guzzlers-baps

We don't live in Japan any more but hope to get back in winter for 8-9 weeks when we will be heading to Nagano for at least a few. Hopefully!

0! Not there. Not anywhere that had snow!

Great report and pics Sciclone. We're out of Japan at the mo but hope to be back for at least a few months in winter. SK is top of the list.

We went there once a while back. Once you get used to the smell (!)... it's a good place to visit. Quite unique that central part. And had some good age-manju (fried manju) which were really yummy. I like places like that.

What wonderful photos again muikabochi (the ones in the village too).

It's own thread! 3 weeks for me.

Ichigo daifuku --- first one of the season this morning. THose things are so yummy.

I really like Tracey Thorns solo cd Out of the Woods. She should do another.

I don't have that responsibility but a few close friends do and I can't believe how much effort they put into their jobs and drop anything at any time it seems. It's as if they are on 24 hour call. Feel for you!

Very sorry!

Bought the dvd yet big-will? Here's Colm Wilkinson, the original Jean Valjean, doing Bring Him Home. I'd so love to see him play the part live, he IS Valjean! Awesome and such a beautiful, beautiful, sad, sad song (especially when seen in context!) This was my favourite to sing, playing Fantine. Can't sing it quite as well as Ruthie here unfortunately....

"Seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has confirmed he is coming out of retirement" Mad!

Glad you liked it. I was confident you would! I have just tonight re-watched the one-off 10th Anniversay Les Mis concert they did at the Royal Albert Hall (on DVD). There is no fancy set - just the 'dream cast' (lots of the original/best in each part inclusing THE best Jean Valjean and Javert) singing at the front of the stage with a huge orchestra and choir and the beautiful music. It is simply fantastic - I think I've seen it well over 10 times now and I never tire of it, simply cannot watch it without getting all emotional and having a good cry. If you loved it and wa

Those Chinese girls all looked so tiny and young. Without knowing the full story, I kind of feel sorry for them.

Good one. A nice wind, walking through a forest with flowers. Nature.

Hmm, no ramen up here in the north. Back to Japan tomorrow though.

Forgot to mention. I have seen Phantom and while there are some good songs in there, and the production is impressive, I was not keen on the bits in between. As 2pints said, a bit too much screeching/shouting and singing at the same time. Les Mis has no parts that I dislike and is by far the best (that I have seen) and I look forward to hearing what you thought big-will.

Good to hear, all the best

I have played both Cosette and Eponine in a local production of Les Miserables. It is a truly fantastic musical with some incredible and beautiful songs - I Dreamed A Dream, On My Own, Bring Him Home, etc. I love it to bits and could watch it time after time without it losing its power. You have to be a cold hearted person not to be affected by it if you sit down and watch a full production of it, it is superbly staged. Thats what I think. I am not at all into the more light hearted ones like We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia etc - they are a different thing altogher.

Again thanks for your words of encouragement. Getting on with things now after a hard few weeks.

I was on a "aircon broken" train last summer in Tokyo. It was possibly the most uncomfortable 15 minutes of my life. Well, nearly. The heat, the sweat, the smells. Gross!

Same here, just the train. There are more and more places now where youcan use this though. Interesting that it is a Docomo technology - even when Softbank or Au use this, they have to pay docomo fees, or so I have been led to believe. That's why they aren't shouting about it as much as docomo.

Thanks! I'm feeling brighter about it all now.

Thanks again for all the help. There is really only one way to go with this and we have made our decision. Apart from the fact that both of us do not really want to start a family anyway, circumstances just make it so difficult (the chance of a heredetiry illness showing up, location, constant moving and careers amongst these things). As you might guess this has totally consumed our lives the last few weeks and whatever we decided was going to be difficult but it seemed inevitable. I just hope that I will move on and try not to be affected by this too much. Thanks ag

Thanks me jane, I appreciate you writing these things. I (try to) undertand that (as much as I can not being a mother). I too would be very upset to see someone being cruel to children without a doubt. I don't think I need to have children to have those feelings. Those things though still do not make me/us want to have our own children and I really can't see that changing.