I came back to Tokyo yesterday. The shinkansen was packed, but my friend and I were lucky to get a seat. The four days down in Osaka were a much needed break from the constant anxiety in Tokyo - I stopped shaking, and despite dreaming about earthquakes for all but one night, got some rest and relaxation.  Every time I go to Osaka I wonder why I don ( Read more... )

It's 10.27am.  I'm waiting for my rice to cook so I can have breakfast,  It seems to be taking much longer than normal.

Today is one of those 3-day weekend days, though I did work yesterday, covering an IELTS class at the British Council.  It was a rubbish lesson, but that's the point of being a sub-teacher - go in, do the lesson, but don't be too ( Read more... )

The weather this morning was amazing.  Just as I left for work, the first rumbles of thunder were heard overhead and the rain came gushing down.  I quickly swapped into my skull-print wellington boots and headed out into the storm.  By the time I got to the station (4 mins) the rain was pelting down and the thunder overhead was AMAZING!!!  We must ( Read more... )

Now, the story in Part 1 may make one feel a tad “squicky” - (I’m taking that to be a merging of squirmy and icky), and one could well want to lament the poor state of dating form around at the moment.

This week I’ve heard a number of stories from friends and their recent encounters with “men”, veering from the pretty horrible, to the sad, to ( Read more... )

BOOKS
MOVIES  Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood  BrothersCormac McCarthy - The RoadThe Time Travellers' WifeRussell Brand - My Booky WookInglorious BasterdsEckhart Tolle - A New Earth  Precious    Michael Chabon - Wonder BoysUp In The AirSteig Larsson - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo500 Days of Summer Friday the 13th (2009) The Hurt Locker The ( Read more... )

      Books                                                           Films

Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood                 Brothers
Cormac McCarthy - The Road                          The Time Travellers' Wife
Russell Brand - My Booky Wook                       Inglorious BasterdsEckhart Tolle - A New Earth                               Precious ( Read more... )

Books                                                           Films

Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood                 Brothers
Cormac McCarthy - The Road                          The Time Travellers' Wife
Russell Brand - My Booky Wook                       Inglorious BasterdsEckhart Tolle - A New Earth ( Read more... )

So I began the year by reading Murakami's "Norwegian Wood".  Having heard so many people rave on about this book I had high expectations, so I was quite disappointed when it basically turned out to be a love story.  I expect to be pleasantly befuddled by a Murakami novel, not puking in my mouth from post-pubescent wallowing.  Toru Watanabe is ( Read more... )

So, according to  my very messy notebook, which is conveniently undated, this is what I read (in no particular order) last year:

(Book in italics are re-reads, books in blue I'm not totally convinced were read in 2009)

Jonathan Carroll - Sleeping in Flame
Susan Hill - Strange Meeting
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Angela Carter - Heroes and Villains
Evelyn ( Read more... )

I re-read "The Yellow Sign" this morning, and King's "Night Surf", and at the weekend Ted E Klein's "Events at Poroth Farm" from "American Supernatural Tales".  The latter is probably now one of my favourite short stories.

Anyway, as Halloween closes in, a little test from The Guardian on Gothic fiction.