Habits and late-night munch fodder

Hello again.

I mentioned this blog in class today, in the context of identifying something I have made a habit of doing. I felt rather guilty when saying this as my blogposts have to date been less than habitual, but there's something about Japanese classes that coaxes all my tall stories and downright lies out my mouth before I can stop myself. I do try and say truthful things most of the time, but I have been caught out many a time by the need to have an instant answer to questions about all manner of personal details. I evidently need a hobby - but not just any hobby, rather one that is easy to say in Japanese and doesn't sound odd. Cookery does the trick, but can sometimes be stolen by other people who are asked the same question before me, so I need a back-up. I'm tempted to look up 'conducting druid ceremonies' and running with that. I am also expected to be able to name something that each of my parents is good at, an added complication being that the adjective in question ('jouzu') only refers to skills and not to knowledge. So I can't say that Dad is 'jouzu' at JFK assassination research, though he undoubtedly is. Try as I might, I cannot remember the Japanese for DIY beyond the fact that it literally translates into English as 'Sunday carpenter' (rather cute, don't you think?), so his skill has been determined as painting. The leading contender for Mum is obviously cookery, but again, that is often stolen by other people in the class. I am sorely tempted to go with 'embroidery' as an answer from now on - I'll leave it to you readers to decide how true that is.

I ate a weird yet wonderful Japanese delicacy last weekend called 'chawan-mushi'. Think creme caramel, but then get rid of the sugar and replace it with soy sauce. Add some fish flakes, cook and then chill until set, and there you have it. I don't know if I would have gone for this had it not come as a standard accompaniment to an AMAZING sushi selection, but I'm certainly glad to have tried it. Can't quite imagine it taking off in the UK, though...

... unlike the other strange yet delicious product I have tried recently: cheese curry naan. Every bit as good as it sounds. It had stringy mozzarella-style cheese atop a slightly smoky, punchy brown curry masala on top of bouncy, fluffy yet still slightly crispy naan. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but none of us eating this naan could remember seeing anything equivalent in British kebab vans or late-night takeaways. Surely this would be a popular product with drunk people after midnight? It's got everything you need - the double hit of fat, in the form of the butter on the naan and the cheese, portability, plus that spicy edge which I think makes it even better than cheesy chips. It would be dirt cheap to make, and would sell like hot cakes (or hot naans....), no? No-one can steal the idea now, I've put out there as jointly mine.

It may amuse those of you who saw me put off playing games of badminton for several years at KCS to learn that I have just bought two rackets and a shuttlecock. This was primarily motivated by the fact that they cost 65p for the lot, and I just couldn't resist the bargain. I am keen to play in the park somewhere but for the fact that I don't yet have any sensible shoes in which to do so. I need to steel myself to deal with the Japanese shoe-buying experience, which entails knowing how big my feet are in centimetres. I'll venture forth to buy some trainers tomorrow and will report back.

I was looking at my bank statement earlier - and forgot to get my traditional comforting cup of something warming to help brace myself, error - and noticed a pesky direct debit from Carphone Warehouse. I may have cancelled my UK mobile contract but that was with Orange, not the bloodsuckers at the CW, who still managed to get some of my money one last time. Given how much I hate this company - I am more than happy to vent my spleen in detail if anyone has not yet heard my tale of woe and is a glutton for punishment, but I'll restrain myself for now - it gave me more pleasure than anything to do with online banking has in ages to cancel that direct debit and write them a terse little note on their website telling them to get rid of the policy. Never again am I going there.

To end on a happier financial note - I get paid very very soon! It may even have been today but if not it will have arrived, I hope, by Monday. We are already plotting where to go to celebrate the money that will imminently be burning holes in pockets...