jammies

I look like a huge, fat marshmallow in my jammies, pink, fluffy slipper socks and dressing gown.

happy holidays!

Reykjavik was very cool. We walked around in the immense cold (-22 degrees taking into account the windchill) and saw the sights. Random viking longboat sculptures, amazing views from atop the church of snowy mountains, quaint mult-coloured houses, the sea and a beautiful sunrise. The very cool Blue Lagoon which was like a massive onsen. It was cool to have that same relaxed feeling going back into the cold after boiling yourself in other people's filth. Sounds rank but was really lovely.

Then got to Boston where we had clam chowder and lobster and Boston cream pie. Did the Harvard tour and loads of shopping. I love being rich in the US (thanks to a good exchange rate). Everything is well cheap! Stayed in a lovely old hotel attached to the hospital. I was super excited about the kitchenette which came with the room. Am such a geek.

Back in NYC now and it's thanksgiving. It's great having the Xmas feeling in the middle of November, especially when I should be at work. Yay! Eaten Taco Bell, pizza, sushi, Philly cheese steak sandwich, pumpkin pie and we haven't even gone to Jo's American friend's house yet. Looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner and have more sushi, big American steaks to look forward to. Went to Ellis Island, saw the statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station, the Chrysler building, Chinatown, Twin Towers, UN tour and a bar with nomihoudai (all you can drink) for £7.50! Going to get a manicure, do more shopping and go up to the Rainbow Rooms at some point.

Paul and Yuki arrive tomorrow. Somehow Jo has made it into a huge reunion and she's gotten in touch with loads of people. Will blog properly with pictures soon...

Halloween Party

We had the most try hard party last night.
Fake cobwebs, carved pumpkins, floating ghosts, skull garlands, plastic spiders, I-tripped music around the whole flat, dead person's outline, vodka jelly with halloweens sweets, red lamps, soggy sausage rolls. What more would you want at a Halloween party?

The costumes were equally amazing with an Edward Scissorhands, Jimmy Saville and a Jim fixed it for me 'am I bovvered' schoolgirl, the Hulk, Paul Fatty-bum-bum-touch-the-man-boobs-ringmaster Hutton, yours truly as an Oompa Loompa, a crazy insect Queen...

At 9pm we had three guests - 2 of them were Sim's. By 11pm the place was heaving and we were off our heads on Shambles (wine, vodka and red bull). Can't remember much about the evening apart from Paul dry humping everything he could get his fatty hands on on the dance floor...That's it really...

JET reunion

On Thursday 12am, Mr and Mrs Indecisive aka Paul chan and JC finally realise that we needed to book a place for karaoke for 14 peops. Wholly crap. Needless to say, it was a complete waste of time meaning that the indecision bled into Friday.

Friday afternoon, Paul booked a room for three hours for karaoke. Despite ringing up three times, we were still unsure exactly whether the booking went through or now. How's your K-go, anyone?

5pm Mark and JC booked their places at the happy hour bar with the international crew arriving in dribs and drabs. It was bloody great to see everyone and just like old times, even though most of the time was spent speaking to Paul and telling each other how much we love each other and that we should spend more time together. (Really, we can't spend more time together).

Saturday, Laura, Po-ru and JC went for a sneaky practice hour and cranked out every song on Shidax Gold. Karaoke with the full gang is no old school affair but proper
J-styley. So much so that it even had the scoring at the end. As always, the silent second mike would only score 5 points less than the one being used. Corkers such as Kilby's gangsters paradise, Don't Look Back in Anger, Ironic - where's Amy? - Do you know the way to San Jose, Unbreak my Heart etc. Classics!

14 of us then try to get into GAY late, though we get turned away cos we're just not gay enough. Boo hoo!

The party splinters off with dull going-home folk, party bopping folk and fat bastard folk. I fell into the last category including fellow fat bastards, Sim chan, Neal-sama and Laura chan. Kilby, who many of you will know as super J-poi chan piked after 30 mins but ended up falling asleep on the night bus and ended up in Wood Green. Toooooooooooiiiiiiiiiii j'an.

The adventures started in the very rude C resto where the waiter was suitably unimpressed with Ne-ru's attempts at using numbers. Our visit was cut short when he informed us of the 10 quid minimum order per person. We then went to the not so friendly inn where the lady started closing our menus when I asked them whether they sold noodle soup. Laura complained that they were just throwing away money, to which the bird replied, 'I don't need your money. I'm rich'.

Sunday just left me feeling sad. Sad that I don't see you cool, crazy cats enough.

Sorry my writing makes no sense. Eaten too much pudding, I think which has made me a bit hyper.

Reunions

You know when you're getting old when you have fifty reunions to attend.

JET RETURNERS
Not strictly a reunion but I met up with Kilby and Louise a few weekends ago after the returners conference thingy in London. Was cool, though we did spend a bit too much time a Wetherspoons than is ok for a non-student. I out-did myself by ordering the two meals for £5.29 deal. Am a povvo and a fat basta*d. Still haven't managed to get rid of Kilby

JET REUNION mark II
We're going to have about 10 ex-JETs coming to stay in a couple of weeks time from all over the shop. The flat is going to stink. Not because of the people specifically but the smell of too many people cramped in a small flat who will be hitting the booze hard. Bring on all things J...

SCHOOL REUNION
In 3 weeks time, I'm going to be attending my 10 year school reunion. Am going to cry. Just been on Friends Reunited. There are people who have been made Directors of their companies, bank managers etc. I beg the question: what have I done with my life? Say I, sat in my jammies at 10am on a Tuesday morning discussing the virtues of Primark with Paul via MSN (who IS at work incidentally).

All this makes me feel incredibly old and sad that time passes so quickly. Reunions make me sad that I see people I love spending time with so infrequently and because I have lost touch with so many people. Well, will be strange and cool to catch up on the last ten years.

o hisashiburi

Am rubbish still.

What have I been up to?

1) Quit my job and now have 3 days left
2) Got a new job at another charity as a Grants and Partnerships Officer - I'll be trying to get money from the govt
3) Went to see Laura and Ben on the Isle of Man which is absolutely beautiful
4) Pranced around to Kylie and Tom Jones in a busy shopping centre signing to the words - all in the name of charity
5) Went to a restaurant where we had to eat in pitch darkness
6) Welcomed Kilby home and watched him eat lots of crap
7) Taken up ceroc dancing - a mix of jive and salsa - at which I am rubbish

What will I be up to?
1) Mark-u will be visiting which will hopeully mean a karaoke bonanza
2) Going back to Cullompton for my 10 year school reunion
3) Going t Reykjavik
4) Ann-chan will be coming to visit meaning another karaoke fest
5) playing giant human Monopoly around London - also in the name of charity
6) Going to an all you can eat and drink Medieval banquet
7) Starting a year-long J course at Westminister University. Po-ru and I are officially students again. Just need to buy £255 worth of stuff at Top Shop and I'd have broke even

Rubbish

Dear all,

I am super super sorry that I have been so rubbish lately. The past few months have flown by and I find myself in the middle of summer, the humidity high. No, I'm not in Japan, but in London.

The other day, the train was at a standstill in a tunnel on the tube for 15 minutes. It was the first time since Japan that I had a waterfall of sweat streaming down my back. Lovely.

Paul has just come back from Japan and I am missing everything about Japan. Not much news here though a ticket has been booked to see our beloved Jo and I'll be going to see Laura on the Isle of Man in September.

Not much has changed in the last few months. I'm still a fundraiser. I'm losing my Japanese. I've started dance classes - can you believe it! - and...well, that's it really.

To those of you who are leaving Japan: I feel so sad for you. I can remember how low I felt in my last few weeks. To my friends still in Japan and those who have scattered all over. I do still miss you and think of you often. Life around you just takes over and the thoughts and memories of your friends that you have during the day stay with you. I'm just not disciplined enough to sit down and email you with: I thought of you today; I miss you.

But I want to say: I miss you and I'm thinking of all of you.

God, I'm such a sappy cow.

Allergy

I think I'm allergic to staying still. This is true in a two ways:

1) I find it hard to sit still. I need to move/jump/bounce/leap

This makes working in an office problematic.

2) I have itchy feet again. I miss the excitement of living abroad. Of trying different things every day and finding out new things.

This makes working in an office in London problematic.

I wish that this blog ended in something dramatic such as: I'm quitting my job and leaving for Peru tomorrow and oh, I've bought a pogo stick. But no, I am sitting at my desk in London; no jumping.

My wedding

When I get married:
I'm going to have my reception at a place called the 'Coloseum'. The writing is garish and it has fairy lights all year round. Next, I'm going to have a DJ called Disco Mike and he's going to play songs like 'Aga Doo' and 'Piano-man'. Oh, and there's going to Chinese food. And on my wedding list there will be a Mr Frosty.

Hangover cures

Breakfast:

A glass of Berocca orange
A mug of ovaltine
A mug of miso soup
A pack of prunes

It's funny what you want to ingest when you're hungover, isn't it?

Paul

After reading jagaimogirl's question, 'you are still a girl, right?' It got me thinking about whether I was indeed, still a girl. My -scary- first thought was, 'well, not as much as Paul', it was practically instinctive, which then reminded me of when someone we know said recently, 'Paul's got girl's writing'.

So to answer your question J-girl, 'I'm still a girl, but not as much as Paul'.

wasabi

two unagi
two sarumon
two maguro
two ika

That was my lunch. I miss Japan.

For those of you who know me, I've been suffering from severe sushi withdrawal. So when I had lunch today, I got a little carried away with the wasabi. My nose felt like it was on fire and I was crying like a girl.

Two new buses

Yesterday I took two new buses. Felt very smug and clever. (see, Jo. Your life is way more exciting. Swap?)

Everything

So, as you've probably guessed, I haven't got internet at home yet. That's on our huge to-do list. We've moved in and we're having a housewarming on Saturday plus it's my birthday which I kind of wasn't really aware of until just now. Weird.

The job's going OK and I'm starting to learn bits and bobs. I feel like I'm back in Paris because I spend most of my time obsessing about the quickest way of getting around town. So dumb.

There are about 36 lightbulbs in our flat. My dad is probably 'Susan', the 'landlady' who lives in 'Canada'.

Watched Brokeback and have felt sad all day. They really loved each other; and it's not even PMS.