Sorry, I have been a bit slow updating the blog recently. The summer heat in Tokyo seems to have made me a bit lethargic and it is only now that I have the motivation to make some updates.
One of the highlights of August was my brief trip back to Shimogo on Saturday the 7th of August. I was looking forward to meeting up with Tomo and Satoshi again as it was about 18 months since I had seen them last. Both seemed fine and had not changed at all. Every now and again, Tokyo really starts to get me down and I can feel the need to flee the big city for the soothing delights of the countryside. The journey up on the Tobu Line was relaxing sedate and with each passing kilometer, I started to feel better about the world. It is nice to be reminded that life does exist outside of Tokyo.
I was scheduled to meet up with Tomo and Satoshi in Wakatsuki restaurant at 6.30pm. As the taxi dropped me off at my ryokan (called Suzukiya) at 6.20pm, I had to quickly check in and dump my bags in order to make it to Wakatsuki in time. Although I only had 10 minutes to make it to the restaurant, the innkeeper still managed to find the time to highlight my poor Japanese. I only have myself to blame I suppose.....
The walk from my inn to the restaurant was one down memory lane, as it was a route Clara and I used to walk each evening after dinner. Fond memories. The distinctive mountain in the background of the photo was lovely in the fading light and really stirred my memories.
Wakatsuki was fun and I think we drank quite a few beers. Tomo was kind enough to provide a belated Fukushima peach birthday cake sourced from the local French restaurant - very pleasant indeed! After stealing the 5 year old toilet slippers from the toilets and lobbing them into a nearby rice field, we went off to sing karaoke at a bar which I have never been to before. At this point, my memory becomes hazy but I remember singing some Frank Sinatra numbers and one or two Bon Jovi hits.
And that is essentially the story of my brief visit to Shimogo. Satoshi kindly collected me on Sunday morning and drove me quite far to a convenient station from where I could get back to Shimogo. A brief visit, but nonetheless enjoyable!
Thanks to Tomo and Satoshi for their hospitality.
Sorry to have been so slow in updating this blog......been busy with work and other commitments. The continued summer heat is also sapping my energy...
Clara spent a whole month in Scotland this summer with my parents. In the back of my mind I recognise that Tokyo is not the best place for kids to grow up in and I am therefore happy for Clara to be able to briefly experience the life of a Scottish kid. It makes me happy to think she has the opportunity to run wild and enjoy the great outdoors.
I get the feeling that Clara is now fully expecting to visit Scotland each summer and Yuki and I will be more than happy for this to continue. Personally, I think that the lives of Japanese kids are too constrained (especially in Tokyo) and they lack the proper childhood experienced by many in Scotland. My ultimate goal is to have Clara study at university in Scotland when she is older......I think that when that times arrives, she will probably be quite agreeable to the idea.
The 1 month trip to Scotland was planned long in advance and Clara had no qualms about not seeing her Mum and Dad for such a long time. As can be seen from some of the photos, Clara met a lot of friends, spent a great deal of time at different beaches, visited her great granny a couple of times, saw my Great Aunty, did a bit of crockery painting, went horse riding, ice skating, and probably a list of other things which have escaped my mind.
Clara was happy to come back to Japan and appreciated reacquainting herself with some of her favourite Japanese meals. Yuki and I have both agreed that we will all visit Scotland next summer and I am looking forward to that already....better start saving. Clara's return to Japan marked the official end of summer for us all. Back to normality for now but I hope that by around spring 2011, we will have some new experiences to look forward to.
I hope to soon be able to post a more regular flow of news on the blog as my schedule will clear up a bit for the next month or two. Bye for now.
