Santa has milk & cookies at every house
The 6 White Boomers
Of course, there’s no such thing as a white kangaroo...
Or is there?!
Have a very merry Christmas!
And don’t forget the milk and cookies!
The Gang Outside Ola
The Cave-Couple with Cat-Man
Cat-Men
Colonel Sanders & Mini Mouse
"Sally" & Friends
Costumed Customers
The Bar Staff
The Gang
Day-of-the-Dead Hiroki
Sexy Shino
Sexy Shino Up Close
She-Devil Jenna
The Masked DJ
The Bar Getting Crowded
Schoolgirls?
The Child-Friendly Cave-Couple Return
The Caveman Cops a Feel
The Caveman Thumping Woody+Shot.jpg)
Woody Gets (a) Shot
My first-ever costume: Fred Flintstone
Check back soon for more (a lot more!) Halloween photos!
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Some kids in Halloween costumes
A toilet-papered house
Halloween has its origins in an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The Celts lived in Ireland and Scotland thousands of years ago – long before the birth of Christ. The festival of Samhain was a celebration of the end of the harvest season. The festival was celebrated after the harvest was sorted and stored away. It is also sometimes regarded as the end of the Celtic year.
The ancient Celts were very superstitious. They believed that on the last day of the year (around October 31st, according to their calendar) the spirits of the dead came back to this world. They were scared of these ghosts. They wore costumes and masks to trick the evil spirits into thinking they were also ghost, hoping that the real ghosts would leave them alone.
The most famous symbol of Halloween is the Jack-o-lantern, a hollowed out pumpkin with a scary face carved in it. Originally, Jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips.
There is an old Irish story about a bad man called Jack who tricked the Devil into never taking him to hell. (Read the full story here.) However, this trick eventually backfired. When he finally died, he could not enter Heaven or Hell. Jack found himself doomed to walk the earth at night, guided only by the light of a burning coal – a gift from the Devil – in a turnip lantern.
This story was the Celts’ attempt to explain the phantom flames they sometimes saw burning over bogs and moors. (In Japan, these flames used to sometimes appear over graveyards. They were caused by methane gas escaping from rotting bodies or wood. In Japanese, these flames are known as hino tama.)
Ha! Ha! HArrrrrrrr!
Here there be monsters!
And speaking of monsters, did you know that International Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day is the official holy day of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? RAmen!
And finally, Shiver me timbers! The International Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day Homepage!
We went to the Puzzle Project party yesterday. (You can read all about the project here!) There were a lot of people there. And the finished puzzle looks good! You still have to this Saturday (September 20th) to check it out in person! It’s worth the trip to Horie!!
The 2006 Puzzle Project
As well as the Puzzle Project, Inaba San will be holding his own exhibition at the same gallery. There will be an exhibition party this evening from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. I hope to see you there!The Puzzle Project
Artist Space CERO
Takashi Inaba's Profile
Uni Pon Pon Kau Kau (Inaba San's Bar & Gallery)
Actually, it’s not really that bad! The broken screen is just a joke. If you’d like a broken screen just like mine, click on the picture below. Once the picture opens, right click, and then click on “Set as Background.”
Anyway, I hope to have most of my computer problems fixed up by the end of the week. I promise to tell you about my visit to the aquarium once my “new” computer is online. In the meantime, here are a couple of events you can check out this week…
Erochick
One of the coolest people we know in Osaka (or anywhere else!) is artist and bar owner Takashi Inaba. His bar, the stylish but oddly-named Uni Pon Pon Kau Kau, is hosting an exhibition this week. I’m not sure what kind of art it is, but I’m sure it’s good. You can get more details here.
Almost every month, our friend Simon hosts a concert called Inner Sky at Covent Garden, in Horie. This month, he’s taken some time off to be the musical director of Rock Fan, a big outdoor music festival co-sponsored by Covent Garden. Rock Fan will be held this Saturday, August 31st, in Ougimachi Park, near Umeda.
We hope to see you at, at least one of these events! Whatever you do this week, have fun!
When you don't have enough time and/or money to repair something properly, you can try a "quick fix."
When something like this happens, “Oops!” is a good thing to say. I actually said a few other words. I won’t be teaching you any of them here – they are best left for “Advanced” classes.
Goodman Bad at Last month's Inner SkyEvery month, Simon organises Inner Sky, a concert at Covent Garden, a friendly bar in Kita Horie. This month’s Inner Sky promises to be the loudest ever. Goodman Bad are going to play a fully electric concert. Simon's even going to kick that chair away!
When? Friday, July 25th, from 8:00 till late!
Where? Covent Garden, Kita Horie (06 – 4391 – 3177)
How much? 1000 yen, which includes 1 drink
The Suma Beach Party
Lots of different performers, food stalls, and lots of dancing on the beach. Last year they had over 4,000 people!
Pictures from Last Year's Suma Beach Party
Everything You Want to Know About the Suma Beach Party
A Map to the Suma Beach Party
Whatever you do, enjoy your long weekend! And stay cool!!!
