Shopping in Japan

Yesterday I went food shopping and caught a glimpse of Japanese gone wild. I started in a crowded downtown (not local) supermarket. I bailed after 10 minutes. The till queues were so long, they clogged the aisles. So I couldn’t maneuver a trolley up/down to actually shop. I noticed that it was mainly men/women ie couples and they were retired/elderly ie over 60. Interesting aside: compulsory “corporate” retirement is 60 but it can be extended to 70. Nureochiba (wet fallen leaves) is the name given to men who shadow their wives after retirement. They do this because they have failed to develop hobbies or cultivate friendships while working. 

The men were the worst as they hogged space while spending minutes selecting an item — it was sooo frustrating, I’m a grab and leave kinda food shopper. So I opted for a supermarket over the road - less crowded and probably more expensive. They had self-service tills which are  much quicker. Why? Older Japanese people will queue 10 deep rather than use self-service tills. Which is strange.  

Japanese supermarkets have always had a self-service element. When I first visited back in 2000s, at the local supermarket the clerk rang up groceries, and then you moved to a separate table and bagged your items. Nowadays, after clerk rings your items up, you move to a pay machine to pay and then bag the groceries yourself. So it’s a kinda half-way to self-service.

Furthermore, in the basement of many ‘malls’ is a food hall - yes think Harrods. There are specialist counters where you pay directly but there are also a selection of smaller “supermarket” type places where you can buy staples and you pay there. If you don’t speak Japanese, it is confusing and my best advice is to watch and follow.  Now comes the next difficult part - payment. 

Shops take different forms of payment. A few, mainly smaller stores, still accept cash only. Most accept credit/money cards - physical cards - only. Some accept e-money.  Furthermore, there’s been a growth in the types of money aka IC (Integrated Circuit) cards. A wee while back, transport cards became easiest way to pay for travel. Such cards eg Suica (there are about 10 brands) expanded and could be waved to pay for other purchases - up to 20,000 Yen. Now there is also a digital version for phones. BUT the physical and digital are not connected ie they have different balances. Some places will only accept the physical card. 

Now shopping in general. Japan is still the bastion of the small store. So a mall is a different animal. Generally each floor of a Japanese mall has a collection of smaller shops. Clothing, food, travel companies, toys, household goods, electronics, and restaurants all nestle under the same roof. As do larger retail companies such as Muji, Daiso, Seria, 3 Coins and the like. Usually grocery/food shopping is in the basement and restaurants are on the top floor.  There are a few department stores such as Isetan. Retail giants such as Uniqlo, The Gap and GU have standalone stores but usually only in busy shopping areas such as Shinjuku. 

Finally, Don Quijote. I remember the first one I visited in Shibuya — it was a crowded, messy, noisy store whose costume and cosmetic sections on the ground floor formed a virtual Aladdin’s Cave. There was no Google translate in those so days so I made some wild purchases, but it was open early and I fell in love. 

Generally, Japanese stores don’t open until 10am - so early-riser that I am I used to wander Shibuya streets from 5am. Anyway Donki was open from early and I spent hours there.  Today many Donkis are open 24 hours and are NOT the bargain they used to be. Definitely visit one but check prices - I found suitcases are often cheaper elsewhere and price match cosmetics in drug stores. 

Shopping in Japan is fun - some recommendations. Tourists: Bring your own toothpaste, the stuff here is pretty awful. Over-the-counter pain relief is very, very mild so bring your own and must carry prescriptions if they are stronger. 100 yen stores such as Seria and Daiso (not like your one back home) be sure to visit for fun items and souvenirs: socks, umbrellas, gloves, drinks, snacks, cords for phones. Konbi (convenience stores 7/11, Family Mart, Lawson) also have smaller items such as facecloths, cosmetics etc but best for snacks, food and alcohol (cans that have a % on them are alcoholic so check carefully). 

Fashion shopping - check the smaller shops in Asakusa for leather; Uniqlo has different graphic tees, Uniqlo + GU have larger sizes but not on floor - order online - they could be delivered before you leave cos Japanese efficiency. Selvedge denim is fabulous but expensive. Sneakers here are cheap but buy Japanese made only—look for Spingle.  Second hand shopping is big, look for local markets. 

Enjoy the madness that is Japanese shopping. 

Glasgow and Coffee and Other Strange Things

 Today is my fifth day in Glasgow and I’ve just spent one hour looking for a coffee shop. You know the type of hygge shop with dark corners, comfy seating and moody lighting? Well they’re not easily found - in most cities the usual coffee haunt is a generic one such as Nero’s or Costa in the UK.  Well those types were so crowded I opted to go back to my hotel - Voco Central - and there the patient concierge showed me the hidden place in the hotel where I got a fab coffee and here I sit typing. Alone cept for the friendly waitress who is setting up for brunch. And she made a perfect cup of coffee for me.  

So Glasgow is a smallish city - population 600,000 according to a guided tour (must check that fact). But it’s busy from about 8am onwards with people swarming to work. This surprised me as leisurely Edinburgh didn’t seem to have such a bustle and I was free to roam crowd-free til tourists hit the street about 11 ish.  Similarly Amsterdam had a different kind of morning rush. Mainly frenetic cyclists trying to control the roads and pedestrians. And lovely Gothenburg was its gentle self all day. But more on those places elsewhere.

I haven’t been to Glasgow since a memorable New Year’s Eve back in the early 1980s. And it’s a vastly different city now.  

Today Glasgow is known for fantastic street art and has a couple of excellent museums. Add images. The Kelvingrove Museum has some great French Art, an outstanding Dali and the world’s biggest pipe organ. Stick around til 3 pm to hear an organist play classical (Sunday) and other types of music. Allow 2 hours. The Riverside Museum is basically a transport museum but has so much more than a load of old and beautifully restored cars, trams, buses, it includes wheelchairs (of course they’re transport), boats etc. the most engaging display was the double decker bus that played a video of reminiscences of 1950s/60s dance halls. I loved the parts about the shoe bags that women carried to preserve their dancing shoes fr the damaging bus steps, the makeup application in the bus (!) away fr disapproving parents, the courtship rituals (the best dancer more sought after than the most handsome). And their ages from 15-17 at the time! Add link. 

Add it to your must visit list. Kick off on a an hop on hop off 90-minute bus tout to give you an overview if you’ve not visited before.  Warning buses are not heated. So beware the open top on a winter /wet day. 

And I highly recommend staying in the city centre … despite advice from my Glaswegian friends who pointed me to the West End. I love the city pedestrian streets where you can shop without traffic interference. Though to be honest, Glaswegians ignore traffic lights and jaywalking is the order of the day. And among the shops are some pretty great places to eat.. definitely try lunch at Mackintosh’s Willow Tea Room (warning £35 for afternoon tea) for its stunning Art Deco deco and lunch/brunch at Ivy’s which has a White Lotus vibe. 

 Orientation Week - Or Panic Week

So O Week - Freshers Week, Rush etc - is over and classes start tomorrow. 

Reflecting on the past two months, I have spent way too many hours online.  I wonder if others have walked as many circles as I have?

Textbooks.  In total I reckon have spent 30 hours.  Seeking second hand ones, comparing prices of new ones and trying to gain the system by using the library options (borrow, download, read online).  However several new editions have been released and thus some of my cheapie-get-ahead-of-the-crowd books purchased in October last year are now out of date.  

Buying - can buy in a variety of places but seems that the uni textbook store is every student's go to..quite a few are in a panic because the bookstore has sold out. Suckers. When I bought mine and there were loads left so I'm going to assume some people left it REALLY late. 

Libraries - libraries haven't processed the new editions. When will lecturers learn that it takes libraries some time to process new books.  

Download - sometimes you can get the whole book, apparently, I haven't seen any evidence of this but such a button exists on entries. However, you can get some chapters BUT the download system was arcane=I struggled with it for about 5 hours one day. I tried again last week--now it's much easier.  Why it should've changed over the holidays I have no idea, but it pisses me off and seems particularly personal. Patience - not a trait I possess - is key. 

Read online - that seems to be straightforward but I cannot sit for hours reading online.  

And that's just the start. 

Newbie to Law School - ADMISSION = QTAC

Well you would think with 30 years of university experience that I would be well informed about university administration.  I am not. Neither are many of my colleagues.  So I'm flying blind into a new degree.  

So let's start at the beginning. QTAC (Qld Tertiary Admissions Centre).  All online, very easy to follow.  Simply put in all my qualifications - some of the degree paperwork is pretty moth-eaten.  Strange fact - my old employer wouldn't provide a letter of employment with dates. But I did get a statement of some sorts that satisfied QTAC. I also applied for grants that I wasn't suitable for and QTAC email came through almost immediately asking for some paperwork that wasn't relevant.  

QTAC staff know what they're doing; they are courteous and kind. The hours are generous; I like to contact early in the AM before CS folks get too irritated (that word looks weird). But that's just me projecting.  I tried both online and phone chats--seamless success. Staff, IT personnel/website creators 👍.

As I've got a few degrees and too much life experience, I could skip to the start of the Law Line and I get some credit points.  So within a few days I received an offer.

Now comes the tricky bit. As I'm used to OLD terminology I accepted the "offer".  Little did I realise (ie read properly) that I had to press an "Enrol"ment button.  It was large and green but somehow I am green-large blind.  

I received a phone call from QUT - lovely ones welcoming me BTW - checking my enrolment.  I told them I'd accepted and blithely ignored the semantic difference.  

Late one night - with drinks imbibed - I logged into QTAC to check on something.  I realised I'd been locked out a while back because of poor password memory (PPM) when I successfully logged in this time - see how helpful some alcohol can be - my green-large blindness was cured.  

I enrolled at 1:10 am Christmas Eve.  I was massively panicked - was I too late?  Luckily, my place was still available.  And luckily I didn't delve too far into the admin labyrinth that is enrolling in a modern university...😕😕😕😕

My Favourite Co-Vid TV

Hi friends - after many chats, I thought it's probably easier to list my favourite tv view for Covid.  Now those of you who know me, know I love a documentary.  And that I don't like sci-fi; fantasy type shows.  With some exceptions -- and I'm going to look for the entire Buffy series, cos I've never had the time to watch. 

Docos
Abducted in Plain Sight. Man some people are dumb. This doco shows two of the most naive parents in the entire history of mankind.  How they let their neighbour take over their family and especially to control one of their daughters is unbelievable - if you can watch this without yelling at the screen "ARE YOU KIDDING?" then you are a better person than I. Fascinating (if frustrating) story that just breaks your heart.
Monty Python - Almost the Truth (Netflix) - lots of chat with the surviving members that shed light on their personalities and the conflicts.
The Great Hack.  Story of political control aka "rigging" via exploring the Cambridge Analytica scandal.  If you think you know how invasive the internet is then you don't need this;  but if you really want to know what Zuckerberg and crew are up to then watch this.  I reckon the female knew more than she was letting on.  I'm going to watch again.  I need to get my mind around it and now I know why I don't have my location on and rarely use FB, Instagram, Twitter and the whole sorry mess of a place where we exist simply to provide information for companies to utilise. The main question - we will ever have a truly democratic election ever ever ever again?
Don't F***k with Cats.  A group  of internet "nerds" track down a murderer via the internet.  It's compelling, just like Catfish was...and if you haven't seen the original Catfish doco (not the TV show) then get to it.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.  I don't know who I despise the most, him or his pimp (I'm not even going to type her name, disgusting piece of trash she is).  It's a story of political corruption and the powers that kept this piece of .... surviving in the world. You almost cannot believe it.  And I hate conspiracy theories. So luckily he's dead and therefore cannot get out because of a buddy or be excused by some understanding judge.  He added nothing to our world and it's a better place without him.  This documentary should be watched by all parents with children - and they targetted "troubled" teens.  Sick bastards.  But it's a fascinating show to demonstrate that evil comes in all sorts.  Man I really would have thought that having a female around would mean that everything is ok. 
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.  The social welfare system totally missed the boat on this and poor Gabriel died because of the confusion between the various government departments.  Police, teachers, social workers all let him down. He was kept in a cupboard for crying out loud. I can't imagine living in a cupboard.  Makes you realise that you have to be prepared to speak up if you think something's wrong.
Athlete A. If you haven't heard about the gymnastic doctor, Larry Nassar then you must watch this. He violated girls (yes, they are often girls) in his surgery, while their parents were in the room.  He put himself between them and the patient. He did this to hundreds of females AFTER police and Olympic committee (?USA Gymnastics) received complaints.  Again, he (like Epstein) survived because someone ignored the "complaints" - Stephen Penny of USA Gymnastics did next to nothing. And thus Nassar had more time to damage more young girls. Another of this world's despicable persons.
The Confession Killer. Henry Lee Lucas is one strange dude. In the 1980s, he confessed to over 300 (?the number keeps changing) murders when he was arrested.  Did he do that many murders or was something else going on? The thing I remember is that one person said that he smelt.  He had about 4 teeth and smoked all day -- I'll bet he stank! Plenty of twists and turns.
Making a murderer. Second Season. Started out slow but picked up quickly. The twists and turns...I mean -- was he guilty? 
Keepers. Dead nun and a threatening priest.  No doubt why she was "removed".  Great doco if you're not sick of hearing about catholic church and abuse. Hubby was not a fan.
Cheers.  I couldn't give a rat's arse about cheerleaders.  But I was hella bored so thought I'd give it a go.  Yep, it's a great doco.  The amount of work they put into it is scary--and loved the males. 
Tell Me Who I Am.  Twins - one brother loses his entire memory.  All of it.  So the other brother give him all the memories he needs.   Or does he?  It's a simply shot but moving show....how much would you want to know about your past?
Tiger King - Listen to the podcast first ; this is the story of a slightly strange group of people who love wild cats.  Was murder committed? Arson? Drugs? Yet this has it all including a gay, blonde, mulleted central character.
Conversations with a Killer: Ted Bundy Tapes.  I know he existed but knew little about him and his crimes.  Death penalty is a difficult topic - but if ever anyone deserved old sparky, Bundy did.  He seems to have been beyond rehabilitation - he had it all good-looking (sorta), smart-ish (not as smart as he thought he was), educated, no history of family abuse, or head trauma - or at least that's what we "know". Yet his brain was warped - the manner and frequency of his crimes is shocking.  The world is a better place without him. 

Mystery Type
Mindhunter (Netflix) - story of FBI dudes who started the whole profiling thing.  They interviewed every "serial" killer they could in order to understand the mind of the killer.  It's a great series.  Great acting..


General Drama
The Good Fight. Season 4--too short, damn you covid.  I love this series. At first I ignored The Good Wife (I mean why would I watch a show with that title) but once I started...loved it.  And The Good Fight just got better and better.  This season with its imagining of a female president...Loved it so much. So disappointed it was 1/2 its projected run. 
Safe - Harlan Corban - US and UK actors.  Missing teen -  unearthing secrets.  Lots of twists.  Easy to watch series with plenty to keep you guessing.
The Stranger - Harlan Corban -US and UK. Someone knows too much about people.  Intimate secrets.  She approaches people and whispers their worst secrets in their ears and starts a domino effect of anger and rage.
Morning Show (Apple TV) - best ever series so far this year.  I generally don't like Jennifer Aniston, but she is fantastic in this role. 
Hollywood - beautifully realised -- and as imaginative as the place itself.  Can you imagine a film with a black lead actor becoming a hit in the 1940s?  No neither can I. But still it's all great tv. 
Desperate Housewives - you gotta love Gabby's one liners. I forgot how funny it was. And yes, Teri Hatcher is annoying.  But you can put it on while you do cooking, cleaning, housework, play your favourite computer game.

Munich and Budapest

Hi All,
Yes this posting is way overdue.  I'll add pictures later.  This morning Bill and I are chilling in our fab apartment in Budapest.

Okay from the top.  We finished our volunteering and then we trained to Munich.  We had several hours in Munich and decided to visit the Xmas markets which are supposed to be some of the best.  Well it was the wrong time to go to the markets.  Saturday night it was packed;  and it appears that the alcohol had been flowing freely. 

We witnessed a fight and so thought we'd better avoid the central part.  Walked back to the train station and had great dark wheat German beer and dinner.  Yum.

The train left at 23:20 - so we were snuggled in and asleep by 23:25.  Don't know what happened in the world outside but I woke a couple of times and NO snow.  I had hoped we might cross some alp-type product.  But it doesn't appear that we did.  The conductor gave us a great wee breakfast (coffee and hot tea/coffee).  Then we were in Budapest.

It was bitterly cold here when we landed.  But we had rugged up.  We met with our Air BNB host and she let us drop our luggage off early. Thank goodness. 

So we went exploring--she seemed bemused that we walked all the way (?) from the train station.  Anyway, the apartment is super central and just right for us.  Old building renovated to a very high standard.  Most important for me: the washing machine. 

We pack so frugally that we need to wash once a week and that's not always possible.  Strange thing about travelling, learning different detergents.  Anyway Oxy-Action products are very expensive. 

We have traversed the city and throughly enjoy walking and looking at the architecture...that keeps us busy every day.  We've done a Danube cruise and visited quite a few churches and ummm beer places.  If you follow Bill on FB you will see what I mean. 

The Christmas Markets are loads of fun but do get crowded at night.  The night lights are fantastic. The Jewish quarter is where all the best bars are (ruin-bars especially).  What is a ruin bar, you ask? It's exactly what it appears to be - a ramshackle collection of small bars in an "alley".  Eclectic furniture.  Perhaps more fun before we tourists ruined (yuk yuk) it for the locals.  It's supposed to be one of the best bars in the world...hmmm.

Anyway, it's time for bed.  More tomorrow perhaps?  Depends, there's so much to do, who has time for writing????

Diverbo Fun

Hi Everyone--
I'm on a break - just after my radio interview (ABC Overnights with Trevor Chappell), this month we read The Moon's a Balloon.  Remember the David Niven biography that was a best seller in the 1970s?  No -- well, read it.  It's a good laugh, a bit pompous and lots of fun.  You'll finish it in a couple of days, I promise.

Anyway -- we had 1.5 days in Frankfurt.  The airport at Berlin (TXL) -- well that was strange.  I'll do a Berlin/Frankfurt catch up post in a couple of days.

Here we are volunteering.  The students are German and they're here to improve their conversational English.  They are not allowed to speak German and so the days are long and difficult for them.  But they say their English is really benefitting for them.  A lot of the "students" are trying to improve their job prospects and some are improving themselves so they can be more valuable to their companies.  We work with them one on one (some people seem to find this a vaguely sexual phrase--hmmmm).  And I think the pressure to constantly thing in another language would give me a migraine.

In return for our hours of "work", we are given free accommodation and free food.  It's a pretty good deal I think.  The food is great.  And the place where we are staying is very nice INDEED.  I think we will definitely do this again.  They have schools in Spain and Germany.  Some of the volunteers here have done it many, many times.

It snowed the other day! But only for a brief while.  I loved it and was then immediately disappointed when the snow disappeared.  But at least it rained.

Each day is filled with activities -- from 8am until 10pm.  We do have a break from about 2-4.  In my 1-1 with students, I walk (as many do) around the countryside.  There's a forest behind us and a farm across the road.  So plenty of space to stretch our legs while our poor students converse with us.

We are here until Friday.  The internet is much better than we'd been told and so I'm writing this during a break.  Dinner is in one hour.

Speaking of which - food is pretty fantastic (repeating myself).  German offerings -- schnitzels are amazing.  I am eating way too much and after lunch (salad, salmon pasta, ice cream) I felt a bit queasy,  so I usually grab a granny nap.

Anyway love to everyone and please take care we are thinking of you during the horrible fires...