My god, I'm having a boring one today. I had one class earlier with Kudou sensei, my supervisor, and later I've got one more with Yamada sensei. I studied a bit of Japanese earlier today, but I have nothing left on my old course to study, and really I need to put all the stuff I have learnt so far into practice. When I get paid I'm going to the book store to get myself a new study book. I know which one I want as well: "Japanese For Busy People", ironically enough. I've been told it's a good one though, and I know I can get a copy as soon as I get paid.

I said it earlier, and I will say it again now. Being broke and having to struggle a bit from time to time is good for you. I've had a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomache for the last 10 days now, filled with all those thoughts about how I can spend my next pay check. I shalln't squander this one, I keep thinking to myself. I'm simply going to enjoy the freedom of having enough money to do things if I want to do them. Less drinking, more cooking my own meals, more nights in reading, more studying Japanese, I'm going to stop buying cigarettes, but I'll gladly smoke those of other people's. Spending less at the school canteen, a maximum limit of 500 yen (2 pounds 60 pence) a day on lunch, play poker more thoughtfully and not rush in to any silly bets, only one hooker per week from now on, instead of three, and I will cut my cocaine habit in half. (Those last two budget resolutions were made up, but I do play poker from time to time).

So there you are, I'm going to be far more careful next month.

I'm trying to get a poker game together for the 31st of Jan. We did have a game last December between six of us and it was a lot of fun. Nobody really lost any serious money, though Jacob, who was the biggest casualty, was probably about 4000 yen down (20 pounds) by the end of the night. Most of it was in my pot though, so I was smiling!!

I've got a class to prepare for, so bye for now....