Reading the Pacific edge from Japan & NZ

Two novels that don't let you forget the swish of the sea.

As part of my family's attempt to keep our world outlook broad and carbon footprint narrow books can't be beaten. The challenge was to read a book (translated!) from every country in the world, see this post. Obviously I can cheat a bit as I read around 60 books a year and as I haven't just stuck to books from the UK over the years I can revisit old "friends". Let me know if you have any ideas for books you reckon are a must read (PS I prefer novels!).. The collection below are books with a particular Pacific ocean perspective that I've read recently and enjoyed. My local library has been a godsend, your nearest may well be too.

• Japan - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
• New Zealand - The Whale Rider

JAPAN: The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea by Yukio Mishima
My cousin lives in Japan - she's tall, slim and gorgeous, but has immense trouble finding clothes to fit her. In a recent Facebook moan she complained "Amongst my peers back home [Canada], I think I am of average weight, not fat and certainly no longer thin but here in Japan, I am "queen" sized. I spent several hours at the mall looking for trousers, and often the biggest in the shop were not big enough. And Queen sized are not long enough. Ahhhhh."

The sympathies this illicited from her Facebook friends (some who also know Japan well), made me realise how little I know about Asia generally (from politics to landscape). Japan is one of those oriental mystery destinations - and it doesn't promote itself in the way, say, Singapore and Hong Kong are desperate for you to visit them and go shopping (whatever your size!). I was also reading The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea, by Yukio Mishima. I'd never heard of this famous Japanese writer before I picked this up from the library, but this book, written in 1963, is stunning. Ostensibly it's about a young widow and her son Noboru and how their life changes when mum falls in love with a sailor. It's also a debate about the need to follow your passion, which forces the reader to endure a terrible - Nietzschean style - conclusion. Mishima is a masterful writer and it turns out he has a huge cult following. My husband knew of him thanks to the Stranglers' Jean-Jacques Burnel's apparently off-quoted admiration for him. I was left in a state of shock by the book at just how unpleasant adults can write teenagers, and how vile groups can be.  Researching his life story makes these positions seem barely surprising - his father was a dreadful man. But who cares if Mishima is bleak, he writes beautifully about ports, storms or a new kimono and is a master of suspense. What's more when he'd completed his four novel series The Sea of Fertility, in 1970 he committed ritual suicide (seppuku) - as he said he would (though i'm not sure he mentioned he would do this during a failed coup attempt). He was 45.
Readability: 10/10 (I was so gripped that 2/3 of the way through I had to read the ending in a bid to cope with what I feared was coming).
Should you read it? It's grim but yes. It would make an amazing film - is this the story Sir Alan Parker is working on?
Worth finding more Yukio Mishima books? Definitely (he had Nobel nominations in his lifetime) and wrote 34 novels, 50 plays, 25 short stories and 35 books of essays.

NEW ZEALAND The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
A tale about Maori culture saving itself, and the world. The plot switches between what the whales are up to and the hunt for a new Maori chief in Whangara - a tribe that is descended from the legendary whale rider. Unfortunately the next in line for the title is a girl whose many gifts are completely missed by her great grandfather. The Whale Rider, written in 1987, offers fascinating insights into other people's lives - the way generations can mix well, and badly; the rights of passage we all make but seem so unique to us (schooling, running away, coming home). Best of all the book makes the case for equality, which is why I tried to persuade my 14 year old daughter to read it, but she found it too dull and domestic (clearly skipping the sections about the whales as they swim the oceans...).  I will try and pass it to her again!

Readability: 7/10 - and easy to read too, you could finish it in one sitting.
Should you read it? Yes, it offers insights into Maori culture (without the misery endured in Alan Duff's Once Were Warriors, 1995). Apparently it's a great film too
Worth finding more Witi Ihimaera books? Yes. It seems incredible but he was the first Maori writer to publish a novel, Tangi, back in 1973. Ihimaera has worked as a diplomat and a uni lecturer - plus written collections of short stories and novels. He another look at New Zealand culture, one which should not be missed.

Other posts about books with a strong sense of place in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, see here.

GUEST POST: Be an explorer in Northumberland

Northumberland is known to be the most sparsely populated county in Britain says guest poster John Jackson. The beautiful countryside, the sparkling coast and the historic architecture make Northumberland an interesting visit, whether you decide to come for the weekend, or for a fortnight.  Here are some of my top locations to help you make the most of your Northumbrian adventure.

Castles

Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth, and Chillingham are the most well-known, but Northumberland has many castles waiting for you to explore. See the location on which parts of the famous Harry Potter movies were shot; go trudging in the bountiful rock pools at Bamburgh; walk the Embleton beach to Dunstanburgh; explore the slightly ruined Warkworth; or hunt out the ghosts at Chillingham. The possibilities are endless. If you visit Alnwick, why not have lunch in the treetop restaurant, or take a picnic and visit the Alnwick gardens if it is a pleasant day…

The Coast

Amble marina is famous for its delicious fresh fish, not to mention its fish and chip shop. There are also boat trips out to the Farne islands, where puffins and seals gather, flying and swimming freely. It is a beautiful sight to behold! Further north, if you time it well, you can take a trip over to Holy Island. Make sure you check what time the tide comes in/out though… a tourist gets caught out every week.

Explore Northumberland on line

• http://www.whatsonnortheast.com/ - great guide to things to do in the northeast. It has loads of info on the festivals and different things happening. 

• http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/ - specific site for tourism in Northumberland 

• http://www.northumbriafoodandwinefestival.co.uk – biggest food festival in the northeast 

• http://www.visitkielder.com/ - link to Kielder forest and national park 

• http://www.alnwickcastle.com/ - a link to the historic alnwick castle

Traditional Pub Meal

The Angler’s Arms is a personal favourite of mine, offering an enormous variety of delicious food, whether you prefer a traditional dinner or something a little special. There are many other eateries, with several located in Rothbury. Why not go for a lovely walk in the countryside before tucking yourself away with some cold ale and a warming meal?

Kielder

Popular among cyclists, Kielder and Kielder forest is a beautiful destination for a day out with the family. Take a walk, challenge yourself to a mountain bike track, or go for a ride on horseback through the woods. Or pay a visit to the Kielder Water Birds of Prey centre and check out the elegant and majestic birds close-up. As far as food goes, you can pick up a delicious meal, whether it is a light lunch or an evening feast from one of three locations, each offering different options.  Fancying a day of fishing? Not a problem. Pick up your permit on site from £10 and fish one of many locations in the 2000 acres of water. Fully equipped motor boats are available to hire.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay, you can hire a Yurt or a Wigwam for a week, or if you prefer to explore more, check out Vancations (where you can hire a deluxe campervan for your Northumbrian break). There are a number of camp sites for you to pitch up for the night, so do some research before you come. Check out what festivals are on in the area when you visit. There’s always something exciting in the summer, such as a classic car show, a bike show, a beer festival or a food festival with a European market. Most importantly, just enjoy our open air and beautiful scenery!

Info on blog posts - occasionally guest posts are put on this site. The Aroundbritainnoplane family loves Northumberland so that's how this ended up here. Your comments are welcome. Where do you like going that gives you a sense of adventure?

What to do about Eden?

Those domes in the old china clay pit look fab.

This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. Impossible? No. This post is about how Cornwall's beleaguered Eden Project offers a wonderful day out plus the chance to see plants from all around the world. Somehow the trip also got me thinking about what should be demanded from a job... Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).  

Eden specialises in mixing up art and
plants creating amazing world lessons.

Eden is the original paradise. A lush garden - warm enough to walk around without clothes and with very tasty fruit trees. Who wouldn't like to visit? Well 2012 may have brought 960,000 visitors to the fabulous Eden Project in Cornwall but sadly the numbers are well down. It's the first time there have been less than a million visiting since Eden opened in 2001.

The result is income is down - a month later (30 Jan 2013) the charity went public with this sad news, saying it needed to reduce annual costs by £2 million for 2013 and so needs to make redundant 70 of its 445 staff. Job losses look set to include gardeners, education workers, events organisers, shop and office staff. Eden is not closing, but it's just so sad that Cornish locals have even less employment opportunities. Apparently the Olympics and the ceaseless rain are to blame.

We visited Eden on the last day of December - a place I've wanted to go to for years but somehow kept overlooking, so foolish. It was raining... but there are two vast domes (basically big greenhouses) to look around so we felt we couldn't have picked better weather.

Eden is a fantastic place. Here are just a few reasons:

Here's a chilli tasting thermometer.

This sign warns just how hot
Caribbean Scotch Bonnets can be, but some
chillies are even hotter.

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• There's a bus route direct from St Austell train station (handy for tourists/day trippers)
• It has fantastic food in the cafe
• The domes are amazing to look at, and around. Would you dare climb the swinging staircase to the very top?
• There's always something new going on - den building, Santa visiting, ice skating, chilli tasting etc
• It's an attraction that takes some beating on a wet day
• You can learn a lot without making any effort at all.

While the energetic members of our party skated on the pop up ice rink (in the summer this area is used for concerts) I had fun looking around the shop - it's huge - where I bought a bag made from old ad banners with a seat belt strap, some seeds and a three-pack of local ale. If you are Cornish based there are local annual discount passes available, though they have to be bought by 14 February 2013.

It's easy to become morose about the economic readjustments going on. From my viewpoint it seems like a personal attack when school budgets are slashed, uni students have to pay full whack, sixth form students struggle to pay to get to their colleges and the great eco projects start having pear-shaped wobbles. There are still jobs out there, just not so many at Eden.

Highbury Fields School choir sing at the recent
Jack Petchey Foundation awards for Islington schools.
It's such an uplifting event. It makes you ask: "What have you
done today to make you feel good?"

In a bid to find out how to make soundcloud recordings work I've done a 20 second recording with my family about what it is that I want out of a job, wherever that job is or whatever it entails. Thanks to a song, I've cracked it. Listen here. With thanks to Jack Petchey by the way!

Over to you
Even the original Eden had certain hiccups (snakes, Adam, God snooping around and possibly an over curious Eve). If you've been to the Eden Project in Cornwall what would you do or add to make it even better and get back 70 jobs (without overstaffing)?

Reading the Middle East - my book list

As part of my family's attempt to keep our world outlook broad and carbon footprint narrow books can't be beaten. The challenge was to read a book (translated!) from every country in the world, see this post. Obviously I can cheat a bit as I read around 60 books a year and as I haven't just stuck to books from the UK over the years I can revisit old "friends". Let me know if you have any ideas for books you reckon are a must read (PS I prefer novels!).. The collection below are books with a particular Middle East perspective that I've read recently and enjoyed. My local library has been a godsend, your nearest may well be too.

• Egypt - Diary of a Country Prosecutor
• Iran - Persepolis
• Iraq - Reading Jane Austen in Baghdad
• Lebanon - In the heart of the heart of another country

Clockwise books that focus on Iran, Lebanon & Egypt.

EGYPT - Diary of a Country Prosecutor by Tawfik al-Hakim (1898-1987, a man with an astonishingly long life!). This classic short book was published in Egypt in 1937. It's a darkly comic tale of how an imposed legal system wrecks the lives of legal bureaucrats and the people. I laughed so much and was also reminded of my favourite non-UK title, Tales of the Tikongs by Epeli Hau'ofa from Tuvalu. Both books show how introducing foreign bureaucratic systems (in the Egyptian case, the Code Napoleon) was unworkable unless the administrators tweaked it to suit their particular circumstances. Bribery and sloth figure highly - but most of all in Egypt there's a Kafakesque sense that the system will be the undoing of you too.

Although Tawfik is a man there are some shocking insights as to how women are treated done through the administrator's diary entries of gossip; his own approach to the beautiful girl Rim and a horrifying tale of how a local midwife typically treats a mother to be (both baby and woman die - the mother's vagina stuffed with straw, it's grim).

The story races along - starting with a murder and our administrator hero setting out for the scene of the crime half asleep and deeply resentful. He knows how the case is going to go... and in some ways it does, but there are twists and turns along the way which would outwit anyone. I loved the description of getting to places - especially in a car and on a horse (the rider longs for a safer donkey). The restorative power of a cup of tea or coffee reminded me of the more modern Botswana fashion for Rooibos tea in Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series starring Precious Ramotswe written by African-born Scot Alexander Mcall-Smith
Should you read it? 10/10 (!) Comic classic.

IRAQ - Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad by May Witwit and Bee Rowlatt - a compilation of emails from a north London mum and radio researcher (Bee) and an Iraqi university professor (May) which switches from ordinary to extraordinary (teething babies in London via the complexities of shopping in Baghdad). I've now met both Bee and May - they are amazing women.
Should you read it?  Brilliant book club choice as it compares two women's lives without judgement.

IRAN - Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2000) is a wonderful,well-known black and white graphic novel (originally published in French) by an Iranian woman who documents with great skill the miserable mistakes women especially (but men as well) are forced to live through by being born an Iranian in the 20th and 21st centuries. Outsiders love it: the New York Times voted it in the top 10 books published during 2000-2010 - more than 1,500,000 have been sold, and there's a film of the same name). Yet this book is a peon to the love Iranians have for Iran at the same time as it shows the hideous decisions families have to make to stay alive. I also read the Complete Persepolis - which follows the heroine Marji (it's an autobiography!) through the 1980s in an increasingly troubled Iran and then on to a new life in Vienna, Austria, and finally to France where she lives now.
Should you read it? Yes - ideal for 14 year olds and up, especially girls.It's shocking in all sorts of ways, and there lies its power.

LEBANON- In the heart of the heart of another country (2005) by Etel Adnan (woman) takes an overview of Arab-American perspectives on war in the Middle East, most especially the bombing of Baghdad which starts the most recent Iraq war. She is well known for her Lebanese civil war novel Sitt Marie Rose, but this was the first time I'd read her work. It's not fiction, more a Martha Gellhorn (1908-1998) style collection of poetic journalese written with emotion and insight rather than just facts... I have to admit that I didn't much like this book. But Etel is a stylish writer and her life view is massively different to someone like me who has been brought up in the UK. She talks of chestnut paste, lemon trees and old women washing clothes where I'd write pasta, oak and washing machine. So when I wasn't finding it indulgent I was admiring the imagery.

That said her final section is an astonishing piece of writing - the breakdown of sentences as Etel tries to cope with the lovely pleasures of a sunshine holiday and then back home to safe day-to-day normality in the US (her adoptive home although she has an uncontainable world view) as the Western allies start to bomb Iraq. The truncated style echoes her state of mind, and by this stage in the book you do feel you live in her mind.
Should you read it? If you like poetry yes.

Over to you
Any suggestions about armchair travel via books (or films) are welcome. 

Looking after books in Africa

This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. Impossible? No. This post is about how one how to guide has just been reborn to help readers in Africa get their hands on more books. Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).  

Back in 1994 I wrote a book for Voluntary Service Overseas called Setting up and running a school library. It did really well for VSO - was used by loads of their volunteers, hopefully leading to more books being shared and read all over the world. By 1999 it had sold 20,000 copies. It was even translated into Malaysian.

I did the work from a rented student flat in what was then a grotty part of east London, Dalston. I remember writing the book chilled to the bone after spending two years in the South Pacific (volunteering for VSO).

My real babies pretending to eat books - that's
how much they love to read.

Midwives 
Writers sometimes describe their books as babies. Certainly some books have a life of their own. Not long after Setting up and running a school library was published (by this time I'd moved to live in Oxford) the book was translated into Malaysian and found its way into many of their schools.

Roll on timeNow a US organisation called the African Library Project has just done a revamp of the content so "my" book has a new look, new content and a new name - How to Set Up and Run a Small Library in Africa.The NGO - its remit is "saving lives, book by book" - is currently focusing on Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Malawi and Ghana.

The "new" book is available as a pdf from here. I'm thrilled to see this second, perhaps third, life for a library guide from an organisation that by the end of 2012 had started 894 libraries in Africa (boasting around 950,000 books).

So here's good luck to all readers, and an extra pat on the back to anyone who is managing a library in the tropics, however small their book collection is. Sometimes it seems every insect is against you!

Gifts that tick every box

This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. Impossible? No. This post is about how you can buy items that look lovely and support producers in some of the poorest countries by armchair shopping. Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).  

The hottie cost £6 - part of which goes towards supporting school children in Sierra Leone.

I'm lucky: lots of family give me gifts at Christmas, and some even pick the perfect things for a person trying to keep their carbon footprint down. My brother found a fairly traded recycled aluminium bowl made in India. The bowl he picked out has a gorgeous green enamel interior and is a pleasure to introduce to my kitchen. Anything put into it looks tempting.

Snow purchase
As it is cold this week I decided to make sure everyone in the family has a hot water bottle. In our local chemist I found the Fashy brand which supports a school in Sierra Leone. Fantastic to be able to buy something I need which is also giving support to such a good cause.

Polish beer and cod philosophy

Ready to recycle. Sadly there are plenty more cans (and takeaway carcasses) to pick up next time I go to the park. 

Tatra turns out to be the top Polish beer - chosen by my local park's litterers.

This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. Impossible? No. This post is about how a walk in the local London park introduced me to favourite Polish lager brands. Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).  

Don't tell anyone but I semi try to do something good every day. But the sort of good I'm looking for is not meant to nterfere with my life or family - so doesn't always happen. Today while walking the dog I noticed a bank of beer cans had sprung up on the entrance to the park. The cans look horrible amongst the mugwort and teasel and are sure to get in the way if it ever snows again as this is where the little kids whiz down. So I picked them up: about five bags worth of Polish canned lager amusing myself by trying to learn the brand names - Tyskie (turns out to be the best selling brand), Tatra (most popular on my park's bank and named after the mountain range between Slovakia and Poland), Okocim (posh pilsner style) and Lech (reviewed here by a beer-loving blogger).

Several passers-by praised me for this not so noble action, which got me talking to strangers (also a good deed, possibly), but also gabbling that it's easy to walk on by one can; but much harder when there's a blizzard of them. Genocide should not be compared to litter, but I guess it is like that too - you ignore and ignore, until you can't. I think this is the same reaction as what's happening after the world outcry when the people in Delhi became so enraged by the hideous gang rape of a 23 year old woman who subsequently died. There is a remarkable (and amusing) blog piece here about how hard it is to be female in India and get rape taken seriously.

Apologies for the cod philosophy. Take comfort that at least another 50 aluminium cans are going to be recycled and you've just learnt the Polish word for beer, piwo (pronounced piva). Happy new year!