• Strine Sports

    Sensational Sunrises

    There have been some sensational sunrises to greet me in recent days, though each weekend for the past six weeks has seen at least one day rain. This week it was Saturday and Kangaeroo spent the day on the Death Machine, riding only a short distance. Sunday, though, was a different matter, and we headed out on a 200-km under beautiful blue skies, but dogged by gale-force winds that proved energy sapping. Related posts: Strine Dictionary Strine (オージー英語)Dictionary Lyre, Lyre, Pants on Fire Riding Along the River Dino Might! Spring-Heeled Goings On San-poses! May It Always Be May Tumultuous Times…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Rain, Rain, Go Away

    April in Tokyo can get wet, but it can also be warm and dry. Unfortunately, today it’s the former. On the upside that means more photo opportunities and a slower pace to enjoy riding. Make no mistake, though, April is when spring really starts to, well, blossom in the Japanese capital. Not far from Kangaeroo’s home is the delightful Yakushiike Park. The park has some delightful archetypically Japanese scenes, with the crooked bridge over a pond, terraced rice paddies and beautifully manicured gardens. Flowers and new greenery sprout everywhere and days are longer and generally warmer. Then there’s the wind.…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Strange Days, Indeed

    There have been better days than today, but this one is up there for peculiarity (in a minor sort of way). The morning ride was nice in spite of tiredness that became increasingly more obvious the more Kangaeroo rode. Not helping was having woken before 3 a.m. again and not being able to get back to sleep. Sunrise was spectacular, but fleeting, and didn’t really make for the nicest of photos. Still, it is a wonderful time of the year in Tokyo. Following a morning meeting, there was enough time left before work started to nick over to Costco to…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Cheating Death!

    Kangaeroo recently added a recumbent bike to his collection. A recumbent has long been part of the Kangaeroo dream. When Kangaeroo started cycling, he often shared his commute through suburban Tokyo with a seasoned Kiwi cyclist called John. Kangaeroo was a rookie (and still is, really), but John had been riding for decades, and often shared his knowledge and experience. This went on for about a year. Kangaeroo came to appreciate and admire John as he put into practice the advice he had been given. One day, John turned up riding a bike where he was lying down. Kangaeroo immediately…

  • Strine

    Thank God for Diet Coke!

    This week, Kangaeroo was granted the dubious pleasure of eating a glazed donut hamburger. The photo deserves to be listed as full size to stand as testimony to its likelihood of clogging arteries, even among those who haven’t eaten it. This was the Luther Burger, which sells for an equally artery-clutching 1,600 yen. Days after eating it and it is still hard to tell whether it was worth it. Another serving was a burger dripping with melted cheese, also for 1,600 yen. Kangaeroo and a mate bought one eat, cut ’em in half and share the dishes. Kangaeroo also washed…

  • Strine

    Ideal Workday Weather

    Today is bleak. Weather is debilitating. It’s drizzling, bleak, wet and cold. Perfect for work … if you have to work indoors. (Not too good for those who earn a living outside, though) It’s too wet to ride, to do much outside to be honest, but not wet enough to fully rule out any activities under the skies. This kind of weather does my head in. Kangaeroo has also just switched employers, so there is a massive amount of stress and the fear of the unknown. Transition is not moving altogether smoothly, either. One bonus of not being able to…

  • Strine

    Warm Weekend

    This spring has been uneasonably warm. Though only the first weekend in April, the cherry blossom season in Tokyo is over. Normally, it is only just starting. It was a tumultuous week for Kangaeroo, as mentioned in the previous post, but continuing over the weekend. All sorts of stuff happened, punctuated by a couple of really long rides. Fucken knackered! Related posts: Strine Dictionary Strine (オージー英語)Dictionary Lyre, Lyre, Pants on Fire Riding Along the River Spring-Heeled Goings On Dino Might! Tumultuous Times May It Always Be May San-poses! Powered by YARPP.

  • Strine

    Tumultuous Times

    So much for reverting to daily updates after years of mostly recessed Kangaeroo.com. It has been a week of topsy-turvy turmoil, though, so it’s a little understandable that a long-neglected blog once more fell by the wayside. Or was put aside at least. Monday kicked off the week with a huge change: a house purchase! Once assumed to be unthinkable, it was actually doable. Kangaeroo was granted a loan that will probably not be completed while remaining on this mortal coil. Tuesday saw the timely commission of a large job bringing in enough cash to cover the cost of moving…

  • Strine

    Spring-Heeled

    Spring is such a delight in Japan. One reason for that is the blooming of cherry blossoms. For a week or so, much of the company is given a glorious pink carpet as the national flower blooms, transforming often bleak landscapes into spectacular vistas. Kangaeroo spent the weekend cycling Tokyo’s central districts and suburbs, taking as many photos of the blossoms as possible. Related posts: AFL – Modern Australia’s Religion and Failed Proselytizing in Japan Aussie Kit Maker Perfuro Storming Onto the Scene Aussies Exposed to Radiation in Japan – 65 Years Ago Spring in the Step Neighborhood Stroll No…