Pillow Crisis, Japan, and My Bathroom

Random ends:

After a few weeks of non-stop conference calls to Huili in London, the final Pillow Crisis revision is complete. Final, of course, doesn't necessarily mean final at all, especially in the case of Pillow Crisis. However, three things - the state of the project, my gut instincts and my growing loss of patience for all things pillow-related -- all tell me that this is indeed the final revision. It's time to write it up, kick it down the street to our overlords at the studio, and see what they think.

Planning a trip to Japan is my second means of employment, apparently. (And we haven't even gotten to China yet!) You can't really wing it in Japan, because of the lack of English speakers, and the fact that it is so goddamn expensive. The exorbitance of your trip calls for a compressed timetable, which in turn calls for very careful planning. I've just spent two hours writing e-mails and making phone calls to various party members, to confirm our plans as we lock ourselves into reservations (hotel, rail, Studio Ghibli!).

Last week, as I spoke with Huili over Skype, workmen renovated my bathroom. According to housing inspectors, cracked linoleum is a health hazard, which means freshly installed tile for me. My first gleeful thought upon hearing this news was, "This is like getting my bathroom floor cleaned for free!" Wrong. The renovation coated everything in a fine veil of dust, and I mopped the floor several times. The good news is that my bathroom looks infinitely more respectable.