Entering the Year of the Ox

I BBQd a turkey and we took it over to Tsunaoshi's house as part of a pot luck dinner. Anton and Thor got everyone stuck into a Downtown special on TV that lasted for hours. My favorite sketch was on a bus. A foreigner gets on with a large bag and when he turns around there is a head sticking out of a bald man who stares open eyed at Matsumoto and Hamada. He doesn't say a word. Even when the man with bag/man in bag get off the bus, the man in bag continues to stare at the Downtown team. Hilarious....

Videtto Family came to dinner

The Videttos were in Izu doing their Jogasaki hikes.  Paul cooked a paella.  Thor let everyone play Guitar Hero.  There were Christmas Cracker Jokes and paper crowns.  

I love food at Tamarind Springs

Just outside of Kuala Lumpur is a restaurant which has done a great job of putting groovy food on the table. The cinnamon sticks wrapped in mince chicken were awesome! For main courses we had soft shell crab, lamb and prawn rice. With a Penfold Shiraz you couldn't ask for anything else.

Sandra and I went out there after a long day of government pension meetings. The next day she was off shopping for her daughters' Xmas presents.

Thor has turned 16

He wanted sushi for his birthday dinner so we went over to Sushiko. Had lots of fish!

A new member for the Tokyo American Club

Tomi wants to become a member of TAC. He is semi retired and enjoying all the rug rats his kids are producing now. For some reason he has decided to get a membership at TAC and asked Jack Spillum and I to be his sponsors.

It's a good idea. He's a great guy and really, seriously gets involved with everything he does. He'll be a great addition to the club.

We had dinner to sign his application papers at the club. He was loving it.

YIS Concert

There were a number of musical presentations at the YIS concert on Friday night. We enjoyed seeing Anton in a tux. He got into the choir this year and is also playing basketball. The big question is will he get into NYU?

FTSE Tokyo Staff Year End Party

A mostly very well behaved group had dinner at Il Mulino in Tokyo. Expensive, tasty, large portions, dark, and serving a delicious grappa with wild currants. Cheeky Naoko was having a blast!