be to be a geisha. "No Mark, they aren't dancing prostitutes. They are beautiful and pure".
I loved the show!
Pooh's friend...
Nic and I were in a restaurant the other day, enjoying a lovely meal after some temple snapping, when Nic started giggling. The lady serving us had an apron with a picture of a teddy bear on it. Above was written "Dick Bear".
I couldn't look the lady in the eye. Getting served by Dick Bear was just too weird.
Who makes these things? How do you imagine the product meeting might go?
"We need some new designs for our apron range"
"Teddy bears are cute"
"Great let's do that. But what do we call the teddy bear?"
"I know! What about Dick Bear. That has got to have all round appeal. Everyone likes Dick!"
"Great let's do it"
I couldn't look the lady in the eye. Getting served by Dick Bear was just too weird.
Who makes these things? How do you imagine the product meeting might go?
"We need some new designs for our apron range"
"Teddy bears are cute"
"Great let's do that. But what do we call the teddy bear?"
"I know! What about Dick Bear. That has got to have all round appeal. Everyone likes Dick!"
"Great let's do it"
Shodo Shima
We took a detour and took a ferry to the island of Shodo Shima. Shodo shima is a small island in the inland sea of Japan.
We hired some bicycles and rode around the island scaring the drivers there...
We hired some bicycles and rode around the island scaring the drivers there...
Beppu
We took the bullet train south and headed down to Beppu, land of the Japanese Onsen (hot-pools). Beppu was a quiet little town which was a welcome respite from the big cities of Japan.
We caught a bus out into the country and walked down some country lanes, through a graveyard and in through the bush to get to a natural hot spring that is free and maintained by the locals here. We had the whole place to ourselves in the morning, pouring scolding spring water over our heads and lazing in the sunshine.
This paradise could only last so long because it is really for the locals, so when two young guys and an old man turned up, everything had to switch Japanese style. We were in swimming trunks but the Japanese bathe in Onsen naked. After Nic being treated to three Japanese willies and feeling pressured to get our kit off too, we decided to head back to our hotel which had its own private Onsen. Less winkies, more fun.
We like Japan, but seeing other men's willies isn't pretty in any country. Beppu is great and the hot pools are lovely though.
We caught a bus out into the country and walked down some country lanes, through a graveyard and in through the bush to get to a natural hot spring that is free and maintained by the locals here. We had the whole place to ourselves in the morning, pouring scolding spring water over our heads and lazing in the sunshine.
This paradise could only last so long because it is really for the locals, so when two young guys and an old man turned up, everything had to switch Japanese style. We were in swimming trunks but the Japanese bathe in Onsen naked. After Nic being treated to three Japanese willies and feeling pressured to get our kit off too, we decided to head back to our hotel which had its own private Onsen. Less winkies, more fun.
We like Japan, but seeing other men's willies isn't pretty in any country. Beppu is great and the hot pools are lovely though.
Monday, 27 October 2008
Signs and their meanings
A lot of the time we can't read the signs that we see, so we've had to imagine what they've meant. Here are some of our best guesses from Russia, Mongolia, China and Japan...
No punching cats
Warning! Electric deer
Warning! Drunk cats.
Smelly dog farts ahead
Umbrella golfing prohibited
Hypnotising babies prohibited.
Danger! Falling footballs and anteaters
Warning! Your car roof may explode
Use of magnetic super powers prohibited!
No grumpy women
No punching cats
Warning! Electric deer
Warning! Drunk cats.
Smelly dog farts ahead
Umbrella golfing prohibited
Hypnotising babies prohibited.
Danger! Falling footballs and anteaters
Warning! Your car roof may explode
Use of magnetic super powers prohibited!
No grumpy women
Vending machine haircut
The Japanese are awfully fond of using vending machines. I got my haircut paying with a vending machine and with a guarantee of taking only ten minutes. At the end of the haircut, the guy vacumn cleaned my head. I think I will wait a while before I try that again...
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