# OUT & ABOUT in Japan # ... Lost Again -- Part 2

This is what we arrived to ... ya-godda-love-it!!  Bikes Galore  :))

     We arrived a little early but were soon lost again!  The place was massive!  Cycle Sports Center sprawls in & out & through the valley mountain area.  There are lots of activities for adults and children here.  It took us ages to find out where everyone was. 

# OUT & ABOUT in Japan # ... Lost Again -- Part 1

This place is just outside of Atami.  Not sure if that's a real castle or a "love hotel"  :))

Just before we arrive at Atami station

     Outdoor Space's end of year mountain biking session went out with a bang this year!!  The venue was set,  the numbers were going and the weather was looking great!!  Cycle Sports Center in the central highlands of Izu was our destination.

     John and I were on a mission to have a wickedly wild time as well  :))  We went a day early.  We caught the train down to Atami.  Just before we arrived there John pipes up with the suggestion of beer.  Well,  why not?  It's the holiday season now ... and we were on holiday! 

# OUT & ABOUT in TOKYO #

http://omantourism.gov.om/

     Out & About in the big smoke today to see the Omani Cultural Event taking place at the Tokyo International Forum right here in the heart of Tokyo.  Actually,  one of the little girls I teach at school,  her parents work for the Omani Embassy and I was invited by them to go and have a sqiz.  It was Christmas day but what the heck. 

# WILD STORIES of ADVENTURE # ... Welcome to India Mate

We flew into Delhi Airport from Singapore totally looking forward to the next section of our journey!  A good friend of mine had provided me with a great deal of stories and history before I left Australia.  I was excited for sure! 

Darren and I walked off the plane.  Out at the baggage claim area we waited for our rucksacks to arrive on the conveyor belt,  slowly,  squeakily rumbling in front of us.  One can't help but notice a big difference between Singapore's airport and Delhi's airport.  All types of people were wondering around.  Disheveled people,  rotund mothers with babies slung across their chests,  tall bearded white robed men,  the odd business man and what looked like scruffy almost homeless people.  It was amazing to see so many different types of people in the airport.  What would we see outside ... in the country of India!?

# ON THE BOX #

                     http://www.videx.jp/detail/hobby/v_h_nhkep/hnhk0014_0001/index.htm



             Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls ... it's here,  it's what you've been waiting for,  the one and only ...


                         ... well maybe not as hyped as that!!  :)) 

    If you want to have a sqiz at what I do when I get invited by CR-NEXUS to film a show for NHK,  click on the link above and check it out. 

    Quick instructions as the site will come up in Japanese:

                                        so,  click on the link above,  hopefully a picture of myself and lovely Leng Leng ( she's from Singapore ) will come up,  just below the pic there will be a sentence written in Japanese,  this is a link that will take you to the main page about the show.  On that page below our picture there will be a small box,  inside the box are 2 highlighted boxes with some Kanji and DL highlighted in blue,  click on the left DL button to view ... it's that simple ...

                          caution:  what you are about to view could be seriously damaging to your sides ... try not to laugh too much please  :))

# WONKY ENGLISH # ... or just a trendy way to say it?

         Another bonus about living in Japan is the amount of vending machines for drinks.  They are generally cheap,  around $1 for a can.  There are choices in the machines.  You can buy hot drinks ... a real bonus for the long winters here,  and cold drinks.  These machines are almost on every street corner.  As long as you have some coins in your pocket there is no chance of ever being thirsty  :)) 

        But,  what is it about this particular can that seems so normal?  Well lucky I can read Katakana because there's a spelling mistake and it's become WONKY in the translation!!  :)) 

                             Can anybody see the WONKY ENGLISH is this picture?  :))

# WILD STORIES of ADVENTURE # ... FRANCE Part 2 ... the BIG BANG!!

The view from our apartment in Dinan

    

     After getting to know the village of Dinan and the guys who I went to school with a lot better,  plus the other the guys who I was working with,  there was always plenty of action going on.  There were about 10 of us living in our magnificent apartment over looking the main square of Dinan. 

     Summer in idyllic Dinan was a buzz every night. 

     We were all working from early morning until the early evening.  There wasn't a night that went by that didn't have some kind of frivolous adventure :))  Mainly drinking!!