It is hsrd to believe that I have been here for 1 year now. Time flys when
you cannot tell the time! Oddly the language lessons are paying off as
things being said around me are registering. I am nowing waiting for a
flight to Sydney and already it is a little disconcerting having so many
conversations in english going on around me. Its like the filters are
currently wide open so its all flooding in. I am curios to find out how
long it will be before I drown it all out again. I’ll get back to you on
that.
— Sent from My Blackberry Wireless Handheld —

It is hard to believe that I have been here for 1 year now. Time flys when
you cannot tell the time! Oddly the language lessons are paying off as
things being said around me are registering. I am now waiting for a
flight to Sydney and already it is a little disconcerting having so many
conversations in english going on around me. Its like the filters are
currently wide open so its all flooding in. I am curious to find out how
long it will be before I drown it all out again. I’ll get back to you on
that.

For reasons unbeknown to myself I’m heading back to Kyoto for a long weekend. The place Di and her mother were staying at had a spare room!! And given that it was a long weekend and every person so possible can is heading to Kyoto this was a good sign! Booking tickets with my friendly travel agents JTB also worked out well, snagged for myself one of the last tickets out of Tokyo on the Nozomi Shinkansen Saturday morning, and get this, sitting across the aisle from Di and mum on the way back.

First stop was Nanzenji to meet up with them for lunch. There is something very special about Kyoto as within minutes of arriving the stress and rubbish of Tokyo just started to drain away, after just 30 minutes of aimlessly meandering around taking pictures it felt like I had gone a world away! There were some interesting shots of what you not wear when out Temple hoping. The small garden behind the causeway was open this time, and oddly not busy at all considering how many people were walking around the main temple complex, the changing weather of light rain to brillant streaks of sunshine gave the garden a timeless quality and kept its energy level up. Really time to just open up and absorb it all in!

Lunch of yodofu (simmered Tofu), completed the transformation. Di had been given the inside scoop to head off to Daigo-ji which is a temple in the south west and off the beaten track, and what a gem it was. Links below.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3916.html
http://www.daigoji.or.jp/e/index.html

The garden (which you are not allowed to take pictures of) is totally stunning and you just want to sit and absorb. By the time we got the small shrine at the top we had the whole place to ourselves. The photos (when uploaded) are here at the gallery.

We had managed to avoid the madding crowds and returning to Kyoto to find our accomodation in North Kyoto we just travelled beneath the thronging streets! By the time we emerged at Kitayama station it was surberbia. The place Casa Nutu is just a little difficult to find and in the dark its quite the challenge but well worth it. The house used to belong to our hostess’s mother and father. She returned to care for them and after there passing decided to open the house up as a small guest house. Its an original Kyoto home and has to double rooms down stairs and two small upstairs. And forget on-suite and private bathrooms, this was a real home and has not been changed drastically to make it work as a small and totally unique guesthouse. I’m not even going to mention how to get there or the phone number – as we are heading back!!

I learnt an interesting lesson today about when to get a haircut, or more specifically a cut and colour in Japan. I was a tad cautious about getting highlights done in Tokyo as the experience with non-black hair can be fairly limited. A great friend Di had run into issues with her hairdressor on this exact same issue. However with summer being here it just didn’t feel summer without going blonder, and given that it was just too damn hot to sit in the sun, le blond o natural was not going to happen.

Now I was aware that the guy who cuts my hair actually worked in ‘New Yorks’ (yes that’s how he says it, and it way to adoreable to correct!) so I figured with all of those bottle blonds wasps he must have some idea. And the first round was a total success.

Alas my appointment for the next cut was late at night and I fear his attention to detail my have slipped a faction, for this result does look like spot the dog, however not a total loss, with some wax and scrunching its great. and luckily the weather is such that wax works now instead of turning into a pool of goop and sweat. Just when its flat it really does look 101 Dalmations. Mind you here in Tokyo, its likely to start another fad!

Ahh Japan, either love it, or buy a ticket and get on the plane!

Just spent the last three nights absorbing more culture than a months intake of yoghurt.a series of concerts over ramadan

Wow, its so hard to beleive that Autumn is on its way. I think half of Tokyo is still holding its breath waiting for Summer to really kick in, but I guess its come and gone. Well more like limped into the room, suffered a coronary and was last seen being wheeled out on a gurney. (and if I get time I’ll back date an entry that will make that analogy sing!).

We are now officially in Typhoon season, which being Japan means more bloody rain. I really don’t know why the English complain so much about rain in the UK, cos they have got nothing compared to the rain here. I don’t think I’ve ever owned so many umbrella’s (okay one is not technically mind and has been procured, but I’ve also lost one to be procured by someone else – so evens).

I started todays blog off with a different title as it was rather gloomy this morning, still is gloomy outside, but the day has improved. Probably because I have been able to clear a backlog of dull work from my desk! Now I can look forward to the new dull work! I detect a weekend on a beach calling again! My wave seems to have reached the beach and run out of ommph.

Or at least be more specific!

Last year I remember having a discussion with a very dear friend about how 2005 should be a time of interest. Silly me I forgot to put criteria around that. It all started off rather well with a trip through the middle east. Actually it was spectacular and probably one the most memorable trips of my life. Spending my birthday swimming in the dead sea was well awsome, Having Champagne purchased on the Lebanese border with dinner that night and toasting the next day in Petra was actually more than I ever expected, the next day in Petra was something I had dreamed about for 18 years, and the trip just kept getting better and better. Fantastic people, stunning places, the sights that will never leave me (I am thinking of dawn on Mount Sinai, sunset in Wadi-rum, and snow in Lebanon).

It all come to a rather abrubt end when I turned my mobile phone on in Dahab and found out that my father had suffered a number of strokes and was paralysed on his right hand side. Never have I felt so isolated from my home and useless, to my Kumuka travel colleagues if you ever read this I am indebted to your compassion and understanding during those last few days. I actually went scuba diving as I was sure Dad would be angry that I cancelled something he loves doing himself because of him.

Things seem to stabilise and Dad appeared to be recovering very well so when I got a phone call at 6am from my brother the world stopped or at least my little bit of it did. Being told to come home quickly is never easy to hear, a 12,000 mile flight makes it even harder.

Having a management structure that is incompassionate about such matters (despite company policy) was intolerable. Dad had suffered massive internal stomach bleeding from the medication he was taking and had been rushed to a larger hospital by air ambulance. After two trips home and all my leave gone the great news is that he has actually never been better!

Some temperature sensing problems in his feet, (which I think is more to do with being in dingys filled with cold water) he is remarkably lucky. His memory is the same as always and there is no paralysis. He has now spent the last few months be prepared to become the bionic man, and a few weeks ago they installed his first new knee.

For myself it has been a year of transition with a very long wait for a transfer to Tokyo. This did not help a couple of personal relationships which left me feeling very dispondent about that whole subject. However the transfer is now complete and I’ve setup a new life here in Tokyo, if you read back you will see that initially it was not easy, but I have grown to love it here. And having fulfulled the dream of seeing Petra I have been lucky enough to find my next dream and focus for the coming years. More on that another time.

Equally satisfying is that all those I care about around the world seem to have had a successful year and are each finding happyness in what they are doing. While still not having that special someone to share my life with I have been so blessed to have the friends that I have and been able to share their lives. Its taken a while, but I am finding that I really am happy now.

In reflection over the year of ups and down, I don’t think I will be specific for next years wishes. Silver lining and all that stuff. So may 2006 be a year of interest for everyone, may they find happiness and health in everything they do, and if bad times do turn up on the doorstep may they be just a passing guest.

(okay i did get a little specific, but I think you get the gist). all my love to you. david

This week i think i have been a carry on comedy. The is an upside to this and that is that i am laughing! as my manager just told me why would you want to leave and miss the next episode.

Amazing time in Shimoda

how do you know you have dropped off the radar in japan well its quite easy. Mobile phone reception gets patchy, note I did not say non existant this is Japan after all keitei work in the underground here. A much better indicator is the number of stares on the train. Kansas Toto is back that way!