Category Archives: Uncategorized

So, another hymn of praise to life in Japan. Today is a public holiday. Japanese Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi). It celebrates the foundation of Japan, commemorating the ascension to the throne of the mythical first emperor, Emperor Jimmu in 660 B.C. … Continue reading →

On the way back from Toronto I spend a day of meetings in Tokyo. You have to love Tokyo. Er, take my word for it.   Youhei and I do 4 separate meetings in different parts of town from 11:30 … Continue reading →

The city in which I am in also boasts excellent Irish music. I go to a session in a bar called Dora Keogh. There is much academic discussion the the correct pronunciation of Keogh. Is it just ‘key’ or maybe … Continue reading →

Anything useful that I have learned came from The Children’s Encyclopedia which I read, all 10 volumes, several times, from cover to cover, when I was 9. Our set must have been published in the 1930s and it had wonderful … Continue reading →

I always enjoyed Ezra Pound’s parody of”Sumer Is Icumen In” Winter is icumen in, Lhude sing Goddamm, Raineth drop and staineth slop, And how the wind doth ramm! Sing: Goddamm. Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us, An ague hath my ham. … Continue reading →

So, I am very fond of my big, woolen, red, coat as what I wore a lot in freezing Nevada. To my delight I wore it today in Okinawa! The weather is fantastic. It is blowing a gale, raining heavily … Continue reading →

For those of you who worry that I have left Okinawa, er worry no more. Here is proof. I have moved from -20 to + 20 degrees centigrade. I gently spruce up the Scaffie. I look at my Hibiscus. I … Continue reading →

My learned brother Ian has spent a lot of time researching the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who is famous for Antartic exploration and for being the inspiration for Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Anyway, he has just published a … Continue reading →

So my return ticket is for the 5th January. I looked at it once about 2 months ago and noticed that the flight left late at night. However looking again just now by accident, I notice that the flight actually … Continue reading →

The goal of this  trip was to visit Ruby Lake Wildlife Reserve in Nevada. The website is very seductive, http://www.fws.gov/Refuge/Ruby_Lake/ It does not however mention that it is virtually inaccessible in the winter, that the lake is frozen and the whole … Continue reading →