Autumn

The last two months, once again, haven't been all that exciting, but I've got a few nice piccies, so I thought I'd whack them up for your amusement. If you've been checking Facebook, you've seen the first ones already, so I'll just show the highlights. Frustrated at the lack of time and money to travel, Midori and I decided to go for a bike ride to Heiwa Park, one of the larger parks in the east end of the city, which just happens to be half cemetary...


The rest of the park was rather less ominous and more pleasant...




A nice place, with a nice pond, but I think I'd be a little more hesitant about fishing in a place so close to so many dead people...

It was a nice day out, though, and after all that refreshing exercise and fresh air, it was of course necessary to go and char some meat over an open flame.

Unfortunately, there haven't been any comparable days out since then, so the rest is a bit of a hodgepodge of things from daily life. Since the summer, I've been watching these workers giving my building a bit of a facelift, scrubbing down the tiles and replacing the grout between them. Those who have a problem with heights need not apply...


Around Halloween, Andrew and Michiyo came to visit again, which was brave considering that the Aussie dollar has nearly halved its value since they last came in July. Not so good for them, or most of you reading this, but I'm pretty stoked about it. Its a great time to be getting paid in yen, and it almost makes the overtime bearable. I just hope our school survives the winter...

Anyhoo, although I don't have any pics from our time out and about (shamed as I am by camera envy), they were kind enough to bring some souvenirs from Hokkaido I can share...

Yes, those are beer chocolates, direct from the Sapporo brewery...

...and "Genghis Khan Caramel", the chewy treat that tastes like real barbequed lamb!

Of course, once Halloween was over, it was time to haul out the Xmas decorations!




Xmas is a special time in Japan. Its not so much about the bunny in the red suit being nailed to a tree, as it is about a time to sell more stuff, consume enormous quantities of electricity, and arrange for the hottest date of the year! Fun stuff, but I'm still looking forward to spending Xmas on the beach with a meat pie in one hand and a James Squire in the other.

And last, but not least, being autumn, it's time for Kouyou - the autumn colours. Alas, this year I haven't had the chance to see them anywhere but the park behind work.




Kirei da ne? Well, that's it from me for now. If you're really lucky, I'll get around to one more post before the holidays, but if I don't, I'll just say I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone once I get back there next month. My ticket is booked and paid for, my paid vacation time for this year has come through, and I'll have about three weeks from Dec. 18th to Jan. 8th to escape the winter cold, guzzle cappuccinos like they're going out of style, and find out what's been going on over the last two years. Oh yes, and at some stage, a slab of dead cow will have to be in order...