Scenes of Toronto

Here are a couple of quick shots from a day around Toronto. Basically the one of the tower is in the downtown financial core. Smaller than tokyo, and mostly with all of the Canadian Banks. Neverthe less lots of tall buildings and money around. Even a Rolls Royce. While there we popped into a gallery of Native Canadian art. Here is a picture of one of the sulptures that are around.

The sky is clear and actually not really that cool today (well cooler than Tokyo), but really as it is the first day of winter all in all not that bad. Happy Winter Solstice folks.

Back Home (AKA Why Travelling Sucks)

So I have popped back to Canada for about 2 weeks. It is good to be back home, good to be with family, and sometimes it is good to be out of Japan. At least that is my opinion. Anyhow, I was thinking while on the plane that the issues that I have with travelling are not the flight, it is the incescent lineups that you have in airports. It is the airlines inability to organize anytihng. I cannot believe that we are trusting these people with our lives, I do not think I would let them plan a kids birthday party (although I think that many of them are clowns). Anyhow will update more with photos as things move along.

22 Have Ecoli in New Jersey

Seems like it is from Taco Bell. How is 22 people feeling sick from Taco Bell any different from any other day?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/04/ecoli.outbreak.ap/index.html

What the heck is a bonenkai???

Much of the west celebrates this time of year with Christmas parties, or Year End Parties... well in Japan they have the Bonenkai. The Bonenkai is actually translated often as "forget the year party". Many people choose too. They do this by going out with their team, department, company (usually one party for each) and have a few drinks together an celebrate the end of the year. They do this with their friends, and some I imagine their families. But one thing is constant, is a celebration for the end of the year, and a copious amount of alcohol. At work we have a couple of these, one is already done for me, and only a couple more days left in Japan so not much to chance to have too many more. Which for me is not really a bad thing. Too much drinking will wear you down (I can hear Manjit calling me a blouse right as we speak).

Here are a few pictures from around Tokyo that I snapped with my camera phone. The Stormtropper at Meguro station was kind of cool.