Tsunami Alert

Japan has been on tsunami alert for most of the day as waves generated by the Chile earthquake are crossing the Pacific with the potential to cause damage or loss of life. Japan has a well organised Tsunami warning system and people in vulnerable areas have been told to move away from coastal areas towards higher ground.

As you can see from the picture, all TV programmes have been overlaid with a tsunami warning map showing vulnerable areas. So far, earthquake generated waves reaching Japan have been small, apparently because the Chile earthquake occurred in a shallow area of ocean.

Another week beckons - it is not a week I am looking forward to for a number of different reasons. On another note, I am starting to get itchy feet (no, not athletes foot!) and have been looking at www.JobsDB.com. Seems like a lot of jobs on offer across Asia and I think that sooner or later I will chance my arm and send off a few applications. I'm sure we will be in Japan for a while yet, but I think I will start to get the ball rolling.

The Hazelburn : Scottish Bar in Tokyo

I have had a few days off work recently and have been living quietly of late. As a result, on Saturday, I decided to venture in to Tokyo to buy an aircraft magazine at the foreign bookshop and follow that up with a few relaxing (if overpriced) beers. I like supping some beers while reading a newspaper or magazine, so I was looking forward to my time in central Tokyo.

After a couple of pints in The Dubliner's Bar, I headed off to The Hazelburn Bar which is conveniently close to Seibu-Shinjuku Station from where I can catch my train to Kumegawa. The counter of the bar was pleasingly quiet and I sat down with my newspaper and had a few pints. Although the quality of the pints was not great, and a lot of the beers they are supposed to sell were not on offer (just like the last time I dropped by), I enjoyed the time by myself and managed to ignore the blaring bagpipe music.

After my first pint, I ordered the extortionately priced haggis with a certain amount of trepidation. The haggis itself was passable although the addition of sauerkraut was somewhat of a surprise.

Despite spending an inordinate amount of money on some below par pints and not so special food, I felt that I had got something out of my system and class the visit into town as a success.

Tokyo now appears to be warming up after what has felt like a longer than usual winter. Spring has been in the air recently and I will make an effort to enjoy the next couple of months before the sweltering and humid conditions return.