Good morning!

Found this guy today sitting on the bicycle - cl.ly/image/282o1F1s0S3h/IMG_5035.JPG

@Rilakkuma praying mantis. Better pray hard that you don't roll the bike that way...

I thought of you this morning when I got my daily headshot from a mynah (bird, probably a native mynah rather than the introduced indian ones).

Magpies are usually non-contact swoopers, but the native mynahs seem to prefer a single, unannounced swoop in from behind and thump the side of my helmet. I suspect they don't care whether I'm wearing a helmet, based on getting swooped at without one.

Magpies don't seem as bothered when I don't wear a helmet, but getting smacked in the side of the head by a mynah doesn't appeal to me, so I wear the helmet.

waverley.nsw.gov.au/services/environment/biodiversity/…

(has pictures of both birds and a description of the damage the pest one does)

@Mσᶎ why do they do it?

I think we have these in Japan too - very noisy in November

@Rilakkuma nest defence.

Each bird seems to only be like that for a week or two, so I assume it's when there are baby birds in the nest

The problem is that I ride up a lovely bike path by the river, and there are lots of trees and birds all the way. So I have ~15km of places where birds might be. Which means at any time there are 2-3 magpies and 3-8 mynahs that might swoop, and usually at least one that does.

Plus there's a magpie right in the industrial park where I work, presumably nesting in one of the nature strip trees. That one is more worrying because I'm riding on the road with the moronists there. If I swerve because that one hits me I might end up in front of a car...

But that one I've only seen a couple of times, hopefully I ride right on the edge of its range and it usually has better things to do :)

Australia sounds like fun place to be :)

wake up, check for spiders in the slippers, ride a bike, beware of magpie shots...

My theory is that their behaviour is made worse by people who look threatening. Bright red / yellow clothing / helmets. And then some people add zip ties to their helmets as "magpie protection". It just makes them more threatening. Then once the Magpies are sensitized to cyclists, everyone cops it.

@Rilakkuma you left out the snakes, scorpions, European wasps, octopi, jelly fish, ...

are european wasps so nasty?

I remember them as being little curious but not too agressive animals back in Europe

however Japanese giant hornets are different story

while sitting in a hot spring and a curious hornet comes to check what's going on people take their heads under the water

The European wasps are more vigorous here than in Europe. Thet have no natural enemies and the winters are mild, so they continue to develop unchecked. They are attracted to sweet things, and get inside soft drink containers. When a child drinks from the container, the annoyed wasps often sting. It can be fatal for a child to be bitten inside the mouth / throat. And occasionally some amateur tries to remove a wasp nest with the expected consequences.

huh, nests are nasty

as are sweet drink ones

long time ago i remember wasps were all around grape sellers at the market

I forgot to mention the ants and crocodiles :-)

and taking a wasp with a grape was not that uncommon, however I was bitten only once

pretty painful, much more than a bee

crocodiles @.@

Yes, they are.

And sharks.

Great emoticon :-)

do they chase someone too? Crocodiles I mean.

Rarely. They usually wait in hiding, often underwater.

And attack when a person or animal enters their zone.

note to self : never ever swim in Australia.

They try to drag you under, and spin to disable you.

Well, not in the Northern areas.

Beaches are fine where they are patrolled.

BTW I heard that the beach patrols there in Japan are withdrawn at the end if Sept, even though the weather is fine for swimming ...

yes

it is very weird here

people are told to dress down when it is calendar time to dress down even if wheather definitely forbids it

and opposite - people dress up on Sep 1. even if it is +37 in the shade

mostly government and huge company workers follow these rules

Yes, the Japanese certainly do have their own way :-)

right now it is October 2nd, the temperature is +27C and some people wear coats. Not the majority.

The face masks people wear when sick are a different way of doing things.

"Not the majority" was said with huge hope :)

:-)

although swimming season officially lasts only 2 months - July and August it is perfectly fine to swim all year round. The sea is warm enough.

The reason why there are only 2 months I can guess comes from the "one for all" rule - in Hokkaido there are places where sea is not freezing only 2 months a year.

I try not to think about it too much for better sleep and health you know.

Some friends had a swim in the Japan Sea in March. There was snow on the ground. I only watched :-)

well, Japan Sea is not that warm anyways

No, it was very cold!

Tokyo borders Philippine sea with its Kuroshio stream - very warm all year round, and in summer it is like warm bath at home.

@andy256 your friends would definitely enjoy swimming in February here I guess. To surprise locals. :)

Lol

Honto!?

:D

One of the few Nihongo words I remember from that trip 20+ years ago :-)

One more would be "Uso?!"

A few others come to mind, but I don't remember how to write them.

Remind me.

lol

I have acquitance in Israel who used to learn some Japanese. When visiting here he tried to speak with locals and what he sound indeed sounded like perfect Japanese but made no sense apparently.

I used to be able to read and write hiragana.

:)

It was great for reading street signs and railway signs to get around by myself.

would be very useful to get some food better than "sushi"

Kanji used in menus are very basic and easy to read even having Hiragana skills only

Oh that was easy.

1. Get off train (dencha?)

2. Walk round station to find busiest place.

3. Look at pictures.

4. Point and smile :-)

5. Get an attractive girl willing to help.

or if less lucky very talkative ojichan/obachan.

Yes. But don't ever hesitate, or someone will fight through 6 lanes of traffic to offer their help in order to practice their English!

I am wondering what would be reaction if you try to escape from them in this case.

Lol

I once stepped out of the railway station in central Osaka, and stopped to think which way I had to go. Had to be carefull, because being from the Southern Hemisphere, it is easy to get disoriented (funny word :-).

So a guy did what I said - fought through the traffic to help.

He was dissappointed to find that I knew where I was going, it was just taking a moment to read the signs to be sure :-)

Osaka people are crazy.

Why?

One told he loves me when we met first time at the official reception in the embassy.

he was with his wife and she agreed!

not sure, this is their natural way. On the other side Osaka people say Tokyoites are snobbish.

another good example of Osaka guy is a granny who farted loudly and laughed every time he did it. On public of course.

Ah the old/new small/big rivalry :-)

there's some huge rivarly between cities around Osaka - Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka itself

Tokyo vs Osaka is more about humour :)

I liked Kyoto and Kobe more than Osaka.

And Nara was interesting.

Definitely. Osaka is sort of "residental" city with not so much cultural stuff aorund.

Hiroshima is also very nice I think, especially its sea part.

Didn't get there. Was only a few weeks.

Anyhow, better get back to work. Sayōnara!

Baibai! :D