Monday, July 31, 2006

日曜日南インド料理を食べた。

Haggie's神戸@ガラリバ
友達のバーはガラリバというですごいおいしい南インド料理を食べた。Haggi様はいろいろ外のバーらしいのところで友達と新し友達とインド料理を作る。僕にとって初めての経験でも、外の人にとって2、3回食べことがあった。食べた時に手だけ作った。本当インドらしい。たくさん写真を取った。下のURLで見られる。
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepytako/sets/72157594217186637/

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

ボーデペイント / Body paint

仕事でいろいろ任務をしなければならないから、仕事が好きだ。今日プールで遊んで ボーデペイントを書いた。すごい楽しかった。遊んだ後で先生は子供にボーデペイントを洗ってくれた。生徒の体は僕の手と水で ボーデペイントを擦った。その生徒のお臍の中にみどりペイントを見ると思ったけど、接触する時にペイントじゃないのに気がついた!ヌメリだったよ!EWWWWWWWW!!!!!! 「Awww. What’s this! Oh, its not paint. Well I’ll clean it anyway.」と言った。

子供を教える時には、いろいろびくりことをするわけだ。

At my job I have to do many different tasks, that’s why I like it. Today we played in the pool then painted with body paints. It was fun. After playing the teachers cleaned the children’s body paint. With my hand I scrubbed the students bodies. In one students belly button I noticed what I thought was some green body paint, however when I touched it it turned out to be mucus! EWWWWWWW!!!!! “ Awww. What’s this! Oh, its not paint. Well I’ll clean it anyway” I said.

When teaching children many surprising things will happen.

(Note: I tried to write my English version of the story almost as I wrote my Japanese so that’s why it might read funny. Also わけだ means like “it follows that” or “that is to say” so I think I used it correctly.)

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Big ded bug


Big ded bug
Originally uploaded by sleepytako.
三田では虫がいっぱい!

Sanda is full of bugs!

そして、死んでいるのは。

Dead bugs also.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Monday, July 17, 2006

阪急今津線の写真 Hankyu Imazu line photos


IMG 7622
Originally uploaded by sleepytako.
西宮市に阪急今津線近くに散歩をして写真を取った。
I walked around Hankyu Imazu line in Nishinomiya and took some photos.

Click HERE for the set.

初の虹 / First Rainbow

My first Japanese rainbow, and what a rainbow. Both ends were visible and at times there was a double rainbow. Living up here in Sanda has its benefits.

日本で見始めたのが虹だ。すごいきれいだよ!田舎がちょっと詰まらないだけど大自然は素晴らしいネ!

あま湯ハウス

Amayu House (あま湯ハウス) is a supersento, relaxation complex complete with more than just a great bathhouse. A short 5 minute walk from JR Amagasaki station. Just head west towards Kobe following the train tracks, its hard not to see.

Price: 1,850円

Included: body soap, shampoo, rinse, face soap, razors, toothbrush, body towel, bath towel, yukata (to walk around the building in), hair dryers, hair combs, some after shave like stuff... and for 1,850円 it better have all that.
Underwear and better razors are for sale from a vending machine in the changing room.

Baths:
Shower, basic cleaned water ofuro, basic unfiltered ofuro, vitamin bath, nice wooden ofuro, a herbal bath that had a cave motif, cold water bath, steam sauna with salt, sauna, outdoor unfiltered ofuro, three tub baths with different herbs added.

Food:
There are vending machines and 2 or 3 different restaurants.

Lobby:
Lobby sitting area with newspapers, a tatami sitting area, sleeping room (complete with lounge chairs and blankets to use, massage chairs, massage service (feet, shoulder, , smoking areas, gacha-gacha, UFO catchers, slots, coin-ops.

How-to:
Lock your shoes, present the ticket and the key from the shoe locker to the check in person who you will pay and give you a locker key. Enter the baths. Enjoy!

Review:
I love going to places like this, its huge, but I don’t think many gaijin go. I got some odd looks. I went around 9 in the morning and it was fairly busy, but no waiting for anything the baths were more than big enough. I can’t recommend a place like this more, yea it is a bit pricey, but its around that of a movie ticket here in Japan and I’d rather take my time in the baths than watch a crappy movie. I had a great time sitting in the sun after getting out of the cold bath and getting a little tan while the water evaporated off of my skin. The other great thing about Ama no yu is the different herbal baths and the way they make your skin feel and smell after. Oh yea the cute otter mascot is too cute to pass up.

Rating:
4.5/5

Links:
Amayu House home page


あま湯ハウス

Monday, July 10, 2006

A small update & photos

Today I cleaned up my room organized my clothing and went to Nishinomiya where I saw my host mom, she’s doing great, and had yakitori with my friend Keiko, who is also doing well. I also took a bunch of photos and uploaded them.

IMG 7498
The first set includes pictures of my new apartment and the wonderful view from its 12 floor windows. In this set is a pic of my new cell phone. There is a pick of the elevator building. The mansion complex I live in now is on the top of the hill and the developer put in an elevator (accessible my the door key) so people don’t have to hike up the stairs on the way to the train station. And lastly, there is a pick of my super cool futon!

IMG 7522
The second set includes pictures of, and around Taoji station the area I live in. Taoji is on the slow, old Shintetsu line that runs from Sanda in the hills behind Kobe to Shinkaichi in western Kobe.

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The third set includes pictures I took in Sannomiya on the way home.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Thank you DoCoMo


20060708023742
Originally uploaded by sleepytako.
For giving me a free toy with my cell phone purchase!

First shot!


20060707152036
Originally uploaded by sleepytako.
I got my cellphone today! It's on DoCoMo so everything is different, besides it being a different phone. I chose the one I got, Foma S09021, because it has a 3MP digital camera which I will test out tomorrow.

This photo was taken in its default mode.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Cute new mascot for the 南海電鉄


IMG 7483
Originally uploaded by sleepytako.
This is the new mascot the Nankai railway is using to promote their version of the PiTaPa, a IC card that you tap on the gates to pay for you train fare eliminating the need for paper tickets. I find him very cute and it seems that all he (or she, or it) can say is "mo."

Another photo here

バナナハウスと堺市 / Banana House & Sakai city

IMG 7412
I uploaded photos from the glorious hotel I stayed at last week called Banana House in Sakai city. As I blogged below, It reminded me of the Happiness Hotel from “The Great Muppet Caper.”

Other photos in the set include shots of Daisenryo Kofun and the adjoining park.

Click here for the set