THE TORMENTS OF YAMA-CHAN

I don't know what the significance of the the number 176 is, but there is a regular segment in which people like Yama-chan must complete a task related to that number. The prize is 1,760,000 yen. Here the picture tells you what the deal is - keep your face in there for 176 seconds!

This is brilliant televsion. What idiot would sit there drawing 12 drawings for every second of animation, when all you need to make TV is a camera, some lights, a creme caramel and a victim? Keep that sucker on hands-free for 176 seconds and you've cleared another stage. This is Yama-chan's partner in humiliation, Shizu-chan. Together they are a comedy team called the Nankai Candies.

Uh-oh. 21 seconds have elapsed and Shizu-chan's got a dessert nesting in her eye-socket.

Well may you laugh Yama-chan, but you're next...

Yama-chan strikes a stylish pose while guiding his creme caramel away from his eyes...

only to find his ear.

Not long now...
woohoo! 2 seconds from victory. But the cash is at least another stage away. I have a feeling they never get their mittens on it. That would be like Gilligan getting rescued, now, wouldn't it?

Well, lastly 2 shots to make a comparison. Is Yama-chan moonlighting at my church, Crossroad?

Hmmm. Nice look from Mister Master Masa-sama.

Well, I have gone out of control, photographically speaking. The Autumn leaves are peaking in their colours and my trigger finger has snapped over 200 photos already this month... and I haven't been to Kyoto yet. The following are what I have taken...

I took detours to the local shrine on 3 different days to try and get the best weather and also to catch kids in their kimonos for the shichigosan matsuri, or 3/5/7 festival - a period when kids of those ages go to the shrine and parents ask for blessing upon their children. However it's more complicated than that - the kids are actually 2/4/6 because according to the old way of counting years a newborn baby was said to be 1. They look soooooo cute. However, I only plucked up the courage to ask one family for a photo. After all, each time I was already dressed for work and having a Japanese-salaryman-looking person want to take photos of your Japanese family might be a bit off-putting.

I also took a scenic walk with my mate Oscar along a disused railway line not far from here. The views were amazing and the tunnels were fun. One was pitch black. After a while we pulled out our mobile phones for light!

Before work on Friday I popped into one of neighbouring Arima Onsen's parks for some tea with a maiko and a geisha under the electric colours of the maple trees. No joke! The maiko was the very same one next to me in my summer festival post. I found out she's real! A real maiko. I won't be forgetting that little chat in a hurry.

Yesterday I was graced with a trip by car up north to the Japan Sea coast - my first time to see it. My new friend, Namiko, along with her friends Przemek and Kosuke, invited me to go and see a famous spot called Wakasawan. Unfortunately it was raining, but very pretty despite. I won't go into more details as I'll stick up some photos with notes soon. The part that I won't be illustrating is the visit we made to an onsen - or hot spring bath! I'm not much of a sport now, am I? (yes Mum, they're segregated, ok?)

(^o^)