The pool itself was 25 meters long and divided into four lanes of varying sizes. The largest lane took up half the width of the pool and was filled with the cast of the Japanese remake of Cocoon doing water aerobics more or less in sync with an overly enthusiastic instructor. Mostly less. With all the thrashing about in the water the whole scene looked more like an open … [Read more...]
Japanese Car Elevator
Japanese car elevator in Fukuoka in 2003—way before everyone's favorite Mormon™ robot got one. … [Read more...]
What to do Before Entering a Public Pool in Japan
On one of the hottest days of the summer, I decided to try and beat the heat by going to a public pool. I had been told of an indoor poor a mere five minutes from my apartment. Of course, it's only five minutes if you know exactly where you're going. Otherwise, it'll take ten to ninety minutes, thanks to the Japanese addressing laws which I will reproduce here in … [Read more...]
Arrival at Indawgyi Military Base
The journey, as I mentioned, was horrible—over five hours of constant pain as we traversed boulders, got stuck in small lakes of mud, slid down muddy hillsides and forded numerous rivers—all features of the "road". At one point a bridge literally collapsed beneath us. Planks were dislodged and fell into the river below, leaving a gaping hole in the bridge in our wake. We got to … [Read more...]
Traditional Burmese Happy Meal
I took this over a year ago, but despite the picture, until this week, Myanmar was one of only three countries to not have coke. Thankfully, Coca Cola has decided to change this now that sanctions have been eased, providing the Burmese people with all the luxuries of the West, such as hyperactive kids and diabetes. … [Read more...]