A Boat of My Own

Real pleasure comes from pain. There is no joy without misery. Drink Chateau Lafitte everyday and it becomes mundane, er, so they say. It is the ebb and flow of life that generates satisfaction.

After Aughrim’s great disaster when your foe in sooth was master
It was you who first plunged in and swam the Shannon’s boiling flood
And through Sliabh Bloom’s dark passes you led our Gallowglasses
Although the hungry Saxon wolves were howling for your blood

And as we crossed Tipperary we rived the clan O’Laoghaire
And drove a creach before us as our horsemen onwards came
With our swords and spears we’d gore them through flood and light we bored them
Ah but Seán Ó duibhir a’Ghleanna we were worsted in the game

Long long we kept the hillside our couch hard by the rillside
The sturdy knotted oaken boughs our curtain overhead
The summer’s blaze we laughed at the winter’s snows we scoffed at
And trusted in our sharpened swords to win us daily bread

But the Dutchmen’s troops came round us through fire and ball they bound us
And blazed the woods and valleys ’til the very sky was flame
Still our long sharp swords cut through them in their very hearts we hewed them
Ah but Seán Ó Duibhir a’Ghleanna we were worsted in the game

Here’s a health to yours and my king the sovereign to our liking
And to Sarsfield underneath whose flag once more we’ll take a chance
That the morning’s tide may find us across the seas and win us
A place to stand and wield the brand among the sons of France

And as we part in sorrow a Seán Ó Duibhir a Chara
Our hope is God Save Ireland pour blessings on her name
May her sons be true when needed may they never fail as we did
Ah but Seán Ó duibhir a’Ghleanna we were worsted in the game

Although I was worsted in the game when last I attempted to buy a boat.

https://quietripple.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/many-a-sliptwixt-cup-and-lip/

Although all seemed lost, I persevered, like Robert the Bruce. My reward? A boat even better than she who broke my heart.

Ikeda san and Chinen san and my boat.

Ikeda san and Chinen san and my boat.

I need a boat of 3.33 metres. Longer than that you enter the realm of inspection, licences and other Tolkeinian foes. I want a boat I can row, a boat that I can haul up on the beach in front my house.

Chinen san runs a truly chaotic boat place. Old boats lie scattered around. Outboard motors, whose souls have already left, hang on racks. However once Ikeda san, a distinguished colleague, explains my broken heart, Chinen san is on the case and finds me a boat in a couple of days.

I pick her up in a truck I have been able to borrow.

Chinen san checks the lashings.

Chinen san checks the lashings.

I drive her to her new home. She seems to take it well although it must be traumatizing for her.

Devant chez moi.

Devant chez moi.

Hisashi helps me unload.

“Rosencrantz: We might as well be dead. Do you think death could possibly be a boat? Guildenstern: No, no, no... Death is...not. Death isn't. You take my meaning. Death is the ultimate negative. Not-being. You can't not-be on a boat. Rosencrantz: I've frequently not been on boats. Guildenstern: No, no, no--what you've been is not on boats.”

“Rosencrantz: We might as well be dead. Do you think death could possibly be a boat?
Guildenstern: No, no, no… Death is…not. Death isn’t. You take my meaning. Death is the ultimate negative. Not-being. You can’t not-be on a boat.
Rosencrantz: I’ve frequently not been on boats.
Guildenstern: No, no, no–what you’ve been is not on boats.”

I think I will paint her with deep blue hull, dark red interior and white seats.

There are now 3 kayaks and one boat in front of my house.

There are now 3 kayaks and one boat in front of my house.

Ma joie demeure.

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The Usual Fortune of Complaint Is to Excite Contempt More than Pity.

I think pity is the emotion that the totally admirable Tsuha-san feels for me.

She is older than me, which means she grew up in immediate post war Okinawa. It is difficult to imagine what her childhood was like.

The civilian population in Okinawa was 300,000 pre war. 143,000 civilians were killed in 82 days of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, another 107,000 Japanese military died and  12,000 US troops. All this took place in an area smaller than  London. After the battle 90% of buildings had been destroyed. All that was left was, “a vast field of mud, lead, decay and maggots”

Anyway, she is happy, never has a negative word and considers what is said to her carefully before forming a response. She and her husband come to my house every second Monday to clean it.

She cooks me food and brings it to my house as she believes that my pitiful attempts to feed myself will lead to premature death.

This morning she brought me an Okinawan salad of okra, tomato and shavings of dried tuna. The main course is goya champuru, a dish of goya, tofu, eggs and Spam. Of course there is rice.

Thank you

Thank you

Remember Tsuha-san and her family in your prayers, please.

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Lard

I am very fat and lardy. I am also vain and narcissistic. How can I reconcile these two?

Have you got it?

Have you got it?

Hooray for Okinawa Yardsales.

Framing symmetry

Framing symmetry

I lose weight just by looking at it

I lose weight just by looking at it

I have the ideal gym on my roof top. I hammer away at the heavy bag whilst gazing out over the blue, blue East China Sea as the warm morning sun, er warms.

Very difficult

Very difficult

I will also only eat salad, chicken, fish and muesli for the rest of my life.

Second crop of Brugmansia

Second crop of Brugmansia

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Many a SlipTwixt Cup and Lip

So, I was keeping this secret from you but I am buying a boat. I found it on the amazing Okinawa Yard Sale site.

http://www.okinawayardsales.com/

Perfect boat for me, 14 ft, light enough to pull up onto the beach in front of the house. I could put a tiny outboard on it and chug very slowly out through the golden road of the sunset. It is all settled and this weekend I start a new life of seafaring. I have spent hours dreaming of casting the anchor beyond the reef, fishing in the clear morning air. When it gets a little hot I cast myself over the thwart and plunge down to the coral through the vodka water with my black Polynesian hair streaming behind me. Brightly colored fish skitter away whilst the turtles and white-tailed sharks continue to cruise, looking up to grin  “Hi Neil, nice boat.”

My boat's road

My boat’s road

I phone, hardly able to contain my joy, to fix delivery.

” Oh sorry, some guy just passed with cash. The boat has gone.”

Why should I sit and cry,
Puin’ bracken, Puin’ bracken
Why should I sit and sigh,
On the hillside dreary?

When I see the plover rising
Or the curlew wheeling,
Then I trow  my mortal lover,
Back to me is stealing.

Why should I sit and cry,
Puin’ bracken, Puin’ bracken
Why should I sit and sigh,
On the hillside dreary?

Hillside dreary

Hillside dreary

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Remember Me and You

She`s back!

I go for my early morning stroll along the beach and there are more turtle tracks. The word tracks does n`t do justice. It is a kinda trench thing. I do not know if she was here last night or the night before as I was in Tokyo yesterday. I suspect the latter as the trench looks as if entropy has set in.

Much kerfuffle at the sea end of the trench.

Much kerfuffle at the sea end of the trench.

Looks like she did a lot of digging at the sea end of the trench. I hope she did n`t lay there as the tide might break in and corrupt. Learned Naoko says the sand is too shallow on this beach anyway. However I follow with interest.

By the way it looks like Summer is here. I wake up with the dawn around 5:30 and watch the butterflies on the undergrowth between me and the sea.

random beach stuff

random beach stuff

By 8:00 it is 30 degrees with 80% humidity.

Will it stay like this until October?

Will it stay like this until October?

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Farniente

I have had a very busy time recently, lots of travel, lots of  visitors, lots of stuff. This is all good but I love to do nothing. I love to ramble, to look, to listen. This is what I did today and frankly I would trade all the rest.

Linkedin

Linkedin

3:00 on Tuesday?

3:00 on Tuesday?

Comments by close of business Wednesday please

Comments by close of business Wednesday please

Flight AF 256 to Rio is now boarding

Flight AF 256 to Rio is now boarding

Dinner at 7:00. You host.

Dinner at 7:00. You host.

Neil, I have not heard back from you.

Neil, I have not heard back from you.

Could you approve please

Could you approve please

Can we reschedule?

Can we reschedule?

Final FY2014 budget request by Friday please.

Final FY2014 budget request by Friday please.

Can we expect your text soon?

Can we expect your text soon?

 

Don`t get me wrong. I love my job but it is delicious to slow down now and again. Okinawa in the butterfly season is a good place to do it.

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Turtles

We go out for a night-time stroll along the beach. We stumble across trenches in the sand with parallel lines of scoop marks on each side. This must be some animal. I take out my boy-scout-animal-track-booklet. Not an otter, nor a dog, nor a weasel, nor even a badger, at last I come to sea turtle. No doubt about it, these are the tracks of mummy sea turtles dragging themselves up the beach to lay their eggs. I am very excited.

I rush back the next morning to photograph but alas it has rained in the night and the clarity of the tracks has been washed away.

You get the idea

You get the idea

Come back mummy turtles.

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61

This is how old I am as of yesterday. I have had a string of excellent birthdays recently and this one was a classic.

Here,

Magnificent Frigate Bird

Magnificent Frigate Bird

is some wildlife.

Tim

Tim

Bittern thing

Bittern thing

Politician Hawk

Politician Hawk

Tiny Dove

Little Tiny Dove

Anyway that’s enough of that. It is the conference dinner. These Brazilians really know how to throw a party for an old man’s birthday.  It is by the sea, the food is meat, the drink is :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha

Brazilian salad

Brazilian salad

Vegetables ain't food. Vegetables is what food eats.

First course – the other five were much the same. Vegetables ain’t food.
Vegetables is what food eats.

Assault with a deadly weapon

Assault with a deadly weapon

Caipirinha has an instantly numbing effect

Caipirinha has an instantly numbing effect

Things get wilder with very loud music and not shy women dressed in costume.

She loves the web

She loves the web

She was very impressed by my stomach.

She was very impressed by my stomach.

Anyway after a bit of dancing around with scantily dressed women, the main band came on. They were incredible. They played exclusively Beatles songs but rearranged to include a full Brazilian drum corps and brass section. Energy, drive, fun, these Brazilians have really got something.  There was a 3 second gap between songs and the drums just beat it. Everyone danced and drank and sweated.

Well, my heart went "boom",  When I crossed that room,  And I held her hand in mine...

Well, my heart went “boom”,
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine…

Amazing to be dancing to exactly the same songs at 61 as I did at 16.

More wildlife.

Bebo and Nancy

Bebo and Nancy – Summer plumage.

Catherine McEvoy

http://vimeo.com/62389575

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Clubbing

Bit of a misunderstanding last night when some young people, after we had some drink taken, said, “Do you want to go clubbing?”

“Baby seals?!!”

Anyway whatever the activity, the answer was going to be No as I find myself in a time place that suits me very well. Because of the travel around the world I wake up at 4:00 and fall asleep at 7:00. This is the perfect excuse not to go clubbing but also allows me to have breakfast at 6:00 and then explore. The conference organizers have done a really good job by starting the day at 1:00 and finishing at 8:00. So I ramble all morning feeling bushy-tailed and then curl up in my nest just after the end of sessions.

Monkey

Monkey

Brazil's Minister of Science Stuff

Brazil’s Minister of Science Stuff

A squirrel

A squirrel

Luis Von Ahn Very funny and smart man.

Luis Von Ahn
Very funny and smart man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_von_Ahn

check out:

http://duolingo.com/

Black and white Brazilian bird

Black and white Brazilian bird
Mummy and baby monkey

Mummy and baby monkey

Some kind of waterhen.

Some kind of waterhen.

A flycatcher with a lot of yellow on it. I wish I had a field guide.

A fly-catcher with a lot of yellow on it. I wish I had a field guide.

There are lots more but I am probably boring you by now. Sorry.

Coffee break

Coffee break

 

 

 

 

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Is Anyone Listening?

So I start the conference. I attend two sessions before lunch, which are strange affairs. First because frankly I do not understand much of what is being said. Nice cozy web stuff that I feel at home with, soon develops into mathematical algorithm. Also no one is listening. Everyone except me has a computer or pad going and display complete disinterest in the talk. I find this disrespectful. Occasionally one speaker would ask the audience for comments – total silence. There was only one question at the end of a 3 hour session.

However I went for another astounding bird ramble at lunchtime.

Not a bird

Not a bird

This is

This is

Black Vultures. I have seen these in Mexico

Black Vultures.
I have seen these in Mexico

Black Brazilian Bad-ass Bird

Black Brazilian Bad-ass Bird

This bird looks a bit mad

This bird looks a bit mad

Sunset from Hotel roof

Sunset from hotel roof

I am also still pretty comatose from the trip over here. Perhaps tomorrow I will go samba- dancing with long- thighed, dusky Brazilian ladies in louche bars, wearing the shabby linen suit that I bought for just that. Or there again I might go birdwatching.

 

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