Summer

The most enjoyable part of my summer was probably just having plenty of time to spend with Sophie. Her first birthday was on August 20th (this photo was taken on that day). Over the summer she discovered how to walk. Now she can walk across a room slowly, swaying from side to side, kind of like a drunken old man. Although she's only small, she's surprisingly strong, and loves to be chased around the house (by me) and to play with things that "grown ups" use, such as remote controls, mobile phones etc.

We went to Hokkaido, as planned, and had a good time exploring some national parks. It was cooler there than Kansai of course, especially in the forests and on mountains. I carried Sophie 1.7 km up a very steep, rocky trail to the top of Kurodake (in Daisetsuzan National Park) on my back. It nearly killed me, but the views from the top of the mountain made it worthwhile. We saw a fox up there, and some squirrels as well. The weather was good the whole time, and we ate really delicious soft cream every day (maybe my summer diet was not 100% successful).

Summer vacation

This summer I'm planning to go to Hokkaido with my family. Sophie is too young to take on a long flight, so we decided to hang out in Japan somewhere. I lived in Sapporo for a year in 1992, so this will be a nostalgic return for me after 18 years. At that time I was a young guy working at a conversation school and didn't get much time off, so I didn't do as much sightseeing as I would've liked. This time I want to enjoy the countryside more. We're trying to book a sleeping car on the "Twilight Express" (the Osaka-Sapporo train), but it seems like it's hard to make a reservation. If that's not possible, we'll fly. Anyway, I'll rent a car up there and drive around for about 10 days. Sometimes we'll stay in expensive hot spring hotels, and other times just cheap places. I'm especially looking forward to spending time at Akan National Park (it includes Masshu-ko), and swimming in some lakes. I guess we'll eat "jingiskan"(?) too. Lamb (or mutton) is delicious!

A magical experience

I took this photo while standing on top of an old, ruined temple in the countryside in Cambodia. The sunset was spectacular, and we could see across a really wide area of jungle. The sound of the insects was very mysterious, almost like some kind of machine. They must have been a similar creature to cicadas though.

Angkor Wat was very near this place too. If you have a chance, I really recommend you go there. There is a strange sense of something "special" as you approach it. It's hard to describe, but you might feel how wonderful the Khmer culture must have been. The Khmers came from present day Cambodia, but ruled a huge Asian empire from about 900 A.D.- 1400. The stone walls of Angkor Wat are decorated with countless carvings showing events from the daily lives of the people.

My good and bad points

Of course I have many bad points, but maybe the worst is that I'm not strict enough with myself. I usually eat and drink too much. If I want something, I have it. If I exercised more, it might be okay, but these days I don't have much chance to play sport. Anyway, I'm also a bit lazy. I don't like cleaning my room very often, and tend to leave things until the last minute. My wife says I'm stubborn too. I guess that's right, although maybe that can sometimes be a good thing.

My best point is probably that I'm reliable. If I say I'll do something, I really try to be sure that I actually do it. That's something that I think is important, for myself or anyone. I'm also glad to say that I'm not a follower of fashion. I prefer to do things my way, and don't care what is "popular". Also, I'm not especially fussy. Simple things can satisfy me.

Accomplishments

My daughter is a genius. She has an amazing accomplishment already. She can read the newspaper. When she has finished reading the newspaper, she eats it, which saves me having to take it to the garbage collection point. She's a very helpful, considerate person.

Maybe my best accomplishment was to help bring Sophie into the world and keep her happy and satisfied. I'm also successful at keeping the garden at our house in good condition, so that visitors who come to have a barbecue with us in the yard can enjoy a pleasant view. I have also visited numerous different countries in the world and broadened my undestanding of some other cultures, which was always a dream of mine.

Getting ahead

It's seldom easy to succeed in business, because there's usually a lot of competition. Businesses try to attract attention to themselves in various ways. Advertising is one obvious method. The owner of this carpet shop in Istanbul has another method. He keeps his lovely cat outside the shop. People passing by are bound to be attracted by it, and stop to play with it (as I did). Then the owner comes out and talks to you (soon the topic turns to carpets). I found out that this type of cat is unique to Turkey. They are always white, with different colored eyes. I don't like to buy bulky items when I travel, so I didn't get a carpet. It was fun meeting the cat though.

A great city I've visited

Have you heard of Dubrovnik? Maybe not. It's on the coast of Croatia, which used to be part of Yugoslavia before the war in the early 1990s. A few centuries ago, it was controlled by Venice (when Venice was an independent city-state, before Italy was formed). Many of the better buildings in the old town were designed by the Venetians. You can still walk around the outside of the old town on top of the city walls. Down below are charming stone houses built close together, some of them on a steep slope. My wife and I rented an apartment here for a few days. The people are friendly, the weather is usually good and the seafood is always fresh. This is a photo I took of the old town after swimming at the beach below.