End of 2011

2011 is coming to an end in 7hours and
couple of vacations...some planned some not so planned. (but Singapore was a blast)
New outlooks on life, new friends made....Still there are some people who can stay over there in the corner...but enough about that.

All of the horrendous happens that have effect the world this year. The 3 I will mention have effected us deeply or people we know.
The terrible floods in Australia and a special family losing a wonderful husband and father.
The terrible earthquakes that have hit Christchurch.
The terrible and terrifying earthquake and tsunami. While I was not in the country G and J were.
I have NEVER been so scared in ALL my life.
.... I remember seeing G and J for the 1st time after I got back to Yokohama... (I got on the train after I returned here..that also gives me nightmares...EVERY Japanese person in Japan was on that train...REALLY!)

We have had people come and stay, from Yeti moo, Miss Charity and SoM.
We went to the US and 'did the east coast' I have to be honest doing a 'tourist' holiday was giving me chills and not in a good way...but....It was awesome.I loved Washington...wont be going back, been there, seen it, got the plane ticket out!
Seen Meet up with Mr. Queenie and one of the little Queenies...which was fantastic,Then gong to stay with Queenie and family was one of the highlights. We also met up with Texas girl and her family...another plus.

Hummm so what else.....

Oh yeah we had the Rugby World cup...Where my wonderful country came 4th.
We spent an enjoy few weeks watching all the games. To say I was proud be Welsh would be an understatement.
I believe I might have been a little vocal....especially with a certain Welsh player...who does not even look Welsh!!!! but I won't get started on that again...most people in Japan heard my option of that durning the world cup.

I have found out that I am lactose and wheat intolerant. I mean...REALLY!!! in Japan...Is there ANY NEED!!! I hate rice and I hate soba noodles...DON'T eat fish!!!!
I love cereal with ice cold milk, I love poached eggs on toast, I love soft boiled eggs and soldiers. That is only the beginning of what I love...I mean ANY NEED!!!!! I don't like Japanese food....I don't like the smells of the Japanese foods, no mind eating it.
So I either deal with give EVERYTHING normal up in my diet or suffer the daily pain.....
I am going with the pain!

I am still in love with my Kindle, But I have like a 100 actual books to read...but they don't look interesting...they don't catch my attention...
not so in love with the Mac...but getting there! Well I am trying to get there. REALLY I am.


I have started to do a lot more craft towards the end of this year.
I have made enough Washi Eggs to Faberge worried...So there!
The I had some lovely wooden tea boxes delivered. To which G comment...'why do we have wooden boxes here, can't get ride of the word and paper we have' I told him in no uncertain terms that we were NOT getting rid of them. I would be covering them with beautiful washi paper.
That all went down like a lead ballon.....But Not as much as when I asked him to come help me lay the top picture on top on the the larger tea box while he was watch the football. He did come help and the end result was lovely...the top picture...not the help!

An Indian restaurant has opened up here in our area...I am shaking m head...I know this might become our second home....Sigh....

I have seen people ask on Facebook if anyone has any New Year resolutions...I don't have ANY.
No point really, I will break them within the hour, so why bother...I mean come on...lets be realistic here.

Magic of Disney, my backside!

Well I did take 4 angels to Disney....And I was right, there would be something to write about!!!!
Well I get up early and realize that I don't have enough cash on me. EVENTUALLY find a place to use my ATM card...might have helped if I had not used the wrong pin on another card...I mean REALLY Wend???? Any need?
We eventually get through the traffic and arrive...I am sure the price of parking has doubled...but not prepared to bet my life on it!!!!!
We start walking away from the car and some old guy (in some sort of blue unform with a clipboard...so he must have been important) starts talking in Japanese. The kids tell me that they can't wear their 'Stich' outfits in Disney..(I forgot to mention the 4 kids were dressed in their Disney Stich outfits) I am like hummm whatever! So we walk towards the park to buy our tickets. Then 2 tiny Japanese Disney workers kinda pounced on us!!! REALLY they did. They start talking in Japanese...then when they seen the BLANK look on my face, they asked if I speak Japanese...'Hummmm, NO!'
So she wrings her hands a lot and they tells me the kids are not allowed in dressed as they were....Hummmm WHATEVER!!!, I REALLY mean WHATEVER!!! She tells me it will take away from the atmosphere inside Disney Sea. After being stuck in traffic for a lot longer than I expected, this was not what I expecting to hear. So I tell her to get a manager. Her and her little man friend speak into they microphone ear pieces and then 2 people come over....Still dressed in 'Special' Disney outfits....
They all start talking in Japanese....Hummm hello, I am here...So after about 30 seconds I was like hummm "hello, ENGLISH' So this lady starts talking to me but with her yes closed....she explains to me that the kids were not allowed to wear the outfits inside the park. So i look around and EVERY Japanese person has a outfit or something...mainly cape type Disney outfits...So I say'Right tell her her to get that off!!!' They replied 'No, No, No, there not outfits'
Hummmm well it's not everyday wear even for "special' people. I then see some guy walking in with a HUGE hard suite case.....So I point this out, but it seems that's fine. So I point out that there seems to be a rule for the Japanese and another for us Gaijin's."Oh no' they said. ' Hummm oh yes' I also point out that I have seen NOTHING stating that they can't wear the outfits.
She tells me that on the website it states that outfits can't be worn inside the park...Hummm I reply that this is not true and where. She tells me it's not in English it's in Japanese.....REALLY she did. She then says if they take off their outfits they can go into the park. The kids had summer clothes under the outfits. So I told them(Disney) they would, but they would have to provide warm clothes for the kids. So again lots of humming and R-rings. I also remember on of the kids needs to be in Tokyo by 6.30 so this means I need to get back back to Yokohama so they can catch the train into Tokyo. Well she then tells us they can go in this ONCE. I told her the que is huge, and the kids are missing out and we have missed fast past places....I want to be taken to the front of the que and I want fast passes.
Well she gives us 1 past pass each. She takes us in and explains NOBODY will question us as she is the BOSS!!! No way, not in that outfit!!!! So let me tell you....
DON'T dress up for Disney outfits , its not allowed...But you can wear a stupid chipmunk cape because that is allowed
If you do wear them, and have four kids dressed up in the same Disney outfit, Japanese people love it and STARE and many ask to have their pictures taken with the kids.
Now one thing that impressed me was how many people asksd me if they could have their pictures taken with them. When I took pictures, a few others took their pictures as well.

So Santa came to our house today....Oh boy we must have been very good this year!
one of my gifts was a new laptop...A Mac....I am going to tell you...I am frightened of it...REALLY I am. While I am typing this up on the new Mac right now, thats ALL I have managed.
I love how light and slim the thing is I love how fast the thing is...But I have NO IDEA HOW TO USE IT!!!! and while I have NOT started shouting at yet, I have no idea how we will EVER become friends. REALLY I don't. I am scared!!!!!

We spent a lovely day with some LOVELY friends at a local hotel for christmas lunch, then we went back to one family's house were we swapped secert Santa gifts and the kids also opened gifts.

Some people are awesome.
Dont like everyone, but I do LOVE these guys!

Well it has been more than a month since I have last blogged…how bad is that?!?!?!?

This last 2 weeks I have been sing a Christmas song…..just out of the blue the words start…’Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow….Then I hum the tune (well what I think might be the tune but as I am tone deaf, who knows?) Well I can’t get past let it snow…ARRRRGGGHHHHHHH. I am about to lose the plot…REALLY I am…how it is at 38 years old I can’t get past the let it snow?????? I know there is more…I mean I am not THAT stupid, but WHY CAN’T I REMEMBER IT???? Again ARRGGHHHH.

Well we had a Thanksgiving dinner which was a new experience for everyone who was here.
I think next year I will do a British version of a thanksgiving dinner which will include a LOT of roast potatoes and gravy with may be a roast pork with crackling…so more of a British traditional roast dinner...so it will be a roast at Wendy's instead of Thanksgiving....
The fact that I will be happy with the roasties ….well a little selfish but well I will be happy…REALLY I will

I hosted my annual cookie exchange, I love cookie exchanges.
Only problem was I could not eat anything…but I did give it a try!!!
So on the Sunday before the exchange I decided to make honeycomb…Which is basically boiling hot sugar, golden syrup, honey and water and you add baking soda and it grows.
Well the spoon I had used to stir and remove the mixture from the pan I put in my mouth
The mixture stuck to the roof of my moth, the spoon was stuck to the mixture…the mixture was BOILING...I pulled at the spoon…Well I managed to completely burn the roof of my mouth…REALLY I did….
I mean ANY NEED?????
The skin kept falling off the roof of my mouth…I needed antibiotics……TOTAL nightmare…REALLY it was.

I went to the ladies basketball Christmas dinner, not that I have played all year. Seems if you’re on an email list your on the party list also…..REALLY…I mean how cool is that?

We had a ladies lunch at one of the hotels here, before everyone left for Christmas.
So I call them up and ask…
Me…. ’Will you have any Christmas decorations up?’

Them… ‘No but there is a Christmas tree outside the hotel’ She meant out in the Mall

Me….. ‘So to confirm there will be 17 ladies’

Them…. ‘yes…but one of them will be uncomfortable, because of the table plan’

Me……… ‘So this will of course reflect the price for that person?’

Them…… ‘No’

Me………. ‘Well I guess I need to speak to somebody who will understand that THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE’

Them-Manager… ‘Hello…why is this a problem?’
Oh why oh why did they have to ask this question???

Me…. ‘REALLY? Did you just ask that question…Ok so will there be a big discount because of the amount of uncomfortableness that will be in question? …Also as we have all stayed in your hotel or will during our time in Japan, hence the reason we have chose to come to your restaurant. I don’t think your being very professional’

Them-manager….’Hummm one moment please, Ok we will try and sort this out’

Me… ‘Thank you, I will try and explain to somebody they might be uncomfortable and might have a discount!!!’

Them-Manager…Please remind your guest it is a very busy time of year, because of Christmas and you’re in our first sitting
Me…….. ‘Ok, Thank you…Oh by the way will you have much Christmassy food?’

Them-Manager…. ‘NO….’

Me………’Oh, Ok’

Well there was no uncomfortableness, there was NO Christmassy food, but the food was good.
It was a lovely lunch with a lovely group of ladies.

So school finished….Disney this week…you just know how my blog will sound when I write about that…with my mood lately!

So…SoM has gone home…
Yeti Moo has gotten her new phone so we have been playing around….No actual calls made from either phone…but like I had blogged previously…I don’t REALLY use my phone for calls anymore…REALL Y I don’t.
I noticed I have a black line down my rear window of my car…I was so sure it was not meant to be there I actually checked I was in the right car….only been driving around in it for 18 months…but honest I can say, hand on my heart it was not there before!
Went to a bonfire somewhere in Japan….It seemed so far away I thought I was going to drive off the end of Japan… (You like in the olden days when they thought the world was flat?)
It was a 220km round trip…it was worth it…was not happy with J going in the ocean…it was dark, he had no spare clothes and well…..I had no idea what the beach was actually like as I had not seen it during the day.

I wrote on face book I was going to Amsterdam for 28 months…it surprising how many people believe you…it was one of those breast cancer thingies…like the bra strap thing….it was suggested I remove it…So I kept it up!!!!

Monday I did a early drop off as J had a early morning activity….I came home had breakfast and then promptly fell asleep for the rest of the day…..REALLY I did

I have also gotten a pain in my calf…I was so worried…I went on the internet…I mean…for me I would properly be better off with an internet Dr than the Dr’s here… Anyhow….I read it could be DVT…I was convinced I would not wake up following morning….But I Did and here I am blogging again….
So ….don’t try and self diagnose…I was already worrying where I would have my funeral….REALLY I was!!!!

Had a nice day today took SoM to ANOTHER 100¥ store…she is amazed at just what they sell.
Had lunch with G and SoM…went to G’s fav Indian…I can tell you NOT my fav.
Had my 1st seasonal Starbucks….White chocolate Mocha with cranberry….don’t think I will be having another.
Went into a store I would not normally go in…bought one or two thing…for J.
Then….Went to the Disney store and bought my first Christmas decorations of 2011….Don’t think I actually bought any last year. I love them…REALLY I do!!!!

I would love to do a Christmas ornament exchange one year. I have friends all over this small world….and I would love to a small tree with decorations from all the places I have been and from friends around the world…There would be NO theme…NO colour pattern…NOTHING just hopefully a array of colour. I would call it my global Christmas tree.

I also put some pictures up of SoM visit. She is normally the small dot with something big like a HUGH ferris wheel in the background…..I took one of her at Tokyo tower….I sat on the floor and pointed the phone upwards…Big tower…little SoM….REALLY!!!

I wanted to drop something off to somebody’s house today; I had full instructions on how to get there…
Easy right….WRONG….we live in a rabbit warren!!! REALLY we do…
So I asked a lady if she spoke English and if she knew where this number was…She spoke English but no idea where to find the house…Ok…nice lady.
I then asked another person if the spoke English…In perfect English he said Only a little….His English was better than mine…REALLY….He said my daughter is better….The daughters English was Super perfect (super perfect…yes I know but it REALLY was)
She knew where to go…took me there…She spoke like she had had elocution lessons….No idea where she learnt her English…but I wanna go there!

So…SoM arrived…poor love has hardly slept since she has been here. I don’t think the poor will be on anytime zone when she arrives back home…I think her body clock will be that messed up.
She said that she has never had jetlag….where she has gone has either been a couple of hours difference…back in time…or even when forward in time the cities are so busy that when you are awake at silly-o’clock you can go out and explore, eat and shop. So this has been a really shock to the body…Oh do I feel guilty.
So this week I had to be in Tokyo early in the morning, she drove up there with me…We were stuck in traffic….(not good when you have had NO SLEEP) I parked at Tokyo tower. Went to my appointment, took her picture outside the tower (while I sat on the floor to take her picture) One tourist thingy done…
One thing everyone who visits seem to like is the 100¥ store…actually 105¥ but we won’t go there.
SoM was no exception.
She has been taken for a curry…and she gets to go for another one tomorrow…lucky girl…poor girl made the mistake of saying she likes spicy food once…G took this to mean…Yaaaay somebody who eats normal food with flavor not gravy…Yes G has taken to calling my choice of curry, gravy…Gravy my insides can handle!!!!

Yeti Moo and I have been playing silly-billy games…seeing how face we can take the smart phone technology…so we have faced timed, used the voice software (we sounded like kids…lol)

Basketball is back for the ladies….Also netball….both should be interesting as I am signed up for both….

Well…I did manage to fit a movie in on Saturday…we watched ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ with our breakfast. Been ages since I had seen and it had us ALL laughing out loud…GREAT start to the day!
We had a lovely Saturday night out with the Bubbles’ lovely evening, lovely company and everyone listened me because I talked and talked and then just for good measure…well I talked some more!

J is off school this week…so for some bizarre reason I keep say…’what you doing this spring break’ …Spring break…it’s fall break , come on Wend!…Well it’s really called Half term…well it is in the UK, I guess I have become very Americanized.
This week found me playing a board game with Jamie…Before starting the game…I was oh no…REALLY, ANY NEED???? Yes there is a need….but that’s for a WHOLE OTHER BLOG!!!!
Then Yesterday, we watched another movie.......Then today I drove Jamie and 2 friends to Disney Sea….This was a big deal for me….I don’t things like this on my own…NEVER, REALLY I don’t.
…BUT…I had fun…great time with the kids and met up with another friend and her child.
I had taken my kindle, some magazines and my trusty phone… (Which died just before we left)
Great drive there, great drive hum, great kids, great company…a little kindle reading and the weather was good!!!! ABSOLUTLY no complaining from…REALLY NONE!!!!!
I might just do this again...not promising, but I might.

I then came home and cooked from scratch…Well G, had chopped onions and mushrooms and cooked the rice…but I did the rest.

So know I have been in the running for mother of the year for the last 2 days…I think it’s time to stop!
I am exhausted!!!!!