Dance of the Golden Dragon

There was a celebration going on at Senso-ji temple yesterday and I met up with Linda and Susan to go and sample it. It is a performance to celebrate the founding of Senso-ji temple and involved a dragon and lots of men "steering" it round the temple grounds. It was a beautiful sunny day and lovely to watch this old tradition that has been going for years. I was also intrigued by the amount of people that had come out to witness it and the extent that some people had gone to to take photos. Note the man with the tripod above. He was one of many hardcore photographers who's extended "limb" would jump up in the air as the dragon passed by, so as not to miss a good shot.

Garth's crochet

Garth is staying with us again after some fab travels around Japan - it has made me very inspired to go out there and experience more of this lovely country. We've had a great time exploring the city together, but I'm afraid I subjected him to a session of Stitch and Bitch on tuesday night. He did amazingly well (and got a bit of attention from the stitch and bitch ladies too!) and he managed to do a bit of crochet! Here is his first piece.

Hong Kong Installment 14

On the day we were leaving, the cloud started to clear and the sun came out! We collected Neil's suit, which looks good, and then headed down to the waterfront to see the view before heading off to the airport. It is a stunning place! We headed home feeling knackered, but really glad to have visited the exciting city of Hong Kong. Maybe next time we'll head back there when the weather is supposed to be a bit better.....

Hong Kong Installment 13

With full stomachs and tired legs, we decided to make the trip up to Victoria Peak. We knew it wouldn't be the best view with the weather being so foggy, but felt the need to go. We took the tram up the steep hill and tried to imagine what the view may have looked like through the clouds. I even bought a postcard to show what we should have seen. Miraculously, the sun came out while we were up there, so we were able to enjoy a drink on the terrace at the lovely cafe there, surrounded by tropical trees and birds.

Hong Kong Installment 12

Our lunch choice was recommended by several people as a fun place to go and obviously a well established eatery. It is called Maxims and is a dim sum restaurant in city hall. It was absolute mayhem, but organised too and we were greeted by a crowd of people all waiting for tables and a scarey maitre d' who was a slight, beautiful woman with a very scarey attitude. She was calling out the numbers like an auctioneer and if you didn't respond within seconds, your table was gone. It was a bit of a stressful experience, but once we got our table we were happy and loaded up with lots of wonderful dim sum, taken from the trolleys that were constantly patrolling the room. It was well worth the wait.

Hong Kong Installment 11

Sunday was a day of intense sightseeing. We had been saving the Victoria Peak day for one that was hopefully more clear, but that didn't happen! We started off by taking a manic bus trip to the other side of Hong Kong island where Stanley market is. The best bit was the bus ride, which was like taking an out of control rollercoaster ride, round narrow, steep streets in a double decker bus. We had the best seats at the front on the top, and loved the careening around, while taking in the the new environs. It was much sunnier on the other side and there were loads of little beaches that we passed. Quite different to the mayhem of central Hong Kong. Stanley market is pretty tacky, but we strolled along the waters edge and took in the atmosphere, before heading back on the roller coaster ride to central Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Installment 10

To get to the Soho area, you can take the escalator. I know, sounds strange and we weren't sure what to expect as everyone kept telling us it was an escalator that went up the side of the hill and kept going and going. It was hard to imagine, but was just that. You can basically go from the Central ferry terminal, through a mall (of course, you can't go to Hong Kong without seeing a mall at some point - it's difficult to avoid) and on the other side you join this escalator and it just keeps going and going. There are points to get off when you want to, and it basically ploughs through all these buzzing areas full of restaurants and bars where people are spilling out onto the streets and generally enjoying life! We were amazed at how many expats there were. Once we had ridden the escalator most of the way, we decided to hop off and find some food. There was almost too much choice, but we went for a scrummy Vietnamese place and stuffed our faces with curry and beer.

Hong Kong Installment 9

After a rest and another stop for a cocktail at the hotel, we headed back out to get some food and decided to head to the Soho area to try out some restaurants there. We got the ferry back over and were on the water just in time to see the light show. Every night at 8pm, all the big skyscrapers put on a laser light show. The fog marred it a bit, but made it pretty atmospheric too.

Hong Kong Installment 8

After the first suit fitting, we decided to head over to Hong Kong island and took the lovely old Star ferry across the bay. It is such a romantic way to travel, but a shame that most of the dramatic skyline was hidden behind a foggy cloud! We had lunch at a stylish restaurant overlooking the busy streets, took a rickety tram ride to Central, and then walked up the narrow, steep slopes to the Soho area, where there are lots of antique shops as well as stalls selling wares. One had a stall full of Mao statues of all shapes and sizes. It was really nice to be in an area that was slightly less frenetic and away from all the skyscrapers and noise of the traffic.

Hong Kong Installment 7

The final market was the bird market. On our way there, we had seen lots of men each carrying a single cage with a bird in it. At first we thought they were going to the bird market to sell them, but when we got there we realised that they were just showing them off to their mates! All these old blokes would turn up with their birds, in beautiful cages, and hang them on a tree and then have a ciggie and a cup of coffee while they chatted to their friends and showed off their bird. It is a small market, but intriguing to take in al the different types of bird and all the accessories that go with it. We also watched a woman delving her hand into a cage of grasshoppers and stuff them into a bag which was then sold to one of the men. All we could think was that they were food for the birds.....

We'd been at the market for a little while, when I suddenly started feeling a tad skittish. The closeness of it and the proximity to the birds made me start to feel a bit itchy and it was only then that I thought it may not have been a good idea to trot round a bird market in Hong Kong. Luckily I don't seem to be showing any signs of bird flu.....

Hong Kong Installment 6

The next market was the flower market, which was ablaze with colour and full of lots of exotic foliage. I kept wanting to sweep things up and bring them back to Tokyo with us. Our balcony is looking very bare and it could do with a blast of colour to brighten it up.

Hong Kong Installment 5

The next day, we had to go back for the suit fitting at noon, so we decided to stay on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong and kill some time by visiting some of the markets. We started off at the goldfish market. This was a street full of goldfish shops, just selling goldfish. Oh, and the odd one selling hamsters and rabbits..... We never figured out why there were so many goldfish shops and why there was such a big market for them, but deduced that because people live in such small places that it's the only pet that would fit!

Hong Kong Installment 4

After a trot around, we decided it was time to get brave and find somewhere interesting to eat. We had come armed with a list of places to go, partly from the guide book , but also from friends and friends of friends, which was fab. We found a street that had a host of eateries and we dived into a chinese restaurant to sample their delights. There were quite a few fish tanks outside with dinner swimming around in them, but we decided to play it safe and go for shrimp and pork. It was all very good and tasty, served up in a brightly lit establishment with brusque waiters. I love the no-frills attitude there! For pudding we were given a brown concoction, on the house. It looked like mud and really wasn't very appetising-looking, but we had to gulp it down as the owner was standing there staring at us. It was surprisingly tasty (a kind of bean-based rice pudding type thing) and we ended up eating it all!

Hong Kong Installment 3

After a rest at the hotel and a free cocktail at the bar (oh, and we had afternoon tea there as well!) we trotted off to find some food and see Hong Kong by night. Needless to say, it was a feast for the eyes with noises and smells from the sublime to the slightly scarey! There were neon lights everywhere you looked advertising tailoring, foot massage, herbal remedies etc, horns honking and people everywhere. We also came across a night market, which was fun to look around, even if most of it was a lot of tat.

Hong Kong Installment 2

After the suit measuring we decided to wander the streets around where we were staying and get our bearings and soak in the atmosphere. We were staying on the Kowloon side (Hong Kong spreads across the bay, with half of it being on the mainland and the other half being on Hong Kong island). Kowloon is on the mainland. We were struck by the energy of the place and the fact that it was a lot more "rough around the edges" and slightly more cosmopolitan than Tokyo. I love the fact that you pick up on all the little things when you first arrive in a new place. A little "shrine" with incense etc on any of the side roads, and classic Chinese artwork, brightly coloured and used on all sorts of advertising.

Hong Kong Installment 1

I'm afraid it's taken me a while to get my act together to put the Hong Kong excursion on the blog. It's mainly because there were a lot of photos to plough through, but I have finally done it and it's been a lot of fun. We headed off on friday morning, bright and early. We took the Narita express, a very organised train (or so we thought) from near where we live. But our expectations were thwarted when we found ourselves stuck in a train tunnel for an hour!!!!! Needless to say it was a tad stressful and when we finally got to the airport it was a mad dash to the check in, where we just about made our flight. Phew! Didn't fancy trotting back to Tokyo with our tails between our legs....

After a four hour flight, we landed at Hong Kong airport and got the very efficient airport train into the centre where we checked into our hotel. The first port of call was Sam's tailor, as we wanted to get a suit made for Neil for the wedding. We had the details of how to get there and crossed through Kowloon park which our hotel overlooked. It was a very foggy day, but warm and mild and we were struck by the tropical feel to the whole place. The park had beautiful foliage all around with exotic birds singing in the trees and a "flock" of flamingos all preening themselves by a pond! It was quite a surreal experience to see them all there, clucking away, with massive skyscrapers looming up behind them.

We managed to find Sam's tailor (while being accosted by several other "tailors" en route, all with cheap suites or watched to flog) without too much problem, and they took all of Neil's measurements, asking us to return the next day at noon for his first fitting.

Plum blossom

I had another sumi-e class yesterday and this time I was recreating the plum blossom, which is quite apt as they are supposed to be in bloom at the moment. Mind you, it snowed here yesterday, so the poor flowers may be in shock! My teacher also had my own personal stamp made for me - hand carved out of marble - so now my paintings have a bit more of a professional edge to them...

As you will see, I have hand painted my first name which literally translates as "Ke-Te" and then the stamp follows with the family name "Go Don". My teacher was telling me that "Go" means "strong" and "Don" is the word for a heavily embroidered curtain used in the Kabuki theatre. So my last name translates as "strong embroidered curtain"! It somehow lacks finesse!

Dinner

After having posh drinks, we decided to head to the other end of the scale and go for slummy dinner in an Izakaya - beer hall - in Roppongi. Neil and I had been taken there a few months ago by friends and I was worried about being able to find it again as it was down many back streets and very hidden away. By some miracle, I remembered the way and we were shown to a table where we were squashed in next to other diners in a noisy, smokey atmosphere. Of course, none of the menu was in English so after a bit of looking around and seeing what other people were eating, and fumbling our way through with the use of Dairina's phrasebook, we actually managed to order some items and to cobble together quite an interesting, tasty meal. Washed down with cheap beer, it was perfect!

Drinks with a view

After a long day on our feet, a drink with a view was in order, so we decided to head to the famous Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku for a view. It is mostly famous for being the location of Lost in Translation and I was intrigued to see what it was like. It's a rather sumptuous hotel and the view was absolutely stunning. A beer was in order (and also the cheapest thing on the menu at 1,100 yen, about 7 quid), so we spent a good hour there soaking in the atmosphere....and checking out the toilet facilities. The toilets all have various "washing" options in Japan, but these ones also had a massage option. Sadly, none of us were brave enough to try it out!

Lunch

After visiting the temple, we then headed down to Omotesando (stopping into the 100 yen shop, another mecca on four floors, en route) to find somewhere to have lunch. I had read about a cheap and tasty gyoza restaurant called "Gyoza Lou" so we decided to seek it out. After a bit of jigging around and going back on ourselves (and asking directions) we found the "hole in the wall" restaurant, which was a real find. We sat at the bar and watched the cooks perform their simple, yet effective art of steaming the dumplings in special mesh "pouches" and then frying them up to a scrumptious crispy consistency. This is definitely somewhere I will be heading back to.

Meiji Jingu

On thursday, me and Garth met up with Dairina, a friend of Sarah's who was in town for work. First we decided to head for the Harajuku area and start with Yoyogi park and the famous Meiji Jingu shrine. It was a cold day, but we soaked up the atmosphere and got some great photos of sake vats, old wooden doors and prayer boards. Most were praying for good health etc, but there seemed to be quite a few praying for a nice cheap apartment and job promotions! As we were leaving the park we noticed a long queue of people waiting to get into the area where the lake is. We almost joined the queue to find out what was going on, but I'm glad we didn't in the end. I later asked my Japanese teacher what it was all about and she said that there is supposed to be a lucky area around the lake with strong energy (only for this year) and people want to have their picture taken there for good luck....very strange!

Cute dog sighting

I had to put this photo up as my latest cute dog sighting. What a sweetie! He was being pampered at a local dog salon called Mercury that has just opened in the neighbourhood. He's obviously used to getting this done as he looks very at home!

Sekaido

Garth, a friend of the family came to stay for a few days and we spent a fab time exploring the city together. I love having people to come and stay as you see the city from a completely different angle and with fresh eyes. Garth is an artist/sculptor, lives in France and has spent the last few years renovating an old barn into a beautiful living space. Luckily he is into mooching around art shops for hours on end, so we headed to the mecca that is Sekaido in Shinjuku, an enormous art shop on four floors. Garth wanted to get some boards to paint onto and while we were there, we checked out the amazing selection of brushes, ranging from bamboo sticks with a "withered" end, that produces the brush effect, to stunningly delicate peacock feather brushes, which, I have to say, I would never want to use for fear of ruining....and the fact that they were about £100 each!

Pottery

It seems that blog postings are like buses, you don't see any for ages and then a few come along at once. So here goes.....

I had two pottery classes this week, to make up for not doing any last week. On the second day, we went back to the teacher's house to do extruding. It involves putting a big lump of clay in a tube and squeezing it through and out the other side using a big pump-like action. It sounds dodgy and looks rather "interesting" and I thought it would be a doddle, but it's actually quite difficult and can end up with disasterous results. My first one was sent to the dud pile after getting a hole in it - to create interesting shapes, you carve into the clay and I got a bit over zealous. When I started the class, I had visions of coming out with a beautiful tall, elegant vase for the dining table. Instead I came out with some rather short, clumpy items which I am calling candle holders for want of a better word!

Och aye the noo!

We had a fab night on saturday night, celebrating the birthday of Robbie Burns, of all people! I know it was about a month too late, but it was a lot of fun and the Scottish dancing classes paid off! Neil and I scrubbed up pretty well, especially Neil in his sharp tuxedo. It was held in a big function room at the ANA Hotel in Akasaka, with a massive dance floor and lots of tartan-draped dining table around it. After a special highland dancing demonstration done by the Tokyo Bluebells, a slap up meal of haggis and whiskey, and lots of toasts to the lads and lassies, we flung our hearts out until 1am - Strip the Willow, and the Dashing White Sargeant were among them. Needless to say, we had aching limbs and feet by the end of it, but a fab night was had by all.

Drawing

It is another gorgeously sunny day today, so I decided to head to the local Japanese garden and house (that I mentioned in my blog back in November) and do a spot of drawing. Here is my clunky attempt. I have to say, I spent most of the time I was there basking in the sun!

Kaiten sushi

I met up with Susan yesterday on a glorious sunny day and we headed to the National Art Centre to see a Renoir exhibition. His work is not usually my cup of tea and the gallery was heaving, full of old, pushy Japanese folk who felt the need to elbow to the front and peer closely at the paintings. Having said that, I'm really glad I went. His colours are amazing and a lot of the still lives were very inspiring. I may feel the need to get the paints out...

After that, we trotted round the corner to Tokyo Midtown where there are a host of restaurants to choose from. We decided on a kaiten sushi place - conveyor belt sushi. The food was great and I loved the fact that each place sitting had a bowl of green tea bags and a tap of hot water to fill yourself up whenever you needed it!

Skiing at Naeba

Well, we tried skiing properly for the first time this weekend at a lovely resort called Naeba, which is about 4 hours drive from Tokyo. I learnt to snowboard about 15 years ago (was it really that long ago?! Where did the time go?!) and decided to try skiing this time. Neil had never tried either sport, so I thought it would be nice for both of us to learn something new together. The trip was organised through the Tokyo Gaijins and there were about 45 of us trotting up there on the bus, organised by a lovely guy called Ricky. We checked into the guesthouse (our rooms were traditional Japanese style with tatami mats and futons on the floor) and got our gear - all very organised, as you can imagine, with boots, skis etc and clothing as well. Note my fetching bright yellow jacket - not very tasteful, but easily seen on the slopes, I can tell you!

We had our lesson with Ricky in the afternoon and started off on the bunny slopes. We must have looked pretty awful at first, but we managed to come down the mountain at a slow pace, in pretty much one piece. After a few hours of that, we headed back to the hotel for an onsen-type shower and bath. Onsens are Japanese public baths and they have them all over the place here. They are separated for men and women, and it involves being naked and bathing in a communal bath area. First of all you have to crouch down at a very low shower which is not far off the ground. You have to scrub yourself clean whilst sitting on a very little plastic stool. It is not until you are scrubbed clean that you can then plunge yourself into the gorgeous hot tub which is full of mineral-infused waters. Heaven!

That evening we had dinner at the hotel and then headed to the resort to drink too much beer. A lot of people did night skiing as the slopes are kept open and lit up until 9pm. But we decided to stay in the warm! The next day was pretty fruitful and I felt like I really began to get the hang of the skiing lark and am quite liking it. Will have to head back soon for another stint!

Sumi-e plate

I went to my pottery class on monday and got some more items back that have been glazed. Most of them look like caveman pots, but I was happy with one of them. I decided to use a painting technique I had used in my sumi-e class, and painted some bamboo leaves onto it. Now my two crafts have joined and become one! I have to warn you that I am getting quite a collection of caveman pots and will have nowhere to put them soon, so beware anyone who has a birthday coming up.....

Earthquake

We had another earthquake this morning, at about 5am - why do they always happen when we are in bed?! It always feels a lot stronger when you are lying down. Apparently it was about 4.7 on the richter scale. Every time it happens I think I must get my survival kit sorted out, just in case! Apparently most people have one in their homes - a bag containing a torch, water, food, etc.

Mitake-San

Yesterday we went on a wonderful hike up mount Mitake, which is about 1.5 hours out of Tokyo on the train. We went with Chris and his daughter Sophie, and also Anna and Hope, two friends of his. We spent most of the journey there talking about our karaoke attempts on friday night. We'd had dinner at Chris' house and then he'd rolled out the karaoke machine for a quick sing song. As usual, we were all pretty timid at first, but after a few glasses of wine and some dutch courage, we couldn't be stopped! I dread to think what the neighbours thought...

Anyway, we got to Mitake station at about 9.30am and slowly made our way up the steep slope to the top. There was a lot of snow around (which was quite surprising when we had come from a snow-less Tokyo) and it was stunning. Everything was covered in a light blanket of snow, the twigs on the trees were enveloped in ice and there were regal pine trees all around us. The nice thing was that we were the few people who were walking up. I think most of the Japanese had chosen to get the cable car. We were pretty hungry when we got to the top and found a basic cafe selling hearty fare. After a big plate of curry and rice, we headed on up to the temple - a beautiful structure perched atop the mountain overlooking a stunning view. It was so serene. By this time it was getting pretty cold (note my fetching "tea cosy" hat!), so we decided to head back down the mountain and got the cable car as a treat. There were a lot of snoozy people on the train back to Tokyo.

Floral arrangements

It seems to be the thing to do here that when a new shop opens friends, family, random acquaintances send flowers to congratulate the new owners. But they are not any old flower arrangement. I think they are the biggest, most extravagant things I have ever seen and each one seems to be trying to out-do the other. This photo was taken around the corner from where we live and looks like it should be a flower shop, but is actually a clothes shop!

Museum of Contemporary Art

I had heard of the Rebecca Horn exhibition and have been wanting to see it before it closed, so Michiko said she would come along with me. The Museum of Modern Art is a stunning modern building in a very "local" area and I loved walking along the quiet suburban streets and then coming across this gorgeous modern space with an interesting selection of exhibitions. I was only able to sneak a few photos before I was told off by a very nice security guard. It was interesting seeing the Rebecca Horn exhibition, although I don't have a lot to say about it! I knew that she used a lot of feathers, horns and mirrors in her work, and there were a lot of mechanical pieces and projections onto water. I wish that I could have got more of an explanation as to her thoughts behind some of the pieces, but it has made me want to research her work a bit more now.

Kiyosumi Gardens

After my painting class, I met up with the lovely Michiko who I met through one of my book clubs. We had decided to go to an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and went to a nearby park first of all as the weather was absolutely gorgeous! Apparently it was 17 degrees and felt like a spring day! Some of the plum blossom has started coming out and you can actually smell the plum aroma in the blossom petals.

Sumi-e

I had my second sumi-e class yesterday and spent the whole time painting different sized bamboo stalks! It could have got a tad boring, but I think patience is part of doing sumi-e! Anyway, I managed to paint a "picture" and was even shown how to write my name in Chinese script.

Sumo

We had a good weekend of relaxing. On saturday we went to the gym and then headed up to Maranouchi for Linda's birthday. She wanted to have cocktails at sunset and we got to the Imperial Lounge bar at The Imperial Hotel, just in time to see a beautiful sunset over the Palace grounds. It was a stunning view over the tree tops and then the gorgeous cityscape beyond that of Tokyo, as it's buildings lit up for the night.

On sunday we went to our first Sumo wrestling tournament, which was a lot of fun. It started at 11am. We new it was ending at 5.30pm, so decided to head there later and see it when it got a bit more "juicy". It was in a massive stadium with normal seating on the upper levels, but more bed-like seating near the front. Some people were stretched out, and one was even asleep. We had no idea what the rules were, but it was great fun to watch the drama of it all and the build up to each match - the lifting of the legs, the stamping of the feet and throwing of the rice - even if the actual match was over in seconds. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out, so I don't have any photos. I will just have to go back at a later date and get some then...

Sumi-e class

I started my first Sumi-e class yesterday at the Tokyo American Club, which was a lot of fun. Sumi-e is a traditional style of Japanese painting, often done in black ink on a white ground, using a big tapered brush to get stunningly beautiful effects. I was given a whole bag of kit, which included a scroll of practice paper, brush, pots to mix the ink in, a solid piece of ink (which you have to spend about 10 minutes grinding down at the beginning of the class) and boards to paint on when you are feeling a bit more confident. Needless to say, mine weren't stunning or beautiful, but my teacher was lovely and patient (and came wearing a beautiful kimono). She made me do two hours of endless practice, painting bamboo leaves over and over again. It was surprisingly therapeutic and I think I got the hang of it by the end of the class. I decided to take a photo of my efforts by rolling it out in the corridor of our apartment - see above.

Snow

Well, after smugly writing about the fact that we were basking in the sun on the beach on sunday, it snowed on monday! How crazy is that?! It started on monday night and had been going for quite a while until I even realised. Even then, Neil had to point it out to me and I stuck my head out the window to see it billowing down and covering the road and paths with a good layer of snow. By tuesday morning a lot of it had cleared up and now it seems like it never happened!

Kamakura

Yesterday we decided to head out of the city for the day, to experience some culture and be out in the "countryside". We headed for Kamakura, which is about 50 mins on the train from Ebisu station and has many temples to visit as well as a giant Buddha, and it's near the sea! It was a stunning day, with bright sun and a gorgeous blue sky. We decided to get off one stop early and then walk to the temples that way, as there were some smaller ones en route which we wanted to see. One of them, Shokozan-Tokeiji Temple, was a nunnery and is nicknamed the "Divorce Temple". This was because in the days when women had no right to a divorce, they could seek refuge in the nunnery and if they managed to stay there for three years, could obtain a divorce from their husband. It had a very serene feel to it and we were amazed to see blossom already blooming on some of the trees. They must be very confused by all the sunny weather we're having, or maybe this is just normal...

We then headed on to the main temples, which were much busier and more impressive. There is always a lot to see and, above all, I love to people watch! We saw the large buddha, which was very impressive, and after sitting on the beach with a cup of coffee soaking in the rays, and watching the surfers trotting into the water with their boards, we went for lunch at a nearby restaurant. It was really lovely to be out and about and I think we even came back with sun-redend faces as a souvenir, along with our bird biscuits - a local delicacy and very tasty.