Shrinking

I am fairly sure my English vocabulary is shrinking day by day. I rocked my world two days ago by using the word "malignant" in conversation with Noriko who then asked me to define it. Erm. Somehow "like an ominous drain" didn't clarify anything for her.

To date my only Japanese vocabulary is thank you, thank you very much, one, two (although these are often wrong - how you count things depends on what they are so the numbers for people are different to, say, vegetables), good morning, please excuse me, hot chocolate, hot cocoa (important difference) and cat. I've really got to improve on that but I have been honestly kept busy sorting out the flat. Pooch leaves before 8am and gets back about 7pm so it's been just me shopping and, recently, assembling flat pack furniture. This has included the very same dining table and chairs set we had in the first flat we shared in Stratford. "Ikea" is clearly another Japanese word that I've managed to learn. I've also made more curtains than is sensible and am about to commence cushion and pillow covers.

The build up for Christmas continues, kind of. As far as I can tell it is just about decorating for most Tokyoans. I don't think presents come into it although I have made it clear to Pooch that if he wants turkey with the trimmings that also includes stockings (the patchwork ones I made in the autumn have come with us) bulging with the chocolate equivalent of oranges and teddy bears. I have decorated our tree using 100 yen shop ornaments plus one that came free with a bottle of coke. Pooch has tracked down the only shop in Tokyo that sells fresh turkey and is heading there at the weekend. I am just hoping he doesn't manage to find any spouts. Nasty little things.

I think that makes my feelings clear.