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Book Review..The Story of French
2008-06-23 06:13:00
The Story of French . Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow.St Martin's Griffin.2006.450 pages and appendices.This book is divided into four parts.It attempts to trace the origin,spread,adaptation and changes of the French language.And pretty much succeeds in doing that.I found the chapters on the spread of the language to Africa and North America very interesting.There are also some thought provoking remarks on the rise of cultural diplomacy and soft power in later chapters dealing with the language adapting to post 1945 conditions."Of course like religion and ideology,language can contribute to(or detract from) a country's influence in traditional spheres such as diplomacy.Japan is the world's second economic power,yet its language (like its religion) has little influence,making Japan's overall influence in the world weaker."pgs 285,286.The book contains a lot of facts and figures and information I'd never given much thought to or even heard of.Case in point is an organisation k...
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Friday Flash..A Few More Tram and Subway Museum Photos
2008-06-19 19:56:00
Just a few more shots from the Nagoya Tram and Subway Museum I recently visited.The first shows a bogie and wheels.The second picture shows the model train layout as described in my last post.Prominent buildings in Nagoya are featured such as the JR Central Towers and the TV Tower amongst others.The final photo shows a small model of one of the vehicles that is on display in the Museum.
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Nagoya Tram and Subway Museum
2008-06-16 04:13:00
I visited the Nagoya Tram and Subway Museum earlier in the week.Its near Akaike subway station on the Tsuramai Line.Theres a wall map at the station.The museum is basically a block behind the station.Turn right as you leave Exit 2.Walk straight down the hill.At the end of the street turn right and head towards the traffic lights and Route 153.At the intersection cross the road and turn right.You should be heading up the hill on Route 153.Theres a big sign indicating the museum over the traffic lanes.There are four old tram and subway cars on display in the Museum.In the middle of the display hall there are a number of computer and interactive displays which proved popular with the noisy throngs of kids present.Another drawcard was the large model railway based loosely on Nagoya.There were model buildings of JR Central Towers and Nagoya TV Tower around which model shinkansen trains circled endlessly.With their noses and fingers pressed firmly against the display glass an employee wa...

Tropical Cake
2008-06-16 04:01:00
I thought this would be a cherry flavoured slice of sponge cake judging from the colour.How wrong I was.Its not in fact sponge cake at all.More of a jelly or custard.Hidden inside is the best part of a whole mango.Very sweet and juicy.Slices of mango decorate the top along with slivers of chocolate and a solitary strawberry.
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Friday Flash..Haagen Dazs Sorbets
2008-06-12 19:15:00
I saw these new additions to the Haagen Dazs ice cream range in a local convenience store during the week.According to my battered Oxford Dictionary "sorbet" is defined as "a water ice".The Wild Apple Sorbet certainly meets that definition being crisp,light and watery.My spoon easily cut through the thin texture.Upon pulling back the plastic cover,one is greeted with a fragrant apple smell which lingered even after the contents had been eaten.Its hard to describe the wild apple taste.A little tart and a little sweet at the same time.Not all bitter like a Granny Smith apple nor wholly sweet.Worth a second look for its refreshing light taste.The contents of the Alphonso Mango Sorbet is thicker than that of the Wild Apple Sorbet and didnt yield as easily to my spoon.More like ice cream than a sorbet.I found the vivid orange yellowy colour also detracted from my enjoyment.As for the flavour it was certainly mango.It goes without saying whether you like the sorbet depends on how well you...
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Irises in Tsuramai Park
2008-06-09 10:10:00
Away from the noise and bustle of Tsuramai Station and behind the band rotunda one can find some iris beds.Somewhat sunken,sheltered and shaded by surrounding trees the flowers are at their best at the moment. While the majority of blooms are various shades of white,blue and purple,one of the smaller beds contains some yellow flowers.I have no idea who the woman on the bench is in the photo but she did pose obligingly.Despite the fact it was fairly early in the morning,round 9am,the flowers seemed to be a magnet for defecating dogs,careening cyclists,who sped through the area apparently oblivious to those on foot and old men carting their cameras,tripods and photo equipment.I was somewhat amused to see one elderly gentleman using what appeared to be a light meter before positioning his tripod and camera.I dont know if theres a photographic equivalent to penis envy but I was impressed by some of the equipment that was being used.Large and small zoom lenses and bulky bags filled with ...
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A Few More Local House Photos.
2008-06-09 09:47:00
A couple of other homes that caught my eye while I wandered around last week.You have to remember that they arent in the middle of nowhere in rural Japan.Both are a five minute walk from a newly built Meitetsu rail station in a built up area.This is the side view of a rambling wooden house.Again you can see the exposed earthen interior walls.I like the fact that despite its unkempt condition there is still a satellite dish and air conditioner unit which appears to be working.
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Friday Flash..Rainy Season Flowers
2008-06-06 02:04:00
Tsuyu or the month long summer rainy season begun earlier in the week according to weather officals.Hydrangeas and irises in particular seem to thrive at this time of year and make the most of the abundant moisture available.The two photos above were taken at Tsuramai Park near where I live in Nagoya.There are a number of sunken iris beds in Tsuramai Park planted with a variety of irises.Leading up to the irises beds,paths are flanked with hydrangea bushes flush with blooming heads in stark contrast to the gloomy grey skies overhead.
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Photos of a local Neighbourhood.
2008-06-02 08:41:00
Ive been working the last couple of weeks at a new school.About fifteen minutes from the main business area of Nagoya.Its serves as a dormitory suburb for the masses of black suited workers who daily invade and retreat from the city.Its pretty indistinguishable from and typical of other sprawling housing areas.The housing is a mix of older small detached houses and newly built multi-storied apartment buildings.Theres a mixture of old style lean to constructions and modern designed units sitting cheek by jowl.All random and unplannned.Huge towerblocks casting their five o'clock shadows on their frail,smaller neighbours.The older house above still seems to be lived in.Im not sure that its habitable given the holes in the walls and the general state of disrepair.It appears to be built in a traditional manner.Wooden and hardened earth or clay.Many of the older houses have heavy ceramic tiles on their roofs. There are many narrow lanes and walkways through the area.I imagine given the l...
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Friday Flash...Brazilian BonBons
2008-05-30 02:56:00
It never ceases to amaze me the variety of imported foods one can find here.Case in point these Brazilian sweets in the photo above.During the week I read somewhere that Japan was the world's largest food importer and is reliant on five countries including the U.S,China and Australia for more than 70% of its farm imports.I also found interesting that on one hand Japans "food mileage"(ie the amount of food transported times the transport distance) is about 5 times that of Britain and 3 times that of South Korea and of the U.S.On the other hand according to a government white paper 19 million tons of food is thrown away each year as waste in Japan.Food for thought..
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Dean and Deluca Strawberry Ice Cream
2008-05-26 02:53:00
There seems no rhythm or reason which stores stock Dean and Deluca ice cream.One would expect to see it in urban central city areas rather than random rural shops.Anyways,the discovery of a new point of sale and flavour just add to the experience.This latest discovery is California Strawberry .While not as disappointing as last weeks pistachio I again felt it was missing something.It looks promising enough after you lift the plastic cover.You are presented with a pinkish mottled rosy surface.I was hoping that there would be some silvers of strawberry included.Unfortunately like last week its more of a pureed mixture.While there is evidence of a strawberry flavour within,its quite subtle.I cant really rate this highly.It didnt have me wishing there was more or entice me to buy another one.
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Access all areas
2008-05-26 02:03:00
An article in The Japan Times May 17th caught my eye.Headlined "English schools target middle-aged,elderly" it outlines various language schools attempts to attract middle aged and elderly students.It appears that the traditional support base of young 20-30 year old company employees has become saturated and some schools are introducing courses for older students.Provision has been made in some organisations to provide textbooks with bigger print and times more convenient for the more mature students to attend classes.All well and good.I just hope these schools have thought about the physical constraints and limits both age and Japanese building design impose on people.School premises should be easily accessible.Not just for aged but also for young children.I can understand that a ground floor,street level space costs more to rent than say ninth floor premises. That stated,a steep set of stairs like those above or a small slow elevator must act as a deterrent to prospective customers.
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Friday Flash..Sicilian Pistachio Ice Cream
2008-05-23 01:52:00
Another Dean and Deluca offering.Unfortunately its not one of their better efforts.On peeling back the plastic cover one is presented with the beige,bland contents.It looks similar to window putty or grout.The label states that the ingredients include pistachio paste.I was expecting some pieces of pistachio nuts embedded in the ice cream but to no avail.It didnt taste nutty.It didnt taste of anything.It reminded me of tofu.I wouldnt recommend sampling it considering there are better alternatives in this range.
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Pretty in Pink
2008-05-19 12:23:00
Crazy week work-wise.The branch school I worked at over the last few weeks closed Thursday.As part of a company realignment those branches located in supermarket malls will be relocated.The new schools will be smaller often having just one instructor and open for fewer days each week.Thursday was very busy with myself and the other instructor working at near full capacity each lesson while the staff toiled away packing and getting ready for the big move.On Friday I started at my new school.Its virtually in the completely opposite direction to the one I was working at the day before.On the plus side it is some 10 minutes closer to home though some 30 yen more expensive each fare.There were no lessons scheduled that day.I welcomed the break after the busy week and I used the time to set up and organise texts and files in preparation for the next day. The new school features larger cubicles better able to accomodate five student classes.It also has these flashy pink panels or room di...
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The Great War for Civilisation...Book Review
2008-05-19 09:37:00
The Great War for Civilisation Robert Fisk.2005.Harper Perennial.1286 pages. Biblography.Notes.Index.This hefty paperback covers the author's 30 or so years covering Middle East affairs.He writes of places such as Afghanistan,Algeria,Iraq,Iran,Israel and Syria and figures such as King Hussein,Arafat,Blair,Bush and Bin Laden among others.It is also part autobiographical as he writes of his upbringing and his parents.While noting firstly,that I lack the necessary historical background,first hand knowledge and experience to authoritatively question his views and secondly,this blog is hardly the place to debate weighty matters of state,some things are worth mentioning.Fisk has strong views on the role of journalists and their freedom to report and criticise as they see fit."Our job is to record,to point the finger when we can,to challenge those centres of power..."pg1280.He doesnt seem a big fan of embedded journalism and decries the practice of "hotel journalism"pg 1239.He's also cri...
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Friday Flash..Some Local Photos
2008-05-16 02:31:00
Been a busy week.One of the schools Ive been working at closed this week.As part of the company restructuring plan schools currently in supermarket chains will be relocated to other premises.Cheaper and smaller.While it appears there are more schools and chances to have lessons it is problematic as most will only have one instructor and arent open seven days a week.It seems pretty pointless to give students the ability to book their teachers over the internet if theres only one or two available.Im starting at a new location today which will be my new home school.Have to wait and see how it pans out. Just a quick note that Ive added a "Frequent Feature" section on the page.Just click on the relevant button.The labels are fairly general,for example,the Japanese food section contains a mixture of past bento,cake and confectionery shots.Finally I must give credit for the two photos in todays section to my mate Peter.Cheers.
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Book Review..The Gum Thief
2008-05-12 01:15:00
The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland.2007.Bloomsbury.275pages.While I enjoyed some of the images,reflections and wordplay I dont think this is one of the authors better efforts.It seems he's just tinkered with his original successful style.Changed the setting from a modern cutting edge workplace to a more mundane stationery and office supply superstore.Increased the ages of some of his characters.The storyline revolves loosely around the notebook diary entries of a middle-aged employee and his younger female co-worker.Its a pretty loose conceit because both the male characters ex-wife and the female co-workers mum also get in on the act and have their own entries and written accounts.The novel felt lighter and less well constructed than some of his earlier works.As proof I offer the "Mr Rant" character to support my claim.He appears to be nothing more than a series of one-liners.A stand up comedian.Admittedly pretty funny ones.But still is it possible for one individual to hold views...
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Friday Flash...Bento
2008-05-09 01:33:00
A more expensive bento from a chain of lunchbox shops in a local supermarket.Top left are a couple of potato croquettes.Below the croquettes are two slices of meat atop small helpings of potato salad.Bottom right are three chicken nuggets complete with lump of cream cheese sitting on a bed of lettuce. The original asking price was 780 yen but was reduced later in the day to 680 yen.
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The World Of Monet..Nagoya Boston Museum
2008-05-05 04:08:00
Currently showing at the Nagoya Boston Museum of Fine Arts in Nagoya is an exhibition entitled The World of Claude Monet.There are 25 Monet works on show as well as paintings by some of his contemporaries such as Degas,Renoir and Manet.There is only one of his waterlily paintings on display.Its the last item on the guide and takes centre stage in the final room of paintings.For me,however,the real highlights came earlier.Monet seemed to have a thing about haystacks and painted numerous ones at different times of the day.The example included in this exhibition appeared to light up and illuminate the whole area.Examining the canvas closely,(I could virtually touch the paintings glass with my nosetip as there is a welcome absence of barriers or ropes),it appears to a series of haphazard,indiscriminate daubs and brushstrokes of paint.It is only stepping back from the wall that the whole thing coalesces and you can see the graduations and transition of light which Monet and the other Imp...
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Kodomono No Hi...Childrens Day May 5th
2008-05-05 03:45:00
Kodomono No Hi or Childrens Day is celebrated May 5th each year during the Golden Week break.The national holiday which began as Boys Day in 1948 has changed nominally into Childrens Day though the emphasis remains on celebrating the strength and health of the young male members of families.There is of course a Girls Day,Hinamatsuri,celebrated earlier in the year March 3 but this day,unlike May 5th,lacks the status or recognition of a National Holiday.Traditionally families fly flags of carp shaped banners and also display in their homes a kubuto or samurai style military helmet.Both carp and helmets are symbols of strong and healthy boys.Many department stores have replica sets of samurai armour,swords and helmets ranging in price from 30,000yen to several hundred thousand yen depending on the size and quality of the materials used.The photo above shows a small ceramic helmet while the figure below is holding a carp ornament in his left hand.Both carp and helmets are associated ...

Friday Flash..Subway Pass
2008-05-02 01:51:00
Ive been purchasing these prepaid subway cards known locally as Yurika cards.Available in a range of prices from 1000yen to 5000yen you get an additional 600 yen credit when you purchase the 5000yen card.The cards can be purchased at various subway stations.As Ive been travelling a lot recently and the average one way trip is around 260 yen I seem to be buying a card once every three weeks or so.The station master logo on the cards incorporate one of the golden shachi or gold killer whale statues that grace the top of Nagoya Castle and are a symbol of the city.
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Golden Week 2008
2008-04-28 10:48:00
Golden Week is upon us once again.That week or so of assorted unrelated national public holidays in which many people take the opportunity to take a vacation.Many head overseas.Others back to their hometowns.Others to their local shopping malls.Among the ragbag collection of national holidays celebrated are the Showa Emperors birthday celebrated 29th April,Constitution Day on May 3 and Childrens Day on May 5th.The holiday break is prolonged as Greenery Day usually celebrated on May 4 which falls on a Sunday this year moves to Tuesday May 6th instead.While most people get at least all or some public holidays off I shall be working as normal.This year promises to be even busier than usual as two of the schools I go to will close and possibly relocate mid May and the class capacity of each lesson has expanded.Instead of a maximum of 4 students the maximum number per class is 5 students per lesson.If the last two weeks are anything to go by,I can well imagine teaching 8 full lessons ea...
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Friday Flash...Green Tea and Chocolate Bagels
2008-04-25 02:21:00
These green tea and chocolate bagels are available for purchase at a local department store.They have an unusual appearance,a light green tinge that sets them apart from the run of the mill cheese or poppy seed varieties.As to the taste,they are slightly bitter,given that the green tea flavour is quite strong but this is tempered by the presence of small bits of chocolate in the bagels thick doughy mixture.While I'd recommend trying them Im not so sure I'd go for seconds.
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Pterodactyl Exhibition
2008-04-21 11:10:00
It seemed somewhat apt having celebrated my birthday during the week to waddle down to see this exhibition of fossils and dinosaur bones and skeletons.Currently on display in the Nagoya City Science Museum the exhibition is divided between two rooms in two different buildings.The centrepiece of the whole display was a giant plastic model of a pterodactyl hanging from the ceiling of the main exhibition room.Strung below this model is a skeleton of the real thing.As well as various fossil samples found embedded in stone and earth there were also tv monitors presenting short excerpts of a BBC TV documentary on dinosaurs.While the small number of fossils and skeletons on show were impressive I was less enthused by the way they were displayed.Most of the flying winged examples are just hanging from the ceiling.Im not asking for a full three dimension forest or scene around them but it seemed a little amateurish having them displayed near bare brick walls or black curtains.A simple ca...
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Soya Bean Flour KitKats
2008-04-21 10:42:00
A new flavour of mini pack KitKats appeared on the shelves of a supermarket I visited last week.As my current employer deems it necessary to send me to the four corners of Nagoya City Ive been frequenting some unfamiliar suburbs recently.Its interesting to see how prices vary not only between chains but also individual stores.Ive only seen these mini kitkats available in two or three areas.As to the kitkats themselves the filling is kinako or soya bean flour.Not especially sweet tasting they do seem a bit "floury" and have a thicker consistency compared to other kitkats.Not particularly memorable or provocative enough to try again.
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Friday Flash..Tuna Bento and Green Tea Cake
2008-04-18 00:45:00
Thick slices of tuna sitting on a small finger like portion of rice.The tuna is adorned with mayonnaise and chopped spring onions. A slice of green tea flavoured sponge cake.On the top left is a green tea meringue biscuit which is quite chewy.The biscuit and the dollops of cream sit on a green tea cream like filling.Wedged between the green tea cream layers is a thick green tea flavoured sponge which provides some stability to the whole structure.The green tea flavour is quite smooth and mild compared to other green tea products such as chocolate that Ive tasted.
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Why the Long Face? Modigliani Retrospective
2008-04-14 11:03:00
The latest exhibition at the Nagoya City Art Museum is entitled Amedeo Modigliani Retrospective .It started April 5th and runs till June 1st.There are some 60 works on show,mainly oil on canvas and pencil sketches.I dont recall seeing any of his sculpture works on display.There were examples of his nude and portrait works selected from various art galleries and museums around the world including pieces from New York and Europe as well as offerings from Japan.Born in Tuscany,Modigliani received his early formal training in Rome influenced by the Renaissance and nineteenth century Italian artists.Moving to Paris in 1906 his work was further influenced by contemporary artists such as Lautrec and Cezanne as well as different genres of art such as sculpture and primitive art from Africa and Egypt.From this melting pot of various art forms,movements and artists,Modigliani seems to have formed his own unique style that looks both back and forwards.Take for example his portraits.Most have di...
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Friday Flash...Delicious Potato
2008-04-11 03:34:00
Another product that was fleetingly on sale over the last two weeks were these potato chips.Just as ephemeral as cherry blossoms they seem to have disappeared almost as quickly from the supermarket shelves.
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Pollen Allergy...A ManMade Plague
2008-04-07 10:12:00
Amid the pink petalled cherry blossoms this week one can see people wearing all manner of masks and googles such as the Hello Kitty ones above to protect themselves against hay fever or kafunsho.Simply defined kafunsho is the allergic reaction to airborne pollen most notably sugi(cedar) and hinoki(cypress) pollen which is prevalent at this time of year.After World War 2 some seven million hectares of cedar and cypress was planted to provide timber for rebuilding.According to Alex Kerr in his book"Dogs and Demons The Fall of Modern Japan".."by 1997 Japan had replanted 43% of all its woodland with a monoculture of coniferous trees,mostly sugi,or Japanese cedar"pg 53.An article in The Japan Times last week quoted a Forest Agency figure of "Almost a fifth of Japans land mass is planted with cedar and cypress trees."The Japan Times Saturday April 5th 2008 p 3.It is these trees which produce the main source of pollen allergy rather than the traditional native broadleaf mix of maple,cherry...

Friday Flash..More Spring Photos
2008-04-04 01:49:00
Another shot from Okazaki Castle showing one of the walking paths in the grounds of the Castle.Another view of the Castle.Unfortunately the Castle and grounds are located in an urban area and the presence of apartment buildings and overhead power cables dont add anything to the atmosphere.A shot of some of the drinks available lately.The labels and colours of the drinks and beverages change to match the foilage and hues of the season.The final shot above shows a bento again sporting spring colours with pink being prominent.
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