I've been invited by the Japan Society to take on more work for their Japan-UK Live! school exchange/twinning project: checking translations by other Japanese to English translators, helping to plan some of the exchange themes, testing a new website and encouraging UK teachers to keep their links going. Hoping to get stuck into that in the next few weeks! I've also booked a training day on Friday, getting "certified" in my chosen translation tool. I don't think it's entirely worth it, but I need to get back into using it to get the most out of it, and as I learned it on the job and as a project manager instead of a translator I'm sure there are bits I missed. I also get a massive discount on the training and exams through a translation website I'm a member of - wouldn't contemplate it otherwise.
We're back in the UK from May 26 - June 1, and this time the movers are booked. Everything is going into a van on the morning of June 1 and being driven over by a moving company. While I dread another round of throwing out and giving away (especially as the less precious things are now gone) it will be a great relief to have it done, over a year after we started. The silver lining is an email from Oxfam - they raised £258.09 from the sale of my donated goods, and can also get over £70 in Gift Aid (as I'm still a UK taxpayer). That's a fitting end for so many books, CDs, DVDs and comics.
Had a fun night last Saturday with some friends over for our attempt at Mexican cooking - fill-it-yourself tortillas made with Quorn pieces. All very nice and accompanied by Belgian, French, English and even African beer! (Barley ice tea for me.) And a box of Luxemburgerlis, which always go down well. We then all watched District 9 together, and agreed unanimously that some of the very small injuries that happen to the protagonist earlier on are far more flinch-inducing that the massive acts of gore that follow. It's all too easy to imagine the smaller ones happening, I suppose.
I went to one of the spouses' association dinners last night, at the Japanese oKara restaurant, which I recommended. I had the sashimi special and I have to say I wasn't that impressed - the tonkatsu was amazing though. And there should be a warning on udon noodles for people who aren't used to chopsticks.
Weather has been quite bad all week, with wind and rain and general gloom. There was even snow forecast. So long as we don't get an ash cloud.
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