Janelle's big, fat, juicy world

Photos: Cat Cafe

snowlindsay — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:26:00 GMT

Japanese Cafe where the cats run the place.

Cafe for Cool Cats, or anyone who likes Cats

snowlindsay — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:47:00 GMT

Cafes seem to be the new pub. One doesn't meet at a pub for a quick drink and catch up at lunch. Workplace safety has rightly caused a decline in such sinful behavior. It is cafes where we now catch up, gossip, show new facebook photos, create the new facebook to make us all immeasurably rich...

Japan is not immune to the march of the cafes. Along with the chains such as Starbucks, Tully's Coffee and Dotour, there is hundreds of small coffee shops to choose from. Smoking is still a common thing in most cafes (Starbucks is a welcome relief from the smoke), and lets face it...the coffee on average is perhaps of a mediocre standard. So why am I getting excited about writing about a place for all you cool cats to go, sip on bad coffee and being able to sit back and read a manga??? Easy answer...CATS.

Not the Andrew Lloyd Webber type (although that is still playing in Yokohama if you want to see it), I am talking the fluffy, mewing, clawing, allergy inducing, smooching kitty type. So if a latte is not enough, how about a latte with a kitten playing with your sock. Sick of the lame excuse for a biscuit you have been served up. Tell the fluffy persian curled up on your lap.

Cat cafes (Neko Cafe) are becoming more popular in Japan, and if you look not too hard you are sure to find one in a city near you. I know of one in Yokohama, numerous in Tokyo, one in Kannai and one just 3 blocks away from my home at Ishikawacho. Japanese homes are usually very small and having a pet can be difficult in such small places. Visiting a cat cafe is one way that people can share in looking after and having the company of a pet cat.

This is how they work. You enter and pay for the 'option' you would like off the menu. The longer you stay the more you pay. Simple. Coffee, tea or drink (sometimes alcohol is served) or food may be a part of this fee. After payment, you ditch your shoes, wash you hands according to the instructions (they usually have different bacteria killing hand washes) then you can go into the cafe room with the cats.

The cafe rooms are a good size and the cats have the run of the place. There may be up to 20 cats in the room with you! There will be many different breeds, all with their different temperaments and personalities. The rules are often laid out in English for us stupid Gaijins. These include don't wake up the cats, don't hold them if they want to get down, don't feed them and don't be rough with them. Common sense for any cat lover really. there is also usually an age limit so younger children may not be allowed to enter in with the cats. Cats that are being rested will be in a cage and you are not to disturb these cats. All the other cats you can play with, pet, and if they let you, pick up and they might even sleep on your lap.

The staff are always supervising, to make sure that no one is being rowdy. Unless it is a cat - the cats can be as rowdy as they want. The staff also sort out you food or drink and change the cats litter. The places I have been to have a little door into another room where the cats have rows of kitty litters to use, so no accidents in the main common room.

The room is set up with huge scratching posts/activity towers for the cats. Look up on the wall and there will be a cat asleep on the top book shelf. There are boxes and hidey hole baskets for the cats to sleep in and lots of toys for you to use to play with a cat that wants to play. Cats are cats...if kitty doesn't want to play with you, no matter how long you wave the mousey on a string in front of him, all you will get is a withering look in return.

What are the ethics of such a place? This worries me. I LOVE cats. I LOVE animals. But is this good or bad for the cats? I just don't know. My observation is they are well looked after, no cats seemed overweight or underweight. They have access to vets and get lots of loving attention from the staff and the public. The downsides are that the get lots of loving attention from the public. I am not a cat and I don't know whether all the cats would like this. Most of the cats in the cafes have 'worked' at the cafes since they were kitten (Sounds like feline prostitution). Some were rescue cats, some rescued from the street in the local area. Others a big purchase rare breed cats. (Still sounds like a cat brothel...)

The patrons of the cafe that I have seen vary, young ladies, middle age ladies, and I was surprised one Saturday lunchtime - almost exclusively middle age men. I suppose that if you don't like cats you won't go to a place like this. If you love cats, respect them and treat them well, you will go to a place like this and will treat the cats well. So maybe it is a market to be filled and hopefully it will be continued to be run by people who just love cats and will look after them.

So I liked them. I go and treat the cats with the respect I would give any living creature. In return these cats are cute, active, playful, sleepy... they are just cats and that's would all patrons should expect-just cats doing cat things. They are lovely little fluffy critters and when you time is up, you may have to try and slide the cat that is fast asleep on your lap off onto the sofa, otherwise you will have to pay for the next half an hour.

Now if cats are not you thing, next door to the cat cafe at Ishikawacho a rabbit cafe has opened...

Butlins should not be the 'butt' of stupid jokes

snowlindsay — Mon, 1 Nov 2010 12:35:00 GMT

Butlins. The name brings smirks and giggles to the faces of many English friends. In fact I would go as far to say they may be mocking me for holidaying in Butlins.

As an Aussie I had no idea what Butlins was. Started in 1936 Butlins has been a holiday camp destination for the English, where adults could dance, children could be looked after in the creche. Stories of the 'Red Coats' staff and the 'Hi-de-Hi' greeting had been told to me from those who had been there and those who had were English. It really seems to be an institution! Nowadays Butlins has entertainment for all ages and I would totally recommend it to those who are looking for a family holiday.

We trooped down to the Minehead Butlins, located across the road from a peaceful beach. Checking into out simple accommodation was a breeze. Our accommodation consisted of a 3 bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and living room apartment. Simple fittings, simple furnishings, but for us (2 Adults, 3 boys aged 16, 12 and almost 5) totally adequate. There is however and better option in the form of the BlueSkies apartments that have been built by Butlins right across from the beach. I would totally recommend having a look at these if you are interested in heading to Butlins because they were nicely fitted out and a great view across the beach. We would definitely book this accommodation option for next time.

Food at Butlins was simple but plentiful fare. We purchased the catering for breakfast and dinner options. The food was mass produced, but the eating monsters that are the 3 boys managed to enjoy trying everything on the menu. There was at least 4 different main meal options per night, vegetables, fruit, deserts, non-alcoholic drinks, and at one stage the 12 years old thought he should try all the deserts available that night. Until he got told off by his Dad. Breakfast was all you could hope for, being hot full english, cereal, porridge, fruit etc. on the whole it was good, but I am amazed hot many hot chips the holiday makers were eating! Maybe I should not have been that surprised, seeing the enormous size of some of the patrons...whoah!

The activities were great, and for the most part included in the cost. Centreparcs tended to have many activities that were extra cost. We Enjoyed the indoor waterpark - it had 4 great slides, a lazy river and pools to enjoy. We played ping-pong, did archery, enjoyed the shows in the evening, the 12 year old played in the football competition everyday, the young one had rides in the Bob the Builder park, while the older boys had the bigger rides available to them...all at no extra cost. I can tell you the highlight for the boys was having to do homework every afternoon back at the apartment.

There were other activities that did incur costs, such as Go-Carts, arcade games and climbing activities, but our mob had plenty to do without paying for more.

Any extra costs we incurred were from purchasing alcohol from the numerous bars and pubs on site. Well we also purchased some food for lunch, drinks for the boys and had a Costa coffee at the onsite coffee shop.

Overall, it was a great family holiday camp. It never felt overly crowded, lots to do all the time (we barely scratched the surface when it comes to the plentiful live entertainment), lots to do for all ages (particularly tricky when you have such a big age gap like we did), staff were polite and price wise it was good value compared to other similar camps.

Don't let people mock you into not going. Butlins is cool, no matter what they say.

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

snowlindsay — Tue, 5 Oct 2010 11:59:11 GMT

Is this heaven or hell? A tortured artists mind or an enlightened spiritualists one? A building of worship or a tourist destination? I think it can be interpreted as all of these things. Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat is creating a visionary legacy for Thailand, for the people and for the Buddhist religion. Wat Rong Khun - The White Temple, is a wonderful example of where one individual, using his own money, artistry and determination is making a huge contribution to his country. The unique piece of architecture is a national monument in the making. As the temple grows so will employment and prosperity in the area. Seeing art, architecture, historic monuments, sweeping landscape, throngs of people, animals behaving in their true nature... these are just a few of the broad reasons why I love to travel and love to photograph. I am happy to travel alone or in a group and have done both extensively. I am extremely easy going, love my sport, my food and have a great sense of humor. I have experience in sorting out travel complications in high pressure situations, having traveled with and represented Australia in cycling in the Australia Paralympic Team. I am currently living in Japan. I would love to have a successful online photographic gallery, with a good measure of understanding to be able to put these photos into context via journals for those who wish to learn something about the world we live in. I would also love to increase my skills to work more in macro photography. To win this competition and have the opportunity to learn from a professional, and also learn tips for photographing wildlife would be a double win! I'm always disappointed with how my animal shots come out. I am sure I can improve on a moving, blurry streak across the frame! Thanks!

This Charming Sale

snowlindsay — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:34:00 GMT

The main street of Motomachi has transformed. It has changed! One week it is a rather posh shopping street, where people push their little dogs in prams, while browsing the shops and watching the Porsche's drive by, finishing a nice stroll at Starbucks from a green coffee.

This week it is nothing short of a rugby scrum. A rugby scrum full of Japanese ladies armed with handbags (Louis Vuitton - of course!) and a will & determination to get a bargain. The first Saturday and Sunday of the sale are the worst. Who would have thought that a nearly 6ft Gaijin weighing 73kgs could be easily pushed aside by a 100 year old nanna! Well she was probably older, but Japanese women always look younger than they really are. It is a bit weird being elbowed around by Japanese women. They are quite forceful when they see the sale rack. That being said they are usually so short they are elbowing me in the arse anyway.

The street literally becomes a sea of people! Being quite tall it is easy to look down the street and see nothing but shoulder to shoulder shopping crowds. Not for the faint hearted. Out walking the dog on the weekend, it became very apparent this street is no place for either small pooches or husbands. Pooches will get trampled in the throng of people. Husbands will moan about shopping. Nothing different there really....

Shopping ladies take numbered tickets and wait patiently outside shops before their number is called and they are ushered in to buy stuff. They must buy sooooooo much stuff. The week leading up to the sale, boxes and boxes of stock are delivered every day.

One of the attractions in Japanese sales are the Happy bags. The shops fill the bags with stock and sell it at a discount price. They may have a size (eg Small, Med, Large) on the outside but nothing else. A lucky dip really. No problem for me because nothing fits me anyway...but I do wonder whether people are happy when they get home with a beige and brown cardigan that looks like moths have vomited on it. That being said, my ever stylish teenage neighbor got some crackingly cool hats in one of these bags, so a style gamble it is.

Is the sale a bargain...hmmm? I don't know. I think shopping in Japan is expensive, and Motomachi street especially. My Canadian friend suggested it brings goods down to normal prices anywhere else. That being said I did see some bargains. A hat the was 15% of original price and a scarf less than 10%. I think the trick is to be really nice to the sales assistants, go in later in the day when they are not so busy and praise them like crazy about everything. "Your shop is great, I love your product, I love your hair etc etc". Then ask where the special "special" price stuff is. Then ask if they will give you a Gaijin discount. If in doubt, buy stuff when you are in England. Definitely the cheapest & best place to shop in my opinion. And predictably, the Louis Vuitton shop does NOT have a sale!

The Charming Sale at Motomachi happens twice a year, usually last week of February and 'Silver Week' in September. Get there by catching the train to either Motomachi-Chukagai station, or on the JR line to Ishikawa-cho station. This sale ends on Sunday, so get your rugby boots on, elbows and see if you can fight your way to a bargain.

If The Shoe Fits

snowlindsay — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:24:00 GMT

Japan is a fashion watchers heaven and hell.

The young and old, the men and the women all seem to take much pride and care into their appearance, whether the look be punk, smart office, looking like doll or a rockstar. It is very obvious that a lot of thought has gone into what one is wearing on the day.

So with such a mix, as an observer you will like some outfits and detest some of the choices of course. I personally cannot stand the country flowerprint milkmaid-gone billowy frump dress with high heels. Nor I am a fan of the 'smock' favoured by Japanese ladies over the age of 40 years. Any lady under the age of 40 wearing a olive coloured smock...shame on you!

But at the end of the day, style choice is a personal thing and if it is well put together then all power to you milkmaid.

But i must ask, if you have put so much time and effort into a look (including a huge amount of effort into hairstyling and make up - another blog entry entirely), then why don't you sort out your shoes.

I jest you not, but wearing shoes of the totally wrong size seems to be a normal occurrence around here in Yokohama. Too big - great! Too small - no worries.

At a shopping mall (otherwise known as 'the models gallery') in Minatomirai, I saw a young lady, perfect in every way, hair, make-up, clothes...shoes??? BapBow! Sorry, but dragging you feet in 4 inch stilettos because you have enough room to put your iphone down the back of heel is stupid. It looks stupid and it ruins the whole look! If the shoe tries to fly off you foot from the back every time you take a step....my darling that shoe is too big for you.

As for too small, if you want to have feet that look fat (even though you are not fat) then try and squeeze them into shoes 2 sizes to small. The not at all attractive 'foot muffin top' is not something I want to see and in 34 degree C heat, small shoes cannot be comfortable.

And don't think for a moment, Japanese guys, that you look hot in your extended toes python print winklepickers. You look NOT HOT. And those shoes make your feet look like loud canoes and are not office appropriate. Or appropriate. For anywhere. Other than on Ronald McDonald.

So Japanese ladies, too big or too small - it is time for you to take a good hard look at yourselves and purchase something that fits.

I know, I know you think that the noisy Gaijin is just jealous because us Japanese girlys are so hot and don't look 40 years old until we are in fact 100, BUT NO! It is not that. I am jealous because I cannot buy shoes here. They are all to small.

As I said "I am big in Japan" but so big I can't get shoes...I am Australian Size 10 (Euro size 41) -the upper limits but great during sales when all the common shoes sell out (Bwah ha ha). But when my 13 year old Gaijin neighbor is struggling to purchase nice shoes...that a worry.

Maybe the fashion for tiny japanese girls is good after all?? Maybe demand for stupidly large shoes they can't walk in might mean manufacturers start sending bigger sizes to japan. That is the answer.

Next time I see a girly wearing shoes 2 sizes to big i am going to to her she looks hot, and the reason she is hot is the large canoes on her feet.

Oh the food in Japan!

snowlindsay — Tue, 7 Sep 2010 14:41:00 GMT

The food in Japan. Coming from Australia a Japanese lunch of sushi, sashimi, tempura and chicken katsu were the norm. Sushi train! What a great idea...

I have now been living in Yokohama for 10 months and to be honest... I am a bit over the food. There is nothing wrong with Japanese food. It's just that I don't get all *Whah Hey* about it. Which leads to food boredom. Like I said there is nothing WRONG with the food. But a piping hot bowl of ramen noddles, while yummy, just does not sit well when it is 35 degrees C outside. I am just at the point where white rice, some seaweed of some pickled description and a cold meat (fish, fried fatty chicken, thin strips of pork)...I mean really? I am over it.

When was the last time you said "Oh my, praise the Gods! That was the BEST white rice ever. I must tell all my friends about it immediately and start a fan page on facebook." Whereas I have been known to say such things about pancakes, lamp cutlets, a hamburger and red wine!

So while I am sure I will continue to give the Japanese food a fair go I have to say the faves I have found in Yokohama probably do not reflect anything at all resembling Japanese cuisine.

Bills at the red brick building at Minatomirai - best ricotta pancakes in the universe, and great pork belly and super wine list.

Bar Why Not near Motomachi Chugakai Station - great hamburgers, great staff (Sammy is the coolest guy in Japan) and great football viewing.

Green Charcoal Bar & Grill in Motomachi (closer to Ishikawa cho end) has the best lamb chops, boutique beers, and interesting bit and pieces menu.

so these are my picks. For lunch I Guess I will just have to make a sandwich...

The elephant ballerina

snowlindsay — Tue, 3 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

While in Chiang Rai we went on a tour booked from the Dusit Thani hotel. I think they provider was called SEA.

They picked us up at the hotel, we went for a long boat ride down the River Kok (which was very swollen due to the rains. Oh and it helps if he fills up with petrol so the long boat doesn't keep stalling on a flooded river...), then to an elephant park at a Karan village.

Our elephant was a splendid lady, 38 years young. Her and her Mahout were well experienced which meant we could delve further into the bush than some of the younger, less experienced elephants. As she march away from the camp along the well kept bitumen road, I thought this is cool. As she wondered into the countryside along dirt tracks, running creeks and rice paddy's being tended, I thought, yes I am out getting down with nature.

When our lovely elephant then turned off the main dirt track into a tiny, thin, steep, muddy, slippery trail, I thought...are we going the right way?

This clever elephant took us deep into the jungle. Quite literally. A number of times we just followed the waterway, the elephant quite happily walking in the running creek. She was so sure footed on these muddy paths, at some points her belly was even a little to wide to squeeze through some of the eroded parts of the trail. Climbing these steep hills, I looked back to see where her footfalls had slipped. It is quite a strange feeling to feel an elephant slide away underneath you, only to have regained her footing the next second.

The bamboo must have been 15metres tall, and the vines and branches were whacking us on our legs and heads.if the elephant and the mahout took off on us - well we were stuffed!

Coming down the hill was a little more precarious. Our mahout was gently guiding the elephant down incredibly steep muddy trails. I thought she would go down for sure, but I looked over the side from my perch on her back to see her footsteps. She was so gently, so precisely putting one foot just in front of the other, like tiny baby steps. It looked so delicate for the huge gray feet, now covered in red slimy mud. She knew exactly what was going on!

Our trip ended at another hill tribe village, where we were able to make banana and sugar cane purchases to feed our noble steed. I didn't know that elephants were so nimble! well worth a visit to witness these wonderful big, gray, clever beings.