Friday, 30 November 2007

Anusara Stress Relief With YogaToday

I've gotten a bit slack with my Yoga lately. Almost been two weeks now since my last session! Was feeling unusually energetic today and did half a session this morning before work and a full one just then which motivated me so much in so many ways I just have to share it with you.

The focus is Anusara Stress Relief and is hosted by the amazing Neesha who rocks Yoga unlike anyone I've seen before. She not only makes you feel great about yourself and life in general but she gives your body one damn good workout as well!

If you're like me and living in Tokyo on a budget I can't recommend YogaToday enough. 100% free 1 hour Yoga lessons on a daily basis! You can't get much better.

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: Yoga Today

Thursday, 29 November 2007

Japanese Service

Have just posted a reply to this post on Kirainet concerning no tipping in Japan (which actually isn't always the case) and ended up going on a bit of the rant that I might as well post here:

I remember working At Starbucks in Sydney and all the American tourists would be giving me AU$20 tips! One man gave me AU$50! I couldn’t really believe it!

Aussies in general though are tipping more and more. That’s why there are tip jars.

Concerning Japan’s service… I don’t know. The things you listed above equally annoy me. The habit of checking every bit of information with you? ANNOYING!

Me: 1 latte please.

Barista: Okay, 1 latte. Is that 1 latte?

Me: Yes, 1 latte.

Barista: 1 latte.

Me: Yes…. 1 latte!!!

It takes forever but they still do it even when there’s a line of 20 people. People always rave about the fast service in Japan but I find it about three times slower than service in Australia.

The polite Japanese also annoys me as even when I make it understood that I don’t understand keigo (polite Japanese) they refuse to speak natural common Japanese! The keigo also takes twice as long to say as regular Japanese and thus also makes the service slower than what I’d like.

Yeah, they treat you like a king… but’s it’s REALLY fake. Wherein Australia if a waiter treats you well it’s because he’s really wants to treat you well. It’s genuine. In Japan only about 30% of the time will you get genuine friendly service.

There are lots of stereotypes in Japan and the "good service" one like most of the others (most polite people in the world, everything's so clean, etc) are completely not true though appear to be so for those people who only visit Japan for a short period of time.

I remember when my Mum and brother came and visited a few years back and my Mum was raving on a daily basis how polite everyone was. I kind of thought so too but after the first 3 months or so I came to realise one big cultural difference:

In Western cultures we're raise to be polite. In Japanese culture they're raised to act polite.

What do you think?

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: japan

Sunday, 25 November 2007

Smoke Free Cafe in Shibuya

Have just enjoyed a rather nice day in Harajuku and Shibuya and am now just writing a new entry on a smoke free cafe in Shibuya for my other Japan blog, SmokeFreeJapan.com.

It's been ages since I did a review for that blog and I was honestly thinking of giving it up because I wasn't sure how long I'd be in Japan for but since I've decided I've still got some Japan loving to do I think I'll begin reviewing smoke free restaurants, cafes and clubs (anyone know any good ones?) once more.

I've also been getting a few emails from people who really love the idea of a smoke free guide to Tokyo so I guess I better give the fans what they want, right? ;)

Anyway, in Yoyogi Park today, a wonderful friend of mine Koky, was doing another fundraiser for his charity, BabyTreeProjects. Shizuko from work brought her son and several of his friends to help and their sales techniques were amazing, especially considering their age! Here's a video I just had to take!

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: Cambodia, home movies, japan

Thursday, 22 November 2007

New Pokemon Center Tokyo

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pochama, Pikachu and Charmander

A few weeks ago I went to the new Tokyo Pokemon Center that had moved from it's original location near Tokyo Station (which I had been to heaps in my four years in Japan) to a brand new, very convenient location of right across the road from Hamamatsucho station on the JR Yamonote Line!

On my way there I remembered thinking I had heard of the station name before but couldn't remember where but then it occurred to me! It's the same place you go to to board those big party boats that I had gone on the last two years!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Main Entrance

Naturally though I ended walking up in the wrong direction for about ten minutes before asking a policeman for directions who happened to have been given official Pokemon maps by Nintendo for people looking for the Pokemon Center! Pretty cool! (If you're a Pokemon fan like me anyway).

Once I found it (literally across the road from the station) I was really impressed! So much effort (and money) had obviously been put into this new location! It reminded me of going to Disney Sea where even the smallest object has been fitted with the most minute details.

Pokeball (or "monster balls" as they call them in Japanese) designs were everywhere and new life size models (for the smaller Pokemon anyway) were scattered throughout the place.

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pikachu Plushies / Toys

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Pikachu Plushies / Toys

As usual there were literally hundreds of stuffed toys, stickers, stationary, dvds, cds, Nintendo DS', Nintendo Wiis etc to buy. I grabbed myself some new Pokemon stationary and two money banks that are in the shape of a regular red and white Pokeball and a purple and white "Masterball". The stationary is particularly impressive. They always choose some really good artwork for the envelopes and letters that even though it's featuring Pokemon characters it surprisingly looks very cool and visually appealing.

Luckily there was also a "Pokemon Event" going on which I didn't know about. Occasionally they offer exclusive Pokemon with unique abilities to wirelessly download onto your Nintedo DS Pokemon game. I grabbed my free Pokemon but I doubt I'll ever use it except for bragging to my 8 year old students that I have him.

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Union Room

What I found particularly cool was a real life "Union Room" just outside the main Pokemon Center that looks just like the one in the Pokemon games, right down to the glowing circles on the floor. In the games the Union Room is a room you go to to connect to other people who are playing the game nearby and battle, trade or chat. The fact that they've made a real one is pretty cool as it's like you're actually doing what you do in the game.

Unfortunately the amount of middle aged women (probably mothers of the kids) filling up the place and sleeping on the couches around the walls partially ruined the illusion but the whole idea was a nice touch.

I think I've said previously that I was going to do a kind of "Pokemon Journey" just like the main character in the anime and game where I was going to travel around Japan and visit all the Pokemon Centers. Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to it yet but I'm determined now to do it next year (visit all of them) but in individual weekend trips!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Gotta Catch 'em All!

Pokemon Center Tokyo: Gotta Catch 'em All!

To add to the "just like in the anime" feel I'm going to buy the special location specific badges that they sell at each Pokemon Center! I bought myself the Pokemon Center Tokyo badge during this last trip and will try and get one at each new location I go to (as well as some Starbucks mugs of course).

First up I think will be a revisit to the Tokyo Pokemon Center for some Christmas shopping and then the Pokemon Center in Yokohama which is really only about 30 minutes away by train but I still haven't been there yet (it opened about two years ago I think).

After that, maybe Nagoya because a good friend of mine just moved down there so I can hit two birds with one stone! Then the Pokemon Center in Sendai because I've always wanted to go there. Might go in February when they have that star festival. (Edit: Looks like that one must have closed! Can't find any info on it now!)

After that would be Osaka and then Fukuoka.

I also hear they have one in New York in the States but that might be a while off. :D

I've created two separate "labels" or "tags" for my posts on this blog to follow this plan. The first is Pokemon Journey which will feature posts that I make exclusively about this plan to visit all the Centers. The second is simply "Pokemon" which will cover the same posts as "Pokemon Journey" but will also feature any general posts about Pokemon such as when I see the movies, play the game or any other misc Pokemon info I feel like posting about.

Anyway, wish me luck on my Pokemon Journey! It should be a fun way to see the country and I recommend finding a theme yourself for travelling. It makes it all the more interesting!

Gotta Catch 'em All!

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: Pokemon, Pokemon Journey

Sunday, 18 November 2007

Your Friendly Japanese Taxi Driver

After waking up on the other side of Tokyo near the Imperial Palace yesterday morning and realising that I was WAY too hungover to attempt the 3 transfer train trip home I decided to treat myself to a taxi ride.

Having already thrown up twice I figured it was all out of my system, but within minutes of getting into the taxi I began to feel a bit woozy again and was soon ripping out my comics and Metropolis magazine out of their plastic bag (a little shopping the day before) so I could throw up in something.

I quickly informed the driver in Japanese what I was about to do and apologised and then continued to burp, dry heave and hurl for the next few minutes.

The driver was such a nice guy that he constantly asked me if I was okay and when we had to stop at traffic lights he surprisingly ran out of the taxi to a nearby vending machine to buy me some water. Funnily enough he ended up not having the correct change on him and had to run back to the taxi for his wallet. This is when I told him I was okay as I'd already drank water and it obviously wasn't staying down.

Much to my surprise I realised that I knew the Japanese to get me through this entire conversation! I could tell him where my apartment was, that I was going to be sick, that he was a very nice and thoughtful person and that yes I'd drunk a lot the night before but it was really fun and worth it. ;)

He was such a nice guy and made the ride home all the more pleasant.

P.S. On a side note the trees on the street near the palace looked really beautiful with their golden yellow leaves.

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: japan

Thursday, 15 November 2007

Japanese Apple Kit Kat

Imagine my surprise when I zipped into my local "supa" and saw two new very deluxe looking Kit Kat flavours on display! Not only did they have "wow they look expensive maybe I should sell my Louie Verton handbag for one" gold writing on their boxes but the boxes themselves were.... wait for it... vertical!!!

The boxes also had in English, "For a moment of precious indulgence" written on them so this couldn't just be a cheap everyday chocolate bar pretending it's something more, could it?

Japanese Kit Kat: Deluxe Apple

I grabbed the trendy apple one tonight and will get the green tea one some other time.

I have to say it wasn't nearly as appley as I thought it would be. In fact it tasted just like the melon Kit Kats that came out last year.

In true Japanese style, each Kit Kat on the box was individually wrapped in an attempt to screw over the environment just that little bit more. But, hey. I guess "precious indulgence" is worth it. ;)

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: Kit Kat Spotlight

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

A New Look Phase 1

As you can probably tell, my blog is going through a few big changes right now. That's right! After years (literally) of talking about a new layout I'm finally doing it!

What you see now is kind of a rough draft of what the finished layout will look like. Things will be where you see them but the colours will all change as will several other things.

A word of warning, several of the links on the menus on the right are broken right now but don't worry, I'll have them fixed soon enough!

Besides working on this layout, I've been really busy with my Japanese study! Almost all of my free time has been devoted to Kanji and now more advanced conversation study. The thing is though that I'm really liking it!

I'm flying through the Kanji thanks to this book and the full Japanese Teach Yourself book is everything I'd hoped it would be.

I'll pass Level 2, easy!

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: blog, Japanese

Thursday, 8 November 2007

Get Traffic to your Blog, Free

Do you write a blog? Get Massive Traffic with the new kid on the block, BlogRush.

Several blogs that I read on a daily basis have been implementing this new "widget" ("widget" is tech talk for a piece of code that they can add to their website that will add an extra feature) and I've heard nothing but good things from it.

Basically you add the widget and when loaded it will show you links to other blogs' posts about similar topics to your blog. The cool thing is that for every impression (page view) you give the widget it will advertise your blog on someone else's blog of a similar topic.

I'm thinking of installing this on this blog but have decided to wait on any major additions until the new layout is up (hopefully soon!).

Have a Blog? Get more readers, Click Here

Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they're online.

Labels: Sponsored Posts