No Image

Friday 20th April: David Back On Top

April 30, 2007 David Hurley 0

This was a long sesson at Kodama that can be divided into two distinct though unequal halves. The early, shorter, half was dominated by Noda and the longer and later half was dominated by David. David arrived in time for the second game at a point in the evening when [Read more…]

No Image

George Steiner: The Death of Tragedy

April 26, 2007 David Hurley 0

For Steiner, tragic drama is a uniquely western achievement. In Judaism, sin causes disaster; to the Greek disaster lies beyond reason or justice. Elizabethan tragedy coincided with the loss of early Renaissance optimism. Yet after Racine, tragedy was in decline with the rise of the bourgeoise and its love of [Read more…]

No Image

Matsuo Basho: The Narrow Road to Oku

April 23, 2007 David Hurley 0

In 1689 the poet Basho wrote his famous fifth travel diary describing his spring and summer journey with Sora, his companion, into the northern hinterland of Japan. The narrative is studded with haiku commemorative of things seen or felt, of the blossoming moment in nature and society, the joys and discomforts [Read more…]

No Image

Some Questions About Play

April 19, 2007 David Hurley 6

Neil Pallavar writes in from America to ask a few questions: Hey David, I’ve got some questions I’m wondering if you could ask somebody regarding play. 1. Let’s say I’ve got a hand with both coins and bamboo and there’s no yaku in it to possibly finish with. It’s nearing [Read more…]

No Image

Friday 13th April: The Night of Horsa

April 19, 2007 David Hurley 4

Jaime sent in this report from the frontline: “Once Noda-san and David had departed, both modestly in the black, Kenyon, Hide and Jaime remained to play a further 3 more games before and ever-impatient mama shooed them out. “For the second successive week, one man bore the brunt of the [Read more…]

No Image

Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Time of Gifts

April 12, 2007 David Hurley 0

A Time of Gifts in 100 Words In December 1933 Patrick Leigh Fermor, aged eighteen, set out to walk from Rotterdam to Istanbul. This volume ends at the Danube and is compelling recovery of a middle-aged writer’s youthful zest and engaging curiosity. Handsome, charming, erudite, blessed with a gift for [Read more…]

No Image

A Letter From America!

April 6, 2007 David Hurley 1

I received the following message from one of the few other gaijin 3pmj players in Japan, someone who picked up the game in Okayama. We had plans to get together and play some games but they never came to fruition… Over to Neil P: Hey David, Don’t know if you [Read more…]