I can't believe that we are nearly in July already.
July and August. The hardest months of the year.
Why?
Because they are the months that everyone leaves.
Last year was really hard as I said goodbye to 3 of my girlfriends. This year I'm going to be saying goodbye to one of my best friends who I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the last 3 years.
There are so few people who I can be 100% myself with. He is one of them and I'm gonna miss him loads when he goes!! But it's all good - you can't ask for anything better than memories!
xoxo
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Painless!
Today was the most painless visit to the ward office I've ever had!!
Normally I get tripped up on all the different words for all the different taxes, but for some reason, today was as smooth as it could ever get.
I was worried about my gaijin card coz it's expired and because the new system comes into play soon, renewing now is an advance application for the new residence card, so I won't get that until after July 30th. It's gonna be ready in the immigration office, but I'm just hoping there won't be any problems since I come back to Japan after pickup window. The guy said it would probably be fine but gave me a number to call if I wanted to check anyway. Silky smooth.
Then it was onto the health insurance section, where I thought I'd have to argue really hard about paying twice for February. I explained it, found out that I was actually right, received an apology and got told the money would be deducted from my June payment and I'd only have to pay the excess.
Sometimes I really underestimate my own Japanese ability. Of course it's not perfect, but it really is enough to get by.
I even managed to ignored the petrified faces of the staff as they saw me coming towards them - the more rewarding thing was watching them relax into their chair when they realised that they wouldn't have to use any English.
Knackered after my aqua class. I swear that it has gotten so much harder - and not only because I haven't been for ages! I was talking to one of the other women who goes religiously every week and even she was knackered so that was OK. There's a new aqua class starting next month which looks more like boxing in water - DYING to try it out if I can sync the class times with my work schedule. If not, I'll just wait until August and plan work around it.
Definitely gonna need a red bull before work today!
xoxo
Normally I get tripped up on all the different words for all the different taxes, but for some reason, today was as smooth as it could ever get.
I was worried about my gaijin card coz it's expired and because the new system comes into play soon, renewing now is an advance application for the new residence card, so I won't get that until after July 30th. It's gonna be ready in the immigration office, but I'm just hoping there won't be any problems since I come back to Japan after pickup window. The guy said it would probably be fine but gave me a number to call if I wanted to check anyway. Silky smooth.
Then it was onto the health insurance section, where I thought I'd have to argue really hard about paying twice for February. I explained it, found out that I was actually right, received an apology and got told the money would be deducted from my June payment and I'd only have to pay the excess.
Sometimes I really underestimate my own Japanese ability. Of course it's not perfect, but it really is enough to get by.
I even managed to ignored the petrified faces of the staff as they saw me coming towards them - the more rewarding thing was watching them relax into their chair when they realised that they wouldn't have to use any English.
Knackered after my aqua class. I swear that it has gotten so much harder - and not only because I haven't been for ages! I was talking to one of the other women who goes religiously every week and even she was knackered so that was OK. There's a new aqua class starting next month which looks more like boxing in water - DYING to try it out if I can sync the class times with my work schedule. If not, I'll just wait until August and plan work around it.
Definitely gonna need a red bull before work today!
xoxo
Busy Busy
So it's Wednesday again - probably the busiest day of the week for me by a mile.
Because I don't startw ork until 5.30, Wednesday is always the day that I go out and run all those annoying errands that I never have time to do on any other day.
Today it's gonna be the gym, then the ward office to argue about my health insurance (I swear I've paid one month twice), renew my alien registration card, hit up the post office, pay about 150,000 yen's worth of bills, pay my rent (and kiss goodbye to 300,000yen right there), hit the supermarket and then get back home to receive test results from the doctor and hopefully some good news from my other appointment last week.
And then after all of that, I have to head into work until after 9pm.
Ufffff.
I've been speaking a lot to people about ways to save money recently. It's common knowledge that I absolutely SUCK at it, but my friend told me that his girlfriend was putting 70,000yen away every month in an account that she didn't touch. 6 years later, she finally updated her passbook and found out that she had over 4 million yen stashed away.
How great a surprise would that be?!
I'm thinking about maybe opening another account and doing the same thing. And then every 6 months sending the whole lot back to the UK and shoving it in an ISA or fixed bond. The crappy thing is the timing for starting those kinda things - I won't be receiving another full pay check until October now, so it's gonna be a bit tight for a few months. I'm already going back to the UK with way less money than I was expecting - I thought about hashing it out at the ward office about the payments for my inhabitant tax, but even if the payments were lower every month, I'd still have to pay the same amount, so for me, I think it's better to just get the payments outta the way as soon as possible.
And then there's the whole thing with my laziness going to the gym. I have 2 choices, go more, or quit. If I quit, I doubt I'll do any exercise at home - even though I have a whole loada stuff here that I would work out with. I'm paying a fortune every month and only going once or twice at best. I've started to feel more and more guilty about that recently, so I'm gonna try and make it at least twice a week. If I'm feeling lazy or tired, it's better to cut back on one or two lessons than throw that money away. I can make the lessons up at some other point, but I won't receive any of that membership money back.
OK, I'm out. It's gonna be a long day.
xoxo
Because I don't startw ork until 5.30, Wednesday is always the day that I go out and run all those annoying errands that I never have time to do on any other day.
Today it's gonna be the gym, then the ward office to argue about my health insurance (I swear I've paid one month twice), renew my alien registration card, hit up the post office, pay about 150,000 yen's worth of bills, pay my rent (and kiss goodbye to 300,000yen right there), hit the supermarket and then get back home to receive test results from the doctor and hopefully some good news from my other appointment last week.
And then after all of that, I have to head into work until after 9pm.
Ufffff.
I've been speaking a lot to people about ways to save money recently. It's common knowledge that I absolutely SUCK at it, but my friend told me that his girlfriend was putting 70,000yen away every month in an account that she didn't touch. 6 years later, she finally updated her passbook and found out that she had over 4 million yen stashed away.
How great a surprise would that be?!
I'm thinking about maybe opening another account and doing the same thing. And then every 6 months sending the whole lot back to the UK and shoving it in an ISA or fixed bond. The crappy thing is the timing for starting those kinda things - I won't be receiving another full pay check until October now, so it's gonna be a bit tight for a few months. I'm already going back to the UK with way less money than I was expecting - I thought about hashing it out at the ward office about the payments for my inhabitant tax, but even if the payments were lower every month, I'd still have to pay the same amount, so for me, I think it's better to just get the payments outta the way as soon as possible.
And then there's the whole thing with my laziness going to the gym. I have 2 choices, go more, or quit. If I quit, I doubt I'll do any exercise at home - even though I have a whole loada stuff here that I would work out with. I'm paying a fortune every month and only going once or twice at best. I've started to feel more and more guilty about that recently, so I'm gonna try and make it at least twice a week. If I'm feeling lazy or tired, it's better to cut back on one or two lessons than throw that money away. I can make the lessons up at some other point, but I won't receive any of that membership money back.
OK, I'm out. It's gonna be a long day.
xoxo
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Brrrrrr.....
Why can't the temperature in the office be relative to the weather outside?!
Today was GORGEOUS!! Sunny but with a breeze and NOT HOT. It was warm. The office air con could easily have been set at light 28 or something and it would have been fine.
I was OK for about 10 minutes and then I had to put my jacket on as I sat directly underneath the blazing air con. My clients were complaining and I was shivering.
But everytime I requested that it got turned up, someone started moaning that it was too cold again!! No joke, by this evening (and when the temperature had dropped significantly outside) it seemed like it was even colder and I had to request AGAIN that the damn thing got turned up - preferably off. I left work with a headache and a snuffly nose. =(
Whatever happened to saving energy?!!??!
xoxo
Today was GORGEOUS!! Sunny but with a breeze and NOT HOT. It was warm. The office air con could easily have been set at light 28 or something and it would have been fine.
I was OK for about 10 minutes and then I had to put my jacket on as I sat directly underneath the blazing air con. My clients were complaining and I was shivering.
But everytime I requested that it got turned up, someone started moaning that it was too cold again!! No joke, by this evening (and when the temperature had dropped significantly outside) it seemed like it was even colder and I had to request AGAIN that the damn thing got turned up - preferably off. I left work with a headache and a snuffly nose. =(
Whatever happened to saving energy?!!??!
xoxo
Rise And Shine Tokyo!
Wow - it is such a gorgeous morning in Tokyo today!
I woke up, opened the curtains and windows and have been enjoying the beautiful sunlight and a light breeze streaming through my lounge. **BIG SMILE**
And on top of that, I actually have some time to kick back this morning, do my nails and make a nice breakfast before heading into work this afternoon.
I love mornings like this - always makes for a more positive start to the day. And then makes me wish that I was heading to the beach instead of into a freezing cold air conditioned office! HAHAHA!
Still it's better than rain!
Have a great day everyone!
xoxo
I woke up, opened the curtains and windows and have been enjoying the beautiful sunlight and a light breeze streaming through my lounge. **BIG SMILE**
And on top of that, I actually have some time to kick back this morning, do my nails and make a nice breakfast before heading into work this afternoon.
I love mornings like this - always makes for a more positive start to the day. And then makes me wish that I was heading to the beach instead of into a freezing cold air conditioned office! HAHAHA!
Still it's better than rain!
Have a great day everyone!
xoxo
Monday, 25 June 2012
Cravings
Over the last couple of days, I've been getting these insane cravings that have been just IMPOSSIBLE to ignore.
Yesterday after I got home from work, I made lunch and then got hit by the sweet bug.
I'd already scoffed every ounce of chocolate that was about and had absolutely NOTHING sweet in the house. I tried to satisfy it with raisins but of course they didn't cut it.
So even though I really couldn't be arsed and had a million other things to do, I dropped everything and made a stack of pancakes. Of course I had the intention of saving some but that didn't happen - LOL!
Then today while I was at work, I couldn't stop thinking about Burger King. Or a double bacon whopper with cheese to be more specific. It's really annoying because the whole point of dropping a whole load of cash at Costco was to try and save money by making my meals instead of buying them. But I just couldn't get the thought outta my mind and totally went to BK before my Japanese class today. DOH!
Then I came home and cooked up some lamb and also made a whole load of inarizushi. I love the cooking part - I just hate all the washing up afterwards! Such a pain in the arse.
In the midst of all the Olympic excitement, I had totally forgotten about Wimbledon! I checked the website and then main competition starts today...shame that the TV channel that I can watch the live games on I need to pay for! I do enjoy a spot of Wimbledon though - it was great last year because I was back in London from the Quarter Finals and I remember parking my arse in front of the TV and not moving. No such luck this year though!
Hard to believe that in just a month I'm gonna be back in the UK. Before you know it, it's gonna be Christmas again! The years are just flying by - it's hard to keep up with everything!
xoxo
Yesterday after I got home from work, I made lunch and then got hit by the sweet bug.
I'd already scoffed every ounce of chocolate that was about and had absolutely NOTHING sweet in the house. I tried to satisfy it with raisins but of course they didn't cut it.
So even though I really couldn't be arsed and had a million other things to do, I dropped everything and made a stack of pancakes. Of course I had the intention of saving some but that didn't happen - LOL!
Then today while I was at work, I couldn't stop thinking about Burger King. Or a double bacon whopper with cheese to be more specific. It's really annoying because the whole point of dropping a whole load of cash at Costco was to try and save money by making my meals instead of buying them. But I just couldn't get the thought outta my mind and totally went to BK before my Japanese class today. DOH!
Then I came home and cooked up some lamb and also made a whole load of inarizushi. I love the cooking part - I just hate all the washing up afterwards! Such a pain in the arse.
In the midst of all the Olympic excitement, I had totally forgotten about Wimbledon! I checked the website and then main competition starts today...shame that the TV channel that I can watch the live games on I need to pay for! I do enjoy a spot of Wimbledon though - it was great last year because I was back in London from the Quarter Finals and I remember parking my arse in front of the TV and not moving. No such luck this year though!
Hard to believe that in just a month I'm gonna be back in the UK. Before you know it, it's gonna be Christmas again! The years are just flying by - it's hard to keep up with everything!
xoxo
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Restrained
After work today I went shopping to buy the jacket that I lost in Nippori station when I was on my way to the airport earlier on this month.
I was just gonna cut my losses, but I REALLY love that jacket and I decided just to buy another one.
I am absolutely loving the summer 2012 stuff in the shops right now. I was walking around and there was so much stuff that I was dying to try on and buy but I was good. I'm going back to London next month and I am gonna have a mammoth shopping spree there. It's gonna be cheaper as well!
God I am DYING to go shopping!!! I wanna buy sooooo many new clothes. I know I don't need them but everything is so cute right now that I just have to have it. Mind you, I still need to be kinda restricted - I'm not gonna have as much money to spend as I would like with the increase in taxes and health insurance.
Such a pain.
But so looking forward to hitting up Topshop and then rest of Oxford Street - SELFRIDGES...not to mention a trip to Westfield.
So exciting!!!
xoxo
I was just gonna cut my losses, but I REALLY love that jacket and I decided just to buy another one.
I am absolutely loving the summer 2012 stuff in the shops right now. I was walking around and there was so much stuff that I was dying to try on and buy but I was good. I'm going back to London next month and I am gonna have a mammoth shopping spree there. It's gonna be cheaper as well!
God I am DYING to go shopping!!! I wanna buy sooooo many new clothes. I know I don't need them but everything is so cute right now that I just have to have it. Mind you, I still need to be kinda restricted - I'm not gonna have as much money to spend as I would like with the increase in taxes and health insurance.
Such a pain.
But so looking forward to hitting up Topshop and then rest of Oxford Street - SELFRIDGES...not to mention a trip to Westfield.
So exciting!!!
xoxo
Friday, 22 June 2012
The Irony!
How unlucky can I be? Seriously?!
I only went for a full medical check on Wednesday - whilst I'm still waiting for a few results, the doctor declared me in full health.
So what happens today? I'm getting an effing cold!!!
I woke up feeling absolutely shattered - I thought it was just because I went to bed too late last night after watching the latest episode of SYTYCD and cooking. Normally, a can of red bull would sort me out, but today it did nothing.
And then at about 9 this morning I started feeling snuffly....and then started sneezing....and then started coughing. It hasn't turned into a full blown cold yet but I find it so damn ironic that this happens right after I've been told I'm in good health. So typical!!
And then I realised that this is actually my first cold this year! It's coz the trains and the offices have the air con absolutely blazing - I generally get some kinda cold around this time. I've cancelled my plans tomorrow night and am gonna try and hit the sack before midnight and try and sleep it off.
I found myself being a little short-tempered and snappy today. Luckily, it's easy to keep outta everyone's way working in Shinjuku, so I just did my thing and came straight home.
Really hoping I can kill this before it gets worse!
xoxo
I only went for a full medical check on Wednesday - whilst I'm still waiting for a few results, the doctor declared me in full health.
So what happens today? I'm getting an effing cold!!!
I woke up feeling absolutely shattered - I thought it was just because I went to bed too late last night after watching the latest episode of SYTYCD and cooking. Normally, a can of red bull would sort me out, but today it did nothing.
And then at about 9 this morning I started feeling snuffly....and then started sneezing....and then started coughing. It hasn't turned into a full blown cold yet but I find it so damn ironic that this happens right after I've been told I'm in good health. So typical!!
And then I realised that this is actually my first cold this year! It's coz the trains and the offices have the air con absolutely blazing - I generally get some kinda cold around this time. I've cancelled my plans tomorrow night and am gonna try and hit the sack before midnight and try and sleep it off.
I found myself being a little short-tempered and snappy today. Luckily, it's easy to keep outta everyone's way working in Shinjuku, so I just did my thing and came straight home.
Really hoping I can kill this before it gets worse!
xoxo
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