Festive foliage

So I'm stuck in Japan for the festive season...

I really did think I was going to get home to Ireland, and it was looking all systems go there for quite a while, and then work intervened. But as it turns out, I'm probably getting a lot more soul-replenishing rest here than if I had been stuck on some airport floor for the holidays (which would have been a distinct possibility with the snow-tastic weather going down in Europe at the moment).

But as I was saying to my friend on the phone yesterday, I am trying to be all about the positives. One thing this forced stay in Japan has afforded me is freedom from jet lag. My recovery time from a trip back home is usually about two weeks!

And I'm saving a tonne of money because it's really expensive to travel during the holiday season. I'm hoping to make it home now at some off-peak time for a fraction of the price.

Moreover, being in Tokyo at this time of year has given me the chance to see the lovely Kadomatsu (門 松 - Japanese New Year decorations put up at the entrances to buildings to welcome ancestral spirits back to their homes) up and about around town.


On December 25, all the Christmassy stuff comes down, and these things get put up, and on balance, it's not a bad trade off.

While on a horticultural theme, I wanted to show you my poinsettia, Poncy.




This guy came to live with me over three weeks ago. I thought it was going to be another case of my infamous fingers of death, as he really struggled for the first few days. But now that I look at the time delay (a photo each weekend) apart from a loss of bulk, he really is not doing that badly.

Plants are so bloody expensive in Japan that I fully intended this poinsettia to see me through to Christmas 2011. Happily, that may no longer be such a far-fetched aspiration.

What did we ever do without the youtubes?

I have had a song stuck in my head for days. It's one of those songs that reminds me of those happy (and what I know now to be relatively carefree) college days when I was still barely 20. It was driving me mad because I could remember all the words (the song has one line repeated A LOT) and all about the video (people faffing around the desert in animal body paint) but I could not for the life of me remember the name of the song or who sang it.

So I just typed that one line into youtube and up popped the video. I cannot tell you the relief. So many memories came flooding back. I am putting it up here in case I get a fit of the seniles again a few days from now and can't remember it. Did anyone else bop around to Dario G, "Sunchyme" when they were in school?



My search around for random 90s dance hits did lead me to a bit of a dark place, though. So I came across another great song and what was the first comment? "Oh I love this song - I love listening to all my Mam's old clubbing music. I'm 18 now and rifle through her wardrobe for her old clubbing gear."

Old music? Mam? Eighteen? I mean how freaking old am I? It was harsh reality time and I sure wanted to punch that little youtube commenter in the face for forcing me to see it.

A spot of hot water (or two?)

I attended the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner tonight. Avid readers will remember that I won a kettle at last year's event. And a very nice kettle it is, too!

Well, guess what I came home with this year... the exact same prize! Same colour and everything.

Now, while my new residence is palatial, I'm not sure I can justify having a separate water boiling device in both the north wing and the south wing. What to do? What to do?