We're not in Kansai anymore, Toto...

currently killing time in Singapore Airport... and one of the first things that struck me was that the men are really tall. And then I realised that they're probably not all that tall, I've been looking at men for the past year who are rarely taller than me. That's not very tall at all.
Now if only I had magic red shoes that I could click three times so I could skip this last leg of my journey.

Shades of Grey

Is anyone else struck by the apparent irony of holding such an environmentally significant conference, that culminated in the Kyoto Protocol, in a country like Japan; where if it weren't for sudden massive mountains, everywhere would most likely be hard grey concrete, holding onto hot hot heat, making a massive hothouse that hasn't had it's misters turned on for weeks (BTW, does anyone else happen to be picking lettuce leaves at Fresh Provisions, when they turn the misters on? Every Single Time?). Solid greyness as far as the eye could see and the only undulations to pierce the monotony would be the perfectly symmetrical skyscrapers and the dog boxes that are arguably called apartments. Or is it just me?
Perhaps it has less to with irony and more to do with the fact that I've just been on a bus travelling through Osaka - a city of every shade of grey imagineable - to the airport so I can flee the impermeable bubble of Japan and return to Australia, where, currently, even my greys will seem brighter.

going back vs going home

anxious

Main Entry: anxious
Part of Speech: adjective 1
Definition: worried
Synonyms: afraid, aghast, antsy*, apprehensive, basket case*, bugged*, butterflies, careful, choked*, clutched*, concerned, disquieted, distressed, disturbed, dreading, fearful, fidgety, fretful, hacked*, hyper*, in suspense*, jittery, jumpy, nervous, nervy, overwrought, restless, scared, shaking, shaky, shivery, shook up*, solicitous, spooked*, strung out*, sweating bullets*, taut, troubled, uneasy, unglued*, unquiet, uptight*, watchful, wired*, wired up, worried sick*, wrecked
Antonyms: assured, at ease, calm, cool, relaxed, unconcerned, unworried

Add to this a soundtrack of typically melancholy/angsty music a la Death Cab For Cutie, Beth Orton, Sarah Blasko and Something For Kate, nights that are memorable for the complete heat-induced void of sleep and the sensation of being slightly removed from everything going on around you, and you'll have some idea of how I'm feeling at this very present moment.
I'll be glad to get to Australia, regardless of the home or back war that's going on in my mind.

Inadvertent Duplicity

On getting up early and stumbling out to breakfast, we were confronted by Nate demanding random words for a game he was planning for the days lesson, the only requirement being that they had many letters, it wasn't expected that the students would understand the meaning. Words such as internationalisation (the brand-spanking new JET recruit, fresh from the brain washing of Tokyo Orientation), de-establishmentarianism (UWA boy - Arts/Philosophy degree) were being bandied about. I, however, opened my mouth without thinking, as per usual, and the first two words to leave my treacherous mouth were 'procrastination' and 'indecisive'. Raised eyebrows and sarcastic mutterings of incredible appropriateness, all before 8 am and coffee. Brutal.

Swimming through air

Japan is always so proud of its distinctive four seasons. Distinctive - definitely. Psychotically extreme - well, from an Australian point of view - let's just say Japan is being kind when it gives you roughly 4 weeks in between the two most vicious seasons of fucking hot and fucking cold.
For the last month or so, it's been unbelievably hot. The humidity is normally around 80 percent, and in Ono, the temperature generally peaks at about 38 to 40 degrees, which leads to a crippling dependence on air-conditioning. The nights are almost as bad, as it doesn't really cool down much, maybe 5 to 8 degrees. Sleeplessness is coupled with a general fug that blankets indiscriminantly, slows it down, in the vain attempt that you should not over-exert yourself, as exertion just leads to more sweat. Everything you touch stores heat. Your bed feels like you've left an electric blanket on for the past three months, and lying three inches from a fan does nothing to cool you, although it does provide enough white noise to block out the cicadas - another to add to the party of sleeplessness. Lying starfish and moving constantly lest you further warm parts of your bed, while the sweat leaks from every pore and refuses to evaporate does not promote a restful night.
Today it's not so hot. There's been typhoons hammering China and Okinawa, but they've not made it to this region of Japan. Typhoons, while somewhat unpleasant, do bring with them, one single day of blistering dry heat. The lead up is mugginess like I've never known before, and the day of rain seems never-ending, but the day after is crystal clear, fresh and renewed; the ever-present layer of smog and atmosphere is dissolved for a few hours. Just now, there's been a massive downpour and the smell is amazing. The air feels like it's almost solid and the smell of wet, rich earth just hangs in the hot dampness. The humidity, if were possible, seems like it should be over 120 percent. But the sky is open and blue and Ono is beginning to glow in the late afternoon light.

Why I Love Japan

... My incredible independence. Being able to walk through deserted streets by myself at 1 am and fuck about taking random photographs.

Why I despise Japan - my incredible singularity.

Why I love Japan - exceptionally cheap Tanqueray gin.

Why I despise Japan - Exceptionally expensive tonic. In itty-bitty cans that need to be recycled properly.

Iki ma sho

wee hee! now there's no excuse for not keeping up to date. if only I had more than ten seconds to write something more profound before I choof off to the gym... keeping in mind that this would be the perfect opportunity for some well placed procrastination.