Congratulations to Beckie at Yes English School on her amazing recruitment drive. We knew that she would do well but she really has bolted from the blocks. After a couple of lean years its a relief to know that little schools still have a place in Japan.
I have taken over the night duty in an attempt to get Tom off the boob, into the cot and sleeping more consistently. Thus far I think its been a partial success. He's down to about two full-blown wakes a night but he can keep me up for two hours at a time. So you'll understand that I feel tired. Often.
The election of M. Sarkozy in France has lighted the flame of pro and anti free marketeers. Will the new President be the Mrs Thatcher of France, hacking away at public services, emasculating benefits, freeing up the labour market, cutting loose state owned dinosaurs etc etc? It seems umlikely, given the utterly different temperaments of the two peoples. That, and the tendency of French unions to strike whenever their interests are threatened. The French also have a quite different attitude towards work and the role of the state in national life. It's fine for those perfidious Anglo-Saxons to pare things back to the bone. But the Gauls? Hmmm.
I would expect a raft of moderate reforms, together with a number of spectacular backdowns in the coming months. Or maybe even a sixth republic.
