Less than 24 hours to go until I step on that bus to begin my belated adventures in Japan. I'm currently sat in Kev's sisters house (he's gone to work) going through my computer getting rid of anything I shouldn't have on here and downloading as much music as I can for my mp3 player and then of course deleting it. Can't be caught with all this nonsense on my laptop going through customs, but I can't not do it because I dont know when I'll be able to get any new music. While I have an internet connection in my room in Warabi, I suspect the connection will only be good enough for email and maybe skype. The watching of Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural will have to be put on hold (though I dont know how I'm going to resist reading spoilers).
Once I've got this laptop "issue" free I'll need to sort out all my photos that I want printed as I'm off to Boots around 9am to get that done. Need passport photo's too but I'll do that later. Also need to group up everything I need printed and email it to myself. Can't take the laptop with me so I'll have to access it all via googlemail and print that way.
What else do I need to do? I have to buy those shoes I've been threatening to buy for months. Pack my suitcase (I'll do that tonight). Visit Elphaba (I'm going to miss her soooooooooooo much). Need a bath too but that'll happen before I go on the hunt for clogs.
I hope Kevin can come down and visit me this afternoon :( Won't be nice to go off to Japan without seeing him one last time.
Anyway, back to what I was saying...what else needs to be done? Oh I have to get some currency. And that's pretty much it. So I'd better get a move on and by get a move on I mean watch Big Bang Theory >:D
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Thursday, 26 March 2009
In to the last week now!
It's hard to blog when I dont have regular access to the interwebs but I've found literally 2 minutes
now so you get a little tidbit. Things'll be better once I'm there as my digs will have a connection in my room.
Soooooooooo, I'm off to Japan in less than a week. Two shifts in work left and five days left in the country. Let's hope I haven't forgotten anything important.
Off to town tomorrow to buy some yen and some shoes. Yes, I'm still dilly dallying over daps. The bane of my trip haha!
Ok, two minutes up, work time. Adieu xx
now so you get a little tidbit. Things'll be better once I'm there as my digs will have a connection in my room.
Soooooooooo, I'm off to Japan in less than a week. Two shifts in work left and five days left in the country. Let's hope I haven't forgotten anything important.
Off to town tomorrow to buy some yen and some shoes. Yes, I'm still dilly dallying over daps. The bane of my trip haha!
Ok, two minutes up, work time. Adieu xx
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Rules to live by when in Japan
Forgot to mention this...
3 RULES TO LIVE BY WHEN IN JAPAN!
1. Spend as much time as possible outdoors
2. Accept any reasonable invitation that comes my way (ie, nothing from random strangers)
3. Try as many flavours of ice cream, kit kat and melon pan as I can find!
1. Spend as much time as possible outdoors
2. Accept any reasonable invitation that comes my way (ie, nothing from random strangers)
3. Try as many flavours of ice cream, kit kat and melon pan as I can find!
7 weeks to go!
I cant believe that time has gone so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was saying "10 months to go" and now I'm down to 7 weeks! It's scary and exciting and a whole heap of other conflicting emotions but I am most definatly looking forward to it. I think with just 7 weeks to go now I should be seriously thinking of finalising any last details and doing some shopping before I go.
At some point I need to make a list of things to pack. I did start buying one item a week to take with me but that literally only lasted one week so I guess that plan is out the window. At least I have shower gel and 1 lone box of paracetamol to go. My boots went back too so I actually have 1 additional thing to think about/buy. Must not get bogged down in daps though or my head'll explode.
I think before the end of February I need to get an address book, print some business cards, keep on dieting (yeah 5lb lost!), buy some make up and pjs and make a final decision about shoes.
Right now though, i want sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
At some point I need to make a list of things to pack. I did start buying one item a week to take with me but that literally only lasted one week so I guess that plan is out the window. At least I have shower gel and 1 lone box of paracetamol to go. My boots went back too so I actually have 1 additional thing to think about/buy. Must not get bogged down in daps though or my head'll explode.
I think before the end of February I need to get an address book, print some business cards, keep on dieting (yeah 5lb lost!), buy some make up and pjs and make a final decision about shoes.
Right now though, i want sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Saturday, 10 January 2009
Changes
Once again I haven't written much because there's been little to report on. I've saved a large amount of money by working more hours than I would have liked to and I should have been on course for a fabulous summer. Alas, the world is in crisis and the ¥/£ exchange rate is abysmal. While it should have been around ¥200 to the pound it is floating around 135-140. Sucks. Big time. But there's not much I can do about it other than hope it picks up. I'd be content with 150, happy with 175 and thrilled with 200 but the way things are going as long as it doesn't go down I may have to settle for 140.
And so, due to money worries and concerns over the cost and difficulty in obtaining a visa extension when in Japan I have decided to cut my trip short. I will now be there between 2nd April and 30th June. I'll still go to school and do everything I planned for those months but my back packing around Honshu is going to have to wait until next year. It's sad. I wont be able to climb Mount Fuji (gutted) and I wont see many of the festivals or fireworks that I wanted to see but I'd rather have more money to spend in those 3 months and less worries. Plus, it gives me an excuse for another trip next year :)
I've rearranged my flights already and there's nothing to change with regard to the course and the accommodation (i need to cancel one hostel but that's just a quick email). However, with this new time scale I need a new plan of action to fit the most in to my Japan adventure. So that's what I'm going to do this weekend. All the things that I had originally planned to buy I have to reconsider. For example, I no longer need mountain climbing gear but I may decide to go hiking so I may still need boots. It's a lot to think about so I'll plan it all out in notepad and come back and post it all when I'm ready.
So just a quick little list to myself about things I need to consider:
1. Golden Week
2. Day trips
3. Luggage
4. Airport transfers
5. Money and finances
6. Contacts
7. General things to do
There might be more but I cant remember. So leave it with me and I'll be back :p
And so, due to money worries and concerns over the cost and difficulty in obtaining a visa extension when in Japan I have decided to cut my trip short. I will now be there between 2nd April and 30th June. I'll still go to school and do everything I planned for those months but my back packing around Honshu is going to have to wait until next year. It's sad. I wont be able to climb Mount Fuji (gutted) and I wont see many of the festivals or fireworks that I wanted to see but I'd rather have more money to spend in those 3 months and less worries. Plus, it gives me an excuse for another trip next year :)
I've rearranged my flights already and there's nothing to change with regard to the course and the accommodation (i need to cancel one hostel but that's just a quick email). However, with this new time scale I need a new plan of action to fit the most in to my Japan adventure. So that's what I'm going to do this weekend. All the things that I had originally planned to buy I have to reconsider. For example, I no longer need mountain climbing gear but I may decide to go hiking so I may still need boots. It's a lot to think about so I'll plan it all out in notepad and come back and post it all when I'm ready.
So just a quick little list to myself about things I need to consider:
1. Golden Week
2. Day trips
3. Luggage
4. Airport transfers
5. Money and finances
6. Contacts
7. General things to do
There might be more but I cant remember. So leave it with me and I'll be back :p
Monday, 17 November 2008
Ramblings about nothing
So I haven't really done much in regard to this Japan trip over the last month or so. Mostly I just need to save money (have I said this before?) and that's pretty much all I'm doing. I can't book anything (hotels etc) because it's too soon and I've bought everything I need to buy at the moment. So it's just a waiting game. I'm finding the more research I'm doing the more confused I'm getting about where to go and what to do so I'm just going to leave things be for now and worry about it in the new year. The economy worries me greatly, particularly as Japan has just gone in to a recession. I'll have to start picking up the FT and reading some economics books to find the best ways to avoid bad things happening. I have just had my hours increased at work so hopefully I should have around £3k to spend when I'm out there. That's not a lot of money for 4 months but it's more than I hoped for.
I am doing some prep for the trip though. I'm reading every Japanese related book I can find. Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami was a nice little gem I found by accident at Swansea Library. I'm poking around in non-fiction too. I'm also prating my hiragana katakana when I can be bothered and learning a little Japanese thanks to One Minute Japanese. On top of this I've picked up various items that I'll be needing. Rucksack, laptop bag, tripod, wet-weather jacket, pocket sewing kit (haha tis true).
In other news vaguely related to Japan (it's training for my Fuji climb....) my mother and I will be taking part in the BHF Santa Jog in Swansea on 14th December this year. Feel free to come along to cheer us on (read: laugh at how unfit I am) and anyone feeling generous can make a donation on my fundraising page. It's for a good cause so just give a quid and help save a life :)
I'll be back for a better update in about a month. Yes, things are sparse now but once I'm actually out there then there'll be pictures and drivel on a much more regular basis. This is about being there mostly, the getting there is only the beginning.
I am doing some prep for the trip though. I'm reading every Japanese related book I can find. Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami was a nice little gem I found by accident at Swansea Library. I'm poking around in non-fiction too. I'm also prating my hiragana katakana when I can be bothered and learning a little Japanese thanks to One Minute Japanese. On top of this I've picked up various items that I'll be needing. Rucksack, laptop bag, tripod, wet-weather jacket, pocket sewing kit (haha tis true).
In other news vaguely related to Japan (it's training for my Fuji climb....) my mother and I will be taking part in the BHF Santa Jog in Swansea on 14th December this year. Feel free to come along to cheer us on (read: laugh at how unfit I am) and anyone feeling generous can make a donation on my fundraising page. It's for a good cause so just give a quid and help save a life :)
I'll be back for a better update in about a month. Yes, things are sparse now but once I'm actually out there then there'll be pictures and drivel on a much more regular basis. This is about being there mostly, the getting there is only the beginning.
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