Simon Sellars of Sleepy Brain is currently in Japan, updating the Lonely Planet Guide. He's also keeping a blog on the LP website. The latest entry deals with his recent encounter with an earthquake.
I've also learnt from his previous entry what to do should I ever have the misfortune to encounter a Japanese water spirit. That's one less thing to worry about.
Thieu returned on Saturday and we spent much of Sunday lugging boxes around. Not emptying them, mind, just moving them from one place to another. It's all a little overwhelming, really. First there is the question of where to put all the stuff that was in the boxes and then there is the issue of the boxes themselves. Thieu has grown quite attached to some of them and is refusing to part with them.
We have made a pact that we will commence throwing unneccessary things out, but, as often seems to be the way with these things, we tend to view each other's possessions as the expendable things. We both have a predisposition for developing sentimental attachments to useless things. Thieu sees no value in my china rubber-glove cast, for instance. On Sunday night, Thieu started going through his clothing, looking for throw-outable items. He came out to me, clutching a pair of beaten-up suede boots. "Should I get rid of these?" he said. Easy one. Yes. "But these are ripples." He flipped them over so I could see the soles. Ripply. "I used to wear these everyday. They are a symbol of my youth." Hmmmm...... "You can't even buy them here. They only make them in Adelaide." He was clutching the boots to his chest by this stage. "I'm going to keep them." he said, and disappeared.
At the moment, I am throwing everything I don't want to think about into the spare room and quickly closing the door before it can't escape. I can hear it muttering resentfully to itself whenever I walk by.
