under another sun

Managed to sleep fairly well despite the blood pressure sleeve squeezing my arm every hour. I took it off after 7.00am, and dropped this off at the surgery, and then went, feeling free as a bird to a cafe to do some work. Home via Sainsbury's, to work from home. Feeling very happy to be working on the book,w ith the rain falling constantly overhead. Lorraine home early and we made off in the rain to see Inside Llewyn Davis again. Rosie was earlier than us reaching the cinema and bought us pints of lager and a really good hotdogs, which we decadently ate in the cinema. Interesting, and very enjoyable movie. A rather melancholy depiction of a failing folk singer in 1962, living a hand to mouth existence as all he encounters is discouragement. There is no happy ending, but is quite humorous and a wonderfully shot. From here off to the Basketmakers, where Lorraine, Rosie and I met Matt. Good to see him. Irish Tom there too, but was in his cups and lurched out into the night shor...

A curiously terrible night's sleep, followed by a first thing visit to the quacks to get my long postponed 24 hour blood pressure monitor. Ridiculously, I am usually gripped by a hysterical white coat syndrome when having my blood pressure taken, so readings of my blood pressure are always readings of my blood pressure when highly stressed, not under normal conditions. Very nice nurse at the surgery, who remembered I had got married recently too and cheerfully endured my hypochondria. Having your blood pressure taken by a machine twice an hour in your own home is better - not completely relaxing of course - but but not hysteria inducing and a kind of exposure therapy too, in that after the thing had gone off a dozen times it was hard to get too excitable about it. I had feared it might just extend the twitching over 24 hours, but this didn't happen. Little other news, other than I had another Facetime call from Mum, who is well into her iPad now, was offered yet more work, ...

Another morning waking up with a sore lump in my throat. Sadly I am unable to moan about this as Lorraine has the same thing, but has to drive around the county advising schools while having the same thing. I was texted by my old Friend Keith offering me some work at 7:40, which I declined. I found this quite difficult as he was an old friend in need, but I must get the book finished, come hell or high water. Luckily I had an excellent day's work today, which made me feel cheerful and as if I was actually getting somewhere. Another ghastly rain-filled day, in a soaking winter. Lorraine home early, however, and we decided to walk out in the rain to see Inside Llewyn Davis . My shiny newish black shoes leaking abominably at the toes. Surely one of the prime directives of shoe technology is not to admit freezing water to your socked feet. Arrived at the Kommedia only to discover that everyone else in Brighton had shared the same idea and it was sold out. We had summoned Rosie Tayl...

Working all day at my desk. Rain tumbling onto the roof overhead in my study. By the late afternoon I decided I needed to unshackle myself from the desk. I recently discovered that my biological father, who I've not seen since I was around five, may live about 25 minutes walk from our house. While he has never contacted me nor my brother, and I have little desire to open this can of worms, the coincidence of this proximity does play on my mind. I decided to find the address. It transpires this is on the edge of a small, run down council estate which reminded me of parts of London in my childhood. My cunning plan, such as it was, was simply to walk past the house and move on. The address, however, was at the end of an unwelcoming cul-de-sac. To any onlookers, I may as well have been wearing a stripy shirt and carrying a swag sack as I looked through an upstairs window at a large wall mounted television screen. I felt no urge to knock on the door and, as there was nowhere else to...

My head retracted into the tortoise shell of work, but conscious how lucky I am to have time for this luxury. Also paid my taxes without it precipitating any kind of a crisis. The only dampener is a proper winter's sore throat and attendant lethargy. Only a quick saunter for half an hour or so rain dodging this afternoon. Listening to The Shining by Steven King as an audiobook. Not read any King before now and find it very well written. The Shining is my favourite horror film. Lorraine had a sore throat today too and so declined choir. We had a blameless night in.

Lorraine and I up fairly early and drove off to Kent today to see Pat and Maureen. Rainy day, with the spray from the road coating the windscreen all the time. We listened to the Kermode and Mayo 'wittertainment' podcast en route, thanks to a new plug in gadget Lorraine has got which turns the iPod into a radio signal the car radio can pick up. Off to have a nice Sunday lunch at a nearby pub called The Blacksmith's Arms with Pat and Maureen. A nice pub decorated with dried hops hung around like vines as is traditional in Kent. We all enjoyed a decent Sunday roast, homemade tomato soup, and a traditional bread and butter pudding for dessert. A really nice pint of Golden Sheep beer served there too. The waitress twice bringing a beer to the table and looking quizzically at me, Golden Sheep?  she'd say.  Yes that's me, I'd reply, fleecily. Maureen being funny as usual, talking about a Belgian brewery visit they made years ago, I've never seen so many chicken ...

Feeling slightly unwell, lethargic and wanting sleep. Lorraine off for most of the afternoon having her hair done by Paul, her hairdresser with a dog that sings in the salon when the radio is on. Apparently it likes all the same tunes as its owner, who has to listen with headphones whenever he wants to enjoy his music. I mooched over to Anna's house where Anton was there helping to prepare for Klaudia's entire class to come for her birthday party. Anna showed me the cover of the book she has written with two others and a large beehive cake she made for the party.  Klaudia happy with the presents bought to Anton's specifications, which were clothes for a doll called Violet. Klaudia and Oskar both have skateboards too, as does Anton. Good to see my Godbairns who bless them always seem pleased to see me too. Later, received texts from a shattered Anton, after having been challenged by looking after around 26 or more children for two hours. On return I did some reading rese...

Some good and steady work this morning, and at two o'clock met Catherine for a late lunch and a couple of beers to celebrate her finishing her PhD thesis. I am keen to hear about people finishing things at the moment, but Catherine she said she felt strangely bereft after working on it for so long. Had a decent plate of fish and chips and a couple of pints of Lanes best before I swapped to mineral water. Wide ranging conversation with Catherine, who I admire immensely. She is an amazing source of information about Victorian literature and history. Also good to hear her perspective as a publisher. I always feel I learn lots when I talk to her. Grabbed a bus home feeling suddenly under the weather, but rallied enough to enjoy more knife and forkwork with Lynne and Malcolm who had joined us this evening for a cheeky curry at the Shahi. An ofstead inspection at Lynne's school finished this afternoon, which Lorraine was involved with too: so a high high pressure day for both. N...

Frustrated by an IT rebellion wasting the precious morning hours and generally workin' my nerve following an iTunes update failure. Sorted it out this afternoon with a system restore and by reinstalling all the Apple software. Off to Starbucks full of IT rage where I, slightly depressingly, found the section I was working on to be a load of tripe and onions. Then to the gym for a grrr-reducing workout. Followed by some shopping for a birthday present for Klaudia as recommended by Anton. Later I spoke to my Goddaughter on the phone, who was about to go off skateboarding on her new skateboard, and signing off with an affectionate 'bye weasel' to me as we finished talking, which I liked. Chatted to Anna too, for the first time in a while. Hard to believe it is ten years since I first saw Klaudia on her first day in the world. Quite focused this afternoon. Spoke to mum by phone and then using facetime from the iPad Toby and Romy bought her.  This was fun. More computer stuf...

Lorraine off teaching governors this evening, and so I had a fairly monkish day working on the book all day and in the evening too. Got a good deal done however, which is pleasing. Following my conversation with Mum yesterday found a piece of music by Stan Tracey called Starless and Bible Black (the same Dylan Thomas inspired title used by King Crimson ten years later). The Stan Tracey piece absolutely beautiful though, and from an album of music inspired by Under Milk Wood . Go on, treat yourself and play this… I can't believe I have never heard this before.

Up fairly early and catching up on some admin. Also writing to Mike Stirzaker, an old friend from university. He was dating a woman called Clare when we were at Warwick, and they are still together and have had two daughters. Quite impressive. Off to meet Mum in London. Was slightly late leaving, and missed my train so was annoyingly late. As the train left Brighton there was a big pall of smoke in the sky, seeming to come from near our house. However, when I got home everything was okay, except for a trace of lingering smoke in the air. Good to see Mum. Met in the old gin palace of The Salisbury, and after chatting there for some time, and giving her a lovely dragonfly broach Romy and Toby had bought her, and a Japanese ink brush that Lorraine and I had found, we wandered into Soho's Chinatown where preparations are clearly underway for Chinese New Year, which is being celebrated here on February 2nd. Rather than the Japanese who have aligned it to the calendar and start it as...

A late start for a Monday, and disgracefully not working till gone nine. Lorraine working on the desk next to me, which is always nice. Did some good work today, and virtuously went to the gym for the first time in a week, talking to Bob while on the cross trainer. Home and a quick miso and noodle soup with Lorraine and an afternoon of work. In the evening Lorraine went to choir and I sauntered off to Brighton Poetry Stanza group workshop in a room in the Caxton pub. A well attended night, and always fascinating to hear how people think, and write completely differently. I squeezed in a poem too, which went down fairly well. This time a few of the poets had a drink afterwards, and it ended on a friendly note.  I warmed to Andie, (who had put together the Brighton Anthology) whose life change completely in his mid fifties and he now expresses his feminine side in his persona, clothing and makeup. Also enjoyed speaking to Susan who is a lively performance poet, whose friends I was ...

A pleasant day of diverse activities. Did not spring from bed this morning. Eventually got up and walked to the nearby Japanese shop to buy fixin's for the easy Japanese meal we had selected to cook from Everyday Harumi , by Harumi Kurihara. We bought essentials like Japanese soy, Mirin sauce, konubu seaweed, katsuobushi (flaked of bonito fish)  and some cooking sake from our new friend in the Japanese store. Home and making our basic Ichiban dashi stock, from the konubu  seaweed and the flaked fish filled the room with an unmistakable Japanese aroma, we cooked Japanese rice in this stock (with added soy and Mirin) and followed the recipe and cooked a simple pork and carrot dish to go with it. Lorraine hammering the pork with a rolling pin to tenderise it. Good wholesome grub it was too. Quite enjoyed the seaweed part of the process, which made the seaweed grow mysteriously in the pot. When not doing this Lorraine and I were tidying up and interrogating furniture, in our ...

Up fairly early for breakfast. I sloped off into happily to buy bread and eggs, and Lorraine starting breakfast when I got back. Everyday things like this make me feel very happy for some reason. I must be more of a creature of habit than I think. Betty off to work, slightly under a gloom cloud, and then back to London. Lorraine and I had a unruffled day. Walked into Brighton, bumping into Dipak in the street, and then popped in to see Matt and Irish Tom for a cup of tea and a chat. Bought some sausage rolls from the store below which we ate with Matt who seemed in good spirits having walked for hours this morning in the country, which peaked the Pollard toes Lorraine had treated a few weeks ago. Lorraine and I mooching happily in various shops for a few hours. We had been given quite a few vouchers for our wedding and one or two for Christmas. Could find nothing that demanded buying, other than a book of Japanese cookery that Romy had recommended to Lorraine. Home on the bus. I wa...

Really thankful to be working at home. Slightly hungover after my evening with Anton and a deluge overnight flooded a railway tunnel so getting to London would have been a nightmare. This deluge also flooded many roads in Sussex, and the school Lorraine was due to visit called her to cancel, which meant we worked on desks side by side all day. Nice to have companionable bowls of tomato soup with my lovely wife for lunch. Worked well on the book all day, and breaking off for the luxury of a brief snooze this afternoon. Spoke to Matty boy today, and heard more about his baby daughter Elsie and talking about going up to see Isy, him and the baby. After work was done, Dawn called around and then Rosie arrived by taxi as we went off to The Shahi. The restaurant unusually quiet and Sabir finding time to talk to me about writing. A curious night telling each other ghastly stories, Rosie giving us a vivid description of a poisonous king brown snake being killed in Australia, two appalling ...

Working really well on the book today. Broke off to have a haircut and then to Starbucks for a change of scene and a cinnamon swirl. I am writing this thing in a Japanese spirit of ganbatte  i.e. just bloody getting on with it and persisting, but today I allowed myself to feel positive about what I have written, even laughing aloud in the cafe when reviewing some sections I'd not read for months. But this of course may just be sign that I have finally lost the plot - next stop The Shining . Out with Anton this evening. Met him at Brighton station, and we walked over the hill via his house into Hove. Ducked into a pub just before a downpour started, and walked to the Brunswick Tavern but the food Anton wanted wasn't there so we had nothing instead. Ended up sipping a late beer in The Eddy. A cheerful night, however, and Anton pleased with himself after a splendid annual review at his work.

Got down to some serious bloody work today. Printed out book and sat downstairs working on the kitchen table. Seeing it in hard copy does help, especially when the document you are working on is more than 300 A5 pages. Much better than seeing it on a screen, as you can see a dozen pages at the same time. Mixed feelings though, daunted by the sheer bulk of what I have written, and the amount of tweaking that remains to be done. In other news, the orc foot has worn off thank God. Lorraine and I back to fish, rice and steamed veggies tonight.  The agency I worked with before Christmas contacting me as they want me to work with them again -- which is reassuring. But I am focused on finishing the book now.

Change of plan today, as I went to bed with a gym twinge in my foot which quickly morphed into a painful attack of gout. I have avoided beef for a couple of years and have avoided gout. The large real beef burger I ate a couple of days ago may have been be the trigger. Unable to walk in the morning and having had no sleep since midnight, had to phone mum first thing to bump the day I had intended to spend with her in London. Recent article in the Guardian about gout and how it is one of the last medical conditions that people feel free to laugh about.     I spent the day shunning work, instead read a novel called Stoner by John Williams  (click through for Julian Barnes writing about this). I'd not read a novel clean through in one day for many years. Stoner is a wonderful book, but the story about an unremarkable university professor is persistently sad and quietly ghastly. It had been a previously obscure work which has suddenly been picked up and become a word ...

Working on the book much easier now the jet lag has almost gone. To the gym at lunchtime, the place cluttered with new year resolutioners, and I had a decent but not yet maximum workout. Lorraine working at home, and I made miso soup featuring noodles and slices of lotus root for lunch, which we had bought frozen the other day. I find myself thinking about Japan more this time than I did the last. Find myself visiting the Japan Today site for Japanese news. Broadly I think the first time I visited I noticed the similarities, and this time I was slightly more aware of the differences. Lorraine also thinking about the trip lots, and both really pleased that we went.

Mrs Kenny and I filled with a degree of steely resolve this morning, and we decided to take quite a few things to the recycling dump, and to a charity shop and generally sort out a corner of the house. First the triage of frowning at bits and wondering under what combination of circumstances, a meteorite strike, invasion of giant rats etc. would something remain useful. Useless things are dragged to the car. I always feel guilty going to the dump. The very name dump gives it a Freudian association with defecation, as if your house were having a poo. You void your junk from the boot of the car, hoping people aren't looking to closely at what you are dropping off, and then speed away feeling curiously liberated. Explaining this to Lorraine, she suggested this isn't an entirely helpful way of thinking about it. Home and companionably listening with Lorraine to the end of the  36 Views of Mount Fuji by Cathy N. Davidson audiobook. In the evening, collected Anton and then mad...

Up early for a Saturday. Beautiful day, feeling cheerful as I sauntered around the corner to buy some bread for breakfast. We dropped Beth off to the school for her Saturday job, before she returned to London, and then we walked down to the seafront. A cloudless, cool blue day and the seafront in Hove (Actually) covered in pebbles driven up by high tides and storms, and the line of benches were half buried in stones. Lots of people walking about, and even at noon casting long winter shadows. Dozens of little Lowry dogs running among people too. Lorraine and I chatted about our plans for the year, caught up in the sunny and optimistic feel to the day.  We sat on one of the groynes with the sun warming our faces, an angler or two wrapped up agains the cold. More taken aback as a hardy middle aged couple went for a swim. The water looked unutterably freezing but the skinny man who danced down the pebbles in just his speedos and then swam for ten minutes seemed completely unfazed. ...

Up early and working, before going to the gym.  Really pleased that Friday had arrived principally because it meant Lorraine wouldn't be driving around the county for hours with jet lag. Contact today from Kev Holmes, an old University pal.  By coincidence one of his children just started Warwick this term, doing the same computer science course that Kev had done. In the afternoon, off to drink tea and eat tasty Japanese cookies given me by Hitomi with Janet and Ken. Both not feeling in the most robust of health, and Janet keen to get her medications properly balanced after her stents were put in. They were interested in hearing about Japan, and we had lots of good chats with them, including regulation beardy kisses from Ken on the way out. Back home to find Lorraine finished for the week, and having a light snooze. In the evening off to The Sussex Yeoman. Here Lorraine and I met Betty, Anton, Rosie and Cath and for drinks and some good pub grub. Matt came by later, to...

Able to think again. Worked at fairly productively till Sonia arrived. An amusing chat with her, lamenting Christmas in Romania under communism, because at least you got two weeks off to spend with your family. Capitalism she maintains has ruined her country having brought in corruption and inequalities and undermined basics such as healthcare, and now having moved to the UK she finds work never stops.We laughed about the past always being golden, and she told me darkly that the best part of our lives was now gone. At this point I made my excuses and hurried to Starbucks, laptop in my bag. I like Sonia a good deal, and she is full of character. She comes to clean for us for a couple of hours every week, which is a boon and of course we pay her, but this always makes me feel slightly awkward and I'm not sure why.   Jane's been at it again, this time for Kleenex here , and featured on the Daily Express website, which also has an interview with Alison Jackson (plus an articula...

Up early again. The jetlag abating slowly.A productive morning but as the day wore on my ability to form sentences abandoned me, making me feel irritable. Instead I spoke to Mum to arrange a rendezvous next week, to Janet and Ken, who I will see on Friday afternoon, and to Anton who I will drink beer with soon. To the gym at 3pm but feeling very jetlagged. It made me feel a little livelier for half an hour then I had to stop as I felt dizzy. The place crammed with the New Year Resolutioners. Enjoyed wondering how many of them are there in February as it made me feel like a steely eyed gym bunny. An inordinate amount of metrosexual mirror work in the male changing rooms this afternoon. All these guys in their twenties made me feel a bit ancient, and remember my rugby playing days, where that sort of thing would have asked for a kicking. Society has come a long way. Pretty useless once home. Watched Captain Kirk battle the Gorn, which is amusing. Then I cooked, and sat on the gold so...

Awake for several hours before dawn. Brian, having brought us two rats since we got home, arrived in our bedroom meeping triumphantly and carrying something in his mouth. It was only when we were fully awake was it clear that it was one of his cat toys. The remainder of the night spent staring out of the Velux windows at low clouds skidding across the sky and wishing I could sleep. Calliope sitting on my chest and purring into my face. Life was quite nice without cats. Up before seven feeling woolly headed. If in doubt tidy up. Having not worked at my desk at home since November I discovered thick dust and scatterings of bits of paper and the remnants of work half done. Struggling to impose order and pick up the threads again. Phoned Mum and got a call from Betty about the script she is working on. Feeling a good deal luckier than Lorraine and Toby and Romy. At least I didn't have to plunge back into a working environment - or return to the 'Polar Vortex' currently af...

Awake early this morning, and got up with Lorraine at half six. After she left for work, poor thing, I walked down to the sea. The tide was right out, but there was evidence of great amounts of shingle and pebbles having been shifted about by stormy tides. Saw the sun rise, making me think of the sunrise five days earlier in Japan. Quite nice to be here though in the fresh wind, and still holding on to that feeling that the year holds some good things. Home and I did a little writing on the business book, after an ah-ha! moment while ironing a shirt this morning. Betty came down from bed, and we worked on characters for her play for a few hours. She'd had a bit of a mental block about it, but we soon got things rolling and made some good progress. By mid afternoon, I found my jet lag really difficult, and I was unable even to spell simple words at times. Betty back to London at tea time, and Lorraine and I sat about blearily on the gold sofa before going to bed at around nine...

Woke up at 7am UK time, after a pretty solid 10 hours sleep feeling fairly refreshed, and profoundly pleased to be at home sweet home, rather than facing another epic journey across the world. Up early with an unquenchable desire for tea. Fed the cats, and caught up with my blog in bed. Lorraine, having a pee in the middle of the night, had a 'welcome home' rodent corpse dropped at her feet. A slow unpacking and clothes laundering day. No fish today, instead a toast and fried tomato and bacon breakfast.  Then out shopping for food, with Lorraine on a cooking mission making a roast chicken with half a dozen vegetables followed by an apple and blackberry crumble. Across the precinct from Sainsbury's is a little Japanese shop full of imported niceness. Cheerful Japanese owner busy making sushi, and keen to hear about Japan from us, as I told him we'd just got back. Noticed a calendar with Mount Fuji by the till, and thought that we'd only seen it yesterday. It alread...

Up in the dark at 5:30 in Makinohara. Having packed discovered that Toby and Romy were up, Hiroko had cooked us breakfast and made tea, Hitome had arrived thinking she was going to drive us to the station. Bade a sleepy but fond farewell to Hiroko, who had been wonderfully hospitable as usual and to Hitome, who Lorraine invited to stay with us in Brighton. And of course Toby who it is always hard to say goodbye to. We were driven to Kakegawa station by Eitero, who seems to have become as fond of us as we have of him. He returned last night laden with gifts for example. He is mad for cars and we saw him driving two of them. He has a curious hunched stance when driving, and frequently opts for the no hands steering wheel technique. This morning he showed us clips of Lorraine, Romy and Hiroko singing last night in the karaoke bar. Lorraine cringing at her rendition of a Mumford & Sons tune. Kakegawa statino smelled strangely of drains, but Romy helped us with the tickets, and Eita...

A terrible night, where I developed a very rapid pulse, sweating with a temperature and a stomach like fire. Woke Lorraine up after several hours of this feeling rather panicked. Poor girl. She smoothed me down and eventually I got some fitful sleep. I can only think something I ate had not agreed with me at all. Still shaky and weak in the morning, but as the day pressed on I began to feel much improved. A lake breakfast, and Hitomi brought little Hana around. Hana is very cute and two years old, and seemed a bit dubious about dogs. followed by an early lunch at an eel restaurant, where we had our own private room. Hitomi brought little Hana, and there were also an elderly couple who had babysat Romy when she was little, and their daughter who had spent time in Canada. We all sat down to a healthy eel based snack. A deliciously eel inflected miso, a hearty bowl of rice layered on top with strips of cooked eel fillets and some salty salad pickles. After this surprisingly filling ...

Hungover this morning and my lovely wife brought me a cup of tea and generally looked after me. Went off for a drive in Eitaro's great boat of a car to Shizuoka where we went to a mall, had a noodle soup lunch, which was rather restorative. Lorraine, Toby and my meal rather delayed as we did not press the little bell on the table to get service till Romy told us to. Generally mooched about in the mall, and Hiroko went off to have a massage, and Lorraine made friends with an elderly man and three elderly ladies. The man gave her a sweet for New Year, and told her where she could get some oishii  delicious coffee for free. Then a drive outside town to a pine lined wooden path, which has recently been designated a world heritage site. We all walked down this path and arrived at a pine grove Miho-no Matsubra pine forest by the seaside, which is associated with a legend of a Hagoromo. A fisherman finds a robe hanging on the branches of pine tree It belonged to a celestial lady, who ne...

Up slightly shambolically first thing and all crammed into Eitaro's elegant large car with Romy and Hiroko folded neatly into the back. Chasing the sunrise we made it just in time to the beach as it was growing light. A handful of driftwood bonfires on the shore and we stood near one waiting for the sun to rise. It seemed to be a little later than everyone had expected but when it rose it was redder than I have ever seen the sun, it was a beautiful moment. This witnessed the crowds melted away and we drove off with them, home for breakfast which included traditional rice cakes in a traditional soup. And a glass of good stiff sake. The TV in the corner of the room featured lots of people wearing comedy horse costumes as this is the year of the horse. Then most of us went back to bed. I found I fell asleep for a good couple of hours and having been a bit groggy first thing felt considerably better.  A slow kind of day, which was welcome, getting to know Romy-chan, Little Romy, th...