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It's been pretty cold here, the temperature just above the freezing point. Watching the news I see Beijing and Seoul under heavy snow and Dad said on the phone that it's snowing a little where he lives. I wonder if it will reach us. The news that warmed our hearts was the fact that Tokutaro, my eldest brother, returned home to Sapporo from a business trip to the U.S.A and he phoned Hiro and I and we shared all of our news just like we all promised last year. I feel a sense of well being knowing that my family makes the effort to greet distant members. As children we were all under one roof and that placed the sense of family upon us. The world and the passage of years may change who we are but at heart we should never forget the unity and bond that is family. Then I telephoned Kenjiro, my other brother who lives an hour away in Sumida. Unfortunately he was really busy and only gave us one minute. I did not make any issue of it because worryingly, I heard tremendous strain in his voice and was quite concerned. I phoned Dad for a second time and he laughed because I'd phoned him twice in one day but he listened to me as I expressed my worries. He said that he'd call him and that made me happier. I know he will give dad more than one minute! (Laughs)
It upsets me when family is not as it could be.

On Sunday I traveled to Osaka for the start of a three day series of meetings. I booked into my hotel at lunch time and went down to the universal studio theme park for the afternoon. I was happy to see the "happy snow party" and see Kittychan and Charlie Brown. I had a most relaxing afternoon and I won't let the pressures that started last year affect me this year. In fact I am looking forward to my interview and photo shoot on Saturday.