Discomfort, horror and thievery

Did two things I haven't done in ages on Monday: cycle and bead. The cycling wasn't too bad, I hadn't forgotten nearly as much as I had feared, but having lent the bike to someone considerably taller than me while in Germany, I neglected to check the seat height and nearly killed myself as soon as I stopped and realised my feet weren't anywhere near the ground. Action Bikes in the town centre kindly lowered the seat for me.

I haven't beaded in about 9 months now, so it was good to get something simple yet very nice indeed - this curved bar and crystal bracelet kit. I'm a big fan of kits, they give you a nice finished product and also teach you a new stitch or technique. I'm never particularly original anyway.

Things have been happening, just not particularly noteworthy ones - the bathroom tiling is now finished, which is a big thing... and I'm now working on my last essay for the MA, which is about the Japanese 'comfort women' in WWII. It really is horror after horror, right down to Imperial accountants working out "how long the women would last". It's due in next Friday and although I will be very glad to see the back of it I do want to do a good job.

Another one on the list of dubious firsts, I saw someone attempting to pickpocket yesterday. He wasn't very subtle, but it made me realise just how vulnerable people are - he took a bag right off the back of a chair while the woman's boyfriend was looking in his direction and rummaged through it, it was hidden behind his coat over his arm, but I was sitting behind him. I just stared while it was happening, I couldn't believe it. After he dropped the bag and went on to another table, I walked up to the woman and asked her if she was missing anything - she wasn't and as the man realised he was being watched he quickly left. Very unpleasant.

Off into London today to work on the essay again in the confines of the SOAS library, and hopefully meet my brother and his girlfriend for dinner. I realise I haven't written much about Japan, partly due to the phone keyboards and partly just from being with people all the time I was there - no time alone to fill with writing. I will put some highlights here, such as The Confusion of the Three Firemen in Kanazawa and other noteworthy incidents.

Back to war crimes...