Robby is waiting!

I noticed that I hadn't posted in about a week, so here's a little something to keep certain faithful supporters from getting restless. Perhaps it will even motivate one or two of them to come visit me in physical reality rather than just in cyberspace? I found a great place to stay, after all!

Cucumber Cola?

On my way home from work tonight I stopped by the 99 yen store. This is what I found. Has anyone else seen this? The initial taste is kind of cucumber-y, but then it just tastes like cola, pretty much. Seems pretty weird to me, but then so did "Clamato" juice when it was new. In fact it still seems weird. But it caught on, so I reckon just about anything is possible. I will be sure to let you know if I find Clam Cola.

Bottled Up

And they tried to tell me it couldn't be done....

Sticks and Stones

So I went to a nearby zoo the other day. It was like any other zoo.



Penguins are cute wherever you go.



If you watch certain primates long enough they will do things that might embarrass you. Well maybe not you, per se, but normal people.



Ostriches are weird and a little scary.



Llamas are, well, llamas.



And so on. But what made this trip special was not so much the zoo, or the animals in it, but an animal I encountered shortly after leaving the zoo. It was a parrot, on a perch outside a coffee shop, with no physical restraints to keep him from taking off.



I had tried to get similar birds in the zoo to say 'strawberry', like in the movie "Up In Smoke" with Cheech & Chong (I think), but to no avail. I decided to give it one more go, and wonder of wonders, the bird spoke! In Japanese. Here is what he said in reply to my 'strawberry. strawberry' proddings: 「ばかやろう！ばかやろう！」("Baka yarou! Baka yarou!") To the uninitiated that does not mean strawberry in Japanese. It means 'You're an idiot! You're an idiot!'

Wanna Rumble?

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Originally uploaded by Hack Rambler

A few months ago I finally experienced a part of Japanese culture that I had been missing out on: SUMO. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. But I prefer to be a spectator when it comes to this particular sport.

Street Poetry

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Originally uploaded by Hack Rambler

Here is a picture that I took weeks ago and have only now managed to put up. There may be many more to come. Or not. I don't want to make promises. I wasn't going to type anything here, but there was all this empty grey space, and I don't usually like empty grey space. So I am filling it with empty white text.

Good Morning!

Google translation of the previous post:

And [tsu] [ho] -! It is not written directly directly in Japanese. As for [watakushi] with just a little idle fellow shank. From now preparation of work and the [wa] which is not the time when empty this time you write excessively. The [ru] it is to everyone vigorous? Don't you think? so if it is good. As for me however it is vigorous, as for summer coming gradually it is hateful. Insect insect. Insect insect? Is the air conditioner is and others the [tsu] plain gauze? As for feeling hot [toni], there is two with the 2DK apartment. The kana which is confined from July? DVD you will see? ;)

おはようございます！

やっほー！ずっとずっと日本語で書いてないな。ワタクシはちょっと怠け者ですね。今から仕事の準備やから今回あんまり書く時間ないわ。皆元気にしてはるん？そうならいいね。僕は元気なんですけど夏がそろそろ来るのは嫌。むしむし。むしむし？エアコンがいらっしゃいますか？暑がりトニーは、２ＤＫアパートで二つあるよ。7月から閉じこもるかな？ＤＶＤ見ようか？；）