Back from Japan (part two)

One rather interesting thing happened to me on our way back to Tokyo from Osaka. It reaffirmed everything about Japan. I could probably explain it in a sentence or two…. but what kind of writer would that make me?

We took the shinkansen (bullet train) back from Osaka and arrived in Tokyo a little before we expected to be allowed to check in. This gave me a chance to stop by the Hitachino Nest pub at Tokyo station. I had seen the place on our previous trip, but had opted to go to the Yebisu beer place instead. Years ago, I came across this brand by accident at my LCBO (this is where they sell liquor, wine, and a small sampling of beer in Ontario–supermarkets now sell beer and wine, but this is a rather recent thing). Trying it wasn’t a priority, but we had a few minutes to kill, so we stopped in for the sampler, some sausages, and conversation with some people who happened to be from the town where the brewery was located.

After that, we went to our hotel. We have always picked a hotel between Tokyo station and Kanda station. This worked out well for this trip as it made getting to and from the airport easy. We like the neighbourhood and we are getting quite familiar with it. That being said, there are always new things to discover and we are really discovering new things all the time.

Since we had spent the first night at the same hotel that we came back to, we were able to leave one of our suitcases there. That made traveling to Osaka easier. We had divided up our clothes before we even left for Japan, so we were pretty set. Also, we use packing cubes, which definitely makes things better. When we checked back in, I asked them to bring our suitcase out of storage and they informed us that it was already in our room. Wow! I hadn’t expected that. That was fantastic. It isn’t what I am writing about, but I thought you should know.

While unpacking, I got a bit stressed because I couldn’t find my English flatcap–actually, I don’t know if that is indeed an English flatcap. After posting pictures of myself wearing it on Facebook, most people declared it that. I normally wear a baseball cap to fend off the harsh sun, but chose something different this time. I bought it specifically for the trip, got used to wearing it, and then managed to lose it. I wracked my brain wondering if I left it in Osaka. I couldn’t remember if I had put it on that morning. It wasn’t expensive but I had grown attached to it and will always think of it as my Japan trip hat.

On a side note, I had a cap I really liked that I took on my Vietnam trips. I had put the museum stickers from Saigon on it and was really fond of it. I lost it in a reckless dune buggy ride in Costa Rica and have felt bad about it since. So, I was worried that I was becoming a loser of hats.

Lost thanks to a gust of wind in Costa Rica

Convincing myself that I had had it on when we left Osaka, I decided to check with the Shinkansen lost and found. It was on the Yaesu side of Tokyo station, and required a bit of walking to find. The office was small, but the woman on duty took my information–which train I was on, my name, etc. She asked me what colour it was, but rather that get into a discussion about colours–which I rarely agree with anyone on, I showed her a picture. I worried that I might have left it at the beer place, but I had looked around before we left and don’t recall seeing anything. If I had to, I would have gone back. If I had left it on the train, it might be back in Osaka. It had been a couple of hours.

She went into the back room and a couple of minutes later I was reunited with my cap. I have always had good luck with lost and found, but this was a bit unprecedented. I really didn’t think I would see it again. I had heard that lost and found in Japan was impressive, but this really reaffirmed it for me. Wow!

Back from Japan (part one)

My absence, totaling more than a month, from these pages is mostly due to my vacation. You don’t need a day by day recount of my adventures, but over the next couple of posts, I would like to share with you with a few highlights. Two of the reasons we chose March were cherry blossoms and Sumo. There were other reasons, but for now, they will do.

Cherry Blossoms

While I can’t possibly believe the weather forecast in my area, I have come to believe that Japan can usually accurately predict when the cherry trees will bloom. They cover it quite seriously and the number of online resources at my disposal were considerable. That being said, as the trip approached, things seemed somewhat less than certain. At one point, we considered that we had blown it and booked the wrong weeks.

Although we arrived in Tokyo, we only spent one night there before getting on the Shinkansen for Osaka. The Sumo basho was in its final days and our original plan was made with that in mind….but more on that later. The weather was less than stellar. The forecast called for lots of rain, and indeed it rained a lot. Undaunted we did our best.

We chose a great location for our hotel. We weren’t in the crowded downtown, but we were centrally located and our hotel had an exit to both a train line and a subway concourse. It wasn’t the most glamorous, but it functioned well. Above ground we had a river park, numerous cafes, a children’s bookstore that took reservations, easy access to numerous interesting neighbourhoods, and lots of interesting sculptures.

The title of this section is Cherry Blossoms and I haven’t mentioned them. The truth is that they were not in abundance in our first week in Japan. We managed to catch a few trees on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, and you could imagine a few buds here and there at Osaka castle park, but they just weren’t blooming yet. We busied ourselves by seeing the sights, eating food, drinking coffee, visiting a train museum, eating even more food, using our Kansai Thru pass in interesting ways, and visiting Kyoto more times than I imagined we would.

Tokyo provided more opportunities to see Cherry Blossoms. We found the famous canal near Waseda university (and got caught up in freshman initiation days) found them lurking in public spaces by the bookstore, by the Sumo Auditorium, in various parks, on the way to the Harry Potter attraction, and in front of the Royal Palace. We also saw them in Ueno park, but since everyone and their child was probably there with us that day, I am not sure it is worth mentioning. Besides, walking away from the park to visit the old town was much more interesting.

While we didn’t get the full picnic in the park cherry blossom experience that I had in my twenties, they are still beautiful to see. I hope you enjoy the pictures I have included here.

Going to Japan in this season was a gamble. Fares were higher and hotel prices had risen dramatically. We knew there would be more people, and that was certainly true. On the other hand, having more experience made many things easier. I might write about that in another blog.

Sumo

We chose the trip hoping to catch one of the last days of Sumo. We booked ourselves to arrive on Thursday afternoon, thinking we might be able to get tickets for Friday or one of the weekend days. I had scoped out the website to buy tickets, and knew that tickets went on sale exactly one month before the start of the event. Sadly, for reasons that are not really clear, we were unable to get tickets of any kind. I have since read that we were not alone in this and the website really couldn’t process orders from overseas, or that most tickets were sold to fan clubs and various scalpers. Unfortunately, we made our arrangements and stuck to our schedule.

Although we didn’t have tickets, we did go to the venue hoping to catch a sneak peak of the champion and some of my favourites. We only managed to catch a couple of lower ranked sekitori walking the streets. Actually we had seen a rather high-ranking sekitori out for dinner with some well-heeled fans the night before, but I couldn’t tell you who it was.

Most of my current favourites all train at the Isegahama beya in Tokyo. So, on a whim, we decided to go there. We didn’t really think we would see anyone, but it was an outing in Tokyo. When we arrived at the place, we were amused to find a bunch of reporters hanging out. Workouts were over for the day, and this particular stable doesn’t have public viewing. I approached one of the reporters and he explained that he had a “small job” to do. I asked him if we should wait. He said we should. A few minutes later Hakuho showed up. He was being disciplined and his stable was being forced to “temporarily” join this one with all his wrestlers. The place was already a powerhouse, but this might take it to the next level.

We also thought we would stop by the Sumo stadium and the local museum. Things didn’t turn out like we planned. The stadium was being used for first day university entrance ceremonies. The museum was also closed. Instead we visited the Hokusai museum and ate a tremendous sushi lunch close by in a complex that had its own sumo ring (dohyo).

A Morning Redeemed: a tale of 3 encounters

Friday morning was …bizarre….weird….even now, a couple of days later, I am having trouble putting it into words. What I do know is that the events of the morning had me convinced it was going to be, for lack of a better term, one of those days. Thankfully, there was some redemption on the horizon (and that was without considering Friday night pizza). Let me put it all into focus.

I’ve written a lot about my commute and the frustratingly selfish and rude people who inhabit it. Lately, another commuter (let’s call him Commuter A) has latched himself onto another commuter (for ease of use, let’s call him Commuter B). Commuter A has a habit of talking nonstop and saying things that seem rather outrageous. He also takes up more than one seat and prefers talking to Commuter B at some distance–necessitating some serious volume and a complete lack of privacy. They used to sit at the back of the bus and that basically meant they were someone else’s problem. Lately, though, they have been sitting at the front and forcing me to put in headphones.

I don’t mind pleasant conversation, but this is more like conversation one-upmanship. There is nothing Commuter B can say that doesn’t get a response from Commuter A–and that response always comes with an “I know that better than you” or an “I have done that so many times.” In fact, on Thursday Commuter B briefly mentioned an Ex and that set off a torrent of “I’ve had so many girlfriends” or “I am an expert at relationships,’ kind of talk. I tried drowning it out until Commuter A explained how he would stalk people on FB, including a demonstration of how he would find Commuter B’s ex online using her middle name or maiden name or some combination thereof. He might have thought he was cool, but I found it downright creepy.

On Friday morning Commuter A sat right behind me and started in on his talk about Spring Break–apparently he is a teacher–something I also felt a bit chilling. I put my headphones in and concentrated on my Squaredle. Fortunately, Commuter B doesn’t make the whole trip and no one else engages Commuter A in conversation. He still takes up more space than he should, but I am not the bus police unless it concerns me or there is some person who needs a seat but feels intimidated.

That was pretty horrible, but nothing like what happened next. After stopping for coffee, and heading out of the shop with my order in hand, a …customer…outpatient….homeless person… started screaming at me. They told me to “go F*** yourself.” repeatedly. I hadn’t talked to this person and I hadn’t even made eye contact. It was rather disconcerting and I really felt like it was going to be a rather horrible day.

Luckily, mere seconds after that horrible encounter, I met one of my former colleagues (and friend) who had stopped working at my company during the pandemic. He was always someone I liked talking to and it was fantastic to meet him by accident and catch up with him. I should take a moment to plug his book as he is an author. Please check it out if you have the chance. Meeting old friends is something I don’t think about often enough. but it is something I enjoy when it happens. In this case, the horrible moments of the morning were erased and I could go about my day with some positivity.

Again

I don’t know how clearly I alluded to it, but in case you didn’t know, my girlfriend and I are headed to Japan….soon

Again?

If you are asking this question, you can count yourselves among friends and family who expressed the same sentiment–with emotions ranging from mild surprise to complete bewilderment. Yes, in less than 6 months we will have been to Japan twice. We liked it that much.

There are some subtle differences this time. We are still flying Air Canada (which we found to be quite good) but instead of landing at Narita, we will be arriving at the much more convenient Haneda airport. I haven’t been there in 30 years–I transited through there on my way to Paris from Japan. I am not sure why I did that, but there was no flight from Osaka to Paris available. We will have a direct flight and getting into the city centre should be much easier.

The price of the train pass has gone up, but this isn’t the reason we aren’t taking advantage of it. We have decided to spend a bit more time in and around Tokyo and Osaka. We will try and get to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Kamakura, and Yokohama, but we will stay situated in the two hubs. This will mean less navigating walkways with suitcases and hopefully a different travel experience.

We are both pretty excited as we feel as though we have some unfinished business in the Land of the Rising Sun. We are hoping to build on our experience from last time and get a lot out of our trip. Hopefully, you will enjoy some of my photographs hear and on my Instagram link on the right side of this page.

I picked up the Tokyo Maze book from Amazon as I thought we might like to do some walks in Tokyo. The book is in black and white, but has QR codes to get phone maps. There are even links to the same pictures in colour. I have flipped through some of the chapters and I have found a few walks I would like to do. Additionally, we are already looking for interesting restaurants and coffee shops to visit. We are watching YouTube videos in search of interesting places to explore.

Feel free to suggest something. My students have already given us a bunch of good ideas.

It isn’t a bad word….

Daily writing prompt

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

View all responses

In my role as an ESL/EFL teacher, I spend most of my day helping students acquire a richer vocabulary. They start with a functional vocabulary, basic at times, and grow it to something that fits their communication style. It is a pleasure to see them grow. It is a pleasure to see them add new phrases to the active vocabulary…most of the time.

Outside of class, the students learn from the internet and streaming services. They do their best to use what they have learned. While I do not teach swearing, I do correct it when it is blatantly wrong. I do not want my students looking foolish.

From time to time, they ask me to teach them some slang They often express it as slangs, but then I have to teach the difference between countable and uncountable nouns–but I digress. I explain to them that I am not at all clear about modern day slang. We are not the same age and I don’t want them sounding like me.

Which of this rich tapestry of language would I like to get rid of? The word “Bro” is currently on list of cringeworthy phrases. My students throw it around far too liberally. Imagine a conversation between four students, all with different accents ending each sentence with Bro. Couple this with the fact that their intonation is not always spot on and you might understand me.

Can Vonnegut Be Used as an Adjective?

Is it strange that I like the words and the paragraphs, but find less enthusiasm for the book they compose. I find myself nodding along with the things expressed in the book, sometimes even snorting spontaneously despite being in a public setting–if indeed that is what commuting on the bus is these days.

….

People on the bus seem so much less courteous than in my formative years. They take up more seats than they need. They seem to love sharing their music through pitiful phone speakers rather than enjoy quality earphones. My students love their wireless earphones and constantly try to put them in while class in in session. Why are these two groups so different?

Additionally, commuters seem to think it’s okay to put feet on seats that other people might want to sit on. They seem to think it’s okay to sit on the aisle seat and leave the window vacant. How I snicker when a somewhat less than desirable person (reeking of pot these days) wants to sit next to them. I have only had one minor confrontation, but after being ignored by a few people I have developed strategies aimed at annoying them in return.

….

The book is a beautiful edition. It is a paperback-sized hardcover. The image on the cover is both pretty and completely confusing. The paper is of high quality and despite the plain font for the title, the font for the text inside is quite nice.

Have you noticed that books these days contain a page explaining the font and its historical origins? When did that become a thing? I would rather have a longer introduction by the author–but I am a fan of Harlan Ellison and perhaps he is to blame.

….

The receipt from the library where I borrowed the book from notes that I saved myself 31.95 dollars (Canadian) by borrowing this book from the library. Far be it for me to quibble, but this sum does not include the five percent the government decided to tax literacy. It also makes no mention of how much gas I had to use to get to the library. Perhaps they suspect I walked.

….

I want to use Vonnegut as an adjective or noun in my description of this book. This is because the book reminds me of the works of Kurt Vonnegut. Perhaps it is because the author can find intimacy and humour in the mundane aspects of life. I thought I was the only one who criticized people for breaking rules and social contracts but failed to hold myself accountable. Could I use Vonnegutesque or Vonnegutish?

….

I put the book down for a minute and stare out the bus window. The car next to us has four pairs of skis mounted on the ski rack. It’s a Friday and maybe they didn’t forget the skis there for the whole week and are actually going skiing for the weekend. I think they are going to have to drive pretty far as there isn’t any snow left around here. It’s still winter, but a few of my flowers have started budding and I am pretty sure the weeds are growing. Either way, I take it as a sign I shouldn’t be on the bus and I should get myself out of here. Luckily my vacation is coming.

….

The blurb on the cover, purportedly written by some reviewer, indicated that “We are not ready nor worthy.” Despite possibly being true, my main concern is how I might have to explain to my students why the writer of this quote chose “not” over “neither”. I would say maybe I would get lucky and they wouldn’t ask, but that really isn’t how they are geared.

….

Having few formal chapters and every paragraph or two being separated by an ellipses, I am able to dip in and out of the book at will. There is a story, but not necessarily in the traditional sense. I suppose this might end up on a literature class reading list some day.

….

I haven’t been reading as much as in years past. Maybe the annoying commuters are to blame. Maybe it’s because I have a smartphone. It seems that both squardle and YouTube are vying for my attention when I should be reading more. You can probably guess who I blame more.

….

The author, Jenny Offill, has written some other lauded books. I am unsure if my library has any of them. I am not sure I am going to read any of them, so I probably won’t spend any time looking them up on the library website. I do know that I am going to spend several minutes Googling her name and wondering about the pronunciation, though.

….

I am going on vacation to Japan in less than a month. I have some planning to do and there are both websites and guidebooks I could be looking at. Perhaps those are things that I will read next.

…

If you liked the style of this post, you will probably enjoy the novel. If you didn’t, there are other books in the library and bookstore for you.

Judging a Book by its Cover

At the end of December, I wrote a post about going book shopping. I came home with a bunch of books, and since then, I have read a couple of them. Like any shopping trip, some books will go on a shelf somewhere and I will get to them at a later date.

I chose the book Stoner partly because I liked the look of the edition, partly because I was in a gambling mood, and partly because the sticker called attention to a Sunday Times quote, “the greatest novel you’ve never read.” I should also explain that the quote was written in all capital letters, though I doubt that would have been the case in the original. I am not one hundred percent sure about the rules of quoting, but I suspect that altering upper and lower case letters is somewhat wrong–technically, I did it too. Either way, it is an attractive quote and one that made me pick up the book and read the blurb. It sounded intriguing enough for me to continue.

I rarely read book reviews, and I rarely write them. I muse on books, but I wouldn’t say I review them. In this case, I did Google the book before reading just to see if the book had any popularity. I was surprised at some of the search results. One that I remember was titled in the form of a question. ”Why is Stoner a good book?” Of course there were several answers to question–some brief and to the point and some long-winded and dense.

With this much hype, I wasn’t surprised when someone on the subway asked me about the book. It turns out that they thought it was an autobiographical novel about a stoned out hippie. I tersely dissuaded them and the conversation fizzled. I continued reading, and no other comments came in the days until the book was finished.

Did I love the book? No. Essentially, it was sad. Having read the comments online that espoused its virtues–sparse prose, unremitting stoicism, undaunting though unfulfilling passion–I agree. The book was well written and the character was compelling. I, like many of the other readers, was dragged along on a tough journey.

I was a big fan of the TV show A Million Little Things, but I became saddened at how very few of the characters found true happiness. They had small victories, but ultimately things were sad. There was so much unresolved and so much left unsaid and undone. Like the book, it takes guts to go down that road and not wrap up everything in a bow. It takes bravery to end on a low note. I am just not sure how I feel about it. There is often beauty in a sad song, but somehow that seems different.

On a related note, I noticed something interesting about another book I bought that day. The inside cover lists its price as 18 dollars and is purportedly signed by the author. I am pretty sure I didn’t pay that much for the book. I found it in an unloved part of the store and based on my total, I paid far less. I guess the owner had his doubts as well. I’ve never cared much about autographs or first editions, but I am vaguely curious about this one. Thoughts?

Actually, I have several questions.

1. Do you enjoy a sad book or TV show? Maybe I mean, do you find beauty in a tragedy?
2. Would you like an autographed copy of your favourite book?
3. Is the first edition of a book worth more to you than any other?

Bloganuary: What books do you want to read?

Woman Reading (ca. 1880u20131881) painting by The Art Institute of Chicago is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

This is certainly a topic I can get behind. I haven’t done very well at this challenge–writing frequency being the issue, but now you’re speaking my language. If after reading this, you want to know what I am reading, please look here.

I have, at various times, wanted to read all the prize winning books. It sounds so fantastically easy. Someone has made your reading list for you. However, this approach is not without difficulties. The first of these is which list are you going to follow? Is it the Pulitzer? Is it the Nobel (though these are authors, not actually novels)? Is it the best 100 books–and there are numerous ones of these. Is it the Giller or the Man Booker prize? The next problem is that these tend to limit you to a particular country? Not terrible, but who wants limits? The third of these problems (for me) is that some of the choices stress post modern narratives or narrative techniques that I do not like, or have read too many of (like the recent trend of two simultaneous narratives set decades apart–good, but not every book should follow this trend). It is great to challenge yourself as a reader, but I do not appreciate a slogfest.

Just one other point before I get to the meat of this topic. In regards to the list of the greatest 100 books. I have read many of those. I was an English Literature major and I have always liked reading. I haven’t read all of them, but I have heard of most of them, and probably read many of their other works.

Category One: Authors whose complete works I want to read (in no particular order)

• Barry Eisler–He has created some awesome protagonists and given all of them some very interesting nuances. He writes action scenes and confrontations so well. I had read most of his books from the library, but he has opted for the self publishing option and writing novellas and short stories. My library hasn’t kept up and intra-library loans were axed by the Premier. Also, going the self publishing route has allowed him to change the titles of the books to something he preferred rather than the publisher’s choices. While I applaud his independence, it has left me confused and struggling to keep up.
• Harlan Ellison–I have a vast collection of his books (and even added a few recently) but I know that I am missing some of them. I am mostly interested in his earlier works rather than the things he put out in his later years.
• William Gibson–I am mostly up to date, but I get the sense that I should go back and reread his various trilogies. He’s always been ahead of the genres in which he is writing, but going back over them appeals to me. I am sure that I will find some things that I missed.
• Robert B. Parker–I have read all of his books, but decades have passed and I would like to start from the beginning again.
• Isaac Asimov–I have read a lot of his books, but I am thinking that I would like to read his Black Widowers books again. I didn’t read them all, and I think I was a bit young and I suspect that much of what he wrote went over my head.
• The complete collection of the Three Musketeers. I have read the first two novels and the final novel, but I am missing some of their stories. In this case, I even have the editions (Oxford World Classics) chosen.
• Toshikawa Kazuguchi has written several books about a magical cafe. I have read one and liked it enough to read them all.

There are detective novels and series that I would like to read. These include the works of Lee Child, Jim Butcher, David Baldacci, Peter Robinson (reread), F. Paul Wilson (I have read all his Repairman Jack novels, but his newest creation is very interesting. Obviously, there are many others.

Category Two: Books I would like to read

• Humboldt’s Gift by Saul Bellow. It has been on my shelf for decades. I think I should get around to it this year.
• Ulysses by James Joyce. I loved Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. It strikes me as rather odd that I didn’t have to read this book for my degree. I am not sure this will ever happen, but I think about it from time to time.
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I have read several of his longer novels, but this one has never been on my radar. I purchased a discount copy last year with a gift card someone gave me. It is sitting on my shelf waiting.
• The Summer of 42 and The Class of 44 by Herman Raucher. I don’t know if these books have held up, or if they live up to the hype, but I feel some attraction to these books.
• Stamps as Witnesses to History (as well as other books which relate philately and history together like European Stamp Issues of the First and Second World Wars.)
• The Starcrossed by Ben Bova and The Phoenix Without Ashes by Harlan Ellison. Both of these books detail and make fun of the production of The Starlost. I have always been a science fiction fan and by all accounts this was a completely botched TV show. I am immensely curious.
• The Hoods by Harry Grey. I enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America and would like to read the source material. I gave the book to my Father for Christmas as he had read it as a youth. Perhaps it is still on his bookshelf.
• 52 Pickup by Elmore Leonard. Roy Scheider was awesome in this one. It is pretty gritty and might raise some eyebrows on the bus–but my tolerance or care for my fellow commuters is at an all-time low right now.
• Phu Namh by Barry Sadler. I read this as a youth and I know there were a number of sequels. I liked it then, but perhaps I won’t like it now. I feel as though I should read some of these pulp like serials–the Destroyer, Doc Savage….There is something appealing in these to me. I have a bunch of these books highlighted at Thriftbooks and on my Amazon wishlist.

Category Three: Kinds of books I would like to read

In this section, I will note the kind of book I am looking for and hopefully, someone will recommend a title. 

• A book about organizing your house. One with advice different from the norm. I know I could read Marie Kondo, but I am looking for something a little more practical.
• A book with some great woodworking projects that I could actually use.
• A book on how to be a better writer. I know there are lots of them out there, but I want one that really works.
• A book that would teach me how to become a successful blogger and actually make money from this. 
• A book on how to get my advanced ESL students to produce more. This might be a bit to esoteric for my readers, but maybe some of you have an idea. If you have any ESL book recommendations, I would gladly take them.
• I want a book is so different from anything I have read, but still accessible and enjoyable.
• I want to read a book about the bible that is more of a history book. I know they offer these courses in school, but I don’t want to take a course and I don’t want to be preached at.
• A book about an ESL teacher in Japan whose experiences were closer to mine. I have read many of these, but none seem to have what I am looking for. I should probably write it myself instead.
• I want a book that makes me feel like I felt when I read Waterland, or A Prayer for Owen Meany, or A Separate Peace.
• A book that looks into the grunge era of music. I want to read not just about the bands, but how all the players reacted, and which bands got completely lost during this time.

Category Four: Books that I tell myself I am going to read, but probably won’t.

• Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I hated the Great Gatsby, so despite hearing so many great things about this book, I doubt I will ever even hold it in my hands.
• The Complete Sherlock Holmes. I always toy tackling these books and short stories. The edition often pops up in interesting places, but I never seem to pull the trigger. My father and his wife had this set in hardcover and I did begin it at some point. I just never got completely sucked in. Maybe if I had stayed in Japan longer I would have tackled this one.
• Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. One of my teacher’s recommended this to me. I am not sure whether it was my English teacher or my French teacher, but somehow I think this one will escape my grasp.
• The Complete James Bond by Ian Fleming.  It is only 14 books, and I could get them for a steal on Kindle (though I have a Kobo), I just don’t think I will get around to it.
• Deepwater Black by Ken Catran. I enjoyed the Canadian TV series and thought the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, the source material is different and written for a much younger audience.
• The complete works of Jack Kerouac. I have both enjoyed and disliked (many times upon successive readings) On the Road, but I have never been able to read the other books that were supposed to be linked together. I am interested in the era and the Beat Generation but I haven’t quite figured it out. Fortunately, there are lots of books (non fiction) on the subject matter that have held my interest.

I have rambled on long enough. Once again, I will link my reading lists for you.

Bloganuary: What’s in a name?

I was supposed to be named John. For most of my childhood, and into my teens, John was the most popular name for boys in Canada. I think it has been supplanted by Ethan or some other trendy name. A quick Google and it turns out that Noah was the most popular boy’s name in 2021 and 2022. Upon reflection, since Noah goes all the way back to the flood, I suppose I was a bit too brash when I said trendy.

On a funny note, the top three people at work are Jon, John, and Juan. Perhaps I dodged a bullet.

I was named after my grandfather, who was murdered long before I was born and when my father was but a child. While there was no pressure to live up to it, I do feel a certain weight of history.

My name means inestimable. Perhaps even invaluable. Not a bad etymology, if I do say so.

I grew up in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood, and I went to Catholic schools. There was great pressure to shorten my name to Tony, but I never did. I resisted quite strongly, even braining a few people with my plastic lunchbox when they started in on group taunting. This also applied to teachers (not the lunchbox, but the refusal). Even to this day, students always tell me how they would pronounce my name in their countries. I not so subtly remind them we are in Canada. If they persist, I pronounce their names in English and they tend to stop.

While my name was never shortened, I have gone by a whole host of nicknames. These include; my last name (which most of my family has also experienced), Anthonator, Anthman (you remember the sketch from Saturday Night Live) Kool (I wasn’t really deserving of that, but Frosh week is Frosh week), and in Japan, I was Ansonii-You need to understand Katakana to get it .  My family also has a nickname for me, but since it is for family only, I shall keep it to myself.

Bloganuary: What I could do differently

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This was an interesting prompt and I think it worth exploring. Rather than write a long narrative, I think a list is called for.

• I could drive instead of taking public transit–On the plus side, this would mean an absence of annoying commuters (loud talkers, seat hogs, disgusting public habit people) but an increase in annoying drivers (non-signalers, late breakers, tailgaters, bright high-beamers, and late mergers).
• I could eat better–I could eliminate junk food, fatty food, liquid food….I know there are some positives, but the blogverse is awash with blogs like this, so I am just going to move on.
• I could read more–not actually true. I could read a little more, but not that much more. I read a lot and to read more would require giving up TV, blogging time, or sleep.
• I could be more tidy–this is absolutely true. I am not a complete slob, but rather an incomplete one. I desire to be more organized and definitely go through moments where I am relatively tidy and proactive about putting things away. Sadly, this is not in every room in the house at the same time.
• I could write more–In fact, I had better write more. That is probably why I am taking part in Bloganuary.
• I could get frustrated/annoyed/angered/bothered less–we all have personality quirks to work on. These are just a few of mine. There are more, but I’ve aired enough of my dirty laundry here and now.
• I could exercise more–outside of people who live at the gym, we all say that. All I can really say about this is that as I get older, I can see my arm strength weakening. I can still carry most of what I want, but I do not want to become feeble. I cycle all summer and I am not shy about walking places, so I don’t fear my leg strength much.
• I could do something else–I teach, but this doesn’t always feel as fulfilling as it should. Sometimes, I leave class wondering if there was something else I could be doing. I want to write. I want to travel. I want to build things. I want to be creative and passionate about something again. I am sure many of us feel this way and despite reading many books on this, I have not found the way to do it at all.
• I could change things–From the mundane to the epic, there is a world of things that I could affect.