• Daily Life

    ‘Sno Business Like Snow Business

    March in Tokyo always feels like a bit of a tease as expectations of immediate warming are invariably let down, which is a feeling probably stemming from childhood in southern Australia where there is a clear demarcation in the transition from summer to autumn. And today we got snow, albeit little more than a spattering that will probably be washed away in a couple of hours. But more snow is expected on Friday, too. To be fair, the cold lingers way longer than I expect it to every year, only because I want the warmth quicker. And I am well…

  • Daily Life

    Warm in the Winter

    Dino the dinosaur is no slouch in finding a warm place in the winter, which is a handy trait when you’re a rosy faced lovebird. She huddles up next to her heaters, on the nest she builds out of the strips of paper she so dexterously rips off with her beak, or nestles in the nape of Kangaeroo’s neck, or in the sleeve of his cardy. Rest assured, though, where it’s warm and comfortable in Kangaeroo Corner, there’s a good chance you’ll find Dino. It’s reassuring to have her in the cardigan sleeve as I type, to be honest (even…

  • Strine

    Not Everything About Winter is Cruddy

    Winter sucks….for the most part. Winter is cold, dark and seemingly endless and colorless. For someone whose daily routine involves rising early and cycling, winter is not exactly the pleasantest time of year. And the cold mornings start from November and linger on until deeply into April at least, and sometimes even May, so more often than not, it’s chilly at least. January ends today, so on the calendar the winter doesn’t have much more time to eat away at us. Winter can’t end soon enough for the Aussie garden at Kangaeroo Corner. Many of the plants are feeling the…

  • Strine Sports

    Getting Off to a Good Start

    So far, the winter of 2022-3 has been fairly kind to Tokyo. Unlike 2022, when the early days of January saw snow and generally gloomy weather, this year has been warm and sunny on the whole. Kangaeroo got on the bike early today and headed downtown to meet some mates near Tokyo Tower. It’s Coming of Age Day in Japan, a national holiday, and the first when legal adulthood in Japan is designated as 18 years of age instead of 20, as it had been up until this year. The holiday is also one of those made flexible a few…

  • Strine Sports

    Tower of Strength on an Icy Morning

    Today started with a pre-dawn trip to Tokyo Tower. A quick get-together with some mates over coffee and chockies followed. And then it was a ride back home. Now it’s on to familial duties. It was cold and dark heading into town. Just about every traffic light seemed determined to earn its keep by making Kangaeroo stop. Still, Kangaeroo got to ride in with a reasonably quick time. The get-together was over pretty quickly. It was nice to see some old faces for the first time in a while. It also reaffirmed how much the pandemic has changed things. Yet…

  • Strine

    Bumping Into the Candyman

    Today was supposed to be a day for a new beginning. It was: just not the way it was meant to turn out. After today, Kangaeroo will be bigger and bolder. Rather than in a metaphorical sense, though, it will be a literal increase in size following a day of comfort eating to try to feel a bit better and then to compensate after gorging. An early rise was supposed to spark a trip downtown, but instead saw a return to bed. A day dedicated to seeking professional options was utterly fruitless and ended in a bitterly depressive downward spiral.…

  • 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.…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Compliment Courage!

    Boosted by a blessing, inspired to take more photos and now hoping not to be a pretentious dick On a bleak and wintry December morning with conditions ideal for moaning and a terrible start to the day, Kangaeroo got a boost with an unexpected plug for the site’s photos. Coming totally out of the blue, it was a sheer delight and anything else that happened in the day suddenly became irrelevant. But more was to come. The praise led to an unexpected connection. And a reminder that the darkest part of the day is always immediately before the dawn. I…