Hey everyone,
Sorry I have been a total slacker about updating this!!! The longer I leave it for, the more I don't want to write because I have more to update about... Not that me sitting at home in my PJs for days at a time makes for exciting reading :P
Ok, re. NZ - thanks to those that caught up with me, it was great to see y'all and get updates. If I didn't manage to see you, it's ok, we probably talked about you anyway :P Jokes. Kinda. I was really impressed actually; considering how few people I actually managed to see, I got updates on an amazingly wide range of people! I guess when you live overseas no-one expects you to know what's happening, so they are very thorough in the updates. Of course, to those I didn't manage to see, sorry :( It was rather a flying visit.
Yeah, ten days sounded like heaps from over here, but by the time I got to NZ with my shopping list (NZ to Japan adaptor from Dick Smith, light cotton shirts for work in summer, Mainland cheese for Jeff's birthday present, etc!) and my other To Do's (JET interview, get Uni graduation certificate copied and JP signed for the said interview, FIND Uni graduation certificate to get copied and signed, etc!!), there wasn't that much time left for, like, seeing people! I expected my week to involve much lying round reading and going to the beach a few times with my sisters. Yeah - no. It turned out to be a hard week's shopping (finding Jeff short sleeve shirts that weren't white, but were formal enough for work, cheap enough for our budget and didn't rely heavily on purple or pastel blue...) and partying!
I had come home in the knowledge that Kate and Paddy's engagement party (a BBQ meet and greet for the two families) would be on the Saturday before I went home. However, what I HADN'T expected was that on Friday night we ended up taking Laura, my 15 yr old sister, to town! Lucky for her, Beth (21) has an ID that looks more like Laura than it does Beth. So the five of us sisters split into two groups - Kate and Laura (the shorties) together, followed in five minutes later by Beth, Harry and I (so that if they picked up on the second Elizabeth Draper coming in, at least Beth was the real one to argue it!). At first the others suggested I take Laura in. However, considering how often Beth and I get asked if we are twins despite our different hair, different skin, different bodies and five year difference in age, I thought me taking Laura in and Beth following would only invite deja vu and hence difficulties! Anyway, the only hitch was when Harry talked to a guy in the line next to us and he was asking about the fake ID as we approached the bouncers. By this point Laura, Kate and Harry were through, so the bouncer took AGES inspecting my ID - holding it to the light, bending it to check the corners etc! If my 15 yr old sis got in, then I got rejected (for anyone unsure, I am 26 now!!), that would really really suck! I have actually been rejected on that ID before, as I have long blonde hair in the pic and the bouncers didn't like my pointing out I can't get a new ID every time I change my hairstyle. I'd be needing four Driver's Licences a year!!
Anyway, in case any bouncers/police/concerned parents are reading this (by concerned parents I don't mean mine - they were the ones who requested we take her! Dad wanted to make sure she wasn't a dork at school, like I was. Gee, thanks Dad), the only drinks imbibed were a beer that I let Kate and Beth sip at (I know Harry is legally old enough to drink, but I still couldn't bring myself to offer her alcohol!) and a coke that we all shared.
Laura looked really cute - too cute in fact, we had to chase away a few blokes honing in... I had dressed her in a grey cowlneck top and black shorts and did her some classic smokey eye makeup. Beth untied her hair from it's messy bun and clipped a bit to the side, so it all looked very sexy 'I'm not trying to hard but have naturally bedhead hair'. This was all done in the secure carpark below Dad's work on Queen St. The only tense moment came when I realised the bra Laura was wearing under the cowlneck top wasn't cutting it, so we had to switch bras. A quick look at the park behind us confirmed there was noone around, but partway through the change Kate looked up and goes, "You guys know that's a security camera, right?" Oh, bums!! Sorry about that Dad, hope noone bothers you for having your daughters halfnaked in your carpark!
The rest of my time at home was nice and quiet - catchup teas and coffees, using Harry's staff discount at the Esprit store at Westgate and meeting my brother-in-law-to-be's family.
Back here in Japan things had really warmed up. Most of the snow had melted and you couldn't even see your breath during the day. However, yesterday mixed things up again with another heavy snow. Of course, that's great news for our snowboarding, providing it doesn't all melt on the beautiful sunny day that is today!
Hehe, talking about snowboarding, Jeff and I went on Sunday. Jeff wasn't feeling good so didn't stick it out too long, but I went and did a run down the really steep slope. It's pretty challenging as it's all lumpy from skiers doing moguls on it, and, as aforementioned, it's steep. Really steep. Last time I tried it I went down 2/3 of the way with my toes up and heels down, slowly eeking down the mountain. This time I was determined to be more brave. I had good timing, as about seven other snowboarders were attempting to manage this slope - just like me. We basically took it in turns tumbling past each other, then waiting in one spot for the next person to pass you, so you could overtake them when they wiped out. I was pleased I had been using Mum's pilates DVD when I was lying head first down the slope and my board came over so that my feet were in the snow above my head. Yup, some pretty impressive wipeouts!
Umm... in case you were wondering, Jeff was really happy with his cheese. 1.7kg of NZ colby :D
Oh, my interview went well, for anyone who hadn't heard. The interviewers seemed very relaxed and chatty, which is always a good sign. Of course, getting a position will only be half the battle - the real question is where they could offer me a job... Also, for those that were asking, I will hear if I have an offer in April, though it will be more like June when I hear where.
So now, I am at home for the week, theoretically writing. Yesterday Jeff set me the task of writing a story about Bob, the butcher's dog. Turns out Bob is a very odd name for a Japanese dog, and the fact he belonged to the butcher seemed a bit random, but it made me write. Today he has set me the task of writing about someone's first time eating ice cream. Yes, Jeff knows me too well and is trying to help me deal with my chronic procrastination!
Ok, that's enough from me. I should go have some lunch, then sit down to write about this icecream experience...
Cheers,
Charly
