スコットランドの桜

I was somewhat surprised and impressed at the domestic display of cherry blossoms this spring. Of course, I've always known that Scotland has cherry trees, and that they have wonderful blossoms. But because I was sort of looking for them more this year, there appeared to be more than I previously thought, and they were every bit as impressive as their Japanese counterparts. They don't occur in the same concentrations as they do over there, and neither do people revere them as much. But I was comforted by the sight of something I have come to associate closely with Japan.

Sakura in Japan is the signifier of new beginnings, of changes, and of a time to reflect on the past. The frenetic pace of life in Edinburgh isn't really giving me much time to reflect at the moment, and I feel like I'm zooming along at an alarming rate without the chance to breathe and take it all in. My house is gradually becoming more inhabitable, I am making real ground in my thoughts on moving abroad again, and I am also having to look at my current job very closely, as I have been told it won't exist come September.

This last is worrying and exciting and annoying. I won't be made redundant, I don't think. But my job will change drastically, and I feel rather cheated. The changes taking place had their inception way before Christmas, when I interviewed for the post, and I fail to see why this was not discussed with me at the interview. Still, as I have said since day one, this is a job, not a career. I am getting experience, and making money. But I don't think I could say I love it. I love parts of it. Other parts of it I worry about enough to have them encroach on my dreams at night.

So maybe the change in job (to something I did not, and probably would not, apply for in the first place) will force my hand. Make me choose. Actually kick me to jump ship and head abroad, like I've been deliberating over for so long now.

And the incentives are there. Nicer weather. Cheaper living expenses (but probably also proportionally smaller salaries). Inexpensive property.

That is what I am interested in. I just finished reading a great book on personal finance that Nate recommended me, called 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad'. And it really got me thinking. Too much to go into here, and probably too boring for anyone reading too. But basically, I have to mind my own business. The book talks about one's job, and one's business, two entirely different entities, but not mutually exclusive either. I have a job. But I need a business too. I don't want to work to make some faceless executive rich. I want my money to work to make me rich. So now, I am doing my best to educate myself, and build up my brain so that it can think in financial terms. Ok, maybe it's boring to most of you, but I actually find it exciting. :p Anyway, one way I'd like to make my money work for me is in property. So things like the foreclosure market in NA are looking mighty attractive to me. So is the cheap land in Australia. I don't have total confidence in what I am talking about yet, but the altered perspective (ie thinking about my business instead of my job) is really having an effect on how I see my future.

Goodies purchased

If you are on my Facebook, you'll see my staus right now as 'Elizabeth is wondering how she ever got by without her ghd straighteners'. And it's SO true!! My hair can get be kinkier than the gimp when I wake up in the morning, and I when I arrived in Japan last month to discover that my old straighteners had been destroyed by an unruly conveyer belt, I moaned inwardly, knowing that my entire holiday would be spent with bad hair. In an effort at damage limitation, I bought a crappy pair of Japanese straighteners, which tried their best, but my stubborn hair was having none of it. Back home, I bit the bullet and went for the brand new MK4 ghds, purchase price £100. All that for straight hair. SO worth it.

Ok, girly moment over, my other new favourite purchase of the minute is my sweet little iPod 4GB. Oh my is it cute! And it is a real mood-fixer in the morning. I seem to do my best thinking and dreaming when plugged into personal music, and after so long with a fritzy, ancient, jumpy personal CD player, I am all sorts of happy with my top-of-the-range MP3 player. Except I am prone to dancing around with it on, and need to be careful I am not caught by anyone. Not that I mind, but I do get looks. Whatever. Raspberries to your looks, Stevo, try dancing around the staffroom sometimes, it might lighten your day.

And on my iPod? The Yeah Yeah Yeah's 'Show Your Bones' ('Turn Into' particulalrly doing it for me right now) and as of today, the new Arcade Fire's effort, 'Neon Bible' (so far, so spectacular).

I am moving back home this month! Part of me is sort of apprehensive at taking on the apartment again, knowing that I am nowhere near being settled at the moment. The other part is giddy at the thought of my own space again. I'm putting in a new bathroom (why THANK YOU Mr Japanese Social Security Man), as the current one is a) ugly, b) ancient and c) ready to give up the ghost. To celebrate my return to Leith, I will be having a serious poker night,. You're all invited, the buy-in's only a tenner, but flights from wherever you're reading this from might cost somewhat more than that. ;)

This being Easter, I decided to head to church this morning for the first time in ages. It was comforting.

I don't feel like being introspective today. Summer's coming, and I decided to go on a road-trip with Joe to New Mexico. But not really, maybe only in our heads. What I am in the process of deciding about is a real trip to Canada in September/October. Flights are WAAAAY cheap around then, and I want to see the family, not to mention Joe and Heather. Would've been great to squeeze in the BC crowd too, but I think that's being rather ambitious. Anyhoo, Cousin Gillian is due to give birth in July, so it would be cool to make it over for then christening, if it happened around then, since I missed her wedding.

Summer's coming indeed. I want to run around outside.