Well, several things accomplished in the last couple of days. Firstly, I've managed to find a hairdresser who charges less than my month's wages to highlight and cut my hair - have booked an appointment with him tomorrow... least I think I have. Also, it was very interesting trying to explain that I wanted highlights which were lighter than my rather obvious roots, but darker than my now somewhat-brassy-overbleached-by-the-sun rest-of-hair. He ended up 'phoning a friend' who spoke reasonable 'American' who was able to intermediate. Let's see what colour my hair ends up tomorrow!
The other accomplishment is that I've now done a Karaoke - it was fab and I want to do it again! It was my work 'welcome party' so there were 12 of us from the Sales and Marketing department in a room the size of an average loo, on the 47th floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel (very swish hotel in the centre of Shinjuku) Had no idea what we were doing, or where we were going as cannot understand a word of what they say most of the time! So, the deal is, you all go and sit down on this round table affair facing the screen, and programme in the songs you want into the whizzy box (fortunately there was a 'select English' button!). It was clear that I was expected to sing earlier than the beer had really taken effect - so I chose Dancing Queen, and they all joined in! What a lovely evening - they all sang (even those who really should have known better!) and we all had a real laugh! Then at 8:30 our allocated two hours were up and we all went home!!
So, what have we done - well the kids had half term this week, which was actually just Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, it poured with rain for most of the day, so we did a bit of homework, then got bored and went to the 'poundland' (known here as 100yen-land) on 'tacky-shitty-street' (proabably more about that at a later date). We needed yet more coat hangers, but had lots of fun exploring the 4 floors of 100 yen bargains. Also ended up buying an oil smelly burner thing.
After this we went to one of Felix's school friend's houses. Still yet to find a flat as small as ours!! Both the women at this 'play-date' were Japanese, and I was treated to proper tea, lots and lots of cakes and cherries (haven't seen these for ages!), whilst the kids ran riot in the swish apartment block!
On Tuesday, the weather was hot and muggy again. Ross took the day off, and we travelled 40km out of Tokyo on the local trains to Mt Takao. It was all very very green! (probably looked greener because we're so used to very very concrete), that said, in true Japanese fashion, there was lots of concrete - the stream was contained, the 'wooden' posts were actually just pretending, and there was a road up one side of the mountain! Took about 90 mins to reach the top, where we met up with several school trips who'd taken the gondola! Then, being 11:50am, it was lunchtime. Having tried very hard to work out what the food was, and how much it cost (prices all in Kanji!) we were greeted with an English menu! We all chose soba noodles with various bits on - very tasty, and all cooked by one bloke, who was also the waiter and the cleaner-uper! 
It was a good day - despite Neve's 'this is really boring' tantrum. Highlights - saw a really big snake, these amazing black butterflies the size of bats, beautiful temple and a marble (not concrete this time!) tako (aka octopus!)
The picture are us all on the 'summit' of the 'mountain', and Ross and Felix in the restaurant with the 'unreadable' menus, and Neve getting to terms with Japanese cutlery!
Best Silly Slogan of the day - this time on a bag, "The hills are alive he sound of musi"
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