Jon,
I hesitate to agree with your claim that "The Hulk is the best @#%&*^(())+$#$%@# damn ?"{#$@^&*()@ movie ever made". I'm sorry. We all are.
Moving on, a wonderful overview of New Zealand Culture is now available on-line. I will be pointing any and all queries directed towards me in regards to New Zealands identity in the world towards this fact-filled delight.
Now, back to the Obon celebrations....
As you will no doubt recall, our intrepid cultural ambassadors had just alighted from their special train and were wending their way towards the celebrations....
Gujo is a really pretty little place, at least at nighttime it is. Gifu prefecture has an awful lot of mountains in it, The Japanese Alps for example. Gujo is nestled in some pretty mountainous country with a large castle overlooking the town and a bunch of rivers running through it. (I looked for Brad Pitt and Mr. Newman, to no avail). We knew we were on the right track when we arrived at the Festival Food stalls. Mmmmmmm festival food.
A QUICK ASIDE ON FOOD IN JAPAN...Food, in general is seen as a very large part of the identity of domestic Japan. Take Ramen for example. Noodles. Good old, bog standard noodles, imported from China a bullion years ago. But still the identities of many different parts of Japan are tied up in their version of the original recipe. Fukuoka, for example, in the Southern Island of Kyushu, where I was for my exchange, has Hakata ramen, named after the central area of the city. Hakata Ramen is basically an entire pig carcass, placed ever so delicately in an enormous pot and boiled to buggery for a day or two into a thick, white, oily, pig-gy, really, really dirty good soup. Add noodles, et, voila (excuse my French) a regional delicacy. Ask for Hakata Ramen anywhere in Japan and this is what you'll get. The Ramen from Tokyo are, as far as I can recall, based around a soya sauce soup, Hokkaido has a salt based soup and so on. It is interesting to talk to many Japanese people about their domestic travel...
"How was your trip to blahblahblah?"
"The Ramen was delicious"...
"I want to go to Hokkaido"
"Why?"
"I hear the Ramen is delicious"
It is quite difficult to overstate how important gastronomy is as an identifying factor for regions in Japan. I digress. Back to the festival food. With festival food, the more the food is fried, the better the food is. Mmmmmmmmm fried festival food.
Deep Fried chicken, Deep fried squid, Fried Noodles, Fried Meat, ...Mmmmmmm Fried stuff. It tastes good and is not necessarily 100% proven with finality to be the only major cause of heart disease. Mmmmm.
So. Greasy chicken in one hand, warmed up defribulators (sp?) in the other we marched on to the festival. At first it seemed a teeming mass of people, on closer inspection however it turn out to be... a teeming mass of people. So we wendled our way in and joined the throng. it was estimated that 100,000 people were there that night, I estimate about 60% of them were in fact fried food vendors but still there were a ton of people doing the dance and methodically shuffling along the road in time with the minstrels. We caught on to the particular dances pretty quick, and as they each went on for 20-30 minutes before a brief break and the launch into the next, we got prety good at them by the changeover.
It was very interesting. You are standing in a line, doing these ritualistic dances (cranes flying, warriors on steeds - no
"chopping-thewood" or "top-shelf-middle-shelf-bottom-shelf-trolley" though) that have been done for a few hundred years, over and over, and over again and it can get very trance-like. Just shuffling along and all of a sudden your 30 metres away from where you last remember being- all very odd.
Right. Thats enough for today. Have a swell weekend.
tata.
Friday, August 29, 2003
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Hello again.
I just received from Shane a super e-mail that I am going to share with you.
Thanks Shane.
You do, in fact, rule...
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IN THAT FOR ALL OF US.....
I just received from Shane a super e-mail that I am going to share with you.
Thanks Shane.
You do, in fact, rule...
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IN THAT FOR ALL OF US.....
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Hey Hey Hey.
Pretty hot here in the old Japan. As Mike said the weather has been a little skew-wif this year, people are looking to the sky, there is much shaking of the heads and gnashing of the teeth. Oh well.
Thought i'd fill you in on the Obon celebrations of a few weeks ago...
Obon is a Japanese celebration of the dead, the theory goes that during the Obon all of the dead relatives come home for a wee while and see what you've done with the garden and how the new drapes look in the living room. Obon forms a quasi-national-public holiday, not really a true holiday, but everyone (traditionally) was compelled to return to their homes and eat, drink and make merry. Leading up to and during the Bubble economy companies were more than willing to let people stroll home for a week or so on unofficial paid leave, assured that when they returned the Yen would be stronger still, and some more of New York would be available to snap up at bargain basement prices.
Then one day it wasn't.
Since then free leave for Obon has been reined in somewhat, but still a couple of days are set aside during the traditonal Lunar Calender oriented festival for you to dash home and pay your respects. This year we were invited up to dance at the Obon festivities in a wee town/hamlet called Gujo-Hachiman. Gujo has been doing this for some 410 years in a row and the practice really does show.
Basically there are five simple dances that are performed by all and sundry in a line three deep that wends its wendly-way down a wee road from a large central courtyard. The line is essentially a large loop, with the dancers facing the middle, open stretch of road, looking across at other dancerswho are ahead/behind them in the conveyer. Like a slot car set. In the middle of the no-mans-land in the middle of the road sits a float and upon this float sit the minstrels, about 7 of them, who play, and play, and play, and play, and play, and play, and play all damn night.
We strolled up there with Tom and Kerryn (our "in" to the whole affair) and a bunch of other foreign types with and International Association of a town called something-a-rather-that-i-forgot. Anywhoo, these folks kitted us out in Yukata (summer kimonos) and taught us (briefly) the required dances before bundling us on a train the 1 1/2 hours up the way to Gujo. The train was pretty swell, we had a booked carriage that had been outfitted with a tatami mat (rushes bound together tightly to form a mat. They appear in essentially all Japanese houses, spectacularly expensive, long-wearing and a standard unit of measurement for Japanese homes eg: "a 5 tatami room"). So there was much sitting on the floor of the train and nattering.
I had a nap. It had been a long day already. (Trick for young players- the Yukata is basically a dressing gown. Take care to keep the mouse in the house...especially while napping)
We arrived, the expected rain didn't, and off we set for the dancing....
Ooops
I have a 3hr 1-1 Japanese class starting in 15 minutes, I"ll be back with more of the Obon carry on after a message from our sponsors...
Pretty hot here in the old Japan. As Mike said the weather has been a little skew-wif this year, people are looking to the sky, there is much shaking of the heads and gnashing of the teeth. Oh well.
Thought i'd fill you in on the Obon celebrations of a few weeks ago...
Obon is a Japanese celebration of the dead, the theory goes that during the Obon all of the dead relatives come home for a wee while and see what you've done with the garden and how the new drapes look in the living room. Obon forms a quasi-national-public holiday, not really a true holiday, but everyone (traditionally) was compelled to return to their homes and eat, drink and make merry. Leading up to and during the Bubble economy companies were more than willing to let people stroll home for a week or so on unofficial paid leave, assured that when they returned the Yen would be stronger still, and some more of New York would be available to snap up at bargain basement prices.
Then one day it wasn't.
Since then free leave for Obon has been reined in somewhat, but still a couple of days are set aside during the traditonal Lunar Calender oriented festival for you to dash home and pay your respects. This year we were invited up to dance at the Obon festivities in a wee town/hamlet called Gujo-Hachiman. Gujo has been doing this for some 410 years in a row and the practice really does show.
Basically there are five simple dances that are performed by all and sundry in a line three deep that wends its wendly-way down a wee road from a large central courtyard. The line is essentially a large loop, with the dancers facing the middle, open stretch of road, looking across at other dancerswho are ahead/behind them in the conveyer. Like a slot car set. In the middle of the no-mans-land in the middle of the road sits a float and upon this float sit the minstrels, about 7 of them, who play, and play, and play, and play, and play, and play, and play all damn night.
We strolled up there with Tom and Kerryn (our "in" to the whole affair) and a bunch of other foreign types with and International Association of a town called something-a-rather-that-i-forgot. Anywhoo, these folks kitted us out in Yukata (summer kimonos) and taught us (briefly) the required dances before bundling us on a train the 1 1/2 hours up the way to Gujo. The train was pretty swell, we had a booked carriage that had been outfitted with a tatami mat (rushes bound together tightly to form a mat. They appear in essentially all Japanese houses, spectacularly expensive, long-wearing and a standard unit of measurement for Japanese homes eg: "a 5 tatami room"). So there was much sitting on the floor of the train and nattering.
I had a nap. It had been a long day already. (Trick for young players- the Yukata is basically a dressing gown. Take care to keep the mouse in the house...especially while napping)
We arrived, the expected rain didn't, and off we set for the dancing....
Ooops
I have a 3hr 1-1 Japanese class starting in 15 minutes, I"ll be back with more of the Obon carry on after a message from our sponsors...
Monday, August 25, 2003
Well folks, we're back. Thanks for feeding the pets and getting in the mail.
We didn't actually go anywhere as such, rather were swept off the net by the persistant and oft' annoying demands of the REAL world. Still, here we are.
I'm not so sure about the instant noodles I'm eating at the moment...they are a soupless instant noodle that one tops with mayonnaise and mustard out of a squirty-pack affair when ready to eat. They seem to be sticking to my insides in quite, quite unpleasant way. Hmmm. In current news, a 1.5m crocodile was caught two towns over in the rice fields...not a daily occourence to be sure...them not being native and all.
My International Drivers Licence expires next week, and I have to change it over for a Japanese one. This involves trips to three seperate offices, including the killer one; the actual licensing center, where I have to ring up and make an appointment for a DAY, not part of a day... a DAY. You turn up at 8:00 and they promise to see you AT SOME STAGE between then and 4:00 in the afternoon...("The offender is described as a bureaucratic nightmare posing as a First World, High-Tech economy..."). Still, should give me a chance to brush up on my "waiting-in-line" skills.
We had a visit this past weekend from my erstwhile host brother, from my one year jaunt as an exchange student over here many, many moons ago. We never really saw eye to eye during the time and I was a little concerned that initial niceties may dissolve into some hardcore uncomfortable silences. Happily surprised I was to find him (as am I) a completely different person and some not-as-uncomfortable-as-previously-expected times were indeed had.
We strolled off to our local fun times a-go-go locale, the Riverside Mall and went to see the Hulk. Now I have been waiting for this wee number for quite some time. I have fond memories of Dr. David Banner and his unfortunate run-in with near-lethal doses of Gamma Radiation (and the end theme...on the piano? wow.) I was excited about Ang Lee directing it. I was excited about Eric Bana playing the big green chap. I was a shade disappointed. The nods to the comic boook genre were appreciated to be sure, the CGI was pretty nuts, I just felt it could have been a little better. Thats all. There, I've said it.
Next day, after receiving an impassioned plea from Norihiko (for that is his name) to go and see some more movies (he has two kids and made note of the fact that if he sees one more mermaid, magical horse, talking teddy bear or juggling jungle beast he will not be held accountable for his actions) we went to see Terminator 3. Which was sold out. So we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean (Quick poll: Cari-BEE-in, or Carib-i-in?) Now. I'm a chap who likes my Pirate adventures (an underexplored genre in recent times to be honest) to be swashbuckling. More of the Swashbuckle. Less of the not-Swashbuckle.
it was good.
Get along and see it. Leave your rolling of the eyes and your "Johnny Depp? A Pirate?" and your "Disney?" and your "Berin thought it was good and he's a tool" at the door and get along in there.
me hearties.
aaaaaaarrrrr. cap'n.
On that note, I'm going to drag myself out the door and go and do something productive with the day. Toodle-pip.
We didn't actually go anywhere as such, rather were swept off the net by the persistant and oft' annoying demands of the REAL world. Still, here we are.
I'm not so sure about the instant noodles I'm eating at the moment...they are a soupless instant noodle that one tops with mayonnaise and mustard out of a squirty-pack affair when ready to eat. They seem to be sticking to my insides in quite, quite unpleasant way. Hmmm. In current news, a 1.5m crocodile was caught two towns over in the rice fields...not a daily occourence to be sure...them not being native and all.
My International Drivers Licence expires next week, and I have to change it over for a Japanese one. This involves trips to three seperate offices, including the killer one; the actual licensing center, where I have to ring up and make an appointment for a DAY, not part of a day... a DAY. You turn up at 8:00 and they promise to see you AT SOME STAGE between then and 4:00 in the afternoon...("The offender is described as a bureaucratic nightmare posing as a First World, High-Tech economy..."). Still, should give me a chance to brush up on my "waiting-in-line" skills.
We had a visit this past weekend from my erstwhile host brother, from my one year jaunt as an exchange student over here many, many moons ago. We never really saw eye to eye during the time and I was a little concerned that initial niceties may dissolve into some hardcore uncomfortable silences. Happily surprised I was to find him (as am I) a completely different person and some not-as-uncomfortable-as-previously-expected times were indeed had.
We strolled off to our local fun times a-go-go locale, the Riverside Mall and went to see the Hulk. Now I have been waiting for this wee number for quite some time. I have fond memories of Dr. David Banner and his unfortunate run-in with near-lethal doses of Gamma Radiation (and the end theme...on the piano? wow.) I was excited about Ang Lee directing it. I was excited about Eric Bana playing the big green chap. I was a shade disappointed. The nods to the comic boook genre were appreciated to be sure, the CGI was pretty nuts, I just felt it could have been a little better. Thats all. There, I've said it.
Next day, after receiving an impassioned plea from Norihiko (for that is his name) to go and see some more movies (he has two kids and made note of the fact that if he sees one more mermaid, magical horse, talking teddy bear or juggling jungle beast he will not be held accountable for his actions) we went to see Terminator 3. Which was sold out. So we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean (Quick poll: Cari-BEE-in, or Carib-i-in?) Now. I'm a chap who likes my Pirate adventures (an underexplored genre in recent times to be honest) to be swashbuckling. More of the Swashbuckle. Less of the not-Swashbuckle.
it was good.
Get along and see it. Leave your rolling of the eyes and your "Johnny Depp? A Pirate?" and your "Disney?" and your "Berin thought it was good and he's a tool" at the door and get along in there.
me hearties.
aaaaaaarrrrr. cap'n.
On that note, I'm going to drag myself out the door and go and do something productive with the day. Toodle-pip.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Right-o kids- i did warn you about the infrquent updates, so you'll all have to take the good with the mediocre. Suffice it to say we have hit a busy patch right nearing the end of the summer holidays and writing time is at a premium.
We farewelled Arch this morning, he was strutting off to do some camping in the nature, he came up on Sunday and it was marvellous fun to see him, we rode the ferris wheel at the mall down the road. I forgot about my debilitating fear of heights until the kindly chap working on the "Godo Wheel of Death" locked us in...then my clammy hands, racing heart, blurred vision, tightened throat and slight whine reminded me and I kept my eyes on the horizon for the wonderful 10 minute adventure.
Much beer was consumed following this near-death experience, but it still took a couple of hours to really get over the nerves.
Nic now sees me in a whole new light.
Bugger.
Anywhoo, we have been up to a bunch more, but unfortunately are running around and around and around and around doing this and that- will write when the hectic-ness fades.
Hope all are well and good.
Berin
We farewelled Arch this morning, he was strutting off to do some camping in the nature, he came up on Sunday and it was marvellous fun to see him, we rode the ferris wheel at the mall down the road. I forgot about my debilitating fear of heights until the kindly chap working on the "Godo Wheel of Death" locked us in...then my clammy hands, racing heart, blurred vision, tightened throat and slight whine reminded me and I kept my eyes on the horizon for the wonderful 10 minute adventure.
Much beer was consumed following this near-death experience, but it still took a couple of hours to really get over the nerves.
Nic now sees me in a whole new light.
Bugger.
Anywhoo, we have been up to a bunch more, but unfortunately are running around and around and around and around doing this and that- will write when the hectic-ness fades.
Hope all are well and good.
Berin
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Following closely behind Mike "I Blaze The Trails" Crump and Kate "I Follow Freshly Blazed Trails Closely" Doherty-Taylor/Taylor/Taylor-Doherty?? we bring to you from deepest, darkest Japan, the trials and tribulations of hanging out in a wee town called Godo...(see what i did with the blog name there? did ya? huh? huh? woopwoop)
Well folks. It's been a long day. I wrote a tome. A biblical tome. A tome as long as your arm. I learned a lesson. Save your tomes. I will write soon. I must fetch beer.
Yours,
Berin.
And here I am!!
Back again!!
Patient smile resting on my lips.
Just.
Man- what a tome!! It rests now. In tome heaven. Still, heres some stuff...First, is the CRAAAAAAAAZY installation art place Nic and I wandered out to a couple of weekends ago, its called "The Site of Reversible Destiny"....and it's been put up by a Japanese chap who, it seems, likes to take lots and lots of acid.
Second on the list is our brand-spanking new digital camera. Ooooooooh it's so peeeerty
i trust you are all well.
lots of the love,
Berin and Nic.
Well folks. It's been a long day. I wrote a tome. A biblical tome. A tome as long as your arm. I learned a lesson. Save your tomes. I will write soon. I must fetch beer.
Yours,
Berin.
And here I am!!
Back again!!
Patient smile resting on my lips.
Just.
Man- what a tome!! It rests now. In tome heaven. Still, heres some stuff...First, is the CRAAAAAAAAZY installation art place Nic and I wandered out to a couple of weekends ago, its called "The Site of Reversible Destiny"....and it's been put up by a Japanese chap who, it seems, likes to take lots and lots of acid.
Second on the list is our brand-spanking new digital camera. Ooooooooh it's so peeeerty
i trust you are all well.
lots of the love,
Berin and Nic.
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