Octopus and Garden

[steepholm]

I feel tired, and I suppose a little lonely this evening - the cause of both conditions being that I drove Ayako to Bristol airport at 3.30am so that she could catch her plane back to Japan. It's been nice to have had her company since March, and I know she'd rather have stayed longer, but all good visas come to an end.

If, that is, they even begin. There was a flurry of excitement yesterday when I heard that the Japanese government had eased entry restrictions for people travelling for work. I thought I might be able to get over some time in early December and have my research trip during my actual research leave after all, but such was not to be. After much backing and forthing with Tokyo Joshi Dai it turns out that the required documents take between 1 and 3 months to obtain - and by that time of course I'll be teaching again. So, it looks like a summer visit, though at least I'm now fairly optimistic that that at least can take place, albeit in stifling heat.

Before Ayako left we had a few final treats, including a brief visit to Lyme Regis, during which I attempted to sketch out a fictional (but chronologically possible) encounter between Jane Austen and the infant Mary Anning, but didn't get very far. Also, exactly a week ago I had a visit from my brother and C, so we took the opportunity to set off explosions in the garden, much to everyone's atavistic delight:



Ayako looks rather as if she's caused one of those satisfying movie explosions, don't you think? Except that then of course she'd be walking away from it.

Then, two days ago Ayako invited some of her Japanese friends over for a takoyaki party. (Bristol has a very small Japanese community, most of whom I know by now - and pretty much all of whom know each other. A kind of 和フィア,* if you will. I suppose it's the same in most cities?) I provided the octopus, but left the rest to Yuu-san and her Kansai octopus cleaning and cooking skills. The result was very good, anyway. I'm not really a party person, but as long as they involve fireworks and/or cephalopod molluscs, it turns out that my tolerance can be quite high.





* I'm stupidly proud of this joke, with which I managed to set the takoyaki party in a roar, but it's difficult to explain briefly here, and really not worth it!

Comments

[thistleingrey]

Your garden looks lovely! (I have never seen sparklers lit up so close, but I've spent much of my life where there are good reasons for outlawing it. CA goes aflame without help, unfortunately.)

[steepholm]

Ah yes, I suppose that's one advantage of the English climate. The second picture shows a humble Catherine wheel - which turned out to be unexpectedly spectacular!

[sovay]

'm not really a party person, but as long as they involve fireworks and/or cephalopod molluscs, it turns out that my tolerance can be quite high.

I'm so glad it (and your joke) went well!

The firework pictures are pretty great.

[steepholm]

The garden suits fireworks, it seems.

[cmcmck]

I like Lyme, but it's a while since I was last there!