The times

Oh to live in a time "unrecommended by event". That may have been Larkin's 1950's (though, come to think of it, there were lots of things happening then, though perhaps unrecommendable) but it seems that the current era is far too evented. (No such word, though there undoubtedly will be someday).

I suppose just being busy makes ones life potentially eventful and the news is now so regularly punctuated with disasters in the making (or waiting to happen), that a dose of those 1950's salts might be efficacious. (what the hell are you talking about? - ed.)

I've almost reached the end of this stay in Japan and last night, Vicky and Rima arrived with bags in tow and high hopes. By remarkable good chance they bumped into Satoshi Namba on the train from Amagasaki and he kindly dropped them here in frosty Mukogaoka. It was snowing when I left Sasayama and the trip home was chotto hazardous with snow and patches of ice cleaving to the road. The tyres stuck but at times I thought they wanted to skate irrationally. That's a feeling I have too sometimes.

This weekend I think we might do the walking tour of things Sanda, just to get a feel for the place. Tomorrow night there is a welcoming party for the new sensei which might or might not be well attended. A months notice isn't always enough for people in Japan, such are the lives they lead.