Bex in Sapporoland

The anticipated release of the Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland last week took me to Sapporo for the evening and a stay at the Sapporo Gracery on the ‘budget plan’, what a bargain.

Sending the afternoon with Eri and a birthday ramen on ramen alley in Susukino. Shopping at the usual places. Loft has a new location since closing, across the street in the same building at Uni Qlo, ahhh, bliss.

 Oishii shifoodo miso ramen with the lovely birthday girl.

Found some new shops on this trip, an enormous Muji in the station shopping center, a Three Coin shop and even Top Shop comes to Japan – clothes were all a bit weird, nothing I liked.

Cool way to collect money for wildlife, different animals on the wall.

I wasn’t blown away by the movie, the 3D aspect was pretty cool. The new version was supposed to be a continuation of the cartoon which it was, although I didn’t like the character developments. The cartoon was a sequence of interactions with random characters that is more like the books. The film tried to build on emotions and framework, which I appreciate, but didn’t really feel worked. I did like the costume changes that Alice had to make between shrinking and growing. I was entertained, maybe I’m just a little too grown up to get completely lost in the new version. I just love the imagination and strangeness of the cartoon and books too much.

View from coffee shop in the train station shopping centre.

Japanese Drivers License: DENIED

Although I don't know if I'll be back in Japan for the next winter season, I still like to be prepared. One thing that I need after staying in Japan over a year is my Japanese driving license, it is a mis-conception that you can keep getting an International drivers license. I've done the process before, so I knew what was involved. The night before, I checked and double checked all my documents that I was taking to the office. An early start to the day, getting the 6.22 train from Kutchan. getting to Inaho at 8.00 with plenty of time to walk the suggested twenty minutes to the driving centre. Inaho station is tiny and didn't make sense with  my map print out. How I longed for an iphone at that moment to tell me exactly where to go. I asked the man checking the bikes and he sent me off in the wrong direction, I then asked a variety of different people including a man with a dog, the garage man and finally I felt I was on the right track when I saw a sign for it.

I found a controlled madhouse inside with people everywhere, not knowing which counter to queue at, I went to counter number one, he sent me to counter number six. There didn't appear to be a line there, but there were a lot of people standing around, not wanted to cut the queue, I asked a nearby man which counter he was waiting for. Bad move, he looked at me liked I'd just killed someone and pointed at counter seven. Ok, fine, I waited till counter six was empty then went forward, handed all my bits to the lady behind the counter and was told to come back in an hour.

With the driving centre in the middle of an industrial estate there wasn't really anywhere I could go, had a snack and waited. Back at the counter in an hour, they were working on my application, I could see heads bobbing up and down, good sign. She called me forward a few times to check dates and get me to fill out a form. Good, good, everything seems to be going well. Then, another hour later, when she was checking my UK license she asked for the counter part which I left in the UK. 'Dekinai' was her only word, 'I can't'. As someone who constantly finds solutions, it's really frustrating to see people not even try to solve problems. I suggested they contact Fukushima's driving office to get the paper work from my previous license, 'dekinai' was the response. As is Japan, when something so small and insignificant stops the process, I was denied a Japanese driving licence.

So it wasn't a complete waste of day, I heading back to Otaru and went to get my re-entry permit. Which was quick and painless, just involved waiting for their lunch break to finish and going back and forth between buildings to get the money stamp. Done.

Spent the rest of the day walking to the Otrau Outlet Shopping Centre, two train stops from Otaru's main station. A big shopping centre with Warner Brothers Cinema on the fourth floor, a Freshness Burger, Muji and one enormous 100 yen shop.

In case you didn't know...

Out of the Bubble, into the City

My lovely weekend away from The Bubble.

I love spring in Japan, the sakura is gorgeous, certain, if not all foods and drinks companies bring out some kind of special sakura product. I missed the sakura last year on Honshu as I went there too late and missed the sakura in Hokkadio because I left before it was ready to bloom. So this year, I made the effort to go down and see it in Tokyo at the same time catching up with good friends from my Fukushima days.

Our chosen spot for our Hanami picnic was the Shinjuku Imperial Gardens. Small two hundred yen entrance fee and a rule that says no alcohol to be brought into the park. How can you have a hanami without alcohol? Alcohol and the flowers are the essential items to hanami, maybe also a blue tarp and a bento could be on the essential list too. We just hide our cans in the bottom of our bags, no one searched them. And every single hanami blanket surrounding us had a can or bottle of something with alcohol in.

I was a tad early for the sakura in tokyo, it was only just starting to bloom. A week later and the garden would have been perfect. Got kicked out of the park at 4.30, headed to Shinjuku for a little shopping and coffee, then off to a Spanish restaurant called Caribbean Pirates for dinner. More drinking and onward to bowling and purikura around Kashiwa.

More shopping and afternoon tea at St Christopher's Garden Tearoom on Sunday, in a cute, fun area of Tokyo called Jijugaoka. Loads of little shops with bits and pieces to look at. Good sandwiches at this one, tea was a little strong, all round nice, cosy place.

Back to Aleisha's new neighbourhood, Nakano, for dinner in a very good Italian place in the little back streets lined with numerous different restaurants for any number of different tastes.

All the people I know who live in Tokyo have an iPhone, which what seems to be an essential accessory for city living. You can use the interactive maps to find almost anything and street view to check you are in the right place. If I lived in a city I would most defiantly get one. I would most defiantly choose one over the iPad, which looks like an iPod for old people and sounds like a new brand of a feminine hygiene product. I love you Apple, but couldn't you have chosen a different name?

Tokyo Sakura Soriee