Category Archives: Life
Thunk
I love the soft thunk you get when you drop the kettlebell on the grass at the end of a set.
Playstation Language Settings
Nine out of ten times when I turn on the Playstation I have to change the interface language from Japanese, my daughters’ preference, to English, which is mine. Why can’t I set the preferred language at the user profile level … Continue reading
The Platonic Ideal of KFC
A roadside KFC restored my faith in the fast food gods. Continue reading
Dolphins
The early bird catches the worm, and also gets to see a dolphin up close if it’s in Bunbury. Continue reading
Mendokusai
If I want to say, internally, that something is a hassle, this is the word I reach for. Continue reading
The Coffee Dilemma
A note for future me — when at work and faced with the choice between drinking instant coffee or using a couple of paper towels as a make-do coffee filter because you left the filters you bought the day before … Continue reading
Not Much of a Career
A near-miss carjacking brings a Billy Bragg classic to mind. Continue reading
A bit of a hit around
We’ve been driving past Robertson Park tennis courts for years, thinking we should pop in and give it a go sometime. That feeling gained some impetus when I found out that Steve Malkmus played there when Pavement came to Perth … Continue reading
Just One Cookbook’s Macaroni Gratin
This macaroni gratin is probably the first actually new recipe I’ve made this year. It was a late request on a Sunday, with just enough time to get to the shops. For ages I’ve shied away from anything vaguely rouxish. … Continue reading
Salt & Fat’s 707 Fried Chicken
I’ve made this chicken one billion times. You should give it a try. Continue reading
That sweetens the memory
A lovely quote from Kogonada on the double dialog memories in After Yang. Continue reading
Alvvays: Belinda Says
Alvvays’ Belinda Says is the first song in ages that makes me deliberately drive more slowly so I can hear it all before I get home. I’m sure I look pretty silly as I sing along to the “See how it … Continue reading
Hot Spring Amber
While I was dozing off yesterday in a relaxation chair at a hot spring in the Japanese countryside my brain recognised a slight similarity in the bland piano background music to Dick Diver’s very much not bland song Amber and … Continue reading
Fire Ceremony
A new year ceremony at Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine. Continue reading
If Pressed
He stands by the door, all ready to go — 250 yen in his left pocket, bus fare, and 550 yen in his right, which is for the subway. He knows he should probably get one of those cards that … Continue reading
Calendar Days is Back
I made it through a week or so without having Calendar Days playing on repeat in my head. It’s back now, especially the verse that goes “There’s a kind of quiet. A fighter jet’s applause. They’re all saw toothed fragments. … Continue reading