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On a crisp autumn Tokyo morning in November, I arose early and made my way to visit the world’s largest fish market, Tsukiji.

The statistics of Tsukiji market are astonishing. With 900 seafood wholesalers under

one huge roof, 2000 tons of raw fish moves through Tsukiji each day.

Walking through the small alleys between the stalls pilled with tuna, squid, crabs & sea monsters, I often questioned if I was taking my life in my hands, trying to dodge the speeding forklifts as they zipped passed covered in fish guts and carrying a load of thousands of dollars of fresh tuna.

To see the icemen drag 2 metre blocks of solid ice, and then to cut it with a saw that would have been at home in a timber mill, was a real sight.  As was sitting amongst buckets full of writhing eels.

Crossing from one alley to another the glistening floor would alter in slipperiness and test my ability to stay on my feet.  One minute I would be sliding through 2cm of blood, the next minute ice, squid ink, brittle frozen fish, smashed styrofoam and huge red sucking octopus tentacles.

Often I saw massive tuna; frozen so solid they became brittle; being cut into segments with industrial bandsaws. Other times the frozen fish being chiseled aggressively, shards of frozen fish flying through the air as the workers chipped off sections of fish.

I finished my morning adventure at Tsukiji with sushi breakfast at one of the stalls just outside the market.  Probably the freshest sushi I’ll ever eat.

You can see some photos from my visit to Tsukiji here

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Photos from latest Tokyo visit have been posted to

the gallery.

– Yoyogi Park
– Streetscapes
– Tsukiji Markets

You can find them here: Tokyo November 2006 and also in the Moblog here

Saturday night saw us at the Sydney Opera House, to see
Feasting on Flesh

Described by The Studio as;
“A decadent and deranged degustation of perverse and provocative performance by proud purveyors of wanton weirdness!”

Feasting on Flesh is a new play by Scott Maidment which explores the relationship between food & sex. Delivered in a cabaret setting, dinner tables set around a central stage; this part burlesque show, part circus, part play, could have gone oh-so-wrong and been a showcase for gutter humour.

But it doesn’t.

The performance opens with a butcher carrying in on his shoulder what appears to be an animal carcass, throwing it down onto the tabletop as one would imagine a butcher would handle a pig. The carcass is strung up by the legs, ready for dissection, when it becomes apparent that the carcass is actually a naked human, and the carving begins. Clever dialog, amazing dance, solid lighting and magnificent music follow. The entire production is exceptionally well constructed and much like a good degustation leaves one feeling well satisfied.

But the real treat of this work is the setting to music by Gotye (Wally De Backer)

Gotye is an amazingly talented musician and vocalist. His MySpace page describes his music as Alternative/Electronica/Indie. (although how Indie defines a type of music defeats me) You can listen to some of his work here or here.

Gotye demonstrates just a fraction of his abilities in the lead-in/out of ‘Hearts a Mess’ where his genius with syncopated percussion is hypnotic, all while holding his own vocally.

Go and see this performance while you can.
The season runs from 9th – 18th November at the Opera House Studio.

Of course, it would be amiss if I did not quote a line I particularly enjoyed from Feasting on Flesh, by the Dutch professor on eating out.

“It’s not so much the taste of the food, rather the ambiance of the restaurant”

What a joke. This movie was so crap I don’t know why anyone bothered making it.

First of all, the casting agent needs to be shot. Keanu Reeves as an Architect? really? how very convincing. And then Sandra Bullock. pheff. Miss Congeniality with no personality.

And the story itself. Empty. What a dumb idea. It wanders around for too long, two people living in the same house 2 years apart. Writing letters to each other and falling in love via the letterbox.
The only entity in the entire film who plays a convincing part, is the bloody dog! And he’s living in both the present and the future!!!

What a waste of my valuable in-flight time watching this piece of trollop. Lacked substance, story impossible, supposed to be romantic, and ends up not even being funny.
It would have been more entertaining to watch the real-time in-flight

monitor for one and a half hours.

My advice, if thinking about driving past the lake house… do us all a favour and cut the stilts.

It would be better off resting in the mud on the bottom of the lake.

Tasting today is from Pikes Vintners of South Australia’s Clare Valley.

It’s becoming ever more popular to see a Pinot Grigio produced in Australia, and with the Clare Valley being renowned for its Rieslings, a close cousin of Pinot Grigio, it should not be a surprise that a good Pinot Grigio should come out of the Clare Valley.

Pikes 2005 is really not a Pinot Grigio, despite the label (if casually glanced) might lead one to believe. Beneath the large Pinot

Grigio print, there is a small note to the presence of 38% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Semillon grapes, leaving us with 59% Pinot Grigio.

But that is ok. It’s a very pleasant menage d’trois.

The nose is fruity, but not sickly.
The palate shows subtle apricot/peach tones. A little acidity ensures it is well balanced and not at all too sweet. The mouth feel is soft.

Pikes 2005 Luccio Pinot Grigio was paired on this occasion with Italian sausage pasta. A nice combination.

I cannot recall where or what I paid for this bottle, so cannot state if I felt it was good value, but can certainly say it was well enjoyed.

I’ve been listening to Camille the past few days and enjoying very much.

Here is an artist doing amazing things vocally. Camille tweeks and tickles your ears with her amazing lyrics and sonic abilities. She has the uncanny ability to move from sweetness to angst-ridden to passionate and back again. Yet without sounding at all contrived.

This album has little in the way of a big backing band, hence is predominatly percussion & bass, which in my opinion really lets Camille shine.

Some standouts are tracks such as ‘Au Port’ & ‘Ta Douleur’

Comparisions might be drawn between Camille’s style and that of Björk or Stina Nordenstam, but that wouldn’t be entirely accurate, either to these artists or to Camille. There is something going on here on a whole other level, and it’s for that reason that you should have a listen.

Her latest album is titled ‘Le Fil’

You can hear a smattering on LastFM

It’s French pop, but unlike anything you’ve heard before.

Non-francophones (like me) don’t let the fact she is French put you off Camille, she is magnificent and worthy of your ears.

I recently finished reading

Robert Hughes’ The Fatal Shore.
What a magnificent work. This book should be mandatory reading in all Australian schools; and is a valuable read for anyone even mildly interested in the formation of the Australian nation.

Hughes is, as always, ever eloquent as he draws the reader through the perilous growing pains of our nation during the convict settlement of Australia.
I really valued this book, especially in the way Hughes details the specific thought processes of the various Governors of that time. I found this particularly interesting when looking at the parallels with our government today. In doing so I felt I gained a slightly deeper understanding of some of the reasons behind laws that are still significant in our society today.

In The Fatal Shore, Hughes gives us a close look at who we Australians were, and who we are today as a result of our convict and colonial past. This is a tremendously valuable perspective to have and one that gives us a better understanding of the Australian psyche today.

Buy, Borrow or Steal this book. (Disregard the possibility of deportation to a distant foreign land)
It’s worth it.

20 Million Australian’s now call this continent home, you ought to know what occurred prior to you stomping your feet here.

Oh Yeah. I love this vineyard.

Warraroong Estate has to be my absolute favorite winery in Australia’s Hunter Valley, come to think of it, probably favorite period. (I’ll save why for another post on their Sav Blanc)
I’ve just polished off the better part of two-thirds of a bottle of the 2005 Warraroong Estate Malbec along with a Lane Cove Gourmet Pizza, Tijuana (Chilli Beef, Pepperoni, Roasted Capsicium /w guacamole & sour cream)

Now, I like to think I’m not a wine-wanker. I know some of those types and their drivel makes me want to spike their next glass with radiator coolant.
I didn’t read the back of the label before I opened this bottle, but to my surprise, after the first slice of pizza and a swill from my glass, I thought I ought to read the label. To my surprise I read “Malbec is a quick developing wine and a great accompaniment to spicy foods”

BINGO!

Tijuana & Warraroong Estate 2005 Malbec, now a match made in heaven.

Why?

Nose: Plum, Charcoal
Palate: Berries, Not too tannic (I hate that feeling as though you bit a green stick from a tree)
Eyes: Ruby Red, as you would want a rock on your finger to look. Deep & luscious.
And with the spicy Tijuana, I had a party on my tongue.

This is one to enjoy, from an unpretentious vineyard in the beautiful Hunter Valley.
My salvation is in the knowledge that there is one last bottle in the cellar awaiting opening.
(Before I drive back up to Warraroong to re-stock)

Went to see ‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’ this evening.

Overall an interesting film, although I felt it only scratched the surface of the Irish troubles during the period of the early/mid 1900’s.
There was a significant amount of violence and some very squirmy sections during the torture

scenes, I had the feeling that the whole film was about the violence of war and only a little of the futility and frustrations of the struggle.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley lacked the depth of other films that have covered similar territory; such as ‘Michael Collins’. The complexity and colour that the Irish are able to give the spoken word was not really exposed in TWTSTB apart from a brief discussion/argument scene on the value of the initial peace treaty, and even that discussion was lacking substance or beautiful oratory.

Apparently the film has not been marketed well or there is little interest, as we shared the cinema on a Friday night with only five other patrons. ???

At the request of a few

friends, who had requested that I publish my Media Center Playlist.
I think they may have wanted a laugh at the fact I own an ELO record… 😀
Here it is: Media Center Master Playlist