Well, it's 2005 and I'm back in Japan after having ventured back to my true homeland for 10 stressed filled days of drinking, dancing, yuletiding, shopping, and oral excavation.

number of optometrist appointments: 2
$ spent at said appointments: 1000$

number of dentist appointments: 2

$ spent at said appointments: 400$

number of doctors appointments: 2

$ spent at said appointments: 0 (thank god "free health care" covers something)

number of vials of blood retched from my veins at said appointments: 4

yultide joy-o-meter: low, very low
number of trips to the shoe store: numerous
pairs of shoes acquired: 3
$ spent on shoes: do not wish to divulge
hours spent shopping: numerous
new articles of clothing acquired that actually fit me: numerous
yuletide joy-o-meter: high

All in all the trip was good but it was stressful, and too short. The West is full of evil things like doctors and dentist and other medical professionals whom we feel that we need to pay to poke and prod and drill us to no end until our jaws are stiff and our pocket books empty. It's also full of clothes that fit me and irresistible shoes that far outweigh their price tags in fabulousness. In a nutsell, welcome to my trip home. I am returning to J-town with a bag full of shoes, a mouth full of fillings (well actually only two) and a 3000$ visa bill (half on shit, half on shoes).

Last night I partook in my first Japanese New Year's Eve at Daichi's bar and my first Japanese New Year's Day at Daichi's parents' house. I learned to pray at the family alter, eat caviar out of qumquats and royally fuck up my Japanese to the point where I was blathering on mindlessly making no sense at all. We went to have 'O-setchi' which is a traditional New Year's meal that consists of all sorts of wierd stuff in tiny portions in a box that reminds Daichi's dad of a golf course. Craig aptly named it breakfast Russian Roulette. Pick something, put in your mouth and hope for the best. I did pretty good and was adventurous enough but I had to stop at the "ebi miso" aka lobster brains.

I have to admit that I feel sorry for Daichi's parents having to deal with a foreign son-in-law (Craig) and a foreign "girlfriend-in-law" (is that what I'm called?) Between the two of us we made for some sweet miscommunication. It was all very festive and Daichi's dad couldn't stop laughing at us. Meanwhile, Daichi passed out under the breakfast table. The fact that we went straight to breakfast from the bar didn't help in matters either. But it was good and I finally feel that maybe Daichi's parents are starting to accept me. Which is nice.

Well thats it for now

Give money to the Tsunami victims

check out the pics below....