Superview from Umeda skybuilding

Edit: not to be confused with Ueda, the silly professor whoearned martial arts by distance learning. Lol.

There are a few things of life I've learned so far, by being in Japan:
-presents are always wrapped. If you mention it to a shopkeeper, he'll do it. And better than my wraping and their normal wrap is beautiful
-you must change shoes when entering the toilet. There is a pair there just for that. It is a bit of an exercse to leave your shoes outside the toilet, then wear the ones inside the toilet.
-I can now eat fish on its bones with chopsticks. It may tage hours but the dish is the more delicious
-I learned to bow when exiting a shop. The trick is not to forget to urn around completely and face the shop.
-knowing the basics of the language is very useful as many original restaurant or shops out of the beaten path have loads to offer
-I can eat 3 times again, full set of homecooked meals.
Finally, the view is from a landmark in the north part of Osaka. At sunset, it must be beautiful, but I was not paired up so went back home...sniff. But the homecooked dinner with the whole K. Family was ready when I got home and we chatted till 11pm so all is good.

Dotonburi:shopping and eating in Osaka

Well, instead of getting to Namba station at noon, I got there arount 2pm. Met a lot of 'hosts' and weird guys picking me up while I waited for the lights to turn green at crossroads. Well, it's easy to single me out, everyone is kinda pale. Had so much fun window shopping.

Walking in den-den town, Osaka

Daibutsu in Todaiji temple of Nara

Vendor machine

Not just juice, but cigarettes, cold and hot coffee, tea, milk, flower, ice cream, cup noodle, hamburgers...

Osaka, more like discovering Sakai city

Meeting the K. Family was fun. I could understand them and we had fun doing groceries at the supermarket, with all the food I've never seen before. Later on we had temakizushi at home, literally hand sushi, where everyone just self served with stuff to put in they seaweeds and made their own roll or cones. Some had beer, I had plum wine. Yum!
Today, we went to see a famous burial mount of an emperor, the shape of a keyhole, surrounded by 2 water barrier: koofun. It's about 500m long and as wide. After that we went tempozan, the lowest mountain of Japan:4,53m. Lol. Pictures later. And finally after seeing many trucks on the road to minato, we went into Osaka fo the Osaka-jou, the old castle. The weather was still hot, maybe 25C at 4pm. Back at home I had a demo of calligraphy and my name written, and it was beautiful. In the evening we walked to a nearby yakitori restaurant, got drunk and ate loads of meat on sticks...I have no idea what tomorrow has for me, so I'll sleep tired, sweaty and happy I can be understood so far from my reality...

Asakusa in the morning, Roppongi to Shimbashi in the afternoon

A few words about today:
-An early morning due to jetlag. I have never been that awake at 4:00am
-McDonalds breakfast: imagine a sausage and egg sandwich with maple syrup stuffed pancackes as bread...YUM!
-A nice morning walk in Asakusa, viewing Sensou-ji temple and the backstreets around Kaminoarimon.
-A long walk to Tokyo station, and a very expensive umbrella to comfort and protect me from the...sun...yup　yup
。。。。

First landing

Last night arrival left an impression of a hot and humid weather on my skin. I was sweating profusely in the train but managed my 2 connections at Tokyo station and Ueno station without getting lost. It was around 8pm so plenty of suited salarymen around. It was easier to spot the casual dressed workers and tourists. Also met my first drunken salaryman at Asakusa station, but the stationmaster kindly helped him through the gates and toward his train. So far everyone i approached with my broken japanese was very kind. I still need to find a SIM card as I couldn't find one in Narita.

Craziness before takeoff

The day is finally here in 30min, the day I am going east, east east!!! It's still amazing me how about a year ago, in a mentoring and coaching class, I volunteered as a cobaye, to be coached. And this lady actually talked me through my vague plan of one day going to Japan. At that time I was just playing around, trying not to be too serious, just to play my role as a demonstrator...And here I am, after devouring Minna no Nihongo volume 1 and taking with me volume 2 just in case.

And in the last 2 days, it's stress after stress: decisions at work (not taken yet), laundry to do and dry, room to clean, maps and hotels information to print, passport to copy, suitcase to pack (only 20kg allowance!!!), weight to loose (ah well, had a burger and fries tonight before getting some healthy japanese food soon), phones to unlock, money to exchange, face to tidy up (yes, pimples that I havent' seen in months are appearing just to make me presentable to the beautiful new country that will host me), emails to send (planning to visit the Tokyo office)...

I am crazy. Or I just love the thrill ebfore a trip. At this time tomorrow, I'll hopefully be sleeping in the plane as my day at work will start at 7 (ok, 7:15 because the shuttle service starts at 7), and I will try to tame the beating of my hearts to slow down a bit, for fear of tearing down the office out of excitement.

Spring in music with LPO

That's the London Philharmonic Orchestra, resident of Royal Festival Hall on Southbank. I just happened to walk by on Saturday afternoon and found out they were playing. The program? You can here some sample on their website.

I was familiar with the hall, and I got to sit on the side, just behind the first violins. So I could see the orchestra and conductor from within 5-10 meters. I was very surprised when the conductor arrived on stage because I forgot I met him before: during my audition with the London Philharmonic Choir!!!!

From the first note uttered by the violins, I was pierced by the beautiful blending sounds. I don't know if it was because I was very close to the stage or because the pieces they were playing were very touching, but it made my heart slow down and my body hair rise. I was in tears and so happy.

I almost laughed when they played the nuptial march from the Mendelssohn suite. I will never be able to enjoy that piece of music during any wedding because I now have heard it with a full orchestra and its sound is so much more than a celebration of a wedding!!!

I have become a fan of that orchestra and will attend more of their performances as they ar enot too expensive compared to the Royal Symphonic Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

'I Cry' Anthony Hamilton

Anthony Hamilton - I Cry
Uploaded by 2fresh

3 days under the sun

I have packed away the wool coat, and taken out the tissues. Pollen and dust are seen reflecting the light from the sun that has blessed us for about 3-4 days now. The temperature is consistently reaching the double digits, from noon anyway. The mornings are comfortable even though the evenings are still chilly. Maybe we are having a pleasant spring.

But I am faced with brain tiring decision to make. On one hand, a tiresome but secure job to do, in a different country where opportunities for entertainment or access to evening courses are limited. On the other hand, the risk of unemployment but maybe also the chance to change job.

I have 2 weeks to make a choice, before flying off to the other face of the earth and forget myself in unknown land. So for now, in between looking for hotels, I am looking for jobs. It should be the other way around, but I am too stressed to be doing it full time, and I am more interested in enjoying my holidays. I haven't open a textbook in weeks, and I know I am loosing some vocabulary already, but I will cram before the departure..

For now, I am trying my best to tamper my guts feeling and wait for the deal breaker to show up, one way or another so that I can make a decision whether to sign the damn contract or not...

Without Easter eggs

But in much desired company.

Yes No Maybe

Sometimes I just can't write anything, like today...
Maybe because there is so much I want to put in words but they are not addressed to anyone in particular. Or even worse, I just cannot share them with anyone else but myself, and that usually wlows down the process of forming words.

So instead I started reading again. Books with stories, words that bring up vivid images and atmospheres. Many people, my colleagues included, call that wasting time and argue that as opposed to watching a movie, it is a waste of energy to concentrate and read stories...I suppose that is the only reading I do since I tragically fail to read any newspapers.

<> <-----unshared thought
For now I am working on defining my new quest.

電話 by レミオロメン

'Denwa' by Remioromen

These hot days just keep continuing. Are you doing o.k.? I'm worried. You know that I'll be steady. I feel awkward just talking to you over the receiver, but we both feel the same way. It's natural. It didn't go as well as I thought. So far, so far, we're separated from eachother. There are even times we spend all night talking over the phone. Even though my heart is frail, out of the deep darkness, some light manages to shine. You and I laugh and cry together. With you living in some other city, I can't bring us together. But I'm here. The sky is dank, with a hurricane ripping through in the distance. Both at once? What horrendous weather. I feel even lonelier. The night makes the floors, doors, and walls seem impossibly vast. The window rattles from the harsh wind. Let's stay connected by the receiver and keep talking until we're too tired to go on. With you living in some other city, I want you to understand. We're not alone. Even the weather report can't capture it, how we've been separated. Still it looks like these hot days are going to continue. The clouds begin to part the rain is letting up, but you and I are still wet from the laughter and tears we share. With you living in some other city, I can't bring us together. But I'm here.

3月9日 by レミオロメン

In the middle of this drifting season
I suddenly feel the length of the days
In the midst of these quickly-passing days
You and I dream away

With my feelings on the March wind
The cherry blossom buds continue on into spring

The overflowing drops of light
One by one warm the morning
Beside you, I’m a little embarrassed
After a huge yawn

I’m standing at the door to a new world
What I’ve realized is that I’m not alone

If I close my eyes
You’re behind my eyelids
How strong has that made me?
I hope I’m the same for you

The dusty whirlwind
Tangled up the laundry, but
The white moon in the morning sky
Was so beautiful, I couldn’t look away

There are things that don’t go the way I planned
But if I look up to the sky, even they seem small

The blue sky is cold and clear
The fluffy clouds float by quietly
If I can share with you the joy
Of waiting for the flowers to bloom, I’ll be happy

From now on, I want you to be quietly smiling beside me

Spring at the window

With 2 duvet, a warm bottle, socks, sweatshirt over my pyjamas, spring hasn't really made an effect on my freezing body yet, even if it is showing it's frail figure among the howling northern winds and budding clouds. The window is not windproof, nor soundproof! Across the street, luxurious one bedroom apartments with all glass walls shine their warmth and comfort through teasing blinds...

Really, I can't wait for the summer to warm and appease my frustration.

Stretching my mind

From last saturday my mind has tried to outreach to all potential contacts that could get me those bloody concert tickets. As a results, this week's work has been bothersome, tedious and plain annoying. The fact that the boiler is down and showering with 3 pots of hot water every morning is not helping the bleak mood. All is not lost though as I still manage to get to work for the sake of my colleagues (thinking I am indispensable) and not so much about my clients. but 70% of the time my mind is turned east, to this trip in japan. So this is what it feels like to have a dream and reach out to it? Strange

How to fit my stuff in 25m2

When I wake up this is what I am seeing:

And this is where I spend most of my time:


The drawer and wardrobe is still messed up so it won't be worth showing. It's so cozy the only available empty space I have is that runner on the floor where I sprawl around when making a mess and avoiding the bed.

Getting lost in shoreditch

We were walking around digesting delicious vietnamese lunch...in search of dessert. Which was tiramisu. And i finished cleaning my new room