Tuesday 18 November 2014

Sometimes, Incredible Things Happen

As I explained the last time I used this quote as a blog post title, this is something a cleaner we used to have once told Pooch and I when asked where some missing items had gone. It is a phrase much used in the Byrne household ever since.

About 9 days ago, something incredible did happen. The company Pooch works for - the company who insisted on the 18 month contract when we came out here a year ago, who have mucked Pooch about through the whole year, the company who just last month asked Pooch to move onto another team for the last six months doing work he was really interested in - told us they were sending us home. Pooch is employed by the European arm of the company and was only seconded here so there's no risk to his job, but it was very unexpected.
Ziva
Even my imaginary cat was surprised. 

This means farewell to Japan, to Tokyo, to the cat cafes, to the twitchingly fresh sushi, to the loaves of bread only sold 8 slices at a time, to the 100 yen shops (sob) and potentially to the role of housewife-without-children.
huge craft mess
Not my actual sewing space, but very similar to what it currently looks like. 

18th December sees us fly back to the UK for Christmas and where we settle is currently unknown. I should know more before that month ends though.
Happy Holidays!
Cats never forget this kind of thing. They are great believers in revenge being a dish best served cold. 

If anyone has been wanting to ask me to act as a postal forwarding station and been too embarrassed to ask, this is your last chance! I'm happy to do so until the end of November after which I'll be too busy. I'll forward on to any country and you can refund me the postage by paypal. Email me to get my address and warn me what to expect. Japanese postal rates are here (in english, and my prefecture is Tokyo) and there'll be a compulsory 'registered' option on all parcels which is an extra 410yen - I don't want anything to get lost and this means it needs a signature your end. And to be honest if you're ordering from Amazon Japan their postal rates are usually going to be cheaper than my forwarding it at the post office, but you never know.


4 comments:

Mairead said...

Goodness that must have been a shock! You'll be busy then for the next month sorting everything out... I hope everything goes smoothly for you both.

PURLPOWER said...

Blimey. How utterly unsettling for you. And, from a selfish point of view, I'm distressed that just as I had reconnected with your blog and was LOVING all the Japan-ness of it, boom, you're back to blighty. But seriously, that must be very odd for you both. I hope it has some upsides as well as the inevitable downsides. And I send you as much karma as you need. xx

Wibbo said...

That must have come as a shock! I've been meaning to comment and say how much I've enjoyed looking at your Japanese photos (particularly the cats and the gardens) so I'm doing it now. Best of luck with the move :o)

ShinyNewThing said...

A shock for you both, and for all your readers who have been enjoying your wonderful vignettes of life in Japan. But does this mean you can come to SkipNorth?