- It seems a bit trivial to be blogging when Victoria is being plagued by deadly bush fires, some of which were deliberately lit. At last count 181 people are confirmed dead but this toll is expected to rise, possibly up to 300. This is the worst national disaster that Australia has ever seen and it is so hard to watch the news and know that it is not yet over. So many people have lost everything, including loved ones. It is just so hard to comprehend…The Red Cross has started an appeal and if you think you can help in anyway please check out this site. If you live in Victoria other ways you can help is by donating blood, donating clothes &/or toys for those who have lost everything. If anybody knows of any other ways to help please leave information on the comments. As sad as this is, I urge people to be wary of people saying they are collecting for red cross or other charities because already there has been scam artists taking advantage of this situation so please confirm that the money and or items you donate will be going to the right place.
- I have been off sick from work for the last two days with a respiratory virus/infection that started as a sore throat about a week ago. I honestly thought nothing of it until Tuesday when I was getting dizzy at work, had what felt like earache and then I proceeded to come home and fall asleep at 7pm. I finally went to the dr`s yesterday (had no appointment so got there at 7am to line-up…had to call and ask them to let me in so I could be sick. Turns out the dizziness made me throw up. Good news was i was first in to see a doctor though) and got loaded up with drugs and got a dr`s certificate to cover me for yesterday and today. I hope to return to work tomorrow but I am not liking my chances because the infection has now got into my chest which always means asthma for me. I have bouts of genkiness (wellness) that last for about half an hour before I crash again and need to sleep or at least lie down. I hate being sick…
- During a bout of genkiness yesterday I did manage to get the post office with Shun to send out all our wedding invitations (!) something I had been meaning to do since Saturday. There are now 24 invitations on there way to friends & family in QLD, two interstate, 37 on there way overseas including 31 to Japan, 2 to the UK, 2 to NZ and one to Germany. So 61 sent altogether and I think including my parents, me & Shun & if everyone accepted (not going to happen) and brought partners it would be about 120 people. We think though the number is more likely to be about 75 at the most (which is a lot more than we originally thought…we originally thought about 60 people but a lot of friends from overseas who we thought would not be able to make it are actually travelling over for it which is so exciting!). So the RSVP is late March so by then we should have an exact number of guests….
- My awesome DSLR camera that I got for Christmas has been playing up. I am not sure why….As far as I know it has not been dropped or gotten wet so I am hoping it is a problem that can be fixed for free since it is still under warranty. It is now with the camera fixing shop and I should know more in 2 weeks…. I would seriously cry so much if It can not be fixed. It actually works about half of the time but the other half of the time it doesn`t…It is being very temperamental.
- It is less than 3 months now til our wedding (9 May is the special date!)…and it is coming up to a year since we got engaged….(late Feb 2008)…I can`t beleive how much has happened since then. Back then it seemed like such a long way off until the wedding and now here we are just three months away. I will be Mrs M before long…(althogh the whole name changing process will be a nightmare. It is almost enough to make me think twice about doing it but I would like our future children and us to all have the same last name. I guess I am traditional like that
) - We saw our engagement photos last weekend and choose three to get copies of (we would of choosen more but it would of been so expensive) so we will be able to pick them up this weekend. I will hopefully be able to scan in the pictures at work to show you all (no scanner here)…I will not be getting electronic copies unfortunately (again too expensive) but they did turn out really well and we are super happy with them!! Our photographer is awesome and she made us both feel so relaxed which is great.
- My father will find out next Friday how the trial he did for cancer went. He is not very hopeful that it did any good (I am hoping like hell it was successful though even though I know it would be a temporary fix with the type of cancer he has but it could mean 5-10 years before it might come back) and he has already decided he will not be choosing to do any other treatment if the trial was unsuccessful. This is hard for me to hear because I really want him to be alive to meet his future grandchildren, and come to Japan to visit us, and be around in five years, and ten years maybe. I know though that no amount of me trying to convince him to pursue other treatment options would work though and I hate to admit defeat but I am not sure I can argue with him about this anymore as he has made his decision and the more I try to argue with him about it and remind him of what he has to live for the more pissed off with me he gets. The alcoholism is becoming an issue again but I am just so unsure about what I could do to make this any better…I don`t want to give up on him but I feel as though I have offered all the support I possibly can…I just feel I have no more to give as much as I keep trying to search for answers.
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
Wow, what a lot going on for you right now.
Re the pictures- you can get really good print to print copies. I had an album made of blow ups of those old fashioned square pictures. (you’re probably too young to be in any but your parents? ;P)
Take care of yourself with the chest thing! Asthma is pretty nasty, hey?
It must be tough with your dad but all you can do is stay positive, right? Never underestimate the power of positive thinking!
I checked the map and you weren’t effected by the floods were you? Don’t you wish we could send all that excess water to Victoria?
I’m trying to see if the 9th May makes one of those funky sayings. Goku? Gokyu? Gokku Gokku!! (that’s the sound of drinking milk right?) We were married Jan 5 IchiGo. We always have strawberries to celebrate.
I can not believe you went out to the Post Office while sick, oh goodness, any cold even the slightest I am indoors and in bed. stay in bed and just sleep until you are all better. I know how you feel about the ear, I hat a bad cold, sore throat, that turned into a cold and ear was stuffed up for at least 2 days but sleep, and bed rest stopped it from going further… Stay in bed PLEASE!
On the up side, stay in bed and look at your photos which I know all of us are excited to see!
Do you get POM juice there?
Hope you a feeling better!!!! Good for you getting the invitations out while feeling poorly. I am also so excited to see your engagement photos. I am sure they are lovely. I have my fingers crossed for your dad as well!!
Heather – we were married on 2/29 which apparently is nikumu and kurushimu… hm…. hate and pain.. yup.. thats what we’ve signed up for!
I’m so sorry to hear that you have been so sick!! Hopefully you will get better soon. Make sure you don’t do anything over strenuous!! I think you should just stay in bed and rest until you feel better. Hugs to you!!
The engagement photos sound wonderful! I can’t wait to see them!!
3 months till the wedding… I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by!! I’m so excited to be coming back for you wedding. I need to find something to wear!!
I don’t what to say in regards to your dad/treatment/drinking… I just wish I could be there to give you a big hug!! I can imagine that it is a difficult time for you all at the moment. I wish there was something I could do…
The fires in Victoria are really horrible… I can’t read the news these days without bawling my eyes out, so I’m trying not to read them anymore… That sounds horrible, I know, but with the way that I have been feeling lately, I can’t afford something else to upset me!
3 months and counting till we get to catch up again!
Heather- It is funny, when I at work I don`t feel like I have so much going on but then when I sit down and think about it there is actually quite a lot going on in my life. I think cos I have been sick this week that I have had more time to think about stuff…
I actually have some square photos but I think the phased them out before my 1st birthday… I will probably get some print to print copies made and I am thinking of asking her to throw in the other engagement photos on the cd I want to get with the wedding photos (we are getting an album made with some other separate prints but the CD was not included in the package (it is not included in any of her packages actually) but we will get a cd from the wedding I hope!! I am really looking forward to showing them to you all!
I do try to stay positive but sometimes it is hard. We were not affected by the floods but I have a friend that lives in Mt Isa where she is a dietician/nutritionist and heads out to the communities to do her work every second week….I was worried about her but she says she is okay and that her trips to the communities have been cancelled for now.
I wish I had a cool saying for 9th of may…..keep thinking! I love yours! The strawberries thing is cute. goku…gokyuu…
Girl Japan- I was in bed all day yesterday accept when I went to the post office and also last night when I tried to stay awake to watch the soccor…but I was lying on the sofa then. Lying flat down is no good with asthma- I have to sleep half sitting up when I get it which sucks. I am on the sofa now propped up on pillows watching some tv and responding to blog comments!!!
I don`t know POM juice so I guess we don`t have it here? Not sure. I miss lemon C drinks- Shun used to buy me loads of them when I was sick in Japan…
Sara- hate & pain! hahahahaha! Funny!
Your invitation will arrive in a couple of days- I know you can`t come (at 7 months pregnant and during a move!) but I wanted you & Ryohei to have one of course!!! I hope you like it.
Nay- Just 3 months left! Crazy how time has flown- we were more than six months away still when you & Naoki got married so time has flown by!!! It is so hot here at the moment and our bedroom is hot so it is hard to stay in bed- I have had a fever today too which hasn`t helped- hopefully it will break soon & I will stop feeling so poorly. I already rang work explained what was happening and they said to stay home til Monday and they would send my apologies for the two meetings I had tomorrow. Luckily one was internal anyway….
Sometimes the news sucks- in fact most of the time it is very depressing. Dad keeps skynews on all day when he is home and we have only one tv so I tend to watch a lot of news…none of it good usually. I think if it upsets you so much then you should stop reading- if I discover any good news stories though I will send you the links! You should concentrate on positive, happy things like your trip back to Brisbane in three months!!!
There is nothing anyone can really do about Dad, as much as we want to, and others want to. It is unfortunate but that is how it is.
Can`t wait to see you in May!
Awww I hope you are feeling better soon. I was surprised, or rather.. I had this stupid image in my head that you can’t catch a cold or the flu in warm places. The only times I’ve ever been sick is in winter due to the cold so… blah blah blah… get well soon, regardless!
Feel anxious at all after sending the invites out? I know I did. So far 7 rsvp’s are back all attending, so I’m excited too. I think that’s a good number for a wedding. We’re expecting around 60 too ^^ I’m so excited for you guys! And wow… that’s a LOT of foriegn guests. Amazing. Hope everyone you want to attend can make it~~!
Oh no! That sickness sounds TERRIBLE – I hope you get 100% better as soon as possible!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE INVITES!!!
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How exciting
I can’t believe it’s only three months – you’ll be wed on middle bro’s 24th birthday!
Looking forward to the eng photos too
Your family is in my thoughts with your dad’s results, I hope it’s good news. There really would be nothing better than a reprieve from what has been happening, even if it’s just temporary. *hugs*
Hope you’re feeling better!
So exciting about the invites – it’s such fun getting the RSVPs! My wedding is TOMORROW! Time flies SOOOO fast!
I have my fingers crossed for great news about your dad. I think you’re amazing with the support you’re giving him. I’m totally sure it’s helping much more than you realise.
Khea- people get summer colds and stuff all the time in Australia- I think it is quite common in Japan too due to the humidity…something for you to look forward to I`m sure. I hate been sick- I am still not over it. I feel much better though…
I don`t think everyone we invited from overseas will make it- but some of them definitely will which is so nice. I am so grateful that they are taking the time to come over especially with the economic situation at the moment. I am excited for the rsvps to start coming in- I have a few already!!! I didn`t do rsvp cards because a lot were going overseas so we are taking rsvps via email/phone! hehe- not very traditional I know!
Enny- Thanks! I can`t beleive it is less than 3 months myself. Time to start stressing maybe!?hehe! How are your plans going?
I feel heaps better again today but still not 100%- I am hoping the weekend will give me the extra time I need to get better.
Thanks for your thoughts re. dad- i am hoping it is good news next week. Unfortunately even if that is good news it won`t solve all of the problems but at least it would be better than bad news…
Jessica- Tommorrow?? OMG! It has come around so fast- have the best time. I can`t wait to see pics.
Hope you’re feeling better soon and get a few more days in bed at least to get over it. Three months is so soon. Shite, four weeks after that and the bunster will be out in the real world. Too much to do.
I hope your dad gets good news from his trial. The drinking must be hard for you to see and I guess the only thing you can do is stay positive and be there for him.
You have a lot going on at the moment. At least you are getting the being sick out of the way now! How very organized of you. Give you the next three months to concentrate on the wedding (and your dad, and Ryohei, and work, and getting ready to come to Japan and….)
Gambatte
I hope your dad’s results will be good news! I really really hope!
I hope your camera gets fixed and all is fine with that too. What DSLR did you get, I remember you’ve been debating between 2 and then you got one for Christmas. Reason I’m asking is because I am thinking of getting one before the year ends. I’m in no rush. But you did help me loads when I got the Olympus. : )