Not Laughing Squid | by Samer Farha
The Tsukiji Fish Market is one of the most amazing places that I’ve ever seen.
Inspecting Tuna | by Samer Farha
More pictures from Tsukiji and Japan, as well as pictures from Hong Kong once I get to Beijing.
Photo Highlights – July 25
28 07 2008Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: photo highlight, Photography, tokyo, Travel, tsukiji
Categories : Photography
Japanese Signs
26 07 2008
‘Unclaimed Objects or Persons’ | by Samer Farha
Cobol | by Samer Farha
‘Girls Snack Peche’ | by Samer Farha
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Tags: japan, Photography, sings, tokyo, Travel
Categories : Photography, Travel
Pocari Sweat
25 07 2008
‘Pocari Sweat’ | by Samer Farha
When I saw the vending machine above hawking Pocari Sweat, I laughed and then took a picture. Of course, it’s one of the most heavily commented pictures I’ve posted from the trip so far on Flickr.
Pocari is a Japanese word, and it apparently means “cloud like.” But sweat, well, that’s just a nonsense word they tacked on to create their brand. It means nothing in Japanese, and the connotation with sweating isn’t linked for them.
After reading that it tastes a little bit like unflavored and less sweet Gatorade, I decided I’d have a go. It tastes a lot like a mix of 7-UP and ginger ale that’s been allowed to go flat. It’s got a faint sweet smell, but mostly it smells of not much. It’s actually not a bad taste at all. Even though it is less sweet than either of those drinks are normally, it was still a little too sweet by me.
The next time you are in Japan and need a drink of the “density and electrolytes, close to that of human body fluid, it can be easily absorbed in the body,” this should be your drink.
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: japan, odd, pocari sweat, tokyo, vending
Categories : Travel
Photo Highlights – July 23
25 07 2008
In the Tunnel | by Samer Farha
There’s this long tunnel from one of the subway stations to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings, where I was going. There are a few restaurants there, including one with this façade. So I stopped and waited until I got a shot I liked. It’s amazing how few people notice a big foreigner aiming a camera at a wall.
Hinged | by Samer Farha
There’s a shrine not far from where I’m staying which you have to climb over a hundred stairs to get to. Needless to say, not a lot of tourists there. I just loved these golden hinges.
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: japan, photo highlight, shrine, silhouette, tokyo
Categories : Photography
Earthquake
23 07 2008I went to bed early, in order to be awake at this time and head to the fish market. I was woken up a little after midnight by an earthquake. I’ve never been in one, and this was really surreal — the whole room was swaying, as I’m sure the building was designed to.
It’s hard to know how long it lasted, but it felt like a minute or two. It was an interesting experience.
UPDATE: More details are emerging about the quake. It is estimated to have been around 6.8 on the Richter scale, and it happened around 300 miles north of Tokyo. More from the USGS.
Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: earthquake, japan, tokyo
Categories : Travel
Tomorrow, the World!
23 07 2008Or sushi, at least.
It’s almost 10 p.m. here, and I am about to hit the sack. Not because I am tired, which I am, but because tomorrow I wake up at 4:30 to hit Tsukiji — Tokyo’s famed fish market. At 5:00 they do their auctions, and I hope to be filling up four gigs worth of pictures by then.
The plan is simple, if problematic: Wake up, grab a cab, wander the market until roughly 6:00, have a sushi breakfast (chef’s choice or omakase) and then back to the hotel for a short nap. Wake up, pack, buy my ticket on the airport bus, go to the office for a meeting, back at the hotel to check out and head for the airport. Sleep on the bus, check into the flight, get aboard, sleep for a couple of hours, land in Hong Kong.
My last night, as usual, has proved to be my best night in Tokyo. More on that, and my random thoughts about Japan, later.
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: fish market, japan, tokyo, Travel, tsukiji
Categories : Travel
Photo Highlights – July 22
23 07 2008
Pray II | by Samer Farha
I was really taken by the people praying here. The temple was a really good spot for people watching and taking pictures.
Having Fun | by Samer Farha
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Tags: japan, people, photo highlight, shrine, tokyo
Categories : Photography
Photo Highlights – July 21
22 07 2008
Pray | by Samer Farha
Got to go to the Sensoji temple yesterday. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo, built in the 900s. There were a lot of tourists, but also a lot of people paying respects.
Shop | by Samer Farha
The street leading to the temple is full of Edo-period stores selling all sorts of things.
Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: japan, people, photo highlight, shopping, shrine, tokyo
Categories : Photography
No Mt. Fuji for Me
21 07 2008Remember where I said I don’t plan? Yeah, it’s now bit me in the ass — the Mt. Fuji tour for today is packed, and I could not get on it. The sad thing is, I didn’t even know they did tours like that until last night, and so it was already too late. The worst part is that I woke up early just for this, and couldn’t go back to sleep.
Vending | by Samer Farha
I guess I’ll go wander the subway or maybe down by the water. It’s already 80° here with really high humidity. Luckily I have a pocket full of change to use in those vending machines that will get me bottled water. At least I think there’s water in those things.
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Tags: japan, plans, tokyo, tourist
Categories : Travel
Plan B
20 07 2008I don’t like to plan. I’m pretty averse to it, actually. I like to have a goal and then somewhere along the line everything falls into place and it happens. But to actually sit down and say, “I need to do steps 1, 2, 3…,” well, that’s not for me.
Having said that, I almost always try and have a loose “plan B.” Today’s lesson is why having a plan B is important.
Normally when I travel, I don’t think about money. I take what I have on me, confident in the knowledge that my ATM and Visa card will get me the local currency at reasonable rates. A few years ago, while traveling across Europe, I got a call from my bank saying they were worried about activity on my card. This year, I decided to tell them up front that I was going to be overseas. Either they screwed it up or the Visa vendor did, but they seem to have turned off my card, not insured that it would still be working!
So my plan B was to have some carrying around US dollars, “just in case.” In this case, it means I’ve got about $300 I can convert into ¥32,000. Coupled with my Amex, it should keep me through the weekend. Now to find a place to do the conversion on a Sunday!
Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: cash, currency, japan, plans, scramble, tokyo
Categories : Travel
