Friday 3 January 2014

Happy New Year



Yeah, I got nothing else.

Truth is I’m only posting this here to break up a run of more literary posts, because while I may be adamant that this blog isn’t just about Japan I’m in no great rush to see it become a solely book-focused affair either, for all it’s increasingly feeling like that’s inevitable.

It is, as I’ve mentioned before, a question of inputs. And of time, of course, of which I’ve had bugger all of over the past couple of weeks. It’s one of adulthood’s sad ironies that any increase in your familial responsibilities results in an inversely proportional decrease in how relaxing your holidays are. As I write this we’re mopping up the aftermath of my in-laws’ visit for the unfathomable yet traditional mid-winter cold buffet:

“Whad’ya reckon Taro? How should we best celebrate the very centre of the most chilling and glacial time of year? What should we consume to bring warmth to our hearts and a glow to out loins?”

“Cold finger-food Haruki. Maybe some cold fish as well. Also cold rice.”

“Brilliant Taro, just brilliant.”

Not that I’m in a position to get sniffy about Osechi, I had relatives visiting as well, and while it was nice to have an excuse to pull out all the stops and celebrate perhaps the most christmassy christmas I’ve had in Japan, I’d managed to forget just how much angst, neuroses, and ill-concealed annoyance it’s possible to experience in the presence of people whose foibles you’ve had to spend a lifetime tolerating. My own fault, really: I’m the one who wanted an ‘authentic’ christmas experience, and you don’t get much more authentic than necking sherries before midday and making clipped passive aggressive comments over the mince pies.

I exaggerate, of course (though not by all that much). It was good to see people and the kids had a great time, which I guess is what’s most important, but it does leave me slightly bereft of anything exciting to report here, or time to make up any suitably convincing bullshit to cover for that. There’s always Yasukuni, I suppose, but all that tells us is that Abe is as much of an ideologically driven cockmuppet as we all thought he was, so nothing new there.

Let’s end this on a positive though, shall we? It’s a decade since this happened, which remains one of the most hilarious things I’ve witnessed in this wonderful country. And it happened TEN YEARS AGO. Passage of time, onwards and upwards, moving forward not back yadda yadda and so on.

  
Despite the show of cynicism, I’m actually having a great time. I sincerely hope you all are too, and here’s hoping your 2014 turns out to be all you want it to be.

Lang may yer lum reek.


8 comments:

  1. It's hard to win a bout that isn't fixed for you. Oh my, I think I have a new sociopolitical statement. Best of the New Year to you. Mine began with the "unfathomable yet traditional mid-winter cold buffet" (a fine turn of phrase) and nobody among my in-laws to drink with. My whisky drinking FIL now passed on three years. Should improve.

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    1. Sociopolitical statement? You? Whatever next?

      Best of the year to you too. Looks like it's going to be a big one for you, one way or another :)

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  2. Happy New Year to you and yours... As bleak as the news was to round out the year, I can't help but feel like Eric Idle singing upon the cross...

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    1. Or, indeed, Bill Murray waking up to Sonny and Cher...

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  3. I spent days on days taking down my kira kira cathedaral. I am more exhausted than a regular work week.
    Oh yeah...
    Happy New Year!! ;)

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    1. We took down the decorations this weekend, and even our modest little arrangements took half a day, so what your set up must have taken to dismantle makes me shudder to think.

      Happy New Year to yourself as well :)

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  4. My wife did Osechi here for a big party, but I was so busy playing the host that it was all gone before I got my own plate. We were surprised that the Americans ate so much of the weird crap that goes into traditional, cold, finger food, though I guess the West Coast is a bit more open minded.

    Re: Abe, at this point, I really can't decide which of my two living options has the direst politics. Possibly Japan, but at least they don't have hand guns. (Some dude shot his own butt off in a Home Depot over the holidays because he couldn't tell his wallet from his trigger.) My faith in humanity is at an all time low.

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    1. I guess there's always the novelty factor. Even my Mum managed to put on a brave face when confronted with the fish eggs a few years back. Glad to hear that your traditions went well, wherever they may be sourced from :)

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