This "Big Brother Meme" proudly stolen from berniechan

You've won the chance to spend time in the lap of luxury but you have to invite nine buddies (not family) to come share it with you. Who's coming?

1. Rin (me)
2. Bernie
3. Kos
4. Laura
5. Sat
6. Ray (a uni girlfriend of mine)
7. Chris (Ray's boyfriend)
8. Pengin
9. Jadey
10. Auryn

These nine people you just picked are now stuck in this GORGEOUS house with you for a whole year. There is no leaving the house at all until the year is completely up (don't worry - food and entertainment can be ordered in!) If you had to choose a person for every question below, write down which person it would be.

( The Housemates Enter )</div>Awww I think we all do except for Chris, the only man in the house!

Here it is! 2009. Wow. I have three New Year's resolutions and you as my witness.

Diet. Save. Study.

That's it.

And here is a present for my f-list. In Japan, every year they send New Year's cards instead of Christmas cards (as some of you may have already seen in Sho-chan's commercials - he is one of the official faces for the 2009 Japan Post's New Year's cards campaign.) This year I designed, wrote and sent my very own New Year's cards and here is the one for you all:



"Congratulations on the dawn of a New Year.
Thank you for always being there for me.
I hope to hear from you this year too. 2009."

*hugs*

Stoooooooopiiiidddd.

*headdesk* x3

It's not about keeping my mouth shut anymore. It's about not letting the thoughts in my head escape and take control of my hands so that I type out everything I'm thinking before I can stop them.

Again, I'm sorry to those involved. Need to either chain my hands down or NOT go into there....with strange thoughts in mind. (-_-)

*more headdesk*

I feel bad. Really bad. Not only can I not see straight for lack of sleep (thank Heaven for no classes today) but I hate what I've become.

I've come this far cheering myself up by saying that no matter how bad things get, there are always people who have it worse. I never stopped to think for a second that there are also people who have it better. I'm very sorry to the buddies I hurt with my stubborness last night. I love you - please forgive a tired fool. m(_ _)m

In other news, light bulb moment this morning. Why don't I take the English tests before the kids? At least the teachers would have the right answers then. (-_-;)


(Updated from my phone.)

On Saturday, Mayo - one of the teachers I work worth and the youngest - invited me to go out with her and her boyfriend Takuya. It's the first time I've actually gone out with any of my new workmates and I'm so glad it was just the three of us!

Long time no update! Then again no news is good news!

Anyway, had a great Christmas and New Years. Spent Christmas Day with a small electric heater at my side and my family chatting to me via Skype. It was good to see everyone again! I miss you all very much but personally I can't stand life back in Australia. I prefer it here. I mean, tell me where in Brisbane you can come to a building that is three levels of arcade games, a sports/batting centre, private karaoke booths, an internet/manga cafe, shower rooms, massage chair areas, and a snack bar, all of which you can enjoy from 12am until 10am for only $20! Yes that is where I am right now. There is even a bowling alley next door but it's a seperate charge.

I came here with some friends - the old NOVA staff and Matt. It all started at around 9pm. We first had dinner at another place, which was a full course shared meal with bottomless alcoholic drinks, all for $30 each. Then we came to this game/leisure centre at around 12am, took some club photos, and then came to the all-you-can-play section. We did karaoke, played ping pong, played things like guitar freaks, then the girls left and now I'm here with Matt. He's sleeping in another internet booth, while I'm sitting here typing. This place rules! (Though I should really get out of the habit of staying up for 36 hours over the weekend!)

I'll have to put the New Years pictures up soon but in the meantime, here are a couple of the pics we took at print club!

  

Yuki came by my way yesterday. When I got the message from him a few days ago, saying that he wanted to drop by and hang out on Sunday, I was quite surprised to say the least. I wondered why he would want to travel two hours by bike all the way from Saga to Fukuoka and not even stay the night. I knew something was up.


Today, for some odd reason I have had Hikawa Kiyoshi's 'Zundoko Bushi' stuck in my head! I was even dancing to it in class! WARNING: Clicking HERE will most likely get it stuck in your head too. Then there's the BBC's Japanorama opening version for a bit of variety of the weird kind.

It's been a while since I last posted. For those who were really worried about me, thanks for your support and it's okay now. He and I have worked things out and we're still friends.

For the first few days since the break up I was wandering through work, through home, and through life in general like some sort of ghost. In need of a friend I emailed Yuki late one night and asked him to let me come to his house on my day off. He did what he could and managed to get a day off work for me.


All day today, I've been obsessed with costume-loving j-rock drummer and para-para dancer turned indies singer, Yura-sama. He's just too damn gorgeous! It's his birthday too!



Happy Birthday, YURA-SAMA!

Just some points outlining my trip to Hirado a while back. It was so much fun! Be sure to check out the photos page too!

Long time, no post! Yes I'm back with the long-awaited entry! Photos have also been updated!


Nothing more exciting to report as of today, except that I slept through my alarm and almost didn't make it to work on time this morning. That would have been a lost day's pay if I had so much as been 10 minutes late. In other news, I was going to go all dressed up to the fireworks display in Omura this week but I injured my leg recently trying out some exercise so I might have to skip out if it's not healed by then. And I'm running low on cash, so nothing to catch a cab with! :(

Right now I'm looking forward to the Festival of the Dead in another two weeks when I'll get to see Yuki again and finally meet his family...and his bike!!!!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: "I work for my days off."

Yay my first photo post! Check out my collection of photos from the past couple of days!

Big news: new teacher arrived yesterday. He's pretty cool. Huge manga fan from American with Taiwanese blood. He's a pretty good artist too. He wants to be a manga-ka and if he gets his brain around the language, he could probably make it.

BIGGER NEWS: I met up with Yuki! He arrived at Isahaya station on his motorcycle and after a brief "Hey, long time, no see," he undid the spare helmet and glasses and gave them to me. I hopped on the back seat and held on to the handstrap real tight. It was my first time on a bike and it was crazy! At first I was shit scared but I got used to it soon enough. At home, all Yuki wanted to do was rest and drink green tea - he was freezing cold after the two hour bike ride from Saga!

Later in the evening, when everyone decided to drink across the road at the male NOVA teacher residence (-.-; They only drink, and not being a big drinker myself, I kind of get impatient to do something other than sit around drinking,) Yuki and I decided to go searching for some dinner. I got to ride Yuki's bike again and we rode about 10 minutes out of Isahaya to this ramen restaurant Yuki said was famous. The ramen was great and we had a wonderful conversation.

After riding back, again Yuki wanted hot green tea (it does get cold on the bike.) Later the gang decided to move down to Yo's bar and have a proper group drink. This time Yuki and I joined them, so Yuki was kind of forced to dig up his English and actually use it.

Yuki and I left long before the others because Yuki was staying the night at my house and needed to get up early in the morning. Yuki was supposed to sleep on a futon in the living room but once I noted that the others would probably be back late and stumble through there, he suggested he just move the futon to my room.

I was pleasantly surprised. For those who don't know, Yuki did a home stay at my house for around six months. Some of the time we spent sharing my room until Dad finally modified a makeshift room in the dining area for Yuki. I was quite smitten with Yuki and we fought a lot because he didn't like me in that way whatsoever. Back then Yuki never would have suggested we share a room. I'm just glad that our friendship is so strong that we've left all that shit behind and it doesn't matter anymore. We're the best of mates.

FYI As smitten as I once was with Yuki, and as attractive as he is, my loyalty remains to my one and only - no one could ever replace my kind young gentleman of a boyfriend.

Anyway, the next morning, Yuki and I both woke up early-ish. I wanted to see Yuki in a suit and ride on his bike to Omura (where I work and he needed to go) and he wanted to see me in business attire. Picture this, Mister Businessman on this bike, even wearing the shoes, and a gaijin office lady nestling behind him, the skirt riding up her stretched legs. We must have been a sight!

After a decent ride, maybe 20 minutes, Yuki dropped me off in Omura at 9am before heading off to his interview (he's still job hunting.) According to a later message, he made it to the interview just in time and it went pretty well. I hope things work out for him soon, because once he settles down, we'll be able to hang out more.

Since I didn't start until 1pm, I milled around Omura for a few hours, did some shopping, got some new anime magazines, and took photos of random pets (sorry the monkey wouldn't come out of his box!) before finally going to work. Work itself was pretty lazy today. My first lesson saw me sitting in a chair, reading manga and casually shredding unwanted documents with my free hand. The rest of the day went just as smoothly. Tomorrow however, is pretty much booked out. I was told Saturday is alway busy but I think it's also because everyone wants to say goodbye to my roommate.

Two funny things happened though. At one stage I stepped out of the staffroom and into the office near where some young boys were waiting for their English session. One boy said (rudely) to the NOVA staff, "What, her!?" To which the staff said someone else would be teaching him. Still, we cracked up laughing because only the staff and I knew that I actually understand Japanese. Secondly, on my way out of the store, I have to sign out as a staff member through security and show my bags. I'd been told before that if I buy anything to have a staff member stamp it. This time I'd actually done that but the security guard turned to the staff members who were with me and said "Tell her to get it stamped," to which one pointed to my recipt and said, "Look she did get it stamped." -.-; The guard knew I speak Japanese but figured that since there was no stamp (because he's blind) I didn't understand the concept.

This evening, after work, the staff and NOVA teachers (bar one who needed to rest for tomorrow,) went to an Izakaya (place mostly for drinking but also where you can order some quick food dishes like BBQ skewers and sashimi,) for a small welcoming party for the new teacher and goodbye party for my roommate. It was okay, but as I said I'm the impatient kind who doesn't like sitting around bars all the time. I really wanted to go to karaoke even by myself but by the time I got home, I couldn't have been bothered. My throat's a bit sore anyway.