27 September 2009

Nick still looked a bit haggard and had bloodshot eyes, even after a 9 hour sleep. But then, he is not only jet-lagged but suffering from 18 months of too little rest. We didn't feel like straying far, so just popped over to Hon Shiba park for an hour in the morning, where Emily and I happily played in the sandpit for ages. Nick joined us later but had to stay home while some maintenance men did an annual service on the aircon; not cheap, but I don't want Emily to get sick and we are still using the one in her room to regulate the temperature when she sleeps.

After lunch we went up to Korakuen garden. I was under heavy attack from mozzies as soon as we arrived, though I managed to make a few of them pay for their impertinence. Emily walked round the whole garden, though she got a bit testy towards the end. She liked the stepping stones a lot, and was kept occupied with so many leaves and stones to pick up. I liked the pretty red nirene lilies, just a little past their best now.

It will soon be autumn leaf viewing time: the leaves of a few cherries are already turning yellow. There was constant background noise from Tokyo Dome, where there was a baseball match on. Japanese fans are exuberant and provide very vocal support for their teams.

My evening run went very well. I felt quite strong and it was cool with a strong breeze, so very comfortable conditions. I only intended to do 45 mins but actually clocked in at nearly 55 in the end. I feel I should be able to put in a good performance for the charity run next month.