The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond

In 1987, I bought a chopping block from our local butcher, Monsieur Prost, in Collonges Fort L’Ecluse. It is a fantastic thing. The slab is made from hundreds of square oak blocks and the undercarriage is very solid pine of some sort. It weighs a ton!

It has travelled from France To California, then California to France and France to California again. It is now in the apartment in San Francisco. We used it as a work bench and it has suffered.

I decide to restore it to its former glory.

I make very little progress, the oak blocks are very hard and dismiss my little sander with a Gallic shrug.

James suggest we get a serious belt sander. This changes the game.

The new sander does a much better job. We spend hours sanding off the stains and damage.

I also give 3 coats of varnish to the undercarriage.

I am not very happy with final result. The teak oil I use on the boat in Okinawa brings out the texture and grain of the wood with little change in colour. This teak oil stains the wood a strange turmeric/yellow. Still it is much better than before and I am glad to give new life to the chopping block that must date from the heroic era of French butchery in the 40s or 50s.

On a different subject, the house renovation has been static for the last 4 months. This is great as we pay much reduced rent whilst the work is ongoing.

A big superstructure has been built onto the back of the house to give more room.

It is also a great place to sit and look out onto the backyard.

We buy a bench to sit on.

Simple pleasures.

Not good news I’m afraid. A huge typhoon ripped through Okinawa yesterday. 100 knot winds for several hours and 1ft of rain!

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/typhoon-khanun-turns-deadly-as-it-lashes-okinawa-japan

The boat has suffered. The cover ripped and blew off. The boat filled with water. The cockpit hatch and washboards also blew off and the cockpit filled up as well! Luckily heroic friend Harry Wilson got to her and bailed her out before she sank. Thanks Harry!

Somehow the forestay and the roller reefing system broke loose. The jib unfurled and is badly ripped but worse is the luff spar was bent into a pretzel shape.

I have to get a new roller reefing system and luff spar. Not sure how to do this.

Does anyone know who supplies these for Gypsies ? I can contact them and hope they have agents in Asia. Fingers crossed.

Interestingly I recently replaced the tarditional lashings for the forestay and side shrouds with turnbuckles. I could never get the shrouds tight with the lashings. The wind unscrewed two of the turnbuckles releasing the forestay and port shroud. I thought the lock nuts were tight but clearly not.

The Jib halyard must also have snapped or uncleated itself which caused the luff spar and jib to crash down to subsequently bend and rip.

I am beginning to think that boats that do not self drain have short life expectancy in Okinawa. Even the best covers blow off in 100+ knots of wind!

I am in San Francisco and am trying to get the boat taken out of the water until I go back to Okinawa in the autumn. Who knows how many more typhoons will blast through while I am away. Hilarious long distance conversations with Marina folks who do not speak English. They have been very kind and I think they will lift the boat out for me. Good friend Kiyuna san is on the job so everything will be OK!

As I stand before the house in San Francisco, I notice two things, the house is looking ever more derelict and that it is blissfully cool. Bright sun, blue sky but cool! What delight! I thought I was going to be a statistic for old people death in sweltering Japan.

Next morning I set off early to get my coffee at Central Coffee. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Central+Coffee+Tea+%26+Spice/@37.774305,-122.4468478,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808580b283f9a8a7:0x69505be0a9a95b6f!8m2!3d37.7743008!4d-122.4442782!16s%2Fg%2F1tfqg0gz?entry=ttu

I turn the corner of Fell onto Central and this is what I see.

No longer in the benign, blossomy, boroughs of Okinawa but on the mean streets of San Francisco. It is however delightfully cool. Walking back home, all of 600 meters, I notice several self driving. cars.

As far as I understand, you can’t buy one yet but they do run a taxi service. I applied immediately but the service is massively oversubscribed.

I stroll up Haight to get some bird food and even some food for James and me. I shop at Gus’s, a fantastic place.https://gussmarket.com such quality, such choice.

On James’ last adventure in the truck, a good size branch went through one of the back tires. We need a new tire and also a new wheel mounting stud. Off we go early on Saturday morning to Larkin Brothers Tires. What a great place! The usual Californian bonhomie linked to complete efficiency. ” Sure we can fix that, you fellas grab some breakfast and we’ll give you a call.”

We are in the Mission.

James takes me to his favourite diner.

As we are on Mission St, we walk down to one of the amazing seafood shops.

As we pay for our mussels, oysters and octopus, the phone rings, “All fixed my friend, just come over when you want.” We stroll through the cool, temperature wise, and cool, culture wise, Mission. We pick up restored truck – so easy!

Hooray, back in San Francisco!

I return to Okinawa to spend six weeks of blissful sailing adventure. As usual with boats, things do not work out as planned. While away in California there was a small typhoon resulting in much tugging on the bow mooring lines made fast to the samson post.

The tenon of the bowsprit has also rotted so I need a new bowsprit and sampson post. I try the supermarkets but they do not stock Norfolk Gypsy stuff really. I consult my carpenter friend, Tomo san, in Onna son. He is a great guy and has made me bits and pieces for the boat before. He reckons he can make a replacement and there is much discussion with his Dad as to what wood to use. The originals seemed to have been some sort of pine but we all agree that there is no way that pine will resist the rigors of the Okinawan climate. We go for a hardwood called Apitong that I have never heard of before.

This was a great project but once again the crushing heat made it it very tough at times. I still need to adjust shrouds and fix the jib but I am more or less ready to start sailing adventures again, Er, unfortunately I go back to California in a couple of days!

Off I go for a jaunt to Fukuoka. Unfortunately my visit coincides with a canicule in Japan and indeed the rest of the world. It is 36 Celsius and 80% humidity in the killer streets of Fukuoka, which makes walking to your hotel from the subway station a very dangerous business.

The only thing to do is to stay in air conditioned restaurants. I thought the seafood was excellent in Okinawa, well it is, but the seafood in Fukuoka is on a different cloud. I meet Arisa san and her Mum for and outstanding meal.

The next day I set off to watch birds in the Fukuoka castle park. It is a bad idea.

I nearly collapse from heat exhaustion before getting back to the hotel, which I regret is awful. However the reception guy is from Nepal and used to work in Okinawa. He remembers fondly a visit to OIST.

Later, I struggle to an outside eating area crammed with dozens of food stalls called Yatai.

I get delicious tempura and lots of cold beer.

I go to Dazaifu, an ancient city outside Fukuoka. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazaifu%2C_Fukuoka

I walk to subway, drenched in sweat. I go to the next station where I change lines. Here I have to get on the regional railway network. I ask how can I get to Dazaifu whereupon I am led to a back office. Here I buy a special return ticket that includes two free Mochi, for which Dazaifu is famous.

I am told to go to a station, that I cannot remember the name of, and then change to a special train that goes to Dazaifu. At each stage I seek help from the railway people. They are often oldish but so delightful! All have enough English to set me right and take enjoyment from helping me.

So over my longish life, I have seen a lot of amazing stuff; cathedrals, roman ruins, temples, mosques, shrines, megaliths,. Frankly I have seen enough. Amazing though Dazaifu may be, the journey there was more interesting.

The most remarkable thing for me in Dazaifu was the Starbucks.

I have been to several places in Japan where Starbucks have created remarkable spaces. Notably at Zenkoji https://thequietripple.com/2023/06/23/before/ where a beautiful space, with excellent contemporary art, had been integrated into an ancient monastery. I wish I had taken photos. Thank you Starbucks.

So western friends who are not keen on eating living things might want to switch channel here. I go to famous Kawataro Nakasuhonten, a restaurant that specializes in very, I mean very, fresh squid.

I stumble to the subway and go to the airport. I fly back to Okinawa full of squid and beer.

Sorry that this has been mainly about food but it was honestly too hot to do much else than eat.

I am afraid that I have fallen behind. After the wedding I flew back to Okinawa as things had to be done. I also thought a few weeks of summer sailing would be a good idea. I have not written about any of this as I was waiting for the photos of the wedding from the professional photographer. Did not think I could post on Okinawa trivia before recording the amazingness of the wedding. If you see what I mean.

The first thing to do was to get a car. Tragically my great friend Kano san, who usually rents me one, had an aortic dissection in May. I am not sure what this is but it sounds bad. I am contacted by his wife who says she will bring me a car. I say forget it, you have more important things to worry about but she insists. Such kind people.

I have to renew my boat operator license; I cannot believe that 5 years have passed so quickly. I have to attend a refresher course that is in Japanese. The authorities insist that I come with a Japanese speaker. Kano san was going to do it but the best laid plans went agley. At the very last moment I contact an old friend and colleague, Teruya san, to see if he could help out. He can! Phwew!

Now I have the license I can get on with the main business of fantastic sailing adventures. Well no, when I go to the boat I see that the the Sampson post and the bowsprit have been rotted by Okinawa’s dramatically destructive climate and are totally busted.

I will have to get new parts hand made.

It is debilitatingly hot. It is pretty much impossible to do anything outside after 10:00 am. Dismantling the broken parts and re rigging various stays so the mast did not fall down was an ordeal.

On the bright side the food is as good as ever!

I introduced Ichiro san to Tomomi san and to a certain extent promoted the start of their relationship. They asked me to take on the formal role of “go between or matchmaker” at their very traditional shintoist wedding at the Chusa Shrine in Togakushi. What a privilege!

The ceremony is complex and thank heavens we have a full rehearsal the day before.

I have two roles, first in front of the altar, I receive a decorated branch. This I manipulate in a prescribed fashion and make a wish. I then re- manipulate the branch and lay it on a table in front of the altar. I bow twice, clap twice, bow again and return to my stool. Towards the end, I have to make the congratulatory toast to the bride and groom – in Japanese! Amazingly I don’t blow it.

So this was, as they say in California – unreal. I am so honoured that Ichiro and Tomomi asked me to play a role at their wedding. I don’t think that many Gaijins get to do this.

Above all I wish them every happiness! They are exceptional people.

We go to the very holy town of Togakushi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togakushi_Shrine We stay in a ryokan.

Yuko san runs the place. She does everything from cleaning, cooking, business stuff. Her husband watches baseball and does the garden.

The three of us are the only guests. Tomomi and I stayed here 2 years ago and Yuko san has decided to reserve the whole place for us!

The food is the best. Yuko san cooks it all, especially the hand made soba that my Japanese friends hold in great reverence.

So we have to get ready for the big event. This means an hour of being dressed by hilarious ladies who do this for a living.

I love Japan.

I go to Nagano.

Not much cooler.

At zebra crossings in Japan, they play ‘Coming Through The Rye’. This is another demonstration of what a civilized country Japan is.

Here is a Japanese take. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDuCBVhFRKE

I go to Zenkoji. It is amazing.

I meet my friends and we creep through a black tunnel under the holy Buddha.

We stay at a local guest house and have a fabulous meal.

Here is a tip for squeezing out pleasure in Japan – travel with Japanese friends.

I am in Tokyo. Sleepless and jet lagged, I set off for Ueno Zoo. I walk there at 07:30 which is very pleasant as the tremendous heat of the day is still nursing its wrath. The zoo does not open until 09:30 so I sit in Starbucks and drink iced coffee. I have never understood why some people, especially the British, don’t like Starbucks.

I do not have a hat and before long I feel bad.

There are announcements warning us of the exceptional heat. To avoid death we should hydrate and walk slowly.

I sit panting in the shade whenever I can. I soon realise that I will not be able to walk around the major part of zoo. Defeated, I head back to my hotel. It is only a kilometre or so but, dizzy from heat, at times I am not sure if I can make it! I spend the rest of the day in bed in a dark, heavily air conditioned room.

Next morning, I walk to Kappabashi where there are lots of knife and kitchen stuff shops. I am there too early as most of the shops do not open until 10:00. Somebody has turned up the heat again and fascinating though the dozens and dozens of knife shops may be, I can only think of dark rooms and air conditioning.

I learn from yesterday’s ghastly stagger back to the hotel and get a cab. The news on TV is about the exceptional heat – 35 degrees made worse by concrete.

I venture out late in the afternoon to Ameyoko market. Hundreds of small specialist shops and even more crazy restaurants of every description. This is a wonderful place and despite the heat, my wilted enthusiasm is totally restored.

I find myself surrounded by hat shops. I have little hope of finding a hat that fits as my head is grotesquely swollen due to years of self adoration. Two hilarious young Japanese ladies find me just the thing.

I stop to get some Takoyaki and ice cold beer. This I eat standing in the street like everyone else. One of the best meals.

Tomorrow to the cool, I hope, mountains of Nagano.