Day 194 2016: Let's go a little bit closer...

Day 194: ...or maybe not

Today the heat, or rather the humidity, started to really kick in here in Tokyo. And at 28 degrees at 7.00am as I left the house, it is a certain type of heat and humidity...like Brisbane on its very worst days.

After a long day of teaching and trying to sort through students applications, (again, and not terribly successfully). I thought a detour via the port, a little closer than usual, might offer a bit in the way of cooling down on the way home.

Much to see...

The port: water level

Surface patterns

Surface patterns 2 (yes, I know, it might be, er, not pleasant)

Birds in motion

Bird not so in motion

Not related to the above pic (I don't think)

Port fence

...but no boats or barges. Perhaps they're only visible from ten floors up! Nonetheless, it wasn't that much cooler at 5.30pm but it offered a different perspective on my usual view. A closer view of life on the portside.

And that can't be a bad thing now, can dear reader. Can it?

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 5.41pm-5.49pm; 12 July 2016]

Day 193 2016: A little reflection...

Day 193: ...then business as usual

The day after an election is always a busy time for a psephologist. We're asked for comment, reflection, prediction, analysis...all for a little bubble of time and then it is back to work as usual. 

Such was today. But I must say I quite liked today's reflective elements. And I liked how it started too...a walk to the bus stop and then seats, almost immediately on the bus and the train. That's always a good start. 

Streetscaping

And then there is this reflection I spot on the building opposite from time to time...it moves across the building as the sun moves on...

Reflective

Then, it was watching the clouds build on the horizon...

Clouds over the bridge

And they gathered closer

And their reflection...

Clouds in the windows

And then, media commitments almost out of the way, it was back to business as usual, in my office and the view beyond. 

Barge it

Another busy reflective day at the port, and in the office

[Camera : iPhone 6S, 8.17am; Lumix TZ-85, 10.44am, 12.07pm, 1.07pm, 1.08pm, 5.47pm; 11 July 2016]

Day 192 2016: Now for the waiting...

Day 192: ...waiting for the counting

Today is election day in Japan, an election for just the Upper House, half-term. Normally it would pass without much interest (for the vast majority, not me of course) but much is hanging on this result. Should the governing party win (which they will), they are hoping to make major changes to the Constitution which will likely result in Japan losing its status as a country which is restricted to self-defence, it cannot participate in wars, as such. 

We will know shortly after 8.00pm local time. 

In the meantime, unlike yesterday, today was a fine day, warmish and it seemed perfectly unreasonable to stay indoors awaiting developments (unlike yesterday). 

There is a botanical garden in my local neighbourhood, a short bus ride away. I went there today to pass the waiting time away. I thought it might be helpful to start learning the names of Japanese flora. That is going to take a while, easier to memorise all the politicians' names I think. 

There was much to see, even though it is summer and so not a lot in the way of flowering plants which tend to all happen in spring. Nonetheless, there was much to see...

Roses

Flower stairway

Bamboo

Down the garden path

Dragonfly

 

Then kindly moved into the sun

And another came along

Almost the end of the hydrangeas

A butterfly fluttered by

Pine

Yellowness

A crowd

Enchanted forest

Barking up the right tree

Creeping moss

Bells of mauve

lilypads

Sun, reflections

Spotted moss

return of the dragonfly

A shy sunflower

How to end the day...

As I reached the end of the pathways, I fell into chat with a local. Turns out, the gardens were created by one of the local wealthocrats 'in lieu' of paying taxes...hmm, a little ambivalent about that but I think I will revisit. I can see they will be very pretty in different seasons. 

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 3.19pm-4.07pm, 10 July 2016]

Day 191 2016: I coulda, shoulda...

Day 191: ...but I didn't

And I blame the rain. Which I guess is no excuse really but it was the way of the day. 

Today was the last day for political candidates to be out and about appealing for the public to cast their vote their way. This is my bread and butter, it is my job to watch, observe, analyse, report. In the past I have planned elaborate timetables to catch different candidates at different places. 

But today, I was beaten by the rain, a crook knee and a long week at work. The thought of my camera getting a drenching in the rain just didn't appeal. 

Makes me a bit slack I guess. 

But I was working. Working on an article and following developments on the internet. 

 

My article is about women candidates

This is what I might have seen live

tweets

Sato Kaori, one of the candidates I am following

There's always the next election. They have a few here in Japan, from time to time. 

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 6.52pm-6.57pm, 9 July 2016]

Day 190 2016: Even with perspective...

Day 190: ...there can be little rhyme or reason

There is rarely any order or process to my glances out across the port. It is usually all rather random, no rhyme or reason. 

Today I probably 'looked' out a bit more often that usual as I sought inspiration for the material I was writing, the things I had to do. One of those things was to finalise the title and content of the 'mock lecture' I'm to give on the university's forthcoming open days. No, I don't know why they picked me either, well, I probably do but, anyway...

The lecture will be in Japanese so the form had to be filled in in Japanese which took a little while to get just so.

That wasn't the only thing...lots of other things to do for a Friday but somehow today, as I looked out, it seemed to be about perspective...

The ship that on its own looks large, until it is up against another...

Nestling in

The tug, on its own and when it sidled up to big brother...

Boat afloat

Can you see me?

And then there were these blokes...

Miniatures

Blues brothers

No, I don't know either. But the day gave me some perspective on what might seem like a big thing in one way (getting the content 'just so') is no big deal really.

[Camera : TZ-85 Lumix, 1.24pm, 3.09pm-3.10pm, 4.24pm; 8 July 2016]

Day 189 2016: All quiet on the waterfront...

Day 189: ...but the 'day' didn't lack any colour

We are currently in the process of selecting students to join our seminar groups. This is a style of class in Japanese universities (in my experience) that I think is an excellent idea. Essentially, you work with a group of students over two years in an intensive study/research mode, helping them to achieve their research goals in a particular subject. In my case, that will be Japanese politics and all things related, broadly defined. 

Now, the thing is, there is a limit of ten students per year. This year, being my first, means I get ten students, next year another ten. And so it goes. Selection is via a written statement and consultation. 

Easy huh. 

Not really. I've had over twenty students make genuine enquiries. That means I have to pick and choose. And frankly, from the ones I've spoken to so far, it is going to be a really difficult final decision and there will be disappointments all round...

With all the enquiries today, there wasn't a lot of time to sit and ponder the view, until I saw yesterday's departing ship returning...in a different light:

It's baaacckk

 And then, much to my surprise, jet skis. Portside. Who let them in!

As annoying as mosquitoes at night

So on the way home, I turned right at the gate, instead of the usual left. The uni is placed roughly equidistant between two stations so I thought I'd take in a bit of the night scenery, namely the wheel. 
 

The moon is on its way back

A little light reflection

Wheel of colour

Changing gears

Not quite the Milky Way

It is the Tanabata Festival in Japan this evening, star-crossed lovers seeking each other across the Milky Way, by legend. Unfortunately, it was a bit too cloudy to see any stars so I don't know whether or not that legend got resolved this evening. But there was plenty of colour to make up for that. 

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 3.58pm, 4.18pm, 7.29pm-7.44pm; 7 July 2016]