Dutch Slope - Nagasaki

I could not find a better map to show our other sightseeing locations, so I guess this one will have to do.

As well as Glover House, we visited other sights in Nagasaki. The other places of interest that we were lucky enough to visit were: Dutch Slope, Oura Church, A-Bomb Museum, A-Bomb Hypocenter, and the Peace Park.

I was a little disappointed that we did not have enough time to visit Meganebashi (Spectacles Bridge) and the grave of Thomas Glover, but I guess that means I still have a couple of reasons to visit Nagasaki in the future.

It seems that using the local tram network is the best way to go sightseeing in Nagasaki. Not only do they exude a certain charm of days gone by, but they are also extremely cheap. If I can recall correctly, the fare was a flat ¥100 (50p) no matter which stop you got off. After breakfast at our hotel, our first destination was Dutch Slope. Dutch Slope seems to have been a residential and business area for the foreign population of Nagasaki about 150 years ago. Initially, it was called Dutch Slope as there were solely Dutch merchants living and working there. Japan was a closed country for about 250 years (and still is in some respects!) and the only national group who were allowed access and trading privileges were the Dutch. After, restrictions on other nationalities were eased, Dutch Slope became the preferred location for all Nagasaki's foreign residents.

Oura Church is one of the major attractions on Dutch Slope. According to my leaflet, it was built by the Portuguese in 1864 and is the oldest church in Japan. It was nice to walk up the steps to the church and have a quick look inside. I was wondering what the Vatican would think of the ¥200 entrance fee. After our brief viewing of Oura Church, we continued our way up Dutch Slope, walking the narrow lanes between the old European style houses and offices. For a moment, I really did feel as if I was back in Europe.

We continued our slow walk up and around Dutch Slope, stopping to enter accommodation once used by ships crews, houses once occupied by the European merchants, and taking the chance to admire the fine views of Nagasaki Bay. My ire was only briefly raised when a light aircraft started buzzing Dutch Slope, advertising a local supermarket. Japan really is the land of noise pollution. I hope that my frequent blogging has not sent you all to sleep, but I still intend to soon post blogs on the A Bomb Museum, Peace Park, and Huis ten Bosch.

The Scottish Samurai - Thomas Blake Glover

Saturday the 14th of October was the big Nagasaki sightseeing day. I had originally intended to cover all our sightseeing in one blog entry, but I think that the story of Thomas Glover is deserving of an entry all to itself.

I have always had an interest in Thomas Glover ever since I read the book 'Scottish Samurai' in Edinburgh about 7 years ago. In Scotland, I had never heard of this man, but in Japan, he is almost a national hero. As a Scot myself, it is only natural that I have been very keen over the last 7 years to visit Nagasaki and the home of Thomas Glover. It turns out that Glover had a finger in many pies. He set up Japan's first brewery (Kirin), started the first rail line, helped establish the Nagasaki shipbuilding yard, and initially made his fortune as a gun runner. An impressive CV by anyone's standards!!!!

As we started our walk around Glover Gardens, I could faintly hear bagpipes coming through nearby speakers. It was also nice to see that Mitsubishi Shipyard still appears to be in fine health as a number of large ships were under construction or undergoing refits.To be honest, I did not find the inside of the house of much interest. It was small, dingy, and had contents that I have seen many times before in similar preserved homes in Scotland. However, that was all immaterial. I was just pleased to sample the place from where a Scotsman had played a major part in the development of Japan.

A few years ago, I recall reading that some Scots had campaigned to have the wording on Glover's bust changed. On the bust, it said that Glover was an Englishman - obviously incorrect. It was interesting to see the remedial work which had taken place and that Glover is now properly represented at his former home. Click on the picture to have a clearer view of the changes.

We are lucky that there is a Glover House to visit in Nagasaki. When the USA dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, the main target was the shipbuilding yard. However, in a not too unfamiliar example of American precision bombing, the bomb was dropped in a mainly residential area 3.5km away. The luck that saved Glover House saw thousands of civilians incinerated in an instant.

More Nagasaki adventures to follow soon.

Mount Inasa, Nagasaki

On the evening of the 13th of October, Joep suggested that we all take a cable car to the top of Mount Inasa. I have to say that I felt this was one of the major highlights of our trip to Nagasaki. The views were spectacular! It was very refreshing to stand there and take in the views whilst being exposed to some fairly strong gusts of wind.

There were a number of other people on the viewing platform who were also enjoying the views. Apparently it is a popular place for couples to cement their relationships or for couples to break up. Those who cement their relationships often attach padlocks to the railings which need to be periodically cut off by the local government workers.

The visit to Mount Inasa was an unexpected bonus as it was initially not on my 'things to do' list. I would love to visit again someday. After about 30 minutes at the top, we returned to the cable car for our journey back down the mountain. The views on the way down the mountain were not as spectacular but were very interesting - I could see into the windows of all the houses along the cable car route.

The Nagasaki Wedding

The main reason for our trip to Nagasaki was the marriage of Kentaro (Yuki's brother) to Mika. The wedding took place at the Luke Plaza Hotel. The views from the hotel were lovely. We could see our hotel on the other side of Nagasaki Bay and all the comings and goings of various ships and boats. The weather was also pretty good. I was worried that the temperatures would be too high but it was a pleasant 23C.

The Luke Plaza Hotel must specialise in weddings as we counted about 5 other brides during the course of the day. I decided to keep myself to myself as I did not want to introduce myself to the wrong family.

We all sat around for a while and then headed into a side room where a group photo of the two families was taken. During that time, the families of the bride and groom formally introduced themselves to each other. After that, we were soon directed into the chapel which stood behind the hotel. The chapel looked very nice and had recently been renovated. There was a good selection of kimonos on display and Clara was very proud to wear her dress, along with a necklace and earrings. Joep and I both decided to fly the flag for Scotland and wear the kilt.After the ceremony and photos, we were directed inside for the wedding reception. Everything was done very professionally and seemed quite expensive. As is the case with all Japanese weddings, it was a mix of madcap and emotion. Kenken's friends from university bellowed out good wishes to the happy couple whilst performing an odd looking dancing ritual. On the other end of the scale, the bride and groom thanked their parents for all their care and support over the years. Clara was a little star and behaved very well. I was interested to see her thinking about the events and she became quite tearful at times during the day. I guess she is growing up fast as she was able to fully appreciate the significance of the days events.

My parents seemed to enjoy themselves, even if they were slightly bemused by some of the days events. The wedding finished at around 3pm, so we took the hotel bus back to the New Nagasaki Hotel to unwind. For me, the biggest difference between a Japanese and a Scottish wedding is that in Scotland, the partying lasts until around midnight. In Japan, it always makes me feel a little odd to leave at 3pm in the afternoon, sober and in daylight.

Nagasaki Arrival

Hello to all. I'm really sorry about the delay in writing up the details of our trip to the island of Kyushu, southern Japan. I've been quite busy recently and have not had much spare time.

Anyway, we flew down to Nagasaki on Friday the 12th of October. We were all in good form as we had many things to look forward to during our time on Kyushu. I was especially happy as I would be off work for a total of 4 days.

Once, we arrived at Nagasaki Airport, a bus was waiting to transport us all to the Hotel New Nagasaki. As this is Japan, all the travel details ran like clockwork - no problems and no fuss. The hotel was supposed to be of a high standard and was supposed to be the best in Nagasaki. However, it seemed to me that the hotel was living on its former reputation. Perhaps it was a good hotel in its heyday, but it seemed tired and in need of investment. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, but a bit of a disappointment after listening to all the hype beforehand.

We checked in and I was immediately given cause to grumble. We were all looking forward to a swim in the hotel pool but were upset to discover that: (a) swimming would cost an extra ¥3,000 per person. (b) Children are not allowed in the pool at any time. Not exactly family friendly!! Poor Clara was very disappointed and I can't blame her.

Once we found our room, we got organised and relaxed for a while before we went for a Chinese meal on the 14th floor. The Chinese restaurant (called Torin) is "the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki".

The room was fine, but as I said before, it was tired looking. The fixtures and fittings were well worn and the wallpaper was slightly discoloured and beginning to become unstuck from the wall. We were happy enough, but I was starting to wonder what the worst hotel in Nagasaki was like. However, I was content with the view from our room on the 11th floor and pleased with our proximity to the famed Mitsubishi Shipyard.

At around 6pm, we made our way to Torin for our Chinese food. I guess the food was ok, but not what you would expect from the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki. There was a good deal of seafood (which I hate) and more disappointingly, no sign of beef with black bean sauce, a long term favourite of mine. Despite, my silent grumbling and griping, I refused to be bullied into a bad mood and enjoyed the building excitement for the days to come. By the time the meal was over, I had the wind in my sails and was unwilling to call it a night. I had read in a hotel brochure about the Moonlight Bar. The naming of the bar conjured up images of lofty views over Nagasaki, with city lights blinking invitingly at me from a distance. When I searched for the bar, I was puzzled to discover that it was not on the top floor, but on the second floor. Despite being a little disappointed at the realisation that I would not after all be lording it over the population of Nagasaki, I was still looking forward to viewing the comings and goings of people on the streets outside. Amazingly, the Moonlight Bar had no chance of ever seeing moonlight as it was a room without any windows!! I was led to a small child size seat and waited for my parents to arrive.

We all ordered a small beer (300ml) and were given a bowl of nuts to nibble on. Mum, Joep, and I discussed the days events and talked excitedly about the wedding the following day. After 30 minutes or so, my parents asked for the bill. ¥4,300 (about GBP21)! Any thoughts of staying for another beer evaporated quicker than the money in Joep's wallet.The folks returned to their room while I ventured out onto the streets of Nagasaki, determined to find a place that sold beer at a reasonable price. I initially went to a restaurant across the street but soon grew tired of watching the fish swim around in their tank. I asked a few people where I could find a bar, and none of them knew. Nagasaki is a pretty small city and I decided that the people I asked were either extremely ignorant, or were not long term residents of the city.

After wandering around and watching the trams pass, I hailed a taxi which took me on a 5 minute journey to the Nagasaki nightlife area called Shianbashi. I went to a pool bar which was large, but virtually empty. Two customers were playing 9 ball and I watched their progress (or lack of) as I supped my bottle of Kirin. After a short while, they kindly asked me if I wanted to play them. No quarter was given and I wiped the floor with them. They left after the bar after a 40 minute whitewash. The old magic is still there.

After chatting to a few other customers and bar staff, I came to the conclusion that I probably knew more about Nagasaki than they did. Eager not to feel a hangover on the wedding day, I walked back to the hotel at about midnight, looking forward to the wedding the following day.

Parents in Japan

Hello to all. A very short post to inform you of my parents arrival in Japan. They've had a great time with Clara and we are all flying to Nagasaki tomorrow (Friday) for Kentaro's wedding (my brother in law). I'll do another long post when we return. Topics will include the A-Bomb Park and Museum, Glover House and Gardens, and our visit to a Dutch theme park called Huis ten Bosch. Look out for an update around Tuesday next week.

Izu Oshima in Tokyo Bay

On Friday the 28th of September, I had to get up at 5am in order to catch the hydrofoil ferry from Takeshiba Sanbashi in Tokyo to Izu Oshima. I've no idea the last time I dragged myself out of bed at such an early time.

Neil and I got a 6am train which was still fairly quiet as we were travelling just before rush hour. Once we reached Hamamatsucho station, it was just a short walk to the ferry terminal. We bought our tickets and loitered until we were able to board the hydrofoil.

We discovered that the boat was quite cramped and that we had to sit on aircraft style seats. Comfort had obviously been sacrificed for speed. However our enthusiasm was undimmed and we were in good spirits in anticipation of an exciting day ahead in what promised to be beautiful weather.

I always love travelling by ship, and Saturday was no exception. Tokyo Bay is always fascinating to observe, from the varied waterfront to the busy sea traffic. I never cease to be amazed at the size of the cargo ships which ferry products to and from Japan. To add an extra little bit of interest, the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) also had a number of ships at sea. The only slight disappointment of the crossing was the lack of any real perception of speed. Although the hydrofoil must have been travelling very quickly, the sensation of speed was little different from that of a conventional ferry. I always have something to complain about.We arrived on Izu Oshima at about 9.30am. I was under the impression that we were going to disembark at a port called Motomachi but it turned out that we docked at the port of Okata, a much smaller village. This error had grave implications later in the evening.

Upon arrival, I spoke to the tourist information man and asked him to arrange accommodation for Neil and I. He booked us into a minshuku called Asami Kan and the proprietor kindly collected us in a small bus a short time later. The driver / owner seemed slightly surly at first but warmed up considerably when I went through my repertoire of Japanese phrases. When we arrived, our initial reaction was that the place was a little spartan but cost ¥6,800 per person per night. We thought this was a little expensive but the cost was tempered by the fact that both dinner and breakfast were included in the price. Fair enough.

After checking in, we hired bicycles and decided to cycle the coastal road around the island. It was about a 50km cycle and we had a full day to complete the ride. The weather was gorgeous and I was really happy to get on the saddle again and have the chance to exercise again in the countryside. The mountain bikes looked in good condition when the minshuku owner presented them to us, but we were quick to discover that they had seen better days. My bike had the habit of slipping gears, especially when going up hill - I was expecting to crush my kegs on the crossbar at any moment. Neil's bike had the even more annoying habit of shedding its chain. He had to perform regular stops to put the chain back on his bike and spent most of the day with oil on his hands. Added to those inconveniences, every time we peddled, it sounded like we were stirring a pot full of nuts and bolts.During the early part of our cycle, we attracted the attention of a carload of young people who would shout encouragement to us as they drove past us. They seemed friendly enough and gave me a big cheer when I gave them my best Royal Navy salute.

Despite the niggles with the bikes, we both loved the cycle. There were some great views, lovely beaches (with black volcanic sand), interesting people, and some challenging hills to climb. One of the hills took us a couple of hours to climb, but the cycle back down was ample compensation. The temperature was about 32C and Neil and I were both sunburnt when we returned to the minshuku for dinner, but not before we treated ourselves to an ice cold can of beer from a shop towards the end of our ride. Perfect!!!As should be expected in Japan, dinner and breakfast consisted mostly of fish. I really dislike fish but Neil managed to eat a fair amount. I confined myself to the rice, miso soup, tempura, and vegetables that were on offer and then had some Cup Noodles later that night. I think the owners were slightly disappointed that I left so much but I really do not like fish. It would be more accurate to say that I detest fish.

The biggest problem of the evening was that we had nothing to do. The town of Okata has nowhere to socialise or eat out, as we soon discovered after stumbling around in the dark for 45 minutes. We were forced to empty the beer vending machine at the minshuku and also bought a small carry out at one of the local shops. As we were not keen to spend the whole evening confined to our room, we sat on the front doorstep of the minshuku for a few hours and talked about old times, mostly about former friends and teachers at Portree High School.

It would have been much better if we had stayed in a town called Motomachi as we would have had a couple of places to dine and drink in the evening.

After sitting on the doorstep, we returned to our tatami room to drink our remaining stocks of beer and wine. We were unpleasantly surprised by the number of cockroaches in our room!! Every building on the island had cockroaches in them and I can only assume that this is a common and unsolvable problem on the island.

The next morning (Saturday), we went for breakfast at 8.30 and hired bikes again for a short 6km cycle to Motomachi. The temperature had plummeted to 16C and it was drizzling. The drizzle felt great on my sunburnt arms. We got a bit wet cycling around the town, but we eventually found a public onsen where we could have a good bath and put on some dry clothes. After that, we sat in a large tatami room and drank coffee, read, slept, and I even made a few notes for this blog. What a good blogger I am! I spotted a couple of cockroaches running around but by that time, I had become used to them.

Neil found his introduction to Japanese communal bathing a little unsettling and he wanted to get into the bath with his swimming trunks on. I told him that this would not be the done thing and he reluctantly shed the trunks and made his way to the bath. The onsen felt lovely and relaxing but I had to keep my sunburnt arms out of the water as they were starting to get really sore.

We cycled back to the onsen in our wet clothes as it was still drizzling. Once back, we changed and the minshuku owner drove us back to Okata for the return journey to Tokyo. When we checked out, I was pleasantly surprised to be given an itemised bill, rare in Japan. We could easily confirm that all the amounts charged to us were correct. Often in Japan, especially in bars, you receive a bit of paper with the final amount written on it. This system is often abused by unscrupulous owners who calculate the amount by choosing the first random number which appears in their head. The only rule required in the calculation is that the final figure should be more than the actual amount owed. I am surprised that I have never mentioned this in the blog before because it is something which happens often and continues to grate. It's theft, plain and simple.

Anyway, we had a fantastic time on the island and I was happy to see another part of Japan. We didn't visit one of the islands main attractions, the volcano called Mount Mihara. I'll see the volcano next time - we had no desire to cycle to the top after our 50km round trip.

We returned to Tokyo and Neil spent the remainder of his holiday sightseeing in Tokyo and drinking beer with myself in my local bar called Bo Jangles. Neil returned to Scotland on the 3rd of October, after a last minute rush to Narita Airport. He thought he was due to leave on Thursday night, but discovered at 5pm on Wednesday that he was leaving that same night at 10pm. It was great to see him again and I hope he returns many more times in future. A slideshow of Neil's holiday can be found by clicking on the link.

1986

I thought I'd add a picture of my PE class when I was in 1st year at Portree High School. Can you find me in the picture?

Neil in Japan

My friend from the Isle of Skye, Neil Souter, arrived in Japan on the 21st of September. It's been great to catch up again. Neil and I are no strangers to drinking beer and so far, we have been out every night. Carnage! We are planning to visit Izu Oshima tomorrow (Friday 21st Sept) and stay there overnight in a Japanese style ryokan. More updates to follow.

France 0 - 1 Scotland

Nothing to do with my life in Japan, but I have been totally inspired by the Scottish performance against the French last night in Paris. Not so long ago, Scottish football was in dire straights. Now we find ourselves at the top of our group with 3 games left!!!! Who would have thought it at the start of the Euro 2008 campaign??!!??

I woke up this morning in a grumpy mood and gingerly walked to the computer to see how Scotland got on against the French (World Cup runners up). Looking through the cracks in my fingers, it began to dawn on me that we didn't lose by 2 or 3, we actually WON again! I've been over the moon for the whole day and now I'm just about heading to my local for a couple of beers to belatedly celebrate the win.

Qualification is still a tall order but some pride has been restored to the Scottish game. Fantastic!!!

P.S. This clip says 40yrds. I think it was a wee bit more.

The Wedding

The main reason for my return to Shimogo was to attend the wedding of Fuminori, a former colleague. The wedding was held in a city called Aizu Wakamatsu on Sunday the 2nd of September. I met up with former colleagues from the local government at 10.30am outside the town office. A small bus had been arranged to transport about 10 people to the wedding in Aizu Wakamatsu. As usual, things were organised to perfection. The bus was well stocked with beer, wine, and a selection of snacks. Although I had had a large breakfast shortly before, the thought of another beer at 10.30 in the morning was initially an unappetising prospect. However, I soon got back into the swing of things and even managed a cup of wine before the journey to Aizu Wakamatsu had come to an end.

Once we arrived at the wedding chapel, I had to rush to get changed into my kilt as the wedding was about to begin. I was then told that the start time had been pushed back by 30 minutes. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was the reason for the delay. I should have changed before I caught the bus but I thought there would be plenty of time before the wedding began. In the end, I managed to put the kilt and accompaniments on, but did not have time to flatten my hair and so spent the whole day looking like I had just woken up.

The ceremony was very similar to a British ceremony. The only difference was that there was a short slide show before it began with pictures of both Fuminori and Chihiro. Once the ceremony had ended, all the guests made their way outside to wait for the couple to descend the steps from the wedding chapel. This was a perfect opportunity to throw some confetti and take a few photographs.
As usual, things ran like clockwork and it was obvious that many people had made a lot of effort to make the day a success. A portrait of the happy couple had been painted, a pamphlet titled 'Fumi' had been produced with a selection of photos and stories about Fuminori and Chihiro, and the local fire brigade (of which Fuminori is a member) put on a comical show for the benefits of the wedding guests. I was surprised when the fire brigade leader made a beeline for my seat during the meal and required me to salute him twice before commencing their routine. He was screaming parade-ground-like in front of me with about 180 celebrants looking on. Thank God I returned his salutes or I got the feeling he would never have left me alone. I always enjoy Japanese weddings as every one is different. British weddings seem stuffy by comparison and they all eventually seem to blend into one. Japanese weddings are always filled with a bit of comedy, and this was no different. I even went to a wedding about 4 years ago in Tokyo where the bride and groom used a light sabre to cut the wedding cake to the Star Wars theme tune playing through massive speakers.

It is usual in Japan for the bride to change into a kimono after the wedding ceremony. The red kimono stood out vividly. The mothers of the bride and groom always wear black kimonos, decorated with a number of traditional Japanese scenes. Very classy.

After the wedding, in true Japanese style, there was a second party. The second party was held in an Italian restaurant, close to where the wedding was held. I had a good laugh catching up with everyone, although by that time, I was feeling quite ropey after 3 days of drinking. I decided to 'decorate' the toilet before heading back to my hotel room at 8pm. Congratulations to Fuminori and Chihiro!!

Shimogo - A Return

Last week, I headed up to Fukushima Prefecture for the wedding of a former colleague. I decided that it would be a good idea to spend a couple of days in Shimogo to catch up with some old friends. On Friday (31st August) I met up with Satoshi, Nozomi, and Matthew (my replacement) in Wakatsuki, my favourite restaurant. It was great to catch up again and and after a good dose of beer, I left at 2am for a drunken stagger through the rice fields back to the inn where I was staying.It was a good feeling to be back in Shimogo but a little strange to return as a visitor. I roused myself the next morning at 8am and made an effort to look respectable before I headed down for breakfast. I wasn't at my best because of the previous evenings activities and only managed to consume a bowl of miso soup, some rice, and a cup of green tea. I think the woman who owns the inn was concerned that the Japanese fare was unpalatable to the western tongue. After breakfast, I went upstairs to my room to close my eyes for a couple of minutes and woke up again after midday.
Embarrassed at my slothfulness, I sneaked downstairs to the shower room to freshen up. Feeling half human again, I left the shower room and hoped to sneak unnoticed back to my room. Unfortunately, when I emerged into the corridor dripping and wearing my yukata, I stumbled into a wake which had just started. I couldn't imagine being in a more conspicuous situation. A tall gaijin, dripping, wearing a yukata, standing amongst a crowd of black suited, mourning Japanese.

After my escape from the wake, my friend Satoshi and I went to Doronko for lunch and coffee. Satoshi then kindly drove me around Shimogo and gave me the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. It was a beautiful day and I really wanted to be able to hop on my bike and escape into the mountains. The rice fields were lush and the flowers around Shimogo were all in full bloom. I found myself wondering if we made a mistake moving to Tokyo. Probably not, but it is a close one to call.

At 6pm, I walked back to Wakatsuki to meet up with Tomo, the local doctor. Tomo mailed me the previous week and asked me if I wanted to eat bear meat. At the time, I thought he was joking. When a plate of meat cooked with beansprouts turned up, I assumed it was beef or pork and started to eat. I was taken aback to discover that it was actually bear that I was eating. I can now add it to the list of strange / exotic food that I have eaten in Japan.

1. Bear
2. Minke whale
3. Fugu (Pufferfish)
4. Jellyfish
5. Raw horse meat

and probably a lot more.

It was good to meet Tomo and Nari (his brother) again. I was impressed with the number of beers that Tomo managed to drink. I probably drank less as I was still feeling rough from the previous night. Another drunken stagger through the rice fields followed and I got back to my room at about 1am. I decided to skip breakfast the next morning but the woman called my room and insisted I go downstairs to the breakfast room. It seems that my lack of appetite the previous morning had spurred them into making a real attempt at serving me a Western style breakfast. Twinnings tea, two fried eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, and yoghurt. Bloody fantastic!!!! It was so kind of them to make the effort, and another reminder of some of the things we left behind in Shimogo. The icing on the cake was when I checked out and received a 20% discount. It is next to impossible to receive that level of kindness in Tokyo, but par for the course in Shimogo.

A nice return to Shimogo and I still had a wedding in Aizu Wakamatsu to look forward to.

The Sweaty Oyabaka

I realise that I have been a bit quiet of late in the Blogosphere. I have been keeping my head down and and getting on with work. Over the last week or so, the temperatures have ranged between 35C and 40C. Too hot to do anything! I have discovered that I have ISBS (Instantaneous Sweaty Back Syndrome). As soon as I step from my home, place of work, or the train, valves in my back automatically open up and release a constant stream of sweat that tickles as it trickles down my back. Although I cannot be classed as obese, over the last week or so, I have noticed a definite contraction in my waistline - a result of sweating buckets of sweat every day and probably my regular visits to the swimming pool.

Anyway, the main purpose of this posting is to boast about Clara (again). I am often concerned that Clara will fall behind her peers in Scotland in terms of English ability. I often think her exposure to English is too limited as I am the only person she talks to in English on a regular basis. Therefore, to help her keep up, we try and buy her English DVDs eg. The Tweenies, Dora the Explorer, Tiny Planets etc. Yesterday, I decided it was time to sit down with her and coerce her into reading to me. I chose the Wizard of Oz but thought it was far too ambitious (43 pages with some challenging words) and I envisioned her trying to tackle the first couple of pages needing a great deal of help from Dad. Yuki and I were both amazed when she picked up the book and read it from cover to cover with a limited number of mistakes. Not bad for a 6 year old who has spent most of her childhood in Japan with a limited exposure to English! I hope I do not seem like I am boasting too much, but we were amazed that Clara could read so well. I'm not totally sure how she could do it but I guess it must be the result of frequent bedtime stories and her supply of DVDs which often encourage children to read the words on the screen. It goes to show that if parents spend just a small amount of time with their kids, these kids are able to take what is taught and then use this information to independently learn more. Clara was given the foundation and she has built on it. This experience has made me realise just how important it is to provide education to your own kids. If kids are taught at home, school can be a place for revision and reinforcement.

I will be asking my parents to bring some books with them when they visit Japan in October. Oyabaka in Japanese means a parent who boasts or talks up their childrens' achievements. Guilty as charged.

Bo Jangles and Budvar

Sorry for the delay in posting an update. As previously mentioned, it has been a busy period in Tokyo and free time has been at a premium. However, my schedule will become a lot clearer over the next couple of weeks so hopefully I will have more time to update the blog on a more regular basis.

Yesterday and today have been hot and humid and sleep is hard to come by at the moment. We're leaving the air conditioner switched on tonight so that should make the night a bit more bearable.Today was 35C! Temperatures should hover around the 30C level until the middle of September.I had a good day yesterday which means I have a hangover today. I bumped into a couple of Aizu JETs (Sean and Emily) in Shinjuku (Tokyo) yesterday by sheer chance which was a nice surprise. It turns out that Sean has finished work and returning to the USA for good. It was nice to have the unexpected chance to say goodbye. It was a big coincidence as the Tokyo agglomeration has a population of about 35,000,000 people (according to the United Nations website I have just looked at). This was not the biggest coincidental meeting I have had in Tokyo, however. A couple of years ago when I was at the famous Asakusa shrine in Tokyo, I bumped into an old friend called Ed Campbell who used to sit next to me in my geology class at Aberdeen University. That was freaky!!

Last night I went to my regular watering hole called Bo Jangles. The heat had driven me there and forced me to consume a quantity of cold beer. It was a slightly sad night as it was the last time I would be able to drink Budvar, my favourite lager. Budvar is no longer imported into Japan which means I need to select another brew from next week. As you can see from the beer menu, Bo Jangles has a good selection of world beer (with about 6 chosen by myself).

The picture above shows Akinori, the bar owner, and another customer whose name I do not know. The customer is a total piss head and spends most of his time asleep with his head on the counter. He occasionally tries to communicate with me but anything he utters is total gibberish. I can communicate fairly well in Japanese or English with the other customers, but have had no success deciphering what he is trying to say. I think most of the other customers have the same problem.

Anyway, that's all the updates I'm giving you for now. We've all joined the local gym so I may do a small blog on that in the near future. Cheers.