Archive for June, 2016

Our trip to Japan!!

Sunday, June 26th, 2016

So we were in Japan from June 9th to June 24th. It was a great trip – we’d planned to be there for the 50th anniversary memorial of Naoko’s great grandfather, when there’d be a family gathering and a special ceremony at the temple. But that was only one day, so we spent a week taking the train around Kyushu, seeing that beautiful island for the first time, hanging around in Himeji, and also doing fun things like going off to see friends in Osaka, eating good food, and drinking beer. We also saw a Hanshin Tigers game!!

But why don’t I let the pictures tell the story!! Sorry, some of these pictures are out of order, not sure why that happened…

As usual, click on the picture to see a larger version of it.

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Calayer curry shop in Osaka! Spicy curry!!

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Calayer curry – the only curry shop that specialises in Slayer!!

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Korean barbecue!!

cialis on demand dosage

Cooked Korean barbecue in Tsuruhashi!!

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Tsuruhashi with friends!!

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Ready to hit the road…

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Hello Kitty mentaiko!!

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In the yatai area of Hakata.

Eating ramen in Hakata!

Grabbing some Hakata ramen!!

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Ready to ride to Nagasaki!!

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Nagasaki train station…

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Nagasaki Chinatown…

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Nagasaki Chinese food!!

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The Peace Memorial in Nagasaki.

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Nagaski ice cream!!

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This cathedral was only 200 metres from ground zero, but it has since been rebuilt.

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Never again.

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Nagasaki a-bomb museum

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A thousand cranes for peace.

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Nagasaki

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Nagasaki

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Nagasaki

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Nagasaki – Zen restaurant!!

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Nagasaki

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Nagasaki’s other cathedral. Beautiful!!

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View over Nagasaki.

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Glover Garden.

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View of Nagasaki from Glover Garden.

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Foreigners’ house museum in Glover Garden.

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View of Nagasaki port from Glover Garden.

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Sakurajima, an active volcano near Kagoshima.

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Yummy beer!!

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Sashimi!!

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Dinner in Kagoshima. We liked the city so much, we stayed two days – one day longer than we’d originally planned.

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Breakfast in Kagoshima.

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Heading out to Sakurajima.

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Checking out Sakurajima.

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Hot spring.

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Heading back to the city.

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On our way to Ibusuki by special train – the Ibutama. Very cool!!

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On a special tourist train to Ibusuki.

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At the Ibusuki hot spring.

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People are buried up to their necks in hot sand. It’s supposed to make you feel good. Naoko and Zen loved it!!

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While Naoko and Zen did their hot sand therapy, I wandered around the Ibusuki shore. Nice town!!

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Kagoshima cool!!

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Great breaded cutlets!! The restaurant was a bit gloomy, though…

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Polar bear shaved ice dessert!!

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Misty morning hop…

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Beppu!!

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Beppu shopping alley…

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Weird drawing!!

Beppu's onsen jigoku tour first stop - umi jigoku.

Beppu’s onsen jigoku tour first stop – umi jigoku.

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One of the hot spring places had a zoo, with this scary hippo!!

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It’s hot!!

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cialis buy uk

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A crocodile!!

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A sea of crocodiles!!

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Hot hut.

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Beppu – hot spring town!!

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The gift shop…

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A geyser!!

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Our lovely dinner – sashimi!!

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Fish maw – doesn’t look like much, but it was probably the best food I had in Japan on this trip!!

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On our way to Yufuin!!

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Yufuin

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Heading back to Hakata

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On the road to Hakata

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Himeji skies

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Naoko’s parents’ family altar

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The village temple

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The memorial service.

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Himeji’s smallest house.

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Daijobu restaurant…

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Fujino…

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Nice dinner, cool people, great food!!

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…and plenty to drink!!

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Zen and Speedy!!

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In front of the temple. Zen wore his school uniform.

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The men’s corner…

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Dried octopus…

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My niece made this funny picture of me…

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Catfight!!

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Heading out to Koshien stadium to see the Hanshin Tigers play!!

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We brought our dinner!!

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cialis dallas

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liquid cialis dosage

Weird platform warning sign…

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Warning signs on the road to my second Osaka visit!!

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Great Osaka food!!

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Awesome dish!!

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Cliff ‘n’ Matt in Osaka!!

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A downtown Osaka eatery!!

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Out for some lovely okonomiyaki!!

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Found this old radio in the room…

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old radio in the okonomiyaki shop

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Cycling around Himeji one day…

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Trying out Hope-ken’s spicy ramen – yum!!

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Spicy!!

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Himeji castle!!

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Speedy!!

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Barbecue fun!!

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Meaty!!

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Getting ready for a barbecue on our second-last night in Japan!!

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Tastes great!!

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Awesome barbecue!!

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Daichi and Naoko!!

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Himeji Castle!!

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MegalomaniA gig, with Dave Hale!

Sunday, June 5th, 2016

Our drummer Val was back in town, so we organised a gig at the wonderful Sportsman bar over beers. A few days before that I found out that my ex-neighbour Dave Hale from the time we lived in Japan would be in town, so he came to the gig! ALL RIGHT!!

This turned out to be the first of only three gigs MegalomaniA played in 2016.

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The Observatory – album launch!

Sunday, June 5th, 2016

So nice to see The Observatory again, launching a new album called August Is The Cruellest. I had the best night – bought some great vinyl in the afternoon, hung out with friends, saw the show, then went off to Molly Malone’s to hang out with more friends… who bought me beers! I took a late bus home, so I even saved taxi fare!! Some nights just work out perfect…

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My original song “Omniscient”

Sunday, June 5th, 2016

Here’s a video of my buddy Seth and me doing two of my original songs – “Even When I’m Right I’m Wrong” and “Omniscient”.

Funny how I wore the same shirt both times…