I Like What I See

Another take of me, at the Dai-Ni Washington Hotel Plaza in Nagoya.

Yukata Mike II

At the Dai-Ni Washington Hotel Plaza in Nagoya.

Sometimes a Bed is Just a Bed

My room at the Dai-Ni Washington Hotel Plaza in Nagoya, ironically a block away from the bank that got me stranded in Sakae.

My parents bailed me out, yet again, and got me a room for one night. My head was killing me, I was exhausted and hungry, so I went straight to bed, and, other than for a few very strange dreams and nightmares, didn't wake up until eight in the morning, when I finally was able to get the money transfer from the bank. Insanity.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

A family of red-eared sliders in Nagoya's Central Park. On the one hand, this made me sad, since I remembered my own Turtle; on the other hand, this made me happy, when I thought of the kind of nasty-ass sex she must be having with the turtle dudes in the turtle sanctuary back in Canada.

Badger, Badger, Badger

I think at this point I had just about enough of the cheerleaders and the dancing guys.

The Show Must Go On

Some dudes wearing some sort of stuff, dancing; it was very well-choreographed...whatever it was.

Calling Doctor Freud, Doctor Freud to the Operating Room

It's either a heart or some sort of pretzel...

I'm Not Sure What They Were Doing

...but no one had any objections to it. ;)

Tastes Like Candy, But Twice as Dandy

I was fascinated by the one in the middle, with the crazy tan and crazy hair. MLP, you can stop salivating now. ;)

"I Said, 'Is This the Return to Oz?'"

Don't do drugs, kids. Another view of the mall-level pit through the Oasis21 observatory basin's floor.

Looking Through a Glass Onion

A view of the mall-level pit through the Oasis21 observatory basin's floor. M. C. Escher and Salvador Dalí would be proud.

Updown Town

A view of a part of Sakae, the Robson Street of Nagoya (speaking scale-wise, though, Robson is a friggin' village alley compared to Nagoya's shopping, fashion and entertainment district). Note the boulevard-like Central Park running from approximately the upper left-hand corner to the bottom right-hand corner.

Dystopia à la carte

A "Æon Flux"-like pod structure on what the plaque in the Oasis21 elevator calls "Fields of Green." Note the Ministry of Truth building in the upper right-hand corner. Trippy.

An Architect's Wet Dream

Another view of the Oasis21 observatory basin.

My Kind of Insanity

A view from the Oasis21 observatory. The water in the basin is circulated through thin pipes and the entire superstructure is held up by a system of pylons, girders and magic.

"Scully, look, look!"

Agent Mulder would be proud. The Oasis21 bus terminal/mall hub/observatory with a fountain/pond built on top of a giant pit with an elevator and stairs leading up and down jammed into its approximate centre (the edge of the pit is where the rails on ground level are). Wicked cool, I know.

That day, inside that pit, there was some sort of Asian mall-festival that we see so often in Vancouver, with singing, dancing, fashion shows and the like.

Making the Best of a Bad Situation

Yesterday I went to Sakae to receive some money from my parents via Western Union - and got stranded there, penniless, the day being some sort of stupid holiday to honour the elderly, on which everything but the banks was open. I decided to make the best of a really shitty situation and hung around Central Park, the Nagoya TV Tower and Oasis21 for a while.

I couldn't afford to go up to the TV Tower's observatory, but I still went up to the restaurant floor and snapped some photos from up there (none too exciting, however, due to the poor angle of the window I was shooting through).

Break a Leg

These are good-luck charms. Tomita from Mt. Fuji gave me the first one; I believe it has something to do with safety or safe passage. The two red ones are from the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, one for good luck with work, one for health and long life, but I couldn't tell you which is which.

Little Wonder

I found this guy at the Gifu JR station and couldn't help but pick him up; I think he used to be someone's keychain; isn't he adorable? I'd like to think of him as some sort of French bear.

Whitey Got Game

White guys in Sumo wrestling. Say what?

Pushin'

More Sumo wrestling. I was really surprised to find out how short each round is: no more than ten-fifteen seconds, and there's already a clear winner. What a bummer for the guys who train for a lifetime to be in a competition like this...

Speaking of sports, guess what other sport I'm addicted to watching in the evenings, right now - for no good reason whatsoever? Women's volleyball. Seriously. Look:

a) Some of those chicks are, in the words of Ali G, really "fit."

b) Most of them are pretty damn good.

The problem is, I don't know who to cheer for: one day it's for the Japanese, another day the Brazilians are lookin' pretty good...you get the idea. ;)

"There Ain't No Tits on the Radio"

...but there sure are tits on Japanese TV. Sumo wrestling. Fuckin' A.

Home Sweet Home...Sort Of

My ticket from Murai to Gifu (slightly out of focus).

The End of the Line

My ticket from Kyoto to Murai. I got an exceptional reception and a very decent interview there; I even got to observe three lessons. I was really impressed and touched by the generosity of the company's owner, who even paid for my trip, himself touched by the attention I gave his growing English school.