I list up the most impressive events I experienced each year as the “words of the year” every year-end, like this:
The words of the year for 2001: getting a flat within the Tokyo metropolitan area, a position change at the office, and Soarer. The words of the year for 2002: America. The words of the year for 2003: the airplane and the musical. The words of the year for 2004: the blog, Asian countries (Singapore and Hong Kong), and the GSM mobile phone. The words of the year for 2005: darts, the GSM and WCDMA mobile phone, and visiting Hong Kong again. The words of the year for 2006: the US stock and the mutual fund. The words of the year for 2007: changing my car and visiting Hawaii. The words of the year for 2008: England and Fukagawa. The words of the year for 2009: office position change, MacBook Pro and JR Seishun 18 Ticket. The words of the year for 2010: Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia; iPhone; and the credit card. The words of the year for 2011: the car, the British culture and China. The words of the year for 2012: Oji, the mahjong, the flight attendant and Facebook. The words of the year for 2013: Ayurveda, Korea, high school alumni and Tsuyoshi Takashiro. Now I have the words of the year 2014: England and Android.
I revisited the UK in September, as my first visit there in February was very nice. This time, I went to Folkestone, Kent, where the musical Half A Sixpence was performed, and I watched it at Kokugakuin Tochigi High School, via Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Rye, and New Romney.
I visited Kokugakuin Tochigi High School, where Mieko Saigusa, a friend of mine, taught dance and choreography to the Musical Club students. There was a cultural festival at this school, and the Musical Club members performed Half A Sixpence. It was the second time I had seen this show, having seen it ten years earlier at the same place.
I want to visit Folkestone, England, where this musical is set.
On the third day, I checked out of the Heathfield B&B on a rainy morning. Since it was a weekday, Keighley Worth & Valley Railway was out of service. The mistress took me to the nearest bus stop on Rawdon Road and told me to wait there for the bus to Keighley.
While waiting for the bus, an old lady talked to me. She asked me where I was going. I answered that I was going to London. Another lady joined us, and they and I talked a bit until the bus was coming.
On the bus, I sit on the upper front seat, and the ladies stayed downstairs. Arriving at Keighley bus terminus, I got out of the bus. The train station was a bit distant from the terminus, so I didn’t know how to get there.
Then the lady who had talked to me first at the Rawdon Road bus stop found me standing there and told me to follow her to the train station, as she was just going shopping nearby. How kind of her! I was able to get to the Keighley train station with her help.
Inside Keighley train station.The food served on the train on my way from Leeds to London.(more…)
