Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Television

I love the TV here, very modern. It works like you have a cable/satellite TV in Indonesia. You can see the channels' schedule up to a week from today, and also book it so the it'll automatically switch to the channel, or if it's off, it'll turn on and off by itself. *o* The schedule's possible because of the digital broadcast.

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There are 4 types of TV broadcast types that I can choose from my remote control. The first two are the 地上A and D (ground Analog and Digital). Then BS, and CS. I'm not sure what's CS, I don't use it. I also don't normally watch BS, it's filled with NHK and I think it's more boring. Most of the shows are on Ground D, where the main channels are, as far as I know. Ground A has some of Ground D channels, but it has such low quality, never watched from there. There's also Gyao, a paid cable TV of some sort. Mine's not working for some reason... orz But even with just normal TV it's quite enough, there are always interesting one to see, except when it gets late on sunday nights. Normally all of the channel goes sleep or switch to TV shopping sessions at around 2 or 3 on sunday nights.

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This one lists the programs that I booked. And the list is full. A bit lame, I couldn't add more... ;_; Oh, you can browse the schedule by genres (anime, drama, variety, etc) and by time, neat.

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On BS and CS, when you press "d" button, this kind of screen will show up. Kind of like a website. It differ from channel to channel. From there you can see the news, and local weather. Notice it doesn't only say Osaka, but also the suburb I'm in. Cool.

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When the channel has a "data broadcast", it'll have this kind of special menu. For Fullmetal Alchemist, you can see the summary for current/previous episodes, character, opening/ending song info, and a barcode linking to the mobile website.

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The image above has Japanese subtitle. Sometimes it'll have color and symbols and placed neatly, but sometimes it can get annoying and cover the pics or get really lagged on certain programs. But it helps me understand better, so... Still, isn't it awesome?! Subtitles!

So yeah, this'll end my post about the TV for now.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Harry Potter @ IMAX

There are only 3 IMAX theaters in Japan, 1 of them is in Osaka. I've never been to IMAX before, so I'm not sure what to expect, except for hearing that the screen is big. Osaka's IMAX is at Minoh, 109 Cinemas. I took bus to get there.

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109 Cinemas is located in Visola. I like the bridge design. It was such a hoooot day.

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The entrance door is so small and cramped with people waiting inside.

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The queue wasn't that long, I arrived around 40 min before the movie starts. I've been checking the seats online. Wanted to get it online, but it requires credit card. I don't want to be charged with extra charges, 2200 yen is expensive enough. It seems like lots of people has bought the tickets in advance, but I figured 1 person's seat would be okay.

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Everytime I checked the site, this particular seat number always come up. And guess what, it ended up to be the seat I'm getting in the end. ^_^;; Maybe it's the only left?

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This one is the brochures I took and given. The glasses to see the 12 minutes special 3D scenes are given at the entrance. I'm not sure why they gave me that sticker. Not sure what movie is that from. They also sell movie pamphlets. I peeked at a person who's flipping it in front of my seat, but I figured it'd be too expensive for 800 yen?

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This time, they checked our tickets at 1 gate, hmm. So maybe it's possible to switch around to other theaters? I've never done it back in Aussie, though, but it's possible I guess. The seat is more comfortable than the previous one, but still, narrow!! I was sitting with a couple on my left and right... agggh. And my bag barely fit the chair width. ;_; And also dropped my glasses in the middle of the show, and people turned over and looked at me... ///// After the show, most people also stayed until the credit is over. I ended up staying as well as I need to take the glasses under the seat in front to return it to the staff... orz

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After that I wandered around a bit, it's a pretty nice place actually, near the hills, but I don't feel like eating dinner there, and so ended up going home early.

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Ice Chai (¥160) that I had for the day, I think I'd prefer it hot.

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Bought some dessert for that night (around ¥300) in Visola. The biscuit of the cheesecake was so goood. It must be put to a fridge in 1 hour though, so I quickly rushed home afterwards.

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My dinner for that night? Katsu-don, ¥630. Was scared with an old man who sat next to me just after I finished this meal, but the Katsu was so thick and yummy~

Monday, July 20, 2009

Unagi Day

In Japanese, it's called doyo no ushi no hi (土用の丑の日). It falls in the middle of summer. It's one of those tactics by people to sell more of their stuff, and dates back to 2 centuries ago. On this day, you eat Eel (Unagi), and believed that it'd keep you healthy to go through the rest of the hot summer. This year, it falls on 2 days. One of them is 19 July. I had one this afternoon. There has been advertising of the Unagi day since few days ago, in konbini and supermarkets. I don't think they lower the price at all, except for one restaurant I know, 790yen to 690 yen.

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In supermarkets, they have special corner for Unagi. This one is the unagi only, not the bento. There are two types, Japanese products and Chinese products. The Chinese one costs half of the Japanese one. There's been cases of food poisoning from Chinese products, hasn't it. Wanted to get the Japanese one, but ended up buying a cheap Unagi nigiri (sushi shaped one), 398yen.

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So I'm not sure whether it's a local one or an international one. orz

Friday, July 17, 2009

Haruhi S2

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I'm so late in hearing this news. Over a month here and I didn't know that Haruhi has new episodes along with the old ones. Well, you see, Sun TV broadcasts it with such a lame quality, so I thought it's the old one and never bother it. It's the broadcast called Windowbox in English, and 額縁放送 (Gakubuchihousou) in Japanese. *sigh* This is so evil.

So apparently it'll have 28 episodes. The just now broadcasted was episode 16. Seems like I'd have to catch up with 6 episodes.

And apparently there's a website that has lists of what anime airs on what in Osaka. Except for KBS, I have all of the channels.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I Watched Eva on Harry Potter's Premiere

And I made such a big post, just for watching anime at a cinema... Not such a fan of Eva, I wanted to watch Harry Potter actually. But Eva seems to come first. And anime being my first movie to watch in Japan... Didn't regret it at all. It was such a great movie. Or is it because I watched in on theatre? But still. I couldn't understand some of the dialogs. And probably even with English subtitle I still couldn't understand some parts of Eva. But it was so moving, I guess.

Some differences with cinemas I've been before. Watched the movie at Ema. It was an interesting cinema. I think all of the cinemas I know has entrance doors on the same level. But this one is different. The first floor is the lobby. Then there's an (one) entrance to go to the theaters above, through a (one) very narrow escalator. So 10 min before the scheduled time, people queue in front of the entrance and go up. Really sorry for the very blurry picture.

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The theater I watched was number 1, so I didn't get to know other theaters, but others are at the upper floors. Interesting. And while queueing, I saw a girl dressing up as Hermione (a gaijin), almost look like one. The ticket is checked at the theater's door, so you can't go in wrongly, I guess, not like in Aussie.

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The interior was, unexpectedly... normal, a bit disappointed actually. Aussie's big chair is much nicer. And the air conditioner wasn't that cold too, more like a bit warm. But I won't complain much since I only paid for 1000 yen, around 500 yen cheaper than normal? Because it's a lady's days every wednesday.

On the scheduled time, they played trailers for upcoming movies. One Piece seems interesting. And the closer one, Summer Wars. Must watch that one. Then the movie starts. Amazingly, everyone follows the cute warning movie, no speaking. It was so quiet, except for some almost inaudible giggle at several moments. And when the credit comes up, I was surprised that no one is getting up o___o;;; Normally, when the credit comes up, the lights would turn on and people would start leaving. But no one left the theater until the credit finished. And so, after the credit there's the "on next episode" "service, service" thing. Then after that everyone left. Seriously, I was surprised with the quietness.

At the lobby, there's also a place where they sell harry potter / eva goods, but didn't get to see it closer. And was wondering about these movie pamphlets. Will look at it when I watch Harry Potter. I suppose the cinema food is as expensive as Aussie? I'm not sure. But there was also a vending machine, which has, of course, higher price than normal.

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Then we went to Loft. Such an amazing building. It has lots of cute and stuff, from chairs, yukata, those useless toys, cute stationery... And we had pasta there.

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This summer special pasta taste different than normal pasta. Quite okay. But the tomato garlic pasta tastes better. I guess I still love tomato pasta nonetheless.

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Then, they have service of getting free tea/coffee after the meal. WOW. Then I was somehow confused about the milk. Thought I have to pay more or something. But I think she's saying it differently... orz Anyway, got my milk and coffee. It was so good as well. Very satisfied. I must pay back my senpai in the future somehow... She's so kind and paid for my meal. I feel bad for not using formal Japanese, but I can't help myself.

Actually, I'm always confused when the kouhai (juniors) speaks in formal japanese, and the senpai (seniors) speak in non formal japanese. I'd definitely get influenced to use non formal to answer the senpai. Unless, of course, they're teachers.

Oh well. Such a good day, so I'd better study more dilligently ;_;

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Summer 2009 Anime (Osaka) [edited]

Listing Anime I'm gonna watch on TV this summer. Well, will practice my Japanese, going to watch it all raw! It's so hard to see which channel air it in Osaka, since all of them are Tokyo based and different regions have different channels =( But apparently Wikipedia lists them... But still.

Fuji TV = Kansai TV?

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Kansai TV, Sunday 08:55 - 09:00

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MBS, Sunday 17:00 - 17:30

07-Ghost
Yomiuri TV, ch10, Monday 25:59 - 26:29

GA 芸術科アートデザインクラス
Yomiuri TV, ch10, Monday 26:29 - 26:59

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Sun TV, 6 July, Monday 25:40~
hmm, not my type

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Kansai TV, 14 July, Tuesday 25:35 - 26:05

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Kansai TV, 7 July, Tuesday 26:20 26:10 26:05
pretty, but not my type again

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BS11, 10 July, Friday 24:30 - 25:00
Sun TV, Monday 24:00-24:30 (but overlapped with Arashi no Shukudai kun)

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NHK教育, ch 2, Saturday 16:35 - 17:00

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Pre-Tanabata and Osaka's Big Scale Gundam

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Tanabata is near, even the station has the bamboo to hang your wishes.

Here is the map of where I went this weekend. Namba to Shitennouji to Tennouji. There's an event in Shitennouji today.

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Passing through Namba, a fake Inari shrine in Namba.

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Gegege Kitaro on the wall next to an eating place.

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Stairs going down 1.

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The cafe where I ate Banana Parfait Curry. Look at the manga collection! Will definitely visit here again.

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On the way to the temple. This is stairs going down part 2.

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Not sure why the birds are wandering around this shop. It looks like an old abandoned shop. Even when I got closer to them, they didn't fly away...

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Interesting architecture near temple/graveyard.

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Entrance to Shintennouji temple. Still not that many people.

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一人では生きられません。One cannot live alone.

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Place to write your wishes to hang on the bamboo.

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Warning on not to get close to birds because of the bird flu scare. Ehh...old news. Now is the new influenza scare, haha.

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Schoolgirls getting ready to enter for the event.

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I think this is supposed to be a fireman mascot.

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Osaka also has its own big Gundam model! Made of cardboards though, and is only 3m high.

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Note the small Gundam on the shoulder!
Heard a mother telling her son "Yes, we'll have to go to Tokyo to see the big one". *nods*

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200 yen to watch a movie made by students (slideshow of photos of Osaka and people's wishes voices) and a short introduction about the universe, and the Gundam, I suppose. Great! Now I know there'll be a nationwide sun eclipse on 22 July!

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By the time I got out, there are more people! But it's time for me to go home!

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On the way back, I spot a small scramble crossing road.

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