Sumo for dummiess

Trivia Questions:

1) How much salt is used per day in matches?
40kg!

2) What is the minimum height and weight for you to be qualified to be Sumo Wreslter?
173cm, 75kg!!

3) How much does those fancy ceremonial aprons (Kesho-Mawashi) cost?
At least 2 million yen up to 100million yen. (20kUSD up to 1M USD)




When I first looked at the ticket price, 3600￥(pic abov), I thought it would be a pretty good seats, like near to the sumo ring, available garcon serving Oo-Long tea.... It turned out, USD36 just worth the 2nd floor last row in the sumo arena, first floor, first row, cost USD140, which doesnt even have chair! just a cushion for you to kneel on the floor.



I was there in the afternoon, just in time to see the Makuuchi (Senior Division) wrestlers ceremonial entrance. They stepped into the ring in their vividly decorated kesho-mawashi, received from their supporters or sponsors. The most expensive kesho-mawashi was 1M USD, featuring 5 diamonds, pearls, gold, silver thread embrodiery and other fine touches.

Watch the Grand entrance here.





Then it was Grand Champion (Yokozuna) Ring Entrance, accompanied by two two attendents, he stamp feets, to let the audience warm up their cheers before the actual match.



Before wrestling, sumo wrestlers have to do warm up. 1..2...1...2..... pictures showing Kotooshu origin from Bulgaria on the left vs Toyonoshima origin from Japan on the right.



After warm up, sip water handed out by the sumo wrestler from the previous match.



Then they have to grab a handful of salt, and toss it into the ring. ( Sipping water, and tossing salts are actually religious ritual, it is believed that salt purify the ring as a sacred place, sip water to purify their body and leg stamping the ring to supposedly squash the bad spirits). They repeat the whole purifying for one full minute.



Pic above shows the Grand champion Hakuho origin from Mongolia vs Baruto from Estonia. The flags are the sponsors for this particular match. In the final match, there were total 19 sponsors, winner take all the prizes, average match, normally just 1 or 2 sponsors.



watch the match here.



After the match, all of the sumo wrestlers wear Yukata, and walk out from the arena.



When they passby me, I went berserk, THEY WERE HUMONGOUS!! one stomp, I think i could die of heart attack already.

Rollercoaster Mayhem

Yearn for a weekend adrenaline rush?

Tokyo Dome's Thunder Dolphin has the answer.


It passes thru a freaking building



After lining up for 1 hour, screamed my lungs out for 10 seconds, I have superpower vision.



Everything spinned.

Traffic

I miss driving.

Graffiti

When the shops are close, Harajuku at night are way more interesting.

Ghibili Museum

Once upon a time in a faraway land, silhouetted on the dark horizon, stood the shelter for many mysterious creatures of Ghibili Castle.



Guarding in steady position is the ticket collector.



He doesnt greet you, he doesnt collect money from you, he doesnt smile to you, he just stood there bemused.



The castle also live the intriguing strange cats couple. They leered people from their window, sneering the scurry passerby.



Some feeble petite creatures, are held captive in the mossy underground dungeon.



Guarded by the vigorous metal grandeur machine.



The only way to exit this caged mystical castle,



is to use this door and sail away to the never-ending land.



The End.

Holidays! 916

Full Newsclip here

Do you really need 50 Member of Parliaments (MPs) on a 8 days "study trip" to Taiwan? To explore Taiwan’s agricultural and industrial technology?! WTF

These people dunno how to use google? Come on, one click in google, every damn thing in the world could be display in front of you. I am expert in reading technical papers, copy and paste what other people did and claim it my own with a quote. I acquired this talent naturally during my uni time and not until recently Ahmet reminded me the discovery of my own ability again. Every other Engineering background students also has this ability, unlimited to MMU, or Malaysia, but the world.

I dont mind teaching these techniques to the 50 MPs if they want to "explore Taiwan’s agricultural and industrial technology". I can even do a little target objectives, some simulation, a little flow charts for them , no need them go all the way to Taiwan so troublesome. お疲れ様です ::wink::

Yokohama 横浜

Went to Yokohama China Town again.


天后宫　Tian Hou Gong (Temple) in China Town

Doesnt this remind you exceptionally of home?



They have exact same scent, smell, colours and gods as the one at home.



I am not sure is it just me or you too. But watching Ahmet using chopsticks, eating noodles, biting Siew Long Pau and Har Gau ....... its a rare sight.

We started walking from China Town, all the way to Minatomirai. Which is about 3 or 4 stations away.


Oosanbashi 大桟橋

On the way, we dropped by Yamashita Koen, and Oosanbashi. Oosanbashi is an interesting place. It's the International Passenger Terminal, like a parking for cruises before boarding it. The upper deck, has a green field of grass, like those really good grass, normally people just laid down there and do nothing.



Or maybe they take pictures of the view like i did too. View from the deck, is fascinating. One side, is some bridge. (Sorry, I dunno the name).

Another side, is the Minatomirai 21.



From Left: Landmark tower, Queens tower, Ferris Wheel, Pan Pac Hotel, and finally, odd triangle shape is Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts.

Artistic & Samba day

This was the replacement of Ahmet's evil plan after we couldnt get hold of the Ghibili Musuem's tickets.

We went Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.


Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

Such an eye opener for me. I mean, firstly, I dunno there's motion art and still art. For motion art, staring at a plate of fruits for 10 mins to see it rot it's actually a kind of art! Further, to compare the rotting rate of a rabbit with a peach...... or to see people taking off clothes, wearing back them again.... or a man, jumping into a pond, after maybe 5 mins pausing on air....

Image from Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography website

I feel I am a better person now. I appreciate art.

Walk around Ebisu, they have Beer Museum, but we wasnt in time to get in. However, it does reminded me of Hokkaido very much.

Sapporo Beer Station in Ebisu

Ebisu Garden

Ebisu is a uptown where all the famous people hang out. Well, it's so obvious. One dinner in a Chateau restaurant costs about 26k yen per person. RM824. We left our LV, Burberry, Jimmy Choo accessories at home, and we think we cant get in with RM30 sling bag, FOS T-shirt, brandless heels, so we just stood there take picture..........

Standing in front of La Table de Joel Robuchon, the chateau restaurant of modern French cuisine

Just in time to catch one of the last fireworks for the summer, right here in Odaiba. Now I understand what my lil sister meant by Smiley fireworks.


Smiley.



Rainbow bridge and Tokyo Tower

Also went Samba festival during the weekends. I know, the lanterns backdrop doesnt match the sexy-feathered-skimpy dress samba dancers. and the crowds, is one of the most passive crowds ever too.


Samba samba.

It was a rainny Samba. But, I was excited to see crayons marching on streets while dancing samba.


Crayons.

They have skimpy dress ladies, of course they have skimpy dress man too. For the balance!



Click to watch the video.




Ended the day with a 2 hours walk from Asakusa to Ueno Park, and then home. It was a good day.