Selected quotes from Atheism for Lent 2018 study
8 years ago
It's been 2 weeks since my last blog update.......
..... Its not like I haven't been up to much, I just find it really hard to put the effort into post on this blog sometimes. Its easier when I do it right after an event I want to blog about but it's not always practical to do so. Either way I am now going to take some time to write a short update to let all of you that take the time to read my rambling know what I've been doing these last few weeks. I also figure its a pretty good time to give you all an update on the general situation. So here goes -
Last weekend on the Saturday we had a few Japanese people over (mostly housewives with an interest in obtaining a few hours of free English practice) for some Afternoon tea. We made some finger sandwiches, brewed up some fine English tea (Betty's Tea Room Blend don't you know), and I even got round to making a small Orkney Fudge Cheese Cake. It all went down very well (especially the latter) and our guest all brought there own treats to add to the party. Much fun and good eats were had.
The next day we went to a local festival that was being held a few streets away from our house. It generally consisted of a lot of stalls to buy street food and antiques, also there was a little parade.
This weekend just past we went to Kyoto for a few nights. I think it only served to make us poor and pine more for city life though. Its so nice being in a City with a reasonably sized town centre. With places to eat all kinds of food (including fish and chips) and endless amounts of shops. But also Kyoto just has so much more Character than some cities. Lots of old style buildings (which they are currently looking into protecting), temples by the dozen, and gorgeous gardens both Zen and normal. It really is a place where you can go to see the whole of Japan in a microcosm.
You might have noticed that mostly I talk about the weekends. This is essentially as I don't tend to get out much during the week. There's very little for me to do here other than grocery shop. Most of my days are spent watching allot of TV on my laptop (its a hard life). I get a little bit of housekeeping done occasionally alone with other odd jobs but that's about it. Of course I have been trying to learn Japanese. I think I'm getting somewhere with it, just not anywhere fast. I have started trying to learn Kanji though, with hopes of improving my vocabulary and you know... actually being able to read Japanese. Along with this I also have a personal side project I'm starting to work on a lot more now which is gaining momentum.
Lastly there is work. Well so far not much of it really. I am trying to get some work as a English Conversation teacher and so far the upkeep hasn't been great. Part of my problem is that if your free in the evenings there are free classes you can go to (run by my wife among others), so its tough to get people to pay for what they can get free. Still there have been a few takers and I have finally got my first paid lesson booked into my diary (I have been doing a few free classes to try drum up interest). Its not much really but I'm at least a little more hopeful now.
Well that about sums it up I think. Consider yourselves updated.
Yesterday we decided to take a trip to Amano Hashidate, one of Japan's top scenic views. Fortunately it is not very far from where we are so only was only a couple of stops once we got to the train station. Unfortunately I caught a flat, so had to walk half the way to the train station and all the way back till I could get it fixed..... anyways.
Amano Hashidate is essentially a natural land bridge that almost covers a coastal inlet. It's described in Japanese poems and literature as a "Stairway to Heaven". To see it in its full glory we took a chairlift up a hill to the view spot on the south side (it is viewable from the north as well but we felt that was bast left for another day). Looking at Amano Hashidate the right way isn't quite that simple. The correct way to view it is this your head between your legs, looking behind you. It's odd how many people took pleasure in prostrating themselves in this manor to view this famous site in the way it must be viewed.
I'm not sure I'm convinced that it looks like a stairway to heaven. I do think though, that upside down it looks more like one then the right way up. And if you were to have a few beers first, and fall and hit your head while attempting to look through your legs after those few beers. Eventually it could end up looking very like a "Stairway to Heaven" I suppose.
PS - Pictures can be found on the left.
Japanese mayo sucks. Or at least, I don't like it so much. Its okay, but pretty heavy handed on the mustard and vinegar. This created a problem as I can't find Hellman's here. So yesterday at the 100yen shop I armed myself with a squidgy bottle and resolved to make my own mayo. (To truly understand that piece of equipment you need to be an avid Good Eats fan (but if you type good eats mayo clinic into you tube you'll get the idea)).
And today, mayonnaise was made. It was odd starting off, as making mayonnaise is a somewhat frightening prospect, and I was kinda scared - about cooking.... odd. But after a long while and some laborious whisking I did actually succeed. It even tasted okay after a few alterations. Beats Japanese mayo anyway. I think I will try it again though with a few ingredient changes in order to obtain a more subtle flavour. For one thing the vinegar I used was a little harsh, so it's all citrus next time.
I shall leave you with a picture of my labours (like a proud father or something).
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Today was a good day. We decided to go to Fukuchiyama (a nearby City) for a change of scenery. Fortunately we found out that there was a direct bus there we could catch. It took about an hour and cost about £5 one way but in Japan where we are that's a pretty good deal.
When we got there Lok-Yin instantly went off to Book Off (a kinda chain second hand manga store which also deals in CDs/DVDs/ and Video Games). It was here that we bought the first of the days sizable haul - various manga. I am still surprised by how cheap the stuff is here, today I saw the first 40 volumes of Detective Conan (a popular manga based on Sherlock Homes) selling for just 2000 yen (maybe £10)!
After Book-Off we made our way to Mr Donut and had some Donuts. They were very nice and filled the time that we had to wait for our next bus well. The next bus was free and took us to a Department Store called Jusco that lies on a man made plateau in the hills in the outskirts of Fukuchiyama. We both bought a few things, mostly from a 100yen store and we ate some Donburi (stuff on rice) for lunch. I may reveal what I bought later in the week but it depends on how well things turn out.
Finally we headed back into the town centre for a bit more shopping, and to catch the bus home. We were many bags heavier then when we left. The positive note to this though, oddly, is that we now think we have found the place nearby that will satisfy light to medium shopping. It doesn't take an age to get to, or cost a bomb, and there's always Osaka if we need something really hard to find. Also, irritatingly, I didn't manage to get to go to Fukuchiyama Castle this time round. But there is still time I think.
No photos today....... except the newly added album link at the side. Fear the 2mp Camera of my Ketai (mobile).
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