Blooming Hell

I wasn't just imagining it! (Click the title)

My Spidey-Sense Is Most Definitely Tingling

Last weekend I was bitten by a spider. Normally I would hate to have a spider crawl over me let alone come anywhere near me but it's a selective phobia in that it only bothers me indoors. I don't mind so much if it's outside where spiders belong - although, I've never encountered a bird-eating spider of mammoth proportions and I'm not willing to test my theory by hunting one down - but if they are smart enough to get into the house then they're smart enough to eat me when I turn my back. However, this spider found me whilst I was lying in the park and by the time I had tried to get him off my neck he had gone for me. It was only a little pinch and I was more excited by the prospect that he had escaped from a test facility and had transmitted all his radioactive goodness into me.

Days passed without any webbing sprouting from my wrists and the only walls I ventured near were of the ice-cream variety. Ho-hum, I thought, at least it wasn't poisonous and I put it behind me.

That is, until yesterday....

I was getting ready for bed, minding my own business, when I suddenly had a weird feeling flood through me. Straight away, I emailed Keiko (who's now in Sendai, Miyagi-ken - quick game of 'catch up' there) at 10.18pm, which is 6.18am Japan time, to tell her just to be careful for a while and to look out for earthquakes.

A couple of hours later, just before bed, I had a stunned reply from her including the following:

Earthquake Information
Occurred at 06:23 JST 26 Apr 2010 - 5.2 - Miyagi-ken

Exactly 5 minutes later, exactly where she lives! It wasn't a serious tremor but strong enough that it shook her awake.

Not good enough for you? How about this one:

Today, a friend had an interview and I was reading a random journal article in preparation for a similar interview of my own next month. Remember that every month thousands of journals and articles and research studies are published. Guess which exact article she was handed and asked to discuss in her interview.

I need to hone my skills to give people a bit more preparation in case of earthquakes or interviews or, at the very least, work on the Euromillions numbers.

桜が咲いた！

I had a text at work on Friday from Oli telling me that it's a year since I last posted an entry. It's been a weird year too: I couldn't talk about work for confidentiality reasons to the point where saying anything became such a moral dilemma that it was best to avoid it entirely, and there was a lot in my personal life that I didn't want to share.

But the text message made me think, what would it be like to post again? I wasn't even sure I remembered my password. For something that used to be second nature to me, to the point where I was already imagining titles for the blog posts as I was experiencing the event in question, I was worried that I had forgotten how to use the software.

Just tidying up the blog and typing this much feels like I've made a snip in the time continuum and sewn it up to the day after I last posted; it's still that familiar to me. And maybe it's because I've got something to write about.

I've been back in England for nearly two years now and not a day goes by where: a) I don't miss Japan, b) random memories or images of places or thoughts of Japan don't enter my head and, most importantly, c) I don't wish I was here instead. As much as I've appreciated the job, the experiences and career opportunities it's offered me, it's always been about career progression with a view to the future.

There's something big coming up in the near future that will dictate much of the next few years and it's not something I want to get into in so much detail for fear of it not coming into fruition. It's a 'fingers crossed' thing. If 'it' happens, it means I can spend two to three weeks this summer in Japan.

I'm sure I can be just as vague on any future posts, if that helps!

Recently, the skies have been blue without a cloud in sight, and I've spent the majority of my weekends walking around Holland Park and lazying in Hyde Park. It's been bliss.

When I first arrived in Japan, I had no idea about cherry-blossom season or how important an annual event it was. My first week was the height of the viewing season when the flowers were in full-bloom and it was a rush to get to see them. I did but the weather turned and it was cut short. Luckily, the next two years I was there were lengthy and allowed for plenty of 'hanami' (cherry-blossom viewing parties) opportunities. Last year, when I was back in England I missed another good year. However, this year I've heard the weather wasn't so good in Japan and, in fact, we've been luckier with the weather and the flowers. Here are a few of the photos I've taken over the past two weekends (the tenth and penultimate are my favourites):

Since Oli clearly still checks my blog just in case I've updated it (or he has an excellent memory!) I think I'll wait to see if anyone notices and comments on it.

To Boldly Blog

Took a walk through Leicester Square tonight to go to the theatre (The Woman In Black). Brilliant, but that can be another post. Was caught up in the Star Trek premiere which you can read about here. I saw Simon Pegg and some woman from the film, whose name I've forgotten since checking on the IMDB. Keiko apparently saw Eric Bana but didn't realise. She was more excited about seeing a guy that was on the same train as her into Piccadilly. At least he was famous to her!

This is my 900th post. [Insert corny Star Trek related pun about the future here.]

Nothing's Ever Straightforward

Trafalgar Square

It's not the same without the pigeons, although I'll give it credit for being much much cleaner.


If you ever want a laugh (and some mild panic from the chance that someone will fall and break their leg - it's a long way down!), watch a Japanese girl shimmy her way up the plinth and onto a lion. Oh, and losing her top when she's up there...


Just like Narnia.

A Brothel Of Sparrows

I'm not sure what the real collective name is for the birds, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't this in the 1800s, whatever the following artist may have believed. Roz and Michael kindly took Keiko and me to The Royal Academy (between Green Park and Piccadilly Circus) for a Japanese artist's exhibition.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was one of the great woodblock print and painters, alongside the more famous Hokusai and Hiroshige (the former being the creator of my favourite "Great Wave at Kamakura" print). However, whilst these two stuck to the more traditional nature and portrait types, Kuniyoshi took the alternative route.

Some of his work is pretty naturalistic and doesn't seem out of place but the others are so abstract and crazy and ahead of his time, such as this montage of humans:


The artist was famous for his triptych style - the use of three woodblocks to create one canvas. I don't think this has the religious sentiment that triptychs found in churches (e.g. the Holy Trinity) were purposely designed for. Instead, because the woodblocks were constrained by size, Kuniyoshi used three at a time to create a larger scene. Usually he featured a central character or object on each block with a grand design linking them together. Most of the time, they even matched up perfectly - a pretty incredible feat considering the intricacy of carving. Also consider that thin lines, such as hair would've been individual carvings.


This is one of my favourites for its sheer bravery; by omitting everything from the middle block entirely, it shows the waterfall's real scale.


The triptych also allowed to show the size of this whale:


Kuniyoshi was also fond of cats and, although the exhibition didn't feature many, there are a lot on the web. One that was hung on the wall was amusingly entitled "Ouch, That Hurts".


A really incredible exhibition, especially considering that only 150 of his 100s of prints were shown. I have no idea - except for the definite need for assistants - how he was able to achieve so many.

One thing's for sure, he must've had some seriously messed up nightmares!


(By the way, I can't find "A Brothel of Sparrows" online but I'll keep looking.)

At A Crossroads

The big news today is that the main Oxford Street junction is going to have a £5 million upheaval based on the Hachiko crossroad in Shibuya, Tokyo. Instead of the four straight crosses, the area will be less cluttered with barricades and will also allow for diagonal crossings. The full story is here.


I like the idea in theory but where the Japanese can all circle eachother bump-free, can you imagine the chaos of tourists not looking where they're going, stopping without warning and general rudeness?

Perhaps it'll become a popular spot for people-watching.

I Am Blogger, Hear Me Roar (Soon)

Had a brilliant jam-packed weekend, including a visit to Trafalgar Square. I'm down in Bournemouth from Wednesday for a week so there'll be more time to attend to my site.

Like Water Off A Duck's Back

Or something like that anyway:


There seems to be something in the water in Hyde Park - the birds are acting strange. They're fearless, perhaps they know of a rebel uprising against humans and this is the first wave. We tried to eat some sandwiches by the pond and commented how the smaller birds had no chance against the geese and swans. Suddenly one swooped up and took the sandwich out of Keiko's hand! This is the little fella. Notice the egg and cress-covered beak.


Then there were the pigeons who took a shining to the bread we fed the squirrels near the Albert Memorial. They stalked us the whole way down the path, stopping and acting oblivious when we turned around.


And it's not just the birds rebelling against humans. Some are fighting for their own individuality; spot the odd one out:

You Can Take The Girl Out Of Japan, And You Can Take The Cherry Blossom Too

I suppose I should start here:

Sadly the dog stayed in Sendai.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon when I left work early to the new terminal at Heathrow. It's very aesthetically pleasing, with a glass frame. However, the actual arrival gate is terribly designed - there are two doors about 200 metres apart and no indication of which side the passengers will exit from. So standing at one end could mean missing the person entirely. In the end, I opted for somewhere in the middle and re-enacted an audience member at a tennis court.

I just about saw Keiko as she came out and ran over to meet her. A train ride home (delayed, of course - how does "imposing a 10mph speed limit" on a tube line as explained by the driver make sense?), dropping her suitcases (bigger than her) off at the apartment and then down to Pizza Express for a welcome meal. Keiko was jet-lagged so sleep beckoned.

The next day we went for a leisurely walk into High Street Kensington. Or Kensington High Street. I'm still not sure which one is correct because the Tube Station name is different to the street sign. Maybe I need an abbreviation, although I keep thinking it's High School Kensington.

On the way, we stopped at Holland Park - about 10 mins from the apartment. It's a lovely weekend spot with football pitches, dog walks, places for picnics, a peacock enclosure and much more.


One of the highlights - and actually rated the best place to go for a leisurely Sunday by one tourist website - is the Kyoto Gardens, based around a Japanese set-up. They have a rock feature, koi carp, and statues replicating any typical temple. It's beautiful and I can foresee many a lazy afternoon chilling out there.


There was one cherry-blossom tree, and I tried to take some arty photos. I'd like to theme this collection around 'focus', and pretend I knew what I was doing. Let me know what you think:


I was even really lucky with this one:


That's enough for today. The rest of the day, mostly in Hyde Park featured a pervy duck, a sandwich-stealing bird, a fearless squirrel, and some unsubtle pigeons. But that'll be available tomorrow. I've just introduced Keiko to iPlayer so we're going to start on The Apprentice. I thought this sign in a Chinese noodle bar in Leicester Squre was quite fitting - something Alan Sugar would probably order: