Day 270 - 27th of May

8:12am　浅草スマイル

I’m in the main building of the hostel, on the third floor, sitting in front of the computer. My flight’s booked for today; I did it soon after we got here a little before 7. Remarkably, as soon as I had booked, mum rang up telling me that dad was just about to book the same flight, so luckily I let them know just in time. Carly’s sleeping in her room now, and we’ll probably be leaving here at about 10; back to the airport again. At least I can get some sleep on the train there; I got about an hour this morning coming back from Tsudanuma at a quarter to 5; it was too cold in Makkas to sleep. Anyway, the worst is over, and now I can look forward to going home tonight…

12:39pm　押上

We’re on the platform at Oshiage, waiting for the rapid to Narita Airport. Carly’s flight is at 5:30, so we’re leaving plenty of leeway just in case; it does take a long time to get to the airport, and we don’t want the same thing happening again. In fact, Carly too had had the wrong flight time in her head, and it was only because her mum sent her the itinerary, that she realised the actual time; so lucky!!! At almost 10, we went downstairs, and made our way over to the 7/11 for some breakfast; last jelly cup in Japan. We sat in the empty bar to eat, and then I got my itinerary printed off; my flights not till 20:55. So, I have a little while longer to wait around, but that’s okay; still have to write out the last set of postcards. Anyway, after breakfast, I noticed there was a keyboard in the room, and couldn’t resist banging on it for a while; I tried out my new sheet music. Time past swiftly, and soon it was 12. This was when we made our leave for the Toei Line; it wasn’t much fun at all. We had to talk all the way over to the other side of the station to find the elevator, and then walk all the way back underground to get to the tracks; Japan, you really aren’t very wheelchair friendly, or for that matter, unbelievably luggage-laden people friendly. Well, we did it and now the hardest part is over. Now all we have to do is ride the train to the airport, get off and wait. Perhaps they’ll have showers and I’ll be able to freshen up; I haven’t had a shower in over 24 hours!!!

4:28pm　成田空港

Carly has just gone through security, so she’s on her way; I still have a while to wait. I’m sitting here in the waiting area, reading some of the readings on the wall and they’re just great – ‘To “Samurai”, no sword allowed into aircraft,’ and ‘To business people of the world, sharp objects are prohibited on board except for your sharp brains.’ Just a little bit of amusement to keep me occupied… After arriving at the airport (it took well over an hour), we went through “security” (they were so lax, all we had to do was show our passports), and then Carly went to check in; Jetstar staff hadn’t arrived at that point as I soon found out. So, Carly got to get rid of all her checked baggage, but I had to continue lugging around mine. We found the toilets, and took it in turns, changing and freshening up. They didn’t have any showers, but I still feel way better now that I’ve changed clothes and brushed my teeth. I also got my carryon bag packed a bit better; it was very rushed last night. After that, we had lunch and I felt it only right to once again indulge in Japanese cuisine, and what better meal than gyudon and miso soup; I’m feeling good now. Now I just have to wait until 5:30 before the Jetstar check in begins, so I think I’ll write out these postcards…

7:57pm　成田空港

It feels good to sit down; I’m nearby gate 88, the very farthest in the airport; tells you something about Jetstar right. After checking in, I did some last minute souvenir shopping and mailed my postcards, before getting through customs smoothly. I bought some sweets and sake in the duty free area, and then had omu rice for dinner; my last meal in Japan. I;m glad it was nice, though a tad expensive; it’s airport food after all. Basically straight after dinner I came here; had to take the shuttle. I realised I’m an hour early, but I really don’t feel like doing anything else; I’m absolutely beat. We’ll probably start boarding pretty soon anyway. I’ll be happy when I’m on the plane, and hopefully I’ll be able to get some sleep. Well, it’s been a long day, and an even longer journey. This will be my last blog entry; of this I will be very glad. I feel this blog has helped me in many ways, and may provide others with an inside perspective on ryugakusei life. It’s been a big job though, and it’ll probably be weird not to feel obligated to write an entry every day. A lot of things will feel weird going back. While I felt very little culture shock, I think the reverse culture shock will hit me hard; at least I don’t have to worry about jet lag. I can’t wait to see my family tomorrow; one day too late! It’s my nan’s birthday tomorrow and I think hugging her will be the best present of all. Well, it’s been a pleasure. Hopefully you have gotten something out of reading this, as I have got out of experiencing it all. Until next time,

Joel

Day 269 - 26th of May

11:07pm　普通

天気：雨天

The fact that I’m writing this now on a local train means that yes, I’m still in Japan; I missed my flight!!! I think this would have to be the biggest, most costly mistake I’ve made in my entire life; I feel terrible. At least I have Carly; she’s been a rock, and a shoulder to cry on. So now, we’re going to go back to the hostel, and try to book another flight for as soon as possible. I’m so exhausted; lugging my luggage here only to find I’d missed the flight was heartbreaking, and backbreaking. The airport was already really empty when we got there, and there were only a more flights. These really nice ladies stayed around and tried their best to help, but they had to leave eventually. I bought a phone card, and eventually figured out how to use it; my mind just wasn’t working by that point. The phone started ringing, and mum answered and I was soon reduced to tears; breaking the bad news wasn’t easy on either of us. I really feel like I’ve let everybody down, most of all myself. I had the wrong time stuck in my head; I should have checked the time again. Well, hopefully this has taught me a lesson; something for everyone to be wary of. Anyway, the rest of my day was quite pleasant, and we got a lot done…

In the morning, we got ready and packed and checked out at about 10. Check out consisted of putting our linen in the basket and leaving our key on the bed; too easy. We went over to the main building and Carly booked another night with them; it was the cheapest and easiest option. They were also nice enough to hold our luggage. After we returned with Carly’s luggage, we made our way to Sensouji for one last look around. I bought a heap of souvenirs and found a really great bargain on a carry-on bag; it was a perfect size too. The best thing was, it was free; I finally used the gift cards I had won from singing at INFES. After Sensouji, we went in search of the cat café nearby (I saw the ad in Asakusa Smile), and eventually found it. For 800円, we got to spend an hour in a room full of cats and kittens, playing with them and petting them as much as we like; it was so much fun! The woman who ran it was really nice, and I was able to talk with her a lot in Japanese; she appreciated my Osaka dialect. Most of the cats were pretty placid, but all the kittens were super energetic; they were jumping and running about all over the place. They did tire out eventually though, and they looked so cute sleeping. We left there at about 2, and then made our way to 九段下 (Kudanshita) Station, in hopes of looking around the imperial palace… Well, this is the last stop; we didn’t make it back to Asakusa. Now we’ll have to find somewhere to sit and wait; maybe a Denny’s?

12:54am　マック　

天気：雨天

We’re here in 津田沼 (Tsudanuma), a place that I otherwise would have never had visited, were it not for my stupid mistake; how lucky I am. Well, we didn’t find a Denny’s, but a 24 hour Makkas is right outside the station, and that’s where we are now; thank God for 24 hour restaurants. I just enjoyed a midnight meal (double cheeseburger set), and got a blue coke glass, in commemoration of the FIFA world cup; another thing fate has delivered me. It’s actually really cool, and I’m sure it’ll be a collector’s item someday. Carly’s curled up in a ball, sleeping; I wish I could get to sleep that easy. Oh well, I may as well write about the rest of my yesterday… Getting off at Kudanshita turned out to be really successful; I noticed a sign for 靖国神社 (Yasakuni Shrine), shortly after exiting the station. I had forgotten about wanting to go there, so I jumped at the opportunity. It was a beautiful, but solemn place, filled with the spirits of the war dead; man and animal alike. I was really glad I got to see it. From there, we walked through 北の丸公園 (Kita no Maru Park), walking past the 日本武道館 (The Budokan), and through some wonderful gardens. Since the Imperial Palace grounds were in fact closed, and it was starting to rain, we made our way to the nearest station (竹橋駅 – Takebashi), and took the subway to Shibuya; the 東西線 (Tozai line), and then the Ginza line.

In Shibuya, we searched around a little while for a good, reasonably priced place to eat; I wanted my “last” meal in Japan to be Japanese cuisine. We found this nice, little vending machine operating place and I ordered the katsudon set, which came with udon noodles and trsukemono; simple and delicious. After dinner, we went in search of purikura machines, and ended up finding a bit more than we had hoped. Searching diligently for a purikura place, Carly spotted a Krispy Kreme restaurant; of course we had to go in!!! I was thoroughly impressed. While we were making our orders, we were given a free donut; the original glazed. Since I was going to order that (since it is undoubtedly the best tasting donut ever), I could now order two different things; I got one with strawberry filling, and the other with raspberry. I only ate the glazed one at that point, saving the others for the train ride. We kept on searching for purikura, and eventually found a room full of them. Not too fussed about the style we could have, we just got into the first vacant one we could find; this one made our eyes look intensely blue. By the time we exited it was 7 o’clock (the time at which I should have already been at the airport), and I took a few more photos of Shibuya, and videotaped the crazyness of the crossing.

Trying to find the Ginza line to take back to Asakusa was not fun at all; this was the start of the downfall of the night. We ended up going up and down and around in a great big circle before realising that it was actually on the third floor; why a subway line would be there I have no idea. Since we were going from one end of the line to the other, it ended up taking about 30 minutes to get to Asakusa. I enjoyed my strawberry filled donut, getting jam and icing sugar all over my vest; it was wonderful. It was when I was just about to step into the hostel at almost 8, when it finally clicked that the flight was actually at 9:25, not 11:25. I immediately went into overdrive, packing my carryon bag at lightning speed, and then rushing over to the station to find the Toei Asakusa line to Narita Airport; there were lots of stairs involved. Things fell apart when we realised we were on the wrong train, and we had to switch twice to right it. Waiting around in the train was the worst experience ever, because I knew that everything was out of my hands; meanwhile the clocks were steadily ticking. I hoped against hope that I might just make it, forgetting the dismal implausibility of it.

We were still on the train by the time the plane took off, and ended up being only 10 minutes late, well really, I would have had to have gotten there at least 30 minutes before departure time to make it to the terminal. So that was that; my “last” 269^th day in Japan. Hopefully I can book a flight for tomorrow, and it’ll be all good; lucky I have the money for it. I guess now I’ll just write some general pointers about Tokyo, to sum up my holiday here… Asakusa Hostel is a wonderfully cheap place to stay if you just want somewhere to sleep and don’t have much luggage; having as much stuff as we did is absurd. I think the train system is pretty easy to navigate once you get used to it, and if you make mistakes (like we did) it’s not too hard to right them. Yes, there are over 20 lines operating both above and below ground, but that just means that everywhere is really accessible; the prices are decent too. There are lots of places in Tokyo that don’t smell too pleasant; just putting that one out there. We would just be walking down some street, and then suddenly our noses would come across a most unappealing stink. In general, it seems that residents of Tokyo automatically assume that foreigner = tourist = zero Japanese ability; and that’s what makes it different to Osaka. There wasn’t as much English signage, nor as many foreigners in Tokyo as I thought there would be. Of course, the touristy areas were more catered towards foreigners but still, not as much as I expected; not like Kyoto. And I think that’s about it; for now. We’ve still got a few hours before the trains start up again, so I might try to get some sleep, just like the two old guys either side of me and Carly in front of me…

Day 113 - 21st of December

10:58　普通電車
天気：晴れ
Carly and I are on the train back to Hirakata from 門真市 (Kadomashi), where Diego and Jessica left for the Osaka monorail to the Airport. Jessica will be leaving for America this afternoon, and Diego will be staying in a hotel for his plane tomorrow morning… We’ve just been kicked off the train and are now in 萱嶋 (Kayashima), and are waiting for the next train. So yeah, this morning we were up at 7, getting the room ready (well at least Diego’s side) for his inspection at 9. It ended up being Okaasan’s fastest, at just 7 minutes; something for me to beat tomorrow. Diego was seen off, and then we left for the bus with his two big suitcases. I decided to film the bus ride, and we had a bit of a running commentary about his time in Japan. At Hirakata station, we had to wait for Jessica to arrive. Carly and I decided to buy our tickets for Toji then, so we could go through with Diego and help him with his luggage. Diego, a little anxious, decided we should go and wait on the platform. Jessica wasn’t picking up her phone for some reason, so we didn’t know where to meet her. Eventually, we found out that she was waiting in front of Uniqlo, so we went back down and found her; she was with her host Mum and Brother. Since they were in a bit of a hurry, we were a little hasty and went back up to the same platform, to find that it was the wrong one, so we had to quickly get over to the next one. We just made onto the limited express.

It was only after we got on did we realise it would not be stopping at Kadomashi, but would be going directly to Kyobashi. Luckily, doing it this way would work out taking about the same time anyway. By getting off at Kyobashi and taking the local train back, there were fewer stops. Between the four of us, we made all the trains just in time, and I enjoyed taking Diego’s large suitcase up and down the stairs; it was a great workout. I got a bit of film of us on the trains, and then of our final farewell; they crossed the ticket gate and we could go no further. We watched them disappear from view, and then made for the train, only to turn around and see them going in the other direction; lolz, I wish I would have gotten it on film. I’m going to miss Diego; the room already felt empty without him this morning. But, I’m excited to get a new roommate too…

11:22am　枚方市駅
Now we’re in Hirakata station, waiting for the rapid express to Tambabashi...

11:56am　丹波橋駅
Waiting about 10 minutes for the train to Toji. So hungry; going to eat as soon as I get to the flea market. Just snacked on a メロンパン (melon pan – half-melon-shaped bread), but that just wasn’t at all satisfying.

The flea market was intense! It was so much bigger than last time; absolutely jam-packed. We were directed to the side gate past some amazing bonsai; some were huge. There was just a continuous stream of people. Our first stop was the たい焼き (taiyaki – fish-shaped batter filled with sweet bean, chocolate, custard etc.) stall. Since they only have sweet bean or custard, we opted for the custard, and happily munched on them as we made our way through the crowds. I saw so many great things there and can’t wait to have a really good look. Today was just a quick trip though, because Carly and I had to get back to clean our rooms for inspection. Carly was able to complete her kimono, finding an obi and sash. We saw Katie and Ash there (as well as many other students from Kansai), and Ash told my about a stall selling the Japanese imperial uniform and coats. I found it a bit later; so cool, but too small for me.

As we were browsing, this lady gave Carly the rest of her cup of fried sweet potato. Carly said she just looked at it, and then the lady offered us the whole thing; such kindness. I had okonomiyaki for lunch, and bought a necklace for Carly for Christmas; we decided she would choose it and I’d buy it. It’s a leaf-shaped crystal with an owl inside; since I was nicknamed búho (owl in Spanish) by Diego because of the sounds I make, xD. I even got it at a discount since we were students; so awesome. We wandered through to the front entrance, and then left for home. When we were at Toji station, it snowed for a few minutes; it was sunny for the rest of the afternoon though. At home, I had fun cleaning, and rearranging my desk; I’m really happy with how it’s turned out. Ended up cleaning until dinner, and I made gyudon; I love it now. I got to keep Carly’s mirin too. Spent the rest of the night just chilling, and talking with Carly.

Day 89 - 27th of November

9:35am 枚方駅 天気：曇り
Start off our journey with a photo... of the luggage.

9:38am　特急電車
We're all here - Carly, Katie, Sonia, Eddy, and I, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We have so much luggage, so hopefully we can get to the airport without any dramas. Got to get to Kyobashi first...

10:05am　大阪環状線
We're on the Osaka loop line, switching over at Tennoji and then Hineno. I'm so excited; it feels like we're going to another country.

10:20am 天王寺
We're in Tennoji and have less than 10 minutes before the rapid express to the airport.

10:30am　特急電車
Apparently, we're on a train that will "uncouple" - the front 4 cars are going to disconnect from the last 4, and continue from Hineno to the airport. Luckily, we got in the 4th car so we get to see how it disconnects; so cool...

11:37am　関西国際空港
We're in the aeroplaza now, enjoying Sonia's Okaasan's sandwiches, and kitkats; it's a very flashy place. It's really quite at the moment. The plane flies out at 1:10, so we're going to go check in shortly.

1:26pm　飛行機
We're about to take off... the TV's are displaying a camera at the front of the plane, so we get to watch the take off. The weather is warm and sunny. We're right at the back of the plane and I got the window seat, Carly's sitting next to me. Here we go...

3:38pm　バス
We're on the coach to Susukino station, and then we have to walk from there to the hotel. It's raining and, wow, it's cold. As soon as we got out of the airport, it hit us and our breath was clearly visible. A whole new adventure is about to begin...

4:33pm　バス
We've been on the bus for over an hour and we're still at least 30 mins away. It's such a change of scenery here, and not just because all the trees are brown or leafless. I have but one word to describe Hokkaido; spacious. In this way, it reminds me a lot of Australia. We're in 札幌 (Sapporo) and yet, it doesn't feel like a Japanese city. Things are spread out, the roads are wide, and people are driving regular sized cars. It's not as built up as you'd expect a Japanese capital city to be. The buildings are of modest proportions; no skyscrapers in sight. It's kinda cool though; it's nice to have a change. We've only got three stops left. That's another thing; taking the bus, rather than the train. There's just not enough infrastructure in place; all the trains are underground. I think the bus is pretty cheap though considering how far we've come.

4:52pm　札幌
Okay, now I feel like I'm in Japan again; the buildings have grown tall. We're here, and it's raining. I'm warm in my jacket though.

9:23pm　ホテル
Tonight was great... we found the hotel easily enough; it was only a couple of block down from the bus stop. After checking in we dropped our stuff off in the rooms and planned what to do next. Eddy and I are sharing a twin bed room, and the girls have three beds; we got a couch and sink, they didn't! We're right next to each other on the 5th floor. We decided that, even though it was raining, we'd go out and find the illuminations.

10:20pm　ホテル
We just went out hoping to do some karaoke. However, since free time didn't start till 11, we decided it would be better to go tomorrow night and make the most of it. We want to try to get up early tomorrow and get out to 定山渓 (Jozankei) for hot springs and hiking. The trip was not completely wasted however; we stopped at a sushi bar for ice cream. So yeah, back at the hotel now just chilling. Earlier on though… We found the Sapporo White Illumination a couple of blocks down in Odori park and it was spectacular; shame it was raining. We’re going to go again tomorrow night. The TV tower is all lit up at the end of the park, there are a number of displays, and heaps of the trees were covered in lights. Near the tower, there is a German market set up for the event. There are some great items there. So since it was raining, and we were hungry, we walked over to the shopping street and got dinner and this great ramen place. The broth was… amazing!

With warm and happy stomachs, we had a good look around the street and stopped by some great souvenir shops. Among the memorable products were – beautiful wooden carvings of bears, owls, foxes, and wolves; so many different flavours of caramel, including lavender; a species of ball-shaped algae that you can keep as a pet and best of all; まりもっこり (Marimokkori). This is a portmanteau of marimo (the algae) and mokkori, a slang word meaning the “tent” an erection makes against pants or bed sheets; no joke. This green character sports a sizeable bulge in his pants, and has a very naughty expression on his face. Only in Japan, or more correctly, only in Hokkaido; I think it’s hilarious. So yeah, that was a heap of fun. We’re going to figure out how to get to Jozankei, watch some vids, and then get some sleep…

Day 1 - 30th of August

関西国際空港
Plane trip was long and pretty uneventful. Watched "Yes man" in Japanese. That was cool. Tried to sleep but couldn't. Got off the plane and was like, "Okay, what next?" I followed the crowd and finally got through customs and got my baggage; It was all good. Decided to try to ring my parents on my mobile but that didn't work. Freaked me out a bit. But when I texted it worked. Phew! Hung around for a bit , got my ticket for limousine bus, and got on...

8:22 pm　大阪
天気：曇り
Well, I'm finally in Japan. It seems so surreal; a land of make believe. I'm on the limousine bus, heading toward Hirakata station. We're on this huge highway that spans over the entire city of Osaka; well, it seems like that anyway. I don't know when it will sink in, that I'm here, in the real world, but for now, I'm just enjoying the ride ....

8:30 pm　大阪
The city is an expanse of foreverness. The sky is not black, it's grey. I'm not sure if I'd be able to see any stars in the sky. This is it. There's no turning back. This is my first night in transition from the mundane to the exotic. I don't know what tomorrow will bring; I will take each day as it comes. The thought of coming here in the pursuit of education seems ludicrous at this point; I am just so wrapped up in the moment, the experience, the feeling. It's indescribable. It is the strangest thing, not knowing what you will do next. I mean, I have things planned out in my head, but they don't mean much. I have know idea what's around the corner, and it scares me a bit. I guess I'll just have to adapt.

So while I sit here on the limousine bus, which has it's own toilet, across from my new friend Peter, who has come from Sydney in the hope of finding a job teaching English, I find myself lost. But not in a bad way. I guess this is how it feels to be outside ones comfort zone; it's weird. My next mission; get to Seminar House II before 11pm when it closes.