Short Stories

Clumsy westerners meet refined oriental customs in an attempt to discover something of the 'old' Japan. Invaluable bathhouse tips. A Good Nights Sleep Ohayo gozaimasu, ohayo gozaimasu, I repeat to myself slowly and softly having great difficulty with the pronunciation. I was hoping to at least show some respect to our wonderful host who I could hear downstairs preparing our breakfast. It was one of a handful of Japanese words or phrases I knew, Good morning!  My back and limbs are stiff having spent the night on a thin futon in our eight tatami mat room. Jill and I are staying in an old traditional inn located in the remote countryside of Shikoku, the fourth-largest island of Japan. A small cluster of homes and guest houses forming a small village is located either side of the valley road that winds its way between tall and forested mountainous terrain: an occasional small community perched on the side of a misty mountain or snug and tight on a small piece of...

A memoir about a young man leaving the family nest. Rites of passage from a privileged teenager naively encountering the adult world with a never look back attitude. Warning - contains in depth surfing knowledge. Big Sunday  My mother will not be happy!  The 190 Palm Beach bus induced a dream-like state meandering slowly along Sydney’s northern beaches. Keeping to a timetable set for peak hour, approaching midnight there would barely be a vehicle in sight; a snail’s pace. The monotony was like a lull, drifting towards idle thoughts. I would be tired after a long day’s work, my first real job: a drawing office of an architectural firm by day followed by night classes at University. The pattern of my early working life was bordered morning and night with this ninety minute commute. Change became a constant tic. What will my mother say? There was the weight of expectation. I was privileged, although I was yet to fully appreciate the degree. Change felt i...