April 2007

New updates

I finally got around to uploading pictures from April. I have been sick, busy and lazy, so it took some time. There is a new address too, since I am no longer working at KTH.

Pills (20070401~04)

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I went to a doctor for the first time in Japan. This was somewhat surreal, the first time they just told me that "Yes, this is a hospital, but if you are sick, you have to come here on a Tuesday or a Thursday. Before lunch." Since it was Friday I asked if they maybe knew of some other hospital that was open today? They sent me to another hospital, but they were only open on Mondays, and two Saturdays per month. Not tomorrow. So on Monday when I was still sick, I went there and got checked up for three hours or so. They told me that "you do not have influenza". OK, but what do I have? They did not know, but gave me medicines anyway. Four different types, for a total of 9 pills per day. They also told me that the medicine was the dose normally used for Japanese people (half my size), so it would probably have no effect on me. But at least it was completely free (or rather, covered by my insurance).

Normal Swedish clothes (200704xx)

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The crazy Swedes invaded my lab today and wanted to have their pictures taken, since it was the first day of school today. This is what everyone in Sweden wears for day to day business.

Easter (20070407)

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Today I celebrated Easter with other Swedes. This includes doing weird things to eggs and eating enormous amounts of candy.

Visitors from Sweden (20070408)

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Today a teacher I know from KTH and some higher ups from KTH came to Sapporo to try to reach exchange agreements between different universities. We also went to Sapporo Beer Garden and had Jingis Khan (lamb), a Sapporo specialty. Since you barbecue your own meat, your clothes become smelly. To lessen the effect, they give you plastic bags to store clothes in.

Say onara (20070409)

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Today was the farewell party for our former secretary who moves to New York. We did not however decide on this place, where they spell English words in the usual creative Japanese way.

Why?! (20070410)

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I ran into a Japanese student wearing a "Sweden"-shirt! I surprised him and all his friends by asking for a photo. Evidently, he likes the Swedish soccer team, and their colors.

Product names (20070410)

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Japanese companies have some strange way of determining what is a reasonable product name... English sounds exotic, and is often used. But who in their right mind calls a drink "Pocari SWEAT"? Here is a "Love Love Sand", a kind of sandwich-like thing.

Sapporo JR Tower (20070413)

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The crazy Swedes had a date to meet a new (in Sapporo) Swede and I was called in to mitigate the shock. As usual, it was tiring. Why do restaurants believe it is a good idea to give noise-making toys like trumpets to anyone who orders the kid's meal? Here is the toilet at the sightseeing floor of JR Tower. You stand by the windows on the 30th or so floor, peeing down on Sapporo.

Wii! (20070413)

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After the Swedish people gave up and went home, I went to another party, the house warming party of my Bulgarian colleague. He has a Wii, which is a lot more fun now that he has also managed to get a TV.

Friday the 13th (20070413)

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Today I managed to throw my playing cards into the greasy frying pan of my friend. I also found a spike in my rear tire when I was going home, which meant walking for one hour and 45 minutes in the middle of the night and a rainstorm. The rain soon changed into snow instead, so at least it felt like home.

Swedish practice (20070417)

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I was called in as expert to help a woman who is moving to Stockholm. I ended up being babysitter while all other people enjoyed normal conversation instead. I also found a post card taken about 50m from the summer house of my relatives. A strange coincidence.

JR Tower again (20070420)

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Today I ended up in a cocktail bar at the 35th floor of JR Tower. They charge you 750 yen just for entering, and 1200 yen for a glass of orange juice. But the view is excellent. Though very similar to where I was the week before... Today there was also a professional magician doing tricks at your table if you wanted him too. That was cool.

Party (20070421)

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Today saw a birthday party. In what was claimed to be traditional Swedish style, there was banana and caviar! There was also vodka in a Hello Kitty cup, softened by some green stuff.

Japanese food (20070427)

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The weird Japanese dessert "Bread ice cream" consists of more or less a French baguette stuffed with ice cream. Unlike many other strange Japanese desserts that are just weird (not disgusting, but neither are they tasty, just strange), this one was quite good.

Zoo (20070428)

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Today was my first visit to the zoo here in Sapporo. There was a beaver trying to gnaw his way out of his room, monkeys fascinated with toys and a big cat.

Swedish fairy-tales (20070430)

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I have enrolled in a Japanese course for the first time ever in Japan and was looking for my reading materials (the French book "The little prince"). I did not find it, but I found lots of Swedish stories.

More animals (20070430)

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I was looking for a rigged deck of card and found one (for 100 yen!). I also found a lot of animals standing around outside the store.

Golden Week Specials (20070430)

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Apart from bringing animals into town, other things were also going on this week, on account of it being the "Golden week", where some audacious people have a whole week off from work (though that required you to take two days of vacation this year). One guy was juggling and doing tricks with hats in a big shopping mall. The next day, three guys were doing bartender tricks in the same place. I think I saw them practicing in the park today.

Taiwan (20070430)

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Today I had dinner with a Japanese woman, two girls from Taiwan and one of their boyfriends, freshly imported from Taiwan. So I had a Taiwan speciality (yellow and grey potato) and Japanese food (fried shrimp heads) to eat.