8th Annual Scotch Fest Poster (2009)
Scotch Fest 2009
Author Archives: Craig "hachiroku" Mercer
A little something to tide us over till Christmas…
Hey Puritch Family,
I know that the Christmas season is soon approaching and was going through some photos and video clips from our 2007 get together at George & Elaine’s and threw a little something-something together to tide us over till this years’ party.
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Halloween 2009
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One of the funnest parts of being back in Canada is being able to celebrate Halloween. Grace Yuki loves to get dressed up in her lady bug costume and go “trick or treating”. After a quick visit from Angie and Dave we headed over to the Simpsons (Travis, Chrissy and baby Elias) where we went “trick or treating” in their neighbourhood. Yuki really got into the swing of it this year and had a super good time going door to door with Kana.
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2009 VNCS Japanese Cultural Fair
The Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society
proudly presents
The 10th Annual (2009) Japanese Cultural Fair
Saturday, October 24th
Esquimalt Recreation Centre
10:00AM TO 4:00PM
FREE ADMISSION
Family Friendly!
For more information please visit https://www.vncs.ca/2009-vncs-japanese-cultural-fair/ and www.facebook.com/vncs.ca.
Welcome to the family, Wyatt Haku Mercer!
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Wyatt Haku Mercer joined the human race Saturday, June 20th 2009 at 11:05AM Pacific Daylight Time weighing in at 3036 Grams (6 lbs 11 ounces for you non-metric types). Kana and Wyatt are doing very well and enjoying some much deserved rest at Victoria General Hospital.
Wyatt Haku Mercer
NEW Sasuke/Ninja Warrior Website Launched
Greetings! As many of you know Kana and I are huge fans of SASUKE/Ninja Warrior, the Japanese Obstacle Course Game Show that we started watching back in 2005 while living in Japan.
Since then we have hosted many a SASUKE/Ninja Warrior party to convert as many people as possible to the awesomeness that is SASUKE/Ninja Warrior.
After returning from Japan at the end of October, I began working on putting together a new SASUKE/Ninja Warrior website to help spread the word, and to give us something to do between shows. The fruits of my labour have paid off and I am pleased to announce the launching of https://www.themercers.ca/SasukeCentral/. Please drop buy and check it out.
Cheers!
Scotch Fest 2008
7th Annual Scotch Fest Poster (2008)
Auk wee I, Once again tiss time
to rattle the claymores and fill the Quaich.
Then let the flowing Quaich go round
and boldly let the pibroch sound
Till every glen and rock resound.
All wee clansmen and women are welcome
to the Seventh Annual Scotch fest 2008.
So bring your See ya Jimmy and get ready to crack your kranium.
7:00 PM AT 2985 Harriet Rd NOV 22 2008 Hope to see you all then.
Cheers
For new people who will be coming please bring a bottle of single malt scotch to share. If scotch is not your thing, well bring beer or wine and have a good time.
Scotch Fest “Aftermath” 2008
Visiting Osaka in October 2008
Hello All,
We are planning on coming to Osaka for a visit arriving Wednesday, October 8th and leaving Saturday, October 25th. We are looking forward to visiting with all of our friends and family. Read more…
A new chapter begins at VIHA
Last week was my last day at Vigil (again). Today I begin work for the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). I will be working as the Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manager for the IM/IT (Information Management/Information Technology) PMO (Project Management Office).
Going from a company of 25 to a company of 17,500 should be interesting. Wish me luck….although I know luck has got nothing to do with it. 😉
Last day at Vigil (again)
Well here we go again! I’ve been back with Vigil Health Solutions (www.vigil.com) since returning from Japan and now it is time to say good-bye again.
I have learned a lot during my time(s) at Vigil and while I will miss all of my vigilante colleagues it’s time to work closer to home.
Thanks for all of the memories!
Scotch Fest 2007
6th Annual Scotch Fest Poster (2007)
Auk wee I, Once again tiss time
to rattle the claymores and fill the Quaich.
Then let the flowing Quaich go round
and boldly let the pibroch sound
Till every glen and rock resound.
All wee clansmen and women are welcome
to the Six Annual Scotch fest 2007.
So bring your See ya Jimmy and get ready to crack your kranium.
7:00 PM AT 3045 ALBANY NOV 10th 2007
Hope to see you all then.
Cheers
For new people who will be coming please bring a bottle of single malt scotch to share. If scotch is not your thing, well bring beer or wine and have a good time.
Welcome to the “Archive” version of the Mercers’ Website
I have been cleaning up the website over the last couple of weeks and here is the final archive version. Here is how it will stay…”The Mercers Adventures in Osaka” (until I change it again).
It was fun while it lasted but all good things must come to an end.
Last Entry…for now…
Well it certainly was an interesting and enlightening experience being in Japan. We really did enjoy ourselves and loved meeting so many cool people…some whom will be friends with us for the rest of our lives.
But now we are back in Victoria and our minds our set on the things we have to do here. So the website will remain as it is until we decide what to do with it next.
For those of you who would like to have our new contact information, it is:
Craig & Kana Mercer
3246 Admirals Road (Basement)
Victoria, B.C., Canada
V8Z 4N5
1.250.744.7755
3246 Admirals Road (Basement)
Victoria, B.C., Canada
V8Z 4N5
1.250.744.7755
We will leave the information up because a lot of it may still be of use for those just arriving in Japan, so enjoy and if you have any questions you can always drop us an .
Hello from Victoria
Hello from Victoria.
As many of you know we had a great flight to Victoria on April 15th. Gracie slept for 7 of the 9 hour flight. Next we breezed through customs and Adam and Sophia then chauffeured us to Victoria via the BC Ferries!
Since then we have settled in at my Mom’s place in Colwood and I have started back to work at Vigil Health Solutions Inc. where I suspect I shall be very busy soon. Kana and Yuki are getting used to the new climate as well as the totally new surroundings. Also, we have found a new place to live. A two bedroom basement suite near Tillicum Mall, 3246 Admirals Rd to be precise. It is just perfect with private laundry and driveway.
Craig and Grace Yuki in front of the My Chosin Cafe
Soon after we got back Kana, Grace Yuki and I went for lunch at the My Chosin Cafe in Metchosin…the portions are big even if you haven’t been in Japan for two year so we were like “WOW!”. Very good food though…you just have to eat a little…that is the secret.
We sure are missing all of our awesome friends back in Osaka and we look forward to hearing from you soon (**Craig staring across the Pacific Ocean at Daniel and James**).
It’s good to be back.
Signing off from Osaka
Well our day to leave Nippon has finally come. We, with heavy hearts, are heading down to Kansai Airport in about 10 minutes (2:00pm JST). Before we left though we wanted to say Sayonara to all our wonderful friends and family in Japan.
We also wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to Ai and Junya Fujii on the birth of their first son Hayato. We were hoping to meet the new little one before we left and Ai did not disappoint us. YAY! Hayato was born on Thursday April 12th at 1:14pm and weighed in at 3070grams.
Hayato Fuji
Junya and Ai…the happy parents!
We have met so many cool people in Japan and we will sorely miss you all (Yoshio, Shigeru, Daniel & Miyuki, Madoka, Mika, James & Hiromi, Lian & Atsushi, Eiko, Misako, Ai & Junya, Rie, Shima, Tomo & Koichi, Terry & Tomomi, David, Mac & Aya, Ryoko & Kenji Sei, Teruko and list goes on and on)! It is doubly hard to leave Kana’s family (Mom, Dad, sister Chie and her wonderful newborn son Seia) as Grace Yuki has really made our times together very very memorable. Family is good that way hey!?!
So this is it from the Mercers in Osaka. I guess our next video series will be “The Mercers’ Adventures in Victoria”. Love and Prayers Everyone. SAYONARA!
Days left in Osaka = 4
Hi All.
Our “Sayonara Parties” are done and we are switching into serious packing up mode. We cancelled our cell phones yesterday, which means if you are in Japan and you want to reach us, you should emailor call 72.426.3987.
We sure are going to miss all of our new friends that we have made while being in Osaka these past two years. Last night we were finally able to make it out to our local Izakaya “Enjoy Sake” which we have been trying to get to since it opened last summer. Even Kana made it out which is so rare…a fitting way to end our last get together in Osaka. Sniff Sniff.
James, Hiromi, Kana and I at the “Enjoy Sake” Izakaya
Travel Details.
For those of you wondering what flight we will be on and when here are the particulars:
We are flying on Air Canada (flight number AC36) from Kansai Airport (KIX) at 5:25pm on Sunday, April 15th. We will arrive at Vancouver Airport on Sunday April 15th at 11:00am (it’s wierd I know but there is a 16 hour time difference between Osaka and Victoria). Wish us luck for the joy that is customs and immigration. YAY!
Our best friends Adam & Marianne Richards have graciously agreed to come with a huge van to pick us up from Vancouver Airport and drive us back to the Island. We are planning to make a short stop off at my Dad & Mom’s place to introduce Grace Yuki in person before finally arriving at my Mom’s place where we will be hanging our hats for the next few weeks while we look for a place of our own.
In other news, Kana’s best friend Ai her husdand Junya are expecting their first baby any hour now and we are really hoping we will get to meet the new little one before we have to go.
David Parkinson says SAYONARA to Osaka
Well as is always the case in Japan, it is time to say Good-bye to a friend. David who I met while working at Royal Kids is returning to England on Tuesday (April 2nd). He plans to travel Asia for a few months before actually getting back to England, so we wish him safe and happy travels.
For David’s “sayonara” Mika planned a Hanami (flower viewing) Party at a place called Sakura no miya (sakura means cherry blossom so I think you know what kind of flowers we were viewing). I made it down too late to see much of the flowers…it was dark when I got there. Still we were able to enjoy the good smell of the blossoms, some good food, some good drinks and of course good friends.
Mika, Craig and David at Sakuranomiya Koen
Sayonara DAVID!
Sayonara from Osaka UPDATE
Hello All.
Sorry we have been so short on the news lately! But moving between countries is a lot of work!
We are all doing good. Grace Yuki has just started walking this past two weeks or so and is enjoying it greatly as are her parents!
Also I have added some more recent photos to the gallery, with more to come when I find the time (if I find the time)
Here is the list of upcoming stuff:
- Friday March 30th – David’s sayonara at Sakuranomiya by Osakajyo
- Saturday March 31st – Kana’s sayonara with the KaToRiShiA
- Saturday April 7th – Craig’s sayonara with the Royal Kids Crew
- Monday April 9th – Craig, Kana & Grace’s sayonara at Bayside Mall (5pm to 8pm)
So yeah there ya go we got more sayonara parties going on than we can shake a stick at. Hopefully all of our friends in Japan can make it to one or another.
The Japan We Never Knew: A Journey of Discovery by David Suzuki and Keibo Oiwa
David Suzuki and Keibo Oiwa tell an awesome story in “The Japan We Never Knew”. Both David (a Canadian of Japanese ancestry) and Keibo (a Japanese of Korean ancestry) travel throughout Japan (from Okinawa to Hokkaido) meeting with activists, rebels, and regular everyday people who are trying to make a difference in modern day Japan. Their story starts with artists who try and capture the horror of war and ends with those trying to battle Japan’s relentless onslaught on the environment. This book was a real eye opener for me and I really enjoyed the fact Read more…
Welcome to the family, Seia Ogino!
Seia Ogino joined the human race Tuesday, February 13th, 2007 at 6:26AM Japan Standard Time weighing in at 2324 Grams (5 lbs 1 ounces for you non-metric types). Chie and Seia are doing very well and enjoying some much deserved rest at Kaizuka Hospital.
Seia Ogino