A Spring Morning - Omuta, Japan

Some of you may have wondered where I've been all this time. Most of you couldn't give a monkey's of course but then neither do I, give a monkey's that is about those who couldn't give a ... for fuck's sake, what am I raving about. Anyway, here I am in all my soft cuddly gorgeousness, back with a new blog to delight your eminences, if you would give me your attention for a few moments more.

I am going away. Now I don't want you all to gather round weeping and wailing. You'll just have to accept it and get on with your own lives. I'll be back eventually, perhaps in about two weeks but I'm not sure. I'm off to Korea in the morning, not for long, just a day or two there then I'm sailing (although not by wind power) to Japan. Another day or two there then it's back to Croatia in time for the good weather.

So! Interesting little trip. I should try and get some pictures of the strange and enigmatic orient to entertain you on my next post. Would you like that? I've been to Korea and Japan before, many times, and I do like it out there. It's so ... how can I put it? Different! That's the word. By jove sometimes I surprise myself with my perspicacity.

But you do see some "different" things out east. The people there have a different take on things. It is another world. I'll give you an example. I was walking along a downtown street in Omuta one quiet Sunday morning. It was a nice, sunny & mild spring morning and I came across an old man sitting on a small folding stool, his knees were up around his chin. He had an easel in front of him and he was painting a small watercolour scene of the street and the buildings, the level crossing and the sky, and he was so old and hunched over the easel, and he was trembling. He had Parkinson's disease or something and he trembled so much I wondered how he could possibly achieve anything. I couldn't help but stop and wonder at him and I wanted to get a better look at the painting. It was just a beautiful splash of colours and shapes, the blue of the sky, a red banner outside a store, white lines suggesting the level crossing gates. He had not captured the form but he had captured the feeling of that morning perfectly. The old man looked round as I looked over his shoulder, and he gave me the loveliest smile. I felt blessed.

Look after yourselves, and I'll see you when I get back.