The countdown to Australia is getting lower and lower - its 24 hours until my plane leaves Narita. I still need to write christmas cards; as long as I can get the ones that need to go to Japan done by tomorrow, I can send them from Narita.

My packing is still not quite complete - rest assured pressies and the like are safely in my bag, but I still haven't packed clothes. At least this promises to be an easy task - I'll just throw my summer clothes in. Its not as though I'm wearing them these days...

I should be packing all evening too, but I'm off to Tokyo for dinner. Its the Emperor's birthday, too, and hamsters all across Japan are celebrating.
Wonder if I'll see him this evening - he might be out on the town....

The Christmas Party with the company did not involve monkeys, as expected.
Not to worry, though, for there were many interesting people, some trainers, some recruiters, and some people I hadnt seen since August.

Its now less than a week until I shall be back in Australia for Christmas. Work for the rest of this week promises to be rather quiet- classes as normal tomorrow morning, but from lunchtime onward its going to be time to do other things. Friday, perversely, will be busy from whoa to go - Hiratsuka are (shock, horror) planning on using me for classes ALL DAY, though it will be at a school camp location. They have commandeered a university building just up the road and running three days of intensive classes (right before the holidays...), so I shall be up there, busy for a change, until the last minute. This school has used me for all of four classes this year so far, plus the frustratingly pointless engrish crub, but on this, the last day of the term, they want me all day! Amusing, in some degree.

Australia in seven days.