Friday, May 27, 2011

"A" is for Apple, "B" is for ...

I spotted this ABC frieze (a kind of wall decoration) in a kindergarten classroom on Monday. The "W" is probably for window. Mayumi thinks "X" is for "X-Files." Our friend Simon thinks it's Xenophobia (to be scared of strangers and/or foreigners).

Do you have any ideas?

And speaking of "X-Fools," check this out...

Monday, May 23, 2011

Japanese Earthquake Charity Concert this Weekend (May 28th & 29th)

This weekend (May 28th & 29th), there's a big international charity concert being held in Ogimachi Park, near Umeda. The event is scheduled to start at 11:00 am each day (but don't go too early -- these events usually take a couple of hours to warm up!) The concert is free. There will also be some stalls & information booths. Money raised through donations, t-shirt sales, and so on will be used to help to help the victims of the Tohoku Earthquake.

Here's a guide to some of the bands that will be playing...
It should be great fun! We'll be there from mid afternoon on Sunday. Call my cell phone if you can't find us.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Simon Yates & Friends Live Tomorrow Night (Saturday, May 21st)


Tomorrow night, our friend Simon Yates will be playing live acoustic music with a couple of his friends at Andy's Imagine, a cool little bar in Rokkomichi, near Kobe. If you're down Kobe way (or you're looking for an excuse to be down Kobe way), you should definitely check it out.

Here are the details...

Who? Simon Yates on guitar & vocals, Shinchan on drums, & (probably) Glen Gregus on Bass
Where? Andy's Imagine (090-1133-1501) in Rokkomichi, near Kobe - Click here for map
When? Saturday, May 21st, from 8:30 - 10:00 pm
How much? It's free! The band are playing for tips. Throw some money in the jar to thank them for sharing their time & talent!

The above video will give you an idea of what to expect. (Please note that Tomo, the bassist in that video, will probably not be playing this weekend.) Here's a picture I took at the last gig...

Simon, Shinchan, & Glen work their magic!

By the way, Simon's last gig was a charity event to raise money for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake. Simon, Shinchan, Glen & their special guest Ryouta Yukii raised 21400 yen. They donated the money to Diane Orrett to help pay for her trips to Tohoku evacuation centres to cheer up the kids with her balloon art shows and old people with her Rakugo performances.
Simon gives the donation to Diane

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Buzz Lightyear Lives!

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My wife and I are big fans of Pixar movies, especially the Toy Story series. We even dressed up as Buzz Lightyear & Woody for Halloween 2000.
Buzz Lightyear & Woody
(Photo on the right by Atsushi Takamatsu)

Recently, I read a news story with a link to a video that reminded me of Buzz Lightyear...
I want one!

That reminds me of a classic Japanese high school English lesson - "If I were a bird, I would fly to you." If I were a bird, it would be something like this...

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Japanese Earthquake Charity Album Download

Some of our friends have put together an album of songs by Japan-based indies bands. You can download 48 songs for only 1,000 yen (about $10). The money will be donated to the Japan Red Cross to help victims of the Tohoku Earhquake.

Here's a video of Deron Reynolds, one of the organisers of the album, explaining what it's all about in English & Japanese...

Click on the banner below for more information in English & Japanese...

Solid Ground

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