I discovered The Pillow Book via this memoir^^, which came to me via this new-to-me blog~~.

It’s over 1,000 years old and is full of lists! gossip! bitching! It’s alternately snarky and delightful and you should totally read it if you haven’t already (which you may well have – I’m generally rather late to the classics).

Given that I was about to head off to Japan, it arrived a pretty serendipitous time (thanks Universe!) and was simply perfect holiday reading.

I read the Meredith McKinney translation, which apparently more comprehensive than the previous versions. There’s a pretty interesting article on McKinney’s translation approach to the book here.

The “look inside” feature on that original link has some fairly chunky excerpts, but here are some of my favourite quotes:

• [21] Women without prospect, who lead dull earnest lives and rejoice in their petty little pseudo-pleasures, I find quite depressing and despicable.
  

• [25] Infurating things – … A very ordinary person, who beams inanely as she prattles on and on … I also really hate the way some people go about envying others, bemoaning their own lot in life, demanding to be let in on every trivial little thing … A man you’ve had to conceal in some unsatisfactory hiding place, who begins to snore.
  

• [37] Trees that have no flowers – … it’s not really worth including here, but the clinging vine is a quite pitiable plant.
  

• [71] Rare things – A pair of tweezers that can actually pull out hairs properly … A person without a single quirk …
  

• [79] … I do not let this annoy me, since after all I’m not exactly renowned for my modesty and prudence.
  

• [90] Infuriating things – thinking of one or two changes in the wording after you’ve sent a message to someone.
  

• [92] Startling and disconcerting things
  

• [110] Common things that suddenly sound special
  

• [116] Deeply irritating things – … Happening to hear one of the people in your service complaining that you don’t like her, and that someone else is your favourite at the moment … Someone you don’t particularly care for, who jumps to ridiculous conclusions and generally behaves with irritating self-importance.
  

• [126] It’s very unseemly of me to boast like this, I know, but on the other hand I do think it’s an entertaining story.
  

• [134] Worthless things – Someone who’s both ugly and unpleasant …
  

• [186] It’s very unseemly for a man who’s visiting a gentlewoman to eat while with her. Any lady who provides him with food is also despicable.
  

• [189] Elegantly intriguing things – … A person who stays up late is always elegantly intriguing.
  

• [238] Slovely looking things – Serving women with their hair tied up for work …
  

• [240] People who are smug and cocky – Present-day three year olds … Fools – the cocky ones who presume to instruct those who really do know.
  

• [243] I particularly despise people who express themselves poorly in writing. How horrible it is to read language that rides roughshod over manners and social conventions.
  

• [257] Things that give you pleasure – … Piecing back together a letter that someone has torn up and thrown away, and finding you can read line after line of it … Managing to get the better of someone who’s full of themselves and over-confident. This is even more pleasing if it’s a man …

As is the way with these things, language is contagious and I was soon walking around Tokyo proclaiming everything “charming” and “delightful” – not usually words in my personal vernacular, but I should employ them more.

I’m definitely going to buy myself a paper version of this.

xxx

^^ Bridget Lowry: Still life with teapot
~~ small, quiet, pretty – you will likely enjoy it.

neko desu

I had fine intentions of putting up the occasional post while I was away, but pretty obviously that didn’t happen! A couple of photos did make it to instagram, but that was about it.

But we’re back and Japan was, of course, wonderful. I absolutely would not want to live there for a number of reasons (insane work hours and insane patriarchy primarily), but it’s a lovely holiday destination.

Normally we fly Qantas (because, points), but we got quite a good deal this time for premium economy tickets with Japan Air Lines. I’d never flown with them before** and it was just like being in Japan from the moment of boarding – the crew being Japanese and the announcements being … well, announced … in Japanese first.

I’ve been trying to teach myself some Japanese in a pretty low-key kind of way and it was excellent to be able to recognise a word here and there. Last visit the total of my knowledge was pretty much “yes”, “no”, “please” and “thank-you”. Now I’ve about 10 more words under my belt – but hey, baby steps. Really, anyone who is bi-lingual or multi-lingual has my complete and undying admiration.

The break was all very relaxed and comfortable, which is precisely what I was after – lots of familiar places, exploring a couple of new-to-us areas. We spent four nights in Hakone, where we’d spent a night on the last trip and wanted to get to know a better, but we book-ended with Tokyo for Sumo, feasting and shopping.

Living in a fairly sub-tropical climate I’m not very familiar with “proper” winters. While it doesn’t really regularly snow in the areas we were staying, it was definitely colder than I’ve ever experienced in my life. We’d left behind temperatures of 35oC and above (95oF) and there were a few -4oC (~25oF) days^^. I was forced to bust out tights to wear as thermals under my jeans! It did snow very slightly on one afternoon in Hakone and I was absolutely wild with excitement. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen falling snow – it was so fluffy and magical – I need a snowy holiday in my future.

Back to enslavement and a big project kick-off tomorrow. I’m trying to take a positive and enthusiastic attitude in with me.

And I’m going to reset those 2019 intentions starting tomorrow – for reasons that are probably pretty obvious (spending, snacking, the usual suspects)!

xxx

** look at me talking like I’m some experienced world traveller like Joan or anyresemblance when I’ve been to fewer than 10 countries in my life.
^^ I realise this will be comically warm to some of you!