もう一度お正月を来る

Well the new year is here, again. Well, it has certainly been off to a good start!

Internet Connection in room... at last!
Well well, after months of denying myself the pleasures of Skype, MSN and peer2peer networks I finally decided that i was earning enough money to afford paying for internet access in my room. And the modem came by mail on the 27th. Sweet! Now I can finally catch up with all the people back home that I have been neglecting, as well as to watch internet TV and listen to internet streaming radio again. Ah. sweet!

add 2 more English students
Well, on my most recent English lesson with Kayomi, one of her friends came in halfway and sat in the class. Initially I was peeved because I never really liked freeloaders, but after the lesson he asked if I could teach English to him and his girlfriend, so of course I said yes! After Kayomi and Kotoe migrates to Australia I would start teaching the both of them, since I am so swamped now. Praise God, his providence never ends

Personal best?
I asked Saksama ( 300 points bowling man) whether he is good in bowling because he likes it, or whether he likes it because he is good at it. Well, his answer is the former, which gave me encoragement that even a lack of talent (in my case, not his) could be rectified. I always thought I sucked at bowling, after all those consistent gutter-balls that I threw in Sec school and JC. Apparantly army/growing up must have helped because I doubled my personal high score today (after 6 years of not touching the bowling ball). Well it was obviously a fluke but I guess I dont think I would be so hesitant about bowling from today onwards... practice makes perfect!

Comfort foods
Well, my dad's collegue came to Fukuoka today (for reasons unknown to me, as this place is practically dead when it comes to Chinese New Year festivities) but well, they brought financial assistance from my folks, as well as my favorite PINEAPPLE TARTS, a whole box of them! Im munching on them as I type. nice. :)

friends!
Celebrating Chinese New Year would be suckky without them. Well, for starters, I teamed up with the LLM chinese girls to make dumplings for the rest of 'em classmates. Preparation was hardwork, but fun (I learnt many a dumpling making skill during Kaikan matsuri, and im glad its being put to good use, heh), and by evening all the other LLMmers were wrapping dumplings as well. And we played CNY songs in the background, you cant get more cheena than that, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Jiaozi are really low-cost-feed-lots food, suitable for china I guess. We made batch after batch, but there were only 9 dumplings where we added whole almonds to, and they said these were lucky dumplings, and I managed to eat one! haha, its nonsense I know but its all fun





Prep work....





and the rest of the guys enjoying them! :D

Well, reunion night proper was spent with the Singaporeans at Sak's place. Well, this pic is an understatement, but we had potluck of (takes a deep breath) of friedmushroomsandscallops, minchedmeatwithmushroomsandonion, redwinebeefsteakslices, friedonionandeggs, friedvegetablesandgoldenmushrooms, teh-tarik, sashimi, fried-oysters, tofuwithsoysauce, and hiroshima's momijimanjyuu... gochisosamadeshita!



Yea, all in all, its going to be a great new year, i know it! but i am getting old... its the year of the dog again...