*Widgets*

I'm so addicted to Widgets right now. I've just spent the last hour filling my desktop with widgets. I had also spent the better part of yesterday clearing my desktop of work-related documents... uh.... D'oh...~

*Lightning*

There's nothing I hate more than lightning and thunder. It sounds like the sky's falling down outside.
I hate living alone sometimes...~

*Twas the night after Christmas...*

'Twas the night after Christmas and all through Liv's house...
Right... I've just come home from the biggest Christmas feast EVER! It was nice, and small and we had so much food! We'd bought 3 roast chickens, a ton of salads, christmas pudding, ice-cream (which just turned to cream in Al's warm freezer), smoked salmon... basically everything edible from Costco. It was FAB!
In terms of memorable Christmases... this one's not quite up there, but it was nice. The run-up to Christmas was exciting and thrilling and totally fun... and Christmas day was just really quite mellow and warm. I enjoyed myself thoroughly today and wouldn't change any part of it.
I'm so stuffed. Food coma's set in. Going to take a nice bubbly cranberry bath now before jumping into my heated bed. It's freezing here!
Merry Christmas! I'll see y'all soon enough!~

*Fun*

I haven't done so much in ages. It's all been really fun... but there are only so many nights a person can go without sleeping...
Last week was so busy at work. It was a nightmarish kinda week. I have no idea how I managed to get through it... Got up real early on Friday morning to drive the girls to the airport... the drive there was quick enough, but I missed my exit coming back and it took me almost 2 hours to get home! But at least I've learned my lesson so I'm ready next week when I pick G up from the airport...
Took a real long nap on Friday, then flaked on dinner number 1 and headed straight for dinner number 2. Dinner number 2 was awesome. J and M are the sweetest couple ever. I'm pretty sad that they're leaving soon...
Drove out to Tokyo yesterday. It was easy enough until I hit Shibuya. It was really cool driving through Hachiko crossing (busiest intersection in the world). But I'll NEVER do that again. I'm a pretty confident driver, but Japanese drivers are awful! They're aggressive, but they can't drive! They tail-gate like crazy!
Tokyo was fun. R and I attempted to do some Christmas shopping, before I gave up and we bought a picnic and went to Yoyogi Park (there are some really strange people there). After that, I met up with Connie and Al and we all went to an Izakaya in Shinjuku for dinner (FAB!). Met up with R after again... and we went looking for a Blues bar with his 2 friends. Found the bar... but the bar was just too tiny. We ended up eating and drinking again at an Okinawan izakaya. The drive home after that was brutal... no sleep, too much food... ugh...
Christmas Eve today. It looks like I'm just going to veg and recuperate today. Do laundry and CLEAN my dust-bunny-filled apartment.
I just realised that I barely live at home...~

*In The Air*

I'm starting to feel Christmas. It just hit over dinner tonight...
I got my first Christmas card today in the post. Thank you Lyssi! I LOVE YOU!
I've been incredibly stressed and tired lately. I'm glad I'm done with my year's commitment to the Student Activities Committee as "fearless convenor". I live for this sort of organization, but this last party was just a bad time all-round for everyone at work... I'm really glad it's over.
Connie and Al fly in on Wednesday. I'm very excited that I get to see my best friend again. It'll be cool to show her my favourite bits of Tokyo... though... Al's going to be around... it's not going to be all girlie girl...
Been pretty stressed so my immune system's shot. I don't like taking meds, so I'm only JUST getting over this awful cold I've had for the last SIX weeks. But at least I can say that I'm healthy enough to get over it without the help of meds!
Was walking around Ginza yesterday. Got terribly homesick for Vancouver - more than usual. There's a street down in Ginza that looks like it turns from Spring Street (Soho, NY) to Bute / Jervis Street area (Vancouver). That knawing and yearning for home just kicked into 5th gear after. As often as I travel to HK, I still can't call it "home" there. That's just the physical place where my mum and dad live right now, and I just can't call it home. I don't feel as though HK embraces me and my imperfections the way Vancouver and Toronto can.
I've made up my mind to visit Vancouver again when I do my N. America trip in March. I miss it too much. I'll be on a tight budget by the time I hit New York, but I really must get my fill of "home"...
Ugh... gotta catch up with some friends... blog more later...~

*Tis The Season*

'Tis the season for...
Ella & Louis
Hot Chocolate
Good friends
Snow-related activities
Looking HOT
Hugs
Presents & Cards!~

*Amazing*

**JULIE! DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T YET WATCHED THE FINAL EPISODE!**


I just watched the finale of Season 10 of The Amazing Race. Ugh... I can't believe the male models won... but it was a good race. I also can't believe they had to run from Times Square all the way down to Astor Place! All I could think about when I saw the picture clue of The Alamo... was Coldstone and Crif Dogs. I can't WAIT to get back to New York in Feb!
J... I hope you're still on for trying to submit a tape for the next round of the race. I'd LOVE to do the race just 'cause I'm so damn competitive...
I think I'm finally getting better, but still a little not quite with it. I dropped my bottle of foundation this morning and now I have teeny shards of glass all over my apartment and it was such a pain to clean up.
Hmmm... this week has flown by again. One week to go 'til the hols! Every night from tomorrow on 'til January 2nd is booked up. This is going to be one awesome Christmas and New Year here in Japan!
Greg's confirmed his flight... YAY! I haven't seen him since Sam's wedding - summer 2004. It'll be fun to hang out again...
I'm tired. Gotta wash my hair... was asked today if I'd shoot a shampoo commercial for some students today - HA!
Grr... so much to mark. I need to clone myself to get everything done...~

*Sorry*

I had to scrap my original post...
Something from a couple years ago popped into my head...
"Only you and me know about what really went wrong between you and me..."~

*A Lung and a Half*

This super-cold that I've got... it's not going away. It's clinging on for dear life... %$*#@!*

It started as a head cold, worked its way to my sinuses and it's now worked its way to my bronchi and lungs... and I'm starting to cough for lack of oxygen. I don't even remember now what it feels like to feel "well" $*#&%@

Anyways... here's an update in Le Monde de la Mooncake:

• Felt like crap for the past 2 weeks, took Thursday off.



• Felt well enough to socialize Friday... but was shot down by EVERYONE I asked to dinner.



• Got the world's best pep talk from "Rook" and "Lo-Man" on Friday night.



• Went out to dinner at Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant (FAB Teppanyaki) Sat.



• Painted the town "festively" with Nic Sat night - Sun morning (we were HOT!)



• Slept all of Sunday... Then went make-up shopping with Nic...

Right... I'll admit it... I'm starting to like Japan a bit more now. When I actually manage to peel myself off my couch and my desk at work... Tokyo's pretty cool...

Had a really good chat with my office-mates today. We're a funny group... so different... but yet... we get on so well. I love them all.

Time for bed. Costco shopping first thing tomorrow morning! I LOVE my job!~

*Still Sick*

Can't get over this bloody cold. It might actually be the flu... but what's the diff? I'm still sick...
Got a new(ish) song to obsess about today... "Love You Lately" The sappiest song around, but I guess since I'm sick... I've got an excuse to obsess over a sappy song.
My nose is raw from the nose-blowing... awww.....~

*2 Boxes of Kleenex Later...*

Dammit. I can't shake this bloody cold I've got. I thought I'd got over it, but it's come back to drive me crazy again. Sore throat has also made a whopping return. I've been in bed all day sleeping and watching DVDs...
I HATE getting sick. I hate feeling helpless and I especially hate it when it's just me and my hot water bottle. My toes are cold and I'm miserable. My nose is red and raw from going through 2 boxes of Kleenex. I want someone to rub my back... *wail*
Remind me again why I chose this path?~

*Inexcusable*

I did something horrible yesterday. I honestly didn't mean to do it. I feel really really awful about it. I've barely been sleeping all week and I've just been physically, mentally and emotionally drained... I did it almost as a reflex reaction and I just can't get it out of my mind now.
It's so bad, that I can't say what it is exactly that I did. But let's put it this way... you're with really good friends and colleagues and you're out chilling... when you accidently commit a social faux-pas. The worst thing is that you'll have to see this person next week...
Jeez... it was embarrassing. I feel like such a dweeb. I wasn't even drunk. At least if I were drunk, I'd have an excuse.
Urgh... I'm such a social loser. I can't be taken out anywhere. I think I'll just go dig myself a hole now...~

*Casino Royale*

Opening night of the new Bond movie here in Japan... It was FAB! I'm not usually a fan of these types of movies, but I found it really entertaining. I hated the "eye" scene towards the end, but overall, I was definitely impressed. The first "action" sequence was definitely... uh... entertaining? And most of the movie was actually bordering on comical... but c'mon... it's James Bond!
I'm not a huge fan of Daniel Craig, but he's not a bad Bond. Not good-looking or particularly charming, but really quite believable. Yep... I like him as a Bond.
So 2 movies in Japan in 2 weeks. "The Devil Wears Prada" was definitely another must-buy when it comes out on DVD. LOVED the clothes on that movie. The Chanel outfit was definitely my fave.
I'm knackered. My brains not really processing information that's coming in... It's all kinda dream-like right now... Need sleep...~

*With Or Without U*

My absolute favourite song by U2. The vid's crap, but I can't believe I got to hear it LIVE! I've got an extended edited version coming soon. I LOVE this song!~

*Sometimes U Can't Make It On Your Own*

First clip from last night's concert...

*Fairytale*

Gosh darn my 9 year old cousin for getting me to fall in love with this song (hard not to do when she sings it 5 times at karaoke EVERY time). The lyrics are exactly what a girl wants to hear. It's all I want or need - really.~

*Addiction*

I'm also currently addicted to the "Back-dorm Boys"... LOVE 'em!~

*MuSiC*

I'm addicted to Regina Spektor. She's kind of a mix of Sarah McLachlan, Bjork, Alanis Morrissette, Amy Lee, Enya and The Cranberries (is that weird?). She's FAB! I'm sure I heard her when I was back in New York... definitely check out her music.
Going to the U2 concert tomorrow. Not overly excited, but definitely ready to go. Jesse burnt me a CD of their last album... I need to listen to the songs before tomorrow.
Work's piling up. I'm falling behind... but eh... so what?
Can I fit in another concert this year? I never go to concerts... I'm starting to get addicted... SMAP, Madonna, U2... who can I hit next?
Ooooh... Greg's just said he's coming to visit for New Year's. Yay! Haven't seen him in ages! We're going up to Nagano to ring in the New Year. Woohoo!~

*Didn't quite forget*

Forgot to blog this... but couldn't forget this...
As Sharona and I made our way home from Shibuya, we pulled into Ichikawa on the rapid line and I heard a clunk against the train. When the doors opened, everyone peered out and the train remained at the station for a while. We were wondering what was up...
I stuck my head out the door, only to see a man laying on the ground right in front of our carriage. There was a pool of blood on the ground next to the man and someone was already attending to the guy. He'd hit his head against the train as it was pulling in. Sharona also peeked out, but thankfully didn't see what I saw.
Seeing the blood and the poor guy on the ground freaked me out a bit. It's amazing though to see how Japanese people react to this sort of thing. They all just stand around quietly and watch. No one freaks out, and everyone just... watches. It was all a little surreal...
Time for bed. I'm so sick... I hate this. Time for a bit of Nyquil magic...~

*KO-KO-AH Desu*

Boy was I in a cranky mood today. I felt sorry for Sharona, who had to witness the crankiness on our ride into Tokyo. I was just annoyed with inconsiderate people... and I am also very sick with a horrible cold (yes... I know I should've stayed home... but I needed fresh air)
So we headed into Shibuya, and kinda did a detour at Kudanshita. I noticed that the Yasukuni Shrine was right outside the station and convinced Sharona to do a detour with me. It was a pleasant surprise and it was such a beautiful area... We're both a bit iffy about the whole Yasukuni thing, but it really is a beautiful temple and the Kitanomaru park next to the Shrine is gorgeous too... That detour perked me up... albeit temporarily...
We finally got to Shibuya after the detour and promptly headed to... Starbucks (duh). I ordered my usual (Grande Hot Chocolate)... but of course, it had to be ordered in Japanese... Guranday Ho-toh Ko-ko-ahhh. Lo and behold.. the don't have Grande... they only serve Tall sizes (what's up with that?) so fine... I settled with a Tall Hot Chocolate.
There was a girl that picked the order up for you, then handed you your order (as though we're incapable of getting our own coffee). I understand that she has a "high stress / high tension" job, but she didn't have to shove the very hot paper cup into my hands without a sleeve. I kindly asked for a sleeve, and she looked as though this was a huge inconvenience for her even though they were right by her elbow... All this time, I was thinking that I could've just picked up my order myself... It's STARBUCKS...
Anyways, we headed out of that particular outlet as quick as we could... when I took a sip of my "ko-ko-ah" and realised that it was a "lah-tay". I was a little annoyed already at this point because I had to retrace my steps and face that girl again.
I got to the counter and said to the girl that the order was filled wrong. The girl picks up my paper cup and reads "ko-ko-ah" that was pencilled-in on the cup. The next part played out this way:

• Girl (after reading the cup): "ko-ko-ah desu" (it's hot chocolate)
• Me (shaking head): "Chigau. Ko-ko-ah janai" (wrong, it's not hot chocolate)
• Girl (emphatically): "KO-KO-AH desu" (it's HOT CHOCOLATE)
• Girl turns to the 2 baristas (rolling her eyes)
• Baristas together (after reading pencilled cup): "KO-KO-AH desu"
• Me (*#$%ing annoyed): "Ko-ko-ah janai. TASTE IT"
• All 3 not believing that the "ko-ko-ah"-labelled cup could actually contain something other than "ko-ko-ah" just stare at me in disbelief.
• Me (screaming at this point): "JUST TASTE IT"

I finally got my hot chocolate... but I was more than just a little annoyed with the situation. So here's Ollie's apology of the day to the perfect people of the world...
To the baristas and order-pick-up-girl at the Shibuya Hachiko Starbucks: I'm sorry, it was all my fault that my hot chocolate tasted like a Latte today. I should've known better than to question the label that was pencilled-in on my Starbucks paper cup.~

*WHY?*

Why am I *$&%ing up at 8am on a National Holiday? Let me tell you why... it's because my neighbour upstairs decided that it's the perfect day to CLEAN with the help of her mum! I don't know how Japanese people do their apartment cleaning, but it shouldn't sound like a whole football team's doing marches across the floor.... so... I did something very NOT Japanese... I marched up and very KINDLY told her that it's alright to make some noise, but to not drag things across the floor and to walk a little more lightly across her apartment.
So despite the blood at boiling point, I thought I handled the situation fairly calmly. I'm REALLY tired but I can't go back to bed because they're now SCRUBBING the floor... It's fine though, I guess... This is the first time in 2 years.
Holy crap... I've already been in Japan for 2 years?~

*Ice Ice Baby*

So I'm skating again... I met my instructor today and he's super nice... but I don't think he's going to be my permanent instructor because our schedules don't mesh.
I haven't skated in 12 years and I'm CRAP! But Takaya asked me if I'd help his wife teach a kids' English skate class. Holy crap! I never thought I'd TEACH figure skating! How cool is that! The best part isn't that I'm getting extra money... the best part is the free ice time I get with teaching the classes. It's fantastic!
I have the week off. I WAS going to go away... but... gosh dammit... anyways...
So I'll just be skating all week and having a girlie week off... ah... I LOVE my job!~

*Where's Arabella?*

Just waiting for my dinner to steam. Finished my one day work week (awesome) and went skating (really awesome). I can't skate now! After all those years of lessons and hard work... I can't even do a simple 3 turn... it's a really horrible thing to say, but I really do feel like I'm carrying extra weight. So I'm going to start taking lessons again and get back in shape. Hmrph...
It's wet and cold. I hate it... but it reminds me of Vancouver. I think we're all getting a little homesick. I can't wait to cross that Pacific Ocean again.
Anyways... where's Arabella? I haven't seen her since it started raining...~

*Fantabulousness*

Gut feeling telling me that 2007 is going to be fantabulous. The wedding count has gone up to FOUR and the latest pal to walk down the aisle is non other than my BEST FRIEND! Yay Connie! Yay Al!
I've been waiting for this for YEARS. (Heehee) About time! I know that Connie and Al will be ridiculously happy together - they already are.... and I can't think of a better guy for my best friend than Al.
With all this positivity surrounding me, how could 2007 be horrible? I'm planning all my hols already around all this happiness. It looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in HK and New York for 2007... and at least 2 weeks in Europe.
Gosh... I guess with break-up season... also comes commitment season: you either decide to stick it out or part ways to move onto other endeavours?
Oh heck. It's all good. As long as people are happy around me... then I'm happy.
...
Got distracted for a couple minutes. I'm finding myself missing snow and ice right now. No wonder I was called "snow child" when I was born... being born on the coldest day of the year brings about a natural affinity to all things cold and white. I started googling for rinks around Japan. I'm going to try and go skating this week.
Time to clean and do domestic stuff. Another crazy thing that I love - domestic household chores!~

*Pack it in*

Fun comes all in one go. Life never fails to disappoint me.
So... since my last post... I've been to Fukuoka for a conference, been sick, harrassed, stressed and annoyed... all in the course of 2 weeks!
And to top it all off... We had a Tsunami warning today! Woohoo!
I'm exhausted. Work's been awfully busy and in some ways quite fulfilling... and other ways... er... um... Let's just say... quite frustrating (that's putting it lightly)
I bought the new Nike+ipod thingy last weekend. It's FAB! I actually WANT to walk and run everywhere now! Except that with sleep deprivation comes lateness... and walking / running ain't as quick as revving up my trusty little scooter.
Can't think straight right now... I think I'm going to make new pod playlists. All my friends have funky names for their playlists... Mine are all so boring - "Cardio", "Warm-up", "Slow"... People have playlists called "Sleeptime", "Get in the mood", etc.
Am I boring?~

*Tis the season...*

Before I begin my ranting... Happy Halloween!
So here's what's on my mind today: Is there a "break-up" season? It seems to me that there's a lot of breaking up happening right about now, and it's all really bitter. But here's the thing - with divorce rates so high, should people be as shocked as they are when their partner decides to call it quits?
I'm not pessimistic about relationships. I firmly believe that like everything else in life, a relationship is hard work. If you want it to work, you have to work at it. Just like going to the gym, if you don't go religiously, you can't complain that it's not working... Marriages DO work, but both people have to be dedicated to making it work. Relationships aren't magical things that just happen.
It's all depressing me just a tad. It's not just romantic relationships that are breaking up... it's friendships too. I've noticed friendships falling apart due to short-sightedness. I was really really upset a couple days ago because of something like that... How self-centred can one get? Apparently... REALLY self-centred.
Sorry about the cryptic post. I'll probably post more when I'm more awake.
Happy Halloween!~

*Happiness*

I LOVE my job.
I've had the last couple days off. Yesterday in a nutshell: I biked, I sweat, I ate.
Biked again today.
Pumpkin carving tomorrow.
Shopping the day after.
Golfing the day after that.
Work 3 days...
Trip to Fukuoka for 3 days.
Please allow me to say this again...
I LOVE my job.~

*Articulateness*

I love good O-Toro.
I love petrichor.
I love how Lola used to run around my apartment.
I love first kisses.
I love The Amazing Race.
I love snuggling under a heavy down comforter in winter.
I love long showers.
I love watching children learn.
I love candy-coloured shoes.
I LOVE lists!~

*Love Shanghai*

The mix of Old Shanghai and Modern Shanghai is really quite endearing. For a city so developed in the middle of China... I'm so glad it's kept its roots in mind while the city's developing at such a rapid pace. Some of the people are still rude as hell, but I love the mix of old and new. It reminds me of NYC and parts of Tokyo.~

*Six-Nineteen*

Just noticed that I haven't blogged in 6 months... But I've been in Japan for 19 months!
I've stuck to my goal of caring less. After a HORRIBLE first semester (it was just a disaster), I returned from my summer hols to a much nicer and much more considerate environment at work. The change is unbelievable. Much of it has to do with a bunch of new people joining us... and a lot of it is just being in a much happier place with these new colleagues. We're able to hang out after work and not talk about work. We're all around the same age and we can joke about almost anything. It's such a healthy environment now... I think we all help each other cope better with the stress from work.
Work's still busy as hell, but as some people keep reminding me - what's the worst thing that could happen if it's not done? I have to keep this in mind when I'm stressing about trying to finish up stuff that I'm doing for other people. I have to keep my sanity in mind.
Loads has happened in the past 6 months. I vowed to visit more new places this year, and I have already! I went to Nikko in May, Vietnam in August and Shanghai a couple weeks ago! Shanghai was awesome! It doesn't even look like China! I'm definitely going to go again... but as much as I love that city... I don't think I could live there.
Busy planning my hols for the next year already! I've got 2 weddings to go to... and a bridesmaid for one of them. The great thing is that the 2nd wedding's in Italy! I'm really excited about that one. I'll be heading there with some really good friends, so it looks like we're going to have a lot of fun there. I'm dying to see the countryside there!
I've screwed up my sleep schedule. I've been passing out at 7pm these past few days and waking up at 3am. Could be a problem tomorrow since I teach a late class tomorrow evening. I think I may conk out during the last 30 minutes of class...
Maybe I'll blog more later. Need inspiration...~

*Inarticulate-ness*

I miss New York in the spring when all the flowers bloom and the rain cleanses the city.
I miss walking around Soho aimlessly.
I miss eating out on rooftops.
I miss laughing on the streets.
I miss curling up on a couch with a bottle of nice red wine.
I miss shopping with a good friend.
I miss eating cupcakes on a park bench.
I miss the smell of freshly baked bagels.
I miss you.~

*Trust*

trust - n. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

I usually have a pretty good sense in feeling out people. I can usually sense whether or not a person is trustworthy within 15 minutes upon meeting and talking to a person. I admit that on occasion I have been wrong, but generally my track record's pretty solid.
My problem boils down to this. Should you trust gut instinct or trust someone close? I've been beating myself up these past few months on this one. See, I do trust this person... but something always pops up that makes me question this trust I'm placing on them. Something came up again today... and I just can't let it slide this time.
I hate not being able to trust in someone in my life. It's just so much easier when you trust everyone around you, just so that you can just get on with your life and also accomodate them at the same time.
Why is my gut instinct flashing red lights?

*Back "home"*

I'm back at "home" in Japan for a couple days before I take off again. Spent the last 2 weeks in New Jersey, New York and Boston. It was productive and surprisingly pleasant - despite the freezing temps. L got her thesis done - yay! Met up with T and R. Found myself a Snuffleupagus and did a teeny bit of shopping. I also regained some form of sanity, which was promptly lost the day after I got back to Japan. Didn't make it to London. I just tossed my ticket, since most of it was bought on a flight credit anyways.
New outlook for this year - Just let it fly. I'm not going to care so much at work, there's no point. Work doesn't care, so why should I? I'll care about my kids and their progress, but not a drop more. It would just be unhealthy to do any more than my job here.
So here's my thought of the day... How many hearts have you broken? How many do you know of? I'm just thinking about all the crushes I've had in the past and all the relationships I've been in... and I was thinking to myself "how many of these guys know that they've broken my heart?" This little thought came about because I've only recently been told that I broke someone's heart. Huh? I didn't even know that there were feelings. And I felt bad about it! Imagine if I actually knowingly did it!
Anyhoo. Will blog more later. I'm on a weird sleeping schedule. I've been sleeping at 9pm and waking up at 5am. I'm going to go out and enjoy the sunshine while I can. I can't believe it snowed again last night!
Snuffy... if you're reading this... I love you!~

*Cranky*

I'm cranky. I'm not packed. I'm supposed to be getting on a plane in 12 hours. I don't know if I still want to go.
I'm supposed to go to New York and London. I've got my tickets... but I'm really not feeling like... making contact with... people. I'm cranky and whine-y and just not very pleasant to be around right now... so should I really be flying all the way to the other side of the world to be a bitch when I can do this in the comforts of my own apartment? More specifically... I can just be a bitch AWAY from my best and closest friends?
There's also a bloody snowstorm in the Northeast coast of the States right now. Chances of my flight being cancelled or delayed by this are really high right now. Now... can I deal with this extra annoyance at the airport? Cranky, cranky, cranky...
2 weeks in New York and London... then 2 1/2 weeks in Hong Kong and Thailand. I'm looking forward to the Thailand part... I want to do nothing but swim and lay out in the sun with a book.
Ah... snowstorm versus sunshine... Dammit... screw New York and London... I'm going to go straight to Thailand...~

*Thankful*

I've just re-read my posts for the past year, and I realised that I've been bitching a lot and it's really not like me at all to be that horrible. So this post is dedicated to positivity and being thankful for everything I have.
Luke mentioned the other day that it's not like me to be "subdued". Yes, it's been a stressful time at work and in my personal life, but I am thankful for good friends and family around me. There are things that go on in my family that I may never understand and maybe it's just better to not try and understand it and work around the nastiness and just be there for them when necessary. I had always thought that my family was simple and perfect, but it turns out that behind the fairytale lies stories that twist and turn - where some stories reach a happy ending and some stories reach a not so happy ending. Despite some of the unpleasantness, I am thankful for a family that stands by me and my decisions and I'm thankful for their understanding when they don't really understand.
It's a new year (Lunar). I can feel already that this year will be a year of progress and self-discovery. I've managed to get this far in life and I'm not going to give it all up for anything less than I deserve. Yes, I acknowledge that I'm getting on in years, but in my field and in my profession... I'm still a baby. I figure I'm only 26 and I've still got a 4 to 6 year window before I really should think about settling down and have children. I've been blessed with great romantic experiences - both good and bad. I thought I had met that one great love, but I now know that I was mistaken. I'm still looking for that one great love, but I'm in no hurry... yet. So here's so positivity and progress.
I'm incredibly thankful for all the love I have in my life. My family and friends all truly care about me and it's really awesome to have the support of colleagues from work when the going gets tough. I may complain about being a foreigner in Japan, but sometimes when I'm riding on my scooter with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face... I remember the path I chose and just smile about the fact that I get to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world - a country with a fascinating history. I'm only 26 and I've already lived and worked in 5 different countries - I can only smile and wonder where life will take me next.
So with that... Happy New Year and poo-poo to a tumultuous last year. I'll try my best to be Super-Genki-Girl (SGG) again!~

*Ph.D*

Jeez... I'm applying for my Ph.D... and I'm looking at how the degrees will be assessed... I'm expected to write a dissertation that's no more than 80,000 words - EIGHTY THOUSAND! I checked my 20-page Master's thesis and it's only 6,000 words! I have to write a paper that's 10-times that length! I suppose it is possible, if I thoroughly research my topic... but it's still pretty scary. I'll just have to look at it as writing 2 to 3 papers each year over the course of 4 years.
I've got two options for schools right now, and they're so different from one another - U of Toronto and U of London. In keeping with the country-hopping theme of my life, I'm seriously considering London for my doctorate. I was initially thinking of doing my studies full-time... but it looks more reasonable to be doing it part-time. I'm expected to be "in residence" for part of it anyways... and rather than sitting around ONLY studying... I might as well gain more teaching experience and work on my course work over the breaks... seeing as I get 5-6 months off a year anyways.
Wow... If you asked me 10 years ago if I'd do anymore schooling beyond my B.A., I'd have told you - no effin' way. Now, when asked if I'd do anymore schooling... I say - HELL yeah.
Life's funny, ain't it?

*LONDON!*

I'm going to London! Albeit only for a short holiday... but I'm still going!
I'll be in New York for about 3 weeks and at the end of Feb, I'll be flying to London for 4 days. I've already been invited to a Ceilidh and I'm trying to learn some of the dances... but I'm laughing my head off just imagining myself doing the steps. The last time I did it was at the Highland games at the end of October... and I was laughing really hard then too. Yay! London!
Can't wait to see Lui... it's been ages since I've seen her... I think the last time was the time we did the protest/march in Hong Kong!
'Ro's in town with her FIANCE Ben. I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea that she's going to be married soon. I still remember when we were primary school and back then... we thought boys were icky. Well... 'Ro, Icky and I will be going to Tokyo Disneyland on Thursday... I've never been to a cold Disneyland before... I've always gone when it's been boiling hot - weird...
I'm excited about my upcoming holiday. I hate that I didn't manage to save up as much as I hoped to... but I'll still have a smashing time - I hope.~

*single... SINGLE!*

Yay!
I've had a truly fantastic week. My last week as a 25 year old was absolutely awesome. I managed to have a ton of fun, be unfathomably productive, financially lucky, incredibly blessed AND enlightened... all in one week!
After a horrible year that was wrought with headaches and revelations, my last week of that year was AWESOME! It was kicked off with a full night of hitting the clubs with Rox and friends. I made new friends and it was so nice that they're not in academia! Monday was the reversed-charges-day... Tuesday and Friday were days of enlightenment and today's another day of surprise... SNOW IN TOKYO!
I'm extremely thankful for being blessed with good friends all around me. I had 2 really lovely birthday dinners with all the people I'm closest to here in Japan. I got kick-ass presents from them all and a special mention goes out to Jeff for my new "Princess Stick" - which I very almost used twice on Friday for its secondary purpose...
The enlightenment comes as I realise that it's better to be single than to be in a relationship that doesn't appear to be healthy. I've been chatting a lot with a close friend lately, and just seeing the state of his relationship helps me realise that relationships shouldn't be difficult. We shouldn't have to remind the other person of important events (birthdays). We shouldn't have to remind them to call or email, and it shouldn't be an emotional roller-coaster ride where you go through immense highs and lows. Each person should make an effort to let the other know that they care - be it a word, a letter or just a smile. The most important thing that I have to remember for myself is that we shouldn't be disappointed all the time.
With that... I'm proud to be single. Until I find someone who can be a truly equal partner in a relationship... I'm not going to "settle".
So that's that.
Back to catching big-ass snowflakes on my tongue now.
Here's to being 26 - BRING IT ON!~

*Six-Ten*

Six months since my last post, ten months since my move to Japan...
It's been a heck of a year for the Mooncake. Except for that one year of hell 4 years ago, I've never experienced such a roller-coaster year.
Japan's been a bit of an experience for me. The people are friendly enough, but some of them really go all out to make you feel like a definite outsider here. I've managed to learn just enough Japanese to get by, and my comprehension is pretty good... so good that I watch sumo in Japanese now!
I'm mad about Sumo - Ozumo. I've been following the current tournament almost every day, and I'm an crazy about Kotooshu - a Bulgarian Rikishi. It's the most exciting sport I've ever watched - save Canadian Hockey... and it's great for anyone who has occasional attention-deficit disorder like me because eat bout only lasts about 3 minutes... and it's then time for the next 2 guys!
Work's been crazy too. I'm still not too impressed with the way things are run and done... but I love my kids so much. They're not really kids - adults, really... but they'll always be my kids to me. My freshmen have really grown into themselves over the year, and I love them to death and will do almost anything for them. Today was the last day I had them for Freshman English, and they gave me a gorgeous basket of pink flowers (my favourite colour for flowers) and they each wrote me a postcard that they packed into a little holder. I ran into some of them tonight at their part-time jobs, and I realised that they're really not the same babies I met 9 months ago. They work and they do their school work - some times well... and sometimes not so well... and I love them for always trying their best for me, even if they're exhausted from work.
It's been a great day and a great weekend for me. I met new friends, tried new things... and got an apology from a problematic stay at a super-posh hotel in Beijing! Not only did I get an apology... they reversed the charges and apologised by letting me stay free! Sometimes... it really pays to be as bloody outspoken as I... but most of the time... I know I should be a little less... loud.
Time to go back to my reality. Japan's nice and all... but I'm still missing good ol' New York! Woohoo! Only 3 and a half weeks to go before I'm back! Yay!~