Dragged out of lethargic sloth, I joined Mrs. Kangaeroo in watching the Tachikawa Twinkle Garden projection mapping event on a bleak Sunday, with only dextrous digits saving the show from putting the “little” into Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. After being bombarded by Facebook ads for weeks, I was pretty keen on going to the event. But when Sunday dawned, it was cold, bleak and wet. Mrs. Kangaeroo had put in a nightshift, and I was happy enough to idle the day away, basically being a pig. But the erstwhile warrior that she is, my spouse dragged me out of my…
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Wasn’t going to write anything today, but a delightfully sunny winter morning got me fawning over Kangaeroo Corner and feeling absolutely thrilled to have this little garden, especially when it’s attracting the local birds to our Fountain of Strewth. With a later than usual start to riding planned, I got to spend the early morning chatting with our dinosaur, devising more ideas to interfere with the garden’s process and gas-bagging with my sister. Our discussion was a deep one, and I appreciate her care and concern over so many decades. Today, though, we focused on my difficulties in dealing with…
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It’s been a whirlwind week, not because of the speed that it has passed, but the tumultuous time it has been. That’s not to suggest it was a torrid affair. In fact, it was anything but. Work was a generally great time. Monday I had been expecting to receive notice that my trial period was over. It didn’t happen. But I was informed on Tuesday! I’d forgotten that Monday was a holiday in Australia for Australia Day. My boss is based in Melbourne. Moreover, my employer bent the employment rules. Instead of giving me a contract to the end of…
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Some of Japan’s finest cycling handiwork was on display at Handmade Bicycle 2025 held at the Science Musuem in Tokyo on Jan. 25-Jan. 26. Given that I had no other plans, wanted to do something special to celebrate Australia Day and needed to go for a ride with a decent bit of distance, I decided to go. The exhibition was filled with exquisite, hand-crafted bicycle, and there were also complementary events such a talk show, screening of a cycling-themed film and test rides. There were also some sales of parts, bikes and merchandise, so it was a fairly substantial event…
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Plans to write a blog post today turned out to be a bird-brained idea. Our rosy faced lovebird hijacked our computer keyboard because it’s the warmest place in the house. There wasn’t a great deal to write about anyway. So all I’ll be skipping on is the minituae and other space-filling fodder. Work is becoming a little more intense, but also more enjoyable, and each day is a new reminder of how fortunate I am to be there, and to be surrounded with such wonderful and supportive teammates. A downside is that my cycling has been drastically curtailed, but I…
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Even though it’s the middle of winter, I’ve turned my attention to trying to conjure up some pretty plants by propagating cuttings from the star of Kangaeroo Corner, our grevillea. I set up a propagation station using cuttings from our tree. I’ve dipped the cuttings in growing hormone and hope they will sprout roots after a few monnths in the solution stored on the station. We started the garden in 2022, at which time I had no idea or interest in gardening. I didn’t know what a grevillea was. But ours has me smitten. This winter, it has remained in…
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Cleaning up my PC over the weekend, I got a great reminder of misspent hours more than a decade ago, when I found loads of vintage posters touting the wonders of Australia. Some of them also came from a campaign taking the piss of the retro trend. See if you can find which ones. This gallery is a reminder of when Kangaeroo aspired to be a blog about a lesser-known side of Australia. Related posts: 「やばいリンガル」 Flick (人と縁を切る) メン・アト・ワークのメンバーが死亡 「やばいリンガル」 Waffle Strine in Practice – in Japan Strewth! ヴァージン・オーストラリアのストライン(豪州英語)離れが続く 豪キャブラリー: Preggers 豪キャブラリー: Strine 日本が世界ヒットの引き金となった「Mad Max」のゲームが豪訛りを拒否し、オージーゲーマーが噴火 元祖Big Bananaが豪のBig Things原点だ 「やばいリンガル」Heaps (山積み) Powered by…
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This week marked 37 years since I arrived for a six-week trip in Japan way back in 1988. I’ve never really thought much about the anniversary of arriving in Japan, but recently started work in an office that provides a spot where I sat and waited for a friend to meet me upon my arrival way back on that winter day, and I guess it evokes many memories. I never imagined I’d be blessed with life in this country for so long, and have lived a journey beyond my wildest dreams. My gratitude to the friend who brought me here,…
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The year pretty much starts for real from tomorrow, having had the new year break, punctuated by a week of work, followed by another long weekend to mark Coming of Age Day. It’s gonna be a hell of a busy year. I’ve got work, which is a delight, providing stimulation, enjoyment, companionship and motivation. And with the need to obtain qualifications for my role, there will also be school should my trial period end and a position be offered. I’ll also be expected to shoulder a bigger load and take on more responsibilities. And that’s on top of a two-hour,…
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I’m not religious, but I thank God every day for giving me the amazing colleagues I get to work with. I’ve got to admit that apart from only two very short periods, extraordinary people have surrounded me throughout my working life. But the cooperation, support and elevation my current workmates give me is unprecedented for me through nigh on five decades in the workforce. I’m really having the time of my life trying to learn my way around my new role, and am brimming wit gratitude to both my employer and my colleagues for doing everything possible to help me…