Rainy Season

The rainy season has certainly landed in Osaka with a bang the last week, although Saturday was the best day. I had originally planned on going to Kyoto on Saturday morning to get some shots of Brown Hawk Owl but seeing as I was working until 3.30am Friday night/Saturday morning, that put a dent in my plans so I went to DenDen near Shinsaibashi with PJ instead (see photo left). DenDen town is a "dodgy" area, as YN would say in his Brisbane accent. Full of electronic and porn shops, usually side-by-side. It is a great place to get good "deals" on computers, cameras and the like, but most of the purchases in some of the stores are hot as a tin roof in the middle of a desert. A very interesting place. PJ and I went in to t a porn store for a gander, as you do, and were shocked by a selection of DVDs containing kiddie porn pictures...girls no more than 8 or 9 in bikinis. It was disgusting and sickening. I was so taken aback, as was PJ. For a country that has all these sometimes bullshit rules about not talking loudly on trains, walking up the stairs on the left-hand side etc., the moral code of the place is very questionable at times.

Saturday night a gang of us went to see Gamba Osaka play Tokyo in the last game of the season in the J1 league. Osaka had already won the league but this was a game of pride. Tokyo took the lead after 10 mintues and then doubled that 2 minutes later. Osaka came back before half time and then annhilated Tokyo in the second half, running out 6-2 winners in the end. A good second half but a sloppy first. We were in with the die-hard Gamba fans, all wearing the colors and a particular group wearing t-shirts signifying they were Gamba Ultras. Very hardcore, and very scary. Reminded me of British hooligans really. One guy warned me that if I took photos once the game started, he would get very angry. It was the way he said it to me and the smile on his face that made me think that crossing this guy would not be such a good idea. The ringleader of this group stood for the entire game on a "podium", microphone in hand, directing the songs to be sung. A simple raise of his hand and the crowd would stop singing. A respite of 30 seconds and then he would begin the next chant/song and the entire west terrace would sing again. Madness.

Today, it has just been pissing rain. All I've done is sneeze non-stop...I'm on number 104 as I write this...105. I was going to go to Kyoto but no point in this pissy weather. I took a brieft trip to Shijoniwate to take some photos of the recently hatched swallow chicks but when I got there they had already flown the nest. So, I just hopped back on the train and went to the gym instead. Now, it's to Alias Season 3 and a very early night...

Oh, and for those of you who read this and happen to receive an email to say I've tagged you...accept my sincerest apologies and please delete accordingly. Thanks.

Carmo's Diet: This week, I have mostly been eating crap

Carmo's Birds: not a lot

Carmo's Birds for Byrdy: this incredible chick in Shinsaibashi on Saturday...oh my god