• Beating the cold

    February 17, 2010  |  0  |  Category: Daily life

    It’s winter now in Japan, in case you didn’t know. And even though we live down south, it’s pretty cold, at least by Melbourne standards. Today, for instance, the forecast top temperature is 6°; and when we pushed the kids out the door at 7 a.m., it was either -1° or 0°, depending on which Read more...

  • Sunrise

    February 16, 2010  |  2  |  Category: Culture, With pics

    On Sunday I got up at five o’clock (makes a change from the normal six o’clock routine I suppose) to go and view the sunrise from a nearby mountain together with my new best friend Mr. Nishihara, the guy I met at the yakitori pub during my first week (see story here).
    It was a lovely Read more...

  • Valentine’s Day washup

    February 16, 2010  |  0  |  Category: The kids

    Valentine’s Day chocolates are the gift that keeps on coming. On the weekend, a couple of Felix’s new girlfriends dropped around at different times to drop off chocolates for him, and even today (Monday) Ruby was surreptitiously slipped another two bags of chocolates from her friends. So even though our muffin effort turned out to Read more...

  • Technology update

    February 13, 2010  |  3  |  Category: Technology

    Hot on the heels of the arrival of the internet comes the excitement of the new mobile phone.
    When I first arrived I had to get an evil pre-paid mobile phone because I didn’t have the proper visa. Actually the phone itself wasn’t too bad — especially compared to the antiquated old thing I was using Read more...

  • Muffin diplomacy fail

    February 13, 2010  |  1  |  Category: The kids

    Valentines Day is pretty big in Japan.
    The kids at school were all talking about giving chocolates to one another on Friday 12th, the last day of school before the big VD.
    Although we couldn’t quite work out whether it was girls giving to boys, boys giving to girls, or just the spirit of giving in general, Read more...

  • Accidental firebug

    February 08, 2010  |  1  |  Category: Misc

    On Friday I nearly set fire to the house.
    It all started when I moved the breadmaker instruction booklet from its normal spot next to the breadmaker over to the side of the stove. Next thing I know there’s an interesting burning smell in the air and the instructions are on fire. So I apologise to Read more...

  • Wired

    February 08, 2010  |  1  |  Category: Settling in

    It’s official: finally, we’re on line, and what a wonderful feeling it is too.
    Consider the contrast: on Thursday afternoon I had no internet and no phone (my pre-paid card having run expired dramatically in the middle of a high-tension phone call to the immigration office) and was feeling completely cut off from the world. In Read more...

  • Not so fast, sonny

    February 08, 2010  |  0  |  Category: Settling in

    Just when you thought it was safe to go to the Immigration Office and get your visa changed…
    On Wednesday I get the official bit of paper from the immigration lawyer giving me permission to stay for three years. Now it’s just a simple procedure to go to Immigration and get the stamp in the passport. Read more...

  • I’m legal!

    February 04, 2010  |  1  |  Category: Settling in

    It’s been a huge week for the Sushi on a Stick household.
    First of all we got the exciting news that THE INTERNET IS COMING. After gearing myself up for another whole month of lugging my laptop to the internet café every day, the man rings up to say they’re coming around on Sunday. Thus we Read more...

  • First day at school Part 2

    January 29, 2010  |  3  |  Category: The kids, With pics

    The first day of school went awfully well.
    No sooner had the kids got back, still full of energy after their massive ten-hour day, than four of Ruby’s new best friends converged on our place for a homework party. (Just as well we had a batch of muffins ready!) Talk about instant friends. And they were Read more...

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