Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

A friend drops me off at the airport “See you in 5 months.” I say. ” What do you mean 5 months? You will be away for 7 nearly 8 months!” October 12 2021 to 10 May 2022. She is … Continue reading →

I have done some consultancy work and receive a nice chunk of cash. I determine to spend it on the finest food and wines for a farewell, farewell dinner. I am off to California in a couple of days and … Continue reading →

Off we go into the night to seek the Yanbaru Kuina, with our tummies full of fabulous food and drink, except noble Ichiro san who is driving. So the deal is that the Yanburu Kuina is a very rare bird … Continue reading →

Arisa and I go up to Yanbaru for another Okinawa Rail spotting adventure. Before setting off into the raucous night of the sub tropical forest, we have a truly outstanding meal. I have to underline that we are totally in … Continue reading →

I am fairly good at housework but I am not meticulous, tiles in the bathroom get dirty, grunge gathers in corners, the floors get grimy, the tatami mats gather dust. You get the idea. I contact a house cleaning agency … Continue reading →

Not much to report really, mainly dentistry and sailing. Former colleague, Natori san, who now works for Medecins sans Frontieres in Tokyo, sorry can’t find accents.comes back for a visit. We go for a very bracing sail. The weather is … Continue reading →

Sunday 19 September – what a beautiful day! The sky is a clear blue, the sea is, well you know, blue too. It is 30 degrees. The only glitch is too little wind to sail meaningfully. I generally clean up … Continue reading →

I love tempura but have never been able to cook it successfully. My attempts have always been soggy as opposed to crisp. So disappointing. I have suspected that the oil is never hot enough. On a recent boat picnic, a … Continue reading →

Tsuru is Japanese for crane, er the bird. It is number 2 in the hierarchy of birds, number 1 is the Phoenix. The cry of the crane is believed to have great authority. https://japanesequizzes.com/portfolio/tsuru-no-hitokoe/ Anyway, as I am coming back … Continue reading →

So I have had my beloved Tokina AT-X 300 since February 2015. She is a fabulous lens. She only has manual focus, which usually I like very much especially if the bird is sitting nice and still. However on my … Continue reading →