Sunday, January 04, 2004 :::
 
Well, Christmas is over and I'm heading back to the Land of the Rising Sun tomorrow morning. For my last meal I get roast lamb with all the trimmings - not that I haven't been gorging on food since I got here. My mother definitely believes in the "feed 'em up" philosophy. I could detail all the food I've had since I arrived - the beef olives, roast beef, roast pork, game pie, turkey and general Christmas food - but I won't. I'll just reminisce briefly when I'm back in Japan without all the food you lot in the UK and elsewhere take for granted. What I wouldn't give for a proper butcher...

I've managed a ton of Christmas shopping, sale shopping and shoe shopping, so I'm all set for my next 18 months (shhh! Don't tell Daddy I'm gone for that long, he thinks I'm back at the end of July - I'll tell him when I'm safely back in Japan and he can't do anything about it!). I also have presents and the obligatory omiyage for a few people - hopefully no one will expect too much since I have absolutely no room in my suitcase or in my weight allowance. And here I was, hoping the I would go back with less than I brought!

I'm not taking many of my presents back - I'll take a few of my DVDs but none of the books. And of course; the shoes. My mother, being a wonderful, generous person, bought me three pairs of expensive shoes in the January sales as a sort of belated Christmas gift. I'm very happy with them - two black pairs and one brown, elegant with a slight heel and very comfortable. The suede pair don't need breaking in at all but the two leather pairs do - that's always the way with shoes. Especially for me; wide feet are the curse I must bear. Sigh... But they are lovely shoes.

Two new suits and a new black skirt/top outfit - the skirt is cut on a bias and falls beautifully to my knees and the top is boned. It's in a lovely black velvet and the skirt has a sequined pattern - it can be so easily dressed up or dressed down with jewellry or the like. It's a ruddy good thing I saved the money for this trip - I'm absolutely skint now. I have enough money in my bank in Japan to pay the bills and see me through untill payday and then I'm on to saving - have to start sending money back in earnest now since I've very little left in either my current or my savings account. Fooble; I'm going to have to be sensible and grown up about things.

Actually, I'm quite looking forward to getting back to Japan - I've got used to being completely independent and doing my own thing. While I love my parents dearly and it was great to see them and two of my brothers, it was still a bit difficult to be in the house with them all the time. I've changed and they can't see it, especially my father. Nevertheless, we all got on quite well and managed to enjoy a really good Christmas together. New Year I spent at the house of my brother's girlfriend and we had a really good dinner party, saw the New Year in with fireworks and had quite a lot to drink. It was great. Mum and Dad went to a restaurant in London and made merry there. They had a bit of trouble getting home, because the train timetable was altered sometime between them asking about it and them heading home. Or they were told a complete lie from the beginning. Anyway, they got the train to within a few stops of our station and then had to wait around for ages for a taxi. But they got home safely, around about the time I was collapsing in bed. Incredible stamina those two have. We have nothing on them...

Anyway, off to eat, finish packing and hope I haven't gone over the weight limit!



::: posted by Saru at 10:28 am