Breathing, so silently

This is the new photo for my website, The Chamber of Lizard Queen. The original photo was taken by myself in the Natural History Museum in Oxford about 2 years ago. It is a skeleton specimen of Tuatara, a kind of lizards found only in New Zealand and now endangered. This species has been living in this planet since 200 million years ago. Can you imagine, 200 million years ago!

As you know, I have got a small lizard (actually a gekko) tattoo in my back. The reason I chose a gekko is because I like this animal. And the reason I like it is because it crawls everywhere so quietly with its small legs, watching the world so silently with its clear eyes, and it is one of the most primitive animals on this planet. It somewhat looks like a dinosaur, but not loud-mouth like a dinosaur. It is small, always in the shade, but always watching things cunningly. It has rough but smooth skin. It is ugly but beautiful. I thought I wanted to live like a lizard. That's why I got my tattoo.

living Tuatara

I saw living Tuatara in a zoo in New Zealand, when my partner took me there, his birth place. A few Tuatara were in a cage and hiding under the trees and rocks. Their eyes were cute, just like small jet black stones.

The philosopher Tuatara knows what eternity is, since he has been living so long time. He looks like Solomon, since his eyes caught and learnt so many things that happened on this ground. However, he never tells any stories, he just swallows all the stories, since living is only an important thing for him. The fact that he is living at this moment is the only truth for him.

I wish I could live like him. I can be silent forever, but I cannot stop writing, never! Well, I guess I am that kind of species...Call me 'Writara' or something (writing lizard? ha ha)... Anyway, I too keep on crawling and watching the world, like Tuatara, for a long time.


この記事を日本語で読む

Weekend in Liverpool

We visited Liverpool for the first time last weekend. All I knew about Liverpool before the trip were that this city was famous for the birth place of the Beatles, its port, their English accent/dialect called Scouse, and the football team.

The Great Hall

Lamb-Banana

As soon as we arrived in Liverpool we found the city breathtakingly beautiful. The view from the harbour, old buildings with red bricks, the nice combination of old stuff and new sites, lively atmosphere... I like this city! That's what I thought after a few minutes walking around the town.
As we walked around, we found cute statues everywhere in Liverpool. These statues are called 'Lamb-Banana'. The city is famous for trading and merchants, and Lamb-Banana is the symbol of importing (bananas etc.) and exporting (lambs etc.)

The Liver Building. Architectures were stunning

Although it was quite hard for me to understand Scouse, people were really nice and talked to me in a friendly way. Even I didn't understand, they kept talking anyway, ha ha ha. Scouse is English, but the accent is really strong... Once I am used to the sound, probably it wouldn't be so difficult to understand, but listen, even my partner, who is a native English speaker, sometimes don't understand them...lol. But anyway I loved Liverpoolians.

Everton Football Stadium

in The Cavern Pub, where the Beatles first played

Walked around the town, visited the pub where the Beatles first had their gig, watched football match (Everton FC vs Manchester City), glanced at real Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane, had nice meals, caught up with friends there and went to nightclubs, got drunk and danced... If this was not a life of luxury, what else could be? And of course, after the two and a half days, we got a bonus of beautiful hangover... nice, isn't it?

The wall of fame, outside of the Cavern Pub.
All the names of the bands who played in the Cavern were displayed here.

I think we definitely go back to Liverpool again, since we have seen only a small part of this city. Until then I will try to get used to listening to Scouse...ha ha ha...(when I went to Newcastle I struggled to understand their unfamiliar accent as well... am not good at listening even in Japanese... need new ears maybe!)


この記事を日本語で読む

St.George's Day

Today is St.George's day. St.George is the patron saint of England, and I saw so many flags of St.George's cross put up on the roofs, doors and windows of English families' houses today.

St.George is one of the martyrs in ancient Roman Empire, whose myth that he fought against an evil dragon and saved a city near Cappadocia is famous. He was a pious Christian and spread Christianity to people in the era. He was killed by a pagan king on April 23, 303.

As the patron saint of England, is the name George still popular in England? Well, according to the statistics, the boy's name George is in the 12th place of the list of popular new-born babies' names in 2007. Jack is always the most popular name these few years. It is felt a bit strange for me to give a saint's name to a baby, only because I am Japanese and we don't have this custom. We don't give Buddhist's saints' or Shinto's gods' names to babies, unless the parents are quite unusual. I like a name 'Miroku' though, which is one of Buddha's names. Nowadays many Japanese people like 'funky' names, which somewhat sound like western words, such as 'Kaito' (sounds like 'kite'), 'Ren' (like 'wren', but pronunciation is 'len'), 'Shou' (like 'show'), and for girls 'An' ('Ann'), 'Yua' ('your'?), and even 'Kokoa' ('Cocoa'!), rather than conventional Japanese names such as 'Taro' 'Hanako'. What I like about Japanese names is that the combination of sounds and Kanji makes the name individual (Chinese and Korean are the same maybe? don't know though).

Well, my thoughts turned aside from the topic, but anyway, happy St.George's Day everyone!


この記事を日本語で読む

Dream Bringer

We have a 'Skeleton Man', somewhat looks like The Death, in our bedroom of our flat. This is a puppet that my partner bought in Czech Republic several years ago. He is my favourite. I call him 'The Dream Bringer', as I have hung him over our bed, just above my pillow. When I had a nightmare, I would talk to him in the morning, 'Hey you, well done!'. When I had a sweet dream, I would say 'Hey, I conquered you last night!'. He is my dream bringer. When I wake up, he is always above my head, as if he is my guardian. He looks a bit scary, but he is actually cute, and is a lucky person or an amulet for me. He brings a variety of dreams and that helps me in consuming my bad thoughts in my subconsciousness while I am asleep...

This morning I didn't remember what I had dreamt during the night, I said to him 'Oh you ate all of my dreams...thanks for that, I might have had bad dreams but you rescued me from them...' He is a dream eater as well... just like a tapir, which animal is believed to eat dreams...


この記事を日本語で読む

A Book Of Nonsense

One of my favourite books in my bookcase is 'A book of nonsense' written by Edward Lear. This poet/illustrator lived in 19th Century is famous for his nonsense poems with lots of limericks. Limerick is a form of a poem which consists of five lines, and the last words in the line number 1,2 and 5 rhyme, also the last words in the line 3 and 4 rhyme as well. Rhyming is quite an interesting form of poetry for me. It's really clever. Rhyming poems are purely word games and nice to read out. They are just like comfortable music.

Edward Lear published 'A book of nonsense' in 1875, and the book I own is a second-hand book I bought in Oxford a few years ago, which was, I think, published in 1920's because the exlibris of the previous owner's on it says 'December 1927'.

Lear's nonsense poems are amusing. When I read them I cannot help murmuring 'So what?'. The poems mean 'nothing'. I mean, there are no rational stories. Each poem is almost meaningless and the author seems to be just playing with words. This is the whole point of these poems. 'So what?'. But funny. Impressive rhymes. This 'NOTHINGNESS' so to say, is the meat of these poems.

See the words are rhyming nicely. The illustrations by the author are funny as well. Just enjoy the rhythm of the poems, making giggles!

There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, "If you choose to suppose,
That my nose is too long,
You are certainly wrong!"
That remarkable Man with a nose.

There was an Old Lady of Prague,
Whose language was horribly vague:
When they said, "Are these caps?"
She answered, "Perhaps!"
That oracular Lady of Prague.

There was an Old Person of Mold,
Who shrank from sensations of cold;
So he purchased some muffs,
Some furs and some fluffs,
And wrapped himself from the cold.

There was an Old Man of Nepaul,
From his horse had a terrible fall;
But, though split quite in two,
By some very strong glue,
They mended that Man of Nepaul.

この記事を日本語で読む

Intelligence?

It arrived at ours about 10 days ago. It has been occupying our mind entirely. It has several colours and they confuse us. It is a hand-sized cube. It looks cute, but is evil-eyed...

Rubik's Cube.

My partner bought this over a week ago and I am unexpectedly hooked on it. I tried this puzzle a few times at my friend's house when I was a kid, and never solved it. I thought this is the toy only for very very intelligent people and I would never be able to finish this. Also thought that those who can solve this puzzle must be very good at analysis or physics or maths. Actually my partner is good at these subjects and he solved Rubik's Cube in 5 minutes on his first attempt. After reading the instruction, he did it in 2 and a half minutes. I tried, without reading the instruction, which took a day to solve only one side. I screamed 'I am a linguistic person, cannot do this, I give up, I never try this again!!!!!!' Then I threw the cube away.

I was wrong. In some reason I picked the cube up again and tried to solve it, probably just because my partner did it so easily and I was a bit competitive. As he said, I read the instruction. I followed it. And...I made it!

According to the instruction, there are some particular movements you have to make. Once you remember these movements, you can solve the puzzle so easily. Now I remember it, and can finish it in 5 minutes. I still think this toy requires intelligence, and it really does if you try to solve it without looking up the instruction. If you make it by yourself, that means you are really intelligent...lol
Me? No. I only know how I should move the pieces. It's just like a Pavlovian reaction. Am cheating so to say...I still don't know how each piece works.

So, do you want to try your intelligence? I can lend you our Rubik's Cube...ha ha ha.


この記事を日本語で読む

Love Cats

I am an absolute cat lover. Since I was small, cats have been around me and they are just like something always with me naturally.

April 4th is my love cat Tupelo's birthday. Actually I don't know his real birthday because he was a stray cat when he was at the age of 3 or 4 months. A friend of mine picked him up on the street and gave him to me, and since then I've been looking after him. I set his birthday on April 4th, because the vet said he was probably born in April and also he is very fluffy and looks like a 'Shishi', which means lion or mythical creature similar to lion in Japanese. The number 'Shi' means 4 in Japanese. So, 'shi-shi' is 4-4. That's why Tupelo's birthday is April 4th, the 4th day of the 4th month. When I go back to my parents' house in Japan where Tupelo is living, he always sleeps with me, follows me everywhere, treating me like I'm the lover of him! Oh yes, he is my lover and I am his... Tupelo is a boy, and my boyfriend is his rival... It's no wonder Tupelo doesn't get on well with my partner.... ha ha ha. I always miss Tupelo in the UK.

Tupelo, who is 11 years old this year

In Cambridge a cat visits my place almost every day. Her name is 'Shiro' which means 'white' in Japanese. She is not our cat, and to be honest have no idea whose cat she is, but anyway she visits us very often. She might be called 'Snowie' or some other English name... but I don't know. For us she is 'Shiro'. It's my heart-warming time when she visits me for half an hour every day. She goes somewhere after relaxing at ours, maybe she goes to someone else's home or goes back to her owner. In Cambridge most cats go out. On the streets, in gardens and in town I can see cats walking around everywhere. I guess in London and in other big cities household cats don't go out, just living in a house?

Shiro, who is my everyday visitor

Cats are independent, cats are lovely, cats are moody, cats walk around and see the world freely, cats are philosophical...
I think I cannot live without cats, and I myself cannot live unlike a cat...

この記事を日本語で読む

Pinch and Punch, White Rabbit!

No sooner had I woken up than I got a pinch and punch from my partner this morning! He grinned and said 'Pinch and punch for the first day of the month!' It reminded me that it was the 1st day of the month. But traditionally if the person who gives a pinch and punch doesn't say 'white rabbit!' after pinching and punching, the receiver can return a pinch and a punch...is this right? Because the magic word 'white rabbit!' means 'no return!'. Don't know the origin of this custom and the word. As long as I remember, my partner didn't say 'white rabbit!', which means I should have pinched and punched back him!!! But I was still half asleep and missed the opportunity! Grrrrr... This 'pinch and punch' is a tradition in which they wish a good luck to each other.

But I remembered it was April 1st. In return, I played a trick on him. I pretended to have received a phone call from his dad while he was in a shower, then when he came out of the bathroom I gave him a phone saying 'Ah, he is out. Hey, it's your dad.' He was tricked...he talked 'Hello? Hello? Hellloooo???' to the silent phone... ha ha ha. It's my April Fool's day prank. well done me...lol

On April fool's day, as everyone knows, people play jokes, tricks, pranks on each other. When the King Charles IX in France changed the first day of the year from April 1st to January 1st, the people who liked the old tradition opposed the change. They continued to believe April 1st is the first day of the year. They were called 'April Fools' and considered to be harmless liars. This is apparently the origin of April Fool's Day.

Every year media spreads a lot of jokes, tricks and pranks all over the world, although some religions ban this. BBC is especially famous for playing amazingly well-made hoaxes. In 1957, they introduced 'how spaghetti is made' in a TV show. Actually, spaghetti is not made, but 'harvested'! The programme showed spaghetti on trees and farmers harvesting it. Some people really believed it and said 'Oh I didn't know spaghetti was a plant!' NO WAY...This is still really famous even now and all British people know what 'Spaghetti Tree' is. (photo above)

Last year the BBC morning news programme announced that 'Flying Penguins were discovered'. It's a really really well-made video! Can't believe the national broadcasting corporation produces such a hoax. Brilliant. I love this sense of humour of British people. In Japan April Fools Day is well-known and people play jokes on each other, but the national television never does it.
Here is the video of 'Flying Penguins'. What do you think? Great, isn't it? Almost touching...lol



Well, I am waiting for something funny happens today, also looking forward to this year's BBC's hoax. In the UK and other Common Wealth Nations people can play jokes only until noon. I'll keep my eyes on TV this morning. ha ha.

この記事を日本語で読む