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!

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

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

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.

Christmas List for "Santa" - Updated

Updated Crimbo List!

• XSHOT Extendable Arm
• So far only found on ebay but a vital purchase. A very suitable alternative is available on I Want One of Those. £20
  
• Gorilla Pod - BOUGHT!!
  
• Picked up on Amazon. Please donate £12 if you wish to purchase on my behalf
  
• Personal Organiser - Bought & Paid for
• Walking Boots and Walking Socks
• I'll probably need to buy these myself.
• Laptop Case
• Picked up on Amazon. Looking for donaters of £25
  
• Rucksack - Bought & Paid!
  
• Backpack - Bought and paid!
  
• Headlamp - Bought and paid!
  
• Padlock x 2
• Asustek Eee PC 7" Black or White. Approx £165
• If you wanna go all out then this model with XP would be even better though a bit more expensive at £260. Honestly, the Linux one would be fine.
• Inflatable Pillow of some kind

And that is it! Go BUY BUY BUY!!!

6 months and counting....

I can't sleep this morning, much to my annoyance, so I've uploaded my itinerary (see previous entry) and now I'm going to type some random junk to pass the time. What is it? 28th September? That means 6 months from now I'll have just finished my last shift at work and will be looking forward to my super-lame leaving do :) By this point I should be just about all set to go. My bags wont be packed, of course, but I'll do that on the Sunday. Monday will be for final checks and goodbyes. Hmmm...must remember to sorn my bike and car before I go or I could get in to trouble for that. But that gives me 6 months until I leave. It's kinda scary to think that in just 6 months time I'll be about to jet off to the other side of the world to live!! Amazing but scary. All those places to visit, all those foods to eat and drinks to be disturbed by (make sure you look at the older post too...), all those friends to meet and pretty boys to perv at, all those mountains to climb, literally and figuratively I suppose.

Speaking of mountains, As my 6 month countdown is about to begin, I should really get on with that training I've been talking about for ages and not doing. I have at least 1 mountain to climb, Fuji, and I may tackle Mount Aso as well, just for the hell of it. I'm not going to get far in my current state though and I seem to be getting fatter by the day *cry* I guess it's my own fault. I only need to get in the gym 3 or 4 times a week but I'm just being lazy. I'll make time for it from now on. I'll make sure Eye of the Tiger is on my iPod. I'll jog, I'll do star jumps, I'll train!! Honestly.....no I don't believe me either. Anyone who wants a project or just wants to offer some support/encouragement please do.

I guess if I'm leaving on 31st March then 30th September shall be my official training launch date. I'll figure out a training plan and a way of actually sticking to it. I might even sign up to one of those online lose weight forums and get people to egg me on there. Hey, anything is worth a shot :)

Must write an email to B² now and then I'll try to get some sleep again

Itinerary

31st March (tues) Flight from London (1pm)
1st April (wed) Arrive at Narita Airport (9.00am) - 1 night stay at Holiday Inn Narita
2nd April (thur) Transfer to student accommodation in Matsudo
3rd April (fri) Orientation Day at college
4&5th April Food & necessities shopping, visa extention
6th Aril - 26th June Study
26th-29th June (sat-mon) Pack, pick up JR Pass, Hakone Free Pass, day trip to Nikko, Kamakura
30th June (tues) Leave accommodation for Hakone - Fuji Hakone Guesthouse
1st July (wed) Hakone
2nd July (thurs) Hakone to Hiroshima - J-Hoppers Hiroshima
3rd July (fri) Hiroshima
4th July (sat) Hiroshima to Beppu (either kaosan or happy neko)
5th July (sun) Beppu
6th July (mon) Beppu to Hita or Fukoyama (?)
7th July (tues) Hita to Himeji to Osaka (leave luggage in station) - J-Hoppers Osaka
8th July (wed) Osaka - Day at Universal Studio
9th-10th July (thurs-fri) Mount Fuji climb (Fujinomiya trail)
11th July (sat) Osaka - Day at Kurama
12th July (sun) Osaka - Day at Kobe
13th July (mon) Osaka
14th July (tues) Osaka - Day at Nara
15th July (wed) Osaka - Day at Ise
16th July (thurs) Osaka to Kyoto - Evening spent at festival - J-Hoppers Kyoto
17th July (fri) Kyoto - Gion Masuri (Gion Festival)
18th July (sat) Kyoto - Uji day out
19th July (sun) Kyoto - Undecided
20th July (mon) Kyoto - Undecided
21st July (tues) Kyoto to Tokyo - Asakusa Ryokan Toukaisou
22nd July (wed) Tokyo - Undecided
23rd July (thurs) Tokyo - Undecided
24th July (fri) Tokyo - Day & evening out in Yokohama
25th July (sat) Tokyo - Festival on Sumida River
26th July (sun) Tokyo - Final shopping day - Pick up expensive things & food!!
27th July (mon) Transfer back to Narita airport for flight home (11am) arriving at 15.30