5 Things

In my previous post I mentioned that I've been pretty much apartment bound for the last month due to a lack of funds and, I guess, a lack of imagination. Or possibly even motivation. Culture shock is a bitch but as I've whined about it before and am thankfully coming out the other end and beginning to see the Japanese robot laser light show at the end of the tunnel I will speak on it no more lest people begin to think I am not enjoying myself here when I most assuredly am (currently reading a fantasy trilogy with very flowery language, can you tell?). Instead I will tell you about 5 things that have made my self-imposed month of hermitism bearable and somewhat entertaining. 5 things that my apartment, nay, my life abroad, could not do without. 5 things that bring me happiness and comfort. And without further ado, in no particular order:

5) Presents!!

My wonderful friends and family send me care packages from home filled with little gifts, edible and otherwise, to remind me of Ireland and chocolate to keep me chubby. I have 240 Barry's tea bags and since I wisely use every tea bag twice I should have enough to see me through to The Rapture, or at least the middle of next year. The last package from my grandparents included two blocks of Irish cheese. I nearly fell off my chair with joy. Cheese is expensive here and naturally nowhere near as good as a good auld hunk o' Irish cheddar like! Hyup!

4) My Kindle

Capable of holding around 1000 books I illegally totally legally! downloaded 1000 books for it. The Dresden Files was my last escape from reality. Right now I'm fighting alongside the magically gifted assassins of Midcyru as they struggle to free Cenaria from the insane grip of the Khalidorian Godking in Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy. (Plugging your book here Weeks, kudos please!) I am a fantasy nerd of epic proportions. I also put stickers all over it. The long ones came free with some mini ramen I bought. There are also some mango and peach aroma stickers on there that one of my students gave me.

3) My teddy-bear

Meet Jellybean. I vacuumed packed him so I could bring him with me. At my age it is definitely childish to fall asleep with my arms wrapped around a stuffed animal but by the Gods he is so comfortable! I've had him 7 years and wasn't about to let a little thing like several continents keep us apart.

2) My beanbag

Spongebob Squarepants pillow courtesy of my Mother.

A recent enough addition to my life, before beanbag came along I only had my bed and an uncomfortable desk chair on which to rest my weary bum after a day's work. Now I grab my Kindle or laptop and flop onto my super cosy bean bag, a cuppa Barry's tea and mini Cadbury's chocolate bar within easy reach and let my brain and body slowly melt.

1) My laptop

But if I'm inside the laptop... Who's taking this picture?!

My link to home and the rest of the world. For Skyping/Facebooking friends, blogging, playing Pokemon online, reading gossip about the lives of inane celebrities I would have a heart attack if something happened to my laptop. In fact I almost did when it turned itself off the other day with a strange popping noise but thankfully it turned straight back on and hasn't tried that trick again. Maybe it was testing me to see if I really loved it. Well I do laptop, you know I do. So don't ever pull the shit with me again or so help me...!!