West Highland Free Press - Donations to Japan from Skye

A slight twist of fate during my recent visit to Skye, saw me stop off in Broadford at the offices of the West Highland Free Press, the local newspaper for Skye and the surrounding Highlands and Islands. Reporter Keith MacKenzie was keen to learn of the situation in Japan 1 year after the terrible earthquake and tsunami. Keith was also impressed that almost GBP 600 was raised mainly from current and former residents of the Isle of Skye.

The feature in the April 27th edition (which takes up the whole of page 15!) reads:

Aid from Skye to Japan - one year on from quake

The aid team which featured Kane Davidson, pictured in the sunglasses. Also in the picture (grey tee-shirt, middle of front row) is Alan Stewart, a former Portree Primary pupil whose parents live in Wester Ross.

Last month, the world paused to remember the horrific earthquake and tsunami which devastated Japan one year previously. Lending his support to an aid mission, Kane Davidson - originally from Portree but now resident in Japan - recently visited some of areas worst affected by the disaster. Fukushima was a region where, on his arrival to the country eight years ago, he had spent time working as an English teacher. In recent conversation with KEITH MACKENZIE, Kane reflects on what he witnessed and looks back on what has been a distressing year for the Japanese people.


Destruction is still visible everywhere - gutted houses, scrapped cars piled high, mountains of timber. But for Kane the most haunting sight came when he was just walking in an empty field.


"It's the small, personal possessions you notice. Identity cards, CDs - just little fragments of people's lives scattered around. For me, this was the saddest thing," he says of his recent visit to the town of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture where, even one year on, the duty of the charity worker still involves the clearing of dead fish from the lofts of houses. It could almost be funny, if it wasn't so tragic - the full scale of the horrors revealed in these two accounts told by Kane.


"A guy I was working with digging out ditches told me that when the tsunami hit he managed to make it up the steps of his house but his mother, coming just behind him, was caught and washed away. He made it on top of his roof, and was stuck there for four days. Below, he could see the body of his dead mother floating past on the water."


Another harrowing tale concerned the fate of a nearby junior high school. "The teacher evacuated the kids, but they took a wrong turning. They had to double back to the school, and with that mistake 200 kids were gone."


For some parts of the countryside, which have seen their fortunes decline in recent years, the tsunami simply represented their final death knell. A lack of investment by the central authorities, coupled with the brain drain of talent drawn towards Tokyo (sound familiar to a boy from the West Highlands?) had seen rural populations plummet. Many people, says Kane, now fear that the communities left in the tsunami-affected areas will simply wither away in the coming years.


In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Kane made the decision to flee his home in Tokyo. It may have been 250 miles from the epicentre but a quake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale could still be felt - terrifyingly for the millions who experienced it - throughout the Japanese capital.


More worrying still was when news filtered through that the tsunami has caused meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.


As uncertainty raged, Kane and his daughter Clara flew out of Tokyo and headed for Hong Kong to stay with his brother for a week. It's a decision he still feels was the right one.


"I laughed it off at first, but the news just got gradually worse to the point where I found myself looking at the internet for maps measuring the distance of the Chernobyl fallout," he added. "I wasn't too worried about myself, but the thought of my daughter tainted by radiation was not a nice one.


"As we left and the plane was rising up I could see Mount Fuji and I did wonder - I may be back here in a week, I might not be back for months."


Geiger counters have now become common accessories in Tokyo and the fear that another "big one" - this time hitting the metropolis directly - is never far away. 


"There is always this tension and everyone's guard is up. It's a sort of post traumatic stress situation," Kane adds, pointing out that Government projections estimate a Tokyo quake of magnitude seven or above could cost some 30,000 lives. "Guaranteed it's going to happen, and I suspect it's going to be quite soon. Before March 11th last year it was very rare to get a quake, but since then the aftershocks have been fairly regular. It's just a matter of time, I think."


In north-eastern Japan, meanwhile, the death toll stands at about 15,000 with a further 5,000 or so still missing. The full impact of what happened at the Fukushima Daiichi plant could take years to assess, as Kane found out in conversation with one of the area's medics.


"I was told that on regular patient X-rays, spots are noticed on the film. That's background radiation, and I'm certain there will be leukaemia cases coming up."


Despite the horrors, Kane feels the Japanese government have failed to fully heed the lessons from March 2011.


"Daiichi will now be a write-off - the land will probably be a no-go area for centuries," he said. "The official word is that it has reached a cold shutdown, but other people are saying that's not quite correct.


"I'm more angry that is ever got to this stage. Those plants shouldn't have been built where they are and the way they are. Lots of landowners in rural Japan cashed in, sold up to the nuclear power companies and became very wealthy.


"There has to be a big question-mark over Japanese reactors and there technology. But Japan is still going ahead and selling reactors to Vietnam. How can they do that?


"Surely there should be a moratorium on any sales, at least for a few years."


In terms of rebuilding efforts, Kane sees stoicism and resolve as qualities not lacking in the Japanese as a people. After a year the focus is now gradually shifting from remembrance to recovery.


"It's best not to get too morbid. That time is now over," he says, adding that he intended to head north from Tokyo soon for a second visit to help with the reconstruction efforts.


Working for "Team Tsukuba" and the "JEN" charity Kane recently collected about £600 in the space of a week - most of it coming from folk in Skye - following an online appeal.


And as the gloom of the past year slowly begins to lift, he says he's confident Japan can eventually bounce back from the trauma.


"It's a lot of work, and the place will never be the same again, but if anyone can do it the Japanese can. They're a determined lot.


"It's been terrible, but the Japanese are best in times of crisis. I'm sure they will step up to the plate."

One building still standing amongst the destruction

More on Kane in Japan and how to contribute to the relief efforts can be found on his blog at www.kanedavidson.com

29th February - Off to Skye

As my visit to Scotland was relatively short, I planned to spend only 1 day and night on the Isle of Skye, the island where I grew up and where many of my relations still live. The weather on the west of Scotland was pretty unpleasant with constant drizzle and strong winds. I did not mind to be honest, and felt the unforgiving Scottish weather rather refreshing.

On the 29th February, my schedule was pretty light and stress free. I visited my Auntie Marie in Braes, paid a brief visit to the cemetery to see the new headstone at the grave of my grandparents, collected some stuff for my mum, and went for a brisk walk over to Scorrybreac and the Black Rock.

The Scorrybreac walk brings back a flood of good memories, making it pleasant to retrace steps made many years previously. I did not mind the wind and rain at all, in fact it made the walk seem more of an achievement. Portree looked typically foreboding considering the weather conditions, as the below photo shows, but I was extremely satisfied to take a little time for this walk.Towards late afternoon, I drove a short distance to the Skeabost House Hotel to check into my room. Once again, the hotel is another place which brings old memories rushing back.Skeabost Hotel has (or had) the reputation of being one of the higher quality hotels on Skye. From my experience staying the night, I felt it was very average indeed. The menu appeared very limited, the staff did not bother to make you feel particularly welcome nor did they seem particularly interested in their guests, and the crisps were months out of date. A fairly disappointing stay, although I was not overly surprised. The hotel is a lovely old building in a great location next to the sea and a salmon river, but the need for heavy investment is readily apparent.

The following morning, I had a rather pleasant breakfast chatting to a couple of other hotel guests. I then made a visit to see my Great Auntie Annie - the welcome is typically warm and Highland. Always a pleasure!! I really feel like I am back home when I speak to Annie and I am sure she would be pleased to hear that.

And that was that - time to drive back to my parents' home in Inverness, albeit with a brief stop at the West Highland Free Press in Broadford to give them my views one year after the large earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan. Perhaps there will be a small article in the next copy of the newspaper.I stopped off a couple of times on the drive back to Inverness. The mountains around Kintail were dark and moody - I found their permanence extremely compelling. Wonderful to see the fantastic Scottish scenery, irrespective of the weather.

Glasgow to Skye - 184 miles

Quite a remarkable display of stamina and determination by Sgianach Donnie Campbell.

Back to Japan, but not before.....

In a blink of an eye, it was time to start thinking about my return flight to Japan. With all the events over the preceding days, coupled with the fact I was laid low with food poisoning for a few days, I again found myself short of time and having to rush to do the things I needed to do, and see the people I needed to see.

I made a day trip from Inverness to Skye on Tuesday 3rd May as I wanted to pop up to Staffin House Residential home to pass on my thanks, see my Great Auntie Annie, and visit my Auntie Marie. As I was trying to achieve multiple goals in only one day, I was kept busy and was quite tired when I arrived back in Inverness that evening.

As can be seen in the photos, the weather was fantastic. When the sun is shining, Skye really does make your heart skip a beat.

After the recent passing of my granny, it was comforting to see new signs of life brought about by spring in Skye. The gorse bushes were in full bloom and new born lambs were scampering about the fields. I must have really looked like the tourists I used to make fun of when I lived on the island - walking round with a big zoom lens taking photos and anything that moved.A constant regret that I have when I visit Scotland is never having enough time to do the things I want to do. I would really love to spend a few weeks back in Skye, going with the flow, and reacquainting myself with island life. Instead, my visits seem like a whistle-stop tour where all I manage to do is tick boxes. Perhaps before I begin my next job (whenever that might be), I will be able to spend a month back in Skye and finally recover the level of familiarity I once felt.My last full day in Scotland was spent having lunch with my mother and then getting some essential shopping done - tea bags, deodorant, brown sauce, English mustard etc.

Over the duration of my visit, I also managed to drink a few good Scottish ales, but my appetite for beer and food quickly disappeared after my bout of food poisoning - a great way to save money. As I was feeling under the weather for the final 4 or 5 days of my visit to Scotland, I was unable to eat or drink much of anything. I feel guilty that when I visited Neil & Jen's new house, I was only able to pick at the lovely roast beef they had prepared. Sorry guys.

So, all in all, a mixed visit to Scotland. I will be making what will probably be another brief visit this summer as Clara will again spend nearly one month with her grandparents in Inverness. Looks like it will be another mad rush to do the things I need to do.

The Waverley

Although the funeral and associated events were saddening, my spirits were lifted by the absolutely fantastic weather. I am adamant that there is no better place on earth than the Isle of Skye when the sun is shining. The fact that this rarely occurs is therefore a major drawback.

Mark and I stayed an additional day on Skye after the funeral and drove back to Inverness on Thursday 28th April. As we were in no rush, we decided to drive the scenic Meoll (sp?) Road, just after the golf course at Sconser. The views across the water to Raasay were magical and the sight of The Waverley paddle steamer powering down the Sound of Raasay was as enjoyable as it was fortuitous. Certainly a sight to remember!

High Beech

The house in the center of this picture is 'High Beech', the home where my granny spent a large part of her life. The family have many happy memories of this home and it is therefore sad to know my granny will never return.

What makes 'High Beech' really special is the location looking out over Portree, Loch Portree, and over to the Cuillin mountain range. The view is priceless - my granny on a number of occasions had to turn away hopeful buyers who would arrive without warning on her doorstep offering random sums of money.

My most special memories of 'High Beech' were sitting on my grandfathers lap after primary school, Sunday roast dinners attended by the closest family members, and staying there during the long university summer holidays. Those times were some of the happiest in my life and it is now clear that with the passing of my granny, that chapter has come to an end.

My granny was rightly proud of 'High Beech' and would sit in her rocking chair lording it over Portree. From her vantage point in the living room, she could monitor and recognise (with the help of binoculars) cars entering and leaving Portree. Slightly more disconcerting was the fact that she could also monitor the number of tourists visiting the old Tourist Office where I worked for a few years during university summer holidays.

I suppose it is likely that 'High Beech' will eventually be sold off - let us hope that whoever ends up living there will experience as many happy memories as we had during our time there. Perhaps before that happens, I will be able to return a final time to get some photos from a really special place.

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.

West Highland Free Press - Japan Reaction

The magnitude of events in Japan have even reached the front pages of local newspapers. The below story from the current edition of the West Highland Free Press gives the stories of West Highlanders in Japan. I am pleased to see they chose a very youthful picture of me.

The story reads:

West-coast ex-pats witness horrors unfolding in Japan
17th March 2011
As the world’s eyes continue to fix on the horrors unfolding in Japan this week, the Free Press has found that some West Highlanders currently living and working in the far east have been caught up in the chaos, fear and confusion which continues to envelop much of the nation.

Kane Davidson and daughter Clara

Kane Davidson, originally from Portree, made the decision to flee his home in Tokyo this week amid fears of the radiation risk that he and his young daughter may have faced due to the ongoing problems at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Mr Davidson has been keeping a blog of his experiences so far, noting that he first felt what he described as a “very strong quake with constant aftershocks,” last Friday evening. Since then the picture has been one of travel gridlock, electricity blackouts and rising concerns about the threat of aftershocks and meltdown at nuclear facilities some 300 kilometres to the north.

“Desperate times equals desperate measures,” he wrote on his blog on Tuesday. He said he and daughter Clara were booked on a flight to Hong Kong the following evening and added: “Under the normal course of events it would seem expensive. Right now, I’d mortgage the house to get out.”

The 36-year-old, who works in shipping, added that he hoped his wife could follow in a few days’ time. “Sadly, Yuki has decided to stay put. It must be difficult for her with her family and the fact that Japan is her homeland, but my sole goal is to avoid Clara being exposed to excessive radiation,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Lewisman currently living and working in Japan narrowly avoided the worst effects of the quake as he was stationed 250 kilometres from the areas that suffered the main damage.

However, 29-year-old Colin MacLeod from Point, currently an English teacher in Joetsu City, on the west coast of Honshu, said the tremors could be felt far and wide.

“I was at school when the Friday quake struck,” he told the Free Press. “We just got the tail end of it here, so there was a gentle rocking. However, it lasted for over two minutes, so we knew that somewhere was getting hit.

“On Saturday morning at 4am we felt a major tremor which was centred in Nagano and there were a number of sizeable aftershocks following that. That quake caused minor damage such as bookcases falling over, etc. We also felt the Shizuoka earthquake on Tuesday night but there was no damage.”

Mr MacLeod said the country was trying to get back to normal as best it could, but said that people were constantly keeping “one eye on the news”.

“In my region of Japan there have been two major earthquakes in the last six years, so people are prepared for earthquakes,” he added. “Emergency drills are conducted regularly and people have a grab bag with food, water, clothes, a torch, etc. There has been no panic buying, but events in Tokyo means that supply lines have been affected.”

Dr John Adamson, a retired GP in Kyle of Lochalsh, was another keeping a close eye on events. His son Calum has been teaching in Japan for several years and is married there with one son. He is currently based in the university city of Nara, near Kyoto, some 300 miles south west of Tokyo

“They are some distance from the devastation, but they still felt a bit of a shudder on Friday,” he said.

Faye Mackenzie, who is originally from Dunvegan and now lives in central Tokyo, described the quakes as “terrifying”. She was yesterday (Wednesday) helping the relief efforts through the Second Harvest Japan appeal, which will be seeking food and supply donations for the people in the earthquake-affected areas.

Donations to help the affected citizens of Japan can be sent via the Red Cross. To donate visit www.redcross.org.uk

Skye News

The Isle of Skye has been in the news a lot recently for both good and bad reasons. Last week the new Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute grounded on shingle near the Skye bridge. This is the second grounding of a nuclear submarine off Skye in 7 years. Although many would not agree, I always enjoyed seeing the submarines off the island when I was a boy. I remember great excitement seeing these sinister shapes anchored off the Black Rock in the Sound of Raasay. The waters off Skye are frequently used by Navy submarines for testing and torpedo practice and Loch Portree is actually termed a Z-berth which is deemed suitable for use in the event of a reactor problem. Z-berths are generally placed in areas with great water depth, just like the waters off Portree and in the Sound of Raasay. HMS Astute now appears to be heading back to Faslane to lick her wounds and bring the Captain closer to his court martial. And on a lighter note, I see that Skye has been voted one of Europe's the best island holiday destinations in a survey performed by Conde Nast. That's not really a great surprise to be honest. There are few nicer places than Skye when the sun is shining......unfortunately that is not a common occurence.

And that's about that. Tokyo is now much darker in the evenings as the winter draws in and temperatures are now around 15C. I will soon have to change to my winter futon and plug in my kotatsu table to keep me warm in my pied a terre in Makuhari. Until the next time.........

To Scotland

I am looking forward to flying to Scotland tomorrow. My flight leaves just after 11am so I will need to leave the house around 7am. The holiday will start off on a high note with my Dad's 60th birthday party (on 28th December) and then we have the New Year celebrations to look forward to.

And to think all my plans might have been ruined if the strike had not been prevented by the High Court.

I am looking forward to going to Skye for a few days, walking around a supermarket, meeting with family and friends, and sampling some fine ales. Brilliant!

I'll be in Scotland for 10 days so if anyone is in the vicinity of Skye or Inverness, please get in touch.

Final thoughts.....

It was lovely to be back in Scotland - I never fail to be impressed by the scenery and open space. Quite a pleasure! 1 week is certainly not enough time to fully relax or do all the things I had wanted to do. However, I managed to achieve a lot during my short time home and hope that my next visit will be slightly longer.

Cuillin Hills Hotel

On the 22nd July, I made the drive from Inverness to Skye. As I was in Scotland for only one week, I wanted to maximize my time there and see my Granny as much as was practically possible. Therefore, the decision was made for me to stay the night in the Tongadale Hotel in Portree – this would allow me to see my Granny on both the 22nd and 23rd July.

I do not drive in Tokyo - cars are not really required for most day to day chores and are an unnecessary expense. I enjoy driving but can see not pleasure in driving on gridlocked roads.
As I have had little ‘behind the wheel’ action over the last couple of years, I really enjoyed zipping back and forth to places in my parents’ car. The drive to Skye on the 22nd July was a pleasure, and despite being the height of the tourist season, I found nice long stretches of open road which allowed me to drive at a heady pace.

After checking in to the Tongadale Hotel, I got back in the car and drove up to see my Granny. She was generally in good spirits each time I visited and we managed to talk well and reminisce over some past events. Once I had seen my Granny, I then had to decide what I should have for dinner. I decided to go to the Cuillin Hills Hotel to eat as I had been told that it had recently been renovated. The Cuillin Hills Hotel actually has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons…..the views from the hotel are lovely, I had a part time job there as a student between the ages of 13 and 20, and it was also the place where Yuki and I had our wedding reception. Visiting the Cuillin Hills is all part of the ritual of going home and if I ever failed to visit, it would be a sign my ties with Skye are weakening.

The renovations at the hotel were very well done and looked quite classy – almost something from the Jazz Age of 1920s America. There was a sympathetic extension to the front of the hotel, a nice long wooden bar, and tastefully decorated bar area. Despite being the height of summer, the hotel seemed quiet and as it was still light, I sat on the lawn at the front of the hotel and soaked up the views and memories from years ago.

As is clear, all was well and I was impressed with the renovations, the selection of beer at the bar (including Budvar), and the professional Eastern European staff. As I decided to eat relatively early (6pm) I was able to get a table beside the window with views of Loch Portree and the distant Cuillins. I placed my order (lentil soup and a lamb dish for my main course) and gently supped my pint of McEwan’s 80. Once the soup arrived, I dispatched it with ease and wrestled with buttering the crusty roll. The roll was not too user friendly and after I had finished my soup, my table and immediate surrounds looked like an eczema convention had recently visited.Anyway, after the very pleasant soup, I was really looking forward to the lamb. Unfortunately, the lamb was more akin to mutton and whatever the sauce was, it simply did not work. Poor quality meat made worse by a dish that seemed to have been put together by a Russian submariner. I left the dish half finished and considered complaining but decided that it was not worth the stress. Everything about the hotel impressed, but was sadly let down by the food.

After my dinner at the Cuiliin Hills, I walked into town and met up with a couple of friends. We had a drink in the Merchant Bar (which is starting to look a little tatty) and then the guys (Malky, Gareth, and Iain) decided we would like some drinks in a more refined setting. We returned to the Cuillin Hills Hotel and sat in the garden for a while before refraining to the bar. Nice to see some of the boys again and a pleasure to get the craic in.

The Leopard Man

I would have perhaps have hoped that the Isle of Skye would have been on TV in Japan for the scenery, wildlife, history, food, or locally made whisky. However, Skye hit the small screen for an altogether different reasons last week. The popular variety TV show The Best House 1-2-3 did a feature on the Leopard Man of Skye. I have always thought that the whole story was a bit creepy and that has not changed.Fortunately, it seems the Leopard Man has finally been tamed and now lives in sheltered housing in Broadford. I will have to buy him a pint in the King Hakaan Bar sometime.

Andrew MacDonald

Andrew MacDonald, a friend from the Isle of Skye, arrived in Japan on Friday the 26th of September. His stay in Tokyo was short as he had to travel down to Kobe today (Sunday 28th September) to attend a parasitology conference in Kobe. Despite the briefness of his visit, Andrew managed to cram a good deal into his time with us in Tokyo.

Andrew's arrival gave me a good excuse to leave work 'early' at 6pm on Friday. When I was walking home from Kumegawa Station on Friday evening, it felt strange to know that I was meeting up with Andrew after not having met him for a good many years. Despite his long journey, Andrew seemed well rested and ready for a couple of beers on Friday evening.

On Saturday, Yuki's dad kindly offered to drive us all to Mount Fuji and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, Mount Fuji was mostly covered in cloud and we only managed to see brief glimpses of the summit. We still managed to see a lot of other sights and Andrew seemed to appreciate the chance to a side of the Japanese countrside that he would not have seen if confined to public transport.

We drove to the town of Fujiyoshida and visited Shiraito Falls (White Thread Falls) and Narusawa Ice Cave. Neither place was too busy and I was thankful for the opportunity of briefly escaping Tokyo for the day. We spent some time looking through the souvenir shops and Andrew seemed interested in the large spiders dangling from some of the surrounding trees.

After our visit to the waterfalls, we stopped off for lunch (and a beer). Andrew was keen to try as much of the Japanese food as possible and was quick to tuck into the selection of tempura that he ordered. After our road trip around Mount Fuji, we returned to Tokyo for a nice dinner which Yuki's mum had prepared. Following dinner, Andrew suggested a trip to a karaoke box. Yuki, Clara, Andrew and I crammed a lot of songs into the hour we spent there and we all left in good spirits. Later in the evening, Andrew and I returned to my local bar (Bo Jangles) for some beers and rum and then returned to the karaoke box once more. The quality of the singing seemed high and after 2 more hours we returned home slightly the worse for wear.

On Sunday, Andrew caught an early afternoon bullet train to Kyoto where he was booked into a Japanese inn for a couple of nights. It was great to see Andrew again and I suspect that it won't be his last visit to Japan. Andrew seemed impressed with the feeling of personal safety in Japan, the punctuality of the trains, and the fun of Japanese style karaoke.

Portree

This posting was originally supposed to show some of the magnificent scenery that I have come across during my time back in Scotland. Unfortunately, it seems to have been largely highjacked by my negative thoughts about Portree, the capital of the Isle of Skye.

Whilst the beauty of Skye amazed me, the apparent deterioration of Portree disappointed. Perhaps I am better placed to see the changes in Portree because I visit intermittently. Others might say I have just become out of touch. Anyway, whatever the case, Portree has become more of a town than a village. The small-town heart and camaraderie that once existed did not seem readily apparent anymore and I really did not enjoy retracing some of my steps. In one bar (The Camanachd), the place fell silent as soon as I entered. Soon after I had ordered my pint, one of the twats in the bar accused me of being in CID i.e. an undercover policeman. This combined with being hassled by some scum-bag who claimed he was a surgeon, led me to finish my pint half way through and escape into the relative safety of the town square.

The Camanachd Bar was then followed by The Isles. To be fair, it was not a bad couple of hours as I got talking to about 5 tourists who seemed to be having a lovely time on the island. However, I had been warned that The Isles has turned into a bit of a shit hole and was now a magnet for all sorts of low life. I guess I got lucky.

After chatting with a few people regarding present day Portree, it would seem the place is in decline. Feral youths seem to be roaming the streets, sometimes beating up people walking home at night, regularly breaking into businesses and homes, and trying car doors to see if they are unlocked. Whilst Portree has had problems in the past, these were generally self policed and people were quickly brought back into line. Today, this control seems to be absent.

To be fair, some things in Portree have improved, but overall, the place seems to be losing elements that made it special. Hopefully, by the time of my next visit, some action will have been taken to arrest the decline.

The Campbell Wedding

One of the many highlights of our trip to Scotland was seeing Graeme Campbell (Grambo), my friend from Aberdeen University, getting married. Not only was I looking forward to the nuptials and associated events, but I was also looking forward to meeting up with my other friends from university. I cannot believe that we all graduated 12 years ago......sorry for the cliche, but time flies (when you're having fun).

The choice of wedding present was slowly torturing me in the run up to the wedding. I always attempt to buy presents from my friend from Skye called Len who owns his own pottery called Crieff Ceramics. Unfortunately, I have been so busy that I never had the chance to drop by, say "Hi", and then buy one of his creations. He really needs to embrace the computer age and have some rudimentary means of viewing products and then ordering online.

As Crieff Ceramics was unachievable, I was faced with the dilemma of buying Grambo and Mandy vouchers from John Lewis or thinking of something else. I chose the 'thinking of something else' option and ended up buying a print from a local artist in Skye called Tommy MacKenzie. Although I do not like to brag, it turned out to be an inspired choice and seemed to go down very well with the married couple. Grambo is a bit of an outdoors type and loves nothing better than scrambling over Scottish mountains or rambling through Scottish glens. Therefore, the idea of buying a print from a Skye artist gathered momentum. Once in Tommy MacKenzie's studio, the dilemma was which picture to select. I settled on a print of the Old Man of Storr, a prominent Skye landmark about which Grambo jokingly wrote a poem on a dark winter Aberdeen evening in 1994. It is titled 'The Old Man of Storr' and reads ;

Oh ye big black rock
Standing tall you do not talk
From Portree you catch the eye
And unlike me you'll never die
Like MacLeod who once stood tall
I hope you will never fall
But big black rock I hope you stay
From dusk to dawn for eternity
I printed off a copy of the poem and stuck it on the back of picture with a small message from Yuki, Clara, and myself. Grambo appeared to be really happy with it and I hope it will grace the wall of their house for years to come.

Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the picture that I gave to Grambo and Mandy so I have had to use a photograph that I took of the Old Man of Storr the week we arrived in Scotland. Beautiful!

When I arrived at the Newton Hotel in Nairn for the wedding reception and looked at the table plan, it became evident that the picture was even more appropriate. Grambo and Mandy had named each table after a Scottish mountain or region. I think one table was called Cairngorm, another Quirang. The top table where the bride and groom sat was called The Storr. When I saw that, I knew my wedding present was a masterstroke and that has left a smile on my face for the past week.

Needless to say, the whole day was fantastic. Mandy and Grambo seem to be the perfect match and perfect companions for each other. The food at the wedding reception was spot on, and I really enjoyed the Pimms which was served upon arrival at the hotel. I especially enjoyed seeing 'The Posse' again.BACK : Alan Thomson, Graeme Campbell (groom), Fergus Thomson.
FRONT : Graeme Glover (Best Man), Kane Davidson

The guys in the above photo are friends I made at Aberdeen University. We have all gone our separate ways, but when we meet up, the banter still flows and it becomes easy to see why we are all friends. The banter was extended when Alan and Gillian kindly gave me a lift down to Edinburgh on Sunday morning. Alan seemed to drive at 50mph the whole way, but we eventually arrived unscathed.

A great day and night which allowed me to reabsorb some Scottish culture and catch up with long lost friends. A fuller range of pictures will soon appear on Webshots.

To Scotland

We are all off to Scotland tomorrow (Thursday) and looking forward to our time away. Yuki and Clara will be in Scotland for 2 weeks while I will stay for 1 month.

We need to wake up at about 6am and our flight from Narita leaves at 12.10pm. After a 2 hour stop over in Amsterdam, we then fly to Aberdeen.

Highlights will include (in no particular order) :
1. The wedding of a friend from university.
2. Seeing my family and friends.
3. A return to the Isle of Skye.
4. Food and drink.
5. Decorating my flat.
6. A bit of camping / hill walking.

I plan to update my blog whilst in Scotland, so keep watching.

All the best.
Kane

2007 - Year of the Boar

Happy New Year to all. In Japan, people send New Year cards which are usually adorned with the creature from the Chinese zodiac that represents the forthcoming year.

After spending Christmas week (including Xmas Day) sitting at my desk at school, I was really looking forward to a good 5 day break in Tokyo over New Year. The break was pretty good. I met up with a friend from the Isle of Skye for a curry in Shibuya - we met at the Hachiko statue which is a famous meeting place in Tokyo. The curry restaurant was called Raj Palace and was cheap but the food was nice. As usual, I ordered one of the hottest dishes on the menu and therefore I ended up leaving half of it. Will I ever learn my lesson?

What else did I do in Tokyo? Well, I bought a good suit which will hopefully assist me in finding a plumb job in Tokyo. I spent a lot of time watching the new Sharp Aquos 65 inch TV which Yuki's Dad bought. I went to my favourite local bar a couple of times which was nice and I found out that one of the customers is host to a weekly TV programme - I thought he looked vaguely familiar. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name or that of the programme he presents so you'll just have to take my word for it.

On the 3rd, we drove back up to Shimogo as I needed to do two half days of desk sitting at Arakai JHS. Today (Friday), I drove to Daikurayama ski area with the intention of picking up the new area ski pass which gives access to 4 ski areas. I was disappointed to be told I was not eligible to buy this type of ski pass and now I have to settle for a ski pass at the same cost but that gives me unlimited access to Daikura only. Pretty disappointing really, especially after being told yesterday by staff at Daikura that I would be eligible for the new style ski pass. Oh well......I either have to accept the situation or change into the Hulk and sort them out. I'll probably accept the situation and buy the same pass that I've bought for the past 3 years.

I went skiing today to Daikura and it was not great to be honest. Although the weather was wonderful, the snow was pretty light and icy in most places. I'm worried it won't change for the rest of the season. In previous years the snowfall has been REALLY heavy but not this year. Snowfall in the European Alps has also been pretty bad and many people blame global warming. I'm praying for heavy snow but I have to face the possibility that this skiing season will be short and conditions poor. If I had the ski pass that I wanted, I would have been able to go the ski ski area with the best snow. Grrrrrr........Classes start again next week although we are lucky that Monday is a national holiday. I'll probably go skiing to Daikura.

Scotland - Isle of Skye

The holiday is over but Clara and I had an EXCELLENT time back in Scotland. We did many things and saw many people. The trip ranks as one of my most memorable in years. Everything was perfect, even the weather! We arrived late at night in Inverness on the 14th of October. After a day of relaxing, we headed to the Isle of Skye where I grew up. On the way to Skye, we drove past stunning scenery made even more stunning by the lovely weather. We passed Loch Ness (but did not see Nessie), passed Eilean Donan Castle and then across the bridge to Skye. It was a fantastic journey back home and I was really pleased to see Portree (the main town) again.

Eilean Donan Castle looked great and we stopped there to take some photos and make a visit to the gift shop. The weather was really mild in Scotland and enabled us to walk around in t-shirts. Very strange for mid October!!In Portree, I met some old friends and some cousins. The highlight of returning to Portree was seeing my grandmother. She's quite elderly and every time I see her again, I wonder if that will be the last time. In the evening, I did a tour of the Portree pubs which were all really quiet. I did manage to meet a few people and have a bit of a laugh.After we left Skye, Clara and I spent time in Inverness with my parents and I had an opportunity to do some souvenir shopping for the people I know in Japan. I then travelled to Edinburgh to attend the wedding of a friend from the Isle of Skye and left Clara with my parents. The main reason for travelling to Scotland was to go to the wedding and it proved to be a great day.