16 March 2006

So long, and thanks for all the ..... fish???

So long, farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Sayonara...
So long and Thanks for all the fish too!

The time has come to say goodbye... first of all to hassle free broadband access! And then, on Wednesday, the packers get here and cart away our stuff. And on Saturday, we are off to Nihon... the Land of the Rising Sun. We're off to Tsuruoka. Tsuruoka? You really don't know where that is? Simple, it's in the Yamagata prefecture, just south of Sakata. If you're still lost, just look for Tsuruoka on a map. It's north of Tokyo, on the island of Honshu itself.

Moving day is almost around the corner, and the things that I have managed to get done are countable.. so lets not even ask about what needs to be done.

All said and done, I am really going to miss Singy. So much to do, and so much that I could have done, but haven't.

Now, after reading up all about life in Japan, I begin to realize just how many conveniences there are that I had taken for granted. Home delivery of daily groceries has been just a mouse click and two hours away, as opposed to having it delivered from Tokyo. Getting stuff like wireless broadband is such a breeze. And most important, ATMs stay open all day long... 24x7. And yes, people do speak English.

Which reminds me, I really need to do all my pending Japanese assignments, and get started on the script. This does not imply that I do not wakarimasen the Nihongo, but just that my communication is restricted to telling someone which object is a book, or whether the book in question is on, in or under the table. I can even tell that there is a box on the table and that the aforementioned table, box and book are in a room in a house. Impressive what? But just how useful that is going to be deep in the heart of Japanese territory, I have no clue! Its high time I learnt useful words, like the ones for 'internet', 'electricity', 'telephone', and of course the names of a few vegetables! I don't want to ask for what I think is a potato, and end up with a fish or a slab of beef!!!

And I'm going to desperately miss all my friends and my wonderful neighbours. :-'(

Ah well, it's just time to vacate a very cozy comfort zone, and to shake up and shape up.

And to any of you who actually follow my rants, it's going to be a while before I have net access again. My broadband goes off tomorrow, and I doubt I'll have time to check mail often before I leave Singy. And God alone knows how long before I get net access in Japan.

Do leave lots of comments and whatever... and I'd love to see some mail in my inbox too. Poor Axe and Dents... your letters haven't reached me yet! So in case you haven't mailed them, just wait until I find a place in Tsuruoka, and then you can mail it to me.

So long folks, till I get net access again.... I plan to start my Japan diaries as soon as we get settled in.

Sayonara Singapura.....

Going nuts once.. 2.. 3.. gone nuts!

We move next week.. at least I think so. Or maybe Arun and our things will go and I'll need to check myself into the local nuthouse where they apparently allow 'guests' to get a lot of peace and quiet.

Next time we move between countries it damn well be the Personnel Departments that are handling the movers, and the entire messy details of the move. Or maybe I should just leave way ahead of time and then let Arun handle all the details. I's soooo tempted to do that right now. Or even better, once the move is announced, just go to Mysore, park with my mommy and get unlimited TLC.... now that's an idea..... hmmmmmmmmmmm

07 March 2006

One adorable sketch

Around Chinese New year, we had this sketch done by an artist at a carnival.

This guy was just awesome. He took all of ten minutes to finish this one.

... And he captured her sleepy, sulky, tired expression so perfectly.

I almost expect to hear a protest from her each time I see this portrait.