japan. is. cold.

I'm in japan, after figuring out how to pack things without exceeding the ridiculously low baggage weight limit of 20kg. I'm starting to get a headache trying to figure out how, with my near empty savings, am I ever going to move to Japan in the summer. Hope that snail mail is reliable? Enlist the help of mom by seducing her to go to Japan with me? Give up and ask one of the many international delivery service (pelican, black cat .... yeah, the animals) to haul my things? Oh. I forgot. There was another option: fly first class so that I can check in a few more kilos.

Well, Japan is cold. Not snowing cold, but cold enough to consider going into hibernation、that is, if I could. For now, it's not a stay of indulging food, shopping, sight seeing or meeting people ... it's been a stay of torturing my butt by sitting long hours re-reading academic papers for the thesis that's been haunting me. My butt is sore.

yup, that's Japan this winter .... sore ass.

I'm through!

I'm through the fasting torture that evil spinach has given me!

I'm EATING!

*twirls around in joy*
Man, do those pineapple cakes that usually get squished around in my backpack taste GOOD! Finally something other than water ... well, water really didn't happen either from fear of being friends with the toilet again ... yaay to flavor!

Resolutions

I've already failed before starting, but here are my new year resolutions:

1. Train myself to get up during single digit AMs.

2. Drink more fluids (water, juice, tea, coffee ... anything) everyday.

Why? Because I realized that if I go work in Japan, I'm going to have to get up much earlier than what I'm used to in order to get to work ... which most likely includes being packed like sardines on the trains or buses (... and I bet it's both).

The second one comes in because it's been a fairly recent realization that I don't drink too much. No, not alcoholic beverages. I've still got 3 months till I can open the can of soda plum wine set in front of my grandpa's picture. Which also means that when I go visit his grave in Japan this month, I can't offer alcohol to him. Japanese superstition that anything you offer at the grave shall not be brought home with you, and preferably is better when consumed there. (Yes, at the tombstone.) So ... I think this time, Grandpa's getting some warm milk tea or hot lemonade ... probably cold by the time I'm allowed to drink it.

... Getting back on track, my drinking habit is like that of a camel's ... when I drink, I drink alot, but when I don't ... I don't. Some days I get by with just a 450ml juice pack ... which isn't much at all. So I shall try to drink more, as soon as I get over the food poisoning vomiting party going on ... spinach from 4 days ago in fried rice was NOT a good idea. damn.

Happy New Year!

Around this time last year, I was blowing my nose and coughing up both my lungs ... and now I've just replaced the coughs with sneezes. Thank goodness for the free tissues that the gas stations give away in Taiwan ... I'm already on my third box this year.

May all of you spend this year without red noses and the trash bin empty of boogered tissues.
Happy New Year!