I feel very bad that this blog has been let go for so long. It must be, what, at least a month since my last post?
Anyway, in the meantime, I returned to Adelaide for Christmas and New Year's (as most of you know) during my 'winter vacation' for a much-needed break. I spent my days reading fantasy books (how I love them - dangerously so. More addictive than the internet!) and playing games. Assassin's Creed 2 is great, and I heartily recommend it to anyone, especially if you're Italian and you love history. I just love hearing the cries of 'Hey, you stronzo!' in the comical, but completely natural, English-Italian mix.

Even though I'd been in Japan for three months already, it was still good to return to Adelaide. The pace of life there is just a lot more relaxed, and there's more room to do everything. It helps to be with friends and family too.
However, there was one thing that I found myself missing - while walking from Chinatown to Rundle Mall, I was thirsty, and wanted a drink. 'No worries', I thought, 'I'll just pick something up from a vending machine....'
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And then I realised there were no vending machines to be found. I had to go into a shop and pay three dollars for a bottle of water? What is this place! Where is the convenience?!
In case you couldn't read the sarcasm, I wasn't really that upset, but I did miss the convenience of the ever-present vending machines in Japan. Here's a photo of one to tide you all over until I write my next blog post!

Speaking of which, I promise I'll write another blog post very soon. I have a bit of work to do this week, but I should have time to do it before the weekend is over. It's going to be about the 'coming-of-age-ceremony' that I attended yesterday - so look forward to photos of pretty kimono!