• Strine Sports

    Enough Of The Cold, Already!

    May weather is generally the best of the year in Tokyo, by Kangaeroo’s reckoning, and though it looks like it’s gonna shape that way, it would be nice to say “bye” to the cold until at least the late autumn. The first weekday of May greeted early risers with a delightful sunrise over the Tama River. Rain started falling around midday the previous day, rendering riding as a bit too tough., The rain persisted overnight and into the early hours of the morning. The forecast was for the weather to clear and become sunny by the end of the day.…

  • Strine Sports

    Bloomin’ Marvelous!

    For all sorts of reasons, Kangaeroo hasn’t had much of chance to get out and about and cop a look at the cherry blossoms in bloom in Tokyo in 2022. Nonetheless, that hasn’t meant being completely deprived of a sight that possibly makes the Japanese capital the most beautiful city in the world for a week or so every spring. Various restrictions have limited viewing to the area of the Tama river and its tributaries, but even then it has made for some wonderful sights, as this gallery shows. Related posts: Amazing Alex’s Aussie Oasis in Tokyo’s Tama Pushing Pedals…

  • ストラインと日本語

    Beautifully Breaks the Tama River Morning

    Mornings can be hard to get up for, particularly in the cold and dark of winter. Yet, some things make it worth waking early for. Waking, then moving, can be a great way to start the day. It can get the body working and warmed up before the mind takes over, or even put the mind in a decent space. In Kangaeroo’s case, it’s handy. The mind is rarely friendly. Winter 2021-2 has not been particularly constructive. Moved to a home last year, renovations kept it dark….for three months. Work is not going well. Laid off three times in 2021.…

  • Strine Sports

    Rustic Relaxation

    A weeklong festival of cycling drew to a close with series of unexpected bonuses: forecast rain failed to eventuate; an area usually only viewed while frenetically racing along on the jalopy turned out to be filled with delights; and Kangaeroo came to the realization that 100 kilometers is not an impossible distance to cover every day provided time and speed are not needed to be accounted for. The day was spent with a group of mates, riding through the hills of outer suburban Tokyo, stopping frequently to eat, drink or soak in the scenery. We each went our separate ways…

  • Strine Sports

    Tiptoeing through the Tulips

    Today was something of a landmark occasion: Kangaeroo made his first century ride on a recumbent bike. Owning and riding a recumbent has been a long-held dream for this blogger. And the dream finally became a reality earlier this year. But the dream turned into a bit of a nightmare as Kangaeroo discovered how difficult it is to ride these bikes. It took over a month of steady practice to learn how to ride. Even then, a sense of unease persists. Early plans to name the bike Lay Down Sally gave way to Death Machine. If nothing else, the recumbent…

  • 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…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Glorious Greeting

    Waking early is never easy, especially as the nights get longer and the temperature cools. But nature sometimes does its best to reward those who drag themselves out from under the covers as the birds begin to sing. The photos here come from one of those times. Related posts: Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds A Slice of Oz in Sleepy Saitama Shear Fluke! A Rare Aussie Cultural Hit in Japan Nissan Bluebird Oozui: When Australia (Briefly) Exported Cars to Japan A Second Bite of Biwaichi Japan’s Favorite Aussie is Not Quite Who She Seems Lyre, Lyre, Pants on Fire A…

  • Strine Sports

    Riding Along the River

    Summer is not always the most pleasant season in Tokyo as it’s stinking hot, humid and frequently raining. Sometimes, though, nature turns on the charm and you get some delightful goodies. This week’s sunrises have been precisely that. Blessed (?) by a series of bicycle mechanical failures, Kangaeroo.com got a day to take it nice and slowly along the banks of the Tama River forming the boundary between Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, resulting in these delightful pictures. Related posts: Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day -1A: Tama Hills to Haneda AFL – Modern Australia’s Religion and Failed Proselytizing in Japan Picking Up…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Cranking Out the Clicks

    For Kangaeroo, 2019 was a year in which cycling played an influential role. This was the first year for Kangaeroo to commute daily by bike. Apart from a week overseas and a couple of weeks recovering from an injury incurred while slipping off the bike, the yearlong commuting mission was accomplished. It was only fitting, then, that the year ended with a concentration of cycling. And that’s exactly how it panned out, averaging more than 100 km/day for the nine days from the end of work on December 27 to the end of the year four days later. These are…