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The final item in this History of my Archive in 10 Objects found in my father's loft are two sketchbooks from my earliest days in Japan in 1987.
Just after I arrived in Tokyo in January 1987 I bought a number sketchbooks of various sizes and spent a lot of the first year in particular being the sketching tourist, drawing, painting and photographing downtown Tokyo, the people around me, the whole experience of being in Japan. I didn't think
any sketchbooks from early days in Japan had survived, I had a series of major purges for one reason or another over the 21 years I was there, the biggest down-size being at the very end when I left most of my belongings behind and threw away much of my commercial illustration artwork.
These two sketchbooks survived because I brought them back from Japan in the early '90's after buying a house in London, they stayed there until I later gave up the house, then found their way with a few other items to my dad's loft.
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| Iidabashi, 6th May 1987. This old building stood near the West exit of the station (the Kagurazaka side), and was I believe demolished in the early '90's development of the area. pen & ink. |
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| Street vendor's cart, Yotsuya, 6th May 1987. pen & ink |
There are so many memories wrapped up in these pages, that first year in Tokyo was a roller-coaster of experiences - I had a sponsor when I first arrived in the country, they had no real work for me but nevertheless required me to sit in their dingy downtown office every day, doing literally nothing except breathe in the permament fog of tobacco smoke (I was a non-smoker) and hope the editor would come back to the office and give me permission to go out. Initial joy at being in Tokyo was soon replaced by deep unhappiness, after six frustrating months of this our relationship finally unravelled, and I was out on my own in Shitamachi, free but penniless, fraught with fear over the future. These two sketchbooks cover that period.
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| The office, waiting for permission to leave, 17th June 1987. ballpen |
Because I was under-employed (and yet tightly under the watchful eye of the sponsor), I leaped on any opportunity to slip out of the nicotine stained office in Iidabashi and study Japanese in the quiet of the British Council building, or go walk-about in downtown Tokyo. When I eventually found my own place to rent in Yanaka and parted company with the sponsor these sketchbooks were both a comfort and way to come to terms with Tokyo, it's architecture, atmosphere, details, all things that would serve me well later on.
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| Roppongi, 18th April 1987, ballpen |
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| On the Hibiya Line, 8th October 1987. ballpen |
So these drawings were at a point of change for me, initially a creative escape from my sponsor's office, they then became a comfort when I was on my own in Yanaka, it was a time just before things started to move for me, so looking back at them now brings a mixture of nostalgia and vivid memories of the turmoil I was in then.
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| Mishima village near Sendai, painted during a volunteer weekend with UNICEF, Summer 1987. watercolour |
With these drawings I come to the end of the 10 pieces from my archives. Discovering all of these things in my late father's loft has made me very contemplative about my current position in life, especially after his passing. If there's any lesson looking through these old archive things has taught me, it's that change is generally good, and provided you keep moving forward, things will most definitely get better!
By: DanP,
on 10/7/2014
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In the Preface to their new book A Guide to The SIAC Arbitration Rules, authors Mark Mangan, Lucy Reed and John Choong observe that:
“the [Singapore International Arbitration] Centre is now well-established as a regional leader and the SIAC Rules are among the most popular globally…the authors are all leaders in Asia, including Lin Hoe, Nathaniel Khng, Zara Shafruddin, and Darius Chan in Singapore; Yong Wei Chan and Judy Fu in Hong Kong;…and Nicholas Lingard in Tokyo”
Their observation highlights the importance of Asia both as a centre for international arbitration, and generally for commerce and the practice of commercial law in the 21st century. This underlines the relevance of the 2014 annual meeting of the International Bar Association in Tokyo which, as Michael J Reynolds in his programme to the conference states:
“We will be celebrating the importance of lawyers in Asia and the role they are playing in building the relationships between Asia and the rest of the world. Tokyo will also be a delight to discover, from the finest foods to compelling history, and will provide a rich cultural experience for everyone.”
The first annual meeting held in Asia for seven years, IBA 2014 presents a unique opportunity for colleagues, practitioners and law specialists to meet each other and make personal contact, face to face, many for the first time. Below, we aim to provide some useful information for both new attendees and seasoned delegates to the IBA Annual Meeting.
Over 5,000 delegates from more than 100 jurisdictions over the globe will convene at the Tokyo International Forum from 19-24 October at the International Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. The conference will feature six days of over 180 working sessions and over 60 official IBA social functions. The programme naturally features a special focus on Asian legal practice, including sessions on corporate social responsibility in Asia, Corporate and M&A Law in Asia: inbound and outbound challenges and a Master class on using courtroom litigation to support arbitration in Asia
Tokyo is an excellent gateway to Asia. Often thought of as a city, Tokyo is officially governed as a “metropolitan prefecture”, which combines elements of both a city and a prefecture; a characteristic which is unique to Tokyo. Located in the Kantō region, and placed on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu Tokyo also includes the Izu and Ogasawara Islands. Ranked fourth among global cities by A.T. Kearney’s 2012 Global Cities Index, Tokyo is an attractive destination for this year’s Annual Meeting.
If you would like to know what’s available to fill your time outside your sessions, take a look at the following conference-related events:
Sunday 19 October: Opening ceremony. 6pm – 7.30pm, Welcome party 7.30pm-10.30pm, Auditorium, Tokyo International Forum
This year’s welcome party takes place in the iconic Glass Building which represents the very modern side of Japan and rated 3* by the Michelin Green Guide to Japan. The building reflects Japan’s mix of modern and traditional, offering delegates the opportunity to experience an energetic festival with traditional food, drink and entertainment.
Tuesday 21th October: 2pm-3pm, Meet Oxford author John Choong, author of A Guide to The SIAC Arbitration Rules
From 2pm – 3pm you can meet John Choong, at the Oxford University Press booths #16 and 17, who will be signing copies of his new title A Guide to The SIAC Arbitration Rules.
Wednesday 22 October Afternoon – IBA football match
The IBA ‘World Cup’ football match is a key part of the conference programme. 12 years after Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, it now hosts the annual IBA match. Transport and other arrangements will be confirmed nearer the time and emailed to delegates who register an interest. All spectators are welcome.
Friday 24 October 7.30pm – 10.30pm, – Closing party, Happo-en
Happo-en is ‘garden of eight views’ and the closing party will be held in the grounds and buildings of this classic and beautiful Japanese garden. Constructed to be perfect from all angles, within this hidden gem of Tokyo you can wander at will and encounter some of the classical and historic art of Japan, including ancient Bonsai trees and stone lanterns together with live music and traditional performances.
Also, here are a few tips on what to expect when you get to Tokyo:
- The weather in Tokyo in October will be mild. Expect temperatures to reach between 21-22 degrees Celsius, 69-71 degrees Fahrenheit.
- There are eight restaurants at the Tokyo International Forum, including Takara which serves local and regional cuisine, including Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot) and Kaisendon (Sushi Rice Bowl), and Kurobuta-gekijo Hibiki, which specializes in local specialty foods of Kawagoe city, featuring dishes such as pork shabu-shabu and Yakiton (grilled pork skewers).
- You find can find details of the layout of the Tokyo International Forum here.
If you are lucky enough to be joining us in Tokyo, don’t forget to visit Oxford University Press at booth numbers 16 and 17 where you can browse our award-winning books, pick up a sample copy of one of our professional law journals, or get a free demonstration of one of our online services including Oxford Legal Research Library: International Commercial Arbitration and International Commercial Law.
To follow the latest updates about the IBA Conference as it happens, follow us @OUPCommLaw, @OUPIntLaw, and @blackstonescrim, and use the hashtag #IBA14. See you in Tokyo!
The post International Bar Association Annual Meeting 2014 appeared first on OUPblog.
Here are some more pages from my sketchbook in Tokyo this summer. I already posted this selection on Facebook, so apologies to my friends who've already seen them!
Over the summer in Tokyo I filled a sketchbook with pen drawings. I always sketch a lot when I'm in Japan, but it was particularly so on this trip, perhaps I was driven by the shear joy of being back in the city, it was as if something had been unlocked.
Some of these drawings were the kind of fantasy ideas and escapist shenanigans I regularly doodle. One or two were observed sketches inside restaurants...
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| Gonpachi Soba-ya, Azamino, Yokohama. 3rd Aug |
But a very large number were observed drawings of people on trains, especially the Denentoshi line, which runs from Chuo-Rinkan through the northern Yokohama suburbs, across the Tama river into Shibuya, from where it continues through the middle of Tokyo as the Hanzomon line.
It's a long, snaking line and very busy, on the evening trains out of Tokyo to the suburbs its very difficult to find a seat nowadays, even outside the peak times. Compared to a few years ago the passenger dip between the rush hour and the late trains has become much shallower, there's very little difference between 7pm and 9pm. Waiting for a later train might be fractionally less crowded, but it still doesn't mean you'll be able to sit down.
Thus, many of my sketching chances were on journeys into town at midday, often on the slower local trains.
Whenever opportunity allowed, I'd commandeer a seat and discretely draw those around me in my small pocket sketchbook. Curiously, despite standing out like a sore thumb as the only non-Japanese on the carriage, few people ever noticed that I was drawing, and I'm pretty certain none of the subjects were ever aware.
I think this is because many commuters simply shut off when they're on the train, they close their eyes in either real or feigned sleep, or fix their gaze on smart phones.
People effectively wrap themselves in their own worlds, oblivious to the rest of what goes on in the carriage. It's a gift of the Japanese commuter to be able to do this, perhaps due to the nature of Tokyo itself - in the neon drenched street of the urban centres so much is going on around, the noise, the flashing
kanban, most people develop a selective awareness of the environment around them - they filter out the unwanted "noise" of the city, and thus preserve their sanity.
There is an art to survival in the metropolis - people concern themselves with details that interest them and are able to largely ignore the rest, train journeys can be meditative affairs, and if you want to escape entirely technology provides you with music, game apps or a read.
So I'm able to blithely sketch away on Tokyo trains undisturbed in a way I'd find difficult in the UK, not least because my train journeys in the UK are much rarer, with seat layouts that make it difficult to draw other passengers. Tokyo trains, with seats facing opposite, are the perfect life drawing class.
Another thing I noticed during this trip though, compared to former years - the poses are largely the same. In the past people would read books, talk, or whatever. Now, almost everyone who gets a seat on Tokyo trains does exactly the same thing - they sit, bag on knee, smart phone in hand, headphones in ears, and close their eyes.
My task is to unlock their thoughts and character through a lightning sketch, before they move or are blocked from view. It's one of the exciting things about sketching people on trains, the knowledge that you might only have a few fleeting minutes of opportunity.
I've just returned from five heady weeks in Tokyo, soaking up life back in the old metropolis, the place I lived for nearly half my life. Every year daughter and I go back to Japan, usually in the summer, every year we return with new and unique experiences, the only constant being the humidity and the constant murmur of cicadas, though this year there were several unseasonably cool spells amidst the swelter.
It's wonderful to explore familiar locations, see old friends and family, but I also had a very busy schedule of preparation, culminating in a ten day solo exhibition at
Space Yui in Aoyama, followed by another seven day show (currently still running as I write) at
Yui Garden in Yokohama.
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| The front porch of Space Yui |
No matter how many years go by my fascination with Tokyo remains undiminished, I try to be as busy as I can when we go back, it's a city that demands purpose and direction
. As I no longer live in Japan I find that without such direction and with daughter mostly staying with her grandparents I start to feel an emptiness, ponder too deeply on the past and other topics best left alone. No, move on, on, always onwards! Like the city itself, my relationship with Tokyo is constantly evolving, the journey continues.
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| Hanging day at Space Yui with gallery owner Hideyo Kimura |
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| It's On! |
It's been busy, inspiring and very encouraging. The exhibition, still on at Yui Garden, centres around original artwork from my recent picture book
Stone Giant (
Ishi no Kyojin in Japanese), from which visitors can order
Neograph prints (
giclée art prints overprinted with a fine silkscreen
to prevent oxidation and deterioration of colour, rendering prints that are virtually indistinguishable from artwork). I also created several smaller pieces of original art specifically for the show.
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| Book of prints, and artwork from Stone Giant |
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| Some of the smaller images created especially for the show |
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| The Librarian |
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| Wolves in the Forest |
The gallery staff have been supportive beyond measure, Space Yui is a key part of my platform in Japan, the care and encouragement I receive there is inspiriting and progressive, all credit due to Kimura-san and her team.
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Opening party, with guests including Komine Shoten editor
Tsuyoshi Yamagishi (left) and picture book creator Satoshi Kitamura (right) |
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| Opening party - with Togo Kasahara, designer Hiroyasu Murofushi (I & I Inc) and Takeshi Fujisaki |
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Opening party, with illustrator Satoshi Kitamura (background),
curator Taiko Nakazawa, Tomoe Furuhashi and DJ Young Richard |
The show at Space Yui began with a busy opening followed by a regular stream of visitors, I was quite overwhelmed by the large number of attendees. Signed copies of the Japanese edition of
Stone Giant (
Ishi no Kyojin) sold out within the first few days and had to be re-stocked by publisher Komine Shoten.
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| Signed copies of the Japanese edition Ishi no Kyojin |
There were several highlight successes, the biggest being news of several competing offers for the Japanese rights to my next US book
Crinkle, Crackle, Crack!. Written by Marion Dane Bauer (who also wrote the 2012 released
Halloween Forest), the US edition is due for publication through Holiday House next year. I'll post more about the Japanese edition when details have been confirmed.
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| With art director Susumu Yamada (Tokyo Planet Design) |
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| With members of SCBWI Japan |
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| With Emi Noguchi |
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| With my daughter and photographer Hitoshi Iwakiri |
The exhibition is now on at the fabulous new gallery
Yui Garden in Nakamachidai, Yokohama. In a building created by and for an architect's design office that overlooks Seseragi Park, the setting, interior and atmosphere is simply exquisite. If you're in the area before it closes on the 8th please do drop by.
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| Entrance to Yui Garden |
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| The show at Yui Garden |
It's been a wonderful summer. Many thanks to all the gallery staff and visitors to the exhibition!
The greatest hamburger-themed stickers Disney has ever produced.
Delicious izakaya in Tokyo with Merrick, Leo & KB. My favorite dishes were the kimchi udon pasta & the tofu cheesecake. YUM.
Gion Kitana, as recommended by Tara (formerly) of Sweet Breams. Make sure you get the dekitate, their fresh ice cream. So good.
Yakisoba at Mizuno, Osaka. Their okonomiyaki is out of this world. I discovered the restaurant by following two people in Osaka who seemed to be on a mission to eat. I do that when I travel. Not creepy.
Sushidai in Tokyo.
Matcha green tea
paste at Ippodo Tea, recommended by Yoko of
Homako.
Kaboucha fried goodness.
Thanks to the lovely friends who sent suggestions and made our trip that much more delicious and delightful. Special shout to Merrick for housing KB & me, and teaching us some key Japanese words. Good host. Arigatou gozaimasu.
I'm finally back home after a successful show at Space Yui in Tokyo.
Japan was wonderful for both daughter and myself, though it was very much a 'working holiday' for me. For the first month I was largely focused on meeting deadlines, producing work for the show and other such business, so not so many opportunities for socialising and enjoying the summer break. However the hard work was all worthwhile in the end, the exhibition at Space Yui was a tremendous success. My deepest thanks to Kimura-san and all the other staff at the gallery.
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| Setting up the show in the gallery (photo courtesy of Space Yui) |
In addition to the artwork from 'Jack to Mame no Ki',
limited edition prints and the original images drawn for the show, Space Yui also produced some
T-Shirts from the unfinished artwork to my next book
The Stone Giant. Although the artwork is yet to be painted in colour I had some scans of the ink drawings in black and white stage, which were perfect for the T-Shirt and made a very big impact on the show attendees.
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| In Space Yui Gallery modelling the t-shirts produced for the show |
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| One of the numerous drawings developed from sketchbook images sold during the show |
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| Legendary zoologist, TV personality and author Mutsugoro (Masanori Hata) |
I didn't take many photos, but I've posted a very few snapshots of the attendees and more of the displayed work on my
Facebook feedFinally the exhibition was over and daughter and I were able to finally relax. Straight after the exhibition we were invited by my editors at Fukuinkan to the Nagano mountains to stay in a
Besso (country cottage) and research our next book. It was a wonderful tonic after the stifling heat of Tokyo!
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| Seren in Kobuchizawa with Roa and Yuriko |
Finally back in Tokyo I was just in time to enjoy the release of
Jack to Mame no Ki on 10th September!
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| Fukuinkan section in the Tama Plaza branch of Yurindo Bookshop. Jack gets centre stage! |
As some may know, I'm back in Tokyo all through the summer, to organise an exhibition (more on that shortly), run a workshop for SCBWI Tokyo on the 19th, see as many old friendly faces as possible, and basically to just re-connect with my former home of 21 years.
It's very good to be back, even though school holidays dictate daughter and I are here at the hottest time of year. Most people here can't understand why I would want to come back to Japan while the Olympics are on in London, and in this heat. Fortunately I love the Japanese summer. There's a unique ambience to the city at this time of year, things slow down, less bustle, more time for contemplation.
Last night I dreamed that Tokyo was like an ice cream slowly melting in the heat. In reality it's not exactly as cool as ice cream, and it's the people who feel melted, not the city.
I always have a lot to contemplate when I come back here, most of it connected to the sudden death of my wife in 2007 and subsequent decision to return to the UK. Maki's presence is always with me, but never more so than when I tread the familiar streets of Tokyo. The comfort of intimate knowledge here pulls me back. This still feels like home, it's like an old familiar musical instrument that you can just lose yourself in, make beautiful sounds with. I don't feel the same connection with anywhere in the UK, even after 5 years back there. It's definitely time to move on from the past and become more enthusiastic with life in England.
It's been 2 years since I was in Tokyo last, this has been the longest time away from Japan since I lived here. Some things have changed, superficially the shops in Shibuya and other places, but still it's the same old city. One thing that has surprised me is the invisibility of the Tsunami and Fukushima in Tokyo. Outside the under-reported demos, Tokyo just carries on as it always has, last years' disaster is almost completely invisible. Such stoicism and willingness to "stay calm and carry on " is both reassuring and worrying. People are willing enough to relate their memories of the earthquake, but no-one generally talks about the ongoing problem of Fukushima. There's a sense of resignment, of helpless resentment in the face of challenges. The government has never listened much to the wishes of the people in the past, so the mechanism for effective dissent is underdeveloped, there are plenty of opinions, but most people stay on the wings. There is much talk of the nuclear issue of course, yesterday was the anniversary of Hiroshima, there was much on the TV, some comparisons with Nuclear energy in Japan today. The media is covering the issues to a point.
But generally, life just carries on as it always has. Hot, sultry, vibrant and determined. If Tokyo melts it won't be due to sunshine. Despite the mixed emotions and loneliness coming back here I'm enjoying Tokyo immensely, though I am missing the euphoria of the London Olympics a bit. Unless you watch things live (late at night) Japanese TV only shows the progress of Japanese athletes, so I've only seen snippets of the Olympics. Oh well, can't have everything.
By: Michelle,
on 3/22/2011
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By Michelle Rafferty
Last week we received a message from Miki Matoba, Director of Global Academic Business at OUP Tokyo, confirming that her staff is safe and well. This was a relief to hear, and also a reminder that although many of us are tied to the people of Japan in some way, our perspective of the human impact is relatively small. So I asked Miki if she wouldn’t mind sharing some of her experiences, and she kindly agreed. When she responded to my questions she wrote: “Hope my answers reflect a part of how we view the incidents as Japanese.”
1.) Where were you, and what were your thoughts as the earthquake hit?
I was in a meeting room with a visitor from OUP Oxford and my staff having a meeting when the earthquake started. You may find this weird but we all are very much living with earthquakes from a young age. So little shakes here and there are just a part of our lives. But not the one we had last Friday as that was the biggest one in some hundreds of years. What I normally think when earthquakes start is when shall I get up to secure the exit and go under the desk. Most of the time, you do not have to do either as it does not last long. But not this time. As the building started to shake for a while I opened the door of the meeting room thinking that this is a big one but should stop soon. But it did not. So we put ourselves under the table hoping for the shaking to cease. When it did not, I thought then that this is a serious one and something really severe will happen as a result.
Then we saw some white stuff coming down in the office (it was not fire – just some dust coming down from the ceiling) and someone shouted that we should leave NOW. So we did. I did not take anything. Just myself and those who were meeting with me, running down from 8th floor to the ground. Even when we were running down the stairs, it was still shaking. After a while, we went back to the office to get things as the decision was made very quickly to close the office for that day. Almost everything on my desk had either fallen over or was on the floor, and it was still shaking.
2.) Was anyone prepared?
Yes and no. As Japanese, we all are prepared for earthquakes but not for something of this size and the aftermath of it.
3.) How do you continue to manage your group at such a difficult time? Is it possible to work?
Try to communicate well. We email and also have set up an internal Twitter account that we tweet to, including who will go into the office and what they are doing as we are still mainly working from home. The situation is still very unsettling making it difficult to concentrate on work (power rationing, aftershocks and the nuclear power plant situation) but we try to process day-to-day things as usual.
4.) How would you describe the city right now (the business activity, the state of mind)?
Interesting question. I think Tokyo is normally one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Now the city is very quiet compared to normal. The weather has been clear and nice after Friday so it feels odd to be in this peaceful, quiet Tokyo under the sun after all that.
5.) I’ve heard radiation levels are higher than normal – is everyone staying inside?
We have lots of information going around including rumors. We live almost as normal – just listening to TV and radio all the time, watching the progress of the nuclear plant situation. I do not go out if that can be avoided.
6.) What do people outside of Japan need to know?
<
Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara has targeted manga comic books with a new ordinance, creating stricter regulations for both live action and manga products. Other regional governments in Japan are considering similar policies.
The New York Times reports: “One particularly big target is manga comic books that depict pubescent girls in sexual acts. It a lucrative segment of the $5.5 billion industry for manga … The new Tokyo law, which applies to anyone under 18, bans the sale of comics and other works — including novels, DVDs and video games — that depict sexual or violent acts that would violate Japan’s national penal code, as well as sex involving anyone under age 18. ”
Japanese publishers, lawyers, and manga artists will fight the ordinance. Ten publishers, including Japan’s largest publishing company Kodansha, intend to boycott the Tokyo International Anime Fair in protest–arguing that the law hinders free speech. What do you think?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
I'm back in Tokyo for the summer, catching up with things here, seeing family, friends and colleagues etc. It's been a strange experience. 18 months have passed since my last visit to these shores, the longest I've ever been away from Japan, so it took a while to get back in the swing of things. At first everything felt completely surreal, it's a city I know so well yet somehow felt detached from. Memories haunted me for days, the sense of loss, not only of my darling wife (whose grave we visited last week), but my whole 21 year existence here. I missed a sense of purpose for being here, alone, re-kindling old memories, searching for something always slightly beyond my grasp.
These feelings eventually subsided after several days marching around the streets of Tokyo under the humid heat, chasing summer bargains (though with the £=¥ exchange rate now there are no real bargains!), visiting old places etc, bemoaning the disappearance of various favorite shops and restaurants. The heat has been a great equaliser - it takes all your mental energy just to get through the day. Oh yes, tis a corker of a summer here, midday can be completely debilitating, but evenings are wonderfully fresh.
Call me mad, but I must be one of the few people who actually like the Japanese summer. The buzz of the cicadas, the matsuri's, the fireworks, these are some of the key elements to Japan for me, I wouldn't miss them for the world. I carry a sensu around with me all day like a badge to show I'm here, in Tokyo, and proud, for the duration of the sauna weeks.
All in all I am enjoying myself immensely, its very very good to be back.
One of the reasons why I love Japan is that there are illustrations everywhere. I mean, EVERYWHERE. It is not afraid of cute. It is a country where grown men have cute charms on their cell phones and its not a big deal.
Some fun graphics from the streets:
Even on drinks:
These toy packaging caught my eye- I love the design and illustrations on these:
and last but not least...
This is the ryokan (Japanese style inn) we stayed at in Tokyo (in Ueno.) I can not rave more about this place. We didn't want to stay in a generic western style hotel in the middle of a touristy area..so if you are a bit more adventurous, I highly recommend staying at
Sawanoya Ryokan. It is family run and foreigner friendly...and possibly on the quaintest little street ever. We slept on futons and took baths in the gorgeous onsen (Japanese style bath) over looking a garden. It was inexpensive and Sawa-san and his family are great hosts.
And a few more links- through
Ismoyo's blog and reading about her adventures in Tokyo a few months before mine, I found a very helpful
6 Comments on Inspiration from Tokyo- Part 3, last added: 6/11/2010
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8 Comments on Design Festa-Tokyo, Japan, last added: 5/23/2010
Really wonderful work! Still coveting that tee, though...
Will you ever consider doing online classes or videos like Will Terry? = )