House Keeping

I just wanted to say that I've made some small changes to the site - housekeeping stuff; I'm just trying to refine the reader's experience of The Perfect Architecture Company. First off in this effort is that I'm now keeping detailed stats of viewers. I hope to use this data to improve content. This had already lead to some interesting conclusions. For every one friend or family member that reads the site, three people wonder in from absolutely anywhere on the web. Shout out to everyone out there in Cyber Land! Secondly, I've got the comment system working for the site. So feel feed to ask questions or whatever. This should be rather straight forward. Just so you are aware; thanks to hackers, there is a box that makes your type in a word, this is to keep spam off the boards. Don't let it deter you from leaving a message, I will try to respond to questions in a timely manner. Lastly, I have started to host some photos offsite. I've already gone back and re-posted some photos. This will not change the look of the page but may change some load times. If you have high-speed I doubt you will see a difference, but again, if you do, please be patient because all systems are nominal.

If you travel in Sapporo

I have had some questions about the above image and would like to take the opportunity to expand on it. I believe it is an image that can lead to many insights about Japanese culture, and, furthermore, what has come to pass as normal for me here on a day to day basis. This is just what daily life is like. Sometimes funny, sometimes incomprehensible. What is behind me - that is to say, where I took the shot - is just as interesting as the image. Because of an attitude that all available space should be use maximally, these area take on various uses. This is taken in one of four main concourses at Sapporo station, in the first of two underground halls connection various shops, department stores, restaurants, subway systems and pedestrian underpasses. Behind me is just packed with people either shopping or going to the train station (above) or the subway station (below). I find it quite exhilarating, but some find it overwhelming. It's very labyrinth like if you don't have your wits about you.

For some reason there's a single wall of glasses enclosing a small cooking school. I think they were making donuts. It may seem odd to just put this down here, but overall the impression I'm left with is that this type of activity adds to the area's vibrantly. The only reason to get worked up over it is if you want to take a picture of it. If I may draw your attention to the women on the left; she is waving at me, however, you may also notice the woman on the left foreground thinks that it is her that is being waved at. How very post-modern... and an interesting moment for my camera to capture.

I have also included below a picture of the Sapporo Christmas tree. You can't really see it but they are broadcasting something from the foot of the tree to the left. A old movie star or something was MCing and wearing sunglasses inside. A nice tree though; its real by the way. Also I have included a shot of Sapporo station from afar. You can see JL tower there, where we went later. Sorry the image quality is kind of sketchy, it was at the very limits of my camera to take the shot. Also srectching the limits of my camera is the image of the little Buddhist stuppa resting on the top of a mountain. I am only able to get that angle because we are on a higher mountain. I've seen it many times before from below because the Suginome's neighborhood, Fushimi, is just to the left, out of frame.

Weekend in Sapporo Post

I'd like to add images today that aren't as dreary and gloomy as yesterday's grey ocean. On Saturday morning, Mr. Hosono, principal of Shikaoi High School, picked Kevin and I up to go to Sapporo. His wife and daughter (with another living near Tokyo), still lived in the suburbs of Sapporo. (Not to be confused with North American suburbs, in this context I simply mean he doesn't live downtown. Sapporo, like many Japanese cities, supports an amazingly high population density). He tries to go home every weekend and this time took Kevin and I. To continue, we drove their; not my favorite way to get to Sapporo (I love trains!), but Hosono-sensei was good company. And... he knew all the cool places to stop. What better activity to do on a beautiful November day, than... stop for ice cream! And.... this wasn't just some road side store that sold soft ice cream; it was a road side ice cream/fresh fruit cabana run by Japanese hippies!

It's a source of endless enjoyment for Kevin and I to make new discoveries. Again and again it has proven impossible to judge (or guess) the quality (or contents) of a building by its exterior. I had handmade chocolate "ice milk" with bananas and peanuts "mashed in" (right in front of me, for the record); last it was topped with caramel and coco liqueur. Yummy.

Continuing onto activities in Sapporo we visited a park with a beautiful view Sapporo, the Sapporo Christmas Tree inside the Sapporo Beer Factory shopping center (does anyone else find it a bit early for Christmas?), and the JL Tower. The JL Tower is quite a new building, part of an enlargement of Sapporo station, and the observation deck is quite nicely set up. It gives a 360 degree view of Sapporo. I loved going at night. It was like all the stars in the sky had settled, gently, on the ground. I would, furthermore, recommend seeing any city at night. It had been markedly clear on Saturday but it rained overnight and thus Sunday was overcast and hazy. The sun was trying to break through, so it kept the weather warm when we went to Otaru.



Otaru is a harbour city, about 30 min away, but kind of part Sapporo because it's really one large city. It has quite a long history and the downtown has a charming European atmosphere. There were lots of Chinese tourists if that adds another level of verisimilitude for anyone. There is quite a nice water front area with lots of going on; it's centered around a built canal with lots of artists and people. I have some nice pictures of it but I included in this post another image of Otaru. It shows a narrow street climbing the mountainous terrain that defines much of Japan. The sea is a couple of blocks to my back. After I took this shot it was off lunch at a sushiya-san.



Otaru is famous for two things, in my opinion, sushi and music boxes (called oregoru). Kevin and I are trying to repress our memories of the Music Box stores and so I won't go on about that (email me for details). But, as mentioned, Otaru is also known for its sushi. The stores are everywhere, both kaiten and traditional. While walking around we were actually recommended a sushi-ya by some random person. The guy looked a bit sketchy to Kevin and I but Hosono-sensei persisted and it was a surprise hit. One of my vices is that while I like kaiten sushi, the kind that goes around on a conveyer belt, I love traditional sushi restaurants. The interaction with the chef, who you are often sitting in front of at the bar, is too fun. I love asking what's fresh and what they recommend that day. I wasn't completely full when I left ($$$) but was completely content with a delicious meal. I tried Shako, a local delicacy, kind of a shrimp like animal, but not really. And whale...

Did I just hear someone fall over?

Would it help to know that I was assured that it was not a cute whale? I have eaten many other rare things from the ocean and the opportunity was just too good to pass up. It wasn't even on the menu! Before going on about this I will add that the type of whale was a smaller type called, Minke. (Kevin says it is one of the only whale species in the world that is not in decline.) If it sounds like I'm trying to allay my guilt - I'm not - it was delicious. It had been caught early that morning, just out on the open ocean near Otaru. I will add that I was very ignorant about eating whale. We all have a picture of this white blubber, this however was very very red, with a taste not unlike Maguro (tuna). Much to the happiness of the Sushiya-san, I love Toro!

After lunch it was off to see the ocean. From what I have heard, the summer crowds are over overwhelming, but yesterday, we had a rocky out cropping all to ourselves. Being on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido the waves were not huge, but I get giddy whenever I see a horizon of just water.



To concluded, the trip was great - if far too quick. Hosono-sensei is very very kind and I will bring him a note this week, in Japanese, expressing - trying to express - my gratitude. He also didn't have any proper beer glasses in his house, a cause I will personally take upon myself to rectify. This week is slow again, fitting the rainy day were having. I have one trip to a kindergarten and also my junior high school. Nothing planned at night except writing. My three year old kindergarteners just stopped by and they remembered me. How sweet. They pointed at something and asked its colour (all 15 students at once mind you) and I would answer in English; a simple game, but endless fun for all involved.

The Ocean

Tired... But must write novel.... Details to follow

What I did for きのうの休み - 2nd post

I apologize for my lack of writing mojo in my posts. NaNoWriMo is a black hole of creativity. So I'm bailing on everyone and posting some images I took yesterday on my day off. I basically took a long walk near the Tokachi river. I was a beautiful fall day. Can you have an Indian summer in Japan? In anycase, I just basiclly putzed around and took pics, these are some that turned out the best. I discovered lots of cool little places I would like to return to. I also apologize if anyone is having trouble seeing the images. I do downsize them for the site. My computer is fast and has a high-speed connection so I don't have any problems, but this may not be the case for everyone. Just click to enlarge.

Japanese Cultural Festival Holiday

I am constantly amazed at all the different interesting things that happen in the building where I work; the Chomin hall building. (This is a large public building anyone can use, the rough translation is Town Hall, but it does not share the same connotations.) All this week, various cultural arts and crafts completed by Shikaoi residents over the summer are on display. This same activity is happening in almost every town hall in Japan this week. Yesterday was a holiday (Yes, I know it was sandwiched on a Thursday; and no, I don't know why its done this way.) Here in the Fall they have all sorts of interesting holidays. A day for Sons, a day for daughters, a Respect for the Aged Day. But yesterday, the calumniation of the weekends events, was marked as a Japanese Cultural Festival Holiday. As a foreigner here, I am left wondering, "isn't everyday a Japanese Cultural day?"

The top picture is the best one I took of the Chrysanthemums - the flower of the Emperor - of which there is a whole tent full outside. Their called kiku. It was also my first time seeing flowering bonsai, really amazing! Some of the Chrysanthemum stocks were all tall as me - the tent is like a forest. Below are more images of various other projects on display. I would like to stress these are all done by residents of Shkaoi.

Shikaoi Kindergarten Today

My schedule has been a bit unusual lately. I'm not doing much work at the elementary schools because they are busy getting ready for the fall school cultural festivals. For whatever reason, English class is the first thing to go. Ultimately, I don't mind, because it gives me an opportunity to visit various kindergartens. Today, it was Shikaoi's largest kindergarten with 66 students. It was a lot of fun teaching three, four and five year olds, but now I'm drained. Some people have been liking the images of children and so I offer below some from today. The last two are worth noting. Just before I left we lined up all the kids to say thank-you and good-bye. It was very kind, if a bit noisy. It's a shame that the image can not get across how loud the kids were when the shot was taken. They broke ranks and followed me right out the door. The last image gives a fair impression of how riotous my farewell was. (Indeed, it is indicitive of almost everyone exit I do from a school in Shikaoi.) You can see the kids stretch quite far back into the hall. Enjoy.

Posting during NaNoWriMo

I am unsure exactly how posting will be affected during the next month while I participate in NaNoWriMo 2005. I have spoken about the event below, but you can also click the icon above and be directed to the web page. It technically starts tonight at midnight, but I won't be able to get started until tomorrow evening after I get home from work or tomorrow morning before work if I'm feeling particularly industrious. I doubt posting will be affected since I will continue work as before too. I will periodically be posting excerpts of the novel I think worthy of the light of day on my other blog, Dregs of Society, whose link you can be found to the right. Be warned it's more an exercise in word count than writing The Next Great Canadian Novel and the quality will reflect this (being a rough draft). It's a quite day at the office. The next two weeks are quite slow with no elementary classes, just keeping my usual Junior High School work. I have arranged to visit several kindergarten during this slow period, either because I love what I do or have a death wish. I am excited. Tonight, Kevin and myself are going out for dinner since I don't think I will be going out much during the next month. (Except for a trip to Sapporo again next weekend with the High School principal.)

My Birthday Weekend In Sapporo Post

Directly upon arriving in Sapporo and meeting Mrs. Suginome at the same spot - in front of Mister Doughnut - that we met at six years ago, we were off to great dinner at Mr. Suginome's new Jeingus Kan restaurant in Sasakino for my Birthday. (Jeinguns Kan is a style of cooking developed by Genghis Khan's troops that is famous in Hokkaido.) I had dearly wanted to come to Sapporo and meet our old family friends, the Suginome's, for my birthday. While birthdays in the Birdsell house are not particularly large, they are normally spent with family. My desire to travel to Sapporo was easily planned with typical Japanese efficiency (with thanks to Yuki and Mrs. Suginome).

The image to the left is me standing in front of Mr. Suginome's restaurant. It is in the Susukino district of Sapporo, the night life area, and leads to a funny story that is very insightful of the humble character of the Suginome's. They had both mentioned their desire for me tell my friends about the restaurant because it was very new. However, having now visited the establishment, this statement has me scratching my head. The restaurant is narrow and small; tastefully decorated in old think wood beams that the Japanese are so fond of. The restaurant servers very traditional barbecue. The restaurant was very busy the entire time I was there, signifying its popularity. Furthermore, and the funny thing, people in Shikaoi had already heard of this restaurant because the operator, a very young gentleman, had already appeared on national television in some sort of capacity representation the restaurant (like on Oprah or Letterman or something). It hardly needs any advertising, I can only see myself doing more harm than good. Needless to say, the dinner was excellent, and I have no doubts the restaurant will become a complete success because of its excellent food. Every scrap put before anyone was quickly eaten, leaving no leftovers (representing the quality of cuisine). The location is perfect, in a very high traffic area; though out of the way, in a style that is hard to explain if one has not visited to Japan. We were actually served by the guy that had been on T.V.! He wished me a happy birthday. 11/10. The extra point is awarded because of the excellent atmosphere just off the busy thoroughfare of Sasakino. At home later, after a walk with Mrs. Suginome, the three of us sat around eating birthday cake and while I showed off pictures of my students (a good activity that breaks the language barrier every time). I didn't get to bed until midnight.


I had never heard of the Susukino night district because the last time I had been in Sapporo - six years ago - I had been too young to enjoy the community's more worldly pleasures (of eating, drinking, merrymaking and general chaos). Many people in Shikaoi, prior to my departure, had suggested a trip to Susukino. I had assured them I would probably not be going there; Susukino is hardly a place that the Suginome's would be visiting. I had to eat my words. It was hard for me to avoid Sasakino this trip because three of Mr. Suginome's restaurants are all within 100 meters of each other there.

My first evening putzing around Sapporo was a bit overwhelming. Sapporo station is larger that all of Shikaoi proper (with 100 times the people). I love big cities and feel more comfortable than most in the high-density hustle and bustle of cities, so much so that I really don't count Calgary's downtown as nearly busy enough. But upon arriving that warm Friday evening and seeing the multitudes of people going here and there that could careless about some foreigner... well... it kind of made my heart skip a beat. I won't leave this detail until the end though; I can't wait to go back.

I had meant to do a lot of shopping. However, upon arriving back downtown in the morning I kind of lost my exuberance. There was too much choice. I just kind of thought; "I want it, but I don't need it". I won't detail all the places I went because it would probably bore you. I did go to the large bookstore by Sapporo Station that had an English section as large as some bookstores in Calgary (it had lots of text books for some reason). I picked up some Japanese language study guides. A trip to the ubiquitous gigantic Japanese electronic store was in order as well. Near the station the electronic stores are kind of on steroids and people suspects to migraines, seizures or general lethargy should be well prepared to pick yourselves off the floor. Myself, being a child of the post-modern, hyper-stimulus generation, felt quite at home and I'm sure my brother would too. It is here I picked up an extra Mac Powerbook power supply. It was a fun day; there sure is a lot of things going on in that area on weekends. Sunday is supposedly busier so go on Mondays.

Since this blog has the work 'Architecture' in the title I should probably touch on that subject from time to time; but today, only as a segue into a funny story: I had noticed near the Suginome home in the Fushimi district a beautiful gigantic modern-style home. On Sunday morning Mrs. Suginome, her friend, and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, I brought my camera to snap some pictures like the dutiful tourist. We stopped in front of the house, which, it should be noted, must have an absolutely amazing view of all of downtown Sapporo. As I was taking pictures, I bumped into the owner, a one Mr. Odenara, just going inside from doing something. I said, in Japanese, "I think you have a beautiful house. Thank you." He said thank-you and Mrs. Suginome decided to put in a word about what I was doing. He was looking a bit apprehensive at the whole situation until Mrs. Suginome politely introduced herself as "Suginome desu". It was quickly obvious the Doctor was familiar with the fine establishments known by this name. The light came on. He came down and introduced himself; it turns out that he spent four years in Philadelphia going to medical school, and spoke fluent English (if your going to medical school in America one needs more than conversational English). He was interested that I took architectural history in university and thanked us for saying hi. Mrs. Suginome later thanked me for being so brazen as to say hi because now she had a new neighborhood friend. That's me: making the world smaller!



Such a fun weekend, filled with good food and new friends. However, rain this morning kept a planned trip to a park to see the fall leaves from fruition. Instead, Mr. Suginome and I, went to the old Hokkaido government building (oddly built in 1880 in an American-Neo-Baroque style). Mr. Suginome surprised Mrs. Suginome and I by proudly stating that he had an official Sapporo tour guide's license. Something to fall back on if the whole restaurant thing falls through I'm sure.


I have also include an image (above) taken from Thursday night's birthday activities. On the right side are three English teachers I work with from Shikaoi Elementary school. The rest are Fukiko's (front left) extended family. A shout out to Miki who hopefully will soon be reading this blog from Tokyo!