a decade gone by

Got back from the inlaws Sunday night - had a quiet new years thanks to an altercation with J on the night of the 30th that meant that I didn't talk to him at all until about midday on the 1st, as we were lining up 3 and 4-deep (yes, for 40mins to get to the alter) for hatsumode , when I guess it hit me that I was being silly and this was no way to start a new year. Anyway, it is already 5 days into the new year, but I have only just realised that it is the start of a new decade (my, how informative blogs can be!) and just started thinking about NY resolutions (which I never really make anyway, but perhaps will try this year...)

The memories of the decade type reflections has been doing the rounds, it seems, so figured I may as well have a go - if only for my own failing memorie's benefit. It turned out quite long, it's funny what you remember!

2000 - Had just broken up with M, whom I had been going out with during most of uni, and even stayed together when I came to Japan on JET the previous July. He came to visit over Xmas and NY, but we broke up during his visit. Was consoled by Japanese
T whom I kinda fell hard for, until he cancelled a weekend away to Shikoku several months later an hour before we were supposed to go. Spent many a Fri night at Pub Chaya, the local hangout, or weekends away in Fukuoka (met a "Sgt Pluggit - his REAL name - at one of the "cocks" in Fukuoka, lol) Bought my blue mountain bike with hybrid tyres for all the weekends of cycling over the hills to Kamae and back. Did first charity cycling 100km in 3days. Started getting into triathlons - would do the bike leg in team events.
Spent Christmas in the UK with L and her family. It snowed on Xmas morning!! Hopped across to Ireland, hired a car and drove around Galway, Kilkenny, The Blarney Stone, etc. Stayed at L's grandfather's old house in (cant remember name of town) and was stared down like I was a madman at the bar when I tried to order a contreau lime and soda, lol (ended up with a guiness). Fell asleep the first night at the house with what felt like someone whispering in my ear. Turned out her grandmother had died in the bedroom, and legend has it that her ghost still sits in the window there (right where MY bed was!) Spooky!

2001 - Started attempting 10k marathons - did one in Ume (freakin' cold - it started snowing!) where I came 2nd last(the follow-up car was behind me, lol) Did mini triathlons in Miyazaki "Seagaia" and Ibusuki (Kagoshima)- still hated the running part! Went holidaying to Thailand in Sept with L (as flight to Canada/US got cancelled after September 11, so my holiday to visit H in Canada was cancelled) Back to Aus for Christmas. Got back together with first love, briefly. Went to the New Years Black Tie ball together in Bris.


2002 - Started seeing H in my section at work (kinda enjoyed the hush hush, secret winks, holding hands in the work car, lol) HE took me to Shikoku, lol! FIFA World Cup - brother and L came over as we got tickets to the Mexico-Italy game at Big Eye. Actually went temporarily blind in one eye after a night of drinking cheapo whiskey at "The Hit Parade" in Beppu while my bro was visiting, leading to the new nick-name of "one-eye". Finished JET in July, and went travelling around China for a month before catching the train from Beijing to Ulan Bataar and spending 2 months volunteer English teaching at a bank in Mongolia's capitol. Stayed with young family, and ate and ate and ate for 2 months! Back to Australia in Nov. Sat 日本語能力試験 in Dec. Started looking for work back in Japan (hoped to get to Fukuoka)

2003 - Went to a psychic fair in Canberra with friends in Jan and was told that I had an afinity with a foreign country, somewhere like "holland" (lol) and that there was a man with black hair on the phone telling me to "come". Got a phone call from uni in Beppu a few weeks later, telling me to come over for a job. Started in April, recruiting international students, same time as M-chan, got on like a house on fire - we spent our Golden week holiday in LA, and she came back to Aus for Xmas that year. Did some travelling for work - Hawaii was a bonus trip!! Spent many a week night at yaki niku place next to our bldg, or yakitori joint just a short stroll (enough for one or 2 chuhai cans) down the road, or at Nori-chan's bar, or at that other bar with the round ice cubes that I can't remember the name of, but that we had a crush on the "master" . Also had many cheese and wine nights at 90210 on the balcony watching the hostesses across the road come out of their building and be shuffled into the awaiting minivans for transportation. Went out for Halloween dressed as the Kano shimai. We even caught the train to Oita looking like that!! Was known for my love of American dogs (not a euphemism, the ones you buy from conbini) after a night out. Met J during this time, and we got together when I came up to Tokes for a weekend with some friends to watch the rugby world cup (on tv at a sports bar, lol). Started　遠距離恋愛

2004 - Lots more travelling for work - Sri Lanka with M, India/Dubai by myself, Hawaii again, alone this time!! Vietnam with M, Kyoto, Brisbane (timed it in with a bit of a visit home). Came up to Tokes several times during ski season to go skiing/snowboarding with J around Nagano/Niigata etc. Used to meet up either in Tokes or Oita about once a month or so for weekends. Did lots of travelling together during these weekends from as far south as Yakushima to as far north as Aomori in summer. J came home with me at Xmas to meet the family, and we started looking at diamond rings in Aus (but still there was no offficial proposal, lol).

2005 - Parents came to visit in Feb, and J and I decided to think about getting married, so I moved to Tokyo in April to live with him, got job as local staff at Aus embassy. Told pop we were getting married and he tells me he can't believe it. Dad and him have a fallout and never speak again. Had small wedding party in Tokyo in Oct for Japanese friends and family. Back to Aus in Oct for friend's wedding, then for our own wedding in Nov. I manage to see Pop at the hospital just hours before he passes away a week before our wedding. Hard week leadup to wedding, but absolutely fabulous day, we had a ball, had so many rellies come up to be part of our wedding day. Short 3day honeymoon at Buderim. Xmas and NY back in Japan. ★ラブラブ★　

2006 - Did some more casual work with embassy, while planning our REAL honeymoon: 3 months backpacking around South America March-May. Absolutely amazing trip!! Got back to Japan, more casual work, started tea ceremony lessons again with an amazing sensei, got R-chan, then got pregnant the next month and quit embassy as couldn't hack the train rides in peak hour into central tokyo. Went back to Aus for Xmas, J couldn't make it.

2007- Moved out of granny flat beside PIL house to apartment near Shinjuku (had to quit tea ceremony lessons, boo-hoo, I miss them!). K born in April. Hard year for J work wise as he attempted a new venture with long hours. We hardly had any time together, except for after midnight when we would pig out on conbini junk food together. Had some dental work done (pg messes with your teeth, right!). Had visits from my parents when K was born, my brother and L when K was 3 months old as well as best friend H. Took K on her first camping trip when she was 4 months old (Tanzawa in the middle of summer). We went back to Aus in Sept for a month to show off K, and for C's wedding.

2008 - Moved again, J got new job, I had a hard start to the year with some kind of depressed mood for several months after K stopped breastfeeding (bloody hormones!!). Visits from my parents, friend C, neice K. Started trying to get pg at end of year. I went home for Dec, and J visited for a week over Xmas and NY. Had a great NY down the coast with H.

2009 - Miscarriage and J changed jobs (again yikes hope this doesn't happen EVERY year) in April. Bit of a hard time. We started looking into buying rather than renting a new place. Bought in July, moved in end of August. Went to Cairns with PIL and my parents in Sept, K and I stayed on for the rest of the month. Found out I was pg while in Aus. Spent the last half of the year slowly getting bits and pieces for the house together. Had first Xmas in new house, with roast turkey! K got her own bed, and is actually sleeping in it.

What a decade. Am sure there is lots more travelling in there somewhere, but I will have to actually sit down and go through photos/passport records to work out when and where: my failing memory is real!! I think one of my ny resolutions should be to record where and when I have been places... (kinda started it last year but ran out of steam quickly...they dont call me 三日坊主 for nothin!)