So how was the summer everyone? For me, I think I can say with conviction, for the first time ever, that I am DEFINITELY the hottest blonde chick in Tokyo! Japan's average temperatures this summer have been the highest since records began (1898 to be precise) and even as I sit here and type, at the beginning of September, Tokyo is sweltering in 100 degree heat! This does nothing good for my weak, English skin, so I have been spending my days, as far as possible, indoors cuddled up to my New Best Friend, the air-conditioning unit, and being very selective about which mirrors I look in (I go from fresh as a daisy to faux-croc to mummified depending on the lighting!)

I can't believe now that way back in June when we moved in I was having a debate with my husband as to whether we even needed to get it. How can someone on the brink of getting her Business degree be so dumb?!! Back to the drawing board I think….

A strange feeling

So summer has passed and I am delighted to report that during the long, hot days of August I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! It was a wonderful experience! For the first time in as long as I can remember I stood still for longer than 5 minutes. It felt very weird! Unfortunately this is not something I have the luxury of getting used to, because school is back in at the end of August in Japan, along with the accompanying mountain of formalities, paperwork, earthquake drills, and (“not compulsory, but – dot dot dot”) PTA meetings, this along with a 4 year old who I swear is turning delinquent on me, and a now 9 month old who I am embarrassed to report (and please, lets keep this between ourselves everyone) was discovered sucking on the loo brush the other day! PLEASE – do NOT tell this to the grannies! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right??! Right??!

So with the return to normality comes the return to the final module of study – and I am starting to think about how I am going to finish off my module 1 Self-Development assignment with a flourish and whisk it off down the information superhighway also known as “turnitin”, shortly before then whisking myself off down the more traditional route via Copenhagen back to the UK for 2 months at the end of October (had to slip that one in as I'm pretty excited about the return home!) I am less excited about flying home alone with 3 kids under 7, and I am currently in discussion with a number of Hollywood producers to make a scarier version of “Snakes on a Plane” entitled “3 Washida Kids on a Plane” – it has all the makings of a blockbuster thriller!

Rewards

The best part about finishing my degree is starting to think about all the things I am going to treat myself with as a reward! I was saving my nose job until my 40th birthday, but you know what – I think I have earned this so maybe I will bring it forward! (the operation, not the nose). Or maybe I will go for the Botox? Or the sclerotherapy? Or how about a plain old vanilla facelift? Oh, the choices! One thing is for certain – my list of “rewards” is almost certainly somewhat different to the list a 22 year old graduate would be producing :( !!

So from here I hit the final leg of my journey – 3 years, 10 months and approximately 8 days since I started with the arrival of my HND folders and accompanying palpitations and panic that “I can't do this”.

I will be completing and sending my module 1 assignment hopefully around the beginning of October, and my next blog will be the FINAL exciting installment (well, it's been exciting for me anyway!) Don't miss it!