Merry Christmas! Although, Christmas Day is nearly over, here in Japan. And, frankly, it was hard to notice it begun! As I’ve mentioned before, Christmas is not a holiday in Japan. Therefore, today was the most bizarre Christmas Day I have ever had. It even topped last year, when I spent Christmas Day in Lapland visiting Sami people (at least that was seasonally appropriate!).
So, I got up around 8am today, and had a webcam chat with my mum, just as it was turning midnight in England (around 9am Japan time). It was nice, if a little odd, to be able to wish each other a ‘Merry Christmas’ face to face and open presents together, via the internet (the wonders of technology!!). I had my usual breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. When I say usual, I mean usual for my winter in Japan, not usual for my Christmas Day! Usually I would have chocolate biscuits for breakfast on Christmas Day, whilst sitting by the Christmas tree with my mum!
I went to a couple of shops before work, including a 100 Yen shop I was tipped off about. I thought there wasn’t one in Kurokawa but it seems I was mistaken, and now I’m very happy to have found it! I got to work around 11.45, and wished everyone a ‘Merry Christmas’, even though it doesn’t really mean anything to anyone here. In fact, most people seemed more concerned with Christmas Eve, if anything!
It was a very quiet day, student-wise. I only had two private lessons and one group lesson, and I had the most classes all day! The rest of the day was spent cleaning the school. It’s traditional in Japan to clean your home or work before New Year, so I guess Christmas Day is as good a day as any to do it! It was very odd to be hoovering on Christmas Day though – maybe a first!
At lunch, I had a box of Christmas-shaped pasta which I had prepared at home, a tiny Christmas cake my mum sent me, and some satsumas. It wasn’t exactly a traditional Christmas meal, and so I was quite jealous when I spoke to the rest of my family this evening and heard all about their lunch plans… I’m missing out on sprouts!!! 
The absolute weirdest part of the day came at the end – when we took down all the Christmas decorations. I knew this would happen, but I still couldn’t quite believe it. At one point I heard a big crunching sound, and found one of my colleagues smashing up the big Santa face which had been on the wall! It was old, but poor old Santa to have his face smashed in on Christmas Day!!
So, after the tearing down of Christmas, I went home, and had a chat on the phone with the rest of my family. And here I am, full of pizza, drinking a Guinness, and listening to my Christmas selection on iTunes. What a funny old day!
Merry Christmas!! 
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Emily made a special effort to eat her sprouts just for you Ali – so thank- you thats a first! Going to settle and watch Dr Who in a minute!! lotsa luv xxx
Haha, that’s great! Well done Emily!