Tyson Brooks

New Blog

2011-06-17T05:57:00.003-07:00

Dear Reader,

I have a new improved blog. Click on this text to go there.

Hope to see you at my new blog.

Tyson

Oilman: Curitiba's Unlikely Superhero

2011-05-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Oilman: Curitiba's Unlikely Superhero

by Tyson Brooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

What do you get when you take a 100ml of oil, a brightly coloured
speedo, a bicycle and a biology teacher?

The super hero of Curitiba!!!!

Year round Nelson Robelo walks and rides his bicycle through the parks
and streets of Curitiba wearing nothing but a Speedo and a lot of oil.
No one knows how he became Oilman or why he does it. Some suggests he
is a little strange in the head while others suggest he is testing a
new magic oil that makes him impervious to hot or cold temperatures.
He himself admits he is comfortable in temperatures down to 7 degrees
in his oil and speedo while he has braved zero on one cold night on
his way home from a day out walking.

Robelo had been christened 419 names before the people of Curitiba
decided to uniformly call him Oilman. Names such as Oil maniac,
Mayonnaise Man, and Greasy Man just didn't make the cut. Regardless he
is now famous. Google him and you can find tv interviews and even a
Wikipedia entry (in Portugese) documenting Curitiba's superhero. Ask a
local who the most famous Curitibano is and they will eagerly tell you
about Oilman. Ask who else it famous from Curitiba and they will
scratch their heads and look puzzled. Were once people used to yell at
him to put his clothes on now people demand he take his clothes off.
Such is the life of a Curitibano celebrity.

Fwd: Mixed Martial Arts - The Story of a Meek Student

2011-04-26T04:37:00.001-07:00

In class Leonardo is meek, a little shy and nice. It came as a
surprise when he invited me to watch him fight. On stage he is a
massive animal, a ball of fury who looks like he could kill. His fight
lasts for less then a minute. The referee signals the fight is on and
he attacks. My student unleashes a series of punches and kicks as his
opponent grabs him and forces him to the ground. Leonardo clings on,
his arms trying to pull his adversary's neck off while his legs wrap
around him like two pythons squeezing him to death. His opponent never
had a chance.

Over three hundred people had come to watch. A DJ spun ACDC between
fights. Of the dozens of fighters who entered the ring not all stayed
conscious. At first the fights were all Muy Thai. Spin kicks to the
head and brutal body blows. One fellow collapses unconscious. Others
danced and pranced around just missing each other blow after blow.
Others constantly lock up like lovers parted for too long. The larger
fighters wear themselves out after the first few minutes. Their
previously lethal looking blows turning to little baby jabs as the
effort takes it's toll. The crowd boos.

Curitiba is Brazil's Muy Thai capital. Many of these fighters will go
on to win national and international fights. Curitiban fighters are
well known for there strength and style. Even though this was a bottom
level competition it feels like a hard core video game. Blood and spit
flying everywhere. A fight is stopped when blood became a hazard. The
lucky Muy Thai competitors wear padded foot and leg gear, chest
protectors, boxing gloves and head gear. I am not sure how much
protection any of it offers. One poor guy gets kicked so hard in the
chest he falls unconscious on his face. Another fellow gets kicked out
of the ring. Unluckily for him his head makes it through the ropes and
contacts a table. Another unconscious fighter.

Muy Thai looks like childs play compared to Mixed Martial Arts. My
student as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter wears only head gear. His
hands are wrapped in rough tape leaving his fingers free to grapple on
the ground. No bowing before fights just fierce looks and a desire to
kill. Outside as we leave a fighter is weeping on the steps, he is
being consoled by his coach and team. It can't be easy to train hard
every day for months on end and lose in under a minute.

The Bus in Paradise - Curitibano Transportation

2011-04-12T05:28:00.001-07:00

Eighty-two-foot-long, three hundred passenger biarticulated buses ply
Curitiba on 72 km of dedicated bus roads. These orange behemoths that
look like giant three section accordions stop at specially built glass
tubes that act as bus stops. Bus fare is paid on entrance into the
tube and when the bus arrives ramps on the bus fold down for
passengers to board. The whole system is designed to be an above
ground subway. It is cheap, efficient and has cut city traffic to a
fraction of what most other cities face. An incredible eighty five
percent of city residents use the bus on a daily basis. Curitiba's
buses are the envy of the world and the inspiration for systems across
the American continents and even in India. But not everything is
perfect down here in paradise.

The average North American transit bus fits 57, it's impressive that a
bus twice the size fits 300. It is accomplished by having only 57
seats on the bus. The majority of the passengers stand. Only very late
as night when the bus is practically empty have I managed to get a
seat. Considering there is almost no traffic on the bus roads and the
buses are so efficient, standing is no big deal.

A bigger issue is the rush hour lineups. On most days I have witnessed
lines ups of up to 300 that reach literally around the block. Transit
riders wait patiently to get into a tube to board the bus. It is a
long wait when the buses arriving are usually full. With Curitiba's
population explosion the bus system now 30 years old is struggling to
keep up. With a recent change in management buses are no longer as
frequent or on time. To add to complaints bus fare increases two or
three times a year. Most Curitibanos were once proud of their system.
Now it is a common source of complaining.

Bus breakdowns are a constant nuisance. The road is often streaked
with oil and bus fires are not unheard of. Fires force working buses
onto the regular roads. It is not a safe or easy task for the drivers
of these monster vehicles. Another constant problem are vandals who
break the glass tubes and score the windows on the buses. In the outer
suburbs some of the glass tubes are just metal framed cylinders with
all the glass lying smashed on the ground.

Dedicated bus roadways spread out from the center like spokes in a
wheel. Each road is completely separated from traffic by medians many
of which are tree lined. In a city with no regard for pedestrians or
cyclists it makes for magnificent exploratory bike rides of the city.
Although it is illegal to ride the bus roads all cyclists do it. It
would be suicidal not to. Police turn a blind eye and often wave as
you pass. The bus roads are also popular running and skateboarding
track. Sunday in particular when bus traffic is light all types comes
out to use the bus roads. This morning eight guys on specially built
skeleton skate boards raced down one of the bigger hills face first in
their lycra and fancy helmets. They jockeyed for position as I moved
into the other lane to avoid them.

City zoning allows for tall buildings within flour blocks of the bus
ways. Skyscrapers seem to stretch for dozens of kilometers in
different directions creating an image of an endless center. It is a
magnificent and unique lay out to the usual urban sprawl. All courtesy
of a unique bus system that was dreamed up and implemented 30 years
ago. A system that costs 50 times less per kilometer then a subway
system. Times are changing. Curitibanos should be proud of their bus
system and the city it created.

Tyson Brooks

In Curitiba - (41) 9672-1058
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Moving Brazilian Style

2011-04-03T13:49:00.001-07:00

Everything must go. Pack up the kitchen sink, the stove, the cabinets
and even the taps. Nothing except the roof and the floor come standard
in a Brazilian home.

The current place is small, it resembles a bunker more then the
basement suite it is. The two fellows I have been staying with have
been good enough to give me the only bedroom. Of course the ironing
board and closet are in the bedroom so it is a bit closer to being
Grand Central station then a private get away. With little room to dry
laundry, no hot water except for the shower which is lukewarm on a
good day the situation certainly isn't ideal. I have had to boil a
pot of water everyday just to shave. It has been cheap and interesting
but a month is long enough.

Renting here is not easy. The paperwork is thick and the documents
required to rent a place archaic. Often landlords require six months
rent in advance as a damage payment. Most landlords refuse to rent to
anyone unless you or a guaranteer has a property in the state.

I found a place through word of mouth. One of the teachers at work
knew of a couple guys looking for a third for their three bedroom
condo downtown. For a tiny bit more as I was paying before I live in
an old decadent building. The views are stunning and one of the
bathrooms sports a jacuzzi. Amazing for a country that sees bath tubs
as a luxury. The kitchen has granite counter tops and the living room
a good sound system and big tv. The concierge downstairs doesn't speak
a word of English and he always calls the elevator but I prefer the
circular marble staircase for the five flights to my apartment. The
elevators look so old I don't completely trust them.
--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In Curitiba - (41) 9672-1058
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In Curitiba - (41) 9672-1058
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Brazilian BBQ

2011-03-22T06:58:00.001-07:00

There was not a leaf of lettuce or stick of celery in sight. The only
thing related to plants was the polenta and beer that was brought
around at regular intervals. Soon after guests started arriving the
barbeque was lit. Built into the house the bbq was a chamber on the
outside wall. It resembled a tiny fireplace complete with chimney.
This barbeque was not an afterthought in this modern townhouse. In
fact the marble used matched the kitchen inside. Charcoal briquettes
were added and lit and a metal rack and a sausage spit were placed
suspended over the coals. Little dimples in the wall at different
heights allowed the meat to be raised or lowered according to the
chefs needs. The bbq recipe was simple; course salt is sprinkled on
the meat as it cooks. The meat and sausages are cut into small chunks
when they are done and brought around on a party tray with a dip that
resembled bread crumbs. It was so simple, I never touched a plate or
utensil of any kind. Yet hands down it was the most social and tasty
barbeque I have ever been to.

For the six hours I was there the meat didn´t stop flowing. As the
cook got drunker the succulent morsels of steak began to resemble over
salted beef jerky. At the point that the food bordered on mediocre
another chef was nominated and the good food continued. Amazingly my
share of the meat cost was about $3 Canadian. An amazing price in a
country which isn´t exactly cheap.

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****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In Curitiba - (41) 9672-1058
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Brazil?

2011-03-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

This is not the Brazil I expected. There aren't black women dancing to
exotic drum beats on every corner, Samba music does not eminate from
every open window, I am not at risk of getting mugged on a daily
basis and beggars don't harrass me. It is not even hot and sunny.
Instead I have found a city just exotic enough to be interesting; a
city that is safe and modern enough to be livable. Here most people
live in high rises and poverty confines itself to the occasional
person collecting recycling. Vancouver has far more beggars and
vagrant types on the street. The transportation system is modern and
three hundred person buses glide down bus only roads depositing and
collecting people from big glass tubes on the roadside. The city is
clean as factories were never allowed to sully the air and water. The
only thing that makes it feel like a developing country is the bins
beside the toilets to collect toilet paper. I still haven't perfected
the folding job necessary to hide the brown stripe on each piece I
throw in the bin.

Apparently this is the most boring city in Brazil. It also has the
highest quality of life and the lowest amount of poverty.

So far it has been a wonderful experience.

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Tyson Brooks

Heading for Brazil
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Snow Cave Cabaret

2011-02-21T21:59:00.001-08:00

A man walked down the mountain in his socks. He complained that his
boots were frozen so he couldn't put them on. It had been one of those
nights.

I had woken up in a three bedroom snowcave with a guest bed that we
had dug two days before. The man had shared the single icy guest bed
with one of the women that had come up to the Snow Cave Cabaret late.
He was unceremoniously dumped off the thermarest that he was sharing
prompting him to pack up and leave in his socks.

It was a typical Hans event in that nothing was typical about it. Hans
had turned a get-drunk-in-a-snow-cave event into a full on disco in a
snowcave. The dance cave walls were covered in blinky lights and the
walls were etched by dozens of fingers. I left the dance cave soon
after spotting a dancing Zebra. She was complete with long tropical
feathers coming out of her ornate mask. The cave was getting too warm
and crowded so I exited past the 10ft high snow pillars and other
works of snow art to the luge track. Short but steep with a wicked
corner luge tracks are Brenton's specialty. This one was no exception.
His luge tracks seem to be rated on the ability to draw blood. Going
face first on a crazy carpet into a banked corner will do that. A
participant emerged with a beard of snow and blood running off the
bridge of his nose. The crowd watching cheered like crazy.

The event had almost been a disaster as the first dance cave collapsed
while it was being dug. It was a victim of eager haphazard digging
that destroyed the structural dome shape it should have been. Three
diggers were buried in the collapse and quickly removed. The show had
to go on and another cave was dug. Sleds were used to drag snow up out
of the trench to the dump zone and the new cave quickly took shape.
With high ceilings and room for thirty to dance it was usually well
beyond capacity. Scores of others hung out outside or had their own
private parties in the dozen or so sleeping caves littered around the
site.

Our cave was no exception and up to a dozen stood in the corridor or
sat on the beds bathed by tealights in the snow walls.

Hans Snow Cave Cabaret is always a night to remember.

In other news my Brazilian visa has finally been approved. I leave for
Brazil Friday!!!!!

Winterpeg

2011-02-05T17:29:00.001-08:00

How much does 15 cm of snow cost to remove? Forty point five million
if it falls on Winnipeg and that's just the governments share of the
cost. Throw in private snow removing companies and it is considerably
more. The city alone had 350 pieces of machinery working in an
orchastrated effort to get the citying moving again.

To me it was a winter wonderland, to many Winnipegers it was another
slap in the face by mother nature. The snow continued to fall and fall
until the world was white. The road was slippery white butter and
everything else was covered in white powder. The temperature was
delightfully warm for Winnipeg and the odd cheeky local was out in
shorts. Hills of snow turned into mountains as countless tractors
pushed it off parking lots and roads into mounds to later be collected
by trucks. It was warm and it was something I never experience in a
city.

By the end of my six days in Winnipeg the weather had reverted to the
Siberia like conditions Winnipeg is famous for. My lazy ice skate down
the river on an ice path four kilometers long ended in misery. On this
particular Saturday with the sun on my face and the wind at my back I
marveled at the lack of people on such a beautiful day. I turned
around and met windchill head on. My face screamed in pain and my head
ached like a child that scoffed all the icecream. There was little I
could do but battle on as the wind tried to force me back.

My last morning in Winnipeg temperatures dipped to -41 with windchill.
Happily back in warm but rainy Vancouver

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

Back in Vancouver
New cell phone - 778-708-6921
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

An Icy Birthday Treat

2011-01-13T05:20:00.001-08:00

"It's as easy as riding a tricycle," encouraged the American. "There is nothing to it!!!" A skidoo built with the comfort of a Harley and capable of 110km/h is not a tricycle and should not be treated as one. The skidoo trails South of Whistler were icy that evening and the Chinese girl being encouraged had never driven one before. I had just stepped off the skidoo Brian Southby and I had been sharing so he could do a speed lap around a bumpy frozen lake. The guide and I were watching him depart when a skidoo piloted by the Chinese girl flew past at full throttle nearly running us over. The skidoo skimmed over an embankment and landed in a ditch. Brian with all the screaming thought the guided group was cheering him on and booted his machine down to the end of the lake and back. He returned to find one skidoo missing, one still running and the group gone. Rightfully he was a little confused. We were all in the ditch digging out the Chinese couple who were half buried in snow under the now damaged skidoo. She had only meant to inch the Skidoo forward a meter. Thankfully the couple weren't hurt.

Brian had bought the Snowmobile tour as my birthday present. It was a real thrill speeding along the mountain trails at night on a luxurious four stroke machine. The guide felt confident with the group (when the Chinese girl was a passenger) and we sped along the steep frozen trails at over 50km/h. We slowed for tight corners and stopped for wicked views. On the back it felt as comfortable as a lazy-boy recliner speeding along the bumpy trails. All you had to do was lean back into the ample backrest and grab on to the strap attached in front of you. The machine was powerful and driving was involved enough to feel like you were alone on the snowmobile. Indeed you could have fit an entire Indian family between Brian and I on this family styled machine. For the driver leaning into corners was a must to allow the front skis to grip the icy surface. The snow machines skimmed over the frozen bumps in the frozen snow like a boat over waves as the icy wind bit through the helmet and stung your face.

Tyson

Snowdomia - New Years Canadian Style

2011-01-02T08:08:00.001-08:00

We could be easily be accused of propetuating the Canadian stereotype
of a land where everyone lives in snow dwellings. We had invited some
Americans to join us for Snowdomia. The American's that were coming
told the border guards that they were spending New Years in snow
caves. We certainly didn't disappoint.

Snowdomia exists only in our heads for most of the year. At New Years
a small army of friends and acquaintances ascend to a chosen location
to build a fantasy town of snow structures to spend the last remaining
days of the year. This year we chose Mount Seymour, a very short drive
from downtown Vancouver. Just west of First Pump Peak on a snowy knoll
we set up camp. The ocean below us changed from liquid silver to
liquid gold to inky black depending on the time of the day. On the
land, city streets spread out below us dotted with high rises and
parks while at night it shimmered up at us. To the North an unlimited
vista of snowy mountains. It was perfect but the North wind was very
nippy. The first thing built was an amphitheater with a view of the
city. The wall cut out the wind and sitting there the sun warmed as it
does far further South.

That evening temperatures of -15 were expected with wind-chill of -25.
The hardy dug into the knoll and erected seven tents while the
hardworking built snow-caves down the slope of the knoll. A walkway
was put in halfway down the very steep slope creating a promenade
which snow caves were built off. Five snowcaves were dug in ranging
from cosy couples caves to a monster party cave with seating for 25.
The party cave had nooks for champagne and candles and glow sticks
were embedded into the ceiling. We certainly were doing our best to
perpetuate a Canadian stereotype.

Minus 10 to -15 has to be the perfect winter temperature. Gone is the
typical damp feel of the wet west coast replaced with the drying cold
temperatures and the delightfully crunchy snow typical of the praires.
We could have done with out the wind-chill but it did make us
appreciate the snow-caves that little bit more. The caves along the
promenade stayed above zero and entering one fogged up my glasses.
Soon layers would be shed in an attempt not to overheat.

Outside at the start of the walkway we had a large communal kitchen.
The central table had room for four stoves and at least one was always
on providing hot water to the diggers and visitors. The walls to block
the wind in the kitchen were 12ft high and the view from the city side
were spectacular. Britta our resident artist carved a dragon into one
of the kitchen walls.

Eileen Bistrisky and I started Snowdomia seven years before as an
alternative to New Years and a way to learn to be comfortable living
in the snow. With the right gear even the first timers survived the
bitter cold in comfort. Participants this year included friends we
have known for years as well as members of Murray Comely's Outdoor
Adventure Club, Ecospirit.ca. Twenty five celebrated New Years with us
including a fellow who had googled "snow party new years Vancouver"
the day before. Countless other friends came up to spend a night,
bring us New Years supplies or help us dig.

Traditionally New Years at Snowdomia is started with the burning of
Effigy dolls after sunset. At winter solstice we make these dolls out
of wood, wax and fabric. Each participant writes the bad thoughts and
deeds of the year on the inner pieces of fabric. The dolls are placed
on a Snowdomia wall and after a photoshoot a little bit of white gas
ensures a spectacular blaze. With such a fun crowd midnight came
quickly as we ate and drank inside the party cave. After the countdown
we went into the nippy air outside to watch the fireworks in
Vancouver. A firelog burned in the corner of a courtyard to keep those
outside warm.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!

Tyson

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****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

Back in Vancouver
New cell phone - 778-708-6921
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

Back in Vancouver
New cell phone - 778-708-6921
Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Winterpeg

2010-12-26T14:10:00.001-08:00

Canada is huge. It took three hours to fly from Vancouver to Winnipeg my birthplace. Geographically in the center of Canada, it would have taken the same time to fly to Mexico.

When I landed it was -25. The air stung and I could feel the ice cracked in my nostrils as I breathed. My pants and runners offered little protection from the cold and it felt hard to breathe. Thank god it wasn't cold yet. Winnipeg is known for it's occasional lows of -50 (with windchill).

Mexico is far warmer but my family doesn't live in Mexico, hence the three day trip to the center of Canada. My dad as always on my arrival took me for a milkshake and hamburger at Winnipeg's famous Salsbury House. The first Salsbury was opened in 1931 and the decor, menu and staff don't appear to have changed since. The old ladies that serve at Salsbury make the worlds best milkshake and it is worth the trip to Winnipeg just to try one.

My half sisters are growing fast. Strangely Natalie who is 2 is the same weight as Lura who is 4. Both were overjoyed to see me and I don't think either slept the entire time I was there. I didn't either as jetlag from India and Japan kept me awake most nights. On the last day of the trip it warmed up to a balmy -15 and we built a snow fort in the backyard.

My Grandmother is doing well. Although in her 90's she is very coherent and has far outlived the expected lifespan of her hip replacement and pacemaker. I wanted to spend the night in her guest bedroom but I couldn't as I forgot to bring an extension cord. It gets so cold at night that a car left outside won't start in the morning. The solution is to plug it into the power outlets that come standard at anyplace you would want to park overnight. The plug on my fathers car simply wouldn't reach the outlet on the post at my grandmothers seniors home.

Now back in Vancouver. It has been 8 days since I arrived and I am already partially employed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Tyson

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****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

Back in Vancouver

New cell phone - 778-708-6921

Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks
Blog - http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Photos

2010-12-10T04:16:00.001-08:00

Sitting on Sarah's couch in Vancouver. Can't sleep so decided to
finally post some photos.

Only here in Vancouver until Monday and then off to Winnipeg to visit
family. Home again on Thursday.

Enjoy!!

More India Photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks/IndiaAfterBombay#

India with Jen
http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks/IndiaWithJen#

Stopover in Japan
http://picasaweb.google.com/tysonbrooks/Japan#

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Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

A Salute to Japanese Toilets

2010-12-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

So many buttons!!! What do I press? One makes a flushing noise. Another squirts water while another one makes it ossolate. Another button increases water jet pressure while a dial adjusts the toilet seat temperature. Another button .... well ..... lets just say that it is totally unsuitable for men. When you flush water comes out of a faucet above the tank so you can wash your hands. Even the regular sink taps are bizarre enough to take some experimentation to figure out.

What an adventure the washroom is!

Sometimes you get a squat toilet and others you get a Japanese engineered marvel.

***********
Waiting for a train to Tokyo and listening to the artificial bird calls coming from the train station speakers. I am flying back to Vancouver today and will really miss Japan. I will definitely be back!!!

Tyson

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Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Trains

2010-12-08T07:58:00.001-08:00

Some lumber and sway as they chug slowly along. Others speed seemingly motionless at 300 km/h. Others tilt around corners to maximize speed while you sit in hip hugging chairs nestled into chair backs that have mickey mouse like ears, your feet rest on wooden floors. You just dont know what to expect from a Japanese train.

The Japanese are clear on their train etiquette. No cell phones may be heard on trains. All ringers must be off and dont even think about talking on your phone. Only fingers may be used to silently text or play games. Only on long distance trains in special rooms between cars can you talk on your phone. Some of these cell phone rooms have surprisingly sophisticated decor and look more like an ultra modern bar. Trains may be packed but they are often eerily quiet as no one so much as makes a noise.

Occasionally everyone on a long distance train will stand up at a station and swing all the chairs around. Solid looking chairs have mechanisms that allow them to swing 180 for when the train changes direction. Trains pull into a station and back out for the next leg. This can be overwhelmingly especially if you have fallen asleep and the entire car does this maneuver silently. You wake up to a train where everyone is facing the other direction except you.

Beer is openly consumed and sold by the staff who push around trolleys of the stuff. Pop vending machines are a popular train addition. Sometimes teddy bears sit in glass cases as decor. Conductors do a deep bow as they enter a carriage and as they leave.

Japanese trains are certainly a strange and enjoyable way to get around this tiny country.

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****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Trains

2010-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Japanese trains are certainly a strange and enjoyable way to get around this tiny country.

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Accommodation

2010-12-07T06:20:00.001-08:00

Hotels are boring! Why not stay somewhere else?

How about an internet cafe?

For 8 hours one of the booths can be yours. You get unlimited internet, tv, manga comics and machine dispensed drinks for about $20. There is enough space to stretch out and sleep in the nice comfy padded private booth but there may be too much to do. This option is far more comfy and private then a hostel and it forces you to get up early.

Or a capsule hotel!

Picture a 10 storey building so skinny there is only enough space for one hotel room on each floor. Not ideal right? Someone somewhere had the brilliant idea of putting in private fiberglass capsules you slide into. Stacked two high 26 of these can be stuffed into a larger then average hotel room. Each capsule has its own light, tv, radio and fan. Lugguage is kept in lockers on the second floor where you change into your complimentary robe. The third floor has an onsen and sauna with tv. The fourth floor massage chairs and big screen tvs. The whole experience is well ...... an experience but for 37$ a night I shall stick with the internet cafes followed by a visit to an onsen in the morning.
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****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Onsen

2010-12-06T12:10:00.001-08:00

Japan is up to its neck in hot water. Literally!!!!! This nation loves its thermal baths or onsens. I am in a little town called Beppu which the guidebooks claims to have over 50 public hotsprings. I spent the evening with a map wandering from spring to spring bathing. Apart from being exceptionally clean it has been an interesting experience.

The average onsen in Beppu costs a $1 to get into and features an often incredibly hot pool in a room. Japanese bathers sit on little stools and scrub themselves clean. The first Onsen I visited had an alternative soaking experience. They outfit you in a robe and you enter a large room full of black sand. They dig a hole for you a little like a shallow grave which you lie down in. They then bury you leaving only your head sticking out. The hot sands do feel a little suffocating but overall the experience was very therapeutic.

Onsen are not restricted to Beppu. They are everywhere. My first experience was with Mizuho. As all the baths are segregated so I went guided by her boyfriend who doesn,t speak a word of English. A modern Onsen has multiple seated showers along the walls. You sit on a stool and scrub and wash before dipping in the hot pools. Some places have multiple temperature pools while others have sulfur, salt or iron bathes. Other places have hot tube style jets or even electric baths were a current is run through the water. At its source the current is painful but at a safe distance it feels therapeutic. I sat in one with the current caressing my spine. It felt like hands were wrapped and tugging at the base of my spine. This particular Onsen had a tv in the sauna and a tv above the outdoor hot pool so that bathers wouldn]t miss their favourite shows. My first hot spring experience ended with an icecream float (I had no idea what I had ordered) in the Onsen restaurant while we waited for Mizuho to finish her bath.

Some towns have free hot foot baths while others have geysers which erupt every hour. Others have hot water fountains while the country side has bubbling lakes or mud pools and steaming peaks.

Japan certainly is a magical place.

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Lets Eat!

2010-12-05T23:33:00.002-08:00

Lets eat!!!!

But the menu is expensive and in unreadable script. Without a Japanese friend their is simply no translation.

Luckily some budget places have pictures on the ordering machine. You put your yen into a vending like machine, press the picture and out comes a coupon you give to the waitress.

Other places have plastic food outside but it doesn:t feel right to drag the waitress outside to show her what you want.

Grocery stores have aisles and aisles of ingredients and food with unreadable labels. I almost bought a jar of miso paste I mistook for peanut butter. I can:t even figure out if a bottle of tea has sugar added.

Markets have vegetables so perfect they look plastic. One market I went to had squid you caught from a pool with a fishing rod. Once caught the vender sliced it up and gave it to you squirming around on your plate. Fresh but not for me.

My solution is the convenience store. 7-11 or its equivalent does awesome lunches or dinners. Sushi, spaghetti bolagnese and everything in between sits on tables looking fake and heavily wrapped in plastic. You see exactly what you get and its always fresh and piping hot (not the sushi). Perfect and cheap. Dinner can be $4. Not as cheap as a budget eatery with $2.40 bowls of pork and rice but a lot easier to find. These prewrapped meals are sold in markets and grocery stores as well. Indeed almost everywhere. The Japanese can not seem to get enough of these convenient fresh meals that get snapped up often before they get cold.

The best meals here so far have been with Mizuho. Her friend Yuriko and her did an amazing hot pot at her house. Mizuho pulled out a massive bottle of homemade plum liquor and we sat down for an unbelievable feast. They cooked meat and veg which were shockingly dipped in raw egg before consumption.

The night before we went for all you can eat lamb. We went to a German style beer hall and sat at a small table containing a grill and we cooked out own meat and veg. We placed all our loose items in plastic bags before tieing on aprons for a BBQ feast that covered the table in grease spatters.

The food here is amazing. Even the chocolate is interesting. With names like MeltyKiss and Crunky how could you not try.

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Lets Eat!

2010-12-05T23:33:00.001-08:00

Lets eat!!!!

But the menu is expensive and in unreadable script. Without a Japanese friend their is simply no translation.

Luckily some budget places have pictures on the ordering machine. You put your yen into a vending like machine, press the picture and out comes a coupon you give to the waitress.

Other places have plastic food outside but it doesn:t feel right to drag the waitress outside to show her what you want.

The night before we went for all you can eat lamb. We went to a German style beer hall and sat at a small table containing a grill and we cooked our own meat and veg. We placed all our loose items in plastic bags before tieing on aprons for a BBQ feast that covered the table in grease spatters.

The food here is amazing. Even the chocolate is interesting. With names like MeltyKiss and Crunky how could you not try.

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Japan!!!!

2010-12-05T04:02:00.001-08:00

Japan first impressions -

Wow this is a lot like Canada. I was sick and on the surface
everything looked very modern and clean compared to India. However,
below the surface is an ultramodern occasionally tradition parallel
universe where everything is compleately different.

> A month and a half in India is equivalent to one week in Japan for my budget. A Japanese bullet train can cost $1.50 a minute while I could spend 2 hours on a sleeper train in India for the same price. Japan isn't cheap but it certainly is worth it. To name a few things Except for the sulfur smell from hot springs the air is fresh and eating isn't like playing russian roulette with your health.
>
> The Shinkansen or bullet train is a little like being on a plane that never takes off. Thankfully my Japan Rail pass allows me to take almost any train without additional cost for the duration of my time here.

From Tokyo to Sapporo I would have had to pay over $350 for the one
way 11 hr train ride.

I have decided to ride the Japanese bullet train to the North and
South terminus of this super fast (sometimes 300km an hour) train.
>
> Japanese houses are like postage stamps; small, square and as flimsy as paper. Designed to withstand earthquakes and sit on the tinest lots available they really are a marvel. Doorways come up to my eye level and room sizes are small but livable. Instead of carpets woven ratan mats are used and doors slide to make use of minimal space.
>
> House bathrooms are what stand out the most. Every dwelling has an electric toilet with a heated seat. The toilet also washes you when you have finished. If you press the right buttons otherwise......

Bath tubs are shorter but deeper making them far more practical and
comfortable then the Western variety. Designed to save water one bath
of water is enough for the whole family. A heater and circulator
keeps the temperature toasty for days on end. Make sure you shower
before you get to ensure the water stays clean.

Tyson

It's My Party - Last Day

2010-11-24T19:34:00.001-08:00

An American was overheard telling his parents on Skype how wonderful
India is. He was impressed that there was a Thanksgiving parade where
free food was handed out to everyone in the Delhi backpackers area.
The Sikhs were actually holding a wonderful party to celebrate their
seventh gurus 334th death. The parade had started at 9am and was
slated to finish at midnight. The lengthy parade route was lined with
colourful lights and loudspeakers were put up playing the recital of
their holy book to music. Pots some far bigger then a double bed were
used to cook vast quantities of food to distribute to the crowds. Chai
was prepared in industrial sized vats and candy was given away by the
fistful. They even swept the streets clean for the parade. I was
treated so well and stuffed so full with food it felt like it was my
going away party. The very sight of a white face and a covered head
(respectful) earned me priority over the masses. Everyone wanted to
give me food and talk to me. It felt like the party was held in my
honour.

It was the perfect end to my last day in Delhi. Delhi is now cold
rainy and the streets are covered in a layer of rotting garbage, cow
crap and god knows what else. Despite being so dirty Delhi never fails
to intrigue.

--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Indian Transport

2010-11-23T21:37:00.001-08:00

Getting from point a to point b can be a bewildering experience in India.

For long distances you can catch the very cheap and comfortable
sleeper trains. The drawback is tickets are often sold months in
advance. Luckily for us tourists there is a tourist quota meaning
tickets are possible. Although usually overcrowded passengers are
wonderfully friendly and you are usually quickly adopted as family for
the duration of the trip.

Failing the train idea buses are a good option. Slow and decrepit
public buses are often overcrowded and the roads make trips a bit like
a lengthy fairground ride. The people as always are kind pushing other
Indians off seats to make room for you or offering to hold your stuff
as you hang on for dear life by the door. Not as cheap as trains
public buses are still a bargain with fares for a 7 hr ride less then
a one zone bus ticket in Vancouver. . Don't ever expect a clean public
bus and always expect black grease outlines from where thousands of
Indians have rested their heads and bodies on seats.

Private buses are more expensive and are hit and miss. Not considerly
faster then public buses even if the driver is hyped up on all sorts
of legal stimulants, you are often hit with extra charges like ransom
fees if you ever want to see your bag again. At other times your
expensive sleeper bed gets confiscated in order to accommodate a small
family of Indians who are also being overcharged. Cleaning can be even
worse then public buses and AC can make Vancouver winters feel warm.

The most luxurious but culturally boring way to travel are the volvo
buses costing three times your average public bus. The seats have
plenty of recline space and a newspaper and a bottle of water are
complimentary. They are fast, comfortable but incredibly boring.

Probably the most despised of Indian transport is the lowly rickshaw
driver. Good for inner city travel or nshort country distances.
Rickshaw drivers are liars with no limits. They frequently point you
in the wrong direction, tell you all buses have been cancelled and
charge you five to six times the set fair. Indian papers are filled
with letters to the editor and complaints on these scoundrels. Many
Indians are afraid of rickshaw drivers suggesting they have gangs that
will beat up anyone who insists on paying the correct fare. The
government has taken the matters into their own hands and have
legislated meters in some areas. The installed meters are never used
or the metered ride becomes a city tour prompting the government to
threaten to install tracking gps devices. Other cites have banned
rickshaws leaving a noticeably nicer environment. The best solution I
have seen are prepaid coupons bought from a police booth ensuring you
aren't overcharged. Rickshaw drivers do their best to keep you away
from these booths.

Many drivers relate to stalking tourist berating them into overpriced
rides. I have personally been woken on trains by rickshaw drivers and
told to get off at the wrong stop or accosted in toilets by drivers
who want my business. Other tourists are mobbed by rickshaw drivers at
bus or railway stations. Other drivers amend the set rates on notice
boards with a marker and a ladder. Sneakier still drivers offer to
give discounted fares and then threaten the hotels into giving a
50-60% commission for dropping off a tourist. Needless to say I avoid
rickshaw drivers.

It is a shame to have this element in India especially when
non-rickshaw driving Indians are so kind and helpful.

Ty
--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Leaving

2010-11-22T01:10:00.001-08:00

I am very sad to have left Jen in Goa for her one month teacher
training yoga course. We spent an amazing three weeks together
enjoying the chaos of India.

The night before Goa we took a 14hr train half of which we could not
get a ticket for. At midnight we were displaced from our Sleeper beds
into General class but instead decided to take the more luxurious
option (no sarcasim here) of camping out on the floor by the door and
toilets with a delightful well educated Indian fellow who moved over
to make room for us. From 1am to 3am is a special time when an
otherwise bug free carriage ends up crawling with cockroaches. This
hallway was no exception and a large number in a variety of sizes
emerged from the walls. I made it my duty to save Jen (unbeknowest to
her) as best I could from the bugs as she slept seated somewhat
blissfully on the floor. Unable to sleep due to the hastle of a
continous stream of Indians walking over us she opted to sit on the
end of a sleeper bunk occupied by a 70 year old Indian teacher who
taught English. He quickly started calling her granddaughter and they
were soon chatting away. Unable to stay awake I curled up on top of my
pack in a reportedly cat like position. Jen spent a few hours
(unbeknowest to me) saving me from the cockroaches crawling above and
all around me. When I finally woke in the morning Jen was asleep on a
corner of the tiny sleeper bed she was now sharing with her
grandfather.

In Goa we checked into a thatched beach hut meters from the surf.
Although highly primitive it was more akin to peoples romantic beach
fantises. If located anywhere else it would be a dive I wouldn't touch
in any cirumstances. Quaint with its makeshift porcelein sink standing
on a temporary bamboo stand and shower identical to what I use to wash
vegetables in the kitchen sink this place was perfect.

In the evenings we would eat at beachside restaurants or take a box of
takeaway pizza and eat it on the sand at the surfs edge. In the
mornings we would go for a sunrise walk with a pack of dogs who
protected Jen from any stray Indians, dogs or cows. She looked like a
shepard with her walking stick and a pack of 8 dogs who seemed to
follow her everywhere.

It is very sad to be on my own again as I travel up through Mumbai and
on to Delhi for my flight to Japan.

Tyson
--
****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year - Happy Diwali

2010-11-08T03:59:00.001-08:00

It's a little bit early for the rest of us but the Indians are in full
swing celebrating the biggest festival of the season. Diwali otherwise
known as the festival of lights or New Years is here and it is making
life interesting. Buildings are festooned with colourful Xmas lights
and fireworks are the order of the day. The fireworks aren't just
those wimpy do it yourself Canadian style ones but also professional
ones and ones simular to concussion grenades. Even kids set them off
and it is amazing entire cities aren't burning from misfired
fireworks. It feels a lot like being in a war zone while Christmas is
in full swing.

In other news Jen has finally arrived and we set off North to see the
Taj Mahal. On Jens second day in India we departed from a train
station crawling with rats and surrounded by slums. The surrounding
slums were booming with fireworks as even the poorest of the poor
celebrated. Not the best intro for an India Newbie. The over night
train went well and we decided to stop in Varoda to break up the long
journey to the Taj. Unfortuantely Varoda is a town which looks a
little like a cow infested open sewer. Often it was very difficult to
breathe from the stench. Even the decrepid bus station was covered in
slippery cow crap from the roving cows. We headed out of town for a
delightful day hiking in the country side on a trail that resembled
the Grouse Grind lined with tarps and snack stalls. We took a jeep
back crammed with 20 people. The front bench that we were on had five
people across and the driver drove the stick shift vehicle with barely
an inch of his backside on the front seat.

Back in Baroda our attempts to leave the city were thwarted at every
angle. Even sneaking onto a train without a reserved ticket proved
impossible. We got the okay from the conductor and he showed us to the
usually pleasant sleeper class. Every single bed (stacked 3 high bunk
bed style) had 5 passengers and the corridors were beyond standing
room. Getting on was like trying to move through a game of twister
with a large backpack on. I don't know how many feet I stepped on as
their just wasn't space to step on the floor. Despite his urging that
we would indeed fit we gave up as the journey would have been 14hrs
long. Too long to be standing on someones feet in an akward position.
Despite all this we still had lots of fun and both survived the
experience with our health and sanity intact. Jen has been incredible
not only taking India in stride but dealing with the locals like a
pro. The locals have shown us nothing but kindness.

Now headed South. We snuck onto a sleeper train and slept sitting
upright on the floor. A well spoken Indian computer programmer
offered me his prime floor space spread with newspapers and I managed
to catch an hour of sleep before we switched positions. It isn't only
the poor that sleep on the floor here. Sometimes there is no other
choice.

Just another day in India. The surprises never end.

****************************************************
Tyson Brooks

In India -
http://tysonwrites.blogspot.com/