Thursday, January 1, 2009

明けましておめでとうございます

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!

Happy New Year!
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We just had a small party with our neighbors and few friends, we had a great time playing Rock Band (I suck), stuffing our faces with gobs of yummy food and watching Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Year-end Song Festival/Battle), this year was the 59th airing. Like last year, at midnight, Otis, the kids and I all went outside to listen to the temple bells ringing in the New Year.
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Next year we plan to spend New Year's Eve in Tokyo at the Zojoji Temple. On NYE, temple bells are rung 108 times, corresponding to the Buddhist concept of 108 worldly desires. And if things work out, if we manage to coordinate schedules and save a little $$$$, O and I are hoping to spend the 2010 Chinese New Year in Beijing!!!!!
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I can't believe half of our time here is already gone, we're down to just 18 months! YIKES!! I've still got so much to see and do! My major NY's resolution is to stick to a pretty strick budget, so that'll we'll be able to do everything we want to do (and buy everything I want to buy!) before we leave next year. Just a thought that occured to me today: If my calculations are right (I'm a little hazy on the dates from my childhood), I've now spent 13 of my 37 New Years outside of the U.S.
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I hope 2009 brings you all staggering amounts of prosperity, health and happiness!

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