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September 2nd

.................................................. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY !!! ....................................................

My laptop has broken again! Don't buy HP laptops - I've had many problems with mine. I'll buy a Chinese one next time.. better than this cheap American rubbish! So, anyway, it is going to be difficult to do much on here for a while. Also, I am going back to England from Sep 20th to Sep 27th to see my dad, sister, family and friends. I'm really looking forward to it.

Last weekend I went hiking in Okutama with my student Mr Kobashi and his friend Mr Mizonogi. It was a wonderful place. We went to Tomin no mori, which is a forest (mori) for the people (min) of Tokyo city (to). I took lots of photos but I can't upload any as my rubbish HP computer has broken again! Arghhhh!

August

August 11th

I'm still recovering from a cold that hit me at the weekend. My trip to the mountains was so enjoyable that since I came back to Toyko, my body is punishing me with sickness and injury. Perhaps, deep down, I want to leave the city. Anyway, this afternoon I wrote another story. It's got a lot of high-level vocabulary so I gave it level 7! The words are difficult but the meaning is not so hard, so please try it! It's set in a city in a time of war and is about some different people who all want to go to a special place. But where are they going? And why? Read it to find out! I didn't define any words because there are too many difficult ones, so please use your dictionary. It's called 'For Our Patrons'.

I've also added a little to the 'Life' section. It's about identity and it's importance in motivating our decisions and fuelling happiness or unhappiness. Click the image below to read it.

August 8th

On Wednesday, I managed to tear my calf muscle while climbing! I can hardly walk! Stupid me. Never mind, because I just wrote a quick story on this hot and humid Saturday afternoon. It's about two young out-of-work actors who keep arguing and have no work.

August 4th

I just finished the gallery of some of the photos I took in Hakuba in the Northern Japan Alps. Click the image below to take a look, or go to the travel section.

August 3rd

Here are two photos of me canyoning. In the first photo, I am sliding down an 8m waterfall. In the second photo, I am sliding down a rope over another waterfall. Soon, I'll have a gallery of many more photos of my Hakuba trip, so come back to see them!

Hakuba canyoning with Evergreen Japan Alps canyoning with Evergreen

August 2nd

I just got back from spending four days in Hakuba, Nagano. The village was the site of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games skiing competitions. I went there to do outdoor activites, and enjoyed canyoning, mountain walking, and canadian canoeing. As soon as I can, I'll upload some photos. Needless to say, I came back sunburnt depsite the cloudy weather.

July

July 26th

At last, I am on holiday. I wrote another story this afternoon, while escaping the humidity. This is a very hot summer so far and will perhaps be the hottest recorded in Japan. I love global warming! I might get a little more time to add morw stories. I have many ideas ready to be written. But this week I am going to Hakuba to stay in an Aussie-owned lodge, and do some mountain sports.

July 12th

I'm still really busy, so have only had time to add another short chapter to the high level 'No More' story. If you've not started reading it, please try it.

The World Cup is over. Congratulations to Spain, who showed that football is still a beautiful game. I was disappointed with Holland in many ways, especially their lack of belief that good football could win it for them. The star of the World Cup, however, was not a player, but an octopus. Paul predicted all the results, ending up with a 100% record. I read that he was actually born off the coast of England, so would like to take this opportunity to state that we English are therefore the true stars of football after all.

July 5th

This year is flying by, it's July already! And in less than two weeks, I will have yet another birthday. I don't actually need any more, and will be happy to donate this one to anyone who wants it.

I've been very busy recently, and haven't had the time or energy to write any new stories. There are almost 70 already, so please read some of the older ones. I'll try to do another one in the next few days, if I can get some inspiration. If anyone has any ideas for a good plot, please let me know.

The World Cup is now almost over. To be honest, it has been the worst one I can remember (out of the 11 I have followed), but Germany are playing some inspirational football; simple but direct and effective. Good luck to them.

June

June 29th

Were England robbed by a bad referee? No! We were beaten by a well-organised team who exploited our poor defence and weak central midfield. As the team is rebuilt, I want to see a defensive midfield player (Barry) with a strong central midfield player who can hold the ball and distribute it (Bryan Robson used to do it). Lampard should be dropped, he showed that he is not good enough at international level. I thought Ashley Cole did his best, but he shouldn't have to run up and down the full length of the pitch to provide balls for the strikers. We need to build the team more intelligently, not just pick a group of our 'best' league players. Slovakia and Japan demonstrate that teamwork, intelligence, responsibilty, and commitment are vital. Slovakia are out, but they showed the desire to play football as best they could.

Gamba Nippon!

June 25th

Japan went crazy today after their team's victory over Denmark in the final group match of the World Cup. And with England's great win, I'm a very happy man today. Japan next face Paraguay, who are definitely beatable, while England must defeat the young German side and then battle through Argentina to reach the semi-finals. Should be fun!

Below is a link to an exhibition of European Calligraphy in Tokyo. The scribes are all Japanese and show incredible skill in the art of handwriting, using writing styles such as Gothic, Itallic and Copper-Plate. If you have time, please go along to Gallery kubota near Tokyo station. Click on this link to Minako Sando-sensei's website: Andscript.jp.

June 21st

The World Cup took so long to arrive, but now it's here, it's going so quickly. There have been a few surprises and a lot of controversy. The French are in disarray, the Germans, Spanish, and Italians are in shock, and the English... well! The final games are coming up in a few days and I can't wait to find out which of the big names are knocked out in the group stage. The refereeing had been awful and has affected several results. But., despite all this, it's still wonderful, and I'm suffering from a lack of sleep.

Recently, I found a couple of new places to recommend. Firstly, the Rogue pub in Kichijoji. It's been there a couple of years but I only just discovered it. Check out the website from the link on the right, for a map and go take a visit. Also, I found a nice Balinese cafe in Koenji. It's on the left 100m from the end of the small road full of clothes shops that leads down to Shin Koenji station. It's called 'Cafe Bali Campur', and Katut and Yoko are friendly hosts.

June 16th

It's a hot and humid afternoon and I finished a story based here in Tokyo. It's based on a true incident that one of my students told me about. I have added some extra details and changed her name though. Please read it if you have time. It's level 3. I haven't yet put the new grading system in place, but will start soon. I am really busy and have a million things to do at the moment.

This afternoon, I was listening to You Tube songs and I discovered some bad news. Mick Karn, who was a hugely influential fretless bass player, had been diagnosed with cancer. He currently lives in Cyprus and is trying to get treatment. If you know of him or his music, please visit his site and send him a message or even make a donation via PayPal. Below is a link to his website, and also one to a YouTube video showcasing his fretless bass style. Get well soon Mick!

June 14th

Rainy season has started, but so has the World Cup. I stayed up all night on Saturday to watch England play the US in our opening game. I'm sure many of you saw goalkeeper Mark Green's unfortunate lapse in concentration. There were some negatives in the match, but many positives too. Now, we simply need to finish top on goal difference.

Below is an example of a new grading system I am using on my short stories. These charts will help you to understand that stories with the same overall level sometimes have very different difficulties. Some have an easy concept and a few high level words, while others have many words at the overall grade, but an easy concept to understand. Take a look at the example below:

short story level grading The grammar is at level 4, and there are some level 5 (advanced) words. But the density of the text is low (level 2). This means that there are very few difficult sections.

The concept of the story is level 3 and so relatively easy to understand for a level 4 (Upper Intermediate) student.

This is graded 'Level 4' overall, but a little easy at that grade.

Average score for level 4 = 16

June 6th

It'a warm Sunday afternoon here in Tokyo, and I'm back in my room, between lessons. I'm logged on to You Tube, listening to some more classic tracks from my younger days. Below is a link to Blondie - an American New Wave group featuring the gorgeous Debbie Harry. Click the two images below to go back in time to 1978/1979.

Heart of Glass
Denis, Dreaming, Union City Blue

June 2nd

Thanks to Michiyo for pointing out the error in the essay: 'Chasing Cats' in the 'Life' section of this website. I'm sorry you spent twenty minutes trying to understand something that was, in fact, my grammatical mistake! I'll try to be more careful! Below is the corrected version of the essay...

Chasing cats

self-help advice Cats are wonderful creatures, but are often unapproachable. The more attention you give to a cat, the more it tries to escape. When you chase one and pick it up, it struggles to get away, seemingly uncomfortable in your arms. However, if you sit quietly, and pay a cat no attention, it might come to you and sit on your lap. Only when you stop chasing it, does it allow you to get close.

To me, this is exactly like happiness. If you chase happiness, you might find it is impossible to capture. We pursue it in the relationships we build; the money we make; the holidays we take; the hobbies we engage in. And yet, happiness is often momentary - reduced to memories and photographs. If you want lasting happiness, you must stop looking for it. When you give up the chase, it will find you. The happiness you will experience will be a deeper joy; the simple wonderous joy of being that is separate from the fleeting superficial happiness of actions.

This pure happiness also includes a feeling of peace, and can be yours if you stop chasing and let it come to you. The key is in acceptance. By accepting whatever happens, you will find the space to relax and enjoy life. Although, in this state, it simply doesn't matter if life is good or bad, because true happiness doesn't depend on day-to-day outside influences - it is eternal.

June 1st

I can't believe it is June already. This year is going even faster than last year. I wish it would all slow down! Today, I spoke to a few people about the England-Japan football match. Sadly, Japan's good performance hasn't sparked much football-fever into the locals here in Tokyo. But I'm confident Japan will progress to the last 16. England should do well this time too. Especially if Rooney makes more of an effort.

Here's another story. I hope you're enjoying them. Please mail me to let me know if you like them, or hate them! Any feedback is useful.

May

May 27th

I just sent an email to the BBC complaining about their news coverage of Japan, which, in my opinion, is unfair and biased against Japan. Below is a copy of the email.

World Cup football tables are in alphabetical order, except for Japan, which is in fourth place in Group E. Although this is a small point, it is indicative of what I consider to be a general anti-Japan bias on BBC Online. As a British ex-pat who lives in Tokyo, I am often appalled at the coverage of issues relating to Japan on the BBC. Stories are invariably negative or include content that is often irrelevant, or in the worst cases untrue. For example, Roland Buerk stating that Japanese perhaps prefer robots to immigrants (there are many examples). Living in Japan, I experience many of the negative aspects of the country, but also the positive ones too. A little balance at the Beeb, would be greatly appreciated by not only myself, but students who are avid readers of BBC articles. They too wonder why reporting is so one-sided.
So, I was not surprised to discover that the World Cup tables are in alphabetical order with one exception: Japan. Although all teams are currently on 0 points, Japan should rightly be in third position, above the Netherlands. (You could change it to 'Holland' of course!). Please reinstate Japan to the lofty heights of third place and allow their football skills to determine a fourth place finish. This will quiet some of my students who are up in arms at yet again. Thank you so much for your otherwise first-class reporting.
Sean Anderson

May 26th

Encouraged by words from one of my students in Mitaka, I wrote another story while sitting in Doutor on Tuesday evening. It's short and level 3, so it shouldn't take you long to read!

May 25th

Last night I added another short chapter to the level 7 story: 'No More!' Each chapter is about three paragraphs long. Give it a try.

May 24th

A wet Monday is a good day to get things done, so here's another story! I originally wrote an earlier version of this one a month ago, but I didn't like it at all, so I rewrote it. It's about a baby girl with green eyes who is taken to a small hospital in Peru. She was born in the rainforest but abandoned by her parents.

May 19th

This afternoon, as rainy weather came to Tokyo, I wrote a short story while listening to my favourite band: Japan, and their singer/songwriter: David Sylvian. If you've never heard heard them, try the following link. Their music was incredibly varied over the five years they recorded as a band. Check the You Tube link. I can recommend other tracks too.

Japan - 'Nightporter'

May 17th

My dad sent me a link to an interesting report about photocopiers. It appears that they all contain a hard drive that stores an image of every thing that you photocopy. Check out the link and listen to the report.

Photocopier Security Problem

May 10th

Finally, a new story! I have a few almost ready to upload, and here's one. it's about an artist who hates the corruption in her small town. It's level 6 but give it a try.

May 7th

I've been writing and have started two new stories, but they will take a little time to complete. I have, however, added some more to the story in progress - 'No more'. It's native level but please try to read it and don't worry about understanding everything.

May 6th

Firstly, thanks for the nice comments about the website :) I've just uploaded a small number of photos taken on the Miura peninsula, south of Tokyo. They are nothing special and there aren't many photos, but i hope they show something of the wildness of the seascapes there.

May 5th

It's my last day off today, and this afternoon I'm going to Yokohama to meet my old friend Mr Ishibashi for a beer. But I had enough time to upload the photos I took at The Nihon Minka-en folk house museum in Kawasaki. It's a great place to visit to see interesesting examples of buildings from around the country. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Gassho zukuri houses from Shirakawa in Gifu prefecture. It saves a lot of money not going all the way to the real village!

May 4th

It's Golden Week here in Japan, and I've tried to keep busy and enjoy the great weather by going to places I have never visited before. These include Shibamata in Tokyo, Minka-en in Kawasaki, Shosenkyo gorge in Yamanashi, and Miura Kaigan in Kanagawa.

I've just uploaded some photos that I took in Shosenkyo gorge near Kofu in Yamanashi prefecture. I took the Azusa train from Shinjuku then a local bus into the Chichibu-Tama national park. The weather was great and the scenery was spectacular and beautiful. I would recommend anyone to visit, especially during May or Autumn. It's a foreigner-friendly place too and it was easy to find my way. Click on the image below to see the photos.

April

April 28th

I finally finish changing the website navigation. So now there are only three 'tabs' at the top to click on. I can now get back to story-writing.

In Japan, it is holiday time. Early May is Golden Week, when most people go home to see their families. This is especially true in Tokyo, where most people I meet seem to have been born in other parts of Japan, but moved here for work. Anyway, Happy GW!

April 21st

I'm rebuilding the site, little by little. So you will find things are different from before. Over the last two years I have changed the focus of Off The Compass, as my web-building skills have developed, and also as I have decided to concentrate on writing. Some of the old features will be accessible through the 'News' page, not by clicking a tab at the top of the page. Please let me know what you think.

April 15th

With the end of the domestic season and European competitions, and with the South African World Cup coming up, my thoughts are turning to football (soccer not the American variety). So I wrote a story about a young boy who admires an older boy who is a skillful player. Please take a look. It's level 2, and so shouldn't be too difficult.

April 12th

I just finished the changes to the short stories side of the website. Please take a look! I also found time to write a new level 2 story called 'Bed and Breakfast'. Hopefully the tension increases as the story progresses.

After some fine weekend weather, I'm sitting in my room on a very wet and windy Monday morning, waiting for my friend Steve to come for a few hours of playing cards. It's a hard life! For those of you who don't already know, I enjoy playing a card game called Magic: The Gathering, which has a great mixture of luck and judgment and is very addictive.

April 5th

I'm still in the process of making changes to the website. But in the meantime, here's another story. It's high level, and includes some verbs which are common in spoken English, but not often taught to learners.

March

March 28th

I'm currently making some changes to the site, so please keep coming back to see the new layout.

March 27th

I've extended the level 7 story 'No More' if you'd like to take a look. Each chapter is short, but there will be many chapters by the time it's finished.

March 22nd

it's been busy recently and I've not had much time to upload anything. I'm writing a longer story set in London's East End , where I used to live in the nineties. It's about a gangster who has had enough of all the violence. Not a new idea, to be honest, but hopefully there'll be some interesting twists in it. I'm uploading some today, and then will add more, little by little. It's at 'native' level, although the basic situations should be relatively easy to understand for those of you at intermediate level or above.

March 11th

Here's the nihongo version of my haiku. Apologies to Japanese readers for it's poor quality!

墨染めの
夕べ春の炉
妻の影

March 10th

After speaking to several people about writing haiku, I rewrote the one in my last story, Shadow and Light'. So thanks to Hiromi-san, Chihoko-san, and Mayumi-san for your help and advice. Here is the new one. It relates to the story. Very soon I'll upload the slightly different Japanese language version, but I've put it in romaji for now. I also good rid of the spelling mistakes and added the missing station name!

Ink dries in shadow sumizomeno
hot soup on a charcoal stove yubeharunoro
a wife's silhouette tsumanokage

March 9th

I've started writing a native-level story set where I used to live in the East End of London. It's about a gangster who wants to change his life. I might make it into a mini-novel (compared with my other stories), or might make it interactive. The dialogue is natural so maybe it's a difficult read for many people. I am also thinking about putting it online little by little. If anyone has any comments, please mail me with your suggestions or thoughts.

March 8th

Last Friday I went to the giant FOODEX 2010 in Makuhare Messe in Chiba. I had a free ticket and spent a happy few hours sampling wines with my friend Sachiyo, to try to find something new for her family's liquor store. We found a range of Austrian wines imported into Japan, and I must say, I was very impressed with the quality and price. I also got very drunk.

I have just uploaded a new story. It's about unrequited love and wistfulness (new words.... check your dictionary!). It's level 5 and a little long, but please take a look.

March 2nd

The winter Olympics ended with a crazily patriotic show. 'Canada, Canada, Canada!'. There were some great sporting moments, such as Kim Yu-Na's flawless skating, or the US beating Canada in the early hockey qualification. But my personal favourite was Daisuke Takahashi returning from a career-threatening knee injury, and lifting Bronze medal after trying a quadruple jump. A fantastic achievement of true sporting endeavour. Now for the bad news... I've finished another story. It's about webcams and you can read it by clicking below.

February

February 23rd

The latest short story is actually quite long, and is level 6, so watch out! If you have some spare time, give it a try. It's about a Russian soldier who is in Afghanistan in 1989, near the end of the war and the Soviet retreat. Click below!

The weather is nice today in Tokyo, and there is a hint of spring in the air. Winter is almost over and soon the Cherry blossom parties will begin.

February 18th

Thanks to Ritsuko who read my level 6 story - Critical Thinking. I've now upgraded it to level 7, as it has a mixture of high-level vocabulary and difficult concepts. If anyone else has any suggested regradings, let me know. I also changed the story a little and removed the grammar mistakes!

February 17th

Another story hot off the press... It has goats in it!

February 16th

Winter continues, but not for much longer. The Vancouver Olympic Games are in full swing and the television stations and newspapers are heaping pressure on the Japanese competitors. When not watching the TV, I have been busy... On Sunday afternoon, I went to Castle Tintagel in Mejiro for a special Valentine's battle, and today I wrote and uploaded the story that you see below. It's about a special number. That number is eight billion, and soon the world's population will reach it. In my story, something inccredible happens. Click on the image below.

February 12th

It's cold again: a return to wintery weather. I've been busy writing and today have uploaded a very short story set in Japan. It's about a woman who looks after her mother. Sadly, her mother is very unkind. Maybe when the weather improves, my stories might become more cheerful! Let's hope spring comes soon. Click the image below.

I'm in the middle of reading the latest Dan Brown book. It's called 'The Lost Symbol' and it focuses on Freemasonry and Secrets in Washington D.C.. I enjoy his 'real-time' stories, with the main character Professor Langton, forced to unlock a mystery to save the world as the clock ticks.

February 9th

Tokyo was warm today and so this afternoon I took Mike to Koshikawa Korakuen. It's a 'Stroll garden' begin in 1629, and is situated right next to Tokyo Dome - home of The Giants baseball team. We were lucky to see plum blossom and winter cherry blossom. It's a great garden in all seasons. I'll upload some of his photos soon.

Below is a new story about a New jersey couple driving through the night to visit the woman's mother, who is in hospital. Take a look by clicking on the image below.

February 3rd

Thanks to Mrs Hakata and Ms Fukuda for your corrections to the poor English in my stories, and for your feedback. If anyone else spots any spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, or has any other comment, please mail me. I'm not perfect!

February 2nd

Yesterday afternoon and last night there was snow in Tokyo. The first real snow for a few years. Global warming is great, isn't it! Anyway, I took the opportunity to write a story about two boxers. I hope you can't guess the twist in the story. It's level 3 because of the boxing vocabulary. please take a look. Feel free to mail me with your comments as it's always nice to get some feeback - positive or negative!

January

January 26th

Here's another story, at advanced level. There are a few higher level words but the plot is straightforward. It's a bit similar to 'Tokyo Love Story' and explores loneliness, love, and desperation. Happy days!

January 21st

Finally, a new story! It's about an elderly Japanese man whose house is full of rubbish. I've written it in American English for a change.

January 20th

I have just finished working on some of my friend Mike's photos of Shinjuku gyoen park and Meiji Jingu shrine. Please take a look at the gallery. Also, I'd like to say a big hello to his friends and family back in Arizona.

January 19th

It was warm today, after many cold days, and so I went to Shinjuku gyoen (park) with my friend Mike. Mike is staying with me for two months whle he tries to find a job. We did a tour of the park and he took many photographs of the Japanese gardens and beautiful views. The central Tokyo park is outstanding in all seasons. The variety of views and moods is a world apart from the surrounding city life. Once he's downloaded his pictures, I might put some online. On Sunday, we went to Meiji Jingu (shrine) so I'll put some of those on the site too.

After a long break, I've started writing some more stories, so hopefully they will be ready to read soon. I'll try to write some easier ones too.

January 8th

I've just uploaded some photographs from Singapore. Click on the photograph of the demon below to go take a look.

January 6th

A Happy New Year to everyone! I sincerely hope 2010 is a great year for everyone. There has been so much suffering around the world in the past few years but I feel this year will see more happiness and joy.

I just returned from a trip to Singapore. I met my Dad, who flew in from England, and we spent Christmas and New Year there together. Most people spend only two or three nights in the cosmopolitan island-state, but we had eleven nights and found there are easily enough things to do to fill a month. I'll put some photos on the site soon, so please come back. But here's a taster - a photo taken in the fantastic Asian Civilisations museum.

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