Bar Nudie

I was unable to determine whether or not Bar Nudie was, in fact, a, er, nudie bar. I hope it isn't though, because that would render my posting of this picture a most unsavoury act.

Shinkansen shenanigans

So, I got the shinkansen (that’s the bullet train to those of you who aren’t as amazing at understanding Japanese as me) on Monday. It was ace.

The picture quality above is, admittedly, poor, but if you look closely through the windows, you can see the very fabric of time bending.

Not having the internet

because your selfish bastard of a neighbour, whose internet you were stealing, decided to block you, because you were stealing his internet, is totally shit.

Costco

I am, of course, aware that Costco is not an exclusively Japanese phenomenon. But LOOK at the size of this jar of peanut butter. It’s like some sort of delicious peanut buttery, er… anvil. Or some other similarly-sized stump-shaped object. Like a tree stump perhaps.

Or a goblin-man.

There’s no escape, goblin-man, I’m going to eat you up on my toast. Like this: nyom nyom nyom.

High school students

One of my students very thoughtfully drew me a picture the other day. Oh, those kids...

Miyazaki adventures

Beaches, mountains, sparklers, scotch, chicken nanban, ropes, hiking, log cabins, surfers, winding country roads, onsens, sprightly old people, coolers, convenience stores, portable stoves, crap toilets, giant spiders, camp fires, smores, carrots, peanut butter and jam sambos, creepy old men, helpful Canadians, sunrises, traffic jams, mosquitos, inquisitive children, tunnels, baby wipes.

Yup, silver week adventuring in Miyazaki can really take it out of you.

Taiko

How I have failed to mention taiko thus far, I do not know, but now is the time to right that wrong: taiko is deadly. Hitting big drums with large sticks is the most immensely satisfying post-work activity I have ever encountered. I joined a group in Kokura called Wai Wai about six weeks ago and have been going to practice regularly ever since. They're a pretty righteous crew and no doubt about it. They perform all sorts of different routines with bitchin counter-rhythms and amazing breakdowns and stuff and, and... it's just savage.

Above is Adam from Australia, who was good enough to pose for a photo. I think in this shot he managed to express the savage beauty that lies at the heart of this centuries-old art. Nice one, Adam!