Kunimitsu Melissa

Updating my blog

2011-06-22T14:17:00.000+09:00

Yes, I'm finally trying to catch up. I promise I'll be fully up to date soon.

Rice paddies flooded, ready for planting

2011-04-01T17:53:00.000+09:00

Sakura, Sakura

2011-04-01T11:51:00.003+09:00

A view of our apartment building

I just can't help myself, no matter how many times I have seen (and taken photos of) the cherry blossoms I fall in love with them all over again every time I see a large tree in full bloom.

I can't be the only one as there are many numerous hit pop songs with a Sakura theme often accompanied by love or graduation.

Ikimono-gakari's Sakura
I really enjoy their style and like a lot of their songs. A short clip of their video.
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/?70003712_ESCL-2803&70003712_ESCL-2803_01VFL

Kinmokusei's Sakura
They seem to have two different songs called sakura.
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/?80006978_BVCR-17050&80006978_BVCR-17050_01SFL

Kobukuro's Sakura
A big kareoke hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR_Z94-pb2w

Nirgilis's Sakara
Samples Amazing grace, kind of funny with the computer animated clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzNNgHRHWCI

Angela Aki' Sakura Iro
She's Japanese, Italian/ American and Brilliant!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnMvw6LGpi8

Utada Hikaru's Sakura Drops
She has also released some English songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlwCZm2MQbQ

Moriyama Naotaro's Sakura
What a voice !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQeigIshyiI

And there are many, many more...

Sprung a leak - Day 24 to 30

2011-03-09T17:29:00.000+09:00

Moving on.

Everying thing is pretty much back to normal, aside from the lovely fresh feeling of new tatami mats, new paper on the sliding doors, new light fittings and a patched and painted ceiling everything is finally back to normal (well almost). A good clean out, forced though it was, has done us some good.

We visited Masayuki's grandmother in hospital, then went for a walk in the castle grounds for a bit of fresh air.

Sprung a leak - Day 16 to Day 23

2011-03-02T12:07:00.003+09:00

Moving back in.
The removalists came for the big items and then we got to work, Masayuki carrying and me unpacking box after box, starting with the essentials so that we could get back to normal as soon possible. Masayuki was dismayed (putting it lightly) when he plugged in his beloved HD DVD recorder to find it no longer worked, we're not sure if it got wet, was effected by an electrical short caused by the water or by the move. Considering that besides the HD DVD recorder we only lost a light fitting and a old rug, along with a lot of wet clothes ( folded up washing in the process of being put away, which actually saved our electrically power reclining sofa from getting wet) and blankets, we came out of it all pretty well. Our neighbours wound up having to replace most of their large electrical items (but seem happy with their updates)

Sprung a leak - Day 10 to Day 15

2011-02-22T11:50:00.002+09:00

Waiting for repairs.
After a crazy week of moving everything out of the apartment while still working (Masayuki did squeeze in a little extra time off) It was more of a problem of what to do with myself with no house to take care of, finding something constructive to do in the mornings before work and on Sunday. We'd get up early and Masayuki would drop me off at the apartment, I'd go to the storage apartment and put on some laundry then go to the gym and actually make good use of my member ship for a change. Then I'd grab an early lunch hang out the washing, pack anything we needed for overnight and go to work. When I finished in the evening I'd meet Masayuki for dinner then go back to the hotel and read or watch TV.

The repairs were finished one day ahead of schedule so I spent sometime on Day 15 waxing floors wiping down shelves and enjoying the fresh new apartment.

Sprung a leak - Day 3 to Day 9

2011-02-16T11:49:00.000+09:00

Moving out.

After another night at Masayuki's Mother's house we set to work on moving our things out of the apartment so that it could be dried out and repaired. The owner lent us each another empty apartment on the same floor for storage of our belongings. Moving abruptly is incredibly tough, as we just had to sort through things as we went, and move before or after work (difficult with no lighting). We had removalists come on Day 9 for the bed, fridge and washing machine.

The insurance company paid for us to stay at a hotel whilst we moved out and during the repairs as well as a living expenses budget. At first eating out was fun but it soon got old and we were craving something home cooked.

Sprung a leak - Day 2

2011-02-09T16:47:00.002+09:00

The sight greeting us the next morning wasn't the one we'd hoped for. I'd expected that the leak would have lessened over night, but it had in fact spread. Thank goodness the plastic sheeting had mostly done it's job. Wednesday is our day off so I spent the day tidying up what I could while Masayuki was having meetings with the apartment owner, our neighbours, the people from upstairs and their insurance company. The insurance company agreed we couldn't live in the apartments as they were, luckily the owner is in construction and was able to organise repairs quickly.

Sprung a leak - Day 1

2011-02-08T22:45:00.004+09:00

While I was getting ready for work I heard a dripping sound. I was startled when I realised it was coming from the ceiling in the living room. I called Masayuki and my office manager in a panic. while trying to move or cover whatever I could and find things to catch the water in as it got stronger and over a wider area. Masayuki came home to help and contacted the owner. Eventually we found out that someone on the floor above broke a toilet cistern and that water had been flowing for at least an hour and a half before it was shut off ( I heard a huge bang about forty minutes before I noticed the leak). A few apartments were flooded, our neighbors were much worse off than us.

The worst leak was around the light fitting. We moved as much out of the room as we could and put out buckets and other containers to catch the water. Just as I'd think I had it under control I'd realise it was leaking somewhere else, over the sofa, over the TV, over the bookshelves, over the bed, over the refrigerator. With leaks in three rooms we wound up having to go and buy more buckets and a lot of plastic sheets. Dry places were so stacked with stuff we could barely move. And the constant drip, drip drip in buckets noise is enough to drive you crazy. We covered over everything valuable and stayed at Masayuki's Mother's house for the night.

December - The operation

2010-12-02T12:00:00.003+09:00

This is the second time I've had to have skin cancer removed (basal cell carcinoma). I found it early on so unlike the previous operation which required a hospital stay, I was fully awake for the procedure (kind of creepy and interesting at the same time) and able to go home straight away. This picture was waiting to pay the bill in the hospital lobby (Which kind of resembles a hotel foyer). After a only local anesthetic and a receiving a prescription for a mild pain reliever I wasn't expecting to be in too much pain. Silly me, once the anesthetic wore off I well and truly knew about it.

UPDATE Six months later I have a neat diamond shaped scar and a bit of numbness, no problems frowning though or giving the evil eye ;)

More Tsurugi-san

2010-11-10T14:55:00.003+09:00

So beautiful, the camera on my phone just doesn't do it justice.

Mount Tsurugi (剣山 Tsurugi-san)

2010-11-10T14:51:00.004+09:00

We went for a short drive - that became a long one all the way to Tsurugi-san. The autumn colours were spectacular and the vine bridges were captivatingly terrifying.

Something about Autumn

2010-11-09T11:22:00.001+09:00

There's just something about Autumn in Japan, the air is crisp and cool, the skies are blue and sunny and the colours are so vivid and refreshing. As soon as Autumn hits we're both itching to get out and about. Two weeks ago we drove to Ehime to visit a planetarium and science museum. They were filled with school children who kept coming over to say hello (not uncommon for a foreigner) On the drive back we saw a touch of Autumn colour and a snow capped mountain.

Last Wednesday the company Masayuki works for had it's annual softball tournament and BBQ everyone had a great time. Usually Masayuki winds up working so it's been many years since he's had a hit and catch. The biggest suprise was that they fired up the BBQ's at 10am and everyone had finished eating by 11:30am.

Some Cosmos fields in Takasu have flowered over the past few weeks. Not as big as those at Ochi but still a beautiful sea of pinks.

Cosmos Festival

2010-10-15T09:43:00.001+09:00

One of the highlights of Autumn in Kochi is the Cosmos festival held at Ochi (about a 40 mins drive) I've always wanted to go but are usually busy when it's in full bloom. Planted in big fields the cosmos is a sea of pinks, purples and white. So when Masayuki suggested we go on Wednesday (our day off) I jumped at the chance. We were lucky enough to catch it at full bloom, and while the were quite a few people there it wasn't crowded as it would be on the weekend. There is an other cosmos festival in Takasu close to where we live but it is planted after the rice growing season and blooms late and doesn't get so tall. At the Ochi festival they had also planted a maze with clue cards as a fundraiser for the local baseball team, the Kochi Fighting Dogs. The cosmos in the maze was so tall you couldn't see over it.

Hot hot summer

2010-09-02T12:10:00.000+09:00

I read in the Japan Times today that we have officially had the hottest summer on record. So it wasn't just my imagination it really has been relentlessly hot. September and October also look set for some record breaking weather - so it's not over yet. This year our fridge's ice maker hasn't been able to keep up with us and our power bill has sky rocketed.

Hakatajima

2010-08-15T11:34:00.001+09:00

During the O-bon summer vacation we went on a 3 day camping trip to Hakata Island one of the many islands dotting the Seto inland sea and famous as a producer of salt. It had been so long since I had been camping so I was super excited. Hakatajima is also part of the Shimanami Expressway a series of bridges that use the islands cross to the mainland. There are another two sets of bridges at different locations further along the inland sea, all of them offer stunning scenery on a sunny day. The campsite had gorgeous views of some of the other islands, ships going past and constantly changing whirlpools. Setting up our new tent was a bit of a challenge as the tent site was a wooden deck making it impossible to peg it out in the way the design requires. A bit of scouting know-how rope work saved the day. Then we kicked back and relaxed, barbequed, did some camp oven cookery and enjoyed the cool sea breeze which felt like heaven. Before going we thought that there'd be nothing nuch on the island but in fact there was a small town, some shops, a beach front area and it was only a quick drive over to some of the other islands. We also went on a boat cruise for a closer look at the whirlpools. We had such a great time we are considering going back next year.

Yosakoi

2010-08-12T11:03:00.000+09:00

Yosakoi is a spectacular dance festival held between August 9 & 12. Although it has now spread to other parts of Japan, it's a Kochi original. This year we watched from the free public stands at AEON. It wasn't as crowded as some of the other locations.

Hanabi - Fireworks festival

2010-08-10T12:20:00.000+09:00

The weather cleared up at the last minute and the festival went ahead. We watched the fireworks from the opposite side of the port where it was cool, quiet and not so crowded. The display went for an hour and a half with lots of amazing fireworks, different coloured rings, a heart with an arrow through it and some that seemed to fill the sky. 20 minutes after it was finished it was raining again.

When it rains...

2010-08-09T18:07:00.004+09:00

...it pours. Another squall out of nowhere. Tonight's fireworks festival might be rained out.

Summer Sunset

2010-08-09T17:38:00.003+09:00

The sun starting to set over Kochi's Museum of Art. Now that it's over 30 degrees pretty much every day a cool evening breeze is very welcome.

Impromptu road trip

2009-11-16T18:07:00.002+09:00

When Masayuki picked me up from work on Tuesday 29th October he said “I’m starving and I really want to eat udon. Let’s go out to a restaurant.” After we’d enjoyed a dinner of hot udon soup and oden- simmered tofu, eggs, vegetables and meat on skewers. He offered “Let’s go for a drive.” Not unusual, we often take a drive of twenty or thirty minutes around the outskirts of the city to unwind. Usually he doesn’t have a goal in mind had just drives wherever his mood takes him.
We can watch local TV on our navigation system, so after cruising along enjoying the broadcast for an hour or so, I suddenly thought we’re a long way from Kochi. We had driven all the way to Aki City. My husband then said that we had two choices, we could just drive back to Kochi or continue on to Muroto and watch the sun rise over the ocean in the morning, then go sightseeing as Wednesday is now our day off. We chose to continue on. Arriving in Muroto about an hour later, we found a quiet parking area, laid the seats down to form a bed the settled in for the night. While it’s comfy enough for a quick nap by 3am we were cold and uncomfortable so we decided to keep driving whilst we warmed up. We drove about another hour and crossed the border to Tokushima Prefecture. We napped again, this time in the front seats until the sun rose just after 6am. It was a pretty sunrise over the ocean and a beautiful day with gorgeous blue skies.

At Hiwasa we visited Yakuo-ji a famous temple were you drop a one yen coin for every year of your age as you climb the steps to the temple. Rolls of 50 coins are sold there. After visiting the temple we bathed our feet in the foot onsen, a piping hot foot spa at the local service area the drove slowly back to Kochi along the scenic route with great views of the coastline. We capped of a relaxing day with Nabe – a Japanese hot pot. Delicious.

Aussie Trip

2009-11-03T11:22:00.004+09:00

Last month we both had a great time catching up with family and friends in Australia. Even though it was the longest vacation we've ever been able to take together (9 days), it was still incredibly hectic and unfortunately we couldn’t catch up with everyone we would have liked to.

We originally planned to leave home on Wednesday morning the 7th of October but an approaching typhoon meant that we wound up leaving at 1am the night before so that we could safely cross the series of bridges that lead to the mainland. On Wednesday we spent the day in Osaka. We saw the midday performance of Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/world/en/jp/index.asp It was spectacular, more amazing than we could have ever imagined, we laughed, we cried, and held our breath in disbelief. After the show we went shopping at Shinsaibashi and ate okonomiyaki.

On Thursday morning we had a great time visiting the Osaka Aquarium. http://www.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/exhibition/index.htm The cleverly designed building allows you to view the massive tanks from a variety of levels. The sea otters are really entertaining to watch and the aquarium’s star attraction the huge whale shark is actually a Kochi Prefectural local from Tosashimizu. We also visited the neighbouring Suntory Museum and did a spot more shopping before heading to the Airport late in the afternoon.

We flew overnight and changed planes on the Gold Coast before arriving in Melbourne at mid afternoon Friday.

We checked into our hotel, then went to Rod Laver Arena, so that Masayuki could register for his MTG tournament. Next it was sightseeing time.

Late in the afternoon we went to the Eureka Tower, Melbourne's new tallest building. We enjoyed a great view of the city as the sunset from the Skydeck on the 88th floor. http://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/index.asp There are lots of places for you to sit, relax and savor the view. In the evening we enjoyed dinner at Southbank with Alison, Brad, Kate and Dale.

The weather was gorgeous on Saturday, Masayuki went to his tournament and I explored the Myers and Burke St with Eliza. Saturday evening Masayuki and I went for a stroll around the CBD and had dinner at Chinatown.

On Sunday we split up again, Masayuki went to his tournament and I visited the Queen Victoria Market. We met up again at the hotel at midday and waited for Dad, Mum and Caz to come and pick us up, then off to Morwell. Once we arrived in Morwell, we were able to meet our niece for the first time - Carolyn and George's little cherub Louise. She totally kept Aunty Lissa and Uncle Masayuki entertained watching her playing and toddling around. She got the most devilish laugh, he he he hee.

Monday morning we drove out to Gormandale to visit Julie, Chris and baby Thomas on their farm. You can still see how close the fires came last summer. It was so good to catch up. Driving back into Traralgon we saw the most spectacular blue skies, you'd have never have guessed it was raining only an hour before or that it'd be pouring again only two hours later...Victorian weather!

Next stop was Carly and Jordan's house for lunch. They've done a beautiful job decorating the interior with artful feature walls that inspire the palate of the room. After lunch the whole family met to have family portraits done that don’t involve wedding dresses. Capping off the family day the whole family had dinner at George and Carolyn's new a house, it has a huge deck outside and a lot of potential for a great family home.

Tuesday we hit the local shops, had afternoon tea with the relatives and a delicious dinner catching up with all the old Captain Hurley Rovers and their families. Wednesday it was time to get organised for the return trip, we pack our bags, had a final family dinner then headed for the Airport hotel for an early night and an even earlier morning. Our flight went well, there beautiful views over the Great Barrier Reef. Driving home was very draining; we stopped for several breaks and eventually made it home around 2am. Before we knew it, it was Friday morning in Kochi and back to work.

New Car Fever

2009-11-01T14:10:00.010+09:00

My husband is head over heels in love with our new car, considering he's a car salesman that might seen like a given but since our Delica D:5 arrived late September he's gone nuts.

He's constantly telling me how much he enjoys driving it and how glad he is that I talked him into getting the blue/grey one instead of the white or black like just about everyone else he works with. They'd never had that colour in stock before and he was extremely nervous about choosing a colour he'd never seen. It turned out to be a really cool gunmetal metallic finish with a hint of blue, that changes colour in the light. His co-workers thought we were crazy when we ordered it, but now they ask him to bring it in and show customers.

He worked out that it's the first car in over 15 years that he has fully chosen to buy - coming directly from the factory, not dead stock, no limited choices, no company stipulations, no car crash, just exactly what he ordered, his big baby. I have to admit that he has to do some serious fast talking to talk me into it. It's a big vehicle and I had certainly never envisaged owning a van let alone driving one. It handles a lot better than I expected and it hasn't taken me long to get used to it. You can take a peak at Mitsubishi Japan's website http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/delica_d5/index.html click on the utility button to see inside. I love how easily you can transform the seat configuration. Ours is the 2WD 8 seater.

Although it's technically supposed to be my car I only get to drive it once or twice a week, he's always got some new excuse. I don't really mind driving the other car, except that the Delica always comes back tweaked, so far he's fitted - a reversing camera, ETC system(like e-tag) hidden in the glove box, non-slip mats and storage boxes under the seats, different tyres/rims, a 'shinny' exhaust pipe, a carbon fibre protector to stop luggage scratching the edge of the boot when it's being lifted in or out. On top of that he has been washing it at least once a week.

The best part of it all, it's really comfy to travel in, and we're constantly going for drives and on trips. It almost feels like we're dating again.