It seems like a good while since I actually made a proper post about anything other than what my favourite colour is, or what kind of mythical creature I may be. I'm not going to promise one now. More a brief summary.
Firstly, I guess some apology for the absence of excitement going on here. I left you hanging with the "getting kicked out of the gym" story, but you're gonna have to wait. One of the reasons I've been quiet for so long is that I have been frantically studying for my Japanese exam for the past couple of months. It took place yesterday, and as I walked out of the university building back to the train station a considerable weight was lifted from my hunched shoulders. I've spent much of the past couple of months trying to get verb and adjective conjugations into my head, along with some kanji, and the pesky katakana which still continues to evade my brain despite looking at the damn stuff for over two years. The past two weeks I banned anything but Japanese books as train reading, and pretty much everything else got thrown to the sidelines as well. So, I am now determined to get back to some kind of normality. If my paycheck had been anything other than blisteringly disappointing this month, I would also be attempting to have some fun. But we can't have everything, can we?
The other reason for the silence and the hunched shoulders is the "slump" I've been having for the past month or two. Life alone and abroad has peaks and toughs, but I think this is the longest and deepest trough I've had to brave. I think it all actually began with getting kicked out the gym, and since then I've been feeling rather defensive and grouchy about everything. I don't wish to trivialize it, as it's not really very funny having to get up in the morning and immediately deal with a barrage of abuse from my own brain; nor do I want to be dramatic, as I'm not exactly about to throw myself in front of the next Keikyu Line train either (though I am tempted to get myself a shotgun and take out some old-ladies on bicycles). That's why I made the post a few days ago asking for someone to remind me about some good stuff. I've learned how to get myself out of these things, even if it does take me a while to realise what's going on. Anyway, thanks to the TWO people who could think of something nice. You reminded me of a couple of things I'd forgotten about, so I'll be taking that all on board.
As usual, I don't seem to have any money. Last month I saved 30000yen towards my emergency money fund (just in case I need to get out of Japan). However, last months' highly unusual paycheck, a whopping 40000yen more than this month, gave me a false sense of solvency which has been rudely squashed this month. (My friend in Nagoya, who also seems to never have any money, has it worse than me, though. She told me the other day that her weight goes up and down by half a stone every month depending on whether it's the start or the end, as this dictates how much money she has for food - and she has more money than me!). It sucks that it has to be December, when most people are partying hard and I need new things like socks, and new bed sheets and pillows. Maybe Santa will send me some stripey socks?
Anyway, given that I've been silent for so long I'm going to make you a list of things I need to tell you about:
1) Getting kicked out the gym
2) Going to Osaka and having a fabulous time in a forest
3) Some thoughts on books and films and music
4) Err, other stuff - like crazy people on the train, how much I hate old ladies, and why old men love me.
So I promise to get round to all that, as well as Xmas cards ASAP.
A nice thing to finish. I went to the bakery (which also has a huge coffee bean selection) near my house tonight, and after getting my loaf of bread sliced they gave me coffee for no other reason than that I was there. So I sat at a table surrounded by bread, coffee and Japanese crockery, and drank black bitter coffee out of a dainty little cup. Then they gave me calendar on my way out. I'm going there more often on a Monday night.
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