NOTICE / お知らせ
HEAVY METAL ISLAM: ROCK, RESISTANCE, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM by Mark Levine – Heavy metal and Islam? An unlikely combination to be sure, and even I was surprised by that there exists a heavy metal rock scene in the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA). The author, who is a musician and is also a professor of Middle Eastern history writes a fascinating account of a world that few know and even fewer have ever heard of. And not only is heavy metal popular in the MENA, so is rap and hip-hop. Not only is this book about a little known portion of music, it also reads like a travelogue as Levine travels the MENA and interviews the musicians of those countries. A dangerous profession for those who play in countries who’s governments can be oppressive as well (and are a lot more effective than the prissy PMRC, which was a bad joke to begin with) – Shame on Tipper Gore! I’ve been listening to heavy metal since the fifth grade and I’ve never had the urge to pledge my soul to Satan, kill cats, eat bats, or take my life. I’m still here and I still listen to heavy metal. And it isn’t just the the PMRC that think heavy metal is satanic. Levine writes about an incident in Morocco where fourteen metalheads were arrested, tried and convicted for the crime of being “Satanists who recruited for an international cult of devil worship” and of “shaking the foundations of Islam”. I really get sick of people and parents, and now governments placing the blame on heavy metal for actions that the music has no relation to. It gets my goat when I think of that stupid woman who blames Judas Priest for the suicide of her sons. The media always neglects to mention the fact that the boy in question had history of drug abuse and such. Or the farcical Judas Priest child. Not only should the parents of those idiot sons be slapped upside the head, so should the lawyers who thought they could cash in on some of the biggest selling bands of that era. Back to this book, Levine travels to Morocco, Egypt, Israel and Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Pakistan, and covers the heavy metal and rap scene of those countries. But it seems there is hope for heavy metal in the MENA. One of the most successful rock festivals, called the Dubai Desert Rock Festival, was headlined by none other than Iron Maiden!! Iron Maiden in an Islamic country. Heck, that just shows that music brings people together, no matter what their governments say.
THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL ESSAYS 2008 edited by Anthony Bourdain – Last month I read so many travel essays that if publishers were to give out frequent flyer mileage, I could probably travel around the world a few times. But if that were the case, I’m sure more people would read travelogues. My armchair traveling took me to many places – I traveled with Brandon Wilson and his wife as they journeyed the length of Africa from Morocco to Cape Town. I traveled with Brandon again as he made a pilgrimage with an older Frenchman from Dijon, France to Jerusalem. I traveled with Tara Grescoe as he toured the world in search of banned or forbidden food items and I enjoyed my trip around the northeast of Brazil with Thomas Kohnstamm who wrote what it’s really like to be a travel writer. And now, its once again time for Houghton Mifflin’s annual “Best American” series. This book is a collection of the best travel essays and articles from a variety of sources – international periodicals, internet magazines, and even the travel sections of local newspapers. This year, Anthony Bourdain (author of “Kitchen Confidential” and host of the Food Network’s “No Reservations) you can be sure he chose some choice articles for this collection. This year’s choices will take you to Brazil as you learn about the gourmet chocolate business, a tour through Phnom Penh, following the footsteps of some World War II soldiers who traveled across the Kapa Kapa Trail in Papua New Guinea, getting a driver’s license in Beijing, unwittingly providing a forum for dissidents in Turkmentistan when that crazy guy who proclaimed himself “President for Life” was still in office, or crossing a not so well established border between Mali and Cote D’Ivoire, just to give you some ideas. 
THE PILGRIMAGE by Paulo Coehlo – If I hadn’t read Coehlo’s book “The Alchemist” and enjoyed it so much I may have skipped on reading this. This is Coehlo’s debut novel and the Pilgrimage in question is the El Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James. The trail that starts in France and ends at the Santiago de Compestela. However, the core of the story read more like some New Age philosophy, complete with exercises to be able to become a more enlightened person. Or rather, a blend of New Age philosophy, some Templar history, and a search for a sword to become a true Master. However, if I wanted to fill myself with a whole lot of New Age philosophy, I would have read Shirley McClaine’s “Out on a Limb”. So, where is Ramtha these days anyway? 
FATAL TIDE by Iris Johanson – I decided to read more fiction this month and picked up titles that sounded interesting to me. This book was a blend of suspense, adventure, exotic locales (the West Indies and the Canary Islands), romance and a search for some place called Amarinth, which was believed to be the true Lost City of Atlantis. Yeah I know, it sounds pretty far-fetched – that’s because it is. And it read more like a romance novel than anything, as it should, because most of Johanson’s books fall into that category. Hey, what can I say. I like variety and sometimes it’s good to read a genre you don’t usually read. 
TONE DEAF IN BANGKOK AND OTHER PLACES by Janet Brown – This is a little strange for me as not only do I know Janet, but consider her a friend as well. This would be my second time reviewing the book written by a friend. The last one was Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers with his “Schizophrenic in Japan”. I worked for the same company as Janet back in the late ‘80s even though she went to a more independent and well-loved book retailer while I continued working for the same company. And I became great friends with her son, who probably read this book before me and stated in his short review, “…too many cats.” I beg to differ, as there was only one chapter concerning a cat. This book is Janet’s story of leaving behind a well-established life in Seattle to pursue a new one in Bangkok, Thailand during the years between 1995 and 2004. I myself had become an ex-pat in 1995, but I digress. Her book is filled with beautiful pictures by Nana Chen and she makes you feel as if you were in Bangkok sharing in her laughter and tears. I felt a little uncomfortable reading about her sex life though (not that it was explicit or anything). It’s just the fact that I’ve spent more time with her son than I had with her, and I am sure most of my readers would agree that they don’t really want to know about their good friends’ mother’s love life. Too bad she didn’t write a chapter about the time me and my friend visited her in Bangkok on our way back from Laos, and took us to a Thai Rock bar and got us drunk off our ass. I actually had to go to the men’s room, puke, and then she made us drink more! But then we were probably too drunk to remember it anyway. Not as if she twisted our arms though. We were willing subjects to her generosity. Unfortunately for you, my American reader, will have to wait until April of next year when it should be available in the States.
ODD THOMAS by Dean Koontz – Some people may consider Koontz a lesser King (as in Stephen King) but I find his stories to be more entertaining and not so descriptively long as with a lot of King’s novels. This story can be summarized as the kid from the “Sixth Sense” grows up, moves to a small town, and tries to live a fairly normal life – normal as person can who can still see dead people and who still want him to help them with unresolved matters. The surprise ending is also a little reminiscent of the “Sixth Sense” movie as well. But don’t let that stop you from reading this. It was quite entertaining. 
THE INTERROGATION by Thomas H. Cook – The back of the book provides a better summary than I can come up with on my own so I shall borrow it – [A man has been accused of a terrible crime. There’s no witness, no evidence, but the police are convinced he’s guilty. They have twelve hours to find out the truth…]. The time is 1952, the place small town America. The terrible crime – the murder of an eight year old girl. The cops don’t have much to go on and the suspect who endures the endless questioning (thus providing the book with our title), does not succumb to any of the officer’s head games and sticks with his story of being innocent.
DON’T GO THERE: THE TRAVEL DETECTIVE’S ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MUST-MISS PLACES OF THE WORLD by Peter Greenburg – A slightly different kind of travel book. But first, let’s not confuse Greenburg’s book with Robert Young Pelton’s “Peterson’s Guide to the World’s Most Dangerous Places”. Greenburg does not write about places like Baghdad or Mogadishu or other areas of civil unrest. No, Greenburg’s book is put together more like an almanac giving you information on the world’s most polluted cities, cities with the highest crime rates, countries that are disaster prone, areas that are susceptible to disease, and chapters on the worst hotels, worst airports, worst airlines, worst cruises, and of course the most corrupt countries as well. Although the title says the world, his focus his mainly on the United States. He would probably have to write another book to cover all the world’s must-miss places of the world. I enjoyed the chapter on the lamest claims to fame such as cherry-pit spitting capital of the world (Eau Claire, Michigan), the sink-hole capital of the world (Fountain, Minnesota) or the armpit of America (Battle Mountain, Nevada). I was surprised that he didn’t list Wall Drug, South Dakota though. You have to see it to believe! I know, I was there! I’m sure we all have our own “worst place” story as well. Mine? Getting ripped off in Tunis, Tunisia wasn’t all that bad – just a bit of carelessness on my part, sometimes you really shouldn’t be too trusting of people who want to be your friends. But I must say, I’ve had more positive experiences than negative ones.
WORLD FOOD: IRELAND by Martin Hughes - So what do you think of when you think of Ireland? Shamrocks and Lucky Charms? Guinness, of course. Irish Whiskey? A given. But Irish food? Potatoes, you say. There's more to Irish food than mere potatoes! Irish Stew. Connemara Lamb. Or what I imagine what my favorite would be - the Irish Fry, which is described by the author as a "heart attack on a plate"! Just check out this recipe for a traditional Irish fry: 2 slices bacon, 2 sausages, 2 slices black pudding, 2 slices white pudding, 2 eggs, 2 tomatoes halved. The instructions are quite simple too, "start with the bacon and fry, fry, fry." And if you were like me, not knowing what black pudding is, it is a traditional Irish food made with "pig's blood, pork skin, and seasonings" while white pudding is "a version without the blood which is made from the remaining offal pieces of the pig and various cereals". And of course, I had to read this book while drinking a pint of Guinness (okay, it was can).
Art object at Queen's Square / クインズ・スクアーのアートオブジェ
Landmark Tower / ランドマークタワー
Our friend is pictured second from the left / 友達は左から二番目の人
Tap dancing Santa / タップするサンタさん
We only watched the 2pm performance. Afterwards, we walked some more and headed towards the Red Brick Warehouse area for a bite to eat.
二時の公演だけを見て、その後は赤レンガ倉庫に行って、何か食べに行きました。
The Landmark Tower / ランドマークタワー
Navios Yokohama (I have no idea what kind of building it is but the design was interesting)
Red Brick Warehouse / 赤レンガ倉庫
We had a late lunch at a place called Tachibanatei in the Red Brick Warehouse.
赤レンガ倉庫の中にある立花亭でちょっと遅めランチを食べました。
Hayashi Rice / ハヤシライス
Curry rice with pork cutlet / カツカレー We continued with our walk (and I continued with my picture taking) as it was getting dark, but I will save the pics for the next post.
まだ散歩をつづいて（写真撮りも）、でも撮った写真はまた今度のポストにアップします。
If you're wondering what he's making, it's Turkish ice cream! Very light and fluffy and as you can see it stretches quite a bit.
動画の映像はトルコアイスののびるアイスを作ってる最中です。
Of course I've been keeping up with reading books in Japanese as well. And no, it's not about food this time. But it is another title by my current favorite Japanese author, Ayumu Takahashi. The title is "The Life Map". As with most of his books, they are filled with great pictures and a bunch of anecdotes about his own life's journey as well as the voices of others. The book is divided into seven chapters - Desire, Job, Partner, Choice, Action, Rule, and of course Life Story. I've already bought his new book as well, but you will wait until I finish reading it before I can tell you about it.
もちろん日本語の本読みはつづいてますよ。今回は食べ物に関する一冊ではございません。でも、今一番気に入りの日本人著者の歩高橋さんの本です。タイトルは「人生の地図」。写真もいっぱい載ってるので、文書も僕が気軽に読める範囲です。自分の人生に語りながら、他の人の声もいろいろ書かれてます。チャプターは七章に分けられてる‐欲求、職、パートナー、選択、行動、ルール、と最後に物語。高橋さんの新作も買いましたが、まだ読んでないので、それはまたこんど。
Bleu Cheese Burger / ブルーチーズバーガーThe burger alone isn't enough for lunch so I ordered it with a deli set. You can choose from a variety of items in their display case. Today, you had a choice of ratatouille, mixed olives, chicken salad, squid, and a couple of other items I can't recall off the top of my head. I chose the mixed olives. The set is also served with a drink.
バーガーだけじゃもの足りないので、デリセットを注文しました。今日のデリのチョイスはオリーブとかラタトゥユ、チキンサラダ等。僕はミクス・オリーブに決めました。飲み物も付いてます。
If you do not like bleu cheese, then you would not order this burger. Definitely only for lovers of bleu cheese. Although I like bleu cheese, the burger was just okay. I enjoyed their Zazie Burger much better although the addition of baked apple was rather strange.
This ramen shop, or rather the building this ramen shop is located in, may look its standing on its last legs from the outside, but I assure you, the ramen shop itself does good business. And once again, its located in our neighborhood. As its a tsukesoba shop, which means that the noodles are served separate from the broth. You dip your noodles in the broth and then eat up. Although, the smell outside the shop may take a little getting used to, the ramen itself was quite delicious. On one wall you will find signs of a lot of Japanese stars who have also graced this establishment with their presence.
The Broth / つゆう
The Noodles / 麺 
Soba-yu
End your meal with the rest of the broth.閉めはそば湯いりのつゆうだな。
Just in case you didn't read the previous post, we were walking around Roppongi Hills and the Tokyo Tower.
The next area we walked around was the Zojoji Temple and Shiba Park
I just love the contrast of the temple and the tower.
What's so special about this tree?この木、何の木、気になる木？
Check below for the answer.
下記に答えがあります
And some views from the nearby Shiba Park.
Flame of Peace / 平和の塔
Tokyo Tower from Shiba Park / 芝公園から見た東京タワー
Japan Cultural Treasure "Yushoin Reibyo Nitenmon" / 重要文化財 「有章院霊廟二天門 （ユウショウインレイビョウニテンモン）」散歩は新橋のSL広場で終了。
I hope you enjoyed our walk.
散歩を楽しめたら光栄です。
森ビル。
One of the things I was looking forward to seeing was the artwork of a giant spider. Did I say spider? Why yes. I like to go in search of the unusual in my favorite city.
自分が一番見てまたいものが森ビルの周りにあるでっかい蜘蛛のオブジェー。蜘蛛？そう。自分の好きな街に変わった物を発見するのが好き。
And check out this view from one of the smoking areas of the Mori Building.
Our plan today is to walk around Roppongi Hills and then head over to that large red and white tower you see in the picture. That of course is the Tokyo Tower - 333meters tall and was finished in 1958. We only plan on walking around there, we decided that we were not going to go up it. And if you search, you can find some green in this concrete jungle called Tokyo.今日の散歩の予定は六本木ヒルズからあの白と赤の塔まで歩いて行く。日本人なら誰でも知ってる東京タワー。登ろうとは考えてませんけど。探せば、東京にも緑の場所もあちこちありますよ。
Before heading to the Tokyo Tower, we came upon a couple of those little car cafes. One was called the Allo Cafe serving French snack foods (I think), and the other was called the "Hachi Bus", which sold scones and honey and coffee as well. The scones with honey were only 150yen so of course we had one.
It's always amazing what you discover when you walk. Take the next picture for example. A mysterious chair?
This should bring back memories for my sister. We went out drinking here when we were on a family vacation almost fifteen years ago. Ooh, and the Tony Roma's - haven't been there in almost ten years either. I could go for some baby-back ribs.
The Tokyo Tower / 東京タワー
You grill your meat on this hibachi like item called a "shichirin" at this restaurant.
Eating nothing but meat isn't a well balanced meal, so we also ordered a salad dish with cabbage and garlic chips and a tasty dressing. We also had to try one other item on their menu. It was a Korean dish called "sundobu". It's a spicy soup filled with clams and tofu. Very, very delicious.肉だけじゃバランス悪いので、にんにくキャベツサラダも頼みました。メニューにもう一つ気になるアイテムがあったので、それも注文しました。それは「韓国のヘルシー豆腐料理スンドゥブ」。メニューはそうゆう風に書かれた。
Tofu and Clam Soup heated in a stone dish. / 石焼き純豆腐 （スンドゥブ）
Cabbage salad with garlic chips / にんにくキャベツサラダ
After lunch, we walked some more and stop to have a Korean snack called "hottoko", its like a scone. We ordered the one with honey. It was okay, I don't think mine was done as part of it was still batter.
Or to be more specific, a walk around Tokorozawa's Aviation Memorial Park. Did you know that Tokorozawa is the birthplace of Japan's aviation industry? Neither did I, but I know now. We even discovered the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum. It was only 500yen to enter and because I'm such a guy, we had to go check out all the planes on display. Well, when you see a couple of planes on display outside in the park, it just makes you want see more.
Just in case you were wondering how I knew what make of plane it was, but I won't bother translating the sign.
The sign states that the airplane on display was donated to Tokorozawa in 1969. Check out the "Hi no Maru" under the wing.
And then I came upon a piece of art. It looked rather odd at first sight. But when you step back, you will find the figures are positioned in such a way, that the word L-O-V-E is spelled out.
But the path along the road was bypassing the park. So we double-backed a bit, a took a leisurely walk through the park. There was a map showing a walking trail that would take us past the Aviation Museum, and then to monument dedicated to the first Japanese to lose their lives in Japan's first airplane disaster, then cutting through the park, the path would take us to a vineyard and we would end the walk at another station to make our way back to Tokorozawa.道の横を歩いてもつまらないので、公園のほうに戻って、公園内を歩きました。散歩地図もあって、その道を歩くと、航空記念館を通るし、日本の航空事故の最初の犠牲者の記念碑、とぶどう畑につづく。
Another plane on display outside the museum.また別の飛行機も展示されてた。
And then we entered the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum.その後、所沢航空発祥記念館に入りました。
Okay, it may not compare to Seattle's Museum of Flight but it still was a lot of fun to check out what they did have on display. There is also a interactive laboratory, a flight simulator (which we didn't try), a memorial gallery, a replica of a Control Tower, and a large IMAX theater (which we also passed on).
Pretending to fly a Cessna.
Monument to the victims of Japan's first airline accident.
As we headed back to the train station, we also found this plant in the form of a space shuttle.
And as it was nearing dinnertime, we went in search of a restaurant. However, we didn't find a place in Tokorozawa and ended up in Kawagoe where we found a nice little yakiniku restaurant, but I'll save that for another post.
"Bye Bye Baby Bye-Bye..." No, not that Firehouse. This Fire House is a burger shop, and a good one at that! Located within walking distance from the Tokyo Dome in a place called Hongo. With burger shops like these, why go to McDonald's? I tried their standard cheeseburger. Delicious. Mikako ordered the avocado burger. I must go back and try their mozarella mushroom burger. And for those of you who are even more daring, you can order their Mad Burger (not available during lunch). It consists of three meat patties, cheese, chili, and a fried egg!バンドのネタじゃないよ。このファイアーハウスはバーガー屋です。美味しいバーガー屋です。本郷三丁目にある。東京ドームから歩ける距離です。こうゆうバーガー屋があるから、マックには行かなくって良いんじゃない？初めて行ったので、店のチーズバーガーを頼みました。めっちゃ美味しいです。美香子はアボカドバーガーを注文した。それも美味しいです。また行ったら、モッツァレラ・マッシュルームバーガー食べてみたい。もしチャレンジャなら、店のマッドバーガーが良いかも （ランチで販売してない）。中身はミートパティー三枚とチーズとチリビーンズと目玉焼き。超ボリュームたっぷり。
Cheeseburger / チーズバーガー
Avocado Burger / アボカドバーガー
Rice Omelet / オムライス
Tantan-men / 坦々麺
And borrowing an idea from my friend Janet, I decided to take a pictures in four directions from the same spot. Aside from the kanji characters, you would think you were Anywheresville, USA don't you think? There's Denny's where we had lunch. A 7-11 beneath the restaurant. From a different perspective, there's a Subways and Starbuck's. So, is globalization a good thing or not?
This area where I took the pictures is Sangenjaya around Carrot Tower and Sangenjaya Station for the Setagaya Line.
On one of our evening walks, we discovered a house that was full of Christmas spirit located not too far from our apartment.
Shibuya Station / 渋谷駅
Another view of the Shibuya Station Tree / 渋谷駅のツリー
Last week we had a beautiful weekend, so Mikako and I decided to take one of our regular walks. We were just going to head to Umegaoka and back (a round trip that takes no more than about thirty minutes). As we were walking, we discovered another walking trail that we hadn't noticed before. We decided to follow that trail instead not knowing where we would end up. What we did discover was that the trail itself was considered a park and was listed as one of Setagaya Ward's 100 scenic spots.
The last picture from our random walk is this one below of the row of trees inside Hanegi Park.
Lately, the area called Sugamo has been featured on a lot of programs. It's being called the "Harajuku for the Older Women" so of course, we had to go check it out. Aside from the market street where you will find the older ladies, the area is mostly known for the Togenuki Jizouson at Kouganji Temple. A beautiful temple where people line up to wash a statue of the kannon which is believed to have healing properties. As it was a beautiful day, the line was extremely long so we decided not to indulge in the practice (as we had done something similar at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa the previous week).
The entrance to Sugamo Jizou Market Street 
First we treated ourselves to some honey-filled ice cream.
The restaurant had a very homey atmosphere and the people who worked there were very friendly. I intend to go back here again so I can try their kakuni special. Looks like the name of the restaurant itself is called Taiwan.
Beef Ramen / 牛肉ラーメン
"Iron Egg" / 鉄玉After lunch, we decided to continue walking around the neighborhood. We found ourselves walking about a train station away and ended up in Otsuka. Here's a place where you can still catch a ride on one of Tokyo's only remaining streetcars. Which is exactly what we did and made our way to Waseda University.
Then we walked around the Waseda campus before heading to Takadanobaba (which was a lot further than I thought). It was getting dark by this time, so we stopped at Shinjuku to check out the Christmas illumination which I featured in an earlier post.
Hard Rock Casino & Hotel / ハードロックカジノ＆ホテル
Slash Display / スラッシュディスプレイ
Goo Goo Dolls Display / グーグードールズディスプレイAnd I found a sign showing how far away I was from both of my homes.
カシノの中にシアトルと東京の距離を表すサインを発見。マイルで書いてあるので、日本の読者の為：シアトルまで１４１６キロ、東京まで１０６８６キロ。
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The Fremont Arcade / フリーモントアーケードThis is where you will find those famous Vegas neon signs. You will know them when you see them.
ここであの有名なネオンサインがある場所。
ここはベガスなので。。。
Across from the Arcade, is the landmark Plaza Hotel.アーケードの向かいにあるのは、有名なプラザ・ホテル。
Vegas night view from the top of the Stratosphere.ストラトスフィアーからの夜景。
And we got a chance to see some band play a cover of a Skynyrd song.
なんかのライブもあったので、ちょこっと見た。レナード・スキナードのカバー
Well, I hope you enjoyed our trip to Vegas. There's some miscellaneous pictures I may use for filler posts.
次の日はもう日本帰りだったので、あまり夜遅くまで遊んでなかった。
1. ライフ：天国で君に逢えたら [LIFE: TENGOKU DE KIMI NI AETARA] Also known as [LIFE: TEARS IN HEAVEN] (2007) - Based on the life of professional wind surfer, Natsuki Iijima, its his story of striving to become a champion, fulfilling his dream, and then when he thought all was going well, to be struck by tragedy. He was diagnosed with liver cancer, which kept getting worse with time. He had two operations and yet his health did not improve. This is a man's struggle with his life and will to live with the support of his family. Much better than Koji Yakusha's "像の背中", [Walking My Life].
2. WILD HOGS (2007) - It's "City Slickers" with old guys on Harleys. Damn fun movie though. And the soundtrack included two Bon Jovi songs much to Mikako's delight. 
3. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (2007) - Based on the Newbery Medal winning novel by Katherine Paterson about an unlikely pair who become fast friends and invent a world of their own. I was a bit surprised by the ending. 
4. THE KINGDOM (2007) – FBI run a covert mission in Saudi Arabia. Uh-huh, yeah right. But enough action to keep you interested. Uh, some terrorist bombing in U.S. housing area or so. Kind of scary when you think about things like that actually taking place.
5. DAYWATCH (2006) – Russian film I didn’t get. Something about vampires, parallel worlds and whatnot. I think there is a sequel called "Nightwatch" as well.
6. NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS (2008) – An insult to our intelligence, but I had to watch it anyway, and it met my really low expectations. More absurd than the first flick, which defies believability but was fun none the less. 
7. MIDNIGHT EAGLE (2007) – One of the better Japanese films I’ve seen this year about a fallen plane that was carrying a nuclear device that those baddies, the North Koreans, want to set off.
8. クローズ：０[CROWS:O] (2007) – Based on a violent Japanese comic (nothing to with “The Crow”). Current Japanese heartthrob Shun Oguri stars in this violence festival. He wants to be top dog at some loser high school (hey, it’s based on a comic). Just think of those movies like “Tuff Turf” or “The Principal” or something along those lines.
9. REIGN OVER ME (2007) – Sucked big time. Adam Sandler couldn’t save it. Used 9-11 as a back drop to the actual story. One to skip.
10. L: CHANGE THE WORLD (2008) – Third film in the “Death Note” franchise. It was okay. Well hey, I watched it on television. Stories based on the stealing of some serious virus (as if you haven’t heard that one before).
11. KINKY BOOTS (2005) – This actually was a great film, well maybe not great, but quality entertainment. Young guy’s father is owner of a shoe factory. Keels over. Factory hasn’t been making money for years and yet old Dad continued to make the same kind of shoes. Young guy saves what he thought was a woman, turns out to be a cross-dresser. Then young dude gets an idea. To make shoes for a niche market – boots for cross dressers.
12. MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY (2007) – Movie length skit is just too long.
13. THE DARWIN AWARDS (2006) – Didn’t get good reviews but I thought it was damn funny. Metallica makes a guest appearance as well. Excellent sound track. Even Tacoma gets a mention. I can I not like it?
14. S DIARY (2004) – Not so entertaining Korean flick. Love, betrayal, revenge, with just a touch of humor (not much, but just a touch).
15. WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL (2005) – Excellent Korean film. I may have to send this one off to Mom. North Korean soldiers, South Korean soldiers, downed American pilot all find themselves in a small hamlet called Dongmakgol, where the villagers have no idea there is a war going on.
16. HANCOCK (2008) – It was one of the choices on my return flight home from Vegas. Fun, silly action movie with Will Smith.
17. SPEED RACER (2008) – If you’re my age, chances are you watched “Speed Racer” before heading off to school. And now here it is, live action with lots of CG, but the star of course is the Mach 5.
18. BALLS OF FURY (2007) – Parody of “Enter the Dragon” with a Jack Black wannabe.
19. KUNG-FU KUN (2008) - Bad Kung-Fu movie with a cute Chinese kid as the star. Lots of popular Japanese stars couldn’t make this any better. My mother would be amused to see Pinko Izumi in this flick. Oy vay! 
20. THE KITE RUNNER (2007) – I loved the book and this adaptation stays close to its source. An excellent story about friendship, cowardice, betrayal, and atonement. Pretty intense. Story is set in Afghanistan in the early ‘70s about two childhood friends and how their relationship altars after a particular incident. But don’t let me spoil it for you. Go and rent this now!
21. HOLLOW MAN (2000) – It was on television and I had never gotten around to watching it even though I’ve seen almost every Kevin Bacon movie. A twisted take on the “Invisible Man” theme. 
22. MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) – Just watch the last twenty minutes or so, or better yet, go and rent “A Civil Action” or “Erin Brokovich” instead. 
23. ROOTS TIME (2006) – Reggae road movie with absolutely no plot and is just a little over an hour long. 
24. VANTAGE POINT (2008) – Film critics didn’t like it but I thought it was done quite well. Well, okay, Gus Van Sant used the formula in his movie “Elephant” first but what the hell. 
25. BLINDSIGHT (2006) – Excellent documentary about a group of blind teenage Tibetans who challenge themselves to climb Everest’s 23,000ft Lhakpa Ri Peak. 
26. OH! HAPPY DAY (2003) – Korean rom-com. 
27. LIONS FOR LAMBS (2007) – A satire of the Bush administration no doubt. Tom Cruise as a Neo-con Chickenhawk. Meryl Streep – a journalist who’s forced to question her reporting. College student as an apathetic voter. Overall, this is just lame. Just watch the news instead, preferably not FOX or any that are owned or supported by the current administration. 
28. AMERICAN GANGSTER (2007) – Biopic based on the life of Frank Lucas, the heroin king of Manhattan in the early ‘70s with Denzel Washington. Russell Crowe as the honest cop who tries to bring him down. Excellent film. 
29. HIGHWAY STAR (2007) – Korean comedy about a struggling rock star who becomes a masked singing sensation in a genre not of his choosing – traditional Korean songs, like Japanese Enka. 
30. eXistenZ (1999) – David Cronenberg film with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law. Lots of goo and gore but not really scary. Just a stylized B-movie with more money.
31. THE BUCKET LIST (2007) - Two old geezers with nothing in common, and are opposites of each other find themselves sharing a room in a hospital as they are both suffering from a terminal disease. Jack Nicholson plays filthy rich dude, while Morgan Freeman plays down to earth father figure who passes his time by writing a "bucket list" - a list of things to do before he "kicks the bucket". Jack being filthy rich talks him into doing those things on his list. Excellent little road movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
32. RAIN MAN (1988) - Mikako had never seen it and we had just watched a documentary on the actual person that "Rain Man" was based on. Tom Cruise's character was an annoying bunghole for almost the entire length of the film, but Dustin Hoffman was excellent.
The name of the noodle sounds familiar you say? It should be. On a previous post, Mikako and I had gone to Ikebukuro to eat at Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto. Now, you don't have to go as far as Ikebukuro to enjoy the spicy ramen. You can head to your neighborhood convenience store and buy an instant version of it instead. Of course the portion is a lot smaller but it's still quite delicious. So in addition to my instant noodles, I also treated myself to a fatty tuna/green onion rice ball. 
1. THE DEVIL'S PICNIC: AROUND THE WORLD IN PURSUIT OF FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Taras Grescoe - Recently I had read Tom Parker Bowles "The Year of Eating Dangerously" in which he travels the world and eat what are Western palates may consider dangerous - puffer fish in Japan, dog stew in Korea, goose neck barnacles in Spain, elvers in the U.K., etc. and followed that book with reading Jay Rayner's "The Man Who Ate the World" in which he travels the world eating at Michelin three star restaurants and checking out other Celebrity Chefs and their restaurants. Now, I've come across a book where the author travels the world in search of culinary items that are either illegal or banned in some countries (some items are banned in their own countries such as ortolans in France and casa marzu (maggot cheese) in Italy). He starts his tour in Norway to go in search of hjemmebrent (Norwegian moonshine), similar to Everclear but may be considered a little more dangerous. He then smuggles Poppy Seed Crackers into Singapore (where they are banned), reminding me of a T-shirt I saw there that said, "Singapore is a fine city, We have a fine for everything!). Then it's off to France to find some real epoisses (cheese made from raw milk - banned in the U.S., along with any other raw milk cheeses). Hey, it's not casa marzu but what do I know about U.S. FDA regulations? Next stop - Spain for some criadillas (bull's testicles). The U.S. has "Rocky Mountain Oysters" so I guess it isn't so strange. Next, it's smoking the Cohiba Esplindido in the States (Cuban cigars are still illegal in the U.S. but Grescoe is Canadian and lives in Montreal where he managed to buy his. From smoking illegals cigars in New York City, he then travels to Switzerland to find and taste the origins of absinthe (also banned in the States). Back to France to see why there are so many regulations against importing cacao beans and what it means for the chocolatiers there. Next it's down to Bolivia for some mate de coca made from the coca where cocaine is derived from. And finally back to Switzerland for one item the author will not partake in - pentobarbital sodium (a cocktail to end one's life). One of the few places in the world where assisted suicide is not considered a crime. Excellent read!!
2. DO TRAVEL WRITERS GO TO HELL? A SWASHBUCKLING TALE OF HIGH ADVENTURES, QUESTIONABLE ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL HEDONISM by Thomas Kohnstamm - If you are any kind of traveler, be it a backpacker, a vacationer, or a package tourist, chances are that you purchased a guidebook to wherever it is you were going. I myself have used a countless number of travel guides - Lonely Planet (who Kohnstamm begins to work for), Rough Guide, Fodor's, Frommer's, Sekai no Arukikata (okay, the last one is a Japanese travel guide series), but you get my point. But have you ever considered what kind of person writes these guide books? The ones who do the prior traveling trying to find the best bargains for hotels, restaurants, and whatnot. Here is a book that answers some of those questions. I'm sure any one of us who love to travel secretly dream of becoming a travel writer - one the world's dream jobs. You will definitely have second thoughts about that career choice once you read this. They are given a vast area to cover (in Kohnstamm's case, Northeastern Brazil with square mileage of some small state), a looming deadline (usually about a month), and are chronically underpaid. Another book to add to your collection of industry tell-alls such as Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and Imogen Edward-Jones' "Hotel Babylon". Excellent book.
3. DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS: ADVENTURE X AFRICA by Brandon Wilson - Now this is truly adventure writing at its best. Brandon, along with his wife Cheryl, decided (against their better judgment) to take a break from their lives and travel from one end of Africa to the other with an overland tour group You would think that it would be the dream trip of a lifetime (which I'm sure it was for them), but with all the good comes a series of horrors as well - dealing with touts and con-men in Morocco, having their truck break down in a small desert town in Algeria and waiting a week for a part to come, dealing with African bureaucracy, bribery, malaria and other tropical diseases, boredom among other things. They also traveled when the Democratic Republic of Conga was still called Zaire and South Africa still had an apartheid government. Excellent armchair traveling. Starting from England with a stop in Belgium (getting visas for a number of African countries can truly test your patience it seems). Then, the actual travel route from Belgium – France, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Zaire, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, back to Zimbabwe, and a final flight out of Africa to Cyprus for a more relaxing vacation. Oh, but for their exciting adventures – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, going on a safari on horseback, riding the rapids down the Zambezi river, hunting dik-diks with pygmies, checking out Victoria Falls, reaching Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope were some of their highlights.
4. THE SHEPHERD, THE ANGEL, AND WALTER THE MIRACLE CHRISTMAS DOG by Dave Barry – I got an early start on Christmas by reading this light adventure by my favorite humor columnist Dave Barry. The story is set in 1960. Junior high-schooler Doug Barnes is to take part in the town’s annual Christmas pageant. This year Doug is one of the shepherds, while Mary is played by the girl he has a big crush on. It’s Christmas Eve and the family dog Frank has just died. The family not wanting to spoil Christmas for Doug’s little sister, do not tell her anything. But this particular Christmas Eve is full of surprises as the everything seems to head towards disaster, an actual miracle occurs. It would have been even better if I could have read this on a rocking chair sitting by a fire while drinking eggnog. It would even be a great book to read aloud to your kids (if you have any).
5. YAKUZA MOON: MEMOIRS OF A GANGSTER’S DAUGHTER by Shoko Tendo – I imagine most of my readers knowledge of the Yakuza is what they learned from Hollywood films (or if they were a little more daring in their choices), from any number of Takeshi Kitano’s movies. This book would also be a great addition to my friend’s “Asia by the Book” blog but I digress. Tendo presents us with a view of the yakuza world from someone who’s been a part of it for all her life. Her father was a Yakuza boss. From the time she was in elementary school, being bullied by others who referred to her as the “Yakuza kid”, her teachers would praise her drawings but behind her back would say, “…you can’t teach that idiot anything.”, not realizing that Tendo was in the room to hear them. Thus she got her first lesson in the Japanese trait of “tatemae” and “honne” – which is presenting a good face as opposed to expressing your true feelings. As she gets older, she enters the world of being a yanki (slang term for kids from the other side of the tracks), then becoming a glue-sniffer, a speed addict, surviving a near rape from one her father’s underlings, to being beaten up by other members of her gang – it’s not a pleasant life to read about. She’s sent to reform school, has an affair with a married man (who refuses to divorce his wife and has a kid while still dating (or rather using) Tendo.). But ultimately, it’s a story of change and survival. Of cutting her ties with the world of the Yakuza and becoming an upstanding citizen of the community. At times intense, but very hard to put down. It’s not often you get a chance to read about the underworld from someone who’s been there, especially, a daughter of a yakuza boss.
6. WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING: A MEMOIR by Haruki Murakami – If you’re a big fan of Murakami’s fiction, this might not be for you. And even though I have no interesting in long distance running, Murakami’s writing style draws you in on subjects you thought you had no interest in. I was fascinated by Murakami’s desire to become a marathon runner, as well as a writer. Murakami was running a successful bar when one day he decided, he would become a writer (against the advice of his friends and family). And now with his long distance running as well, no one forced him into it. He wasn’t running for his health. He just decided to go running one day and found that it fit his personality to a tee. Murakami uses long distance running as a metaphor for his life as a writer and his life in general. He borrows the title of his book from Raymond Chandler’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” (with the permission from the Chandler Estate) as Chandler was a big influence to his writing. You may be inspired to find that Murakami challenges himself to run a 62 mile ultra marathon or running solo the historic and original marathon course in Greece. So don’t expect a “Wild Sheep Chase” or “Hard-Boiled Wonderland” but do read it and you will not be disappointed.
7. ALONG THE TEMPLAR TRAIL: SEVEN MILLION STEPS FOR PEACE by Brandon Wilson – After reading Wilson’s “Dead Men Don’t Leave Tips” I was hungry for more. Wilson, who has also walked the Camino de Santiago (twice) had met an elderly French man on the trail who had mentioned his dream of walking from his home in Dijon, France to Jerusalem with his wife. But a few years down the road, he gets a letter from the Frenchman who says his wife is unable to make the journey, would Wilson be interested in joining him. Wilson of course jumps at the chance to walk along the old Templar trail – a trail who’s main historic purpose was for war. As Wilson and Emile (the 68 year old Frenchman) start their journey and are interviewed along the way, they state from the beginning that they are walking for peace. That deep down, we are all the same, that we all want the same things – peace and happiness. Their journey covers 11 countries and takes nearly 7 months to complete. At times they are joined by friends and family, but mostly the rely on the kindness of strangers. Their route starts from Emile’s home town of Dijon, France and takes them through a border town in Switzerland, German, Austria (where they take an extended break in Vienna), a short jaunt through Slovakia, across Hungary (with an extended stay in Budapest), then continuing on through Serbia (a country that’s seen more than their fair share of war and misery), with another extended stay in Belgrade. From Serbia through the land of yogurt, Bulgaria and Turkey (with another long stay in Istanbul). It’s here where Emile gives up his dream to continue on to Jerusalem and returns to France with his wife. Wilson himself is at odds with continuing or not. Their original plan was to walk from Turkey to Syria but this was at a time when Syria bombarded Israel with rockets from Lebanon and no one could guarantee Wilson’s safety and when the U.S. was on the verge of attacking Iraq. Wilson decides to continue the journey to Jerusalem but opts to walk across Turkey and catch a cargo ship to Cyprus, traveling across Northern Cyprus, crossing the Green Line into Greek held Southern Cyprus, then taking a boat across to Israel and walking along Israel’s National Trail and coming to the end of his pilgrimage in Jerusalem. Excellent armchair traveling book. It makes you want to make a pilgrimage of your own (or at least to walk along some of the more famous trails – the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Via Francengina (Canterbury to Rome), St. Olav’s Way in Norway, just to name a few.). There is also the pilgrimage of visiting the 88 temples in Shikoku here in Japan. Very excellent reading.
8. NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND by Bill Bryson – Normally, I love Bryson’s travelogues and the humor he incorporates into it, but for some reason, this particular book left me a little disappointed. You know, I loved his “Lost Continent” as he returns to the U.S. after being abroad for twenty years and travels the southern states. After all those years in Great Britain, Bryson and his family were planning on moving to the “Land of Plenty” – the United States, and Bryson wanted to one last jaunt through his adopted country. Now, I don’t know if it was because I read Wilson’s pilgrimage before this or maybe Bryson had just been in the U.K. too long but I found his constant whining irritating and his condescending attitude towards the populace of small communities just as annoying. It seems he had more to complain about the small towns, British Railways, the monotony of seeing the same stores, the depressing weather (hey, I used to live in Seattle so I can relate to that), the desecration of Victorian buildings with a monotonous architectural style (this he can be forgiven for as well). But really, why take out his anger on a poor part-time worker at McDonald’s who’s required to ask him for items he didn’t order – come on, how petty can you get? So, I’ll recommend his “Lost Continent” and “In a Sunburned Land” but I can’t in good conscience recommend this to my fellow readers.
It's that time of season again. In neighborhoods around Tokyo, and Japan I imagine, there are displays of Christmas illumination. This is the Shinjuku South Entrance display.またこの季節が来ました‐クリスマスイルミネーションだ。ここは新宿駅の南口のほうです。
And one last picture I thought my sister would be amazed at. This is the Krispy Kreme donut shop in Shinjuku. Customers are lined up outside the store in the cold waiting for over an hour to buy some Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Compare that to the Krispy Kreme in Lakewood, where there were hardly any customers when we went except for one panhandler and no hour long wait either. Crazy huh?
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