'I really really wish I could be somewhere else...'

My title today quotes the Razorlight song 'Somewhere Else' and sums up my feelings for the day.

I used to love autumn and winter, but this year and last, I just can't wait for it to end. I want warmth, open windows, short-sleeved shirts! I think I'll aim to move to Hawaii and open a beach bar once I graduate... I think part of the problem this year is being London. Autumn at home (Huddersfield) always struck me as really beautiful, with the changing colours and the falling leaves. In London it just feels bleak.

But enough of that!!! The weekend has been interesting. I enjoyed my first ever full body massage, which was extremely relaxing! I ventured into Regent's Park and Greenwich, both seemingly nice areas of London. Although, after years of seeing pictures of 'the Dome', or the O2 as it is now, I was a little disappointed to see that it's much small than I had imagined!!!

A little news that's grabbed my attention... Asahi News claims that Japan is suffering a butter shortage, and there are worries over prices of Christmas cakes as a result.

a few stories...

Back to university today after illness...

So, a few stories for the day...

Back home, in Huddersfield, schools are to get a £400million investment from Kirklees Council - that's from The Examiner

In Japan, a group of 4 'war orphans' have arrived from China in the hope of finding any relatives and information regarding their real past. The group were among those left behind in China after Japan's loss in World War 2. 2812 such 'war orphans' have been recognised by the Health Ministry. That's from Asahi News today.

And in London, it's the last day for the Eurostar at Waterloo. As of tomorrow the services switches to St. Pancras station.

illness and such like...

today brought illness... I think it's flu or cold or something, coupled with stomach ache... not ideal, really.

my blog seems to be attracting more visitors from far and wide also, and my first visitor from Japan too! (ありがとう！）

I have now begun to type up my application for January's work placement. BBC radio stations are my choices, as I think the experience and credence would be excellent. So watch this place...

Tomorrow, I will be in the audience of The Wright Stuff, so tune in to Channel 5 tomorrow morning!

And the photo is my own... the beauty of autumn nights in Shelley, Huddersfield.


NOVA school in Japan has been partially bought by another corporation. G.education Co. will reopen 30 of NOVAs school, after the company filed for bankruptcy in October. There were many English people working for NOVA in Japan, so this will hopefully come as some relief. That's according to Asahi

home sweet home...

so now I have done half of my first term, I guess I am looking forward to going home again some time soon... I do miss home, and I suppose my heart will always be in Yorkshire's green hills... (as in the picture. taken by me. of my village!)

so a bit of local news... In Huddersfield, residents in Meltham barricaded a dustbin wagon after they refused to collect waste. that's from the Examiner.

Meanwhile... in Japan...
More dogs in Sapporo mean that there's been a rise in dog-related business... Pampered pooches are living the high-life in the city according to Asahi today.

the computer hath returned!!!

ah, great days... the computer has come back from repair, so my blogs can once more become regular and full of useful and gripping stories! or something like that....!

yesterday I visited the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum in London. as a 2nd World War historian, it was of great interest to me, and I was surprised as to how much information the museum had, and how detailed and accurate it was. a really great visit.

the weather did not dampen my moods yesterday, as I had a visit from my father - the first time we've met in 6 weeks, since I moved down south. so a great time was had, and I had fun listening to his stories of his time in the Metropolitan Police in Hammersmith.


and ... Japan is considering suing the US Embassy over 10 years of backdue rent on land that it occupies in Tokyo. that's from Asahi today.

'down to Hendon with the boys in blue...'

A line from Cock Sparrer's song 'Riot Squad'... and a sum-up of my day today.

Today was a selection day for the role of Special Constable, for which I applied some time ago. Today involved a written test, an interview and two role-play exercises at the Police Training School at Hendon.

Seemed to go ok, so we'll see!

Still no computer...

Japanese giant English school NOVA has folded, leaving 4000 instructors jobless... 300,000 students are also in the dark. That's from Asahi

Ruby Tuesday

Last night saw my first venture in to playing live music in the capital. An open mic night at The Perseverance in Marylebone. Around 10 performers, each playing two songs... a fantastic atmosphere! My motive for playng was that yesterday was also my lovely girlfriend's birthday! So it was a little surprise for her too...


Since seeing Brett Anderson play on Sunday night, inspiration feels to be coming to me. I really can not describe how beautiful the music was, and how talented he is as a songwriter and performer. We were also fortunate enough to see him at close range in the flesh before the concert also.


Today is presentation day... so shortly I will be making a comparison of BBC Radio Leeds and the Pulse of West Yorkshire (Bradford) in their news output. Both being local stations where I come from (Huddersfield), this is a project I can get interested in very easily!


and a programme in Fukushima prefecture in Japan is recruiting city workers and residents to try their hand at working on a farm, according to Asahi news. Japan's agricultural background is often forgotten in the face of its pioneering technological developments...

Dispatches and computer problems...

So Friday has come, and the reason my blogs are so sporadic at the moment is down to internet problems in my hall of residence. It has now been a week and nothing has been done to fix it... so in the library I am. Again.

And last night, my faithful Toshiba decided to throw a hissy fit and blow its backlight. Fortunately it's still under warranty, so the repair shouldn't cost me. Fingers crossed.


Just sat in a fascinating lecture from Deborah Davis, who regular makes programs for Channel 4's Dispatches. If there was ever an opening for my to work in that sort of field, I would snap it up. The work she has done is fascinating, and often extremely gritty. This Wednesday night will see the screening of her latest, so please watch.


Slightly more lighthearted... A fountain in a west Tokyo park has been turned off as children playing in it were being too noisy. That's according to Asahi news. Nishi-Tokyo Ikoino-Mori Park has also banned skateboarders.

huddersfield...

Another day, another murder in Huddersfield. a body was found on Sunday night, and has now been identified. This from the Huddersfield Examiner.

Meanwhile, the funeral was held for Ryan Hawkins, the young boy murdered a few weeks ago in his home in the town.

I only left Huddersfield a few weeks ago, and it's really sad to see all of this happening in such a lovely little town. But I guess no place is exempt from these sort of things.


Asahi news states that Japanese children have steadily become less athletic, and have now reached a point where their abilities can decline no further.

tuesday blues

The rains have come, and everything is awash with water.

Seems everybody will be suffering before long as SAD strikes the people...

Japan is feeling the blues too, according to Asahi - research has shown that 4.2% of Japanese junior-high school pupils suffer some form of depression. There is a film showing in London this month dealing with Japanese responses to depression: 'does your soul have a cold'.

I think euphemisms for depression are interesting. People have their own ways of dealing with it and the name is an important part. 'Sending away the tigers', 'the demons', 'black dog', 'the glums'...

Just thoughts for the day

Japanese people have grown taller in the last 12 years... But while women have slimmed, men have got chubbier. That's according to Asahi news. Interesting...

When I visited Japan last year, I was something of a giant in every direction. I was taller, broader and wider then everybody I met. Children would stare at me. Grown men would stare at me. Neither were discreet.

I loved Japan, and will certainly return there some day. Such a fascinating country and culture.

そして、今日本語を勉強します。　十二月テストをします。


Tomorrow is my day of judgement... the audition. With a bit of luck, I'll blind the judges (conjures up images of Simon Cowell and cronies) with my talent, and you'll see me busking the stations of the Tube before long. Fingers crossed!

It's a romantic idea for me, reminds of stories I read about the great Joe Strummer busking with a Ukulele, or the Manic Street Preachers busking Clash songs in Cardiff, chasing off anyone who dared give them money. I'm not in a position to chase away money, but I do have a ukulele...

Burma claims a Japanese journalist

As a Journalist-to-be and follower of Japanese culture, this story caught my attention, courtesy of Asahi news online.

The Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai was shot dead on the streets of Rangoon on Thursday 27th September.

New Japanese president Fukuda is waiting to see how events unfold before proceeding with sanctions.

New day, new blog

Huddersfield has hit the top of the BBC website for the first time in a while...

So the man in the story I mentioned below is to be charged with the murder of his child. BBC news is saying he'll appear in court in Huddersfield on Wednesday.

And in Japan, according to the Asahi website, two men have taken ownership of 50 Million Yen after finding it buried under a new housing development. Lucky!