紅葉と雪

紅葉と雪
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

A rather amazing combination of key seasonal symbols . . . 紅葉 (Momiji - Maple leaves) on 雪 (Yuki - Snow) that I took a few weekends ago when out of a walk with Lane to show him Shukkeien (a garden that features many little miniture representations of various esteemed landscape styles or views). Both are images synonymous with autumn and winter respectively, and it's not that common to get together them in such striking quantites.

Before Japan began using the Gregorian calendar in the 1800s a lunar calendar, like that of China, was used and the New Year was in fact celebrated around the beginning of Spring. It has felt a little like Spring of late here but I am sure we will have a reappearance of snow again in February, as is usual!

I loved the contrast of colours between the clean snow and the fallen leaves - terribly picture-perfect I thought. I found it very calming to just vague out looking at.

It's clear and blue outside again today, but cold of course - I am about to head off to stay at Maki's for New Year's. Apparently we will be making 御節料理 (Osechi cuisine - traditional New Year's food) and other than that am not too sure quite what we will be doing but am looking forward to a bit of an enforced break . . leaving the laptop behind to reduce temptation! I will be sure to take lots of photos!

So anyway, hope you all have a nice night tonight and see in the New Year in plenty of style! I wish everyone the very best for what is sure to be yet another year of amazing changes and experiences! Take care and I hope to see you all some time soon in the future!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Birthdays are also in order!!

Happy Birthday . . .

Phili! Hope you had a great day . . also happy anniversary!

Asher - hope you are walking up a storm (well, actually, being stormless might be better on the slopes in Nepal - take care!) glad to hear that your new-found friends helped you to celebrate in style!

Katherine . . . unlikely to ever read this but I still remember your birthday! Have a good one whereever you are!

Janet . . just getting in early! Hope you have a nice day on the 2nd - I have some photos for you of when Bronte was here a while back now!! Just after my birthday! Best wishes and many happy returns!

Now I really am going - enough of this procrastinating!

oh yes . . .

The picture below is of the snowman family that the group of us made a couple of weekends ago at 3am . . . I went back early the next morning when I found myself outside, dressed and ready to go on the mochi-making tour that had just been canceled due to snow! I went out with my camera for a stroll and meandered past the park where we'd gone the night before. For just over half an hour the sky was crystal clear, sparkling and blue . . then I could see the clouds come flying back in and the snow started falling when I was still 5 minutes from home. I like snow much better than rain - it doesn't soak at half the pace! Anyway, as I currently have no room for uploading photos to flickr, otherwise I'd have up so Christmas shots, I thought I'd put this one up because though we don't have any snow to speak of about the city right now it was another clear day here again - quite lovely . . pity so much of it was spent inside, but I did get some walking and riding in . . . soooo cold!

Happy New Year to all . . . hope you all have a blast seeing in the New Year - take it easy and stay safe!

Winter holidays

7am and everyone is bed except our sentinels
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

Ahhh! The winter holidays are sooo short! I have so much work that I should do but are they serious ? I am looking forward to the New Year's celebration period which I am to be spending with my friend Maki at her house. You can see the Miyajima Torii from her upstairs . . . Just to put that in perspective, there are 'Three Top View in Japan' and the Torii is one of them . . quite who decided what got the guernsey isn't clear, but it's still pretty good!

I spent most of today doing odd things that don't amount to much in print . . Woke up in decent time have decided that an early night was needed after weeks of insane living patterns. Tried to read some of a book that related to my proposed thesis topic but it's so densely academic that it sent me back to sleep! Then I rushed around getting Ryoko's present and card ready for meeting her for early lunch before she headed to 島根県(Shimane-ken) for お正月 (Oshougatsu -New Year)

WOW NEWS FLASH!
Geets in back in A-town! Weird - how long it has been now since that night she dashed away when I was amid celebrating my 21st birthday almost a year too late!

And now to return to our usual programme . . .
Ryoko and I went to a more upmarket Sushi train shop than that which we usually frequent which was an interesting experience - a whole lot more stuff that I've never seen the likes of before . . I believe one of things I tried was akin to moretin bay bugs . . .

Then we hung out til she had to catch her bus . . I wished that I could have been going too . . . But I think that what I'm doing instead will be fine. Just jealous that I won't get to Shimane again - an old farmhouse amid the snow! But Saturday I will be going to Maki's for New Years and we will making the special food for NY . . . We all know how I can rarely resist the temptation for learning new recipes!!

Ryoko gave me a whole lot of Banana Yoshimoto books for Xmas!!! Yay! my third present!! I was super excited, even though I did happen to book two of them for myself anyway!! I then thought long and hard about buying myself a ブックカバー (bukkukaba- . . any guesses there ?) but then decided to wait for the NY sales that will apparently take place . . well, in the NY I suppose! Anyway, if nothing else it was distracting to do a bit of window shopping. I also bought a few more things to add to the stockpile of ietms that I am accumulating for sending to friends . . . If I don't have your address don't be expecting anything!! I had the best intentions before Christmas but as well we know 'the best laid plans of mice and men . . gang oft aglae' (yes, aglae don't you know . . of course, I may have spelt that incorrectly!). I shall do my best but well, I shan't make any promises!

Hope you all had a great Christmas . . poor Phili who checked my blog on the day for a respite from work!

Christmas Day here went okay - I would have to say the gamut of emotions where fairly intensely and thoroughly run - tears, love, confusion, sadness, anger and frustration (with a camera crew), anticipation, butterflies, contentment, relief, gratitude, exhaustion . . you get the picture. It was enjoyable in parts, certainly memorable but it didn't really resound with that Christmas atmosphere.

I love O-san - she is the best! Christmas Eve was really special and great because of her! . . . and her teaching me and Maki how to make vegetable manju!

I also went to Marie's house yesterday where we made mochi (pounded rice) in a Hello Kitty mochi-maker . . it looked disturbing like something out of a horror flick as Kitty-chan's mochi brain girated in her skull.
And what is the deal with all of these TV programmes where semi-famous celebrities try to ruin their by going on insane week-long one product only diets for the hell of it . . . 500 plates of cream stew in a week ? A weeklong diet of roughly 500 sheets of plain 海苔 (のり nori ) for a week ? Jeepers Japan!

Right! I didn't really mean to even post . . now I should go do something . . It should be study but will probably involve alcohol and hanging out with Lane if only we could throw the newest episode of LOST into the bargain . . "what a wonderful world this could be" - yeah . . Sam Cooke . . .

Oh! Today at the fancy Sushi-ya they played the most incongruous selection of music - generally from 30-40 years ago and often foreign . . go Chicago, Tears for Fears and the Bee Gees . . . just what I expected with my o-cha and maguro! 変だねぇ

Merry Christmas

7am cranes before the snow set in again
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

I took this photo early Sunday morning after the massive snowfall last Saturday night. The cranes looked so vibrant in the briefly radiant blue sky and piles of immaculate white snow.

It's been an up and down sort of day . . it started with karaoke which was fun once I finally woke out of a strange dream to find I had fallen asleep again after my alarm and was running late!

I had a startling revelation that the majority of songs are about 失恋なこと roughly translated as failure in love, broken heart or unrequited love . . apparently there has been a lot of that going around lately and somehow my friends here seem to take that as an excuse to take up smoking . . seems to me like a great way to compound your issues rather than eleviate them!
I now have a number of songs pinned down that I want to learn before I head out to karaoke next time . . I get sick of singing mainly English with a smattering of the same Japanese songs over and over.

I spent the late afternoon hanging with O-san who is the best! We spent the evening making random food items . . kind of in preparation for tomorrow . . well, today's party . . but mainly just cause we felt like doing something vaguely special for Christmas eve . . unfortunately during all of that I missed hearing my mum and aunt phoning me and picked up the phone in time for them to hang up and me to get an answering machine message . . they never called back like I hoped so maybe I will hear from them later on today. Maki came by with Takoyaki and sweets whilst Osan made Niku-mandu minus the niku (meat) and I made christmas biscuits . . then I tried to help Maki with her application to Art school . . unfortunately we didn't finish so I had a date for tomorrow night as well!

After karaoke I received a package in the mail . . I was dubious as to whether I should open in then or not and upon doing so decided it should be left til later . . . crying horribly in front of people just makes things weird.

I have now said Merry Christmas to two lovely peeps online . . Spending the first hour of Christmas online seems to me like on of the more lame ways I have spent such times . . in latter years it's tended to wrapping presents with a tired Mum or forgetful Nan (seriously she forgot to give me anything . . the present wrapper!)

Love to all - hope you HAD a wonderful day . . you should be too busy having fun to check this post thus I use the past tense!

I'm looking forward to the distraction of tomorrow's party and am sure it will be enjoyable though likely a full-on event for me as the organiser . . how is it I end up doing these things ? Because I know that if I leave it others I will generally be let down thus I have learned from painful experience that the adage of 'You want something done, you have to do it yourself' continues ring true !

Love to Aliese for all her help n' calls and that of late! You're the saviour of December (wow, I think that sounds wayyyy blasphemous when I reread that) and so big props to you! I hear you sang beautifully on Friday night - I was thinking of you - and I am about to listen to you courtesy of Wiz!

Big HUGS Wiz! Enjoy the hospital! Hee hee . . you'll have a room with a fine view . . million dollar one might venture . . Blue Lakes are rare in this world!

Right - I have stuff to attend to and an early morning to greet and it's already 1:30am!

MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!

3am 雨と王さんが雪だるまを作っている

3am 雨と王さんが雪だるまを作っている
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

I was trying to post this the other night but our internet was being its usual terrible self! Now I have a mass of things I should be doing . . one of which is sleeping . . funny to think that if I were not here I know a number of different places I would love to have been tonight . . sure I had a lovely time with Ryoko hanging out making dinner and watching ハウルの動く城 (Howl's Moving Castle). I like snow better because though it might mean that the weather is slightly colder than otherwise it's far and away better than rain which soaks you through in half the time that snow takes. Bloody rain!

I have just discovered that カラオケ (karaoke) tomorrow is at 10 in the morning not, 10 at night - I should have known this given how long I have been in Japan . . but wonder never cease . . .

I hope that the gig tonight for LSD and the brilligs went ace-as . . . I wish Ryoko and I could have teleported there briefly somehow . . she's a great lady and it would have been a lovely event I'm sure!

Other than that . .had I actually been in the land of OZ I may not have been there anyway but with my peeps in SE catching up. Another weird non-Chirstmas abroad . . . Tends make it feel like it never happened but I am currently in the midst of party plans for the day so as to keep myself occupied and unmopey.

Hmmm . . . this is not what I meant to write about . . and this picture is out of order . . coming before others I wanted to post up . . but anyway . . . It makes me happy to look at it despite its poor quality . . . It was taken at 3am-ish and in freezing conditions but I felt that our efforts at pushing massive balls of snow around a large playground were worth the documentation. was one of the last to get in on the act and so designated myself the chief snowman head maker but here depicted is Lane and O-san part-way through the construction of their gigantic snowballs for the bodies of the snowman family! It was one of those nights you end up so glad that you decided to disregard the fact that you should be in bed because you have a tour the next day . . you are especially happy with this decision when the tour is cancel the next day anyway because of the snow! That night before all of the snow excitement I also had a snooze from 9-10pm, then chatted to the girls for a bit - O-san, Mika, Herem and Alex before ending up with the boys watching an entirely legally acquired version of Narnina . . it was the perfect lead up to playing in the snow - constantly flopping about on the immaculate footpaths to make snow angels!

I'm not sure I'll post again before Sunday so a Merry Christmas to all . . especially Em who prompted this post the other day . . I will be thinking of you with much love!

The past two weeks have contained some massive ups and downs (mainly the latter) . . I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season (think of me at school on Monday) and will look forward to seeing you at point some in the New Year.

Sunrise in Snow

Sunrise in Snow
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

Seems like a long time ago that I took this photo.
I feel horrible. It's the first time I've eaten in days and now my stomach has gone crazy and I feel like I've been on some insane bender that involved too many ruskis - reminiscent of an event I never wished to repeat, that gave me reflux for a week. I'm also shaking uncontrollable for the cold. I cannnn bealry tupe (you get the picture ?)

Today I skipped school on account of not feeling like bursting into tears at the drop of a hat because of some random comment. I slept in a bit then did some reading and spent a whole lot of time oragnising (on top of all the time I spent Thursday night on it) a package to send to my Nan's for my family for Christmas. And it then cost an arm and a leg and then some to send so I hope that they enjoy it! I couldn't believe how much it cost - and I thought Australia was expensive.

Apparently there is to be more snow next week some time - that will be fun. I must try to get over to the Shukkeien garden when that happens - Midge made me promise to check it out in the winter and snow.

Okay - the shakes are getting ridiculous. I hope the painkillers kick in soon.

I haven't been studying and I have two presentations next week - must try to get them done tomorrow but if this morning was anything to go on I'll probably while most of the day away in a daze that sucks time like this black hole of electronics that sits on my desk.

1:29am I should go to bed but perhaps I need to go find some one to be with - being cold and . . . well, this sucks.

Snow

Snow 004
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

The pain in my hand after I held some snow for too long was like horrible pins and firey needles that seemed like they would never cease pricking my skin.
If only that were all I had to deal with now.
I don't think I can face classes tomorrow. I might just stay in my room and . . attempt some of the loads of work I have and feel miserable.
I knew I should never have left the house this morning. It was just one of these days when I would have been better off asleep.

This is a near perfect shot out of many duds - you can even see that illusively captured snow flying.

Oh Harry! and SNOW!

Harry Potter 4!!
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

Man, I was beat the weekend we went to see Harry Potter, but there was no way I was missing the first night's screening! I'd been waiting in anticipation for months! But I must say that I don't find these kids to be entirely fulfilling my images of Harry, Ron and Hermione (and what's with Dumbledore being sucha grumpy arse?)- I'm really on this merry-go-round for the books, which I recently considered second-hand buying in Japanese. I ended up refraining from this terrible urge knowing that I have many a book that I have yet to read . . how many different versions of hary does one girl need, I ask you?!
I saw a TV show here the other night about the chick who plays Hermione's visit to Japan to promote the movie . . . man, she had some bad clothes on and looked pissed when the interviwer spoke to her in Japanese . . 'here we go again' it said. Then he pulled out an large 'ema' as a special 'let's do something crazy with the star' activity. Evidently here name is Emma - this being the connection . . Ema are wooden plaques that people write their wishes, etc on and hang at shrines. Ema means 'horse' and the tradition dates from when the wealthy would give horses as gifts to temples. For cheapskates it then became horse statues until it became the little wooden plaques we know today, which will sometimes have a picture of a horse drawn on them.

After I took those snow photos late on Sunday night I looked out of my window at 2am to see the snow had recommenced in earnest and that a significant amount had now piled up on my balcony - this led to moer photo taking! Only for me to awake at 7am and find that not only have the snow continued uninterrrupted since I had gone to bed, but that it was still flowing down in a constant stream! MORE photos! It continued to snow for a bit but petered out in time for me to walk to the bus stop resonably unhindered - though walking on snowy footpaths is far mroe an intrepid activity than I had assumed. On my way to the station I heard what I could only assume was the dying gurgles of pain from some againg automobile or mechanical beast before it mounted the curb to squash me as a final show of hatred for human kind as it left this world. Upon inspection it turned out to be the noise produced by snow-chain tyred buses thundering along the street.
Then I had to wait an age at the bus stop as somehow it seemed that all the buses had decided the road to Shudo was too treturous a path to tread and had all surrepitiously changed their destination to other location for buses departing from out stop! Then when a bus did eventually come it looked like such a sardine can that I figured snow was as good a reason as any not to be on time and a second showed up not lnog after! This turned out to be the right chocie as the bus in front seemed to struggle and we ended up overtaking it and I was only about 10 minutes late.

I then spent a significant amount of the lesson time distracted by the snow that continued to fall on the courtyard trees that still retained the vestiages of autumn.

Now, I have extreme amounts of homework to go attend to so I should go catch this bus home!

Snow falling, from my balcony

Snow falling, from my balcony
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

Dudes! I saw snow falling! I heard a furious tap tap tapping at my chamber door and it was an excessively excited Alex telling me that all the boy swere online and going on about how snow was flying!

I struggled and I strived but I just couldn't capture it well . . after some fiddling around I managed to find a way to get the falling flakes to show up a little . . So here you have it folks - only a little while after it all happened!

SNOW! I've seen snow falling for the first time ever!

It was quite light - I wonder if we will have anymore ?

Now I don't have to feel so bad about feeling so cold this afternoon that I couldn't study - When I went for a walk today my hands and bum went dumb! I was exercising and I was still shit cold! Tonight is also the first time I have used the heater too!

Oh! And yesterday was my first experience of a kotatsu! How 日本っぽい！ (Japanesesy!)

Now I must study and goooo tooo bed!
Wizard - stop distracting me with your tantalizing talk of home!

News . . .

I have just seen that I received an email today from Adelaide Uni to say that I have been accepted to Honours in Japanese . . . whoa! Now the decision-making starts in earnest - what to do ? My only issue with keeping my options open is that it means I must constantly engage in that process at which I am so atrocious! Decision-making!

Well, yay! for me and Pooj for both being accepted into Honours, here's hoping that we've made a okay choice in staying at Adelaide - let's hope it improves on it's past record for us.

Shout out SareB! Wishing you all the best for that PhD presentation - what's with me ? Already mid-20s and still not even finished my undergrads studies . . well, I must say that I love the exchange student life and if this experience was only possible for me because of the long and circuitous route I have taken then I'd do it all again - It's been amazing!

Also! I implore all those of you with two legs to use them tomorrow night and head to the Exeter for a gig I would love to be able to attend.
I really am getting away from this black hole of time now.
Sleep tight! Damn it's cold!

厳島神社の鳥居 Itsukushimajinja Torii

Itsukushimajinja Torii
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

I am sure that Wiz will have many pointers for me on how to take a much better photo than this but I was pressed for time with the light, it was cold and people were crowding in everywhere and getting in the road. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
I still like it anyway - it kind of captures what I could see on that crisp Autumn evening.

My dear readers may be unaware of Japan's great love of numbering and ranking items, places and people . . . This site is supposedly one of the top three places in Japan - and Maki has a wonderful view of it from her spacious two-storey house!

I should hop off to bed, but I want to finish watching Howl's Moving Castle which I got half way through last night. At about 2:30 am with little study done I decided that it was time for some shut-eye and even so I felt rather under the weather from lack of sleep. My poor stressed out tummy!

It's really quite cold tonight and all day there has been a misty pall. Your breath comes out in clouds and I hear that we might even have snow next week!

This afternoon following our typically unriveting 4th lesson with 'Drunk Sensei' a group of us went out drinking. We went to a decidedly European style place not far from school where they were pumping out oddly erratic jazz. For the first time I got to try オムライス (omu-raisu - Omelette with rice) as it was a far more classy version than that which is available in the school cafeterias. This was seafood and mushrooms with a tomato sauce and the experience has much elevated my opinion of this humble looking dish . . oh! I should have taken a photo then I wouldn't have to struggle with an explanation . . it is a oval shaped heap of rice (kind of reminiscent of the shape of those old metal rabbit jelly moulds) which then has thin and delicately cooked layer of egg that is wrapped over the rice, and in this case it had a lovely seafood tomato sauce to accompany it - like a great pasta dish but better as it wasn't accompanied by the guilt of eating something that I shouldn't - I can't wait to try more if I can find places that do them well . . I might even have to give it a go myself!

Do you know that Captain Planet used to show in Korea ? Amazing!

We then caught the Astramline (elevated rail) into town and trekked about to find an open Mr Donuts so we could come home and feast whilst we watched LOST . . .

I am to go with Marie to the Art gallery tomorrow morning so I should call it a night here!

And so the non-stop party weekend continues . .

With Maki at Miyajima
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

宮島

This is Maki when we found what seemed to be 'the' tree on Miyajima. I have never seen anything quite so naturally red in my life . . well, that would be excluding a lot of native Australian flora, but I am talking about things that start life one colour and alter radically in their brief existence. The people crowding the background are fairly indicative of the throngs of people we encountered on our amble through Momijidani (Maple Leaf Valley).

Last night I bumped into Maki at school after Alex's and my English class. It was a good class - we spent a goodly deal of time with me discussing different colloquial expressions and proverbs . . Speak of the devil . . .
It seemed to go down pretty well with the finding it an interesting topic, one I'm sure that isn't taught much in standard classes . . I found it really interesting to learn that there are some expressions which occur in almost the same form in both languages . . and even when they are not the same it's pretty cool to know there is a proverb with similar meaning - though instead of being about chickens it is about that ubiquitous of Japanese characters - the tanuki!

I may have said it already but I'll say it again! Yey! I am going to be spending New Years with Maki and her family and am really looking forward to it . .

Apparently it's supposed to get down to 0 degrees here tonight - it's cold but didn't feel that cold earlier on. Evan tells me there is even rumour of snow for next week! I just may get that white Christmas after all!

1:02 am - hmmm - study time ?

Now it's 1:06 am and the internet is being a crazy bugger.

Oh - Sasha - if you happen to read this - I think the ether has cursed our communique

Apparently they have resumed charges for the internet here, whereas it's been free for the past few months - sure, just 1500yen is not much for a motnh of unlimited internet usage, but the past week it has been rather atrocious in the connections stakes . . . Thus resulting in me being upable to post this last night (well, really early this morning . . actually, make that yesterday now . .). So here it is now.

It's a been a week of late nights and early mornings - I am looking forward to a lazy weekend.

A weekend of purchases

A Champon feast with Kyoko
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

A photo taken by Kyoko of me when we went to the Champon restaurant at Istukaiichi. As previously discussed in an earlier exciting installment, on the Saturday I bought some new winter clothes, a few of which you see on display here . . my new hat was the most expensive item, but it was one of those 'if you don't you'll regret it' moments - this buy was accompanied by a number of tops of pink and green hues, all designed to coordinate in a number of combinations! I love UniQlo . . Speaking of which, Alex and I walked into town for some exercise and just happened to duck into aforementioned retailer for some consideration of further items of purchase . . I saw a great green jacket I had wanted before - it's now half price but not my size - the UniQlo branch hunt begins . . .

It was on this day that I also bought myself some second books in Japanese which I hope will encourage me to keep up the good progress upon my return to Auslandia.

Hmmm - I wonder what SUROMISU is ?
スロミス？

It's now almost 1am and I should do some study. I have been having trouble sleeping properly lately - it is quite strange and I have been up til 3am or later most nights this week, but still getting up around 7:30. I'm bound to crash soon and it shan't be pretty. I have a test tomorrow morning I should get onto it - or at least do some grammar study . .

チャンポンという長崎の名物 (Champon)

チャンポンという長崎の名物　(Champon)
Originally uploaded by Yukata Me.

I can finally download photos again - Yay! My blog can stop looking so dull!

This looks colourful does it not ?
I couldn't resist pulling out the camera for some tourist action it just looked so good. This is a famous dish of Nagasaki, Ryoko's home town on Kyuushuu that I hope to visit before I come home! Also from there is Castella which, compared to most Japanese cakes, is devine! Fairly plain, but not all air! Plus, from what I could make out of the ingreadients it didn't have any milk in it - a present from my English conversation student - what a cushy job!

This dish seemed quite Chinese or something to me - not your standard pickled vegetables and rice fare. Lots of freash tasting vegies with a rich coconuty soup . . hmmm

Right now the Super Gaijin 4 are experiencing a LOST craze - this is not conducive to good study practices.