Finally!

I have been talking about the australian barbecue so many times that a picture of it had to be posted on these pages someday. The traditional one is usually composed of a thick piece of meat and some big fat sausages (snags). On our side we opted from some local and very nice prawns, some kangaroo skewers as well as some kanga bangas (kangaroo sausages). I was actually a bit disappointed by the later as they - luckily for our health - lack all the fat that makes the pork sausages so sweet and taste quite dry as a result. But the kangaroo skewers were absolutely stunning and the shrimps exquisite.

Arthouse Movies

I just saw two very good movies back to back. I always enjoy it to ‘discover’ movies I had never heard about before. As I go there with no expectations I am rarely disappointed. First we went to the Flix festival in Darwin yesterday to watch the latest Claude Lelouch movie entitled ‘Roman De Gare’. What a plot!? I have always been a bit wary of Lelouch and don’t remember actually liking any of his movies. It’s probably due to the fact that I went to watch ‘Les Uns et Les Autres’ when it came out and let me tell you it was a real torture for a 12 year old kid. Maybe I would appreciate it now but I can’t face the idea of watching it again. As a result, ‘Roman De Gare’ came as real revelation. I would never have suspected it was a Lelouch movie.
Tonight was a completely different atmosphere, far from the twists and actions of yesterday’s flick. ‘The Band’s Visit’ is an amazing account of an Egyptian musical police band lost in a desolate Israeli town. It is based on a true story and I decided on it simply on the ground of the last lines of the synopsis: “Not many people remember this story, It was not that important”. I knew I would be in for a special story indeed!

Record of the Week: 1969

It’s funny how if I were to post a Christmas song today it would make no sense at all… So, just in time for the New Year I introduce a 40 years old track that you should start playing 1 minute 30 seconds before midnight for a crazy cosmic / psychedelic explosion of joy at your 2008 / 2009 party. Also, since there are no releases of interest this week that will fit perfectly as my record of the week this historic track will perfectly fill that gap. I can hereby wish you all my best for 2009 in advance. Enjoy!

Download here: Bonne Annee (I actually personally prefer the 1967 version here)

Darwin Sun

Even though we are entering the wet season, simply referred as 'The Wet', days continue to be quite nice with some clouds building up in the afternoon usually ending as a storm in the evening. As such, we have been getting a fair share of nice sunsets. I often wish I had my camera with me since some of them are quite spectacular. This evening's might not have been the best one but I always like the colours the sun creates on the clouds and the perspective it brings to the sky.

Aboriginal Art

I have always enjoyed Aboriginal Art and even more so since I have been confronted to the amazing collection of the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne some years back. Now that I am in the Northern Territory there is no better place to acquire a better knowledge of what is going on but also to acquire a few paintings myself. I have started to look around in a few galleries and gather information about the Art on display. Prices can easily go as high as 30 or 40 thousand dollars for some pieces. I am now keeping an eye some paintings from Walangkura Napanangka who belongs to the Pintupi people but who also is part of the famous Papunya Tula school of Artists. She amazingly only started to paint a dozen years ago but her works have already gathered quite an international acclaim. Now if you want to donate a few dollars to help me buy some paintings, feel free to do so :-)

Nitmiluk

It really was a lovely way to spend boxing day. And what a lovely weather it was as well. We spent the night in Katherine yesterday and headed to Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorges) this morning. It is not quite the Grand canyon but it is pretty unique and undisputably australian. There are actually 13 gorges. We started by a boat ride on the 3 first gorges and enjoyed the crocodiles, the waterfalls, the vegetation and a few rapids. It gives an interesting perspective to visit the place at water level. But once back ashore we wanted to have another view over this amazing place and chartered an helicopter to enjoy the site from above. I really wish I can find time to make it to Kakadu and Lichtfield one day or the other.

Mr. Barra

As famous as Mr. Croc comes Mr. Barra. The Barramundi is the fish of the Northern Territory (even though it can be found in several places around South East Asia and the Persian Gulf). Territorians main passtime is to go fishing for Barramundi. It lives in freshwater, Billabongs and salty waters. Actually the saltwater Barramundi is usually favoured for having a more delicate flesh and less body fat. Once cooked, I admit it is difficult not to fall for this buttery flesh with a mild salty flavour. A real delicacy. It has fast become my favourite fish. It is possible to literally touch some live ones in a few places in the area and I took a few pictures at the aquarium the other day that I will post at one point or the other. In the meantime, here's a reproduction gracing a fisho's shop in Katherine.

Mr. Croc

You've seen him in my plate the other day. I admit I prefer to have it on my menu rather than being part of his menu. Yes, I am talking about the king of the Northern Territory. Mister Crocodile! As I mentioned before there is not a single day without a crocodile story in the newspaper here. That sounds very exotic for foreigners like me but the fact is that Mr Croc is really spreading out everywhere. There were around 200 of these removed from the Darwin Harbour this year (and it was a small year). Thankfully, I could observe the one above in all safety.

Gidday maaate!

People in the Northern Territory and in Australia can actually choose their plate number as long as it is not offensive, does not already exist and they are ready to pay for it. It is also valid for life and not attached to the vehicle but to the driver. The Northern Territory being pretty ‘unpopulated’ the chance in obtaining your plate number of choice is greater. I came across many many different plates here, some of them funny, some of them witty, others even clever and some really dumb ones (I would sincerely be ashamed to drive some of the vehicles I see just because of their plate numbers). This morning I had a good laugh following this very Australian car (another bad quality picture but I was driving and shouldn’t have been taking pictures in the first place!)

Best of 2008

As with every year, it is difficult for me to rank tracks especially due to my eclectic tastes. Nevertheless, this time my list might seem a bit ‘mainstream’ compared to the previous years. It might be due to the fact that I have been far from where the action is for some time now or because in this digital age there are so many tracks I can get access to that I end up listening to the most obvious or simply because I am aging? Anyway, now that 2007 has long gone and swept the whole record industry away, my own small revolution will come in the way that I will not be sending my lovely crafted ‘Best of the Year’ CD to my friends this year but proposing it as a download version instead. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all, my friends.

1. TV On The Radio 'Family Tree / DLZ'
2. American Music Club 'The Windows On The World'
3. Calexico 'House of Valparaiso'
4. Elbow 'The Loneliness of the Tower Crane Driver'
5. Sister 'Lovers of Today'
6. Ladyhawke 'My Delerium (Single Version)'
7. Friendly Fires 'Paris (Justus Köhncke Remix)'
8. the Streets 'The Escapist'
9. Anne Clark 'Psalm'
10. Bon Iver 're:stacks'
11. MGMT 'Electric Feel (Justice Remix)'
12. White Lies 'Unfinished Business'
13. Joseph d'Anvers '1000 Fois'
14. Stickboy 'I Hope That You're Happy'
15. M.I.A. 'Paper Planes (re-issue)'
16. Quiet Village 'Too High To Move / Pillow Talk'
17. Vampire Weekend 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' / Hot Chip feat. Peter Gabriel 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (cover)'
18. Ting Tings 'That's Not My Name'
19. Flobots 'No Handlebars (DJ Shadow Remix)'
20. Portishead 'The Rip'
    

Well... I had to make decisions... I believe many other tunes really should have been in the Top 20 but there was not enough room to fit at least 50 tracks I would have loved to feature in such a restrictive space... So here's a bonus CD with just a few of the tracks that have been on heavy rotation either on my turntables or iPod.

• Goldfrapp 'A&E'
• Esser 'I Love You' (not on the CD)
• Alex Lloyd 'Same Day'
• Fleet Foxes 'White Winter Hymnal'
• Beck 'Chemtrails'
• LCD Soundsystem 'Big Ideas (Single Edit)'
• The Rapture 'No Sex For Ben'
• Why? 'The Hollows'
• Black Kids 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (Twelves Remix)'
• Metronomy 'Heartbreaker (Diskjokke Remix)'
• Cut Copy 'Hearts On Fire (Original Version)'
• M83 'Kim & Jessie (Montag Remix)'
• Santogold 'L.E.S. Artistes'
• Santogold & Diplo 'Icarus'
• Friendly Fires 'I'm Good, I'm Gone - Lykke Li Cover'
• Lykke Li 'I'm Good, I'm Gone'
• SoKo 'I Will Never Love You More'
• Bost & Bim Ft Brisa Roché & Lone Ranger 'Jamaican Boy'
• Kings of Leon 'Use Somebody (Single Edit)'
  
  Part 1 - Number 1 to Number 10 here (120MB)
  Part 2 - Number 11 to Number 20 here (95MB)
  Bonus CD here (143MB)

Mum and her joey

I have now been in Australia for quite some time (even longer than this all in all!) but I realise that I have actually never posted any picture of that Australian icon that is the Kangaroo. It is true that you do not really see them jumping in the streets of the major cities but they remain a common sight (unfortunately their dead corpses on the roads are even most common). Today, I was in a fantastic place called the 'Wildlife Park' 50 kilometers out of Darwin. It is not at all a zoo but more like a reserve or a sanctuary. I came across this tiny wallaby mother with her even tinier joey. It was quite extraordinary the way this little fella was getting hold of his mother's pouch that came hanging out of her belly.

Gecko on my window

Hello there! I am stuck in the office at the moment but I am expecting to go for a stroll in George Brown botanical gardens later in the day. The rain that has been pretty consistent over the past 6 days has finally nearly stopped. Nevertheless you can see that the window of my office still looks pretty wet and there is a lovely gecko enjoying the coolness of the glass right now.

Food of the Day: Aussie Croc

When living in Alabama I used to go to Louisiana very often on weekends. One of the specialties there is the aligator. It was most of the time proposed fried with lots of crumbs and it was very difficult to fathom the real taste of the meat itself. Now that I am in the Northern Territory I will have to try the local crocodile simply grilled with no additive whenever I see it on the menu. Nevertheless, I went for a Crocodile Salad for lunch today that had more bite than the tasteless meat I used to have in America. Or maybe the Australian croc is simply tastier than the American aligator indeed?

Food of the Day: Pearl Meat

I had actually never heard of Pearl Meat before entering this wonderful restaurant called La Beach yesterday. I understand that for many people in many countries, Pearl Meat is a delicacy. Much different than traditional edible oysters that are farmed around the world, Pearl Meat is a firmer flesh that is actually the muscle of the oyster that allows it to close its shell. As explained by the Owner of the place before it arrived on my table, it is a subtle mix between scallops and abalone. Let me tell you that I really really enjoyed it. And sorry about the blurry picture but I was concentrating more on my food than in taking a picture.

Green Tree Ants

From my office window I can see all those plants whose leaves have been weaved together to form pods. Getting a closer look you can see they are thriving with activity. These unusual natural constructions are actually the work of what is called the Green Tree Ants (or the weaver ants). I was already used to them in Western Papua but I never had such a close look at them before. The nests are in fact bound with silk produced by their larvae. Most of the nest construction and weaving is conducted at night with major workers weaving towards the exterior of the nests and minor workers weaving within the interior. It really makes for a fascinating viewing and their work can keep you busy for hours!

Billy is on his way!

It has been raining nearly nonstop over the past 24 hours and the temperatures have fallen down to nearly 25 degrees! They decided to call Australia's first cyclone of the year Billy. It is currently building up in the Timor Sea about 400km north of Darwin and meteorologists are continuing to keep a close eye on the slow-moving low and say the chances are high of it forming Thursday or Friday. Workers have been evacuated from oil rigs after the bureau issued a warning notice. It is yet 50% uncertain it will hit our shores but the weather certainly has changed those passed days.

Christmas Songs

Just on time for Christmas there are two Indie releases out this week. First is the 'Is This Christmas?' song from The Wombats currently being heavily rotated on the airwaves here. Second, is that unexpected Wedding Present single that landed on my screen with no warning! And needless to say it is my favourite of the lot having been a huge Weddoes fan since the 80s. 'Holly Jolly Hollywood', a duet with L.A. songstress Simone White is the track to go for and select as a loop in yout iPod.

Purchase The Wedding Present here

Purchase The Wombats here

Tommos Pies

We were supposed to go to the Crocodile Farm to have a Crocodile Burger and some Croc skewers for lunch but it was closed. Also the weather was not so great by lunch time. We stopped at Tommos Pie instead and did not regret it. We had some delicious Steak and Kidney as well Steak and Mushroom pies. While browsing over the internet I was amazed to see how you even have some blogs discussing where the best Australian pies can be found, and believe me some bloggers are talking about Tommos all the way from Victoria!

Australia

We finally made it to Australia - The Movie! It has been out for a few weeks now and I had those free tickets that were given as a freebie in R.M. Williams but I was waiting for the opportunity. And when it arose, I learnt while at the ticket counter, that the free tickets were only valid at Hoyst cinemas and there are none in Darwin! Ah! Ah! Irony! Anyway, Baz Luhrmann's vision of Australia is a bit distorted by strange filming techniques and colours but I was still thrilled on a few occasions by all the references to Darwin. Actually what touched me the most were the two sentences about the Aboriginal rights and Kevin Rudd's National Pardon at the end of the 2 hours 30 minutes long movie. It will certainly be a bit lost in translation when it is out in France on the 24th of December since I do not really see how they can translate those very Australian 'bloody' expressions and accents. I was expecting to complain the movie would be inundated with Australian cliches but in the end I found it was lacking them!

In the news!

Oh shock! While having my breakie and watching the French news this morning I was shocked to learn that Woolworths was under bankruptcy in the United Kindgom and about to close its 800 stores or so! Unbelievable. There are some institutions you believe will never disappear and then they do... Here, in Australia, Woolworths or 'The Fresh Food People' or Woolies as everyone calls them, still seem to be strong and are hardly put for competition to the exception of Coles. There are not many supermarkets in Darwin but Woolworths definitely sell some convenient, fresh and varied products. Not a surprise I find myself shopping there nearly every day!

A closer look

Here's a closer look at the 'Art' painted on the fire tank at Vopak fuel terminal in Darwin. I tried to get more information and I understood that this colourful and powerful design was painted by several aboriginal artists from the Larrakia Nation’s Art Centre. The ‘Tank Art Project’ was carried out on the instructions of Vopak and the government of the Northern Territory. The paint might not be suitable for the fuel tanks themselves and it is a shame as it would be very nice to have all them decorated as such.

Tank Art Project

Public Art is often so subtle or in reverse so 'over your face' that you sometimes do not notice it. For example, there is so much street Art in Singapore that it took me sometimes weeks to realise there was actually a sculpture located on my way to a place I used to pass by dozens of times a week. Maybe it is because I am generally less used to see Aboriginal Art in the streets but I seem to be more receptive or to notice all the displays in the Darwin area more than I would usually do. That said, it is difficult to miss the fire water tank that is located at the Port Fuel Terminal!

French news (in Darwin)

I do not have any foreign channels on my TV but every morning just in time for my breakfast if I turn SBS, which is a Government funded channel, I can see the unedited French news. I can actually watch the end of the Spanish news and the beginning of the Russian news since the whole morning seems to be dedicated to the news of the world. I find it to be a very good idea to serve all the minorities that form Australia. It is especially interesting that they do not subtitle and do not edit these programs.

Record of the Week: The John Steel Singers 'Rainbow Kraut'

All the way from Brisbane, Queensland comes this happy sextet. After hearing them on Triple J I could not help but bearing a huge smile. It is one of those tunes have a great healing effect when you’re feeling down. A sound difficult to describe except by saying it has a feel good summery vibe in it. A crossroad between Sufjan Stevens, the Polyphonic Spree and the Flaming Lips. The chorus on their Rainbow Kraut track is simply irresistible. Judge for yourself and please try to lay your hands on their new EP ‘In Colours’. It’s truly fantastic!

Lunch at the museum

I had a wonderful lunch at the Cornucopia Museum Cafe. It is adjacent to the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery and bears a lovely terrace where you can enjoy lovely dishes overlooking the Timor sea (picture above is the view from my table). Unfortunately the sea is only "for looking" in that part of Australia and especially at this time of the year. Sharks, Crocodiles and most importantly Box Jellyfish are sharing these otherwise idyllic blue waters and fine sand.

Charles Darwin

A few meters from my house there is this park which incidentally is named after the famous Charles Darwin. Nothing is more natural than having a National Park named Darwin in the City of Darwin, isn’t it? It was first part of the Larrakia people and has been subsequently used during World War II. You can now have nice views over Darwin City and enjoy some barbecues or walks amongst its protected forrest or next to its unrivalled wetlands.

Road Trains

In view of the big distances to be covered in this country, one of the amazing features you can't help but notice is the Road Train. There are literally trucks tracting as many as 5 or 6 trailers. The only thing is that the real trains here can be several kilometres long. As any other mean of transport you can find magazines, websites and DVDs dedicated to those amazing monsters. And some even try to break some records like the sponsored Hog's Breath Cafe 1700 meter road train, made up of an estimated 120 trailers!

Australian Products

Every country has its own specificities in terms of products. You can only associate Australia with Vegemite, Cherry Ripes, VB, Turkish Delights, Tim Tams and Ginger Beer. I will certainly tell youa bit more about the aforementioned products at one point or another. Ginger Beer is one of my favourite drinks. It has been produced for over 40 years from the town of Bundaberg in Queensland. It is a brewed product made using dried ginger root from the local area mixed with Queensland Cane Sugar and water. Despite its 'beer' name it is a soft drink and contains no alcohol. This is why I love it so much!

Northern Territory weather news

As per the local newspaper November broke several records, with hot temperatures and few rainy days in the Top End. Darwin experienced one of its hottest months on record. Mean temperatures soared to 30.2C last month - hotter than any month since December 1991 and the fourth hottest month on record.
The tropical capital also experienced more hot days than usual, with nine days recording a top temperature of 35C or more, more than any previous November. Non-monsoonal westerly winds blowing off the water kept up knots and kept storms away explained the Weather bureau climate services manager. Darwin also experienced below average rainfall.

Shrimp on the barbie

Coming back from work before it is dark tonight I had the opportunity to actually enjoy the view from my balcony for a while. In fact I quite enjoy the view from my Geylang appartment in Singapore as I can see as far as Batam Island but being in a villa in Australia as opposed to an appartment and directly fronting the water is also quite nice. It is just a shame that it is a tiny bit too hot for me to enjoy it fully. I will still try to have a few barbies in the open air though since the equipment is here and the environment seems ideal for it.

Record of the Week: Holger Hiller 'Das Feuer' / Hell Vice 'Crawfish' (Dark & Lovely volume 12)

You find it difficult to lay your hands on the ever limited 12" edits issued by the wonderful Dark & Lovely label or you simply do not own a turntable? Fear not, you can now find the latest releases compiled on CD under the final compilation of the crew (Dirty Edits Volume 2). The The 'Giant', JJ Cale 'Ride Me High', Del Shannon 'Gemini', etc... The jewel in the crown here probably is the 12th single that was issued a couple of weeks ago (Volume 12) under the name Hell Vice and that actually is Elvis Presley 'Crawfish (Pilooski Edit)'. The Dirty Crew (Joakim, Krikor and Pilooski) have actually decided to stop issuing edits after that and it is a shame since they are the originators of one of the biggest hits of the year 'Beggin' and could probably repeat the feat this year with that Elvis track.

Got to get a new pair of shoes...

It is high time I upgraded my shoes so I opted for the ever fantastic R.M. Williams boots. There is only a single store in the Northern Territory, in Darwin, contrary to the rest of Australia. I went for kangaroo leather this time as I am in skippy country after all! And as often with R.M. it comes with lots of freebies. In the package they gave me a polo shirt, a cap and a pair of tickets to see the Baz Luhrmann movie 'Australia'. Fantastic!

Settled

Even though I am not yet sure of the duration of my assignment here I have moved into a house as in the end it will be cheaper and more convenient than staying in an hotel room. The minimum duration is for 2 months anyway. I found a lovely place 5 minutes from the city on a tranquil bay. The surrounding neighbours all seem to have a small boat or a yacht. Maybe I should start considering sailing if I am to stay here for a while. The view above is from my house's small deck.

Northern Territory

The picture above was taken from the plane taking me back from Perth to Darwin today. The four hours trip between the two cities flies over the red bush for most of the time. It can be quite boring after some time as it is pretty monochrome and flat. But arriving in the Darwin area things start to get greener and more interesting. It is nevertheless not easy to explore the area at ground level. The best options probably are by boat but I believe the best views can only come form the sky.

Perth City

Perth is often considered as being the most remote city in the world but it is a fine place to live in. Life seems easy, the weather is temperate, there is a great free public transport, the beach is excellent, the people seem happy. I di not get much time to check the city due to my workload but you can easily feel the good vibe emanating from its streets. The fact I am here in late spring in a cool beautiful weather with a perfect blue sky probably adds to my attraction to that place and it is a great contrast to the sticky hot weather I just left in Singapore and Darwin.

Perth taxis

My stay in Darwin is already interseded after only one day by a quick mission to Perth. I had already noticed last time all the warning signs in the taxi that somehow reminded me of Singapore. Except they are usually not accompanied by the mention of a fine. I am used to see in restaurents or businesses the mention claiming the 'owner reserves the right to refuse any person' but it usually remains only vague. In Perth, all the taxis bear a sticker saying the driver can refuse 'dirty and abusive' passengers. That is much more specific but remains somehow subjective.

Northern Territory News

Last time I landed in Darwin the headline in the newspaper was about a ship that capsized because of a shark. This time around, the cover page of the Northern Territory newspaper this morning was about a crocodile found in a swimming pool. Each time I talk about sharks or crocs to Aussie friends or family they always tell me it is just a cliché but how can I honestly believe them. Suffice to read the news. It is no cliché but the reality.

Record of the Week: The Smiths 'Singles Boxset'

Rhino recently put out a double CD compilation of The Smiths which Morrissey loudly refused to support inviting its fans to boycott the release (since he had no say nor involvment in the project). In parrallel they are re-issuing individually and every week the first ten UK-issued singles in their original artwork sleeves. Even better, all these singles are now collected into a boxset with the addition of two exclusive 7" ('Still Ill' which was eventually never issued as a record and the Dutch edition of 'The Headmaster Ritual') as well as badges and posters. How could I resist such a collector's item? In order not to feel guilty I will just take it that Morrissey's stand is only for the CD release.

Sayonara Tokyo

It is already time we said goodbye. I am in the A380 between Tokyo and Singapore as I am writing this. Most memorable of the whole Japanese stay will have evidently been the food. It is anyway always the case for any trip but there is nothing more intriguing and varied than Japanese food. And it is not all Sushi and Yakitori as many people who have not visited the place might think. From the highlights I will always remember the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki, the hour long queue to eat the freshest sahimi at the Tokyo Fishmarket but mainly that little boutique in Asakusa specialising in sweet potatoes. The baked apple with sweet potato and the sweet potato calissons (picture above) are something from another world! But there are also all those bizarre things (which I am also a fan of) like the White Pepsi drink sold in the convenience stores and that is actually Pepsi and Yogurt flavoured. And the quest for the endless choice of Kit Kat limited editions. It is as if Kit Kat had decided to scatter a different product in each store (Green Tea Kit Kat, Soy Sauce Kit Kat, Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat, watermelon Kit Kat, French Salt Kit Kat, Chestnut Kit Kat just to name a few).

Tokyo Art

Tokyo surely hosts its own share of galleries and museums. From the lovely and tiny Gallery éf in Asakusa to the bigger Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOT). The latter organises its collections quarterly and while we were around the exhibition on display was concentrating on its latest acquisitions. Japanese favorites Yayoi Kusama and Yoshimoto Nara were well represented but what intrigued and delighted me the most was the video installation from Julian Opie (remember that Blur cover?). A delight for the senses. And it is ironic the most Japanese influenced works of the whole exhibition space might be from a Brit.

新宿区

Shinjuku does not bring any surprises in the sense that it is exactly as per the image you might have of Tokyo if you have never been there. Shops and crowds and neonlights. It is also famous for being the busiest train station in the world and there is no denying the intensity and buzz that buzzes in the underground mazes at all time. Nevertheless it has a lot to offer for everyone and is a real pleasant place to live in. By the way, if you happen to go to Tokyo I can only highly recommend the fabulous Oakwood Apartments which have all the modern comfort that can help you enjoy a wonderful stay. It's a real find!

Hiroshima

It is difficult not to feel emotional while visiting Hiroshima. To even understand and feel things a bit better I branched at Kinokuniya to grab a copy of John Hersey's Hiroshima. It recounts the lives of six survivors in the days before, during and following the bombing. It brought a complete new perspective to the way I visited the city.

On a happier note, we could not be in Hiroshima without trying the local specialty. And as it is virtually impossible to get disappointed with the food in Japan we delected ourselves with an Okonomiyaki. It is a kind of Japanese pancake topped with shredded cabbage, bacon, egg omelette, mochi and noodles that is prepared on a teppan (hotplate).

Miyajima

Today we headed to Miyajima. It was quite sunny but bloody cold! Last time I came here the famous floating Torii gate was under renovation and hidden under hideous scaffoldings! I felt cheated. It is after all one of the three most scenic spots in Japan (with Mastushima and Amanohashidate). It is famous for its maples and November definitely is the busiest seasons with hordes of Japanese wanting to catch a glimpse of its delightful colours. Its culinary specialties include delicious oysters (on skewers, in batter, in croquettes, etc...) and most importantly the reknowed Momiji Manju (delicious cakes in form of maple leaves with different fillings). We went to the original baker and tried different flavours like custard, green tea, chocolate and soya bean paste.

Kyoto

I am just loving every single minute I am spending in Japan. It has always been my favourite country as a tourist since you just cannot help from being amazed at every single thing you see. A temple, a soy sauce flavoured Kit Kat, a kimono dressed lady talking with a pink coloured haired punkette. Everything is so different. Big cities all tend to be the same all around the world so it is good to be in a place where there is still a strong local identity. And I have not yet talked about the food! Mmmm... The food!

Kawaii!

After visiting Japan over the Cherry Blossom season some years back I thought that nothing could beat that glorious celebration of nature but coming back here in November proved me wrong. forget about the Canadian indian summer and come and feed your eyes amongst an array of colours rarely seen outside of this country. Such a natural beauty let us forget any bad feeling or stress we might have previously accumulated. Absolutely gorgeous!

いらっしゃいませ

Irasshaimase or 'welcome' in Japanese! There cannot be any better introduction than the fish head picture above. Welcome to the land of crazyness! I have always been in love with the contrasts and contradictions the country offers to the visitors. One of the first sights welcoming us in Japan has been this gentleman selling fish shaped donuts wearing this silly fish costume. And if we would have found this ridiculous anywhere else in the world, in Japan this excentricity can only make sense. There is no doubt the time will fly here. Let's enjoy every minute!

Goodbye and see you again!

Over this trip we have been blessed by a constant beautiful weather oscillating between 20 and 30 degrees (celcius). The skies have shown their best colours and we incredibly witnessed the first snow of the season over the Grand Canyon during the only cold experience of the trip. We witnessed the most amazing fire red sunset over the Colorado valley in Blythe and yesterday evening the sun waved us goodbye over Venice Beach (above picture). The West Coast definitely is an enjoyable place to live in (if you can forget about the earthquake threats ans raging fires).

The Getty Museum

The Getty museum is just an 'out of this world' place. I had never visited it before but you really have to witness it to believe it. Despite the controversy on the ownership of some of the Art pieces on display (after the previous curator was arrested for trafficking) you can only be impressed by its collection of European Arts and Antiquities. But what can be even more amazing than the pieces themselves is both its location overlooking Los Angeles and offering a 360 degrees view over the city and the incredible ingenuosity of its architecture where you can clearly feel that every single detail has been carefully studied. It is particularly glowing white under a blue sky (even though the city below is not glowing because of the constant pollution as you can see above).

L.A.

It really is not difficult to guess where we are today. It is also amazing to think that a few hundred miles from here and a couple of days ago we witnessed the first snow of the season since today the weather has been particularly hot and sunny. It is like being in summer again. And those 28 degrees Celcius (82 degrees Fahrenheit as they say here) do not feel anything like 28 hot and and sticky Singapore degrees. They are just perfect! We surely had to do the touristy things from the Chinese Theatre to the Walk of Fame and from Beverly Hills to Malibu. But no celebrity spotting!

Mojave and Joshua Tree National Parks

The first time I heard of the Joshua Tree was thanks to U2 when they issued their timeless masterpiece 'The Joshua Tree' twenty years ago (see the picture here). I then drove through the Joshua Tree National Park on my way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas a few years later. A classic ride. I will be crossing the same park again today but I was amazed to go through a forest of Joshua Trees on my way from Vegas yesterday. I did not know that the biggest 'forest' of joshuas was actually in Mojave Desert. A weird and beautiful sight.