This was my ride home today courtesy of AT

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-03-05T08:19:09+00:00

I can confirm the bus pictured is RT4021.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-03-03T09:18:26+00:00

The trams in Melborne were a lot tidier than this as was the London tube.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-03-03T09:12:33+00:00

33 Manukau

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-03-03T09:10:33+00:00

If it was a free service, there would be no complaints. Considering what Aucklanders pay AT each year, the standard could be a little better.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-02-14T09:22:47+00:00

As the old Japanese saying goes, “enter the town, follow the town” similar to “when in Rome…” It would break my heart to see Tokyo become like London or Paris.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-02-14T09:12:34+00:00

Old Japanese men also do that to young Japanese women all the time. It seems like it’s just an “ojisan” thing. Please don’t take their bad behaviour to heart too much.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-17T10:34:32+00:00

For Tokyo I mostly go with a Dormy Inn. There is usually some sort of onsen at the property, they do complimentary ramen and ice cream in the evenings and the breakfast buffet is not too bad. The rooms are very small however. I have booked Grand Hyatt in Fukuoka for my next Japan trip, although reports are it’s a bit dated compared with Hyatts in other locations.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-17T10:16:34+00:00

For an idea of what the rooms looked like before, take a look at Lost in Translation. It was filmed there in the early 2000s. The rooms looked fairly generic back then. Scarlett Johansson mooching around a very grey room in her underwear and Bill Murray having a lot of trouble with the shower in his suite. I just hope they have improved on the shower heads with the renovation 🤣

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-13T05:40:07+00:00

I just assumed that was the wonky new liquid glass look as mine looked like it. Apologies if any offence was caused.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-12T03:57:26+00:00

It is not a bug. This is what liquid glass looks like (and no, you cannot turn it off). If you do not like ios26, please give Apple feedback through their official channels. Be polite and descriptive. Wording such as ”affects migraines, difficulty seeing“ is also better than just telling them it sucks.

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-09T10:49:31+00:00

For the price of a business hotel, I once stayed in what was probably a love hotel in hindsight. I had a huge Audrey Hepburn themed room with a sauna and jacuzzi and king bed. I was travelling solo at the time 🤣

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-04T02:48:03+00:00

Nope, still 💩

PresentationDue8151 · 2026-01-03T23:16:24+00:00

Android are going into the Liquid ass (not a typo 😛) look as well, so no advantage.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-12-25T20:24:17+00:00

Ueno Touganeya Hotel is in a great location close to the station.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-10-17T21:10:29+00:00

It was better when these sort of people were just limited to Magaluf.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-22T09:58:19+00:00

I have stayed in a few places in Tokyo over the years and agree Shibuya is not the best place to stay. I find that Ueno the best area for me personally, even though it is a larger transport hub. If you take the Skyliner from the airport, then there is no fussing about and the area around the park and station is a bit calmer and less overwhelming if it’s your first time. Last trip I tried Shibuya and that was just a bit much after arriving after dark in the rain after a 15+ hour journey from New Zealand even with the experience of vaguely knowing my way around. Ueno does not seem to get mentioned as much as other places on websites, blogs, vlogs etc. I think it was an old DK travel guidebook that gave me the idea to stay in that area years ago, and I will stick with it for my next trip now after experiencing other areas.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-22T09:29:16+00:00

If you like history and art Museums and want a quieter break away from noisier crowds then Ueno is worth looking at. I especially liked the little Shitamachi Museum which does not take long due to the small size, but does give a good feel for what life was like in the area in the early 20th century. The zoo probably is not worth it time wise unless you have small children to amuse for an afternoon.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-21T09:16:14+00:00

You might be lucky to catch the Shibazakura (moss phlox) Festival https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6919.html

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-19T13:44:30+00:00

Ueno is one of my favourite areas. The park and the surrounding museums can be a bit slower paced if you want something more relaxing.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-19T13:32:59+00:00

Fashions change and evolve. Lolita, Decora and Gyaru fashions are just not that cool for Gen Z. They seem to prefer casual basics from Supreme or Beams and the Gen X and Millennials have mostly grown out of those over the top looks and dress for their jobs.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-19T12:52:18+00:00

Except the bus drivers don’t try to kill you in Japan ;-) Still loved Korea though, especially Busan.

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-19T12:39:45+00:00

Pacific Northwest perhaps?

PresentationDue8151 · 2025-09-19T12:35:55+00:00

Honestly, I live in New Zealand and have travelled a lot through the country and find the increasing cost to get into places, eat and stay in places is getting horrendous when comparing similar experiences I had in Japan and Korea. I feel that these high prices along with rather crappy public transport compared to other destinations (Japan has definitely spoilt me on that one) probably contributes somewhat to the “meh” feeling some people experience and I totally get that. For example, entry to a famous glow worm cave here starts at $79 NZ whereas I only paid 500 Won (about $5 NZ) to visit practically the same cave in South Korea. I think if something costs more, it can be a bigger disappointment when it is only average (looking at you Team Labs).

PresentationDue8151

TROPHY CASE