worldstallestpygmy: September 2011

The Rocks – Sydney

On a recent return trip to Australia we took some time out to head to Sydney and stay at the Rocks. The area around the Rocks contains some of the better known man made tourist destinations in Australia like the Harbour Bridge, opera house and Sydney ferries. There are also some hidden gems like the Palisade hotel. As you can see from the pictures this was an almost perfect spring day in Sydney.

6:30 PM | Category: visiting Australia | 0 comments

Six months on

Following the devastation of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami there was a feeling that we could do more. I joined a small group of volunteers who headed to a coastal town near Sendi that had been devastated by the tsunami. Other volunteers camped out. Even months after the disaster evidence of the force of the tsunami was everywhere. The people we met during our time in the village were amazing and their stories, with what they had witnessed and experienced, reallytouched something deep inside you that cannot be explained in words (well by me anyway).

9:25 AM | Category: Out and about | 0 comments

Sanma (grilled fish) Sunday festival

One the first Sunday of September there is a Sanma festival held in Meguro (not to be confused with Australia's father’s day).

I've also uploaded a youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR9CFJdyMeY

The festival is based on an Edo period story where a feudal lord liked the grilled sanma so much that he had his servants look for, and grill, as many sanma as they could find but apparently they were never fatty enough for the lord’s taste.

The grilled fish are given away and crowds queue for over a kilometre to get one of the fish. There was no shortage of people out looking for a free grilled fish.

This year’s festival included 6000 fish from tsunami affected areas of Tohoku. The fish are served with lemon and grated daikon.

People also queued in side streets for some free raman – always love a queue.

In conjunction with the sanma festival a market was held in nearby side streets. You can be sure that it’s a festival because there are mascots and monkeys.

7:06 PM | Category: festivals, Out and about | 0 comments

Japanese Baseball

Japanese baseball is not just a game – it's more an assault on all of your senses.

From talking to American baseball fans it appears that the noise in the baseball stadiums in Japan makes the supporters in the US seem quiet and controlled.

Arriving at the closed roof Tokyo dome, trying to avoid the summer heat, we were asked which teams we supported (Swallows or Giants) – we ended up sitting with the Giants fans.

There were dozens of ladies walking up and down the stairs serving all sorts of drinks and snacks. The hardest workers were the beer ladies carting a keg up and down the stairs. But the beer was good - very good.