Here's the original video:
And the advert it was used in: (You may need to log in to view it because it involves alcohol)
Saturday, December 27, 2014
My Video in an Australian Advert
Just a bit of shameless bragging right now, but a few months ago I was approached by an Australian production company who had seen one of my videos I took in Japan years ago and uploaded to YouTube. They wanted to use a snippet in an advert, and they paid for me the use of it!
Here's the original video:
And the advert it was used in: (You may need to log in to view it because it involves alcohol)
Here's the original video:
And the advert it was used in: (You may need to log in to view it because it involves alcohol)
Return to Japan
As part of my current round-the-world trip, I finally made it back to Japan. After a ridiculous four years away from that country that I love.
I wasn't originally planning to go back to Japan, because it's a relatively expensive country and I felt I should be spending my money on new countries and new experiences. But in the end my heart got the better of me, and I had to go back.
I don't regret it for a second. I've never had more friends in Tokyo than right now, and I stayed with several different friends, including a Japanese friend so I finally got to meet her family. It was a magical three weeks - full of reunions, visiting my old haunts and my university, and eating SO MUCH JAPANESE FOOD. It was incredible.
I've been away from it for two weeks now, and already my heart is yearning to go back. It was a kind of test for myself, to see if I still love the country as much as I did, and if it's a possible option for me to live there again.
My conclusion - it's a definite contender. Tokyo is such an electrifying city, and I've always loved it. I'm going to have to see how I feel when I go back to the UK in a couple of months. If moving to London is enough of a new adventure for me then I'm happy to stay in the UK. (My family might kill me if I go home after a year away and then immediately disappear again). But if the opportunity comes up in the future, I'd love to live in Japan again.
If you're interesting in following my travels around the world, I'm keeping a separate blog called Travelling Miles.
It's the best decision I've ever made, and I'm having the time of my life. If you're on the edge and can't decide whether to make the leap and go travelling, maybe my experiences will give you the push you need. It's so worth it.
I wasn't originally planning to go back to Japan, because it's a relatively expensive country and I felt I should be spending my money on new countries and new experiences. But in the end my heart got the better of me, and I had to go back.
I don't regret it for a second. I've never had more friends in Tokyo than right now, and I stayed with several different friends, including a Japanese friend so I finally got to meet her family. It was a magical three weeks - full of reunions, visiting my old haunts and my university, and eating SO MUCH JAPANESE FOOD. It was incredible.
I've been away from it for two weeks now, and already my heart is yearning to go back. It was a kind of test for myself, to see if I still love the country as much as I did, and if it's a possible option for me to live there again.
My conclusion - it's a definite contender. Tokyo is such an electrifying city, and I've always loved it. I'm going to have to see how I feel when I go back to the UK in a couple of months. If moving to London is enough of a new adventure for me then I'm happy to stay in the UK. (My family might kill me if I go home after a year away and then immediately disappear again). But if the opportunity comes up in the future, I'd love to live in Japan again.
If you're interesting in following my travels around the world, I'm keeping a separate blog called Travelling Miles.
It's the best decision I've ever made, and I'm having the time of my life. If you're on the edge and can't decide whether to make the leap and go travelling, maybe my experiences will give you the push you need. It's so worth it.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
A New Trip
Sorry for the radio silence from this blog over the last couple of years. I graduated, and life got dull! But very soon it's going to get very exciting!
My wanderlust is overpowering, and I'm leaving the UK again, this time on a solo round the world trip. In two weeks I leave for Brazil, and over the next year I plan to travel around South America, New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia.
To protect the Japanese sanctity of this blog, I decided to make a new one to document my next lot of adventures, on the hilariously named Travelling Miles. So if you're interested in keeping up with this newest journey, please have a look! There will be photos galore (regular readers of this blog will know I love visual aids!) and hopefully some good information and entertainment along the way.
Wish me luck!
- Miles
My wanderlust is overpowering, and I'm leaving the UK again, this time on a solo round the world trip. In two weeks I leave for Brazil, and over the next year I plan to travel around South America, New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia.
To protect the Japanese sanctity of this blog, I decided to make a new one to document my next lot of adventures, on the hilariously named Travelling Miles. So if you're interested in keeping up with this newest journey, please have a look! There will be photos galore (regular readers of this blog will know I love visual aids!) and hopefully some good information and entertainment along the way.
Wish me luck!
- Miles
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Graduation
It finally happened! The bittersweet day of graduation.
It was a few weeks ago, on the 9th July, and it was an amazing day. I was so proud to be there with everyone who I'd seen work so hard over the last four years and to be able to celebrate finishing with them. It was the last opportunity for everyone to be together before we all go our separate ways and spread out across the globe. So there were lots of sad goodbyes, and I was sure that I was going to cry on the day, but I didn't in the end - the half of me that was happy kept the tears away.
My parents and two brothers came up to Leeds with me, and I'd managed to get extra tickets for my brothers to come into the actual ceremony in the Great Hall, which I was really happy about. They were on the balcony above me, so had a really good view of the stage and the Hall.
Watching my friends and classmates walking up onto the stage and receiving their certificates really made me want to shout out for them, but I restrained myself. The whole thing was being filmed so I didn't want my wooping to be recorded in University of Leeds history.
As I walked up to receive my degree I was a bit nervous, but mostly just really proud that I'd made it. I didn't even hear them say all of my name. I was climbing the stairs to meet the Pro-Vice Chancellor in a slight daze. I shook her hand and smiled for the photo of me taking the certificate, and then walked off to the side. I couldn't resist beaming out at the crowd.
After the ceremony I had my professional photography done, which should arrive in another couple of weeks, and went to the strawberries, cream and champagne reception in the East Asian Studies departmental foyer. This is where most of my goodbyes took place, so was a bit emotional, but I got to say goodbye and a final thank you to my teachers and lecturers.
After that I took my family (my dad was acting photographer) on a tour of the campus to take photos of me in my gown in various places. As a side note, I loved the gown! It was so swishy and grand, I felt very important.
My family then dropped me off at my hotel in the city centre and I got ready for a graduation meal with some of my friends and their families. We went to Jamie's Italian in the centre of Leeds, which was very fancy and very nice. It was a four-hour meal though, with all the chatting and everything.
After saying goodbye to the parents, we went to meet some other friends at a nearby pub and then we went out in the evening. It was such a fun night, but was tinged with sadness at the end as I said goodbye to some of my best friends.
The next day was pretty hard. I had lunch with two of my housemates and a friend, and then had to leave Leeds, with no plans to go back. That was tough. I love that city so much! But I will definitely be back to visit, just never in the same capacity with the same people there. But I suppose that's just another step in life you have to take!
And now I'm back at home in Birmingham, earning some money and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. It definitely involves travelling, because there are still so many places I want to visit while I'm young and free. And there are so many options and things I'm interested in pursuing, I need some time to soul-search and think through what will be best for me. One thing I know for sure - I need a break from academia! Although I may end up going back to Uni for a Masters, but I don't know what it would be in if I did.
If I do end up travelling, this blog will get more exciting again, but in the meantime I will update it with what I'm doing, even if it's very mundane! Hopefully there will be nothing mundane in my life - let's wait and see what happens!
It was a few weeks ago, on the 9th July, and it was an amazing day. I was so proud to be there with everyone who I'd seen work so hard over the last four years and to be able to celebrate finishing with them. It was the last opportunity for everyone to be together before we all go our separate ways and spread out across the globe. So there were lots of sad goodbyes, and I was sure that I was going to cry on the day, but I didn't in the end - the half of me that was happy kept the tears away.
My parents and two brothers came up to Leeds with me, and I'd managed to get extra tickets for my brothers to come into the actual ceremony in the Great Hall, which I was really happy about. They were on the balcony above me, so had a really good view of the stage and the Hall.
Watching my friends and classmates walking up onto the stage and receiving their certificates really made me want to shout out for them, but I restrained myself. The whole thing was being filmed so I didn't want my wooping to be recorded in University of Leeds history.
As I walked up to receive my degree I was a bit nervous, but mostly just really proud that I'd made it. I didn't even hear them say all of my name. I was climbing the stairs to meet the Pro-Vice Chancellor in a slight daze. I shook her hand and smiled for the photo of me taking the certificate, and then walked off to the side. I couldn't resist beaming out at the crowd.
After the ceremony I had my professional photography done, which should arrive in another couple of weeks, and went to the strawberries, cream and champagne reception in the East Asian Studies departmental foyer. This is where most of my goodbyes took place, so was a bit emotional, but I got to say goodbye and a final thank you to my teachers and lecturers.
After that I took my family (my dad was acting photographer) on a tour of the campus to take photos of me in my gown in various places. As a side note, I loved the gown! It was so swishy and grand, I felt very important.
My family then dropped me off at my hotel in the city centre and I got ready for a graduation meal with some of my friends and their families. We went to Jamie's Italian in the centre of Leeds, which was very fancy and very nice. It was a four-hour meal though, with all the chatting and everything.
After saying goodbye to the parents, we went to meet some other friends at a nearby pub and then we went out in the evening. It was such a fun night, but was tinged with sadness at the end as I said goodbye to some of my best friends.
The next day was pretty hard. I had lunch with two of my housemates and a friend, and then had to leave Leeds, with no plans to go back. That was tough. I love that city so much! But I will definitely be back to visit, just never in the same capacity with the same people there. But I suppose that's just another step in life you have to take!
And now I'm back at home in Birmingham, earning some money and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. It definitely involves travelling, because there are still so many places I want to visit while I'm young and free. And there are so many options and things I'm interested in pursuing, I need some time to soul-search and think through what will be best for me. One thing I know for sure - I need a break from academia! Although I may end up going back to Uni for a Masters, but I don't know what it would be in if I did.
If I do end up travelling, this blog will get more exciting again, but in the meantime I will update it with what I'm doing, even if it's very mundane! Hopefully there will be nothing mundane in my life - let's wait and see what happens!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Final Year - Argh!
Well here it is! The big scary final year. I can't believe that I've only got one year left. But more than that, I can't believe how busy I am!
My brother asked me over summer what was more work, A-level or University, and I said that up to third year, I still hadn't worked as hard as I worked for my A-levels. They have now been far surpassed! Final year (fourth year for me because of my year abroad) is so full of work I'm looking back to last year and wishing I had as much free time, even though it didn't feel like it at the time.
The things that are making me so busy are not only the work, which is comprised of a lot of Japanese readings to do for homework, including some really heavy stuff on theories of environmental governance (which is very interesting, but difficult), dissertation research, Japanese speeches, Japanese homework etc., but also the things I have to do outside of studying.
I'm doing a lot of extra-curricular activities this year, not just for my CV, but also because I really want to do them while I still have the chance. I'm School Rep for Non-European Languages, which means I attend meetings at all levels of the Uni (including the University Senate, which is incredible to be a part of) and fight for changes that students want to see. I'm also an Intercultural Ambassador, which involves event planning and management, and PR, for international events.
Then there's that horribly scary word - jobhunting. The advice I want to give to any penultimate year students - start thinking about what you want to do NOW! You won't have time in final year to think through it all properly, so do research as early as possible (going to career talks and your careers centre is really helpful), and try to get summer internships or something similar, and also try to do extra-curricular activities before final year, because the time constraints are tight!
Anyway, that's my busy life at the moment. Thankfully there haven't been any essays yet, but the first one will be set this week, so looking forward to that! But it's reading week next week, so I'll be able to work without interruption, or at least that's the plan!
My brother asked me over summer what was more work, A-level or University, and I said that up to third year, I still hadn't worked as hard as I worked for my A-levels. They have now been far surpassed! Final year (fourth year for me because of my year abroad) is so full of work I'm looking back to last year and wishing I had as much free time, even though it didn't feel like it at the time.
The things that are making me so busy are not only the work, which is comprised of a lot of Japanese readings to do for homework, including some really heavy stuff on theories of environmental governance (which is very interesting, but difficult), dissertation research, Japanese speeches, Japanese homework etc., but also the things I have to do outside of studying.
I'm doing a lot of extra-curricular activities this year, not just for my CV, but also because I really want to do them while I still have the chance. I'm School Rep for Non-European Languages, which means I attend meetings at all levels of the Uni (including the University Senate, which is incredible to be a part of) and fight for changes that students want to see. I'm also an Intercultural Ambassador, which involves event planning and management, and PR, for international events.
Then there's that horribly scary word - jobhunting. The advice I want to give to any penultimate year students - start thinking about what you want to do NOW! You won't have time in final year to think through it all properly, so do research as early as possible (going to career talks and your careers centre is really helpful), and try to get summer internships or something similar, and also try to do extra-curricular activities before final year, because the time constraints are tight!
Anyway, that's my busy life at the moment. Thankfully there haven't been any essays yet, but the first one will be set this week, so looking forward to that! But it's reading week next week, so I'll be able to work without interruption, or at least that's the plan!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Third Year Easter Holiday
This next post is on a much lighter note than the previous one about the March 2011 tsunami. This one is about my life! So probably a much less interesting post...
But basically my life over the last four months since the Christmas break has comprised of essays and deadlines! Third year is definitely a lot more work, and the level of dedication and intelligence required of us is higher. But I'm still enjoying it so that's got to be a good thing!
I had a Modern Japanese History essay about the role of the West in Japan's modernisation process in for last week, and that went okay, I think! This Easter I have a Creative Writing (my elective subject) portfolio to submit for my final piece, and a Critical Approaches to East Asian Studies essay about missionaries. So the topics I'm studying cover a wide range of information, which is good. Variety definitely helps when you're studying a subject in depth.
The problem is that I'm working at Cadbury World again this Easter, so I have very little free time! And two weeks after the essay deadlines I have three final exams, which will be tough.
But after that I'm free for the summer from the end of May! I'm hoping to do a bit of travel before working over the summer holiday. I want to see some places closer to home while I have the free time without commitments, otherwise I might never see them! I still haven't been to Ireland, and it's right next to me! Places I'm hoping to visit include Amsterdam and Greece, but we'll see if those plans come to fruition. It all depends on money I suppose.
Anyway, I suppose I should get back to my Creative Writing piece! Wish me luck...
But basically my life over the last four months since the Christmas break has comprised of essays and deadlines! Third year is definitely a lot more work, and the level of dedication and intelligence required of us is higher. But I'm still enjoying it so that's got to be a good thing!
I had a Modern Japanese History essay about the role of the West in Japan's modernisation process in for last week, and that went okay, I think! This Easter I have a Creative Writing (my elective subject) portfolio to submit for my final piece, and a Critical Approaches to East Asian Studies essay about missionaries. So the topics I'm studying cover a wide range of information, which is good. Variety definitely helps when you're studying a subject in depth.
The problem is that I'm working at Cadbury World again this Easter, so I have very little free time! And two weeks after the essay deadlines I have three final exams, which will be tough.
But after that I'm free for the summer from the end of May! I'm hoping to do a bit of travel before working over the summer holiday. I want to see some places closer to home while I have the free time without commitments, otherwise I might never see them! I still haven't been to Ireland, and it's right next to me! Places I'm hoping to visit include Amsterdam and Greece, but we'll see if those plans come to fruition. It all depends on money I suppose.
Anyway, I suppose I should get back to my Creative Writing piece! Wish me luck...
The March 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami & Earthquake: An Outsider's Perspective
The 11th March 2011 earthquake disaster occurred at 14:46 off the coast of Sendai. It was the biggest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history, with a magnitude of 8.9. The last big earthquake to hit Japan was the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which did nothing like the damage Japan has seen in the last month.
I found out about it just before I went into a Listening class and, just like everyone else, I had no idea just how enormous the effects of it would be. I followed the news coverage closely, seeing each new video as it was released, and watched the death toll climb.
In the end I couldn't keep it up. I was torn between my interest in the event and the geography behind it (as long-term readers of this blog will know that I'm really interested in) and how sad it made me feel. Usually when I see terrible things on the news I'm quite emotionally unattached, so I was surprised when I realised just how affected I'd been. One video left me literally speechless after watching it. I couldn't imagine how powerful water could be before seeing this. In Britain we're so far removed from natural disasters, except for floods, that it's difficult to think about it.
Everything seemed to be getting so much worse over the days following the disaster; with the initial earthquake, then the devastating tsunami, followed by aftershocks and then the harrowing nuclear meltdown fears. I never thought that the Fukushima plant would meltdown, but of course the news played the worries up as much as it could.
I was in touch with my friends in Japan as soon as possible after I heard about it, and I got replies from all of them fairly quickly. I had a couple of friends who couldn't contact their families in the stricken areas for several days. I could not imagine how awful those days must have been, just waiting for any news about them. They were all fine in the end; it was the lack of communication that led to the lack of contact.
The death toll is difficult to find online, because all of the past articles with old figures are still there, but the last figure I heard was 27,000 people. My mind can't fathom that many people dying in just a few weeks.
Even Tokyo, quite far from the epicentre, will be suffering from planned blackouts into the summer, which will tough. Not least because of the heat and humidity.
It's difficult to find English news articles on it now, which is actually pretty disgusting, that it's dropped out of the public eye so quickly. It certainly hasn't dropped out of the minds of the Japanese people.
Japanese students studying abroad at Leeds have been really great, organising a stall raising money and managing it all day every day (they earned over £3,000 for the Red Cross appeal), and arranging lantern nights with food and drink stalls. It was a fantastic effort on everyone's part.
It's definitely an event that will not be forgotten for decades, and I don't think it should be. People need to be reminded of just how powerful nature is, and the nuclear repercussions will hopefully lead to increased safety procedures worldwide.
I found out about it just before I went into a Listening class and, just like everyone else, I had no idea just how enormous the effects of it would be. I followed the news coverage closely, seeing each new video as it was released, and watched the death toll climb.
In the end I couldn't keep it up. I was torn between my interest in the event and the geography behind it (as long-term readers of this blog will know that I'm really interested in) and how sad it made me feel. Usually when I see terrible things on the news I'm quite emotionally unattached, so I was surprised when I realised just how affected I'd been. One video left me literally speechless after watching it. I couldn't imagine how powerful water could be before seeing this. In Britain we're so far removed from natural disasters, except for floods, that it's difficult to think about it.
Everything seemed to be getting so much worse over the days following the disaster; with the initial earthquake, then the devastating tsunami, followed by aftershocks and then the harrowing nuclear meltdown fears. I never thought that the Fukushima plant would meltdown, but of course the news played the worries up as much as it could.
I was in touch with my friends in Japan as soon as possible after I heard about it, and I got replies from all of them fairly quickly. I had a couple of friends who couldn't contact their families in the stricken areas for several days. I could not imagine how awful those days must have been, just waiting for any news about them. They were all fine in the end; it was the lack of communication that led to the lack of contact.
The death toll is difficult to find online, because all of the past articles with old figures are still there, but the last figure I heard was 27,000 people. My mind can't fathom that many people dying in just a few weeks.
Even Tokyo, quite far from the epicentre, will be suffering from planned blackouts into the summer, which will tough. Not least because of the heat and humidity.
It's difficult to find English news articles on it now, which is actually pretty disgusting, that it's dropped out of the public eye so quickly. It certainly hasn't dropped out of the minds of the Japanese people.
Japanese students studying abroad at Leeds have been really great, organising a stall raising money and managing it all day every day (they earned over £3,000 for the Red Cross appeal), and arranging lantern nights with food and drink stalls. It was a fantastic effort on everyone's part.
It's definitely an event that will not be forgotten for decades, and I don't think it should be. People need to be reminded of just how powerful nature is, and the nuclear repercussions will hopefully lead to increased safety procedures worldwide.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Third Year; Semester One
It's Christmas! Or, nearly Christmas... It's the Winter Solstice, so I'm sitting here at 4pm watching the sun disappear behind the snowy buildings. And snowy it is! The UK's winters seem to get more severe with each year.
But anyway, the point of this post is to say that I've finished Semester One of my third year back at Leeds. I still have exams and essay deadlines in January when I go back, so there's no rest for the wicked, but teaching has finished until late January when Semester Two officially starts.
The first Semester has gone well overall, with lots of work! It's definitely a step up from first year, which seems like a fluffy carefree dream right now.
It's not even the Japanese side of the course which is causing the stress, although it is hard work of course, it's that coupled with the pressure of exams and essays for other modules. I'm certainly finding it difficult to balance everything.
In terms of Japanese, we have been doing listening, discussion and reading exercises aimed at improving our general Japanese ability and confidence.
The biggest problem that students seem to be facing is the range of abilities that people have come back from Japan with. Some people are finding the grammar etc. too difficult, and others too easy. I myself think it's the right level for me. It's a blend of revision ('review', for American English speakers!) and new things, so I'm finding it useful.
It's great being back at Leeds in general, being able to see my friends around campus is a great feeling, and I love the atmosphere of studying at a British Uni, even if it is freezing!
Well, I better get back to my essay! I'm looking forward to Christmas - I need an excuse to stop for a bit!
Merry Christmas to everyone!! Have a wonderful festive season!
But anyway, the point of this post is to say that I've finished Semester One of my third year back at Leeds. I still have exams and essay deadlines in January when I go back, so there's no rest for the wicked, but teaching has finished until late January when Semester Two officially starts.
The first Semester has gone well overall, with lots of work! It's definitely a step up from first year, which seems like a fluffy carefree dream right now.
It's not even the Japanese side of the course which is causing the stress, although it is hard work of course, it's that coupled with the pressure of exams and essays for other modules. I'm certainly finding it difficult to balance everything.
In terms of Japanese, we have been doing listening, discussion and reading exercises aimed at improving our general Japanese ability and confidence.
The biggest problem that students seem to be facing is the range of abilities that people have come back from Japan with. Some people are finding the grammar etc. too difficult, and others too easy. I myself think it's the right level for me. It's a blend of revision ('review', for American English speakers!) and new things, so I'm finding it useful.
It's great being back at Leeds in general, being able to see my friends around campus is a great feeling, and I love the atmosphere of studying at a British Uni, even if it is freezing!
Well, I better get back to my essay! I'm looking forward to Christmas - I need an excuse to stop for a bit!
Merry Christmas to everyone!! Have a wonderful festive season!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Back to Third Year
Wow it's been a long time since I updated my blog! The whole summer has disappeared in a flash! I was very busy at Cadbury World while I was in Birmingham, and that was a really good time, as it always is! I earned around £2,000, so that will really help me out this year. But I'm still searching for a part-time job here in Leeds to keep me going.
I've just done my first week of lectures, which went by in a bit of blur. I finished work at Cadbury World last Friday and then came up to Leeds on Saturday morning, then my first lecture was 9am on Monday, so I haven't had a lot of time to adjust.
It has been really lovely to see everyone again. So many people I haven't seen for months, or a year in some cases! It's been quite a week of reunions.
But so far lectures have been good. They've been mostly introductory, telling us what we'll be doing over the next year. The grammar seems to be mainly stuff I studied at ICU last year, so there will be quite a lot of revision this year. Which is good and bad I suppose. I should know those points pretty well by next summer!
I have my first kanji test tomorrow, so I've been working through them over the last few days. There were only two new ones, so the rest were just making sure I could remember how to write and read them.
There's a lot of work on the way, so fingers crossed it all goes well over this semester!
I've just done my first week of lectures, which went by in a bit of blur. I finished work at Cadbury World last Friday and then came up to Leeds on Saturday morning, then my first lecture was 9am on Monday, so I haven't had a lot of time to adjust.
It has been really lovely to see everyone again. So many people I haven't seen for months, or a year in some cases! It's been quite a week of reunions.
But so far lectures have been good. They've been mostly introductory, telling us what we'll be doing over the next year. The grammar seems to be mainly stuff I studied at ICU last year, so there will be quite a lot of revision this year. Which is good and bad I suppose. I should know those points pretty well by next summer!
I have my first kanji test tomorrow, so I've been working through them over the last few days. There were only two new ones, so the rest were just making sure I could remember how to write and read them.
There's a lot of work on the way, so fingers crossed it all goes well over this semester!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Home In Britain
I'm back in Britain! It's so strange to be back! But of course it's lovely. I arrived at Heathrow yesterday and my family picked me up. It was such a nice reunion. We went to a restaurant and had a British roast dinner, which was amazing. It was exactly what I'd been craving - oven cooked food! And despite what the world may say, traditional British food is amazing.
Pretty much everything went smoothly for my last day, except for the beginning and the end. I got up at 5am to leave in time for my 6.30am bus from Kichijoji, which is 10 minutes by train. Wynne, Katy and Hime-chan came with me, and Rob got up to wave me off from the guesthouse. But when we got to the station, we found that there was a 55 minute delay on trains going into Tokyo! It said "Accident", but it's common knowledge that that usually means suicide.
So I had to get a taxi to Kichijoji station, and had a quick but sad goodbye to the girls. It really didn't hit me that I was leaving them. It took about 15 minutes to get to Kichijoji, but cost Y3,000 (£20) so I was very unimpressed!
I met Rei, the leader of Soul Run who had come to wave me off, at the station. He waited until my bus was out of sight to stop waving, which was really nice of him. It hit me then how much I'm going to miss everyone.
It took about an hour and 40 minutes to get to Narita Airport, and there I paid the rebooking charge for my flight. It was very easy to do, I just went to the JAL Ticketing Counter and showed them my e-ticket, and then paid the Y15,000 for it. After that I could check straight in at the check-in counter, and that went smoothly as well. Even though I had two pieces of hand baggage, and my suitcase was 3.5kg overweight, the woman who checked me in didn't say anything about it, and just chatted to me about my time in Japan and about ICU. I was really grateful, she must have known I'd have more luggage than the average passenger, having been in Japan for nearly a year. Even though I sent stuff home with my brother when he visited I still had a lot of things to bring back.
Then the flight went fine, until we were coming into land at Heathrow, and were about to touch down when the plane pulled up suddenly and started to circle the airport! They announced that there had been a plane on the runway that hadn't moved yet, so that could have been nasty! But we landed safely 10 minutes later.
Then immigration and baggage claim went very smoothly, and I was reunited with my family at arrivals. It was so nice!
We drove to a nearby pub and had our roast dinner, and then drove back to Birmingham. Everything was exactly as I remember it, and it was a very nice feeling when my house came into view.
It's weird being back, because everything is the same, and everything feels the same. Seeing my local area isn't special now, because I've come and gone so many times it just feels normal. Which is good - I suppose that means I'm growing up!
I haven't really reflected back on my time in Japan yet, I'm too tired! But it's already nostalgic, and I miss my friends and just being in Japan. I have lovely memories of that trip to Japan, and I know that it was one of the best times in my life so far. Let's hope that there are many more in the future!
Pretty much everything went smoothly for my last day, except for the beginning and the end. I got up at 5am to leave in time for my 6.30am bus from Kichijoji, which is 10 minutes by train. Wynne, Katy and Hime-chan came with me, and Rob got up to wave me off from the guesthouse. But when we got to the station, we found that there was a 55 minute delay on trains going into Tokyo! It said "Accident", but it's common knowledge that that usually means suicide.
So I had to get a taxi to Kichijoji station, and had a quick but sad goodbye to the girls. It really didn't hit me that I was leaving them. It took about 15 minutes to get to Kichijoji, but cost Y3,000 (£20) so I was very unimpressed!
I met Rei, the leader of Soul Run who had come to wave me off, at the station. He waited until my bus was out of sight to stop waving, which was really nice of him. It hit me then how much I'm going to miss everyone.
It took about an hour and 40 minutes to get to Narita Airport, and there I paid the rebooking charge for my flight. It was very easy to do, I just went to the JAL Ticketing Counter and showed them my e-ticket, and then paid the Y15,000 for it. After that I could check straight in at the check-in counter, and that went smoothly as well. Even though I had two pieces of hand baggage, and my suitcase was 3.5kg overweight, the woman who checked me in didn't say anything about it, and just chatted to me about my time in Japan and about ICU. I was really grateful, she must have known I'd have more luggage than the average passenger, having been in Japan for nearly a year. Even though I sent stuff home with my brother when he visited I still had a lot of things to bring back.
Then the flight went fine, until we were coming into land at Heathrow, and were about to touch down when the plane pulled up suddenly and started to circle the airport! They announced that there had been a plane on the runway that hadn't moved yet, so that could have been nasty! But we landed safely 10 minutes later.
Then immigration and baggage claim went very smoothly, and I was reunited with my family at arrivals. It was so nice!
We drove to a nearby pub and had our roast dinner, and then drove back to Birmingham. Everything was exactly as I remember it, and it was a very nice feeling when my house came into view.
It's weird being back, because everything is the same, and everything feels the same. Seeing my local area isn't special now, because I've come and gone so many times it just feels normal. Which is good - I suppose that means I'm growing up!
I haven't really reflected back on my time in Japan yet, I'm too tired! But it's already nostalgic, and I miss my friends and just being in Japan. I have lovely memories of that trip to Japan, and I know that it was one of the best times in my life so far. Let's hope that there are many more in the future!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ready To Go!
I'm pretty much all packed and ready now. My suitcase and everything is on my bed, my room is spotless and sparkling (kind of...) and almost empty!
It really hasn't hit home yet that I'm leaving tomorrow, but it definitely will when my alarm goes off at 5am tomorrow morning and I have to get to Narita Airport. Some friends are going to come with me to my bus and wave me off, which I keep telling them there's no need to do, but they're adamant they want to come. I'll take a pack of tissues, just in case.
This is the end of an incredible year and I will never ever forget it. I definitely need some time to reflect on everything and let it all sink in. Maybe the 12 and a half hour plane journey will help!
My next post will be from Britain, so this is goodbye to Japan for the second time. Goodbye and see you again soon!!
It really hasn't hit home yet that I'm leaving tomorrow, but it definitely will when my alarm goes off at 5am tomorrow morning and I have to get to Narita Airport. Some friends are going to come with me to my bus and wave me off, which I keep telling them there's no need to do, but they're adamant they want to come. I'll take a pack of tissues, just in case.
This is the end of an incredible year and I will never ever forget it. I definitely need some time to reflect on everything and let it all sink in. Maybe the 12 and a half hour plane journey will help!
My next post will be from Britain, so this is goodbye to Japan for the second time. Goodbye and see you again soon!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
One Week Left!
Oh wow, time is going so quickly! I now have just one week left to do everything I want to do and say goodbye to everyone I want to see!
My schedule is ridiculously full of things I'm doing, but I suppose that's the best way to end a year abroad - not give yourself time to think!
Because I'm so busy I don't think I'll have time to write any posts until I get back home now. I'll fill in the blanks once I'm back, so don't be confused if things appear in an odd order for a while!
For now, I'm going to try to enjoy my last few days in Japan as much as I can. Which means trying not to be sad that I'm leaving, and focussing on the positive. I'm glad I'm sad to be leaving, otherwise it would mean that I hadn't enjoyed my year abroad as much as I have!
My schedule is ridiculously full of things I'm doing, but I suppose that's the best way to end a year abroad - not give yourself time to think!
Because I'm so busy I don't think I'll have time to write any posts until I get back home now. I'll fill in the blanks once I'm back, so don't be confused if things appear in an odd order for a while!
For now, I'm going to try to enjoy my last few days in Japan as much as I can. Which means trying not to be sad that I'm leaving, and focussing on the positive. I'm glad I'm sad to be leaving, otherwise it would mean that I hadn't enjoyed my year abroad as much as I have!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Finished!
I've officially finished ICU now! Even though my final exam for Japanese was on Friday, I still had one essay to do for my Writing Ethnography (民族誌作成, Minzokushi Sakusei) elective class. I went into ICU for the day yesterday and finished that off.
And now, except for going in for my results on the 28th, I don't have any reason to go back to campus. Which is really sad! I definitely will be going back though, hopefully several times before I leave in two and a half weeks.
Even though sometimes I really didn't fancy going in for lessons, and the workload was definitely a big stress, overall my experience at ICU was a great one, and I'm really going to miss my friends and the teachers here.
But, if coming back to Japan after a year has taught me anything, it's that things don't change much, and ICU will still be there for me to visit when I'm in Japan next time. And there's no doubt that there will be a next time, it just depends on money as to when I can manage to come back!
And now, except for going in for my results on the 28th, I don't have any reason to go back to campus. Which is really sad! I definitely will be going back though, hopefully several times before I leave in two and a half weeks.
Even though sometimes I really didn't fancy going in for lessons, and the workload was definitely a big stress, overall my experience at ICU was a great one, and I'm really going to miss my friends and the teachers here.
But, if coming back to Japan after a year has taught me anything, it's that things don't change much, and ICU will still be there for me to visit when I'm in Japan next time. And there's no doubt that there will be a next time, it just depends on money as to when I can manage to come back!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Hello Rainy Season
Japan's rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu) officially arrived today! It's actually been a long time coming, as I was expecting it at the very beginning of June, but it's taken until the 14th to arrive in Tokyo.
Rainy season in Japan is caused by cold northerly air masses meeting warm air from the south, which creates a stable front across Japan, bringing clouds and rain. The average rainy season in Tokyo lasts from 8th June until 20th July, which seems like a long time for it to rain! But it doesn't rain every day, and I read an information page that said that Tokyo records an average of 12 days of rain in June, and 120 hours of sunshine. But this fluctuates from year to year. Okinawa (沖縄) and the other southern islands get rainy season from the beginning of May until about the 23rd June, so it's much earlier, and then it spreads north from there. But Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidou) hardly sees any of the rain because of the northerly latitude. So lucky!
I remember the rainy season two years ago, in 2008, was quite short and not very intense. It arrived earlier than usual, and I recall it only lasted about three weeks. It was actually quite comfortable, keeping the heat down, and the misty drizzle made me very nostalgic of Britain. But it was very humid, and on the days when the temperature rose, it was very sticky and uncomfortable! The humidity seems to average about 95% in rainy season, but there were plenty of days when 100% was recorded.
This year so far the humidity has only started to worsen over the past week or so. Up until then it was gorgeous sun and clear blue skies, but now it's getting to the time when you walk home at night in sandals and shorts and see moisture dancing in car headlights.
The next week's weather forecast is mainly for cloud or light rain, with temperatures hovering around 28C, but today is only 19C, so it's being kind and easing us in slowly. Thursday is going to be a bit of a killer, with predictions of 31C and cloud. That's going to be a very humid day!
It's a shame because from now until I leave rainy season will be in full swing, so my immediate memory of Japan will be cloud and mist! But it might mean Britain is a relief from the rain! (Which I don't think I've ever said before...)
There's more information about the dates tsuyu starts and ends on the Japan Meteorological Agency website.
Rainy season in Japan is caused by cold northerly air masses meeting warm air from the south, which creates a stable front across Japan, bringing clouds and rain. The average rainy season in Tokyo lasts from 8th June until 20th July, which seems like a long time for it to rain! But it doesn't rain every day, and I read an information page that said that Tokyo records an average of 12 days of rain in June, and 120 hours of sunshine. But this fluctuates from year to year. Okinawa (沖縄) and the other southern islands get rainy season from the beginning of May until about the 23rd June, so it's much earlier, and then it spreads north from there. But Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidou) hardly sees any of the rain because of the northerly latitude. So lucky!
I remember the rainy season two years ago, in 2008, was quite short and not very intense. It arrived earlier than usual, and I recall it only lasted about three weeks. It was actually quite comfortable, keeping the heat down, and the misty drizzle made me very nostalgic of Britain. But it was very humid, and on the days when the temperature rose, it was very sticky and uncomfortable! The humidity seems to average about 95% in rainy season, but there were plenty of days when 100% was recorded.
This year so far the humidity has only started to worsen over the past week or so. Up until then it was gorgeous sun and clear blue skies, but now it's getting to the time when you walk home at night in sandals and shorts and see moisture dancing in car headlights.
The next week's weather forecast is mainly for cloud or light rain, with temperatures hovering around 28C, but today is only 19C, so it's being kind and easing us in slowly. Thursday is going to be a bit of a killer, with predictions of 31C and cloud. That's going to be a very humid day!
It's a shame because from now until I leave rainy season will be in full swing, so my immediate memory of Japan will be cloud and mist! But it might mean Britain is a relief from the rain! (Which I don't think I've ever said before...)
There's more information about the dates tsuyu starts and ends on the Japan Meteorological Agency website.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Soul Run Leaving Party
Last night was the Soul Run leaving party for all of the one-year students who are leaving over the next few weeks. Soul Run is the traditional Japanese dance that I joined the society for at ICU.
It was at a really cool Hawaiian restaurant in Kichijoji (吉祥寺), and we'd rented the whole place for the evening, so it was quite expensive (Y3,200 per person) but it was definitely worth it. The atmosphere was incredible, with everyone just wanting to celebrate their amazing year in Japan.
But, it was bitter sweet, because we all knew it was the last time we'd all be together, and there were some teary-eyed people by the end of it. It was made much more emotional by Rei, our leader (団長, danchou), because he'd made a presentation for us and showed us on his laptop. It was a slideshow of photos and videos of us over the last year, and the full video of our performance. Apparently he'd spent a month collecting the videos and everything for it, and we were so grateful!
And after that, he called each of us up to him one by one and presented us with a copy of that video and a small board with personal messages from the permanent students to us. They were all so sweet and heartfelt! Definitely something I can treasure.
The whole night was one I will never forget. And I'll never forget the friends I made here.
It was at a really cool Hawaiian restaurant in Kichijoji (吉祥寺), and we'd rented the whole place for the evening, so it was quite expensive (Y3,200 per person) but it was definitely worth it. The atmosphere was incredible, with everyone just wanting to celebrate their amazing year in Japan.
But, it was bitter sweet, because we all knew it was the last time we'd all be together, and there were some teary-eyed people by the end of it. It was made much more emotional by Rei, our leader (団長, danchou), because he'd made a presentation for us and showed us on his laptop. It was a slideshow of photos and videos of us over the last year, and the full video of our performance. Apparently he'd spent a month collecting the videos and everything for it, and we were so grateful!
And after that, he called each of us up to him one by one and presented us with a copy of that video and a small board with personal messages from the permanent students to us. They were all so sweet and heartfelt! Definitely something I can treasure.
The whole night was one I will never forget. And I'll never forget the friends I made here.
Leeds Exam Results
Yesterday morning my results from the Leeds Exam that I took at the beginning of May came through via email.
I was anxious to get these results because if I failed the exam, I would have one more chance to pass in the Summer, and then if I failed that one, then I wouldn't be able to continue my degree at Leeds Uni.
But, thankfully, I passed! We didn't get a breakdown of how we did on each section, but I know that my overall mark was 84%, which I'm really really pleased with.
That mark makes the 12 hours of study a day, and getting ill afterwards, all worth it! (That's not sarcasm, by the way.)
Most people I know passed the exam, with varying marks, although I've heard of a few people who didn't meet the pass mark. So they now have to study over the summer for the re-take, and then will hopefully pass and be able to continue.
I'm so relieved to have passed, so now I can relax about that and enjoy my last month here.
I was anxious to get these results because if I failed the exam, I would have one more chance to pass in the Summer, and then if I failed that one, then I wouldn't be able to continue my degree at Leeds Uni.
But, thankfully, I passed! We didn't get a breakdown of how we did on each section, but I know that my overall mark was 84%, which I'm really really pleased with.
That mark makes the 12 hours of study a day, and getting ill afterwards, all worth it! (That's not sarcasm, by the way.)
Most people I know passed the exam, with varying marks, although I've heard of a few people who didn't meet the pass mark. So they now have to study over the summer for the re-take, and then will hopefully pass and be able to continue.
I'm so relieved to have passed, so now I can relax about that and enjoy my last month here.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
One Month Left
The countdown has begun! It's officially one month until I go home. Everything is starting to wrap itself up here in Japan, with my final exams and essays next week, and my starting to arrange to see people for the last time before I leave.
As you can imagine, I have very mixed feelings at the moment. I'm really sad to be leaving again, and anxious to make sure I do everything I want to while I still can, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends again, and being at home.
With ICU's last lesssons next week, I'm really looking forward to being able to enjoy myself without the pressure of essays and schoolwork etc, but I've had such an amazing time there I know I'm going to be really upset to leave.
Tomorrow after teaching I have a farewell party in the afternoon on campus, and then the last ever Soul Run get-together in the evening in Kichijoji. It's going to be so sad!
But I know that the people I've met will still be here, or spread across the world in places like California, New York and France (which obviously gives me an excuse to visit!), so it's not a goodbye forever. But it will feel like one, as my adventures in Japan come to an end, again.
But because I remember how it felt to leave two years ago, and I remember how it felt when I came back last summer and saw my old friends and my old house, and everywhere I love in Tokyo, I know that I can come back in the future, and hardly anything will have changed.
Or so I'm telling myself now, so I don't get upset!
For now, I can focus on the amazing month ahead of me, and the memories I have yet to make. It's going to be a good one!
As you can imagine, I have very mixed feelings at the moment. I'm really sad to be leaving again, and anxious to make sure I do everything I want to while I still can, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends again, and being at home.
With ICU's last lesssons next week, I'm really looking forward to being able to enjoy myself without the pressure of essays and schoolwork etc, but I've had such an amazing time there I know I'm going to be really upset to leave.
Tomorrow after teaching I have a farewell party in the afternoon on campus, and then the last ever Soul Run get-together in the evening in Kichijoji. It's going to be so sad!
But I know that the people I've met will still be here, or spread across the world in places like California, New York and France (which obviously gives me an excuse to visit!), so it's not a goodbye forever. But it will feel like one, as my adventures in Japan come to an end, again.
But because I remember how it felt to leave two years ago, and I remember how it felt when I came back last summer and saw my old friends and my old house, and everywhere I love in Tokyo, I know that I can come back in the future, and hardly anything will have changed.
Or so I'm telling myself now, so I don't get upset!
For now, I can focus on the amazing month ahead of me, and the memories I have yet to make. It's going to be a good one!
Friday, May 21, 2010
First Month's Pay
Today I taught English as usual, which was a lot of fun. The girls are all really talkative and energetic, so they make the lessons go by really quickly.
And I got my first pay! It was only Y5,000 for the two lessons I taught in April, but it felt nice to be earning again! I haven't received money I've earned since summer last year working at Cadbury World! I was paid in cash, and the money was in a Japanese envelope, which felt very authentic.
I was shown where to go by a couple of my students, and then we went for lunch in the cafeteria afterwards.
And the nicest part of the day is the weather! It's the first 30C day, and the sky is a beautiful blue, with a cooling breeze. It's not humid yet, so this is perfect weather for me. I love Japanese May! But rainy season will be along soon, and then the comfort will disappear!
I'm going to take some work to the park and study in the sun with Katy now. Got to make the most of it!
And I got my first pay! It was only Y5,000 for the two lessons I taught in April, but it felt nice to be earning again! I haven't received money I've earned since summer last year working at Cadbury World! I was paid in cash, and the money was in a Japanese envelope, which felt very authentic.
I was shown where to go by a couple of my students, and then we went for lunch in the cafeteria afterwards.
And the nicest part of the day is the weather! It's the first 30C day, and the sky is a beautiful blue, with a cooling breeze. It's not humid yet, so this is perfect weather for me. I love Japanese May! But rainy season will be along soon, and then the comfort will disappear!
I'm going to take some work to the park and study in the sun with Katy now. Got to make the most of it!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Last Rent Payment
Yesterday I went to the headquarters of my guesthouse company in Higashi Koganei (東小金井) to pay my last rent for this year.
I had to pay extra because after next month I'm staying for an extra 17 nights until my flight home on 10th July. They had no problem with me leaving in the middle of the month, and it doesn't cost any extra for the daily extension.
But they are all such lovely people it was quite sad saying goodbye to them. I can't believe I'm already so close to leaving Japan again! I need to make the most of these last 7 weeks.
I had to pay extra because after next month I'm staying for an extra 17 nights until my flight home on 10th July. They had no problem with me leaving in the middle of the month, and it doesn't cost any extra for the daily extension.
But they are all such lovely people it was quite sad saying goodbye to them. I can't believe I'm already so close to leaving Japan again! I need to make the most of these last 7 weeks.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Japanese Dentists
In the aftermath of the Leeds exam, I've unfortunately fallen quite ill. It started last Monday (I actually expected to become sick straight after the Leeds exam, once all the stress had disappeared) but it waited three days and then struck me. I got a sore throat first, which was fine. But then my teeth started to hurt.
I suspected it was a wisdom tooth coming through, because the pain was at the back of my mouth where it would come through, and I'd had some pain a few months ago, but it disappeared after a few days. But this time the pain just got worse and worse, until I found it really difficult to eat, drink and sleep.
I had my midterm exam at ICU this Thursday, but I'd barely slept the night before so I don't think I did very well at all. I left early and cycled straight to a dentist in Tama (多摩) that was recommended by two of my friends from Leeds who have had teeth problems. But they were closed on Thursdays! So I found a different one near the station, but they were full on Thursday, so I made an appointment for yesterday (Friday).
I had another near-sleepless night on Thursday night, and then went to teach English, but I don't think I did a great job with such a painful mouth. I did explain what was wrong to my students though - they all know "wisdom tooth" now!
The dentist didn't speak any English, which I was expecting, so I had my electronic dictionary out checking the technical words. She took an X-ray and told me that my wisdom tooth was coming through, and it had caused the gum to become inflamed. She explained what she was going to do, and then injected anaesthetic around the area, and then used a laser to treat the gum. At first I didn't realise she was already using the laser, but then I could smell and taste burning flesh, and that was a pretty clear indication!
Afterwards they gave me two pills for pain, if it did come back. And come back it did! I'm worried that it might have become infected and spread, because my throat is still very painful and my jaw is tender to the touch. But the pills they gave me are rubbish! I took one last night to help me sleep, and I could still feel everything! I actually find British supermarket-bought Paracetamol much more effective. Japanese medicine just isn't strong enough! Plus I'm quite tall so there's more "body" for it to get through before it actually helps me.
If I'm still in pain on Monday I'll go back to the dentist and ask if there's anything else they can do. If it is infected, I don't want it to spread further, because one of my friends had to have root canal surgery here last year, and I really don't want that!
It was quite easy to actually get the appointment, and the treatment was quite cheap (Y1,600), because I have Japanese national health insurance and I just showed them my insurance card (保険証, hokenshou). I didn't have that last time I lived in Japan on a working holiday visa, so I don't know what would happen if I didn't have it.
I really hope it gets better soon. I miss sleep and food!
I suspected it was a wisdom tooth coming through, because the pain was at the back of my mouth where it would come through, and I'd had some pain a few months ago, but it disappeared after a few days. But this time the pain just got worse and worse, until I found it really difficult to eat, drink and sleep.
I had my midterm exam at ICU this Thursday, but I'd barely slept the night before so I don't think I did very well at all. I left early and cycled straight to a dentist in Tama (多摩) that was recommended by two of my friends from Leeds who have had teeth problems. But they were closed on Thursdays! So I found a different one near the station, but they were full on Thursday, so I made an appointment for yesterday (Friday).
I had another near-sleepless night on Thursday night, and then went to teach English, but I don't think I did a great job with such a painful mouth. I did explain what was wrong to my students though - they all know "wisdom tooth" now!
The dentist didn't speak any English, which I was expecting, so I had my electronic dictionary out checking the technical words. She took an X-ray and told me that my wisdom tooth was coming through, and it had caused the gum to become inflamed. She explained what she was going to do, and then injected anaesthetic around the area, and then used a laser to treat the gum. At first I didn't realise she was already using the laser, but then I could smell and taste burning flesh, and that was a pretty clear indication!
Afterwards they gave me two pills for pain, if it did come back. And come back it did! I'm worried that it might have become infected and spread, because my throat is still very painful and my jaw is tender to the touch. But the pills they gave me are rubbish! I took one last night to help me sleep, and I could still feel everything! I actually find British supermarket-bought Paracetamol much more effective. Japanese medicine just isn't strong enough! Plus I'm quite tall so there's more "body" for it to get through before it actually helps me.
If I'm still in pain on Monday I'll go back to the dentist and ask if there's anything else they can do. If it is infected, I don't want it to spread further, because one of my friends had to have root canal surgery here last year, and I really don't want that!
It was quite easy to actually get the appointment, and the treatment was quite cheap (Y1,600), because I have Japanese national health insurance and I just showed them my insurance card (保険証, hokenshou). I didn't have that last time I lived in Japan on a working holiday visa, so I don't know what would happen if I didn't have it.
I really hope it gets better soon. I miss sleep and food!
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