porcelain-monkey

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Tsuramai Park in Autumn
2007-12-17 01:54:00
A brisk walk around Tsuramai Park last Saturday morning revealed some lingering autumn foilage offsetting the grey overcast day.The band rotunda above is used for a variety of concerts during the year.Its surrounded by grass covered mounds and steps for people to sit and relax.Despite this being the season of consumption with a constant barrage of ads to spend and shop till you drop,there are a number of people who wont be making big ticket purchases this year.Easy to ignore and avert ones eyes.But the evidence is there.Shuffling through rubbish bags and crushing cans to be recycled.The bedding under this walkway bridge in the park has been neatly folded and left for the day sheltered from any rain or showers that may occur while the owners are away.A final flurry of colour before the chilly breeze and cooler temperatures curl the fragile dry maple leaves.The tent above differs from the usual blue canvas or plastic structures you can find scattered throughout Tsuramai Park.The numbe...
More About: Autumn

Friday Flash..More Bentos
2007-12-14 09:02:00
I spent the best part of Friday morning at the local city tax office trying to explain that I havent received a full salary since August and wont be getting another till mid January.Yet I still found myself having to pay a late penalty despite my pleading for some kind of waiver or compassion.Anyway to cheer myself up I visited the basement of Mitsukoshi Department Store in Sakae,Central Nagoya. The bowels of the Mitsukoshi Building(which may not be the most apt adjective) contain a huge food court.Fresh produce and vegetable stalls are jammed up against other small counters serving a virtual myriad of foods and sweets.Not only can you see fresh bentos being made up as you watch,dazzled by the rainbow of colours and ingredients on display but one can also purchase many different types of confectionery such as cakes,cream rolls,pastry,traditional sweets...the list is endless The bento above contains all sorts of beans and things to nibble on.Theres a small portion of hamburger meat...
More About: Flash , Bento

Tokugawaen Garden in Autumn
2007-12-10 14:32:00
I travelled again last Friday to Tokugawaen Garde n in Nagoya to take in the autumn colours.Ive blogged about the Garden recently but wanted to return after hearing that it was a nice spot in autumn.I wasnt disappointed by what I saw as I walked around.Unfortunately my camera doesnt do justice to the late fall foilage.Brilliant reds and yellows almost iridescent in hue.No need for Photoshop or any other computer software to "big up" or amplify the colours on display.The varied colours of the maples stood out among the darker green leaved pines near the lake and were reflected and repeated in the waters by the passing koi on the look out for any water borne insects within their range.It was a pleasant way to spend a few spare hours reflecting on the past week at work.Things are getting more organised and the number of students is increasing.Consequently Im also teaching more lessons per day and slowly getting back into the rhythmn and timing of classes.While it still doesnt feel like...
More About: Autumn , Arden

Seasonal KitKat MiniPacks..Strawberry,White Maple KitKats
2007-12-10 01:44:00
This pack contains 15 mini kitkats and is obvivously aimed for the Christmas season.Once you open the wrapper you are greeted with a strong strawberry scent which doesnt smell totally natural.That said the brown chocolate on the outside and the smooth strawberry creme inside combine nicely. The white maple minipack are another limited seasonal addition to the KitKat range.I spotted them among the Christmas confectionery shelves last week.The name of these kitkats,"white maple" describes their taste and appearance exactly.In appearance,the smooth white chocolate exterior contrasts nicely with the crumbly texture of the biscuit and maple creme interior.To be honest,I found them a bit too sickly sweet.The novelty of the maple flavour soon wore off as it overpowered the white chocolate.A case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts.
More About: Strawberry , White , Seasonal , Maple

Friday Flash..Some recent Bentos Ive eaten..
2007-12-07 09:46:00
Having enjoyed the recently rare pleasure of actually being paid for my labours I expanded my spartan diet to include the bentos or Japanese lunchboxes Ive photographed below.The first bento has a mixture of rice and various meat servings including a small saveloy or red hotdog together with a less than tradtional dollop of mustard and tomato sauce.This second more traditional bento below illustrates what for me are important factors when considering bentos...the colour and presentation.It is very attractive with a variety of autumnal colours.The egg yellow omelette(top left),compliments the orange pumpkin in the mid foreground while being separated by the diagonally arranged rice servings.There are also a variety of tastes and textures included in this offering.Crunchy carrots.Fibrous mushrooms.Smooth tofu.Pickled ginger.While this third and last bento is less visually compelling than the vegetarian offering above it still contains assorted tastes and different servings.Top left th...
More About: Flash , Friday , Recent , Some

I Smell Winter
2007-12-03 03:46:00
I shot this autumn scene down a narrow lane in Osu Kannon on a bright,sunny Saturday afternoon.Today,though it feels like winter as this morning opens with driving rain, dark skies and cool temperatures.Workwise things are gearing up with more students booking lessons plus we got paid on Friday.Not a full months salary but enough to keep the wolf from the door.
More About: Winter , Smell

Book Review..I am a Cat
2007-12-03 01:00:00
I am a Cat.Soseki Natsume.Tuttle Publishing.2002.Translated by aiko Ito and Graeme Wilson.Introduction and 638pages.This novel started out as a short story and gradually grew by installments into the three volume publication I recently read.In a nutshell its a collection of observations of a cat living in an upper middle class household in Meiji era Japan.This was a period of social change and economic growth as well as a time of conflict with the Russo-Sino War in the background.As the book develops the cats descriptions of human foibles extend to cover not only the society and times it lives in to more general human attributes found in all societies.Soseki's writing and description of the teachers household where the cat lived reminded me at times of P.G Wodehouse's domestic farces with characters similiar to Bertie Wooster and his Aunt coming to mind.Theres a very funny breakfast scene laid out from page 494 in which the father is oblivious to the chaos and mayhem of his daught...
More About: Book Review , Review , Book

Friday Flash..Nana Chan
2007-11-30 10:26:00
This six metre or so tall mannequin stands outside the Meitestsu Department store near Nagoya Station.Here she is sporting a seasonal Christmas outfit.She seems to have a large wardrobe of clothes.In summer she wore a pink bikini and recently she was clad in the Chunichi Dragons baseball strip when the team won the Japan Series for the first time in about fifty years.Apparently Nana chan is the largest doll-like figure in Japan and first appeared in 1973 to mark the anniversary of the Meitestu Department store opening.
More About: Flash , Friday , Chan

Christmas Illuminations
2007-11-26 02:14:00
Around this time of year the streets are ablaze with Christmas lights or what are locally known as "Christmas Illuminations".The Santa Claus decoration above is postioned beside an intersection in central Nagoya.The largest concentration of lights and decorations however can be found at Nagoya Station.On the wall above the main entrance to Nagoya Station a huge illuminated castle draws crowds of camera bearing people eager to pose under the display.As you approach Nagoya Station from Sakae and walk up the steps there is what can best be described as a lit garden display.In this area there are illuminated arches to walk through and various illuminated animals such as bears and penguins as well as the requisite Christmas trees.All bedecked in red,green and white lights.
More About: Mina , Lumi

Friday Flash..Paper Mache Lizard
2007-11-23 11:40:00
I finally got round to finishing this small gecko/lizard paper mache creation over the last few weeks.It had been lying around in a semi-completed state for about six months.Its only in the last month or so while being "unemployed" or "on standby"I have had the oppurtunity to add a few more layers of paper mache to it as well as paint and varnish it.From the tip of its nose to its tail it measures around 25 centimeters in length.The black and silver paint and varnish sheen is quite deceptive.One of my friends thought it was metal rather than paper and glue.
More About: Flash , Friday , Paper , Lizard , Mach

Clinging to the Wreckage
2007-11-19 03:34:00
Well I finally got rung last Thursday night by a G.Com rep around 10:45pm.I was asked to go to a school last Friday which was across from G.Coms headquarters in Nagoya.There were about 20 or so instructors who turned up.So far so good.Lots of bits of paper and information flying around.There are plans to open 30 or so schools shortly.It will be interesting to see how the Nova and EC school systems are intergrated both in terms of resources and management styles.Today Im off to a school in central Nagoya only ten minutes from my apartment which cuts down travelling costs and time.
More About: Wreckage , Wreck

Autumn in Shirotori Garden
2007-11-19 02:35:00
I bicycled down to Shirotori Garde n yesterday,buffeted by strong northerly winds which apparently herald the onset of winter.Suitably clad in coats and scarves,many people were taking the opportunity to stretch their legs and observe the autumn foilage.
More About: Autumn , Arden

Friday Flash..Apple KitKats
2007-11-16 12:49:00
This small KitKat box contains two apple flavoured KitKats.On opening each KitKat wrapper you are greeted with a sweet apple scent.The creamy apple flavouring and biscuit are surrounded by thick dark brown chocolate.Im not sure that eating one of these apple KitKats is "a moment of precious indulgence" as written on the box front but nonetheless its a pleasant enough treat.
More About: Apple , Flash , Friday

Haagen Dazs Kokuto and Kuromitsu
2007-11-12 13:17:00
This new flavour has a distinctive bitter coffee/burnt caramel taste.Kokuto translates as brown sugar while kuromitsu translates roughly as sugar syrup or treacle depending where you google.It seems that both kokuto and kuromitsu originally come from Okinawa where the main sugar cane fields are found in Japan.

Hanging on the Telephone....
2007-11-12 12:50:00
G Communications Co,the offically annointed sponsor of Nova held meetings in Tokyo,Osaka and 23 other locations on Saturday.I attended one in Nagoya.Along with multitudes of other hopefuls I sat crouched in a corridor while the three and a half hour meeting unfolded on a small TV linked to Tokyo.There wasnt much information given out that was specific or even new.The meeting was prolonged due to the need for translation both Japanese and English.The government official translating the legal documents merely referred to the page numbers and different sections as if those present couldnt read that for themselves.Not particularly useful or encouraging.Anyway,it was confirmed that G Comm would take on those who wanted a job.An official from G Comm,which is based in Nagoya stated it planned to open 30 branches by the end of the month.Eventually its planned to open 200 schools in total.Umm 30 branches and 4,000 odd Nova instructors.Oh and they would still pay wages even if there wasnt a b...
More About: Telephone

Friday Flash..Mild Bitter Kit Kats
2007-11-09 09:38:00
In between applying for jobs,trying to keep up with the continuing Nova saga and attending meetings I spied these Mild Bitter KitKats on the shelves of my local convenience store.My first thought was...WHY? Mild bitter...KitKats for the indecisive?After sampling a couple of bars(there are 6 in this pack) I thought they still tasted rather sweet so Im not sure who they would appeal too.What next sweet and sour kitkats?
More About: Flash , Friday

Stand by at Home
2007-11-05 12:22:00
The receivers or now as they are termed "interim trustees" of Nova Corp announced on the company website today they were approached by around ten companies in their quest to find a sponsor company.After screening these companies the interim trustees in their words"would like to determine the sponsor by Thursday this week November 8th".Later they ask that"you wait at home until November 8th".Thats all well and good but every day that goes by ones savings decrease.Ive been applying for various jobs in schools and ALT(assistant language teacher) positions in Nagoya and further afield even China.My lack of Japanese is a considerable hindrance and rules me out of many jobs.If Im here in a months time I'll make a serious attempt to upskill.Trying to stretch and eke out my savings Ive been buying a few packets of moyashi(bean sprouts) each week.At twenty yen a bag they represent good value and can be eaten fresh in a salad or sandwich or stir-fried with other vegetables.
More About: Home , Stand

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2007
2007-11-05 03:07:00
The Foreign Artists Exhibit ion finished last night having been held at the International Centre in Nagoya.It was the twenty second exhibition.There were around fifty two artists exhibiting from seventeen different countries.Some of the exhibits that caught my eye are below.The first is a painting by Glen Spencer.This paper mache character was created by Marcio Minoru Ueno.Apparently he assembled it on site with just a couple of Japanese newspapers and glue in a matter of hours.Finally a ceramic tile carving by Rezeq Boshnaq.
More About: Reign

Friday Flash...Its Been One Week Since..
2007-11-02 09:11:00
Its been one week since Nova Corp sought court protection from its creditors.One week in which it was announced schools would be closed indefinitely.One week in which Japanese staff and foreign instructors were told via the company website to stand by.One week during which the government appointed receiver has been trying to find a sponsor company to operate Nova.One week in which Ive been spending my time trying to decide what to do next.One week when Ive applied for countless jobs both in Japan and overseas including China.One week in which Ive divided my time between trying to get to grips with the whole situation regarding employment,resignation,certicates of job separation and unemployment benefits and sitting in at the Foreign Artists Exhibition that runs this week.Hopefully the situation will become clearer on Monday 5th November when the receiver will apparently make some sort of announcement regarding the company.
More About: Flash , Friday , Week

Foreign Artists Exhibition 2007
2007-10-29 15:57:00
As noted in my last post the Foreign Artists Exhibit ion in Nagoya has provided a welcome distraction from "the dark clouds" of my current employment situation.In fact being told "to wait at home and stand by" until next Monday enables me to attend more frequently.The exhibition opens on Tuesday October 30th and ends November 4th.It runs 10am-7pm each day and 10am-5pm on the 4th.As usual it will be held in on the fourth floor of the Nagoya International Centre.My contribution this year is again based on paper mache.The three cigarette packets are constructed from a chicken wire frame over which paper mache has been layered and built up.Cigarettes and smoking are still very prevalent in Japan.My next door neigbour is a hard smoking salaryman.Banging shut his balcony door loudly each time he steps out on to his balcony like clockwork at 11pm and 1 am each night and again at 7am each morning clouds of smoke drift into my apartment.Paying no heed to the weather and lacking any considerat...
More About: Reign

Friday Flash...The Rabbit Bites The Dust
2007-10-26 16:34:00
"As a manager my heart is torn by grief about the fact that everyones salaries have been delayed and you are all working right up to the edge of this situation".(Text from one of the faxes from the former CEO Nova Group).So I wake up late this morning after a stressful,surreal week at work to a rainy Friday 26 October 2007.An email on my cellphone alerts me to the fact my company has closed its doors.In a late Thursday night meeting the former President was reportedly replaced and the company filed for bankruptcy and protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.An estimated 43.9 billion yen in debts.Branches closed indefinitely.The government appointed receiver spoke of a month or so trying to find a new sponsor.A month.Another month without a salary payment.Trying to juggle finances.Just how long can one survive on a diet of beansprouts?A visit to Hello Work yes Hello Work is the local Employment Agency yielded little joy either.It could take up to a month for...
More About: Flash , Bite

A Jacket with Attitude
2007-10-22 01:37:00
Im often amazed by the number of clothes I see bearing various obscenities,four letter words and objectionable language.The jacket above isnt the worst Ive seen but its easily one of the more eyecatching.Im still wondering why it was created and who would buy it.Obvivously theres a market for such apparel as I found it in a used clothing store.The price tag stated 18,000yen so heavens know what it cost brand new.
More About: Jacket , Attitude

Autumn Japlish
2007-10-22 01:31:00
Another example of Japlish seen in one of the Osu Kannon shopping malls recently.It reads "We reply the goods you want".
More About: Autumn

Osu Kannon Street Performers Festival
2007-10-22 01:03:00
Over the last weekend Osu Kannon hosted its annual Street Perform er s Festival .About 40 odd groups and individual street performers and artists showed off their talents in various parts of Osu on Saturday and Sunday.Traditional drum teams,dance groups,jugglers,pantomime and mime artists went through their paces before the shopping masses.As well as the traditional buskers below,more modern fare such as the koala castle above caters for younger children.
More About: Anno

Friday Flash...Flying Pigs
2007-10-19 15:49:00
Well Friday 19th October has almost gone.Payday minus four.Still no sign of the salary that was delayed from Monday 15th.And this despite the fact that the fax sent on Monday stated "Instructors are now scheduled to be paid on Friday October 19th.Apparently it will now magically appear on October 31st.Trick or treat?Probably the latter.I'm not holding out much hope of getting it.As for the photo above the pigs first appeared in the Foreign Artists Exhibition 2005.Given my current employment situation I felt it time to dust them off and hang them up at work.Seemed appropriate.
More About: Flash , Flying , Pigs

Caramel KitKats
2007-10-15 16:00:00
Another addition to the Limited Edition KitKat range.Obvivously marketed for the upcoming Halloween season it comes in an orange wrapper adorned with a pumpkin.As well as having a carmel flavour theres a definite coconut taste evident as well.I deeply regret to inform..As predicted on Friday a fax arrived later that Friday after work (conveniently enough) informing instructors that salaries wont be paid on Monday October 15th.To quote from the fax"Instructors are now scheduled to be paid on Friday October 19th".Im not holding my breath.Speculation suggests that pay day may be further postponed until October 25th.My thoughts are with the new instructors still to get their first pay after six weeks and the Japanese staff still waiting for their pay and summer bonuses.So much for the dark clouds being cast aside...
More About: Caramel

Friday Flash...Paper Cuts
2007-10-12 13:10:00
I'm due to be paid on Monday.Possibly.Or there may be a late fax asking for our forebearance.Again.Possibly.However there may be no fax and my salary will magically appear in my bank account.Possibly not.There may be no fax and no salary.Possibly yes.Of course the signs had been there for a long time.Too rapid growth.A move away from locations near railway stations to more suburban expensively rented space in shopping malls.The adoption of a hastily put together cut and paste error ridden textbook series that has plagiarised and pillaged other textbooks.The cutting back of office budgets leading to a shortage of basic stationery items such as whiteboard markers and photocopying paper to the point where both office staff and instructors regularly pay for supplies out of their own pockets to cover the shortfall. Ive stopped trying to work out the machinations of big business,share splits and warrants.Ive stopped reading the sites that pour forth bitter invective,scorn and idle basele...
More About: Flash , Friday , Paper , Cuts

Anko KitKats
2007-10-08 02:30:00
Another Limited Edition seasonal KitKat offering graced the shelves this week.Anko flavoured KitKats .Anko is red azuki bean paste.Azuki beans grown throughout Asia are small red beans though white,black and other varieties exist.To make anko azuki beans are boiled,mashed and sweetened with sugar or honey.There are apparently two types of anko.The first is a smooth paste in which the beans are mashed and strained using cheesecloth or similiar material.Alternatively a sieve can also be used.Straining or sieving removes the husks and broken bits of beans from the paste giving it a regular consistent texture.The second type of anko paste is unstrained so retains the broken bean bits and husks giving it a rougher,irregular texture.In Japanese a number of terms are used for red bean paste including an,anko and ogura.Locally,ogura toast which is red bean paste on buttered toast is a well known and popular item on Nagoyan kissatens(coffee shops) breakfast menus.As for the anko kitkats above...

Bretagne Caramel Walnut Ice Cream
2007-10-08 02:16:00
I recently sampled this offering from Dean and Deluca`s Super Premium Ice Cream range.It has a sweet caramel toffee taste.Embedded in the thick,smooth ice cream are pieces of walnut which made for an interesting mix of textures and tastes.The only thing that puts me off eating it more often is the price. At 280 yen it really can be classed as a treat and luxury item for me.
More About: Walnut , Caramel

Friday Flash..Noisette Chocolat
2007-10-05 13:15:00
Noisette ice cream? Curious name.Given my carnivorous upbringing in New Zealand Ive always associated noisettes with meat such as lamb.Delicate small round boneless slices of baby sheep with a garnish of rosemary or a sprig of fresh mint atop.A quick google suggests that as well as being a portion of meat noisette can also refer to either 1...something made from hazelnuts such as beurre noisette or hazelnut butter or 2.a chocolate made from hazelnuts.Obviously this latest seasonal offering from Haagen Daz is chocolate hazelnut flavoured ice cream.Its very light and seems to melt faster than say the classic chocolate which is of a thicker consistency and heavier taste.Its ok as far as flavors go but I wouldnt go out of my way to hunt another tub down during the limited time its available.
More About: Flash , Friday , Chocolat , Choco