First days

Although our Halloween party went well at the Mars on Saturday night, again Kuri and Azami have not shown up and because their getting back together is really delicate we are very reluctant to text them. We had fun though and although we didn't go to the party dresses as witches, Ma gave a bottle of 'Cuvee Denis Dubourdieu', a very nice wine indeed, to the girl who had the best look. That girl who won looked more like the usual Gothic Lolita you find at Harajuku Jingubashi bridge on any Sunday morning rather than a close cousin of 'the Addams family' or a Marilyn Manson look alike. A few drinks and lots of laughs and a dance or two squeezing past other couples and kisses beyond the dark yet garish and often overdone Halloween make up. It's not all lesbians on ecstasy and giggles in the dark you know!

Sunday was a lovely bright morning that just begged us to take our morning breakfast on the balcony. The sun delightfully warmed up our fold-up table as we took out our fresh coffee, croissants, cereal, peach and yogurt and breathed deeply that perfumed air. Yes the air of Tokyo has a natural fragrance of petroleum, noodle soup and baked yam with a tang of industry and something awful from the ends of cigarettes. A prolonged spray of air-perfume and two scented candles as the table center piece temporarily suspends the truth and makes us believe we are in a rose garden.

Hitomi flies off to Okinawa on Monday for a week working hard and no doubt she'll enjoy the tropical weather. She's such an international jet-setter these days and I'm here at home but luckily I'm back at work this week and I'll be sure to enjoy that! As my regular readers will remember, her being away always gives me a chance to really tidy up after her. Not that Miss Disaster-zone is as bad as I make out she is because in truth she really is a wonderful person and I would be lost without her. I enjoy looking after her and in turn being looked after by her.

After breakfast we decided to take a stroll through Yoyogi Park together. The day felt designed for such togetherness, in fact when she suggested that we talk a pleasant walk out together it seemed as if I was about to utter the very same words and we were micro-seconds away from one of those strange deja-vu moments.
During our walk Hitomi pointed out along the path we walked, that she saw her friend, Reisa, out walking with her man. In a possible string of co-incidental moments that seem to follow us, Reisa is also part of the ensemble along with Hitomi, heading down to Okinawa. Reisa corrected Hitomi when I was introduced to her, insisting that all her friends please call her 'Ringo' and I should do the same.
That's 'apple' in Japanese you guys! I wouldn't think for one moment that she's named after one of the Beatles! (Laughs)
She too was sharing a wonderful morning out with her love before she and Hitomi and ten others all go flying away in a soft azure sky and on to golden beaches and warm turquoise seas somewhere close to paradise. I wouldn't have been surprised had it rained here on Monday to signify the first day of work for me and the first day of being on my own again but it didn't!

I kissed Hitomi bye-bye on Monday morning as I headed into the office and my love was bound for the airport. I contemplated my first day back and fell into in a really sneaky mood. I decided to sneak in and quietly sit at my new desk behind the door before Riko came in. I had imagined that she would breeze in and not look at her old desk as she went to sit at her new one - my old one - and then I would creep up behind her and shout out my 'hello' and see the shock on her face as she finds out that I'm back in the office with her once more.

However not all the cunning and sneaky plans created in the madness of Jazz's mind always come to fruition!
I went to get my morning tea from the machine in the canteen- that's tea with molten plastic and the heat seems to burn your fingers even through the insulation of a double cup - and went into the office.

Surprise! 
They were all there to welcome me back and the fantastic team that I work with had even bought me some lovely welcome back gifts!
I love them all so very much!
How could I even think about leaving such a dedicated team?