I was first indoctrinated into the joys of the airport lounge by a well-seasoned union official I travelled with every few weeks, over the course of about six months, negotiating a new enterprise agreement. It was a whole new world of status credit accumulation and judging people by the colour of their bag tag. The lounge was an airline branded haven of carefully grouped chairs and tables and free food and booze, far from the travelling hordes seated next to each other in awkward rows at the departure gates. Continue reading
holidays
The secret to travelling light
Of all the inane things to be wasting my time googling in preparation for our upcoming holiday to the UK, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of travel and fashion bloggers’ packing tips. Somebody. Kill me. Continue reading
Tips for running in Tokyo – Part 2
This is the much delayed second part to my earlier post where I promised to give some tips on where to go running if you’re visiting Tokyo. Even thought it’s been several months since I was there, the runs have stayed with me as some of the most enjoyable I’ve done.
As I mentioned in my other post, even though I was only in Japan a short time, having a ‘regular’ running route can make you feel more at home and something like a local as you start to recognise smaller landmarks and fall into the daily rhythm of an area. Now I’m home I miss passing the policemen sitting behind desks in the Koban stations on my way down to the Sumida River, and seeing the dogs dressed up for their walks around Shinobazu Pond.
Tips for running in Tokyo
Going for a run while you’re on holiday in another city or country is a great thing to do. You can fool yourself, for a short time at least, that you’re a local. You can also get to things you might not otherwise be able to reach at walking pace and have experiences beyond those normally associated with the usual business of travel. Continue reading
Capital contrasts: Tokyo and Canberra – Part 2
Following on from Capital contrasts – Part 1, since returning home from a month-long holiday in Japan, I’ve been thinking about the differences I’ve noticed between life in Australia’s capital, Canberra, and Japan’s capital, Tokyo. These differences are by no means definitive, nor supported by any evidence other than my own observations as a resident of one city, and as a visitor to the other. Continue reading