Wow what a day! Gene & I have been in Tokyo for 13 hours and have managed to pack in quite a bit.
After a day of flying we arrived rather tired but excited in Japan. Gene braved the complicated looking foreign exchange forms and I tried to get our rail vouchers exchanged. Gene was more successful as the JR Rail Offices had closed just after our plane landed. While we were hunting the correct (albeit closed) ticket window we missed our hotel shuttle bus by 6 minutes. After an hour waiting in the deliciously cool 17.6 degree celcius Japan night we finally made it on the shuttle. We spent our first night in Japan in the Narita Hilton which was wonderfully comfy and boasted beer vending machines about 10m from our room door. The view from our hotel room was pretty special.
Our first morning saw us enjoying a breakfast which melded Western bacon and eggs style food with rice porridge & miso soup. After this we headed to the hotel shuttle bus area where we saw a bus waiting. We tried to work out which bus we needed to jump on to get to Narita train station. As the bus was leaving, we worked out that it was indeed the bus we should have been on. Happily the next bus arrived and although it didn't go to the Narita train station, it did take us to to the airport where we could get a train from Terminal 2. It turned out that was ideal as the Narita-Tokyo express train we got on didn't stop at Narita station.
The trip to Tokyo took just over an hour and I took several (slightly blurred) photos of what could be rice paddies or could be wasabi farms... my agriculture knowledge is lacking I know.
We finally arrived in Tokyo's Shinjuku station at 12:30 and took in our first glimpse of Tokyo from the station. Our phrase book has come in most handy as I headed to the ticket office to ask for directions to the Tokyo Hilton. After securing a map with a friendly and simple looking red line to our hotel and the reassurance that it was only 20 minutes away, Gene & I set off to brave the streets with our luggage in tow. How lost could we possibly get when we had a map? Apparently a little... On closer inspection our map turned out not to have street names, only building names. Now you'd think that this would be really handy in a city of skyscrapers, but the thing that we noticed about Tokyo so far is the lack of logos and garishly bright signs at the top of buildings. They seem to be reserved for the lower levels. So we were stuck walking until we found a map in front of random building. Unfortunately the "you are here" arrow had been stolen so it took us a while to get our bearings again. We'd taken a turn too early or late, it was hard to tell, but we knew we were within blocks of the hotel.
At about 13:00 we made it to the hotel where we bumped into Gene's Mum, Cathy, who was in the lobby trying to find out if we'd checked in. We headed up to the hotel room and settled before heading to Gene's parents' room to snack on some rather beautifully decorated chocolates.
We headed out to the Keio department store to grab some food. It's great being in a department store trying to read the directory when it's not in English. It's even better trying to order off a menu when it's not in English. Our phrase book came to our rescue again and we managed to get a menu in English while providing our waitress with some amusement. Gene & I stuck to our usual favourites of katsu-don and oyako-don for our first meal.
After that we decided to find Kabukicho which was noted as the entertainment area where we could find all the latest Japanese arcades and more. We got there by means of a small alleyway that had stall selling everything from cheap sunnies to Japanese copies of Charlie Chaplin's short films. I'm amazed at what you can find in Japan! We entered the area which was hard to miss with all the flashing signs. I managed to find what I thought was a bead shop within two minutes of us arriving there and headed in to check it out. It turned out to be a craft department store with everything from "inner wear" (lingerie) to snake skin for craft use. I found the brand of knitting needles/crochet hooks that I was after (at 20% off!) but I'm holding out till we find the shop first.
Across the road from this shop was an adult toy shop (we think) which seemed to have vending machines selling capsules that contained everything from designer wallets to dildos. We were a little confused and somewhat disturbed but we didn't let it deter us from exploring the area further.
Walking around, it's hard to miss the multitude of pachinko & slot machine halls. Being the avid gamblers that we are, Gene and I decided that Pachinko, a game that apparently involved little skill and have little monetary incentive, was the way to go. In a whirlwind of colour, movement and much noise, we spent 3,000 yen shooting ball-bearings around the machine with gobsmacked looks on our faces. Unsurprisingly the clerk at the pachinko parlour was more than happy to give us a copy of instructions for the game in English. In all fairness though, everyone in Japan seems happy to help you out if they can. It's a wonderfully helpful and polite place to visit! Having not spent enough money playing games with little return, we both gave the slots a turn. We both got a pay out but not before making idiots of ourselves when we tried to store our tokens in the drink holder. It didn't go so well, mainly because there was a big hole in the bottom of the drink holder so all the coins fell out.
We decided we'd played enough confusingly noisy but oddly amusing games for the day and headed to another arcade for more familiar games. We played a Japanese drumming game before we decided to join in the photo booth culture. We spent what felt like an eternity posing for the camera, Gene was a little tall for some of the close-ups, but it was great fun. The language barrier proved amusing as we couldn't understand the instructions and were pressing buttons at random. We stepped outside to wait for our pictures, but they just didn't seem to be printing! We flagged down a clerk and after a game of charades pointed us to another booth where he demonstrated that we could add pictures to our photos. It was awesome! We spent another 5-10 minutes adding random characters and cartoons to our photos and then they printed. A game of Time Crisis 3, some poor drumming on my part and it was time to meet up with Gene's folks. On the way back we checked out a capsule hotel and saw many more interestingly named establishments.
The 100 yen shop grabbed our attention on the way to dinner but not nearly as much as the excitement of buying dinner from a vending machine. Well, that's not 100% accurate, we bought a token from the vending machine which we handed to the chef who cooked everything fresh. The main excitement came from not knowing what you'd ordered, just the cost. Gene & I ended up with some white meat and rice while Gene's parents ended up with some red meat and rice.
After dinner we explored the area further to find ourselves surrounded my men's clubs and ladies' clubs. We finally made it back to the Shinjuku station after Gene & his dad had been propositioned by various men offering to introduce them to lovely Japanese or Russian women for a while.
So here we are back at the hotel.
Now, it has to be done, it's an important topic of discussion when travelling, the toilet. When you sit down on the toilet, it flushes gently, apparently to help you pee if you're having troubles. It's actually a little disconcerting when you're not expecting it... Gene says "for all the good a bidet is, it might as well shoot water up my ass (or if you don't happen to be sitting on the toilet at the time, all over the bathroom)" Thank you Gene :)
Anyhow, accompanying pics to this rather long account are to be found at: my Zoto site. We're heading to Matsumoto tomorrow to check out the castle there.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Life's tough
Okay, that's a lie. I'm currently sitting in the bar at the Changi Sailing Club in Singapore while enjoying the sea view.
Current weather conditions
Temperature: 30°C Dew Point: 25°C
Barometer: 101 kPa Wind: E 5 km/h
Humidity: 74.6 % Visibility: n/a
We've spent the last two nights at the Changi Cottage which is part of the Aloha Resorts. Apparently their former Prime Minister stayed at the cottage some time ago. They've got the newspaper articles on the wall to prove it.
Gene & I headed to the Esplanade (Theatres on the Bay) which is affectionately known as "the Durian" over here. I would have gone with fly eyes first but that just goes to show the culture difference. We had lunch with some family friends at a Japanese restaurant before heading to Toys 'R' Us to buy travel Pictionary to play with the kids. After that we did some shopping - Gene got a pair of prescription sunglasses for SIN$78. We decided to be adventurous and independent and take the shuttle bus back to the resort from the MRT (train) station. After walking around the station for about half an hour trying to find the shuttle departure point we gave up and headed to the taxi rank. While standing at the taxi rank we saw the shuttle pull up next it and thought it was our lucky day. We were sadly mistaken. The shuttle wasn't planning to leave for another 45 minutes and no we couldn't wait on the shuttle. So off we trooped to get a drink and pass the time. This involve getting cold drinks (fresh lime juice) and in my case eating lots of snack foods. Here's a snack food for all the kids playing at home.
It's one of my favourites. As you can see I'm fully aware that I can make this at home, but it's just soooo good to have it here! I also snacked on Mwah Chee (excuse spelling) which is like a sticky rice roll thing dipped in crushed peanuts. It's hard to explain. It's a sweet snack though.
Anyhow, we managed to pass the time but had forgotten to ask the shuttle driver the all important "where is the pick up point" question. Luckily we saw the shuttle parked by the side of the road again so we hiked across the park and up to the bus. The bus driver opened the door and told us we had to hike back to where we came from and he'd be there in 15 minutes. We asked if we could just get on the bus there in 15 minutes and ride with him to the pick up point. No. So back we went in the heat to our previous location.
Now you'd think that this would be the point where I'd write - then we got on the bus and arrived back at the Chalet without a hitch...
We got on the bus and arrived at Aloha Resort Pasar Ris (who'd a thunk it... there were two Aloha resorts and we'd caught the shuttle to the other resort). We weren't too stressed though, because we'd been told that we had to get the shuttle to Pasar Ris first and then it journeyed on to Changi. The only problem was we were on the 18:45 shuttle and the next shuttle to Changi didn't leave until 21:30. We decided to revert to plan B and take a taxi. Sadly due to our rather Australian accents the taxi driver gathered we had no idea where we were and took us on the scenic route before anouncing once we were in Changi (we saw a sign) that he had no idea where the resort was. Thankfully the sign that we'd seen was that of the Sailing Club that is next door to our resort.
It would seem that Gene & I have a bit of work to do before we try the Amazing Race. :)
We passed the evening with Pictionary (competitive pictionary is really weird! It's also strange playing it with people from a different culture because pictures mean different things...
Anyhow, I'd better let Gene jump on the computer and check his email. We've both received the great news that we've got work on the Brisbane Festival (thanks Mel!).
If anyone is interested in pics from the trip thus far, there all at my Zoto site
Next destination:
Narita
Current weather conditions
Temperature: 30°C Dew Point: 25°C
Barometer: 101 kPa Wind: E 5 km/h
Humidity: 74.6 % Visibility: n/a
We've spent the last two nights at the Changi Cottage which is part of the Aloha Resorts. Apparently their former Prime Minister stayed at the cottage some time ago. They've got the newspaper articles on the wall to prove it.
Gene & I headed to the Esplanade (Theatres on the Bay) which is affectionately known as "the Durian" over here. I would have gone with fly eyes first but that just goes to show the culture difference. We had lunch with some family friends at a Japanese restaurant before heading to Toys 'R' Us to buy travel Pictionary to play with the kids. After that we did some shopping - Gene got a pair of prescription sunglasses for SIN$78. We decided to be adventurous and independent and take the shuttle bus back to the resort from the MRT (train) station. After walking around the station for about half an hour trying to find the shuttle departure point we gave up and headed to the taxi rank. While standing at the taxi rank we saw the shuttle pull up next it and thought it was our lucky day. We were sadly mistaken. The shuttle wasn't planning to leave for another 45 minutes and no we couldn't wait on the shuttle. So off we trooped to get a drink and pass the time. This involve getting cold drinks (fresh lime juice) and in my case eating lots of snack foods. Here's a snack food for all the kids playing at home.
Buttered Corn in a Cup
Ingredients
1 can of sweet corn
butter to taste
salt to taste
Take the can of sweet corn and heat up the corn. I like the microwave for a fast snack, but you could probably steam some fresh corn if you got really keen. Don't over cook it though, just enough heat to get the corn nice and warm. Add butter and salt to taste and mix thoroughly.
Serve in a bowl with a spoon. For the traditional Singapore serving style, serve in a polystyrene cup.
It's one of my favourites. As you can see I'm fully aware that I can make this at home, but it's just soooo good to have it here! I also snacked on Mwah Chee (excuse spelling) which is like a sticky rice roll thing dipped in crushed peanuts. It's hard to explain. It's a sweet snack though.
Anyhow, we managed to pass the time but had forgotten to ask the shuttle driver the all important "where is the pick up point" question. Luckily we saw the shuttle parked by the side of the road again so we hiked across the park and up to the bus. The bus driver opened the door and told us we had to hike back to where we came from and he'd be there in 15 minutes. We asked if we could just get on the bus there in 15 minutes and ride with him to the pick up point. No. So back we went in the heat to our previous location.
Now you'd think that this would be the point where I'd write - then we got on the bus and arrived back at the Chalet without a hitch...
We got on the bus and arrived at Aloha Resort Pasar Ris (who'd a thunk it... there were two Aloha resorts and we'd caught the shuttle to the other resort). We weren't too stressed though, because we'd been told that we had to get the shuttle to Pasar Ris first and then it journeyed on to Changi. The only problem was we were on the 18:45 shuttle and the next shuttle to Changi didn't leave until 21:30. We decided to revert to plan B and take a taxi. Sadly due to our rather Australian accents the taxi driver gathered we had no idea where we were and took us on the scenic route before anouncing once we were in Changi (we saw a sign) that he had no idea where the resort was. Thankfully the sign that we'd seen was that of the Sailing Club that is next door to our resort.
It would seem that Gene & I have a bit of work to do before we try the Amazing Race. :)
We passed the evening with Pictionary (competitive pictionary is really weird! It's also strange playing it with people from a different culture because pictures mean different things...
Anyhow, I'd better let Gene jump on the computer and check his email. We've both received the great news that we've got work on the Brisbane Festival (thanks Mel!).
If anyone is interested in pics from the trip thus far, there all at my Zoto site
Next destination:
Narita
Monday, May 22, 2006
Flaming massage
I did have every intention of writing more yesterday, but the wireless internet router got moved and I'm a little useless with setting up things like that. Gene very kindly fixed things up though.
Yesterday we went shopping at Suntec City which is a large shopping centre consisting of four towers - there are about 3 levels of shopping and the higher levels are offices I think. There was plenty to see including some rather interesting tissue box covers... but the first thing that caught our eye when we entered the complex was a woman lying on a massage table who had a flaming towel on her back. I'm fairly sure that back home if your towel was set alight during a massage you'd be a little upset, but she was getting the Holy Fire massage. Looked like it could have been quite a pleasant experience but I think I'm going to stick to my wheatbags.
Have to run to leave for the chalet near Changi Village. More when I find the internet again.
Yesterday we went shopping at Suntec City which is a large shopping centre consisting of four towers - there are about 3 levels of shopping and the higher levels are offices I think. There was plenty to see including some rather interesting tissue box covers... but the first thing that caught our eye when we entered the complex was a woman lying on a massage table who had a flaming towel on her back. I'm fairly sure that back home if your towel was set alight during a massage you'd be a little upset, but she was getting the Holy Fire massage. Looked like it could have been quite a pleasant experience but I think I'm going to stick to my wheatbags.
Have to run to leave for the chalet near Changi Village. More when I find the internet again.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Singapore Days
Greetings from wet, but pleasantly cool now, Singapore!
Just before it started pouring I was about to head out shopping to Suntec City (read crazily large shopping centre far bigger than Chadstone complete with undercity mall leading from the city centre). Now I think I'll post a quick note to say hi to all and give a quick update on our trip so far.
Before I do though, a quick note to you all about our email, we seem to be able to receive email right now, but not send, so if we don't reply immediately we're not ignoring you. Apparently my email hosting people "upgraded" my service but it's not working now. In their defence they did try to call, but it was a terrible phone line and I was in the middle of a shopping centre so it'll have to wait till tomorrow.
Anyhow, we're safe and sound in Singapore and have been since late on Tuesday evening. I managed to get a stomach flu just before departing Melbourne which was great to travel with. Thankfully it manifested only in a high fever (38 degrees celcius was me thinking I'd returned to normality at the doctors'), headache and loss of appetite. This was problematic as there are three things that I live to do in Singapore;
1. Visit family
2. Shop
3. Eat all the local foods I see.
I held out until until Thursday before seeing a local doctor which was a rather different experience. The pharmacy and clinic were combined so that when you exited the doctor's consulting room you went to pay and they handed the medicine straight to you. By medicine I'd also like to add that they had me on panadeine, ventolin, an antacid, antihistamines and a tablet "for stomach cramp". Last time I'd had this viral stomach flu I was on panadeine and a diet of lucozade and marie biscuits. As you can imagine I was starting to get concerned about the bill. It came to... SIN$36. I love their health care system costs.
Happily my appetite is back now and I started to eat again yesterday. Still can't eat too much but at least I can have SOME of the foods :)
Aside from that not much else to report. Gene & I have mainly spent time with his family as it's been a very busy week with the wake and funeral for his Kong Kong (grandpa on his Mum's side). Chinese funerals are very different to the ones we have back in Australia and even though this was my second Chinese funeral, it was still a little confusing.
We're possibly heading off to a chalet near the coast tomorrow night after we pick up Gene's new sunglasses. Hopefully the weather is better by then.
Spent last night swimming in an incredible house with a pool in the front yard and a beautiful fish pond in the back. A real luxury given the small amount of land in the country.
Haven't done much photo taking, thought I might get some done today but the weather's still not clear.
Time to head off to the city! Will post pictures later.
Just before it started pouring I was about to head out shopping to Suntec City (read crazily large shopping centre far bigger than Chadstone complete with undercity mall leading from the city centre). Now I think I'll post a quick note to say hi to all and give a quick update on our trip so far.
Before I do though, a quick note to you all about our email, we seem to be able to receive email right now, but not send, so if we don't reply immediately we're not ignoring you. Apparently my email hosting people "upgraded" my service but it's not working now. In their defence they did try to call, but it was a terrible phone line and I was in the middle of a shopping centre so it'll have to wait till tomorrow.
Anyhow, we're safe and sound in Singapore and have been since late on Tuesday evening. I managed to get a stomach flu just before departing Melbourne which was great to travel with. Thankfully it manifested only in a high fever (38 degrees celcius was me thinking I'd returned to normality at the doctors'), headache and loss of appetite. This was problematic as there are three things that I live to do in Singapore;
1. Visit family
2. Shop
3. Eat all the local foods I see.
I held out until until Thursday before seeing a local doctor which was a rather different experience. The pharmacy and clinic were combined so that when you exited the doctor's consulting room you went to pay and they handed the medicine straight to you. By medicine I'd also like to add that they had me on panadeine, ventolin, an antacid, antihistamines and a tablet "for stomach cramp". Last time I'd had this viral stomach flu I was on panadeine and a diet of lucozade and marie biscuits. As you can imagine I was starting to get concerned about the bill. It came to... SIN$36. I love their health care system costs.
Happily my appetite is back now and I started to eat again yesterday. Still can't eat too much but at least I can have SOME of the foods :)
Aside from that not much else to report. Gene & I have mainly spent time with his family as it's been a very busy week with the wake and funeral for his Kong Kong (grandpa on his Mum's side). Chinese funerals are very different to the ones we have back in Australia and even though this was my second Chinese funeral, it was still a little confusing.
We're possibly heading off to a chalet near the coast tomorrow night after we pick up Gene's new sunglasses. Hopefully the weather is better by then.
Spent last night swimming in an incredible house with a pool in the front yard and a beautiful fish pond in the back. A real luxury given the small amount of land in the country.
Haven't done much photo taking, thought I might get some done today but the weather's still not clear.
Time to head off to the city! Will post pictures later.
Monday, May 15, 2006
I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow!
Today was filled with shopping, eating and the last of our moving. Gene & I headed to the Converse factory in Smith Street as all of his shoes have pretty much fallen appart. He ended up with some rather slick looking black cons. I just couldn't help myself and I ended up coming home with a pair of red mary-janes that are coming with me on our trip.
We said our last goodbyes to the Beach House today and handed in the keys. There was a sense of relief that we finally made it out of there with all our stuff considering this time last week we'd barely packed anything...
While I should be packing my luggage (like Gene is) I'm currently entering addresses into my T5 to take with me on our trip so that I have the option of sending postcards to people if I manage to be organised about it. I love sending postcards!
I've also be finalising details like emergency contacts and whether or not my phone will work overseas. So far it should work in Singapore but Japan is going to be a little tricky as I only have a tri-band phone and they're up to quad-band.
So many details to explore! I'm looking forward to studying the phrase/guide book in more depth on our way there, or at the Hong Kong airport...
While my current plan is to try and blog daily (even if it doesn't get posted daily) I think that's a little optimistic.
Well the night isn't getting any younger and my bag's not going to pack itself!
We said our last goodbyes to the Beach House today and handed in the keys. There was a sense of relief that we finally made it out of there with all our stuff considering this time last week we'd barely packed anything...
While I should be packing my luggage (like Gene is) I'm currently entering addresses into my T5 to take with me on our trip so that I have the option of sending postcards to people if I manage to be organised about it. I love sending postcards!
I've also be finalising details like emergency contacts and whether or not my phone will work overseas. So far it should work in Singapore but Japan is going to be a little tricky as I only have a tri-band phone and they're up to quad-band.
So many details to explore! I'm looking forward to studying the phrase/guide book in more depth on our way there, or at the Hong Kong airport...
While my current plan is to try and blog daily (even if it doesn't get posted daily) I think that's a little optimistic.
Well the night isn't getting any younger and my bag's not going to pack itself!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Ladybugs & Hedges
Tomorrow we wish the Beach House goodbye. The house is empty now and it looks great!
I spent today cutting the hedge in our courtyard today. I swear it's at least a third bigger than it was when I started. Should have done a before and after shot. Suffice to say I took off enough foliage to fill four large garbage bags. I discovered that we had many ladybugs living in our hedge which was great. I love ladybugs. I did however either get poo-ed on by a lady bug while trying to move it. Either that or it was laying an egg but with my limited knowledge of ladybug biology, it's hard to say. Suffice to say it left something long and green behind as it walked. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole incident... a little amused I think :)
We made Mum a roast for mothers' day and I've eaten way too much. It was just soooooo good though! There's sticky date still to be eaten... Possibly not for a few hours yet. Damn my lack of self-discipline when it comes to eating. I even got some really nice vanilla custard to go with the pudding... It would seem that I'm a little food obsessed at the moment.
On a more travel related note though, I've finally set up the photo hosting site at Zoto so that I can post some photos there and link some to here. For anyone curious about Herman I've posted
a picture of our little friend. Here's hoping that link works!
I spent today cutting the hedge in our courtyard today. I swear it's at least a third bigger than it was when I started. Should have done a before and after shot. Suffice to say I took off enough foliage to fill four large garbage bags. I discovered that we had many ladybugs living in our hedge which was great. I love ladybugs. I did however either get poo-ed on by a lady bug while trying to move it. Either that or it was laying an egg but with my limited knowledge of ladybug biology, it's hard to say. Suffice to say it left something long and green behind as it walked. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole incident... a little amused I think :)
We made Mum a roast for mothers' day and I've eaten way too much. It was just soooooo good though! There's sticky date still to be eaten... Possibly not for a few hours yet. Damn my lack of self-discipline when it comes to eating. I even got some really nice vanilla custard to go with the pudding... It would seem that I'm a little food obsessed at the moment.
On a more travel related note though, I've finally set up the photo hosting site at Zoto so that I can post some photos there and link some to here. For anyone curious about Herman I've posted
a picture of our little friend. Here's hoping that link works!
Saturday, May 13, 2006
3 days till departure
The (Beach) house is starting to shape up nicely. We've packed out my parents' storage place with many a box and some of our furniture. The rest of our stuff is lining my parents' hallways/landing (sorry about that). Now all that remains to do is to get the last of our donations to the various drop off points and then a surface clean before our cleaners come in on Monday to give it final clean & steam clean the carpets!
Yes, that's right, we're getting cleaners in. In our defence it's not just because we're a little lazy or suck at major spring cleans, it's because they'll be thorough and the real estates seem to love it when you say you've had professionals come through. They're also insured and guarantee your bond back so we figure it's a safeguard too. We'd probably miss something in our cleaning spree.
The house is looking really good at the moment and we're sad to leave because it was such a great find. I'm really going to miss eating at Matsumoto. That was our staple we're-too-lazy-to-cook restaurant to go to. Well priced and great Japanese food. The miso soup is among the best we've had. Their beef tataki is a must have for anyone who's not vegetarian or doesn't eat beef. My stomach is grumbling just thinking of it...
Actually I think that has more to do with the Hainanese chicken rice that Dad is cooking. It's great to be home having the old favourite home cooked foods :)
It's funny how with the whole packing-and-moving-house-in-a-week-thing, the excitement of travel has been pushed to the back of my mind. I'm still crazily excited about the trip, but I've spent more time being worried about how much stuff we seem to have accumulated again.
Anyway, with only the finer details of the move to be taken care of, I'm starting to get ready to head off. I'm about to set up a place to host my photos (oh yes, like Nick S, I too have a camera and will not be afraid to use it). In all honesty, I doubt there will be a heap of pics as I have a tendency to forget to take them, but I'd really like to get some nice pics of the cherry blossoms in Japan. I'm fairly sure there should be a few excellent signs too... hopefully like the "automatic terminating machine" that was sent out in one of Paul's emails.
I've rambled on enough for today. Now it's time to move some boxes upstairs and look up why my jalapeno plant has little black bits on it. *sigh* It was doing so well! On the bright side, it's got at least two chillis growing.
Yes, that's right, we're getting cleaners in. In our defence it's not just because we're a little lazy or suck at major spring cleans, it's because they'll be thorough and the real estates seem to love it when you say you've had professionals come through. They're also insured and guarantee your bond back so we figure it's a safeguard too. We'd probably miss something in our cleaning spree.
The house is looking really good at the moment and we're sad to leave because it was such a great find. I'm really going to miss eating at Matsumoto. That was our staple we're-too-lazy-to-cook restaurant to go to. Well priced and great Japanese food. The miso soup is among the best we've had. Their beef tataki is a must have for anyone who's not vegetarian or doesn't eat beef. My stomach is grumbling just thinking of it...
Actually I think that has more to do with the Hainanese chicken rice that Dad is cooking. It's great to be home having the old favourite home cooked foods :)
It's funny how with the whole packing-and-moving-house-in-a-week-thing, the excitement of travel has been pushed to the back of my mind. I'm still crazily excited about the trip, but I've spent more time being worried about how much stuff we seem to have accumulated again.
Anyway, with only the finer details of the move to be taken care of, I'm starting to get ready to head off. I'm about to set up a place to host my photos (oh yes, like Nick S, I too have a camera and will not be afraid to use it). In all honesty, I doubt there will be a heap of pics as I have a tendency to forget to take them, but I'd really like to get some nice pics of the cherry blossoms in Japan. I'm fairly sure there should be a few excellent signs too... hopefully like the "automatic terminating machine" that was sent out in one of Paul's emails.
I've rambled on enough for today. Now it's time to move some boxes upstairs and look up why my jalapeno plant has little black bits on it. *sigh* It was doing so well! On the bright side, it's got at least two chillis growing.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
5 days till departure
Our darlin' little Herman (Hermione on particularly shy days) has been taken to Naomi's where he'll be staying for the next couple of weeks. I think he's really going to enjoy the lack of trams rattling past his window every 8 minutes. Besides, who wouldn't want to hang out with Nomes for 15 days?! We're hoping that he behaves and doesn't make too much of a mess. He's a pretty good rat though and we cleaned his cage yesterday so he shouldn't get too crazy and kick all his bedding out just yet.
The move is going well so far. A big thank you to Gene's Dad, Uncle TC and Nick for helping move furniture today. Added thanks to the Nic(k)s for taking our 9(?) boxes of books, graphic novels, DVDs, X Box and bookshelf. My book-obsessed self is feeling secure in the knowledge that they will be well looked after.
The couch has been returned from whence it came, unlike the DVDs we hired last week, at the op shop around the corner accompanied by the fridge and at least four bags of clothes.
Mum, Gene & I spent two hours at the storage place restacking and repacking boxes so that there was space for Gene & I to store some of our furniture in there too. I think it was a bit frustrating for Gene as Mum & I sorted through our stuff.
So where are we now? Well, the bedroom is almost packed. I've reduced my wardrobe to two small boxes and a bag that I'll travel with and wear over the next couple of days. There's still a couple of bags of washing to be done, but I'm going to try and get rid of most of my wardrobe. After all, Japan & Singapore have Sarah-sized clothes so if I want to shop...
There is so much paperwork to sort through, mainly unopened mail but it's so tempting to just bin it all. Sadly that can't be. We still have the kitchen to box up tomorrow and then the bathroom but I think that's all. It'll be time to get into the cleaning after that.
Space bags are our friend. We also bought our first duster today. We tend to just use a damp cloth but we figured we'd lash out if it makes the job faster.
Hopefully I can get someone in to steam clean on Monday. I'm also going to get them to do a once over of the house for us to further ensure we get the bond back. It's a back up plan in case we miss something.
Well, the boxes aren't going to fill themselves... so off I go.
The move is going well so far. A big thank you to Gene's Dad, Uncle TC and Nick for helping move furniture today. Added thanks to the Nic(k)s for taking our 9(?) boxes of books, graphic novels, DVDs, X Box and bookshelf. My book-obsessed self is feeling secure in the knowledge that they will be well looked after.
The couch has been returned from whence it came, unlike the DVDs we hired last week, at the op shop around the corner accompanied by the fridge and at least four bags of clothes.
Mum, Gene & I spent two hours at the storage place restacking and repacking boxes so that there was space for Gene & I to store some of our furniture in there too. I think it was a bit frustrating for Gene as Mum & I sorted through our stuff.
So where are we now? Well, the bedroom is almost packed. I've reduced my wardrobe to two small boxes and a bag that I'll travel with and wear over the next couple of days. There's still a couple of bags of washing to be done, but I'm going to try and get rid of most of my wardrobe. After all, Japan & Singapore have Sarah-sized clothes so if I want to shop...
There is so much paperwork to sort through, mainly unopened mail but it's so tempting to just bin it all. Sadly that can't be. We still have the kitchen to box up tomorrow and then the bathroom but I think that's all. It'll be time to get into the cleaning after that.
Space bags are our friend. We also bought our first duster today. We tend to just use a damp cloth but we figured we'd lash out if it makes the job faster.
Hopefully I can get someone in to steam clean on Monday. I'm also going to get them to do a once over of the house for us to further ensure we get the bond back. It's a back up plan in case we miss something.
Well, the boxes aren't going to fill themselves... so off I go.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Hi!
The festival's now over and it's time to get fully stuck into the packing. I picked up Mum's car today and some more boxes (can't have too many with the amount of stuff we have) and all that remains is a quick trip to the osteo to fix up a sore back and shoulder so that I'm right to move stuff. I think I twisted the left side of my body while lifting in an attempt to avoid something that was falling. The lesser of two evils really.
Nothing else to report other than that. Just felt like saying hi to those of you who read this. :)
Nothing else to report other than that. Just felt like saying hi to those of you who read this. :)
Slightly Stresssed
Second last day at work and it was really frustrating. I'm not going to go into detail because I've already vented twice and it gets me pretty angry just thinking about it. Suffice to say if today had run more efficiently, I wouldn't have to go back tomorrow. Just a few more hours tomorrow and it's just moving house to worry about.
Gene's got all the books, DVDs and Xbox stuff packed and ready to go and I've gotten rid of 1.5 bags of clothes already. I'm trying to be ruthless but it's happening in stages. Damn my sentimentality!
I have a pretty good t-shirt collection right now. I just got another one today from work. The Dead Set gave all the techs one of their t-shirts. They're very cool!
Tomorrow I'm buying more boxes and picking up Mum's car which should be good. Then it's down to our house and a quick look at the storage place I think. We've already filled quite a few boxes with books but we're looking to get proper packing boxes for the glassware and crockery etc. It should be good.
I must admit I'm pretty stressed about the whole moving house thing. It's more the large array of stuff that's in our bedroom really. The livingroom's just about done and the kitchen won't take long.
Can't believe we leave in 7 days... It's exciting and stressful all at once. I'll feel better once we've moved most of our stuff.
Gene's got all the books, DVDs and Xbox stuff packed and ready to go and I've gotten rid of 1.5 bags of clothes already. I'm trying to be ruthless but it's happening in stages. Damn my sentimentality!
I have a pretty good t-shirt collection right now. I just got another one today from work. The Dead Set gave all the techs one of their t-shirts. They're very cool!
Tomorrow I'm buying more boxes and picking up Mum's car which should be good. Then it's down to our house and a quick look at the storage place I think. We've already filled quite a few boxes with books but we're looking to get proper packing boxes for the glassware and crockery etc. It should be good.
I must admit I'm pretty stressed about the whole moving house thing. It's more the large array of stuff that's in our bedroom really. The livingroom's just about done and the kitchen won't take long.
Can't believe we leave in 7 days... It's exciting and stressful all at once. I'll feel better once we've moved most of our stuff.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Distracted
I've been meaning to blog all day but have found myself rather easily distracted. I ended up doing a couple of non-urgent errands in the rain today... played more Fable than I possibly should have. (On a side note, I rocked at the battles today, I think I get a little nervous when Gene's watching me fight in those games because he's just so much better at it than I am. That and we have different strategies. I showed those rock trolls good!) On a more positive note I did apply for a couple of jobs today which is something that I've been putting off. Now it just remains to see if I get some packing done tomorrow. *sigh*
Gene's in Geelong tonight. He took Gram down there to get a long overdue service, or possibly the bad news of the transmission/alternator issues that we suspect. We're still waiting to hear the verdict from the mechanics.
It's probaby a welcome change to sleep in a house that doesn't smell like burnt stuff. Stupid incorrect microwave instructions.
I'm a little sad that I won't get to wake him up on his birthday but he's aiming to be home in the late morning/early afternoon so hopefully I can give him his surprise pressie then.
With the amount of packing that hasn't been done, you wouldn't think we were moving out. Kind of wish we weren't because I really like this place. At the same time it's the kind of change that is likely to get us saving faster to get overseas.
Gene's in Geelong tonight. He took Gram down there to get a long overdue service, or possibly the bad news of the transmission/alternator issues that we suspect. We're still waiting to hear the verdict from the mechanics.
It's probaby a welcome change to sleep in a house that doesn't smell like burnt stuff. Stupid incorrect microwave instructions.
I'm a little sad that I won't get to wake him up on his birthday but he's aiming to be home in the late morning/early afternoon so hopefully I can give him his surprise pressie then.
With the amount of packing that hasn't been done, you wouldn't think we were moving out. Kind of wish we weren't because I really like this place. At the same time it's the kind of change that is likely to get us saving faster to get overseas.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Random Updates
My voice is better although not 100%. I really should stop using it until it gets better though, apparently I could do permanent damage. Good thing I'm not aspiring to a career in singing.
Gene and I received our itineraries today. We depart on the 16th May and get back on the 2nd June. So now all that remains is to get the house packed (pfft, easy done) and I need to get my passport renewed. This would have been much easier if I'd gotten my passport three months later than I did. However as the last time I needed a new passport was when I was 17yrs 9 months old, I needed to go through the full passport application process. Many thanks to Paul for his help with that.
We're slowly sorting out what stuff is going to go where. We've confirmed that the books and DVDs are mainly going to the Nic(k)s with the Xbox. Naomi kindly offered to take Herman (many thanks Nomes!) so we need to organise a time to drop him off. A random guest who came over last night has offered to take our big leather chairs. (Okay I'm exaggerating, Gene knew the guy from Adelaide I think). Now all that remains is getting boxes.
Sadly Gram is out of action. According to Gene she's not starting. This leads us to believe that not only is the transmission dead, the alternator has joined it. This is not well timed.
Tomorrow I have two things that I need to achieve. First I need to lodge my passport application otherwise I'm not going anywhere. Second I need to get a quote on fixing the car. I'm not optimistic on the cost of that.
On a more positive note though, I came home after work tonight and checked my email to discover that I've been asked to go and talk at a careers breakfast at my old school. I'm pretty excited about this because they never got any arts type people to talk when I was there. The biggest catch is it's at 7:30am. What highschool kid in their right mind is thinking about their career choie at that hour?! I sure as hell wasn't. Maybe that's why I'm in theatre... hmm.... Anyway, I can't do it this term so it might happen next term instead. Not sure what I'd say to the kids and their parents though...
Anyway, it's well past bedtime now. Not that I'm tired. I just need to be up early in the morning (read: up in the morning) so I should do the sensible thing and sleep.
Yep, bed. No really...
Captain Random Moment
The other day, when I'd lost my voice yet again, I was thinking about how cool it would be to go and watch a stand up comedian who couldn't speak. Crazy I know, but I reckon I could really get into watching a show where the entire thing was done in sign language and being translated. The physicality of sign language is what gets my attention. Okay I'm being weird so I'll stop now.
Gene and I received our itineraries today. We depart on the 16th May and get back on the 2nd June. So now all that remains is to get the house packed (pfft, easy done) and I need to get my passport renewed. This would have been much easier if I'd gotten my passport three months later than I did. However as the last time I needed a new passport was when I was 17yrs 9 months old, I needed to go through the full passport application process. Many thanks to Paul for his help with that.
We're slowly sorting out what stuff is going to go where. We've confirmed that the books and DVDs are mainly going to the Nic(k)s with the Xbox. Naomi kindly offered to take Herman (many thanks Nomes!) so we need to organise a time to drop him off. A random guest who came over last night has offered to take our big leather chairs. (Okay I'm exaggerating, Gene knew the guy from Adelaide I think). Now all that remains is getting boxes.
Sadly Gram is out of action. According to Gene she's not starting. This leads us to believe that not only is the transmission dead, the alternator has joined it. This is not well timed.
Tomorrow I have two things that I need to achieve. First I need to lodge my passport application otherwise I'm not going anywhere. Second I need to get a quote on fixing the car. I'm not optimistic on the cost of that.
On a more positive note though, I came home after work tonight and checked my email to discover that I've been asked to go and talk at a careers breakfast at my old school. I'm pretty excited about this because they never got any arts type people to talk when I was there. The biggest catch is it's at 7:30am. What highschool kid in their right mind is thinking about their career choie at that hour?! I sure as hell wasn't. Maybe that's why I'm in theatre... hmm.... Anyway, I can't do it this term so it might happen next term instead. Not sure what I'd say to the kids and their parents though...
Anyway, it's well past bedtime now. Not that I'm tired. I just need to be up early in the morning (read: up in the morning) so I should do the sensible thing and sleep.
Yep, bed. No really...
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