UGH!

You know in The Simpson's credits where Bart scribbles lines on the blackboard - different ones each week? Well.... if I was Bart Simpson my lines would be:

Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge Nomihodai is not a challenge

[Nomihodai = drink til you puke. Not really, it's a drink-all-you-can-for-a-set-price-in-a-set-time]

So... another drunken weekend, basically.

After spending another weekend drinking my stomach is currently hurting. In brief, then:

Friday night I decided I definitely wouldn't go to the Yamanote party, after two weeks of yes-no-yes-no. Instead I planned to go to another party after work on Saturday, which turned out to be a let down as I got there late and people were finishing up a nomihodai session. I downed a beer and a half and then a few people filtered off. Suddenly - really suddenly - it was about 8.35pm, I decided I DID want to go to the Yamanote Halloween party (which kicked off at 9.07pm). Having told everyone I wasn't going, I wasn't sure if anyone I knew would be but a few frantic calls confirmed a couple of my mates were going and I persuaded (well, it didn't take that much persuasion) another friend to change her mind and race to Shinjuku for the train.

What a laugh! Due to my pathetic indecisiveness, I had no costume, and neither did my friend Lou. My two Japanese friends were dressed in sari's. I'd tried explaning Halloween and sari's didn't really go, but hey! We did have cans of alcohol though (bought in the station).

Most people dressed up - grim reapers, horses, super-heroes (well, I thought they looked like giant coloured condoms actually) and all manner of colourful afro wigs, masks and so on. The atmosphere was fun. The crowd was a mixture of foreigners and Japanese and everyone drank and chanted and chatted.

There were police in the carriage but they looked more bewildered than anything else - and we (especially Lou) laughed at their shortness, anyway! (I know, but hey, we were drunk!)

We'd planned to just stick it for ten minutes but ended up doing a whole circuit - such a giggle!

Then we got off the train and went to a bar, gathering a few random lads to come along with us - who were good value and we had a good laugh with them. Having drunk beer and shu-hi so far, I tried to be sensible and stick with Smirnoff Ice, but my Japanese friend persuaded me it was a good idea to move onto Long Island Ice Tea instead.

Lou made me get the last train; my Japanese mates went onto somewhere else, one fell over and ended up in hospital after hitting her head on the floor.

Sunday morning I had to get up bloody early as normal for a Sunday, to go to my TESOL. I had the hangover from hell and can't believe I actually made it, let alone got my act together to teach!

On Friday, my mate Tim got married, and Sunday was his wedding party. I missed the first party as I was at the TESOL, but made the second party, which was nomi-bloody-hodai. And I did. It was fun. The after party party was in a karaoke can, naturally. Also nomihodai. Also fun.

And now my tummy hurts!

[My friend, Sue, who hit her head, took pictures on the train so, as soon as I've got them emailed from her, I'll post some - if they're any good]