Eva’s eyes snapped open, and she immediately winced in pain as the light from the chandelier overhead burned into them. She made to raise a hand and shield her eyes, but found she couldn’t move either limb. Attempting to sit up presented her with the knowledge that there was also an iron band around her neck, holding her to the table she could feel at her back. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and was about to call out for her first mate, when there was a drop of water on her forehead. She looked up, and groaned as she saw the tank, and more importantly the spout, suspended above her.
“Yup, we’re currently guests of Shan’brasik’s unique hospitality.”
“Jem?”
“Right here Evie.”
She sighed. “I assume I was knocked out then? Last thing I rem-“ she spluttered as another drop of water hit her face and rolled down into her mouth. “Last thing I remember was them surrounding the ship.”
“Unsurprisingly, as the captain, you seem to have been their primary target. They took all of us eventually, but not until we’d sunk one of them.”
Another drop of cold water splashed into Eva’s eye as she turned her head slightly, attempting to see where her mate was. “And what about this? I thought water torture had been outlawed by the last High Captain?”
“Clearly Shan’brasik thinks you’re special enough to make an exception.”
“This is stupid, I only nicked his ship.”
“I think it’s the daughter you stole he’s more upset about.”
She sighed, and swallowed the next drop of water as she did so. “Wonder how many days he’s going to waste before he realises this won’t work on us?”
Jem chuckled, and Eva was able to place him as being somewhere above the top of her head, presumably on the other side of the water tank. “It’s Shan’brasik, he’s been after you for years, I’m sure he’ll manage to survive a few more days.”
“I’m more worried about what is going to happen when this water heats up, if my memory serves there’s a window in the top of this cell, so when the sun gets up in the sky…”
“I would blame you for this, but I was stupid enough to go along with it.”
The woman laughed, choking slightly on a drop of water, then closed her eyes. “I’m going to get some sleep while I can, no doubt Shan’brasik will be down in a while to have a gloat.”
“Sounds like a plan. Sweet dreams.”
The door bouncing sharply off the wall, followed by heavy bootsteps on the stone floor brought Eva round. She opened her eyes just as a drop of water fell from the spout, onto the bridge of her nose and into her eyes. She winced in pain, and was treated to a gruff chuckle.
“Irritating, isn’t it?”
“Only when you’re not expecting it, Morgan dear.” She squinted up at the ceiling, trying to judge the time of day from what sunlight was entering the room through the circular window. “It’s after lunch…your food came before me? I’m hurt.” Another drop splashed onto her forehead, and she shook her head slightly to dislodge it before it ran down her face.
“That’ll work just now, Shil’harrel, but a few days of constant dripping…”
“And it’ll be like being back in that relationship with Tarla. How is she, by the way?”
A dark shadow fell over her, and she could feel the point of a blade through her tunic, resting just above her heart. She screwed up her nose as Shan’brasik’s alcohol-laden breath reached her, and looked up into his eyes. She smiled. “That well, huh?”
There was a chuckle from behind her, followed by spluttering as Jem too swallowed water. “Pay no attention to her Morgan, mate, you know what she’s like.”
The knife moved, and the High Captain straightened. “Glad you two find this so funny. Just remember; it may be simple water, but it has broken better people than the two of you.”
He paused long enough to spit on the table Eva was lying on, then stormed out of the room, the echo of the door slamming ringing around the cell long after his departure. The young captain sighed. “He’s always such a ray of sunshine.”
“Jem?”
He sighed. “Yeah Evie?”
“What time is it?”
He groaned, and she could hear him shifting about on his table on the other side of the tank, clearly as uncomfortable as she felt. “About an hour after you last asked. Time isn’t going to go faster just because you keep asking y’know.”
There was a long pause, the silence broken only by the rhythmic dripping of the water from the tank. When Eva did next speak, there was a sob in her voice, and it seemed to catch in her throat. “I don’t…I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up, it’s been days.”
Jem coughed away some water, and took a deep breath. “We’ve been through this Evie; outlast this, and he’ll be forced to put us on trial. We can bargain for the crew that way, save all of them! Save Lineel!”
She broke down. “He’s never gonna let them go, you know he won’t! He won’t even make an exception for the fact Lin…he won’t do it Jem, it’s Shan’brasik we’re talking about! The bastard hates us!”
As though summoned by her words, the door to the cell burst open once more, and the heavy footseps echoed about the chamber, marking the High Captain’s entrance. The smirk on his face was evident in his voice as he addressed them.
“Well well, how are we this morning? Sleep well?”
Eva turned her head away from the door as best she could, the tears mingling with the water running down her cheeks, and ignored him. Jem snorted. “Roof’s a bit leaky, seem to be getting wet. Other than that, can’t complain really.”
“I never did like you, Tamarn.” He moved closer to Eva, and she closed her eyes, willing him to leave. “And what about you, Captain”? Is the accommodation up to your usual high standards?”
She continued to ignore him, and he gave a gruff chuckle. “Didn’t think you’d last the whole way, Shil’harrel. Still, you haven’t cried for an ending yet, so let’s make this more interesting.” There was a rustling sound, and Eva opened her eyes to find a vial being waved in front of her face. “Something like this in the water might spice things up a bit.” He moved away.
She broke. “What is that?! Morgan, what are you putting in there? Don’t! The water itself is enough!”
He paused, malicious grin firmly in place. “And how are you going to stop me, Shil’harrel?”
There was the sound of frenzied movement from above her head, and Jem’s furious voice bit into her. “Don’t you dare, Shil’harrel! Don’t you dare give in and sacrifice them!”
“Jem…”
“You can’t do it! Think about all they went through for you, you can’t just throw that away because you can’t handle the pressure! It’s not fair, Eva, and you know that!”
Shan’brasik snorted. “Never knew you were so opinionated, Tamarn.” Eva could feel his eyes burning hungrily into her. “I’ll ask you again, Captain,” she winced at the word. “What are you going to do to stop me?”
“I’ll….I’ll talk.”
“NO! Eva, no, you can’t, you…”
“Guard, get Tamarn out of here, I want to speak to Shil’harrel without interruption.”
“Eva, how could you do this to them, to me?” Jem’s furious tirade continued whilst he was being unshackled and pulled from the table, and whilst his weakened body was dragged from the room. “Eva, you can’t, YOU CAN’T!”
The door closed, bringing a sudden silence down on the cell. Shan’brasik nodded to the remaining guard, who pulled a ring of keys from his belt and began to undo the shackles holding the broken woman to the table. Once freed, the guard pulled her up into a sitting position, and settled her back against the water tank, before moving over to the brazier in the corner of the room and stoking the fire. Shan’brasik sat down where Eva’s feet had been, and untied a flask from his belt, holding it out to her. “Rum, you’re bound to be thirsty.”
“I don’t drink it. I live on water….though maybe not after the last few days.”
“How cute.” He took a large mouthful himself before tying it back to his belt. “So, where shall we begin?”
She regarded him with a hateful glare for a long moment. “I want a deal.”
“Oh?”
“I confess…and the crew walks free. Or at the very least doesn’t hang.” She sniffed, and looked away. “I can’t break Jem’s heart again.”
Morgan regarded her thoughtfully, playing with an unlocked wristband. “And if I agree?”
“I’ll tell you where to find Tarla, and you get to have your public trial and execution of me.” She gave an exhausted sigh. “That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”
“I get Tamarn too.”
Eva visibly shuddered, as though he had hit her with a hammer in the chest. “You can’t, his wife…”
“Oh, oh, I see…too bad, I can’t really take you without him now, can I? I know you couldn’t possibly have masterminded the theft on your own, so he’s as guilty as you are.”
Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she forced herself to look him in the eye, then she dropped her head as she conceded. “Deal. You can have your trial now.”
He got to his feet, and clapped his hands. “Excellent, knew you’d see it my way in the end. Now, one last thing before I go…”
She looked up to see the guard dragging the brazier closer, then hand Shan’brasik a long, ominous looking iron object. “What…no, you can’t do that, I’m innocent until proven guilty by trial, Shan’brasik, you know that!”
He dropped the round end of the object into the flames as he answered her, taking on an almost fatherly tone that clashed violently with his evil grin. “Now, come Eva, we all know you did it, and you have to be grown up and take your punishment.” He let go of the object for a moment,and rolled up her right sleeve, immune to her weak protests. He stroked her sodden arm gently, causing a shudder to run through her entire body. “This seems like as good a spot as any….”
She tried her best to move off the bench and away from him, but the time restrained had caused her muscles to stiffen, and she could barely move…
As she would tell Jem the next day when she woke up next to him a cell the next morning, the last thing she remembered was a glowing tiger-paw shaped object moving towards her arm, and a searing pain, before she mercifully blacked out, the screaming voices of her crew accompanying her into the darkness.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Bonus chapter, just for you guys!
“If you don’t move you’re getting left behind Evie, come on!”
Jem grabbed both women by the hand and dragged them along behind him, weaving through the maze that was Tretis’ artisan’s district. The clatter of boots behind told him the guards were still following him, and he cursed rapidly in Old Croft under his breath. Eva giggled, and Lineel scoffed.
“Language!”
“Lineel, this is not the time!”
After pulling them into the bustling main market square he paused for a moment, looking around wildly to get his bearings. “Evie, where’s Berit’s place?”
“Next square over, Monkey Face, I told you that already.”
“Then let’s move it!”
He let go of them and set off, trusting that at least his wife would follow him, if not his captain. Gaining the alley he chanced a glance over his shoulder, and saw that both were indeed hot on his heels. Throwing out a hand to catch the post, he threw himself around the corner into the square, and up the first flight of stairs he came across. It wasn’t until he was on the upper level that he realised he was on the wrong side of the square, and the guards were closing in.
“Uh, ladies….we’re taking the scenic route.”
“This is why you don’t get to lead very often, Tamarn!”
Jem stepped back and waved Eva on. “After you.”
She rolled her eyes at him, and pushed past, grabbing the edge and pulling herself up on to the roof. Jem gave Lineel a foot up, and then climbed up himself. Eva was already skipping across the gable, grin slapped across her face.
“Just like the good old days!”
The older woman rolled her eyes at her husband, and set off after their captain. Jem spared one last glance down at the guards arguing below as to how they intended to get on to the roof, and moved off. The tiles were hot on his bare feet, he having lost his boots when attempting to save Eva from the merchant she had ripped off. ‘One day she’ll get over that…’
Up ahead Eva slowed, peering over the edge of the buildings as she gained the far side of the square. Eventually she spotted the window she had been looking for, and squatted down on the edge of the roof. “I think he’s in, Jem.”
“You gonna check?”
“If you’d be so kind.”
Lineel shot them both a confused look, shrugging as Jem knelt down next to his captain, taking the hat she passed him and handing it to his wife. “Wear this a moment babe.” He took hold of Eva’s booted ankles, and shot her a stern look. “No swinging, that’s how you nearly landed on your head last time! Might knock some sense into you right enough…”
“Let’s just get on with this Tamarn.”
Berit looked up, puzzled, as a shadow fell across the table he was counting coins on. He looked to the window, and found his baby sister upside down, waving at him. “What the…”
“Hi Berit. Can we come in?”
“We?”
“Jem and Lineel are here too.”
“What are you doing on my roof?”
“Jem got a bit lost, and there were guards on our tail, so roof was the best option.”
He stared at her for a moment, and sighed. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Eva smiled, and put a hand to her head. “Can you get me down? Blood’s going to my head, I’m getting a bit woozy.”
The pirate sighed, and dragged himself to his feet. Moving to the window, he grabbed Eva’s forearms, then stuck his head out, looking up at Jem’s grinning silhouette. “I’ve got her.”
“You sure?”
“She falls, you gonna cry about it?”
“Not really.”
“Hey!”
They both laughed, and Jem let go of her ankles. She swung down, only just managing to get her feet on the sill, falling back into Berit’s arms. He helped her down, and she threw her arms around his neck. “How’s it going, big bro?”
“Same old.” He stuck his head back out of the window, and pointed to Jem’s right. “There’s a trapdoor about three paces over, if you don’t fancy repeating Trouble’s trick.”
“Cheers.”
He turned back to the table and found Eva slumped in his chair, fiddling with a coin, his tankard in her hand. “Make yourself at home why don’t you.” He moved past her to a cabinet on the wall, pulling out more bottles as Jem and Lineel appeared from the next room. He shook the former’s hand, and planted a kiss on the latter’s cheek, before handing them a bottle each. “What are you still doing following that nutter about?”
“Y’know, I don’t know either.”
“Oh shut it Monkey Face.”
Berit let out a gruff chuckle, and took a seat opposite Eva, taking the coin out of her hand. She glared at him for a second, then looked away. Jem and Lineel perched on the edge of a low cabinet near the door, the woman resting her head on her husband’s shoulder, bottle untouched. He kissed her head, and took a mouthful of his ale. Berit looked across at Eva, a scowl on his face.
“You lose the guards?”
“I think so.”
He took a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “So who did you piss off this time? Folks round here don’t set the guard on you without very good reason.”
“That why you set up base here?”
“Just answer the question.”
She sighed herself, draining the tankard and smacking it on the table. “Some jackass merchant who doubled his price between us settling the deal and me finishing loading the ship. I told him I wasn’t paying the extra, and he said he knew who I was, and if I didn’t want the guard on me, I’d pay. And you know that’s never worked on me, so I told him so. And he called the guards.” She shrugged, then looked over at Jem. “Guess that’s another country off the list.”
“Which leaves…the three on Selan-shur. You carry on like this Evie, we’re not going to be safe anywhere!”
“Oh quit your whining, this way life’s more fun.”
“For you maybe, I’m the one cleaning up the mess all the time.”
Lineel nodded. “He’s right, Evie, maybe we should calm it a little, Shan’brasik’s already attempting to set the entire continent on us, no point in helping him along.”
Eva waved a hand, getting to her feet and moving over to the hammock Berit had tied up between two pillars. She flopped down, and closed her eyes. Jem laughed.
“Guess that’s that conversation over then.”
Berit grinned. “I’m guessing you weren’t here just to hide out?”
The mate grinned back, sun shining off his tooth gem. “Got a favour to ask…”
“Ok, if you just try and relax, hopefully this won’t hurt too much.”
Jem rolled his eyes at the young man holding the needle poised over his bicep. “Look son, you’re inking about the only space left on my arm, I can take it.”
The young artist grinned, and set his needle to Jem’s skin. “Just don’t move.”
The mate got as comfortable as he could with his arm in such an awkward position, and closed his eyes. Lineel giggled. “You always fall asleep getting these done, I never understood it.”
“It’s relaxing babe, you should try it some time.”
“No thanks.”
He opened one eye, and grinned at her. “Suit yourself.”
She grinned back, then took to looking out of the window into the street below. Berit looked up from the table as he finished counting his coins, nodded at Jem’s arm. “I assume there’s a story?”
“As always.”
“I ain’t going anywhere, Tamarn.”
“Didn’t know you were one for stories.”
The pirate grinned, raising his bottle to his lips in silent answer. Jem nodded once.
“Well, we were over in Genan before we landed up here, though course Shan’brasik didn’t have the foggiest. Scouting about a bit, we found he’s got some artist he’s kidnapped from somewhere, probably here, to make up these posters. Posters with rewards for us. Needless to say, we found it pretty funny. Graffitied a few, stole a few, just made a lark of it. And on the way over, I figured, if we were gonna be that notorious, I may as well have a tattoo to prove it. So the flag. That lot over there believe only true pirates will fly it.”
Berit coughed, choking on a mouthful of ale as he laughed. “By Zerran’s gunwales, will Shan’brasik never learn?” He cleared his throat. “You got one of them posters about?”
Jem fished in his left pocket, pulling a crumpled sheet of parchment from within, and handing it to the younger man. The pirate burst out laughing as he unfolded it, looking to his sleeping sister, then back at the parchment.
“They’ve got her pretty much spot on.”
“That’s why we decided to keep a couple, couldn’t leave such a flattering portrayal behind.”
Lineel scoffed and moved over from the window, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder.
“You mean your massive egos wouldn’t let you leave it behind.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to scowl at her, but finding himself unable. “You always know how to wound me the most.”
“And you freakin’ love it.”
She leant down and kissed him, eliciting a disgusted sound from the smuggler flopped in the hammock behind.
“Go back to sleep Evie, we’ll be a while yet. We’ll wake you before we leave.”
“You be’er.”
Berit nodded, face mock serious. “I don’t care what story you make up Tamarn, don’t leave me stuck with my little sister!”
Jem grabbed both women by the hand and dragged them along behind him, weaving through the maze that was Tretis’ artisan’s district. The clatter of boots behind told him the guards were still following him, and he cursed rapidly in Old Croft under his breath. Eva giggled, and Lineel scoffed.
“Language!”
“Lineel, this is not the time!”
After pulling them into the bustling main market square he paused for a moment, looking around wildly to get his bearings. “Evie, where’s Berit’s place?”
“Next square over, Monkey Face, I told you that already.”
“Then let’s move it!”
He let go of them and set off, trusting that at least his wife would follow him, if not his captain. Gaining the alley he chanced a glance over his shoulder, and saw that both were indeed hot on his heels. Throwing out a hand to catch the post, he threw himself around the corner into the square, and up the first flight of stairs he came across. It wasn’t until he was on the upper level that he realised he was on the wrong side of the square, and the guards were closing in.
“Uh, ladies….we’re taking the scenic route.”
“This is why you don’t get to lead very often, Tamarn!”
Jem stepped back and waved Eva on. “After you.”
She rolled her eyes at him, and pushed past, grabbing the edge and pulling herself up on to the roof. Jem gave Lineel a foot up, and then climbed up himself. Eva was already skipping across the gable, grin slapped across her face.
“Just like the good old days!”
The older woman rolled her eyes at her husband, and set off after their captain. Jem spared one last glance down at the guards arguing below as to how they intended to get on to the roof, and moved off. The tiles were hot on his bare feet, he having lost his boots when attempting to save Eva from the merchant she had ripped off. ‘One day she’ll get over that…’
Up ahead Eva slowed, peering over the edge of the buildings as she gained the far side of the square. Eventually she spotted the window she had been looking for, and squatted down on the edge of the roof. “I think he’s in, Jem.”
“You gonna check?”
“If you’d be so kind.”
Lineel shot them both a confused look, shrugging as Jem knelt down next to his captain, taking the hat she passed him and handing it to his wife. “Wear this a moment babe.” He took hold of Eva’s booted ankles, and shot her a stern look. “No swinging, that’s how you nearly landed on your head last time! Might knock some sense into you right enough…”
“Let’s just get on with this Tamarn.”
Berit looked up, puzzled, as a shadow fell across the table he was counting coins on. He looked to the window, and found his baby sister upside down, waving at him. “What the…”
“Hi Berit. Can we come in?”
“We?”
“Jem and Lineel are here too.”
“What are you doing on my roof?”
“Jem got a bit lost, and there were guards on our tail, so roof was the best option.”
He stared at her for a moment, and sighed. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Eva smiled, and put a hand to her head. “Can you get me down? Blood’s going to my head, I’m getting a bit woozy.”
The pirate sighed, and dragged himself to his feet. Moving to the window, he grabbed Eva’s forearms, then stuck his head out, looking up at Jem’s grinning silhouette. “I’ve got her.”
“You sure?”
“She falls, you gonna cry about it?”
“Not really.”
“Hey!”
They both laughed, and Jem let go of her ankles. She swung down, only just managing to get her feet on the sill, falling back into Berit’s arms. He helped her down, and she threw her arms around his neck. “How’s it going, big bro?”
“Same old.” He stuck his head back out of the window, and pointed to Jem’s right. “There’s a trapdoor about three paces over, if you don’t fancy repeating Trouble’s trick.”
“Cheers.”
He turned back to the table and found Eva slumped in his chair, fiddling with a coin, his tankard in her hand. “Make yourself at home why don’t you.” He moved past her to a cabinet on the wall, pulling out more bottles as Jem and Lineel appeared from the next room. He shook the former’s hand, and planted a kiss on the latter’s cheek, before handing them a bottle each. “What are you still doing following that nutter about?”
“Y’know, I don’t know either.”
“Oh shut it Monkey Face.”
Berit let out a gruff chuckle, and took a seat opposite Eva, taking the coin out of her hand. She glared at him for a second, then looked away. Jem and Lineel perched on the edge of a low cabinet near the door, the woman resting her head on her husband’s shoulder, bottle untouched. He kissed her head, and took a mouthful of his ale. Berit looked across at Eva, a scowl on his face.
“You lose the guards?”
“I think so.”
He took a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “So who did you piss off this time? Folks round here don’t set the guard on you without very good reason.”
“That why you set up base here?”
“Just answer the question.”
She sighed herself, draining the tankard and smacking it on the table. “Some jackass merchant who doubled his price between us settling the deal and me finishing loading the ship. I told him I wasn’t paying the extra, and he said he knew who I was, and if I didn’t want the guard on me, I’d pay. And you know that’s never worked on me, so I told him so. And he called the guards.” She shrugged, then looked over at Jem. “Guess that’s another country off the list.”
“Which leaves…the three on Selan-shur. You carry on like this Evie, we’re not going to be safe anywhere!”
“Oh quit your whining, this way life’s more fun.”
“For you maybe, I’m the one cleaning up the mess all the time.”
Lineel nodded. “He’s right, Evie, maybe we should calm it a little, Shan’brasik’s already attempting to set the entire continent on us, no point in helping him along.”
Eva waved a hand, getting to her feet and moving over to the hammock Berit had tied up between two pillars. She flopped down, and closed her eyes. Jem laughed.
“Guess that’s that conversation over then.”
Berit grinned. “I’m guessing you weren’t here just to hide out?”
The mate grinned back, sun shining off his tooth gem. “Got a favour to ask…”
“Ok, if you just try and relax, hopefully this won’t hurt too much.”
Jem rolled his eyes at the young man holding the needle poised over his bicep. “Look son, you’re inking about the only space left on my arm, I can take it.”
The young artist grinned, and set his needle to Jem’s skin. “Just don’t move.”
The mate got as comfortable as he could with his arm in such an awkward position, and closed his eyes. Lineel giggled. “You always fall asleep getting these done, I never understood it.”
“It’s relaxing babe, you should try it some time.”
“No thanks.”
He opened one eye, and grinned at her. “Suit yourself.”
She grinned back, then took to looking out of the window into the street below. Berit looked up from the table as he finished counting his coins, nodded at Jem’s arm. “I assume there’s a story?”
“As always.”
“I ain’t going anywhere, Tamarn.”
“Didn’t know you were one for stories.”
The pirate grinned, raising his bottle to his lips in silent answer. Jem nodded once.
“Well, we were over in Genan before we landed up here, though course Shan’brasik didn’t have the foggiest. Scouting about a bit, we found he’s got some artist he’s kidnapped from somewhere, probably here, to make up these posters. Posters with rewards for us. Needless to say, we found it pretty funny. Graffitied a few, stole a few, just made a lark of it. And on the way over, I figured, if we were gonna be that notorious, I may as well have a tattoo to prove it. So the flag. That lot over there believe only true pirates will fly it.”
Berit coughed, choking on a mouthful of ale as he laughed. “By Zerran’s gunwales, will Shan’brasik never learn?” He cleared his throat. “You got one of them posters about?”
Jem fished in his left pocket, pulling a crumpled sheet of parchment from within, and handing it to the younger man. The pirate burst out laughing as he unfolded it, looking to his sleeping sister, then back at the parchment.
“They’ve got her pretty much spot on.”
“That’s why we decided to keep a couple, couldn’t leave such a flattering portrayal behind.”
Lineel scoffed and moved over from the window, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder.
“You mean your massive egos wouldn’t let you leave it behind.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to scowl at her, but finding himself unable. “You always know how to wound me the most.”
“And you freakin’ love it.”
She leant down and kissed him, eliciting a disgusted sound from the smuggler flopped in the hammock behind.
“Go back to sleep Evie, we’ll be a while yet. We’ll wake you before we leave.”
“You be’er.”
Berit nodded, face mock serious. “I don’t care what story you make up Tamarn, don’t leave me stuck with my little sister!”
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Things I have learned in Japan, Part 2
1. Kyoto is really pretty, like seriously pretty. And so is Nara. And you can actually see the sky!
2.University professors think nothing of giving you multiple exams on the same day, which is annoying.
3. said professors also think nothing of not telling you they are going to videotape your skit until the day of the test. And then put them on a dvd and play them back to you.
4.it's easier just to buy regular Coke, cos you can find it in bottles in most vending machines. You'll spend ages hunting for a bottle of Coke Zero
5.it is flippin' cold when you're in a house with no central heating, in winter.
6.no matter how far away from home you go, you'll still have to face the usual Scottish stereotypes; "do you put brown dye through your hair to disguise the gingerness?"
7.Tenpura is probably the tasty thing on the whole planet. and so cheap!!
8.it's near impossible to book a return from here to Edinburgh; everywhere wanted to offer me flights for the other way round!
9.special New Year's foods are awesome. and the big pit of nabe we ate 2 nights in a row = win
10.notebook often have weird and wonderful english on them. it's best not to question it, but just to accept their wisdom and let it brighten up your day.
11.friends from your home university who are studying in the same city, just not the same university, or indeed in other cities, will always be as mad as they were back home in the burgh (I'm looking at you, Mark Christie).
12.it needs to hurry up and be summer now, that's sposed to be the best time of year.
2.University professors think nothing of giving you multiple exams on the same day, which is annoying.
3. said professors also think nothing of not telling you they are going to videotape your skit until the day of the test. And then put them on a dvd and play them back to you.
4.it's easier just to buy regular Coke, cos you can find it in bottles in most vending machines. You'll spend ages hunting for a bottle of Coke Zero
5.it is flippin' cold when you're in a house with no central heating, in winter.
6.no matter how far away from home you go, you'll still have to face the usual Scottish stereotypes; "do you put brown dye through your hair to disguise the gingerness?"
7.Tenpura is probably the tasty thing on the whole planet. and so cheap!!
8.it's near impossible to book a return from here to Edinburgh; everywhere wanted to offer me flights for the other way round!
9.special New Year's foods are awesome. and the big pit of nabe we ate 2 nights in a row = win
10.notebook often have weird and wonderful english on them. it's best not to question it, but just to accept their wisdom and let it brighten up your day.
11.friends from your home university who are studying in the same city, just not the same university, or indeed in other cities, will always be as mad as they were back home in the burgh (I'm looking at you, Mark Christie).
12.it needs to hurry up and be summer now, that's sposed to be the best time of year.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Things I have learned in Japan part. 1
1. if you're western, people will quite freely stare at you on the train/in the street/while you're eating etc. there is no point taking offence at this.
2. "can you eat japanese food?" applies as much to chopstick use as it does to you actually liking the food; spoons are only for curry!
3.Japanese mobiles are weird, though not as weird as the trend for hanging object larger than said phone from it.
4.Japanese people are always amazed when you can speak to them in japanese, and are not therefore just the dumb gaijin they thought you were.
5.5'6" is tall.
6.guys wear more pink than girls. seriously. there are so many guys walking round my campus with Sophia written across their asses in pink. it's odd.
7.being the token Scot entitles you to special treatment; money off things, drinks, sensible conversation that doesn't involve the E country in anyway...
8.Japanese TV will never make sense. Ever. End of.
9.Japanese boys really don't know how to talk to girls. Or maybe my host brother just doesn't like me XD
10.emailing between phones is much better than texting.
11.the trains are always busy, only late in a typhoon, and the american announcer is possibly the most annoying bitch in the history of the universe.
12. Harajuku is shopping heaven.
13.A "small" university is at least 3 times the size of the George Square campus.
14.Japan freakin' rules!
2. "can you eat japanese food?" applies as much to chopstick use as it does to you actually liking the food; spoons are only for curry!
3.Japanese mobiles are weird, though not as weird as the trend for hanging object larger than said phone from it.
4.Japanese people are always amazed when you can speak to them in japanese, and are not therefore just the dumb gaijin they thought you were.
5.5'6" is tall.
6.guys wear more pink than girls. seriously. there are so many guys walking round my campus with Sophia written across their asses in pink. it's odd.
7.being the token Scot entitles you to special treatment; money off things, drinks, sensible conversation that doesn't involve the E country in anyway...
8.Japanese TV will never make sense. Ever. End of.
9.Japanese boys really don't know how to talk to girls. Or maybe my host brother just doesn't like me XD
10.emailing between phones is much better than texting.
11.the trains are always busy, only late in a typhoon, and the american announcer is possibly the most annoying bitch in the history of the universe.
12. Harajuku is shopping heaven.
13.A "small" university is at least 3 times the size of the George Square campus.
14.Japan freakin' rules!
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Busy Streets, giant Koi, fashion and video games
I still can't get over how busy it is here, even the streets in Himonya are always full of people, and bicycles. Went to Shibuya again yesterday, and it was even busier than the previous time. And yet, despite all this, I am yet to be barged into and pushed aside like I would be back home.
At the massive crossing in Shibuya, on the way back from getting my photos, there had to be close to a thousand people trying to cross the road at the same time, and yet I managed to cross with no trouble at all. It's bizarre.
Some tastes appear to be universal though, and it made me smile:
Today was more of a chilled day; I studied some kanji, went for a shower, then out to find lunch, notched up a high score on the taiko game (got 100% on the first piece ^_^), then wandered up to the nearby park. And it is gorgeous! There's a huge boating lake in the middle, so I took a seat nearby and alternated between more kanji and reading Pandaemonium. The weather was a little on the warm side to begin with, but I had a can of coke with me, and it cooled when it clouded over, so I survived. I wish I'd had my camera with me though, as I saw some of the biggest fish in the lake; they could have eaten my goldfish back home and probably wouldn't have noticed!
I saw a genuine koi as well, bright orange with the white star on its head. It's supposed to be lucky, so maybe it's an omen ahead of my first day at uni tomorrow!
There is also a shrine on the little island in the middle of the lake, and as I stood on the bridge trying to remember proper etiquette, the tiniest little old lady came up to me and asked if I was ok. I managed to explain that we had been taught shrine and temple etiquette, but that I couldn't remember which was which, at which point she told me to go with her, and she walked me through it! She was so lovely, I couldn't thank her enough. And again I wish I'd had my camera.
Fashion here seems to be really bizarre too; I mean, you got the obvious student types, who look like they live in jeans, and the slaves to whatever some mental rich people in Paris say is 'in' this season, but then you get the truly bizarre.
I saw a guy yesterday who looked like he had forgotten to take off his pjs, or brush his hair. Then there was the guy with the mini-skirt over his jeans...
And that was just the guys.
There seems to be a trend among girls (yes, they're my age, shut up) to wear tiny shorts, the sort last seen on Lara Croft in the 90s, and team them with the largest boots I've seen since I last played as Dizzy in Guilty Gear. A few of them seem to have taken the 'Tales of Symphonia meets Harry Potter' route with tops and hair. I saw one guy who actuallyhad a lightening scar. And it was real; I stopped and asked.
I think the prize for the weirdest outfit have to go to the chick I saw on the train on the way to Shibuya; flat brown shoes, knee-high white socks, a little yellow blouse, and a short-legged, yellow, woolen, for lack of a better word, romper-suit.
Man I love this city.
There are awesome arcade games also, see below for; Guitar Freaks, Drum Freak, Empress Turntables and anime-version "House of the Dead Ex":
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Saturday, 19 September 2009
目黒にいます！楽しいだよ！
Ok, so, better get on with this, I could be here a while ^_^
First view of Japan ( if you look real close, you see Fuji) :
Arrived on Thursday morning, 9:15am local time, 1:15am for those of you in the land of Scot. After a traumatic time in customs, in which I headed in entirely the wrong direction, and thought I was going to be trapped in the luggage hall forever, when it turned out the customs desks were behind me the entire time, I found my way to the front of the terminal, and was met by the lovely Naoko, a fellow 3rd year student at Sophia, who had kindly agreed to come meet me at Narita, so that I wouldn't flake out entirely and end up at the wrong side of Tokyo, or indeed not in Tokyo at all.
First encounter with the population was on the train, where I managed not only to buy the wrong ticket, but apparently upset an elderly woman sitting nearby with my rather clumsy, sleepy japanese-english conversation.
Finally, we made it to where I will be staying; Meguro-ku, which you can find here on google maps: http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?hl=ja&tab=wl I live where the A points.
And this is the house I live in (taken at a clumsy angle, cos I didn't want to end up in the neighbour's garden) :
first day none of you will be interested in; I slept most of it! ^_^ though Papa and I did go for a walk round Himonya (the little bit of Meguro we stay in), and got some awesome tempura for dinner ^_^ :
oh, and this little guy is the marker I need to watch out for to make sure I get the right block ^_^; onigiri-kun! :
and the awesome manga shop two blocks away, I can buy books for less than £1! :
yesterday I went for a bit of a wander, went to Daiei, which is this massive department store/supermarket, it is massive. Connor gets ten cool points for giving me the heads up about this, but minus twenty for not telling me it tastes like bubblegum; even regular Coke is better than that! :
for those of you who don't read japanese, it's grape fanta ^_^
today I ventured to Shibuya with Papa and Tomo, who were very kind and took me to the store I needed to get the right adaptor to be able to plug my laptop in, and the cable for charging my ipod which i forgot to pack. and man was it busy!! and that was at a quiet time of day! :
thing is, I have to go through there in the morning to get to university, and then back again in the evening, so goodness knows what it'll be like then!!
Also went for a wander round one of the music stores, and found a rather amusing graffitied Dave Grohl; the cheeks are my favourite bit :
although somethings never change; attached to the music store was this:
First view of Japan ( if you look real close, you see Fuji) :
Arrived on Thursday morning, 9:15am local time, 1:15am for those of you in the land of Scot. After a traumatic time in customs, in which I headed in entirely the wrong direction, and thought I was going to be trapped in the luggage hall forever, when it turned out the customs desks were behind me the entire time, I found my way to the front of the terminal, and was met by the lovely Naoko, a fellow 3rd year student at Sophia, who had kindly agreed to come meet me at Narita, so that I wouldn't flake out entirely and end up at the wrong side of Tokyo, or indeed not in Tokyo at all.
First encounter with the population was on the train, where I managed not only to buy the wrong ticket, but apparently upset an elderly woman sitting nearby with my rather clumsy, sleepy japanese-english conversation.
Finally, we made it to where I will be staying; Meguro-ku, which you can find here on google maps: http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?hl=ja&tab=wl I live where the A points.
And this is the house I live in (taken at a clumsy angle, cos I didn't want to end up in the neighbour's garden) :
first day none of you will be interested in; I slept most of it! ^_^ though Papa and I did go for a walk round Himonya (the little bit of Meguro we stay in), and got some awesome tempura for dinner ^_^ :
oh, and this little guy is the marker I need to watch out for to make sure I get the right block ^_^; onigiri-kun! :
and the awesome manga shop two blocks away, I can buy books for less than £1! :
yesterday I went for a bit of a wander, went to Daiei, which is this massive department store/supermarket, it is massive. Connor gets ten cool points for giving me the heads up about this, but minus twenty for not telling me it tastes like bubblegum; even regular Coke is better than that! :
for those of you who don't read japanese, it's grape fanta ^_^
today I ventured to Shibuya with Papa and Tomo, who were very kind and took me to the store I needed to get the right adaptor to be able to plug my laptop in, and the cable for charging my ipod which i forgot to pack. and man was it busy!! and that was at a quiet time of day! :
thing is, I have to go through there in the morning to get to university, and then back again in the evening, so goodness knows what it'll be like then!!
Also went for a wander round one of the music stores, and found a rather amusing graffitied Dave Grohl; the cheeks are my favourite bit :
although somethings never change; attached to the music store was this:
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