When I first lived in Tokyo some thirty years ago, news of home was pretty hard to come by. Perhaps some news in a letter from someone, perhaps getting a look at a newspaper that was usually about 10 days old, in a library somewhere. If the story was huge (and included a koala) we might even see it on tv.
It was a bit sheltered in a way.
Nowadays, via the internet, I can be just as much at 'home' in Brisbane right in my 'office' in Tokyo. This week has been a tough one: first the unfolding of an horrific accident at one of the local theme parks, on a ride most of us have been on at some point.
And today, a few suburbs away from home in Brisbane, a random act of vileness that saw a young bus driver murdered, the suspect having set fire to some flammable liquid, as he got on the bus. This happened in my part of the city, on buses I catch regularly (when I'm in Brisbane).
I try, in my day job, to persuade my students of politics that, as was the title of Steven Pinker's book, we need to appeal to the 'better angels of our nature' in seeking to diminish violence, be nice to one another, make a better world.
Some days it is hard.
Outside the light never really lifted above grey. Inside, it was much the same.
 |
| Rain |
 |
| More rain |
 |
| It's not going away |
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| On patrol |
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| Peak port |
Tomorrow, I will wake up, I will go back to work, I will keep trying to make the world a better place. But some days, it really is hard.
[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 1.02pm, 1.42pm, 3.13pm; 28 October 2016]
