Friday, November 30, 2007

miscellanystuff

There are various things I've nearly posted about in the past few weeks but just never got around to, due to busy days and nights of exhaustion. So first, for the scant handful of people who care, an update on my dull life in an exciting city.

I'm still volunteering at the UNU three mornings a week, and frankly the thrill has mostly worn off. I'd love to work there full-time (paid!) so that I could be more involved in the actual work. Only being there 7.5 hrs/week means they end up giving me only dribs and drabs of work, eg., researching film fests to enter their just completed documentary into. Also, the 1/2 hour of cycling for each 2.5 hours of volunteering is an extra bit of exercise I really don't need, seeing as I walk G-dog for an hour daily before dinner, after my shift at the embassy.

And work at the embassy hasn't exactly been a gas lately either. There're squabbles going on and tension due to budget cuts and an audit that's currently in progress. And that's not to mention Aran's misery at being completely and utterly bored out of his tree.

Anyway... on to the fun little things I should have recently been posting about:

Beam: We've been enjoying our new laptop. But particularly the stereo playing stuff from the i-Tunes that was pre-loaded by the friend that sold us the machine, who incidentally has awesome, extensive, eclectic taste.

Autumn and foliage: I heard there's snow back home and I don't envy that at all. We've still got daytime highs in the teens and the fiery leaves on the ground are only just beginning to outnumber those left on the bush. The ginkos (pictured above) are in their full yellow glory and won't begin falling for a couple more weeks. Summer is my favourite season at home but fall is definitely tops in Japan.

Nihon-shu: The last charity event of the gov't workplace campaign that we attended was last week's sake tasting. Sake is in fact a Japanese word for alcohol. What we call sake back home is actually nihon-shu and the stuff we get in Canada is not exactly the cream of the crop. Here it is most popularly served cold, whereas in restaurants at home it's always served hot, which doesn't do it justice in the least. But I digress. The stuff we were privileged to try (donated by top nihon-shu makers) was phenomenal and we've decided to try and stop buying so much wine and focus on enjoying more great nihon-shu while we can.

Wardrobe wonders: I keep meaning to snap some shots of the great finds I picked up last weekend at my regular thrift shop in Harajuku. I bought a new fall wardrobe for $50: a gorgeous sage fuzzy cardigan; two other shrug-like cardigans; a tweedy wool skirt with a saucy split and flirty flounce; a cool deconstructed cotton top; and my new favourite scarf, a multi-coloured gauzy number. And I believe that only one of these items was ever previously worn. I have also taken out of storage the fabulous ankle-length fitted brown tweed coat I bought there last fall for $20. My reign as thrift queen continues!

Comments:

Hola Kyaroru ,
Good morning to you in Tokio.
This is a greeting from Brazil.
I liked some of your posts, specially that: "Inspired by Gandhi" Gandhi was a great man and I admire him......
The detail of the small jar with those flowers made great diference
in the appearance of your blog.
With my best wishes and desiring you a very nice sunday.
Geraldo
In case you wanna drop by my space here is the URL:
http://www.geocities.com/geraldom3
 
it waqs so awesome to talk to you friday night!
h my god we had a major snowstorm during the night (sunday to monday) and you should see the streets... i was over an hour on the bus this morning. *sigh*
the ginko trees and your orchids are so beautiful!
*hugs*
miss youas always
take pics of your new clothes!!!!
 
Hi Carol,

I am so sorry I haven't answered to your posts lately, but I over my head with work at work and at home. Too much to do and only 2 hands. But I like it busy, so no complaint.

I am really happy you tell us different stories about your life over there, you can't imagine how much you stimulate my imagination.

By the way, I am going to wish you a wonderful birthday now, because I don't want to forget. I hope it doesn't bother you.

From what I understand, it is boring to work at an embassy, isn't it?

Well, at least you have the occasion to live and enjoy another part of the world.

Did you know that Yami is expecting a baby, that CLC has left the CEC for the UN and that Marian is going to leave too?

Give kisses from my part to little G and to Aran.
 
Thanks so much Carmen! For news, birthday wishes and all! Yes, I knew Yami's preggers and that Marian was leaving. Didn't know about CLC. Wow, the old crowd is really gone, gone, gone...

Well, I wish you a very Merry Christmas in snowy Quebec (sorry, it's 11C here today) and all the best in 2008!
 
This year we don't even have the Christmas party. I really have no idea what is happening, but nobody said a word about it. Tomorrow, the ones that are still at work are going to celebrate in a pot luck lunch the Christmas, in room A.
Indeed the old crowd left and the new one is arriving. The CEC is full of Mexicans. :-) Until now all the new employees are from there. Only the project coordinators, new positions, and the rest of GS are from Canada, can you believe?

If you really want to see how bad it snowed yesterday, go on my flickr account and see with your own eyes.

Kisses
 
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