Stuff that's been happening!

It's actually been a quiet couple of weeks, enabling me to spend ages on my Thailand blogging!!! It's really cold (freezing in fact some days!), and I'm already looking forward to the first hint of spring weather. I can't wait to see that first pink blossom appear to brighten up the dull grey wintery landscape. I have started running my little heater on low all night, and entering a state of denial as far as my electric bill is concerned. I would rather spend a bit more of my pay on having a comfortable cozy night's sleep, rather than freezing to death, with a frostbitten nose, but a slightly healthier Yamaguchi Bank balance! Priorities people....and until march...my priority is keeping warm!

I'm doing very low-key stuff at the mo at weekends....in order to (a) keep warm and (b) save for tokyo in march. My weekends at the moment are largely centred around eating in (last wkend..Kats...this wkend...mine), renting movies, and any other cheap local stuff (cards, karaoke, purikura, dozing under my kotatsu). It's actually been really nice, and of course it's always cool just to hang out and chat with friends.

Two of the highlights of my January have been (1) Yuka coming 2nd in the speech contest, and subsequent newspaper interviews, photographs etc, and (2) My birthday! Yep, I'm now the big 2 4..and it feels....fine! I had an absolutely lovely birthday...both on the day in Yanai (yakiniku & karaoke)...and at the weekend in Tokuyama (party for me and Kat...complete with yakitori, birthday cupcakes, and fun dancing!) Enjoy the pics!