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October, we’re home (again)

Preamble from Oct. 31: My sweet goodness, what a topsy-turvy buncha days out in the world. So much sadness, so much hope, so much everything happening all at once. Peace to the memories of the lost ones. Not quite sure how to react except to go wash dishes and fold laundry.

Meanwhile, Nov. 6: Usually, usually usually usually: i like to put a little monthly recap for the previous month – with a picture of a calendar – for some sort of a mental reset routine amidst the anomalies of chronology which, frankly doesn’t make sense (the concept of a calendars and the reasons i recap).

Though, i changed all the calendars (Japan is a great place to live if you love free calendars), i didn’t take a snapshot (my handy pocket robot camera has stopped working) but the photo with me in various hats feels kind of like a calendar and well, the last day of October is a day for dressing up in various disguises so voila!

Note: I don’t care for scary stuff or spooky stuff or horror stuff but you know I’m a fan of hats, costumes and disguises.

So, while we’re well into November, the darling wife and adorable son are off at tea ceremony after a day out a Kurashiki jazz street yesterday in the gorgeous historical Bikan district, and I’ve folded the laundry, still have a few dishes to do and a pot of rice to put on and, for consistency, here are a few notes about October.

my great pal Banghi made this amusing meme with me and hero Tintin, i love it!

Books: Currently reading Tanizaki Junichiro’s “The Makioka Sisters” – story of a once-prominent family in Osaka/Kobe in the (dreamy) Taisho era and enjoying so much. Kind of Tolstoy-esque it’s pleasant pacing & details of family life. Previously read his “Naomi”. Did you read either?

Also reading Murakami Ryu (not Haruki)’s “69” / I usually have three or four books on the go at once in different locations. Right now keeping stacks handy for glances of poetry for inspiration while I work on my book project.

Ichiro has learned the wonders of Tintin books so we’re reading Tintin in Tibet over and over again and we both love it. Also “old farm, new farm” as well as “toot and puddle” – all most excellent.

Also posted a review of Amy Chavez’s book, trying to do this for more books (and have a plan to write something about the new record from The Matinée)

Anyhow, October featured two big “buckets of things”

1) Loads of creative projects wound up, especially:

  • the Kerouac in Kobe video and related coverage in Rock and Beat Generation and Allen Ginsberg project and loads of dossiers send out into the world / note: followed along with coverage of “Lowell Celebrates Kerouac” event but made sure to not feel blue about missing out
  • poetry anthology “Muriel’s Journey” and the online reading – which sort of help me reconnect with my former home of Vancouver as well as meet some interesting poets, some of which also have a connection with Japan
    • interview / convo with Jason Emde for his “Writers Read their Early Sht” pod, coming soon-ish / provided opportunity to surface all sorts of archeology

2) Loads of “life admin” stuff wrapped up, including:

  • various passports, citizenship and tax matters in several countries
    • into new medical programs, detailed elsewhere
  • paperwork for schools & pensions
  • tickets purchased for a big trip next year (more later)

Next up for November:

  • the big one is trying to focus on this poetry book that I keep yapping about (its kinda project which is hard to start and stop and start… momentum and pacing is key)

but also:

  • one more round of absurd disability paperwork for Canada, completely intimidating
  • getting ahead of the New Year’s card production routine, (I love this but scaling back a bit this year, trimming the list)
  • doing a big picture hanging funtime (gonna be really fantastic)
  • a few more things around the yard and garden (did a few already)
  • plans for festive get together and possible Santa Claus appearances

Finally, King Tut:

My pal, super blogger Rebecca Bollwitt, AKA Miss604 has a campaign about the groovy interactive exhibit about King Tutankhamun in Vancouver / the King Tut exhibit in Seattle when i was a kiddo (1978?) was a HUGE deal for me and this year, this month is the centenary of the (re)discovery of the tomb by the squad of Egyptian workers, archeologist Howard Carter and patron “Lord” Carnarvon.

So i added 2 notes:

  1. Podcast: Behold, a very enjoyable, approximately 7 hour, “brief overview“ of the archaeological excavation of KV 62: Anniversary: The Tomb of Tutankhamun – The History of Egypt Podcast
  2. Bonus: me in fifth grade Prince Charles elementary school in Surrey science fair, and full costume with a (sorta) scale model of Tutankhamun’s tomb complete with gold painted treasures inside, a back light, and a sign saying “see what Howard Carter saw” / also a mimeographed and-out with an essay explaining “the daily life of the young king”
why yes, i did win first prize :)
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