Will

Just got my latest Japanese results - 95% - not bad at all. So on to the next level in a few weeks time. Really enjoying it still, just wish I had time to learn at a faster pace.

Nice! I remember almost buying the spice one when I originally got my Gamecube - I've just been looking for one on ebay, $80 or so here - any more cheap ones there? The half purple half clear was fairly common wasn't it? I had one back in the day.

I go to Vegas a few times a year and will usually play a bit of blackjack while there. I tend to be pretty strict about what I spend - usually limit myself to $100 a day and once it's gone I stop. I tend to stick to the cheaper tables and by the time you get through $100 it's normally the case that the amount of free alcohol they've given you is enough to go on somewhere else without needing to spend any money. I enjoy it, and usually do quite well, I can easily see how a bit of a good streak can end up in people losing a fortune. Like most things, with control and moderation it's just a bit of fun. It's also good to see what kind of odd and interesting people are hanging out in the casinos, it never seems to be just regular guys.

Seems like you have a good offer to try the freelance thing with pretty much no risk. If things are going well and the job is in the way, quit and you're all set up. If things go badly and you need the job - you've still got it. Seems win/win to me to take their offer.

I take Japanese classes once a week and am spending more and more time in Tokyo recently. It's tough but it seems to be improving. Hopefully I may be able to get a transfer later in the year which would aid the learning process substantially. Thanks for that website, Debug Mode, looks very helpful indeed!

I've had a couple, and friends have had a few, quality is very mixed. Some are great, some are terrible. I've started buying most of my watched from Twisted Time nowadays.

I was in Tokyo for a few months at the end of last year, and went to Tokyo Games Show during that time. It's becoming very mobile heavy, but I would imagine that this year could be quite interesting. It's rammed on the public days, so get there early and try to work out exactly what you want to try and see and head to those things as soon as you can. This year I'm only going to go on the business days I think. The merchandise hall has a lot of stuff you can't buy anywhere else, and the good stuff sells out early, well worth taking a look as soon as you can if you're looking to pick stuff up. As for Tokyo, stay somewhere close to a Yamanote line station. It's the best connected for getting around easily and to a maximum number of places. It also has a good service late in to the night compared to other smaller lines. On the whole hotel rooms are pretty small, so travel light. You can spend a lot of money very quickly. If you go to the English style bars (Hub and others) you're going to be paying 15 quid a pint or so. Personally I prefer the standing bars and more real Japanese experience, which can be cheaper but the staff are less likely to speak English and food may be a little more on the strange side compared to food at home. My main tip... try to learn a little Japanese. Around Tokyo most people speak at least a little English, but they often won't use it unless you use Japanese first. Work colleagues I've been out with who don't speak anything quite often find things hard when they're on their own. But I've found if you drop even a little Japanese in then they will start trying a bit of English and quite quickly you find you can get by together. Oh... It will be hot at that time of year, be prepared to suffer if you don't like the heat.

I'm pretty good at saving money. My trouble is unless I have a goal in mind I tend to spend it a bit too regularly. I managed to save up for a nice Car when I was in London, but since I've been in San Francisco I don't have too much saved up despite putting $500 away every paycheck (paid every two weeks here). The main reason being that once I have a bit of a cushion I'm quite happy to have a weekend away in Vegas, or do a roadtrip, or buy a 3D TV, when really I should be saving for something bigger. This year I've decided to save $1,000 every paycheck, with the plan being I can quit my job and move to Japan should I not get a decent promotion this year. I'm hoping that actually having a target will mean I don't waste the savings quite as much. I've managed it before, so hopefully I'll do it again.

My 2012 was pretty awesome, lot's of things have happened and pretty much none of it bad. January Started the year off in Stourbridge, as I do every year with old friends in the local pub. February Preparation March Bumped into old friends at GDC - got very drunk. Best school friend came to visit, had a road trip from San Francisco down to LA, then across to Vegas and then home. An amazing time. April Went to Iceland for a friends wedding, more old friends and many new ones. A fantastic time. May A big group from my London office visited, we tricked a baseball stadium into showing me propose to a friend on the big screen and got the biggest cheer of the night. Went rafting for the first time in years. The first bad thing happened - I got a WP7. I went back to LA for the launch event of the latest Virtua Fighter game. June Went to E3 for the first time, played great games, worked very hard, had a lot of drinking fun. Went to another friends wedding in Wine country. July Olympics started and I couldn't go. Probably the hardest point in my time over in America so far. My boss also got promoted for work that I'd been doing and I was one internet timeout away from quitting my job and coming back home. August Not a lot happened, watched Olympics and prepared for the final part of the year. September Went to Seattle for PAX. Went to Tokyo for the first time on a 4 week trip. Tokyo Games Show, kick off meeting for SEGA's new company, special projects to get things rolling afterwards. Amazing food, lots of drinking, making many new friends. October After the work part of the trip I had a holiday in Tokyo. Saw many great things, more great food, lots of drinking and meeting new people. Went to my first ever Formula 1 race which involved bullet trains capsule hotels and generally trying to explore with limited Japanese skills. It was amazing. November Ran my first half marathon - broke two hours which considering the course I was amazingly happy with. Went back to Japan for 6 weeks to just work in that office and try to improve our working processes. Made many great friends, gave speeches (simple ones) in Japanese to a company of by then 300. Met an amazing girl, had parties. Pretty much decided that I have to move to Tokyo within 12 months. December Finishing off work bits. Christmas away from home for the first time ever. New Year in San Francisco - first time ever away from my hometown and the usual pub. It's been an utterly amazing year. Here's hoping 2013 can be just as good. Happy New Year everyone!

A few for me: Be more committed to learning Japanese, at least an hour of study a night. Save more money, I'm setting a target of $2,000 a month until the summer. Cut down drinking, helps with both of the above, maximum of 2 nights a week. Cut down on girls, I spend far too much money taking out random women, and haven't really been enjoying it lately. I think that's it for now, as long as I can do 1 and 2 I'll be happy.

Pasta Maker:

Lego Olympic mini figures!

I hope Nintendo pay well!

My Japan trip has been extended for an additional week. It's due to various work disasters (not my fault) so that's not great, but hey, extra week in Tokyo!!

I still don't understand why the student loan company are so bad at telling you what's going on. It can't be that hard to calculate the situation on a monthly basis can it? In good stuff, my Japanese has been coming on amazingly. Although very basic the girl I'm seeing and I are texting a lot in Japanese and I feel pretty comfortable in day to day exchanges. Once I'm back in SF I will for sure be planning around making a move over here full time.

I'd say I sleep 5 or 6 hours a night in general. Maybe 7-8 if I have nothing to do either side. To be honest I don't like sleeping at all, it's such a waste of time. The one thing I really wish I could have would be the ability to never sleep but always feel refreshed and ready to go.

Mostly working your way up from a QA position, I doubt either are something you want to get in to.

Finally Gamestop have the Wii U in stock. Should be delivered by the time I get back from Japan.

Just back from the second date with the girl from Saturday - another great night. I'm now a little upset to be leaving, she's super super awesome, and I think might even manage to die me down were I around much longer. Now I definitely need to move to Japan.

Video game producers. I've never known a more disorganized group of people in my life. Every morning I wake to no end of hassle, and manage to get very little done as I'm sorting out other people issues. I'd just like an easy day where things go right once in a while.

My god this is too much. What a race!

Please don't ban me, I like this place. If you had to deal with some of the idiocy I do then you wouldn't think my life is very awesome.

Really looking forward to the race today. It could go either way but I really hope Alonso finally manages to do it again. It starts at 1am here so it's going to be a late night - totally worth it. Vettel really is in prime position, he doesn't have to do too much to take the title now. Is there still rain expected? If so then it puts Alonso in with a great chance to pull something out of the bag.

I have nothing to complain about. Since I got to Tokyo I've been out with a fair few girls, all of them very nice. Girl I went out with last night was super cute, really nice and not crazy - at least it didn't seem so. Was a little awkward as the first place we went to one of the girls I dated last time I was here was in the same place. Seriously, I have no idea how that manages to happen. Luckily she didn't notice me and nothing came of it. Going to see her again on Monday and rather looking forward to it.

Today we had a big company meeting for all staff in my division so around 200+ people. I had to give my self introduction (in Japanese) and then they made me lead the company slogan reading. Went really well, lots of people now wanting to go out with me, arrange things for me, set me up with things I like. One of the scariest things I've done, but so so worth it and feeling pretty good now!