Mottekaero jDonuts

LG DV392H Region Free

2009-07-03T21:27:00.002+09:00

Also today I decided to try out a new DVD player from CostCo. The LG DV392H for ￥6400.

It's quite a thin DVD player, it has video and HDMI out.

The silver in this picture is the previous DVD player for region 4 DVD's, this will be donated to the in-laws.

By default it was set to region 2, but after following the instructions listed on this page, I was able to play all of my Australian DVD's on it. The picture quality is quite good, though a little jerky in places. I will update after I turn off the "upscailing" feature.

Souvenirs for Australia

2009-07-03T21:25:00.002+09:00

Today we went to CostCo and I picked up some GIANT bags of snacks to hand out to my friends in Australia.

They will be different enough from regular Australian snacks as to be interesting, but not so different as to be strange. I didn't bother with the type that had a small dried fish inside the bag, those just make me want to heave looking at them.

Omiya Immigration Office

2009-06-12T22:11:00.005+09:00

All done! Today I transferred my visa over to my new passport and also spent ￥3000 on a re-entry permit.

Also I took my son along, he thoroughly enjoyed the train trip and looking at all of the trains.

If you want to get to the only immigration office in all of Saitama, you might want some directions.

Here we have KitaYono station, it was a little bit of a pain to get to as not all trains stop there. So we had to change at Omiya and wait for a local train, these go once every 40 minutes.

Exit the station and turn left.

The first thing you see is Queen's Isetan, this is a truly ordinary shopping centre. If you are still new to Japan, you'll find it very interesting. If you are an old hand, avoid it.

To the left is the Saitiama Immigration Office. Mission accomplished.

Here's a few tips
1. Bring a pen. There probably is another form to fill out.
2. Bring a book. It's pretty busy and you might have to wait.
3. Expect to take a walk to the post office to buy a stamp to cover the cost of your transaction.

After we handed in my paperwork, we walked to the post office. In the time it took us to walk there, buy the stamp and walk back, my visa details had been completed. I guess it was very fast this time as this wasn't my first re-entry permit.

In other news I have also booked my hotel for next month. Sydney here I come!

Wow, Passport, Wow

2009-06-10T10:22:00.000+09:00

It just arrived!

The guy came from Japan Post and delivered it just a few minutes ago.

Under a week to get my new passport? Awesome!

And each of the pages has really cool artwork on them, looking at them made me feel a little homesick. No problem though, I am going back to Oz next month for 1 week. Yay!

Getting to the Australian Embassy

2009-06-04T22:23:00.001+09:00

Today I went to the Australian Embassy, while there is a handy map on the embassy website, it will help you a lot if you can see some of the land marks.

Here's the Wendy's located next to the exit of Azabu Juban Station.

And here is the police box that is across the road, now turn around!

This is the way you should be heading, down the street.

You can see the Shuto Expressway over head, go along this road.

And on the right hand side of the street, we have a pretty funky looking building. The Australian Embassy!

It took me over an hour and a half to get there from home, but of course I live all the way up in Saitama, so I guess that's life.

Once inside it took about 10 minutes to review my paperwork. ￥15900 and a few cuts made to my existing passport and I will have my new one in my hands within 10-14 days. Yay!

Next I will need to have my 3 year visa moved over and apply for a re-entry permit. Fun Fun FUN!

Advice for fellow Australians:
Bring cash, they don't take credit cards.
Have your forms completed before you arrive.
Don't eat at Wendy's Japan, the food is crap and the drinks will have exactly 45% ice. Even the large.

Stopping support for IVF treatments

2009-05-29T15:00:00.002+09:00

Recently I read a tear jerker article about how the Labor Government in Australia is reducing the subsidy for IVF treatments.

Infertile couples paying a heavy price for Labor

Good.

Lets get some facts straight

A woman's fertility is highest from 19-14 and seriously begins to decline by 35. Source Wikipedia.
If a woman is working from 19/22 to 35 we can assume that she will have some savings to show for this, along with the support of her husband. DINKS.

For people to ignore their biological limits while pursuing a career and then to turn around and expect the tax-payer to support them when they decide to have a family is the height of arrogance.

For people who say that they didn't meet their soul mate until later in life, too bad. On a planet with over SIX BILLION people, the chances of your soul mate being born in a geographically close position is absurd, combine differences of ethnicity, religion and culture and your "soul mate" might not be a good match. Those divine spirits have a lot to answer for, imho.

A compromise needs to be sought.

Either you were working and joining the frenzy of people to push real estate prices to the point where only people on a dual income can afford a house or you couldn't get your life in order within the biological time limits imposed upon you by evolution. Either way, I don't feel like paying more money to support your choices, the same way that I don't feel like supporting people to start single parent families.

For me, I have understood the limits of my humanity for over half my life (since I was 15) and have sought to work within those limits rather than to hope that science will help me overcome them later in life. I have moved to a country where I can afford a modest apartment on a single income. We've had (and having) our children early enough so that we will still be "young" when they leave home and can enjoy our life as well as our grandchildren.

Life is not easy or fair, I've played by the rules despite my own shortcomings and done OK. Don't expect me to support you because you didn't and couldn't.

Time for a new passport

2009-05-28T15:28:00.003+09:00

Sigh, it's now time for me to get a new passport.

I've filled in the application forms and got my passport photos today.

Next I need to make an appointment with the Australian Consulate as well as get a "guarantor" to sign the photos.

I'm expecting to pay ￥14000 or so for the new passport.

THEN, once I have the passport I will need to go to Japanese immigration and apply for a new visa & re-entry permit to be placed into the new passport.

Fun Fun Fun!

Ready Set SHOP!

2009-05-22T10:00:00.000+09:00

The other day I was walking past Sogo on my way to the station when I saw the crowds lined up ready to begin shopping. There were no special sales, it was just a regular Tuesday morning.

Here we have everyone lined up at 09:59.

How calm, how zen.

The doors are open and all that's holding back the crowds is one staff member standing at the doorway and good manners. This would never happen in Australia.

And here again at 10:01

They are off to inject funds into the domestic economy.

Odd Names for Japanese Chewing Gum

2009-05-18T22:09:00.004+09:00

Check out these odd names.

Freezone. What Free Trade Zone? The opposite of the Expensive Zone? Free Time Zone? Huh?

Just WHAT is a Spash and how does it work? Do they mean Splash?

Black Black, is that what it does to your teeth? Usually companies sell whitening gum, is this blackening gum?

It makes you wonder....

Daining Bar

2009-05-15T17:19:00.001+09:00

How do you Dain and the Daining Bar? Seriously, can't people use a spell check once in a while.

Did you get a haircut?

2009-05-14T22:18:00.002+09:00

Recently I have had to cope with this question: "Did you get a haircut?" along with astonished looks from the Japanese staff at my company.

Recently I decided to get a crew cut after 3 years of only having a short back & sides, so they have never seen me like this before. I only answered their question with a "Yes, I got a haircut" and walk away leaving them gawking.

Things I have wanted to say include:

"No shit, Sherlock!"
"No, I woke up one day and my hair was gone."
"No, my hair and I had an argument, it left me."
"No, aliens have abducted my hair."
"No, it is being held for ransom."
"No, it's just feeling shy and doesn't want to come out."

Can you think of any other snappy answers to the question "Did you get a haircut?" or do you have experience of any other stupid question and a snappy reply?

Matsuya Cheese Hamburg

2009-05-13T22:11:00.001+09:00

Matsuya has released a new item on it's menu, the Cheese Hamburg set. For ￥630 you can get all you see above.

Quite reasonable.

Mini Beer

2009-05-12T23:24:00.002+09:00

For people who only want two sips of beer.

On the right we have a "full size" 350ML can of beer, on the left is the mini size. I can't remember how many ML, but it sold for ￥100.

I can't imagine why anyone would buy this size, except as a joke. Your doctor said you could only have one beer a day for the rest of your life, and its THIS size....

Boy Or Girl

2009-05-07T14:05:00.002+09:00

Do you want another boy or a girl?

I hated answering this question ever since I told people that my wife was pregnant again.

There is something inherently sexist about this question, it implies that one gender has a higher value than other. It doesn't.

Boys and Girls are just as valuable as each other, just as special.

All I want is a child that's healthy and I don't need to be wiping his/her drool away when they are 20 years old. I just don't want a cripple.

The next time you have a friend tell you that they are expecting a child, think for a moment before you ask "Do you want a boy or a girl?" and consider the implications.

Golden Week is Over

2009-05-06T22:38:00.003+09:00

Phew! It's over for another year.

I have a love-hate relationship with Golden Week.

I love being able to get paid for public holidays and then earn extra ￥ for working on those days. I hate going anywhere as everywhere is beyond crowded!

And if you travel, everything is expensive because of the high demand. I'd rather work through Golden Week and travel at other times when things are cheaper.

Still, there was a minor highlight. McDonalds was selling Big Macs for ￥200.

Keeping it in the family

2009-04-27T10:00:00.000+09:00

Here's an article on a subject that is fascinating, families of politicians.

What does Prime Minister Taro Aso have in common with predecessors Yasuo Fukuda, Shinzo Abe, Junichiro Koizumi and Yoshiro Mori, and others who came before them?

They are all political blue bloods whose fathers, grandfathers or other close relatives were political notables, some prime ministers
Read: Hereditary politicians a fact of life

How is this possible? I couldn't imagine an Australian politician winning election simply because their father was a politician themselves. But here in Japan, it's normal.

And simply mind boggling.

Of course if you actually scratch the surface of the Japanese government you'll find that it's not the politicians who make the decisions but the bureaucrats. Imagine Yes Minister, and you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about.

In a country where former comedians and transsexual s can get elected to office on the basis of their fame rather than ability to lead, I guess it isn't too surprising.

Canned Coffee Toys

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000+09:00

Ahh, I remember the hours of innocent fun playing with a penny racer.

Pull it back, watch it go and giggle as it smashes into something or goes off the table!

So you could imagine my glee when I saw penny racers included with canned coffee at Family Mart. With the start of spring also sees the start of the "free crap" given with drinks to capture a larger share of the lucrative summer market.

For ￥20 more than what I'd pay at the vending machine at work, I felt I had a bargain.

This was truly some BAD canned coffee.

With a ￥100 coin for perspective.

Boss rainbow blend isn't too bad, but I can't "Taste the rainbow" as the commercial stated when it was first released.

And we have a decorated truck.

Honestly, they weren't THAT exciting for me, but my son loved them. I wonder how long it will be until he breaks them. Who cares though...

Cup Noodle

2009-04-19T09:00:00.000+09:00

Can you spot the difference?

The Cup Noodle on the right is the "name brand" type and will set you back about ￥136 or so, the type on the left is the "generic" type and always sells for ￥88. Honestly, they taste the same and I'm reasonably certain they are the same product in each pack.

I guess one must be careful to save money in these difficult economic times, but there's no way I will be buying the regular noodles again.

Chocolate Muffins

2009-04-18T09:00:00.000+09:00

Near my office there is a cool bread shop called Hokuo which specialises in "Scandinavian Natural Roman" bread, whatever that means.

Anyway, if you ever come across one of these shops you must try their chocolate muffins. They are great.

Chips & Beer

2009-04-09T14:59:00.008+09:00

You might not know it, but I am a bit of a Baseball fan. Specifically the Seibu Lions in the Pacific League.

My favourite player is 中村剛也, Takeya Nakamura. Otherwise known as Okawari Kun for his ability to hit home runs and then one more.

While not the best player in the league, he certainly meets my standards as a Baseball star. And he's a little chubby to boot.

So for the past few weeks I have been buying 2009 BaseBall Chips from convenience stores in the hopes of getting his card.

The truth is, there aren't many chips inside but it's a nice snack to share with my son and he loves looking at all of the other cards. Nice for ￥95.

Today I also picked up a can of a new type of Happoshu, I can't tell what the real name for this one is but it has some kind of cold maturation process. It tasted surprisingly like Carlton Cold. Though not in a glass bottle. A bargain at ￥197 for 500ml.

No Smoking on JR Train Platforms

2009-04-02T10:49:00.003+09:00

Around 200 JR stations in and around Tokyo completely banned smoking from Wednesday, after workers spent all night removing ashtrays from platforms.

Read Smoking ban starts at Tokyo JR stations

Happy dance, happy dance!

Here's another nail in the coffin on smoking in Japan. If people can't get a cigarette in before their train, then there is an increased chance that they will give up. I never sit in a carriage that is next to the smoking area as the people who come in always smell like ashtrays.

It's really not nice.

Too bad if you are a smoker, but I don't feel like paying for health insurance to help you when you get lung cancer or inflict it upon your family through second hand smoke.

Tokyo DisneyLand

2009-03-31T22:00:00.000+09:00

On Saturday we went to Tokyo DisneyLand. We got in at about 10:15 am just after the gates opened and I rushed to the Haunted Mansion to get fast passes for everyone. Then when everyone caught up we all went on the It's A Small World ride.

Of course I took a photo with the Australian figure.

The Mickey float in the parade.

The magic castle.

My son was so scared in the Haunted Mansion that he just buried his face into my arm for the entire time. I felt so sorry for him.

While the rest of us went on the train ride and watched the parade, my wife waited the best part of 2 hours in line so that we could meet Mickey and have a family picture taken with him. We already have one photo together with my wife's parents, so one with my father and his wife was nice. For some reason I was able to suspend disbelief and I almost believed it really was Mickey. I almost lost control and cried when he hugged my son and then me, it really was magical.

It was a long day and everyone was exhausted!

Odaiba

2009-03-30T22:00:00.001+09:00

On the second day of their visit we went out to Odaiba. We took the Yurikamome automated train there. If you are careful, you can get a seat near the front and the view is spectacular.

No driver.

Another train.

The rainbow bridge.

The mini-liberty and Fuji TV

It was nice to have a family day out and to eat lunch while they over looked the harbour. The Odaiba view is so much bigger than Darling Harbour in Sydney. Of course the day was cut short by the nap-time needs of my son.

Our Trip to Shinagawa

2009-03-29T22:00:00.002+09:00

From Thursday to Sunday we stayed in Shinagawa because my Father had come to Japan for a visit with his wife. It was the first time I had seen him in about four years after a falling out between us.

Anyway, we (My wife, son and I) stayed at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Shinagawa and it was very nice.

As they arrived in Japan in the afternoon, and we had already arrived in the morning in Tokyo, we decided to look around and found the Epson Shinagawa Aqua Stadium.

My son loved running around to look at all of the exhibits. We were very surprised with how active he was.

The dolphin show was fantastic, though not many photos came out good as we weren't allowed to use flash.

My son looking at Coral.

Did we find Nemo?

For dinner we went to OutBack steak, I haven't eaten that much meat or chips in such a long time. It made this carnivore very happy, though usually we don't spend that much on dinner.

Fiji Beer & Maggi Noodles

2009-03-24T10:00:00.001+09:00

Look what I was given!

The same woman who previously gave me the Wasabi Macadamia Nuts and Australian Cereal brought me back some Fiji Beer and Maggi Noodles! That's for me, not for other instructors. I wish I could have gone to Fiji too.

Thank you MM!

Also she brought back some mixed curry flavour snacks, they were awesome. Between myself and an instructor from Singapore, we ate the entire pack. It was a real Indian curry taste, not the modified curry stuff sold in Japan.

Thanks again!