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| Monday, 15-Aug-2005 00:00 |
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New updates... and what's up?
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Hi there, remember me?
Sorry for the lack of updates for the past six months or so... the problem was that fotopages.com did some updating of their site and changed a few account option... and for some reason, I was unable to upload (on the university cable connection), any higher then 2 k/sec ... needless to say, I gave up for a while. Well, the web site seems to be working today, so, up go the last of the photos!
So, what will I do with this site now? It is no longer "Mark's life in Japan"... I have been back in Australia for a while now, trying to finish this thesis and finish my university life.  I havn't taken many photos of my life in Australia, because, being my home country, by definition, I find it a bit boring. But, I know many of you are interested in the "aussie life", so, I'll see if I can charge up the rechargeable batteries soon and find the old XD card for the camera... 
My future? Well, at the moment, I am (trying to), study Korean (hangul). After spending about 5 years to be able to read a Japanese newspaper, I am finding the task of learning to read/write the hungul script laughable. Honest! So, I'm thinking that I am not entery the JET program like many people told me, I might enter the Korean version of JET (ELPK), and go to CheJu island where a good, good friend on mine lives. It's only about 200 kms due west of Kumamoto actually... Well, I'm still thinking about it. First of all, I need more money.
Mean while, here are some photos from my trip in Japan in 2001 when I was a guest of Monbusho, the Japanese Education Department. The girl on the tram is Mari, my guide on the trip whom I had a crush on. (Marichan, ima, doko ni sunderuno?)
Ja, kondo ne! 
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| Tuesday, 22-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Leaving Japan... forever???
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Well, this was my last day in Japan... after being slugged $400US for excess baggage  I finally got my camera out...
I flew Fukuoka - Bangkok (8 hours transit) - Melbourne, Australia (my hometown) on Thai Air. We took off from Fukuoka heading south and turned out to the south west over Kyushu, so, as a final act of irony, I got to see my dear Japanese furusato from the air, one more time. Southwest of Kyushu, we overfew a volcano, but, I'm not sure which one it was. (Kikai? Nakano shima??)
Oh, the pictures of food I took were for airlinemeals.net; the photos and menu explanation (under the username "Zanadou"), is here: http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/ThaiAirways200260.htm
 
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| Saturday, 19-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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The Final Party... for now
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Well, I was leaving Japan soon after... so, we had our final party for the students (including me).
It was a mad, crazy night. We started at a restaurant where we had some Korean style Kimchi (not "ki-mu-chi" as the Japanese call it), nabe and then moved on to a disco... with, oh, such peeeety UV blacklights. Needless to say, I was ripped for most of the night; thus explaining the (more then usual), shaky-blurry shots.
(btw, if you want to know what those girls do on "the menu"... I've been told you to find out here: http://www.dt-k.net . But, honestly, I have not idea bout such things...  )
The final shot is a bonus for all you "Mark's photo page" fans out there (I know who you are); it's a photo of your's truly. Kanpai!
 
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| Thursday, 17-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Sa(-piyapiyo-)chiyo pub crawl...
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For my last days in Japan, Sachiyo (a.k.a. Sapiyopiyo the super pop space girl, below), and her friends took me out on the town... 
 
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| Monday, 14-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Sapiyopyo - electric*girl*pop* + 1.2.3.4 !!
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Photo's of my friend's live show ... it's Sapiyopiyo ( サピヨピヨ ) !!!
The venue is Live House DJango in Kumamoto... nice and intimate, but the drink prices are insane, even for Japan. 
Also, you can see some of the other acts from that night.
DJango web site is here: http://www.k-django.com
Sapiyopiyo's personal site is here: http://www.h7.dion.ne.jp/~pedo/sapiyopiyo.html
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| Sunday, 13-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Tea Ceremony
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Ping bought a carpet for warmth before coming to the cha-kan.
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"Yeah, we'll have 2 cokes, 13 Big Macs... oh, and some Tea."
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Well, everybody who lives in Japan (and who isn't Japanese), has to be taken to a Tea Ceremony at some time.... actually, by this stage, after being in and out of Japan a few times over the years, I had been to three or so... and it was starting to bore me. Like, I really suspect it more of a Japanese cultural tourist trap kind of event.
Anyway, this time it was the Cultural Club of Kumamoto's turn... so, all of us Ryuugakusei headed off to Shiragawa park cha-kai ....
More about Japanese Tea Ceremony can been seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony
I took a lot of photos of that girl in the orange kimono.... I guess she was cute and I was bored.  But, after talking to her I found out that a: she was 14 (uh oh  ) and, b: she was the local district Judou champ.  . Haha.
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| Friday, 11-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Bikkuri Donkey (day)
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A night our to cheap at the cheap and cheerful family restaurant "Bikkuri Donkey" * to sample the local Japanese cultural delights of Curry sauce, mince steak mixed with soy protien and fried egg. How more Japanese-zy can ya get?
David couldn't help himself; he ordered the double handled "Bikkuri Cola" and drank it all in an orgy of fizz and sugar. Thus, having vaquished (sic) the Bikkuri Cola, he gained 50 exp points, a level up and a special spell scroll in Everquest. Well, that's what he told us.
Myself, I settled for a large flosty glass of "Donkey Bier"; a glass that I had to try very hard not to steal... (and, I didn't).
Bikkuri Donkey's website (mochiron, nihongo de), is here: http://www.bikkuri-donkey.com
(* Literally "Suprise Donkey!!" (note the two examation marks). The suprise is that there is no Donkey on the menu, which was a major dissapointment for me... )
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| Wednesday, 2-Feb-2005 00:00 |
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Snow in Kumamoto!
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Wow! This was the only snow we got this winter in Kumamoto... 
Tao from Veitnam had never seen snow before in her life... so, she went a bit crazy...
 
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| Sunday, 23-Jan-2005 00:00 |
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Noh Play
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| Friday, 21-Jan-2005 00:00 |
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Random Pictures from Japan
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I can't remember the details or dates of these photos... so, up they go, all in one entry!
And, too all those people out there that used to live at the kaikan.... we got a new vending machine in the lobby!!!
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I've heard you can lay down a butt-load of money in those places--of course all of that is just mere speculation on my part 
