...everyone has their job to do... (55/365, 24 Feb 2022)
Once I return home, or retire from this job, whichever comes first, I will be forever grateful that every working day, every day in the office, I had this view.
When I first arrived, I imagined in that very Virginia Woolf way, that at last I had a 'room of my own' and that much writing would happen in between classes. In the modern academic parlance too, I had finally arrived at a place where the bulk of research funding was provided by the university--enough for travel, enough for resources, enough to proceed with my work. Previously, I had funded all my research myself, including annual trips to Japan. The previous uni had deemed my work unworthy of support and in Australia, if you can't get a hand up on the research funding wheel...you don't get anywhere. (Except for packing up and arriving at 'this room with a view'.)
Of course, the writing side hasn't quite turned out as expected, and research field work of course in these last couple of years has been severely restricted. My admin roles have taken up much more time than I anticipated. But that is all another story for another day.
For almost two years of the Covid pandemic, Tokyo was under a State of Emergency which meant our access to campus was also severely limited. I didn't really see this view for much of those two years. It is nice to be back in that sense though, I get to watch the ships go in and out, the work on the wharf...it really is a hive of activity.
Today my eye caught one rather brightly coloured ship turning about to head off. From there, it was just a few minutes of again being simultaneously entranced and inspired by the movements on the port. Today, as Russia effectively declared war on neighbouring Ukraine and all the 'security experts' really had no answers (which is why peace studies experts, ought to be given a chance).
We all have our work to do.
Today was the view from the 10th floor, with the Canon EOS M5, 18-150mm.
