Getting Ready

Well i booked my hotel in Korea last night http://www.youngchon.com/, I've stayed at the place i am going before it's not the cheapest but it is right in the center of town and i like it. It's costing me 60,000 Won which is the Korean currency, at the current exchange rate that works at to about 29 quid a night not bad at all. The rooms have computers, DVD players and fridges not to mention AC, you can't get that in the UK, in fact you are lucky if you get a fridge in most rooms, oh forgot to mention it also has a swimming pool.

Did a bit of last minuet washing last night and have to do the ironing to night along with my packing. I'm only going for a long weekend so i don't need much and I'm going to see if i can get everything in a small bag that i can carry on the plane with me, that way i won't need to wait around for the baggage to be unloaded and should be able to get straight to the bus. This is a critical part of the plan because if i don't get on a bus by about 9pm than i won't get to the hotel in Songtan which is where I'm going until about 11.30 pm and a couple of the place i want to stick my head in and see what's going on will be shut by about midnight, there will be plenty of place open after that though if i don't make it.

Songtan is where i stayed most of the time when i was working in Korea, as a place to stay it's pretty good as there's a big American Air Force base there, so lots of bars with a lot of western influence, also good shopping and good eating. It's maybe not everyones cup of tea as we Brits say, but i liked it. Don't get me wrong there are also plenty of Korean places there as well the western bit is mainly near the USAF base.

When i was there my mate Phil of http://thenakedbloggers.blogspot.com/ fame came out to see me and stayed for a while, think he would also say it was not a bad place to hang out for a while. If anyone sees Phil you will have to ask him about his trip to Korea, think he visited more countries than Phileas Fog did on his 80 day trip around the world, anyway suffice to say it was an epic trip to get to Korea which he had not planned on.

Talking about Phil i see from their blog the he and his wife Claire have just moved houses so hope everything goes well, i can see from the blog that it's been a bit of a wrench but as some one once said or sang "Things can only get better"

Anyway i digress so upward on onward so to speak, I'm actually debating if i should go and get my hair cut again before i go. After the shock of having it done before I've decided i quite like it really short, don't think I've used a comb for months, don't need to, may not have time to get it done though.

Haven't decided on how I'll get to the airport yet, have two options train or bus, the train is more expensive but faster, guess it will depend on how i feel tomorrow or if I'm in a rush, which i usually am, so am sort of tilting towards the train.

Anyway on to more pressing things "ironing", pressing things get it a bit of a play on words if you don't mind.

I'm not keen on ironing but guess it's got to be done as no one's going to do it for me unfortunately, so here goes.

Now that's done time to pack my bag, like i said before i don't need much only there for three days, but as usual I'll probably take far more than i need, never wear half the stuff i take away usually but for some reason no matter how hard i try not to i still take too many things.

That's about it for now will do some more than i get back from Korea, may not be able to or have the will to post while I'm there but if i do it will probably be with out photos. If i do post I'll add the photos when i get back to Japan as i won't be able to down load any, not taking my computer.

The photos below are just a random shot of me in the office and the view out of the window which just recently has been of a line of concrete trucks, as you can tell am struggling right now to write anything so got to blog off now.

Scrambled Eggs and Lemsips

Well it's Monday the 29th today and just got back from work, actually have been back a while now but who cares.
I booked my flight to Korea the other day and like i say i go on Thursday of this week. Wouldn't you know it i started with a bit of a cold last night and this morning i had a full blown head cold. Not exactly sure what a head cold is but if it's what i think it is running eyes, dripping nose and generally feeling stuffed up then i have one.
Anyway I'm on the Lemsips that i brought from the UK tonight hoping i can get rid of it by Thursday night which is when i fly. I hate flying with a cold so hope the Lemsips last I've only got 10 left, I'll have to get some local stuff if they run out so that should in it's self be interesting in Japan.
I get into Seoul, which for anyone that doesn't know is the capital of South Korea at about 8.30 if everything is on schedule then hopefully to the hotel where I'm going to stay by 11pm, which reminds me i need to book one yet, shouldn't be a problem though as i know a few in the town where I'm going.
Work has been pretty uneventful today, but i did manage to figure out how to get the air con unit in the office heating up rather than cooling down today. It's been a bit cool today and with me feeling under the weather needed some heat on, got to try and get better and all that. Actually I didn't do it asked my mate Fumio who is the PM for our electrical subcontractor and lives in a porta-cabin just round the corner from ours to do it for me, everything is in Japanese after all. He doesn't really live there it's just his office, but he does do a lot of hours come to think of it.
That's been pretty much it for today as you can see i lead a pretty exciting and eventful life at work. Got home decided not to go to the gym and just to chill out and get something to eat and watch TV. Hit on the idea of scrambled eggs on toast, surly i could do that couldn't I? don't know why but I've had a micro wave all this time and have never done anything in it.
So it was off to my favorite supermarket to get some eggs and a bowel to do them in, to cut a long boring story short they were great so watch out Heston, rest assured i will be doing them again, may even throw a scrambled egg and beer party. After the food it was TV watching then a Lemsip watched a bit more TV, another Lemsip phoned my youngest son Joe for a chat after that you guessed it another L......p.
That's it for today enough plugs for Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare, which is who by the way who make Lemsip.

Maybe if I'm not any better tomorrow i will check out the Sports conditioning and aromatherapy place in the bottom of the apartment block i live in, I'm not sure about the name though. Chance of me going though are bit doubtfully the last time i went for a sports massage they nearly killed me, thought my arms were being twisted off and i was going to get my back snapped in two from some one walking on it, have to say Asian people are much more supple than westerners well at least than this one.

I walk past this place night on my way to go to the gym, the bloke who owns it always says hello, well actually he says Konbanwa as he's Japanese and i don't think he speaks English. Konbanwa is the Japanese word for good evening by the way anyway he always seems pretty busy there are usually cars outside so i guess things are good.

Can hardly believe that i have wrote a blog about nothing but there you go, may even try to do another one before i go to Korea so Tarar for now.

Kalbi and Origami

Well it's been another week since i did my last blog, times just seems to shoot past when you're having fun, that's sarcasm by the way.
The season's are starting to change here now, driving to work everyday the farmers are hard at work harvesting the rice crop. The rice paddy's that were a really bright shade of green in the summer are now all turning to the colour of straw and everyone seems to have a little rice harvester and be out in the rice paddy's getting in the rice.

Its definitely turning a bit colder over here as well now, still quite warm during the day it was in the 80's the other day but first thing in a morning and at night bit of a chill in the air. It's still not really cold weather yet but in another month or so it probably will be. On saying that though have seen a few Japanese girls on my travels to and from the gym around eight at night wearing pretty big coats, so i guess some people are already starting to feel the cold.
It's Sunday here and am going to try am post at least ever Sunday and if i really feel inspired in the middle of the week as well, but don't hold your breath.
Stayed in all this past week apart from going to the gym or maybe getting something to eat that is, I'm going to try and do every week if i can apart from weekends. It gets difficult to do this though when we have people over from the States, they're' usually only here for a week or so and want to go out and be entertained, for them it's sort of a novelty but for me and Fred who are here long term we don't really want it especially on a working day.
So stayed until Friday then went out with Fred to a nice Korean restaurant we found, had some Taji Kalbe, which is basically marinated pork. Korean food or the meat part of the meal is usually cooked /grilled over a small barbecue built into the middle of the table which is usually either charcoal or gas, anyway we had this and it was great.
That was Friday out of the way then on Saturday i was invited to a sort of curry party at a restaurant which had been organised by a Japanese guy who i know but I've forgot his name, sure it will come back to me later. My mate's Razor who's my neighbour and lives just down the hall from me and he'd forgot to mention the party it to me earlier in the week. Anyway he phoned up out of the blue at about 5pm Saturday right while i was in the middle of my washing and ironing, so i was in a bit of a dilemma should i continue with the washing and ironing or go to a party. One second later and party it was, it had been a tough decision but in the interests of international relations, Razor's Indonesian and everyone else was Japanese i decided to sacrifice the washing and ironing for the greater good, that's just the kind of guy i am always, thinking of others.
So anyway it was out at 6 and on to the restaurant, had not really thought too much about it but it was at a Japanese restaurant that specialised in Indian food. There was about 25 people there luckily quite a few of them spoke English as there were only two other non Japanese there apart from me, Razor and an American guy. Like i say food was good and we played some sort of party games which i didn't really have a clue about but it was good fun. At one stage we all had to do origami and make a swan, good job i was surrounded by Japanese else i would not have had a clue but they kept helping me and i got there in the end. It was for some kind of raffle but instead of a ticket you had too make a paper swan, imagine a bunch of blokes folding paper at a party in England to make swans, i don't think so do you, don't think they would think of it as a very macho thing to do.
Got to say though it was all good fun and not a drop of alcohol was drunk that was to be at the next place, the party was sort of in two stages one at a restaurant than it was on to a bar for drinking until the wee hours. So it was on to a place called Nokins and than after that Razor and me went up to Birdland, probably wasn't a good call but we did it anyway.
That pretty much wraps it up for last week and the weekend, have done one other this though booked myself a ticket to Korea next weekend. I've been promising myself a trip there for a long time as it's so close only 2 and half hours away. Found cheap ticket on Expedia and I’m going for a long weekend next week, leave Thursday night and will be back first thing Monday morning, will let you know how i get on.
I'll try and do another blog before i go and then the one after that should either be from Korea or after i get back.

Mr Cutman and Gas Supplies

Well it's Monday haven't done much again this weekend, although i did go out Saturday night after vowing to myself that i wouldn't as I'd been out most of the week with Scott.

Went to the Lions Head to meet a friend of mine then we went up to a club called Bird Land. I was a bit Kn...rd though and found myself n falling asleep in my Sapporo which is a Japanese beer for those that don't know. Anyway went home earlier than usual but it was still nearly daylight, time flies and all that. It was Sunday the next day though so i could sleep in that was if the schools base ball team across the road were not having a game and chanting what ever it is they chant when they play

It's hard to keep doing a blog and writing anything remotely interesting, it is for me anyway. Everything i do is pretty much the same day to day especially a week day and I'm trying to keep away from that four letter word work.

Had a bit of a walk round town Saturday before going to the gym, took some photos of a few places i came across Mr Cutman, maybe It's where should have got my hair cut, actually am starting to quite like my hair real short.
Have you ever thought something or someone was watching you well there is, these eyes are on the shopping center LaLasquare over the other side of the railway track from where i live looking straight down the road, so you might say i live on the wrong side of the tracks but it depends on who you ask.

There were some other quite interesting looking places that i had never really noticed before. For instance the building below looks out of place to me like it should be some where in Paris or something like that, it was also very thin, looked like it would fall over very easily.
The other photos are photos gates to larger houses or maybe some sort of temples am not sure. Also thrown in a shot of a noodle shop that i like to eat in, food is good and also cheap, Japan can be expensive but there are plenty of places to eat that won't break the bank even in Tokyo.

Last photo is of a car i like, it reminds me of a Citroen 2CV and ever time i see one of there they look out of place a little as if they should be back in the 60's

I'm also still working on things for the apartment, the main thing i need is a gas burner. Went to buy one on Sunday at my favorite secondhand place, had actually decided on what to get was going to pay for it. When i got to the counter the lady asked me what kind of gas i had, well there's the rub gas is gas to me especially in Japan. I live in a big town and in a pretty new apartment had just assumed that it was mains gas to the apartment but there i go assuming again.

To cut a long story short did not buy the burner as i was not sure of the type of gas i had, apparently there's Tokyo gas which seems to be mains gas and there are others which are similar to Propane or Calor gas in the UK.

Think i have a sort of Propane/Calor will have to check it out, oh well the fried eggs sarnies that i was looking forward to will have to wait another week.

Long Time No Blog

Haven't posted for nearly three weeks not really had a lot to say and my Boss Fred No2 has been over here again so been busy at work as well, a bloke called Scott who is the head Electrical Engineer on the job's also came over with Fred for the week.

I'll just try and give you a run down on what's been going on and try and post on a bit more of a regular basis in future hopefully.

On the last blog said i was going to a couple of parties which both turned out well, didn't take my camera so no photos from them unfortunately. First one was Razas who just lives down the hall from me, this turned out to be quite a boozy one and went on pretty late it was just down the hall so didn't have far to stagger home which was just as well.

There was food and lot's of Sushi and Sashimi there which i guess you would expect in Japan. Didn't know before but the difference between Sushi and Shashimi is that Sushi is raw fish on rice and Sashimi is just raw fish, the girls did it all and the cooking and sort of stopped the blokes going in the kitchen, don't know if this is Japanese style or not but liked it they just kept bringing you drinks and snacks, nice.

The one the next day was at Fred N2's place this was just a meal cooked by his wife Susie with a few drinks which was good as well. Susie's a good cook, one of the main dishes was pork chops done in a sort of peanut butter sauce. Now i don't like peanut butter very much to say the least but Americans seem to love it sort of a staple so to speak, probably all the peanut butter sandwiches they had when growing up. Anyway i was prepared not to like it and just to be polite say it was nice which is what we Brits do after all, it was was great though and was really nice, so i had seconds.

After the parties the next week was just business as usual nothing much going on and i didn't go out or do anything much other then going to the gym. Fred No2 and Scott were coming the next Saturday and they wanted to go out when getting to Utsunomiya so figured that would be my next night out. Met them in the Lions Head about 11pm Saturday but they were pretty tired so after a couple of drinks it was back to the hotel for them.

The next week just consisted of meetings and a couple of meals out with people form work, at least when Fred comes over he pays for the meals so it's not all bad. Actually he's a good bloke so it's no problem at all, Scott's a nice bloke as well had met him before in Korea and a few times in the States, have known them both for about 10years so we all get on real well anyway.

The photos above are of a meal we went to with Honda, in what they call an Izakaya, sort of a Japanese style bar and restaurant the food being a bit more up market than a lot of places. Looks like we're sitting on the floor, well we are but there's a cut out under the table so you put legs down there, bit like a chair but at floor level.

The photos below are of a meal at a Chinese restaurant we went to with our electrical subcontractor on Thursday, the guy in the white shirt is my mate Fumio, not sure if this is a traditional Japanese name but he's Japanese and a nice guy who i go out with sometimes. The other one is of Scott and another of the Japanese electrical guys, a Tsunoda san (Mr) who is also nice.

So that is pretty much it it's Saturday now the 20th and Fred and Scott are on there way to the Narita airport as I'm writing this. Scott and I went out last night as it was his last night here, well we all went out me Scott the two Fred's and Chris but the other's went home early, light weights is all i can say. We went to a few bars had a couple of drinks sang a bit of Karaoke, well Scott did as his voice is better than mine, on the way home stopped at Korean restaurant for food with a couple of people we met, all in all a good last night for him i think.

Last night as well it was raining and a bit windy as there was supposed to be a Typhoon coming in everyone was worried about the flight being delayed, all i can say some one got it wrong as it's a real nice day today no rain and hot.

Just changing the subject for a minuet one other thing I've discovered recently is that when i have the windows open in the apartment it gets a bit dusty sometimes and I'm always hoovering up. What Ive discovered is that if i walk around in bared feet it pick up all the dust on the soles of my feet all i need to do is was it off in the shower and hey presto no need to hoover so much, clever hey, simple things please simple minds as they say.

As you can tell I'm struggling for anything of any interest to say so will get off now, I'm going to go to the gym in a minuet, it's the first time this week as Fred and Scott have been here.

Not a Lot Going On

Nothing much has happened since the boys left have been staying in for a while just relaxing and watching TV in the week that is.
Like i say nothing happening then i got invited to two parties one this Saturday and one on Sunday, no cooking for me. The first one is a my neighbours down the hall then on Sunday Fred and his wife are having a bit of a get together, that's this weekend sorted just got to get through the rest of the week.
High point of the working week was that i went to get my hair cut again on Friday, maybe i should say low point. Anyway thought I'd go back to the place where I'd had it cut before, the lady would remember me which she did so bingo no problem i thought. Told her what i wanted just in case, everything seemed fine she was nodding after all. Lady's cutting away and had not really done anything to the top so i said Nee and pointed to the top of my head and sort of indicated a cutter going across my head with my hand. Now Nee's two in Japan i was meaning the clipper size just like in the UK and last time it had worked and turned out good. Well let me tell you it was a bit of a mistake she whips out the clippers which looked a bit different from back home set something on them and before i knew what was happening the hair on top of my head was two millimeters long and i can tell you 2mm isn't much. It was to late by this time of course and i told he to carry on but she could tell by my face it was a bit of a shock, i was on my way to the gym after the hair cut and i thought about not going and even staying in for a week or so until it grew a bit. Anyway got used to it pretty quick and i quite like it now, people have been telling me to get my head shaved for a long time now and i guess i finally have, not exactly quite how i wanted to do it though.

The photo of the barbers shop is not the one i went to but maybe i should have. Just liked the name of this one and the fact that he did men's perms, thought perms were out for men but what do i know it's not like i have any hair to perm or do anything else with for that matter.

Had not meant to publish this post as i had not put in any photos but must have hit the wrong button, i just checked it an the blog and this was published with a message from my mate Claire asking for a photo so here it is, not a pretty site is it.

Claire is the wife of my mate Phil who has just gone back to work after being on holiday and off for a while so sorry to here about that Phil, never minde mate have a beer or three when you get home.

Was actually going to mention Phil and Claire in this blog as i have been struggling to find anything to write about and it seems to come really easy to them, Claire actually describes herself as a Serial Bolgger on their blog http://thenakedbloggers.blogspot.com/ anyway hats off to them both for being so prolific.

Hopefully will be able to find some more stuff to write about and some photos to go with it next time