I'd like to go over there someday. There where? Over there. Blue skies, bright sunshine, lots of green. Lots of wildlife. Warm and balmy. Safe and happy. If there's lots of green, you're gonna have lots of rain. Can't have one without the other. Okay. Sounds like a great deal to me. I can put up with the damp if I get the good stuff. And I'll get to see rainbows everyday. You'd really like that? Yeah, I really would. What about the wildlife? Or insects? Where would you live?

As an art form, ikebana requires practitioners to be ruthless at pruning. It is an art of genteel elegance and detached efficiency. Every piece placed in the receptacle has to earn its place. Unlike western floral arrangements which prioritises showiness, abundance and extravagance, ikebana tends towards simplicity. For years I had wanted to try this art form, but in practice I was shocked at the amount of plant matter I had to trim away for an acceptable ikebana arrangement.