Nostradamus, destiny and preparation in one taxi ride

So I went over to April's for a bit of mid week friendage and after we had cleaned up a bottle of wine and a jacket potato and a nice big salad, I headed for the sofa.

"I could handle another glass of wine, I don't know why"

"Yes you do, if you have one I'll have one"

I headed off to the toilet and when I arrived back in the living room, the wine glasses had been transferred from the table to the sofa and from behind her lovely behind I heard the familiar glug glug glug of a newly bottle of wine. A face appeared around the butt. Grinning.

"I love that sound"

It said.

"Me too, bring it on"

We didn't finish it but i headed out for my last bus at about 11:40. I was the only person on the bus, so in effect is was a giant taxi. Only 200 yen.

Time enough to get the Yamanote line, not to get my last local train. So I got a taxi. Always an adventure. I walked a bit before flagging a taxi and even then , I'm not sure why I waited for the taxi driver I did, but I got a great taxi driver. I have learned so much Japanese from the taxi drivers of Tokyo. It makes me want to not save money and to use taxis.

Anyway, so I got this taxi driver and he starts talking to me and I understand enough to be able to communicate enough for taxi drivers to start asking more and more questions. And I know enough to know when someone can speak English. So when his questions and chat became a bit too much for me he intuitively started slowing down (a sure sign) and then he started talking about the China earthquake and how many people had died (in very easy and slow Japaneses) and we said how dangerous Tokyo was and then he mentioned Brazil and Nostradamus (SP?) and how there is a prophet (?) who has predicted that in September there will be a terrible disaster in Tokyo. Then he said 'I read the bible' in Japaneses, and this set off alarm bells for me.
"Do you speak English?" I asked in a dramatically inquiring tone.
"Just a little" he said in such a way that suggested that he spoke a lot more than 'just' a little. The mere insertion of the word 'just' implies 'more than a little'. He was awewome. Awesome enough to respect that I was trying hard in Japanese too, and to continue.

He said in English 'End of days' over and over again. I asked (in rubbish Japanese) if he had a bag of emergency stuff in his taxi (naturally imagining he and I trapped in the midst of an emergency situation feasting and sharing his survival kit) and he basically said:

"Preparation?" (in English)
"Not yet, I'll start getting it together in August, ready for the (in Japanese) 'end of days' (in English)"

As I was alighting his taxi and noticing his boxer's face he said

"Destinity, it's destiny"

In English.

Magical Marketing

Read this book:

Then read this one:

They compliment each other so well and are both great reads.

A view from the Bridge, beam me up Scotty...

These things I am welcoming into the coming weeks, months and years

To be enjoying my second holiday of the year, with a Christmas trip back to England to honor my family and to stride out on a crisp, frosty Christmas morning with my Mum, Dad, Aunty, hubby and brother, along the coastline, wrapped up warm in hats and scarves and gloves, with the salty sea air whipping a gentle breeze around our faces and genuinely enjoying each other's company. To return to a warm house of Christmas dinner, Christmas TV and maybe a game or two for good measure. Maybe a friend who needs a place to stay could be in the picture too.

To be sitting in a park in the London area on a sunny August day, with as many of my UK based friends as possible, their kids, the sound of music, a pot luck picnic and a lazy afternoon of perfection.

To be sat in Bincho in London, Mal is working that night, and as many of my UK based friends as possible are sat around a table eating yaki tori and kushi yaki as we eat and drink and catch up. Love to see you. Love you.

To spend New Years in the bosom of friends, in their home, listening to music, the kids are in bed, it's cozy, we drink fine wine and eat fine foods and reminisce and shoot the shit and reflect on how this is the best time of our lives. They inspire me.

In my first holiday of the year, be sat in a wonderful location with my family enjoying the surroundings and having fun together, talking about their childhoods and their memories so I can preserve them.

A photograph of 4 generations of Furuya with 3 generations of Everitt in the same frame.

To have garnered an excellent reputation as a coach for a reputable training company and be delivering the highest quality coaching sessions around Asia.

To be in tip top condition again; soaring energy from the regular visits to a Bikram yoga studio within easy reach of my home or work places. To have found a set of DVDs for yoga that I love and can work with daily.

To have a house warming party with all my wonderful friends and acquaintances hanging together, making connections, laughing together eating fresh fruits and food barbequed in our modest but pretty garden or balcony.

To have rented out my first bicycle, rescued my first lost customer, taken my first bicycle tour of Tokyo and be tinkering with my website for the Tokyo cycle hire. Mmm. All I have to do is buy a bicycle and I’ve started.

To be holding coherent conversations in Japanese and be secretly clutching my 3-kyu certificate as I do.

To be exactly where I am with my honey laughing together, kicking each other’s arses, cycling around Tokyo in the sunshine.

To be in contact with the people I now have around me physically and Webly because I never knew things could be this good.

To be spinning in my living room with a new hoop from the recommended Hoop Bunny.

To be healthy, content and kind.

in 6 words

So Beastie tagged me bloody ages ago for a mememe.


Describe yourself in 6 words.

I started out with

"drinks too much far too often"

then

"drinks far too much too often" (don't you just love the English language?)

then I thought that was somewhat juvenile. So I thought:

"A late starter, finally she prevails"

but again there was a vital element missing, a part that is central to my life and who I am now.

I settled on:

Loves her husband more than anything.





Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinecotton/

::Maybe we have met before::

::Maybe we have met before::
Originally uploaded by innocentgirl.

Go here if you live in Australia.
Just go there!
And go.
With all the going and everything.

go

Ever had one of those days where you just feel pretty good? I did a good 2 hour training with a new client, then I went to a health food shop in Takadanobaba and stocked up on things like cotton wool and handsoap and brown rice, then I browsed magazines and got the bus, reading the most excellent book that I am reading. Then I came home and started catching up on Blogs and photos and Martine had sent the pictures she took in Yamanashi for our anniversary and they are marvellous. She somehow managed to capture and bottle 'us' just like we are. The pictures are fun and touching and I love them. She know us and she knows how to represent us and she did it perfectly. Thank you Martine. So that made me really happy. Then I put the lamp on, welcomed my husband home, requested that he stopped asking me questions, after having asked me about 10 questions, he obliged and now I have made a concious decision to unwind little by little, hula hoop a little bit to release some physical tension and enjoy the Internet with the balcony door open and minimal clothes on.

Loving this spring weather and appreciating every last drip and drop of this good mood. Hallelulia!

DISCO - this month is a busy one. A rich and rewarding month of singing, working, studying and disco dancing. This rules so v

Although there are some levels upon which I don't believe I really truly understand it.

FAILED.

To catch our Shinkansen back to Kei's hometown.

Got to Tokyo station and we were too late.

Debated going as far as Osaka and staying the night but instead went for dinner and came home.

Early start tomorrow....

I had a 'No Macro' policy this year on the sakura front and I did it...until I went to Yamanashi with the hubby and the Frangi. And I broke it. A lot