not too much to say...

"So this is Christmas...and a happy new year..." too bad Lennon was wrong and the war is not over, even though we all really want it too be.

So how was the Christmas? Good I hope. I can only hope that you got what you wanted and not what you deserved. Ha! Just kiddin'. No curses over your houses on my part. But I do have to say that Christmas in Japan this year was not all that bad.

Here's the short version: 24th Went to yaki-niku (grill your own meat, dip in sauce, repeat)...it was friggin' amazing. I had gone to this type of place before...but it being Christmas and all (the Japanese equivalant to Valentine's Day) I had to take the Lady Friend to a classy joint...so anyway, the meat was delicious (honestly, I don't want to say this, but it was like butter...so thinly sliced and deliciously marbled), the atmosphere was quite Japanese with a touch of Korea (yaki-niku is Korean by design)...overall an enjoyable evening...until the bill came.

25th: Went to the KR&AC (where I play rugby) and ate a wonderful Turkey and Ham dinner...with the fixin's...not quite homemade, but my stocking cap goes off to Simon for making all us foreigners feel at home...the day was accented with mulled wine (also delicious) and an afternoon/evening filled with 500 (a game a lot like Euchre or Spades...fantabulous)...my partner Pat and I won nearly 13 consecutive hands going undefeated for what seemed to about 2 hours...oh and I got a new rugby bag from Noriko...and socks, she's a t'inker

skipping ahead

December 31st: went to Noriko's parent's home...ate a big meal and drank Okinawan Sho-Chu...scary evening...went to Shinto Shrine/festival at 3 in the morning...a lot of fun...

Jan. 1-3: O-Shogotsu...Japanese holiday, much like Christmas...this is the time when the families all get together for three days of rest...traditionally the mother doesn't cook and everyone is allowed to sit about and watch t.v. specials...which I taped a great deal of...you don't have to know what they are saying to laugh...amazing stuff...over these fews days I slept, ate, and watched the tube...it was Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving being pushed into a solid three day stint...without the whole Jesus aspect though...no disrespect JC...just sayin'...

It was fun. But now it's over and I'm homesick. I really want to come and see all of you folks...that I'll see...or something like that...take care and I will there soon enough...sorry about the "..." I thought that it would an interesting touch...plus I've been reading Celine and he does it all the time...so I thought that I would give it a try...go ahead...you know you want to as well.............