Keeping Things In Focus When Everything Is Blurred

Things have rattled me a little over the past week or so, with seeming stability I thought I had built up shaken and stirred but (to continue the analogy) I’m thankful for the strong bonds I have to keep my mind in place.

Dino, our little rosy faced lovebird, is continuing her battle to get better, with each day a bonus now after we thought she was gone last week. Her fight is consuming a lot of my time (and resources), but she is deserving of that.

Friends and family have rallied behind us to try and bring her back to health.

And I am grateful to be able to cycle, which has brought immense joy on an almost daily basis for many years now, just as Dino has done, as well as our garden, and, of course, Mrs. Kangaeroo, not to forget the aforementioned friends and family. I’m staying focused on the “now,” and striving to do what I can and accept what I have no control over.

Cop A Gander At These Rippers Too...

  • Jama on the Tama

    Autumn is a delightful time for cycling, and unfortunately for running, too, which means almost daily encounters with one of my least favorite Japanese words: jama. Jama, 邪魔, literally translates as “evil magic,” but means something like hinderance, impedance, or, as I prefer, bloody nuisance. Autumn brings out all the joggers onto the Tama Cycling Road and, despite a perfectly good path below the levy on which the track for cyclists has been made, runners take over the path. They’d be fine if they kept to the rules and ran to the edges of the path, but rare is the runner who does so, and most joggers have pods in…

  • The First Class First Nations Film Festival

    For a measly 1,000 yen I got to get a totally unexpected and delightfully amazing full day’s entertainment, a couple of souvenirs and an all-round wonderful time at the 2024 First Nations Film Festival held by the Australian Embassy in Tokyo at EUROSPACE. I’ve always been sympathetic to the cause of Indigenous Australians as I’ve understood it, but in recent years I’ve developed a bit of empathy fatigue, or even borderline antipathy, as the blame for society’s shortcomings are increasingly laid at the feet of all white men. So when Mrs. Kangaeroo expressed an interest in going to the festival after seeing an ad on Facebook, I wasn’t overly keen,…

  • Mates’ Paws

    We had a busy and fruitful weekend, welcoming friends over for a party yesterday, working for a new future and getting to enjoy kangaroo paw that others are growing. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, I grew kangaroo paw from seeds and got amazing results, which I delighted in “sharing” with friends and neighbors. It wasn’t until I’d given out a dozen plants that I realized I wasn’t presenting people with an exotic decoration of considerable expense was perhaps an unwelcome nuisance. So I didn’t push too hard to hand over plants to people who visited. It was a wonderful weekend for realizing how blessed I am by the people who surround…

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    豪キャブラリー： Whacker

    Whackerは死語に近いオージー英語だが、あまりきつくない言い方として高齢者を中心にまだ使う場合はたまにある。Whackerは「あほ」や「お馬鹿さん」見たいな可愛いがりながら貶す言い方を示す。 　ちなみに、whackは「叩く」という意味があり、「叩く人」がwhackerとも言える。大田舎（bush）へ行って車やオートバイなどをふざけて走り回ったりする人々がbushwhackerと呼ばれることがある（このような人たちはbushbasher＝大田舎をボコボコにする人、という言い方もある。） 　日本語の「バカ」か「アホ」と呼ばれたことと意味が同じでありながら、オージー英語ではWhackerと言われたら怒ったり、嫌がったりする人はいないと言っていいほど軽い気持ちを込めた言葉である。

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    シドニーで旧日本海軍特殊潜航艇周辺をダイビングが可能に

    　世界第二次大戦中の1942年に、大日本帝国海軍の３隻の特殊潜航艇がオーストラリア、シドニー湾を攻撃して、その後３隻雷撃で沈没した。 　３隻特殊潜航艇のうち２隻がすぐに見つけられたが、３隻目はなかなか表れなかった。そして、ようやく2006年にダイバーがシドニー湾に３隻目の特殊潜航艇 豪政府は沈没した特殊潜航艇周辺が危険性あるとして接近禁止したが、この頃安全を確認し、つい今週になってからダイビングを許可することになった。 現地の報道局ニュース Sydney sub wreck opened to divers（英語）

  • Back on the Bike

    For a variety of reasons decent riding hadn’t been possible yesterday, but today it was back on the bike. Apart from the theft and vandalism, Kangaeroo also had an appointment. And worry about impending punishment from work had kept him awake nearly all the previous night, mustering a depressive low that thwarted crawling out of bed and plunging in the cold and dark to ride. Should have done it anyway, so the later regret also had a compounding effect on the low. Kinda living in fear, anger and resentment at the moment. Thank God for cycling! Getting on the bike provides a lift. There’s a lot for Kangaeroo to be…