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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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…
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This morning reminded me that I am a potentially lethal presence on the Tama River Cycling Road. It was cold, wet, dark and raining. And I realized yet again that I am basically blind in those conditions, being unable to see. I’m not helped by only using an 800 lumen light on the track instead of the 2,000 lumen light I had used up until last winter, but which is no longer financially tenable to maintain. Luckily, I made it home safely and was rewarded to see a lush garden basking in the bath it received in the first rain…
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Work has resumed for 2025, so I am back at the grindstone. I love my company immensely, and my aim this year is to be a great co-worker in a team that contributes to fantastic results for our employer. My teammates are enormous in drawing out every skerrick of talent I may possess, and I hope to be able to do the same for the people I get to work with. And while I’m doing that, I want to enjoy every moment I get to spend on a bike, even if it is as dark and bloody freezing as it…
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On our sole shared, obligation-free holiday over the 2025 new year period, Mrs. Kangaeroo and I headed off for a day out to a nearby island. We headed to Enoshima, a short trip from our home and site of the sailing competitions for the 1964 and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. One intention was to pay a new year’s shrine visit, which is a customary Japanese tradition. Another was to enjoy the ocean. My new year hadn’t been the greatest. On Boxing Day, I bent over to pat Oreo, a neighborhood border collie, and my back went on me. It remains…