Alternate Titles: The Devil of Nanking and Tokio
ISBN#
Quick: Very gruesome, hard to put down thriller set in Asia.
5/5 claws
Recently I randomly chose "tokyo" simply because of the title since I hadn't heard of the author before. What a fantastic find! This book has turned out to be my favorite I have read this year.
The story takes place partially in Nanking, China and Tokyo, Japan in two alternating story arcs that eventually meld together perfectly. Many writers have based their stories in Tokyo, Japan but few have actually been able to accurately describe Tokyo and bring a feeling of Japan with them. Since the author has lived and worked in Tokyo she has brought a feeling of authenticity with her that is refreshing. I used to live there as well and little details scattered through the story brought me right back in memory.
The first story line follows the fall of Nanking, China to the Japanese and the atrocities that were committed there after take over. There arent too many books available that give some history of the Rape of Nanking and many readers may not even be familiar with the history at all. The Nanking storyline goes into gruesome details and can be very unsettling at times.
The main character is an English woman named "Grey" who has gone to Tokyo to find missing film footage from the fall of Nanking. She works as a bar hostess while attempting to track down the missing film. While she is there she meets a Yakuza boss and just how does he fit in with her quest?
Tokyo is a literally "a page turner". I couldn't put it down, many people may find it too violent or graphic because Mo Hayder does not mess around. The characters are well done and interesting, the story is fast paced and exciting. All in all, I will be searching out more books from this author!
Friday, May 09, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Woke Up WAY To Early
I was having a nightmare that someone came and took Meggy away from me saying I was a bad mom. I guess the spanking episode of last night really stayed in my mind. I was so mad at T last night I didnt talk to him for a long time but then when he came to bed he asked me if I was mad at him and we talked about the punishment system and he said he didnt think that the naughtly corner was working and he got mad and said he would just leave it all to me. I told him that wasnt what I wanted, we have to both be doing the same thing. He said he would back me up, lets see how it goes.
Its pouring rain today.
Its pouring rain today.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
The New Year = New Problems
I decided I should keep my blog more to date in the New Year. I have so much I want to write about and so much to remember hopefully I wont forget as much as I did last year. T's business has failed and he has decided to give up New Zealand and try and go back to the US. Not sure what is going to happen. I dont know how I feel about it. Since his business has gone under he has been severely depressed and doesnt do much but sit on the couch and play video games. This week he has played about 9 hours per day at least. We always said we werent going to punish Meggy with spankings but with a naughty corner which I have been doing faithfully. It works so well that when I tell her that she is naughty she goes right to the corner. Tonight though she was trying to get his attention while he was playing games and he spanked her so hard her bottom was bright red and sore. I know it hurt because I intervened and he hit my hand. It hurt alot. I guess one reason I came to my blog was because I wanted somewhere I could hash it out in my mind and make sense of it. I know we will argue about this and the two types of discipline will confuse her. He isnt a violent man so I dont know where this coming from, is this a sympton of his depression? Should I be worried?
I love our life now and I dont want anything to change. Here is hoping 2008 can turn out better.
I love our life now and I dont want anything to change. Here is hoping 2008 can turn out better.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
On The Road Again
Off to visit Australia again. Going to the gold coast this time as part of my birthday celebration. I am getting tired of flying though. Its such a hassle. Now even though you have a baby with you the airline/customs/security - you name it - feel they have the right to be jerks. Last time we went to Australia the security people were complete asses and dare I accuse them of racial profiling? They took T away and completely searched him in another room without even telling me leaving me alone in the airport with the baby while they dumped out every little thing in my diaper bag and made comments about everything like "why do you need this?" I don't know buddy, chances are kids need FOOD. I was angry and when I get angry I get sarcastic so luckily I managed to calm myself down before I got myself arrested. Anyway, I didnt mean to gripe here just saying why I am not looking forward to airline travel ps dont fly Pacific Blue, it's like the
We are leaving in 6 hours and I am sooo tired. Baby girl hasnt been sleeping well for the past two nights. Every few hours she has woken up in a screaming fit. T sleeps right through it like he is dead so leave it to mommy to have to deal with her. Right now she is sleeping in bed with him since I picked her up around 5 am and stuffed her in bed with us. That calmed her down enough to get her to sleep. I hope this isnt going to be a regular deal with her because I am getting very grumpy from lack of sleep. We are also trying to find a new house to live in. Our lease is up soon and we could renew at this house but I am thinking our best bet is a newer house. This one is rather old and moldy and the street in front is VERY busy. I would rather live somewhere more quiet. I do like our neighbor though so I might miss him. I dont think its a good idea to not move cause I like my neighbor overall but neighbors are a big thing.
On another topic, I keep telling T about the New Zealand bird "Pukeko" The Pukeko, or New Zealand Swamp Hen is a member of the rail family, and is similar to other species found all over the world. It is one of the few New Zealand native birds to have flourished since the arrival of man, and can be found in almost any grassland area, especially in swampy locations. Groups will often be seen foraging for food in road-side areas. (http://pukeko.ws/bird.html)
T has never seen one since we moved here and I keep telling him about the big blue chickens I see from time to time and he didnt believe me. So we were out looking at possible new houses to live in and we found one we liked alot though the neighborhood is completely shabby, however, there is an estuary near the end of the road and lo and behold there was a whole group of Pukeko's. Of course I didnt have my camera but at least he got to see one and can now stop making fun of me. yay!
Talk to you when I get back from OZ
New Zealandism of the Day:
Spoiled For Choice ~ As usual, not really sure of the meaning but think it means you have alot of choices which you really dont in New Zealand. I was telling a NZ friend of mine a few weeks ago that its so wierd to stand in the supermarket and want pickles but there is only a few jars of pickles and not any brand I know whereas in the US I would want pickles and there would be practically an aisle of them of all different textures and flavors and regions so maybe I am spoiled for choice. who knows?
We are leaving in 6 hours and I am sooo tired. Baby girl hasnt been sleeping well for the past two nights. Every few hours she has woken up in a screaming fit. T sleeps right through it like he is dead so leave it to mommy to have to deal with her. Right now she is sleeping in bed with him since I picked her up around 5 am and stuffed her in bed with us. That calmed her down enough to get her to sleep. I hope this isnt going to be a regular deal with her because I am getting very grumpy from lack of sleep. We are also trying to find a new house to live in. Our lease is up soon and we could renew at this house but I am thinking our best bet is a newer house. This one is rather old and moldy and the street in front is VERY busy. I would rather live somewhere more quiet. I do like our neighbor though so I might miss him. I dont think its a good idea to not move cause I like my neighbor overall but neighbors are a big thing.
On another topic, I keep telling T about the New Zealand bird "Pukeko" The Pukeko, or New Zealand Swamp Hen is a member of the rail family, and is similar to other species found all over the world. It is one of the few New Zealand native birds to have flourished since the arrival of man, and can be found in almost any grassland area, especially in swampy locations. Groups will often be seen foraging for food in road-side areas. (http://pukeko.ws/bird.html)
T has never seen one since we moved here and I keep telling him about the big blue chickens I see from time to time and he didnt believe me. So we were out looking at possible new houses to live in and we found one we liked alot though the neighborhood is completely shabby, however, there is an estuary near the end of the road and lo and behold there was a whole group of Pukeko's. Of course I didnt have my camera but at least he got to see one and can now stop making fun of me. yay!
Talk to you when I get back from OZ
New Zealandism of the Day:
Spoiled For Choice ~ As usual, not really sure of the meaning but think it means you have alot of choices which you really dont in New Zealand. I was telling a NZ friend of mine a few weeks ago that its so wierd to stand in the supermarket and want pickles but there is only a few jars of pickles and not any brand I know whereas in the US I would want pickles and there would be practically an aisle of them of all different textures and flavors and regions so maybe I am spoiled for choice. who knows?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Recipe For Disaster
Last night I was making a casserole for dinner. Since moving here I cook more at home than I ever have before. Many foods and ingrediants I normally used are not available to me or are too expensive so the only answer was to make my own variation of recipes. So I have had a recipe book going for a long time with all my substitutions and ones I made up.
Well, I am getting ready to make our dinner and I put the recipe book on the oven (you can see where I am going with this) and turned on a burner. I start cutting potatos and talking to T who is playing with baby girl and all of a sudden it occurs to me that the house is getting really smokey. Turn around and see my recipe book on FIRE! I put it to close to the burner that was on and the edge caught fire and quickly spread. Without a second thought I grabbed the edge and threw it in the sink and turned on the tap. Smokey, smelly and soggy is what my recipe book is now. You might add in "Ruined"
So Check out this Commercial, it cracks me up.
Well, I am getting ready to make our dinner and I put the recipe book on the oven (you can see where I am going with this) and turned on a burner. I start cutting potatos and talking to T who is playing with baby girl and all of a sudden it occurs to me that the house is getting really smokey. Turn around and see my recipe book on FIRE! I put it to close to the burner that was on and the edge caught fire and quickly spread. Without a second thought I grabbed the edge and threw it in the sink and turned on the tap. Smokey, smelly and soggy is what my recipe book is now. You might add in "Ruined"
So Check out this Commercial, it cracks me up.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Who Said Poop?
Baby Girl did! Today, she told me she pooped. First time. Doesnt seem like an occasion for excitement but it really is. Means she is aware of what she is doing and she needs a change.
We went through another round of doctor's visits here. Somehow she managed to pick up some food poisoning. The doctor told me that she is bound to catch more viruses and other fun stuff being new to the area. That gives me something to look forward to. not. I have been spending my time sitting on the couch with her while she sits in a half doze. Thank goodness she got a clean bill of health on Wednesday though she is still a tiny bit weak.
To celebrate, daddy took us out to our favorite fancy Japanese restuarant here. Now that I think about it, perhaps just getting over food poisoning and then celebrating by going out to eat was probably not one of our smarter ideas. She packed in the food though. She is crazy for the tofu there and she ate alot of Daikon radish as well. As a special, special treat we let her have her very first REAL ice cream. Green Tea Ice Cream! My favorite! I don't let her eat many sweets and she had problems with eczema excluding her from dairy for awhile but it seems to be passing so we have let her eat cheese now but anyway, you should have seen her face with the first spoonful of ice cream! This look of utter joy passed over her and she enthusiaticly yelled "MMMMMMM"
She charmed the waitress as she does most everyone she meets so she got her own bowl of ice cream. She realizes chopsticks are for eating with but hasnt got the knack of them but she tries very hard to use them. She mostly stabs her food with them.
Earlier that day we had gone by the 'ol Pack N Save or as we call it The Pack N Slave cause you have to bag your own groceries. We bought a 10 kg bag of potatos but when I opened them today they were completely moldy and sprouted like you wouldn't believe. Today we had to go back and return them, they were nasty.
Which reminds me of a funny story I meant to write awhile ago but I forgot. Some weeks ago we went to Subway and Daddy ordered subs for all three of us and the girl behind the counter couldnt speak english that well and he isnt always readily understandable at times himself. Immediately I noticed the girl behind the counter was Japanese. The two of them limped along trying to get our order done in this terrible mixed up english that had me rolling on the floor because I realized they could speak Japanese and get it right in no time. After minutes of torture, I couldn't stand it anymore and yelled "Just speak to each other in Japanese, sheeh!" and they did and it took a minute to get it all right.
New Zealandism of the Day
Boy Racers - Means exactly that I suppose. The kids racing around in what we usually call "Tuners" Japanese import cars with loud mufflers pretending they are in "The Fast and the Furious" The authorities periodically announce some plan to abolish boy racers.
We went through another round of doctor's visits here. Somehow she managed to pick up some food poisoning. The doctor told me that she is bound to catch more viruses and other fun stuff being new to the area. That gives me something to look forward to. not. I have been spending my time sitting on the couch with her while she sits in a half doze. Thank goodness she got a clean bill of health on Wednesday though she is still a tiny bit weak.
To celebrate, daddy took us out to our favorite fancy Japanese restuarant here. Now that I think about it, perhaps just getting over food poisoning and then celebrating by going out to eat was probably not one of our smarter ideas. She packed in the food though. She is crazy for the tofu there and she ate alot of Daikon radish as well. As a special, special treat we let her have her very first REAL ice cream. Green Tea Ice Cream! My favorite! I don't let her eat many sweets and she had problems with eczema excluding her from dairy for awhile but it seems to be passing so we have let her eat cheese now but anyway, you should have seen her face with the first spoonful of ice cream! This look of utter joy passed over her and she enthusiaticly yelled "MMMMMMM"
She charmed the waitress as she does most everyone she meets so she got her own bowl of ice cream. She realizes chopsticks are for eating with but hasnt got the knack of them but she tries very hard to use them. She mostly stabs her food with them.
Earlier that day we had gone by the 'ol Pack N Save or as we call it The Pack N Slave cause you have to bag your own groceries. We bought a 10 kg bag of potatos but when I opened them today they were completely moldy and sprouted like you wouldn't believe. Today we had to go back and return them, they were nasty.
Which reminds me of a funny story I meant to write awhile ago but I forgot. Some weeks ago we went to Subway and Daddy ordered subs for all three of us and the girl behind the counter couldnt speak english that well and he isnt always readily understandable at times himself. Immediately I noticed the girl behind the counter was Japanese. The two of them limped along trying to get our order done in this terrible mixed up english that had me rolling on the floor because I realized they could speak Japanese and get it right in no time. After minutes of torture, I couldn't stand it anymore and yelled "Just speak to each other in Japanese, sheeh!" and they did and it took a minute to get it all right.
New Zealandism of the Day
Boy Racers - Means exactly that I suppose. The kids racing around in what we usually call "Tuners" Japanese import cars with loud mufflers pretending they are in "The Fast and the Furious" The authorities periodically announce some plan to abolish boy racers.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunshine!
Hooray! we had one day of sunshine, we managed to get out to the lake. Lately it seems baby girl is growing up so fast my head is spinning. She is taller and more much, much more vocal. She speaks alot, not always in words anyone can understand but her vocabulary is bigger every day. Yesterday she learned the word "chicken" of course we had to hear "chicken" over and over but it was cool.
At the lake, there was a brand new baby slide. All by herself she climbed the steps and slid down all alone without my help. I was so proud of her! She does everything without hesitation, without worry. She is very strong and brave. She slides down, then jumps to her feet and with sparkling eyes begins to clap her hands. What a performance! Take a bow!
We were having fun at the playground but two little girls and a little boy came along and the little boy started throwing dirt all over the place, I kept asking him to stop because I was afraid that Baby girl would get dirt in her eyes but he wouldnt stop. As I grabbed up baby girl and started walking away, his mom came up and apologized. I was glad she apologized but a little supervision might have helped.
Back at home, I went back to the realities of having no dryer. As I always say, at times, its like living in the 1800s with no dryer or other major appliances. I am probably spoiled but you get used to these kind of things. Without a dryer you have to hang your laundry out in the yard and when its very cold like this it doesnt dry! then you bring it inside and it doesnt dry there either because its been raining and everything is wet. All our clothes smell mildewy but a friend of mine suggested putting vinegar in the wash to erase the mildew smell and it worked!!!! Now I dont have to worry about that anymore. Though one of my major wishes is a dryer. Keeping my fingers crossed. Dont make fun of me, lol, I dont know these things. I think I am becoming a different person since I moved here. Maybe it will make me stronger.
At the lake, there was a brand new baby slide. All by herself she climbed the steps and slid down all alone without my help. I was so proud of her! She does everything without hesitation, without worry. She is very strong and brave. She slides down, then jumps to her feet and with sparkling eyes begins to clap her hands. What a performance! Take a bow!
We were having fun at the playground but two little girls and a little boy came along and the little boy started throwing dirt all over the place, I kept asking him to stop because I was afraid that Baby girl would get dirt in her eyes but he wouldnt stop. As I grabbed up baby girl and started walking away, his mom came up and apologized. I was glad she apologized but a little supervision might have helped.
Back at home, I went back to the realities of having no dryer. As I always say, at times, its like living in the 1800s with no dryer or other major appliances. I am probably spoiled but you get used to these kind of things. Without a dryer you have to hang your laundry out in the yard and when its very cold like this it doesnt dry! then you bring it inside and it doesnt dry there either because its been raining and everything is wet. All our clothes smell mildewy but a friend of mine suggested putting vinegar in the wash to erase the mildew smell and it worked!!!! Now I dont have to worry about that anymore. Though one of my major wishes is a dryer. Keeping my fingers crossed. Dont make fun of me, lol, I dont know these things. I think I am becoming a different person since I moved here. Maybe it will make me stronger.
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