New Years Show at Jildolkan

Hi,

This afternoon Jildolkan had a new years show of Japanese drums for the new year! The big drum hits real hard, I really like it how it goes right into you, you wouldn't think it could be so loud, hard and sharp! Amazing.

Just about to start

A short clip of the drums, you just need to be there to feel it! Amazing!



First day at School

Hi All,

Tuesday is my first day at Japanese school, I am a student not a teacher, the class was 4 Chinese, 1 Korean and a kiwi, the Kiwi understood the least Japanese, the other students have been studying Japanese for a long time. One of the Chinese students in China was a University Teacher of Engineering and in Japan he is a cleaner. I think this is also not uncommon in NZ with immigrants, could be where I end up as well. Its for 2 hours every Tuesday and the cost for the course is $16.50NZ. Its not a full on Japanese language course, more retired teachers helping immigrants to learn Japanese at their own pace.

See You

Coming of age

Hi All,

In Japan the coming of age is 20, OMG you should see the amazing beautiful traditional clothes the girls wear!! If you are 20 before such a date then you go to the local city hall where they hold a celabration for all the 20 year olds, the mayor attends and they have some sort of speeches and presentations. I have to wait 16 years before Leo is 20 to find out whats its exactly all about, but I can assure you the girls look amazing!

In NZ the coming of age is 21 and is celebrated with drinking a yard glass, its a drinking vessel shaped like a hour glass, it holds several jugs of beer, this yard glass is then consumed until you vomit everywhere and generally over yourself and anyone else standing to close, you feel sick for the rest of the night and your throat is sore from so much vomiting. You wake up the next day and generally have no idea what you did or really happened, looking at it seems an odd way to welcome someone to the coming of age. The Japanese seem to have a far more sensible and memorable occasion than what we do in NZ

Subdivision in Chiba

Hi Everyone,

Today we decided to have a look at a new subdivison in Chiba. Chiba is the next big prefecture to the north west of Tokyo. It took us 1.5 hours on the train to get there, you just got no idea how big this place is until you start to do some travel! We went across the river and were in Chiba, what changed from Tokyo? Nothing!

The further you go the more country side it becomes, we arrived at a we train station in the middle of no where, there was a bus stop and a few other small shops around that were all closed (public holiday here today) we caught the bus and with in 10minutes we were in a new forming town (like pegaus town in Christchurch, but on a much bigger scale)

It was nice, all nicely laid out, you needed a car to get around there thats for sure, it was more like Christchurch. I am not sure how big they want it to be, there was a lake, a large hill in the park, cafes, electrical stores, clothes, shoes etc etc there, everything was there you needed, so you would never have to leave the area unless you worked out of town. I was a bit slack with the camera and didn't get that many photos or any good photos.

 Nice wide roads

Modern looking building colours

 Big fairest wheel

 Maybe apartments in the background

 As of late February 2011, the city has an estimated population of 88,652 and a population density of 716 persons/square kilometer. The total area was 128.80 km².

Inzai is located in the important area of northern Chiba Prefecture connecting Tokyo and Narita. Besides Tone River that flows in the north, Teganuma Lake that lies in the north-west, Imba Lake that lies in the south-east of the city, the city is also surrounded by natural environment such as natural forest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inzai,_Chiba

Trip to the small fun park

Hi All,

Today we went to a small fun park, it was a 15min bike ride away, it was on the way to K's denki. It was 200 yen to get in each $3.20NZD and each a ride was 100 yen per child and 200 yen per adult. See photos pictures tell a 1000 words.

You could never have anything like this in an NZ city, the fun police would see to that, to loud, to many people, to much visual pollution, kids would have fun and that wouldn't be right in NZ.

 Sky tree

 Sky tree middle

 Luke being baby Luke

 We train ride

 Time for a grape drink

 When I sat on it I killed it :(

Water squirting game, Leo loved it!

 Spot the kiwi

 There he is again

 And again

 Oh no not more kiwi

 Be afraid of the weird guy

Check out the fish

Trip to the 100 yen shop

Hi All,

It is tradition for uncles to give nephews and nieces 500 yen pocket money on new years day, Leo and Luke both received 500 yen from their uncle. Michiko went to see her friend who just had a baby and Leo and I hit the 100 yen shop, Leo bought a torch and a gun that fires balls about the size of golf balls, goes about 4meters. After shopping we stopped in at McDonald's for an ice cream, they cost 100 yen, were bigger than the ones in NZ, had a honey cone and the cream freeze was thicker and tasted better! Leo loved it! We sat in the McDonald's and watched time go by, it was great!

 Leo with his 100yen ice cream

 Looking out the window

 All the things you could get for 100/120yen

The counter

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Kite Flying

Hi Everyone,

Today we went to the park with Leo's new kite, there was not a lot of wind but we did get it up for a short time. Leo enjoyed it then we played some base ball, Leo always wanted to be the hitter!

 Getting kite ready

 Flys good

 You can just see Leo, Michiko and the kite

 Luke and Grandad watch from a safe distance

Grandad and Leo playing base ball