Saturday 31 December 2011

Happy New Year!!

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to stay up on new years eve to go to the local temple at midnight and be part of a new years service but I fell asleep, kids wake up during the night and get up early makes for long days for parents. This morning started off with a traditional Japanese new years day breakfast with sake. Then we went to the local shrine Oji Ginger.

My father in-law went to the midnight service at the temple and took some photos for me, they are at the bottom of the post.

 Breakfast
 These are cards that friends send for new years day
 Sake
 My small amount of sake :)
 Enterance to Oji Ginger
 Chrysler 300 hemi wagon went past as I was taking a photo
Oji Ginger
 Getting Closer
 Leo putting his fortune on the wall
Leo wanted a chocolate banana

Its 2:28pm here and we just had a quake, its all over the TV here, it went on for a while, warnings came on TV straight away, it was felt around Tokyo area. I can only tell you that on the Japanese scale it was measured at a magnitude 4. I don't think it would of caused any damage.

Definition of a grade 4 Japanese quake:

Many people are frightened. Some people try to escape from danger. Most sleeping people awake.Hanging objects swing considerably and dishes in a cupboard rattle. Unstable ornaments fall occasionally.Electric wires swing considerably. People walking on a street and some people driving automobiles notice the tremor.










Friday 30 December 2011

Skyliner

Hi All,

A skyliner sounds like a name for a commercial airliner but it is the name of a high speed train between Narita airport and Tokyo. Why did I find this interesting to post about, well first of all I didn't know I had been on it until I saw it advertised on the TV, my wife told me we had been on it, how would I know I was just off a 12 hour flight, been up since 4am that day and just wanted to sleep. I do remember it was a quick ride in to Tokyo. What is of interest is this is a high speed train on conventional subway train tracks. (Shinkansen has special tracks for the high speeds) It was ultra quiet, ultra smooth and very slick inside, you wouldn't expect anything less from the Japanese.

If you are coming to Tokyo I recommend it!

From thier website

Skyliner travels the Narita Sky Access Line at maximum 160 km/hr, connecting Nippori and Airport Terminal 2 stations in 36 minutes. Compared to the former Keisei Main Line route in 51 minutes, we shortened the travel time by 15 minutes, thus achieving a great time saving.

The speed of 160 km/hr is the fastest among Japan's conventional trains. With introduction of Skyliner, world-class international airport access comparable to European or North American airports.




Yesterday (key no)

Hi Everyone,

Well its new years eve, I can't beleive all the fun and excitment of Christmas Leo had was a week ago now!

Wishing all my blog follwers a Happy New Year! don't forget to make your new years resoloution and stick to it :)

BTW - Key No = Yesterday in Japanese

My mother in-law and wife had lots of fun electrical shopping at K's Denki, they bought some new air con units for the house, a sewing machine and a vacuum cleaner, I joined in as well and bought some speakers for the laptop, latop speakers are ok for what they are but are a bit tinny.

I took a couple photos of the K's denki store when we were getting on our bikes to head home! It was very cold here yesterday!!! The kids were wrapped up warm for the bike ride, only could see Leo's eyes.


New computer speakers



Wednesday 28 December 2011

The Conspiracy Post

Hi Everyone,

This is my blog for my conspirtal friend in NZ Darin, he would tell me that when there was distinctive cross hatch patterns in the sky it was a some chemicals being released into the sky at high altitude and it wasn't a jet stream from a airliner or fighter jet. I didn't get the photo until they were a bit broken up, in the second photo I tried to draw on what it looked like.

 Chem trails over Tokyo?

You can decide what it is, I added black lines

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Trip out for Leo to see some illuminations

Hi,

I hope everyone had a good xmas and now are looking forward to welcoming in the new year!

Last night we took Leo out to see some illuminations, it wasn't far away about 6 stops on the train, it looked real good but the camera doesn't catch it all. We were surprised to see a water displayed timed to music which was really good! I also managed to take a photo of one huge escalator as it went down into the subway depths, there were 3 to go down, 2 that long and one single floor one. I think we went underground about 7 stories. Leo enjoyed the water display very much!


 Tunnel, the lighs came towards you real fast! can't see in photo
 You can sit here and watch the big screen TV
 Display

 Walkway shops either side
 Enterance to a hotel
 This was huge, the red/green pods on side would go to then top and drop!
 Big wheel!
 This was a garden some students made for the emperors birthday.
 Water display
 Water display
Very long escalator



Monday 26 December 2011

Aquarium

Hi Everyone,

Today after we went to immigration we went to the Aquarium, it was only one train stop away so it was close by. I took my camera and went to take a photo and the memory card was in the laptop doh! So I tried the camera out on the new mobile phone.

 These flowers looked like 1/2 cabbages
 Looking out the cafe window
 Leo on the bridge
 I am big!
 Leo playing in the phone box at the bus stop
 In the tunel
 Looking on top of the tunel
View from the bridge

Japan power prices to rise, I hear you say and whats unusual about that?



Tokyo Electric Power Company intends to raise electricity prices next April, though it has not revealed by how much. The rise will be for the first in more than 30 years."

Why did I think this news headline was of interest to post on my blog? Did you see what they said, 30 years!!! The first power price rise in 30 years!!!! WOW!! OMG!! I remember in NZ they said when they deregulated the power industry we would all get cheaper electricity prices and over night they sky rocketed!!! In NZ the power companies would rise the power on a daily basis if they could! Then when the increase comes around every year as we know it will the power companies make out they are the good guys not rising power over winter, oh how kind, power goes up in NZ for no reason. Its all hydro so you tell me how power generation costs increase to justify the rises.

At least TEPCO has a good reason to increase power prices, they have a multi billion dollar mess to clean up at Fukashima.

A man bag?

Hi All,

Well I never thought the day would come when I would need a hand bag!! In NZ I had a car, my car went everywhere I did and it had storage compartments in it that stored all the stuff I would need while I was away from home. I could migrate a short distance from my car and get around with just a wallet and anything bigger I would return to the car and refuel what I needed. My car was like my tiny mother ship from the house. It hit me today, I can't fit what I want in my wallet, I need to take more. My trustee point and shoot canon camera, spare batteries for the camera, mobile phone, a drink, wipes to clean hands, towel to dry hands when you go to the bathroom (not all bathrooms have anywhere to dry your hands here) USB memory stick (just never know when you will need it) and some where to put stuff you may buy when you are out and about. I hope I can call it a man bag, does this make me a metro man?
Anyway what ever you call it and what ever it makes me I need one!!

I look forward to your comments
Bruce

Alien?

Hi All,

Well today I am an official Alien in Tokyo, Never thought as myslef as an alien before, but I guess I am! It was pretty painless, went to immigration and within 25mins the transformation into an alien was complete.

4000yen and a sticker in my passport and I am an Alien!

I went in as a tourist and came out an Alien, how cool is that?

Congratulations to me and many thanks to my wife who did all the paper work!

See You
Bruce

Saturday 24 December 2011

Christmas Day Japanese Style

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Christmas day is not the big day in Japan none the less as a kiwi we celebrated today with Xmas presents. Leo was annoying me all evening to see the Santa radar, he kept asking me when Santa would get to Japan, I said when you are sleeping, he is making his way over from New Zealand first then he has to go to Australia before coming to Japan. Leo woke up to see one present next to his bed and was very excited that Santa came. Leo then came down stairs to see a further dozen presents waiting for him to open, since Leo is a huge spiderman fan Santa bought lots of spider man things, toys, shoes, beddings, PJ etc.

Grandad bought Leo a beginners base ball set and a kite, at about 10am this morning and me telling Leo it is 5 degrees outside and him telling me it wasn't I gave in and took him to the park where he was learning to hit the ball. He enjoyed it!

My wife bought me for Xmas this real slick mobile phone, never had one so flash before, it is on the docomo network and cost about 600 yen $10NZD a month to have, calls to family are all free and so many free minutes per month, my wife says as a normal phone user she can never use all her free minutes.

Luke got a bouncer and he loves it, he just bounces away for ages in it and smiles and laughs, its great as we don't have to sit next to him and entertain him

Michiko and Leo made a Christmas house cake last night, there was one small problem, Leo was eating pieces of the cake before it was finished, never the less he enjoyed it and it kept him busy for ages! My brother inlaw is driving about 2 hours to come and visit with us today, he lives in Chiba which is another big province of Japan.

 Luke was Santa this year
 I want it, I want it now!!
 Arrrr soooo much fun!!
 Leo learning to hit the ball with his new baseball set
 My new mobile
Closed
Christmas lunch Japanese style
 Christmas Cake - it was soooo good!!
Christmas doughnuts - so good fresh!!

Christmas house cake