Children's Day

For the last few days I've had a cold, or else the one I had before has come back. This is extremely annoying, since I wanted to get a lot done over these few days we have off, and I'm not getting very far. I have managed some non-thinking-type paperwork, though, after spending a lot of time on the new computer getting it all set up. Everything seems to be working now, more or less. I have printed out all my class rolls, sorted out my email woes (I ended up sticking with Eudora as I discovered I am addicted to reading via the spacebar, and got irritated with anything else), sorted out my bookmarks (more or less), and discovered that my blog looks entirely different (and not very good) on a good screen. My photographs look better on a good screen, though, so that makes up for it a bit. I also bought a new keyboard yesterday, and typing has become a happy event again. Clickity clickity clack.

I am not going to change my blog appearance, though. I do not have enough energy. I had no appetite today and was not feeling good at all, so in preparation for breakfast went for a very slow bicycle ride around the neighbourhood, armed with my camera. I thought that might make me feel better, and it did, a little, or at least I forgot that I wasn't hungry and was able to eat breakfast after that.

It was a beautiful day, and today is Children's Day. I hoped to get some pictures of carp streamers, which are generally very photogenic.

(Writing about carp reminds me of the children's story I read to some students once. I held the book so they could see the pictures, and was reading upside down. I managed to read pretty smoothly upside down except when the word carp appeared, and every time that happened I said, instead, crap. Fortunately none of the students knew what it meant, so my hasty self-corrections went unremarked.)

Most of the pictures I took today, however, ended up being pictures of people's washing. There were hardly any carp streamers around. I only spotted two or three places with them up. I'm sure there are usually more, and I was determined to get pictures of SOMETHING flapping in the breeze.

This first picture combines the carp streamers AND washing.


I felt a bit naughty, taking pictures of people's washing, especially when, just as I was aiming at a particularly picturesque old lady bra, the old lady in question suddenly opened her balcony door and came out to bring in her washing. I quickly swiveled around and took a picture of the street, instead.


I didn't notice until after I'd downloaded the pictures to the computer how many of them were also pictures of an incredible jumble of power lines, cable lines, and who knows what else lines. I've been here so long I don't see them any more.


If power lines really are bad for our health we're all in trouble.


Here are some more carp, which had become all tangled up in the power lines.


In this next one you can see the washing machine is on the balcony as well as the washing. Many houses and apartments don't have space for a washing machine, so putting them out on the balcony is standard practice.


It was a good day for airing futons, although I have to admit that I am never quite sure how hygienic it is to hang them out like this. It is good to air them, of course, but when they hang against the outside of the balcony I suspect the futons are cleaning the balcony.

The other day some colleagues who live in apartments were telling me of the difficulty of cleaning their balconies.

"I scrub the balcony floor and walls and the water turns black," said one, horrified. "And that's just a week after I did it last time. What is in the AIR here?"

I told her she should air her futons more often. That would keep the balcony clean.


Finally, I have some more mystery flowers for identification. These are trees, and they are in flower now. Some are pink, and some are white. I don't know what they are, but they are all lovely.




And that is all I have for you today.