Sunset on 52nd floor!

What do you with endless possibilities and so little time? Heard in the office about a nice exhibition in the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills. The fact that the museum is on 53rd floor and that you enter through the Tokyo City View, one of the best lookout points you can find in Tokyo only adds to the attraction. Not the first time to be there but the view from there is spectacular, this city never ends, new addition this time was that you could get up on the actual roof as well. Arrived just before sunset on this nice weather Saturday, pictures are always hard, but this shows some of it. The houses just sprawl away as far as one could see before they diffused in the haze. A quick trip on the roof in the dark and then it was time to see if "The Messangers" would tell me anything. Annette Messager had put together a cool and sometimes strange mix (yes Gabbe! konstigt) of high and low, men-women, some of the pieces had a really nice feminist punch. I can not say that I actually understood what her message is, but still it was very nice to be forced to think! What is she trying to tell me with all these stuffed birds where she had knitted new heads for them. Inspirational and a very nice way to spend a Saturday in Tokyo.

丸の内 Cow Parade ２００８

What are you to do when you have a day off from work, Autumnal Equinox holiday? Well if in Tokyo is kind of easy. Watch the Cow Parade! If you like have a name that rhymes with ko (swedish for cow) what better way to spend a day off from work than some cow-spotting. U can do it on your own, but it is much more fun if you can share it with friends. There are some 70 life size cows spread out around a few blocks in central Tokyo, only managed to see half of them yesterday. (expect cow parade part II) So far the winner is "Elmo the cow".

A drink in totsuka !

What do you do if you don't have any family to hang out with on the weekends? Borrow one! This is the second time this summer I have had a really nice time in totsuka, dinner + karaoke and then a lazy day with the furry ones. OK so the dogs are a little crazy but once they relax they are cozy to be around.

Friends makes life fair!

First day in school

Back to school! The traditional picture with two happy kids on their way to school went missing this year! The pressure of moving back to Sweden and stating a new school took it's toll! Not only smiles this rainy morning!

Coldplay

So it took a week, or so but the I got it! The latest album by Coldplay is really nice. OK better than nice, some soundbites are on the web! Check out their webpage! I took me a while since I don't read CD covers (it is like manuals) but I could not grasp why I felt all these influences! I have teenage kids! I have no time to read about music! But of course Brian Eno has done part of the production! The album "Viva la vida" is really cool tracks range from lovely to brilliant. If you haven't heard it, please check it out! My only concern right now, do I dare to get the older CD's?

The best coffee in town?

Can be found in an ol VW bus in Jiyugaoka! Worth a detour!

Tokyo on my own!

It is a wee bit strange to spend so much time with myself as the only company. But there are good sides to it as well! After a brilliant sushi lunch on one of the bridges over meguro-gawa I set out for some culture. Not just any one but my favorite posh-type culture, modern dance. Maki Kurishita et al. should perform at the Aoyama Round Theatre. I found the place and I got a ticket. Dance is amazing! Maybe it is simple! I can't dance, it could be thats why it is so awesome to see people who can. If Akiko Yano is the voice, this could be the "body", a really cool show maki-no-uzu-maki. I think it means Makis spiral. A mix of child stories, danced (I think that what it was, all was in Japanese) balkan musik, really hardcore metal stuff. Amazing both the dancing and the music (by Dill). So this act is over, but honestly, if you are given a chance to see Maki (and the maki-gumi) take it!!!

Sayonara Piyush!

Mr enka sings a song for piyush!




A new t-shirt and some beer, can it be better?

Yes it can! Underneath you can see the loving t-shirt but on top a sober yukata!
Good Luck in Sweden!

Sayonara Ozaki

The traditional Wednesday sayonara/welcome party, people come people go! The second party is a perfect time for some reflective thoughts about life (above) or maybe just to celebrate the change below.



She is so(?) happy to have a new boss

It's not the beach!

But on a hot day it sure beats my birdsnest in Gotanda! Meguro kumin center!

Another perfeckt lunch!

Gyoza lunch in Harajuku! Simple menu! Gyoza or gyoza! The only drawback would be the lack of air-con... 30 degrees outside a number of big pots boiling inside :-)

A perfect Saturday!

So the day started a little rough, primarily since friday night was sort of infringing on saturday morning. Some coffee and a stroll through a hot and humid harajuku to fujimama, where a bloody mary and a thai ceasar sallad can make any bad hair day into the soft day. The stuff you need to recharge for a new week in the office. To prove the point it even made me able to survive a shopping stop at GAP, despite the sale, so now I have jeans in my own size!! People watching in harajuku is a really nice way to spend a day, even a humid tokyo day at 30 degrees celcius. When done with that a slow stroll towards shinjuku for a stop at kinokuniya, the best book store in tokyo, so now I have more books to read. On my way home I also managed to find a decent food store close to home such that to top the day I hade dinner I made myself!

What do Sumo wrestlers do when they retire?

Why not open a restaurant, the sumo guys knows all about eating! Mitsu knew this really nice place Saikai (西海)in Musashikoyama, great food and a big and loud guy running the show.

Moving day!

4 professional guys arrived at 9 in the morning. One hour later our house is full of boxes. Not so FUN! But they are good!

Compact living!

Look I got a new closet to hide in! 20.6 m2 for a complete life in style

Midsummer w surströmming!

Great friends make great parties!


En fantastisk midsommar afton i Tokyo! Sill snaps o surströmming!

A very traditional midsummer although the fermented herring is a different tradition!
A nice way to say sayonara to the apartment that has been home for the last 2 years. The moving company shows up later this week and maybe this will make me realize that this stay in Tokyo is to be over soon.

Thanks guys for making a great party!
I hope the snaps-induced remorse is not to bad!

Skolavslutning 2

Engagerad sång av högstadiet! Sommar e gyllene tider

Grade 8 Exam @ TIS!

Sorry for the crappy sound! Still had to share this with you!

More music!

So I am late! Honestly i did buy it years ago, but never really did listen to it! Daniel Lemma is fantastiic! I don't even like soul but this really rocks! I have been hearing the Morning Train for days, it even makes a crowded japanese train a pleasure! You know, a 45 minute group hug! Please do yourself a favor check him out!

Feels like Monday morning!

After NOT seeing the elusive Fuji! We went to the beautiful Open Air museum in Hakone. Sculptures are ment to be seen outdoors :-) This head with bandage was really kool.

Who needs McD?

Raw fish is also very fast food!

Exam in Kendo land!

Gabbe did one of his last Kendo-practice nights. I think the Japanese find him very exotic! To encourage him to continue in Sweden he got this nice diploma and a long speach (all in japanese)

The BIG boys are in town!

Final day of the summer sumo tournament. The big boys show up.

Back with Kendo Boy

Gabbe is the one with an orange head-cloth under the helmet.

Yanokami - seriously sunshine!

You should listen to these guys, Yanokami, this music brings sunshine even to the rainy days. OK my kids had this "dad seriously" look when the voice of Akiko Yano was floating around the flat, but even they fell for this fascinating music after some listening.

Happiness is different!

Or is this belly dancing japanese style?

Belly dancing in Kawasaki!

Manav to the left?

Who needs karaoke anyway?

When U can kill "things"

Vineets wedding celebration!

In the end we got 2 celebrate Vineets wedding!

Henry Ford! Is he a taylor?

You can have any color as long as it is black!

You never walk alone.

So many lonely people, gathered in the same place.

Isak in his favorite spot! Online, chat n youtube!

The new backyard! Multiple chats, watching southpark n listening 2 music, all at once :-) Kids are the future already!

Garageland!

A punkbar in Shibuya! Good 2 b 17 again! :-)

Bröllopsdag! .

Rose is a rose is a rose....

Clean Fun!

How 2 prepare 4 a clean life! Nico, a happy guy, some real food n a bath in sight. Oodaiba onsen is a really fun place! OK a little artificial..... But a great concept! Beer and Bath!

Big in Japan!

Buddha!
We had a wonderful hike up-n-down this mountain, lots of Buddha figures hidden away, this was obviously the biggest one! Note that both Gabbe (white T-shirt) n Isak (blue sweater) is in the picture.

Nikklas e framme i Tokyo!..

Första utflykten i Tokyo detta milleniet!

A tired but happy Nico just off the plane from Sweden, gyoza lunch in Harajuku then a stroll down to Shibuya. We went home briefly before dinner at Tengu in Meguro. Quite brave he tried everything we gave him, he seemed happy about the food (even the horse meet went down) n went a little tired back to the train station for a short ride back to his hotel.

José González

I very rarely discover new music, not enough time to listen that much!

But recently on a loooong flight to Copenhagen I did have the time to listen a little to José González,
really cool, slightly ambient melancholic music :-)
Back home again I went out and bought the Veneer CD.

It is really good! Perfect for crowded train rides and 4 bad days in the office. Like today, Saturday & Holiday :-(

Never heard of him? Check him out!

A nice website and some stuff on myspace is there 4 U!

Some people know what to do with their Ph.D. studies!

Size Matters!

Interesting life!
Being an expat sounds like a cool thing, in Japan of all places!
True happiness here is when you find shoes in your own size,
not that easy where size 12 is considered REALLY big!

From the happy owner of a pair of red shoes :-)

Kendo pojken!

Gabbe som enda gaijin på Kendo! En kvinna pratar, lite, engelska annars bara Japanska o kroppsspråk.

or In English:
Gabbe the Kendo boy. The only gaijin around, only one of the women speaks English but he enjoys the practice anyway. He started off when we came here almost 2 years ago with the other beginners (mostly 5 & 6 year olds) and has since then advanced to his own age group.

Best bar in Tokyo!!

The Black Lion in Meguro!

OK this picture is not that good, but there were only a few couples around n I did not want to publish them on the web. If I am back when it is more action I will provide you a better image of this "homey" place.