Jun 23, 2013

What to See in Nottingham

I have just returned from Nottingham where I helped our son clear out of student housing. Took a flight with Lufthansa to Birmingham and continued by train to Nottingham.

We (had my brother and niece in tow) stayed at the Mercure Hotel on George Street. Service and breakfast were really good, but I found my room too small. I would stay there again, but I’d make sure I get a bigger room. And yes, the original floorboards have a slope (the hotel was built in 1822) and the corridors creak. My room (#211) felt like a ship cabin at times, which was the case even without beer.

Full English Breakfast

Full English Breakfast

We enjoyed some really good beer around town, such as Day Tripper, Acorn, etc. I want a pint!

beer

A sight to see is Wollaton Hall and Deer Park. We arrived in the late morning and there were so many deer in the park. Wollaton Hall, an Elizabethan mansion is quite a site. It also hosts a natural museum of stuffed animals, set in a natural landscape. I did not care so much for this, but enjoyed its architecture more. We also had a very pleasant lunch in the courtyard cafe.

Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall provided part of the setting for the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, released July 2012.

Wollaton Hall and Batman

Wollaton Hall and Batman

Next was Nottingham Castle, which is situated right in the center of town.

Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle

From our hotel on George Street, it was only a 10-minute walk to the castle with the neighboring Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (the oldest inn in England).

Looking down onto the Jerusalem pub

Looking down onto the Jerusalem pub

Nightlife in Nottingham is quite interesting. The city was just teeming with people on Friday night.

Cosplay

Cosplay

We ended up in a rocky bar…

Salutations Pub

Salutations Pub

I had to try new English food such as this one. The photo does not do the wrap justice. It was so big! Too much for me.

Hot Roast Beef Yorkshire Wrap

Hot Roast Beef Yorkshire Wrap

That’s me stepping out of a smelly phone booth, but I enjoyed the photo opportunity. Just held my breath.

phone booth

I found this English rose at the Nottingham Castle. It smelled wonderful and my iPad camera was able to capture the color beautifully.

English Rose

I like Nottingham. The best part were its people. Whether we looked confused at the bus station or had to figure out what to do next, so many people offered to help. This was truly amazing.

I opened my umbrella once in three days. Friday evening we sat outside in warm temps and it almost felt a bit like being in a southern European country. The Brits know how to party and have a good time. For Germans like us, we were surprised when even a pub’s security guards had friendly lines for us.

May 27, 2009

Japanese Men Wearing Bras For Comfort

Yes, it is true. There is a new trend for Japanese men to wear bras. They are made from plastic, to be worn at work under the dress shirt, and meant for comfort.

I just learned about this unusual fad this morning as one of my students asked me whether this would be a hoax or a believable story. Based on my three years of living in Japan, I immediately found this amusing, in some ways sooo Japanese and not surprising anymore. Nevertheless, I needed to double-check it first and found more information about this on Shine.

The Japanese are in some ways very unconventional. They can hold a wedding in Shinto tradition, then in a Hindu ceremony and last the Christian way, including white wedding dress, all on one day.

They sell cold spaghetti with tomato sauce on a bread roll. At first it might not look tasty, but then – don’t some of us enjoy pasta with bread on the side? The Japanese are unrestricted when it comes to concocting plain items in new fashions.

Some men like to have their thirty-something wives wear Snoopy socks and braid their hair to satisfy their Roricon (derived from Lolita Complex), more on wiki here. At first I used to laugh about this seemingly childish way of dressing up in public. Then it dawned on me that some Japanese actually had fewer inhibitions compared to us Westerners. What some might reserve for the bedroom, some Japanese show in public.

So when Cosplay (derived from Costume Play) became popular as a way of dressing up, I figured it was just a continuation of the Roricon. Even then, some enjoyable fads do get old after a while and there is always a new generation of young Japanese minds. So now we have arrived at the stage where some men like to wear bras to work. I hope it makes them cut better deals without having to snap their bra strap. But then again, this won’t be the end of setting new fashion trends either.

So, my message is: Embrace life the Japanese way. This way your life may never get dull nor predictable.

Why take the straight tour in life? Just follow these signs.

Why take the straight tour in life? Just follow these signs.

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