Cold Noodles and Hot Sake

Shots #75: Closer than I appear.

2012-01-28T00:39:00.000+09:00

Cape Town

2012-01-27T00:36:00.001+09:00

While I was back home I took a trip to the sleepy city (they call it the friendly city but the only friendly people I met there were the one’s who were not from there originally. Go figure. I daresay it is still the most beautiful city I have ever been to in my life.

Did the touristy thing with my close friends in Blouberg drove round the Cape Point area, checked out the local birds. Ate epic food and generally had a good time.

A point on Blouberg though. It sucks. It reminds me of the snazzier parts of the East Rand in Joburg. A bunch of money and no taste. I felt like it was a place for white people to escape from the city (and integration) while still being able to say they are a part of it. Not my cup of tea really. Prefer the inner city which feels a little more mixed and has a LOT more unique culture.

That said however. Cape town is still quite a bit behind Joburg in the whole post apartheid koombayah. In a way though, I have left the country so who am I to talk right? It was fun hanging with good friends and laughing at the funny people though :D

It always amuses me how It’s technically in a different timezone to Joburg but it isn’t so it’s still bright at seven thirty.

And it It is a beautiful place.

Happy fappy for Jesus H Slappy

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000+09:00

Yes. Our heathen family had a Christmas lunch. For me t was an excuse to consume copious amounts of epic food and enjoy the weather in the back yard with family (whome I may not see for another 3 years) so I put up with the fact that it was marked on the supposed birth of that guy. We’ll try ignore his flock of sheep for the rest of this post though because Tubby is so fucking cute!

but basically food, family, cricket, swimming and hubbly in the sun.

and of course… The TUB!

Shots #74 Hooked.

2012-01-19T23:37:00.001+09:00

It’s settled. I NEED an M3. My Nissan Silvia is awesome… no doubt, but the M3 is a whole new world… Without the singing Arab thief and his pet monkey.

Summer Holiday

2012-01-16T23:36:00.001+09:00

In the middle of winter. Yes. I went home for 3 weeks, hence the lack of activity here. Internet in South Africa is SHIT! but hey, who cares about service delivery when you can milk the client and pay yourself a R10 million (1億円) bonus right? FUCK TELKOM!

Anyway, for R17000 (170 000円) I flew Emirates and thus got a short stopover in Dubai where I met a buddy of mine from Osaka who was also heading to SA to see his lady and so we kicked the second leg together.

Not much to say really. I have flown Etihad (they claim to be the worlds best airline) and I rate Emirates better. Emirates’ airhostesses are definitely better looking. and don’t treat economy class passengers in a condescending way. The food was great.

And the newer Jets come with plug points and powered USB ports. Sadly no interwebs but that should be around the corner.

On both flights I was quite pleased to have my camera on board and got some rather interesting shots of the planet we live on. I wonder if the pigdogs intent on destroying the world for short term profit ever looked out of the window of their bizjets before. The earth is a beautiful planet.

What goes up must eventually come down however and before too long we descended into Johannesburg where my mom was waiting for me.

It had been a while… But I was home…

Take Shit Street

2012-01-01T17:55:00.000+09:00

Takeshita-dori in Harajuku is a legendary place. It is the center for everything that Harajuku stands for. As a result, it is always packed to the max with all sorts of people going about looking at and buying random things. As with any crowded place, You need to be able to take a lot of shit. That said. It is still one of my favorite places on earth.

There is the usual fast-food on offer in the area but the one food that Harajuku is famous for it’s crepes. There are a number of crepe stands with a multitude of sweet and savoury fillings to hit whatever spot your cravings may have. Yes there will be queues, but the wait is worth it.

If you brave the crowds and put up with the tourists you will find something cool every time you go there. And if you like people watching. There aren’t many places better than there.

Hachiko

2011-12-29T17:26:00.000+09:00

Hachiko is the famous dog that waited for his master at the train station for 9 years after he had died. There was even a movie about him. At Shibuya Station there is a statue of him which serves as a landmark for many people to meet each other before moving off to so whatever it is they will do.

The statue’s fame was obviously not lost on the marketing team for Softbank who placed this outside the Shibuya Yamada Denki Labi1.

Shots #73 火事だー

2011-12-28T17:08:00.000+09:00

And there was light.

2011-12-27T16:32:00.001+09:00

Another year has come to an end and with that comes another trip to the top of Mt.Haruna to see the illumination. We once again made our way to the top of the mountain to see the spectacular.

This year however there was no snow on the ground which was a little disappointing. While I am not the biggest fan of the white stuff, it does create a nice ambiance with all the LEDs and it also reflects the colours a lot better.

It does not mean that the light and laser show was not beautiful however. As per usual, It was a feast for the eyes and it was a great place to be with my lady. So yes, I enjoyed it.

What is the illumination like in your part of the world?

New Toy

2011-12-16T15:13:00.000+09:00

I know it’s not the best lens in the catalogue and that you all have one lying around cos you got it with your kit… but I didn’t and with the release of the powerzoom model these now go for ¥7000 brand new on Yahoo Auctions. It’s practically free. Gives my landscapes and skies more width so I am pretty happy. Now we just need to see how the LUMIX GH3 performs before I decide whether I spend money on a dinosaur mirrorbox monstrosity or if I stay with the future of cameras (m4/3) and shell out for some Xseries lenses.

Ecliptica

2011-12-15T14:55:00.001+09:00

It was not my intention to make a timelapse but the shots I took happen to work as one.

Total Eclipse of the Hea…Moon

2011-12-11T12:18:00.001+09:00

All eclipses are spectacular events. Times when we can glimpse the true complexity of the system we inhabit first hand. They give us a sense of perspective, and remind us how amazing being a life-form on this planet really is…

The Gunma Astronomical Observatory had had an event of sorts and many people braved the freezing temperatures to witness this cosmic phenomenon. I have personally seen a rather large number of lunar eclipses but to my memory this is the first time I had seen a total one not to mention one that took so long.

Sadly the realisation of out place in the universe was lost on the vast majority who looked upon the spectacle. I sadly had to return to earth after some time and with that the lies and webs of bullshit that society has buried itself in washed back over me smothering the short time of enlightenment I had with routine and the never-ending human quest to acquire more and more useless fucking stuff. The sad thing i that I know it and I still can’t escape.

Shots #72 Point

2011-12-03T19:40:00.001+09:00

UNI-BLOW

2011-12-02T08:14:00.001+09:00

Winter is here... Time deal with all the UNI-CLO (Japanese Mr.Price) worshippers going on and on about their trademarked HEAT TECH crap as if it is some magical all fixing wonder clothing. You can buy cheap polyester from any old store and save on the trademark premium. Of course you wont be as cool as uniclones, but who wants to be cool in winter?

The Great A’Tuin returns!

2011-11-25T11:38:00.001+09:00

Due to the great success of this lesson with my 3rd graders last year, I decided to to it again.

I set out to describe a picture of A’Tuin to my students using phrases like “There is a big sea turtle. There are 4 elephant’s on it’s back.” etc… The students then used their imaginations and artistic skills to bring what they heard to life.

Once again the drawings were rather spectacular! check the slideshow to see all 100.

Shots #71 Masterful.

2011-11-22T02:23:00.001+09:00

The leaves, they are a changing.

2011-11-11T01:35:00.001+09:00

It’s getting too cold to type at night and that means winter is on it’s way. But in giving way to it’s cold hearted sibling Autumn does give us some of the most beautiful natural scenery imaginable. Blue skies set against the warm palette of dying leaves. We managed to catch the beginnings of it on our last drive into the mountains of Gunma…

Unlike the majority on the roads that day however. Nature’s beauty was not the reason for us to venture out on to the mountain passes. It just happened to be there when we went for our drive.

We met up in Haramachi and our convoy headed over the Kuresaka Touge. We were an odd bunch to be fair. A Silvia S14, Alto Works, an EVO2 and an FZ-400 (its a type of motorized bicycle). But what the EVO lacked in looks it made up with handling and power and what the Silvia lacked in control it made up for with devilishly good looks. As for the Alto and the bike… they had.. enthusiasm!

As we crested the pass, the colours warmed up and as the drive continued they beauty got rather distracting actually. If it weren’t for my lovely passenger I may have put myself over the side of a mountain trying to drive at a reasonable pace and take photos at the same time. However since my lady didn’t have a nifty bucket seat like I did she had her own problems with stability while taking though photos. Yes. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

I discovered a whole new driving world because this was the first time I have ever driven with high grip, well treaded sporty tires on all 4 wheels. As a result the car was more poised and had far more purpose in corners than I ever imagined it could. Yes. The Nissan Silvia can in fact grip and grip well.

I must admit, driving on public roads with a passenger in broad daylight means I would never have tested the full extent of the grip but in places where i would have expected the rear to hint at some fun, it stayed put and just followed through. [In subsequent tests in more private locations, I have found that the grip on these tires far exceeds the limits of my courage on the mountain.] Its a very new feeling for me in the Silvia. I think I like it.

Anyway we passed through Kuni and hit up my favourite tonkatsu house in Gunma before heading up Mount Shirane. At the top we disembarked and stared at our valiant steeds before we walked up a hill to look at a lake. Okay so the lake is a hot sulphuric pool at the top of one of Japan’s most active volcanoes. and the top of a vast complex geological system that happens to have provided the water for the most famous hot springs in the whole of Japan. Nothing special or anything.

We had timed it for sundown and as a result we were treated to another spectacular feature of the planet we live on. or we would have been if certain people's biking gear wasn’t BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN!

No really though the sunset, like all sunsets all around the globe was a unique and spectacular sight. Something that the fucknuts that rule the world clearly have never experienced from their electrically lit ivory towers. If they did they would probably be in less of a rush to fuck it all up. But that is another rant which I probably dump on my tumblr soon. Yes. It was great.

As the sun descended behind the mountains in the west we descended the one we were on and said goodbye to our two wheeled companion. We then headed back to Kuni for a dip in another one of Japan’s natural wonders. The geothermally heated river better known as the Shiri-yaki onsen (lit. roasted arse hot spring) Where we did indeed roast our arses. or at least boil them.

The trip was capped off back in Shibukawa at Icchou where we ate good food ( Is it just me ore have Icchou’s portions gotten smaller recently. Thank you bankers for making us healthier) In all. A great drive and one well needed by all those that did the driving. Let’s do it again. and soon!

Shots #70 A Yokohama Landmark

2011-11-07T10:21:00.000+09:00

This is the most appropriately yet most unoriginally named building on Earth.

Yes. It’s called…

LANDMARK TOWER!

FD on the Shuto

2011-11-05T11:06:00.001+09:00

I love driving in Tokyo and I love the expressways (when I am not getting lost on them).

So much better than the train though so much more expensive as well.

I was just cruising on the Shuto Expressway to Daikoku PA when this guy strolled past. No racing or anything, just a cool car.

Daikoku Halloween

2011-11-03T22:58:00.001+09:00

We went through to the greatest car show in Japan that isn’t a car show with the expectation that large numbers of people had planned to pull through, but sadly the panda brigade got wind of it and decided to be dicks about it. In the short time we had however we did get to see a few sweet rides.

Will have to go back again on a regular Saturday night.

Pandas are useless.

2011-11-01T19:23:00.001+09:00

It’s a man made island in Tokyo bay. Nobody fucking lives there. Nobody is being disturbed. There are no drugs. There is no fighting. There is no booze. There are no Yakuza. No whoring. No date-raping. No murder. There wasn’t even any fucking litter! The only people there are those who want to see/show off their cars and play/listen to the music. Instead of actually doing any good for society 7 pandas filled with Yokohama’s “finest” decided to close down Daikoku PA. Yeah. Clearly a bunch of petrol heads, music lovers and show-offs were a threat to the stability of the whole nation.

It’s because putting speakers in your van and bright lights on your car is one of the most horrible past times in Japan. It’s so much worse than pachinko, passing out after drinking too much at a hostess club, octopus porn and withholding vital information from the public, thus endangering the lives of thousands of people to save face.

幽霊「ghosts」 ~5 hit combo~

2011-10-27T22:41:00.001+09:00

Heart Transplant

2011-10-24T01:18:00.001+09:00

One of my buddies wrote off his Silvia S15 recently. He got himself 2 S14s to replace it. The first had a Tomei Power Complete 2.2 litre engine but the body was scrap. The second was an engineless body. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what needed to be done.

I didn’t get there till lunch time which already saw the engine free from the one engine bay. It was a good chance to see how they go in and what goes where. There were 4 professional mechanics/drifters/silvia experts on the scene so they made it look easy, but I did get to see and learn a few little things none the less. I gave my camera to another friend who was there to basically watch the guys play with their toys. It just so happens that she is naturally adept at taking pictures.

Whether it was the close friendship and trust or the skills involved, Everyone just set themselves a task and did it. There was no, “you do this, then that while I do this and the other” Everyone did what had to be done. If they finished they moved onto whatever else needed doing. Right from the get go I was not just a spectator. If there was something I could do, I helped out. Alot of it was just listening to what people were saying. often someone would ask what size socket certain bolts were or passing screwdrivers from the guys in the boot to the guys under the car.

But I did also tighten the intercooler seals, and help with the removal of one dashboard and the replacing of the other (so they could swap out the wiring and ECUs) Also removed a fender and a bunch of other little things from the donor car. so I wasn’t in the way even if I didn’t do more than speed things up by a few minutes. I was still happy that I could do something while I watched and learnt.

I scored a free radiator too. It’s stock but it’s from a later year than mine so it is slightly larger. I am fairly confident I can install it too.. though it will likely take me a full day with a good few checks on some of the online resources when my memory of today fails me… When I have gotten my new cams, injectors and ECU I will look into doing just that.

Everything went like clockwork and there were no major problems that couldn’t be solved quickly and efficiently. While they made it seem like simple routine, They still did a complete heart transplant in a 9-5 time period.

The sun went down, the car started up and the tools were packed away. The suspension and roll bar will be done during the week by the owner of this new Frankenstein drift monster.

Shots #69 Balls of Stone

2011-10-19T20:34:00.001+09:00

Love Rock 4 @ Trust 55–Takasaki (2011-10-09) Video Test.

2011-10-17T22:51:00.001+09:00

The sound sucks because there is no way to change levels on my cam.

IJust wanted to check how the footage in a live would come out.