Tag: david

Flying Noodles

Not so much to everyone in Canada, but to our friends and neighbours in Japan, I often get asked to explain why we choose to live in Chunan, Kagawa Prefecture. (and don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a choice to come here, rather, it was a choice to remain here.) For those of you back in Canada, it would be like a Japanese family coming from Tokyo, Japanemoticon to up and move to the-middle-of-nowhere, PEI. emoticon(think Milton, but smaller and in PEI.)

 Why!?

Well, for one, my farming. Couldn’t exactly be doing that in Tokyo… and it’s cool. Secondly, flying noodles. nagashi somen is a dish where noodles are placed in a water pipe and fly down the ramp. You have to grab them from this water slide and eat them. Chris Houston and Trevor had the experience when they visited me in Japan in 2002, but I have never been lucky enough to do so… until now.

 here, take a look.

 

Flying Somen   Flying Somen   Flying Somen   Flying Somen   Flying Somen   Flying Somen

What made this experience absolutely fantastic was the hardcorednessemoticon of it all. One of the teachers at one of the elementary schools I go to (who’s house this was held at) went to the forest, cut his own bamboo ramp, smoothed it out, set it up, and then proceeded to make enough glasses and sauce containers for all of us. He apologized for not having enough bamboo left over to make the chopsticks, but suffice it to say it was pretty cool. Everything was homemade, and it was a lot of fun. (That and I was amazing at catching the flying noodles…)

Earthquakes & The Embassy

emoticonEarthquakes

 

That was a crazy earthquake today. It wasn’t particularly strong where we were, but it was long. About 2 minutes exactly. I was actually sitting in a McDonalds reading my book when it started. Nice and gentle, and then slowly getting stronger. Everything was ok at first, no one seemed to notice or care, but after a minute of it not stopping people started to freak out a little. Man, Tokyo is going to sink one of these days. 

Here is a picture of me at the embassy. Yes. Yes, I am aware that I look like an old man. Many people have pointed it out. I like to think it’s just the business clothes… sigh. I don’t suppose anyone has any advice on how to look cool and still buisnessy at the same time? 

daveembassy.JPG 

Recently…

Other than yesterday’s exciting Jet Journal news, here are a few pictures of what we have been up to the past few days.

It has been very hot, and very busy, but our very good friends from California were in Japan, and we got together in Okayama to see them for a few days. Their kids are crazy cute.

One of Kiko’s best friends, Sanae, has some very good news and is up from Tokyo to visit her boyfriends family in Takamatsu. We were really happy to be able to see them (and Kouichi for the first time!)

Finally, a very nice family, the Yamauchis, had Kiko, myself and Greg over for a great BBQ and a magic show. Don’t get me started with the magic show, the kid is amazing. I have some on video and hopefully I will start getting video up on this site.

Anyways, e-mail me and post in the ugly shoutbox already. Don’t say I don’t love you. 

Also, look at the pictures already.

Friends in Japan Picture   Friends in Japan Picture   Friends in Japan Picture   Friends in Japan Picture

Oh yeah… also had a Jamaican cooking class with semi-real Jamaican food and a real Jamaican. It was actually really good. Curry chicken, rice and peas and pepper jelly. nice. I know you’re jealous.

Jamaican cooking picture

 

A few more pictures from Canada

I finally managed to pry a few more pictures off of my cellphone. This is Kiko, Chris, Franz & I celebrating Chris B’s birthday at a very good restaurant: Banzai sushi. I still owe him a present though… (not that seeing me wasn’t present enough mind you…) ps. Franz was kind of enough to treat Kiko and I to dinner. Thank you!! (my brain was not working, and I apologize, but upon reflection I could have used that as an opportunity to give Chris a birthday present and pay for his dinner. d’oh. chris, forgive me!)

 

chrisfranzdavidcanada2005.jpg   davekikojuly2005.jpg

The Sunflower Parade

I thought this post was going to be more exciting… (as you can see we have the first ever baby name poll happening to your right, SO VOTE!) but things have been pretty hectic. emoticon

We are finally getting over our jetlag, and even though my school visits are over until September I am preparing for the arrival of the new JET‘s to Japan as a member of the Tokyo Orientation Committee and the Kagawa Orientation.

This Friday I also have a Jamaican Cooking day in my town. Apparently I am in charge so I am going to try and make something resembling Jamaican cooking. They also are trying to get me to sing some Bob Marley… umm… no.

Other than that, I am reading Harry Potter 6 (yeah!) and am getting ready for a busy summer:

  1. July 30th to August 3rd: Tokyo Orientation (in Tokyo)
  2. August 5th: Kagawa Orientation
  3. August (dunno): Interning at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo (yeah!)
  4. August 25th: Kagawa Orientation #2
  5. Rest of my life: Baby.

My town is known for sunflowers (and frogs, and rice, and being a really small town) and their festival was actually a lot crazier than I thought it would be. Take a look! (click on the picture to go to a gallery.)

2005 Sunflower

Here is a picture of me being a Japanese ninja archer from like 2 years ago. I ran into it on my computer a few days ago. I’m cool. 

I am a Japanese Ninja

Summer in Canada 2005

We are  back in Chunan!!! … and have begun the process to get rid of as much jetlag as possible. We both had a fantastic time back in Canada.

I had a scholarship interview that went fantastic emoticon(I’m gonna need something to do when my contract here ends in 2006/08 or 2007/08.) and we got to see a number of really good friends. That being said, we were completely strapped for time, and for everyone that we were able to see, there were 2 more people we would have loved to but couldn’t. Between my scholarship interview in the first week, my Dad’s operation in the second (he’s ok!) and the fact that we only had 10 days in Canada, we did our best.

For those that we did see: Thank you!!! We had an amazing time. emoticonFor those we didn’t: Next year, February. emoticonWe miss you all, and unfortunately because of the baby, this will be our only trip to Canada back this year. Next year we will be back with Baby Awesome (or whatever he/she is named at the time.)

In the meantime, here are a few sample pictures of what we did while back in Canada, and the full gallery can be seen by clicking here.

Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture   Canada 2005 Picture

Vegetable Update

I bet you were hoping for something exciting… right? Too bad. I’ve been getting a lot of flak about being domesticated. What the hell does that mean? Well if it means "trapped in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by only farmland and rice paddies, having nothing else to do but make sweet sweet vegetables that you are all secertly jealous of" then yes… yes I am domesticated. As soon as I get the update to the website finished, you should see a lot of changes and (in theory) the website should be a lot more fun, and easier for me to update. Cuz’ I’m lazy. The keeners out there would note that the photo albums are being updated fairly regularily (go check them out!) and I have added a stats page and a poll booth. All in preperation for the new design! We also have a ton of news coming (from both Kiko and I) as well as a trip back to Canada this month. So stay tuned… in the meantime, bow down to my potatoes (and my new farming boots!), my tomatoes and my watermelon (which has now sprung to 7 watermelons!!!) (note the HUGE pictures)

our potatoes

 

our potatoes

 

our tomatoes

 

our watermelons