December 19-25, 2005
Hey everyone!!
What a week hey! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas Day and Boxing Day - no doubt those of my Aussie contacts would have had a hot Xmas Day??
Well, this is my last email of the year - the next one will be on the 1st of anuary 2006! Can't believe how fast this decade is going!!
I had another exceptionally busy week. Monday the 19th was my brother's b'day and my best friend Candice's - so I will wish them another HAPPY BIRTHDAY here!!
Went to see an Albert Einstein exhibition last Monday at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre. It was the opening ceremony of the exhibition which I was invited to, with one of Albert Einstein's daughter-in-laws as a guest speaker! Really enjoyed the exhibition too, which details his trip to Japan in the late 1940's to lecture at universities across Japan - it is like a memoire presentation - Great exhibition!
Last Tuesday I had my second last Japanese class for the year, then did some study for the rest of the day. Nothing much happened...
Wednesday was filled with more study before going to watch a Christmas Concert at my University - a trombone quartet performance which really reminded meof my days in the school concert band! A great concert also featuring an opera singer who performed "Oh Holy Night" and "Silent Night" in English and Japanese (interesting!) as well as a grand piano solo. This really got me into the spirit of Christmas!
Thursday was my last day at uni for the year, so we all celebrated (a few classmates) by going out to dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant followed by an ice cold beer at the local festival that was being held - didn't need it to be ice cold however, as the temperature was almost zero!!! Headed out to Karaoke after that and sand the night away to our favourites - "Like A Virgin" (Madonna), "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen) and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" (Aerosmith). Didn't feel like going home at 11pm, so we headed into the city and went clubbing till 5am!! As you do! It was a Madonna night at the club we went to (Arty Farty), so we got to dance to a lot of Madonna songs, including many tracks of her latest album "Confessions On A Dancefloor." Met this really funny guy who convinced me to get up on stage and act "like Madonna" including doing moves from her latest video clip, as well as gesturing to the crowd! Had a lot of fun!
On Friday I slept most of the day then went to Shinjuku Park and relaxed on the grass reading my Nelson Mandela book. Still sifting through the 750 page novel - feels like I am never going to finish!! Then went out to dinner with my friend Emerald, who still had sleep in her eyes, because of the night before!
Saturday (Chrissy Eve) was spent meeting a friend and going to the movies to see "Sayuri" - an adaptation of the book "Memoires Of A Geisha." Didn't really enjoy the movie because it deviated from the story depicted in the book too much, and the fact that a story set in Japan was being told in English by Chinese actors!!! Typically American take on tradition - it should have been done in Japanese as far as I am concerned!!
Then headed out for dinner at an authentic Thai restaurant - was craving a Green Curry!! Before coming home, caught the train to Tokyo Station and looked at a massive Christmas lights display!
And yesterday - Christmas Day - enjoyed chatting to the family over the internet and briefly on the phone, before heading out to a Greek Restaurant for lunch. Not traditional Christmas food (that I am used to at least), but a nice atmosphere and awesome food!
Met an Aussie friend in the afternoon and went to an Aussie pub to have an Aussie Christmas dinner!! Turkey, cranberrie sauce, potato mash with chives and stuffing! Washed it down with a champagne and a pint of beer!!!!
Couldn't get enough of the Christmas spirit, so the three of us headed back to Tokyo to take in the Christmas lights display - easily the best in Japan - possiby the best in the world. The Tokyo Millenario Display it is called, for any of you who might have heard of it before. We then sat down in a very fine champagne bar and had a $20 glass of champagne! Expensive, but worth it!
So, the festive season is now over (for another year). Again, this year I had a very different Christmas compared to last year - having been in Costa Rica and surviving on rice and beans for Christmas lunch!!
Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas with their partners, loved ones, and family.
Take care everyone and look forward to contacting you in the New Year!!
Tim
xxxx
What a week hey! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas Day and Boxing Day - no doubt those of my Aussie contacts would have had a hot Xmas Day??
Well, this is my last email of the year - the next one will be on the 1st of anuary 2006! Can't believe how fast this decade is going!!
I had another exceptionally busy week. Monday the 19th was my brother's b'day and my best friend Candice's - so I will wish them another HAPPY BIRTHDAY here!!
Went to see an Albert Einstein exhibition last Monday at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre. It was the opening ceremony of the exhibition which I was invited to, with one of Albert Einstein's daughter-in-laws as a guest speaker! Really enjoyed the exhibition too, which details his trip to Japan in the late 1940's to lecture at universities across Japan - it is like a memoire presentation - Great exhibition!
Last Tuesday I had my second last Japanese class for the year, then did some study for the rest of the day. Nothing much happened...
Wednesday was filled with more study before going to watch a Christmas Concert at my University - a trombone quartet performance which really reminded meof my days in the school concert band! A great concert also featuring an opera singer who performed "Oh Holy Night" and "Silent Night" in English and Japanese (interesting!) as well as a grand piano solo. This really got me into the spirit of Christmas!
Thursday was my last day at uni for the year, so we all celebrated (a few classmates) by going out to dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant followed by an ice cold beer at the local festival that was being held - didn't need it to be ice cold however, as the temperature was almost zero!!! Headed out to Karaoke after that and sand the night away to our favourites - "Like A Virgin" (Madonna), "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen) and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" (Aerosmith). Didn't feel like going home at 11pm, so we headed into the city and went clubbing till 5am!! As you do! It was a Madonna night at the club we went to (Arty Farty), so we got to dance to a lot of Madonna songs, including many tracks of her latest album "Confessions On A Dancefloor." Met this really funny guy who convinced me to get up on stage and act "like Madonna" including doing moves from her latest video clip, as well as gesturing to the crowd! Had a lot of fun!
On Friday I slept most of the day then went to Shinjuku Park and relaxed on the grass reading my Nelson Mandela book. Still sifting through the 750 page novel - feels like I am never going to finish!! Then went out to dinner with my friend Emerald, who still had sleep in her eyes, because of the night before!
Saturday (Chrissy Eve) was spent meeting a friend and going to the movies to see "Sayuri" - an adaptation of the book "Memoires Of A Geisha." Didn't really enjoy the movie because it deviated from the story depicted in the book too much, and the fact that a story set in Japan was being told in English by Chinese actors!!! Typically American take on tradition - it should have been done in Japanese as far as I am concerned!!
Then headed out for dinner at an authentic Thai restaurant - was craving a Green Curry!! Before coming home, caught the train to Tokyo Station and looked at a massive Christmas lights display!
And yesterday - Christmas Day - enjoyed chatting to the family over the internet and briefly on the phone, before heading out to a Greek Restaurant for lunch. Not traditional Christmas food (that I am used to at least), but a nice atmosphere and awesome food!
Met an Aussie friend in the afternoon and went to an Aussie pub to have an Aussie Christmas dinner!! Turkey, cranberrie sauce, potato mash with chives and stuffing! Washed it down with a champagne and a pint of beer!!!!
Couldn't get enough of the Christmas spirit, so the three of us headed back to Tokyo to take in the Christmas lights display - easily the best in Japan - possiby the best in the world. The Tokyo Millenario Display it is called, for any of you who might have heard of it before. We then sat down in a very fine champagne bar and had a $20 glass of champagne! Expensive, but worth it!
So, the festive season is now over (for another year). Again, this year I had a very different Christmas compared to last year - having been in Costa Rica and surviving on rice and beans for Christmas lunch!!
Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas with their partners, loved ones, and family.
Take care everyone and look forward to contacting you in the New Year!!
Tim
xxxx
posted by Tim at 11:13 AM
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