Around Home

While Hiromi was working super hard, me and Kei were both looking for jobs on the Internet. Kei found a web site 'Volubite' which is an abreviation of half volunteer, half arbite. It was mostly farm work. We initially started looking for something close to Nagano or somewhere nice like Okinawa.

Later on I took him on the 'missions' I usually go on around the area, no particular direction, just in search of something nice. Here's what we found:

Kei at Tamagawa Sunset

The beauty above

A dream catcher

Rulers of power... lines (1000's birds pooping)

Earth Garden

Today was Earth Garden day in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo. There were two special surprises today. The first one was Dachambo was playing live! So unexpectedly good. The second surprise was Kei came back! I was happy to see him again and was surprised that his English was so good. I invited him over to stay at our place until he gets himself settled.

Earth Garden :)

Dachambo

For our smile world :D

Bright Lights and Gambling

I still haven't entered a Pachinko parlour yet but this is getting close. Photos are actually forbidden in gambling places but I'm an ignorant foreigner, so it's ok :) They convert real money into gambling coins to make it legal. I think all the games are like games at the circus. You don't win by chance. The're rigged to make a profit. Oh, you can win by chance, it's just you don't have much of a chance. Advice, don't play these.

Rolling ball contraption

Mechanical Horse Race

Tsutsujigaoka, yet again

Sleeping at Ikegami Temple

I was the only boy amongst the girls. I slept in the girls dorm incognito. We were all boozed up but they all looked after me really well. For dinner it was free bento and green tea. We took the ones home that weren't being eaten. That was bento for the next few days. Thanks everyone!

All the girls at Ikegami Temple

Ikegami Festival

A short ride from Gotanda station is the town of Ikegami. Namely the O-Eshiki is a buddhist festival commerating the passing of saint Nichiren. Hundreds of thousand of people gather to watch the performances of dancing umbrellas called Mando (meaning 10,000 lanterns). The performers come from all parts of Japan, far and wide. I joined up with Hiromi and a bunch of her friends. All girls. I was way outnumbered.

Mando

Sweets Stand

Performers

Ikegami Temple

Calm before the mission

This morning we pinched a bunch of furnature from Hiromi's work in Ginza. This is the back door where she has smokos. Katsu was our driver. Mission was accomplished. A super comfy leather chair with a leg stool, a delicately carved shelf, a matching set of drawers, a dinner table with chairs, a dehumidifier, a heater, a gas cooker and a few other bits and pieces. Thanks Loikuro, and Katsu for driving.

Smoko place, Ginza

Sukiyaki

Me and Hiromi were invited to the Yamanakas house for dinner. Akiko cooked the most delicious sukiyaki I have ever eaten. It went down well with red wine and truffles. Thanks for the wonderful night :)

Touru, Nanao and Akiko