S & T in Mikkabi

Easter in mid-May: The Last Stanza

2006-05-30T19:15:00.000+09:00

[This is the 200th and most likely last post at this blog.]

The previous two posts were the lead-up to this. The wonders which the evolution of the written word has spawned will never cease to amaze me: show me a card trick that I've yet to see and the reaction's likely to be similar, if not the same. Anyhow, on with the recollection of Easter in May (insert echo here), as it were.

The weather took a turn for the better, following two weeks since the end of Golden Week where showers were the order of the day. I'll leave it to your own devices to create your own puns from that information. Smiling faces from many a continent greeted those already assembled and seated. The kids arrived via their own personalised vehicles, each of them bottled with anticipation. The foreign counselors arrived via train and automobile since planes had been excluded from the short list of acceptable modes of transport.

All was dandy by the crack of the 10th chime in the am: approximately fifteen minutes from the official commencement of what had been billed as "show time."

As always, friendships were formed almost instantly as campers and big foreign people alike got their hands busy with crayons, textas and anything in between. Once the introductions were out of the way, and the formalities governing the rules of the venue were presented by way of PowerPoint, a wavering ear greeted the gist of what was what, and everyone ventured outdoors to enjoy a bite to eat.

Then the activities began: slabs of ice-cream were pried loose from freezers inside a convoy of trucks. Decorative plans were firstly etched onto table tops then onto the squared blocks of perpetually melting enojoyment. A plethora of additional treats were sprinkled, sprayed, dropped, pushed and moved into position.

Winners were awarded paper badges and confectionary delights as a permanent reminder of their honourable efforts. Losers were largely ignored and left alone in a room filled with mirrors to contemplate their inferior designs.

Eggs had to be decorated.

Energy had to be extricated in any number of ways likely to quicken the process of exhaustion. Some were well past the point of continuing on their own steam and required the complimentary donkey service. It was all fun and games and nobody was hurt in proceedings. The kids were raring and able to continue should the desire be reignited.

Photos were taken with the main reason for everyone being there: Mr/Mrs/Uncle Easter Bunny. More activities ensued until the dinner gong was sounded.

Bonding of the seated variety took place as all comers greeted the offerings with a salivating grin and a steely glare of acceptance.

An almighty fire was created thanks to an uber anxious pyromaniac (his eyebrows will grow back eventually, one would hope), and with the supervision of at least two sets of eyes with partial education in the underrated field of fire starting, the kids were able to burn their marshmallows to within a millimetre of charcoal-like state and partake in what would become the lip smacking fruition of their labour.

We sang some pretty funky songs involving all manner of physical contact and even upped the rhythm for all the ska fans in the crowd. Oi!

Sometime shortly thereafter, someone yelled 'lights out' and the lights were turned out. It was a brilliant plan that was carried out with deft precision.

As luck and geographical proximity to our apartment would have it, Tulani and I were perfectly stationed to escape the demands of a crowded, airless room with tiny bodies splayed indiscriminately throughout. We were in no way going to succumb to the onslaught of tiny gaseous omissions, so we pulled our tent pegs from the ground, grabbed our bat and ball, and found our way home to where we slept effortlessly on three futon mattresses that reside on the floor of our bedroom.

As the alarm sounded to welcome the new day and the reality of waking up at 6:00 am on a Sunday, we were unanimous in feeling robbed of at least six additional hours of required sleep. The eyelids were to reveal our united affront for the rest of the morning, but we soldiered on sans Codral, for it was the mini-Olympics portion of the weekend after all and we weren't about to shortchange ourselves of the water-based antics to come.

(Over the course of the previous night, six-hundred balloons had been filled with precious water by volunteers with far more staying power than us. To these anonymous folks I extend my right hand in friendship and in appreciation of a job very well done.)

But before the watery finale, an egg hunt of emphatic proportions was underway with each group having a quota of twenty-four eggs to collect from various parts of the Mikkabi Youth Centre grounds. Some couldn't see the signs. Others saw the eggs and sensed that they and their tiny paws had no assimilation whatsoever. These were the smart ones and/or not those training to become fully-fledged pranksters. As a neutral observer, I felt the need to point and reveal the secret hidden locations on more than one occasion. I fought that urge bravely and expect a medal made of cheese in the not too distant future.

People of Holland: are you reading this?

About thirty minutes later, winners were crowned and losers were shamed publicly by having their group name written on a piece of paper and digested in front of their eyes. I made that up, but it would have been an inspirational act for all future hunts. It was the ideal time to be a neutral observer and we reveled in the glory of having no say in the outcome whatsoever.

And then the balloons fell from the heavens. It was like walking a tightrope on the border of Mayhem and Ecstasy. Most saw the funny side, even when carnage reared its indifferent head.

A lunch of chilli dogs, potato chips and cold tea fit for a conglomerate of kings, queens and their entourage was served to settle the stomachs and prepare everyone for the grand finale: an assembly with loads and loads of sitting, standing and bowing. As is traditional during the concluding stages of such a group event, everyone and their distant cousins were thanked (thank you: no, thank you) and kids were handed photos and Easter goodies to commemorate proof of their physical presence.

As was the trend for the entire weekend, smiles were revealed to be the genuine article and laughter was heard in every corner of the hallowed establishment. The enjoyment of the event resonated all the way to the parking lot.

And then we all went to the local coffee shop and freaked out the staff by our strength in numbers. But that's an entirely different story and one which you'll need to subscribe to by providing your credit card details and pin code.

Farewell from Sash and Tulani in what was our final AIEC school function in the wonderful town of Mikkabi, where we've made a wonderful home for ourselves during a significant part of our time in Japan. We'll be around somewhere, if not somewhere else. See ya then or perhaps slightly thereafter. Hopefully, that's vague enough to throw-off the bloodhounds.

- Sash and Tulani.

Easter in mid-May II

2006-05-22T08:54:00.000+09:00

If you've read the previous post, a fleeting update on the myriad unanswered questions we all had for Mother Nature's intentions for the weekend just passed, you would have been privy to the inclement weather we've had in these parts for the past two weeks. In fact, since the last day of Golden Week, when we got out of Tokyo just in time before the change for the worse, there hadn't been a dry day to speak of; until Saturday and Sunday.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the weather was not only fine but it ventured into the realm of being downright hot, especially yesterday (a.k.a. Sunday). I, along with approximately 20 others, felt the brunt of the sun's might following a few hours outside where we dodged water balloons, hoses, rampant bottles of water which somehow found and soaked all parts of our bodies, partook in some well deserved outdoor dining, endured an assembly and chewed the fat about the hows and the whys of the weekend that was during an hour-long wait for coffee, tea, blueberry pancakes and whatnot during a sabbatical at the local cafe.

I've got around 250 photos to sift through and prepare for public display, which will likely take a few days, so bear with me for a while. Please check back regularly from then on as I'll post a few each day to give you an idea of how much fun we all had celebrating Easter in mid-May.

Easter in mid-May

2006-05-19T18:45:00.000+09:00

Lans and I are off on another of her school's weekend festivities at the nearby lake setting of the Mikkabi Youth Centre, where 125 of her, my, and local residents' kids will join the two of us and a support staff of close to forty to ensure smooth sailing in the first of what could well become annual Easter in mid-May extravaganzas.

The weather has been on the side of wet recently with four days of nature's finest liquid refreshments quenching the cummulative thirst of many a gumboot. It comes on the crest of unprecedented dryness of approximately a day-and-a-half; very much the norm for this time of the year. It's pouring monkeys and bananas as I type this and there isn't much to suggest it's likely to change anytime before it ought to.

Here's hoping nature's first lady has a change of heart between now and sometime before 3:00pm Sunday, when the bones, muscles and brain cells will crave a belly full of carbohydrates and a decent night's sleep.

Until the end of the world or sooner,

Sash

2006-04-24T07:20:00.000+09:00

Did we mention it was spring?

2006-04-24T07:19:00.000+09:00

When we were back home, we took up the challenge of walking around until we found a mysterious lady with dogs who thought they were rats and a cat who thought it was a dog. We found one within two minutes of donning our backpacks. It's easy when you know how.

2006-04-24T07:16:00.000+09:00

...at the end of it all, some eight hours after first getting onto the magnificent Japanese transportation system, we finally found a seat to rest our weary heads on.

2006-04-24T07:15:00.000+09:00

...some of the scenery was luvlee; like a romantic fillum with rain in every scene.

2006-04-24T07:14:00.000+09:00

We had close encounters with Japanese transportation of the third kind while travelling down, across and up the Izu peninsula. It was scenic, time consuming, enjoyable, boring and wet. Two out of five ain't bad.

2006-04-24T07:10:00.000+09:00

We purchased a new car, not because our regular car had died or been involved in an international conspiracy to oust an important anonymous figure from office, as reported over here, but because the rego ran out and we weren't rich enough to afford the $2,000 renewal fee. We couldn't see the sense in spending so much when we could buy 'her' for $400.

2006-04-24T07:06:00.000+09:00

...bringing with it plenty of new creatures to ogle and chase.

2006-04-24T07:04:00.000+09:00

And then spring arrived.

2006-04-24T07:02:00.000+09:00

Secret hiding locations of where sakura bloomed were exchanged through whispers by the locals. We missed out as we couldn't speak nor hear their language.

2006-04-24T06:59:00.000+09:00

On the run blossom viewing in Kyoto.

2006-04-24T06:57:00.000+09:00

Foreigners and locals got together to watch the cherry blossoms at Osaka castle park. As the variety of trees weren't ready to cooperate, we decided that the plum blossoms were more than adequate for satisfying our desire to ogle.
s and t

2006-04-24T06:54:00.000+09:00

When the director yelled 'Action!' everyone knew what to do. Officially, this move is refered to as the sideways one-handed knee push. Works like a charm.

2006-04-24T06:51:00.000+09:00

Are you seeing this? The guy on the right was trying to avoid eye contact with Swiss Army Knife Sumo Man's razor sharp antics. Alas, it was to be futile as Swiss Army Nife Sumo Man sliced and diced him to pieces. Yay!

2006-04-24T06:47:00.000+09:00

We went to watch the big boys play in Osaka. The verdict: awesome!

2006-03-03T18:53:00.000+09:00

It seemed kinda spooky so I didn't go in.
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:51:00.000+09:00

Tiny upsidedown trees were seen from every vantage point. How did they grow that way and why?
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:50:00.000+09:00

Anticipation of a tight finish got the better of some of them. But not all of them.
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:45:00.000+09:00

The colour of the sky was less than normal following the recent bout of acid rain.
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:44:00.000+09:00

These wooden thongs have been in the same location since the last time I photographed them; eighteen months ago. Would the owner please come to front reception?
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:42:00.000+09:00

The background has been touched up but the crow is 100% au naturale.
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:40:00.000+09:00

Orange/mandarin season is drawing to a close.
by S & T

2006-03-03T18:38:00.000+09:00

Sometimes our fair town is like a painting.
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:16:00.002+09:00

Kimono on display at a section of Hikone known as Old New Town. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:16:00.001+09:00

Uncertainty @ Nara Park. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:16:00.000+09:00

Some of the locals grew weary of all the attention. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:10:00.000+09:00

Ladies sharing a lighter moment. This photo was taken by Lani during crowded festivities at a shrine in Kyoto on January 2.
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:06:00.000+09:00

Lanterns at a shrine in Kyoto. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:05:00.000+09:00

My attempt to be just like Scarlett Johansson in Lost In Translation. Guess the cock thrust was uncalled for, but whatchagonnado? Ai? (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T11:01:00.000+09:00

Lani's got her eyes peeled for the latest winter fashions. I told her I wouldn't be interested unless the jeans were replaced with something mildly arousing, like thigh-high pink leg warmers. Rrrrrrow! (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T10:58:00.000+09:00

A close-up of a male Tama deer @ a shrine in Nara. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T10:57:00.000+09:00

Ye New One-stop Fan Shoppe. (Photo by Lani)
by S & T

2006-01-08T10:56:00.000+09:00

Lani captures a shot of fashion on display @ Kyoto Station.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:56:00.000+09:00

Winter wonderland time on a sunny 2-degree day at Hikone castle; Hikone, Japan.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:55:00.000+09:00

Deer getting another handful of food at Nara Park; Nara, Japan.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:53:00.000+09:00

Heian jingu lake at dusk; Heian jingu, Kyoto, Japan.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:51:00.000+09:00

Popularity rears its head at Nara Park, Nara, Japan.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:50:00.000+09:00

Heian jingu, north-eastern Kyoto, Japan.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:49:00.000+09:00

China Town, Kobe, Japan. Should see the place when it's busy.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:46:00.000+09:00

Scenery of Kobe tower from Mozaic shopping precinct.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:44:00.000+09:00

Reflections in the moat at Hikone castle.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:42:00.000+09:00

Hikone castle.
by S & T

2006-01-05T17:41:00.000+09:00

Winter time at Hikone castle's moat.
by S & T

HOLIDAY FOR ONE, ANYONE? (Part 1)

2005-09-18T21:09:00.000+09:00

Lani and I found ourselves in unfamiliar psychological terrain recently following the decision by her school to offer students the chance to travel to Australia instead of the US, as it had done. As such, Lani assumed the challenging dual role of ambassador for Japan and ambassador for Australia as she organised a two-week programme for 25 kids and a handful of adults to our home city of Cairns. I still remember how she juggled schedules and incorporated educational and fun activities into the summer holiday programme and how she awaited confirmation well past the point of no return. I'm happy to report that that trip went exceptionally well and that everyone involved had a wonderful time.

Meanwhile, I had the option of joining Lans on a working holiday or making my way back to Vietnam. I chose the latter as, I was well overdue for a holiday, and I opted for an overnight stay in Kuala Lumpur as it was cheaper by a couple of hundred dollars to other flights from J to V. Once I arrived at the superbly designed airport in KL - and successfully made it through the two-hour foot-shuffle in order to make my way out of the impressive airport - I caught a local bus for US $1.50 which got me to the local train line. The train took another hour-and-a-half to get to the centre of KL, as it's roughly 90 clicks from the airport, where a lady at the information counter told me I'd need to catch another two trains in order to see my hotel and the one thing I really wanted to see - the bed. I arrived smack bang at 9 pm, sixteen hours and change after I had woken up to get to my first train for the day. I was in an exploratory mood so I walked around the 'hood and spotted an eatery. I sat my tired ass down and ordered a strawberry drink thingami and a cooked seafood dish. Prognosis: delicious x 2! Then I slept.

When I woke up. The sunset that I remembered from the previous evening had metamorphosed into a SUNRISE of equally impressive carbon monoxide inspired proportions. The hotel window enabled me a clear view of the eastern tall twin and I heard both twins beckon my name.

Taxi! Information desk inside the eastern twin. Line up.
Lady at the counter: "You will be able to go to the top at 3:15 pm."
Me: "Today?"
Her: "Yes."
Me: "Thank you. Goodbye."
Seeing as that time conflicted with my need to be at the airport by 11:45 am, I chose to take a few shots at the tall twins' feet, including THIS ONE. I thought it would have to suffice and I could always go back if it didn't, right? Riiiiiiiiiiight!

And so we move on to Saigon, a.k.a. Ho Chi Minh City, where several friendly cyclo guys and gals and motorcycle guys and gals made their services available to me upon my sneakers stepping out of the taxi. I checked into my hotel, enjoyed what I saw out the WINDOW and remembered what an exciting and noisy place Saigon was. It was on with a clean shirt - a $3 job from Kuala Lumpur, no less - and off to see the sights.
A multitude of people with cyclos and motorbikes: "Hey! You want a (insert either mode of transportation here)?"
Me: "No thanks. I just arrived and my legs aren't tired yet. Have a good evening."

Saigon was much more impressive than what I remembered. Perhaps it was because last time Lani and I had stayed in a different part of the city. I really enjoyed it this time as I popped my head into an arty cafe and feasted on... Wait for it... Hold... On... A... Little... Longer... Barramundi! Yes, good ole Australian barramundi right there in good ole Vietnam. Prognosis: delicious! Low and behold, the arty cafe also had an internet available for those, like me, who spend the majority of their waking time in an artificial existence. ("Why won't anyone write?") In truth, I was merely getting accustomed to the way Lani and I would be 'conversing' during the next month. At least the connection was far superior to the mouse and wheel model's speed the previous time we were there. Hooray!

I had a bit of a look around a different part of TOWN by hiring the services of a local motorcycle bearer, who took me to the replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral. I took THIS SHOT with the shutter open for 10 seconds and liked the results (no effects). There was another angle of the cathedral which was quite SPECTACULARas well, which features a lady you may recognise. I was on my way to doing what I went over to Vietnam for: to relax, to have a good time, to eat like a Tzar, to dip a toe in Vietnamese culture and to drink the local brew. I placed a tick inside all of these squares when I got back to my hotel room, threw the air-con up to Warp Speed 9, as it was stinking hot, and I fell asleep.

The next day, I took ANOTHER shot of the famed cathedral, except its beautiful colours were washed out by the sun so I touched it up a bit in PS. The plan from there was to hop onto a plane to Danang, stay the night somewhere and then head off early in the morning to Hoi An. I found out the reason why there was a telephone in the toilet when my booking agent called to inform me the plane had been delayed. I thought I heard him say "twenty-five minutes." More about that later. Figuring there was no need to rush anyway, I then checked out at the last second, had another look around and then hopped into a taxi to the airport.

"Here is your boarding pass," the lovely man dressed in a blue silk shirt from behind the counter said. "Excuse me, but this says the boarding time is 10:45 pm," said a casual looking Australian in a Saigon Export t-shirt."
Him (smiling): "Yes."
Me: "How can this be? It's twelve noon as we speak."
Him: "Yes."
Me (remembering the telephone call while on the throne of my second kingdom): "Shit!" There were no other flights and all other flights to other destinations were also grounded. Yeeha! Let's just say that the Saigon Domestic Terminal has a great selection of hard liquour and I got the opportunity to acquaint myself with some of Carl Hiaasen's finest work.

At about 10 pm a short man with a cool English accent that he had undoubtedly acquired from his Vietnamese English teacher sat beside me and began talking.
Him: "Are you going to Danang?"
Me (eyes bulging ever so slightly out of my head): "Yes."
Him: "Me too."
It went on like that for a few minutes before he mentioned that the lived and worked in Hoi An.
Me (sparking up): "Cool! I love Hoi An. It's my favourite place in Vietnam. What do you do?"
Him: "I own a clothing factory."
Me: "Excellent! I'll have to come and check out your clothes."
Him: "Yes. Here's my card."
Me: "Thanks. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know any hotels that would be open when we arrive in Danang, would you? See, I don't have a booking and this secen-hour flight delay means that I'll probably be looking for a comfortable bench to sleep on tonight."
Him: "Don't worry about it. I'll look after you."
Me (as the first brick popped out): "Thanks!"

The plane landed in Danang at 1 am. We were still looking for a hotel that was within my budget at 1:45 am. Finally, a lady at the Prince Hotel - plug, plug: It's the place to stay if you're stupid enough to forget to book a place in Danang and your flight then gets delayed by seven hours - said I could have a room for US $10 but that it didn't have electricity and that I had to check out by 9 am. "I can live with that," I said. And I meant it.

Fifty-two mozzie bites from an opened window as the air-con wasn't capable of performing its predetermined duties later, I was up, showered, only mildly irritated and ready to check out. The temperature was hovering around the 94,000,000 degrees Celcius mark and I had my second shirt on for the day before I could finish my first thought. I looked OUT THE WINDOW and then I paid my dues.
Me: "Thank you so much for letting me stay here. I appreciate it more than you will know."
Her: "You're welcome."
Me (handing over US $11): "Please keep the change."
Her (pleasantly surprised): "Oh, thank you. Here's my card."

I had time to buy a pair of sneakers (currently debating whether to get some liquid cement to patch them up or donate them to the bin), two caps (currently debating whether to sew and thus fix one of them or donate it to the bin) and a Vietnamese coffee, which did wonders for my appreciation of a fine albeit hot day. Yes, I was beginning to get wired and equally ready to get the flock out of Danang, not that it was a bad place in any way but I'm more impressed with smaller, quieter places where you can entrnch yourself in the spirit of the place itself. I mean, a city's a city, right? I had time for a parting PHOTO with my new mates from Danang. The young kid on the left told me that I was the first foreigner he had ever spoken to. Cool.

The taxi ride to Hoi An was expensive compared to the same journey in a bus with 150 km tacked on, but I was anxious to establish a base there and enjoy the better reason for why I ventured back to Vietnam; to spend some quality time in this artistic and craft driven township. In Danang, my new mate from Hoi An had written a HOTEL's name onto his business card and I was soon bartering a five day stay for US $20 a night. The friendly lady with a super smile wanted $28 initially but I never give up in the game of Smilie Wars, especially where there's a bargain to be had. 1-0 to the Australian Guy.

Then a little while later.
Me: "Do you have my passport?"
Her (straight-faced): "No."
Me (bricks ready to drop at an alarming rate): "Are you sure?"
Her (smiling): "No."
She then dove into the drawer with her hand and fished out one Australian Passport bearing an ugly mug not too dissimilar to mine. The scores were tied at 1-1. I knew it was going to be the perfect place to rest after a busy day out on the town.

Anyway, I soon remembered why I loved this quaint little town so much and immersed myself in SOME of its uniqueness. It's also a decent place to watch the SUNSET as these photos ATTEST. Even post-SUNSET shots make for good viewing, methinks.

The next day I organised for a guy with a MOTORCYCLE to pick me up at 6:00am and head for an hour-and-a-half trip up the road to My Son to view the amazing historical site there. The early start ensured that the handful of visitors, including myself, got to enjoy the MYSTICAL setting without being hindered by hundreds of (other) tourists who would arrive by tour bus at the stroke of nine. Here's another photo looking UP and ANOTHERlooking into one of the rooms/chambers to get an idea of the remarkable landmarks of My Son. I won't drone on about the significance of the area as you can do a search online or check out the usual suspects in guides for all the gory details. The early start meant a timely early finish as the locust infestation swept the area. The ride home provided the ideal opportunity to take some candid shots from the back of the bike, so I DID.

::__ I'll update again soon with Part 2, including more photos. __::

2005-09-17T23:38:00.000+09:00

hue tee
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:37:00.000+09:00

hoia beac umb
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:36:00.000+09:00

hoia brid
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:35:00.000+09:00

hoia cor
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:34:00.001+09:00

hoia beac
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:34:00.000+09:00

hoia ben
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:32:00.001+09:00

swi 2
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:32:00.000+09:00

hal on 2
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:31:00.000+09:00

swi 1
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:30:00.001+09:00

hal on 1
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:30:00.000+09:00

bri
by Sash and Lani

2005-09-17T23:29:00.000+09:00

lak
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-28T07:00:00.000+09:00

Don't try this at home. This is what happens when you wander outside to watch the sunset after a TYPHOON! That's right, a TYPHOON! Oh, my spine is tingling just mentioning the word...

2005-07-17T16:09:00.000+09:00

A selection of a few recent nature shots from around Mikkabi.

2005-07-16T12:47:00.000+09:00

We found a gorgeous forest a few clicks in the brum-brum away. It's called Hamakita Forest Park and it has some rather spesh walking trails. This setting reminded us a bit of home in Cairns. : )
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:44:00.000+09:00

Just another typical sunset across the road from our place. Makes you sick, dunnit?
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:42:00.000+09:00

Just another typical sunrise at the lake near our place. Makes you sick, dunnit?
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:40:00.000+09:00

Congratumalations. Our friends Mark [G-Man] and Gitte tied the knot. Since we couldn't be there, we did the next logical thing to commemorate the occasion: publically embarrassing ourselves in order to create this. Love you guys long time.
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:38:00.000+09:00

Pretty little thing.
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:36:00.000+09:00

The acid seemed to be working.
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:35:00.000+09:00

Still trying to get the hang of this whole driving thing. Shit happens, ai?
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:33:00.000+09:00

We're phooners. And we're proud of it.
by Sash and Lani

2005-07-16T12:32:00.000+09:00

Lani's found the secret to avoiding greyness in your life. And she ain't sharing it.
by Sash and Lani

2005-06-27T15:18:00.000+09:00

How are we not ourselves?

2005-06-27T15:17:00.000+09:00

Lani at the top of a mountain.

2005-06-27T15:16:00.000+09:00

An amazing bird.

2005-06-27T15:15:00.000+09:00

I love seaweed.

2005-06-27T15:13:00.001+09:00

Us and a bridge.

2005-06-27T15:13:00.000+09:00

Just another day photographing our town.

2005-06-27T15:12:00.000+09:00

Watching the sunset.

2005-06-27T15:11:00.000+09:00

Fetishes are hard to resist. Note: there were no teeth involved with this particular incident.

2005-06-27T15:09:00.000+09:00

We recently went for a walk in the neighboring town.

2005-05-12T17:52:00.000+09:00

Shibuya is the place in Lost In Translation where a giant dinosaur appears on that building over there. It's also the place where oodles of people go to catch trains, shop and hang around outside.

2005-05-12T17:49:00.000+09:00

It felt busy but our friend said this was a quiet period. Maybe most of the 20-odd million people left Tokyo during Golden Week?

2005-05-12T17:47:00.000+09:00

I'm sick of all these people!!!

2005-05-12T17:46:00.001+09:00

Let's get out of here and find somewhere less crowded...

2005-05-12T17:46:00.000+09:00

It looks big and indoors. Hmm, big screen and enormous advertising. I wonder where this is?

2005-05-12T17:43:00.000+09:00

I asked for the large beer and all I got was this measely offering. But where was this again?

2005-05-12T17:42:00.000+09:00

Where else but the Tokyo Dome?

2005-05-12T17:40:00.000+09:00

Lani impersonates The Karate Kid.

2005-05-12T17:39:00.000+09:00

So there we were, like four foreigners in Tokyo with a big ferris wheel behind us. What were we to do?

2005-05-12T17:38:00.000+09:00

...how about a quick PHOON before we go on?

2005-05-12T17:37:00.000+09:00

The Chin family.

2005-05-12T17:36:00.000+09:00

Joel tried not to smile. He failed.

2005-05-12T17:35:00.000+09:00

My current screen saver. In a lift, Tokyo.

2005-05-12T17:34:00.000+09:00

Papa Peter in front of Buddy Bears [Bolivia on the left, Australia on the right].

2005-05-12T17:33:00.000+09:00

We all went to the 52nd floor of this building to get a view of Tokyo @ night.

2005-05-12T17:32:00.000+09:00

...and this is what we saw.

2005-05-12T17:31:00.000+09:00

A traditional Japanese wedding. Meiji Temple, Tokyo.

2005-05-12T17:30:00.000+09:00

A couple posing for their wedding photos. Meiji Shrine, Tokyo.
by Sash & Lani

2005-05-12T17:27:00.000+09:00

Out and about in Tokyo, coz we love the nightlife and we love to boogie [well, Lani does]

GOING UP TO TOKYO

2005-04-28T18:40:00.000+09:00

Lans and I have settled into our new apartment, where our small but peaceful balcony has become a virtual second home at home, and we're off to Tokyo to meet up with Peter and Joel [a.k.a. Papa and Joely] tomorrow.

We'll be staying at my mate Mike's place and heading to interesting places such as the Tokyo Dome to watch a game of baseball: Tokyo Giants vs someone other than Tokyo Giants, the various shopping districts for a choice bit of window shopping, Akibahabara for a bit of electronics browsing, the Emperor's Palace, Hibiya - so I can use the one thing I remembered from the Japanese CDs we've downloaded "Hibiya Dori wa doko desu ka?" [Translation: Oi mate, where's Hibiya Street?] and such and such.

Apologies from both of us for being exceptionally slack and not updating with anything other than half-arsed posts about nothing in particular. We've also got the internet back on at home so we should feature more prominently with updates that contain genuine information and photos of what we've been up to.

We're off to see The Tokyo, the wonderful Tokyo of J... Because, because, because, because, because... etc.

SORRY! TAKE 2...

2005-04-06T14:45:00.000+09:00

We've successfully got the 6" fridge up the 45-degree stairs by our lonesome and we DIDN'T ruin the brand new staircase or the walls in the process. One giant step for mankind revisited, methinks...

The gas is on - yay, we can shower and melt cheese on bread again - and rubber pieces have been placed underneath pretty much everything that's currently sitting, lying, leaning or touching the super crappy, super cheap foam-bottomed lino that makes up our entire floor space. Lani sneezed once and it left an imprint!

However, some bad news... It was bound to happen, wasn't it? We're not online at home at the moment as we don't have a phone line at our new abode. The phone installation guru said he might be able to get one of his drones out our way for a quick fly-over, but that was yesterday and no buzzing sounds were audible over the chirping birds and sounds of silence, so Plan B was to wait another two weeks. And we will. That means that you probably won't hear from either Lani or myself during this time as I'm the only one able to check our email via my various schools.

Please stay tuned for further updates, including photos of all of the above once we're up and running again.

Love to all and hope Easter gave you all a well deserved break from the Monday to Friday life. No Easter celebrated over here [kinda strange, seeing as Christmas is a big-ish deal] and we didn't even know it was Easter until we checked a few Aussie web sites.

HELLO :D

2005-03-31T14:34:00.000+09:00

Thanks to everyone who sent emails. We're doing just great. Thanks for asking.

Just a quick post to let you know that Lani and I are about to move out of our existing apartment and into a new fandangled apartment about 500m down the road from here. It has more space, more bedrooms, more sunshine, better views and costs more but there's the added benefit of less noise, fewer co-inhabitants and fewer buildings being constructed next door than our current apartment.

We also bought a new car, which you may already know about if you read the previous post [below] and we'll also show you that as soon as the move is over.