Reduced by more than fifty percent!

Since I have been inundated by the sheer number of comments that my last post generated with all of you rushing to tell me what your New Year resolutions were, I have had to limit the space that I can devote to applauding your ambitions and goals. I guess any of us could make a determined attempt to change some aspects of our life-styles, which appears to be the main area of resolutions made, at any time of the year. But it seems a little more note-worthy if we make an announcement of intent on December 31st. It somehow lends an aura of a much greater authority as if our determination is somehow amplified and endowed with some consolidated strength. A few of my friends have chosen to lose weight or try to gain it, one is trying to stop smoking cigarettes and one even declares to get herself a better job. I am happy with my weight (yes I bit my tongue when I said that!), I don't smoke and I am very happy with my job. Instead I have chosen to improve myself and try to read more books and make sure that I find the time to share with my family and friends. Strangely enough I also feel that due to fate having a complete and utter disregard for all of our best laid plans and intents, that I could be writing these exact same promises next year.

Slowly but surely the stores here are reporting losses and reductions in their monthly sales of goods each month, which just proves that even we are not immune to such ills as this present economic climate brought down to its knees by the global financial crisis. January sees more massive reductions, especially in the clothing stores, which have unfortunately suffered the greatest trading deficits and loss of business. In an attempt to tempt us back into spending, prices have been slashed. Now is the time then, if we have the money, to pamper ourselves and take advantage of such huge price reductions. Of course the only problem is carrying it all, especially when you have just one overnight bag and one small suitcase and add that to the fact that you are three hours away from home. Nagahori-dori is a paradise and you just can't see it all in the space of a few hours. Oh I want it all and the little desire demon sits smugly on my shoulder and whispers into my ear that this lilac frill front chiffon blouse would look absolutely divine with my satin pencil skirt and the diesel rinse wash denim skirt will compliment my blues... oh and Hitomi loves these buckled pointed ankle boots with the 'V' style trim... you see how it escalates and with such appealing prices the desire demon almost falls off of my shoulder with hysterics at my undecided 'shall I' or shan't I' position. So in his distraction I just sit him on the stand next to the attractive mannequins and hope I can sneak away without him following me. It's a good plan until I get ten meters away from the store and then see what's on offer in the Avirapink promotional display and their mouth-watering reductions and of course my demon follows me in with a big smile on his silly face.

Three hours from home I just said and that's because I'm back in Osaka for a couple of days while Hitomi has a venue here and in her business, work is work and you take it when you can get it and I suppose that applies to any vocation. After our little shopping excursion she hurries off to meet with her appointment and I'm back in the hotel room and it's the same man who helps me getting on-line as it was the last time I was here in September as I try to connect to the internet.

After my unappetizing dinner for one, I sat in the hotel bar with a dry and nicely chilled Sauvignon Blanc and January's copy of 'Pinky' magazine. My head is pointing down towards my magazine but my eyes are staring up as I watched two girls across the bar have a massive argument in very hushed and subdued tones. Have you ever done that and peering over your eye glasses too? One shouts at the other in a barely audible whisper and then the other tries to shout whisper over the top of the first girl to dismiss whatever she might have been trying to say and try to impress upon her that her point of view is of greater validity. Then they both look 'round to see if they've disturbed the others in the room or if anyone is starring at them. I looked around too and not many were looking at them or if they were, then like me they were doing it in a discreet and surreptitious manner.

The problem with being a single girl in the bar is that I seem to be a valid target for the attentions of all the single gentlemen. OK that might be an over-statement because only three of the eight or nine actually approached me and offered to buy me a drink and chat with them and all of them were foreigners. One even having the fresh indentations on the skin of his ring finger of a recently removed ring! I just want to purchase a nice drink and sit with the soft background music and my magazine and enjoy the reserved but human atmosphere rather than sit alone in a deathly quiet, sterilized and totally impersonal hotel room. When I say alone, I mean by myself but not totally cut off from human contact so in the bar I can enjoy being alone and not feel like I have been separated from planet Earth. So after apologetically lying to them and telling them that I'm waiting for someone, I decide to go fill the bath with bubbles and relax.

Thankfully Miss 'Arrive-when-you-least-expect-me' arrives when I least expected her, which was halfway through my relaxing bubble bath. She was in a buoyant mood and smiling happily in that playful kind of kitten mood that I love and I could tell at once that her day had been good because she ran into the bathroom with her camera to tease me and I threw water all over her and that led on to an interesting evening that hotel rooms are either best designed for or they become the cure for the usual detached indifference of a cold, impersonal room.

So its a fruit salad and a Pinot Blanc evening and the promise of a honeymoon breakfast that stimulates the already tantalized taste buds and keeps us smiling warmly through the cold embrace of winter.

Minami rocks for shopping!