Bridges, Balloons, and Floating Mountains

[steepholm]

So, it's been a few weeks since I touched down at Heathrow from my trip to Japan. My final glimpse of the country was rather a special one...



I was prepared to feel rather bereft after my return, but in fact I've been too busy, what with my daughter's graduation (which was the next day), plus various trips (Cotswolds, Lyme Regis, Glastonbury), and of course the fact that the house has two Japanese speakers in it already, which certainly acted as a culture-shock absorber. Rei has since moved to London to start her PhD, but was immediately replaced by Satomi, who's staying here a couple of weeks before travelling to Manchester and Newcastle for her research on time-slip fantasy. (The Lyme Regis trip was inspired by Penelope Lively more than Jane Austen or John Fowles.)

As for my own research, I've got two papers done, and yesterday I submitted my book to the publisher, after 5 years' (admittedly intermittent) work! So all in all, it's been a pretty productive annual leave, if a rather exhausting one. I'm going to lie down, but here are a few pictures of the last few weeks. I'll pick up where these leave off...

Comments

[cmcmck]

Welcome home! :o)

[steepholm]

Thank you!

[shewhomust]

The Guardian published a double page picture of the balloons, and I thought of you!

[steepholm]

I left the house at 5am to walk to the site for a 6am launch. Well worth it!

[gillo]

Welcome back to The Pit of Doom. Congratulations on submitting your book. That's extremely productive, considering the sequence of catastrophes in recent years, not to mention ongoing...

[steepholm]

I guess there's nothing else to do but write sweet, sweet literary criticism...

[gillo]

What's the topic this time?

[steepholm]

It's really a summation of all the Japan stuff I've been doing for the last few years. The boringly self-explanatory title is: British Children's Literature in Japanese Culture: Wonderlands and Looking-Glasses.

[asakiyume]

That really is quite the special departure shot! I'm glad your reentry has been gentle.

[steepholm]

Thank you! A floating world, indeed!

[hoodcp.wordpress.com]

Congratulations again on completing the book. Hope to catch up again soon.