So it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the New Year and that means New Year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Resolutions of course! I managed to not break my resolution last year and would quite like to do the same this time around. That means choosing resolutions very carefully. Anything too big, or too scary or too ambitious does not a good resolution make in my book. I was quite pleased with the one I had for 2012 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c run at least 520km during the year. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an average of 10km a week which isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a huge amount given that I was due to be training for a half marathon. But what it did allow for was missing a few weeks because I was away on holiday, or ill, or it was really, REALLY cold. It was a realistic goal, with the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcat least\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 thrown in so I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just stop after the magic mile (okay kilometer) stone was reached. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty certain that I also managed the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmake a bento for work at least twice a week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 thing, though that was less diligently observed in terms of noting things down (and the bento was occasionally more of a hurriedly thrown together tupperware of last night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s curry).<\/p>\n
All in all, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made me a bit paranoid about resolutions for this year. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gone with being meat-free at least 2 days a week, averaged over the year. Not terribly exciting I know, but hopefully building on the good year I had in 2012 on the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbeing healthy because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting all old\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 front. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also going to see how I manage on Ulu\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcNo-combini for a week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 challenge and maybe see about limiting overall spending at these wonders of Japanese \u00e7\u201d\u0178\u00e6\u00b4\u00bb. I was going to do a saving X\u00e5\u2020\u2020 per month thing too, but since I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be paid in yen come August\/paid at all, I decided to scrap it.<\/p>\n
I will, of course, continue to diligently gather together\/poke and cajole people into submitting things to the Hyogo Times for the delight of our good readers. This month, we have the previously mentioned combini-challenge in Miso Green<\/em> and a restaurant review that is already making me question the no-meat thing. Tips for surviving a Japanese homestay will hopefully prove useful to many and\/or re-awaken memories of past experiences. The year of the snake had me pondering, and therefore writing down anecdotes about snakes for your enjoyment (?) and the next destination on the Kannon pilgrimage takes us to Banshu Kiyomizudera (NOT the one in Kyoto!). We have a New Year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s message from Block 6 representative Peter Hein-Hartmann<\/strong> and New Year soup from the Kicchiri Kitchen, along with reviews of the movie and restaurant nature to round out the issue. Enjoy!<\/p>\n Imi<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Block6.jpg\" "\\"Block6\\"")
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