Archive for August, 2005

Just arrived back from a few days down South Westish… in the heat, but not really in the sun. Both Rina and Shaun had a summer cold and that kept everything quite low key. It knocked two out of five days into sloth like, recovery mode. Though the trip back was great – if driving anywhere near the vicinity of Tokyo can actually be classed into that category.

We took the more scenic road back through the middle of Izu, taking in Shuzenji, and passing though Mishima, Susono and Gotemba, before finally hitting the mountains around Fuji and finally seeing another one of it’s five famed lakes. We headed on into the vicinty of Yamanaka-ko, which really means the Lake in the middle of the mountain(s) – your choice or not as to if you place it in a singular or plural.

While the area around the lake is quite scenic, the foreshores of the lake have been scarred with the ever present swan/coffe cup paddle boats, which you can hire for a nice 30min exercise, setting you back a cool ¬•2000. It is all rather tacky/cheezy/(add your favourite adjective) to see… and a bit of a rip off ta’ boot. I’m not really sure what the attraction is to these particular things and I’m not particulary fussed to find out.

The highlight, for Rina at least. It can get a bit testing being forced/strapped to a baby seat in the car, when you have a huge bundle of energy that is always bottomless… but anyway the highlight would have to have been stopping off at Doshi – on our way down the mountains back to the Kanto sprawl – was paddling around in a small mountain stream, with fresh -read really cold – mountain water. Rina didn’t want to leave and protested heavily when Dad was carrying her back to the car.

Summer Vacation

That’s what everyone around here says it is, but three days off work is not really a vacation – or more correctly a holiday. It is like a short breather where you can forget about the daily routine for a brief moment in time… only to be jolted back into it before you have a chance to settle into anything else. Maybe it stemmed from the thinking that anything longer and the ones doing most of the carrying about will totally foget what they were really meant to be doing.

Take care…

With summer right upon us here in Tokyo and the weather hitting a sweltering 35C+ for the better part of the last week or so, we’ve been able to enjoy a few of the summer festivals about the place. Summer always seems to be so lively with all the fireworks and local festivals that occur.

We’re looking forward to a few days of our own summer holiday from this coming Saturday. Heading down to Izu peninsula once more, with millions of others no doubt. To enjoy a few days away from the heat of Tokyo and take in the ocean air.

As for the changes, which are happening around here. We’ll have another little member join our family soon. The little one is due to arrive sometime in early February next year. I’m sure that there’ll be another chance to document this little one as much as we’ve managed to do for Rina up to this stage.

The other big change that has already occured, is a big job change. No longer am I working as an English teacher, but I’ve moved in a mutli-facet role of web, video, photography, design, service and a host of other jobs for a new place. A chance was presented to me and I jumped at it as I was looking for something new. While it’s all new and interesting, there are a few quite possibly more interesting things on the road ahead with the job. All will come to light as it happens. Though I have managed to meet the CEO of DaimlerChrysler (think Mercedes), here in Japan. We interviewed him for an upcoming publication of “Club Life”. This executive magazine which is really exclusive. We were given the grand tour of the Maybach, a car in the same league as the Rolls Royce. It costs about ¬•55 Million, which is more money than I can imagine. I put it in perspective and I’d have to work for the next twenty five years, not spend a cent, not have any tax taken out of my salalry and maybe I’d be able to afford one of these. In other words a total excess. Though I did manage to see an actual one on the streets a few days after we did the interview. Still thought it was nothing special. Beauty in the eye of the bank balance.

So other than that alls well here at the Japan Boyd household.

Take care….