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Showing posts from February 24, 2019

Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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I am moving into a new office for work this week. My commute was about 2 miles. Now it is yards. This is the view from my new 5th floor office window. You can see my apartment. I have an envious commute for SoCal -- understatement. Lots of folks drive (or ride) 2 hours each way a day. I am very lucky. Concentrate on your fortunes, not your misfortunes. We all have both. Our new offices are "temporary" for two years as they build more on the main campus.
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My flying club (I am part owner) just bought another plane, a piper warrior. That makes 4 planes total at Aeroventures. A 152, (2) 172Ns and the Warrior. All hangered. N733XE gets a new Penn Yan Engine this week. I wish I was there to help with the engine. I haven't been flying much at all. However, there are opportunities at John Wayne airport (SNA). I live about a mile away. There is a flight school with several decathlons.
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One of the things I find interesting in SoCal is the workman waiting outside Home Depot to help you with your projects. They flag you down and wave to you as you leave. I have not seen this behavior any other HD I have been too. And I have been to many in many different states. Illegal immigrants are a significant component to the economy in SoCal. It is expensive here. You have to find desperate people to work at low (affordable) wages. The politicians will pull at heart strings through words like justice, fairness, compassion, but only to get the economic boost for their constituents.