ku-zu-zan-po everyone!
for those of you who don't speak zonka , that's how you say hello in bhutan. it took me about 10 tries before i could remember just that one word, my bhutanese co-worker was quite exasperated w/me i think. so now i'm a bit more patient w/my own students.
well now, i have some updating to do. the weekend before last was just fabulous. so there i was, a girl w/out a dress to wear to the ball, when my fairy godmother appeared in the form of my friend E and her extensive designer wardrobe.
i left her house with a swooshy taffeta skirt and sparkly gold top and lots of glittery jewelry. the party was a gorgeous affair; soooo much gourmet food, lots and lots of wine, 700 people -- all of it taking place in the "galaxy ballroom" of the swanky hotel. between nori-pi and i, we must have sampled at least 10 different lovely dessert-concoctions. we got rather camera-happy and cavorted around the hotel, posing in front of every xmas tree we came across.
the next night little A and i went to the ridiculously large cinema in roppongi hills to see last samurai. we cried a pint each, i think. and then i ended my weekend w/a visit at my uncle's -- they feed me very well there.
this past weekend i spent some quality time w/my grandmother. she can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago, but she can talk at length about what happened 80 years ago. we sit w/our cups of green tea and she tells me about my great-grandfather the samurai, about fleeing from her burning home carrying 3 children (during the war), about falling in love with my grandfather who used to carry a violin around w/him because he thought it made him look dashing...
i had good news from home as well -- my parents finally bought a house. apparently it has a swimming pool, so if/when i come back for a visit, we'll have to have a posseopo-licious pool party.
so i'm in a warm&fuzzy falling-in-love-again state of mind these days. a nice way to end the year.

i've decided that i want to be gwen stefani when i grow up. though my mum might disown me if i dye my hair platinum.
i am in a musical state of mind lately. the dj in my brain is rather spastic, jumping from one genre to another. this month's theme song seems to be powerless (say what you want), though gwen's underneath it all is running a close second. just hearing it gives me that oozy feeling, the audio equivalent of a super-creamy cup of white hot chocolate (a la Uncommon Grounds). and though i'm definitely not a kid rock kind of gal, i really love his version of feel like makin' love, it's lovely in a naughty kind of way.
saturday was fun-ish. taught 9 classes, then attended the school xmas party, then met A @the club. A is too cute, like a perfect little doll. She is so wee, even I tower over her. i was introduced to a sweet guy there who stared at me all night, but i just couldn't muster up the energy to flirt properly. my heart is elsewhere, i think--somewhere on the other side of the globe.
next weekend there is yet another xmas party; a semi-formal affair at a ritzy hotel, my company's treat. after reviewing my list of boys i could invite, i realized i wouldn't have fun w/any of them, so instead my uber-adorable Nori-pi is coming w/me. alas, i have nothing to wear to this shindig. i found the most gorgeous dress, but the price tag has one zero too many. every time i walk past the boutique it calls to me, taunting me. evil dress.

i have evicted the grumpy badger that was taking over my blog. it is a very grey, ceaseless rain kind of day, but i am doing pretty good. i had an interview this morning and was hired. so now i have 2 jobs. i like my work situation--i teach only evening classes so my mornings/afternoons are all mine. am debating whether or not i should go back to the boutique as well. i really don't know why scary m-san likes me so much. i am absolute crap at sales. inside i am thinking, "woman, do not spend $800 on this hideous sweater. you look like a carpet bag. people are starving. do something better w/your money."
but anyway, i'm finding its actually really liberating to be sans boyfriends. i feel like i've been out of touch w/myself for two years and now we have a lot of catching up to do. i have pictures to sketch, writing to do, and friends i can now spend time with. Amami and i are going to get our groove on this sat. it's been far, far too long since i've been dancing. her friend spins hip hop so we are going to check him out. yay, an excuse to wear my ghetto bling earrings and how-low-can-you-go hip huggers.