Sarah wanted me to blog about our trip to Yokohama. As an early birthday treat I have taken her to stay at the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel. The hotel is beautiful and Sarah is fascinated by how helpful the staff are. We haven’t had to queue for anything as someone rushes to help us when we are picking up our key or just waiting for a lift. The room is beautiful and the view, from the 59th floor, over the city is spectacular. Sarah likes to sit on the window ledge and look down but it makes me feel a bit dizzy to do that.

So far there has been only one problem with the hotel. Guests can use a gym and health club that’s located in the same building. Sarah loves to swim and to go to the gym. But once we got here we were informed that it was for over 18s only. So we can’t use this. And much as I dream about the peace of using it by myself I wouldn’t dream of leaving Sarah on her own – even in a hotel room. Last night she managed to fall and bang her head on the floor as she thought that practicing ice skating jumps in a hotel room was a good idea…

I am not used to sharing a hotel room with a teenager. And I can’t work out what is more annoying – the endless questions or the mess. She has emptied out everything from our suitcase, including my clothes, all over the floor. There are empty water bottles, used faces wipes, hankies, pieces of paper, and wrappers scattered over the room. When I went to use the shower I noticed that her coat was in the bath and that all her toiletries were lying around. And I’ve just noticed that she has spilt make-up all over the leather chair and the TV cabinet!

And as for the questions. Here are a few that I have been asked this morning:

• Where is the nail place?
• Do you think they’ll be able to do my nails?
• Can I get more make-up?
• Will it cover my spots?
• Do I have more spots that yesterday?
• Is make-up good for your skin?
• But surely some make-up must be good for your skin?
• Why don’t you have spots?
• What’s a hormone?
• Could you make money from your boobs?

I’m was going to tell her that I wouldn’t answer any more questions. But I know if I try to do that she’ll just say “why” over and over until I give in and answer.

All my visitors are sick. Tom has a head cold that looks like it may become flu. Sarah has some sort of tummy ache and my Mum threw up three times on the way back from the train station. We were really worried that she was going to vomit on the train as we have no clue what to do if that happens.

I like to plan things and today I planned our Valentine. I wanted it to be perfect. I planned to look good, have great food, watch a romantic film, and cuddle.

Looking Good

I was going to wear a dress and I knew that things weren’t going well when I couldn’t work out how to put it on. After three attempts just to get the stupid thing over my head, I kept getting confused with the net and petticoats, I realised that it’s one of those dresses you can’t put on by yourself. It crosses over strangely and has a zip that I can’t reach.

Then I thought that I would put on the jeans I wore on Tuesday night. They fitted perfectly only two nights ago but today they were really uncomfortable – the joys of being female and hormonal. I gave up and put on a pair of Marty’s baggy trousers and a t-shirt.

Good Food

Marty arrived home late. I was chatting to my sister on the phone when I heard someone thump the front door. I realised it was Marty when he started to yell. I had accidentally locked him out. I must have bolted the door without thinking after I got the shopping. It rather spoiled his entrance with a bouquet of roses as I dashed out and opened the door and then rushed back to finish the call with my sister.

As it was already after 8 we were both very hungry. I imagine that during a romantic dinner you don’t normally stand and eat starters in the kitchen while you cook the steak. But then you probably aren’t supposed to eat it whilst balancing a plate on your knee and sitting on the sofa either.

Romantic Film

We watched Love Actually. Not all of it though as the DVD broke just over half way through.

Cuddle

Now that the romantic film is over I am blogging, as Marty has a conference call with New York in 20 minutes.

Thankfully the only thing I actually need for a perfect Valentine is Marty.

I need to get out of this apartment. I really don’t feel that bad. O.K. so when I look in a mirror I can see that my eyes are puffy and my nose is red and sometimes I can’t seem to stop sneezing but it’s just a cold, honestly. The flu is gone and I don’t have the plague. I can’t believe that I am actually thinking about getting a mask so that I can at least go for a walk.

For the first time since we bought the Wii I managed to beat Marty at Wii Tennis! I’m thrilled. Blogging – a new tool for gloating.

I have been trying to remember what we did with Marty’s family over the past week but the various outings are all starting to get mixed up in my mind. Today Tokyo was quite and empty. It almost felt eerie walking around Ginza with the shops shut and no people waiting to cross at the crossings. New Year feels very different here. Last night there were no car horns beeping, no fireworks, or drunk people out yelling in the streets. The stillness today reminds me more of Christmas Day than New Year’s Day.

The apartment is freezing. After months of moaning about the heat and the humidity in the summer now it’s time to complain about the cold. I don’t really like central heating but tonight I’m thinking that maybe it would be nice for the bathroom or the kitchen to be warmer. We have one electric heater on in the living room and it doesn’t seem to be making a lot of difference. I suppose I could put my coat back on.

I know it’s not warmer outside as we went out at stood on the balcony at midnight to hear the gong ring 108 times for the start of the New Year at the local Buddhist Temple.

Happy New Year!

My sister-in-law arrived today from the U.K. This was only the second long-haul flight she has ever taken and she wasn’t sure what she was allowed to bring in her suitcase. She had heard a variety of people complaining about having metal objects taken off them at the airport and was concerned about some of the things in her case. She decided to ring the airport in advance just to make sure that everything was allowed. I don’t know how the person she spoke to stopped themselves from laughing as she actually asked them if under-wired bras would be classified as dangerous weapons!

I’m supposed to be cleaning but instead I’m playing with my computer and listening to Sarah McLachlan sing Christmas Carols.

Marty was asking tonight if I thought we would ever feel old and I told him that “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple”. He had to point out that I am currently wearing a purple jumper.

I’ve finally arrived back to the apartment. It’s taken 20 hours since I left the London hotel but I don’t feel too bad. I left the monster case with a delivery company at airport and it should hopefully arrive in the next hour or so. I really like that I can pay to have my case delivered. It would be easy enough to take the case on the Narita Express but I hated the thought of trying to pull it through Tokyo and Shibuya station.

I went through the new security procedures at Narita for the first time today. It was really quick as they have added a queue just for foreigners with re-entry permits and there was only one person in the queue when I arrived (I used to join the same queue as Japanese nationals). It doesn’t take long to take the prints from your two index fingers or to take a picture. The machines are different from the American ones as they have a scanner for each hand. I also don’t get asked any questions about my reasons for being in Japan as the re-entry permit gives away the fact that I live here and have a visa in my passport.

I am tempted to lie down and sleep but I know that would be really bad. Our first Christmas visitor is arriving on Saturday and this place is a tip. There is hair in great balls mimicking tumbleweed in the hall. Marty has been ignoring the floors. Well, I suppose he has managed to cover the floor in the living room with rubbish. When I rang him from the airport he asked me to please not scream or cry when I saw the state of the apartment. I’m going to clean instead as that might be a more useful thing to do.