Winter acorns

It has been surprisingly warm this winter. I was going to hang up my hiking shoes till late February but 8ºC and sun yesterday made it possible to hike through the Farnham Heath in Surrey.

Camera-phone series #36.

Norwegian Wood

This movie was the third and final chance I gave Murakami. (I read two of his books before.) Honestly, it was twice too many chances. Murakami is like a guy you really want to like –he is nice, polite, well-to-do, kind to his parents... You know, all the wrong reasons. You give both of you many chances, and there are moments when you think: maybe we are getting there... But then, you never do. He is too bleak and name drops too much.

There was one thing I did manage to like in the movie. It was the idea of walking as catharsis. After one of the main character dies, his girlfriend and his best friend met every Sunday to walk together, silently, aimlessly and for hours on end in Tokyo.
I came across this cluster of trees on »last week’s walk in the Chilterns, and it reminded me of Norwegian Wood.

Camera-phone series #29.  Macro mode accidentally left on.

Bluebell forests of Ivinghoe

When you finally come across a forest of them after a good 6 miles, stretched out as far as you can see, ‘magical’ is the word that comes to mind. You half expect Peter Pan to fly out and say hello.

Camera-phone series #28.

Beachy Head reactions

Everyone had a reaction when they heard that I went walking in Beachy Head.

Reaction #1 was the brow furrow from my English colleagues. They asked if I knew what it was famous for. "Jumping off," Ms M told me. "Or driving off for that matter," added Ms S helpfully. Oh.

Reaction #2 was an ooohh-and-ahh from an old classmate on Facebook. But hers was a very specific ooohh and ahhh. In particular, looking at the photo I had posted, she was reminded of the old days when her geography tutor (Mr White - an English) showed them pictures of Beachy Head on a *slide projector*. And presumably in her head, the 100 different geographic terms used to describe erosion must have bubbled in honour of Mr White...

Beachy Head

Credits: »sameer

Lush green, turqouise blue, chalk white.

Finally, an English seaside that can rival continental Europe and Australia - I was  impressed!

This was my second hike in the south with Tania and Kieren of the »Trailblazer group.  It was the sort of brilliantly sunny spring day that makes you want to order two ice-creams even though you are still hiding behind a jacket.  10 miles of traipsing up and down the hills later, we got to trade strong salty winds and magnificent piles of dung for an ice-cold beer.  Paradise.



Aside: Really need a good small camera for walks as I can hardly haul myself up sometimes, let alone the SLR. Let me see if I can salvage my old Powershot.

A spring hike in Sussex

I was so impressed that this gadget can even track your elevation in addition to your hiking route.  Refreshingly, this was not done with an iphone.  It is a serious device called »Garmin eTrex Legend HCx which can hold a GPS signal even if in the depths of the woods.

Deep cold water

With the »British penchant for swimming in cold water, cold requires underscoring.

Darling, look into the camera

Jerry of »Giffard House at Winchester, and a dad too frozen to venture out.

I highly recommend this beautifully-restored B&B btw. Talk to me about it.

Just so we're absolutely clear, city folks...

WE are the ducklings (from Lake Windemere).

Not sure what goslings look like. We don't go near them as they have an annoying habit of pecking at butts.

Bonjour! Je suis un jeune cygne

cyg·net (sĭg'nĭt)
n. A young swan.
Middle English cignet , from Anglo-Norman, diminutive of Old French cygne , swan , from Latin cygnus , from Greek kuknos.

Air is now cleared for the previous post!  I'd have failed both of those questions had they asked me in science class.

Which animal am I the young of?

Bonus question: What am I called?

British summers

Flashy bikes, sunnies and flirty skirts.

Southwold.

Mirror mirror on the wall

Assembly Rooms, Bath.

蒲公英

羡煞朋友在郊外找到完整的蒲公英，我最近去 Cotswold 时也抓了一颗来拍拍。

《蒲公英》也是»王安忆早期的创作之一。 我外婆好像和她父亲或舅舅是远亲。

Welcome 2010

"Fir ald lang syn, ma jo,
fir ald lang syn,
wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn..."


»Click for a very melodious Scottish version of Auld Lang Syne which has been playing on the radio here. 

昔のお菓子

"Mukashi no okashi" - Candies from once upon a time


友達から聞いた話。

彼女のお祖母ちゃんはずいぶん年を取って、何ヶ月前にオランダの老人ホームで病気になってしまった。

最後の日々が近づいてきた。お祖母ちゃんはうわごとを言って、昔のことばかり思い出した。特に、昔のお菓子の名前を繰り返して言った。友達は一生懸命探しても、誰も彼もそのお菓子を聞いたことはなかった。

ついに、お祖母ちゃんはお菓子を食べないままで、なくなった。

もしも今後わたしは誰のために昔のお菓子を探すことになっていたら、こんな店を探しできるようになってほしい。

Last leaf standing

We don't use little boys nowadays

Did you know that little boys were also used (in conjunction with feather dusters) to beat down the bubbles in a brewery?

Memento mori

Tewkesbury Abbey

M25 Club roadtrip to one of Britain's largest churches (they are being humble when they say 'abbey') with Norman architecture.