This place is pretty amazing. Everything is clean and it works - quite a far cry from London or Spain.
Full reports will follow - a bit too flustered right now - but have to say there are some great restaurants here. Big hello to the guys over at Antwerp Central, Junya and Atsushi. They showed us extreme hospitality, which we ended up paying for the next morning. Cold sake rules!
We've hit all the neighbourhoods this week - Ginza and Roppongi getting special attention. This is a different world. I think Japan is still the master at isolation and adaptation. It has trappings of Europe and the west but there is no forgetting that you are in Tokyo. For example, at Antwerp Central, it was packed with a 150 or so people. We were (literally!) the only non-japanese. I can't think of any central city restaurants that you would be the only non-native in. Certainly not in London, Toronto or especially Spain (where often you would be hard pressed to find one native amongst the foreign diners).
I need to collect my thoughts and write some concise things, but I can't think right now. I've never gotten comfortable with Internet cafe's.
Sunday we fly home, but, I am a little concerned as for some reason our status on the BA website seems a bit wierd.
Thursday 27 April 2006
Monday 24 April 2006
Travel - GBAirways style
The idea seemed simple - on my birthday fly to Tokyo.
GBAirways had other ideas! GBA, who run BA's flights in southern spain and Gibraltar, saw fit to put us on a plane first piloted by the Wright Brothers. Of course it arrived in Malaga fine. But couldn't take off.
First problem was the hydraulics, which required a new pump. That was 6 hours. Finally, the plane was ready to go! Yippee! Missed the flight to Tokyo of course, but got on one the next day.
Taxi out to the runway and doh! Now one of the engines is acting up. So back to the ramp for some more dicking around. Finally at 11 (that is about 12 hours after scheduled departure) it was called a night and we were shipped to the local hotel.
So, for my birthday dinner I was enjoying hotel food at midnight. Well, not enjoying as we were not given any choice, just a plate of chips and pork in sauce. Now, being a vegetarian I didn't find this particularly appealing, so dinner was chips (french fries for you Canadians, Freedom Fries for you Yanks).
Pork has to be the stupidest choice for a 'forced' meal as not just us vegetarians, but Muslims and Jews as well don't take kindly to it. Oh, and it was cold.
So, day 2 of the journey starts and we are still around 100km from home. Instead of getting us on the now-fixed plane nice and early, GB Airways decides to give us a noon slot, which means we have no margin for error to get onto our Tokyo flight.
We taxi out to the runway and doh! Same problem! Somehow it had not fixed itself over night. What a bummer.
I say 'fixed itself' because the pilot made no mention of them working on it over night.
So, another few hours while GB Airways decides what to do and all flights are now booked for the day from Malaga so they are really in a pickle.
At 11pm, now 36 hours late (on a 2 1/2 hour flight) a plane from Excel Airlines (who??) takes us to Gatwick.
Of course, we were supposed to be going to Heathrow, where the flight to Tokyo leaves from. Can we get to Heathrow at 1:30am when we land? No. We have to stay the night in Gatwick, then take the bloody bus from Gatwick to Heathrow. That means we can sleep for 5 hours only, because we have to schedule 90 minutes to get to Heathrow and of course be there nice and early to check in as we now are not automatically checked in because of the fact we are in a different airport and our bags are with us.
But I am writing this in Tokyo, so we got here eventually. 48 hours late. Thanks BA!
Oh, when we got to Heathrow I thought that perhaps BA owed me something and maybe, seeing as I missed my birthday, they would upgrade us to something a little nicer. Wrong. To quote BA ground staff - there was 'no reason' to perform the upgrade. And I was reminded that GB Airways is NOT BA (despite flying under their logo). I pointed out that I had booked tickets on ba.com, not GBAirways.com, but they weren't having it.
In short - GBAirways has a lot to answer for.
GBAirways had other ideas! GBA, who run BA's flights in southern spain and Gibraltar, saw fit to put us on a plane first piloted by the Wright Brothers. Of course it arrived in Malaga fine. But couldn't take off.
First problem was the hydraulics, which required a new pump. That was 6 hours. Finally, the plane was ready to go! Yippee! Missed the flight to Tokyo of course, but got on one the next day.
Taxi out to the runway and doh! Now one of the engines is acting up. So back to the ramp for some more dicking around. Finally at 11 (that is about 12 hours after scheduled departure) it was called a night and we were shipped to the local hotel.
So, for my birthday dinner I was enjoying hotel food at midnight. Well, not enjoying as we were not given any choice, just a plate of chips and pork in sauce. Now, being a vegetarian I didn't find this particularly appealing, so dinner was chips (french fries for you Canadians, Freedom Fries for you Yanks).
Pork has to be the stupidest choice for a 'forced' meal as not just us vegetarians, but Muslims and Jews as well don't take kindly to it. Oh, and it was cold.
So, day 2 of the journey starts and we are still around 100km from home. Instead of getting us on the now-fixed plane nice and early, GB Airways decides to give us a noon slot, which means we have no margin for error to get onto our Tokyo flight.
We taxi out to the runway and doh! Same problem! Somehow it had not fixed itself over night. What a bummer.
I say 'fixed itself' because the pilot made no mention of them working on it over night.
So, another few hours while GB Airways decides what to do and all flights are now booked for the day from Malaga so they are really in a pickle.
At 11pm, now 36 hours late (on a 2 1/2 hour flight) a plane from Excel Airlines (who??) takes us to Gatwick.
Of course, we were supposed to be going to Heathrow, where the flight to Tokyo leaves from. Can we get to Heathrow at 1:30am when we land? No. We have to stay the night in Gatwick, then take the bloody bus from Gatwick to Heathrow. That means we can sleep for 5 hours only, because we have to schedule 90 minutes to get to Heathrow and of course be there nice and early to check in as we now are not automatically checked in because of the fact we are in a different airport and our bags are with us.
But I am writing this in Tokyo, so we got here eventually. 48 hours late. Thanks BA!
Oh, when we got to Heathrow I thought that perhaps BA owed me something and maybe, seeing as I missed my birthday, they would upgrade us to something a little nicer. Wrong. To quote BA ground staff - there was 'no reason' to perform the upgrade. And I was reminded that GB Airways is NOT BA (despite flying under their logo). I pointed out that I had booked tickets on ba.com, not GBAirways.com, but they weren't having it.
In short - GBAirways has a lot to answer for.
Saturday 15 April 2006
Spanish Spirit Holidays
I have to put in an entry about my wife's company, Spanish Spirit Holidays. They are in their new premises and things are starting to take off. It is great to see someone following their dreams and making a success of it. Along with her partner Jeanette they have started to bring people down to our humble end of the Costa del Sol for healthy holidays.
I've sat in on the first few weekends and I think it is pretty amazing. The location is very nice - a hotel not too far from the beach but nicely quiet. And the room is great too.
Check it out! I think you'll find something you like.
Spanish Spirit Holidays
I've sat in on the first few weekends and I think it is pretty amazing. The location is very nice - a hotel not too far from the beach but nicely quiet. And the room is great too.
Check it out! I think you'll find something you like.
Spanish Spirit Holidays
Tuesday 11 April 2006
Kicking the habit
No, nothing to do with abusing Nun's.
After 15 years I think I am finally free of my EastEnders addiction. I have pretty much watched the show since day one, with the short break here and there.
When I moved to Europe - and Canada was still 2 years behind in the shows - I had my brother mail over (pre high speed internet days!) tapes of the shows. Crazy!
But now it has been a month since I've seen it and I don't miss it one bit.
Of course, I have been too busy watching Lost, ER, 24 and so forth to care, really.
After 15 years I think I am finally free of my EastEnders addiction. I have pretty much watched the show since day one, with the short break here and there.
When I moved to Europe - and Canada was still 2 years behind in the shows - I had my brother mail over (pre high speed internet days!) tapes of the shows. Crazy!
But now it has been a month since I've seen it and I don't miss it one bit.
Of course, I have been too busy watching Lost, ER, 24 and so forth to care, really.
Saturday 1 April 2006
Introducing....The PRICK Principle
I'm working on this theory - a theory about living life. I call it PRICK. Of course it's an acronym.
It came about as I sat around thinking about what guides my life. If I had to distill it down into a Self-Help Marketing Campaign, what would it be. And I came up with PRICK.
P - Profundity.
See below the surface of things. Look at the depth of life
R - Responsibiity.
Own your actions. Accept the consequences of them.
I - Integrity.
Be known as someone who has principles - and sticks to them.
C - Conscience and Compassion.
Treat others as you would be treated - animals too. See others' suffering, and try to relieve it.
K - Knowledge.
Never make a judgement through ignorance. Learn all you can about those things that matter in your life - and some that don't
Over the next little while you'll see things on here expanding on these principles.
You too can be a PRICK.
It came about as I sat around thinking about what guides my life. If I had to distill it down into a Self-Help Marketing Campaign, what would it be. And I came up with PRICK.
P - Profundity.
See below the surface of things. Look at the depth of life
R - Responsibiity.
Own your actions. Accept the consequences of them.
I - Integrity.
Be known as someone who has principles - and sticks to them.
C - Conscience and Compassion.
Treat others as you would be treated - animals too. See others' suffering, and try to relieve it.
K - Knowledge.
Never make a judgement through ignorance. Learn all you can about those things that matter in your life - and some that don't
Over the next little while you'll see things on here expanding on these principles.
You too can be a PRICK.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
