Posted in: London taxis ranked world's best; Tokyo 3rd See in context
after 12 yers of livng in Sydney, their taxis rank low in my opinion, I recenty went back to Sydney with a business group from Japan, we arranged 4 taxis to take Japanese group from a Circular Quay hotel to World square for a breakfast meeting, 2 taxis went direct while the other 2 took the opportunity to go via kings cross & oxford street and charge double of the direct taxi. My questioning was met with a blank look and the cab speed off.....
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Posted in: Workers in NY begin to dismantle buried ship See in context
dirt or soil, I dont mind, but when will the USA go metric?
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Posted in: Twitter a hit in Japan as millions 'mumble' online See in context
There is a strange irony about the people who are also multiple posters on this site and happy to slag off twitter users for micro blogging. These same people are using the same form of social media (JT) to express their thoughts etc everyday.
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Posted in: NZ teen survives 16-story fall onto concrete floor See in context
he has been named in the All Blacks for this weekends rugby test against Australia....we need someone who can take the high ball and come down safely
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Posted in: Ironman watches See in context
I raced in Ironman events as a sports hobby for over 10 years and competed around the world, the Japanese would turn up at a race with all the best & latest bike & race gear.....if it has Ironman on the label, they bought it. The good Ironman watces now have wireless heart rate & bike computer with data download to computer.
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Posted in: How would you rate the World Cup in terms of entertainment, quality of games and referee standards? See in context
I lost interest early after watching the diving and appealing.....after a big build up, I am happy its over. points = 3/10
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Posted in: Anti-whaling activist Pete Bethune gets suspended prison term See in context
check this out...Bethune http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10658302
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Posted in: Playing for high steaks See in context
sorry....editing mistake. I can recommend to smartacus the Meat Guys sausages, I seem to remember something about Corned beef on his product list as as well.
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Posted in: Playing for high steaks See in context
I picked up on Mr Feists desire for country of origin at restaurants, our café in Fukuoka is small, certainly not high end. I make it point to provide ingredient origins on the menu and part of our staff training. After a couple of years it has become one of our strongest selling point and leads to direct product sales, in particular for the rack of lamb as customers try to cook the dish as home. I hope the MLA can support smaller specialty places like us too.
Customers are now asking about country of origin smartacus.....the meat guy has a great range of his own suasages & I think corned beef.
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Posted in: Anti-whaling activist Pete Bethune gets suspended prison term See in context
surpised to me too, perhaps they saw his previous months in a Japanese jail as his pentalty. I was expecting something like 12 months with his time in jail included What will be the conditions of the suspended setenece? maybe the evidence he gave against Paul Watson was what they were really after.
I hope he will return to NZ and appricate his children now..... Watson will see it as a victory, but nobody came away from this with any glory
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Posted in: Speculation intensifies over Darvish's future in major leagues See in context
I am only new to watching baseball and enjoy having the MLB playing on TV while I work, but what is with all the spitting and chewing tabacco. The game I have grown to enjoy but can not watch that spitting aspect of it...a real turn off. Good luck to Darvish.....
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Posted in: Japan puts out welcome mat for embattled 'Sex and the City 2' See in context
I smiled when I read sex and welcome mat are used in the same sentence. From my time in the eastend of London, some women were knowing for their welcome mat.....
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Posted in: On-line shopping site brings Italian food, lifestyle products to Japan See in context
I wish Elio Orsara all the best, authenticity is important to a certain sector of Japanese consumers, and price although a consideration is not the reason they buy products like these.
For the past four years we have run weekly food workshops that focucs on authentic food ingredeints & beverage from Australia in Japan, some products have worked, some failed, but we found that when you educate a few, they go on to influnce others.
For anyone that works everyday with Japanese consumers rather than passive observers with preconvided ideas will know that what Mr Orsara is doing is just one very important part of a smart business establisment in Japan. I meet exporters regulary that can not comprehend Japanese consumers are different to the consumers in the UK or US.
An example of how it can work, a person that attended one of our first workshops has gone on to become a caterer for corporate events and still buys from us, she sells the authentic theme to her customers.
I recomemend those with a interest in reaching Japanese consumers browse http://www.hnwimarketingjapan.com/
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Posted in: Baruto bidding to become sumo's 1st European champ See in context
隆の山 from Czechoslovakia has a good fighting spirit but needs another 50kg, I was not a fan of Baruto, now watching with interest, all the best for the next basho
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Posted in: Mt Rainier Double Espresso See in context
An espresso or double espresso is a term to describe the extraction and timing of a shot…….calling this a double espresso is taking the piss….
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Posted in: Australian chef Bill Granger opens new Bills restaurant in Yokohama See in context
Bill has some great recipes if you have a chance to read his cook books, simple food that advocates using local seasonal produce As a chef in Japan and worked around the world, Bill has good simple healthy food that anyone can make... I wish him all the best
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Posted in: Lone shooter kills 8 in central Virginia See in context
During my travels I lived in Florida for 2 years in 1990s, in the first 2 weeks I saw instances where guns were pulled out over trivial stuff, the first I was passenger, our driver passed a car on the freeway that felt they had right of way, after an exchange of words a gun was pulled from the glove box and aimed at the other driver as we drove at 100km p/h, the second was a couple of guys were sitting under a tree in front of the car rental company I worked for, the company owner pulled a gun on them so they would move on and third was a some guys were in front of our apartment block late in the evening talking, a resident pointed a gun at them to move as he was trying to sleep. In the cases I witnessed no one was defending themselves, just trying to exert their authority using a gun.
I can see how an everyday situation turns into a gunfight, often one sided. Is it true that many gun owners in the USA get shot by their own weapon?
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Posted in: Collision course See in context
The Ady Gil (or, the ex-Ady Gil !) holds the world record for the fastest motorised circumnavigation of the globe. Although, surprisingly, behind the fastest sail-powered circumnavigation by around 10 days.
from wikipedia
2007.
while around 22km offshore from Guatemala, Earthrace collided with a local fishing boat. No Earthrace crew were hurt, but one of the three crew members from the fishing boat was killed.[9] The crew was absolved of any responsibility after a 10-day investigation during which they were held.[10] The delays prevented Earthrace from completing the circumnavigation in record time
Mr Bethune may need to be careful calling the SM crew murderous, he was lucky to escape prison time after paying money to the dead fishermnas family after he rammed their boat, putting profits and prestige before sound seamanship
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Posted in: OTTO stovetop espresso maker See in context
Still love my 10 yr old Bialetti, at less than 10% of the price of an OTTO. Oh, and believe me, I've FOUND the sweet spot.
I have a 2 cup Bialetti I use twice a day; the difference between this Otto and a Bialetti is a Bialetti does not make espresso coffee, from what I have read, Otto is designed around 3.5 bar espresso coffee extraction from the stove top, that’s impressive. If your Bialetti did that, it would blow a hole in the kitchen ceiling.
It is expensive, but so is over 40,000yen for a plastic push button machine in a Tokyo department store that also requires you to buy their coffee in a little blister pack.
It has that Dyson design feel about it, I don’t need a new vacuum cleaner but I feel I need to buy one now I’ve seen it….. I will make sure my wife sees and Ill drop a few hints before my next birthday
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Posted in: Trump wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China
Posted in: Japan to release 210,000 tons from rice reserves due to surging prices
Posted in: 2 doctors arrested over cover-up of patient’s murder at hospital in Aomori Prefecture
Posted in: Trump wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China