Now the Welsh bit....

We returned from Bali, only to fly out a few days later to visit Wales.  Now this was something really exciting for me - I had never spent longer than a weekend in Wales and I was to be allowed almost two weeks this time.  We rented an absolutely state of the art apartment in the Swansea Marina (.... should that be on the Swansea Marina? Beside the Marina is probably a a more accurate description!).  It was part of the tallest building in Wales.  To be honest, it was a bit of a blot on the landscape and truly visable from miles around - very clear form the Mumbles so not worries about getting home after a good meal at Patricks!

Back to the apartment...  there were a few very strange little foibles in this brand new apartment.  For example, if you put the TV on and then opened the french windows you lost half the channels and if you opened the french windows AND hung onto the handrail you lost them all!  Quite an amazing inbuilt feature we thought.  It's not one we have come across before or would wish to again.  Then there was the very noisy extractor fan in the bathroom which was linked to the putting on of the light.  Fine during the day but at night it really wasn't going down too well.  Found a solution though - we found the fuse!

We saw lots of the Gower during our stay.  It was beautiful.  My first glimpse of Three Cliffs Bay was quite breathtaking - and there were very few people about.  The sun shone, we topped up our Bali tans and had a fabulous time. 

We were there to support Dave's brother and we saw a lot of him whilst we were there.  He is in the later stages of Alzheimers and we both felt we made a difference to his day - he certainly knew who Dave was and his face would light up as we came onto the Unit.  As the weather was good we took him out for a walk most afternoons and even took him in the car a couple of times.  On one occasion, Dave pulled up behind traffic just outside a pub.  Roy took one look at the pub and had his seat belt off in a heartbeat - "Going for a drink, are we?" he said with a big smile on his face.  Sadly not.

At the end of our stay in Wales Dave's son got married in Cardiff. It was a lovely day for them all.

After all the family stuff we decided a break in Bournemouth would be just the thing.  We booked the De Vere - a place we know well and have stayed at many times before.  Imagine our surprise when we discovered that it had turned into Fawlty Towers!  The room we booked was supposed to have a seaview - it did, just, but was very hot and had two tiny little windows that could open. The bed had two very flat pillows on it and no evidence of any spare pillows in the room - it looked like a room you might have in a B&B fifty years ago.  The TV had a mind of its own and kept turning itself off after a few minutes and the final nail in the coffin was the ironing board which was a struggle to put up and then collapsed as soon as any pressure was applied!  I complained and we were shown three more identical rooms - we opted to stay where we were until the following morning when we were offered the most amazing room with a huge balcony to sit out on.  It was a gorgeous room and although it looked a little tired we were very pleased we'd made a fuss.There were grumbles through out the hotel - no one seeed   happy with their time there.  It was very sad for us - it will be our last visit.  There must be better places to stay!

Bali

In early July we flew to Bali for some rest and relaxation after a challenging year here in Tokyo.  Both of us were quite exhausted by it all - mine was based on inactivity rather than a hectic lifestyle and David was exhausted and exhilarated by the many successes for him this year.

Bali was everything we'd hoped it might be.  It was the typical tropical island with the palm trees, frangipani trees and cicadas.  Our first stop was at our Villa which was absolutely charming  - the best bit for me was the outdoor shower in what I can only describe as the garden.  It was a huge monsoon shower surrounded by tropical plants and charming Balinese statues - a real oasis of tranquility. It was walled in - so don't worry - I didn't frighten the natives!   Our very own pool was cold and refreshing and we also had use of the pool at the complex which seemed to be totally unused by anyone else.  Oh and don't forget access to the beach as well and we were well served for water relaxation!  We read a lot and rested a lot and recharged the batteries.  Food was just a phonecall away or a short stroll into the town for the delights of Balinese cooking - beef rendang became our absolute favourite!

Week 2 saw us move over to the Hyatt in the same town of Sanur.  This was an altogether different experience - five star treatment and service and a wonderful view of the sea.  Dave celebrated his birthday here - a very windy dinner served by the pool watching the charming Balinese dancers.  I mention the wind because it was such an issue - almost everything that wasn't nailed down blew into the pool and had to be retrieved by wading waiters!  Daves birthday cake arrived - lighting the candle was a struggle and blowing it out, unnecessary!

Having celebrated a birthday Dave was now looking for ways to prove he wasn't old.  Parasailing for the first time seemed just the thing....  so after a brief conversation and the "If there isn't a queue" get out clause we strolled along the beach.  No queue, Trysh paid and Dave was airbourne in minutes!  You'll love the photo...

We took a tour of the island too.  A car and driver duly arrived to collect us and we spent the first part of the day driving out to Blue Lagoon for some fabulous snorkelling.  It was a huge success for Dave who found the right spot by just going with the current and having the technical know-how to snorkel properly....  less of a success for Trysh who simply couldn't sort her snorkel out, was washed downstream in the current, looked at some very brown and disappointing corals with a few brightly coloured fish and drank way too much salt water resulting in a very stressful swim back to the boat - strong current and not a strong swimmer - climbing on board and sitting in a rocking boat - yep - you guessed it - I was seasick!   By the time Dave got back in the boat all enthusiastic about the coral and the fish and sea and the....  he glanced at me and muttered those endearing words of support - "Over the side Trysh, over the side!"

When the boat man suggested moving to an even more spectacular cove to snorkel, I declared that if I wasn't taken back to dry land instantly I would, quite simply, die.  Dave did consider it an option I think - I'm pretty sure I detected a pause ( a dead wife cannot nag any more, can she?) before he said to the boat man - no thanks we'll go back.  Wise man.

In true seafaring tradition, I was absolutely fine once I arrived on dry land and met up with our guide.  He put us back in the car and drove for hours to show us the wonderful sights inland - the rice paddies, the fruit farms and the spice farms.  We saw so much.  Then we had a fabulous lunch in a restaurant overlooking Mount Gulangong - well it would have overlooked the mountain but it was cloudy - so we just had to imagine it there!

Bali was absolutely stunning and the people were so friendly and helpful - they could not do enough for us.  We are seriously considering going back in the autumn.....

Dave's finally on terra firma!

English as she is spoken

Last Saturday, Dave and I had the great privilege of being invited to the Japanese School with whom The British School shares a building, to judge their spoken English competition.  There were many students who took part and they all seemed amazingly calm in such nerve wracking circumstances.  Some had to recite a speech made by President Obama about education, some had to write and then repeat their own argument for or against something and then we had recitations from The Odyssy (odd choice, I thought) and from Ceasars "Lend me your ears" speech.

To be honest, I was in awe of them all.  None of them had English as a first language but all of them spoke with such fluency that it put even first language speakers to shame.  I doubt many of my fellow students at 14 could have spoken so well, and so publicly (apart from the one who went on to be a politician, of course). 

The judging was very difficult - the criteria given to us was very demanding.  The students had to look the part, sound the part and give the impression of being the part!  A huge task.  They all did brilliantly, some more brilliantly than others!  The other judges were a Professor from Waseda University and a teacher of English at the school.  We did well and managed to pick all the right students to win.  One girl gave a fabulous presentation on the power of happiness only to burst into tears when she heard she had first prize!  There was a certain irony, we thought.

Another interesting day in the life of the Williams's.

Thoughts on Jet Lag

I have been suffering from jetlag for five days now.  It is nearly over - I am quite sure but I have come to the conclusion that it is like a mild form of  mental illness. 

1. You can't sleep when others are sleeping and you inhabit a world that is dark and grey, flinching from the bright lights that herald the morning sun - knowing you will only want to go to sleep now that everyone has woken up.
2. You find it impossible to eat when others do.  You feel hungry at the most odd times - I actually ate two breakfasts one day - one at 4 am and the other, with Dave at the right time.  It felt right.  Lunch is a no-no but come 3pm I was reaching for the kitkats and anything else that had a million calories a bite.  Dinner?  Well, that's a little easier, you see, it should be your lunchtime in that other place.
3. You do odd things.  Why did I leave that glass in the wardrobe with the sweaters - as my husband kindly pointed out? And why did I put my diary in the fridge?

Thankfully these symptoms pass and you get back into the swing of things.  I had rather thought that the more transitions I made, the easier it would become to adjust - it seems to be the opposite.  Flying to England is not such a problem - it takes 36 hours and I am back on track but coming this way, east, is a nightmare and it is the same for everyone I talk to about it here.  Weird, isn't it?  Still, as I quickly remind myself - it's a bit of a privilege to be able to moan about jet lag, isn't it?

China on my mind

To those of you reading this, you will notice no changes; however to me, as a writer, I can tell you I have discovered the secret of enjoyable blogging:  wifi.  As I write this on the new laptop, I am sitting on one of the balconies looking towards Mt Fuji (I can't see it - there's too much haze), enjoying the sunshine.  I used to have to write in the study - a darker room with some great features:  a large screen and a wider keyboard mostly.  The wifi was my doing - what fun I had setting that up, but on to other things.

China. Remember when we were there?  Remember tales of travelling on our first Chinese bullet train, me feeling like Michael Palin, eating unforgettable delicacies which I eventually learned to refuse politely?  Well it really was deja vu for us. 

Early May saw us on an early morning flight to Beijing to celebrate the wedding of our lovely friend Helen.  Helen used to work in the office at Rego school in Tianjin and became a surrogate daughter for us.  Her wonderful ways with the English language entertained us and soothed us over the two years we shared with her and her command of Mandarin got me out of jail free - being arrested for not reporting as an alien in my early weeks in the country.

She and Michael set the date of their wedding by interrogating the spirits and gods at a Taoist shrine - they came up with 4.13 pm  on a particular day in May - so we were all duly summoned to a lovely Chinese Restaurant, overlooking the Haihe River where the Master of Ceremonies was installed to conduct her Chinese wedding.

We arrived a little early and , to be honest, it didn't look like there was much going on at the place the taxi dumped us (having negotiated an inflated fare by stating that his meter did not work - oh that old chestnut I thought! Still, doubling what should have been a pound to make it two seemed quite a bargain really compared to taxi rates in Tokyo!)  The building looked as though it might just be still under construction but a few conversations, with lots of gesticulations and smiles, later and we found we were in the right spot.

She arrived in the traditional red car and was greeted by her husband to be who carried her all the way to the fifth floor - ah.... bless.  The firecrackers were so very noisy and the bad spirits well and truly chased away.  She looked stunning and a bit shocked by it all - she spotted Dave standing well back and shouted "Oh Principal!" - it was a lovely greeting.  We were treated like royalty all afternoon.  We met her parents for the very first time and were greeted warmly - an invitation to go to their home was issued immediately and the fact that we had come all the way from Japan seemed to make them all feel very happy.  We were humbled by the whole day - it was wonderful to see our old friends and they, in return, seemed so pleased to see us.  We had a fabulous time with Max, Sara and Frank, May and Harry and many others.

The wedding was true China meets Las Vegas and it was hugely emotional for us all - I even shed a tear or two while they decared undying love for each other (you had to be there really!).  Dave and I both think they are well suited and  hope they lead long and happy lives together.

We did not waste our time in China and took the chance to revisit a few of our favourite haunts - we stayed in Beijing, travelling to Tianjin on the bullet train.  It was such a privilege to feel so at home in a country that we have learned to enjoy - we really felt we knew what we were doing!  When it was time to leave we were a little sad - it is unlikely that we will return - Helen's wedding was the last thing on our agenda and that period of our lives is probably closed forever - but who knows?  Babies will be born and if we can, we will travel to see them too.

The Kindness of Strangers (and friends!)

Volcanic Ash?  Yes, we did get stuck.  We'd been back for Jemma and Ben's wedding and then to our dismay discovered that our carefully laid plans to get back to Tokyo were absolutely snookered.

We'd planned to fly the day after the wedding and all our arrangements hinged on that.  It was not to be.  As Sunday 18th April neared it became very clear that the skies would not be open any time soon.

A quick email to a very good friend of ours was greeted with an absolute yes and we thank Ann hugely for allowing us to stay in her home - even when she wasn't there!  Even now, looking at all the TV reports of the time, we thank our lucky stars (and Ann) for being so comfortable during the delay!  The enforced downtime was good for the soul and we explored Reading as never before.  (Recommend the Jamie's Italian just outside the Oracle!!)

We pretty much kept to our plans and I had to return the hire car to Healthrow on the Sunday as planned.  I drove up an eerily quiet M4 heading to Heathrow with road signs saying "Heathrow Airport Closed" all the way. It was about 7pm and I did rather wonder if the Hire Car place would be open.  The roads around the airport were amazingly easy to navigate - no one on them! 

Herz was indeed open and the staff there could not have been more helpful.  I returned the car and waited in line for a receipt.  In front of me were two men - I thought they were friends but no, the first man had driven all the way from Madrid and to avoid paying the extortionate 3000 Euros that Herz were demanding to drop the car off in a different country, he had waited outside all day with a sign in Spanish saying "Please take this car back to Madrid".  It had paid off.  The second man was from Madrid and was looking for a car to take him there.  We got chatting and he actually offered to take me to Madrid to catch a flight for Tokyo. I explained that my husband and luggage were in Reading so I was unable to go with him.  He was so sweet and said that he had a Channel Tunnel Train booked and did not have time to go via Reading or he would have done so.  It warmed my heart.

The elderly couple I met on the Herz bus were also very sweet - over from Canada, they had finished their visit with relatives in Wales and now could not get back.  They were preparing to sleep on the bus station floor until things changed.  I suggested going outside of Heathrow to get a hotel room and I really hope they did.

Now the volcano has started up again..... we have travel plans for the summer - most of which do not invlove going anywhere near the northern hemisphere but for just two and half weeks we will be in the UK.  If you get a call from us saying we are stranded.... please take pity on us - your garden shed may come in handy!

Cuddles and Confetti - what a week!

On a Tuesday in early April, little Ruby Elizabeth arrived  - so her nickname, of course, is Ruby Tuesday.  She weighed 7lbs 5ozs and is a beautiful and settled little girl.  She is, quite simply, adorable.  Now, this is not new news to all you grandparents out there, but this is my very first encounter with a grandchild albeit a step grandchild.  Dave and I were on a flight within the week and had the enormous pleasure of spending five days in Liverpool, dropping in for cuddles and telling her all about our life in Tokyo! Her mum and dad, Sian and Andrew, are wonderful parents and we know she has the best start in life.  What a privilege to spend time with them all and, for us, Skype is a magical invention - we saw her within 24 hours!

It was something of a week - not only did Ruby arrive but my very own youngest little girl, Jemma (in pink and who will not relish this description!) married her best friend Ben.  They have known each other since they were teenagers and Ben's mum and I used to joke about becoming The In-Laws - no joke:  on Saturday 17th April, it really happened.  It was a beautiful day in Salisbury and Jemma looked amazing.  The wedding was a small affair and we all had a wonderful day.  Sadly Dave and I had to leave after the lunch - the party continued!  We had to get back to Heathrow to see if there was any chance of our flight the following day. This is a story for another blog - it's quite a tale with stories of the kindness of strangers and our friends.