First
things first.
Apologies for disappearing. Turns out my noble employers would rather I live somewhere else, therefore, I've been moving. I'll send out my new address soon.
OK. This update has a few oddities. Exhibit A:
What bugs me about this is that at first, it seems normal. Then...
...what are they actually saying? Motorcycles are deadly? Is there really an anti-motorcycle campaign going on? What do a rotary phone dial and a little girl have to do with anything? What's with the four-cleft chin the reaper's sporting?
Maybe it's not that bizarre, but after five weeks (and the loss of 12 pounds as of this morning, thank you very much,) things like this start to get under your skin. Like:
Same to you, buddy.
I should probably mention at this point that I'm still loving this place. But now that I'm comfortable, I'm a little more prone to open mockery, which may or may not be a good thing. But come on, when you're faced with:
I can think of a few other names that aren't quite as loved. By girls, anyway.
Anyway, enough of that.
...
OK, one more.
"Phoenix Medical Clinic?" Is it really a good idea to name a medical clinic after something that has to die first in order to get better?
This is a skyscraper in the middle of Ueno (a suburb of Tokyo so gigantic that it seems weird to call it a suburb.) I don't know who's idea it was to make the building this particular shade of purple, but...
"Hey, you want to go to lunch?"
"Sure. Where do you want to go?"
"Hmm...how about that ramen shop next to the Gay Pride building?"
"Things Make People Happy." Yes. Yes they do. Usually.
Oi City. For all your Oi needs. Oi Oi Oi.
This is an ad on the train. Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out well enough to read. It's for a brand of mascara called Tiny Sniper (?) The text reads:
"Happy Infinite Romances Occur In A Newborn Oasis. Wink Your Future!"
I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!
Heh.
I get the distinct feeling I'll be seeing the inside of this place when certain people come to visit. As well as:
So long as Big Brother says it's OK:
I don't know how I managed to miss this guy before, but he looks out over downtown Ageo. Presumably, he rules with benevolence. Or so I hope. Although I'm not gonna be in Ageo much longer to find out.
Alright, enough cynicism. I also went to Ueno Park.
Unfortunately, pictures can't really show just how beautiful this place is. It's enormous. It has three (!) art galleries, a zoo, a peony garden (which I will have to visit later, due to Golden Week...I'll explain below) and more than a few shrines. The whole place is laid out with walkways like the one above. It's odd to see this much space in a place dominated by people living on top of each other, but maybe that's how people cope.
This picture came out pretty well....
(Click the photo to see the full sized one.)
I couldn't find an explanation for this building:
...but it's right in the middle of the park.
The Ueno Zoo is just OK, but its got a lot of these things:
Apologies if this update seems a bit disjointed, but between moving and this cold I'm fighting, my brain barely works. Most of the pictures above were taken last week. This week, I intended to travel back and take better pictures, but the sheer number of people made for some less than majestic shots.
Why? The first week of May is known in Japan as "Golden Week," because it has three national holidays. Practically everyone has Golden Week off (except for us gaijin, of course,) so travelling anywhere is a less than stellar idea. I was dumb enough to do it anyway (I need to figure out how to take a discreet picture of the crowds in the train...Japan is NOT a good place to be claustrophobic.) At one point I was hanging onto the strap on the train for dear life, and travelled from Omiya to Akabane (about eight minutes) at a 20 degree angle. I have gotten quite good at sweating.
OK, next time, I should have some better pics of the Tokyo Museum, the Peony Garden at Ueno Park, and I'll introduce you to Hammertime, Ageo's mascot. Until then, if you want to email me, try here.
Apologies for disappearing. Turns out my noble employers would rather I live somewhere else, therefore, I've been moving. I'll send out my new address soon.
OK. This update has a few oddities. Exhibit A:
What bugs me about this is that at first, it seems normal. Then...
...what are they actually saying? Motorcycles are deadly? Is there really an anti-motorcycle campaign going on? What do a rotary phone dial and a little girl have to do with anything? What's with the four-cleft chin the reaper's sporting?
Maybe it's not that bizarre, but after five weeks (and the loss of 12 pounds as of this morning, thank you very much,) things like this start to get under your skin. Like:
Same to you, buddy.
I should probably mention at this point that I'm still loving this place. But now that I'm comfortable, I'm a little more prone to open mockery, which may or may not be a good thing. But come on, when you're faced with:
I can think of a few other names that aren't quite as loved. By girls, anyway.
Anyway, enough of that.
...
OK, one more.
"Phoenix Medical Clinic?" Is it really a good idea to name a medical clinic after something that has to die first in order to get better?
This is a skyscraper in the middle of Ueno (a suburb of Tokyo so gigantic that it seems weird to call it a suburb.) I don't know who's idea it was to make the building this particular shade of purple, but...
"Hey, you want to go to lunch?"
"Sure. Where do you want to go?"
"Hmm...how about that ramen shop next to the Gay Pride building?"
"Things Make People Happy." Yes. Yes they do. Usually.
Oi City. For all your Oi needs. Oi Oi Oi.
This is an ad on the train. Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out well enough to read. It's for a brand of mascara called Tiny Sniper (?) The text reads:
"Happy Infinite Romances Occur In A Newborn Oasis. Wink Your Future!"
I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!
Heh.
I get the distinct feeling I'll be seeing the inside of this place when certain people come to visit. As well as:
So long as Big Brother says it's OK:
I don't know how I managed to miss this guy before, but he looks out over downtown Ageo. Presumably, he rules with benevolence. Or so I hope. Although I'm not gonna be in Ageo much longer to find out.
Alright, enough cynicism. I also went to Ueno Park.
Unfortunately, pictures can't really show just how beautiful this place is. It's enormous. It has three (!) art galleries, a zoo, a peony garden (which I will have to visit later, due to Golden Week...I'll explain below) and more than a few shrines. The whole place is laid out with walkways like the one above. It's odd to see this much space in a place dominated by people living on top of each other, but maybe that's how people cope.
This picture came out pretty well....
(Click the photo to see the full sized one.)
I couldn't find an explanation for this building:
...but it's right in the middle of the park.
The Ueno Zoo is just OK, but its got a lot of these things:
Apologies if this update seems a bit disjointed, but between moving and this cold I'm fighting, my brain barely works. Most of the pictures above were taken last week. This week, I intended to travel back and take better pictures, but the sheer number of people made for some less than majestic shots.
Why? The first week of May is known in Japan as "Golden Week," because it has three national holidays. Practically everyone has Golden Week off (except for us gaijin, of course,) so travelling anywhere is a less than stellar idea. I was dumb enough to do it anyway (I need to figure out how to take a discreet picture of the crowds in the train...Japan is NOT a good place to be claustrophobic.) At one point I was hanging onto the strap on the train for dear life, and travelled from Omiya to Akabane (about eight minutes) at a 20 degree angle. I have gotten quite good at sweating.
OK, next time, I should have some better pics of the Tokyo Museum, the Peony Garden at Ueno Park, and I'll introduce you to Hammertime, Ageo's mascot. Until then, if you want to email me, try here.