December 2008
December 25th
*******Merry Christmas!*******
December 19th
I've uploaded another story, but it's high level so be careful!!! Click the image to take a look.
December 17th
I've written a few more stories, but not had the time to type them up. But tonight I've managed to upload one set in Tuscany. Click the image to take a look.
December 14th
It's a very busy time for me at the moment, so I've not had the energy to do much on line. But today I made a quick gallery of photographs from our trip to Saipan. This is an island in the Pacific about three hours from Japan. It's administered by the US and is part of the Northern Mariana islands. It's a popular destination fro Japanese, Koreans and recently - Chinese holidaymakers. It's very pretty although the local people need some lessons in good service! We stayed at the Japanese-owned Hotel Nikko Saipan. Click the image below.
December 6th
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!
It's my dad's birthday today. Dad, I hope you have a nice birthday and enjoy your meal with Cindy. I'm sorry I can't be there with you, but I'm thinking about you.
I'm watching the K-1 final on TV tonight and had time to make a gallery of photos from our trip to Phuket. We stayed at the Kata Beach Resort hotel, which was very pleasant and great value. Check out the photos by clicking on the palm trees below.
November 2008
November 29th
It's time for another gallery of photographs. This time they are of my trip to Koh Tao island off the coast of Thailand. It's a great destination fro diving, snorkelling, or just relaxing. These photos are from 2007 when we stayed at the pretty Mango Bay Resort at the northern tip of the island. Click on the image of a Tokay gecko below and take a look. Later, I'll write about this beautiful island, which I first visited in 2002. The link above goes straight to the resort's own website.
November 28th
In Japan, many people are interested in visiting Le Mont Saint Michel in northern France. I've been there, and it is a fantastic place. However, few Japanese have heard of Saint Michael's Mount. This is England's version of the famous French site, and is a big surprise to most people as it is so similar, but without the crowds. Admittedly, it is smaller, but is nonetheless impressive and worth visiting. Click on the links to find out more about it, then plan your trip to Cornwall in England!.
St.Michael's Mount (Wikipedia)
St.Michael's Mount (Official website)
St.Michael's Mount (National Trust website)
Le Mont Saint Michel (Japanese Wikipedia)
November 27th
I'm sitting watching the TV. The news is of the terrible terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Over one hundred people dead, many more injured. The attackers are said to be Muslim extremists intent on causing havoc, and demanding the release of prisoners. More blood spilled, more hatred fuelled, divisions deepened. I feel so sad that mankind seems incapable of living together peacefully. There is intolerance everywhere. For me, it is the worst of cancers. Intolerance leading to fear, fear leading to hatred, hatred leading to violence. History repeating itself over and over. When I was young, I hoped that in my lifetime I would be lucky enough to experience an end to conflict. I hoped for an age of reason to dawn across the world. I simply cannot give up on that hope.
Please click the image below to read another short story.
November 23rd
It was a lovely day today. I met my friend Miki for lunch. She has recently been to Sabah in Borneo for a holiday with another friend Manami, and kindly let me add some of her photos to my short travel section. She stayed in the lovely Nexus Resort - I'm so jealous! Click the image below...
November 20th
This evening I had a bit of time and so I made another gallery of photographs. This time they are of Showa kinen koen, which is a large public park in west Tokyo. I want to write about it, but don't have the time at the moment.
November 19th
Autumn is upon us, and the leaves are about to start changing colour. It's a beautiful time of year in Japan, so I thought I'd add a gallery of photographs taken in the parks of Tokyo between the months of October and December. I hope you like them, and it gives you a sense of why the changing seasons are so important to the Japanese people.
November 16th
Hello! It's time for another super-short story. It's entitled 'Yes you can!' and is about a woman who decides she wants to change her life.
November 14th
Someone asked me about the simplicity of the healing technique that I mentioned in the last blog. All one has to do is to repeat the following phrases. These can be said to the universe, your god, or whatever force or power you trust. If you don't believe in higher powers, then say them to yourself. You may think it's crazy, but they worked for me. If you trust them and repeat them sincerely, they will help you or anyone in your world.
I love you Thank you I am sorry Please forgive me
November 11th
Some of you may be aware of the new journey I'm taking. Although this year has been full of tremendous highs and lows, I have been shown a way of accepting what happens and learning from it. This link comes courtesy of Yukari-san and is in both English and Japanese. It's Joe Vitale discussing the Hawaiian healing therapy called Ho'oponopono. This is a simple but effective way of helping not only yourself, but everything in your life. Click on the word in bold and try it, I dare you!
November 9th
It's Sunday and it's another cold and grey day. After a morning lesson, I'm keeping warm indoors, although I might go for a run later. As I hate being indoors, I'm keeping busy by working on this site. I've just typed up three more essays by Ayumi Mizoguchi. She's recently been to the lovely island of Ishigaki in Okinawa. It was 30�Ž last week - I'm so jealous! Click the link to take a look at the island. Also, click on the image below to read her most recent writing (essays numbered 7-9).
November 8th
Tokyo was cold and damp today. Autumn has begun, but we can look forward to the beautiful colours of the autumn leaves in a few weeks time. Already, northern and mountainous parts of Japan are swathed in yellows, oranges and reds. And Hokkaido has had its first snow. The ski season has begun!
I've written another story for EFL students: this one about a man who had a very vivid imagination. Please click the image to read it. By the way, EFL stands for 'English as a foreign language' and this story was suggested by Ms Fukuda.
November 5th
First of all I'd like to say how thrilled I am that Barak Obama was elected president by the American people. These past eight years have seen the image of the United States dragged down to the gutter by the Bush administration. Around the world, people witnessed the dark and arrogant side of American hegemony. But now there is a real chance that the most powerful country is about to change and follow a different path: a path that will affect all our lives, and appears to be one of hope and reconciliation .
In many ways, George W. Bush destroyed the American dream. Any claims that the country was the bastion of truth and freedom were revealed as having no foundation. The leadership of the world had fallen into dirty, bloodstained hands. The election of senator Obama has set the country back in the right direction. A black man is now in the Whitehouse (or will be soon). In fact, president Obama really is an African-American and reinforces the belief that anyone can become president. And in this time of great turmoil there is a chance for healing: healing of the wounds that divide America by race; healing of the rifts with international partners.
The new president faces an uphill battle and I sincerely hope he succeeds in all the areas that need addressing. The US is fighting two wars, its finances are in chaos, its economy is on the brink of recession, its healthcare system is in a state of collapse. Together these problems are truly frightening. Thankfully, Mr. Obama has a mandate to instigate change, and the American people are formidable when motivated for the common good. I wish them well, because in the modern world we are all connected and a strong but morally sound United States is necessary for a safe future.
November 3rd
I've been working on a new travel section. It's about the small, historically important city of Kamakura, about 50km from Tokyo. It's going to take me a long time to finish as there is a lot to write about, so I'm going to upload it bit by bit. The first installment can be seen by clicking the image below.
November 1st
Halloween passed without event, although looking in the mirror these days is a bit of a horror show. Anyway, Happy November everyone! And sawatdee krup to the visitors from Thailand. It's a very busy time for me, and one of great change. But I still managed to write another quick story. It's much quicker writing stories than adding to the travel section, but I will be adding more travel and Japan stuff soon. Anyway, you can click the image below to read the story if you like...
On Sunday, there is the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix. It's the final race of the F1 season and their are only two possible winners of the championship: Britain's Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren, and Brazil's Felipe Massa in a Ferrari. Of course I hope Hamilton wins, even if he is a bit cocky sometimes. I really admire his determination and ambition. F1 needs characters and controversy, and Lewis provides both. Next season should be even better than this one, with other teams more competitive than this year.
October 2008
October 29th
There is another story in the 'My Writing' section - this time level 2 (I think!). Thanks for your feedback and suggestions for future stories. In fact, this new one came from a request I received yesterday.
October 27th
I have just uploaded three more short essays by Ayumi Mizoguchi. She is studying for a good score in the IELTS examination in order to gain admission to a course in Ireland. Click on the image below to read them (it's one of her sketches). She has written many essays - all in about 40 minutes, so I'll be adding more very soon.
October 26th
It's Sunday afternoon and I'm about to go to the gym. My membership expires at the end of the month so I want to go a few more times. I've managed to go 110 times in 15 months and dropped from 72.5kg to 66.5kg over that time. My waist has decreased from 85cm to 74cm and I can now put my socks on without straining. Maybe when I'm rich, I'll pay someone else to put my socks on for me and just get fat.
I've been busy this week but have written some more short stories for my students' English study. Here is the first of them, it's a level 5 story about someone in prison for drug smuggling, who is left with only one choice. Click on the image below, or go to the Students section to check out all the others.
The second story is a level 3 about an artist and his young wife.
October 24th
I have just uploaded three short essays by Ayumi Mizoguchi. She is studying for a good score in the IELTS examination in order to gain admission to a course in Ireland. She has written many essays so I'll be adding more very soon.
And a big "Hello" to Neil in Ireland - I hope you enjoy your trip to Ishigaki island when you come to Japan next month.
October 23rd
So what is a typical day for a language teacher in Tokyo? To give you some idea, here is yesterday's schedule:
09:30am - 10:15am One-to-one
class in language school
10:30am - 12:00pm Group class
in language school.
12:30pm - 04:00pm Ate lunch and played cards for hours with my
mate Steve!
04:30pm - 05:30pm Private
lesson.
06:00pm - 06:30pm Dinner at a noodle restaurant
07:00pm - 08:00pm Private lesson
09:00pm - 11:00pm Sports club
11:30pm - 00:30am Worked on this website
So it's a long day, but with long breaks too. There's time for me to hang out, sit in parks, meet friends, and so on. To anyone who is considering teaching in Tokyo - there are advantages and disadvantages, but the positives easily outweigh the negatives, so come on over!
October 21st
Today, during my morning class at the KGC school in Mitaka, my students did a 20-minute writing activity in which they created stories together. They built the stories sentence by sentence, passing the stories around. I've just uploaded these 'Circle Stories' into the Students section.
October 18th
The weather in Tokyo is glorious at the moment: blue skies, warm days, comfortable nights. It's the best season for travel so they say. But I've been beavering away on some new stories. I uploaded one a couple of days ago, and there are two more today. Today's two are level 3 and level 5; both with a twist at the end. I hope you enjoy them. As always, click on the image below to take you to the main page.
And yes.. this picture is me in sunglasses.
October 16th
I've just uploaded another essay from my student Ayumi Yajima. This one is about the Nobel Prize announcements, and their impact in Japan. If you'd like to read it then follow the link below:
Nobel Prize Rush 2008
I've finished changing the layout to my short stories in the Students area. I've added definitions in English of the more difficult words. This should make them quicker to read. Of course, you can try to read them without the extra help if you like!
I've also added another short story. This one is sad as it's the story of one woman's loss. and despair. It's set in east Africa and you can read it by clicking on the image below. The eyes belong to my old friend Gayani who isn't African at all, but has lovely eyes!
By the way, well done to the England football team for beating Belarus 3:1 away from home, only days after the 5:1 drubbing of the glorious Kazakstan. Our new manager Mr Capello seems to be creating a team that gets results. I think by bringing back Heskey up front he has solved the striker problem as Heskey's powerful presence allows other players to use their skills more effectively. He acts as a tank to draw the attention of defenders and free up Rooney, Walcott and the others. Rooney, in particular seems to be finding form after such a long lean period. On this form we will definitely win the next World Cup!!!
October 13th
I really enjoyed watching the Japan F1 Grand Prix on TV on Sunday afternoon. Alonso won again, Kubica is catching up with Hamilton and Massa: all good news. This season is coming to an exciting climax, and it bodes well for next year. I'd really love to see five or six truly competitive teams next season.
By the way, I've started to re-arrange the short stories page to make them easier to read, and also easier to navigate around. Bear with me, as it will take a bit of time, and I'm really busy at the moment. I've also changed the levels of a couple of them after complaints they were too hard for the grade. Thanks for the feedback.
October 10th
I'm sure everyone has been watching the news these past few weeks and observing the financial systems of the world in crisis and panic. Unless you are personally involved in with the affected companies or have investments, it may be difficult to appreciate just what is happening. I used to watch these kind of events with detached amusement, but now I know better. The volatility in markets, the collapse in credit, the fall into recession: these things affect every single person. It is impossible to remain 'safe' from the repercussions of the recent events.
I hope the measures taken by governments around the globe will help reduce the fallout. However, there are already signs that the action taken is not sufficient. It seems there is a weakness that should have been noticed before. The development of financial instruments, specifically credit default swaps linked to home loans, has meant a shift away from calculable risk, into the unknown. The complex sub-prime money-go-round problem could take years to unfurl and have a steady domino effect of banking and insurance failures and insecurity. Some of my students have already suffered actual monetary loss, others are in companies whose existence or future growth is now in doubt. We can only watch and wait.
October 7th
This afternoon, while I was sitting in 'Soup Stock' in Mitaka station, enjoying my curry and soup lunch, I quickly wrote another short story. This one is suitable for the upcoming Halloween season. Don't read it alone, and make sure your windows and doors are locked before you start. It's a bit longer than the others, and contains the main characters' speech, rather than one character's thoughts. Click below...
October 5th
I've completed the writing for the Izu peninsula section on the Japan page. Izu is a beautiful, wooded area, with mountainside and coastal hot springs; coves and beaches, not far from Tokyo by train or car. There are a string of holiday resorts around the coast, and a few inland as well. I do have more photos and details to add at some point, but for now, it's finished. Click below..
October 2nd
There is now a fourth story in the students' section. After an afternoon of playing cards with my friend Steve I'm back at home. Today's weather was beautiful: a clear blue sky, a gentle warm breeze and warm sunshine.
October 1st
I've just uploaded another short story. It's another intermediate (level 3) composition, so please take a look. It's called 'The Hotel' and I hope you like the twist in the story. Click the image to go straight there.
I can't believe it's already October and the last few days in Tokyo have been cool and wet, it feels like England so I'm not best pleased. At least I'm happy being indoors tapping away at the computer in this weather. So hopefully I can improve the website more and more.
September 2008
September 28th
For my students, I've added another short story - this time much easier with a much happier ending! It's a level 3 so has Intermediate vocabulary and grammar. Please take a look. You can click the image below to go straight there.
I'm working on the Izu Peninsula page, but it's taking me a long time to do, and I want to use new techniques to display the images. So there might be a long delay. Please check it out from time to time to see the new content. Today, I added some information about the resort of Atami and some photos taken in Atami and Atagawa.
September 25th
I'm sitting here in my living room adding some pictures to the Showcase of Ayumi Mizoguchi. She sent me four of her acrylic paintings to display. Please take a look and feel inspired to send me something of your own to exhibit.
As I work, I'm watching the telly and there is a Japanese interview show with Usain Bolt, the Jamaican Olympic champion sprinter. This being Japan, while he is being interviewed, he has to eat four different foods, three of which he loves and one of which he hates. The panel have to guess which he hates. I think he doesn't like mango, but maybe it's the pork ribs. He certainly seemed to enjoy the salmon steak and chicken. In a few minutes the truth will be revealed... At the same time, he has to guess which food the two Japanese Olympic badminton competitors can't stand.
Japanese TV always makes stars do strange stuff. The poor people can't just come and promote their book or film in peace, they have to actually do stuff. It's great - work for their money! My favourites were Madonna and Harry Potter. Both were really fun. (I know the actor who plays Harry Potter has a name, but who cares! And he's so tiny he's shorter than most Japanese junior high school girls.)
NEWS FLASH.... Usain Bolt doesn't like salmon steak or any other fish, apparently he once choked on a fishbone. What a vital discovery!
September 21st
I've added a new section for my students. It will be examples of my writing with some highlighted vocabulary, and adjusted to a particular level 1-6 (6 is the highest). The writing will all be short in length and suitable as a study aid depending on your level. The first is a level 6 short story about an a famous actor who makes a big mistake and must face the consequences of his lifestyle. Click the image to take a look.
September 20th
Life is a bit hectic at the moment, but I've been able to make some small changes to the site. Firstly, I ditched the 'Chat' page as no one was talking to me! But I've put one of the chat boxes here on the Blog. It's on the right and all you have to do is type your name (or type 'Guest' if you are shy) then type a short comment about anything that has caught your eye.
I've added some useful links in three sections. The first contains links to my students' businesses; the second contains useful links in Tokyo and Japan; the third has links to other overseas sites. Hopefully I can add links to students' and friends' own blogs or websites too, so I'm looking for volunteers again!
September 19th
Happy Birthday to my wonderful niece Hannah. I can't believe how time flies! I hope you have a wonderful day and that my card arrived (for once!).
September 16th
I've finished my report of our trip to the lovely Redang island. Click on the image below to see how I spend your lesson fees!
September 14th
I've just come back from the gym and am working on a page detailing my trip to the beautiful Malaysian island of Redang. It's not as well-known as Penang, Langkawi, or even Tioman, and it won't be ready for a few days.
September 13th
Last week I received a mail to this site from someone I didn't know. I was thrilled because I only thought people who knew me had looked at it up to now. It turns out his name is also Sean. And he has a web site called 'Planet Sean Japan'. A bit of a coincidence! So anyway, we sent each other a few mails and I thought I'd put a link through to his site for you to check out. Check it out by clicking the link below. But please come back after you've had a good look!!!
I've finished a short report about the giant monitor lizards of the Indonesian island of Komodo. Click on the image below. There are some impressive videos to watch too!
September 12th
Many of my students spend precious time doing homework. This may be preparation for an exam such as Step Eiken, or IELTS, or it may be simply be a way of developing their English level or writing skills. Of course, everyone is at a different stage or has particular strengths, but I am trying to persuade them to share with you some of their writing. The first volunteer is Ayumi Yajima and if you follow the link below, you can read her excellent essay on random violent attacks in Japan.
Random crime - attacks on innocent people
By the way, I hope you like the new look of Off the Compass. I just changed the 'header' at the top and created some buttons to navigate around the site.
September 10th
I uploaded a small number of images from the ballet sequences of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic games. Please click on the ballerina below to check them out. She performed in a wheelchair, as she lost one leg in the recent earthquake. I thought the opening ceremony was wonderful. It included many people with disabilities, and two thousand children! The focus was on music and dance and I especially enjoyed the blind singer who was joined by the guy who flew down from roof. Good luck to all the athletes and competitors who show that life is what you make it.
September 8th
I've added a 'You Tube player above. I'll find some funny or interesting videos from around the web. But please also take a look at the Home page and Music page as I've gone You Tube crazy! Click on the link below.
September 5th
I had some problems with the chat rooms, some of the messages were not displayed. Sorry to anyone who tried. So I've changed them slightly and there are now two. I also added a guestbook which is an easy way to leave a message, please take a look. It's on the 'Chat' Page.
September 3rd
It didn't rain today But now everyone is complaining about the heat! Seriously, Japanese people complain more about the weather than the English, and that's saying something! Today was a beautiful day, hot and sunny with a deliciously warm but comfortable evening. But I'm a bit weird about the weather, I seem to be the only person who loves the humid stickiness. I'm currently working on a short article about Komodo and the enormous lizards that live there, so please come back soon.
September 2nd
Firstly, Happy Birthday! to my wonderful sister Cindy. I hope you have a lovely day.
I've just uploaded a short description of the Edo-Tokyo museum. Edo was the name for the city until 1858, and the museum is a great place to get a feel for the city's development. Click the image below.
September 1st
On the Home Page you may have noticed the moving image with 'Welcome to... Off The Compass'. This is called a Flash animation banner and was created for free on the following web site:
Hopefully I won't go banner crazy, but it was fun to make, but difficult to fit onto the site as the code needed adjustment. Check out their site for yourself.
August 2008
August 30th
I have added a chat room to the site. Click on the link below, or just use the menu above. Use a name to sign in and leave a message! Maybe I'll be online too! If you have problems with it, please let me know.
Let's Chat!
The rain: it never stops and there remains a heaviness in the air, matched by the gloominess of the sodden commuters. The nature and ferocity of the recent thunderstorms has baffled me. This is simply not right. The climate has shifted. Back in England, we are used to the ever-changing weather, the frequent record-breaking highs and lows. However, they don't concern me as much as the recent Tokyo deluge. We shouldn't have these nightly pyrotechnics. The thunder sounds like no other. The storm two nights ago was the most disturbing as the sky seemed to have caved in. It was like being inside a dish-washer as the lightning struck across the city, and the thunder roared and boomed. The Day After Tomorrow, was a film based upon real past events, and these days seems to be coming true. Is it too late?
August 24th
The weather was terrible this evening but I went to the Koenji Awaodori. This is Japan's second largest dance festival and is held in the west Tokyo town of Koenji. Click on the link to go to the English Language site and read more about the 12000 dancers who parade the streets. I took some photos myself and had a beer and a sausage among the crowds. I've written a short magazine article about it so go take a look. Here is an image to wet your appetite. Click it!.
I've also started a new section entitled 'Special Images'. These images will be small details from around Tokyo that have caught my eye. The link will be from the Home Page and from the Images Page. Sometimes there may be a quiz for my students to try too.
I watched the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and was impressed again by the spectacular show. I wasn't too keen on the London bit! Umbrellas and a bus? They even had a punk from thirty years ago! And why did Boris Johnson keep putting his hands in his pockets? At least Beckham managed to kick the ball without injuring himself!
August 21st
Usain Bolt just won his third gold medal and broke a third world record. A tremendous run from the popular Jamaicans in the Beijing 4X100m relay final. Here in Japan we are celebrating a bronze medal in the same event, with Mr Asahara at 36 years old storming down the home straight to claim a medal he always thought would elude him. This is what the Olympics is about. And congratulations to the Aussie who won the pole vault - a fantastic result.
I've been busy and have added a short story of when I was robbed in Canada. Look in the travel section. Happy days!
August 20th
For those students who have been asking about my old T-shirt designs, take a look in Images/T-shirts to see some examples of my work and read about the development of ideas.
August 17th
Just a quick one. I've added three more book reviews. And started on the cinema page - with the inclusion of two of my favourite films.
August 16th
It's still hot in Tokyo, and another typhoon just passed by causing a big of rain. I've been busy and have now completed the Magazine/Beaches section. Please take a look. I've also just this minute finished working on Travel/Japan/Kyoto, writing about Japan's World heritage old capital. There's an introductory page with basic information, then a linked gallery page which is accessed from the bottom photo. As I type I'm watching the Olympics on TV. The fabulous and modest Usain Bolt won the 100m in an amazing time - he didn't even look like he was trying very hard either! A female Japanese wrestler also won gold in the 55kg division. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything about the British team's performance - I'll have to check out the BBC site later.
August 12th
I'm very tired after many late nights typing the HTML code and shrinking down photos to the right size! Anyone who has built their own site knows what I'm talking about. But it is a lot of fun, gradually improving my skills and speed. What I'm trying to do is fill in lots of pages with detail about my past experiences. Once this is complete then I will concentrate on new content, particularly a Manga I want to create. So please bear with me. The Main pages now all have stuff to read and below is a list of the current complete (or almost complete) sub-pages...
- Travel/Indonesia/Bali
- Travel/Australia/Working holiday
- Travel/Laos/Ju-ju
- About Me/Books
- Students/Showcase/Illustration
- Images/Japan Gallery
- Images/Beijing Olympics
- Images/Wedding
I've been watching the Olympics on TV and am really enjoying it. All of Japan was thrilled by local hero Kosuke Kitajima's victory in the 100m Breaststroke. A great race and a fine new world record. He cried afterwards and showed the relief and joy of being champion. Well done!
August 11th
I've added some more photos to the Bali section.
August 8th
8/8/2008 - An auspicious date to begin the Olympic Games in Beijing. And what a show! I thought the opening ceremony was a stunning spectacle, beautiful and interesting. I loved the 32 red and gold columns rising into the night sky and the Silk Road presentation. A great start to what I hope is a great games. The World is changing, power is shifting, and this is the start of a new age of Asian development. Check out my images from the opening ceremony. Thanks to the great coverage from Chinese television (who retain copyright).
August 7th
I'm writing about Bali at the moment. It's not finished but you can take a look at what's there in the travel section as I put it on line to check it. But go back in a few days to see some more content.
P.S. Maki... The magnitude-6 earthquake was luckily a false alarm. I am relieved - see you again!
August 5th
I've finished putting pictures into the Working Holiday article of the Australia travel section. The memories are so fresh for me as Australia is such an amazing country to visit.
By the way, one of my students told me that Tokyo is going to suffer a serious earthquake on August 6th, so if it happens, you read it here! She heard that a fortune teller had made the prediction but I hope it's wrong!!
August 1st
Take a look at the Japan gallery from the Home Page. I've changed it using Javascript to make a nice effect. Now you don't have to scroll down the page, just move your mouse over the images.
July 2008
July 31st
I've upload an account of a trip I made to the Island of Borneo with my friends. The Malaysian state of Sabah is one part of this large island and is a great place to see nature, with orangutans and turtles being the highlights. You'll find it under 'Travel / Malaysia / Sabah'.
You can also see some drawings by Ayumi Mizoguchi in the Students / Showcase section. I spent ages arranging the fancy mouse effect. This uses something called 'Javascript' and allows you to interact with objects on the page.
July 28th
It's so hot and humid today - I've taken four showers and still might go for a swim at 10pm. The Japanese find the summer difficult to cope with, although it's now 'Hanabi' season. 'Hanabi' is Japanese for 'fireworks' and there are some truly amazing displays through the summer months. Last night was the big one at the Sumida river in Toyko, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people. One of my students used to live in an apartment by the river there, and had 'hanabi' parties. Alas, she has now moved so I've missed my chance of a grandstand view. During the summer months many young women wear 'yukata' which are colourful lightweight cotton kimonos. They look so beautiful strolling through the evening streets, local festivals, and city parks. Japan retains many wonderful social traditions. I'll have to write an article on them!
By the way, I'd like to say Thank you to those who are supporting me during some very difficult times at the moment.
I've added many photos to the story in 'travel / laos / ju-ju' about my unlucky week during the millennium celebrations. Please take a look!
July 26th
Today I uploaded a short account of my working holiday to Australia. There are no photos yet - maybe tomorrow if I get the chance. If anyone has been on a working holiday, you'll know how the memories remain, how the experience helps shape you as a human being. If you are young and have the opportunity to go, don't hesitate, just go. These days many people have more than one 'trip-of-a-lifetime', and yet a working holiday stands as a special experience in anyone's life. It's freedom that pays for itself.
I've added photos of my student Ritsuko's ceramic flowers in the student/showcase section. They are very beautiful, please take a look and feel free to commission some! I did - the Red rose arrangement for my friend Etsushi's wedding.
July 25th
There are now quite a few book reviews and links to Amazon in the UK. In the future, once I start translating into Japanese, there will be a link To Amazon in Japan too.
Tokyo has been over 30 degrees Celsius for thirteen consecutive days now - and long may it last!
July 24th
I've just added some book reviews in the 'about me/books' section. Only four books so far - three on travel, and one on history, but I had to do two new web-design things to make that possible: Firstly - I had to learn how to use 'tables' to separate information on the web page; and secondly, I had to join Amazon Associates. More to follow, but it's bed time for me!
July 20th
I'm back in Japan and there is so much to do. I'll be contacting all my students as soon as I can. It's hot in Tokyo - so different from cold England. I'm looking forward to the humidity and going swimming in the clear blue waters at Shonan beach! See everyone soon.
July 17th
It's my birthday although it is difficult to celebrate in the present circumstances. My cousin Ray and his wife Jill threw a party for me in the new games room in Gravesend. It was great to see their side of the family - all the kids have grown up! Time goes by so quickly. Ray - the barbeque was fantastic - the best I've had for years. We all enjoyed playing pool. table-football and Nintendo Wii. Thanks guys, it was a fun night.
July 14th
Today we held the funeral of my wonderful mum Jean. She will be sadly missed for her love, support and sense of fun. Thank you to all the family and friends who attended the service at Eltham crematorium. Thank you too to the family members who helped us with the preparation and the gathering afterwards. I'm sure Mum is touched by everyone's kindness. It was great to see so many from the Post Office making the effort to come and pay their respects.
July 1st
I am returning to England tomorrow for two weeks after the sad death of my mother Jean who passed away on June 28th.
June 2008
June 27th
I just added the Tokyo page, take a look. There are only a few words and images at present, but more to follow.
I have added a short true story entitled 'Ju-Ju' in the Laos section of the Travel page. Also, you can now contact me on the site by clicking on 'Contact me' on the Home Page or About me page. I was awake until 3am last night typing the story and doing the graphics.
June 26th
Started work on the new home page. There's lots to do yet as I want to make it more snazzy, but I like this image of cherry blossom branches altered using Photoshop.
Tonight and tomorrow I should be able to add more content. To my Japanese readers, sorry for the difficult English! I will be adding a Japanese version as soon as I've finished the English version.
I'll be adding the' Contact me' section soon too. Before then, please e-mail me directly.
June 22nd
I'm on line! So to those who are reading this - I say thank you. On Friday I started uploading and instantly ran into a problem - my lovely web pages work okay using Internet Explorer, but they don't look so good on my Firefox browser - so I tried to reformat the pages but still no joy. So I'll concentrate on Internet Explorer and say sorry to those who use Firefox.
Today I have been creating the images you see on the travel page. It took ages as I was using my new Photoshop software and it takes time to experiment. Hopefully the result are worth the hours of effort. You cannot link to any of the sub-pages yet - still to be uploaded, but please keep coming back. And also please tell me what you think about the layout and content.
June 20th
I now have a web site name: 'Off the Compass .com'. It took hours to decide on one I liked. It's difficult as millions of names are taken. I'm happy with it, and I've also arranged for the tab at the top of your page to say 'Planet Sean' just to remind you that it's me!
June 9th
Yesterday I met a friend in Akihabara at 10.30am. We left shortly after and so missed the chaos that ensued. Many of you may have read about the multiple stabbings in Tokyo. We missed this by about 30 minutes! Seven people were killed and ten others injured by a guy who drove a rented truck into a crowd of shoppers and then jumped from the cab to stab and slash as many people as he could. He was arrested on the scene and explained that he didn't want to live and wanted to kill as many people as possible. This seems to be a rare but disturbing feature here in Japan. Like the woman who wanted to die, but instead, pushed a commuter to their death in front of a train. Or the old guy who wanted a warm prison bed, so decided the best way was to murder a random person, thus ensuring a comfortable life behind bars. Sad reminders of people under intense emotional and mental pressure.
May 2008
May 28th
I've been checking out domain names for this site and was disappointed to discover that my first choice of 'Planet Sean' was already taken. So I'm now thinking about 'Cafe Sean' or 'Tokyo Cats' as a name. By the time you read this, I will have decided. (If any of my students are reading this, you have just seen me use Future Perfect tense!). It's such a difficult decision. At least some reasonable names are still available.
Last weekend I went to the wedding of my friends Etsushi and Fumiko. There is a photo or two below. It was great, Fumiko looked lovely and Ets looked nervous! I spent sometime with Emma, who came from England for the wedding. It was good to speak real English again, and be on the receiving end of sarcastic comments from a bird. After the wedding, six of us, including Ms. Watanabe and Ms Tanaka had lunch in TY Harbor Brewery and then went to karaoke at Big Echo, the highlight being my rendition of 'Your Beautiful' by James Blunt. This was followed by myself, Emma and Miwa boozing In an Irish pub. A great day!
May 10th
The weather is terrible this weekend, but I shouldn't complain - it's an opportunity to work on this site and I've started reading 'The Key' by Dr. Joe Vitale as a valuable addition to 'The Secret'. For those who aren't familiar with the Law of Attraction, please check out my article and the links from the Magazine section. 'The Secret' is the book which can change your life, and 'The Key' gives additional solid help in achieving the life you really want.
May 4th
I'm working on this webpage and it seems to be coming together. Today I've been building this very page and deciding on content. I've also been preparing for tomorrow's visit by Steve and Ryan for some 'Magic: The Gathering' TCG playing. Should be fun as the new 'Shadowmoor' cards have just been released. If you don't know about the card game called 'Magic', check out the game through the link in the Magazine section