Off to tokyo again

Needed clothes, needed shoes and needed a weekend out of Niigata and as luck would have it Shizuka had a rare weekend off. She also wanted to go and see what i can only describe as a motivational speaker/life coach thingy with her friend, Che (far right).

So we found a place in Shibuya that sold mens clothes and then they left me to my own devices, which is not terribly sensible with me and clothes. This was demonstrated early on when I bought a t-shirt that they wouldn't let me try on (hygiene reasons), It was a large so it should fit... went to the next shop tried a few other shirts on (with some success) then though I'd try on my t-shirt, only to find I could bearly get my hands through the arms let alone my arms. Ah well! The rest of the shopping went quite well though, except that I mananged to buy the most expensive shirt of my entire life (£100) but it fitted me. Anything less than a XXL in Japan is a bit dodgy for me - my work shirt is a XXXL.

Afterwards we went to see Lohi, a Chinese friend of ours that works a bar in Tokyo while she studies. Nice place, Italian, on the 5th floor of a big building just out of Tokyo station, you know the exit begining with M... yes I was my usual attentive self.

This is Lohi's coffee art thing, Impressive as the coffee was still hot, unlike it would be if I did it!

Ooh ooh, found the firework setting on the camera

After my dismal attempt at taking pictures at the Niigata firework festival, I thought I would give my newly discovered firework setting a try out. As you can seen the results were pretty good, but there again, so were the fireworks!

These were taken at the Katagai festival, about an hours drive south west of Niigata. This a special festival, Katagai is the town where they make fireworks, so it was always going to be a bit special. You know when you're at a display and at the end they send up a big one that's really loud? Well that's how this festival started.

So how do you end the ultimate firework display? With the largest firework in the world of course! This isn't the actual firework but its similar. It's over 40in in diameter and requires a huge mortar barrel to fire it. I think it costs in the region of £10,000 a pop, takes months to make and the resultant explosion is over 1km wide, when they work.

This is what it looked like.

Caught her at it again

Another feastival and Shizuka and her family do another performance. This was a couple of firsts for me. First time to see Shizuka do the ladder thing and also the first time I met Shizuka's father. The was pretty short, basically because he still doesn't I'm Shizuka's boyfriend. He must of thought it odd though that I knew all the rest of the family!
So the festivities start with a bit of drum and flute playing, helped by little Masato. Here is Masato again. Masato is Shizuka's nephew.

And this is his mother, Hanami doing her performance.

And I think this is Shizuka's eldest sister, Itsume.

and this time, the video

I was amazed I managed to keep the camera still, but I found looking through the camera was less scary than looking directly at what was going on.

It was even more discomorting that someone died this year doing the same thing.

eating that flip over noodle thingy

I discovered a new eating experience in Japan, it's called Economeachi, though it probably isn't spelled that way. Basically it's a blend of pancake mixture, noodles, bacon, salad and eggs. You fry them altogether yourself on a hot plate sunk into the table. Actually the Japanese have at least 3 styles of DIY cooking, Korean BBQ, Shaboo Shaboo and Economeachi, all of which are delicious.
Helpfully they provide a set of instructions - pictures too!

And now the all important toss...
The finished article

Scuba diving, the Verdict

The first part of our PADI training we did in the instructors shop, read the manual and did a simple test. I realised then that when Shizuka said she would like to go scuba diving she didn't realise it was so involved. Not that that put her off at all, but it's good to emphasis that it is not without some risk and there are a few things you have to do before you jump into the wide blue yonder and start finding Nemo.

We drove to a little community center by the beach. This was a reasonable sized room, with a tv, some exercise machines, a small kitchen, toilets and showers. You can tell you're in Japan because a) it's left unlocked most of the time and everything is still there, b) it's immaculate. Not many places you can say that about.

First thing you have to do is find some gear that fits. That's not easy for me in Japan but the instructor found something that sort of fitted - even if the knee pads were hanging out. Got all the rest of the gear on ok then set out to achieve neutral buoyancy.
Normally you would do your practice training in a swimming pool, but we did all our practice dives in the shallows of the coast.

I don't really like water, or the prospect of wading out with so much extra baggage (I mean the scuba gear). Every time I waded out my heart was really thumping and I had to fight against the feeling of panic. However, as soon as I was actually swimming I felt completely at ease. Bizarrely, I had problems with sinking and had to add an additional 10kg of weight but had so many problems remaining still on the bottom. The big problem with this was that every time your flippers brush the sea bed, clouds of silt make looking at the instructors signals very difficult.

So we went through all the drills, the hand signals, getting neutral buoyancy - nearly managed to drown doing the simulated loss of regulator. Shizuka took to it really well. Alarmingly, she used half as much air as I did. During one off my practice dives I nearly ran out.

Our final dive was a boat dive and we got to do that backwards fall of the boat, which was surprisingly easy - not the actual falling off bit, but it wasn't as disorienting as I expected. This dive was to 18m and was great. Ok it wasn't the great barrier reef, but as an experience if was wonderful. That was until I got some water in the nose of my mask I couldn't seem to clear and then actually running out of air just as I got to the surface - not a problem you would think, but you are supposed to keep the regulator in your mouth while swimming back to the boat. Not at all pleasant and when I got back to the boat I nearly threw up and then spent the rest of the trip back trying to recover.
A shame it had to finish that way, it really spoiled my experience. I want to do it again, but will definitely only do it with an instructor.

Please give generously...

Me on Sado island with Mount Yahiko on the main land in the background, seemingly suffering from Elephantitis of the arms. This was taken out side our 'Hotel' which was more like a family home with a few extra rooms. Open plan, with sliding doors and Tatami mat floors and a feast fit for a divers table. Apart from the obvious crab, the mean consisted of battered shrimps, home group pickles, octopus and fish sashime (raw) some shell fish (didn't go near that) and of course what meal would be complete without unlaid octopus eggs? Tried those, verdict: 'interesting'

Scuba diving on Sado Island

So as mentioned before, Shizuka's birthday present was actually to go Scuba diving and I decided to go the whole hog and do the whole PADI training course thing. As luck would have it the day after she had expressed an interest, Greg introduced me to a scuba instructor who just happened to wander in to Immigrants that night.

So, Shizuka had to sort things out, and gets all the books and copies of the tests you have to do before starting - a good thing because it meant we could spend more time in the water when we got to Sado. For those of you who don't know where Sado island is...




The big green bit is Japan.

You will notice that Sado is an Island and therefore the first problem is actually getting there. There are two practical methods, the ferry and the Jet boat - and before you get too excited, the jet boat isn't quite as glamorous as it sounds - but it is considerable faster than the ferry (though considerably more expensive)

Shizuka's birthday

Although the picture doesn't show it, this was actually in the early hours of the 28th thanks to the time being set incorrectly on my camera. Shizuka's present was actually to go Scuba diving, but since I had to tell her (a) because she had to arrange most of it - the language barrier and (b) there was some training and lots of reading we had to do before we actually went. So to make up for the complete lack of surprise, I bought her these flower things that she was thrilled about. Later that night, back at the bat cave - or immigrants cafe to be precise, she has a little surprise birthday party and loads of presents.

I'm not sure whether this was for her or for me?

Afterwards we had a nice little Korean BBQ with Dai, Lindsey and 'to be added later'. Jolly nice, but I like to stick to the normal stuff - no matter how tasty, tongue is tongue and it's been in something else's mouth, dirty dirty!

Party on the beach

For ages now Greg has been checking with me that I have nothing planned for Sunday 26th August because he needs my help at a big party on the beach he was organising. Me and a few other foreigners who were larger than your average local were to help with setting up the food tents and then do the security (bit of a laugh at a Japanese party, they are all so well behaved). Anyway, the day came, we carried a load of stuff on the beach and then were told that the 'local security organisation' were taking care of security and our services were not required. However, we could drink for free all night! Whoo hoo!
To be fair (and ensure the event made some profit) Eric and I started slowly and threw an American football around (which I had forgotten how to do from last time). This was a laugh and even managed to get a few locals to join in. This ceased to be a laugh when I fumbled the ball resulting in my ring finger being bent in directions it wasn't supposed too. It went black and swelled up, but fortunately wasn't broken. I think the Americanism is 'jamming your finger'.
So we headed for the beer tent and soon after waded in waste deep in the delightfully warm water. And that's pretty much where we stayed until 1 am, only leaving the water to get more beer. It cost me a pair of sunglasses (which fell off my head and sank) but it was a great night. About 300 people came in the end so a big success (and relief) for Greg.

I didn't take any photos, but Shizuka took one or two of me 'more than a few sheets to the wind'.

Good and bad taste in one evening

Shizuka and I were invited to Shibata (a town just on the outskirts of Niigata city) by Lindsey. Both Lindsey and Kat were counting down there days in Niigata so it was nice to grab another opportunity for a meal with them both. The place in question was a Thai restaurant that was called..... something Diner (help Kat- if i wasn't such a lazy blogger and written this nearer the actual event I may have remembered). Very nice meal, that was just about the right temperature - spicy wise. So that was the good taste,

And now the bad taste. Very popular in Japan is a gambling game called Pachinco. Basically you buy a load of ball bearings that you shove in a slot and watch it bounce around a load of pins some of which activate various gambling games and the opportunity to win more ball bearings. You then trade what you have won back at the counter. The machines are garish and so loud (Glen, Tomomi and I had a short go in Osaka) and the exterior is pretty much the same.

Unfortunately, the picure doesn't do this place justice, but opposite the restaurant was this Pachinco place - bright orange with firework look flurescent lights and complete with bright orange palm trees - I don't know how we resisted going in.

Tofu restaurant

This is my second visit to Niigata's only Tofu speciality restaurant, the first being with my pals and ex colleagues from the Ol' Microgen days. If you have ever eaten Tofu you may be surprised that I went back a second time, but then you probably haven't been to the Umeno Hana. Believe me I'm not jumping for joy when the work canteen serve up a lump of what looks like Dairy lee cheese and tastes like putty, but you would be amazed at the options served up at the Umeno Hana. Fried, baked, deep fried, roasted, grilled and it even makes a nice creme caramel style desert.
It was a lucky 'find', the only reason we went the first time was because or poor Japanese teacher worked there (and I think we went mainly because she did think we would). She still does, which was great because we got a 20% discount. It's not cheap, but an interesting experience in a really nice setting - got me thinking about giving my dining room in England a Japanese theme.

Why I should never go sunbathing...

We summer is in full swing and I have still managed to stay zombie white because there is always something that gets in the way. So Shizuka and I decide to join Kat, Lindsey and Tomoko on the local beach to catch a few rays. And this happened....

From this..

To this in maybe 30 mins - I had just finished putting sun cream on!

So I guess it's either back to the sunbed or remain zombie white - I think I upset someone upstairs

Didn't last long..

Remember the Chicken?, well unknown to the rest of us, it seemed to have a rather negative effect on poor Shizuka and I realised that her more more frequent disappearances were because she was being violently ill. We tried to sleep in the tent, but she was up and down all the time and i decided to take her home at 4am.
She spent the rest of the day in bed and we had to cancel our trip to Tokyo, not only nursing her poorly stomach but the numerous 1 to 2 inch bites she had on her legs and bottom. I got away a bit more lightly and didn't have such a reaction to the bites. I did however get about 20 mosquito bites on my feet that were unbearably irritate by whatever foot wear I put on.
'why didn't you take some insect repellent?' I hear you say. We did, it was rubbish - enough said.
The day after, and just to complete a fantastic few days off, I was ill and laid up all day. I was actually really pleased to get back to work - a terrible thing to say.

Things are looking up!

Steak and monster prawns and some chicken (remember this it's important). Then we spent the next hour or so lying on our backs watching shooting stars. 'sigh'

When camping goes bad

So that's set the idyllic scene, now for the reality...
Greg said that between 5 and 6 the flies start to come out, it gets a bit unpleasant so it's best to get out of there way for an hour. So 6.30 arrives and there is still only a few flies about. Then a few more arrive, then a few more etc etc x 100000. Now before I convey the true horror, 'Abou' as I believe they are called are around 15 to 20mm in length, look more like bees and when they bite, it feels like ... well it bloody hurts. To start with we probably looked like a bunch of Germans practicing whatever that slapping thing they do is (minus the leather shorts), then as they started to swarm it went from mildly amusing, through annoying to an bearable in the spacce of about 30 mins. We all sought refuge in the car to watch them in their 1000's crawl over the cars, the tents everywhere.
We waited and waited but they didn't go. It wasn't until the sun had completely gone down were they dosile enough to venture out of the car. We had a couple of gas laps that we left burning and each contained about 50 bodies of horse flies.

Some catching up to do!

So, we have established that Obon is hot, and what better way to enjoy the weather than by going camping. Greg has asked us a while back to join him and some other friends at the mountains at a spot about 45 mins away that had been recommended to him. After a few wrong turns we arrived at a picturesque river side. But by this time it was really hot and Shizuka and I were really uncomfortable and not enjoying ourselves at all. So we went for supplies in the welcome refuge of an air conditioned car - even let shizuka drive my Subaru.

It was about 5 when we returned and the heat had turned down a notch or two. So we decided to go for a little paddle. The water was a little cold but very refreshing and so clear.

BBQ at the beach

Obon week is also renowned for it's temperatures. It sounds idyllic that it's regularly in the mid 30's but if you're not a sun person life becomes dodging from one shady spot to another - not that that really helps because it's still really sticky hot in the shade. But, lets face it, I'm white - (Dulux brilliant white number 001) and I don't like being the typical English man on the beach - complete with knotted hanky. So to get a bit more colour to my skin in a slightly more natural way than a sun bed, I chose to bare nearly all during a BBQ with some of Shizuka's siblings - her sisters Arika and Hiami, their partners Hiro and Satoru and all their children and Shizuka's brothers Hiro and Mitsu. (think I got that right). It's the first time I have met some of them and to be honest I was a bit worried about properly meeting her younger brothers - so to break the ice , we jumped into the water and played Frisbee. That did the job.

Had a really nice time. Got a little pink, but just right - which is unusual for me! I have now moved a few shades up the chart - well my top half has, my legs refuse to tan.

Obon, feastival for commemoration of the ancestors

The Obon holiday is very important in Japan, and so two days National holiday are dedicated to it. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2286.html

On top of this, Twinbird (the company I am working in) give their employees a further 2 days off (but they have to make one up on the two consecutive Saturdays)

So I get a total of six days off including the weekend to do a few things. But first I want to dinner with Justine and Lindsey for a quieter farewell party.

The end of the festival

The end of all the festivities was a 2 hour firework display on the banks for the river. Literally the whole of Niigata it seems lines each bank from about 7 o'clock and has BBQs and a few sociable drinks. That's the whole of Niiagta except Shizuka who had to work which was a bit of as waste of time as they had no customers at all during the fireworks.

So I found the rest of the gang - no mean feat amongst all the people (what did we do before mobile phones?) The fireworks were cool. They are sponsered by companies from Niigata and as the barrage is released the company name is anounced over the loud speaker - though you can't hear it over the sound of the fireworks. Unfortunately my pictures of fireworks leave a little to be desired, but they were pretty spectacular for the whole 2 hours.

Afterwards went to Immigrants cafe to see how Shizuka was doing. As part of the feastival she too was wearing a Ukata, and pretty lovely she looked too!