No, it certainly ain't Japan! With sand like that, that's for sure. You're looking at Sydney, Australia. Home sweet home. I went back for a week in June - the timing was so that I could see my mate Eggins tie the knot/cut the cake/get hitched (pictures below). I'm sure the beaches in Okinawa are comparable, but otherwise, the sands of Japan seem more like grit or gravel. The muggy air and typhoon-slowing concrete break-water things also tend to kill any scenic quality Japanese beaches have.

More specifically, you're looking at Watson's Bay. If you're not from Sydney, it's a harbour city with many bays, coves and waterways. I'm a little biased, but it's an awesome place. I love it... now more than ever.

This is my sister Penny, brother-in-law Mark, and my niece Sarah. They took me for a drive to Doyle's to have fish and chips. It was really great to see them and for them to cater for what I've been missing. But stuff like food and nice places aside, seeing my family was tops. I think you will know what my parents look like by now, so I don't have another photo of them here, but it was especially great to see them.

This is me saying hello to my nephew, Aled, for the first time! With us are not-so-little, but oh-so-cute Reuben and my brother Steve, and my sister-in-law Jo. It would seem that Reuben (tear-away knievel) and Aled (placid) couldn't be more different, but both great little kids.

Here's Penny and Sarah again and the fairly-new-to-school, Rachel. She's growing up so fast, I feel like a real old-timer saying that... but it's true. My nephew Joel wasn't too comfortable about being in photos, but needless to say he's a little champ, too! They're bright kids.

Here's another family of mine - the Chatswood Presbyterians. You'd think with all those Asians making peace signs that we were in Japan, but no... Bravo's of Crows Nest! Good for a gelato. Fish-lips in dead centre is my old flatty, Janey. Gee I miss your vege lasagne! Oh, and you too!

Here we are after church in Chatswood, post-crepe-eating.

Catching up with dear friends Andy, Cass and Mike after the wedding. Oh... the wedding!

And now the feature presentation!

Eggins and his bride, Sharon.

I love this photo of my old friends, Nick and Emma. The reception was at Church Point in Pittwater and just across the water, behind them is their house on Scotland Island.

Next in line - my old housemate, Souter ("turn down the music!") and his soon-to-be-bride Lou. All the best guys!

3 of the best smiles in rock... Kim Deal, Nick Ives and Matty Cohen. It was so good to see old favourites. (Sorry if you're reading, Nick... that's the 2nd time I've used the word "old" in reference to you... don't get a complex... you know what I mean!)

Nice work. It was fantastic to see such a happy man in my friend Eggins, and to see such a great woman at his side on his wedding day.

What a different world it is back home. Looking at these photos again and telling you about them has reminded me of that. Sometimes life here feels like reality and my notions of home seem surreal... but when I was visiting it was the other way around. I came back to Japan feeling pretty disoriented and out of the "groove". All points of reference were spinning around me. I'm not one for the jet-set life I think - that's a different breed... I like being home. But now I can almost say I have 2.

You know the song... "I still call Australia home" ...that's true. But if I may, I'll follow quoting Peter Allen with quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger... Japan, "I'll be back".

(Oh, yeah. I gotta leave it first.)

Sorry... rambling fingers. Good night.