December 2009
December 21st
Just finished my last teaching for the year. Thanks to Yuko, Yasuko and Eiko for making the last three month's Tuesday mornings so enjoyable (well, I enjoyed them!). And thanks to Maki too. In a couple of days I go to Singapore to meet my dad Ron. I'm looking forward to it so much. I'll be away until the 5th so won't answer any mails until I return to Tokyo. Wishing everyone a very happy New Year. I hope 2010 is a great year for you all, wherever you are.
December 15th
I've been reading the news that British Airways staff are possibly going on strike this Christmas. As my Dad is planning to fly with them on Christmas Eve to meet me in Singapore, I'm a bit concerned he will be delayed. I hope the company and unions can come to an agreement before then.
I finally finished the African story. It is in between 6 parts and 9 parts depending upon which choice the reader makes. Below is another image to click on if you want to read it. I'm very interested in the idea of choice vs destiny. I always wonder just how much 'real' choice we have. Especially after having dreams about the future which come true, I am inclined to believe that Time is totally misunderstood.
December 9th
I've just had a lovely dose of flu. Thanks for all the cards and flowers, but now I'm on the mend. I'm looking forward to going to Singapore on the 24th to meet my dad, and if you're reading this dad, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I've not been able to do much on the web site recently, but hope to rectify that in January, so keep coming back.
December 1st
I can't believe it's December! This year has passed so quickly. Each one seems to be getting faster and faster. My foot is slowly healing and I try not to think about it. It's interesting feeling your body trying to fix itself. Seems a bit slow to me though. Time gets quicker and the body can't keep up. C'est la vie! As our French cousins say.
I've almost finished my African story. I had to make a flowchart as it got too complicated for me to keep track of as the storyline switches over and over. It''s very different to my other two interactive stories. Please take a look, and mail me with any spelling mistakes or damning criticisms! Anyway, click on the image to go read it.
November
November 27th
It's been a frustrating time recently as I broke a bone in my foot five weeks ago and I've been limping around ever since. I can't go climbing or go running so I have too much energy to burn. Perhaps next week, I'll go. I've waited to let the bone heal itself so it should be okay to put a lot of weight on it. The weather in Tokyo is very up and down, and very spring-like with cold rainy days between mild sunny days.
I've been working on my interactive African refugee story, and it's almost finished. It has proved to be very complicated to d oas the story line choices weave together like a badly-knitted scarf and I've had to make a flow-chart to keep track of the story. I hope you've been reading it after all this effort. And of course, please mail me if you spot spelling mistakes - I can rarely see my own mistakes... the same as other things in my life!
There is a fourth animation if you want to watch it. Click below. This one has 'Bill' trying to pick up a Japanese girl who cannot speak English. If you have any ideas for more atories, let me know, or make them yourself and I can put them here!
November 15th
Friday I took a train to
Roppongi to the new national art gallery to see an exhibition of art
collected by the Habsburgs. They were the family who dominated cenreal
Europe for several hundred years; taking control of the Holy Roman
empire, and creating the Austro-Hungarian empire centred on Vienna. The
works on show were a feast for the eyes and included paintings by
Velasquez, Rubens, El Greco, Rembrandt, Titian, Botticelli, and many
more masters. The exhibition runs for a while yet, so if you haven't
been, go now!
If you want some Christmas gifts, head along to an exhibition of handmade goods presented by the Japan Letter Arts Forum. It runs from November 30th to December 6th. Click on the image to visit the site.
November 7th
Last Saturday night, I actually went out! I went to a Halloween party at Castle Tintagel. The castle is a place in Tokyo where people learn European sword-fighting, medieval costume-making, and other skills from the middle-ages and later. It was good fun. Below is a photo of the prize-giving ceremony for best costume. Sadly, I didn't win. In fact, no one voted for me at all. I was the 'Ghost Captain' and maybe they were simply jealous!
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November 2nd
I've been busy recently making some changes to this site: I changed the front page to make access to the stories easier; and I've added the animations about English teachers in Tokyo (see left). I've also been building a website for an old student, using newer techniques than for Off The Compass.
As well as all this, I have been adding to my new interactive atory set in a war-torn African country. If you've not been reading it, please click on the image below and try it out. The first four chapters ar complete.
October
October 27th
Tonight I made another two
short
animations on the XTRANORMAL site. Click the title 'English
Teacher 2 and 3' on the left. If you haven't seen the first one. Check
out
the animation below.
In Tokyo, many English teachers pretend they are doing other jobs, so
that they sound more interesting. Not me!
October 26th
I've been writing another interactive story. This one is about a young girl in Africa who wants to become a teacher, but her village is attacked. It's not finished but please take a look at what I've done so far. I'll keep adding more when I can.
October 17th
Check out my new video story made on the fantastic Xtranormal site! Turn your sound up before you start... Xtranormal allows anyone to make short animated movies for free. It's easy to use and send links to your friends, or embed on your homepage or website. Go make a movie yourself!
Click on the link on the left side, under the xtranormal heading, that says 'English teacher 1'
October 15th
Click the image to see the photos I took in Okutama in west Tokyo. Tokyo is, of course, an enormous city, but on its western side are a range of mountains that extend northwards into Chichibu in the prefecture of Saitama, and westwards all the way to Mount Fuji and beyond. They are covered with trees and hide fast-flowing rivers and deep gorges. You can reach Okutama by taking the Chuo line out to Ome and then changing onto a smaller, 4-car train all the way to the terminus.
October 13th
I've not written much this month as I've been quite busy. I'm in the process of building a website for one of my ex-students called Ikuko. She is a calligrapher and paper quilling teacher and the website is to help her business. You can take a look by clicking on the image below. Since I started making this site, I've learned a few new skills, but there's still a lot to learn. Her site isn't finished, but take a look anyway.
Last Friday I took a trip out to Okutama in Chichibu. It's a beautiful mountain valley where two rivers meet. Hopefully soon I'll have some photos for you to see.
October 6th
I've been working on some T-shirt deigns recently, using a photo of a gecko that I took in Thailand. I used Photoshop to mutate the gecko and give him two heads. Soon, I'm going to sell them online. Any buyers?
It's raining today in Tokyo as another typhoon is coming. Typhoons can cause devastaion, especially in Taiwan and the Philippines. They are sometimes deadly when they hit Japan too, although most deaths are old men who go'onto the roof to check the TV ariel, or down to the river to see if it is flooding. I always wonder how they can reach retirement age with such risky behaviour! Earthquakes are actually responisble for fewer deaths in Japan, due to the way modern buildings are constructed. We are waiting for 'the big one' to hit the Tokyo metropolitan area, when even earthquake-proof buildings will collapse. However, it is the fires that rage after a quake that cause the most casualties and destruction. Anyway, enough of the good news!. Let's move on...
On Sunday night I went to
Nakano to see a special showing of a documentary by ian thomas ash,
an American who lives in Tokyo, but who
studied in Bristol in England. The film is about his relationship with
a homeless woman, and her relationship with her son and ex-boyfriend.
It was interesting for me as I lived in Bristol very
close to where he filmed.
Click on the image to see the website for
ian's film. (Copyright ian thomas ash)
September
September 26th
Good news! I'm going to Singapore. Not for ever, but for two weeks at Christmas and New Year. I'm meeting my dad, Ron, who is flying out from England. He hasn't been to Singapore for 50 years so there might be a few changes. I'm looking forward to backpacking up into Malaysia too.
September 22nd
I've finally finished all the parts of the interactive story 'Nine Lives'. It's quite long but please take a look. I hope you like it and don't die too many times trying to keep the couple alive. Click on the image below.
I have also uploaded a short story written by one of my students. Satomi Fukue. Please take a look by clicking below. Thanks to her for allowing me to exhibit her fine writing.
September 14th
The weather is better and the September Sumo tournament has started so I'm a happy man. I love Sumo wrestling - 15 days of mounting tension. I know many people think it is all about two fat blokes pushing each other, but there is a lot more to it. One day I'll write an article, but not now. Instead I'm writing to mention I've completed the first five parts of 'Nine Lives' - my latest interactive story. Check it out by clicking on the image.
September 12th
It was a bit nippy in Tokyo today, and wet too. Reminded me of England. This week has been one of sporting highs and lows. Firstly England thrashed Crotia 5:1 in the World Cup qualifier. Fantastic! Also on Wednesday night, I managed to do a climbing problem that I had been trying for some time - so I was very happy. But tonight I'm watching the BBC coverage of the one-day cricket match between England and Australia - and we're getting a severe thrashing. Luckily, I'm not surrounded by Aussies in my guesthouse. In fact, I'm the only one who knows what cricket is, as it's not too popular in Russia or Korea... Never mind!
I've started another interactive story in which you, the reader, have nice chances to keep a couple alive. They find themselves in a dangerous situation and you have to choose what they do. choose badly, and they die, choose well and they live. It's not complete but check it out!
September 2nd
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY
Wishing my sister, Cindy, A very happy birthday. I hope you have a lovely day!
September 1st
Today is the 70th anniversary of the start of the second world war. We must never forget.
August
August 29th
Here's another new story. It is level 4 with a simple plot. Click on the image below:
August 25th
Here's a new story. it's about a woman who visits a cafe everyday to look at the waiter. Click on the image below:
August 24th
I finally got my PC back from being repaired, and so have a lot of catching-up to do. When you have a problem with something you've bought, it's a goos opportunity to do some research on customer service, and this is what I discovered:
I bought my notebook PC from a shop in Tokyo. It is a US model with English OS. After it broke I first took it to a Tokyo company called Tokyo-IT.com who charged me 5000 Yen but mis-diagnosed the problem, and then wanted to charge another 30000 Yen to replace something that wasn't broken - i.e. the hard drive. I decided I wasn't going to waste more time and money with him so I did everything that HP instructs you to do in the manual. I ran through many tests but couldn't fix it myself. I went online and used HP online chat with a helpful technician. She was fine, except HP said my warranty was invalid because I didn't buy the product in north America! Luckily, a friend called HP Japan for me, even though they had no obligation to repair it, HP japan said they would fix it for free and actually sent someone to pick it up! They fixed it completely and now it's working perfectly. Thanks to wonderful Japanese customer care.
So I'm back online and will be blogging and adding more content very soon!
August 12th
You might be wondering why I've stopped writing anything. Well the problem is my computer died! I'm in the process of getting it repaired, but it might take a week or so more. But rest assured, I'll be back.
July 2009
July 17th
Happy Birthday me!
July 15th
In Japan, people mostly learn American English, but I teach what is known as 'British' English. However, people across the UK speak in a variety of accents. For example: 'mum' in the south, 'mom' in the midlands, and 'mam' in the north. Surf to to British Library site below where you will find a map of the UK and can listen to interviews with people from different areas. Good, but difficult listening practise.
July 14th
I just finished the second story from yesterday. It's a response to a dangerous situation that now exists in london and all across the UK.
July 13th
It's a lovely hot Monday in Tokyo. I've been trying to type a couple of stories but have been distracted by watching some classic comedy on You Tube: 'Blackadder'. For those who don't know, the four series of this comedy were enormously popular in Britain, and feature Rowan Atkinson. Each series is set at a different time in history. If you don't know the show, check it out. The English is incredibly difficult though, so be warned!
July 11th
Click on the photo below to read 'Tokyo Love Story'. It's a story of three people looking for love in strange places.
July 10th
This
handsome and blameless
young man was
Shaquille Smith, who at the age of
14 was stabbed to death in a London Park. This week his young killers
were jailed. I would like to direct you to a short video put together
by a You Tube subscriber named Justin. Shocked by another senseless
killing he put images together with a song called 'Playground
martyrs'
by Steve Jansen and David
Sylvian, sung by Nina Kinert. It is a powerful attempt by Justin to
express the pain
and loss. Please click on the song link to watch the video.
In violence there are only victims - not only Shaquille and his family
and friends, but even the killers themselves and their families. Many
young people grow up without knowing and feeling the love and beauty
inside themselves. They
are lost in fear, confusion, hatred and violence. Their
lives are without happiness. If you have children, please help them
find the love inside themselves.
July 8th
I've been watching the progress of the first 'Ashes' test between England and the Aussies. I really hope we stuff them. As I write, England are 215-3. For those of you you can't understand what I am writing... this is Cricket The worl'ds number two game after football. Luckily cricket is a bit boring so I had time to finish off a story. It's set in Australia and is about a young couple who are on a camping trip.
July 6th
I spend a fair bit of time on You Tube, looking at funny clips and listening to music. I cam across a guitarist who is simply incredible. His name is Kotaro Oshio and if you have never heard him, please follow the link to watch and listen. He fuses rhythym and melody, plays double chords and solos, tunes his guitar in extreme ways and simply thrills. Perfect playing.
Kotaro Oshio You Tube
July 4th
Today is Independence Day for our American friends and celebrates a tremendous victory for their country. A few years ago some large spaceships tried to destroy democracy - one even blew up the Whitehouse, but luckily the American president managed to kill the aliens, save democracy, and save the earth.
I was checking out the BBC news on their website and came across a short video and news item about young people in London imitating the out-of-date look of the brown-faced ganguro youth culture in Tokyo. Check out the link below for the video, and click on the word above for the wikipedia explanation.
July 1st
I really can't believe it's already July. Did someone speed up all the clocks? In a vain attempt to leave my mark I typed up another story at level 6. It's about a woman who is kept alive by her insurance company. Please take a look and, as always, feel free to comment.
June 2009
June 29th
A new story, and it's quite long and has a lot of advanced vocabulary. Check it out below by clicking on the image. It's about two greedy antique dealers.
Also, I've just added a short guide and photos to Sugamo and Rikugien garden in Tokyo, if you want to see.
June 28th
Today is the first anniversary of my mum's death. The year has gone so quickly and been difficult for many other reasons too. My love to all my family and friends, thank you for your continued kindness.
June 22nd
Sunday was wet, and so was today. But the air is distinctly more humid as the rainy season weather system sucks moist air up from the tropics. Can't wait for the clear skies to come. But I am weird in that I love heavy humid weather too, so Japan is great for me. I typed up another story - one I've been meaning to write for ages. It's about music that directly affects the brain, but this story has lots of high level vocabulary, so don't get a headache reading it.
By the way, 'euphoria' means 'a short but extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement' ...A bit like being an English teacher in Tokyo!
June 21st
Another wet Sunday in Tokyo. Luckily Friday was a lovely day and I went to Sugamo to see the old street where grannies buy red underwear which is meant to be lucky. Soon I'll write about the area so come back for a look. Last night I wrote a story. Please take a look.
June 14th
Rainy season is about to start and Tokyo is filled with Hydrangeas. These beautiful shrubs flower during early summer across east Asia. They range from white to blue, blue to purple, purple to pink, and pink to white. There are some outside my window, in the small garden, as I type this. I took a few photos in various places such as Shinjuku gyoen and Jindaiji botanical gardens and have made a small gallery.
June 10th
I'm well again. After two weeks of feeling really terrible (probably tonsilitis) I am now in fine fettle and about to go to the climbing wall. I hope I'm not returning too early... Oh! Below is another short story, a bit harder this time.
June 8th
Sunday was sunny! It had been a while.. so I went to Shinjuku gyoen (park) and took photographs of the Hydrangeas that are starting to come into season. I'll upload a few pics soo. Today is cool and grey wit low heavy clouds - not very nice at all. I'm indoors all day so wrote a level four story about a chance meeting on a bus.
June 4th
I'm still getting over a virus and so have been taking it easy. Last night and this afternoon I reeled off another short story for English learners. It's about a man waking up on a lovely day. But something is wrong. Find out what, by clicking on the image below...
June 3rd
It's June! I can't believe how fast this year is going. It's almost a year since I officially started the website. During that time, I have gained a lot of new web creation skills, and I would advise anyone who is thinking of building a web site to go ahead and do it. There are challenges, but none are impossible to overcome.
May 2009
May 29th
I read an interesting article on the BBC website about the way we hold our drinks. Scientists (Yes, people get paid to do this kind of research!) have discovered that the way you hold your drink in a social situation says a lot about the kind of person you are. Check out the link by clicking the photo of me below...
May 27th
I'm a bit 'under the weather' today and spent the late afternoon and evening resting. I hope it's not swine influenza! So anyway, I couldn't go climbing but had time to write a quick story before dinner. My kitchen has several Koreans and Russians in it, making a mess, so I'll cook after they vacate. Talking of Korea... that strange Mr Kim is causing trouble again. We need Team America to help us.
I received an e-mail from my old friend Tris, back in England. Tris mate, it was great to hear from you!
May 25th
I had a quiet day today, and I wasn't in the mood to do too much, but managed to do a bit of exercise and write a story about a big decision made at a G8 meeting. The G8 is the group of powerful countries including the US and Russia. The story has a lot of high level vocabulary, although the plot is very simple...
May 24th
Yesterday, instead of having a
lesson, With my student
Nakajima-san, I took a train to Hanno in Saitama prefecture to tale
part in a 20km walk through the hills surrounding the town
This was an organized walk with various length routes held on two days.
There were thousands of walkers with an average age of at least 60! The
strength and endurance of elderly Japanese is inspirational and puts
younger people to shame. Many of them were completing 30km walks on
both days.
Click on the photo below to see some more pics
May 18th
It was hot today in Tokyo - about 28 degrees, and we basked in bright sunshine, but sadly I had an upset stomach! Although, I did get time to add yet another story -one which has a lot of difficult vocabulary! - Although the plot is not difficult to follow.
May 16th
One of my students at KGC in Mitaka is a dentist with his own established surgery in Mitaka, and a newly opened surgery in Shinjuku. We were talking about good businesses and he mentioned the following company. It is a great skincare products company that uses fair-trade, organic, and bio-dynamic ingredients. Check out their website by following the link below, or find the one in your own language or country by Googling the name...
The second part of my longer story 'Inventive' is now ready. Just click the image. If you haven't read the first part, don't read this one!
May 13th
Tonight I went climbing again. I am impressed by the standard of some of the locals, and the general friendly atmosphere. One of the good aspects of climbing gyms is the easy-going nature of the staff and customers. When I used to work at the Mile End Climbing Wall in east London, this was something I tried my best to foster.
Above is the image from a new story at level 4. It is a bit spooky so read it with the light on! As a matter of fact, that's good advice for all reading! Click the image...
May 10th
It's a beautiful sunny Sunday, here in Tokyo. I had a busy day yesterday, and in the afternoon went to my friend Jeff's house with some of the guys to play cards and throw frisbees in the park. Thanks Jeff, I had a good time. This morning I wrote another short story (see below). This afternoon, I might go out to Shinjuku gyoen in central Tokyo. It is a large and beautiful park that is fantastic at any time of year. I need some sun on my body and skinny white legs.
On Friday, I went climbing again, to test my shoulder injury, and it seems to be getting better, so I am very relieved.
May 2nd
I was hoping for another sunny day, but alas, it was a bit cloudy, so no sun-bathing for me. I stayed in my room and prepared another story. I wanted to go climbing but am still nursing a tear of my left 'Teres major' muscle in my shoulder. It's one of the main 'climbing muscles' and is used when you have your arms above your head and pull down, or backwards. Ouch... Serves me right for showing off!
May 1st
Today was May Day. Around the world, millions of people recognise the struggle for basics rights and working conditions that has been continuing since the first days of employment. Here in Tokyo, I saw a march through leafy Kichijoji, attended by several thousand comrades. I felt secure knowing that so many people are still willing to march for what they believe in.
Tonight I started the first part of a 'longer' short story, about a student who invents a machine that can change the path of bullets. It's a valuable machine and soon, many people want it. Click the image above.
April 2009
April 25th
Last Saturday night, I went climbing at my nearby climbing gym, but it gets a bit busy. I don't mind if I'm with a partner, but I prefer it quieter when I am on my own. So tonight, as the weather was terrible - torrential rain, I thought it would be even busier, so I stayed in and wrote a new story. It is pretty straightforward, but please take a look.
April 22nd
Another short story. It's a kind of children's story but with a darker edge to it. Then again, all kids stories are a little dark! Clicking on the image will whisk you there.
April 20th
Life in Japan is defined by the changing seasons, and each season has
its signature flowers. Cherry-blossom season has finished and now we
are in straight into
Azalea season. Tokyo is covered with the rich pink flowers of
well-pruned bushes. The photo shows a pale variety, but there are
others as deep as purple. Wonderful! I can't wait for the rainy-season
Hydrangeas next.
April 14th
I have finally started work on my cartoon. But it will take me
ages to do. Here's a glimpse...
And no.. it's not 'Nemo'! These are goldfish, and one of them is one of
three main characters, the other two main characters being cats.
April 13th
It is now the end of the cherry blossom viewing season in Toyko. The last week has been very warm here: 20-25 degrees Celsius and sunny skies, so this year's season seemed to pass quickly, but I have made a small gallery of photographs. Please take a look by clicking on the image below.
April 11th
Interactive story
I've just completed a new type of short story. It is an interactive story, where you choose what happens. The story continues until there is a choice. You click on the way you want the story to continue. I have listed some of the harder words, as I usually do, to make reading faster. Click on the image below to try it out.. There are eight different endings.
April 6th
The photo on
the left
was
taken in Asagaya, where there are
many street cats who survive on food left by local people. Many people
object to having so many wild cats.
Recently there was a court case in which the residents of a mansion
block sued a guy for feeding the wild cats as they cause so many
problems.
I was surprised to find some
of you were fooled by my report about all the cherry trees dying. I
feel guilty... but not much! April
Fools! So just to make sure
it is
clear - there is no fungus coming from China to kill all the cherry
trees! I bet you can't wait for next year's April 1st.
April 4th
Today I went to the
penultimate day of the 'Arts and Crafts'
exhibition in Ueno. The big name is William Morris, and the exhibition
focuses on the importance of his belief that everything in the home
should be either useful or beautiful. Mentioning no names, I have to
say that this means that most husbands and wives are not included!
Many of the exhibits are on loan from the Victoria and Albert museum in London. They include taperstries, furniture, furnishings, ceramics, and calligraphy. I really enjoyed the nostalgic feeling of being back in jolly old England. The show finishes tomrrow, so anyone in Tokyo who hasn't been, has probably missed their chance.
April 1st
Sad news.... I was shocked to hear on television that a new type of fungus has arrived in Japan from China. The fungus attacks cherry trees and kills them within weeks. Scientists think that this is the final year to go cherry-blossom viewing in Japan. Before next spring 99% of all cherry trees in Japan will have died. The Goverment said it will take many years to plant new trees, so we should all enjoy this spring as much as we can. I rushed out to take this picture in the ever-popular Inokashira park in Kichijoji.
March 2009
March 28th
Tonight, I went to the climbing centre again. I'm really happy and surprised by my performance. I'm regaining my strength and technique far more quickly than I imagined. Below is a photo of me looking as youthful as ever - eat your heart out Benjamin Button!
March 25th
Yesterday, Japan beat there great rivals Korea in the final of the 'World Baseball Classic' (WBC), and are champions of the world again! Well done Japan. It was a great team effort and some intelligent strategy from the manger that won the day. Since I've been in Japan, baseball has grown on me. Yet another sport that originated in England but has found a home overseas. I'm not bitter though!
Below is another story that took me a bit longer than usual to write as I changed the focus half way through and so had to rewrite it. This one is level 6 because there is a lot of higher-level vocabulary, although the story is actually very simple.
March 23rd
This morning, Japan beat the US in the 'World Baseball Classic' (WBC), and are in to the final again, where they will face Korea - their biggest rivals. Gambatte Nippon!
Last week in my Tuesday morning lesson at KGC English school in Mitaka, one of the students suggested I write a story about a kidnapping. So here it is and it is dedicated to Yuko, Sayaka, and Aki.
March 17th
I had a busy weekend, and on Sunday went with my friend Stephen and his wife Fumino to see Corteo. This is a production from Cirque Du Soleil - the Canadian human circus. After arriving late (because I took them to the wrong theatre!!) we enjoyed the amazing spectacle of top-class circus acts. I recommend the show to anyone - adults and children alike, as the music, lighting, and performers combine to create a magical atmosphere base upon a clown's strange visions.
March 11th
I've added a story by my student Atsuko Sato. it's a lovely story about a young girl who has a paper piano. Click the image below to read it. Thank you so much to Sato-san for allowing me to show her writing here.
March 9th
On Sunday afternoon, I introduced three friends to the sport of 'bouldering' (rock climbing with no rope - but not high). We went to 'The Pump' climbing gym in Ogikubo. It had been a few years since I instructed climbing and I must say that I loved it. Miki and Yukie did very well for their first time, so well done girls! I took a couple of photos, but haven't uploaded them yet.
I also went to an exhibition of calligraphy in Ginza. Two of my students are highly skilled in European calligraphy (handwriting). I was impressed by the creativity, patience and skill of the scribes, who spend an enormous amount of time perfecting their techniques and thinking of new ways of presenting lettering. The image is from the exhibition advertisement. I am trying to persuade them to let me show some of their work here.
Finally, below is another story for you to read at level 3.
March 8th
Saturday
was a typical day for me here in Tokyo. I had two
one-to-one lessons then headed over to my friend Steve's house for some
MTG. MTG is a card game that occupies far too much of my time these
days. It's a 'trading card game' that is both intriguing in its
complexity and addictive by being so much fun. Below is my favourite
card of the last few weeks. Click on it to visit the 'Magic:
The
Gathering' website to learn
more. Needless to say, we enjoyed
a few
beers. Currently, I like Kirin
'Strong Seven' - a 7% Japanese lager
that
has us in giggling fits every time - a great brew! It tastes
ofl.... well, don't worry what it tastes like, as it gives a great buzz!
When i got home, I had time to type up yet another story. This one is low level and a bit spooky and weird. The beer had a very strong effect!
March 5th
When you travel alone, there is always the possiblity of romance or adventure. However, there is also the possibility of danger too. Check out my latest story to see what happens to a young man named Luke on the beautiful island of Bali.
March 4th
I have few students left at the moment, but luckily one of them read my last story and said the end was boring! That was because I tried to make a happy ending. So... by request, I've changed the ending to 'Lucky Unlucky' to add a little more drama.
March 2nd
It was a cold but clear day in Tokyo today, and I hear that there will be snow tomorrow. So we are finally experiencing a touch of winter. Winters here are becoming milder. Last year there was no snow at all, and this year only one day so far, but it didn't settle. Global warming is great! I can't wait for a permanent summer! Bad news for penguins though.
The cold snap has left me feeling sorry for the homeless of the world. One of my ambitions is to start a charity called 'GLOBAL WARMING' that supplies warm clothing to people living through disasters in cold countries. In the meantime, below is yet another super-short story.
February 2009
February 28th
Here's another short story, written tonight so 'hot off the press'.
February 24th
I am so relieved after finishing the rebuilding of the site. Now I can get back to adding new stuff. Here is a level 4 short story about a spaceship that crashes on a planet. Click the image to read it. Don't forget, there is now a printable version of each story that has low-graphics. They are accessed by clicking the box on the right side of each page.
February 23rd
Success!
I have finally finished re-building all the existing pages. Luckily, or unluckily, I had a cold this weekend so spent many hours finally completeing the last few pages. Today is Monday and it's raining here in Tokyo so I can stay in all day in my warm room and listen to the Russians and Koreans chatting in Japanese.
I am the only native English speaker in my guesthouse. However, the Russians speak fantastic English, for example, they often speak English to each other, and last night, Dmitri (aged 18) used the word: indistinguishable. Wow!
February 18th
There was a lovely view of Mount Fuji from the train today. It's always a thrill to see it on a clear day. Although it is140km away it looks so large on the horizon. Unfortunately, at this time of year many people begin to suffer terribly fron hayfever. I feel so sorry for the thousands of Tokyoites wearing masks and with red itchy eyes.
On the Tokyo page, I've added some links to other sites of interest in Japan. These are for both visitors and ex-pats. Please take a look. These were mostly recommended in the excellent Japanzine magazine. So thanks to them. check out their site too.
It's a public holiday today in Japan so I only have one private lesson. Unfortunately, this means I can't go and play cards all day. Instead, I'm creating printable versions of my short stories. This is much more convenient for students to print as there is little colour and they are reduced size. Click on the image to see one.
February 9th
I spent almost all day today working on re-building and I'm very tired but can't sleep because my mind is too active. I only have about ten more pages to update, then I can get on doing new stuff! I should go to bed as it's 1.23am... maybe half an hour more.
February 5th
I have been beavering away changing the pages to the new style, athough I'm sure no one has noticed any difference! It's probably not worth clicking on much at the moment, except for the coloured tabs at the top.
Luckily, I have lots of spare time at the moment, as almost all my students quit over the New Year holiday. So hopefully I'll complete the rebuilding in a couple of weeks.
Last week I went bouldering for the first time in about two years. Bouldering is gymnastic rock climbing without using a rope for protection. I visited 'The Pump' climbing gym in Ogikubo and enjoyed two hours of pain! You can check out the following link on the right >>>> ( Link:Japan Indoor climbing walls )
February 3rd
I built this site using something called 'frames'. That means that the top section with 'Off The Compass' and the coloured tabs, is actually a separate page that always remains in place. The content page (like this one) changes when you click on one of the tabs. Unfortunately, this causes search engine problems (Google, Yahoo) and makes it a little difficult to make big changes.
So I've started the process of rebuilding the site. This will take a bit of time, and means many pages will be unavailable for a while. I'll update the blog to say what is ready, so please look here first. Soon, the screen will not be divided, and so hopefully, I'll show up better on searches.
January 2009
January 28th
As I bought a new computer I decided to buy a computer game. I've only played one game before, but I now have a bit of spare time in the evenings so went to Akihabara to a store that sells the English versions of many games. My old friend Mike plays the enormously popular 'World of Warcraft' online, but this seemed too big a jump, so I settled for a game called 'Spore'.
In
this game, players begin life as a
simple-celled creature swimming in the sea of some planet. Slowly you
evolve into a land creature. Then later, as you evolve, you form a
tribe followed by a civilisation. Eventually you build spacecraft and
fly around the galaxy trying to become master of the universe! It's a
great journey, but what makes it fun is that you, the player, design
the creatures, buildings, vehicles, aircraft and spacecraft, using a
fantastic graphics animation and editing program. Your creature becomes
more advanced as the game progresses. Click the image below (one of my
creations) to visit the Spore
website.
January 26th
I've started another page. It has a tab above and is called 'Answers'. This is about the journey of life and search for understanding.
January 20th
It's short story time again. A level 6 one about a guy who uses women, but finds love when he least expects it. Click the image below...
January 14th
Here's another short story. It is about an old man who is returing home after a long absence. It's around level 4 in difficulty. Click the image below...
January 10th
After a busy day, I'm feeling creative and have been doing some work on three projects I have in the pipeline: a self-help book, a book of short stories for EFL students, and my manga story. All require me to gain additional skills, so I'm excited to have made a determined start.
I'm now living in a guesthouse in Tokyo and using my new HP Pavilion notebook computer. It's much faster than the old Fujitsu, and has an English OS, which means I can understand my mistakes a bit more easily. Using a machine in Japanese can be very frustrating at times. Anyway.. back to work!
January 8th
I am adding an area with lots of stuff about cats. If you look at the coloured tabs above, you'll see a new yellow tab... 'cats'. The page is still under construction, but it will have funny videos, photos, stories and cartoons (manga). If anyone has any photos, mail them to me and I'll feature your cat!
I am now using the free NVu software making this site and it is taking a while to get used to how it works. NVu is a great way of creating your own website if you don't want to learn coding. I still prefer to code (write) rather than point and click, but I might be tempted to take the easy road soon.
January 4th
Happy New Year!
I've recently moved within Tokyo, so it'll take a while to start adding more to the site. But please come back often!