Twelve Random Thoughts on Travel...

Florence Italy
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Some musing from my recent experiences in no particular order..

1.Try to fly mid week or at times when most other people dont.For example leaving Hong Kong for Rome at 12:25 a.m Thursday meant the plane was only a third full.Lots of room to stretch out and relax.
If possible try to straddle months when flying e.g the end of one month and the start of the next thus avoiding the same cycle of Dido music and Adam Sandler movies...

2. Check the opening and closing times and days carefully.Often they are illogical.Why do the gardens in Pisa close at 1:30 pm?Why is the English Cemetery in Florence closed on Saturdays?
Do the plants and trees need a rest?Nor is it likely that the residents of the graveyard have any pressing engagements elsewhere..

3.Try to be culturally sensitive.You're in Europe not America so stop bitching that the small Italian trattoria doesnt serve turkey on Thanksgiving Day and then storm out to find the nearest McDonalds

4.There seems a paradox operating regarding language.At first it appears useful to learn and memorise phrases like "I dont speak Italian" in the local lingo.However once you recite this phrase in your halting,unnatural manner the hearer seems to undergo some epiphany and greet you as some long lost relative fully conversant with the native language.

5.Take a ziploc bag or a big clear resealable plastic bag.Security checks in EU countries still require at the time of writing things such as gels,toothpaste,perfume and other liquids to be put into these bags.Also the maximum size was restricted to 100 fluid mls which meant I had to dump some shaving cream cans.

6.Keep some small change handy for public toilets.The "going" rate appears to be round .60 euros so you dont have to be flush with funds.You dont want to be caught short...
On the subject of toilet paper, a sensitive issue,it may be worth bringing your own roll.I found the European varieties more abrasive and not as soft as Im used to...

7.There appears no basis that doors open left or right according to which side of the equator you happen to be on..

8.Wear clean underwear.Should your pants fall around your knees having removed your belt at the security check, you dont want to be treated as a social pariah for the rest of the flight.

9.Be wary of scams,pickpockets and tricksters.The most blatant will approach and ask outright " Do you have 1 Euro?" or "Can you speak English?".
Then theres also the more elaborate,cunning ploy of dropping a worthless silver ring beside you.This is followed by "Is this your ring?" in the expectation you will give them some reward or donation.
My best advice is to studiously ignore all three and feign deafness.
My favorite con though is the seemingly friendly local who approaches unsuspecting couples and offers to take a photo of them in front of a church,statue or monument.Having been naively handed their expensive camera the con artist calmly strides off and is lost in the crowded masses.Leaving behind a gobsmacked,incredulous pair.

10.Be careful how you answer any onboard inflight questionaires.
Replies such as "I like to fly blah blah Airlines because it hasnt had a plane hijacked since 1946" or "I like to sit near the wing because its the safest place in the event of a crash" could arouse some suspicion from the flight crew.

11.Dining alone can have its benefits.In the case of crowded restaurants and long queues waiters will often in my experience "bump up" individual diners ahead of large parties.I found this particularly true of smaller popular places.There is also the added bonus you'll end up sitting beside another interesting solo diner or thrown into the midst of a large friendly group.

12.Finally,at check ins as well as offering an option of window or aisle seats, airlines should also offer the choice of left or right handed passengers to sit beside.One advantage of this would be to alleviate territorial arm rest disputes.Another would be that I would get an unobstructed view of my meal should I choose a left handed passenger and avoid any rib injuries as we ate in our cramped economy seats...

Friends,Romans and Marmots

rome
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Just a quick note.Got back to Nagoya yesterday Tuesday at 5pm.About 15 hours from Rome to Nagoya not including transits at Taiwan and Hong Kong airports.
The papier mache course in Florence was alot of fun.The food there was terrific.I made it up to Pisa and did a tour of a villa used in a couple of movies just above Florence.
The photo shows my travelling companion in Rome posing with a friendly local.He had a great time.Almost blown off the Leaning Tower by the wind, getting searched and patted down for drugs at Hong Kong airport and x-rayed at Nagoya Airport by the local Customs officials.
More details and photos later..

Brief Break

Florence
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

I'll be out of the country and away from the whiteboard over the next two weeks or so.I managed to organise a quick vacation in Italy.

More specifically I'm going to participate in a week long papier mache course in Florence.Run by Italian Professor Agostino and his daughter Alice, I'm eager to learn more skills in this artform and also complete a mask.Check out the website www.alicemasks.com.

Bookended between the start and end of the course Im also hopefully if somewhat ambitiously trying to fit in a day trip to Pisa and some tours of local villas in Tuscanny.I've also earmarked several restaurants I want to visit.

The pension Im staying at has been renovated since I last visited in 2003 so it will be interesting to see the changes.It advertises free internet connections in each room.At first I was tempted to take my trusty ibook G4 halfway across the world.On reflection,having to lug it through the airports and checks at Nagoya,Hong Kong and Rome doesnt seem that appealing so it'll stay put here in Nagoya.
Consequently this will probably be the last post till early December when I drag my jetlagged body back home and to work on Thursday 30th November.
Ciao...

Odds and Suds

Naturally Clean Soap
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

I bought this three pack of soap over the weekend.I was intrigued by the label it bore."Naturally clean soap".Im uncertain if its a selling point or just something you,the purchaser,take for granted.
On an unrelated point I received a pamphlet in the mail advertising a new hair salon.Not of itself unusual.Except the name."Pig Shave".
It hardly conjures up a positive image.I cant see the LV bag wielding women of Nagoya bearing down emasse to a place bearing this name.Maybe.
A quick search seems to show that a pigshave is a butchery term and quite possibly and more relevantly a kind of short haircut akin to a crew cut.
Just think of all the pejorative words and phrases associated with pigs such as "piggy","pigsty" or "pig out" and I for one wonder why such a title was chosen.Nice website..www.pigshave.com ..shame about the name.

Last Grand Sumo Tournament of 2006

The last sumo tournament of the year kicked off in Fukuoka,Kyushu yesterday.
Lone yokozuna Asashoryu is odds on favourite to win his nineteeth Emperors Cup.Hakuho,his most consistent challenger,has withdrawn due to a broken toe sustained in training.

I'm looking forward to see how Kaio will fare in front of his home crowd.Having withdrawn last basho due to an injury he is again fighting to save his ozeki rank status.He needs eight or more wins or he gets demoted.At 34 years old and with recurring back problems if he fails for the tenth time to stay up some pundits are saying he will retire.
Other wrestlers I'll be watching include Baruto, who like Kaio withdrew last tourney and dropped five positions, and Kotooshu, another ozeki who has changed the kanji of his name and put on some extra weight to improve his chances.He enters the contest at 150kg still the lightest ozeki but about 4kg heavier than Asashoryu.Of course at 2.03 metres he has a height advantage over Asa who stands at 1.84 metres.

Friday Flash..Uncoy Koi

Japanese Koi 2
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Last Sunday morning I cycled down to Shirotori Koen.An oasis of spongy lawn and ponds.There are some 1,500 trees within the grounds.Too early yet for them to be sporting fully their fall finery.
Late November or early December would be better.
The overfed koi(carp) were eagerly elbowing and barging each other greedily as green fish pellets rained down on them from visitors fifty yen cups.
Slurping,gulping noisily.Their scales reflecting the color of the leaves above them.

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2006

FAE 2006
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

The Foreign Artists Exhibition wound up last night round 5pm.There were the usual scenes of bedlam as artists feverishly packed and stored away their exhibits before the presentation of certificates and a small party that followed.
I went along on Friday afternoon as I did last year but much less apprehensive.As with last year I again met some interesting people.Among them was Ron,who had on display some of the nail art that his two shops in Nagoya produce.Of particular note was a set that won a major competiton in L.A.They were a blue and orange colour and the two thumbs made up two halves of a devil-like creature.

I also met Sarah Milburn.She had on display some eye-catching photos.
Her website is www.freewebs.com/sjmilburn
Well worth a look for some interesting shots.
Also I was pleased to meet Kirsty and her boyfriend John.Kirsty had some graphic/computer art on display including a flying pig which she was kind enough to give me a copy of.
All in all judging from the comments in my book most people understood the message behind my exhibit.It was interesting both on Friday and yesterday watching peoples reactions to it.Most wanted to touch it which wasnt something Id thought about beforehand.
Now Ive just got to work out what to do with 2,400 glued together packets of tissues and what Im going to display next year..maybe a giant pair of wooden chopsticks to make people aware of the waste of timber...umm who knows

Go-the very best of Moby

Go-the very best of Moby
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

This album was released here in Japan last week.I was pleased because I managed to finally get "Porcelain" which appears on "The Beach" soundtrack.Also on the 15 track cd is one of my favorite Moby songs "In this world".One of those songs that lodges itself in the back of your skull and refuses to disappear.
Theres a collaboration with Debbie Harry on "New York New York".Not another remake of Frank Sinatras song but his own take on that city.The last track is "Slipping Away" with Mylene Farmer singing in French.
Interesting.

Friday Flash

kitkats2
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

I noticed this week on the shelves of my local convenience store a couple of new boxes of KitKat products.
Each box contains sixteen bite sized kitkats.Selected by Patissier Takagi.Apparently famous.Though no-one Ive asked knows him.
The pink ones are strawberry flavoured with pistachio,almond and thyme ingredients.
The green ones are green tea flavoured.According to the box they contain Ujimaccha,Kinako and Ume.
Ujimaccha, Ive been unreliably informed, is green tea from a famous green tea area near Kyoto.Kinako is ground or powdered soya beans.And ume is plum.
Im not sure how long they will be on sale.Only fleetingly,like other seasonal confectionery,chips and snack food...

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2006 Part 1

FAE3
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

On Sunday I took my exhibit to the International Centre for the upcoming Exhibition which runs from tomorrow Tuesday to next Sunday.Aided and abetted by my friend Peter, we got the thing set up in about 2 hours.
My exhibit is meant to represent a tissue packet commonly given out freely on street corners and intersections the length and breadth of Japan.The tissues are used as an advertising tool by such diverse companies as loan and finance firms to escort agencies and language schools.
As to the specific details.In the first photo you can see the 80 piles of tissues and plastic covers which will enclose the tissues.Each of the 80 stacks is 16 centimeters high and made up of 20 separate packets of tissues.Each separate packet has 7 individual tissues inside it.
Each individual tissue required glue at each end and then more glue to attach it to the next tissue.It was necessary to ensure the tissues were so well glued otherwise the stacks lost their shape and form.Tedious and time-consuming.It took about 30 minutes to glue and complete one stack.Multiply that by 80 and it took roughly 40 hours to complete the stacks.Add another 10 hours for the painting of the covers.I used about 10 litres of glue in total.
There were some unforeseen problems.I initially stored the finished tissue piles in boxes but a combination of the glue and the humidity of the rainy season caused some of the stacks to go mouldy.This required a hurried unpacking of the boxes and replacement of the now useless mouldy stacks.The remaining stacks I kept in my small living room/kitchen which meant space was at a premium.

The second photo below shows the covers and the finished assembled exhibit.There are 60 or so artists exhibiting various works and art-forms including photography,sculpture and paintings.

Im going along Friday afternoon to hob-nob with the other artists and talk to any interested visitors over a beer or three.Im still trying to think of what Im going to say about it.Maybe something along the lines of "Yes its a serious statement about contemporary society and capitalism" or "Cant you see its a corrective to the Picasso and Cubist movement" or even "Its a cross between Murakami's Superflat movement and Pop Art style."

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2006 Part 2

FAE2
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

The actual covers for the tissue are just two sides of a rubbish bag cut up roughly in half.The design is meant to represent a famous brand of bag beloved of Japanese women of all ages.
As with the tissues I ran into a few problems such as the paint not sticking to the plastic and flaking when moved.Another problem was the lack of sufficent supplies of paint.I ran out of the yellow paint I started using and couldnt find anymore in the five or so shops I tried.The only solution was to repaint using a similiar shade of yellow which was more readily available.Again time consuming and tedious.To stop the chipping and flaking I tried a number of things including varnish and gesso and a light coating of watered down PVA glue all which were only partially successful.
However I managed to get the covers to the International Centre Display Room and assemble the tissue with only a few chips requiring a quick touch up.
Overall Im pleased with the finished thing.Judging from the reaction of some of the organisers and other artists it was well received.Ive left a comment book this year so will be interested to see what the general public think of it as well.

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2006

FAE
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

The Foreign Artists Exhibition in Nagoya runs from tomorrow Tuesday October 31 to Sunday November 5.Admission is free and the exhibition on the 4th floor of the Nagoya International Centre runs daily from 10:00am to 7pm except for the last day when it ends at 5pm.

Friday Flash

mushroom mountain
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Mushroom Mountain
Enough already with the mushrooms I hear you cry.Ok. The last photo above is of a box of Kinoko Yama or Mushroom Mountain chocolate confectionery.Produced by Meiji the mushrooms sport light and dark chocolate and a crisp crunchy shortbread like stalk.Not sure they are as healthy as some of the earlier species of fungi I've posted but they are just as delicious.

More Japanese Mushrooms

Japanese Mushrooms 2
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Nameko Mushrooms
Like last weeks fungi (eringi,maitake,shiitake and shimeji) nameko are available all year round.
They are usually sold in plastic packs with liquid as they dont keep for long.However about this time of year,late autumn,they can be purchased fresh and shiny.
The yellow mustardy coloured mushrooms have a slippery,"gluey" feel about them and are mostly used in soups and stews.

Autumn Bento

Autumn Bento
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Autumn Bento
The local bento shop produced this seasonal lunchbox last week.
There are a couple of oyster croquettes and the rice has some mushrooms mixed through it for an autumnal flavour.

Friday Flash

Persimmons
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Kaki or persimmons are traditional autumn fruit in Japan.In days gone by people used to have a persimmon tree and a chestnut tree growing in their backyard or that of their neighbors.
They can be peeled and eaten fresh though they are somewhat bitter or hung under the eaves of the house in a sheltered place and dried.This process removes some of the acidity.
Apparently eating dried kaki is a New Years tradition.I tried one of the persimmons in the photo above.It wasnt bitter as I'd been led to believe.The taste was more akin to that of a plum.
The kaki above were evidently grown with a box shape around it that gives them a cube -like shape.This makes them easier to store and pack than the more common rounder variety.
Theres also a pentagon shaped kaki available as a lucky charm.I've been told that the 5-sided kaki or "gokaki" also means "to pass an entrance exam" so they are popular with students sitting tests...

Lost in Translation

I often get asked why I dont speak Japanese better given the time Ive been here.I resort to explaining that its a difficult language.Even the slightest wrong nuance or pronounication slip can create havoc and hilarity.Or both.
Consider the following situation.The Japanese word for devil is "oni" while the word for sea urchin is "uni".Imagine a small local sushi bar.Imagine mixing up the words "oni" and "uni" while trying to order.Picture the bewildered looks and then the amused recognition of the restaurant staff as you make another gaffe.
The defence rests its case.

michael.pam
While fossicking about last week I came upon this very comprehensive website.Well set out with lots of useful information and links about Nagoya City.Its worth a visit if you are looking for something specific or just browsing.Click on my link in the "Regularly Read " section on the right hand side of this page.

Season of Mellow Fruitfulness

Japanese Mushrooms
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

I dont know why but over my last week mushrooms have loomed large.
Maybe its North Korea and its nuclear test.Or the fact that its the in-season for the fungi and they feature prominently in supermarket vegetable and fresh produce aisles.Or maybe because of the report earlier in the week of a man being attacked by a bear while out "hunting" for mushrooms.

In Japanese kinoko (mushrooms) translates charmingly as "tree children".There are around 4,000 or so species of mushrooms in Japan.Some poisonous.Some are mycorrhizal which means they are only found in the wild.The best example being matsutake.
The matsutake or red pine mushroom only grows for a few weeks in areas of red pine trees.Sought after for its fragrance and taste Japanese matsutake are expensive.Around 5000 yen a small specimen.Or you can opt for cheaper imported ones from China,Canada and until recently North Korea.

The mushrooms in the photo above are readily available all year round.They can be found in local supermarkets and greengrocers.These are four common types I regularly cook at home or eat at restaurants.
Shiitake.Grown in Toyama these brown velvety capped mushrooms in the front are shiitake.They can be used to make a mushroom tea and are also popular as a base for soups.Grilled,fried or simmered they are apparently the most common mushrooms used in East Asian cooking.You can also buy them dried.

Maitake.These came from Shizuoka.Directly behind the shiitake on the left are the maitake or "dancing mushrooms".Sold in a clump they have brown fan-like tops that overlap like wooden roof shingles.I usually saute them in a little butter and garlic.Delicious.

Eringi.From Gifu these are at the rear of the photo.They are large stumpy mushrooms that have thick stalks and quite flat caps.They are quite firm when you cut them and I usually cut off the tough stalks before cooking them.Again sauteed or fried in butter with bacon and eggs is a personal favorite.

Shimeji.From Shikoku.On the right hand side of the photo are some shimeji.Like maitake they are sold in clumps.There are various kinds with both white and brown caps.They can be used in nabe(stew) or miso soup.
As mushrooms absorb liquids easily I dont wash them under running water.Instead I was advised to lightly brush or clean them with a paper towel or cloth.Likewise they taste best if not drowned in butter or oil when cooked to retain their taste and flavour.
Finally in English when we refer to different kinds of mushrooms,for example, shiitake we say "shiitake mushrooms" but in Japanese this is unnecessary.In Japanese shiitake or for that matter shemiji is sufficient.......

Friday Flash

Halloween Cookies
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Tis Friday 13th October a Black Friday for those who believe in such superstitions.
For me however, the afternoon brought the delivery of these lovely Halloween biscuits from New York courtesy of the one and only New York Geisha, Halli-san.Check out her blog in my frequently read blogs section.
The vanilla flavoured biscuits topped with a piece of walnut arrived safe and sound.Several were eaten with an afternoon cup of Earl Grey on this sunny autumn day.Thanks again Halli-san.

Osu Kannon Shopping District

Osu Kannon Shopping District
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

I live in Nagoya's Osu shopping district.The area centers on Osu Shrine which dates back to 1610.Its a traditional shopping district with small shops lining narrow arcades and alleyways.
Apparently there are over 1000 shops selling an array of products.
Groceries to kimonos.Recycled clothing to computers and duty free goods.There are also a number of small restaurants and coffee shops which attract a wide range of customers.
While nearby Sakae has its modern upmarket department stores and amusement facilities I prefer to shop locally.I like the relaxed pace and diverse range of shops available.I cant think of anywhere else in Nagoya where you can find a Brazilian and Turkish restaurant within a stones throw of each other.
The last few years have seen some of the covered arcades getting a facelift.Being painted.Renovated.Earthquake strengthened.
Some of the older wooden character buildings have given way to faceless concrete structures but the arcades still retain their older style which distinguish them from ultramodern less friendly shopping malls of central Nagoya and the Nagoya Station and Towers complexes.