Swallows in action

A couple of weeks ago, a brilliant little swallow built its nest on a wall in the middle of the cluster of shopping malls near the Shin Urayasu station, and laid its eggs right in it. This was unusual because at this time of the year, swallows would usually have started their exodus to Malaysia to escape the upcoming winter. The mall owner stuck an umbrella beneath the nest to catch it in case it fell. Since an umbrella sticking out of a wall is quite hard to miss even in eccentric Tokyo, these baby swallows and their mother became instant celebrities. Passer-bys took photographs with their mobile phones and professional cameras. Children excitedly cheered the birds on.
This is one sight we'll never see in Malaysia. When Paul, our Malaysian friend, an SIA pilot, stopped over Japan, I pointed out the swallows' nest to him. He made a remark about how much birds' nest soup it'll make and how much that will cost. 'Nuff said.