last post in Nihon

Well....this will probably be my last post form Japan. I've been without internet since the last post and it just came back today.
I'm super tired, but still have to pack a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends and family.
Tomorrow will be a crazy day. I know I'll be racing back and forth trying to finish last minute tasks. Well.....I'll keep posting from Canada, so if you want to find out about life there, keep checking back.

For now, ciao. And merry Xmas everyone!

Xmas party

So I literally took only 5 pictures at the party. Here are the best ones:
From left to right: Makiko (assistant manager), Yukitoshi, Kazuyo (the manager), and Akira. And if you look closely, you'll even see the Hayden Christensen poster in the back. Ha!

Two of my favourite people: Akiko and Kazuyo

Same as before but I'm peaking over the top in my Santa costume

Don Quixote!

Here's the story: there are Xmas parties coming up this weekend. One is for work, and I was in charge of finding costumes for everyone. It's a strange task to give to me since I willfully dressed myself as Suntory BOSS for Hallowe'en! But OK...
So the plan is to buy a few santa hats, 2 sets of reindeer horns, and one complete reindeer suit, a sexy Mrs. Santa, an elf suit, and the full-blown santa costume with beard and all. Personally, I think that's a recipe for a party, right there!

I predict Remi will wear the elf or the reindeer suit.

The second party is for the 'Petits Papillons', a (mainly) French group that meets monthly. It's a way to practice my French so far away from home. We had a present exchange. But I got someone who I never talked to. I asked her what she does and she said 'ballerina'. But those were the only words we exchanged. Maybe it was partially because she doesn't speak french, or because I was uninterested and unable to carry a conversation with her. Regardless, I pulled her name from the hat and so had to buy her a present. So when I went to Don Quixote! Yes, it's a store that sells absolutely everything from erotic role-play costumes to cars! Crazy place...Anyways, when I was there, I saw this glorious SUPER-spy briefcase.

Cool, isn't it?! Yeah, I thought so. I mean, what else would a girl want, right? It was either some champagne bubble bath, a giant stuffed banana, or this amazing piece of James Bond memorabilia. I love Don Qui! Mainly because it's cute to see couples shopping in the erotic costumes section. ("OK. Tonight, I'll be the naughty nurse and you'll be the dirty doctor, ok?"
"No, we've done that before"
"Well, how about sexy prisoner and horny jail guard?"
"Nahh...I got it! What about George Bush and America?"
"Yeah! Fuck me like Dubya fucks America!!!")

View Heights Tagawa

Well...it was a sunny day in Kanazawa. And I thought I would take a picture or two of my building. This is the stately 'View Heights Tagawa'. my colleagues live in 'Maison de Jeunesse', and 'Takaoka Sweetments'. Man, that sounds so cool! I wish I could have lived in a sweetment!

This is it! I live on the fifth floor, about the third apartment from the right. It gets good morning sun. Too bad I'm hardly ever awake to enjoy it!

This is the approach to my door. Japanese people never lock their bicycles, by the way! NEVER!

the lights

The lights remind me of the branch my family used to decorate for Xmas. It always looked really good even though it wasn't a pine tree.

The scene of many romatics walks, I'm sure.

Actually, I prefer the yellow lights. These are the ones right outside my school.

This is the view when you come up from the underpass. They call it the subway, but it's nothing like a subway.

the bagle debacle

I thought I'd share this story with you. Recently I found some Philly cream cheese in a distant, well hidden supermarket.

Actually, that's really where my renewed desire for bagels came from. Now, I know that the 'German Bakery' has bagels. I mean, I never bought them before because I never had cream cheese before. But yesterday I proudly strolled over the the bagels and picked up two. They only had blueberry and chocolate, but this didn't deter me. I knew I had cream cheese, afterall!

When I got the the counter she started putting them right into a little take-out bag, and I politely stopped her and asked her if she could toast them. So she smiled and said 'of course'. At this point I watch her put the bagles—without slicing them—into the toaster! I must admit, I was a little stunned. But before the feeling could wear off, she pulled them out and threw them into the little baggie. All in all, they must have been in the toaster for about 15 seconds AT MOST!

Whatever. When I got to the office, I thought I'd just slice them myself and eat the untoasted bagles with cream cheese. I mean, at least I had cream cheese, right? ...Anyway, so I get back to the office and realise I've forgotten my knife. So right away I start searching the office kitchen (before my bagles get cold again). I mean, I know I'm in Japan, but I thought I saw a knife around there before...But nai. No knife.

This is the final result. I'm ripping the bagle apart and smearing the cheese on with a spork they gave me to eat soup with once. Honestly though, it was one of the most delicious breakfasts I've had in a while!

the list...

Things I want to eat when I come back to Toronto:

• bagels and cream cheese every morning
• mexican food (in Kensington)
• poutine
• pitas
• Kraft Dinner™
• Cereal!
• POUTINE!!!!!!
• home cooking
• croisants and cheese
• Bombay Bhel Indian food

Things I want to do:

• walk around Fairy Lake
• speak English really-really fast!
• go to Value Village
• sleep on a bed/couch
• hang out with Gavin
• go to the dentist (well...I don't really want to, but I chipped a tooth)
• take a streetcar
• visit a bookstore
• see my friends and family!!!
• have a snowball fight
• grab some nugs
• go skating outdoors

preparing for winter (part II)

.....................................The 'after' shot

This is the same place from a different angle. Behind these walls are some extremely beautiful gardens. Sometimes you can hear the 'klick.klak' of geta, wooden slippers, on the cobblestone in this neighbourhood. Or see old men in yukata, holding wax umbrellas.

This is a detail of the rice-straw ropes. While I was taking this picture the city test-drived it's sprinkler system. Yes, instead of shovelling the snow, these tiny sprinklers pop up and spray water all over the place. I had to dodge the rust-coloured water.

Damn you, little sprinkler! You are sooOOoooOO NOT cute!

preparing for snow

I guess it's been almost a year! When I came here all the terracotta walls were covered with straw jackets. In this picture there are rice-chaff ropes hanging from the old walls. They have already started putting up the straw mats in some places. They look like a long, continuous hanging carpet.
fig 9.1: Kanazawa on a wet autumn day. This is the Sumurai district. On the left, you can see the ropes hanging on the wall. The Before shot.


fig 9.2: This blood-red tree is ready for winter.

The other thing they are doing is tying ropes to the branches of all the trees. I suppose this protects them from breaking under the pressure of heavy snow. Although Kanazawa doesn't get as much snow as most of Canada, the snow here is wet and heavy. Also, I think that the pyramid shapes formed from the ropes is some kind of symbol of Kanazawa. It does look pretty and there's the added benefit of the whole city smelling like straw. It's actually a really comforting smell.

Fujitsu

Recently, I have been doing a company lesson at Fujitsu. They have a massive building about an hour away from Kanazawa, on a hill in the middle of rice paddies. It's weird to see this ULTRA-hightech building in the middle of nowhere. (They actually run their own shuttle bus between their sister company and the nearest train station)
I think they manufacture and design computer and electronics here. But in all honesty I'm not sure exactly what my students do. They all wear company-issued Fujitsu jumpsuits. It's kinda cool.

The thing is, in this massive complex, no one wears shoes! Not a single person! Everyone must take off their shoes at the entrance and take a pair of Fujitsu slippers. Sometimes it's funny to see a reflection of myself in the elevator wearing a suit and some slippers....I must admit it's comfortable though.

This is the border of slipper country. Here I am with my slippers.

helicopter ride

yesterday, I took a (free!!!) helicopter ride around Kanazawa!
The building in the middle at the bottom is Kanazawa Station...the shinkansen is waiting under the roof, unfortunately.

You can see the Castle Park in this one...It's the green hill near the top. The Castle is hard to spot because of the angle.

Robomatic 3000XL

Well, the weekend's here again! I feel like I was knocked out and locked in a closet for a few days, because I hardly remember the last week. Time really flies!

So I wanted to show you this little video of the first working robot I've seen in Japan. This one was suspended about 100m above ground in Kyoto Station, and it's camouflaged so it's hard to see. I managed to spot it and used a digital zoom to get the close up. I wonder what's in that drawer? It must be related to Bender, because he's also got one of those drawers you can keep anything in...Like Lucy Lui's head, for example....or stolen goods....or robot porn!

It even bows a little, eh! coolness!

predictions?

so it appears that a car ran into the side of the canal and broke three of the blocks. This was the first of this kind of traffic misdemeanor I've seen. I suppose this doesn't bode well for my future if I'm reading from the state of the canals. Well...I guess only time will tell.

worst photoshopped piece:

And the prize for the worst photoshopped piece goes to.........«drrrrrrrumroll................................»
...The World's Tallest Parking Spot, by Graeme Lottering!

It's the size of one car and stretches into the sky like a medieval tower. Crazy, eh?

autumn thoughts

The year is coming to an end. The leaves are already copper colour and the winds are becoming chilly. It's strange what a difference a few degrees make. The sun is distancing, in an imense figure-8, and leaving this land of sun-rises.

Autumn always has this nostalgic feelng, as if it's the true end of the year and winter is just a hibernation period before the next year begins. So this post is dedicated to a walk I took through Kenroku'en on such a fall day.


I wanted to walk through leaves, like ankle-deep, but there were these old ladies in traditional, circular hats who kept raking up all the fallen colours. So I eventually found a spot that they couldn't get to. Hidden in this little stream.
Somewhere in the hills of Kenroku'en, I found some peace. The sunlight hit the mountains beyond and painted them bright metalic tones, and through the leaves, I could see this lantern, twice my height.

the damn snake juice!

The game is darts, my friends! Ayumi has her own set!!! So, I made sure I was on her team!

If you lose you have have to drink the snake juice!

Marco lost the first round and had to do a shot of the hebi-zake...He couldn't win afterwards!

Marco and Remi, who's wearing the beer-goggles

This time I made sure not to lose. I didn't drink a single shot and managed (with Ayumi's help) to win, win, win! Yay! ...But I guess, sadly, that this means that I lost the grand battle against the snake juice. I tried on several occasions to drink once and to keep playing—keep winning—but the venom makes me left-handed, half-blind and autistic, it seems.

the girl from Wawa, Ontario

So, the other day I walked past this HUGE sign. This was the left side. Cute character, isn't he? Anyway, I walked on and finally came to the other side — surprised to see another Canadian, waving at me!
She looks like she comes from Wawa or something. I mean, at first I was surprised that there was a picture of a Canadian girl on this giant billboard, but then I realised that the stereotypical image of the Canadian is someone who just finished bailing hay in a barn. Weird, huh?

When I took the picture I was wearing my backpack with a flag sewn onto it and a group of highschool girls giggled when they passed me.

bob's yer uncle

So, I bought my plane ticket home. It was a viscious, teeth-gritting experience—somewhat how I imagine a stock trade must feel. I kept finding these great deals, just to have them snatched away before I could buy them. Seconds litteraly count in the high-tension world of the cyber-travel agent!

But, with all the difficulties behind me, I now have a ticket and I'm flying home shortly after Xmas. Because of the time difference, this means I'll arrive about 30 minutes after I take off on the 26th of December. Isn't Time an awesome thing?! Only a 30 minute flight to Toronto!

Now I just gotta wait for the embassy to send me my passport! ...........Yowser!

Anyway, this is also a call out. If there is anything you want me to bring from the Land of the Rising Sun. Please leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.

fig. 8: mmmmmmmm yummy!

the bright lights of Omicho Ichiba

The only place to get fresh octopus, GIANT crabs, and polished fruits!

prophecy?????

This morning while showering amidst the biggest windstorm I've ever witnessed, I had the most uncanny premonition. (Yes, my screen door was torn from my balcony by winds at 8:30am this morning and tossed, like a frisbee, 5 floors down onto a parking lot nearby. The wind was intense.) I stood in my bathroom and had this moment where I pictured a tornado in Japan. I remember clearly thinking: "Wouldn't that be absurd? A tornado in Japan?"

Anyways, the image was so starkly clear and seemed dreamlike. Not really destructive, but very realistic. Today, I got home and checked the news...And get this! There was a tornado in Hokkaido. The most deadly in Japan yet, killing 9 people. Now just a word of note, tornados in Japan are EXTREMELY rare and hardly kill anyone. I actually have a class where I have to teach people about natural disasters and the tornado is the one I have to explain the most frequently. A surprising amount of people don't have any idea what they are!

I thought I'd share that with you all. It was a weird premonition I had, like a waking dream...
Here's the BBC article

sculptures and sleeping crows

Tonight I walked around for a looooong time. I walked around Kanazawa Castle and found the night-time resting place of every single crow in the city. It was an eerie walk through a path lined with bronze sculptures every ten feet. And the crows seemed like leaves on the barren trees when I looked up, blinded by the bright light of the full moon. I swear there must have been hundreds of them — thousands of them even!

1:18am

fig 8.0: alley near my favourite resturaunt.

fig 8.1: the main intersection at its most lively.

fig 8.2: the saigawa river.

Kanazawa hotspots

fig 7.0: Kenroku'en garden. It's one of Japan's three most beautiful gardens. This lantern is the symbol of Kanazawa.

fig 7.1: Ishikawa-mon, the original gate to Kanazawa Castle.

fig 7.2: Higashi Chaya, the western tea-house district. This is still where most of Kanazawa's Geisha live and work. It's touristy during the day, but at night time, you can hear the sounds of koto and shamisen floating on the wind.

Hallowe'en Party!

Firstly, thanks for all the B-day wishes everyone! I had a great night, and realised that I have some good friends here in Japan.

Now, here are some pics from the Halloween Party! I was Suntory Boss, just in case you are wondering.