Refuge of a Maladjusted Moose

..... Its not like I haven't been up to much, I just find it really hard to put the effort into post on this blog sometimes. Its easier when I do it right after an event I want to blog about but it's not always practical to do so. Either way I am now going to take some time to write a short update to let all of you that take the time to read my rambling know what I've been doing these last few weeks. I also figure its a pretty good time to give you all an update on the general situation. So here goes - 

Last weekend on the Saturday we had a few Japanese people over (mostly housewives with an interest in obtaining a few hours of free English practice) for some Afternoon tea. We made some finger sandwiches, brewed up some fine English tea (Betty's Tea Room Blend don't you know), and I even got round to making a small Orkney Fudge Cheese Cake. It all went down very well (especially the latter) and our guest all brought there own treats to add to the party. Much fun and good eats were had.

The next day we went to a local festival that was being held a few streets away from our house. It generally consisted of a lot of stalls to buy street food and antiques, also there was a little parade.

This weekend just past we went to Kyoto for a few nights. I think it only served to make us poor and pine more for city life though. Its so nice being in a City with a reasonably sized town centre. With places to eat all kinds of food (including fish and chips) and endless amounts of shops. But also Kyoto just has so much more Character than some cities. Lots of old style buildings (which they are currently looking into protecting), temples by the dozen, and gorgeous gardens both Zen and normal. It really is a place where you can go to see the whole of Japan in a microcosm.

You might have noticed that mostly I talk about the weekends. This is essentially as I don't tend to get out much during the week. There's very little for me to do here other than grocery shop. Most of my days are spent watching allot of TV on my laptop (its a hard life). I get a little bit of housekeeping done occasionally alone with other odd jobs but that's about it. Of course I have been trying to learn Japanese. I think I'm getting somewhere with it, just not anywhere fast. I have started trying to learn Kanji though, with hopes of improving my vocabulary and you know... actually being able to read Japanese. Along with this I also have a personal side project I'm starting to work on a lot more now which is gaining momentum.

Lastly there is work. Well so far not much of it really. I am trying to get some work as a English Conversation teacher and so far the upkeep hasn't been great. Part of my problem is that if your free in the evenings there are free classes you can go to (run by my wife among others), so its tough to get people to pay for what they can get free. Still there have been a few takers and I have finally got my first paid lesson booked into my diary (I have been doing a few free classes to try drum up interest). Its not much really but I'm at least a little more hopeful now.

Well that about sums it up I think. Consider yourselves updated.