A long weekend, JJ remembered
It's a rare thing for me, but I'm now enjoying my second consecutive day off, thanks to a Japanese national holiday celebrating sports. Ahh, it's so nice because usually on a Monday I'm up at 5.30am to get ready for work at 7.30am. So, instead I've woken up at 6am, got breakfast ready and am now off for a jog alongside the Meguro river, you know, to get into the spirit of the day.
On Saturday, there was a gathering at Kikko Takezawa's house to celebrate the late JJ's colourful life. Most people there (including me), hadn't been able to make it over to England for the funeral earlier this year, so it was very fitting that we come together and share our memories of the great man. It was a lovely spread of food and wine, together with a beautiful cat which Miyu was quite taken by. Joseph and his "Twinkle", Satoko, were there, as were Russ and Emi, who have invited us down to their place in Izu for Christmas - thanks guys, really looking forward to that! By the time we'd arrived, quite a bit of wine had already been consumed, and the young at heart in the party were very merry indeed. Great to see Ted, who once parked his ex-army van in our drive when I was about 18 years old, which stayed there to the bemusement of the neighbours, and which provided me with the ideal revision space for my A-Levels. Also chatted to John, who I thought had gone off to New Zealand to cultivate his three mountains, but who regularly visits these shores. I have a very strong memory of him driving my family to the airport in Tokyo,about 30 years ago, going over 100mph, zigging in and out of traffic like a racing car driver. Thanks also to David, who sent us a brilliant map to find our way to Kikko's and provided much chuckling mirth on the way to the station.
I'm sure JJ would have approved of the whole thing. It really made me realize what a wide circle of friends he had, all of whom are the kind of people that you would love to call a friend, and who you could chat to well into the wee hours of the night.
Right then, best get off now and go see in the morning with a run.
On Saturday, there was a gathering at Kikko Takezawa's house to celebrate the late JJ's colourful life. Most people there (including me), hadn't been able to make it over to England for the funeral earlier this year, so it was very fitting that we come together and share our memories of the great man. It was a lovely spread of food and wine, together with a beautiful cat which Miyu was quite taken by. Joseph and his "Twinkle", Satoko, were there, as were Russ and Emi, who have invited us down to their place in Izu for Christmas - thanks guys, really looking forward to that! By the time we'd arrived, quite a bit of wine had already been consumed, and the young at heart in the party were very merry indeed. Great to see Ted, who once parked his ex-army van in our drive when I was about 18 years old, which stayed there to the bemusement of the neighbours, and which provided me with the ideal revision space for my A-Levels. Also chatted to John, who I thought had gone off to New Zealand to cultivate his three mountains, but who regularly visits these shores. I have a very strong memory of him driving my family to the airport in Tokyo,about 30 years ago, going over 100mph, zigging in and out of traffic like a racing car driver. Thanks also to David, who sent us a brilliant map to find our way to Kikko's and provided much chuckling mirth on the way to the station.
I'm sure JJ would have approved of the whole thing. It really made me realize what a wide circle of friends he had, all of whom are the kind of people that you would love to call a friend, and who you could chat to well into the wee hours of the night.
Right then, best get off now and go see in the morning with a run.
posted by TOK at 7:14 am
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