You can buy fish from the market in Naha and take them upstairs to be turned into sushi or sashimi and eaten fresher than a super fresh thing. Unfortunately (!? hello Lorna!!) I was travelling with a strict vegetarian so this was not on on the cards. 

This is Lorna, who was using your taxpayers money (if you live in Britain), to swan off round east asia and visit her old friends (we've know each other ten years, can you believe it!!).  

This little piggy went to market! 

Shuri castle, Naha, Okinawa 

Nice view.

Nice view., originally uploaded by alexybeetle.

Its very pretty this place, isn't it?

Zamami-jima

Zamami-jima, originally uploaded by alexybeetle.

Mobile phone blogging from the stunning tropical island of Zamami. Went snorkelling round the coral reef and saw colourful fishies like I wold expect in a rich person's aquarium. Sadly phone camera doesn't work underwater, at least not for very long.

Okinawa

I've just arrived on the tropical island of okinawa, famous for american occupation and unpleasant battles, along with broiled pig's trotter and peanut tofu. More updates later...

Watch out!

I'm not sure what to make of this, but fortunately I deal with teeny weeny pieces of superconductor. Some of my friends like playing with Uranium though.

Pair production in superconductors
Authors: J. E. Hirsch
Comments: better safe than sorry - experimentalists please take note
Subj-class: Superconductivity; Strongly Correlated Electrons

We show that an alternative theory of superconductivity recently proposed (theory of hole superconductivity) leads to the surprising consequence that real electron-positron pair production will occur for superconductors larger than a critical size. We discuss the expected magnitude of the effect and suggest experimental ways to verify it. Urgent attention to the possibility of harmful gamma-radiation being emitted from superconductors out of equilibrium is called for.

cond-mat/0508529

Europe trip - rundown.

In summary, I had a great time on my trip to Europe. Saw lots of friends, learnt lots of new stuff about physics - I am starting to understand what NMR results mean now!

The conference was a great success, at least for me. I got lots of nice comments about my talk, and the funky animations definitely helped (and I don't mean powerpointish tomfoolery, but proper physics, though I don't know how to post them here).

Not only that but I also got offered a job at A Very Well Known British University, so it's now up to me not to mess that up! Looks like I'll finally be back in blighty after nearly seven years! I hope I will still be able to get the jokes!

Our final night's entertainment in Vienna. My hasn't she got big hands! 

After. Yummmm. 

Before. 

Creepy old man who takes pictures of young women dancing. Every self-respecting nightclub should have one. 

The "Queen Mum". Gin and Tonic of course, with a slice of cucumber. 

Cultural exchange! (Or mutual appreciation of alcohol as its otherwise known). 

Fortunately you can't see the red wine stains on my trousers from this distance. 

Vienna - the conference banquet held in the magnificent Wien Rathaus. 

We had a very reasonably priced (and delicious) dinner here after the baths, believe it or not. 

Hotel Gellert baths. There are lots more tourists than when I was last here in 1998 (?). And they don't make you wear those wierd loincloth thingys when you go into the men's bit anymore, thankfully. 

The danube, and parliament building. 

This is inside a cathedral. Nice eh? 

More Budapest 

Sunset in Budapest 

Annecy festival. 

Annecy festival. Singing shoes. 

Annecy, as seen by pedalo. 

Wisdom is passed down the generations. 

Cheese and wine party on the Bastille. 

Grenoble 2

Clash of the titans.

Grenoble

Here is the student residence we were staying in. Half way up the mountain with quite a slog to get to but spectacular views!