The Love Shack (B52's)

In the pictures above, notice the use of vivid colours to draw your attention to its many attributes!!! This leads me onto the next topic. "The Love shack".

I have walked passed this particular colourful hotel on numerous occasions in the past and not given it a single thought. However, it was suggested that this might just be the type of residence I was looking for, to stay long term during my trips to Japan. On closer inspection, (Second picture) I found there was a menu-based selection of ‘duration in the room verses cost’. At this point I thought that this was another one of those good ideas that come out of Japan. You know, why pay for a full day (24 hours) in a hotel when you can pay just for the time you are a sleep, etc, etc. I broached the subject matter in conversation in my local, only to have it pointed out to me that it was a ‘Love Shack/Hut’. (i.e. you take your partner there for a spot of ‘how’s your father’. Say no more!) Select your time allocation pays your money and get to it. I do not think that I would get away with putting this hotel on my expenses!!

What is a "Yatai"?

This is a picture of the local ‘Yatai’ palace I went to quite early on Sunday morning. (Picture taken during the daytime the following evening.) There are loads of these little dens of iniquity dotted all over Tokuyama town centre (Probably Japan as well!) and all offer similar delicacies, which are noodles, vegetables, meat of sorts, wine and beer, beer and more beer. Oh and more beer, nearly forgot that one!

This particular steamy embalming palace is easy to find, as it is virtually opposite the local ‘Love Shack/Hut’. The amount of passing business these little street bistros get is pretty significant. As you can imagine, the seating area is quite small, a few benches parked around a small table with boiling hot water for noodles and foodstuff’s submerged in side pots on top of the table. The customers park their respective carcasses on the bench, ask for there food and get stuck in. Lots of slurping later, they are gone with an extremely quick turn round to boot. I can imagine these joints going down well in England, not. They would either be smashed to bits or full of ‘Brits on the piss’, etc. (The latter definitely has two meaning in this particular context!!!)

Another night in Ell's Ditch

After another night in Ell’s ditch (http://www.ellsditch.jp/html/index.php) and a subsequent trip to one of the local 'Yatai' street palace tents, to endure more alcohol and some noodles, (Well I think they were noodles and meet of some description!!) I have woke up this morning with virtually no dark pressure in the cranium. Which is obviously good, as I am (The cultural attaché to Macclesfield!!) supposed to be helping somebody today with some English this afternoon and I do not want to look like I have just been dragged through a hedge backwards. ((Normally a high probability when you attempt to cut your own hair with a battery powered pair of hair clippers and what supposedly started as a number ‘4’ ended up as a half finished number ‘1’ because the setting button slipped and the battery ran out. Which is totally typical. Luckily it was night time and a good nights rest, allowed the battery to be recharged and allow me to finish off the “Eddie Hitler” type hair cut. No matter what you say I do not look like this chap. (You would have to watch an English TV programme called ‘Bottom’ to understand what I mean here. Probably a good idea to do a web search at this point)) If you interlace the latter, with a major dose of sun on Tuesday, while loitering in Tokuyama wondering what to do next, then it is not surprising that my skin is peeling on the top of my bonce. It looks sore too)

I must admit, last night was ‘bob on’ and I had a great time and many thanks to all. I was only going out to get out of my hotel room at first but as the night progressed, the entertainment arrived and it all progressed from there. (Down hill of course) I just hope the remaining party of people got home all right and are feeling OK this morning.

Well then, apart from some bits this afternoon, I should be out and about with the camera to take some pictures. I was going to go to ‘Iwakuni’ today but I did not want to go if there was any chance of it raining but I will have plenty of opportunities over the next year.

Now totally bored out of my brains!!!!!!

So, after another brain numbingly boring walk round the Tokuyama town centre just, I have come back to the hotel room with plenty of crisps and current buns. (No chocolate here)

So as punishment for reading this, you all can suffer a few pictures of my car. Most people know of me (Andyh-R6S) on a few of the Audi forums. (i.e. http://www.rs246.com/, http://www.s2forum.com/ and http://www.s-cars.org/) All good places to find out stuff about ‘S and RS’ Audi cars.

The attached picture shows my engine bay after I had just finished installing a ‘034 Motorsport’ high output coil conversion. Not a particularly easy job as its was mostly designed for left hand drive ‘5’ cylinder Audi engines but after I designed a new bulkhead mounting bracket and got some custom made ignition leads, it all works quite well. No more ‘in head’ coil pack worries here

I am quite proud of the bracket. I made ‘6’ slightly different prototype brackets out of thick cardboard to start with (One of the pictures shows one of the cardboard prototypes in place) and then had it made in stainless steel bracket while I was in Japan in September last year. Got it home and it did fit first time. Ended up replacing a lot of the boost and the fuel hoses at the same time as well. Almost a factory finish, if not better!

The picture also shows an unmolested wastegate top cover. The old version had been modified by the previous owner and it had a huge bolt in it. (13mm of spring pre-load that it should not of had!!!) This caused over boost issues that the ECU had to control, that gave an impression that the engine was misfiring/hesitating on wide-open throttle (i.e. WOT. Foot to the floor, etc) Changing the wastegate top cover removed the issue instantly; Audi could not solve the issue!!!! But I did. (You can see the old wastegate top cover (Red blob of paint on it!) in the picture that shows the plug leads with the high temp covering fitted to them)

The engine has an ‘MTM’ ECU conversion and a whole host of other mods as well, including a very expensive Audi ‘RS2’ exhaust manifold and a full stainless steel large bore exhaust with free flow cats. (Not the meow type)

The car also benefits from slightly lowered and stiffened suspension, as well as TarOx G88 brake disks all round and sits on RS6 alloy wheels.

One fast, surprisingly restrained and stealthy estate car. If you did not know what it was, you would never now what it is. (If that makes any sense?)

When I find some more pictures I will post them in here.

The pictures of the two ‘Ur’ Quattro’s are my old cars from the early 90’s.

Ba,

A.

Typically me!! "The Knack"

My house in England

Notice the very slight Japanese influence around the garden.

The retired racing greyhound (My mutt Hazel), the fastest couch potatoe you have ever seen. It’s a walking (Lying down in this case) eco system you know!

Hazel had a ‘blow out’ in one of its paws going round a corner while racing. So the previous owner decided to ‘let her go’ to a good home. Six years later, Hazel is in fine form.

Yep, I am also in the middle of smashing the living day lights out of the concrete in one of the pictures. (Or I would be if I were not in Japan) Thats why there is a big chunk of the drive missing in one of the pictures.)

I decided to listen to “Sir Henry at Rawlinson End” (Do a web search, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah band bloke) after ‘Rack 3’. A dubious combination but it had to be done. “Old scrotum, the wrinkled retainer likes a 'pint or seven' at his local pub you know” (The fool and bladder and I think his tipple is scrumpy!!)

No, I am not on drugs it’s the way I am. (If you exclude the Japanese paracetamol (Trade name: Bufferin) I took a few hours ago to try and get rid of the head ache based around Japanese and European embalming fluid. Well I think their headache pills, or should I say, I was told so)

It’s going to be time for some inedible muck soon. Not eating tongue sandwiches again, yuck. Did that mistake yesterday. If I had known what it was, I would not have eaten it in the first place. "Not eating something that’s been in something else’s mouth".

Lastly, I am often told I am ‘unpredictable’!

But I say, that makes me totally predictable; as you know I will be doing something odd next. (It’s the so-called ‘predictable’ persons you have to watch out for!!!)
Could point to Asperser’s but I better not go there.

Welcome to my world.

Ground Zero, Hiroshima and a bit from the peace park

Looking out from the top of a hill top shrine in Kyoto

Looking into Miyajima bay.

Half empty reservoir over the hills behind Tokuyama.

The road in the picture would normally be covered by deep water if the reservoir were not half empty or half full depending on your own point of view. (Beisenko reservoir)

Looking around Tokuyama railway station

I liked the colours in the bush!

A sunken boat in Tokuyama bay!!!

Obviously been rotting away for years. Surprised the Tokuyama port authority has not removed the wreck but good for a picture or two!

Tokuyama town centre

A few selected images taken this week when it was not raining.
All taken with:
Nikon D1x camera and AF-S 17-35mm F2.8 lens.

My Head Hurts!!!

After trying last night to brighten up my outlook on life, I find that being back in Japan, on my own again, is not good for my mental state and the intake of the 'old amber fluid essence' (5 large (ish) glasses of Hoegaarden to start with!!) to bring that certain warm light back into my mind, definitely had the wrong effect and it hurts!!!

Although I have made quite a few friends through work and going to the local Irish bar (Ell's Ditch) in Tokuyama over the last ‘16’ months, I still feel quite empty and would love to go and do something that does not include alcohol, does not cost much and stimulates the mind. Strewth, go and talk to somebody you say!

Its easy if you speak Japanese and I do not and probably will never grasp the fundamentals of the language, as I am a engineer and I think in terms of technicalities, numbers and general thing flying around in space. (Its was bad enough learning English, etc, although I do know a smattering of Italian, as I worked in Naples many years ago, etc)

As an example, its pouring down with rain right now. Not good, everything is grey,that includes my room and mind. So, I went out for a walk in the rain, to refresh the parts that the pain killers were not reaching and after about '30 minutes' I decided that I was in need of some purchasing activities. Well after blowing nearly "£50" (10000 yen) last night, (Alcohol, etc) I decided that I would limit my potential spontaneous spending spree to a signal green 'Kit-Kat'. (Green chocolate and wafer, tasted OK, it was in date, and I have not been sick yet. (The Japanese market is not happy/content with bog standard milk chocolate) ) So after that particular quick interlude I decided to walk around the small Town centre and see what I could find that I had not found on my previous tours around Tokuyama. Well apart from noticing more shops had closed since my last visit in December last year, nothing really had changed. So, now quite wet, slightly dejected and cold, I decided to go back to the hotel and read and/or listen to music or something.

I got back to the hotel and remembered that I forgot to pick up my laundry yesterday from reception. So I asked the lady for my things and was given two bags. The nice young lady then quickly advised me (Bowed head and no eye contact!) that the hotel laundry service would not tackle my ‘socks and skids’ but the shirts and trousers had been sorted. (I must admit when I was filling the laundry slip out yesterday, I thought it was odd to not have entries for under garments, etc. But I used the spare spaces on the slip to add them in, hoping they would be done, just as when I stayed in the other hotel across the road many times last year)

So now I will have to wash them myself but it’s raining outside and there is nowhere to dry them in the room!!! Super!!! (It going to be simpler to nip to the local shop and buy new ones and sort them out when I get home.)

Still got the headache.

Listening to ‘Rachmaninov (Rachmaninoff if you prefer) Piano Concertos #3’ (Rach 3) now I am back in my gloomy hotel room, calms the mind and sole. If you are ever after an abstract film to watch have a look at “Shine”. A super film about a pianist named “David Helfgott” who suffers a mental breakdown, I might join him soon as my mind is going into overload. (Better to watch and understand rather than to read my transcription.)

All I ask is that you remember that ‘sanity is a compromise’.

Think on………

(Many thanks to "Vivian Stanshall" for continued guidance and support from the past and the grave)