Adulthood

When I went back to Australia I got a cold, hard slap across the face. All of my friends were adults. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow in the year or two I was away the people I did stupid shit with when I was young all had morals, jobs and self-control. Naturally, I found it hard to relate to this new stage in their lives. They were doing mature things like getting engaged and married, buying cars and houses, getting pregnant and having babies. One of my mates is so mature she is divorced. It was all a bit overwhelming. How could I compete?

I decided to join the race and take my very own step into adulthood. I have just moved into a sexy new apartment in the hottest suburb of Tokyo, Nakano. Alone. That’s right, I was mature enough to find my own pad in the big smoke, and I’m pretty bloody pleased about it. I can’t claim that I did it entirely on my own. I think I owe Steve my first-born child to repay him for carting the entire contents of my bedroom in suitcases via the train. Karryn and Tadao saved my skin by taking the furniture by car. Steve is only barely talking to me after the suitcases, I think he’d have officially cut me off if he’d had to carry a bookshelf through the station. I’m still building bridges.

So not only have I taken the plunge with my own pad, but on Sunday I made my biggest commitment to Japan so far. I bought furniture. I went to IKEA and actually paid money for big stuff that wont fit in a suitcase. I am finally off the ground. Well, I will be on Sunday when the gear is delivered. For almost two years now I have been sleeping on a fold away futon on the ground, my couch has no legs and I use a coffee table when I eat dinner. The novelty of an indoor picnic has worn off. So finally on Sunday I’ll be able to say balls to “the Japanese way” and sit upright at a table to eat, I’ll be able to step into bed and sit on a sofa. It’s the simple things people.

I know you are all gagging to sneak a peak at my hot new love pad, but you are going to have to wait until the place is in its prime. That means after Sunday when the furniture is delivered, then until I can peel myself off it to take pictures. But until then, you can be happy that your little girl is finally growing up.

Melbourne for Rock Stars

This week Endo and I decided to mix things up a bit and head to Melbourne to visit his family and my long lost gorgeous girlfriend Sandy. It was so good to see her again and a little surreal to see her in Australia. It was hard to imagine cruising with her in her sexy Holden in Japan but it was fabulous and OZ and we loved it. We hung out in the city, saw an exhibition, lazed in café’s, played pool at the pub, shopped for shoes, wandered the streets and saw Cam’s band play. I couldn’t have asked for a better holiday or reunion with such a lovely lady. Melbourne rocks, I could certainly get used to the lifestyle there. Sand will definitely be seeing more of me when I get back to Aus, probably sleeping on her couch.

Tourist

After the initial shock of being back in Australia, stupefied by the amount of space and time around me, I am really warming up to this Australia gig. I have finally started to stop comparing everything to Japan and accepting my country for the beautiful place that it is. It’s magic. My first day of walking around Sydney, I really did feel like a Japanese tourist. My mum phoned me whilst I was on the train and I answered with a whispered “I can’t talk, I’m on the train” before it occurred to me that yes, in fact I could talk and no one will even batter an eyelid. At that point I wondered quietly to myself, when did I become such an anal-retentive nana? And except for the 30% of the nation (possibly all located in my hometown) that are hideously obese, the people here really are beautiful and TALL. I am dwarfed by everyone here and I love it! It makes for a nice change from being the giant foreigner. Here, no one is staring at me on the train, yet I find myself staring at them. And if I do catch their eye, they do this really strange thing. They smile. It took me a while to work out what the weird thing they were doing with the corner of their mouths was, so for a moment I just sat watching them. After the smiling I was completely baffled when a stranger struck up a conversation with me at the train station. Even at Hungry Jacks the cashier asked me how I was! And then actually listened to the answer. Then at Subway the woman was interested in my Christmas plans (Yes, I’m doing the fast-food circuit). I had no idea that it was possible for people to be so friendly.

I spend two nights in Sydney at my gorgeous mate Andrew’s house in Coogee and was lucky enough to catch up with Andrea while she was in the country and had my first beer in 3 years with one of my oldest mates, Borz. Got to do all the touristy things all over again and experience some scary Aussie culture (word of advice: do not get on a train). We had a wicked time with beautiful friends and beautiful weather. Loved it. x

Photo evidence that I really am a short-arse in Australia

Andrew and I being posers as usual

Happy New Year

This year I opted for an extremely quiet one with a few of my oldest & best mates. Ang, Heady, Endo and I had a very sophisticated 5-course meal at a sweet little restaurant in Lorn. We got a bit of an insight into our future because we were surrounded by a bunch of oldies, who looked like they’d had their fair share of good meals in their life. We weren't completely mature though, we chose the BYO option then wondered on the way into the restaurant whether an esky full of 8 bottles of wine was going to be enough for the 3 of us (Ang wasn’t drinking). After polishing off our gourmet meals we headed back to Endo’s house for a quick dip in the pool, a cheese platter and a couple more bottles of wine. Like proper oldies we all watched the fireworks on the teev, Ang and Heady went home to bed and Endo and I sat up until all hours discussing the state of our lives over a bottle of Frangelico. Happy New Year everyone, if 2007 is anywhere near as good as 2006 it will be a very good year. Love to all x x x