Day 200 2016: The moon's a balloon...

Day 200: ...and possibly made of cheese

Yes, it was that sort of day: balloons, water skiers, packing up a slide and an almost full moon. Actually, today was a public holiday in Japan, 'Sea Day', celebration of all things waterful, so it is just as well I work by the Bay. At least I could observe the sea, even if my workplace doesn't interrupt the timetable for a mere public holiday. (It must be said that we do group all the public holidays together and have a couple of weeks of holidays instead.)

So, what were the balloons? I just caught them out of the corner of my eye. They came from the wedding place so I thought perhaps someone was getting married but since there was no accompanying ringing of the bells...perhaps they escaped...

Something caught my eye

And just for moment...

...there was colour and movement

And living up to its holiday image, the water today was a lovely blue and even some tried a bit of waterskiing...

Skiing, or wake-riding

Happy public holiday blue

And after all that time setting up the waterslide last week...

What a job

Just about done

Someone had to pack it away.

And after all that, all that was left was the moon, eventually finding its way above the clouds. 

As it climbed above the clouds...

It was time to head home

It may not really be made of cheese, but then if we can imagine balloons can escape then we can believe whatever we like. I think that's what David Niven was talking about...

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 11.55am-11.57am, 1.07pm, 2.59pm, 4.41pm, 6.40pm, 6.44pm; 18 July 2016]

Day 199 2016: On the campaign trail...

Day 199: ...just like a day at the office (almost)

Yes, it might be Sunday but that doesn't necessarily mean a rest day when political candidates are on the hustings. Today, two of the leading candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election timed their speeches such that I was going to be able to make the both quite comfortably. 

I was kindly rushed out the door by a passing earthquake, one of the strongest ones I've felt since I've been here this time...I wondered if it meant anything. 

Anyway, first stop was Kichijoji, interestingly enough, the station where my university has its original campus (I work at the new one...which will also become relevant to this story shortly). Former journalist Torigoe Shuntaro is standing as a candidate, representing the opposition parties. He drew quite a crowd.

Politicians speaking in support of Torigoe, including JCP member Koike Akira (no relation)

The rope is for crowd control, the sign for Torigoe's campaign

The candidate awaits his turn

The truck

Former PM Kan Naoto

Televising

Encouraging the crowd

Then, on a train or two, through the centre of Tokyo to get on my regular line to take me the other campus, almost. Just two stations away but it felt like I was going to work. There, outside one of the larger suburban shopping malls, was the entourage of Koike Yuriko, current parliamentarian for the ruling Liberal Democrats but not supported by them for this election. A former environment minister and former defence minister, Koike drew a much smaller but just as supportive, crowd. 

Accidental handshake

LDP Parliamentarian and supporter, Wakasa masaru

Minder

LDP Tokyo assembly member

Koike waits

The crowd listens

Putting forward her platform

Pamphlets

It is an interesting race, 21 candidates in all, including three women. Torigoe has the broadcast appeal of his profession, Koike the determination and experience of her profession. Is Tokyo ready for its first female governor? We'll know on 31 July.

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 3.08pm-3.23pm, 6.09pm-6.22pm, 10.24pm; iPhone 6S, 6.16pm; 17 July 2016]

Day 198 2016: Straight to Plan B...

Day 198: ...the streets of my town

So yes, there was a plan A, to head to the office to finish off a piece about recent and forthcoming elections. It would have meant leaving home about 9.30am...there was a change in a plan as a result of a change in someone else's plan which meant I was still at home at 2.00pm-ish. 

I did venture down the train track to attend to a couple of errands and on the way home I thought that a little intro to the streets of my town might be in order for you dear reader. 

Just a few snaps walking home from the bus stop...

Our 'main' road was just recently resurfaced

This is where the morning bus to work approaches from...

And this is the road I cross to head home

Whereupon, I pass this ivy on this wall...

And these abandoned sunflowers in this abandoned garden in what I gather is an abandoned house...

And update on yesterday's poster board, three more candidates

Random floral

Wisteria root

It is a comfortable little suburb with just enough going on to be interesting. I first lived in the area back in my original exchange student days, c. 1984-5. It has changed a bit since then.

Tomorrow, I'm back on the trail of electoral candidates, weather permitting...

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 6.38pm-6.45pm; 16 July 2016]

*An update on yesterday's lori: a type of parakeet apparently, likely descendants of a breed introduced to Tokyo from Sri Lanka in the 1960s as an exotic pet. As fads go, it soon faded and there are apparently several hundred flocking around in the city. At least I wasn't imagining it.

Day 197 2016: When in amongst the ordinary...

Day 197: ...the most extraordinary things can happen

I am back on the election trail. Well, actually, I haven't really left it. No time. No sooner have we sorted the Australian and Japanese elections, we now have the Tokyo Governorship up for grabs. And it is a very interesting race. So I thought this morning. 

Yesterday was the day for declarations of candidates, and posters could go up on the local neighbourhood boards. Excellent, I thought...here's a very interesting example: 

All to herself (in fact 21 candidates have registered)

Tokyo's next governor?

Just one candidate at the moment, Koike Yuriko, who stands a bit of a chance. How interesting I thought, and off to work went I. 

Until I looked up and noticed a couple of birds on the wire...a green tinge and I laughed thinking they looked a bit like my lorikeets at home. 

Hang on, I looked a bit closer...there were about eight or nine in total, flying around just like the loris at home. 

Exhibit A and Exhibit B dear reader...

So, there were these birds...

Looks like...?

...tell me I wasn't dreaming.

I'd like to think they'd escaped from the exotic bird shop up the road...

Well, that was odd enough, until I got to work. 

Exhibit C: 

Well, this looks interesting

What do you do when you think you see a huge waterslide outside your office?

You watch it with interest...

Waterslide and umbrella...what a day for the rain to come

Cleaning, testing

Someone decided to give it a test run

Apparently it is part of a music/youth festival in the area tomorrow...just when I was planning to go to the office too.

It might have been Friday, it might have been an ordinary day, but sometimes the most extraordinary things can happen. 

I'm still sitting here in wonder. Just a little bit. 

[Camera : iPhone 6S, 6.54am, Lumix TZ-85, 6.56am-6.57am, 12.22pm-12.23pm, 2.56pm, 5.48pm; 15 July 2016]

Day 196 2016: Head in the clouds?

Day 196: ...not likely

No, not on a day like today. Too much work to do, too many things to complete, too many decisions to make. But then, that's just the sort of day you'd like to look outside just occasionally. 

The morning walk to the bus stop highlight was pretty interesting...

A little pink

These flowers keep on flowering. That's the back window of a discarded jeep by the way, in case you were wondering. 

And that was all very well except by the time I got to work, well the work had started well and truly.  The weather bureau had promised a bit of an afternoon storm after a hot day, thunder, lightning, rain, and more rain. So I thought it only advisory that I keep an eye on things. 

About mid-afternoon, those recognisable storm clouds started to gather...

Scale

Rumbling

Movement

Recognisable to anyone from Brisbane at least...then the greys moved in...

Overcome by grey

A little lighter

But the rain didn't. 

The 'other' side

Until I reached the ground floor when it pelted down on the 'run' to the train station. 

Oh well, always trust the weather bureau, yes?

[Camera : iPhone 6S, 8.20am; Lumix TZ-85, 2.34pm, 3.46pm, 3.51pm, 4.38pm, 6.31pm; 14 July 2016]

Day 195 2016: A day of persistence...

Day 195: ...and much subtlety

Day two where I had to confront the decisionmaking that is my soon-to-be seminar group. It's been playing on my mind...how do I know I'll choose the best group of candidates out of the 28? Persistence is one thing I thought as I walked passed this little flower on the way to the bus stop this morning...

Through the cracks

But then the day turned into one of subtle subtle reading, thinking and almost decisionmaking. The port was a lot like that today...the heat haze and light rain of the morning just didn't seem to lift all day. No matter which way I looked at it, whatever the time, it all looked the same, except for small, discerning differences, here and there.

The view to the bridge, it is there...

Out to the wind turbine

Through the mist 1

Trying to take flight (about halfway through the list)

Through the mist 2...with a difference, e'er so slight

The bridge faded away

The wheel did its best to light up

Pretty much summed up the day really. I too was determined to start with, but by the end, I really couldn't tell the difference between candidate number 12 (who made the cut) versus candidates 13-22 who sit just outside the door. 

One more go tomorrow...I think.

[Camera : iPhone 6S, 9.22am; Lumix TZ-85, 11.54-am-11.55am, 12.20pm, 2.59pm, 5.03pm-5.04pm, 6.32pm; 13 July 2016]