Museum Madness

Ok - today Breige was at work so I decided to hit some serious museums. I got the subway (ginza line) to Uemo - a new area for me more northerly than I had been before. There is a massive park - Uemo park in which you can find about 6 museums and the Uemo Zoo.

The first place I went to was the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art. To be honest I wouldnt recommend it. Nothing is in English, and you have to paya different fee for each level. I didnt know this and just joined the queue in classic UK way. This 1700 yen ticket only let me into one exhibit, a collection of Chinese art owned by Mary Burke. It wsa totally mobbed - black with people as my granny would say. The only saving grace was the fact that I was at least a foot taller than everyone else so I could at least see it all - even though I didint really know what I was looking at as it was all in Japanese only.

The next museum was alot more like it - Tokyo National Museum - everything Japanese over the ages - really interesting and very English friendly. Inside the one complex are several different building housing different subjects and collections. That ate up a couple of hours and was very tranquil and pleasant.

The third anf final museum of the day was the National Science Museum - again very English friendly and the exhibits were amazing - especially the bit where you can do loads of scientific experiments hands on! I elbowed the kids out of the way and got stuck in.

After that I found the crazy market -Amerogokogkogkgokogokgo or something. It is a warren of side streets teeming with stalls selling all sorts from the sublime to the ridiculous. Massive octopus tentacles, hersy sweets, puppies, louis vutton bags... I stopped there for a bowl of ramen noodles after some cunnign sign language on my part and inexhaustive patience on the waitress' part. After that I had pineapple on a stick and wandered about a bit more before getting the subway back.

Just been to the supermarket to get some dinner for me and the Godfreys - feel right at home! Not sure what tomorrow has in store. Gonna put my feet up, have a cup of Tetley and read Belfast Confidential till the troops get home.

Tarra for now!

ax

Geisha Girl

Monday - strolled around Harajuku with Breige and Niamh and had lunch in a noodle bar - everyone was slurping louder than me even though I tried really hard. Yummy miso ramen nami!!! Niamh wanted some too but she had her bottle instead. Then we went to be made up as a Geisha. Well i got made up - Breige and Niamh watched and laughed from the sidelines - Breige did it before last year with her mum.

It took about two hours to get made up - make up wig and costume. The kimono was beautiful, handmade and painted, silk. I wore fifteen seperate peices and was bound so tightly I could barely breathe. Then they took the studio shots and after that we went out into a wee Japanese garden out the back. While walking through the street to get to the garden some tourists stopped to take my photo! It was a great laugh - I was most upset to see that my teeth were bright yellow next to the white face paint!! No wonde Geisha laugh with their hand covering their mouths!

We were hoping to follow that up with going to see Memoirs of a Geisha here but it isnt on anymore! So we made Matthew a nice birthday dinner - or rather Breige did. I babysat Niamh when Breige went out to the shops and she was still alive when Breige got back so I would call that a success!

ax

Mardi Gras

After taking yesterday off to recuperate, and finialise our Mardi Gras costumes, today we went all out. We started to get ready at about 12pm, with a glass of rose champers - the only way to get ready as every woman knows!

Breige of course looked amazing - true mardi gras queen, just as well she won or we would never have heard the last of it! I went down more of a drag queen look - more is more and all that, but sure is was all for the laughs!

Matt was playing in the headlining band, that were on at 7, the placed was truly rocking. It was a great atmosphere with mardi gras beads being thrown everywhere, free booze and food and lots of people made a good effort to dress up. Although as i mentioned Breige and her partner in crime Kevin claimed the grand prize - a night in a suite at one of tokyos top hotels. Not bad for a nights work!

A long day and it is still only 9.45!!

Tomorrow is geisha day!!

ax

Babies and the blues

After spending the morning strolling around Ginza and drooling in the apple store (got told off for taking photos - industrial espionage?)I met breige for coffe and then her sister Mary. Mary took me to lunch at the American Club after which we went to pick up her twins, Erin and Ciara. Niamh and them went swimming in the afternoon and we played hide and seek.

Came back to Breiges for some dinner, a quick change and then out to The Fiddler, the venue for Matts first gig in about a year. It was excellent, he did really well, the band were amazing - three Japanese fellas geting down with the blues... Matt will be playing with the same band at Mardi Gras on Sunday. Steve, who Matt was replacing, is from South Missisippi, and speaks with a southern drawl, even in Japanese.

Matt played five songs and then a further 3 later on. The crowd were really appreciative and welcoming and the venue nice and cosy.

Once Matt had finished he wanted to wind down so we went to their favourite watering hole, Geronimos.

This place is bizarre. The smallest bar in the world with four people behind the bar and it is jam packed. There is a large drum above the bar and if anyone hits it, they bar everyone in the bar a shot. I thought this would be the kind of thing that happens in a blue moon, but it happened 4 times last night. More money than sense? you said it! If you look up, you can see ties everywhere. basically if you go in wearing a tie they will snip it off. I saw two fellas in ties and touted on them immediately but they got warnings, maybe there have been fights before?

Speaking of fights, I was assured that fights never never happened then when we were trying to get a taxi ( this is the easiest place on earth to get a taxi by the way) A fight was brewing betweena westerner and a Japanese ghetto type. All I saw was a lot of pushing and posturing and obviously there was a girl in the middle of it.

In bed by 4, and now we are off into Harajuku to look at outfits for the mardi gras. i am going as a flapper (not slapper...) so need a wee wig, and Breige, well we dont know what breige is going as yet...she has left it to the last minute as usual.

ax

Hahahahahahaha

Went to the Punchline comedy club last night. It is a monthly night held in a Pizza Express. A little surreal but then you get your dinner included - yum yum - laughs and food, my kind of place!! There were four comedians on - one acted as compere - Dave Johns, a geordie - one was an ozzie, Jim Jeffries - one was an American who lived in Tokyo a bit of a newcomer - and the last was the Irish guy from Kings of Comedy called Andrew Maxwell.

The ozzies humour was filthy to say the least, even for my taste!! The geordie was very good, picked on people in the audience. When we arrived early we picked seats up near the front, second row safge in the knowledge that others would be the front row and we would be safe from comedic attack. Unfortunalty this backfired as noone took the bait and sat in front of us making us the front row by default. Luckily we arent German. A fella when asked where he was from refused to answer, eventually the comic got it our of him that he was from Germany and sold machines. That was it for the rest of the night. He got it frokm both barrells from all the comedians for the rest of the night. I got asked were I was from too. I had tried the old avoiding eye contact trick which always worked at the Edinburgh Festival but it just made me more of a target. Luckily Helmut took the heat off me!!

There was also a heckler, from Tasmania, who was shot down pretty quick and was left a quivering humiliated wreck.

The Irish fella, Andrew maxwell was really good, seemed dead comfortable and talked about loads of different subjects, pee, jay-walking in Tokyo, rumpapungi, Germany (poor Helmut!). He was actually much better than I remember on that Channel 4 show.

Today after a bit of a liein I went over to Ginza where all the designer shops are, as well as the apple store. Seriously, I could live there. I stroked everything, tried the new 16gb nano, played on the imacs, used the internet for a bit and reluctantly left. Think I might go back too...

After that I met Breige for a coffee, then met MAry, her sister and she took me to lunch at the American Club near Breiges work. Then we picked up her twins Erin and Ciara - two little angels and much bigger than the last time I had seen them -m proper little people. Spent the rest of the day with them at Marys apartment.

Tonight Matt has a gig that we are all going to at the Fiddler. He is a bit nervous but I am really lookig forward to a great show! Will post the review tomorrow!

take care hope you are all well,

ax

Skiing

Headed off early doors to catch the bullet train to Gala Yuzawa for a day on piste. I wont mention the fact that we missed our first train, we will glaze over that... I was fairly sure of my sking abilities having spent a week in Bulgaria when I was 17. Yes I know that was 12 years ago but I was positive it would be like riding a bike. Well as it turns out , it isn't. My two friends who i trusted implicitly decided in their infinite wisdom to take me down a blue run first "to test my abilities". The results of the test were a resounding D-. After half an hour recovering from near death experiences and failing thigh muscles I decided I would give it another go. There was a moment where I thought I would call it a day, but no, I thought the show must go on as I was making everyone else look so good - I couldnt let them down.

So I found a friendly little green run littered with beginner snowboarders and stuck to that for the rest of the day. Matt and Breige were content to race each other in a very competitive manner down runs of all colours. It was a great day - knackering but great fun, in the end!

So we are taking a little break before we head out to the comedy club Punchline were we will see three comedians - one being Andrew Maxwell (King of Comedy on C4 for you reality TV show fans!!!)

Later dudes!

ax

Bus tour

Busy old day today. Met the tour bus that Breige had booked me on at the ANA hotel in Roppongi. First stop was the Tokyo Tower - yep that would be the orange effiel tower. Realy cool views, mad Hello Kitty shop and freaky glass floors in the viewing platform. Even though I am not scared of heights I found it pretty odd. Survival instinct kicks in and tells you it is WRONG! Then a trip around Happon-en gardens and a tea ceremony. this was exquisite, so precise and methodical, everything in its place and for a reason. I was paranoid about doing something to insult the tea masters. But i needn't have worried. There were americans there to do that! Then we wandered around the gardens and admired the $900000 coy carp ( thats each!) They wouldnt last long in Belfast I'll tell you that. Never mind Glasgow! Fish supper anyone?

After that we headed for lunch. Six of us to a table that had a griddle in the middle made of lava rock from Mount Fuji. Loads of veggies and meat served with rice and sauces, green tea and sorbet for afters. Then a wander around the Japanese gardesn at the Four Seasons where the restaurant was. Apparently the Beckhams had eaten there too. But alot of places seem to lay claim to that.

Then we hit the Imperial Palace, 250 acres shared between the Emporer and Empress in the very centre of Tokyo, and they wont even let you in - how rude! You can just wander around the outer garden outside the massive moat and take pictures of the huge gateways.

After that we went on a river cruise where we saw bridge after bridge after bridge, the odd homeless person and alot of big buildings. We were got off the boat was the mad Phillippe Stark Asahi Beer Building. It looks even stranger in real life than in the pics I had seen of it. One of the buildings is designed to look like a pint, the other - who knows what. Then we wandered around Askuka tot he Buddist temple where i got really into it sand may have inadvertantly converted to Buddism. Lots of washing yourself with incense smoke, sacred water, then getting blessings and rituals. There was also an extensive market there to wander about then back home.

The tour was made up of lots of different types of people. Two Chinese Australians, two familes of Americans, two french couples, and Italian lady, and American rich guy who was trying and I think succeeding in getting into the tour guides pants.

Well that will have to do you for now. I think we are heading out tot he place where Kill Bill was filmed so I have to sharpen my samurai sword in case of any sudden attacks!

C Ya!

ax

Yoko

We got back from our hectic morning and chilled out. Then we took Niamh out for a walk in torential rain! We thought it wouldnt last but it did, all the way to meiji Shrine and back. Then we watched some of the Lost box set. Breige and matt are addicted and I just sit there looking smug with a knowing smirk on my face. Its driving Breige mental. At 6 there was a knock on the door and Yoko had arrived for my at home massage. Oh my god.... that woman knows her arse from her elbow - or should that be my arse from my elbow? Anyway it was a 70 minute aromatherapy shiatsu massage with a head massage thrown into the bargain. She showed my loads of pressure points for relaxing, and gave me the rest of the massage oil to DIY later. Thats the way to live. Once my massage was done my dinner was on the table. CUTLETS!! Don't ask! Anywhoo off on my bus tour this morning to see the sites of Tokyo.

Syonara!

ax

Reflexology

This morning Breige and i heading out to get matthew his birthday present. It was the first time I had used the underground. It is worlds apart from the clockwork orange in glasgow. It is so clean, dead on time, and the trains are massive. We went to an area near the Meiji University, and after we visted the shop, we went for a coffee. breige disappeared as I ordered and reappeared with an impish grin on her face and announced she had booked us both in for reflexology!! I was so excited and it was just what we both needed. i have had it once before but this was a much more relaxing experience. We had our tootsies soaked then 50 minutes of massage. All the massage chairs are in the same room which has soothing music and dimmed lighting. You are draped in towels and have a hot towel put behind your neck. It was total bliss. At then end they give you a health assessment based on what they felt in your feet. Apparently I am tired but you could probably tell that just by looking at me. I am still recovering from the other night. Not as resilient as I used to be! later today we are heading out to a shrine then i am having a massage later - I am so spoilt!! But then you knew that already! Bye for now,

ax

Karaoke

After a wee snooze and a shower - I felt like a new woman. Breige and I went out for dinner, as Matthew was watching the Liverpool match with mates. We went to a wee restuarant called bamboo were I was introduced to a japanese drink called shotzu, fvery lovely and easy to drink. I think you can see where this is going! We had a really lovely meal with lots of wee bits and pieces and yes, I did use chopsticks. After that we went to meet Breige sister mary at the grand hyatt - uber posh! But I was so excited by the fancy toilet we missed last orders! We were in the toilet for about 20mins as Ioooed and ahed over this toiletery wonder. The seat was heated, there were wee jets of water that came at you from all directions, then it knew when you were finished and flushed itself. You could also make it play music if you were doing a poo to hide the noise! (apparently...)How mad!! Then we went to meet matthew in an Irish bar. I was quite merry by this point and insisted on speaking to the barmen in Irish. However, as they were all Japanese, they didnt know what I was on about. From there we went to a karaoke bar called smash hits. It has a stage and then everyone else sits around in a kind of teired seating area. After a little more japanese courage, I of course got up and belted out a madonna number, then the three of us ( Matthew had headed home by this point) slaughter the Don McClean classic American Pie. That is one hell of a long song but the crowd loved it... There was stag party there and a couple of them were wearing kilts. They were about 60 and I asked if they were TRUE Scotsmen. As it turned out, they were...enough said. We headed home by several taxis as Breige was so drunk the first taxi driver couldnt understand her Japanese! Needless to say felt like gently warmed up poo today, so we have taken it pretty easy. Went for a walk around a Japanese cemetary which is so different from home. Instead of leaving flowers, they leave apples! And of course the headstones are tall and narrow for the japanese writing. So chilling out this evening, next installment tomorrow!!

ax

Arrived

Well touched down this morning at 11am, and my bag was quite literally last off the plane. Was a bit worried but its all here. Watched a load of films and didnt get any free seats - there weren't that many - I think they were lying to me about that.Grrrr. So Breige picked me up and after a brief tour of the airport thanks to Breiges sense of direction, we headed in to Tokyo. It is so built up and Tokyo Tower is ridiculous and amazing at the same time. Imagine the Eiffel Tower painted orange! It is all a little like New York on acid. The architecture is only matched in its inventiveness by the fashions people wear. We went for a wee walk to acclimatise, wih Breige and baby Niamh, and went to a mad shopping district called Harajuku, with shops that were totally dedicated to dog fashions. People treat their dogs like babies and dress them up and push them around in prams and I am not even exaggerating. Breiges flat is totally amazing - very spacious and right in the middle of all the action in Aoyama, Omotesando. I have been made to feel really at home and we cracked into the imported wheaten bread straight away, as well as the Tetley tea! I have just had a few hours kip, going to have a shower then we are hitting the town. Bring it on Roppongi!

ax

Heathrow - Next stop Narita, Tokyo!

Well already I have spent a fortune in departures, despite bringing enough food to feed China in my back pack. I have so far resisted the caviar bar, as I reckon the next few weeks will test my love of raw seafood! I have bought a Tokyo Time Out Guide to read on the journey, although Breige already has my two weeks planned down to the millisecond. I did try to get upgraded - after all if you don't ask you don't get!! But no luck. They said there are 50 seats still to be sold in Economy so I might get a few seats to stretch out on. British Airways is already like being an actual human being rather than traveling on SleazyJet. The cabin crew actually seemed pleased to see me! I even had a cup of tea, a bicuit AND fruit juice on the flight from Edinburgh. Spoilt rotten! Right I am off for a picnic in the middle of terminal 1. Two hours till lift off... and Nev - thanks for the strawberries you mentalist!

ax

Slippers

Nearly on my way now. I could tell I was excited this morning when I was standing at the bus stop on my way to work to realise I still had my slippers on. Too late to go home and change so I still have them on. What a prat. Luckily they are not massive fluffy novelty slippers, they are kind of normal shoes just dead old and scuffed. Still felt like a numpty though. To add to my excitement my friend Breige phoned me. She has got me all wound up now and I can't concentrate on a pick of work, and I have to make sure everything is all tidied up before I go. I also am going to take over a selectoon of UK goodies that they may be missing. And I still have to get some Yen. And check I have packed everything. And charge my iPod. Oh God i have loads to do - what am I wasting time writing a blog for!!!!!! C ya!

ax

Day before the day before

So it is indeed the day before the day before. My bag is already packed, passport located, eticket printed out and travel insurance bought. Have tried to learn some japanese but I am sure it will all be useless and I will resort to smiling a lot and pointing and miming things. I do know that a locker is a koinrokker, shampoo is shanpu so have a feeling that talking with a Japanese accent is going to happen a lot!!

Breige has already organised loads of stuff to do - spas and skiing, food and comedy, sightseeing and shopping - so I am already really excited - or should i say Totemo koufun shiteiru yo!!!

So syonara for now!

ax