Emily’s Fajita Party

Mike Grist Uncategorized 4 Comments

Yesterday I headed out to Emily’s Fajita Party in Kunitachi. It was raining, I got lost for about an hour on the way there, but Amy Mcdonald’s ‘Mr. Rock and Roll’ and a case of Asahi saw me through. People I met- – Emily- Emily! The hostess, teacher, artiste- her work currently on show at The Pink Cow. – Jeremy- Fairly drunk fella soon headed to Oz to become a pilot. – Greg and Alycia- Married programmers- good police. – Tim- Navy dude, big fella, just came from paint-balling. – Peter- Teacher, went fishing over Golden Week but no fish! …

Meiji Jingu Newly-Weds

Mike Grist Japan, People / Culture 5 Comments

Last month my buddy Canadian Mike had his wedding ceremony. It was held in Meiji Jingu- the huge central shrine in Harajuku right next to Yoyogi Park- and I went along to check it out. Here are some of the highlights: – Drinking sake during the ceremony. – Mike telling me they took hours to strap him into his groom-kimono, even longer for his wife Kumi. – Promenading around the shrine courtyard, a dude with a big red umbrella leading us. – Getting gawked at by tourists (who scurried after Mike and Kumi like they were paparazzi) – Being greeted …

Modelling photo shoot!

Mike Grist Uncategorized 4 Comments

Today I went in for my photo shoot at the Victoria model agency. I had to bring a suit, sports clothes and casual clothes, all for my modelling CV- not for work. Let me tell you- it was fun. In front of a camera I tend to prance and fidget and strike poses anyway, so being told to do that was very liberating. It felt a lot like playing, like I was a little kid and the adults were watching me, and everything I did they said- ‘wow, isn’t he clever!’ or- ‘oh so cute!’ I broke out my ‘Welcome …

Eastern Promises – 2.5/5

Mike Grist Book / Movie Reviews Leave a Comment

A movie in which Viggo Mortensen pretends to be Russian. Slow, with a core of exploitative horror. Slow acting, slow speaking. Nothing much to care about. Some disturbing visuals, seemed gratuitous- they showed us because they could. The bath-house scene everyone raves about- just made me feel like his attackers were pretty stupid, like WWE wrestlers. One-note, a slow simmering Cthulhu-like horror underneath the thin skein of normal reality- overdone I felt. The movie coasted along thinking itself important and valuable. The twist- I felt ludicrous, and unnecessary. 2.5 out of 5. Watch it only if you have nothing else …

Showa Kinen Disc Golfers

Mike Grist Japan, People / Culture 16 Comments

Hidden away in the massive bulk of Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa lies the best dosc golf course in all of Japan; 18 holes of longish straightaways, doglegs round hills and trees, paths cut through bamboo forests, and leaps over water. Disc Golf is a lot like regular golf, but with a specially moulded set of frisbees instead of balls and clubs. You toss the disc towards the ‘hole’, a metal chain-link basket, counting your throws like in golf. You use variously shaped discs like a driver or putter just like the various clubs in golf. You shoot for under …

Arakawa River Ride

Mike Grist Guides, Japan 1 Comment

Last weekend Jason and I took a cycle-camping trip north up the Arakawa river (wild river) into Saitama. We set out on April 27th and came back on my birthday, the 28th, covering 170km in total, free-camping overnight in the grass by a day-time BBQ area. It was an incredibly liberating feeling to get out of the city under our own steam, without having to rely on crowded commuter trains or pass through one of the city’s manic transit hubs. Once we were clear of the city, rolling on the excellent bicycle path that tracks the Arakawa for most of …