Check out this awesome image of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
A Vast Improvement
Has anyone else noticed how much Google Earth rocks these days?
Check out this awesome image of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Check out this awesome image of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Visit from the fire department!
Tonight I cooked some gyouza. Unfortunately, it made a lot of smoke. I mean a LOT of smoke. The fire alarm sounded and it was F loud but I couldn't turn it off!! Eventually some firemen came and asked me all sorts of questions, like my name, phone number, who owns the building, how much rent I pay, who I live with, what I'm doing in Japan, how long I'm going to stay, do I have a girlfriend, where I work, how long does it take to get to work, how I like Japa.. hang on a sec, what the hell were they asking me all that for?
... Did they want to be my friends...? Weird.
Nevertheless it was the best gyouza I've ever cooked. Maybe I should do it again and then invite the guys out for all night karaoke.
... Did they want to be my friends...? Weird.
Nevertheless it was the best gyouza I've ever cooked. Maybe I should do it again and then invite the guys out for all night karaoke.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
My two best buddies
I just... oh my god... I just don't know what to say... Where do they find these people...?? I bet they are from space.
Happiness is a new Macbook Pro
Well, I thought I'd just write a little note here to tell everyone that Macbook Pro's ROCK.
Let me list some of the most obvious features (mainly compared to Windows) - i.e. the ones that I can see just by using it for a few hours.
1. It's POWERFUL. Seemingly I can just run anything, and everything at once.
2. It looks WAY KEWL.
... do we need any more reasons?
3. It automatically detects when the lights are low and dims the screen and backlights they keyboard (see post below)
4. No viruses or spyware, and unhackable.
5. Applications don't chew up all the memory, and when you close them they don't leave your computer chugging like a fat girl with a tub of butter. You close it, it's gone. Not that I NEED to close it, since I can seemingly just run everything at once.
6. Fonts look better. In fact, everything looks better.
7. Magnetic power cord!
8. All the good programs for Mac are really good, and furthermore, most of them are free!
9. iTunes works and looks better. For instance, you're listening to music and someone calls you on Skype. Well, iTunes pauses, you make your Skype call, then when you hang up, it resumes playback but fades the volume in.
.... 10. A variety of funny applications, like Photo Booth, with which I took the following photos.
All good fun. Seriously this computer rocks and I hereby order you all to go and get one.
Let me list some of the most obvious features (mainly compared to Windows) - i.e. the ones that I can see just by using it for a few hours.
1. It's POWERFUL. Seemingly I can just run anything, and everything at once.
2. It looks WAY KEWL.
... do we need any more reasons?
3. It automatically detects when the lights are low and dims the screen and backlights they keyboard (see post below)
4. No viruses or spyware, and unhackable.
5. Applications don't chew up all the memory, and when you close them they don't leave your computer chugging like a fat girl with a tub of butter. You close it, it's gone. Not that I NEED to close it, since I can seemingly just run everything at once.
6. Fonts look better. In fact, everything looks better.
7. Magnetic power cord!
8. All the good programs for Mac are really good, and furthermore, most of them are free!
9. iTunes works and looks better. For instance, you're listening to music and someone calls you on Skype. Well, iTunes pauses, you make your Skype call, then when you hang up, it resumes playback but fades the volume in.
.... 10. A variety of funny applications, like Photo Booth, with which I took the following photos.
All good fun. Seriously this computer rocks and I hereby order you all to go and get one.
Say harro to my rittre friend...
My brand new Macbook Pro 2.33ghz 15" Laptop. Only 309,800 yen! Lol.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
One month!
Hi everyone!
Well, today is the 24th of March and I've now been here for exactly one month! Let's try and tabulate the things I've done in that month.
1. Got a place
2. Got a phone
3. Got a job
4. Got a bank account
5. Got a haircut
Hmm well that's actually about it, but considering I have to do all this crap in Japanese maybe it represents more of an achievement than it would otherwise. I mean, I have become (and am becoming) more and more familiar with Tokyo. I mean I can get around without getting lost now and well, I'm generally enjoying myself! What more can I ask for, really?
Anyway today I went to Akihabara just to have a look around. Then I came back and went and got a haircut. Ludicrously expensive (4800 yen) but I was pretty desperate, as anyone who has seen me lately knows... On the way there is this funny pub that I thought I'd take a photo of. So anyway, here is the photo of the pub, and me after my haircut.
Tonight I'm going to some friend of my housemate's farewell party in Shibuya. So let's see what happens!
Ok ciao for now!
I wonder if they're really hot...
Booyaaaaah!
Well, today is the 24th of March and I've now been here for exactly one month! Let's try and tabulate the things I've done in that month.
1. Got a place
2. Got a phone
3. Got a job
4. Got a bank account
5. Got a haircut
Hmm well that's actually about it, but considering I have to do all this crap in Japanese maybe it represents more of an achievement than it would otherwise. I mean, I have become (and am becoming) more and more familiar with Tokyo. I mean I can get around without getting lost now and well, I'm generally enjoying myself! What more can I ask for, really?
Anyway today I went to Akihabara just to have a look around. Then I came back and went and got a haircut. Ludicrously expensive (4800 yen) but I was pretty desperate, as anyone who has seen me lately knows... On the way there is this funny pub that I thought I'd take a photo of. So anyway, here is the photo of the pub, and me after my haircut.
Tonight I'm going to some friend of my housemate's farewell party in Shibuya. So let's see what happens!
Ok ciao for now!
I wonder if they're really hot...
Booyaaaaah!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Day trip to Kamakura and Yokohama
Hi all!
Yesterday I was taken by my new friend Yumie on a day trip to Kamakura, which was the capital of Japan from 1135-1333 AD. Quite a nice place and it's full of historic things to see, in much the same was as Kyoto and Nara are - in other words, lots of statues, shrines, temples and the like. So we went there in the morning (takes only an hour to get there from Tokyo) and started wandering around! Saw the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the Big Buddha at Hase (photos below) and a variety of other crazy things, including this weird cave network full of little statues that you're meant to pray at for good luck, prosperity, fertility etc.
Lunch was a big plate of sashimi. It took me 3 damn weeks to get some of that good stuff into me so I was feeling all good about it all day hehehe. Then we went to the beach - well, coming from Australia it wasn't particularly impressive, but then, coming from CANBERRA maybe it is, actually.
On the way back we stopped in Yokohama (it's about 1/3 of the way back to Tokyo from Kamakura) and wow, that place was really cool! Futuristic buildings, tonnes of shops and restaurants, lots of construction and other cool looking things - at one point I saw 4 layers of roads i.e. ground level and then three separate levels of roads suspended by various pillars above it. Seriously, amazing architecture!
We didn't get back till pretty late, and only when I finally got back did I realise that it was St Patrick's day so we quickly went and grabbed a beer and went home. It was such a fun day but a whole day of walking and talking Japanese (like 9am --> midnight) really took it out of me. So I came home, went straight to bed, and slept for a good 13 hours!! Unbelievable.
Anyway, here are the pictures! Seeya!
A "torii" - the trademark of Japan
Me standing in front of a bloody large statue of the B-Man himself. Apparently he used to be in a big wooden temple but it got destroyed by an earthquake.
Another shot, up closer this time. Actually for 20 yen you can go for a walk INSIDE the statue.
Yumie at the beach in Kamakura
Yokohama Night View!
Yesterday I was taken by my new friend Yumie on a day trip to Kamakura, which was the capital of Japan from 1135-1333 AD. Quite a nice place and it's full of historic things to see, in much the same was as Kyoto and Nara are - in other words, lots of statues, shrines, temples and the like. So we went there in the morning (takes only an hour to get there from Tokyo) and started wandering around! Saw the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the Big Buddha at Hase (photos below) and a variety of other crazy things, including this weird cave network full of little statues that you're meant to pray at for good luck, prosperity, fertility etc.
Lunch was a big plate of sashimi. It took me 3 damn weeks to get some of that good stuff into me so I was feeling all good about it all day hehehe. Then we went to the beach - well, coming from Australia it wasn't particularly impressive, but then, coming from CANBERRA maybe it is, actually.
On the way back we stopped in Yokohama (it's about 1/3 of the way back to Tokyo from Kamakura) and wow, that place was really cool! Futuristic buildings, tonnes of shops and restaurants, lots of construction and other cool looking things - at one point I saw 4 layers of roads i.e. ground level and then three separate levels of roads suspended by various pillars above it. Seriously, amazing architecture!
We didn't get back till pretty late, and only when I finally got back did I realise that it was St Patrick's day so we quickly went and grabbed a beer and went home. It was such a fun day but a whole day of walking and talking Japanese (like 9am --> midnight) really took it out of me. So I came home, went straight to bed, and slept for a good 13 hours!! Unbelievable.
Anyway, here are the pictures! Seeya!
A "torii" - the trademark of Japan
Me standing in front of a bloody large statue of the B-Man himself. Apparently he used to be in a big wooden temple but it got destroyed by an earthquake.
Another shot, up closer this time. Actually for 20 yen you can go for a walk INSIDE the statue.
Yumie at the beach in Kamakura
Yokohama Night View!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Good thing to remember No. 1.
When you go to a Yakiniku restaurant (that's the ones with the little barbecue on the table in front of you) and you see something on the menu called "Horumon", remember that that isn't a plate of hormones, it's a plate of bits of intestines. Discovered that last night to my surprising delight but it seems my own intestines weren't quite so delighted by the presence of "their own kind" and promptly discarded the foreign intestines along with all the beer I washed them down with.
Once again, adventure at your own peril :)
Once again, adventure at your own peril :)
Roppongi is fucked!!
If you were to ask me "Max Breaker, what is the worst experience you have ever had in Japan?" I would instantly be able to say "Going to fucking Roppongi!!!!"
This place is a cool looking place with lots of restaurants and karaoke and happening things, but it's just FULL of fucked foreigners and darky hustlers!
Walk out of the train station and within seconds you're accosted by someone - I dunno, Africans I guess, darkies anyway, and they get you to shake their hand and then give you a business card saying "Come into my bar! Hot ladies with revolving (sic) titties!! Gentleman's clubs!!!" Worse still, they follow you up the street!!
Anyway they are always offering some stupid deal like 4000 yen for 2 hours of non-stop drinking. And they always promise that there will be "hot ladies" inside for you to talk to. Anyway, we "negotiated" as much as we could with one guy and it seemed to be OK. Sure enough though, no other customers but us and the "hot ladies" were a mixture of overweight darkies and plastic surgery South Americans. Where are all the Japanese girls at?? Jeez.
So they talked to us for a while but I just couldn't be stuffed talking at all. Just small talk. Ordered a few more beers that took forever to arrive. Arrrrrgh the memories of it are nothing but memories of complete shit.
I mean sure, if you're there on a business trip and you just wanna get some P.I.V. ACTION, then sure, you want bitches - japan's got bitches. But it's complete crap going there if you want anything other than foreigner whores!
So there. My rating for Roppongi is a big fat 0 where 0 is the worst and the possible highest score is 10 to the power of a trillion. Adventure at your own peril.
This place is a cool looking place with lots of restaurants and karaoke and happening things, but it's just FULL of fucked foreigners and darky hustlers!
Walk out of the train station and within seconds you're accosted by someone - I dunno, Africans I guess, darkies anyway, and they get you to shake their hand and then give you a business card saying "Come into my bar! Hot ladies with revolving (sic) titties!! Gentleman's clubs!!!" Worse still, they follow you up the street!!
Anyway they are always offering some stupid deal like 4000 yen for 2 hours of non-stop drinking. And they always promise that there will be "hot ladies" inside for you to talk to. Anyway, we "negotiated" as much as we could with one guy and it seemed to be OK. Sure enough though, no other customers but us and the "hot ladies" were a mixture of overweight darkies and plastic surgery South Americans. Where are all the Japanese girls at?? Jeez.
So they talked to us for a while but I just couldn't be stuffed talking at all. Just small talk. Ordered a few more beers that took forever to arrive. Arrrrrgh the memories of it are nothing but memories of complete shit.
I mean sure, if you're there on a business trip and you just wanna get some P.I.V. ACTION, then sure, you want bitches - japan's got bitches. But it's complete crap going there if you want anything other than foreigner whores!
So there. My rating for Roppongi is a big fat 0 where 0 is the worst and the possible highest score is 10 to the power of a trillion. Adventure at your own peril.
Monday, March 12, 2007
First day at work
Well, yesterday was my first official day at work - although it doesn't actually seem like it yet because all I'm doing is sitting in on classes taken by the current teacher who hasn't left yet and isn't leaving till April. So, it's more like training by watching. Anyway it's ok.
It takes me about 45 minutes to get there, and I have to ride 3 different trains (for those who care, it's the Tobu Tojo line to Ikebukuro, the Yamanote to Takadanobaba, then the Tozai Metro line to Minami-sunamachi). Cost is 500 yen one way but work pays for that :) The worst is when I have to catch the train back late, like Mondays apparently have the latest class starting at 6:30, so by the time i get on the train home (say, 8 o'clock or so), all the office men are on their ways home and the trains are PACKED to SHIT. Last night it was all i could do not to be accidentally felt up on the train! haha no, just kidding. but we still looked like sardines in a train-shaped sardine tin.
Hmm, here's a random thought. For those who don't remember, I have a room with no windows. I was getting the shits because I'd wake up after x number of hours and still be out of rhythm no matter how many hours I slept, I think because my body didn't see any light and it wouldn't know to start waking up - i.e. I'd be all tired even after sleeping for like 13 hours or something. Well, problem solved! Now I set my alarm half an hour before i need to get up, wake up, turn my heater on and my LAMP, reset my alarm for half an hour later and roll over and go back to bed. So I fall half-asleep, start getting warmer, and start waking up a little bit. In half an hour my room is toasty and I'm ready to get out of bed! Works a charm.
Anyway, that's my genius thought for the day. Now I'm off to work! Seeya!
It takes me about 45 minutes to get there, and I have to ride 3 different trains (for those who care, it's the Tobu Tojo line to Ikebukuro, the Yamanote to Takadanobaba, then the Tozai Metro line to Minami-sunamachi). Cost is 500 yen one way but work pays for that :) The worst is when I have to catch the train back late, like Mondays apparently have the latest class starting at 6:30, so by the time i get on the train home (say, 8 o'clock or so), all the office men are on their ways home and the trains are PACKED to SHIT. Last night it was all i could do not to be accidentally felt up on the train! haha no, just kidding. but we still looked like sardines in a train-shaped sardine tin.
Hmm, here's a random thought. For those who don't remember, I have a room with no windows. I was getting the shits because I'd wake up after x number of hours and still be out of rhythm no matter how many hours I slept, I think because my body didn't see any light and it wouldn't know to start waking up - i.e. I'd be all tired even after sleeping for like 13 hours or something. Well, problem solved! Now I set my alarm half an hour before i need to get up, wake up, turn my heater on and my LAMP, reset my alarm for half an hour later and roll over and go back to bed. So I fall half-asleep, start getting warmer, and start waking up a little bit. In half an hour my room is toasty and I'm ready to get out of bed! Works a charm.
Anyway, that's my genius thought for the day. Now I'm off to work! Seeya!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Got a job!!!
Good news everyone! I got a job at a little home-run English school called Jin-Yu English Club. It is run by one woman who started it for her daughters because she was so unsatisfied with the english classes they were attending, so she started her own! Anyway it has about 60 students aged between 4 and 10 or so, and basically they hire one native-english speaker to take classes of about 6 kids at a time.
So yesterday I went and sat in on one of the classes and jeez it looked fun, and easy!! These kids look like they WANT to learn (i.e. it's not part of school so they're only there cos they want to be), and they were all really energetic and happy and actually, their English was pretty good!
So yeah, it looks like a lot of fun. I start on Monday at 4pm - this first week I'll probably just be sitting in and helping out the current, departing native-speaker, this American guy named James, until I get it all worked out and then can take over from him in April.
But yeah, 250,000 yen a month, transport costs covered, and since it's a little school, I can probably negotiate my own holidays and stuff. So new laptop, here I come!
So yesterday I went and sat in on one of the classes and jeez it looked fun, and easy!! These kids look like they WANT to learn (i.e. it's not part of school so they're only there cos they want to be), and they were all really energetic and happy and actually, their English was pretty good!
So yeah, it looks like a lot of fun. I start on Monday at 4pm - this first week I'll probably just be sitting in and helping out the current, departing native-speaker, this American guy named James, until I get it all worked out and then can take over from him in April.
But yeah, 250,000 yen a month, transport costs covered, and since it's a little school, I can probably negotiate my own holidays and stuff. So new laptop, here I come!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
get this everyone...
You guys won't believe this, but i am blogging from a Nintendo Wii! That's right, I am typing each letter by pointing the remote at an on-screen keyboard!
Awesome!
Furthermore, I have another job interview tomorrow!
Ok, seeya!
Awesome!
Furthermore, I have another job interview tomorrow!
Ok, seeya!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
First Job Interview
Had my first job interview today. I thought it might have been good and it offered 250,000 yen a month. With a company called Kids International.
Was greeted at the door by a mid-20s Japanese girl who spoke unbelievably good english, and she told me to sit and wait. Then an older, balding Japanese man came and sat down and in a thick American accent said "Naaaiiice to meeetcha!" And then he gave me the spiel.
Basically the jist is this. I don't TEACH them anything per se, instead I would be "providing an international environment for 0.5 to 12 year olds". Eat with them, take them to the toilet, wipe their bums as well probably. Sigh. Furthermore if i were to start, first I'd have to do a 4 hour unpaid trial. Then 3 days of 1000 yen per hour trial. Then go on reduced pay (230,000 yen per month) for 3 months. THEN go on full pay (250k/month) from then. Holidays? Well you accumulate 1 day per month. But you can't take any till your 7th month. So in the 7th month, you can take 7 days, but (and i quote) "you can't take them all at once!". Also sick days come out of holidays.
Anyway they were exceptionally nice. They understood that I am "in the recruiting stage at a lot of places" so I have till Monday to get back to them. Honestly, I don't think I'll take it. Sure it looks mega easy but it looks like a big pain in the freshly-wiped 0.5 year old bum. And I want my month of paid holidays like all the school-based teaching companies are offering.
Oh well, regardless, it WAS fun walking through the streets of Gotanda, Tokyo in my suit, although my new shoes gave me blisters on my heels god damn it! It's funny, when Japanese see a whitey, they give them a stare. But when they see a whitey in a suit with a tie and everything (helps if you're wearing sunglasses too), they give a long stare, like they're trying to perceive you from every different angle. Very strange and very noticable.
So, now I'm just chilling out in my windowless basement guesthouse, using my neighbour's computer like he said I could. Still have to find a map of this area so I can find the supermarket - everyone else who lives here or HAS lived here keeps saying there are no supermarkets nearby, but it's cheaper just to eat out at any one of the little food shops that dot the street between here and the station and around. And that's probably true - hell I went to 7-11 for dinner tonight and brought home a big plate of noodles and chicken nugget type things for 368 yen (~AU$4).
Aiight, wizz out.
Was greeted at the door by a mid-20s Japanese girl who spoke unbelievably good english, and she told me to sit and wait. Then an older, balding Japanese man came and sat down and in a thick American accent said "Naaaiiice to meeetcha!" And then he gave me the spiel.
Basically the jist is this. I don't TEACH them anything per se, instead I would be "providing an international environment for 0.5 to 12 year olds". Eat with them, take them to the toilet, wipe their bums as well probably. Sigh. Furthermore if i were to start, first I'd have to do a 4 hour unpaid trial. Then 3 days of 1000 yen per hour trial. Then go on reduced pay (230,000 yen per month) for 3 months. THEN go on full pay (250k/month) from then. Holidays? Well you accumulate 1 day per month. But you can't take any till your 7th month. So in the 7th month, you can take 7 days, but (and i quote) "you can't take them all at once!". Also sick days come out of holidays.
Anyway they were exceptionally nice. They understood that I am "in the recruiting stage at a lot of places" so I have till Monday to get back to them. Honestly, I don't think I'll take it. Sure it looks mega easy but it looks like a big pain in the freshly-wiped 0.5 year old bum. And I want my month of paid holidays like all the school-based teaching companies are offering.
Oh well, regardless, it WAS fun walking through the streets of Gotanda, Tokyo in my suit, although my new shoes gave me blisters on my heels god damn it! It's funny, when Japanese see a whitey, they give them a stare. But when they see a whitey in a suit with a tie and everything (helps if you're wearing sunglasses too), they give a long stare, like they're trying to perceive you from every different angle. Very strange and very noticable.
So, now I'm just chilling out in my windowless basement guesthouse, using my neighbour's computer like he said I could. Still have to find a map of this area so I can find the supermarket - everyone else who lives here or HAS lived here keeps saying there are no supermarkets nearby, but it's cheaper just to eat out at any one of the little food shops that dot the street between here and the station and around. And that's probably true - hell I went to 7-11 for dinner tonight and brought home a big plate of noodles and chicken nugget type things for 368 yen (~AU$4).
Aiight, wizz out.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Some more stuff...
Ok I am borrowing my new neighbour's computer at the moment, so it affords me a few moments to update my blog and stuff!
So, what's new... well, I moved into this place yesterday and then today i went to a shop called Nitori (which is like the Japanese IKEA) and bought $50 worth of stuff. But $50 goes a long way at Nitori! That was a cushion for my chair, two lamps and a set of bedsheets!
Furthermore, when I got home I looked behind this mysterious door (I was just exploring) and found a treasure trove of furniture! Must be left overs from the renovation that happened to this place last year or something. Anyway, using a combination of what i bought and what i "found", my room is looking pretty schmick! Below are some photos.
Also tomorrow I have a job interview for an english-teaching kind of job, except that it's more like babysitting I fear. I mean, the students are between 2 and 8 or something. 2?!?? What am i going to teach them? how to say "poo poo's and wee wee's"? "duck! cow! quack! moo!". All the meanwhile there are security cameras on us so over-protective parents can log in on the net and check what their little diddumses are up to. Give me a break. So anyway, I intend tomorrow to tell them "Thanks for the offer, I actually have a few other offers that I am considering at the moment..." and see what they do. I mean basically I want paid holidays, the ability to take some holidays whenever I want, and to not have to work weekends or public holidays. Is that too much to ask? Seemingly not, since every other company offers it...
Anyway, next time I come on here I'll undoubtedly have news. So until then, enjoy these photos of my room (and my dinner).
(This meal cost me 398 yen. Dirt cheap but tasty!)
So, what's new... well, I moved into this place yesterday and then today i went to a shop called Nitori (which is like the Japanese IKEA) and bought $50 worth of stuff. But $50 goes a long way at Nitori! That was a cushion for my chair, two lamps and a set of bedsheets!
Furthermore, when I got home I looked behind this mysterious door (I was just exploring) and found a treasure trove of furniture! Must be left overs from the renovation that happened to this place last year or something. Anyway, using a combination of what i bought and what i "found", my room is looking pretty schmick! Below are some photos.
Also tomorrow I have a job interview for an english-teaching kind of job, except that it's more like babysitting I fear. I mean, the students are between 2 and 8 or something. 2?!?? What am i going to teach them? how to say "poo poo's and wee wee's"? "duck! cow! quack! moo!". All the meanwhile there are security cameras on us so over-protective parents can log in on the net and check what their little diddumses are up to. Give me a break. So anyway, I intend tomorrow to tell them "Thanks for the offer, I actually have a few other offers that I am considering at the moment..." and see what they do. I mean basically I want paid holidays, the ability to take some holidays whenever I want, and to not have to work weekends or public holidays. Is that too much to ask? Seemingly not, since every other company offers it...
Anyway, next time I come on here I'll undoubtedly have news. So until then, enjoy these photos of my room (and my dinner).
(This meal cost me 398 yen. Dirt cheap but tasty!)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Found a place!
Well, I'm moving out of Saitama tomorrow and into Naka-itabashi! Found a great place there - large room, free electricity and internet, clean and renovated building, should be great! All for only 61,000 yen a month and that's INCLUDING utilities :)
So, until i get a computer this blog may not be updated so much, but I'll see what i can do. I'll try and get some photos up at some stage so until then, just know that I am happily making my new life in Tokyo in a cool new place just minutes from the city!
Until next time, then!
UPDATE: Here's the link for the place. I am in room B-08. Also it seems there IS a PC in the common area - well, according to this website anyway - so until I start working that'll be useful.
So, until i get a computer this blog may not be updated so much, but I'll see what i can do. I'll try and get some photos up at some stage so until then, just know that I am happily making my new life in Tokyo in a cool new place just minutes from the city!
Until next time, then!
UPDATE: Here's the link for the place. I am in room B-08. Also it seems there IS a PC in the common area - well, according to this website anyway - so until I start working that'll be useful.
Friday, March 02, 2007
UNIQLO
I forgot to mention that I bought some jeans from UNIQLO, possibly the best store in the entire world. You know how people say Japan is expensive? Well, sure, rent is a bit much and owning a car is practically impossible for anyone who's not a millionaire (because of exhorbitant parking fees and taxes), but food and clothes are DIRT CHEAP! While I was in Shibuya I stumbled across one of these fabulous stores and found a completely cool looking pair of jeans (which, in Australia would most definitely be close to $90 or $100) for 3990 yen or AU$43.56.
I can't remember the last time I found clothes of this quality for such a low price. AND if you're lucky, you can stumble into this store during a clearance and get the same stuff for half price! As for food, well, after buying my jeans I went to a noodle restaurant - you know one of those ones with the wooden bar and the stools - and got a giant bowl of soup noodles with what could only be described as half a pig's worth of pork floating in it, AND a bowl of rice, for 600 yen (AU$6.50).
Seriously, this rocks.
I can't remember the last time I found clothes of this quality for such a low price. AND if you're lucky, you can stumble into this store during a clearance and get the same stuff for half price! As for food, well, after buying my jeans I went to a noodle restaurant - you know one of those ones with the wooden bar and the stools - and got a giant bowl of soup noodles with what could only be described as half a pig's worth of pork floating in it, AND a bowl of rice, for 600 yen (AU$6.50).
Seriously, this rocks.
Photos from Shibuya
Went exploring all by myself for the first time today, and decided to go and visit Shibuya, just one of Tokyo's main shopping districts. Check out the lights and signs on the buildings and also, the amazing number of people crossing the road at this busy intersection in the photo with HMV in the background.
(photos still crap - is it the camera phone? or am I just shaking it around or something!?!)
Tokyo is a three-dimensional city!
Q-Front building with giant screen
Honestly, there must be 1000 people crossing this intersection every 30 seconds...
Bright lights in the street malls of Shibuya
Some pretty lights
(photos still crap - is it the camera phone? or am I just shaking it around or something!?!)
Tokyo is a three-dimensional city!
Q-Front building with giant screen
Honestly, there must be 1000 people crossing this intersection every 30 seconds...
Bright lights in the street malls of Shibuya
Some pretty lights
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