Urrgh...

Well, I've finally finished work for the year.  Myself and a few teachers went out after we finished for a few beers and then I came home and ate half a pit of kimchee nabe. For those not in the know, kimchee is a Korean dish which basically consists of cabbage liberally rubbed with chilli, spices and salt, pickled for a a day or so and then scoffed.  It can be hot as hell, which is why I love it; it goes well with beer, tofu, rice and noodles and makes a great soup.  Who've thought tofu and cabbage soup would sound appetizing - that's pretty much what my nabe is, after all.  I cook it up in miso broth with wakame and whatever else is going spare in the fridge.  Tonight's batch was made with somen noodles.  Like ramen noodles, but thinner and goopier.  I think I ate too much though!

Tomorrow I plan on de-papering my apartment.  Sheets of paper like to attach themselves to me and create clutter, so I'm putting as much out for recycling as possible.  I may even be brave and move the fridge to retrieve whatever went down behind there in last week's avalanche.  I have visions of cockroaches, dead hookers, doorways to hell etc etc.  Then I'm going to cook falafel and food for next year (to freeze), Skype a few people and then have a big gold bath with a Lush bath bomb.  Hurrah!!

On Monday morning I travel to my Japanese hometown for fun and frolics, before heading to Nagoya and Gifu for New Year-pasta-munching, onsen-soaking-cat-stroking-David Lynch-watching shennanigans.

What I would have wanted to do...

...had I been in England on December 21st:

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2008/dec/21/winter-solstice-castlerigg-martin-wainwright

but, I was doing this instead:



Not quite the trip to the beach I had wanted, but there was enough water on the ice to make it feel slightly lake-like.

Later on I played on some magic steps:



Then I ate Mexican and went home.