Thursday 22 November 2007

A google Video which almost costs (me) Rs. 10,000

How far can a video u watch can take u?

Google Top 100 videos is one of the stuff I watch very often these days. (Probably it says how 'vetti' I am)
And a couple of weeks back I came across this very cute little video.



And as i watched it over and over again, I became a little curious about the 'Nintendo Wii' which was in the video.
The next couple of weeks were spent on the net learning about the gaming console, reading reviews, Blogs and watching videos about it.
(I've played a lot of computer games, but gaming consoles are whole new world for me, so I had to start with HSW)

And guess whats the result?
I am even thinking of buying the 'Nintendo Wii' shortly*.

Wow, just amazing to think that all this was triggered by watching an unrelated video!!.

And btw just like any good thing in Video gaming, it comes from Japan!!.

On a totally different note,
Sometimes I wonder if in today whether the generation and lifestyle changes with amlost every year or two.
For E.g.
My brother plays the same games which I play using my Keyboard but he uses a Joystick!!
He somehow prefers the Joystick while I still stuck to my old Keyboard.

P.S:
Official Video Trailer...WOW!!

Saturday 17 November 2007

Rickshaw is from Japan!!!

Surprise, surprise!!!
Guess what this vehicle is called in Japanese?

Its called a - 'Rickshaw'.
Learn't that the word and the vehicle came from Japan.
Wiki says its a Japanese name. So I get to agree.

And we though only Suzuki, Nissan, Honda and Toyota came from Japan.

And guess what ...How much does it take to get a ride in this.....
8000 Yen for a 10 minute ride!! (Thats roughly Rs. 2700!!!!!)

Now you know its a picture of me standing beside it and NOT riding on it ;-)

Some Gyaan:
The word "rickshaw" originates from the Japanese word jinrikisha
(jin = human, riki = strength, sha = vehicle), which literally means "human-powered vehicle."

Click here in case you are wondering what a rickshaw looks like in India.

P.S:
Well, not much of any entry I guess, but anyway i was pleasantly surprised to learn this.
btw the guy in the picture is me :-), if you didnt get it yet.

Thursday 15 November 2007

Of Japanese Temples and Indian Palaces (and vice versa)

Coming from India you are not expected to be surprised by places of worship in other countries.
More so - being surprised about places of worship in Japan is not what I expected.
Japan was about Cars, latest gadgets, computer games, comics (manga ;-) - if you know what I mean) and the other Hi fi stuff. (Thats what my Indian Media told me).

What strikes you about Japanese Buddhist temples and the the numerous
Shrines is the grandeur, the amazing campuses surrounding it , the tradition which is still preserved and the amazing gardens.
Almost every temple has an atmosphere which is simply breathtaking,
be it the 50feet+ tall trees which line up the Hein shrine in Mt. Fuji
(a Temple built to appease the Volcano Mt. Fuji - I heard that the Gods were'nt impressed by the temple .. Mt Fuji had its biggest eruption almost immed after the temple was built in the 8th century and has never had that big an eruption till date;-)).

Or be it the amazing terrace gardens in Kiyomizudera temple o

Or the garden in Narita-san temple

Or the Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion, Made :Largely of gold)

And well here is the twist...

The Japanese Palaces (The Nijo Castle - Home of Shoguns for E.g.) pale in comparison with the Japanese Temples
(and any comparison with the Indian Palaces, make the Japanese Palaces even more smaller in stature).
I dont mean it as an Insult, but to be honest it looks like the Japanese rulers had a very ordinary life (at least in terms of buildings) when compared to their Indian counter parts.

and come to think of it,

Its the exact opposite of what can be said about Indian Temples and the Indian Palaces.
Indian Palaces are biiiigg, luxurious, absolutely breathtaking but the Indian temples
(most of them, at least) start and end at almost at the same Place.

Come to think of it (again ;-)).

This probably speaks about the Indian and Japanese way of life.

While the Japanese Kings/Rulers were content building good palaces (good but not necessarily breathtaking), they just built and preserved amazing places of worship and others places for the common man.

The Indian rulers on the other hand built amazing palaces and other stuff for themselves but hardly did built anything for the conman man.
(Of course in a country as big as India, there are gonna be some exceptions to this rule, but then they remain that - 'exceptions!!').

and come to think of it....(ok,ok, for the last time!!).

Things haven't changed.

(Or has it..... Yes, it has says my mind ... the Kings have become Cabinet ministers and MP's now!!;-))

Now, thats a BIG change (sarcastically!!)

Irashaimase! (Welcome in Japanese)

So you have finally landed here!!!, so let me say it again 'Irashaimase'.
Let me begin by asking questions you probably have on your mind. (Well to be be honest they are actually questions which I have on my mind when I read other blogs!!).

Who am i?
Well, I'm a typical Indian guy , cricket/sports crazy and laAzy currently learning the nuances of life in Japan.

And more importantly what u gonna find here??
Just a few scribbles about hows life being a 'Indojin' (Indian) in Japan and the pleasant surprises Japanese life brings along with it.
You will probably find me singing praises of Japan in this blog quite frequently.
The Tourist places, the wonderfully helpful people of Japan and ofcourse the cars, robots which affect my life.
I have travel fetish so expect a few scribbles about places I visited in Japan.


P.S:
The extra 'A' in the url is not astrological!!!...its just that somebody already took the name 'Lazyme' before i could.
Probably it also says im more laAzy than lazy can be.