R

I'm not a huge fan of these early-morning meetings. Those of us in Japan are doomed to attend them at 0700 every time.

I do wish Prof Thing hadn't been so self-sacrificing on our behalf...

蔗嶮邇?

On our way to lunch, we spied this massive, pig-shaped statue...!

蔗嶮邇 may be being honoured for his predictive abilities...?

Mum off home

This helps to explain the last 2 weeks' worth of blog absence, though none of the preceding silence.

I met mum here, at Narita, last Monday morning. And ten days later, I've just bid her goodbye til next time, and have boarded the more spacious, (though marginally more expensive) NEX 14 back to Shinjuku.

I think it was a successful visit! Actually, I'm sure it was, because she kept saying wha an amazing experience everything was.

We fitted in: a 2.5 day trip to Kyoto - by shinkansen (the bullet train, and my first at that!) which was a huge experience by itself; a rather successful shopping excursion around Machida (including getting Dad a present!); a trip up into the hills to an amazing outdoor art museum; a real natural onsen (also apparently successful); a birthday dinner for me with Casper; a boat trip up the Sumida river, a wander and souvenir shopping trip around Asa
kusa, and an encounter with the locals in the old pub there; and a couple of days of taking it easy around home.

Pretty good going for a first-timer in Asia.

The flat will seem empty tonight, so I've deliberately arranged to meet Casper if at all possible to have some nice company.

Interestingly, I see that Paisley has quit, according to the Japan Times front page. So mum will notice something else that's different on her return home.

I hope she takes happy memories back with her.