Boxing Day

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful..As Is The Cold Inside.

How was Christmas? What did you get? Lots of good food, sleep and TV? A comfortale mix for sure! I watched 'Santa Who?' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' in a row one evening, whilst assembling a TV cabinet and clothes rail!

I'm in the Art Room- I have some 1st Year friends who 'hangout' there-and it's a twist different from being in the 'shokuinsu' all day. The girls are very cute..they did pencil drawings of me on my first visit and straightened my hair the last!

Yesterday-Christmas Day, I had no lessons but the day was busy, filled with speeches, the closing ceremony and sessions of cleaning. Mundane-yet more tanoshi than aujourd' hui.

Today, school is officially closed, but only technically. There are tons of students and teachers cramming as many brain cells as there are fish eggs in Japanese intestines- with the extra atoms of information. Talking of those little orange balls that would house baby Nemos-if left to nature-I had some in my Obento Sushibox! It's still here waiting for me-to dispose of it. There are somethings I will not eat, forget trying to 'fit in!'

Still, only approaching two thirty.

A while to go before I can begin my 'adventure!' I will go to Kofu-the main city of Yamanashi, where I will board the ten o'clock coach for an eight hour ride to Kyoto. Sal will also travel overnight from cold snowy Kanazawaa and we will rendez-vous a six heures le soir. We anticipate a hectic week of site-seeing teeth-chattering fun! Full circle, we shall spend New Years in Tokyo.

We plan to laugh, photograph and knit our way around Kinki, Chubu an Kanto!

However Christmas is far from the traditional festivities I have been brought up to enjoy. The tree decorating Sunday, the heaving shopping trolleys of scrumptious delights, the sneaky swapping of the Christmas cracker toy at the oval dining table where we overeat close to combustion, then watch the 'Only Fools and Horses' Christmas specials! Thank scientists for technology! And thank God for Mr Bell. The Invention makes me feel close to home, near my family -almost as if I were with them-even if for only whilst the conversation lasts. Last night I fell asleep to their voices, excitedly describing their day.

Christmas evening was lots of fun. My Japanese 'gang'...or family, came round and we had a mini fiesta. Each of us made food and bought a gift that we simultaneoulsy passed around our 'circle' until Senior Sinatra Jingled his Bells to an end- leaving us with a different present from when the music began. Etsuko, Akhira, Junko, Setsuko and I - we all had lots of fun.

I feel very sleepy and am presently craving chocolate [I blame it on the weather]. May be the vending machines will have some........