Caption Competition

Here's Julie getting the groceries in. Looking rather pleased with her purchase of a 4 litre bottle of Whisky for 16 quid! And here I am after teaching my Kinder class. Today they learned red crab and green turtle and sang heads and shoulders alot.

Sightseeing Tokyo Style

Last weekend we went into Tokyo sightseeing and went up this enormous ferris wheel, the biggest in the world when it was built. Didn't have a name like the one in London though, perhaps they should call it the Tokyo eye?

The views were...well it's not London. There's a real need for some new ideas in the town planning department.

And the beach, well, it's warmer than London but it's like sunbathing by the thames.

Julie enjoyed it though.

Tokyo Disneyland

Of all the cultural delights Tokyo has to offer we opted for a thick slice of Americana this week with a trip to Disneyland! Well, it's on our train line and I'm never likely to go to a Disney resort again so we thought why not! I found it a most relaxing day, walking up to the gates I felt like Clark W. Griswald approaching Wally World! Thankfully it was open and once inside everything was nicely laid out, in English and very well organised with Fast Passes so you could jump the queues! We took a packed lunch and had a picnic on Tom Sawyer Island and went on all the big rides (it's got nothing on Alton Towers). My favourite bit was walking around Toontown, Mickey's house and Donald's boat and stuff. The parades were funny, very spectacular and the Japanese kids love it.

Gutted that the Roger Rabbit ride was closed for repairs!

and Julie got a Japanese haircut! (before we went to Disneyland, not at Disneyland!)

Check out the cute kids on the trolley in the background!

lots of schoolkids everywhere

ohhhhhh Kimono!

Last week I fulfilled a life long dream and bought a kimono (Julie not Kieran). This evening we got the Kimono out and attempted to put it on (again Julie not Kieran). Blimey it was hard work! It was like something from Krypton Factor. We almost gave in but as you can see in the photos below we did it. I also enjoyed pulling some crazy Japanese poses for the camera. Next week I will get one of my students to tell me how to put it on properly!

I would also like to report on last week's trip to a Karaoke bar with some friends, it was insane! Kieran was on a mission to out sing everyone in the Karaoke room! It was a fantastic experience and one I think all the Foodys and Kilroys would love! As most of you know I am allergic to singing, but even I sang along on most of the songs. At the karaoke place you hire a room, and pay an hourly rate, for this price you can drink anything you like. We were in there for 3 hours, I thought I was going to have to wrestle Kieran to the floor to get the microphone off him to leave. We drank solidly for the 3 hours, and it only came to 15 quid each, which I thought was a real bargain!

Kieran here! Yes it's true, five pound an hour for endless drinks which I turned into a 'drink as much as you possibly can' challenge. Don't need to describe what happened, you've all seen me at weddings. We'll take a camera next time.

Anyway, I went for my first haircut in Japan today which was class. Five pounds, ten minutes all crisp and clean and organised and the grand finale being the fuzzy hoover attachment gets pulled out and they hoover my head and neck! For the first time in my life I left the hairdressers without an itchy neck. Brilliant.