Christmas has nearly past Japan now...it's 9pm 25th December.
It was more of a Sunny Christmas than a White Christmas.

I didn't do much...just eat and watch Jigoku Shoujo.
My parcel from my mum has been delayed in Tokyo customs since 3am on Thursday. -__-

I've had my MSN and Skype on waiting for my mum and boyfriend to come online.
So far, I've talked to my mum...but my boyfriend has yet to contact me,
which is unusual since he's always early to rise on Christmas and it's nearly 12pm in the UK ;__;

I have 2 weeks+ off now!
I have 1 exam and 1 report due on the 12th January, 2 exams on the 13th of January
and a report due on the 18th January.
After that is over I'm off for Spring Break (just over 2 months holiday) until sometime in April, when the new semester starts.

In the job area of life, I've got 1 semi-permenant student! He says he wants lessons until March, but he might want to continue lessons longer than that.

Thanks to the 2000yen I got for our 1 hour lesson the other day, I was able to go and watch the Nodame Cantabile movie!

I really feel inspired to play since I watched it...but all of my instruments are at home in the UK. My playing is going to be soooo rusty!
I feel the need to take up violin too XD
When I can afford lessons and a violin!

As far as dolls go lately, I'm on the list for Minimee Eiri Yuki from Gravitation that's being ordered Feb or March.

I'm somehow hoping to save up for Dollmore Pado (boy) before I go back to the UK.
He's going to be my Tezuka ^__^
I'd really love the smirky Volks F-17 to be my Sebastian...but he's sooooo expensive!!!

I've been inspired by Jigoku Shoujo recently and I can't wait to get Yue cosplaying Enma Ai...so I've just requested a black and red Yukata commission.
The Yukata look really amazing in the photos and they're only $5!
I miss my dolls so much ;__;

As far as events go, I'm planning to go to Comiket next week.
Planning to buy a few doujin for myself and then some to make profit on Ebay with.
I hope I can survive the endless queuing!!!

I finally finished my report for my home university.
I have to sign it and snail mail it with my dissertation proposal on Tuesday (tomorrow is a holiday) and hope it gets to the UK by the 4th December.

I didn't really know what to write, I don't feel as though I'm learning as much as my classmates who have gone to other universities.

So I'm taking matters into my own hands with the JLPT grammar and kanji guide.
I'm hoping to take the JLPT2 next April....they've changed the test now, so I hope my grammar guide isn't out of date :/
Apparently there is now an extra test inbetween what was JLPT3 and JLPT2 - so there's now 5 levels instead of 4. It's probably a good idea, there was a fair bit of a jump in proficiency between 3 and 2.

Recently I've been stressed about money, getting my home uni report finished and I had the flu (making the report even harder to finish), so I ended up falling behind my class a little.

It made my TMJ disorder come back with a vengeance...so bringing back the constant ear ache, amplified tinnitus and jaw clicking.

It's worse when I'm sleeping (because I can't control it), so I ended up chipping a good chunk off one off one of my bottom front teeth D:
I totally regret not bringing my bite guard to Japan >_<
It doesn't hurt..but I can't afford to have it fixed either :/

It's been a long time since I wrote a real entry.
Mostly because it's been same old thing...you know, go to classes, do homework, eat, sleep, play tennis XD

This week our classes were cancelled due to the university's cultural festival.
I went to check it out for at least one day. There was mostly food, but besides that not much else.

Although I was very surprised to see one of my tennis class team-mates, so I hung out with him for a while.
He was going to be there all day since he was working on one of the food stalls.
It's been really sunny yet quite cold outside, so I didn't stay for as long as I would have liked.

I went around Kawagoe for a bit. I needed some grip tape for my racket since the leather handle was slippy and therefore the friction was giving me blisters D:
I got the Wilson Pro-Overgrip - I love it, my hand doesn't slip on the racket at all!!!
I also got a little smiley face vibration dampener - it was cute and only 200yen.

All the setting up life in Japan was more expensive than I foresaw.
My travelling around and sightseeing etc didn't help.
And therefore my student loan ran out ;__;

So you can imagine my surprise when I was clearing out old paperwork in my drawers and discovered 20,000yen ($220 / £130) in my school diary (that I don't use cos it's pants XD)
LUCKY

I was also lucky enough to score a job with a teaching company.
Although I can't really make any money just yet - I have to wait for my boss to find me students that will fit in my free-time schedule.
I'm a bit nervous about teaching again - the last time I taught feels so long ago.

The trial lessons are 30mins and I get 1000yen per trial lesson.
If the student signs up for lessons permenantly, the lessons are 1 hour and
I get 2000yen per lesson (direct from the student).
If I teach 1 on 2 rather than one on one - I get 4000yen per lesson.
If I teach 1 on 3 - I get 6000yen per lesson.

I don't mind teaching 1-3 if they have 3 students that want to learn together.
I find teaching groups easier, since I taught classes with many more students last year.
It would certainly help me pay my rent if I could so that!!!

Although, I have no idea when I'm gonna get my homework done - since I told him when all of my free time is >_<

We all know about the drought of MSC in the UK lately due to companies not being able to airmail it anymore and UK companies not being able to get a supplier...

Well here in Japan it is so easily available and cheap too at 650yen!

However....how on earth am I supposed to bring a ton home with me???!!!

I'm guessing my only option is to sea mail a box of it and month before I come home :/
I hope the shipping is not too expensive @__@

oh well...I guess I've got another 10 months to figure it out!

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On a tennis note....I have fallen in love with 2 racquets and I dunno which I want for Christmas!!!

Yonex RDiS 100
[link]

Yonex S-Fit 5 (new release - seems to be available in Japan only at the moment)
[link]

This is the ad....[link]

Turns out the name is not actually 20X but BLX...for the sake of UK players they should probably re-name it XD