I Blame My Parents

My Mother always enjoyed a good cemetery. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child and visited a lot of cemeteries. I like to wander around cemeteries and wonder how people end up where they do. San Francisco has a great cemetery from early days and some of the gold rush towns have burial grounds that illustrate the soci-economic influence of the 49 gold strike better than anything else. Basically loads of miners from Cornwall, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Scotland.

Naha has a foreigners’ graveyard near Tomari harbor.

Here lies Johnny Pidgeon, What was his religion, Whae-er desires to ken, To some other warl Maun follow the carl, For here Johnny Pidgeon had nane. Strong ale was ablution, Small beer persecution, A dram was memento mori; But a full flowing bowl, Was the saving his soul, And Port was celestial glory.

Here lies Johnny Pidgeon,
What was his religion,
Whae-er desires to ken,
To some other warl
Maun follow the carl,
For here Johnny Pidgeon had nane.
Strong ale was ablution,
Small beer persecution,
A dram was memento mori;
But a full flowing bowl,
Was the saving his soul,
And Port was celestial glory.

Says it all really.

Says it all really.

Several Perry dead people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry

 

 

The Macedonia ended her career as a casino http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry

The Macedonia ended her career as a casino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry

Wnderful stories these ships havehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Vandalia_(1828) Er RIP

Wonderful stories these ships havehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Vandalia_(1828)
Er RIP John Barnes

French bloke

French bloke

The graveyard has been carefully designed to reflect that many of the incumbents died at sea.

The graveyard has been carefully designed to reflect that many of the incumbents died at sea.

Ca vaut le detour.

http://www.interment.net/column/feature/international/international_cemetery.htm

 
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Gunwale

I spring from bed as dawn, er, you know. I love to have a project. I love to have a project with a whole Sunday stretching ahead without interruption. I love to have a project on a sub-tropical beach where Pacific Rim Egrets watch my endeavor.

Well played Leigh Halfpenny

Well played Leigh Halfpenny. It is 7:00

So I give another coat of blue very early. I come back at lunchtime. I turn her over and paint her gunwales. I think she likes that.

Context

Context

I paint the decking red so that the blood does not show.

Sink me the ship, Master Gunner - sink her, split her in twain!  Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain!'

Sink me the ship, Master Gunner – sink her, split her in twain!
Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain!’

Then the seats in white.

‘We have fought such a fight for a day and a night  As may never be fought again!  We have won great glory my men!  And a day less or more  At sea or ashore,  We die - does it matter when?

‘We have fought such a fight for a day and a night
As may never be fought again!
We have won great glory my men!
And a day less or more
At sea or ashore,
We die – does it matter when?

I remember, I remember  The house where I was born,

I remember, I remember
The house where I was born,

I think the definition of unhappiness is not having a project.

Where is my engine?

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Paint

I want to paint my boat. I need yacht paint. Try miming that.

Ikeda san helps me and tracks down a paint shop in Naha that has such stuff. The shop is in a lost suburb of Naha and is er warehouse-ish. I interact with the front office.

The people are the greatest fun and very concerned with the nature of my painting. They even want to come to Onna son and look at my boat to make sure that the paint I buy will not react badly with the paint actually on the boat.

It comes out that I work at OIST whereupon there is great glee. They are great supporters and have been to our Open Campus events. They produce all kinds of OIST swag. They take photos of me, I take photos of them, it is a party. I love Okinawa.

Paint shop folks love OIST

Paint shop folks love OIST

I have to pick someone up from the airport which delays my paint on boat stuff. I finally get home around 5:30 and rush off to the beach to start the job.

I tell you folks, this is pretty good. It is 30 degrees, I am in an isolated cove with my boat, I have yacht paint and things to apply it with. I know that I can go and watch the deciding test between the Lions and Australia when I have finished.

Before

Before

Dark blue yacht paint

Dark blue yacht paint

I sand, I wipe clean, I drink Orion beer, I paint.

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/paint.html#AG9KUULqCKh823id.99

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

First coat

First coat

I am very excited.

 

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Fast Food

I realize that I have not written much about food recently. Hmmmm, food in Okinawa is like the bass drone on the pipes, the continuum in Baroque music, the cicada racket in summer. It is always there. Rarely the star  after the initial enthusiasm but without which the experience would be meager.

Tonight I eat fast food. I have another side of life which is rarely revealed in this blog that is called work. One of the great things at work is our restaurant where smiling people produce wonderful food, all of which is uber-fresh. They do kerry-oots.

There is also a sushi store just up the road that does unpretentious we live round here sushi.

Sushi 550 yen, taro simmered in fish stock, goya and tuna,mixed veg, all 400 yen

Sushi 550 yen, taro simmered in fish stock, goya and tuna,mixed veg, from work, all 400 yen

Taro is my favorite vegetable at the moment.

Taro behind, rice before, Intermediate Egret in the middle.

Taro behind, rice before, Intermediate Egret in the middle.

Last night I ate horse steak with daigon and lotus root.

I have never understood the horse meat thing. Lambs are cute too.

I have never understood the horse meat thing. Lambs are cute too.

 

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And Even the Ranks of Tuscany Could Scarce Forebear to Cheer.

“Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.”

Well, maybe in a Tsunami?

Of late signs have appeared around the place indicating how far above sea level you are. I suppose the purpose is to let you know that you are:

1. OK

2. Have little chance

3.Have had it

in the event of a tsunami.

I think blue signifies sky and safety.

I think blue signifies sky and safety.

It's all right Ma

It’s all right Ma

I think yellow indicates that bladder release is imminent.

I think yellow indicates that bladder release is imminent.

Red I believe has universal significance.

Red I believe has universal significance.

My house is like totally in the red zone. This does not bother me. I have done most things, actually I have never been to India, and feel that anytime from now on would be a good day to die – a quotation from the Sioux leader Crazy Horse, who shouted “Hóka-héy, today is a good day to die!”  most of the time.

DSC_0004

Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,
With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
May well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?’

 

I see myself like Horatius, standing defiantly in the  French windows in the front room, rather than on a bridge across the Tiber,  as a huge wave comes surging across the lagoon. “Hoka-hey!!”

I wonder if Mudskippers worry about Tsunamis?

I wonder if Mudskippers worry about Tsunamis?

 

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There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

These people live in a boat. What is remarkable is that the boat, or more accurately ship, is on top of a hill. How did it get there?

Lots of interesting detritus.

Lots of interesting detritus. In the foreground is a gralloching frame

I wonder how many children they have got?

I wonder how many children they have got?

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Blow into It and Move Your Fingers Up and Down

I so much like doing not very much. Doing nothing bad, doing lots can be bad but doing not much I usually find very satisfactory.

On Saturday night I cleaned my flute. My wonderful flute, who has been my partner for 34 years,  has been suffering in the heat and humidity and I have been neglecting her. I just use her but care little for her wellbeing.

A sorry sight

A sorry sight – click on photo

Look at all the fungus

Look at all the fungus

A shameful head joint

A shameful head joint

I sit down and watch the BBC news. The main story seems to be whether Andy Murray will win his next tennis game. I am riveted.

Can Andy do it?

Can Andy do it?

I dismantle the flute and scrape off as much fungus as I can. I oil her carefully with almond oil and polish her silver with Silvo.

Tools

Tools

I do this very slowly and carefully. The sun goes down.

I have a boat

I have a boat

Nearly 200 years old

Nearly 200 years old

I should really remount the two bottom keys. Never use them and they tend to cause problems.

I should really remount the two bottom keys. Never use them and they tend to cause problems.

It is time to watch the Lions. Australia win. It seems that the scrum is how you win games. In my day no penalties were awarded at the scrum unless the scrum half put the ball in crooked. Now every scrum half puts the ball in crooked and no one cares. Penalties are awarded at nearly all scrums for offences that no one, including the referee, understands. I do not like this modern game.

Lets have a scrum

Lets have a scrum

It takes me about 4 hours to clean the flute.

Next year will be her 200th birthday

Next year will be her 190th birthday

Patrick Olwell makes the best wooden flutes ever made. This is a fantastic documentary on how he does it. It costs $6 to download. Best $6 you will ever spend

http://videolla.com/9004/shows/7dfgggub/the-keymaster-patrick-olwells-story

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When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator

So yesterday evening I row the boat out to the reef for to go fishing as the sun goes down. I tie up to a convenient buoy that I believe has been left by coral study people.

Convenient

Convenient

I gently fish in one Okinawan style. This means filling a  little wire basket with tiny dead shrimp that you can buy at any corner shop. Once underwater the shrimp in the basket thing are released by jigging on the line and float downwards. Float downwards?  Anyway below the little basket is a string of lures that look like shrimp. Fish in feeding frenzy bite these and are busted.

It is fun and leisurely. It is still 30 degrees. I catch 4 fish, all of which I throw back.

The sun goes down with usual splendour.

Kenneth McKellar

Kenneth McKellar

In the sunset of life

In the sunset of life

There is something about being in a boat as the sun goes down when suddenly there is an unmistakable tugging on the line that still thrills me, Doctor.

Thank you

Thank you

I cast my eyes towards the land to see a huge spaceship moon creeping over the hill.

Hello

Hello

I row back in er in the moonlight. Will a 2hp chinese outboard spoil the silent moments?

Very tranquil

Very tranquil

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Of Lepidoptera and Arachnids

The walk from my deck to the beach through a couple of meters of undergrowth reveals this.

Big. Do not walk into these guys' web especially nose first.

Big. Do not walk into these guys’ web especially nose first.

Lepidoptera in love. Notice different markings of male and female.

Lepidoptera in love. Notice different markings of male and female.

Butterflies are everywhere

Butterflies are everywhere

A black and white one

A black and white one

I wish I could find a butterfly book. The ones you see are of course only those who agree to pose. There are loads more that are more camera-shy. One resembles a big sheet of tissue paper that has been launched into the wind.

 

 

 

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There Will Be Blood

Off I go again and this time I turn on the fuel. Sure enough after some coaxing the Black Knight starts.

Can you see the smoke and cooling water?

Can you see the smoke and cooling water?

Summer is here and I have a boat

Summer is here and I have a boat

However it is no good, there is no real power and he suddenly stops just as before. Mene mene Black Knight  teckel upharsin.  Black Knight you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. You are not the solution to my engine dilemma.

However a solution has, I hope, been found. I go to eBay and find a delightful little 2hp Chinese motor. After a few emails it appears to be on its way to Okinawa.

Check out the very convincing video.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140706157234?item=140706157234&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr

Seems to have the necessary bits

Seems to have the necessary bits

I somehow feel the Japanese customs might mess this up but no harm in trying.

Blood.  I watch the Lions beat Australia. Very lucky as the Australians would have won convincingly had they had a kicker.

Notice the red color

Notice the red color

At half time I slice the top off another finger with my deadly Japanese vegetable slicer.

These things are absolutely deadly

These things are absolutely deadly

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