Have been very busy what with the run up to Christmas and stuff. Work is nearly over – only have lessons on Weds and Thurs next week due to end of term tests. Have already given my 1st years their speaking assessment – they all did a restaurant role play in groups of four. They all did a great job and I have even typed up individual assessment feedback slips for them all and decorated them with a “cheer word” sticker. Gotta love girls who are thrilled to receive a colourful sticker. Have to do my 2nd year speaking tests next week and will quickly cobble together some feedback slips for them too. Then I am all done except for a couple of fun end of term/post exam fun lessons the following Tuesday.
Christmas shopping is all done I think. I’m sure I’ll see or think of some other little stocking fillers for the kids and friends’ kids. Really need to get Tadashi a bit more. Very boring stuff – a new fleece, a pair of PJs, two ties and am going to get him a bottle of Blue Sapphire too. He came home last night, via Akihabara (famous Electric Shopping Town), with a new notebook computer. It’s my Christmas present!!!! Wow! Am very pleased about this obviously. My current pc is a very old Sony Vaio and is slowly having a breakdown. Must get all the photos and stuff copied and stored on Tadashi’s pc or on CDs before it goes kaput completely. It’s great being married to a computer nerd. It’s popular in Japan to go to electrical appliance stores regularly to have a gander at any new updated devices. Tadashi does this regularly and it does pay off as yesterday he was in Yamada Denki when they were doing a “time sale” where they sell a particular item at a super discounted price for a few minutes only – say 15 mins). Yesterday’s “special” was a notebook computer for 29,000 yen! Minus 6,000 yen’s worth of points on his Yamada Denki store card and he walked away with a new pc for 23,000 yen. Gotta love Japan sometimes.
Speaking of photos, James, Alexa and myself had a photo shoot in Yoyogi Park last Saturday. Very good deal indeed – picnic, photo shoot and 6 photos for 6,500 yen. Have received a private photo gallery from which to choose my 6 favourite pics. Naturally, we have been offered other packages too. I am seriously thinking of buying 10 more photos for 10,000 yen. It still seems quite a good deal when you think how much a photo shoot and pics can cost normally. This was a special deal through Being a Broad in Japan and I know I’ll probably never have the chance to do a photo session again. Finally I have some decent pics of me and the kids and some gorgeous ones of the kids together too. It’s amazing how you can never find the time to take pics when you are chasing two toddlers around a park! Will post pics as and when I have chosen them and paid for them.
The title of this blog entry refers to the party I am attending this evening. Neil and Duncan are putting on their annual winter party at a venue in Ebisu called Kirsch. I love these parties and have been going to them for nearly 10 years – I had to skip a few due to motherhood duties – but have managed to experience most of them. It’s a bit more up market than their summer event which was held in a British pub – The Taxidermist’s Half Pint was a great night though. “Kirsch” promises to be a a great night too – much larger venue, more people than usual are attending appaently, which will please Neil and Duncan no end. Particularly Neil, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday. Am going with Jenny from work and Emma, who has managed to persuade her in-laws to babysit so her hubby can come along too. Tadashi is on babysitting duty. Naturally, the usual suspects will be there too. It’s been ages since I saw Nicole, my old room mate and bestest friend and she will be there along with other friends I no longer get to see very often due to the fact I am usually confined to barracks after dark. Now, what the hell am I going to wear?????
Am looking forward to the end of term as I have so many things to do. Yesterday I re-upholstered my dining chairs. Gone are the off-white pleather seat cushions (along with the marker pen scribbles and other grubby marks that can’t be shifted) and we now have chocolate brown pleather seat cushions. It took all of an hour and a half to complete. Just hope nobody inspects the underneath! This burst of DIY has got me all fired up and after witnessing my two play really well together in a toy kitchens at various jidokans across Tokyo, I have deceided to turn an old bookcase into a toy kitchen. Have been to the home centre and the 100 yen shop for supplies. Am hoping I can actually pull this off. Was thinking of getting a toy kitchen for the kids but given that space is in short supply, I decided to avoid buying a toy that would use up too much space and just re-shuffle/organsise the toys and books and use this old bookcase that currently serves to hold the toys and books that find their way into the living room. May get cracking on that on Tuesday as I have no lessons and the kids will still go to daycare.
Better get on with the run of the mill things so I can make my escape at 6pm this evening.









