Seat 40K.

It's been a good flight so far. The LHR Termonal 5 experience lived up to expectations - all very convenient, and no stress whatsoever. The only tiem I felt uncomfortable was when waiting for the gate to ppen, As expected, theer were quite a few Japanese people waiting with me. It felt odd to be in a Japanese speaking environment. Kind of disconcerting. I guess there might be a bit more of that when we land.

I'm really impressed with BA's in-flight entertainment, It's the first time I've ever been on a plane where you have a choice of over 200 movies / TV programs ? Radio shows (including 'I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue'), all on demand, You can pause them whenever you want, rewind if you miss a bit etc - how they provide that for hundreds of passengers simultaneously I don't know. There must be a very big computer on board somewhere.

I'm also really struck by the fact that we're actually flying. I mean, this plane is huge, it must weigh a tonne (or two)! I just find it incredible, looking out of the window beside me at the two huge Rolls Royce engines strapped to the bottom of an enourmous wing, that we've been able to create such a big, complex machine that is capable of staying in the air for so long, travelling at such speeds (600mph ish), transporting so many people in such comfort,

Pepé is pretty impressed too. It's his first time on a plane. He likes the view. It must be about midnight 'local' time (7.30pm GMT, 3.30am JST), so it's virtually piytch black. But there's still two sources of light, the first of which is the stars twinkling brightly. For a time I had my face pressed against the window, trying to mak eout the constellations. Not much luck there, but I did see a shooting star.That made me smile.

The second (occasional) source of light is the cities of Russia. Under a thin klayer of cloud about 9km below us, they glow like luminous marshmallows, (big luminous marshmallows).

During the trip to Heathrow by train and bus, I went through my thoughts about Catherine following yesterdays reading and talking. That coincided with the train passing through Oxford where my younger sister lives, and I was suddenly overcome with sadness at the thought of leaving my family.

It's not as if I see them regularly in the UK (I only saw my siblings maybe twice or three times a year when at uni), but when I do see them, it means a lot. Thinking about the loss of Catherine, and the fact that I won't be able to see my brothers, sisters and parents for some time was very upsetting. I've not felt like that on previous trips to Japan as they have always been for limited time periods, but what with this trip being open-ended, well, it changes things.

The closer we get to Japan though, the more that reality creeps in. The thought of walking down a Tokyo street or riding on a Tokyo train with *Twinkle* fills me with happiness - is it really going to happen later today?! I'm also looking forward to going to bed and sleeping on a comfy futon (with *Twinkle* ;-) - I fidn it hard to sleep on planes, wven when I'm as sleepy as I am now.

Anyway, I think I'll sign off for now. Time for a bit more in-flight entertainment.

xxx

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Goodbye to England, and Hello to my sister

Here we are then, all set. My big bag is now down to 23kg, my two carry on bags about 500kg each. I've checked in online - seat 40k, just behind the right-hand wing, by the window.

It's been a really 'full' day. It's featured a lot of packing and repacking, backing up data, eating, thinking and feeling funny. And a final visit to our wedding oak, which is doing well in the Millennium Wood.

This morning, mum No.2 and her daughter (old school friend) came round to eat cake and say goodbye. That was very much appreciated.

I'm very excited, but nervous too. My schedule for the first couple of weeks is already pretty jam-packed - the result of a long wait (of 13 months) by *Twinkle* to have me back in the country.

I think I'm more prepared for this trip than any other before now. I have a clear picture of what needs doing when. The reality that awaits me is already a reality in my head, based on my knowledge and experience of the places I need to go, the people I need to see, the things I need to do. There's not much by way of unknowns, just lots of knowns - in a new context.

I've enjoyed being around mum and dad today. They've been very well-behaved, and supportive of me in my state of change. Thank you both. Dad has also written a little card for me with some things to keep in mind. I'm touched by how appropriate it is, and will carry it with me, referring to it when need be in Japan. Mum has also helped me a great deal, as mentioned below. Thanks mum.

Today has been a very unusual day, in that as well as my preparing to leave for a new life in Japan, I have spent a good deal of time getting to know my sister, Catherine. Catherine, who bravely battled against a complex mental illness, committed suicide at the age of fifteen - I was three at the time. I remember virtually nothing of her life or death, but have always felt close to her. I'm told that we were close. I've long known that at some point I would need to form a new relationship with her.

The timing may seem strange, but it was only last night, during a coaching session, that it became apparent that it had to be now. I won't be back here for a long time, and this is the place where her belongings, letters, and the diary in which she write of her feelings during her final few months, are recorded.

I read them all, and made digital copies of those that struck me as especially important, in order that I can think on them more in Japan. I also packed the blanket that she made for me, and from which I couldn't be parted as a child. I had been planning to leave it here in the UK.

Catherine really was very brave. The letters of condolence from people who worked with her were full of praise for her friendly, caring, thoughtful manner. But behind her smile there was a huge battle taking place. It's only today, reading her diary and talking to mum for a couple of hours that I have started to get an idea of just how hard life was for her.

Catherine lives on in all of us siblings, and in our parents too. I've long felt supported by her, and I hope that through the work I'll be doing over the next few weeks, I can start to feel settled in my relationship with her.

I'll do my absolute best to make this new life something wonderful that benefits all those that know me.

Labels: childhood, family, Japan, travel

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Opening of Steiner Academy Hereford

(the narration starts about half way through the video. More videos here)

Just a quick note to say how happy I am that. following years of negotiations with the government, on Monday, the Hereford Waldorf School became the Steiner Academy Hereford - the first Steiner school in the UK to be funded by the government.

I went to the Steiner school (also known as the Hereford Waldorf School) from the age of 7 to 16, as did my sister. Dad taught there for a few years but had to leave due to financial difficulties - with no state funding teachers could only be paid in peanuts (as my older sister knows only too well - she's just completed 8 years as a teacher at the Bristol school).

Steiner schools are becoming increasingly popular in Japan - a very good thing if one considers the pressures that students are under in the state system.

To learn more about Steiner education visit the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship.

Labels: education

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Dear Diary

I have kept a regular journal for over 20 years now. I started writing on Thursday the 28th of July 1998, when I was age ten.

In Feb 2002 I began to write the Daily Mumble, whilst continuing my series of what was by then 50+ diaries detailing almost every day of my life for 14 years.

These days my writing is all done on the keyboard. Whilst it's convenient and 'futureproof', it does lack the interactive nature of real notebooks.

Here's my first ever diary entry dating back over 20 years:

"Today I woke up at about 8.00am, looking out the window I saw that it was a misreble day. We got our Rabbits 13 days ago, today was one of the days we had to clean them out on, so eventuly I got around to doing that.

In the evening we set up a puppet show called "Whinnih THE Pooh', but in the end we didn't do it due to Jessie moaning.