Chelsea win again, no goals against, and there they go...
I heard on 5 live today various renowned commentators welcoming Rooney's sending-off...saying the 'lad' needed it. Yes, he did, and now I'll say no more on a subject which bores me slightly, if only for the fact that an unruly-but-talented 'man' gets away with it.

I cycled through the western fringes of a sprawling Norwich, which I knew so well as a relatively unchanging valley, where once a Scottishesque manor once stood and which hosted Victorian Royalty. I took some photos as it is in this area where the inevitable northern by-pass will be laid, cutting through, in my opinion, the loveliest part of the Norwich fringe. There is no-one to blame, and no hostility felt, only regret that our booming city has led to this problem.
Who would have thought that Norwich would have it's own 'orbital' to play with.
But it is a fact borne on progress that, regrettably, no one can deny the traffic problems within, (and sometimes outside) the city centre; sometimes 40 to 50 minutes to cross from one side to the other.
In my first spell here, late 70's through 80's, we never thought of Norwich as having 'sides' but now, we certainly do, as appointments made per phone are met with, 'which side are you coming-in from?'
Only 160,000 apparently, but increasing with age.
The mall nearly complete, and the simple 'trip to the city' is now called commuting...in Norwich...wow.

I've been called to go to Japan, but...I'm still in waiting for this MRI and other more urgent checks...the timing is getting tight. I will go...but the time that I go will determine what I can do over there...teaching, working, primarily, but I miss my friends, and the life there so much.
Other than England it is most homely of all the countries I've been to.
But I will also travel with my family next year, in Philippines. That will be for 4 weeks, pure holiday. I've been overworking for several years now, so it is something I want to do. And travelling makes me love it here all the more.

The guinea pigs now reside outside in a new hutch. They seem fine sheltered by clematis and mile-a-minute, where I can see them anytime from my windows. Not sure what the hedgehog thinks of it all though...he has a sprint of late.
I must tackle my autumn garden...I have some pumpkins and beans still doing ok. And a few blackcurrents also, but they are poor this year. Snails, for such a slow creature, always beat my neighbour and I everytime.
We compare notes and ailments these days.

Now I'm heading to the wine bar with my friend...

今日ははれです、でも、イングランドでは秋の天気はとても変わりやすいですな。
今朝、スポーツセンタに行った、物理療法をしました。すこしたいへん。
後で、サーキットで友達に会って、かのじょうはさみしい。。。
今夜　ワインバーに行くと重いいま～す。

Music: The Cult: Phoenix, (1985)
Franz Ferdinand: Do You Want To. (2005)
The Korgis: Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime. (1980)
Susumu Yokota: Symbol (2005)

Awoke with my late grandfather on my mind...my dream was at a health spa, with my parents and grandfather who had his usual humour, and he even managed one sentence of English, which never happened in real life, but he smiled gloriously. Comforting indeed.

Yesterday I was given a huge chocolate cake, from one of my work colleagues, which is delicious and terribly sweet. My stomach has given over to Asia and now finds English cake so heavy...but so tempting! (Now one room is more 'popular' than it should be.) I'd helped myself to three tabloid-sized slices when my student gave me a bottle of laid back ruby which was perfect. This I shared with my pet-loving friend who improves her English while studying 'trade' as I study Japanese, helped by laid back ruby and her good self.
I'd by then just finished a long conversation with my American friend about teacher's attitudes...he'd jacked it in years ago, but I'm not done yet.

I digressed, as I wanted to give a shout to my student, who also told me that during one of the heavier downpours in Norwich, he ran to an old lady who was leaving Starbucks without a coat...yelled in his stern accent, 'excuse me' and handed her his umbrella. He told me the lady was hysterically pleased and went on to say that in his mother land of the UAE, rain is rare, so he wanted to fully enjoy the downpour!!
I was impressed with his deed, but as for his opinion on British rain...what of October...November...December...???
The delights to come.^^

Hey, it's sunny outside, I should do my cycling before work, and visiting the Chinese store for my soya beans...

Music: System of a Down: Toxicity

The sudden and very welcome incursion of warm continental air on the 28th to 31st saved August from the distinction of being that rare feature of our current climate - a significantly cool month.

Even with this warmth, peaking with a reading of 30.2c on the 31st, the mean, or average, temperature of the month was slightly below normal.

A feature of August was the complete absence of any sustained warm weather, (something that we have erroneously allowed ourselves to expect every summer month), and the generally rather cool nature of many nights.

The month was favourable for the harvest, and providentially we were situated on the boundary of two very contrasting meteorological regimes, causing serious drought and heat over Iberia and much of France, and excessive rain's and serious flooding over parts of central Europe. This is not particularly unusual, as central Europe, especially in alpine regions, is prone to heavy rains in August.

The drought in Spain, and in particular Portugal has lasted for many months, and combined with unusually hot conditions, has created ideal conditions for widespread forest fires.

The severity and extent of the wind-induced damage and subsequent flooding caused by hurricane Katrina is almost impossible for us to fully comprehend.
The swathes of destruction and floods in parts of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama cover an area larger than the British Isles.

The severity of this dreadful storm was well forecast - indeed I cannot recollect ever hearing more apocalyptic warnings.

We must not assume that the intensity and associated destructive power of Katrina is indicative of global warming. It is true that hurricanes derive their energy from warm sea surface temperatures, and that tropical storms have doubled their destructive potential in the past thirty years due to a warming of ocean surfaces. However, this appears to be merely part of a natural cycle that reaches a peak every twenty to thirty years, the next peak due around 2020.

It must also be borne in mind, that part at least, of the increase in damage caused by hurricanes is due to the ever-increasing development of often rather flimsy properties in exposed locations.

With massive implications to coastal areas of Norfolk, the false economy, (or criminal negligence), of 'saving money' by not maintaining or upgrading sea flood defences, has been tragically apparent at New Orleans.

A 300 foot breach in a levee or dyke was the main contributory cause of the flooding of the city. In spite of long-standing warnings last year US federal budget cuts had halted work on at risk levees for the first time in 37 years.

August 2005

Total rainfall: 44.1mms
Wettest day: 10.8mms 24th
Days with rain: 15
Coolest day: 16.8mms 8th
Warmest day: 30.2c 31st
Average temperature: 16.2c

-NB