Day 78 2016: Getting into the groove...

Day 78: ...doing the usual and the soon to be usual

I probably live a little further away from my workplace than most new staffers would refer but what I give up in proximity, I gain in familiarity. And, let's face it, I've done that before...

There are a few options to choose from in getting to work. Today I thought I'd try what is perhaps the most adventurous for me: travelling a little further by bus to get on at a subway station to save a change at the second busiest station in Tokyo at peak hour. I might be lucky to get a seat for the full 48minute journey, which means a lot of reading...

I guess these are really Tokyo problems aren't they? Anyway, I went, and it seemed to work, at least for those early morning starts. It will be about one hour thirty minutes door-to-door...but I've done that before, without the opportunity to read for an hour. 

After lunch near the uni, I headed back. Not quite the same path. As is my wont,  it was to a nearby bookshop to check up on availability of my selected texts for classes...and of course to buy a couple more relevant texts. There's always a relevant text or two. 

Home via the local Target-style department store to pick up a few things and check on a few other bits and pieces I might need along the way. 

And then home along the street where I see my favourite trees...

Manicured pine

Line the street

And in gardens too

The whole street is lined with them, it is a bit of a local feature. It is a bit of a sign 'I'm home'. 

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 50mm, 5.14pm-5.16pm, 18 March 2016]

Day 77 2016: Getting registered...

Day 77: ...settling in

Things to do. I had originally planned to go to my new university today but advice from the workplace was that it was graduation day so the place would be pretty chaotic in that graduation ceremony orderly way. I look forward to next year. 

One of the things a new resident must do is register with the local government office. Hardly ever the radical, I opted to do this today, mainly to get it out of the way. They catch up with you eventually if you don't. The local office is a bit of a walk and a few train stations away and a task that should take just a few minutes, well, in true Japanese bureaucratic style, took a couple of hours. 

When I was asked was it the first time I had lived in Itabashi and I said no, third time actually, I think the staffer was a little surprised. I didn't want to tell her that she probably wasn't born the first time I lived here...I don't think I wanted to think about that either! First time around I had to submit to a fingerprint record, these days that's not necessary. It took over ninety minutes to receive my card with my address handwritten painstakingly on the back. Beautiful penmanship is all I can say. 

The, back home, to rest and recover...

Yosh, the head of the household, is something of a gardener in his post-work life. At the moment, we're just awaiting the blossoming of the cherry blossoms, next week we expect. 

In the meantime, the camelias are doing their best as a preview to the main show...

Camelia in the shade

Bursting to go

Softly, softly

There'll be a few pics from Yosh's garden, flora and fauna from the backyard. At least that will remain a constant between my old and new lives...

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 50mm, 4.08pm-4.10pm, 17 March 2016]

Day 76 2016: Made it!

Day 76: ...for the second time

Yes, I spoke of 'making it' last week to mum's, finally. Today I finally arrived in Tokyo ready to start this new phase. I am still feeling very privileged for this opportunity. It is like a renewal of sorts. 

Mind you, it still feels a little like I'm on one of my annual research trips though receiving my resident's card at the airport was a little different from the usual entry stamp. 

So, I'm here. 

I'm fortunate to have been invited to stay with my friends as I usually do. Sadly, the house feels a little bereft since the death of my friend a year ago. But we'll manage I guess. 

I was taken by the light and shape of the hotel foyer where I waited for my friends to arrive this morning.

Foyer ornament

Mezzanine

So it is now about settling in, getting ready for the new semester and looking forward to many new adventures as an academic in Tokyo and surrounds. It might even bring on a renewed will to write. (Who am I kidding... I can't wait.)

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 50mm, 8.50am, 16 March 2016]

Day 75 2016: Airports...

Day 75: ...they all look and act the same

I have a bit of a sad fascination with international airports...they all look and feel the same. 

No matter how hard they try to add a little 'local' flavour, there is a sameness about them. Today's flight unfortunately was not direct, none was available. So I had to travel via a city I've not been to before. There wasn't enough time to go outside the airport which was a bit of a shame but it was getting late at night too so perhaps better not. 

As I sat waiting for the connection, the very sameness of it all struck me. Can you guess the airport*?

*answer below

Transit lounge...somewhere

Transit carpet and luggage trolley...somewhere

If you guessed 'Singapore', you'd be right, or lucky. At least now I have a few Singapore dollars in my wallet for my troubles. 

On to Tokyo.

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 50mm, 8.18pm-8.21pm (Brisbane time), 15 March 2016]

Day 74 2016: Cutting it fine...

Day 74: ...in more ways than one

And so in ways it wasn't supposed to be...it was back to Brisbane, to my place to oversee work that should have been finished a few weeks ago but excuses...

Worst thing is, it is hardly the way to spend mum's birthday, it wasn't in the plan it must be said. I leave tomorrow after all, there are many other things we should be doing together.

Instead, mum was overseeing the internal works while I worked outside mowing the lawn, doing the whipper-snippering, tidying as much as tidy could be. 

In the interim, I had some final banking and other matters to attend to and what should have been a chance to pop up to Garden City together, turned out to be me dashing up on the bus in between all the tradeswork being done, with mum in the supervisory position. which is a good thing, she's very good at that sort of thing. Kind of worked out well in a way really. 

And the best part of the day was that in the end I was able to introduce her to my local florist and artist, Lesley at Fleur de Passion. I've bought flowers there for ages and also some of Lesley's art as well. It was a bit of a special birthday 'presence' in its own way. 

lily

lily 2

And in the evening, a rare dinner with much of the family before the big uplift tomorrow...

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 50mm, 5.34pm-5.35pm, 14 March 2016]

Day 73 2016: A creature of habit...

Day 73: ...a fish out of water

Funny how it takes a big shift in life to realise how much a creature of habit one might have become. Things like taking for granted being able to complete this little project each day, every day, having pics to take, taking the time to do these sort of things. 

I've no issue with being pressed outside my usual comfort zone, but I have settled into patterns I suppose. There are lots of interesting things to photograph in mum's backyard too. The frangipanis here are from the same tree as the frangipanis at my place.

Frangipani relations

Patterns on the pool surface 1

Patterns on the pool surface

I had to dash up to Brisbane again today to deliver my lovely bass clarinet to a friend in the band who kindly bought it. Nice to be 'keeping it in the family' as it were. Then home again, for a quiet evening in.

It still doesn't feel like I'm leaving for such a big adventure.

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 28-80mm, 5.19pm, 13 March 2016]

Day 72 2016: Fresh and sparkling...

Day 72: ...no, not me...

So I might have been guilty of a bit of a sleep in this morning. But really, it is the first day I haven't been cleaning or packing or something. So yes, I slept in beyond my usual 5.00am. The main task today was to go and get my car professionally detailed before I sell it, all part of the moving overseas deal. I won't be driving for about five years so after driving about 1000km on average a week for the past 13 years, it will be a bit of a change.

It did mean that mum and I got to spend some time together looking around the shops across the road for the few hours it took to clean. That shouldn't be taken as an indication of how dirty the car was (it wasn't really), but rather the actual 'detail' in the cleaning. 

After that, we opted to go to one of mum's favourite little restaurants, which just so happens to be Japanese...

The mural at Yuzu, (detail)

Mural with umbrellas

...with this excellent mural I've admired for some time now. It reflects the food and mood of the place which is very good. Quite authentic too. Luckily, Japanese food doesn't bore me...

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 28-80mm, 6.39pm, 12 March 2016]