It is hot.
It really has become bloody hot.
About three or four days ago the "tsuyu" - rainy season, started here in Tokyo. What that means (apart from the obvious rain), is that the humidity becomes almost unbearable. The temperature hovers around 20-30 degrees, but the humidity makes this feel a lot worse. My apartment doesn't face the sun so it remains relatively cool, but as soon as I step outside I start working a sweat, and by the time I get to the station my T-shirt is soaked.
Not nice.
The frequent downpours don't provide much relief though, as the humidity remains and all that really changes is that you can't tell if it's the sweat or the rain that's responsible for your T-shirt being stuck to your back. (Most likely, it's a combination of the two).
The heat, along with the awkward times of the world cup matches, have resulted in me having pretty bad sleeping patterns for the past week or so. The match times here are 8.30pm, 11pm and 3.30am - not the best really if I intend to do something the following day... Nonetheless, I've been able to watch most of the matches (I rarely stay up for the 3.30 ones unless they're big games, or I have the chance to sleep the following day).
So what do I think? Well, firstly ARGENTINA are immense. Their first game against Nigeria was pretty crappy in my opinion, but i felt they more than made up for it by their performance against South Korea. Yes, the goals were not the best, and the cause of the Korean goal was awful, but at least they played real football (not the defensive rubbish most teams have been choosing to play), and they looked great for it.
ENGLAND on the other hand, were utterly rubbish (as usual, I might add). I stayed up last Saturday to watch the USA England game and was quite disappointed with the match as a whole. Yesterday's draw to Algeria was apparently even worse! (I failed to watch that as all night karaoke took priority). The highlights proved too boring to watch so I just skipped straight to the analysis and watched Lineker, Hansen and Shearer complain about how badly England played. (Don't worry, I won't link to that as it's not worth it).
JAPAN seemed pretty fortunate to grab that goal against Cameroon last Monday - their first goal ever in a world cup match outside of Japan (ie. not scored in 2002). I was a bit shocked at the lack of noticeable support for that game by the Japanese. I saw 2 people wearing Japan shirts all day - one of which was Ramses, and when we were watching the game at home, apart from us, we could hear nobody cheering or celebrating.
Kick-off for the The Netherlands-Japan game is in 25 minutes, and I don't think Japan will get quite so lucky this time around (although, The Netherlands didn't play too convincingly against Denmark...)
In other news, I was invited to be "interviewed" for a Japanese TV show. I basically just had to talk about something that I liked about Japan in Japanese. (I ended up choosing the fact that bicycles are registered here, so people are less likely to pinch them). The show either aired last night or will be airing this coming Friday - I'll try and record what I can so you guys can check out my awesome Japanese skillz!
Also, someone stole my shoes the other day - the second time in my life that I've had my shoes stolen (the last time was two years ago in Kyoto). I had a sports class so I left my shoes on the "shoe shelf" and changed into my trainers. When I went back after class they were no longer there...
Who the hell steals shoes???
Oh well. I filed a report and if they haven't shown up by next Thursday I'll just have to go out and buy them again. (I don't think they would fit many people here either - I have to go to a specialist store to find my size of shoe)
Anyway, kick off time...
頑張って日本！
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Monday, 31 May 2010
The World Cup Looms
Yes I know I have been pretty bad at getting these entries done, and it isn't about to change now. Truth be told, not THAT much has happened since my last blog really. Classes seem to take up a lot of time and out side of that I've really just been doing the "usual", which involves the mandatory studying, but also lots of drinking, singing, dancing and what not.
I will get a full update nicely written for you soon, but with the world cup only 9 days away...
If you're wondering what team I will be supporting, could I support any country other than the one who to whom the scorer of this goal belongs?
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Well, maybe...
(But of course, Argentina are always my number 1).
I will get a full update nicely written for you soon, but with the world cup only 9 days away...
If you're wondering what team I will be supporting, could I support any country other than the one who to whom the scorer of this goal belongs?
">
Well, maybe...
(But of course, Argentina are always my number 1).
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Heading East
OK, so it's been more than 2 weeks since my last blog, and I am aware that many people are anxious to know how my life has been getting on - after all, I have been in Japan for a week...
My reasons for a lack of blogging so far have been primarily time constraints and the general absence of internet. But before I begin talking about my life in the east, I'll round up the end of my western adventures.
Since the return to Buenos Aires from Mendoza, and the writing of my last blog, I spent the remaining three days in Argentina saying goodbye to family and friends, and pigging out on as much cheap good food as I could. The weather was good, and on one of the days I visited San Telmo with a couple of my cousins to see the sights, and drink some mate in one of the plazas. Mate is the national drink of Argentina, and the drinking of it is a tradition of the Gaúchos - cowboys of the Pampas. Unlike drinking tea or coffee, drinking mate is much more ritualistic, with friends gathering in parks, gardens, houses in order to partake in the drinking of it. Someone brings along the mate (a hollowed out gourd used as the cup) as well as the yerba, hot water, and a bombilla (a metal straw with a filter on the end). This person then becomes the cebador, and is responsible for the preparation of the mate and it's serving. The drink itself has a strong taste described as a cross between green tea and coffee, but sugar or honey can be added to sweeten the taste. It is a highly social activity, and a walk though any park or plaza in Buenos Aires will reveal its popularity amongst the locals.
Anyway, I arrived back in the UK on a Thursday to many cheers and much applause. While I thought 9 days would be plenty to prepare myself for a year in Japan, the days seemed to fly by with very little being accomplished. I had to sort out insurance, money, documents, luggage allowance, packing and transfer files from my old PC to my new Mac (moving up in the world, some would say...). Though this doesn't seem like much, it seemed to take me a surprising amount of time, and until it was fully done, I could feel it all weighing on my shoulders, so to speak. On top of that, I spent a lot of time with friends, drinking, socializing, and generally having a good time - thanks to them for making my last week in the UK a good'n.
With more or less everything set in order, I left for Japan on Saturday afternoon, arriving in Narita airport on Sunday at 3pm local time after an 11 hour flight. I was lucky enough to be given the emergency seat with almost endless leg room, which made the journey a lot more bearable, even though I barely got any sleep. I was supposed to meet Naoko at 3.30, but due to "unforeseen circumstances" she was an hour late. Nonetheless, I was able to get to my hostel in time to drop off my things and go out for dinner. It was bloody hot, and I didn't struggle to soak my T-shirt despite it being late afternoon. We ate at a nice Japanese restaurant, but due to the long flight and lack of sleep, it felt more like a dream, and I fell asleep instantly when I returned to my hostel. For the next two days, I did a few touristy things with Naoko and some of her friends whom she had met at Sheffield and who had also arrived in Japan a few days earlier than me. We visited "The Great Buddha Kamakura" amongst other sites, and ate some pretty good food. With the "current economic crisis" of today however, the pound has weakened a lot since I was last here, and most activities have become a bit bucksy malone. Nonetheless, I've been able to get by, and I'm sure once I get into the swing of East Asian living, I'll be able to survive on minimal expenses. Hopefully.
I got to my dormitory on Wednesday, and discovered that it ain't really all that bad. It is on-suite complete with a heated Japanese toilet, and shower/bath room. There is a little "stove" thing that allows me to cook if I buy myself a steel pan, and the bed/study area is spacious. I requested to rent bedding, and on the whole it is pretty good, apart from the pillow. I had the same problem in the hostel, as it was the same kind of pillow there. It's about 30x50 centimeters in size (i.e. tiny), and rather than being filled with comfortable down pillows, it has the same hard ball things as a bean-bag. Not only that, but there isn't enough to actually raise my head any higher than the mattress. I've ended up stuffing some of my clothes in the pillow slip as a temporary solution, but will have to go out and buy a decent one at the next possible opportunity. Pillow rant over, there's not really much else to complain about, apart from the dormitory rules. The most annoying being the midnight curfew - something which I failed to adhere to on the very first night (luckily, a Japanese girl also arrived late at the same time as me, and was able to phone her friend to open the door and let us in). With the dormitory not actually being located in Tokyo but the neighboring prefecture of Saitama, it means having to head for home from Tokyo before 11.30. I have been told however, that there are ways around the majority of the stupid rules the place has, which I will no doubt learn during my time here.
I'm not quite sure when classes actually start, but I know I have orientation at the university on Monday morning, and a placement test on Wednesday. Other than that, I think I am free to explore and have a good time. Sorry about the long pictureless entry this time, I haven't yet got my camera out much, but will try to do so more often in order to provide some photographic evidence of my whereabouts for you guys. I'll also try to get another entry done soon, providing I get the chance.
Until then, take care folks.
My reasons for a lack of blogging so far have been primarily time constraints and the general absence of internet. But before I begin talking about my life in the east, I'll round up the end of my western adventures.
Since the return to Buenos Aires from Mendoza, and the writing of my last blog, I spent the remaining three days in Argentina saying goodbye to family and friends, and pigging out on as much cheap good food as I could. The weather was good, and on one of the days I visited San Telmo with a couple of my cousins to see the sights, and drink some mate in one of the plazas. Mate is the national drink of Argentina, and the drinking of it is a tradition of the Gaúchos - cowboys of the Pampas. Unlike drinking tea or coffee, drinking mate is much more ritualistic, with friends gathering in parks, gardens, houses in order to partake in the drinking of it. Someone brings along the mate (a hollowed out gourd used as the cup) as well as the yerba, hot water, and a bombilla (a metal straw with a filter on the end). This person then becomes the cebador, and is responsible for the preparation of the mate and it's serving. The drink itself has a strong taste described as a cross between green tea and coffee, but sugar or honey can be added to sweeten the taste. It is a highly social activity, and a walk though any park or plaza in Buenos Aires will reveal its popularity amongst the locals.
Anyway, I arrived back in the UK on a Thursday to many cheers and much applause. While I thought 9 days would be plenty to prepare myself for a year in Japan, the days seemed to fly by with very little being accomplished. I had to sort out insurance, money, documents, luggage allowance, packing and transfer files from my old PC to my new Mac (moving up in the world, some would say...). Though this doesn't seem like much, it seemed to take me a surprising amount of time, and until it was fully done, I could feel it all weighing on my shoulders, so to speak. On top of that, I spent a lot of time with friends, drinking, socializing, and generally having a good time - thanks to them for making my last week in the UK a good'n.
With more or less everything set in order, I left for Japan on Saturday afternoon, arriving in Narita airport on Sunday at 3pm local time after an 11 hour flight. I was lucky enough to be given the emergency seat with almost endless leg room, which made the journey a lot more bearable, even though I barely got any sleep. I was supposed to meet Naoko at 3.30, but due to "unforeseen circumstances" she was an hour late. Nonetheless, I was able to get to my hostel in time to drop off my things and go out for dinner. It was bloody hot, and I didn't struggle to soak my T-shirt despite it being late afternoon. We ate at a nice Japanese restaurant, but due to the long flight and lack of sleep, it felt more like a dream, and I fell asleep instantly when I returned to my hostel. For the next two days, I did a few touristy things with Naoko and some of her friends whom she had met at Sheffield and who had also arrived in Japan a few days earlier than me. We visited "The Great Buddha Kamakura" amongst other sites, and ate some pretty good food. With the "current economic crisis" of today however, the pound has weakened a lot since I was last here, and most activities have become a bit bucksy malone. Nonetheless, I've been able to get by, and I'm sure once I get into the swing of East Asian living, I'll be able to survive on minimal expenses. Hopefully.
I got to my dormitory on Wednesday, and discovered that it ain't really all that bad. It is on-suite complete with a heated Japanese toilet, and shower/bath room. There is a little "stove" thing that allows me to cook if I buy myself a steel pan, and the bed/study area is spacious. I requested to rent bedding, and on the whole it is pretty good, apart from the pillow. I had the same problem in the hostel, as it was the same kind of pillow there. It's about 30x50 centimeters in size (i.e. tiny), and rather than being filled with comfortable down pillows, it has the same hard ball things as a bean-bag. Not only that, but there isn't enough to actually raise my head any higher than the mattress. I've ended up stuffing some of my clothes in the pillow slip as a temporary solution, but will have to go out and buy a decent one at the next possible opportunity. Pillow rant over, there's not really much else to complain about, apart from the dormitory rules. The most annoying being the midnight curfew - something which I failed to adhere to on the very first night (luckily, a Japanese girl also arrived late at the same time as me, and was able to phone her friend to open the door and let us in). With the dormitory not actually being located in Tokyo but the neighboring prefecture of Saitama, it means having to head for home from Tokyo before 11.30. I have been told however, that there are ways around the majority of the stupid rules the place has, which I will no doubt learn during my time here.
I'm not quite sure when classes actually start, but I know I have orientation at the university on Monday morning, and a placement test on Wednesday. Other than that, I think I am free to explore and have a good time. Sorry about the long pictureless entry this time, I haven't yet got my camera out much, but will try to do so more often in order to provide some photographic evidence of my whereabouts for you guys. I'll also try to get another entry done soon, providing I get the chance.
Until then, take care folks.
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Little Ones
It's been a full month since the creation of this blog, and yet I still find myself having not left the miserable gray shores of England (it really has been miserable weather eh?). However, the purpose of this blog was to document all aspects of my travels, not only the Big Ones, but also the build up to them.
With the start of my overseas travels immanent (I leave for Argentina in less than 48 hours) I may as well let you guys know what's cracking.
Firstly, since last week I have been pretty busy sorting out my applications for my Japanese university. The documents ended up coming last Wednesday, but I was unable to sort them out until Sunday (by which time I had already missed one of the deadlines...). I ended up receiving the scholarship which is basically means that I don't pay for accommodation fees (hells!). But the rules for the place are a bit of a joke (12 midnight curfew, and no guests allowed at all?!?!). Following that, I had to go down to London on Monday in order to apply for my visa - a journey I will have to make again tomorrow in order to pick it up, all in all, proving to be a pretty bucksy expenditure. The silver lining is that thanks to my Italian passport, the visa is free (bells!).
Secondly, the reason I was unable to sort out the documents any early was due to a brief Sheffield road trip from Thursday to Saturday which involved Bruno (referee!), alcohol (hmmm) and poker winnings (radstock). Aside from being viciously attacked on the first day, it was a pretty rad trip, and was reassuring to see that the house was still standing (good job Josephine!).
On another note, I received my results from my second year a little while ago, and it was fair to say that I'm still going strong, apart from a slight blip in Japanese which will hopefully be corrected over the following year.
So that's pretty much it for now, I've been filling up the spare time trying to improve at racket sports, acquiring a taste for wine, and having the occasional pot noodle. ;)
Oh well, the next time you hear from me I should be well into my travels, searching for "Los Grandes" in Buenos Aires.
Inabizzle fo shizzle ma nizzle dizzle.
With the start of my overseas travels immanent (I leave for Argentina in less than 48 hours) I may as well let you guys know what's cracking.
Firstly, since last week I have been pretty busy sorting out my applications for my Japanese university. The documents ended up coming last Wednesday, but I was unable to sort them out until Sunday (by which time I had already missed one of the deadlines...). I ended up receiving the scholarship which is basically means that I don't pay for accommodation fees (hells!). But the rules for the place are a bit of a joke (12 midnight curfew, and no guests allowed at all?!?!). Following that, I had to go down to London on Monday in order to apply for my visa - a journey I will have to make again tomorrow in order to pick it up, all in all, proving to be a pretty bucksy expenditure. The silver lining is that thanks to my Italian passport, the visa is free (bells!).
Secondly, the reason I was unable to sort out the documents any early was due to a brief Sheffield road trip from Thursday to Saturday which involved Bruno (referee!), alcohol (hmmm) and poker winnings (radstock). Aside from being viciously attacked on the first day, it was a pretty rad trip, and was reassuring to see that the house was still standing (good job Josephine!).
On another note, I received my results from my second year a little while ago, and it was fair to say that I'm still going strong, apart from a slight blip in Japanese which will hopefully be corrected over the following year.
So that's pretty much it for now, I've been filling up the spare time trying to improve at racket sports, acquiring a taste for wine, and having the occasional pot noodle. ;)
Oh well, the next time you hear from me I should be well into my travels, searching for "Los Grandes" in Buenos Aires.
Inabizzle fo shizzle ma nizzle dizzle.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Big Ones?
I've been mulling over how to start this blog for some time now, and just because I have finally put pen to paper (or rather finger to keyboard), it is no indicator that I have come up with the perfect beginning. However, like any good book, film, or adventure, there has to be a beginning, and so I decided to press on and get something down.
As we go through life, occasionally we have an experience which seems to stand out from the rest of our mundane day to day lives. These are what I have come to call the "Big Ones", and they can be anything from having an epic holiday with your mates, to simply hearing a bit of a rad tune on the radio. The Big Ones are what make life worth living, and provide the excitement in an otherwise ordinary day.
"So why the blog?" I hear you ask. Well, I'm about to embark on a bit of an epic mission to hunt out the Big Ones in as many far reaching places as I can get to, and I want to bring as many people along for the ride as possible. Granted, I'm going to be the one really "living the dream", while you guys are made to watch from the sidelines, but you'll all be there in spirit and together we can share in what the world has to offer.
Being a second year Japanese and Spanish student, I'll be off to Japan for a year starting in September. This presents an amazing opportunity to find new and interesting Big Ones in the Land of the Rising Sun. On top of that, I'll be heading in the opposite direction in July, spending a month in Argentina chilling with the family and searching out those well known Latin Big Ones (known locally as "Los Grandes").
So I hope you'll stick around and make yourself comfortable. Suffice to say, there are plenty of Big Ones to come.
Hells.
As we go through life, occasionally we have an experience which seems to stand out from the rest of our mundane day to day lives. These are what I have come to call the "Big Ones", and they can be anything from having an epic holiday with your mates, to simply hearing a bit of a rad tune on the radio. The Big Ones are what make life worth living, and provide the excitement in an otherwise ordinary day.
"So why the blog?" I hear you ask. Well, I'm about to embark on a bit of an epic mission to hunt out the Big Ones in as many far reaching places as I can get to, and I want to bring as many people along for the ride as possible. Granted, I'm going to be the one really "living the dream", while you guys are made to watch from the sidelines, but you'll all be there in spirit and together we can share in what the world has to offer.
Being a second year Japanese and Spanish student, I'll be off to Japan for a year starting in September. This presents an amazing opportunity to find new and interesting Big Ones in the Land of the Rising Sun. On top of that, I'll be heading in the opposite direction in July, spending a month in Argentina chilling with the family and searching out those well known Latin Big Ones (known locally as "Los Grandes").
So I hope you'll stick around and make yourself comfortable. Suffice to say, there are plenty of Big Ones to come.
Hells.
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