Tell me, Mike
Eric Takabayashi
small buildings, domes, tipis, yurts or log cabins, to
expand or work from home. I've been looking for a place
for years, and somewhere large or affordable enough is
usually hidden away in the hills say an hour from town
without a highway or train line, but it doesn't get
much more conveniently located on paper than this:
Check it out on the map:
Zoom in, zoom out. Enlarge the map. Check it out to
scale. Check the amenities in the pull down menu.
Practically walking distance for me. No nursery schools
or kindergartens in that town, though. Not even a
junior high.
Is that area decent? How's Tomioka City? I don't
believe I've seen a city that small on a map.
http://www.city.tomioka.gunma.jp/
Their homepage makes it out to be a nice, quiet place,
close to nature.
Of course that house needs work, probably more than the
entire property costs.
But do you think this is worth looking into?
--
"I want to meet my father and say, your sperm became
me."
Eric Takabayashi
> I'd like to get my own Dash Mura going and put up some
> small buildings, domes, tipis, yurts or log cabins, to
> expand or work from home. I've been looking for a place
> for years, and somewhere large or affordable enough is
> usually hidden away in the hills say an hour from town
> without a highway or train line, but it doesn't get
> much more conveniently located on paper than this:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/x7c3
http://www.myplanst.co.jp/object/2986.htm
> Check it out on the map:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/x7bu
Take care to copy and paste the whole thing.
上信鉄道南蛇井駅, in any case.
Mmm. "South Snakewell". That would look cool on an
envelope.
> Zoom in, zoom out. Enlarge the map. Check it out to
> scale. Check the amenities in the pull down menu.
> Practically walking distance for me. No nursery schools
> or kindergartens in that town, though. Not even a
> junior high.
>
> Is that area decent? How's Tomioka City? I don't
> believe I've seen a city that small on a map.
>
> http://www.city.tomioka.gunma.jp/
>
> Their homepage makes it out to be a nice, quiet place,
> close to nature.
Yeehaw. And it's on the line to Maebashi. Maebashi has
department stores.
Louise Bremner
> http://tinyurl.com/x7c3
>
> Check it out on the map:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/x7bu
>
> Zoom in, zoom out. Enlarge the map. Check it out to
> scale. Check the amenities in the pull down menu.
> Practically walking distance for me. No nursery schools
> or kindergartens in that town, though. Not even a
> junior high.
Looks interesting....
But.... There are a lot of golf courses in the area--are you happy with
the idea of living close to whatever it is that keeps those greens so
green throughout the year?
________________________________________________________________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!
Eric Takabayashi
> Eric Takabayashi <eta...@yahoo.co.jp> wrote:
>
> > http://tinyurl.com/x7c3
> >
> > Check it out on the map:
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/x7bu
> >
> > Zoom in, zoom out. Enlarge the map. Check it out to
> > scale. Check the amenities in the pull down menu.
> > Practically walking distance for me. No nursery schools
> > or kindergartens in that town, though. Not even a
> > junior high.
>
> Looks interesting....
And in the other direction, it's less than 20 km from Karuizawa.
Kick ass.
> But.... There are a lot of golf courses in the area--are you happy with
> the idea of living close to whatever it is that keeps those greens so
> green throughout the year?
What would that be? Over irrigation? Chemicals in the groundwater or
washing into the rivers? Too much traffic?
Drew Hamilton
>But.... There are a lot of golf courses in the area--are you happy with
>the idea of living close to whatever it is that keeps those greens so
>green throughout the year?
Nah, that's just the drunk golfers who can't be bothered to walk
all the way back to the clubhouse. I'm sure that a fence would
solve that problem.
--
- awh
http://www.awh.org/
Michael Cash
<eta...@yahoo.co.jp> belched the alphabet and kept on going with:
>I'd like to get my own Dash Mura going and put up some
>small buildings, domes, tipis, yurts or log cabins, to
>expand or work from home. I've been looking for a place
>for years, and somewhere large or affordable enough is
>usually hidden away in the hills say an hour from town
>without a highway or train line, but it doesn't get
>much more conveniently located on paper than this:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/x7c3
>
>Check it out on the map:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/x7bu
>
>Zoom in, zoom out. Enlarge the map. Check it out to
>scale. Check the amenities in the pull down menu.
>Practically walking distance for me. No nursery schools
>or kindergartens in that town, though. Not even a
>junior high.
You need to do a yingyong google. I found a 保育園 near South
Snakewell Station: http://tomiokaizumi.hoikuen.to/index2.html
There are four 幼稚園 listed here:
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~caw79710/list/list1_10/1003.html
And I'm pretty sure those are just the private ones. There must be
some run by the city as well.
>
>Is that area decent? How's Tomioka City? I don't
>believe I've seen a city that small on a map.
I've only been over there once or twice. I don't recall having any
particular impression of the place.
>
>http://www.city.tomioka.gunma.jp/
>
>Their homepage makes it out to be a nice, quiet place,
>close to nature.
The contour lines on the map would tend to verify that. You would be
at the absolute bleeding edge of the Kanto Plain.
>
>Of course that house needs work, probably more than the
>entire property costs.
Depends on what you're willing to tolerate.
>
>But do you think this is worth looking into?
If I had the money and the sort of career that would allow me to make
a living while isolated on the edge of nowhere, I'd probably drive
over there and take a look at it myself. Like you said, it's
convenient to the ultra-boonies of Nagano and the backwater metropolis
of Maebashi.
Brett Robson
>
>I'd like to get my own Dash Mura going and put up some
>small buildings, domes, tipis, yurts or log cabins, to
>expand or work from home. I've been looking for a place
>for years, and somewhere large or affordable enough is
>usually hidden away in the hills say an hour from town
>without a highway or train line, but it doesn't get
>much more conveniently located on paper than this:
>
I have my own project similar to yours, but involves Queensland. Can't give any
details because I don't have any other than I've thought about semi retirement
in 10 or 12 years.
Brett
.
----
"You don't bang it at 11:00pm but on the other hand, you don't play tribal house
when you're headlining a tech-house party"
DJ Mike McKenna talking shit
DougH
> Snakewell Station: http://tomiokaizumi.hoikuen.to/index2.html
Nice tune on that page.
DougH
another fool
wife and said "well, you keep saying you want to stay in Japan when we
get done with this ex-pat thing - here`s what we can afford".
Needless to say she was not ammused by the one that was a 30 minute
drive from the train station in a village with 8 other houses.
Something about I could live there she and the kids would be with mom.
Now if I could just get one of you guys who reads/understands kanji to
find me a site like that that has houses in the Hyogo Prefecture -
preferably near a town named Yokka in the N. part I could really scare
the bejebus out of her. That`s where her mom and dad are retiring too
if dad ever retires...
Eric Takabayashi
> Wow - some of the places in there are dirt cheep.
Not only there. Keep on conducting searches for real estate or "不動産"
in whatever location you desire.
> Showed `em to the
> wife and said "well, you keep saying you want to stay in Japan when we
> get done with this ex-pat thing - here`s what we can afford".
> Needless to say she was not ammused by the one that was a 30 minute
> drive from the train station in a village with 8 other houses.
Keep looking. That particular site is heavy on Niigata property, despite
being based in Tokyo. No one I ask knows why there is so much Niigata
property for sale, or why it is so damned cheap, despite some of it even
being new.
> Something about I could live there she and the kids would be with mom.
Many Japanese don't get it. Here foreigners are isolated from all our
other family and friends, having given up property large enough to be
mistaken for a public park near the coast of Hawaii for example, and they
complain if they can't be near their own family and friends, or in a
really nice place like urban Osaka or Tokyo. They complain they can't get
"interesting" or high paying work.
> Now if I could just get one of you guys who reads/understands kanji to
> find me a site like that that has houses in the Hyogo Prefecture -
Hyogo has a number of rural properties, though probably in the south or
center. In urban areas, Hyogo is kind of expensive.
Here are two sites I use:
http://tinyurl.com/xoxj
http://tinyurl.com/xoxs
Here is a search of "Hyogo real estate":
http://tinyurl.com/xoxi
> preferably near a town named Yokka in the N. part I could really scare
> the bejebus out of her. That`s where her mom and dad are retiring too
> if dad ever retires...
--
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http://www.mercycorps.org/items/1398/
http://www.mercycorps.org/mercykits.php
Mercy Corps' goal in Iraq is to work with conflict-affected communities
to meet their
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Over 92% of our resources go directly to humanitarian programs.
Excellence
Worth Magazine named Mercy Corps one of America's best charities.
High-Value
Every dollar you give helps us secure $12.71 in donated food and other
supplies.
The 2-Belo
>No one I ask knows why there is so much Niigata
>property for sale, or why it is so damned cheap, despite some of it even
>being new.
It's happening in Gifu as well: rural communities selling land and houses for
comically low prices in order to draw new residents. New residents = more influx
of tax money and consumption of services = better economy, I'm guessing.
There are large signs in many Nagoya area trains that blare the advantages of
living in Buttfuck, Gifu, and sport pictures of gleaming new neo-retro houses.
The message is obvious: "Please move here and spend your money!"
--
The 2-Belo
the2belo[AT]msd[DOT]biglobe[DOT]ne[DOT]jp
news:alt.alien.vampire.flonk.flonk.flonk (mhm21x20)
news:alt.fan.karl-malden.nose (Meow.)
http://www.godhatesjanks.org/ (God Hates Janks!)
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Ryan Ginstrom
"The 2-Belo" <the2...@msd.biPOKPOKglobe.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:3fcfd324$0$3180$df06...@news.sexzilla.net...
> There are large signs in many Nagoya area trains that blare the advantages
of
> living in Buttfuck, Gifu, and sport pictures of gleaming new neo-retro
houses.
> The message is obvious: "Please move here and spend your money!"
There are even these "mura-okoshi" projects in seriously BF'd regions, where
the village council zones some land for housing and sells it very cheaply or
even *gives it away*, sometimes even guaranteeing housing loans to build the
house. There is at least one island in Okinawa with an open offer of free
land to anyone who will live there year-round.
On a side note, decreasing populations are not the only threat to the
incomes of small communities. Another problem is absorption -- some
predatory nearby municipality with town/city status cajoles/coerces the
village into merging, then the town/city snaps up all the
prefectural/national money that would have gone to the erstwhile village,
redistributing it as it sees fit...
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
John W.
> Eric Takabayashi and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>
>
>> No one I ask knows why there is so much Niigata property for sale,
>> or why it is so damned cheap, despite some of it even being new.
>
>
> It's happening in Gifu as well: rural communities selling land and
> houses for comically low prices in order to draw new residents. New
> residents = more influx of tax money and consumption of services =
> better economy, I'm guessing.
>
> There are large signs in many Nagoya area trains that blare the
> advantages of living in Buttfuck, Gifu, and sport pictures of
> gleaming new neo-retro houses. The message is obvious: "Please move
> here and spend your money!"
>
place for me. Unfortunately my wife has no real desire to be there, and
it's too difficult for me to fly from Gifu to Tennessee where my family is.
John W.
another fool
> > Something about I could live there she and the kids would be with mom.
>
> Many Japanese don't get it. Here foreigners are isolated from all our
> other family and friends, having given up property large enough to be
> mistaken for a public park near the coast of Hawaii for example, and they
> complain if they can't be near their own family and friends, or in a
> really nice place like urban Osaka or Tokyo. They complain they can't get
> "interesting" or high paying work.
Wife isn`t interested in working - at least till the kiddos get into
school so another 5 years +. She (of course) is bitchy because we`re
not in Tokyo the center of all things cool - never mind that she
couldn`t go anywhere with the 2 kiddos she just wants to live in Tokyo
instead of BFE like we do now.
I will say she put up rather admirably with the same feeling I am
experiencing for almost 6 years but then she did have a better
developed support network in the SF bay area and then in Austin where
there was a large group of Japanese wives who got together.
> Hyogo has a number of rural properties, though probably in the south or
> center. In urban areas, Hyogo is kind of expensive.
Yeah I know - and naturally she wants to go back to Takarazuka where
she grew up - trying to put a stop to that notion we`ll see if it is
successful. I`m not holding my breath.
> Here are two sites I use:
> http://tinyurl.com/xoxj
> http://tinyurl.com/xoxs
wow look at the views:
http://tinyurl.com/xtq3
and a log cabin:
http://tinyurl.com/xtq9
Going to have to see if I can get her to show me where those damned
things are. Couldn`t get the 2nd site to work but I didn`t play with
it too much - maybe the wife will help instead of giving me that
disapproving look before aiming a well placed knee.
Eric Takabayashi
> Eric Takabayashi <eta...@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message news:<3FCF368C...@yahoo.co.jp>...
> > > Something about I could live there she and the kids would be with mom.
> >
> > Many Japanese don't get it. Here foreigners are isolated from all our
> > other family and friends, having given up property large enough to be
> > mistaken for a public park near the coast of Hawaii for example, and they
> > complain if they can't be near their own family and friends, or in a
> > really nice place like urban Osaka or Tokyo. They complain they can't get
> > "interesting" or high paying work.
>
> Wife isn`t interested in working - at least till the kiddos get into
> school so another 5 years +. She (of course) is bitchy because we`re
> not in Tokyo the center of all things cool
My goodness. Precisely what I meant. If that's what she wanted, perhaps she should have married an
elite Tokyo based salaryman, or be more willing to work to pay for that kind of lifestyle.
Or you could live in Chiba. Chiba can be as cheap as those rural sites I showed you, particularly
on the coast, or in central Chiba kind of near Narita International Airport.
I don't know why property in Chiba is so damned cheap either, cheaper than Hiroshima, and the sea
and beaches are much better.
You can also see cheap property in downtown Tokyo and rural Tokyo. If you don't mind the suburban
sprawl (I hate it), I'm sure you can find something affordable.
> - never mind that she
> couldn`t go anywhere with the 2 kiddos she just wants to live in Tokyo
> instead of BFE like we do now.
>
> I will say she put up rather admirably with the same feeling I am
> experiencing for almost 6 years but then she did have a better
> developed support network in the SF bay area and then in Austin where
> there was a large group of Japanese wives who got together.
>
> > Hyogo has a number of rural properties, though probably in the south or
> > center. In urban areas, Hyogo is kind of expensive.
>
> Yeah I know - and naturally she wants to go back to Takarazuka where
> she grew up - trying to put a stop to that notion we`ll see if it is
> successful. I`m not holding my breath.
>
> > Here are two sites I use:
> > http://tinyurl.com/xoxj
> > http://tinyurl.com/xoxs
>
> wow look at the views:
> http://tinyurl.com/xtq3
That house kicks ass. I love looking at that page. It even has its own pond. That is "the real
Japan". I could probably make a little money by letting people stay in my house or go camping on
my land.
But not even I will DRIVE 15.6 km to the station, nor DRIVE 14 km to get to the supermarket, or
DRIVE 4.5 km to get to the hospital.
> and a log cabin:
> http://tinyurl.com/xtq9
It's great, but too small for me. It needs two more rooms upstairs.
Check out the location on Mapion. You may not like it.
If I had twice the amount of money, I'd buy my three acre llama farm:
> Going to have to see if I can get her to show me where those damned
> things are.
Simply cut the location out from the real estate page, and paste it in the Mapion search window,
and give it a go. With Mapion, you can do searches for the nearest listed schools, shopping areas,
hospitals, post offices, financial institutions, etc.
> Couldn`t get the 2nd site to work
Maybe they were updating it at the time. Seems fine now.
> but I didn`t play with
> it too much - maybe the wife will help instead of giving me that
> disapproving look before aiming a well placed knee.
There should be a lot of property available in or near Takarazuka. You can find that easily
through a net search.
Ernest Schaal
wrote on 12/5/03 10:53 AM:
Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by bike, the
main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is pretty. On the other
hand, there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin. According
to a list posted in the city hall, there are very few gaijin from
English-speaking countries (only a couple of hundred in a city of 400,000
people, most of which are either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are
limited resources for Western gaijin.
Louise Bremner
> ....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
Louise Bremner
> Or you could live in Chiba. Chiba can be as cheap as those rural sites I
> showed you, particularly on the coast, or in central Chiba kind of near
> Narita International Airport.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/xutp
>
> I don't know why property in Chiba is so damned cheap either, cheaper than
> Hiroshima, and the sea and beaches are much better.
Because of the airport, maybe?
John W.
> in article 3FCFE500...@yahoo.komm, John W. at
> worth...@yahoo.komm wrote on 12/5/03 10:53 AM:
>
>> best place for me. Unfortunately my wife has no real desire to be
>> there, and it's too difficult for me to fly from Gifu to Tennessee
>> where my family is.
>>
>> John W.
>>
>
>
> Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by
> bike, the main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is
> pretty. On the other hand, there really aren't that many resources
> for Western gaijin. According to a list posted in the city hall,
> there are very few gaijin from English-speaking countries (only a
> couple of hundred in a city of 400,000 people, most of which are
> either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are limited resources for
> Western gaijin.
>
supply me with antyhing I might need.
Alas, 'tis all but a dream any more, unless I become wealthy enough to
have two homes.
John W.
John W.
> another fool wrote:
>
>
>>
>>wow look at the views:
>>http://tinyurl.com/xtq3
>
>
> That house kicks ass. I love looking at that page. It even has its own pond. That is "the real
> Japan". I could probably make a little money by letting people stay in my house or go camping on
> my land.
>
homes/buildings I've seen is this coffee shop that sits beside some road
that meanders through Hyogo north of Himeji. It's a full-size log cabin,
American style, and is absolutely gorgeous.
John W.
John W.
> Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>
>
>>....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
>
>
> Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
>
John W.
Ernest Schaal
dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 9:35 AM:
> Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>
>> ....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
>
> Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
Partial list:
Virgin Megastore
Kinokuniya or Maruzen bookstore, preferably both
Hard Rock Café
Apple Store
another fool
> another fool wrote:
>
> > Wife isn`t interested in working - at least till the kiddos get into
> > school so another 5 years +. She (of course) is bitchy because we`re
> > not in Tokyo the center of all things cool
>
> My goodness. Precisely what I meant. If that's what she wanted, perhaps she should have married an
> elite Tokyo based salaryman, or be more willing to work to pay for that kind of lifestyle.
Could be she's badely overeducated. Could be the fact she got run out
of her department when one of the professors made it very clear in
front of the rest of the graduate students that no woman had gotten a
phd from his department and none ever would while he was there. That
or the fact her first job as an 'engineer' involved typing up stuff
for her boss, wearing a navy office lady suit, and serving coffee at
meetings. Mostly I think she just wanted to be in Tokyo since she
hadn't been there until I took her along on a business trip after we
got married. Well that and all my co-workers who are ex-pats live in
Tokyo and commute 2 hours each way by train (not going to do that -
nope nope nope!)
> Or you could live in Chiba. Chiba can be as cheap as those rural sites I showed you, particularly
> on the coast, or in central Chiba kind of near Narita International Airport.
Chiba would be good if I got a job in Tokyo. I just don't want to be
a technical marketing guy - which is the only jobs my company has in
Tokyo. I actually like what I'm doing if they'd let me do it (there
are some odd cultural things going on here that I am not hip to).
I was thinking that first place with the views and start a puppy mill
- someone has to be supplying all the thousand dollar dogs that the
local pet stores have for sale.
Louise Bremner
Oh.
I wonder when I stopped being a Western gaijin? Possibly when I acquired
a modem? Or was it earlier?
Louise Bremner
I mourned when Ale by Mail disappeared....
> And Diet Pepsi.
Pass.
Eric Takabayashi
> Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by bike, the
> main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is pretty. On the other
> hand, there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin. According
> to a list posted in the city hall, there are very few gaijin from
> English-speaking countries (only a couple of hundred in a city of 400,000
> people, most of which are either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are
> limited resources for Western gaijin.
Fukuyama has nearly 400,000 people, though not nearly as modern looking as Gifu
City.
I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
John W.
> Eric Takabayashi <eta...@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message news:<3FD088F8...@yahoo.co.jp>...
>
> a technical marketing guy - which is the only jobs my company has in
> Tokyo.
You know, if they need a technical marketing guy I know a well qualified
American that wouldn't mind the job. :)
John W.
John W.
> in article 1g5jh90.1dj84e4ta1lhpN%dame_...@yahoo.com, Louise Bremner at
> dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 9:35 AM:
>
>
>>Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
>>
>>Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
>
>
> Partial list:
>
> Virgin
I fixed your list for you.
John W.
another fool
> That'd be a pretty cool place to shack up.One of the coolest
> homes/buildings I've seen is this coffee shop that sits beside some road
> that meanders through Hyogo north of Himeji. It's a full-size log cabin,
> American style, and is absolutely gorgeous.
>
> John W.
There are 2 really cool looking log cabins on whatever village is
across the resovoir at the Miyagasi dam. very very cool - one is a
noodle shop I can't remember what the other one is. Look very rustic
too - not like the premade/prefab ones that are everywhere. These
look like someone cut the logs down in the mountains around them.
Anyone know anything about Miyagasi? Looks like there are a whole
bunch of old roads that head back into the mountains that deadend into
the resovoir - I would be willing to bet if someone wanted to hike
back far enough there would be someones former habitat. If I ever get
the wife and kids off to her mom's again for more then a few days I
might take a few days off work and go explorin...
The 2-Belo
Those are probably registered gaigin that are listed in the city hall. I'm
seeing just HERDS of them lately, but I suspect that they're all Gifu U ruffians
and not worth fussing over.
The 2-Belo
>Ernest Schaal wrote:
>
>> Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by bike, the
>> main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is pretty. On the other
>> hand, there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin. According
>> to a list posted in the city hall, there are very few gaijin from
>> English-speaking countries (only a couple of hundred in a city of 400,000
>> people, most of which are either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are
>> limited resources for Western gaijin.
>
>Fukuyama has nearly 400,000 people, though not nearly as modern looking as Gifu
>City.
That might be because Gifu pours most of its money into inexplicable
beautification programs.
>I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
Please hit me with the envy bat a couple more times sir. We all know that all
gaigins, in the end, want to live where there are few others.
John W.
Near where I grew up are many lakes built by TVA. I've always wanted to
go scuba diving in the lakes; the lakes covered some small
towns/villages, and while most of the buildings are gone by now,
supposedly you can still follow the roads around. It'd be pretty cool if
Miyagasi is the same. Of course, like TVA there's probably one big
danger in diving there: a few years ago some divers in a TVA lake found
these large barrels full of toxic chemicals....
John W.
John W.
> Ernest Schaal and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>
>>>
>>
>> bike, the main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is
>> pretty. On the other hand, there really aren't that many resources
>> for Western gaijin. According to a list posted in the city hall,
>> there are very few gaijin from English-speaking countries (only a
>> couple of hundred in a city of 400,000 people, most of which are
>> either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are limited resources
>> for Western gaijin.
>
>
> Those are probably registered gaigin that are listed in the city
> hall. I'm seeing just HERDS of them lately, but I suspect that
> they're all Gifu U ruffians and not worth fussing over.
>
east of Himeji. Seems that there is a sizeable community of Africans
there (I was told they were Africans) doing work in the leather
industry. In all the time I have spent in Himeji, I don't think I ever
saw more than a handful of blacks, and all where at the station nearest
said reggae club.
John W.
Louise Bremner
> >I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
>
> Please hit me with the envy bat a couple more times sir. We all know that
> all gaigins, in the end, want to live where there are few others.
Include me in too.... Yesterday, I listened to a woman who still can't
get my name right after several years of hearing it and seeing it
written, wittering on about how surprised she was to see how many gaijin
there are in the Asagaya/Ogikubo area (presumably she meant visible
gaigin).
If this is so astonishing, I want out. But maybe it'll be enough just to
avoid that particular person.
Declan Murphy
> in article 1g5jh90.1dj84e4ta1lhpN%dame_...@yahoo.com, Louise Bremner at
> dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 9:35 AM:
>
>>Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>>
>>>....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
>>
>>Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
How about adding things like
*bilingual medicos/dentists etc (http://tinyurl.com/y6o8)
*reasonable proximity to an airport/immigration bureau
*easy access to late night/weekend ATMs
> Partial list:
>
> Virgin Megastore
Or Tower records.
> Kinokuniya or Maruzen bookstore, preferably both
A maruzen would be nice. I'd like to open a bookshop/cafe thingee one
day, if only for myself (20 years down the track it would make it easier
to pretend to she who owns the remote that I'm working).
> Hard Rock Café
Good grief. Ernest does your "western gaijin" definition also read
"young white sepponian"? There was one kid on a tour last year who
bugged me throughout the Nara/Osaka/Kobe/Himeji route about taking the
group there. In Kobe I eventually yielded (more to shut him up than
anything). We went to the Kobe HRC but it was closed (at 11pm on a
Saturday night), so walked up the street and found a wonderful little
cafe with Guinness, wines, the lot. The other students has a great time.
The kid had a sour look on his face, it turned out that he didn't drink
alcohol at all, and just wanted an overpriced hamburger.
> Apple Store
I take it this doesn't sell apples. I would add to your list
*affordable off-road parking or excellent late night public transport
*any place that sells Vegemite
--
"Beyond the Euphrates began for us the land of mirage and danger, the
sands where one helplessly sank, and the roads which ended in nothing.
The slightest reversal would have resulted in a jolt to our prestige
giving rise to all kinds of catastrophe; the problem was not only to
conquer but to conquer again and again, perpetually; our forces would be
drained off in the attempt." - Emperor Hadrian AD 117-138
another fool
> another fool wrote:
> > "John W." <worth...@yahoo.komm> wrote in message news:<3FD12FE7...@yahoo.komm>...
> > bunch of old roads that head back into the mountains that deadend into
> > the resovoir - I would be willing to bet if someone wanted to hike
> > back far enough there would be someones former habitat. If I ever get
> > the wife and kids off to her mom's again for more then a few days I
> > might take a few days off work and go explorin...
>
> Near where I grew up are many lakes built by TVA. I've always wanted to
> go scuba diving in the lakes; the lakes covered some small
> towns/villages, and while most of the buildings are gone by now,
> supposedly you can still follow the roads around. It'd be pretty cool if
> Miyagasi is the same. Of course, like TVA there's probably one big
> danger in diving there: a few years ago some divers in a TVA lake found
> these large barrels full of toxic chemicals....
>
> John W.
I think there is a lake in Pensylvania that is like that. If memory
serves they bought the whole town and left it intact for scuba divers.
Seem to recall a friend got her certification on the lake with her
dad.
Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
relic/fossil hunting. I like salt water. Fresh water is what I used
when salt water was too far away. Really looking foward to a trip to
either Hawaii or Guam sometime next year so the wife can keep her
"didn`t leave the country for more then 1 year" thing going.
Wish she`d have gone ahead and made it "legal" and done the
citizenship thing while we were there - but she is dead set against
it. Seems to think it would make her a traitor to Japan or something.
Declan Murphy
> Ernest Schaal wrote:
>
>
>>Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by bike, the
>>main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is pretty. On the other
>>hand, there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin. According
>>to a list posted in the city hall, there are very few gaijin from
>>English-speaking countries (only a couple of hundred in a city of 400,000
>>people, most of which are either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are
>>limited resources for Western gaijin.
>
> Fukuyama has nearly 400,000 people, though not nearly as modern looking as Gifu
> City.
>
> I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
I dropped in to the city hall in Okazaki on Friday to update my gaigin
card thingee. Two things caught my eye - one is a chart displayed near
the entrance with the number of deaths/births and arrivals/departures.
The population had jumped another 500 last month - births in Okazaki
outnumbered deaths by 2:1 accounting for 220 of the increase. The rest
was a net increase in internal migration. It seems to average 500 a
month more or less. The other thing was that a fair bit of the increase
was due to the spreading outbreak of gaijinitus, which has spread to
include 2.8% of the 350,000 residents, with the number of Koreans as a
percentage for alien registrations below 1 in 5 for the first time. How
many of them are "westerners" isn't exactly clear.
Ernest Schaal
dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 3:26 PM:
> Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>
>> in article 1g5jh90.1dj84e4ta1lhpN%dame_...@yahoo.com, Louise Bremner at
>> dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 9:35 AM:
>>
>>> Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>>>
>>>> ....there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin.
>>>
>>> Idle curiosity, but what resources would Western gaijin require?
>>
>> Partial list:
>>
>> Virgin Megastore
>> Kinokuniya or Maruzen bookstore, preferably both
>> Hard Rock Café
>> Apple Store
>
> Oh.
>
> I wonder when I stopped being a Western gaijin? Possibly when I acquired
> a modem? Or was it earlier?
Obviously, not all Western gaijin have my interests. I like reading, not all
Western gaijin bother to read. I am a Mac user, some settle for Windows. I
am not a fan of hip-hop, or acid rock, or enka. And, sometimes I like having
a real American food.
Ernest Schaal
the2...@removethiswave-net.or.jp wrote on 12/8/03 12:39 AM:
> Eric Takabayashi and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>> I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
>
> Please hit me with the envy bat a couple more times sir. We all know that all
> gaigins, in the end, want to live where there are few others.
Not all western foreign residents want to go native, as if we could.
Ernest Schaal
declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/8/03 12:47 PM:
> Ernest Schaal wrote:
>> in article 1g5jh90.1dj84e4ta1lhpN%dame_...@yahoo.com, Louise Bremner at
>> dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/6/03 9:35 AM:
>>
> How about adding things like
> *bilingual medicos/dentists etc (http://tinyurl.com/y6o8)
The bilingual medicos/dentists don't bother me.
> *reasonable proximity to an airport/immigration bureau
There is an immigration bureau next to Gifu eki.
> *easy access to late night/weekend ATMs
>
>> Partial list:
>>
>> Virgin Megastore
>
> Or Tower records.
Agreed.
>> Kinokuniya or Maruzen bookstore, preferably both
>
> A maruzen would be nice. I'd like to open a bookshop/cafe thingee one
> day, if only for myself (20 years down the track it would make it easier
> to pretend to she who owns the remote that I'm working).
The Maruzen in Nagoya is better than the Kinokuniya there.
>> Hard Rock Café
>
> Good grief. Ernest does your "western gaijin" definition also read
> "young white sepponian"? There was one kid on a tour last year who
> bugged me throughout the Nara/Osaka/Kobe/Himeji route about taking the
> group there. In Kobe I eventually yielded (more to shut him up than
> anything). We went to the Kobe HRC but it was closed (at 11pm on a
> Saturday night), so walked up the street and found a wonderful little
> cafe with Guinness, wines, the lot. The other students has a great time.
> The kid had a sour look on his face, it turned out that he didn't drink
> alcohol at all, and just wanted an overpriced hamburger.
The Hard Rock Café is good for Cobb salads. I have never eaten a hamburger
there.
>> Apple Store
>
> I take it this doesn't sell apples.
It sells Macintoshes. There is now one in Tokyo, and will be one next year
in Osaka.
The 2-Belo
>*any place that sells Vegemite
OH GOD PLEASE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The 2-Belo
>Eric Takabayashi wrote:
>> Ernest Schaal wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Gifu has certain advantages: It is small enough to get around by bike, the
>>>main park is pretty, living is cheap, the scenery is pretty. On the other
>>>hand, there really aren't that many resources for Western gaijin. According
>>>to a list posted in the city hall, there are very few gaijin from
>>>English-speaking countries (only a couple of hundred in a city of 400,000
>>>people, most of which are either JETs or kaiwa instructors) and there are
>>>limited resources for Western gaijin.
>>
>> Fukuyama has nearly 400,000 people, though not nearly as modern looking as Gifu
>> City.
>>
>> I wonder if there are even 50 western foreign residents here.
>
>I dropped in to the city hall in Okazaki on Friday to update my gaigin
>card thingee. Two things caught my eye - one is a chart displayed near
>the entrance with the number of deaths/births and arrivals/departures.
>The population had jumped another 500 last month - births in Okazaki
>outnumbered deaths by 2:1 accounting for 220 of the increase. The rest
>was a net increase in internal migration. It seems to average 500 a
>month more or less. The other thing was that a fair bit of the increase
>was due to the spreading outbreak of gaijinitus, which has spread to
>include 2.8% of the 350,000 residents, with the number of Koreans as a
>percentage for alien registrations below 1 in 5 for the first time. How
>many of them are "westerners" isn't exactly clear.
I would venture a guess that Central and South American peoples would make up
the bulk of that. I certainly would hope they're not *all* Novabots.
The 2-Belo
Well, of course not. It's also known that we all shamelessly generalize. Mheh.
Louise Bremner
> >> Virgin Megastore
> >> Kinokuniya or Maruzen bookstore, preferably both
> >> Hard Rock Café
> >> Apple Store
> >
> > Oh.
> >
> > I wonder when I stopped being a Western gaijin? Possibly when I acquired
> > a modem? Or was it earlier?
>
> Obviously, not all Western gaijin have my interests.
True.
> I like reading... <snip the asnide>
So do I, but I haven't been to either Kinokuniya or Maruzen for their
overpriced, miserable selection for... um... many many years.
> I am a Mac user, some settle for Windows.
Yup.
> And, sometimes I like having a real American food.
OK, so maybe I was never a Western gaijin in the first place.
Ernest Schaal
dame_...@yahoo.com wrote on 12/8/03 9:30 PM:
> Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>
>> I like reading... <snip the asnide>
>
> So do I, but I haven't been to either Kinokuniya or Maruzen for their
> overpriced, miserable selection for... um... many many years.
The problem is that I like to browse before buying, and the internet really
doesn't allow browsing through the book before buying (especially the more
expensive books). While the internet has made great strides in providing
information about a book, it doesn't match the browsing experience.
>> And, sometimes I like having a real American food.
>
> OK, so maybe I was never a Western gaijin in the first place.
Not all Western gaijin are American (many Western gaijin in Gifu are
Canadians or New Zealanders, and then there is the occasional Brit), but I
happen to be a citizen of the great United States of America and like
American food.
John W.
>
> Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
> relic/fossil hunting.
One of the most interesting dives I made was in a river under a smallish
water fall. Fairly dangerous, but very educational. And exciting. And
strenuous. Actually there are some good fresh water dives in Florida's
springs; some nice caves, good manatee viewing.
> I like salt water.
I, too, prefer salt water, but I've never been to a really nice ocean
site. The closest to a great sea dive was in Key Largo Florida.
John W.
The 2-Belo
>Not all Western gaijin are American (many Western gaijin in Gifu are
>Canadians or New Zealanders, and then there is the occasional Brit), but I
>happen to be a citizen of the great United States of America and like
>American food.
Sure, I like American food too, but I found last year when I visited my hometown
that I can't *eat* it anymore. Maybe I got used to less rich food over the years
I've been here, but the grease-centric spice-o-thons in which I participated
while in Maryland turned out to be a bit too much.
Nowadays, when I want a heavy dinner, I go to the curry.
Kevin Wayne Williams
Most people would consider that pretty close. I've dived Japan (Oshima
and Sado), the Sea of Cortez, Australia, Fiji, Tenerife, Aruba, Cozumel,
Curacao, and Hawaii. Never done fresh. Some day, I will go to Missouri
and dive the Bon Terre Mine. It's the only fresh water dive that has
ever sounded interesting to me. Next trip to Japan, I really want to
take the time to get down to Ogasawara.
KWW
Ernest Schaal
the2...@msd.biPOKPOKglobe.ne.jp wrote on 12/9/03 8:39 AM:
> Ernest Schaal and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>> Not all Western gaijin are American (many Western gaijin in Gifu are
>> Canadians or New Zealanders, and then there is the occasional Brit), but I
>> happen to be a citizen of the great United States of America and like
>> American food.
>
> Sure, I like American food too, but I found last year when I visited my
> hometown that I can't *eat* it anymore. Maybe I got used to less rich food
> over the years I've been here, but the grease-centric spice-o-thons in which I
> participated while in Maryland turned out to be a bit too much.
>
> Nowadays, when I want a heavy dinner, I go to the curry.
One big difference I noticed in my last trip back to the States is how big
the portions are. No wonder so many Americans are obese. After a while, my
wife and I started splitting something between us.
Ryan Ginstrom
"Kevin Wayne Williams" <nih...@paxonet.kom> wrote in message
news:iz8Bb.389$Mv5...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> Most people would consider that pretty close. I've dived Japan (Oshima
> and Sado), the Sea of Cortez, Australia, Fiji, Tenerife, Aruba, Cozumel,
> Curacao, and Hawaii. Never done fresh. Some day, I will go to Missouri
> and dive the Bon Terre Mine. It's the only fresh water dive that has
> ever sounded interesting to me. Next trip to Japan, I really want to
> take the time to get down to Ogasawara.
Interesting to me that Okinawa isn't on that list, yet you don't plan on
getting down there. Interesting because very few divers seem to come down
here, even though this supposedly has some of the best diving in the world.
I assume it can't be the expense in your case, if you are planning on flying
down to Ogasawara.
I only snorkel, but I can say without a doubt that after having snorkeled in
the Florida Keys and Panama, that Okinawa has them beat hands-down in terms
of clarity of water and number and variety of fish & coral.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Ryan Ginstrom
"Ernest Schaal" <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:BBFB54ED.EC04%esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp...
>
> One big difference I noticed in my last trip back to the States is how big
> the portions are. No wonder so many Americans are obese. After a while, my
> wife and I started splitting something between us.
I don't know about American food, but Okinawan food is generally very fatty,
and I find I am liking it. I am having great fun getting back in touch with
my bacon, sausage and egg-eating self. Unfortunately, I have still not gone
native enough to enjoy battered and deep-fried spam with my morning eggie
weggies.
About the only "American" foods I miss that I can't get here are PHAT
steak/carnitas burritos, falafels, GOOD bagels with cream cheese & lox, and
GOOD dim sum & chinese/thai.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Brett Robson
>
>another fool wrote:
>
>
>>
>> Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
>> relic/fossil hunting.
>
>One of the most interesting dives I made was in a river under a smallish
> water fall. Fairly dangerous, but very educational. And exciting. And
>strenuous. Actually there are some good fresh water dives in Florida's
>springs; some nice caves, good manatee viewing.
>
and big lizardly things with lots of teeth.
>> I like salt water.
>
>I, too, prefer salt water, but I've never been to a really nice ocean
>site. The closest to a great sea dive was in Key Largo Florida.
>
I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
.
----
"You don't bang it at 11:00pm but on the other hand, you don't play tribal house
when you're headlining a tech-house party"
DJ Mike McKenna talking shit
Declan Murphy
> Obviously, not all Western gaijin have my interests. I like reading, not all
> Western gaijin bother to read. I am a Mac user, some settle for Windows. I
> am not a fan of hip-hop, or acid rock, or enka. And, sometimes I like having
> a real American food.
Is that sort of like "British cuisine"?
--
In heaven the cooks are French, the police are British, the mechanics
are German, the lovers are Italian, and everything is organized by the
Swiss. In hell the cooks are British, the police are German, the
mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized
by the Italians.
Declan Murphy
> in article 3FD3F465...@hotmail.com, Declan Murphy at
> declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/8/03 12:47 PM:
>>How about adding things like
>>*bilingual medicos/dentists etc (http://tinyurl.com/y6o8)
>
> The bilingual medicos/dentists don't bother me.
Me neither, but remembering Louise's comment I assume it would matter to
many of the FOTBoeing folk in Tokyo and perhaps Osaka.
>>A maruzen would be nice. I'd like to open a bookshop/cafe thingee one
>>day, if only for myself (20 years down the track it would make it easier
>>to pretend to she who owns the remote that I'm working).
>
> The Maruzen in Nagoya is better than the Kinokuniya there.
I usually make a habit of stopping into Maruzen & Meijiya if I'm in
Sakae, along with the liquor shop "chitaya" down the road (big sign just
saying "Spirits" above the shop front) for cigars and obscure spirits
for my bar/hobby/thing, but I haven't gone to Kinokuniya yet. Come to
think of it I'm not sure I even know where it is. Is Kinokuniya the one
up in the towers above Nagoya stn or the one in the same building as
Loft? Somewhere else?
> The Hard Rock Café is good for Cobb salads. I have never eaten a hamburger
> there.
What is a Cobb salad?
Declan Murphy
> Declan Murphy and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>>*any place that sells Vegemite
>
> OH GOD PLEASE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Oh Ye of little taste....
The bride to be finds vegemite a useful substitute for haccho miso. Its
a bit strange that I don't have any haccho miso in the pad, given that
a) I live in Okazaki b) I'm making their homepage, but so be it. I'm
actually thinking of recommending to the company that they change the
recipe from that of the last 300 or so years to something closer to
vegemite.
Gerry
<esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
> > Nowadays, when I want a heavy dinner, I go to the curry.
>
> One big difference I noticed in my last trip back to the States is how big
> the portions are. No wonder so many Americans are obese. After a while, my
> wife and I started splitting something between us.
As do we; and even then sometimes it's a labor.
This approach boat-swamping approach is so consistent, we've begun to
refer to such as "big plate Mexican" joints. We figure the only way
they can rationalize $12.95 for a taco and some beans, is to give you 4
tacos and enough rice and beans to fatten a family for of four.
This apparently appeals to Unitedstatesians, you see, as it's a "good
value", even though you may not WANT that value. Like getting a good
price on rubber bands at Office Depot--except they'll only sell you an
8 pounds bag of them. Over the course of 30 years it will be a
BARGAIN!
--
First they gerrymander us into one-party fiefs. Then they tell us they only
care about the swing districts. They they complain about voter apathy.
-- Gail Collins
Declan Murphy
> Declan Murphy and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>>I dropped in to the city hall in Okazaki on Friday to update my gaigin
>>card thingee. Two things caught my eye - one is a chart displayed near
>>the entrance with the number of deaths/births and arrivals/departures.
>>The population had jumped another 500 last month - births in Okazaki
>>outnumbered deaths by 2:1 accounting for 220 of the increase. The rest
>>was a net increase in internal migration. It seems to average 500 a
>>month more or less. The other thing was that a fair bit of the increase
>>was due to the spreading outbreak of gaijinitus, which has spread to
>>include 2.8% of the 350,000 residents, with the number of Koreans as a
>>percentage for alien registrations below 1 in 5 for the first time. How
>>many of them are "westerners" isn't exactly clear.
>
> I would venture a guess that Central and South American peoples would make up
> the bulk of that. I certainly would hope they're not *all* Novabots.
Around 51% of the gaigin are apparently (Brazil:Peru:Columbia:Other).
Apparently out at Toyohashi there are something like 18000 south merkins
registered. The largest groups of "western" gaigin here are the Yamasa
mob (200 or so - http://www.yamasa.org), the boffins (100 or so -
http://www.orion.ac.jp) and the large contingent of Mitsubishi Aussie
engineers. Everybody else is a bloody individual, with a surprisingly
large number of them long term. There seem to be hardly any novabots
relatively speaking.
The Brazilians in particular are making a splash. On Thursday I was
asked to make a radio show (for http://www.763.fm) in English,
Portuguese, Chinese and Korean to be paid for by the city hall. The
JET/CIR here (met him for the first time on Saturday) is a native
speaker of Portuguese, so maybe I'll shanghai him into doing that segment.
another fool
Wifey wants to visit Okinawa - guess we`ll have to add that to the
list of places to go.
I live in Florida for 10 years so I spent most of my dive time in the
keys. And yes, there are large lizards with lots of sharp pointy
teeth - they even kill several people a year on average.
Ernest Schaal
declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/9/03 1:08 PM:
> Ernest Schaal wrote:
>
>> Obviously, not all Western gaijin have my interests. I like reading, not all
>> Western gaijin bother to read. I am a Mac user, some settle for Windows. I
>> am not a fan of hip-hop, or acid rock, or enka. And, sometimes I like having
>> a real American food.
>
> Is that sort of like "British cuisine"?
No, it is less bland.
Kevin Wayne Williams
> "Kevin Wayne Williams" <nih...@paxonet.kom> wrote in message
> news:iz8Bb.389$Mv5...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
>
>>Most people would consider that pretty close. I've dived Japan (Oshima
>>and Sado), the Sea of Cortez, Australia, Fiji, Tenerife, Aruba, Cozumel,
>>Curacao, and Hawaii. Never done fresh. Some day, I will go to Missouri
>>and dive the Bon Terre Mine. It's the only fresh water dive that has
>>ever sounded interesting to me. Next trip to Japan, I really want to
>>take the time to get down to Ogasawara.
>
>
> Interesting to me that Okinawa isn't on that list, yet you don't plan on
> getting down there. Interesting because very few divers seem to come down
> here, even though this supposedly has some of the best diving in the world.
> I assume it can't be the expense in your case, if you are planning on flying
> down to Ogasawara.
When I dive Japan, half of my motivation is to put myself in an
environment that has mainly Japanese speakers speaking a dialect that I
can understand. My impression of Okinawa is that the long period of
American rule and continued military presence has made English more
prevalent than in other regions, and the Japanese they speak sounds
funny, anyway.
KWW
Michael Cash
the alphabet and kept on going with:
>On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 17:40:50 -0600, John W. ...
>>
>>another fool wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
>>> relic/fossil hunting.
>>
>>One of the most interesting dives I made was in a river under a smallish
>> water fall. Fairly dangerous, but very educational. And exciting. And
>>strenuous. Actually there are some good fresh water dives in Florida's
>>springs; some nice caves, good manatee viewing.
>>
>
>and big lizardly things with lots of teeth.
>
>
>
>>> I like salt water.
>>
>>I, too, prefer salt water, but I've never been to a really nice ocean
>>site. The closest to a great sea dive was in Key Largo Florida.
>>
>
>I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
Those are the places you've been *on* dives. Now how about listing the
places you've been *in* dives?
--
Michael Cash
"Tom Cruise saves late 19th Century Japan from creepy politicians and creeping
Westernization in "The Last Samurai," another Hollywood epic that shows that
nobody embodies the nobility of an exotic foreign culture like a visiting white
guy."
John Beifuss
The 2-Belo
>On 8 Dec 2003 18:58:38 -0800, Brett Robson <jet...@deja.com> belched
>the alphabet and kept on going with:
>
>>On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 17:40:50 -0600, John W. ...
>>>
>>>another fool wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
>>>> relic/fossil hunting.
>>>
>>>One of the most interesting dives I made was in a river under a smallish
>>> water fall. Fairly dangerous, but very educational. And exciting. And
>>>strenuous. Actually there are some good fresh water dives in Florida's
>>>springs; some nice caves, good manatee viewing.
>>>
>>
>>and big lizardly things with lots of teeth.
>>
>>
>>
>>>> I like salt water.
>>>
>>>I, too, prefer salt water, but I've never been to a really nice ocean
>>>site. The closest to a great sea dive was in Key Largo Florida.
>>>
>>
>>I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
>
>Those are the places you've been *on* dives. Now how about listing the
>places you've been *in* dives?
There was a bar in Manila I went to once that was a real fucking dive.
Ryan Ginstrom
"Kevin Wayne Williams" <nih...@paxonet.kom> wrote in message
> Ryan Ginstrom wrote:
> >
> > Interesting to me that Okinawa isn't on that list, yet you don't plan on
> > getting down there. Interesting because very few divers seem to come
down
> > here, even though this supposedly has some of the best diving in the
world.
> > I assume it can't be the expense in your case, if you are planning on
flying
> > down to Ogasawara.
>
> When I dive Japan, half of my motivation is to put myself in an
> environment that has mainly Japanese speakers speaking a dialect that I
> can understand. My impression of Okinawa is that the long period of
> American rule and continued military presence has made English more
> prevalent than in other regions,
Hmm, I suppose there are more people here who speak English. But there still
aren't many. And actually, far fewer people here insist on trying their
shitty English instead of speaking Japanese, and so far nobody has actually
refused to believe I was speaking Japanese despite evidence to the contrary.
So I guess the lack of a "gaijin complex" would actually make it easier to
speak Japanese here. Besides, in Yaeyama were the really good diving is,
there are and were no bases, and the people there probably speak less
English than most Japanese cities.
> and the Japanese they speak sounds
> funny, anyway.
That is certainly true.
Yes, these answers are pretty much what I expected. Foreigners don't come
here because it's not the "real Japan." Japanese don't come here because
it's "just Japan." And besides, it's cheaper to go to Guam or the
Philippines.
Not that I'm sorry for it, although more tourism would certainly help out
the local economy. Although OTOH, coming from San Francisco I know that
depending on tourism for a significant portion of the local income is a
tough gig.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Declan Murphy
> Michael Cash and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>>On 8 Dec 2003 18:58:38 -0800, Brett Robson <jet...@deja.com> belched
>>the alphabet and kept on going with:
>>>I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
>>
>>Those are the places you've been *on* dives. Now how about listing the
>>places you've been *in* dives?
>
> There was a bar in Manila I went to once that was a real fucking dive.
And the name?
Brett Robson
>
>Michael Cash and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>
>>On 8 Dec 2003 18:58:38 -0800, Brett Robson <jet...@deja.com> belched
>>the alphabet and kept on going with:
>>
>>>On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 17:40:50 -0600, John W. ...
>>>>
>>>>another fool wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Freshwater scuba has really never interested me much outside of
>>>>> relic/fossil hunting.
>>>>
>>>>One of the most interesting dives I made was in a river under a smallish
>>>> water fall. Fairly dangerous, but very educational. And exciting. And
>>>>strenuous. Actually there are some good fresh water dives in Florida's
>>>>springs; some nice caves, good manatee viewing.
>>>>
>>>
>>>and big lizardly things with lots of teeth.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>> I like salt water.
>>>>
>>>>I, too, prefer salt water, but I've never been to a really nice ocean
>>>>site. The closest to a great sea dive was in Key Largo Florida.
>>>>
>>>
>>>I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
>>
>>Those are the places you've been *on* dives. Now how about listing the
>>places you've been *in* dives?
>
>There was a bar in Manila I went to once that was a real fucking dive.
>
I've lived in a few dives here. Takaoka, Toyama; Okazaki, Aichi; Norborito,
Kanagawa.
Ian J Cottee
> in article 3FD54AA...@hotmail.com, Declan Murphy at
> declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/9/03 1:08 PM:
>
> > Is that sort of like "British cuisine"?
>
> No, it is less bland.
What is 'British cuisine'. What we eat or what people think we eat?
--
Ian J Cottee
Nagoya, Japan
Declan Murphy
Both surely. Vindaloo versus deep fried mars bars.
--
The British serve mint sauce with lamb because mint is the only plant
not eaten by sheep.
Kevin Wayne Williams
>
> Yes, these answers are pretty much what I expected. Foreigners don't come
> here because it's not the "real Japan." Japanese don't come here because
> it's "just Japan." And besides, it's cheaper to go to Guam or the
> Philippines.
>
> Not that I'm sorry for it, although more tourism would certainly help out
> the local economy. Although OTOH, coming from San Francisco I know that
> depending on tourism for a significant portion of the local income is a
> tough gig.
My dad always liked it there. I never have been south of Kobe, myself.
Someday, my Japanese comprehension won't be so fragile that that I avoid
the less common dialects, and I will wander on down.
KWW
Ian J Cottee
> Ian J Cottee wrote:
> > Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> writes:
> >
> >>in article 3FD54AA...@hotmail.com, Declan Murphy at
> >>declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/9/03 1:08 PM:
> >>
> >>>Is that sort of like "British cuisine"?
> >>
> >>No, it is less bland.
> > What is 'British cuisine'. What we eat or what people think we eat?
>
> Both surely. Vindaloo versus deep fried mars bars.
Neither of which I would class as bland.
By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
Ernest Schaal
i...@cottee.org wrote on 12/10/03 11:12 AM:
Well, judging from the food I ate in London and in English pubs in the
States, I would say greasy foods like fish and chips and bland foods like
how the Brits serve the means and veggies (few spices). On the other hand, I
do like Bass Ale.
Declan Murphy
> Declan Murphy <declan...@hotmail.com> writes:
>
>>Ian J Cottee wrote:
>>
>>>Ernest Schaal <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> writes:
>>>
>>>>in article 3FD54AA...@hotmail.com, Declan Murphy at
>>>>declan...@hotmail.com wrote on 12/9/03 1:08 PM:
>>>>
>>>>>Is that sort of like "British cuisine"?
>>>>
>>>>No, it is less bland.
>>>
>>>What is 'British cuisine'. What we eat or what people think we eat?
>>
>>Both surely. Vindaloo versus deep fried mars bars.
>
> Neither of which I would class as bland.
True enuff, though "bland" was Ernest's call. Anyway, on to more
important matters - where is the best chip shop in Nagoya or elsewhere
in Japan?
http://tinyurl.com/ypaq
> By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
> seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
Long may it stay that way. I think the DFMB is a northern thing, perhaps
it even started in Scotland.
Ian J Cottee
> Well, judging from the food I ate in London and in English pubs in the
> States, I would say greasy foods like fish and chips and bland foods like
> how the Brits serve the means and veggies (few spices). On the other hand, I
> do like Bass Ale.
The trouble with pub food in the UK is that it is quite rare to find a
pub that does real cooking. Most of them have deals with various chains
which allows untrained monkeys to produce cheap and uninspiring menus
relatively quickly. And the least said about London anyway, the better.
When you go next time search for a book (it's pretty common) called
something like the good pub guide. Chances are you'll find something in
your area which does proper food and good beer. Not sure if I class Bass
as good beer, about the only place I drink it is in Japan :)
If I want to eat anything other than Japanese (i.e. Chinese, Italian,
French, Greek etc) I find the quality is usually way better in the
UK. And as for Indian ...
Ian J Cottee
> True enuff, though "bland" was Ernest's call. Anyway, on to more
> important matters - where is the best chip shop in Nagoya or elsewhere
> in Japan?
> http://tinyurl.com/ypaq
No idea. Bumphy's fish and chips is pretty decent - and their beer.
http://sound.jp/otter/spot/bumphys.html. Of course you pay through the
nose for it.
>
> > By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
> > seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
>
> Long may it stay that way. I think the DFMB is a northern thing, perhaps
> it even started in Scotland.
It's grim up north.
> The British serve mint sauce with lamb because mint is the only plant
> not eaten by sheep.
I shall be cooking roast lamb on Sunday in the UK and mint sauce will
not be served with it. Lamb lamb lamb. How I miss it. Just had a decent
'doner kebab' in a Turkish restaurant in Osu. What is it with Turkish
restaurants in Nagoya? Another one has just opened near us in
Yamaguchi-cho. That makes two in five minutes walking distance (although
the other claims to serve virtually anything including Iranian and
Romanian).
Ernest Schaal
i...@cottee.org wrote on 12/11/03 1:42 PM:
I must admit that I haven't eaten French, Italian, or Greek in England, but
I did eat Chinese there and found it not as good as Chinese food in the
States or in Japan. All in all, I was not favorably impressed with the food
in London, although I enjoyed my trip there, and have fond memories of the
place.
French food in Japan is okay, but nothing special. Italian food in Japan is
often good, like Italian food in North Beach (the Italian section of San
Francisco). I haven't seen any Greek restaurants in Gifu or Nagoya.
Louise Bremner
> > By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
> > seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
>
> Long may it stay that way. I think the DFMB is a northern thing, perhaps
> it even started in Scotland.
I have a suspicion it started as a subtle Scottish joke, but no-one
spotted it. Like bagpipes.
________________________________________________________________________
Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!
Ryan Ginstrom
> My dad always liked it there.
As do I. Now, if I could just find some of those fried Mars bars, I'd be all
set.
BTW, a Mars bar is like a snickers with no peanuts, right? So why aren't
there any deep fried snickers bars? That would be AWESOME.
Is there like a recipe online, so I can try this at home? Is it easier than
deep frying a turkey?
>I never have been south of Kobe, myself.
You might want to avoid it then, or you'll find yourself trapped and unable
to travel to Japan except for a few months from late spring to early fall,
and only for short periods even then.
> Someday, my Japanese comprehension won't be so fragile that that I avoid
> the less common dialects, and I will wander on down.
There are two kinds of "dialect" here. One is the kyoutsuugo, what the
locals assume to be perfect hyoujungo and which I learned to pretty much
fathom after a year or so here.
The other is hougen, of which there are a number of mutually
incomprehensible varieties, and which you may as well consider to be a
totally separate language from Japanese. And if you want to learn that, all
I can say is good luck.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Ryan Ginstrom
"Ernest Schaal" <esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:BBFE27E8.EEAC%esc...@max.hi-ho.ne.jp...
> French food in Japan is okay, but nothing special. Italian food in Japan
is
> often good
<sputter/>
Yeah, if you can find the places that don't use ketchup instead of sauce,
and hot dogs instead of sausages.
You know why you can never find a hot dog in Japan that isn't crunchy? All
the non-crunchy ones have been used for the "sausage calzones"
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Ryan Ginstrom
"Declan Murphy" <declan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3FD54EB2...@hotmail.com...
> The bride to be finds vegemite a useful substitute for haccho miso.
Hacchou miso is the only thing I still have sent down from Nagoya. They must
put heroin in that stuff -- after you've tasted it, white miso tastes like
shit. Oh wait, it tasted like shit before I ever tried hacchou miso.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Kevin Wayne Williams
>
>
> As do I. Now, if I could just find some of those fried Mars bars, I'd be all
> set.
>
> BTW, a Mars bar is like a snickers with no peanuts, right? So why aren't
> there any deep fried snickers bars? That would be AWESOME.
>
> Is there like a recipe online, so I can try this at home? Is it easier than
> deep frying a turkey?
I think you have me confused with some kind of Pommie. Deep-frying candy
has never struck me as a good idea. Of course, being so desperate for
food with flavor that conquering India just for the food seems like a
good idea is a little beyond my comprehension as well.
KWW
Ryan Ginstrom
"Kevin Wayne Williams" <nih...@paxonet.kom> wrote in message
> I think you have me confused with some kind of Pommie. Deep-frying candy
> has never struck me as a good idea.
Are you kidding? I think it's the best culinary idea to come out of
Pommieland since spotted dick.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
Declan Murphy
> Declan Murphy <declan...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
>>>seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
>>
>>Long may it stay that way. I think the DFMB is a northern thing, perhaps
>>it even started in Scotland.
>
> I have a suspicion it started as a subtle Scottish joke, but no-one
> spotted it. Like bagpipes.
According to 5 minutes on research (on the internet, so it must be true)
the deep fried mars bar originated in Aberdeen. As for the bagpipes,
they were introduced to the Scots by the Irish.
Cruel bastards my ancestors.
Declan Murphy
> Declan Murphy <declan...@hotmail.com> writes:
>
>>True enuff, though "bland" was Ernest's call. Anyway, on to more
>>important matters - where is the best chip shop in Nagoya or elsewhere
>>in Japan?
>>http://tinyurl.com/ypaq
>
> No idea. Bumphy's fish and chips is pretty decent - and their beer.
> http://sound.jp/otter/spot/bumphys.html. Of course you pay through the
> nose for it.
Thanks, pricey or not I think I'll check it out.
>>>By the way - I have never ever eaten a deep fried mars bar (not even
>>>seen a chip shop that sells them). And for that I am deeply grateful.
>>
>>Long may it stay that way. I think the DFMB is a northern thing, perhaps
>>it even started in Scotland.
>
> It's grim up north.
Aye it is.
>>The British serve mint sauce with lamb because mint is the only plant
>>not eaten by sheep.
>
> I shall be cooking roast lamb on Sunday in the UK and mint sauce will
> not be served with it. Lamb lamb lamb. How I miss it. Just had a decent
> 'doner kebab' in a Turkish restaurant in Osu. What is it with Turkish
> restaurants in Nagoya? Another one has just opened near us in
> Yamaguchi-cho. That makes two in five minutes walking distance (although
> the other claims to serve virtually anything including Iranian and
> Romanian).
Is there a large Turkish population in Nagoya?
--
Declan Murphy
> "Declan Murphy" <declan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:3FD54EB2...@hotmail.com...
>
>>The bride to be finds vegemite a useful substitute for haccho miso.
>
> put heroin in that stuff -- after you've tasted it, white miso tastes like
> shit. Oh wait, it tasted like shit before I ever tried hacchou miso.
<sigh>Your post corrected</sigh>
Ryan Ginstrom
> Ryan Ginstrom wrote:
> > Hacchou miso is the only thing I still have sent down from Okazaki. They
must
> > put heroin in that stuff -- after you've tasted it, white miso tastes
like
> > shit. Oh wait, it tasted like shit before I ever tried hacchou miso.
>
> <sigh>Your post corrected</sigh>
Touchy, aren't we? Yes, hacchou miso is from Okazaki. That doesn't change
the fact that I have it sent from Nagoya.
--
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
The 2-Belo
>The 2-Belo wrote:
>> Michael Cash and fj.life.in-japan is a baaaaaaaaaaad combination:
>>
>>>On 8 Dec 2003 18:58:38 -0800, Brett Robson <jet...@deja.com> belched
>>>the alphabet and kept on going with:
>
>>>>I've dived the Great Barrier, Philipines and Thailand and I'm not even a diver.
>>>
>>>Those are the places you've been *on* dives. Now how about listing the
>>>places you've been *in* dives?
>>
>> There was a bar in Manila I went to once that was a real fucking dive.
>
>And the name?
If I remember right, it had a big flashing neon sign that said "REAL FUCKING
DIVE Bar & Grill."
No, actually, if I don't remember one damned thing about that country I'm all
the happier for it.
The 2-Belo
>Ian J Cottee wrote:
I don't know how large it is, but I know of a Turkish restaurant in Gifu whose
owner reverse-commutes all the way up here from Nagoya every day. He says he's
been here since the early 80s, and has never gone back to Turkey even once. He
told me he lives in, uh, a block of flats with quite a few other Turks. I didn't
get the chance to ask him where.
Declan Murphy
>><sigh>Your post corrected</sigh>
>
> Touchy, aren't we?
Indeed I am. The other day in a seminar I asked exactly WTF a visiting
professor was referring to whenever she said "the aichi dialect".