Eastern Europe is safe.

Greece won.

Saving what promised to be a travesty of justice (as well as saving the whole of Eastern Europe), Greece won the 50th Eurovision song contest with a clear victory (should have been Selma for Iceland though). Fatty/ Aunty Polly's lookalike came second for Malta, Ruby Wax came third for Romania and two boys who looked like they had a syndrome came fourth for Latvia. You can't beat the Eurovision. I shall be doing my utmost to return for it next year. I am already trying to enlist outside help, instructing my brother that it is necessary for him and his wife to make a new baby in August, to be born in May. It's nice to go home and get it all over with at once.

Baby was great too. She was very nice and didn't cry when we visited or when she visited us. And she's cute and lovely, pulling funny faces and flicking her fingers like she has a hand full of glitter and is ready to start performing. She has a full head of hair and blue eyes that may change (both parents have brown eyes, although she may have her uncle's - ie mine- bluey/ greeny/ grey eyes when she grows up). And she makes very funny (ha ha not peculiar) noises when she sleeps. Sarah and John looked well considering they have a three week old baby, and seem to be doing very well.

The third reason for returning was my Pa's birthday. We had a right old family knees-down on Saturday when we had an early dinner and sat down as a family to watch the Eurovision. It's a good job Pa wished to enjoy the contest on his birthday...

The rest of the trip was great too, catching up with friends- visiting the CityLit in it's new building and seeing loads of people I used to work with, seeing Lyn on her birthday, Rachel in Bishopsgate, and shopping at Fortnum and Mason's with Juliette. On Friday night I met Megan, Matt, Lizzie, Emily and Mandy and we went to Grand Bazaar, probably the best Turkish restaurant in London (and cheap to boot). We had a feast of Turkish type foods that you can't get in Japan, more's the pity.

Sunday become an extended drinking session. Having met Jo in Soho at 2:30 and spent a couple of hours chatting and drinking, we went our separate ways, him to meet with Swedish friends and me to meet with Mark. After a good spell of catching up and drinking with Mark, we decided we were tired and both set off to go home. Except I had a (drunken) second wind and called Jo, and toddled off to meet him and Sylvia, Sonia, their boyfriends and brown Terese in a pub off Oxford street. Talk of Eurovision and drink and discussion of mine and Jo's future wedding and our three daughters (Thelma, Selma and Velma) passed the night away until the pub shut and we ended up in a little bar with a dancefloor and mod music playing.

After a busy monday packing, lunching and seeing baby again I got the plane back to Japan. I arrived last night (tuesday) and had planned today to be a quiet day at Junior High. Except the knock on the door at 7:50 alerted me that I had a busy elementary day ahead. Thank God for no jet-lag...