Once You're At The Top....

...the only way is down.

One minute you have everyone kissing your arse, but all it takes is ONE thing - no matter how small - to bring you tumbling down.

I saw it happen to someone I work with today. It's definitely opened up my eyes - it feels like it's almost a warning not to get complacent.

Warning noted.

xx

Oops I Did It Again!

I have a crush on someone I shouldn't.

AGAIN!

Actually, make that 3 people that I probably shouldn't.

LOL!

xx

Hehe!

I can't even begin to tell you how wasted I got on Tuesday night.

LMAO!!

My friends had to put me in a cab at like 5am - turns out my attempts at talking were just horrible slurring noises!

All this and I was still dressed in work clothes - how embarrassing! And brilliantly hilarious.

I had a blast.

Thanks boys!

xx

A New Level...

....of knackeredness.

I could barely keep my eyes open at work today and they seemed to get heavier as the day went on. On the train ride back home, I totally knocked out and now I am DYING to go to bed.

This is, it's not even 8.15pm! And I know that if I was to go to bed know I would knock straight out...and then wake up at like 1 or 2am. Which is so not cool given the fact that I'll be up at 5.15am anyway.

*sigh*

xx

*sniff* *sniff*

Urgh!

I feel rotten. Just, like, annoying runny nose and constant sniffing rotten.

And I know it's just gonna get worse. The cough will be next - dry, then chesty. I wonder how long I'm going to have to ride it out for.

I left work a little earlier today and decided to treat myself to a trip to the international supermarket, where I loaded up with Western goodies! Bagels, chocolate, cheese, HP sauce and more. No excuse not to cook now! I came back home and went to the local supermarket to stock up on vegetables as well and then cooked a green Thai curry for dinner.

Now I just have to keep it up! I always get short bursts of motivation to cook and prepare lunches to take to work, but then I get tired and we all know that when you get tired, you get lazy. And then all your food goes bad. But I'm determined not to let that happen this time - not after I spent about 13,000 yen on everything!

Even though I can afford it, I still resent paying such ridiculous prices for imported goods here. I was looking at cereals and other sauces and stuff and the prices are just extortionate! Especially when you think about what you would pay in Tesco back home! It's just really annoying, but at the end of the day, it boils down to how big your craving for stuff is. I'm not doing too badly but I did fork out the fiver for a small bottle of HP sauce. What a rip off! But sometimes, it has to be done.

Mmmmmm

xx

Snuffly

I've caught a cold.

And I know it was in Kyushu!!

When I went down there last weekend, I had absolutely no idea that it would be so cold! Seriously, in the evening it felt like we were already in the middle of winter. I didn't have enough warm clothes with me and resorted to borrowing suit jackets and hoodies.

I've been sniffing and sneezing all day. So not cool. It's not even just that - I hate the way having a cold makes me feel so run down! Even the energy drinks couldn't get me out of it today.

Definitely going to be an early night for me!

xx

E-Readers

Does anyone have an e-reader?

I'm really thinking about getting one.

Apart from the fact that I wouldn't have to lug a whole load of books with me on holiday, I reckon I would actually read more because I would be able to download new books at anytime - and at a cheaper price. I miss reading on trains - I don't have any new books and I haven't had time to browse online for some new ones either.

And I am loving the look of the new Kindle 3. I haven't really heard people talk about e-readers much and I haven't seen them about here so I have no idea how popular they are. What do you guys think?

I'm also leaning towards getting an iPhone. I never really cared about having an amazing phone before, but now that it looks like I'm gonna be hanging around for the forseeable future and I can actually AFFORD to own one, I'm thinking about it.

I can't decide if I want the iPhone or Blackberry....EVERYONE here has the iPhone and I prefer keys to touch screens....but then again, the iPhone can do so much MORE, not to mention the fact that it's WAY cheaper to run than a Blackberry over here.

HELP!!!

xx

Wildcards!!!

Yay to the wildcards in X-Factor!!!

DIVA FEVER ARE BACK IN!!!! Woohoo!!

So glad to see Treyc back in there as well - although I guess it would have been a tough decision between her and Gamu. Not sure that Danni brought the right guy back in and poor Louis didn't really have much of a choice! LOL!

I absolutely loved last night's show. I can't stand Storm or Nicolo with a passion but I really enjoyed the rest of the performances. Mary and Aidan absolutely SMASHED it for me but they were all soooooo good. Laughed my arse off at Wagner's performance and Diva Fever just made me grin - they're so much fun!!!

It's gonna be a great show this year!!

I got so caught up watching that I didn't make it to the gym like I planned.

DOH!!

xx

How Am I Feeling?

Tired, frustrated, anxious, excited, chuffed, full and I have a headache.

LOL.

Tired...well - you know why that is.

Frustrated because I'm not getting the results I want fast enough. I get there in the end but I want to be able to make things happen faster. Definitely a skill that's there but I need to seriously develop...kinda like getting that final hook instead of people walking away to think. I don't want them to think...I want them to make an instant decision. LOL - how many people do that? Really? It's normal for people to wanna think about something before splashing out so much cash on it, right? But I KNOW and I can see from other people that there is a hook - I just have to figure out what it is.

Anxious because...I dunno...I always feel a bit anxious when I'm going back to Kyushu. Even though I've only been back once since I left, it's going to be totally different this time. I know that I'm gonna be super anxious next time I go to the UK as well.

Excited...well, just because I really can't wait to see my friends that ARE still in Kyushu. =)

Chuffed because I finally got notification that I will receive some unemployment insurance from the money that I lost when my last company went bankrupt. It's not a lot and isn't close to the amount I actually lost but at least it's something and I'm looking at it as I kinda little bonus on top of my wages. Which means I'm going to blow the whole lot shopping!! If I can actually find anything to buy that is.

Full because I've yet again stuffed my face with crap. Man, I really need to get to the supermarket tomorrow so I can eat something that constitutes as a healthy meal.

No idea why I have a headache....probably because I'm not drinking enough water. LOL.

xx

How Is It...

....that I manage to sleep through the whole night for the first time in ages, yet still feel so tired today?

Exhausted.

It's really annoying as well that I still wake up so early on my day off. I know my body is used to the early mornings, but even when I go to bed late, I never seem to sleep in much past 8am.

Useless.

I can't tell you how much I'm ready for my break next weekend. 4 days off work and a whole weekend where for once, I can go out all night and drink too much and spend all my time with my friends. I was looking forward to it before, but now that it's drawing closer and closer, I'm realising more and more how much I really need this break. It's almost like it's the perfect time to take one as well.

Now that I don't have any bureaucratic crap to worry about, I will really be able to relax. Next month as well.....not to mention my well deserved two and half week break in Oz. I can't wait to get some sun and go black! I hate being this pale!!!!

Bring it on!!

xx

How Efficient

The Immigration Office have definitely upped their efficiency.

I remember when I went there a year ago, I had to wait for absolutely hours to be seen. I went in today and picked up my visa AND got a reentry permit in under 30 mins. I was probably in and out in about 20 now that I think about it. It probably had something to do with the fact that I got there later than I went last time - just before 3pm. It's definitely a risk because they close at 4 but it seems like most people try and get there as early as possible.

I'll remember that for future visits! Not that I should have to make any visits for a while...

...my 3 year visa extension was APPROVED.

I was surprised my company were willing to sponsor me actually - especially since I'm an itaku worker and not an "official" full time member of staff. Most eikawas only sponsor their teachers for a year so I'm feeling well chuffed today.

And for once I had a smooth exchange at the ward office for the first time ever!!! The woman in the pension department used simple Japanese to explain everything instead of bombarding me with all this tax jargon that I just can't get my head around without a dictionary. Thanks to her, I've just gotten out of paying the pension until next June. It was becoming such a bureaucratic headache to get myself exempt, that I was gonna just yield, so I'm so glad that she made it easy for me.

So exhausted. It's been a couple of weeks since I last went to the gym, so the 30 minutes aqua session this mornign has properly knackered me out. And since I'm gonna be working the next 8 days in a row, I'm gonna try and get an early night.

Haven't been sleeping so well recently, so I hope I can just knock out.

xx

Break Up Sex

Hehe!

I accidently on purpose taught this to a client today.

She was telling me about her (considerably) younger boyfriend who she is going on holiday with this week.

She was telling me that she thinks it's best for them to split up. She didn't know the term split up, so i asked her to give me another example of how to use it.

She turns to me and says...and I quote verbatim...

"I'm going to tell him my true feelings and if he doesn't like it, I'm going to strip".

LMAO!!! I just burst out into hysterics. She knows the word strip so I didn't have to tell her what she had really said. We were laughing for ages and then she tells that stripping would be a good thing at that time as well. LOL!!

Hence, the term break up sex!!! I just couldn't resist. I love this woman - it's actually freaky how alike we are, even though she's 9 years older than me. We both speak Spanish and adore Spain, we both are career first women, we both would be content with a partner instead of getting married, we both don't really mind if we don't have children, we both have the same attitudes towards men - using them as a plaything is PERFECTLY OK.....the list goes on!!!

When she comes back from Spain in a couple of weeks, I'm defintiely gonna suggest we go for a drink! I can only imagine how fun it would be! Plus we would have a choice of 3 languages to converse in. It's gonna be wild - I know it already!

xx

I Forgot!

On a completely different note...

I found out today that I might have made it 4th in the top 5 ranking for company sales among instructors last month. Just waiting for the figures to be confirmed but how awesome is that?

Feeling very chuffed indeed.

And a little embarrassed by all the praise. I'll never work out why I get so shy.

xx

Serious Shock!

Yesterday I was ranting how great Gamu and Treyc are and how I can't stand Katie and Cher.

I don't know what the hell Cheryl is thinking. Well, I kinda get it. Katie and Cher are unique but they don't have the vocal quality to win this. I am seriously shocked that Gamu and Treyc didn't make it. Unbelievable.

And I also can't believe Niccolo made it in over Marlon!!! Man, even I would've picked up the phone for that guy - and not just because he's hot! He has an incredible recording voice.

I feel so sorry for the ones that didn't make it through.

It's made me think that the groups have a real shot of finally winning this year. Seriously.

It's gonna be an interesting one.

xx

Spot The Talent

OMG is it right to be this excited about this season of X-Factor?!

I've never liked this many acts before!!

Faves are as follows

In the boys : Marlon and Karl (serious eye candy!!!) and Matt. Matt has just the MOST incredible voice

In the over 28's: not a hard one - Mary has by far the best voice and I like that quirky guy with the hat whose name I've forgotten!! Storm has a great voice but I just wanna punch him. Either way, no one in this category is gonna win.

In the groups: I LOVE Diva Fever!! They were really good in Marbella! And I love Twem but I doubt they'll make it through. Love the group F.Y.D or whatever they're called and the new boy band that was put together out of the solo artists. That new girl band that was put together are pretty great too.

In the girls: All of them except Cher and Katie. Those 2 do my head in!!!! I can't see the fuss about Cher....the other girls have so much more talent - Tracy and Rebecca are INCREDIBLE and so is Gamu!! Their voices are just outstanding that I could listen to them all day. Definitely a fan.

It's gonna be between the girls and boys this year!

Loving, loving, loving it!! I wish it was on all the time. LOL!!

xx

Tired

My goodness - this morning was seriously tough at work.

I don't even think I went to bed that late last night but I was absolutely exhausted this morning. It took all my power to stifle my yawns throughout the first 7 lessons and a load of my clients commented on how tired I looked. I couldn't even attempt to hide it.

Really looking forward to the long weekend that I'm treating myself to in 2 weeks.

2 weeks?! I can't believe it's come around already! But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about going back to Kyushu. Not necessarily where I was living but I'm proper chuffed to be going back to Fukuoka. Seeing friends, shopping and walking around Canal City. I went shopping here on my day off - man shopping in Japan really sucks!! I wasn't feeling ANYTHING in the shops...except Chanel...not that I'm in a position to be spending that - not yet anyway! LOL!

xx