30 posts tagged “japan”
Japan is in the wrong time zone!!
The above graph demonstrates sunrise and sunset times through the year. You can see that at the height of summer dawn in Sapporo is before 3.30am, and even in winter (where it begins to get dark around 4.30pm) the sun is rising before 7am. It is a ridiculous situation... one that I don't expect to change but it is truely one of my pet peeves about life in Japan.
I just launched this service... and it seems pretty popular.
If you want something from Japan. Let me know.
Today I went to the surgeon and had my head cut on. Hopefully all is good! But this morning before I went my mum rang me and asked how I was, like all mothers when I told her I was about to go to a clinic and get some lesion removed she of course got all motherly.
That was fine... but she wanted me to send her an SMS to tell her how it went. Now unlike Japanese mobile phones which have fully integrated email systems capable of 10,000 odd characters I had to mess around with 140 odd.
So my message looked like this (not very good with SMS speak and my mum is of course worse... so maybe she can't understand it at all.
jpnse hlth systm is orsum wnt 2 dr ystrday sent 2 spcls. sent 2 surgn all in 1 day (expt surgn clsd fr golf) got cut 2day w8ing for biopsy rpt nxt wk. I h8 sms
translated
Bloody ridiculous... and of course to add salt to the wound that abbreviated intelligible mess cost me 12 cents to send (as she is in New Zealand there will probably be some cost she has to borne too). Criminal.The Japanese Health System is awesome. I went to the Dr yesterday who then sent me to the specialist, I was then sent to the surgeon - all in 1 day (except the surgeon is closed for golf). I got cut today, and am now waiting for the biopsy report next week. I hate SMS.
The email on Japanese phones is close enough to nothing to send and recieve.. especially if you have one of the packet plans which are now commonly available with the carriers.
I originally put it on YouTube but the flash conversion lost its prettieness....
so go here
a word of warning.. it is big and slow... very slow....
so load the page.. and go get a cup of tea or something...
dont forget to drop a message here.
thanks
I don't remember taking this photo.. but I think it looks really cool.
Well ok I'm in Starbucks... again!! (got to love blogging from my phone (^-^)/ ).
Today is cold and cloudy... but there is a definite spring time buzz in the air. I'm not sure if the spring fashion on display in the stores or the general vibe of the locals but there is a feeling spring is coming.
The problem with time moving on is that I'm running out of time.
I only have 11 months on my visa but I wish to stay in Japan. At this stage short of returning to my previous job I'm running out of options. I can definitly see the rock and the hard place and I don't want to go near either.
And yes I know bagels don't originate from Australia... but they are readily available and a bagel and cream cheese for brekkie and a hot coffee is a great way to start the day.
At least for the next 2 weeks I am going to have a great start to my day.. I purchased a stack of bagels... now I just need to work out how to navigate their web store.
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and enjoyable times one can have in Japan is during the brief period when the cherry blossoms (sakura) bloom. As the wave of pink blossoms moves through the country, people gather (friends, school mates, or work colleagues) together to engage in a spot of drinking, dining and cherry blossom viewing.
Negishi Koen in Kanagawa has a thicket of cherry tress which you can't see until you top a rise... and before you.. well that photo is the best representation that I could take... but in the flesh it is breathtaking...
I am lucky - the cherry blossoms are yet to boom in Sapporo, so for the second year in a row I get to attend two hanami parties. Both times once in Yokohama and once here in Sapporo. Magic.
Photos from the hanami and sakura can be seen here.
