Hi all.

So yes, I haven’t updated this old thing in a while, but I have again, for what can I only believe to be the third time, decided to try to keep this blog going.

A cacophony of events, copious amounts of alcohol, and a bit of international exchange, has made for adventurous, revealing and satisfying times here in Osaka.

“Risk Aversion” to “Risk Neutral”, I put it down to. I can’t wait for the next step.

In the meantime, PHOTOS!

I bought a remote for my camera… nerd factor up!

Pretty

Second ever attempt at photgraphing fireoworks… not too bad, right?

Got to love summer in Nihon.

More to come soon.

Oh, Osaka is hot.

Any apprehension about crowd sizes was soon relieved as it really wasn’t bad at all. Besides the odd knock in the back from some guy too eager to get some  digital-pixel loving pictures of the scantly dressed girls, much fun was had.

I have too say, some of the machines just have to be seen to believed.

Autumn leaves outside my door.

I want one.

One for the F1 fans.

Oh wait, I forget to say I became one of those guys… damn it.

I really liked the body on that car.

Concept car.

Computer car.

Mitsubishi’s Dakar Rally vehicle.

My friend loved the body on this one.

More cars.

I thought of Nik when I saw this one.

Skyline GT-R

There is a robot inside that talk to you while you drive, and can detect changes in facial expressions.

I wonder if it knows horny…

Well, there you have it.

I don’t know for how long this frequent updating will continue.

Until next time.

For I believe the third time, in about as many posts. Whether anyone still frequents this blog is doubtable, it is most likely unwillingly come across by motorbike enthusiasts. Oh well.

So I now live in Japan. Osaka, Japan to be more exact. So how is life over there? I hear inquiring minds and people generally interested in my well-being asking….

Well, good. Work is not as challenging as it once was, hence the days are filled more with those lovable banalities.

Instead of a long blog explaining my absence…  I will post some photos.

I like photos…

Other Jets and I, notice me kissing up to charming the Mayor (Note: Not for much longer as he recently lost the mayoral election)

First night in Tokyo.

国際交流、or ‘International Exchange’

At the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Wellington Jets. Great night.

A fallen comrade… the morning after.

Umeda, viewed from another CIR’s balcony.

We rocked it.

The IAAF World Championships in Athletics came to town.

Working Saturday at the Noh.

Autumn colours in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

I love Kyoto.

So there you have it, a very unlikely update.

I have an expensive bottle of Tequila.

Until next time.

Some of you who I have not been in contact with since my last post have most likely presumed me dead. Fair enough. No ammount of apologising is going to make up for me not updating my blog.

So, I have some news.

I have just recieved word, hot off one of those round things in orbit, that one Alex Peterson may possibly be making the journey to New Zealand. This excites me a great deal. It has been a while since our last roll in the hay.

For those who graced the halls of Ritsumeikan and other such fine establishments, such as I House II, may remember Booraya Takerngrangsarit. Yes, that wagashi loving little prankster is in Wellington on work.

Little reunion anyone?

That is, after I defeat this stomach bug. Apparently 210,000 people have been struck down by this over here.

Violent vomiting and uncontrolable diarrhea… that’s about all the details I’ll go into…. for now.

This won’t help anyone back home… but whale is very similar to horse, in texture and in taste. Somewhat stringy and a little gamey. Not bad, but I don’t think i’ll be ordering it next time. After a copious ammount of raw fish and rice, it was off to the most famous and most expensive fruit shop in Japan. Remember that episode where the Simpsons go to Japan and Homer buys the square water melon? Well this shop has them in the summer. I’m talking a hundred plus for 6 peaches ( I can’t forget to mention the very cool wooden box the come in). I had the mixed fruit juice.

The following day, Maho and I left for Nikko. The whole place has been a world heritage site since around 2000 if my memory of that plaque is correct. We didn’t have ideal weather, but that was made up for with one un-freaking-believable incident. Across the road for the station where some nice maple trees in beautiful red, husky colours. As I was happily snapping away with my trusty fujifilm, I noticed a white person standing next to me, intrigued, I looked over. It was the french germ Jeremy! We were both on the same exchange programme last year in Kyoto and stayed in the same dorm! Talk about coincidences. It also turned out that he and his girlfriend stayed in the same ryokan as us. As our shuttle bus was waiting to take us to the ryokan, out reunion was cut short. We will be making plans to meet up in Tokyo a little later on.

After we got settle in the ryokan, we decided to head to the famous shrines nearby. By that time however, it was pretty dark, so we headed back for a nice dip in the hot springs. This was followed by an ice cold beer… heaven I tell you.

The following day we heading further into the hills to Oku-Nikko, where we saw one of Japan’s three great waterfalls.

Kegon Falls. 97 metres of falling water and negative ions, fun and refreshing. We walking around Chuzenji Lake, admiring the hovering fog behind us that seemed to shy to follow us. After some Nikko Noodles, or ‘nudels’ as spelled at one joint, it was back to the ryokan for me hot times.

Our last day was spent wondering around the grounds of the world heritage shrines that were a short walk from the ryokan. I don’t have the pictures just yet, I might upload some with the next post. I will say however, that at one shrine, is the stable of one of the imperial families horse. This stead is a gift from New Zealand. Very cool. I’m afraid however, that it may have well already been eaten. Nuricious.

I did find some cookie monkikkies, uki monster’s favourite.

Friday, I made my way to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.

There was not much to the place. It was mostlt old people and suits. I did get to taste Japanese Nationalism in a way they do best, the mixing of indirect subtlety with a complete lack of remorse. I don’t know what I was expecting in a museum on the grounds of Yasukuni… an experience to say the least.

I went for a stroll through a nearby park which happened to be adjacent to the imperial palace.

Also! most reading this blog would have heard of or know Alex very well, well, I met with the crazy funking monkey tonight. We managed to find a place with 生ビール for 157yen!!  It was a pleasure to drink with you sir! and yes, keep the tequila chilled for me in Kansai.

Tomorrow I make the journey to Kyoto.  I don’t think Kyoto is ready for this…

Also, Yokohama is the shizzle.

Airports apparently have curfews. We had to stay on the tarmak a few extra minutes so as not to arrive at Narita before 6am. Going through customs and hearing the officer say「 パスポートだけで結構ですよ」　or ‘ just your passport is fine’ was honestly, very exicting. This japanese passport thing is great. Now just for my polish passport and Sweden here I come…. Your berries are mine!

After some drifting through Chiba to Tokyo on my ‘ friendly limousine bus’, I met up with Maho and it was straight to her place to drop my suitcase off. I had long been joansing ( is that how you spell it?) for some great revoling sushi, so to Shibuya we went. 9 plates later, a primordial state of fishy bliss was attained. All for 945円.

A cell phone was also arranged for my short stay.

uki-is-back@ezweb.ne.jp How appropriate! Please send your details to me, for those of you in already in emperor’s finests of finests lands.

Here are two pictures that really nailed home the whole ‘you ain’t in NZ anymore…Alice’ for me.

Shibuya’s ‘Scramble intersection’ ( the place with the Dinosaur on the TV on the building) and high speed internet. A note for telecom nz: this is what is known as ‘high speed internet’, look into it… please.

Alas, next to this free internet station I am using is the Qantas Club… behind the glass door is the proverbial oasis, fill to the brim with cool refreshing air, and it is out of grasp. The thought of barging through the class doors to my sanctuary has crossed my mind at least ten times since I started writing this update…. make that eleven.

Besides the unbearable heat, everything else is going to plan. Next step… a plane to Tokyo for some serious drifting.

Next post will be from the land of the emperor’s finests.

14 or so hours to go.

The relative uneventfulness of my life is what I would like to blame for me not recently updating this page. However, I can now reveal to you that giant man eating Kiwis, or ‘G-MEKS’, not to be mistaken for ‘G-Life’, pecked me to near death. I have only but today recovered enough that the motor skills necessary for updating such fine internets have finally returned. 大変お待たせ致しました。

If I had known that ECON314- Game theory, and MOFI301 were in fact ‘G-MEKS’ in disguise, I would have steered well clear, with my pride and motor skills in tact. But enough of that, I shall update you on the going ons of my life.

I like to think that the constant theme that has run through the last semester of this year has been ‘quality’. The motif has shown itself in numerous aspects of my life this second half of the year, none more so than in the food and beverages section. It first started at these two lads birthday party.

To one Mark Holden’s recommendation, Zibbibo was to be the place where we were to ‘party up large’. Showing restraint at all times of course, he said. This proved to be more difficult for some. As I enjoyed my rare Steak, which is coincidentally how I like my horse, and enjoyed an ample sip of a quality french red, I thought of the discussion us lads had had prior to our diner arrangements. Another quality establishment, conveniently located across the road, which I believe was no coincidence in Mark’s decision to feast at Zibbibo, was to be our next destination. We headed towards the lady in the bright neon lights.

Santa Fe was where, if lucky, one could sample or even partake in the entertainment. *Note: Here when I refer to luck, I refer to the ammount of Sante Fe bills in front of you. It did not take long before the Russian model, who stole my Islands north of Hokkaido, was forced invited onto the stage. After Ivan got to see where many, I can only postulate, have seen, in an almost knee-jerk reaction, some ‘cashed-in’ or stocked up on their ‘Luck’. It was not long before as touched on before, showing restraint proved to be more difficult for some. I believe it may have been after the fine young lass, who captured perfectly my mindstate at the time said ‘you guys look scared’, crawled by in front of me. The whole time maintianing grace, ofcourse. As she made her way down towards Texas’ end, (the man involved sadly, was granted interim name suppression and will be referred to as ‘Texas) to me and Tom’s utter disbelief, almost in slow motion we see the extended ‘paw’ of Texas hoping to land its prey. The lass however was alert to this. Astute to the fact that there wasn’t even one bill in his outstretched paw, she retreated. Almost as if she was some kind of pro, and got this all the time. Who would have guessed?

I shoud add moments into the ‘quality list’. Another such qualiy moment came the night I celebrated another friend’s birthday. That night, after a bottle and a half of good wine and great chinese cuisine, the celebration train made its next stop at the yakitori bar. Two further plum wines were followed by two glasses of sake. Well inebriated, and wanting more, we were all aboard and heading for Vespa, one of my favourite bars in Wellington. After two caiphirnhas, something was still missing. Not necessarily a drink with a high alcohol percentage as I was passed cooked and now burning, but something to cap things off. Yes that’s right fans, it was time for Laphroaig. All the way from the Isle of Islay to my welcoming hand, it’s warmth surrounded me, and didn’t let go. In a bubble of malty goodness, I took the now half asleep birthday boy back to his apartment. One phone call later and I was back on my way into the middle of town. After rendezvouing at a place I had told myself I would never go back to, with the help of Tom, the novelty dances were brought out for all of our adoring fans. From the reversal of a car to the heart surgeon. In a moment of brilliance laced with many types of liquor, my necktie was off and rotating at high speeds above my head. Then, at the precise moment it was thrown lasso style over an unsuspecting lass. Though struggling to breath, I could see her astonishment, wonder and pleasure. Thank you Laphroaig, you are no doubt at heart a lassoer yourself
Once again my sincere apologies for the Giant man eating kiwis that have kept me from such quality posts as this one. Though I can see with only 15 days until I’m back in the land of the emperor’s finests, there will be many a post to come.

Also I am learning of my super hero powers, albeit little by little…

This abstruction of sorts was corrected with surgury two months or so ago now. Alas, much was lacking in the cute nurse department over here in NZ, though ones with obstructions around where the ureter and kidney meet can’t be beggars right?

Around five weeks after the surgery, an appointed was made to have the preverbial and delictable cheery on top final procedure performed. Being, still to this present day, mentally scared by the happenings of the procedure and unable to explain in anymore detail, I leave you all to read more here. Below is the ureteric stent that was removed, it sits proudly next to my laptop. Conveniently, the surgery fell in the winter holidays, with much rest and recouperation centered around the playstation2.

Back in top shape, and with a better ureter than ever, I returned to university and thestart of a new semester. As soon as I stepped into game thoery on the first day back and the first bacth of ink hit the refil, I wanted out. Thankfully, one mister Thomas Fanning had a grand idea to escape the study and especially the shitty weather by heading up North. And so we did. Last Monday the quest for Ohope began. At our second stop, Taupo ( pronounced toe-paw), I decided a little hole-in-one golf challenge was in order. Decked out in my dog suit, Pepe Lopez took up the challenge…LOOK OUT TIGER!

One of NZ’s best holiday destinations, Ohope offers spectacular waves, sun, sand and bitches…apparently. ‘Awesome!’ i hear you people north of the equator saying, please keep in mind down this half of world it’s winter. The water was cold, possibly the reason why I am nursing a cold right now, but more importantly bathing in the Bay of Plenty was all part of the self purification process for our battered and worn city bodies. We did have immaculate weather to whole time up there, minimal wind if any, and great talks over good alcohol and epic games of risk. We returned to Wellington renewed, refreshed and cleansed.

We did meet an interesting character, her name was Ivanka, apparently a mail order bride from the motherland that is Russia.

84 days till I’m back in the land of the emperor’s finests.