Day Tripper

Hello! Long time no blog for me!! Rianna here.
So we've suddenly found ourselves in a new year, 2011 would you believe it. Why is it going so quickly already?! Had a good Christmas/ New year with friends and skype...and am now back in the thick of it with exams/ presentations/ reports. Negative excellent. However, the new series of Shameless IS most excellent. Definitely helps me study. The exposure to the Manc accent improves my Japanese, obviously. Hand in hand, those.

Right. So last Sunday we popped over to Yokohama for the day. It was chilly, but really a beautiful day. Only takes 30 mins to get there from central Tokyo, and it was nice to get some sea air!
But before we ventured to the seafront, we headed into Chinatown for a nose around and for CRISPEH DUCK. Nice.
Note; the street venders sell rather delectable spring rolls, even if they are the greasiest things ever.

So, when we had exhausted Chinatown, we popped to the seafront with a hot choc in hand and had a walk round there. Watched some people ice skate for a bit, then after browsing a shopping mall in converted warehouse, we went to find the BIG WHEEL.

We frolicked in the fun fair until the sun went down, then went inside to crack out some moves on Dance Dance Revolution. We're terrible. So bad. There was a middle aged man there who obviously practices every day and was taking it far too seriously. But he was really quite impressive.
Few more fun fair rides after that, including a Carousel.

Picture time!

shines like the real thing

Evening chums.
Robson here (obviously). There was going to be a reunion post, but Jerome has just scarpered to go home and have a bath post-jacket potato and film night, so I'm left to blog on my own tonight! I've only been back in Japan for a week and a half, but in typical R&J style we've already crammed loads in!
Eg, the day I landed, I'm sitting on the limousine bus en route back into central Tokyo, when I receive a text with the words 'Fancy going on a rollercoaster today?' from Jerozzle. Never been a fan of jetlag or people who have it so agreed straight away, went home and unpacked, then headed to Korakuen for the afternoon. Jerome was a bit gutted, the big rollercoasters were actually closed (hahaha, sort of a public holiday day? but not quite.) So we ended up on a big wheel and carousel. Pictures:

Sorry to rub it in, but yeah the weather really is that good over here still!!! Bloody cold, but bright sunshine and clear skies most days! Now I've said that it'll probably chuck it down tomorrow though......

Anyway, PART TWO

So as we've turned into mad Japanese-style tourists, we decided to do a trip to Nikko on Monday just gone, it's a town about 100 miles North of Toks, and home to a World Heritage site and a big mountain whose name I can't remember, lake and waterfall 2000m above sea level!!! We met at our usual spot, armed with food for the journey, and in my case, suitably-ish dressed for the weather. Jerome however, turned up in a pair of shorts with tights and ballet pumps. Always a good move for sub-zero temperatures. 

After a 2 hour train ride up t'North, we hopped on a bus up the mountain, and went to see the Lake! I do know the name of this one, it's Chuzenji. There's bus tours and stuff that you can do, but tbh we were so cold, we had a look at the important bits and came back down the mountain. 

MONKEHS

After that, we headed to the World Heritage site, to have a look around the temples. SO many! All very beautiful, and important for various different historical figures. Again probably best to let the pictures say it all!

We managed to do all this and still be back in Tokyo in time for dinner! So the New Year's been kicked off where we left off on the trips front, but this term we're both having the homework and tests piled on a bit...... rubbish. Obviously we'll still be up to our usual tricks, no presentations or reports will be stopping us! Yokohama is planned for this weekend, then next week Sarah (remember we visited her, Chris and Jack in Osaka?) is coming to Tokyo!! Massively excited, got so much planned for her to see, can't wait! xxx

too many nuts in the judicial fruit cake?

Christmas is a coming and the bells begin to ring. The holly's in the window, and the birds begin to sing. Now don't take time to worry, and don't take time to fret, just watch Robson and Jerome's festive forecast.....









BLOOPERS









Merry Christmas!
xxx

Robson and Jerome's island adventure!

It’s blog catch-up time! Rianna/ Jerome here. What can you expect from my latest blog post? I will be telling you all about our trip to the island of Enoshima and our visit to ye olde Kamakura, and providing photographic evidence of course.

Enoshima is a little island about an hour or so out of Tokyo on the train. Wrapped up warm (I even wore a wolly hat) we got off the train and it was really sunny. The hat came off. Waking over the bridge to the island felt a little bit like L.A, with the palm trees, the sun, and the sea, but we were constantly reminded that we are in Japan- with the Japanese people, and Mt. Fuji on our right.

Mount Fuji, baby.

The island is littered with temples and shrines and that, pretty kijun (standard) stuff. We got corn on the cob from a bloke in a hut and walked the jaggy cliff path to the ‘CAVES’. I had never been in a CAVE before at this point, so was very excited. Robson is claustrophobic. She was basically on my back as we went round, holding candles to light our way. But I was very proud of her, we got through not one, but TWO caves!

After getting our fill of island related fun, we hopped onto the Enoden train to Kamakura. Kamakura is a small city full of old temples and shrines. The one thing we wanted to see most was a MASSIVE BUDDHA. Seriously, this thing is HUUUUUUUUGE. We even went inside it. In Kamakura we had a nice luncheon, BLT sandwiches which we dismantled and ate the innards of (there was mashed potato in the sandwich- mashed potato I say!!).

We caught the sunset and went for a wander on the beach back down on the opposite shore to Enoshima island. It had become pretty windy, so walking along the beach was treacherous! Sand + eyes = mega discomfort.
Windswept, we had a lovely meal at a seafront restaurant. Hopped on the train back, and got stopped by the police at Shinjuku station and asked to produce ID. Apparently we looked suspicious.
We finished off the night with a rendition of Whitney’s ‘I have nothing’ and went our separate ways, still windswept and smelling of the seaside.

Thanks Robson for a great day out! :) xxxx

now I ain't saying she a golddigger...

Good evening. or lunchtime, depending on where you're reading this.
Robson and Jerome here. The collective. The royal 'we'.
We are sitting in my (Robson's) room, attempting to scrub our moustaches off and wash the pots from tonight's dinner. And WHAT a dinner it was.
On the menu from chef Jerome tonight:
Tortillas with chicken, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, you name it its in there
Homemade chips, just nicely crisp.
Angel delight, with chocolate coins broken up in there and strawberries dipped in.

We are now finding it difficult to walk, let alone emulate our gangster heroes, or try on outfits for the coming festivities! Expect a blog shortly (probably after Jerome's gone home, when I get my act together with photos) about our recent mini-hol to Enoshima and Kamakura, by the beach, depending on whether we can catch one Mr Harry Stanley on skype - we'd like to take this opportunity to wish him a very happy 89th birthday!!!!!! Congrats Parold, prezzie coming in just over a week now!

Anyway this week's festivities include another visit to the ballet - The Nutcracker, our Christmas dinner and Christmas day, and a masquerade ball!!! Excited doesn't cover it!

Signing off for now, Jerome's still got pigtails in and I've got her mobile counterbalancing my chains hanging down my back.

occasionally, we scare ourselves.

xxx

festive cheer with the Robson Family...

Merry (early) Christmas!!!