Canon EOS Kiss X5 / 600D

Proud to say that after breaking my old Olympus DSLR on the ferry across Hong Kong harbour, I have now found a replacement. As per the title of this blog, it is the Canon 600D, known as the EOS Kiss X5 in Japan.

I have to say that it is a fantastic camera which really does take my breath away. In comparison to my old Olmypus, the photos appear much better and despite the size, it seems a little lighter. I have not had time to read the manual yet, so it will be on automatic mode until I find out more.

Mark and I have visited Inverness Airport a couple of times and have managed to get some great shots. Further updates to come shortly.

To Scotland

I will be flying to Scotland tomorrow and will return to Japan on May 5th. A sad return home but I am pleased I will be there to lay my granny to rest and to celebrate her life.

I hope I will be able to meet up with a few people whilst I am in Scotland. Please leave me a message on this blog or mail me if anyone is in Skye or Inverness during my visit. I will try and make a few postings on this blog over the approx 10 days of my visit.

Nana

Hello all. Very sad to say my granny passed away about 1 hour ago in Staffin House residential home. She had the knack of unintentionally offending some people, but her heart was in the right place, and she always looked out for her boys - Mark and I.

Memories of Nana - homemade lentil soup, dangerous driving, handing me a fiver when my wallet was empty, over-cooked roast beef, never allowing or saying a bad word about me. A sad but inevitable end to an era. Although I am obviously sad, she had a full and long life.

I guess I will fly back to Scotland this weekend for the funeral which will probably be around Tuesday or Wednesday. Perhaps I will have the chance to share a pint with some friends whilst I am there. Nana, thanks for all the great memories.

Seibuen Yuenchi Amusement Park

Despite Tokyo being a rather chilly 11C, Yuki, Clara, and I ventured out of the house to visit Seibuen Amusement Park. Seibuen is only a short 15 minute drive from the house, so we did not have to endure the stress of a long and difficult journey.

Despite Seibuen showing a few wrinkles and quite clearly being outclassed by bigger and better amustment parks, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day - good idea Clara! Due to the cold and overcast weather, the park was not too busy and we were able to get on our preferred rides with usually no standing in line.

I must be getting old as I was more excited with the views from the top of the revolving observation tower and ferris wheel rather than the thrills and spills of the other rides. The ferris wheel offered excellent views and made me think back to around 16 years ago when my university friends and I rode the same ferris wheel when they visited me during my very first stint in Japan. The small cabin offered us some sanctuary from the noise of the park and it was especially satisfying to rise through the cherry blossom trees that were almost in full bloom

It was great to watch Clara having such a good time, although also a bit sad. In only a year or two, I imagine she will no longer be interested in some of the rides as she will be well on the way to becoming an adult. I took the chance to watch her and did my best to try and keep the memories locked up in my head. I must be turning Japanese as I have read that the cherry blossom also invokes such contrarian feelings within the natives.

With regards to photography, I was at somewhat of a disadvantage today. During my recent trip to Hong Kong, I dropped my camera on the ferry deck during a particularly rough crossing and broke the lens. These two photos were therefore taken using the rather feeble 3 megapixel camera of my aging iPhone 3. I was thinking of investing in a new Canon anyway, so perhaps I will have to bring forward these plans.

Over the last week or so, there have been a couple of sad anniversaries. Last week we visited the grave of Takashi, Yuki's father. Yesterday we visited the grave of her grandmother. It is now 1 year since they both died.

However, perhaps because spring is in the air, I feel a new sense of optimism and excitement. The cherry blossom should be in full bloom by next weekend, Golden Week (with approximately 5 days off) occurs at the end of April, and I am excited to visit Scotland with Clara this summer. I think that perhaps a new job may also be called for.....I have a lot of contacts in shipping companies around the world, so may now have to start seriously looking.

We are now about to put the icing on the weekend cake and head off to the local Italian (restaurant) for dinner. Till the next time.

April

By all known standards, March was certainly a terrible month. My guess is around to 25,000 fatalities in the earthquake and following tsunami. Life certainly does hang by the thinnest of threads.

There have been some strong aftershocks recently, with another scary one tonight. However, most people in Japan will be hoping for stability and a return to normality. The people who died cannot be brought back to life, so the greatest contribution should be a swift return to normality.

In March I blogged 14 times - an all time record, but one which I hope not to repeat. I hope for a return to a twice monthly blog which focuses on the comforting minutiae of life. When you experience such situations first hand, your hopes and aspirations certainly change.

The cherry blossoms are now starting to show, let us hope they augur better times.