BATH

We traveled from Oxford to Bath via train. Our first visit was to the Roman Baths, where the local goddess Sulis Minerva (a Celtic-Roman hybrid) was worshipped at one point. This is a gilt bronze head from the statue that once stood above the temple of the bath complex.



The water in the baths continues to be heated by geothermal forces even today. We had an opportunity to taste the water and I don't recommend it. It was warmer than lukewarm and filled with all kinds of minerals, giving it a chalky characteristic. Supposedly, it has healing properties, but I'll pass.



Next, we visited the Bath Abbey (more properly known as the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The original structure was built on top of a Roman temple that was part of the bath complex by the Normans. Over the centuries, it has been partially destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is filled with elaborate and exquisite stained glass. 



We had the opportunity to climb a narrow circling staircase to the roof and the ceiling, which provided us stunning views of the city of Bath. It was also extremely windy on top!



We were able to sit within the clockface of the Abbey. We were also able to sit with the ten bells in the bell tower, including Great Ethel, the "troublesome tenor" bell that is a cousin to London's Big Ben.



After the Abbey, we wandered around Bath on foot, taking in the sites of the city. Pictured above is Pulteney Bridge and a weir to control water flow in the River Avon.



The grandeur of The Circus cannot be captured in ground-level photographs. It's a ring of stone townhouses constructed in the mid-1700s. It was stunning to stand in the circular park in the center of the structures and take it all in.



A train ride back to Oxford found us eating dinner at The Castle. I had the Roasted Potato Lamb Hotpot with steamed broccoli and garden peas. The hotpot was like a lamb stew but with less liquid. It was quite filling and paired well with the second beer of my trip.

Hooked Norton Best Bitter was my beer of choice for the evening. When I ordered it, the bartender warned me that it was bitter. "I hope so!" was my reply. It was and pulled flavors of the potatoes and lamb forward on each quaff. Yes!

OXFORD

Our first full day in Oxford was indeed full. Bursting even.



We started with a visit to the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, which is filled with art and artifacts from Europe and Asia, from ancient times to the 19th century.



The campus of Oxford University and the city of Oxford overlap and merge in places, so much so that sometimes it's difficult to tell what you are looking at or experiencing. Is this Mr. Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis? Or perhaps an inspiration for him? (See the lamppost in the background?)



We visited St. Mary's Church, an Anglican church, that was filled with beautiful stained glass and religious furnishings. It also had tower that afforded us view of the Radcliffe Camera (pictured).



The Norrington Room in Blackwell's Bookshop is the largest bookselling room in the world, and was awesome to stand in. I also bought a book there!



We visited the Oxford Castle Prison, which was in use from 1009 to 1996 in incarcerating individuals, as well as made our way to the top of the Castle Mound.



We participated in an evensong choral service at University Chapel (Worcester College Chapel). Although "participated" may lead one to believe we had an active part in worship. We did not. The congregation's role was limited to a couple of spoken responses, so it was quite different from the way I'm use to worshipping. Let's say we experienced worship. It was lovely, just not what I'm used to.



The day ended with dinner at Banana Tree, an Asian-fusion restaurant. I had Teriyaki Soba Noodles with Steak. It reminded me of Nuea Yang and was excellent. I also had a Korean Drug Egg, which was not quite what I expected—it was less hot than I imagined, a bit sweet, quite a bit umami, and enjoyable. Schweppes Lemonade provided just the right amount of "beverage support."

THE HOLLY BUSH

After we settled into our room in the guest house we would call home while in Oxford, we grabbed dinner at a local pub, The Holly Bush. "Did you know? The Holly Bush was home to one of Radiohead's 1st gigs! Could you be the next Thom Yorke?"



The Toni pepperoni pizza was some excellent comfort food after a day full of travel. The dough was bready and cooked perfectly.



After 33 months of sobriety, I had my first beer. I told myself if I ever made it to England, that I intended to raise a proper pint. In fact, during our travels I raised four. (And have since returned to my vow of no alcohol.)

I had an Anchorman Fresh Cask IPA, 4.1% abv. "A modern, fresh and fruity cask beer brewed using contemporary English ingredients with American late-hopping. Anchorman begins with gentle malt sweetness, before a lingering, bitter finish."

In British pubs, you order at drinks and food at the bar. Since the beer was a cask beer, the bartender had to pump the handle to fill the glass. The whole experience was a great welcome to the United Kingdom.

TRIP

The Wife and I went and did a thing. We traveled to England, which was my first time off of the North American continent.

I'm prone to nausea due to sever motion sickness, so I had to prepare myself. That included Dramamine, which made me extremely drowsy; wearing accupressure bracelets (they worked!); and a neck pillow so my head didn't bob around because of the aforementioned drowsiness.

Light rail to the airport became an international flight via Boeing 787 Dreamliner to London's Heathrow Aiport became a bus ride to Oxford. I survived it all without vomiting! I even ate two meals on the plane!

ONE LONG LISTENING

Tacoma Buddhist Temple holds an annual Spring Seminar and an annual Fall Seminar, featuring contemporary speakers from the world of Buddhism. This Fall Seminar featured former nun, Buddhist chaplain, and author Chenxing Han. It was both privilege and pleasure to hear her speak, primarily about her 2024 book One Long Listening.

From the start of her presentation, she was challenging us: "Who made it possible for you to be here today? In this moment?"

Some of my key takeaways from the day:

• Karma is relational.
• The importance of gratitude, listening, and the nembutsu. The latter played well with the members of the temple, who are Jodo Shinshu, and this is their primary practice. But it also spoke to me as I've recently taken up a variation on the nembutsu, via Kosho Uchiyama Roshi—Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu.
• "College had not prepared me to quit things."
• The impermanence of who we are in the face of change: "Who am I becoming in the absence of this person?"
• Chaplaincy as a "third place" of clerical/clergy roles. (Most Catholic chaplains are female, since they cannot serve as priests. Buddhist chaplaincy is a way for lay people to be involved.)
• The need for all of us to ask more open and generative questions.

Just prior to the seminar, I picked up her first book, Be the Refuge, at King's Books. I'm quite interested in the subject matter, especially on the backside of taking an online course in Interfaith Engagement.

Chenxing signed my book: "To Troy— With gratitude for the refuges you are building in this world."



I've read One Long Listening, Chenxing's second book, more than once. It was my favorite Buddhist read of 2024. As I wrote about it then: "It was intimate and vulnerable, exploratory and experimental, and provided a beautiful peek into both chaplaincy and friendship."

Part of my joy in the day was hearing what she selected to highlight from the book.

Chenxing signed my book: "To Troy— With delight in the karmic connections that have led to this moment & in spiritual friendship."

RAKUSU

The

Folding cloth. Sewing basting stitches to hold the folds in place. Laying out the pieces for the field.

SPICY SHRIMP BOWL

In an earlier timeline, The Wife was an excellent cook, and I attempted to pair beers with the dishes she created for dinner. Then, I gave up alcohol.

In this timeline, The Wife is an excellent cook, and I get to simply enjoy her culinary creations. Now, rather than trying to find flavors that complement one another in drink and dish, or searching for subtle notes in both food and beer, I just enjoy the full range of flavors on the plate in their own right.

I was initially skeptical of this Spicy Shrimp Bowl, but it was delicious! The bowl was filled with romaine lettuce, cilantro, cucumber, bell pepper, white corn, blackened shrimp, and a yogurt-based dressing. Mixing the plated ingredients allowed exploration of the various flavor combinations.

SMILE 2

Smile 2 (2024) written and directed by Parker Finn. Psychological horror, possession horror, and body horror converge in a well-done takedown of fame and celebrity culture. Think Britney Spears, for example. It's a sequel to the original SMILE (surpassing it), with the relentlessness of It Follows, some interesting set pieces and continuity in the spirit of Happy Death Day, and a final nod to the finale of The Substance. It is constantly "on" and quite gruesome at times so be prepared; you've been warned.

Streaming on Netflix.

RAKUSU

Taking folds on a test run in paper before applying them to cloth.

ZEN MASTER EMILY DICKINSON

The dharma talk at tonight's sit included one of my favorite poems by Emily Dickinson.

•

The Heart is the capital
Of the Mind,
The Mind is a single State.
The Heart and the Mind
Together make
A single continent.

One — is the population —
Numerous enough.
This ecstatic nation
Seek — it is
Yourself.