We are joined once again by the positively vivacious Lizzie from Down Under who has recently moved back up to Japan, though not to Osaka, but to Chiba rather (which is more or less Tokyo, for those of you not familiar with the geography of Japan). 

Previously a secret handshaking, card carrying member of BikeClubOsaka.com (R.I.P.) and editor-in-chief of The Transit Lounge, Lizzie returns to the Land of Wii with a double vengence: Gadgets.CoolerThanThou.net and Dating-Japan.com です。

Artwork:  "Moving Box" by ロベルト。

Posted by Rob.

Tags:  NFTOS, Lizzie, The Transit Lounge, TransitLounging, gadgets, nanpa, dating, Rob a.k.a. El Gringo, Chiba, Tokyo, Sangenjaya, Japan

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Abdul Qadim Haqq (Third Earth Visual Arts, UR, etc) is back for another round of live painting, with gigs in Yokohama, Osaka and Yokosuka.


The Osaka event will be held at Sunsui in Unagidani and features an all-star line-up of DJs:  Alton Miller (Inner Muse, Yore & Swank Society Radio), Ageishi (AHB), Compufunk (Motech) and Kihira Naoki (Social Infection).  Chill out in the lounge with P.M.D.M.F. a.k.a. Tan Ikeda, Mongoose (newtone records) and Ooshima Shigeru (Social Infection).

More details and links coming soon.

Posted by Rob.

Ryousuke Itoh (vocals, guitar) and Shiho Itoh (flute, melodica) will be performing at Brusca, near Kagurazaka (Tozai subway) station tonight at 8:00 p.m. (that's 19 February here in Tokyo).  There will be a second set starting at 9:15. 
 
Charge:  1000 yen
Address:  新宿区矢来町107, 2F
Phone:  03-6457-5788
Map:  http://kagurazaka.sanpomania.com/article/brusca.php
More info:  http://kagurazaka.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/438/

See you there!

Photo from Ryousuku Itoh of Beakers and Taiyo Record.

Posted by Rob.

Suffer with us as we try to figure out what the heck is going on with the Amgen race tracker, when we should've just been following the feed from the VeloNews and CyclingNews tickers instead. 

For starters, the course profile on the official race tracker has been showing the previous day's race profile rather than the same day's elevation changes.  Adding to the general confusion is the race map of California on VeloNews which still shows 9 stages and no prologue.  I guess nobody is really prepared for much public interest in their coverage this early in the season.

Another example are the commentators on the official race feed.  Frankie Andreu might have been a fine pro cyclist in his day, but on this stage at least, a fine commentator he was not.  [Oh, and his co-host was Joe Silva, not Neal Rogers, as Rob mistakenly slanders.  Sorry Neal!  My bad. -Rob]

Since we don't have our own Ouija Board, we've borrowed (stolen) an image from a CityPages.com interview of Bob Marley.

Not mentioned in this podcast, but worth reading:  Frederiek Nolf editorial.

Posted by Rob.

Tags: NFTOS, cycling, bicycle, racing, ciclisme, vélo, radsport, ciclismo, stage race, podcast, blog, commentary, Mollema, Louder, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, whale watching, French roast, red wine, Andy Schleck, Frankie Andreu, John Tesh, Phil Liggett, Bob Roll, Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Thor Hushovd, AToC, Hans, Rob, el gringo, Hagerstown, Maryland, Sangenjaya, Tokyo, Japan

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I had originally posted a collection of YouTube "Latin" videos in honor of the 10 years+ since La Tertulia started, but the first video in the series, one by Lila Downs, has already been disabled upon request (death threats from the drug cartels). Several members of 'La Tertulia' were also the earliest members of the NFTOS community on the now defunct 'MSN Groups' service (Brian a.k.a. The Ruck, Hayden a.k.a. Quest, Hans, Rolf and a few more) and have been NFTOS participants in one way or another since it's inception over 8 years ago now.

La Tertulia is back now, in virtual form at least, on facebook! (Update: We've just started a small group to practice our languages every Sunday afternoon in Tokyo! 26-Mar-2009)

Photo taken from the Facebook community I Japan went to and now English no speaky can do.

Posted by Rob.

Tags: NFTOS, La Tertulia, language, Español, practice, study, Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, exchange, Roberto El Gringo, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

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"Noticias desde el otro lado" con Andrés y Roberto El Gringo. Andrés y Roberto hablan de La Tertulia y de otras temas.  (En español con un poquito de japonés y inglés en la parte final del podcast)

News From The Other Side with Andrés and Roberto El Gringo. Andrés and Roberto talk about La Tertulia and other topics. (In Spanish with a bit of Japanese and English at the end of the podcast)

The photo is from one of our many "Tertulia" meetings.  Around the table, from left to right:  Rod, Rob, Eya, Jesse, Meric, someone obscured, Pat, Brian, Steve.

Posted by Rob.

Tags:  NFTOS, Andrés, español, inglés, japonés, Spanish, English, Japanese, Mexico City, México D.F., México, Tokyo, Japan, メクシコ, スペイン語, 英語, 日本語, 東京, 日本

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This is the first NFTOS video I made in Tokyo, three years ago today. I'm just reporting what I see here. Don't ask me for my opinion. There has been plenty written and said already on the topic. Feel free to join the YouTube chatter!

Posted by Rob.

Tags:  NFTOS, Tokyo, Japan

Stand by for links.

Logo:  Cachaça / Pinga 51

Posted by Rob.

Tags:  NFTOS, podcast, blog, commentary, cycling, bicycle, racing, ciclismo, cyclisme, vélo, radsport, sport, Hans, Rob, el gringo, Hagerstown, Maryland, Sangenjaya, Tokyo, Japan

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How many bigs is that?  I'm streaming the latest 'Headstand' radio show with Patrick Widdess in Cambridge, England, as I type.

He kicks off the show with Dan Deacon's "Big Big Big Big Big!" which I love, but it might put some off, be warned, and never mind it.  The second track was one that I selected, and the song that almost played third was one of mine too, so I know it's going to be a GREAT SHOW!

Links, logo and more coming soon!

Posted by Rob.

The Watanabes, a Tokyo-based band who came together from all ends of the Japanese countryside, performed at The Pink Cow last night for the Australia Day festivities. They have a MySpace page with a few of their songs on it as well as a dozen or so videos on YouTube:

myspace.com/thewatanabes
youtube.com/duncanwalsh20

Check them out!

Other performers included DJ El Gringo, Ami (a gal we met at an outdoor event in Shimokitazawa a few weeks back, David Mashiko (an actual Aussie!), DJ Craig (another Aussie!), Koichiro Suzuki (a wicked didgeridoo player). Last train time came far too early!

Posted by Rob.

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