Happy Christmas and a Merry New year!

Found a quiet moment to sneak away from the parents open house christmas bash to say merry christmas and Happy New Year. Finally caught up on sleep- and my energy levels from all the chocolate has built up enough to power up the laptop.

Its been great being cut off from the world for a few days, just to catch my breath from jaunting around the country.

Nice pressies and relaxing with the family, taking the dog for long walks was just a perfect antidote to financial management courses and meetings and report writing.

Hope to write a little more shortly.

In the meantime, Hope everyone is having a nice festive break.

See you in 2012 (if we're all still here!)

back again

Yes, I am here...The last few months have been hectic work wise and it left me without much energy for much else. I hopefully fill in some details of the last few months- the travels were fun and exhausting at the same time. I'm enjoying having November off the travels.

Views of the previous months...

Back in the saddle again....

After a fairly quiet August, I'm off again with a month of travels. I'm glad I had a few weeks of peace and quiet, cause its going to get pretty hectic.

First though is a proper holiday with a wedding at the end. After the rubbish summer here in the UK, I'm finally off to get some proper sunshine and warmth in Italy. My first ever time and my first holiday with just my sister and I. Hopefully all the sights of Rome will keep us from killing each other too much. After Rome we're heading off to the Chianti region for my friends wedding, where I'll be singing...I'm still learning one piece, but it should all be fine now I've got it on the ol' ipod.

Once I'm back from Italy it all gets a bit hectic- with a couple of days to wash and pack for a working trip around the UK- all part of my project, and I've a few days back to change over and re-pack before heading off to Cheltenham for the wonderful Part 2 of the management course, where I'll be once again in "dragons den" mets "the apprentice" mode. Its formal business attire presentations (video'ed for ultimate torture apparently) and then a leadership course, which we have to bring "clothes that we don't mind getting wet or muddy" too. Which in the middle of October probably should be warm too, I'm guessing. Fun, fun, fun!

So Ciao for now

I leave you with one of the songs I'm singing for my friends wedding-I'd like to hope I can sound like Hayley here, though we'll only have a harp for the orchestra.

The 39 steps to a thoroughly British experience

Well we survived the 5 day mad dash tour of the UK- even managed to squeeze in some

wonderful English riots along the way. I won't say much about that except that I have seen some of the worst and best in this country, I've been ashamed, infuriated, saddened and uplifted all at the same time.

Anyway we/they managed to

1. Have close encounters of the cow variety- in the city courtesy of the Town moor in Newcastle

2. Listen to choirs practicing Parry and Elgar in Durham Cathedral

3. Eat vast quantities of fish and chips- in fact it was fish and chips 3 days in a row- score 1 for British food, or was the other food that bad??

4. Walk through Heather and wild mountain thyme

5. Eat haggis (and like it!)

6. See Salmon jumping up the Shin falls

7. Take a red London bus and sit up front, upstairs

8. Be accosted by a Dumbledore clone on the Royal mile

9. Hear bagpipes on the breeze ( the best way in my opinion) and up close and personal

10. Kilts, kilts, kilts

11. Be delayed on a train due to disruptive passengers being removed,

signalling difficulties and waiting for other trains

12. Been searched through airport security with grumpy, unhelpful staff

13. Sticky toffee pudding

14. Drunk Irn bru (I think I may have 2 coverts to the cult of Irn Bru)

15. Been munched by the terror of the west coast of Scotland...the midge

16. Whiskey tasting at 11.30am

17. Met a real Highland cow

18. See some of the (in)famous nightlife of Newcastle

19. See some of the craziness of the Edinburgh festival including synchronised leg waving, victorian magicians and a full on street musical Sound of music/austin powers cross

20. Watch the sunset behind Edinburgh castle

21. Squished on a tube, with luggage

22. Pose outside Center court in Wimbledon

23. Cross the swinging bridge of Doom over a gorge and waterfall- witnessed by a million

tourist (that one joyous terror was all mine)

24. Enjoy a pint in a proper pub

25. Insulted by Neds on Princes street

26. Sitting on a london bus, watching a Hindu festival pass by

27. Experiencing a rowdy 40th birthday party in a restaurant including joining in singing 'happy birthday'

28. Superdry stores- which have nothing to do with Japan, but have random Japanese labels on the clothes, its the reverse of Engrish

29. Pub Lunch

30. The endless wait for luggage at Heathrow

31. Sheep, everywhere

32. Toasted bacon sandwiches and mugs of tea- first class on the train

33. Wrapped up in blankets eating BBQ outside

34. Oyster cards- I'm a lucky holder of a special commerative Royal wedding one...lucky me!

35. Splurging in a Cath Kidston store- we were in there for hours

36. Takeaway Ramen - Tokyo style in Newcastle

37. toast and jam for breakfast- no random salads or hot dog sausages

38. black cabs with british flag designs...the olympic fervor is stepping up a pace here

39. Collapsing in a big heap at the end of this and needing to sleep for a week

And a few snaps from the madness...

Tour guide duty....British style

Well...hello blog, been a while again hasn't it. Not really my fault- work and life got in the way.

I came back off my management course full of confidence and ideas- which I got into practice at a meeting down in head office of the company who's part funding my project.

It was my first time there so I was a little nervous about what to expect. You know how you get these ideas of how places and people should be? that was me- I had visions of suits and suits with shiny white coats, glass windows, uber security, golf carts (like all the movies show) and well.... I got security, which was not unexpected, a few suits and mostly jeans and casual and lots of jogging people and an atmosphere like most university campuses.

Anyway the meeting went fine- it was a little weird at first not really knowing what everyone else knew, but apparently everyone seemed happy so I guess- yay for me!

From there I went off down to Wiltshire for a camping/christening weekend with my friends from uni. It was a lovely break, even if the weather was pretty terrible- heavy rain, then heavy rain and gusty winds. I think if it hadn't of stopped for a few hours each day it would

have been a pretty miserable trip.

With all this travelling on trains I wish the companies would give out train miles or loyality cards- I'd been in first class all the time with all the travelling I've done recently.

I had last weekend off to recover and this weekend by brother and family are up. Next week however, I'm on tour guide duty.

Two of my Japanese friends will be arriving for a mad dash around the UK for 5 days (as you do). We went on a 2 day bus tour of Rishiri and Rebun islands together 2 years ago- that was a strange Japanese experience.

Everyone one else (who were significantly older too) got up at ridiculously early hours in the morning and stomped around the ryokans we stayed in and then we had to practically run around all the stops we had on the tour to keep up with the rest of the group as they zoomed around the various sights of the islands. This time we're travelling by trains, planes and automobiles as opposed to trains, buses and ferries. It should be good fun, we're heading up north to my parents house for a couple of nights-a cultural exchange. Hopefully my Mum will not fully implode with stress before they arrive (and that my Dad and sister remain sane in the face of my mother in full on Visitor mode).

Can I eat my own words?

Well here I am in my luxury hotel- just checking in with my email and life before another 3 course dinner. Dare I say it- I'm actually really enjoying myself on this course- I have learnt even more bizarre terms and acronyms- SWOT and PESTLE and all sorts of goodies like that and you know what- its all starting to make sense. Maybe there is a manager lurking under this scientist.

I've got another 2 days left here in my little luxury manager course bubble before the realities of the project might taint this happy feeling, but I think I may even be able to take charge a bit more and be more assertive.

It is a lovely break away from lab life- get up in the morning from my giant soft bed and black out- curtained room and amble along for a buffet breakfast, then an hour and half of work before tea and biscuit break. After another hour and a half it's lunchtime- another buffet with hot and cold food and desserts of chocolate cake. Then another session before afternoon tea and brownie or tea and scones. A bit of a break before dinner to take in some pool and sauna in the hotel before the next feast arrives and then we've been heading off the pub. I could get used to this life- though my stomach and liver may not.

Learning the language of *%@#**

Oh hell, I know I've not been very good at blogging. Its been hard to find the energy and something to write about too. Truth be told I've not been very good at getting anything going recently. I think I've been caught up in getting used to my new job and learning the ropes of all this new job entails, as well as catching up on friends, family and carrot cake.

Part of this is learning the business side of research and the language that apparently goes with it. And boy has it been frustrating at times.

The research side I love and really enjoy, already I've learnt some new things and I think I've nearly got the whole working with other people down pat (I'm almost surprised how easy that's been), but my funding is part university, part company and part government and this means I have to attend courses and fill out many forms along. Things like personal development plans, forcefield analysis, executive reports- things that take me far from my comfort zone. I'm happy in my world of PCR, western blots, shRNA, siRNA and transfections etc. (I'd explain, but that would take hours- so try the font of all knowledge known as wikipedia for an overview of those terms should you wish to know more;or bore yourself to death)

Now I have to take on a whole new world of language, and I've found it kinda frustrating because so much of it seems like rubbish. So much of it seems like stupid terms which hide what are in fact simple things; executive summary? Actually just a summary of work:forcefield analysis- nothing to do with Star trek, is just a list of people or things that influence the progress of a project. I think its this whole perverting simple ideas by wrapping it in crap terminology that has me bugged.

Unfortunately, I've got to embrace this language to complete this project; I'm off to a course in a couple of weeks which will will involve all of this so I'd best start embracing this sooner rather than later. The only consolation is that this course will be in a luxury country house hotel with pool and spa.

Wordless, but not soundless Wednesday

Wanderlust weekends

Phew...I'm having day 2 of resting up and its so good. I feel like I haven't really stopped for the last couple of months, moving flats, getting to grips with work and then I've been out and about visiting friends and family. I popped to Edinburgh at the beginning of April to meet up with my friends, who were across from Sweden on a conference and a fresh arrival out from Sapporo to here to wait for their work permit to head to Sweden. O was in Tokyo getting his visa for the UK on the day of the March 11th earthquake so it was good to see him.The weather was a lovely early spring day

From there I decided to pay a surprise Mothers day visit on my family- another 4 hours north of Edinburgh. It paid off, she had no idea and was grumping at the lack of card before I arrived unexpectedly; of course later she says she knew I was coming...

It was a lovely trip up and down, through some of my favourite scenery. Parts of Hokkaido always reminded me of parts of Scotland (maybe thats why it was easy to live there...). The following weekend, it was party time at the racecourse in Newcastle, where I managed to bag a prize from the prize draw, not the tickets to New York, but still very much appreciated.

A couple of weekends at home and then I was off travelling for Easter- down to London to meet up with some more friends for a trip to see the fantastic Legally Blonde musical and chill out in pre-wedding, heat wave tourist infested London.

Well, after all that its been nice to be a tad lazy, although when I say lazy, I have spend most of my weekends popping into the lab with various experiments to do and paperwork to try and catch up on. I think its all the work thats been keeping me really, really busy recently. and I still feel like I've got loads to catch up on and get to grips with...still, but more on that later (if I have time).

Golden weekend

Yes, I'm still around. I'm enjoying the super extended weekend, thanks to a certain wedding (what! you mean you haven't heard about it? or seen the highlights repeated or the special edition newspapers/magazines/mugs or chocolates? have you been in a coma?).

I should be able to catch up on all of my recent travels, this being the first weekend in well over a month that I'm not somewhere else or having people over.

Wordless Friday

Thank goodness its Friday...Chill out in front of the TV

100th post from the new pad

Well apparently I've written 100 posts, or maybe thats written but not posted 100. Anyway Woo hoo! go me.

I've been a bit quiet on the old internet recently, due to moving out of the temporary uni accommodation into my new spacious flat of loveliness. This place didn't have internet...something I really find I really do need. My new place also has a flatmate , but she has no computer and no need for internet access...something which I and the guys in work find almost an alien concept. She's not old and is working at a perfectly modern job, but has no need for internet access.

Anyway, as of last Tuesday there is now glorious broadband installed in my lovely Edwardian Era flat, it took the poor old engineer 4 hours to get it in as the phone line seemed to have been installed in the Edwardian Era as well. I am glad to be able to freely check my emails of an evening or surf you tube, catch up on blogs and friends far away and finally free to watch UK TV and start re-discovering who's in and what crap there is to watch too.

I think about 10 days ago though I was very glad of my non-existent internet, the panic inducing, over reacting, constantly updating news from Japan was really getting to me. It was terrible listening to the news in the UK, according to them the WHOLE of Japan was at imminent risk of meltdown, foreigners fleeing and deserted Tokyo streets and stores, which I couldn't help feel really took away from those genuinely suffering in there smashed and swamped towns and was also really creating a panic here for those who have friends or relatives out in Japan. Watching the NHK news and reading the blogs of you lot out there painted a somewhat less over-reacting scene that the news painted over here- thankfully I might add. Added to this I was playing at Japan expert around the lunch and coffee tables in work as everyone asked about where I was and what was happening. The news I did get to watch left me disturbed and I had quite a few disturbing dreams. It was a relief to get to last Friday when the whole Libyan thing overtook the earthquake and tsunami news here. Not really sure what's happening in Libya and why we're there, but apparently no-one is minding at the moment (well maybe a certain Colonel and his cohort is...).

Aside from that life goes on here, work is pretty good- the boss seems happy with our progress anyway. I've already been learning new techniques, even been to a few talks too. I've even been to a Wedding reception; one of the post docs in the department got married out in a lovely country hall up near Morpeth and we all got an invite to the evening reception. It was a lovely night out, I even managed to get some dancing in (good ol' wedding disco music- 60's music for the parents and uncles, pop for the youngsters and some random stuff for the groom and his friends).

I'm looking forward to having a quiet weekend to really unpack and sort out the place properly, though not this weekend- I'm off to Edinburgh to meet up with S and her fiance O (fresh from Sapporo) for the day before a surprise Mother's day trip up home. Nor the next weekend, when I'm off to a ball up a the racecourse. Hopefully soon though. And shortly I will post some piccys- they're taken, they just need uploading, but as its now 1am and I have a western blot to run tomorrow I'd probably should get some sleep.

Night night for now

Not shaken, but stirred

Stunned and horrified by the images I'm seeing on the internet, I'm glad I don't have a TV yet, because I think I would be seeing worse and wouldn't have been able to get to work at all yesterday. Last night the images replayed in my mind, along with the trip I took in that area last year.

I have spent the last day and half checking all the blogs, facebook, skyping friends, sending emails just to make sure, even though I know at the same time that everyone should be fine, that they don't live in (or even near) the Tohoku region, but when you see that almost unreal video of a black tide of burning debris racing over fields, villages, houses, cars, people you want to make sure, because its all you can do.

My family are profoundly happy I'm back in the UK, I'm glad too, although at the same time I feel like I should be there as well. All that tiny shakes I experienced in Sapporo I know were probably nothing like what happened on Friday, I can't imagine what it felt like even though I try.

I'm so glad everyone that I know or read are all fine; happy that my friend who had travelled to Tokyo could contact me. I hope it stays that way.

I'm not very religious but what ever peace there can be for those caught up in this I hope it comes quickly.

Let them eat cake...

Hello *waves*

Yes, I'm still around, just not much happening and not much energy or time for writing recently.

This last week or so I feel like I've made the transition from feeling like I'm just visiting here to actually living here feeling, Japan has felt distant almost like a holiday. I put this down to the whole flat searching and friends visiting that I've been doing recently.

I've managed to get myself a nice flat- actually a maisonette, in a beautiful Edwardian red brick house in the nice posh area of Newcastle called Jesmond. Its really close to the swimming pool there and tennis club, so hopefully that will prod me into going and getting rid of the bulge from all the cake that I keep eating in work. It seems that we eat cake A LOT here. Lab meeting= cake, birthday=cake, someone walked by Marks and Spencer coming into work=cake.

Anyway, back to the apartment, it really was a lucky turn of events. A PI (head of a research group in Sciency speech) is friends with my soon to be landlords and told me about this place. I had some other flats to see which I'd found through agencies. I had appointments to see those last weekend, but the Friday before I popped up at lunchtime to see this one. It really is a beautiful house- Huge living room, probably the size of my apartment in Sapporo. Dining room with a huge granite slab for a dining table. The only thing similar to Japan is kitchen which is small and compact, although filled with lovely appliances, including a dish washer.

The landlords and really nice and laid back and with no fee's or even a deposit, it really was almost a no-brainer. The other places through the agencies wanted over 2 and half months upfront (not just a Japan thing obviously!).

So in a couple of weeks I'll be out of my slightly studenty staff accomodation which is costing me an arm and a leg and into a beautiful old house fully furnished. I think cakes maybe in order here

Downtime weekend

Woke to the sound of rain today.It was really peaceful so I lay there listening to the drips and splashes. Of course this meant my plan for a trip to the sea was off the boil. I ended up going to the cinema to see Tangled. I was quite aware that I was there on my own, but once the film started I didn't care. It was a great movie to see on a grey, wet weekend day, I really enjoyed it. I thought about seeing if any Chinese new year celebrations were on afterwards, instead I ended up back at home making some lentil soup for the week and updating some pictures.There were a few fireworks outside the window a couple of hours ago, I guess the probably the post gradstudents from the halls of residence.Yesterday I had a glorious sleep of nearly 11 hours! the first big sleep for ages- the previous 2 nights were really noisy here with gales roaring through the bare branches of the trees in the park keeping me awake. I was all set for a reasonable lazy day when the police horse clopped by the window to remind me that it was match day.All snuggled up cozy next to the football stadium...makes for noisy Saturdays during the season

So instead I ended up taking a 4 hour walk around Newcastle suburbs and booking someappointments to view some flats. It was nice to walk around the streets- down the red brick, Victorian/Edwardian terraced houses of Jesmond and Sandyford and Heaton. I came across the Church where my sister was baptized when we used to live in Whitley Bay (a coastal town near here), so it was almost like a trip down memory lane. As I headed home the match was being broadcast across the city- A huge cheer went up at one point which echoed around for ages and judging by the noise it must have been an exciting match.

Later on, after the match, the cheer was replaced with the sound of the local teenagers shouting/screaming and howling at each other in the park. It was almost like listening to the sounds of the jungle- with those loud carrying howler monkey noises that the boys were making.

And finally....look at these little fellows, merrily munching away on the grass in the middle of the city, right next to a busy pavement. Wild aswell, I could imagine the squeals of kawaiii! if my J-friends saw these.

Fancy a frisk?

Little things I've noticed since being back...

1. Chocolate is more expensive- maybe its because the shop is in the hospital, maybe its to encourage you to not eat too much, but it costs much more than I remember.

2. Asking people if they want a frisk meets with a rather shocked look and silence as opposed to a yes please "itadakimasu".

3. There are birds everywhere- and they aren't just the mutant giant evil crows

4. I have no idea who any of the singers and bands are on the radio

5. The sun is just rising as I get up for work at 8am and I don't need thermals on to leave the house, but you can wander around the hospital without melting in normal clothes

6. People DO actually hold the door open most times...its very nice.

Praise be and bless you whoever you are

I have internet...in my flat....hurrah!

I've spent this last week in almost nun like silence reading books, sleeping by 9am because of the lack of internet access.

I can use it in work, but I've been busy doing experiments with the super enthusiastic minion and million of cells to be used so I haven't had much chance there either (still waiting for contracts etc...but should be progress soon on that front).

Turned on the laptop for some noise whilst I eat dinner and try and drown out the slightly noisy hoodies roaming the park outside the flat and clicked the internet button as a habbit. Low and behold some kind person near me has signed up to some programme that loans out some of their wireless internet for others to access. So for a fee of a few pounds I"ve got a pile of hours to use on the internet.

The last week has been a blur of work- I was far busier than I thought, with meetings and experiments and everything. They all seem like a really nice bunch of people and I've seem to have settled back in the UK life of set tea and coffee breaks and cakes for birthdays ( I did my duty today). I've worked out the short cut through the hospital to the lab, watched the air ambulance from the coffee room window whilst eating my sandwiches and enjoyed the general banter and gentle leg pulling that you don't really get in Japan.

Home has been somewhat quiet, with only the itunes for company and unpacking boxes that arrived (impressively quickly) and reading books. I've made it through the entire Millenium Triology (the Swedish one "girl with the dragon tattoo" etc) this week, which I've enjoyed a lot it must be said.

But I am relieved to be able to get some internet access here now- I've been feeling cut off somewhat. But here I am, but I really should go eat my dinner before it gets cold. So catch up soon

Wye aye man

Hello you all!

Just a quick post to let you know I've arrived in Geordie land. I left the meters high piles of snow and freezing temperatures behind me and landed into the winter greens and browns of Newcastle. I've already experienced the football match crowds and noise outside of my flat, shopped myself to a standstill and I'm slowly working through my 'my god I've missed you' foods and drinks. I even went and ate soba in wagamama and mistakenly ordered in Japanese much to the bewilderment of the waitress.
I'm borrowing a computer and log on address in work. After all the rush to get here, it turns out my contract has been finished yet- the company lawyers are being slow, so I can get a proper email and proper access, staff card or paid...at the moment. I have had calls to say this will be sorted, but in the meanwhile I'm hanging around my new lab and desk space, drinking coffee- eating cake. I may even get some lab work done today.
Anyway, once I'm back online more freely I'll be sure to update and stick up some pictures of greenery for any of those still stuck in a Japanese winter.

Ja, mata ne!

my life in boxes

I'm at home this morning waiting for the post to come take away the first lot of boxes for shipping back to the UK. Inside this pile are the majority of knick knacks from the years here- random hello kitty keyrings from Nagasaki, Tokyo, Nara; Ainu mouth harps, Photo's from New Zealand, post cards from Taiwan and Thailand, nearly 4 years of memories in boxes.

My apartment is suddenly looking more spacious after the piano and other furniture was moved off to their new owners- in the middle of a snowstorm for that extra challenge.

Tonight is my leaving party from the lab so I guess I should go practice my leaving speech...

Well, that was a...

bracing walk into work this morning.
I was wondering whether the rest of the world had stolen our snow allowance, but it seems to have arrived en masse in a swirling wind blown pile.
Today, I've got starbucks coffee on order to sweeten up my lovely secretary friend, while she helps me to cancel all the utilities for the apartment and sorts out some large trash pick up. I say helps, but actually she's really doing it all while I stand there to supply numbers or dates as appropiate. I've been feeling a little helpless in the last few days (seriously cursing the lack of Japanese to do these kind of phone calls), not helped by the lack of sleep and constant crushing weight of the LIST of things to do. It kinda came to head yesterday when I was in a particularly crabby mood, I rang another friend in work to meet for lunch and ended up having a bit of a weep down the phone at her. I didn't mean to as she has enough on her plate with trying to finish her PhD thesis, but in the end it was probably what was needed to clear my head and focus.
The lovely secretary came to the rescue yesterday and I've now got the shipping sorted for next week. Phew.... a big relief to tick at least one more thing off the LIST

Exploding stomachs and giant flying cranes....how I survived New year

あけましておめでとうございます。こつぉひもよろしく！

Welcome to 2011.A year of big changes for me, most of which will take place in less than 3 weeks! crap...must pack, must pack....

Anyway, how did I spend my New Year? Well...my friend Y invited me to her parents house for O-shogatsu Japanese style. She picked me up Friday afternoon with my Wii that she's inheriting. We set off to her parents somewhere between Shin-Sapporo and Kita Hiroshima.
Her parents are really sweet, highly normal with an ageing half blind tubby dog. After a brief introduction we headed out off to the local super sento for a pre-new year bath....ahhhh, so nice and then back for dinner. Sushi, pasta salad, osechi stuff, huge slices of tako and salmon, chowamushi- which I ate! and enjoyed! (I'm an egg hater so it was a big thing for me), and fried chicken. I was so glad I hadn't eaten much earlier as all the portions were huge and they were all so encouraging to eat, eat and eat! so I did my best.
Then we sat down to watch the kohaku, the annual red and white song contest. The whole thing.... whilst being plied with coffee, fruit, cake and snacks. I particularly enjoyed the giant mechanical crane, topped by the woman. Last year she sang her song on top of a large replica model of herself so this was practically tasteful!
At 11pm "Mama Y" produced a huge bowl of new year, long-life soba noodles, topped with tempura prawns and the like for new year, my stomach was seriously protesting at this point,but I managed to slurp a few mouthfuls of noodles. The dog,Love-chan, also got noodles.
After the end of the Kohaku- won by the white team (men) again, we tuned into the bells being rung for the 108 sins of the year and a tour round the shrines and temples of Japan. It was lovely to see the shrine in Tottori-ken coated in heavy snow, but with the rabbit statues peaking out from underneath their snowy mantle, so cute.
And just after new year, after wishing everyone body a happy new year- with the bowing, we retired to bed. It took me til 3 to drop off as I feeling so full. And I woke with the sun in time to ring home for new year in Scotland, where my parents and sister were enjoying the fireworks and ceilidh music in the background.
Breakfast was another feast- mochi soup, a huge half fillet of Hokke from Obihiro, pickles and sausages.
In an effort to make some space for the food, we fired up the Wii for some New years tennis and bowling and then headed to the local shrine for hatsumode and a delicious cup of hot amazake.

After this Y and I headed to the local Jusco shopping center for the lucky bags. I thought the shops would be closed, but it was heaving with people and the shop assistants yelling ( I bet they must be hoarse by now!). I didn't mean too, but I ended up coming back with a lovely cardigan coat and scarf from Benetton....ah well.

After a quick pop back home we headed back to Sapporo, not before being loaded down with breadrolls, sweets, cheese mochi snacks and rice crackers....

I think the act of moving will help shift some of the new year calories. I hope it does anyway. Back to work tomorrow for my last 8 days of work in Japan. I've got 3 leaving parties in the next 2 weeks so its going to be busy 2 weeks.