tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.comments2010-02-02T14:12:24.819-05:00The Joys of TravelWorld Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-18583007434161634142009-12-12T12:24:13.425-05:002009-12-12T12:24:13.425-05:00Amazing. :(Amazing. :(Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-68514608006129773292009-09-30T01:46:22.563-04:002009-09-30T01:46:22.563-04:00I thought Rojak was bald detective but anyway.... ...I thought Rojak was bald detective but anyway.... Sometimes its better not to ask. I remember being Beijing and some of my local work compatriots took me to lunch that seemed to be on the second level of an underground carpark. Being the guest I was expected to order and was presented with an A4 folder with 30 double sided two column to a page sheets in copysafes. After looking confused, they put me out of my misery and ordered for me. <br /><br />The dishes arrived and were uniformly delicious and covered in tasty dried chilli. One dish in particular stood out - some form of stock based sauce (with ubiquitous chilli) over what appeared to be short (2 inch) lengths of clear pasta. Impressed, I asked what is was.<br /><br />"Tendo."<br />"Tendo?"<br />"Tendo. Behin nee. Tendo."<br />"Ahh Tendon!"<br />"yes. Jerried carv tendo"<br />Jellied calves tendons. bloody nice though.groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-6386013260305633532009-09-30T01:33:19.640-04:002009-09-30T01:33:19.640-04:00My non-English language skills are usually limited...My non-English language skills are usually limited to hello, goodbye, excuse me, that was delicious, where is a toilet, two beers please - which gets me through many, if not most, social encounters. That said, I do feel woefully inadequate when it seems that many residents of many countries seem capable of carying on conversations in at least three languages!<br /><br />I don't you what you are either - though I would be happy to buy you a beer and see if we could work it out. It might require more than one beer. No doubt though, we share that frisson of looking out into strange streets from the windows of public transport and wondering "what goes on here"?groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-50970966992707929102009-09-17T22:14:00.580-04:002009-09-17T22:14:00.580-04:00Yeah: don't forget that fruit is often given a...Yeah: don't forget that fruit is often given as a present, too - which may explain some of the overwrapping. The Eki-ben (railway station bento) is usually unique to that specific region and station, so you may miss out on a special treat by going generic at the Lawson Station or 7-11. You can save a boatload of dosh, too, though, so your point is well taken.World Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-53007873646409644042009-08-31T01:04:34.275-04:002009-08-31T01:04:34.275-04:00In my brief trip through Japan eaarlier this year,...In my brief trip through Japan eaarlier this year, I don't think I had the need to resort to Western Food - photos and plastic models of food provided enough knowledge to make realtively informed choices. <br /><br />Lawson's did provide a cheap source of sushi boxes (much cheaper than those found at railway stations). It was always quite funny going into a Lawsons or 7-11 and watching the hapless Anglos scratching their heads attempting to work out what the some of the more obscure packets were - ever tried finding honey?<br /><br />One thing about packaging in Japan - too much packaging around food is never enough. I bought a bag of 5 apples from Lawsons - each apple was wrapped individually in the bag.<br /><br />And I don't think I have ever been to store with more lumens per square metre than the Lawsons near where I was staying in Kyoto...groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-37969878198177111362009-08-30T21:59:12.437-04:002009-08-30T21:59:12.437-04:00Japanese food is SO good! In my brief travels ther...Japanese food is SO good! In my brief travels there I don't think that I ever felt the need to eat a Western dish. Sometimes ignorance can be truly blissfull - picking a dish based upon the photograph or the plastic model can be exciting...<br /><br />Lawson's can be good for cheap sushi boxes as well - always cheaper than the ones at the railway stations.<br /><br />Japanese food packaging can be an extreme sport though. Individually cellophaned bananas and apples aren't unusual - I'm sure someone somewhere gets paid by the (linear) meter.groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-60630989517779186932009-08-29T19:51:33.709-04:002009-08-29T19:51:33.709-04:00Like a strapping machine trained at the university...Like a strapping machine trained at the university of strapping in strapland.World Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-76671581941964049332009-08-29T07:48:17.338-04:002009-08-29T07:48:17.338-04:00I really like Penang, as (I hope) you can tell. I ...I really like Penang, as (I hope) you can tell. I should be back in Europe next year: keep reading, and thanks for the comment!World Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-61121825554872547662009-08-23T04:14:05.197-04:002009-08-23T04:14:05.197-04:00I will be happy to know when you visited two more ...I will be happy to know when you visited two more continents.<br /><br />Thanks for dropping in Penang.<br /><br />Pearly<br />http://www.my-island-penang.comPearly Keehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07273700284223840705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-896506670584535562009-08-19T22:57:36.234-04:002009-08-19T22:57:36.234-04:00ICE WATER PLEASEICE WATER PLEASEUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09118976447929308419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-30169488707318438082009-08-18T04:27:13.270-04:002009-08-18T04:27:13.270-04:00You must also have figured out "Tsugi wa XYZ ...You must also have figured out "Tsugi wa XYZ desu" after a few stops on the Chikatetsu!World Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-35311444503216324922009-08-17T22:02:15.897-04:002009-08-17T22:02:15.897-04:00I must say that on my recent trip to Japan languag...I must say that on my recent trip to Japan language was no problem at all. Local busses with Latin Characters telling you the next stop, train stations all conveniently signposted as well as many streets and buildings. <br /><br />As for street numbers in Tokyo - well that's another story!<br /><br />But the ability to walk into a noodle bar, exchange the pleasantries and simply order yaki-soba and biru saved a lot of hassle....groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-53124654792036533132009-08-06T23:31:26.864-04:002009-08-06T23:31:26.864-04:00And here was I thinking that Kirin was a beer!
W...And here was I thinking that Kirin was a beer! <br /><br />When I was in Japan in June, I spent a morning with She Who Must Be Obeyed at the the Toji markets - after the cash had expired (there were no useable ATMs nearby) I felt I was going to pass out because I was sweating like a sweaty thing and it was a good 35C+, which wouldn't have been too bad but the Toji markets are within the temple grounds - surrounded by a 2 metre wall so zero airflow!<br /><br />As an aside - given that you travel quite a bit, how do you go with the whole non-metric/metric bit?groakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-76307649744703606432009-08-06T17:40:50.021-04:002009-08-06T17:40:50.021-04:00Neat. Thanks. :)Neat. Thanks. :)Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-52880184073773907872009-08-02T02:24:56.660-04:002009-08-02T02:24:56.660-04:00Looking forward to the temple. :)
--Keep hydrated...Looking forward to the temple. :)<br />--Keep hydrated! :)Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-59808248060309053282009-07-29T23:34:59.411-04:002009-07-29T23:34:59.411-04:00So, you're strappin', eh? :DSo, you're strappin', eh? :DTimeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-73706570004489198942009-07-29T21:53:33.258-04:002009-07-29T21:53:33.258-04:00Yeah, many folks forget it. Took out the entire ma...Yeah, many folks forget it. Took out the entire marketing team of a company I worked for! They were on the plane back... celebratory drinks... Uh Oh!! ;)World Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15303492564545574580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-64774391908391974392009-07-27T00:48:49.095-04:002009-07-27T00:48:49.095-04:00Yay, comments enabled! :D
Good thing you were th...Yay, comments enabled! :D<br /><br />Good thing you were there to warn her of the ice. :DTimeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081585933819308999.post-59844315698213294862009-07-11T19:42:10.566-04:002009-07-11T19:42:10.566-04:00Hi, this is the last of the posts that allows for ...Hi, this is the last of the posts that allows for comments. The ones above this do not have comments enabled.<br /><br />Best,<br />-KTimeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.com