Another Monster

Having viewed the massive float in the last post, we rambled on to the next monster. This was a Buddhist temple - Hgashi Hongan-ji -  a building of prodigious dimensions in which monks were performing various rituals and a steady stream of worshippers or visitors like us sat cross-legged on tatami mats in meditation. I cannot show the lovely interior of the building because of a ban on photography, nor the play the chants coming from within. However, the scene was majestic and serene.

By the way, I'm not normally into meditation, but the 10 minutes I spent on the tatami mats was very restful.

The only jarring note was this frightened little girl. Her parents had come to feed the pigeons and had given her the bag of crumbs. In a scene out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie (maybe the Birds), an aggressive flock of pigeons chased after her as she ran away and cornered her against a wall until the horrified parents came screaming up to the rescue.

Then we headed off to the lovely Shosei-en gardens which were originally attached to the temple before a couple of main roads and a jumble of houses interceded. I'll let the pictures talk for themselves

AS

Kyoto Float Ceremony

A couple of days ago Michael and I were out seeing the sights of Kyoto when we decided to take refuge from the heat and humidity for a while. We noticed a small office toting the Kyoto Float Ceremony and took a look inside. First, I noticed that the temperature was a welcoming ice-cold. Then there was an interesting movie from which I shot the following image.

Obviously once in a while the locals cobble together large contraptions like the one shown and trundle them through the shopping centre! It was only then that I realised we were in an office touting for money to build or at least fit out a similar vehicle. And I was standing right alongside the wheel of this monster!

It was equally obvious on closer inspection that it had some way to go judging from the bare wooden frame and bits held together by rope.

Now I wonder how they managed to construct it inside an office-showroom with no clear means of entry. I suppose the bits could have been assembled like pieces of Lego.

AS

What a Day!!

This has been a long day and I'm nearly dead on my feet. But I feel compelled to write it up because the events are quite out of this world.

The day started at about 3.50 am Singapore time, though I have to admit it was 4.50 am in Kyoto, Japan. However, since I'm penning this now in Singapore at 9.30 pm in my hotel room, that makes a 17 hour 40 minute leviathan. I had to catch the 6.30 am Haruka airport express train from Kyoto to Kansai (Osaka's airport) which took its allotted 1 hour and 40 minutes for its journey through endless housing estates, factories, express-ways and the other paraphernalia of urban living in a region that's home to about 18 million people. I left my Kyoto hotel early because it would have been disastrous to have missed my connection to Singapore.

I flew with Jetstar, a Qantas off-shoot and you might think odd for an Australian airline this route. However, the flight went on to Darwin and is clearly designed to connect Australian territory to the fastest growing economic region in the world. It was pleasing to see therefore that the flight was a 100% sell-out, but the passenger list was 99% Asian. I was the only person of European extraction for rows and rows. Well that didn't concern me much as I've been 2 weeks in Japan and had barely seen a European meal in all that time.

Fortunately, I cleared immigration and customs fast in Singapore and exited in the waiting arms of Tan Kok Yang (TKY), my former doctoral student and now successful Singaporean businessman, his wife Lee Boon and their daughter. After depositing my luggage in my hotel room, we took to Singapore's crowded streets for my first look around the city in perhaps as much as 15 years. Much has changed, especially on the sky-line where tall, but elegant structures are mushrooming. The CBD is one large construction site and a lot of the historic areas are being swept away by modernity, save a few heritage districts. This task was very pleasant after the torrid heat of Kyoto. Strange as it may seem, Singapore, which is barely a degree off the equator was much milder than its more northerly rival.

Around dusk, we headed for one of Singapore's large array of ethnic eating areas. There, our party of 4 was augmented by another quartet. One was Lee Boon's Aunt who inhabited a house in the apartment block towering over the eating area. She was 73 and didn't appear to know a word of English. The other arrivals were, I understood, all from Hanoi in Vietnam. One was a former UNE student I knew as Son and she was accompanied by her own daughter who had studied environmental science at the Australian National University and spoke very good English (as did Son) and her daughter's friend. Conversation was brisk and amusing, with the exception of the frail aunt!

Our meal consisted, in the way of the orient, of a large number of dishes, though these had to be carefully selected! A quick glance at the menu was alarming, as the following list of options suggests:

1. Fish Head Bee Hoon Soup
2. Marmite Pork Ribs
3. BBQ Stingray, and
4. Claypot Drunken Live Frog

I imagine that the Frog would have to have been plied with Vodka or something similar to makes its fate tolerable. Well, we chose wisely and most of the fayre that graced our table was eminently edible. There were many toasts to this that and the other requiring the clinking of glasses and shouts of 'campai' (the Japanese for 'cheers').

It was a good evening and I even landed an invitation to visit Hanoi and perhaps address Son's students. That adds to the invitations I received to do the same in Lisbon, along with suggestions that I attend meetings in Kharkov, Bucharest, and Beersheva in 2014 and a moving conference (literally on a train) between Irkutsk and Vladivostok in 2015. Add in two birthday parties in California next year, June in Rio de Janeiro (for the world cup), an invitation to a canoeing festival in Milne Bay (PNG), and various other things, and I'm not going to stop travelling in a hurry.

AS

Golden Temple

Among Kyoto's hundreds and temples and shrines, a few stand out and one of those is the Golden Temple, or Kinkakuji temple. We reached it by bus and subway train using a convenient day pass linking the two and arrived just as the heat and humidity were building up strongly.

We couldn't go in the temple itself, which was smothered in gold leaf, but the grounds were exquisite, though crowded with day trippers. Have a look at these photos of what really is a must-see in this city:

A workman bonzaiing a tree in the temple grounds.

Max would have liked this ... crashing a log into a bell to make a lovely sound for 200Y, or about $2.50.

The temple above and the pond in which it stands below.

Buying good luck by tossing money into a pot ... I lost quite a lot of 1 Y coins (about 1 cent each).

I suppose these are Buddhist knick-knacks! Maybe you can tell me if you read Japanese script.

Kyoto's Markets

Kyoto's CBD has an extensive area of both up-market boutiques and stores, lots of small traders selling everything under the sun, though not as structured as the bazaars of such countries as Morocco or Iran, and a food market selling fresh fish, spices, vegetables (very expensive), and other Japanese delicacies. We went through lots of covered markets of the bazaar kind en route to Nijo Castle (see my earlier post), but didn't realise until after our passage that the food section was a highly recommended tourist destination.

Here are some of the pictures I took en route:

As

Nijo Castle

One of the important sites in Kyoto is Nijo Castle and I tried to visit it yesterday afternoon at 4 pm only to be told it was just closed, but would re-open at 7 pm. Well, that's when it gets dark around here, but I and my colleague, Michael decided to give it a try.

The castle might be described as a flat-land one and, unlike all others we have seen in this country, doesn't perch up an a hill-side. It has a double moat, but surely that wouldn't be much of a defence! However, it was home to perhaps Japan's most powerful shogunate (Tokugawa) and perhaps that was enough too deter any would-be attackers. And indeed it is more palace than castle. And it was crucially important in Japanese history because here, in 1867, the shogunate decided to return power to the emperor Meiji (the Meiji Restoration) and modern Japan cam into being, rather than remain a feudal state.

The castle isn't very old by many European standards, bring built in 1626. I can only provide very limited photos because at dusk the lighting was insufficient to show much. Indeed, quite a portion was closed off to visitors, which was annoying. However, entrance was free at that time of  night so we didn't complain. And we ate a very good mango sorbet sold to us by a Russian sales assistant from of all places St Petersburg, Just how she wound up in her job I don't know.

AS

Japanese Banquet

Wow! I've just returned from an exquisite banquet in a high-class Japanese restaurant around the corner from my hotel - a wonderful 3 hours of eating "je ne sais quoi". The avalanche of food seemed to contain 9 or 10 courses, all of which was ethnic food of various descriptions and odd tastes. And we were entertained by a genuine Geisha dancer as we ate seated at a table no more than 5 inches off the ground. I'll attach some photos to this message when they arrive from a colleague as I forgot to take either my phone or my camera!

AS

To Fu or not To Fu, that is the question

This evening, I and 4 colleagues - 1 Japanese, 2 Israeli, and one Dutchman left our conference to look for an authentic backstreet Japanese restaurant. By the time we left it was getting dark and by the time we arrived down-town it was almost pitch black. Our Japanese host said he knew a ZenTemple nearby and we headed to that first despite the distinct lack of illumination. Anyway, we found a Temple and I think it was the Tofukuji Temple in the southern part of Kyoto. I say "I think" because there are literally hundreds of temples in this city, which was for perhaps for 1000 years Japan's capital city. I'm writing a postscript because the temple turns out to be the Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine. Apologies to those who, like me have become confused!

Here, then are the pictures which a publishable given the lighting available. By the way this reminded of a joke (?) I made the other night after having 4 consecutive dishes with tofu in them. I said, when the last arrived, "To Fu or not To Fu, that is the question". Anyway some thought the pun funny, though the Japanese seemed mystified.

Back to the Temple. It dates from 1239 and is the largest Zen structure in Kyoto.

AS

Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle lies south of Kanazawa and is famous in Japan for being one of only about 12 original wooden castles from the Shogun era still standing, and one of 4 listed as a national treasure. They're all about 400 years old, dating from the early 17th century. Like all Japanese castles and those in other places, they occupy prominent high ground and were defensive constructions. However, unlike their European equivalents, they were not homes to live in but rather emergency accommodation when things turn pear-shaped politically. The person who constructed Hikone's castle was Li Naokatsu and apparently it was completed in 1622. Despite its purpose, it was never used as a refuge and the ruling family lived in a nearby palace which we didn't see.

Hill-top position.

Outer entrance surrounded by a moat and perched on high walls.

Central wooden keep, with this author standing in front.

Cooling off on a very hot day in a masting machine.

The keep is wooden, but moreover the entire construction is made without any nails or glue. All the pieces fit together a bit like Lego blocks.

The upper floors, which were increasingly small in area, were packed with visitors and to get to the top we had to ascend 3 stair-cases which had very high treads and rose almost vertically. That alone might have deterred attackers.

Outside there was a bell which sounded several times a day at appointed hours by someone crashing a large log against it as shown in this picture. The sound was quite impressive.

And so to Kyoto, which I've barely had the chance to see in daylight. One final point. At today's opening ceremony for the next conference I'm attending all the audience had to pass through airport-style scanners ... except for me on account of my defibrillator. I've attended any meeting where that has happened before. The reason for the security was soon revealed! The conference was opened by Crown Prince Naruhito, heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne and his wife, Princess Masako. It was similar I suppose to Charles and Camilla turning up to open a conference in Britain. The ceremony was topped off with a brilliant display of Japanese drumming by a leading team of high school students. And to add to a hard day's eating, writing and listening which started at 5.30 am and is just finishing now at 9.30 pm, I presented my conference paper amidst great interest! I now only have to chair two conference sessions over the next two days!

Kenrokuen Garden

One of the delights of Kanazawa is the Kenrokuen Garden. It's beautifully landscaped and lies next to Kanazawa's castle. I'll let the picture do the talking and I think you'll agree they are exquisite. They were taken at around 6 am since entry to the gardens was free until 7.00 am and several of us decided to take some badly needed exercise when the day was still cool. The party included me, two Belgians and my colleague, Anna Firmino from Portugal, chair of the Commission whose meeting I was attending.

You'll notice that this is not a flower garden, but rather a succession of sculptured lawns, trees, monuments, and water features.

AS