green-lotus-me
Originally uploaded by Mooiness.

Happy Birthday Moo! Pic stolen from his flickr because he is hardcore blogger - I did not take any pic of him.hehe.Me is an embarassing blogger.

Have loads of fun in KLand!

xx

2006 is fast running out, and to toast to the year that was, here was my tops for the past 12 months. I had unwillingly grown up some, learnt much and am still over antagonizing all things trival.I started off by getting hitched, and it ended with the birth of Joel, the cute little poo-ing bundle of joy.HE IS NOT MINE OK!

Jan
Got married

Feb
Maggy & Benny got married

Mar
Started working again

Apr
Visited Edinburgh & Da Vinci Code’s Rosslyn Chapel
Easter-egged out

May
Krispy Kreme-ed and witnessed the Cheeserolling competition
My first big purchase - the A Series
Lost my wedding & engagement Tiffany’s

June
Grew a veggie plot
Stressing out for the upcomming nuptials

July
Got married-again
Spent some time with the sea and the surf

August
Contemplating on purchasing a new house
Visited Pammy @ London
My first festival - V Festival at Westeron Park with Groove Armada,Fatboy slim,the Hed Kandi gang and the sugababes
Made my first jam

September
Watched Robbie Williams live in action

October
Car got broken in
Started jobhunting again

Nov
Moved to a house that is owned by me and myself!Oh and partly Bacon of course

Dec
Did the Australian tour
Held my first godson Joel.
Met up with moo,my not-so-secret blogging friend and YC the hotchick of blogworld

Ta-Da!

Sourain and Moo. Or anyone else she was supposed to see this week. Was Santa-san good to you?

He was Ok to me………but not the most exciting Christmas holiday I’ve had. But nice nonetheless.

A long time ago, before Sourrain was born-I celebrated Christmas quite differently………..

So how was Boxing day? What is Boxing Day anyway?

…and we’re back.

Am dealing with post-holiday traumatic stress at the moment, so no promises on regular transmission for the mean time..depends on how blue I get.Came back yesterday to an endlessly meowing cat,I don’t know whats wrong with him,but he’s lost weight and been throwing up on the carpet.

Didn’t get to spend mushc time with peeps in KL..seeing that it’s only 3 days and over the space of all 3 days is the mad dash with traffic into town and shopping centres.I don’t think my experience in dealing with the non-traffic in Leeds is wise to be stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam in the car park trying to grab the last space from a 70 year old woman.

Anyhoo, had my first (sorta) blog meet with fp moo and hotchick yc. Killing many birds with one stone, dreybee my very efficient program planner had invited the various people that I wanted to spend time with..which all can be seen on moo’s site *cough*fp*cough*. It’s nice to see that the people that you seem to know so well via blogging are the same in real, if not even more riotious. Me too - with an addition of a superoilyfied face and a chilling affliction to the chivas-greentea combo.Don’t blame me, I love chivas-greentea and it is not a ‘usual’ combination to be had anywhere else but in KL.I remember I once asked for it and the poor bartender literally boiled water with tea leaves for me to add Chivas.

Came back to a suprise gift of a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a personalised calender waiting for me at work.Guess what am I having for New Years’ eve:)

I will blog more coherantly soon,this is just a post to say that all’s well in freezing UK…and am missing all in hot and humid KL. And a big thank you to Skippy who had filled in for me! It was quite amusing to hear from people I met up with in KL about his ‘interesting’ love story on my blog.

xx

Merry Christmas, Sourrain and Bacon! Merry Christmas to her and all her friends and readers of her blog!

Figuring out an excuse to come to Tokyo that it is.

I just found out they opened a Krispy Kreme in Shinjuku 8 days ago! Despite several other outlets serving similarly sweet foodstuffs – and a few further factors facing the new franchise – the Japanese mantra of ‘if it’s new, we will come – en masse’ has once again been put into effect, with the first Krispy Kreme shop in Japan receiving the customary fad-based fanfare over the weekend.

And whilst an elderly security guard fortunately found the crowd sedate as well as sweet-toothed, the huge amount of people was reminiscent of the recent PlayStation 3 pandemonium – click here to see the massive number of sugar lovers willing to wait their turn.

Which in 6 months time could well have dwindled to a couple of foreigners and the odd donut devotee. (Me!)

Oh, and for what its worth, the S.O. and I had a good time on our “retreat” this weekend!

Wonder if Sourrain ever has thoughts like this! I thought I would share here since it concerns love and life-two things Sourrain is living at this particular moment in time. What say each of you about this creation called love?


It is 5 days till Christmas! Accordingly I hereby declare a ban on politics and the war for at least till after that. Beer and babes, however, will always be available. After all what goes better with Christmas than that?

Also, I’ll be out of touch for about 3 days. The S.O. and I are going away for a couple of days and celebrating an anniversary of sorts. Hotel, nice dinner, walking in the city, wine, and…….especially and………… (at least I hope so-if not I’m going to demand an 84,000 yen refund from Saikaya!). I’m not taking my laptop, so it will be the equivalent of going cold Turkey for a computer addict like me.

The S.O. and I have been together for over 4 years. Like all relationships we have had our ups and downs-to tell the truth I never expected to be here now, with her, when all this started. I still wonder each day whether next year will still find us together or not. Not for mean reasons, but more because of ambivalence on both our parts. Allow me to explain a little bit…………

When I met the S.O. I had been in Japan for just over a year. A year later we were living in the same place-with all of the attendant fal de rol. The year before we met had been a watershed for me in my life. Coming from the US and the hell that is a sexless marriage, it was astonishing to see that all turn around in just a few short weeks. That year I probably got laid more than I did the entire time I was married to the shrew. I had come to Tokyo and immediately knew that Asia was the place for me! Spike noted this some time ago and I blogged about it saying that I fully understood the sensation:

“As much of an outsider as I was, there was something there, I felt like I belonged there. I was an alien and at home at the same time. ”

It was awesome. I felt like I had gone to heaven. I’d been to Bangkok for a couple of manhood “reaffirmation” tours where I had literally gone nuts in Patpong and at the Eden Club. I’d traveled around Japan and the region to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei. I had a Chinese girl on the string in Kyushu ( a doctor no less!), a couple up here in Tokyo and a Thai girl who worked as a make-up artist at the Navy exchange. ( She is the subject of a whole other post…..lets just say that memories of sex with her will be in my “old man ” memories!). The hard part was keeping them from finding out about each other. I was gearing up for a trip to Jakarta to see what they had to offer me down there.

So why, I’ve asked myself over and over again, would I go and complicate my life with a serious relationship with obligations (financial and otherwise) when things were just hunky-dory without one. I’ve yet to give myself a good answer. I had been down this path before and I knew it led no where good. Unlike many people, I have no problem with living by myself.

When I met the S.O. I had no other aspirations except to make her another notch on my bed post. She was beautiful to look at ( she still is!) and interesting to talk to. Then again, all women are when you first meet them. Its new, they smell nice, you are captivated by the way her skirt drapes over her thighs-or fascinated with the way her blouse comes to a point that shows her cleavage. It’s as you get to know them that the challenge of staying engaged kicks in.

Yet, there was something about her, something that was just more than a little different from the Shibuya Girls I had met and bed. For one thing she was my age (more or less…), she’d worked for all of her adult life, she had a good job and she had her own car, apartment and goals. She knew how to talk about many things, because she was just a very smart and witty lady. Unlike her American sisters though, she was not pushy about that fact. So suffice it to say I was curious. When she gave me her e-mail and phone number, I did what you should never do, and immediately e-mailed her when I got home and called her the very next day asking for a date.

And so it began. I was still traveling, but at the same time calling her and asking her out-a lot. She was in the process of moving to a new apartment. I rented a van and helped her move. The whole time I was thinking in terms of a clock ticking within my head. Soon I would have to move on-or she would-especially when she learned that if she wanted to take this to its ultimate extreme, there was no way I was ever going to have any children again. For sure that would tear it. If not that, then fact that I was chained down with economic slavery from my divorce would do the trick.

Except it didn’t. And to this day I am not sure why. I think deep down inside of her she wants a child. If so, she needs to seek a new man-I’m not equipped physically or emotionally to do that. I’ve been very up front about that-its in my walk out the door criteria-but to date she seems to deal with it ok.

I’m always afraid that means that she is just settling for me- out of fear of growing old alone. I talked to her about that more than a couple of times. I am who I am -and with my life experience I’m not going to change. I’m a party boy and proud of it. I’ll be one as long as I live.

She said she was a party girl. She may have been, but she is most definitely not one now. I always tease her that she is guilty of false advertising. We are so very different in so many ways. We are alike in one way though-we are both selfish.

Which is perhaps why we seem to be comfortable together. I know I am comfortable -to date. We’ll see what the out years hold; I’m not going to plan that far ahead. After having jumped off the cliff once, walking away holds none of the terrifying fear it used to.

But not yet. Truth be told, I just could not bring myself to do that. To her-or to myself. I must be an idiot or a useless romantic. Does not mean that may be out there in the future one day-but for today its not. I still believe that I am the only one responsible for my happiness. The idea that out there somewhere, is one special woman who will do that for you is sheer nonsense. Living with her has not changed my thinking on that subject. I might think differently if I did not like women and sex so much. ( as in I like it a LOT!).

If she senses my qualified regard for her, it is counterbalanced by what I know is her qualified regard for me. The stuff of sonnets, our relationship is not. We do say, “I love you” to each other. It seems the right thing and more romantic than the more accurate statement of our relationship with each other: “You’ll do.”

Still, my worst day with the S.O. has been far better than my best day with the ex, so that must be progress of a sort. Plus, she has brought a lot of structure to a very disorganized life. She has got me focused on some goals besides a girl’s ankles up in the air, and gotten me focused on saving money. She’s actually taught me a lot on that score. We do, however, maintain complete and separate finances though. I will never ever, ever, share money with a woman again!

So pop the champagne! I’ve got the silly cards, and I know I’m going to get dragged into the shop to buy her the jewelry of her choice tomorrow. What the future holds-hell, I have no idea-but for today and the next few days we will savor the present. Come to think of it that’s just about all anybody can do.

And if it does not work out? She can keep the furniture so long as I can keep my computer and the car! See what a nice guy I am?

“Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.” - Unknown

“We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, and hour, an afternoon. But that doesn’t diminish its value. Because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives.”
- Unknown

Skippy-san

Cross posted at Far East Cynic.

I was lurking around looking for something Australian to post-just to have a little fun, you know, when I came upon this news broadcast. Apparently, Australia is a dangerous place to eat.

So Sourrain-watch out for the KK’s!

Yesterday the S.O. and I went to a Christmas concert with a combined US Navy and JMSDF band playing songs for the holiday. It was quite good and a good compensation to the fact that I was unable to play golf. They played an adaptation of one of my favorite hymns-Emmanuel. “O ransom captive Israel………..”

Religious or not, you have to admit Christmas produces some good music. I love putting Christmas Carols on the DVD player while moving around the kitchen making dinner. ( Speaking of dinner I do have another food post coming your way…….).
Its been interesting to learn some of the carols in Japanese and since I studied German in college I know a few in that language too. I can now sing Silent Night and O come all yea faithful in 3 different languages. That knowledge and S$3.40 will buy you a mug of Starbucks coffee. (Small size of course!).

The band played some neat things. They had March of the Toy Soldiers which is another of my favorites. During my college years, we used to have one parade in December before exams would begin. The Band Company would always play it and we all got a big kick out of it. It’s not a song you can march too very well though.

Speaking of my alma mater, they also used to have a church service with candles and Christmas music that was one of the highlights of the year for me. You can click here to download some of the music in an MP3 format.

As an aside, I was married to my ex in front of that very altar and flags. If I had known what I know now, then, I would have turned around and run like hell………

But I digress.

Christmas is also the time of year for TV specials something else I am a sucker for. Last year I got to watch something unique. On NHK they had “Rudoplh the Red Nose Reindeer” animation special. Its the original from 1965 dubbed in Japanese. I watched it as good Japanese listening practice, plus I did not have to struggle with the translation so much, since I have seen this show probably 30+ times in my life. Nonetheless, some of the Japanese interpretations were interesting. For example, the song “We are Santa’s Elves” was translated as 私たちは サーンターサンの好きな人。( “We are the people Santa likes” ). “Bumbles bounce” was translated as “Bumble jump!” . Not quite the same, methinks.

Here is a list of my favorite shows- I suspect some of them have made their way to where many of you live-even down to Australia. Then again maybe not.

Its a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story
White Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Grinch who Stole Christmas ( Cartoon version, not the crass movie ripoff!)
Rudolph
Miracle on 34th Street ( the original B&W version, although the remake is not too bad…….this movie is also known as the story of my sex life!)
Donovan’s Reef (Don’t ask me why this is here, I just like it!)
Holiday Inn

Which one is the best? That’s easy. A Christmas Story is without a doubt my favorite Christmas movie. The story is well told, tastefully done, genuinely funny, and original. While most folks focus on the “BB gun” piece of the story, for me it is the description of the boy’s father: “My old man was the connoisseur of using the “F” word”; ” Over the years I got taste many kinds of soap in my mouth, I found Palmolive to be the best….” .

They don’t write stuff like that anymore. I sure wish they did…………..

When one starts waxing poetic about TV its time to close. I will leave you with one more shot of the chapel and the advice it gave every one of us cadets every day walking past……..

Got your shopping done yet?

Not much time to blog,but suffice to say, having heaps of fun here at Melbourne.Leaving tomorrow for the second leg of down under at Sydney..if it was half as fun as this, I’ll be a satisfied little customer.Other than the crazy weather,can do without that. Intermittent sunshine with loads of cold bouts,this is Melbourne’s summer.Hopefully Sydney will be a little sunshinner and less wind-blow-me-this-way.

Its funny how I’ve refused to study in Melbourne because it sometimes seems like everyone that I know have studied in Melbourne,intergrating into this cosmopolitan city.But now I understand why - Melbourne’s absolutely great!It is fast catching up to my favourite city of all time, San Francisco. From the seaside chill factor of St Kilda’s to the slow drunkeness of the Yarra Valley wineries and the hole-in-the-wall operation serving the best xiao long paus (Shanghai Dumplings), Melbourne is a city second to none. They have nasi lemak in every corner and even durian ice cream that tastes eerily like the real thing.The longer I spend in it’s lull, the more I yearn to become a part of it’s buzzing energy.Will need to look into a hairdressing or butcher’s course.

Another thought of the moment:- Now I know how it feels to be like the English/Americans just spending heaploads anywhere I see them on holiday…it is dirt farking cheap! Well,not really,but comparatively to English prices, many things are 2.5 times less. The bliss of pretence that you are filthy rich.

Oh, to dreybee & moo, we’ll see ya in less than a week.Yippee!

till next time, sayonara!

ps to skippy: Thanks for guest blogging again!