Faced with the threat of overdose undermining the effectiveness of my usual source, I have officially taken up a new vice. As I sit here at my desk, polishing off the last drops of my bottle, I can see the pattern of the next few weeks stretching out before me.

Although, i knew the Japanese were rampent consumers of this good, i had before managed to resist my relapse into this habit through sheer force of will, despite having cumulatively spent close to half a year in Japan.

Alas, no longer. I am sad to report that my daily consumption dose has steadily been climbing upward since wednesday when I started work. I maintain however that although peer presure has definitely played a part in my descent, (everybody can be seen to drink much of this, esp late in the day), I take full responsibilty for my own downfall.

For the moment, the pattern and plan is to abstain on weekends, hopefully reducing the risk of rapid acclimitazation to the drug, letting the dose slowly increase throughout the week.

Unfortunately, I am sad to report that the odds are entirely against me. My mother is a known addict and at the peak of my addiction, (which occured when I was 14 - I was always a precocious kid), I was known to need 6 doses a day to avoid going into withdrawal.

And if by this point you haven't already figured it out. I'm talking about Coffee.