I don’t know what to think of this bar near my office that we’ve only just ventured into after a year of only patronizing one place nearby. Its interior is actually not too shabby and there’s an emphasis on champagne. But there’s also a noisy pool table, the customers look kinda sleazy, and one gets the feeling that the upstairs area is a karaoke lounge with sensual massage services. For the record we didn’t check. Only tiger beer on tap too.
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Crew room
I don’t know what to think of this bar near my office that we’ve only just ventured into after a year of only patronizing one place nearby. Its interior is actually not too shabby and there’s an emphasis on champagne. But there’s also a noisy pool table, the customers look kinda sleazy, and one gets the feeling that the upstairs area is a karaoke lounge with sensual massage services. For the record we didn’t check. Only tiger beer on tap too.
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Oolong tea of dreams
I’ve been obsessed with getting some of this Suntory Black Oolong Tea (OTPP) since the weekend. It contains a high level of natural fat-blockers and has been a hit since it’s launch in japan last year. Finally found it for the exorbitant price (expected) of $3.60 a bottle. It goes for about $2.10 in japan. Blogging this on my phone while my curry rice grows cold, so bye!Here’s more info –
The Web-Japan article that started me off: Creative Juices
Suntory Press Release
Oolong Tea and Weight Loss
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Songs of the Sea
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Over the weekend, I attended a performance of “Songs of the Sea“, a new ‘musical’ feature on Sentosa that features pyrotechnics, lasers, and water effects. The music is awful, the human actors and their dialogue are awful, and the whole thing would be better off without the story.
That said, it’s fantastic for the technology alone, and well-worth the 6 dollar entry fee if you’re already spending a day on the theme park island.
This picture shows an image projected onto a giant spray of water above the set. Quite impressive, and easily 3 storeys high.
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Japanese phones
For anyone who’s wanted a quick primer on Japanese cellphones and what they do better than ours, this wikipedia entry is perfect.Also, Wired’s How Mobile Phones Conquered Japan. The book mentioned, “Personal, Portable, Pedestrian”, sounds like a good read and I’ll probably be buying a copy. Amazon link.
It’s a pity i-mode hasn’t taken off here. Perhaps a carrier like Singtel would have done more with it than Starhub has. Or maybe they should all have teamed up to make it a standard (always the best way).
Bank transactions on-the-go would be a great thing to have, but limiting it to customers of one bank? And movie ticket booking, limited to Eng Wah cinemas? Come on.
Edit: Here’s a great topic page on cellphones from the Trends in Japan online magazine from Web-Japan, which I’m happy to have just discovered.
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Haruhi Art
I’ve seen the dance videos on YouTube, I’ve considered buying the silhouette t-shirt, but before last week, I’d never seen The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in its entirety. What a shame! It’s as good as high-school/sci-fi/moe/existential anime gets. Its quiet, poignant moments are quieter and more poignant than others. Its art is fantastic, and based on the actual town the story is set in (Nishinomiya, Hyogo).Examples:
Full Gallery (javascript disables right-clicks, but be sure to check the page links on top for more)
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Real life Gundam mech
One more thing to add to our Japanese trip itinerary, a visit to the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park in Yanamashi. GUNDAM CRISIS Thrill Ride, ’nuff said.
LINK
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Game: Stranded (Mobile)
In the last couple of days, I’ve fallen for a game which bears more than a passing resemblance in setting to a little show called ‘Lost’. Just in case you didn’t see it, the makers decided to go with the name ‘Stranded’.
I’ve yet to come across a monster, but there have been allusions to something strange going on, and it can’t be far off. What makes this game fun is a combination of portable pick-up-and-play design, and a sense of open-endedness.
It’s an adventure game with quests to fulfill, but you could just spend all your time hunting chickens and fishing , if you wanted. Or collecting seashells and driftwood. Or cooking. Or planting seeds, cutting down trees, and trading goods. It’s a sort of Animal Crossing + Contact. It’s a hell of a lot of gameplay stuffed into a mobile game.
The time of day in the game matches real time (from your phone), and that affects how many snakes are out and about, what kind of fish you’ll catch, and so on. And just like you’d expect from a portable game, saving is allowed at any time. Here’s the official site, and in a great move, they’ve put up an emulated demo of the game here, so you can try before you buy.
sangsara.net 
