A quick time out.

The office has gone quiet for a second; there's just me and a crazy cool Japanese girl here. She's uber busy and I have just finished revising the publicity schedule and drawing maps and writing descriptions of things I know nothing about and will never see. Such is PR.

I feel really grotty already, possibly because the day is unusually warm, after yesterday's eerie midnight mist, probably because a lot of people smoke in the office and definintely because I was drinking in the classy-named Lovers Shot Bar atop the old favourite Paco Hotel until 2am. We went there for the view but the mist ruined that, and the bartender ruined our cocktails by forgetting to put anything non-alcoholic in them. Ouch that hurt. A really nice night though, having good conversation (well I thought it was good, maybe the person I was talking to thought I was nuts!) with the Welsh bloke from the wanko soba episode who is also in town. Welsh and called John. Does there always have to be a connection?!

Last night I quickly drafted a release about the new entry list, avoided the word death, briefed my colleague on the mood to expect and watched one of our hardest working colleagues bear the strain of not just an event, but of managing and working with, around and inspite of people's grief as each situation demanded.

Dinner was at a Korean BBQ - good fun except the stomach lining (not the meat cut of choice) and the ox tongue was a bit chewy.

The city has come alive, obviously with rally mechanics but also street stalls with yakitori and strange kids games like catch the cockroach. Hmmm.

A new bug has discovered me in Obihiro and has done good work on eating my arms. Suggestions for a replacement name for the new "Nagasaki Nipper?"

Anyway I have to do more prep so sayonara...