Thirst / 박쥐 (2009)

Almost Christmas…

It’s almost Christmas, and then New Years, my first Christmas and New Years in the UK for four years. Last year was Seoul and Seoul, the year before Langkawi, Malaysia and Singapore, and the year before that Palawan and the White Beach, Philippines.

I miss tropical beaches! And desire plans for the future…especially with regard to future employment.

My Christmas will be taken up with essay writing- one on Meiji imperialism, the other on contemporary Japanese foreign policy. Interesting topics, but still intense work. The year is only 3 months done- 25% of my Masters is almost complete. What should I do after? How will I earn money for more travel around the world? Questions that need answers, in the next nine months.

Red Star- Number 53, Akahoshi Norihiro

Norihiro Akahoshi, a fan favourite, announced his retirement from Nippon Pro Yakyu yesterday. My favourite Hanshin player, he adorns this blog in the banner at the top, and will be remembered by me and all other Hanshin fans for his excellent steals, and fierce character. He will be more than missed- always an integral member of the lineup, his stealing and lead-off runs contributed to many victories over the years since he joined the Tigers in 2001. What more can be said? He stole one hell of a lot of bases, and always performed, achieving excellent ERA’s even as all around him was faltering, particularly in the 2008 season.

He will be missed. 赤星さん、お疲れ様でした！

年度	チーム	試合数	打数	安打	本塁打	打点	盗塁	打率
2001	阪神	128	438	128	1	23	39	.292
2002	阪神	78	310	78	0	12	26	.252
2003	阪神	140	551	172	1	35	61	.312
2004	阪神	138	570	171	0	30	64	.300
2005	阪神	145	601	190	1	38	60	.316
2006	阪神	142	566	152	0	20	35	.269
2007	阪神	121	400	120	0	19	24	.300
2008	阪神	144	556	176	0	30	41	.317
	Total	1036	3992	1187	3	207	350	.297

Akahoshi Norihiro Retires :(

In shock news, my favourite Hanshin player Norihiro Akahoshi has retired from professional baseball. This is due to his injury this season and the fact that the next could paralyse him. The news comes as a shock to all, players and fans alike.

You can see comments from Mayumi, Kanemoto, Johjima and other players here in Japanese- http://hanshintigers.jp/news/topics/info_1324.html

POP LIFE

Blupdate

The blog is dying a bit. I thought it might. Various things continue to occur in this wild fairground ride they call life. I’m moving into my own place in London- from east to north-west, at not little financial cost. This puts pressure on me to get a reasonable job next year, and I’ll probably be in London for at least another year after this, if not two.

There are certainly things I wish to blog about though- more on politics, film, society, Hanshin Tigers 2010, and my 12-month round the world trip, scheduled for 2012 perhaps? But at the moment my time is spent drinking, eating or reading and writing for the MA. It doesn’t exclude time for blogging, but it does take away the motivation a bit.

So the blog will never die. It will stumble on for years maybe. But the volume of content will decrease- for now. Roll on that 2012 travel tour of the world!

Tigers 2010 Season Slogan

Not sure about the green background. Still, its nice to celebrate our 75th anniversary!

British Library

With academics, students, journalists, literati and occasional celebrities, the British Library is a varied and interesting place to do my reading. The main reason I’ve moved here, a few hundred metres from the SOAS library, is that it has big desks and really comfy chairs. Plus massive reading rooms with impressive titles like “Maps Room” and “Rare Books” room. Ultimately it hasn’t made reading about Japanese peasants any more interesting, but certainly a bit more tolerable.

My first essay on the Tokugawa state is almost done, and soon enough I’ll be moving onto contemporary Japanese foreign relations for my Politics module. In between I have a statistics assignment for Japanese, which thankfully I can base on the Hanshin Tigers!

Thats the most interesting news I have today, sorry.

 

 

 

Hotaru no haka / Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

mid-november update

Try this if you’re bored- BlogBooker can make your entire blog, including links and pictures, into a PDF file for free! Naisu. I’ve been looking through my new and shiny PDF, and realised how much less fun this blog is now- movie reviews and baseball have replaced photos and adventures. My time is taken up with study- writing and reading- I take far less photos than I want to, and I’m eager to the extreme to find my own place.

A carefree existence of boozing and relaxation have make way for a busy life of intense study. Put another way a life lacking in challenge has been replaced by one of intellectual stimulation. Still, the need for space, and money, is paramount in my thoughts these days. I want to travel, take photographs, have a nice place, and have money for treats. All of these things lead to the conclusion that its time to find a job, not for a year, but for the future. And this is what I’ll do.

But I want these things now! Mostly space…I need my own place.