New Year's - Intermission

Sergeant Alistair's Log, 1-5-2012, 18:29
The badgers are at the very gates even now. All the outposts have fallen to their savage claws. I fear the Captain has gone mad. I privately begged him last night to update his blog to avert the slaughter of our men, but with a savage grin he replied “Let them come.”



This will be my last blog update for a little while (though it will be a double post)- I'm back at school now preparing for when the students return to classes on the 10^th. I have also been putting the finishing touches on the New Year's cards I was making. In Japan, New Year's cards are about as popular as Christmas/New Year's cards in America combined. Most Japanese buy fancy post-cards for the occasion, but based on the number of Dragon themed stamps and stickers at the stationary store, others choose to make their own. I was in the latter camp; being a dragon enthusiast I needed an excuse to buy themed crafts supplies. In the end I made about 28 cards and mailed them off/passed them around at school. 
 

(Here's the stamp I used. It was difficult choosing one out of the 15 different designs!)

(A few of the finished cards. The Japanese translates roughly to “Congratulations on the opening of a New Year. Please tolerate me again this year.”)



It snowed most of yesterday and last night, and while its just slightly too warm for it to stick on the ground I got this picture this morning right before the sun came up.

Also, as a quick culinary update, I tried cooking and eating tofu for the first time last night. As I mentioned on facebook it was a lot like trying to pan fry jello. I'm afraid the Mabodofu I made didn't really turn out, but my life is richer for the experience. ^^;

-Andrew