I break my Advent fast with a thimble-sized glass of Chinese Guotai liquor...

Merry Christmas everybody!

One of my private English students gave me a bottle of premium 53% ABV Chinese liquor called Guotai for Christmas. When I opened the box I found two thimble-sized glasses inside, along with a bottle of the said liquor - and with 53% alcohol, a thimbleful at a time is perfectly adequate, and a pleasant way to break my Advent fast and celebrate Christmas!

Ahem, I should clarify that my "Advent fast" entails "no drinking AT HOME," and I did indeed spend most of the first three weeks of Advent at home, so the fast really does serve to make sure that I drink for pleasure and not compulsion. I went out to a few parties in the last week of Advent, so consumed quite a bit of booze off the domestic premises in the last few days before Christmas.

Anyway...

Along with the Guotai, my student also gave me a gift box of Asahi Super Dry. Now, Asahi Super Dry is not my go-to beer (Kirin Ichiban Shibori being my default preference), but one must not look a gift horse in the mouth, and so I cracked open my first "at home beer" of the Christmas season earlier this evening.

Earlier in the day I had strolled up to my local pâtisserie to pick up my customary "Christmas Noël" cake... Yes, I know "Noël" means "Christmas," but that is what the cake I picked up is called in Japan - a "Christmas Christmas" cake, or a "Noël Noël" cake for that matter... ah the joy of Japlish - or perhaps I should say Japofranglish! 🤣

Exchanged Christmas presents with the Mrs when she got back from work this evening. The holidays don't begin until the weekend here in Japan. I have a full day's teaching on Boxing Day, including TWO German classes 😅 - so I spent this afternoon creating material for them and posting it on my language learning blog for Japanese students of German ( https://german.siterubix.com ). After Boxing Day, I have just one more class on Saturday afternoon, and that'll be it for work in 2024.

Ganbei 干杯! (Cheers!)

And go steady on the Christmas pudding and mince pies! 🥧🥧🥧

David Hurley
#InspiredFocus

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