Hey, there.

Wherever you are in the world. I hope you and your loved ones are doing ok.

Whether it is a lockdown, an advisory of stay home, a stay-near-to-home...or, of course, if you are one of the wonderful people going to work every day and battling this virus for the rest of us.

Winter and spring 2020....we never knew how these months would be.

But, we will emerge the other side of this. One day.

Until then, we connect with the world thru this computer technology, even more than usual and hopefully try to be kinder to eachother.

So.

Here in Hokkaido, north Japan...winter is turning into spring. I got out for my debut kayak trip this year, by driving with DS to a lake about an hour from home and while he ambled around the tiny village area at a safe distance from about 20 other people...I enjoyed the quiet and the calm of this view.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Japan announced State of Emergency in 7 big urban areas. Non-essential buildings and businesses should close, but it isn't a lock down. Restaurants can stay open????!!!! 

But not...izakiyas.....

Totally strange. What the fuck is the  difference?

Izakiya, maybe, is a small eating and drinking place..with tables close together? Oh, hang on, maybe that's a restaurant?

Who knows.

If the Japanese government was really serious about this they would just say: ALL eating and drinking places should close. You don't NEED to go an eat or drink out in the coming month. Go to work. Buy food. Go home and eat it. Supermarkets and convenience stores are open.

Anyway. I'm glad they are finally doing something. Now they have got the Olympics off the table, now the financial year has ended, and the schools have had their graduation and entrance ceremonies and new staff have joined their companies....now all of THAT seasonal stuff is done...

Ok. Let's try and stop the virus spreading and killing people.

My blog. My venting....

Us? 

Well, okay. Quiet time at and near home. About 2/3 of my regular teaching work. Skype lessons. Days at home to walk locally and watch too much TV. Baked  a cake.

No tour guide work for the foreseeable future.

We still can't go and see Okaasan. The care home called yesterday and and said they will ask a doctor to come and look at her foot skin condition. Better than taking her to a hospital.

Maybe we can go and see her later this month? Happily, she won't know when she last saw us. Good weather is coming and it would be nice to take her wheelchair out in the sunshine.

I keep in contact with friends and family in other countries. But I am so SO glad that my parents have already died and are not stuck thousands of miles away from me, where I can't help. A friend here...her father in the UK is in the middle of cancer treatment...or rather his treatment is on pause...so incredibly hard for her as she tries to go on daily life here of Japan. Of course, I still have family members in the Uk. But more distant family. 

So, when the British Embassy in Tokyo sent out a video message saying "if you want to leave Japan now, time is running out" and when British Airways announced they are stopping direct flights, a little British sad feeling went thru me. But not so much, because here...this house, this city, this country IS my home now.

Oh, and this man. And his mum.

And here we are...April 2020....a strange time.