Geeklawyer is terribly terribly excited to be going to Japan for the first time. He will be practising his poor Japanese on real live Japanese people and hoping not to cause too much offence. Stop giggling.
While he will be away from the blog the ubiquity of broadband in hotels means that he should be able to update it regularly and both post photos and show you where he has been on his google map.
Sayonara Geeklawyer…..
having just come back from japan some very random advice:
1. Take/or buy a umbrella because if it rains you’ll definatley want one as its too hot for a coat
2. its very hot there at the moment, especially in the south!
3. you have some jpanese skills, which is more than i did, in my experience the only word necessary is thankyou or arigato gozaimas, every other possible desire can be conveyed by repeating this prahase with assorted english words and wild gesticulations
4. tokoyo and tokyo are different, it can cause embarasment if you turn up to the tokoyo hotel inn having booked the tokyo hotel inn…
5. all japanese restaurants are impossible to find if they only have japanese signs, especially in kyoto
6. eat a slap up lunch and a frugal tea if your on a budget as meals are way cheaper at lunchtimes
7. starbucks (available eveywhere) is advised if you want a good coffee, also be aware that they drink coffee cold aswell as hot, and that cold coffee is really really disgusting, so make sure you always ask for hot.
8. if you want wifi acess wherever you go make sure to bring a wep cracking kit, all japanese networks seem to use wep for some unknown reason.
9. don;t try the tokyo underground at morning rush hour with all your bags , its not a pleaent experience, at all
Excellent tips Alasdair. I will rush out & get an umbrella now.
I will take to sandwiches to Kyoto just n case or beg the hotel to do me a sign “saying ‘Starving Gaijin please led me to nearest restaurant’”
WEP cracking kit a bit difficult - only have a Macbook - Mac-Kismet doesn’t work and haven’t got it on my Nokia N800 Tablet. Will rely on hotels Ryokin or may boingo.com as a fallback.
Tokyo/Tokoyo & underground warnings duly noted.
Remember to return with the cute gifts! And don’t get too carried away with Hentai.
Kawaii!! des ne?
All the Japanese you need.
I think our dearest geek may get involved with some hentai.
oooo, Japan!!
- they have ‘Nurse Kitty’ Stuff over there which you cant get over here and everything!!!!
Did I ever tell you that I really happen to LOVE Nurse Kitty?!….
I suppose you are going to make some vile attempt to make me get you that in compensation for not being in Blawg Review
What do you call a guy with a suitcase full of Kitty?
P.S. Will you get to go to Aokigahara? If so, lots of pics please!
My Dear Geek,
OF COURSE I am going to make such a vile attempt, not simply because I did not appear in Blawg Review despite ALL my (non) Grovelling, but also because I have you as a mentor; after all, were the positions reversed, you would expect nothing less!!
Is Nurse Kitty the same as Hello Kitty? There’s a shop completely devoted to Hello Kitty parephanalia (sp?) here in Toronto/
Always keen to assist - I had a quick visit to Wikipedia to bone up on my japanese.
I have found a phrase for you - it will be of great help.
Z?-wa hana-ga nagai (desu)
As for elephants… their noses are long.
Should get you through in most cases…
You’ll be doing a lot of bowing as well…. and, if all else fails, just shout a lot and strut about like they did in the Seven samurai.
Tora Tora Tora
The Very Same, Mary!! I was always INSANELY jealous of a colleague of mine who sported all SORTS of Nurse Kitty paraphinalia when we worked together in CITU - when I asked her where she got it all she (rather snootily, I think) replied that such GORGEOUS objects were only available in Japan! Grrrrr!!!!
pffft I say to your friend. You can get Hello Kitty schtuff in most high class Hello Kitty establishments.
I was on Skype with Mr Geek and MsR the other day and there’s talk of the Reserve Hareem getting together and even having t-shirts printed up. I could bring a Hello Kitty thingy. Friend of mine just picked up a Hello Kitty Tarot Deck — all very cute.
Pfft indeed, Mary, Pfft indeed!
(Ruthies Tee would have to be different, of course, as befits her status as Number One Geek Picaninnie)
Coming as I do from stickland,(i.e. the back of beyond) there is no such fine establishment as a Hello Kitty Emporium to be had anywhere in the vicinity, and Nurse Kitty stuff is pretty bloody scarce!
I think the idea of a Reserve Hareem meet is a fINE idea- tee shirts included!! What would they say? ‘Geeklawyer’s (reserve) Hareem on Tour’, perhaps, or (Shudder) Intellectual Property of Geeklawyer?!?!
If, of course you can get your hands on Nurse Kitty thingies I would be more than grateful and totally willing to provide you with financial consideration for your efforts!
Dearest Minxie, the Hello Kitty Emporium in Toronto is a short 10 minute walk from my flat.
Mayhaps we can couple the Lawblog with the Hareem meeting?
MsR is trying to come up with something witty for the t-shirts. I don’t think I could live with “intellectual property of Geeklawyer”. Maybe something along the lines of “Geeklawyer Honeys”
‘couple’ the two events seem natural together - but I am not having my bitches gossiping about me behind my back.
I will go to the Akihabara today and see what’s what on the Kitty front. May blog about it too.
Dearest Mary,
I am sure that the Lawblog meeting will be coupled to that of the meeting of the Hareem, given that so many of us will be there with both purposes in mind
On reflection, Intellectual Property of Geeklawyer is perhaps an unwise slogan - Geek Honeys sounds rather good, though I wait in keen anticipation of any monicker which Ms R mayhaps produce!