Tokyo Redhed

iBod

Never one to miss a trend, I today invested in one of them new-fangled music machines, what are they called? Oh that's right "iPods"... (And yes, I can feel you smirk from here TPB Esq. but believe me, I'd never be seen dead in Von Dutch).

Call it an early Chrimbo present to myself or perhaps just a practical solution to my "stereo in transit for 6 weeks" problem (and yes, those concerned about my finances are perfectly correct, I could indeed listen to my music via my iBook in the interim but that's not the bloody point!)

Anyway, it sits beside me, still in the box. And that's where it has to stay for the moment because I know that once it comes out the box, it will distract me from doing all the things I should be doing like, separating my books into piles - keep/take back (gifts, other peoples' and anything I have read more than once or will read more than once) and give away (chick lit and cheesy biographies) - or deciding which shoes (I have never worn once and never will wear ever) are coming with me, and which aren't.

Yes, definitely shouldn't crack it open, I mean look how productive I'm being...Um... will be back in a minute...

-(~v~)-

B#

Meanwhile, back in Blighty, a tokyoredhed regular is making music...

Whoohoo!

So long, sayonara

Big and small departure milestones continue to whizz past at the rate of naughts. Most of which will, alas, go unrecorded here.

One of the bigger ones however, occurred last Friday night - the sayonara/sobetsukai party. I joined forces with fellow reluctant escapee E, to have a few kanpai with 80 or so of our dearest friends and acquaintances.

At various times during the last few weeks E and I took turns at questioning the viability and desirability of having such a party, both feeling too sad to say goodbye and too stressed to be bothered in equal measures. However, I for one (and I think E for two), am so glad we did. It was truly amazing to me to see so many of the people who had touched my life here in the one room, and so interesting to see how many little sub-sets there were within the whole.

Frustrating thing of course, was that I didn't get much of a chance to spend any real quality time with any of them. Just as a conversation would get underway, I would see someone else come through the door and would find it difficult not to immediately let out a squeal, and go racing over to give them a hug. But I think most people understood, or at least I know they will when/if they find themselves in the same position some day.

As well as not having enough time (a recurring theme I know), nor food (and so too much alcohol, another recurring theme) and I didn't take enough photos. In fact, at the end of the night I had only but a few random shots. Here's my favorite though.

Well, E, there's no going back now sweetie!

Traing

more gratuitous photoless moblogging from the 0845... man on right grunting like a pig because he won't blow his nose. man in front picking his chapped lips, presumably because he won't use salve. yuck, they are bleeding.

It never rains but it pours...

Well, if I were looking for a reason to leave Japan...

Note: this is a REAL company memo (though not my company I hasten to add).

***********************************************************************************************

To "ABC" Building members,

I have made "Internal Umbrella Stand" rule, as some of you have advised me, and this rule will start from December 3, 2004.

For this we need your cooperation to clean up present umbrella stands as the following:

We have moved all the umbrellas to the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days".

If you want to keep your umbrella in the office for in case of rain, please write* your full name to your umbrella, and move it to the "Extra Umbrella Stand".

*Write your full name by either of following steps:

1) Write your full name to the plastic tape prepared near the umbrella stand, and stick it to your umbrella

2) Write your full name to the tag with rubber band, which is prepared near the umbrella stand and tie it to your umbrella

3) Write your full name in your own way to your umbrella

We will remove the following umbrellas after 17 o'clock in December 2, 2004*

a) Umbrellas in the "Extra Umbrella Stand" with no names

b) Umbrellas in the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" in the sunny days

* The removed umbrellas will be kept one month, and then will be disposed. If it rains on December 2, 2004, the clean up will be postponed until the next day.

"Internal Umbrella Stand" Rule

We will prepare two types of stands in the ABC Building office, which is "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" and "Extra Umbrella Stand".

1) Use the "Temporary Umbrella Stand for Rainy Days" on the rainy days or "it might rain days.

Umbrellas in this umbrella stand will be disposed without notice, if they are still there in the sunny days.

2) If you want to keep your umbrella in the office in case for rain, please write* your full name to your umbrella, and move it to the "Extra Umbrella Stand".

*Write your full name by either of following steps:

1) Write your full name to the plastic tape prepared near the umbrella stand, and stick it to your umbrella

2) Write your full name to the tag with rubber band, which is prepared near the umbrella stand and tie it to your umbrella

3) Write your full name in your own way to your umbrella

Umbrellas with no names in this umbrella stand will be disposed without notice.

3) Non-named umbrellas might be reused as Company share umbrellas

Your cooperation would be highly appreciated.

QMT

Was a bit naughty yesterday...I had a complete day of qmt (quality me time). No bye-bye brunches, lunches, dinners, very few calls and emails, minimal moving-related activities, (hence the naughtiness), a spot of therapeutic shopping (yes, I know I have too many clothes to take back already but a girl does have to look her best for her sayonara parties after all), and a spell in the coffee shop. I even managed to read a novel.

Yesterday of all days, I felt like I needed some time alone, thinking, and not particularly doing, assessing and not obsessing

It feels like it's been a long time since I had such a day. It feels like it will be a long time before I have another.

Old Uni friend and London resident, W departed yesterday after a week-long stay in Tokyo. I think I can safely say he came at the best of times and at the worst of times. But hopefully he had a good time. I say the best of times because my love of Tokyo, and the people I know here could not be more intense and of course, the worst because I just didn't have time to do it all justice with him.

We did manage to visit Nikko with P last weekend. Their first and my last trip there. P was on best form. I swear that if you locked her up in a box (and I think W was wishing he could), after 30 mins of whining, you would hear her laughing to herself. And while I'm not saying Nikko is a box, it does leave a lot to be desired in the pure "fun" department, especially of an evening. Not to mention in the cuisine department - I certainly won't be missing gyoza for a while.

Fortunately for me, P brought fun in spades. Am I allowed to say I'll miss her now? I guess not, it's way too early. There are still a few weeks to go.

Saturday evening brought the last play reading (don't say I didn't warn you about "last" syndrome several posts ago). W came a long - hardly a wild Saturday night in Tokyo for him, but I'd venture that it was definitely a unique experience. And one he may share again when I set up the London chapter of the play reading group (if there isn't one already). Fortunately, everyone was spared potential histrionics from me, as most of the group are coming to my farewell party on Friday. But they are definitely in the post (as they say).    

News from the other side is that it seems E is now in possession of the keys of my London, um, residence and B may have moved in there over the weekend (he's squatting and sorting out a duvet for me before he heads to France at the end of the month). Which is good as it makes it all seem that wee bit more real over there.

I suppose it would be a good idea to document the practicalities of moving from Japan in order that others may benefit from the experience (shipping, tax issues, getting rid of unwanted apliances and the likes...) but while these activities seem to be taking up an inordinate amount of my time and testing even my superior organizational skills to the limit, they are the least of my concerns. I don't think this site has ever provided a "practical" guide to living here (or anything else for that matter), and I guess it shouldn't start now.  

Anniversary

It got sadder. Unbearable. It hurt all over. But this day still remains the most miserable; it was the real beginning of the end. All other occasions were just false starts. I was hoping it wasn't, but deep down I knew. The idea that I might forget it if I didn't somehow capture it seems ridiculous to me now. How could I ever forget it. How will I ever forget it. The thoughts, feelings, the source remain as private as they were then but they are here, just as painful; part of me and everything I do. It was the first day of the rest of a life. Unwanted.

Nobody said it would be this hard.

Out of time

Well, the truth is, I haven't had a minute. And I still don't. Another factor however, is that I felt that if I started I wouldn't be able to stop. But I must, as I don't have time.

You have no idea the anxiety I'm feeling at the moment. Moving from a place I know and love, and where I'm known and loved to a place that, welI... I just don't know.  Yes, that is definitely one source of my anxiety. However, the main source is that I am now well and truly in the "precious Tokyo moments" zone and I just don't have the time to capture them on my blog.

And I know I'm so going to regret it in three months time, when I am sitting deliberating whether to watch Eastenders or Corrie, and I decide to do neither, and instead look back at my blog to re-live those precious moments, only to find that the only thing recorded will be that I'm too effing busy to write.

Sigh.

So... what's going on? The flat with the cat is now truly in the bag. Contracts signed, money transferred, feeding instructions communicated. Here are some pics. I'm somewhat loath to say exactly where it is because I am led to believe that there are real live loonies in the UK, who might decide to pay me a visit. However, having previously been hounded from my home here by a white panty snatcher, I think I can handle most things. Anyway, let's just say it's not that far from the location of a Hugh Grant movie.

I secured my new abode during my whirlwind trip to London about two weeks ago, once again defying most people's expectations, including my own...This is actually the second time I've managed to organize a decent apartment in the space of a week. The last being my current and much loved Jiyugaoka dwelling. Perhaps, I'm in the wrong business.

In any case, the apartment (flat, damn it, I will use British English, I will use British English) has been a good "move" as it has really helped me visualize where I'm going to be, and more importantly for a shopaholic like me; what I'm going to buy to fill it. Thinking thick fluffy fireside rug... The observant of you will note that it already seems to have a fair bit of tat within but quite a bit of this is going to be removed before I get there (at my request). The upright piano in the bedroom stays, the yacht model HAS to go.

Other than that London was pretty cool (and in fact, freezing). Birthday dinner, boogie, bangers and mash, band watching and bad karaoke with B. Yes, I know there is a league of girls out there missing the regular appearance of his (gratuitous link alert) face/body on the blog but I'm afraid I didn't get very good pics of him this time to satisfy the hunger. Anyway, needless to say he was as gorgeous and lovely as ever. And his friends weren't half bad either... Spent some quality time with E, who was my rock and my apartment (fart: flat) hunting guru throughout the trip, ultimately making the final decision on the one I've got. After "we" decided, we went out for a very long boozy lunch to celebrate and eventually returned to the estate agent in a somewhat inebriated state to then decide what I really wanted and didn't want to keep in terms of furniture and fittings. So we may well see that yacht model again after all.

Also saws: My bro-in-law, who was on a business trip, W (who is actually in Tokyo as I type, more on that later), J (fellow redhead) and G (old boss, fellow company mischief maker, friend and general nutter) with whom, I went to a Lebanese restaurant and spotted political philanderer, Boris Johnson.

And last but not least, the Princess. We had a post work drink/gossip, didn't stop for breathe never mind food, and as a result ended up blotto by 8:00 pm. Had to go home (a hotel in my case) in a taxi and straight to bed, although I think she actually stopped off to view the bottom of a toilet bowl before retiring. A pattern is emerging you are no doubt thinking. But hey, it was my first week and not even an official one at that, so what do you expect? Princess was good. She has survived the transition and appears to be thriving. So there is definitely hope for me.

I have to confess I had one wobbly moment. My first night. I went straight from the airport to the hotel, to the shower, and into my party dress to celebrate B's b-day. Cool restaurant, cool people, cool club, cool vibe. Hell, I could have been in Tokyo.

After hours of fun and having been awake for more than 24, I reluctantly took my over-tired, jet-lagged and (yes, you guessed it) my somewhat inebriated ass, back to the hotel at 2:30 a.m., leaving B and friends to party on. Emerging from the club, I find myself in the chaos that is Piccadilly Circus. I can't get a taxi, I don't how to get a taxi, I do know how to walk to the hotel, I'm scared to walk to the hotel, people are drunk, loud and obnoxious and I’m freaked. All I can think is "What the hell am I doing here, I want to go home." This negativity lasted the whole (uneventful) trot back to the hotel, and reached its peak as I reached my room, where I climbed into bed and cried myself to sleep.

Needless to say I woke up in the morning and couldn't quite remember what it had all been about. Funnily enough, I did something similar on my return to Tokyo, this time thinking, "Why the hell am I leaving, this is my home?"

Nobody said it would be easy. 

Random

i know this is an odd thing to moblog especially without a pic and after such an absence from blogging in general, BUT i just wanted to capture the thought...yes, after 7 years in this crazy town i am still shocked when i find myself standing next to a salaryman reading an extremely pornographic illustrated comic book on the 08:45 going to work. and you know what? i am still really gonna miss this place.

P.S you can understand why a photo would have been difficult.

Cat in the Flat

I'm here folks, I'm back in Japan - just totally flat out (excuse the pun) trying to dismantle and rebuild two households simultaneously. And of course, do my day job. Fortunately I'm jet-lagged, so sleep is for the weak. I have so much to say and no time to say it.

In the meantime meet my new cat... Oscar. Oscar comes with my new flat and is in fact even listed in the inventory. Not sure what happens if he carks it under my watch, I guess I'll lose my deposit. Was hoping he didn't have a name or I never found it out, so that I could enact some Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at T fantasy by calling him "cat", but alas he had already been christened

More anon. Promise.