November 14th 2025 Rules, compliance and the authority to apply common sense Rules, compliance and the authority to apply common sense Travelling with surfboards is not easy. They are not heavy, but they are long. This is now our fourth trip overseas with surfboards. We have learned a lot. Contact the airline first. Even then, record the conversation. Do not rely on AI to tell you what airlines will or will not do. The AI has been dead wrong twice out of two attempts. If you find a good...
2 days ago • 1 min read
November 13th 2025 Empire to fall Empire to fall Departures and endings. Leaving and completing. There is a step into the liminal. One door is closing. No going back. It is simply the scale of the ending that matters; each night we end, and each morning we begin again. Many years ago, I realised that life is wonderful because of the highs and lows. The rollercoaster ride must have the dip to get the rush. But how we resist the lows, the difficult, the challenges. The pearl knows the value of...
3 days ago • 1 min read
November 12th 2025 Maintaining identity is a fiction Maintaining identity is a fiction Okinawa is uniquely itself. Not fully Japan. The indigenous inhabitants, the Ryukyuans, traded with China, and for a time, Okinawa was a vassal state to both China and Japan. It was forced to become a Japanese colony in 1879, and much of its culture, traditions, and language were suppressed by the Meiji government. After World War 11, the islands were occupied by the United States up until 1972. The US...
4 days ago • 2 min read
November 11th 2025 Off the beaten track Off the beaten track I am writing from the island of Zamami, in the Keramas group of islands, off the main island of Okinawa. There is an expression, Keramus Blue, for the colour of the water. It is true, it is a type of blue that has you weep with the beauty of it. We spent 90 minutes snorkelling off a smaller island, just the two of us. It was spectacular. There was a patch that was completely covered in blue-tipped stag horn coral, like a giant...
5 days ago • 2 min read
November 9th 2025 To be shaped by forces not in our control To be shaped by forces not in our control I have been thinking about the word influencer. To be an influencer. In 2025, this word is a status symbol, an actual title people use to define their work. The job of influencing people to do something. It is a sanctioned form of propaganda, mind manipulation and seduction. As an influencer, the role is often to make people feel bad or ashamed for not being as pretty, curvy, sexy, or cool....
7 days ago • 2 min read
November 8th 2025 The Growth Humanity Needs The growth humanity needs It is a beautiful day. The perfect temperature. A slight breeze. There is a saxophone piece playing in the background – “Have yourself a very merry Christmas.” Okinawa is a little like Hawaii. And it has that vibe. Very laid back, even though it is a city like Honolulu. Rather than surfing, it has diving. Where we are staying is right beside the largest US Air Force base outside of the US. Which means we see many service...
8 days ago • 2 min read
November 6th 2025 Under the sea Under the sea This morning I woke in Okinawa Japan. I love Japan. It drives me crazy with the compliance. Yes, Tony could not get into the car until our driver had seen him walk back across the road and take our luggage trolley, which I had left outside, back into the airport building. At any point of purchase, the process is so thorough that it adds extra time to each transaction. But it is because of this, because of the commitment to precision, politeness,...
10 days ago • 2 min read
November 5th 2025 We are the human family We are the human family Our Taiwanese adventure is coming to an end. Last night, we had dinner with someone I have worked with on and off for 18 years. This was our first time meeting in person. Joining us were his friends, newlyweds Judy and Henry, both more fluent in English than in Chinese. It was the most perfect last night. Tony and I got to ask all the questions we had about Taiwan, including the big one about China. Henry is from an indigenous...
11 days ago • 1 min read
November 4th 2025 Geopolitical Footballs Geopolitical footballs The land where I am writing is one of the geopolitical footballs of our current times. My country is increasing its defence spending in case China moves on Taiwan. The cages are rattled every week or so in the new feed. China is made out to be the bad guy in this game. I have been seeking to understand why China might believe it has the right to Taiwan, and how the people of Taiwan feel. The history of China as the governing body...
12 days ago • 2 min read