My Brother's Visit: Airport Chaos!

This morning Dom and I went to Narita Airport. He had reached the end of his 9 day stay here. It was very sad on the Limousine Bus from Kichijoji, but we knew it was only 12 weeks until I'm back in the UK. I can't believe I have such a short time left in Japan!

It was a very scenic route to the airport. We passed Tokyo Tower...



... and went over Rainbow Bridge.



And then, after getting up at 5am for the 2 hour bus trip, and paying Y3,000 (£20) each to get there, we find all flights to the UK, and most of Western Europe cancelled.



This wasn't the biggest surprise. We knew there was a risk of delays and cancellations because of the news the previous day. But we'd checked online before we left and there wasn't a problem at 6am. Somewhere en route they'd cancelled all the flights!

The cancellations were due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption, which happened two days ago. I knew about it, but didn't quite believe that we'd actually be affected by it so badly.

We were three hours early for the flight, so we started to queue up at the check-in desk and waited until they opened. We were only a few people from the front as we were there so early.

TBS News were interviewing people in the line, but Dom and I weren't asked to say anything, but I think I may have been in the background of one interview.

They opened the desks on time, but we still had to wait for about an hour until we got any information. They were taking people who had been cancelled on yesterday, but were sending anyone who hadn't missed a flight yet away, saying that all the nearby hotels were full and people should return to their previous accommodation. Bit of a tall order! But I suppose their hands were tied.

We were advised to change our bookings online or on the phone, and try to get another flight for when the airports re-open.

As the morning went on, the lines got huge as more and more people found their flights had been cancelled. But every was very well behaved and well-humoured, except for one Japanese woman who kept huffing and puffing next to us in the line. I expected the British people to be causing trouble!

Dom and I had a sandwich in a cafe, and then got on the train and braved the two and a half hour train journey home. We were both exhausted, and were not expecting to have to do that at all! I rang our Mum and let her know what was happening, but then couldn't get through on the phone to Virgin Atlantic's Tokyo office until the evening. I changed Dom's flight to Monday 26th April, which was the earliest available flight. I can't believe it! He's doubled his stay in Japan! And he'll miss some school, but I suppose he has the best excuse there is - stuck on the other side of the world because of a volcanic eruption! I find it so ironic that he came to Japan, one of the most volcanic countries in the world, and then can't go home because of volcanic ash over Britain!

Well, I suppose Dom will get a much better idea of Tokyo life - he's going to be here for a while!

It's now 22nd April, and the airports are all open again, after a week of total closure. What a huge mess! We really are at the mercy of nature... But fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for his flight home on Monday. Adding his visit with my family in 2008, he's now been in Japan for over a month in his life! Madness!

I think we were quite lucky to get a flight as early as the 26th, because I rang back a few days after the initial cancellation and they told me that apart from Dom's secured seat on the 26th, the earliest available flight was the 2nd May! I'm so glad I was persistant in ringing them all day.

It's been lovely having Dom in Japan for so much longer than we first expected, but I think he's quite looking forward to going home. I have to leave him alone for so many hours every day while I go to lessons he must be bored stiff!

Now I just hope that the volcano doesn't decide to let another burst of ash out as a little surprise for Europe again!

Back in Japan

Who'd have known that twelve days could be so fast, and so amazing!?

It was a crazy blur of seeing family, friends, and as much of my home as I could, but the one word that I can describe it with is "magical". No other word I can think of fits my memories of my surprise trip home as well as magical.

I did so much, there just isn't room to write everything down, but my Mum met me at Heathrow on Thursday 19th, after my twelve-hour flight, which of course I hadn't slept during at all! When I came out into the arrivals lounge, I was ferociously scanning the crowd of people waiting for us to come out for my Mum. I didn't see her, but I heard a cry of "Miles!" and then she came running into view. It was such a lovely welcome back to Britain.

We drove the two hours or so to my hometown of Birmingham, and went straight to my old secondary school, where my brother was doing a small performance at a quiz night there. We participated in the quiz, and didn't do too badly - top 3 I think.. But I have to say, as I'd been awake for 26 hours, I didn't perform as well as I normally would have done! But I went to another pub quiz the following week, which we won money for, so I think it evened out overall.

I slept well, but woke up early, which I did for most of the first week. My body seemed to think 6am was an excellent time to get up! How wrong it was...

On the Friday evening, my Dad drove me down to Wiltshire, where we stayed the night at my Gran and Grandad's house. He was going anyway, to take my Grandad to the rugby in Cardiff the next day, so I was really pleased I could go with him. It was so amazing to see my grandparents. I'm very close to them, so there was no way I would have returned to Britain without going to see them. We had a cup of tea and some biscuits and then went to bed.

On the Saturday I went to see my Gran in her stageshow, which was a collection of West End musical pieces, most of which I knew. It was the first time I'd ever seen her on stage, even though she's always working on a performance. I don't know how she manages it!

We drove back to Birmingham on Saturday evening, and I was so happy I'd had the chance to catch up with them.

Then the Sunday evening has become one of my nicest memories, perhaps ever. We had an early Christmas dinner - turkey with all the trimmings. And we had crackers, candles and Christmas music, and it all felt so authentic. Because I'll be in Japan, away from my family for the first Christmas ever, this year, I was overjoyed to have that opportunity.

After the amazing dinner, we took mincepies and fancy chocolates into the living room, lit a fire in the hearth, and watched a classic Christmas film, The Great Escape.

On the Tuesday, two of my best friends, who I met at Leeds Uni last year, came to Birmingham and stayed the night at my house. It was so nice to see them again! We'd all been geared up to not see each other for over a year, and yet here we were!

We met at the train station, and then went straight to the German Christmas market, which comes to Birmingham every year. Apparently it's the biggest in Europe (except for Germany of course).

I love the German market, because there's such a nice atmosphere, especially when it's cold, which it was! We wandered around the stalls, buying food as we went.

The next day we visited my old workplace, Cadbury World (a visitor attraction devoted to Cadbury chocolate), which is always nice. I saw lots of my old colleagues, and ate a lot of chocolate of course!

That day zoomed by, and suddenly I was saying goodbye to my friends for another nine months or so, but at least we'd had the chance to see each other once in the year!

The rest of the week was spent relaxing and spending time with my family at home. It was a perfect few days.

On the Friday evening, we left for Norfolk. My family and I go to Norfolk every year around my grandmother's birthday, and we go to visit my Mum's side of the family. It just so happened that my trip home coincided with this weekend break, so I could go with them!

I love the cottage we stay in most years - it's so incredibly British!

On the Saturday we went to a beach we often used to visit. It was the first beach I ever went to as a child.

Of course it was freezing cold, but the sky was a beautiful blue, and there were some nice clouds around. We went to a small cafe on the front and had cups of tea and cakes. (I really was getting my fill of British life while I was there!)

On Sunday we went to the annual extended family gathering at a pub called the Eel's Foot Inn and had a roast dinner. It was lovely to see all the faces I didn't think I'd see for such a long time!

Unfortunately, the lunch was at the same time as online check-in for my flight back to Japan the following day opened. So I tried to get onto the BA website from my Dad's laptop using a dongle.

But, as we were in the middle of nowhere, there wasn't a strong enough mobile signal to keep the internet connection. So I had to try to relax (I was very keen to get a good seat, as I'd been spoiled with the ultimate legroom seat by the emergency exit on the flight out) and enjoy the rest of the meal without worrying about it.

I always like going out to the back of the pub and standing by the Broad (lake).

After the dinner, we took a group photo outside the pub, and then went our separate ways. It's a four-hour drive back to Birmingham, so we had plenty of time to get used to the idea that I was leaving the next day!

We stopped at a motorway services and stole some internet from a Little Chef restaurant by parking right outside it. I logged onto my flight information, and was very surprised to see that there were plenty of good seats left. I chose one that was at the front of a section, next to the baby cots. The two seats with baby facilities were empty, so I thought that was a safe bet.

We got home at about 8pm, and I did my final packing, before watching a TV programme with my family. Then we all said goodnight for the last time for another nine months, and went to bed.

I woke up at just gone 7am and got my things together. I said a sad goodbye to my two brothers who were leaving for school and college, and then my Dad.

My Mum drove me back down to Heathrow airport in London and we checked in my baggage, before having a muffin (I miss proper muffins while I'm in Japan!) and a cup of coffee together.

And then it was time. We hugged and said goodbye in front of the security area, and then I waved as I walked past the gate, and I was gone.

It was very sad to say goodbye, but I couldn't believe I was able to go home and see them all. It was... magical.

The flight was fine, and the two baby cot seats next to mine stayed empty, so I had plenty of room, although, despite trying, I couldn't sleep again.

As we flew over Siberia, and turned south towards Japan, the sun started to rise. And it was probably because I was so tired, and perhaps a bit emotional, but the idea of approaching Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, as the sky started to turn purple and crimson, was very romantic.

Coming back into Japan, I had my photo and fingerprints taken, for the third time, and there were no problems with my re-entry permit.

I decided to take the train back to Musashi Koganei, because it was cheaper than the Limousine Bus, and took about the same time - two hours. I took the JR Sobu Line from Narita Airport to Tokyo, speaking to a nice Japanese man who wanted to practise English with me, and then changed to the Chuo line, which took me directly to Musashi Koganei.

I dragged my suitcase down the hill and was finally back in the guesthouse, with a bed! But, it was only 1pm, and not time for sleeping! So I knocked on Rob and Katy's doors and we went for lunch at our favourite restaurant nearby, Tanmen Ramen (タンメンラーメン) and had our beloved Cutlet Curry (かつカレー, katsu karee).

We came back and I had a nap for a couple of hours. Or at least that was the plan, I remember turning off my alarm at 6pm, but the next thing I knew I was waking up at 10pm. Oops! I got up and showered, and then unpacked everything, and went back to bed at 1am. And then I had to get up at 7.30 to go to Disneyland with the people from Soul Run!

And now, looking back at the twelve days I spent at home, it feels just like a dream. A magical dream.

200th Post Spectacular: I'm Home!

I'm at home!! I'm sitting in my bed with a cup of tea in my favourite mug that my mum brought to me, listening to Radio 1, amazed that I'm here.

Five days ago I didn't think I'd see my home or family for another ten months, but here I am, just like I've never been in Japan!

I got up at 5am yesterday (it really doesn't feel like it was yesterday...) and had breakfast, put the very last things in my suitcase, and then headed up to the station. It was only 10 minutes or so to Kichijoji, where I was catching the bus to Narita airport. At first I couldn't find where the bus left from, so I asked at a police box and they took me just round the corner and I saw a long line of people waiting for the bus to arrive.

I saw the guy from ICU who I spoke to after getting my re-entry permit earlier in the week in the line and I chatted to him before joining the back. The bus came about five minutes later and it was exactly the same process as the Airport Limousine buses I got from Narita last year, show the man the ticket and tell him which terminal you're going to, get a receipt for the luggage and then get on and find a seat. It was actually an Odakyu bus, but it was doing the Airport service.

It was timetabled to take two hours, but it was more like an hour and a half, which was good. We went through Shinjuku and I saw the skyscaper district from a distance, which was an amazing view, seeing the buildings suddenly shoot up from the low-rise surroundings. Then we headed east to Ginza and I saw my old house from last year from the bridge over Sumida River!

At the airport, it was very easy to get through check-in and customs, and then I had a second breakfast in the same ramen restaurant near my gate that I ate at when I left Japan last August. It was very nostalgic!

My plane boarded at 10.30 and then left early at about 11am. I had checked-in online, so I'd chosen a seat near an emergency exit that didn't have a seat in front of it, so I had loads of legroom!

The flight went okay, and it didn't seem to take long, which was very welcome, as it was a 12 hour and 15 minute flight. I watched Independence Day, which I've seen about 15 times, but I can't resist watching it if I have the opportunity! And then I tried to sleep, but it didn't happen. I can never sleep on planes unless I'm really really tired.

There was a bit of turbulence over Europe, which wasn't very fun, but it only lasted about 25 minutes or so. And then I was back in Britain! I was staring out of the window with wide eyes at the British countryside, and then the Thames River and the Houses of Parliament as we came in to land.

There were no problems at Arrivals, but my baggage did take a while to come out onto the carousel. Apparently there was a security issue which delayed them, and I was praying it wasn't my bag, but thankfully it wasn't!

And then I came out and met my mum. It was wonderful! We had a long hug and then got some coffee and went to the car. I was really tired but it was a lovely drive home to Birmingham through the British countryside. It's so British!

We went straight to my old school for a quiz night where my youngest brother was doing a performance. I don't think I was any help with the answers, but it was fun. It was such a nice reunion with the rest of my family as well. People were staring at the many long hugs going on!

And then we went home and had a bit of dinner. I was so tired I couldn't really take in being in my home again, but it was so nice. So amazing to be back.

And then, after 26 hours of being awake, I could finally rest! And now here I am, in bed at home. Now I think I'll have some of my favourite cereal and watch some TV on our new sofas, before having fish and chips (so British) from our local chip shop for dinner and then going to my gran and grandad's house for the night with my dad.

The dream has begun!

Arrival in Japan

First things first - wooo, I'm here!

It's lovely to be back in Tokyo! I hadn't realised how much I missed it until I got on the train and started seeing places I remembered. Especially when we passed the Shinjuku skyscraper district - I love those buildings!

But anyway, I should start at the beginning. My family and I drove down to London Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning. It took about an hour and a half, despite part of the motorway being closed due to a gas leak. We parked and walked up to Terminal 3, where I heard my name shouted by Rob, one of the other students going to ICU. Katy, the other one of the three of us, was already there, along with another student going to a different University we were flying out with. There was one other too, but we decided not to wait for him before we checked in. There was no queue at the JAL desk, and we all got in with no problems. I'm sure our bags were overweight, but the woman didn't say anything - maybe she took pity on us!

I met my family upstairs and we had lunch. My stomach was churning like crazy, with that bizarre mix of anxiety and excitement. I managed to eat a jacket potato and the hour passed very quickly. It was too quick! Suddenly I was saying goodbye to my family again, with tears in my eyes. We had done it before, and we knew what goodbyes are like. But of course that doesn't make them any easier!

I waved until I had passed into the security check with the other four. I was okay then, because I started focussing on the next section of the journey. I didn't beep at the metal detector, which was surprising! All my stuff was okay, despite being overweight, but of course they don't weigh hand luggage.

We made our way down to Gate 27 and had our boarding passes checked. I realised that I'd meant to ask if there were any aisle seats available, because my long legs are awful in cramped seats. I asked at the gate if there were any aisle seats available, and they said that a party hadn't turned up, and I could have their seats if they didn't arrive in time. I waited for about 15 minutes and the party didn't check in so I moved four rows back, so not too far from the rest of my group, who were spread across two rows, but where I could sit more comfortably. I'm very glad I asked!

The 11 hour 45 minute flight went much quicker than I thought it would. I watched one and a half films, and then tried, largely unsuccessfully, to sleep for the rest of the time. I think I got about 3 hours in the end, but it was very hard to tell because I kept waking up to readjust my position.

I wasn't nearly as worried or stressed as when I first arrived in Japan. I knew where everything was, and that I was with other people, and we were being met by locals. Everything felt much safer and more secure than last time!

We went through the swine flu check and immigration like a breeze. Narita Airport is so quiet and calm, it's the exact opposite of British airports. They took my fingerprints and photo at immigration, just like last time, and checked my visa. I think the inspector was a little perplexed at seeing two visa stamps in my passport, but he didn't ask any questions.

We left the customs check with no problems (you have to fill out two forms on the plane, one for immigration, and one for customs) because we weren't carrying any prohibited or restricted items. Then we met Rob's good friend and a couple of students from ICU who I'd been in contact with. They were all really really nice and helped us all with our heavy baggage. We bought tickets to 東小金井 (Higashi Koganei), which is where the head office of our guesthouse company is. From Narita Airport (outside Tokyo to the east) to the western suburbs where we're living, it took about two hours, and three trains. It was quite hot (around 30C) and humid, especially as we weren't used to it, but not as bad as I remembered it being. Maybe it was because it's the end of August, rather than the beginning, which is when I left last year. But Rob's friend said that Japan's summer this year had been cooler overall than average. That's not a problem with me!

Watching the scenery flash by as we made our way through central Tokyo was amazing. I recognised so many places, and just looking at the train map brought back fond memories of last time. We were all very tired, and everything seemed a bit like a dream, I think particularly for Katy, who has never been to Japan before. But we got to Higashi Koganei station with no problems, thanks to our local guides. We thanked them very much and were then picked up in a brightly coloured van and taken to the office. The office was right by a small wooded area, and there was a deafening roar of cicadas! I'd never heard anything like it. I really hoped I wouldn't be able to hear any from my room. We were talked through the contract and the rules of the guesthouse, and we paid our deposits and first month's rent.

That took just over an hour, and then they drove us to our guesthouse. I was glad we could go straight there even though it was late afternoon, because they had said that if we didn't arrive by 15:30, we might not be able to check in that day, and would have to stay in temporary rooms in the head office. We were shown to our rooms, and we sorted everything out, and then were left to it.

We were all a bit dazed and confused, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, as it was only 6pm, so we met Rob's friend again in the town near the station, and went for some dinner in an izakaya (Japanese pub). We got back at about 21:30, and I was dead to the world by half past 10, and I slept dead through until 6:30am this morning, when I woken up, either by the bright sunlight (the curtains here are just as transparent as in Sakura House last year) or the gradual heat as the room warmed up.

Today we did some shopping and bought some food while exploring the local area, and I'm feeling quite comfortable here. We made our first group meal this evening, noodles with beef in a tomato sauce. I think that's a really good way to save money, as the meal split between the three of us was only Y380. We'll definitely be doing that a lot!

I'm fully unpacked now, and I'm feeling much more like it's a home now. Everything has its place and I'm getting used to the layout of the house. Tomorrow we're going to try to figure out the best route to ICU. Wish us luck!

Packed and Ready!

I'm packed! It's taken about 7 hours in total, but I'm finally packed into three bags, and everything is organised. I'm really glad it's fallen into place, because I haven't been feeling very confident about it at all! But as I was packing up my life (again!) and thinking about what I'd need in various situations, it all started to feel more real. I might wake up tomorrow morning and feel sick to my stomach, but for now I'm okay.

Tonight I'm having dinner and an evening in with my family, and then tomorrow we'll drive down to Heathrow and I'll catch my 16.35 flight to Tokyo Narita. So my next post will be from Tokyo! I'm so excited!!

Unprepared!

While I'm physically quite ready for Japan, except for actually packing everything up, mentally I'm not feeling prepared at all. It doesn't feel like I'll actually be going in nine days. It might be because I'm working full time (today is my only day off this week) until Saturday, so I don't have a lot of spare time to think through everything. That might be a blessing in disguise though, because it means I can't overthink and start to worry about every little detail, which I am prone to doing.

But what I really don't want to happen is that I'll arrive in Japan and be shocked that I'm there for a year. I usually use worry as a mental cushion so I feel prepared for things, but I don't think that will happen this time! I'll try to use the next week to plan things and hopefully that will make it more real. I also don't want to forget something important because I haven't thought about it thoroughly enough.

Last week I went down to Wiltshire to say goodbye to my grandparents, and some of my extended family and friends, with my youngest brother and that did help settle my mind a bit. It made it feel a little more real, as I was saying "goodbye and see you in a year" to everyone.

This morning I went through a box of everything I brought back from Japan last time and took out things I might need for this trip. It was stuff like my inkan name stamp, Softbank phone information, old bank book, and the lists of things I had to do when I first arrived last January.

I have Sunday to Tuesday to pack and sort everything out, and then we'll drive down to Heathrow airport on Wednesday lunchtime. Not long at all!

Flights, Accommodation & Insurance

I know this post's title is a bit "can't be bothered to do separate posts for each" but I thought it would be better to do one long one than three short ones.

I booked my flights about a month ago using Gendai Travel, which is a travel agent based in London that specialises in cheap flights to different cities in Japan. You can't book online, so I rang them up and spoke to a very nice Korean woman who helped me get on the same flight as the four other people from Leeds University who I'm flying out with.

The return flight cost £545 with Japan Airlines (JAL) and we leave on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th August from London Heathrow, arriving just after noon at Tokyo Narita. It's about a 12 hour flight, which will be trying! But the five of us will be very excited and chatting the whole way there so it should be fine. The price is very good so we were lucky to find them quite close to the departure date.

The only problem with the flights is that the hold baggage allowance is only 20kg, and the cabin allowance is 10kg. So if I can't fit everything I'll need for the year into those two bags, I'll have to ship some things out.

For accommodation, the two other people from Leeds Uni going to ICU, two others going to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), which is the next-door university, and I, are going to stay in a guesthouse. I stayed in a guesthouse last time I went to Japan, where you have a private bedroom, and then share bathroom and kitchen facilities with the other residents. The guesthouse was recommended by a student who did an exchange with ICU last year, and the company is called Tokyo Artistic Guesthouse. We researched and thought that they had a good price and they had lots of choice in terms of location. We reserved five rooms in the one closest to both ICU and TUFS, in Koganei City (小金井市), online, and it was very easy to do it all with the online reservation form. There was a special offer on at the time and it will cost about Y60,000 per month, which is Y20,000 cheaper than the one I stayed in last year, but of course that one was much more central than this one.

We could have applied for University accommodation, either on or off campus, but we had heard that Japanese University dorms are very strict in terms of curfews and not having people in your rooms, and you also most likely have to share a room with another student. I don't mind sharing a room with someone else for a short time, and it would be lovely to get to know someone that well, but I feel I need more privacy than that set-up would provide. The others felt the same way, so we decided to go for the private option.

And finally, insurance! I looked around a little bit for different policies, but then the University of Leeds offered us their own, which cost only £50 and was very comprehensive. It was good and cheap so I went for that one. It only covers me for one year, so I have to leave Japan before 25th August 2010.

So that's it! Quite a bit of information, but at least it's all sorted now. I need to keep working at Cadbury World and finishing my list of things to do before I leave in just three weeks and three days! Eeek!

I'm Back Home!

I'm actually back!

Very tired and a little confused, but definitely back in Britain!

I will write about my flight properly soon, but it went without a hitch. It was extremely sad to leave my guesthouse and my housemates, but I knew that it had to happen. I said goodbye to everyone, and everything, and really had to fight myself to stay as composed as possible. I was leaving my home of seven months.

My Chinese housemate, very kindly, came to Tokyo City Air Terminal on Thursday morning to wave me off. It was incredibly sad to say goodbye to him, because he was very kind. I waved until the bus rounded the corner and he was gone.

On the bus to the airport, which cost Y2,900, I was having real flashbacks to various times during my trip. I know it sounds like something you see in a film, with grainy black and white images representing memories, but the journey was actually filled with random images of people, places and emotions.

At the airport, I sent emails to some people from my phone, and told them I was safely ready to go, and thank you for everything.

I couldn't believe I was leaving Japan. The last few days there didn't feel real.

On the plane, I looked through the selection of music you can make your own playlist out of, and I found some songs that meant a lot to me while I was in Japan. I feel I must admit that Touch My Body, by Mariah Carey, was included, but I probably heard that song more than any other over the last seven months.

I only slept for about 90 minutes the night before I left, and had maybe 3 hours of broken, uncomfortable sleep on the plane.

But somehow I stayed awake and alert, probably from adrenaline, until 11pm at home. My mum, brother and cousin met me at Heathrow airport in London, and then we had lunch in a pub (so British) and drove up to Birmingham.

The over-riding feeling was a dream-like state that I found myself in. It felt like I was just in Britain for a little bit, and I'd be returning 'home' to Tokyo soon.

Once I got home, everything felt strange, lovely, but very strange. It didn't quite register that I was at home. My real home, in Birmingham.

I knew that, after a few days, Japan would feel like the dream, but for now, Japan is still my reality.

I can't find the words, and that's not because I lived in a non-English speaking country, to describe how absolutely amazing my trip to Japan was.

The way my personality, outlook, and life has changed as a result is more than I ever expected. I can't recommend doing something like this enough.

Although I was sad to leave, I'd much rather be sad to leave because I enjoyed it, than be happy to go because it was a painful, trying seven months.

And sometimes it was difficult, looking back at it, and I did feel a bit homesick at times, but the memories and experiences I have now make up for it a thousand times.

I have to close that chapter of my life behind me now, and look forward to University in September, where I'll study English & Japanese, and after that, in September 2009, I will return to Japan as an exchange student to study for one year.

An exciting four years lie ahead of me!

And I can't wait.

Packing and the Flight

I am now at the end of my fifth day here in Tokyo, and I have been so busy sorting things out and settling in that my blog has had to take a bit of a back-seat. But it's finally taken up it's back-seat driving ways and has reared his head again. So I'll start from where I left off...

My last few days at home in the UK were really quite manic. There were so many last minute things to sort out, so many jobs left unfinished, so many bags needing to be packed...
But I got it all done, through the magic of lists and planning each day's activities (very sad I know but it gets the job done).

For anyone planning to do something similar, the following list should be useful, if not, then it's probably best just to skip it.

What I packed:

In my laptop bag:
Webcam
Headphones
Ethernet cable (for wired connection at Sakura House)
Laptop and power supply
Memory stick

In my rucksack: (my rucksack was my hand/ cabin luggage. BA gave me a limit of one (they changed it to two the following day) bag weighing 5kg and measuring 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. The weight wasn't really an issue, as long it fit the size restrictions and you could lift it into the overhead storage space without help, it was fine)
Japanese course (see How to Teach Yourself Japanese)
Japan: A Working Holiday Guide by Louise Southerden
DK Japan Travel Guide
Leaflets about Japan (I collected these from the Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) in London - in particular a fold-out map of Tokyo, a Limousine bus guide, NTT Docomo information and a Tokyo subway guide.
Game Boy (very retro but it will keep me entertained)
Slumber mask
Ear plugs
Pens & paper
Handfan (for the heat and humidity of summer)
Smints
Photocopies of important documents (e.g. passport, visa, flight itinerary)
Laptop bag

Suitcase: (this was over BA's limit of 23kg per bag but because of their baggage restrictions, you can check a piece of hold luggage in if it's up to 32kg. From November 2008 there will be a charge of £25 if you go over 23kg but for me it was free! You can't check in a bag (only one allowed) if it's over 32kg though so I'm glad mine was 26kg. The maximum dimensions could add up to 158cm at the most.)
3 casual tops
5 casual T-shirts
3 casual shirts
3 casual trousers
2 work jackets (I bought these in the Christmas sales)
3 work shirts (long-sleeved as the Japanese only wear short in August)
3 work trousers
1 pair of shorts
8 pairs of socks
5 pairs of underwear
Toothpaste
Japanese-UK plug adaptor (doesn't alter voltage, you'd need a transformer to do that - they are expensive and bulky, so I didn't bother. Japan operates on 100V so UK appliances (240V) run very slowly (my mobile needs 13 hours to charge here) but North American appliances (110V) should be fine.
Torch (in case of earthquakes/ powercuts)
2 belts
4-way adaptor for all my gadgets
Business cards (these are not essential but it has been said that you don't exist in Japan if you don't have a meishi/ business card and mine are very pretty!)
2 toothbrushes
Comb
Mini-shampoo, body wash etc.
Body puff
Shaving stuff
Deoderant (apparently this is hard to get hold of in Japan)
2 towels
Waterproof trousers (rainy season (tsuyu) is from mid-May to mid-June)
Gloves, scarf and hat (I haven't needed these so far and it is mid-January so maybe not needed if you're sticking to Tokyo or the South/ West, but definitely recommended for higher altitudes and any further North/ East)
Lightweight coat (Japan is generally quite humid so light clothes will do well)
Batteries
Tissues (although don't blow your nose in public, sniff yes, but do not blow!)
Plasters and medicine (you might not be able to get hold of medicines you want in Japan)
3 business ties
Sunglasses (I thought it would be wishful thinking to bring suntan lotion but apparently it is difficult to get high quality stuff here in Japan and anywhere South/ West of Tokyo can hit 40C in summer so be prepared!)
Swimming shorts
Penknife (make sure it's in your HOLD luggage, not your hand/ cabin luggage - it will be confiscated!)
Copies of my CV/ resume
Books
Sentimental things to remind you of home e.g. family photo, favourite toy (these can also be good conversation starters in English lessons!)

What I wore on the plane:
Jeans
T-shirt
Comfortable zip hoodie
Trainers
Coat

Well that concludes the first half of this post. Now, on to the flight!

My family all drove down to London's Heathrow airport to wave me off. Another contingent drove up from Wiltshire as well so I had a full entourage at the departure gate.

I had checked-in online the previous day on BA's website, but other airlines probably offer the same service. I heartily recommend that you do this. At first I thought "No, it's too much hassle. Too many things to do before you've even got to the airport!" But if you don't do it online, then you have to do it at a touch-screen with a queue behind you anyway. Plus, as you can check-in from 24 hours before your flight, you can see what seat you've been allocated and change it if you want to. You then print your Boarding Pass, it can be in black-and-white or full colour, or if you don't have a printer, you can still check-in online and they print it for you at the airport!

So we arrived and I was extremely nervous. I kept going over everything that could go wrong in my mind, every little detail, but most of all, the thought that I WAS LEAVING HOME! I was leaving my family, friends and country for the first time in my life. I'd said my goodbyes the night before; if any of you have seen the episode of 'Friends' where Rachel says goodbye to the group the night before she was going to fly to Paris, then you'll understand.

I collected the yen I had pre-ordered online from the Travelex desk. Money Saving Expert.com says that this is one of the best rates on foreign currency exchange you can get so it's worth it.

Then we sat in Wetherspoons and waited for more of the family to arrive. They came soon after we did and we all had lunch (I only had a little bit, my stomach was all over the place) and drinks. They gave me some letters and a couple of extra lovely sentimental things, which I have on my desk or in the bookcase.
All too soon, 13.30 came and I knew it was time to leave them.

We went down to the departure gate and my Aunt asked someone if this was the right one for Tokyo. It was. My nerves close to imploding, I turned to them all. I knew I couldn't say goodbye again, it would cause too much of a scene. I hugged every one of them tightly and I think everyone had at least a tear in their eye. Some had several! But, as hard as it was to leave them, I knew I had to do it. So I picked up my bag and went through the Boarding Pass checking gate. Then I wound my way through the barriers until I reached the end of the queue for the Security Checks. I turned back and waved to them every time the queue's path allowed me to. And they were there, waving, until the last corner, and then they (or I, depending on your viewpoint) were gone.

Security went without a hitch for once, I always set those things off! I had to take my shoes, belt and coat off and put them in separate trays. I also had to remove my laptop bag from my rucksack and put that in its own tray. Everyone had quite a few trays each!

Then, it was a hurried walk to Gate 30, where my flight was on its Last Call. I spent as much time as possible with my family, and it turns out that I timed it just right. Except I didn't think I had time to buy a bottle of water, when in fact I did. The man in front of me was upgraded and I crossed my fingers (wouldn't that be a great start to a gap year trip?! "Excuse me Sir, we've upgraded you to First Class. Champagne?") Only in my dreams...

There was no problem getting on and I found my seat easily - 30C, an aisle seat. I wanted an aisle seat because I'm quite tall (6'2'') and, although I enjoy the view from the window, I enjoy the use of my legs more. I sat down and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't too bad. My coat and rucksack were stored safely in the overhead compartment and I was ready for take-off. Unfortunately the plane wasn't. My 14.35 flight left at about 15.15 so I had plenty of time to text family and friends to let them know I was on the plane safely and would let them know how I got on when I landed in 12 hours. I knew it would be the last time I used that phone to ring or text for quite a long time because only 3G quad-band phones work in Japan. Check with your retailer if you're unsure if it will or not. Although someone said mine would, and they were wrong... Dead wrong...
I hope that person hasn't randomly died, otherwise I'm probably going to prison...

Then the flight commenced. We were off and everything was fine. I tried not to think about the upcoming hardships and trials. I knew there would be many, and probably quite soon, but I didn't want to worry myself. I wanted to live in the moment (easier said that done I know, but I've tried to adopt that here and it's worked well so far). So I enjoyed being able to watch Ugly Betty, The Simpsons, Joey and Casino Royale on my personal touch-screen TV. I tried to sleep halfway through but it just wasn't happening. I was too worked up and my bodyclock wasn't right to sleep then. So I rested my eyes for a few minutes.

All the toilets on the left-hand side of the plane were out of order due to the extreme cold conditions outside in the air and on the ground. In the air it was about -60C. Which is COLD! I enjoyed plotting our progress on the moving interactive map on the screen too. But I'm a bit of a Geography-geek like that.

All too soon for my liking, we were over Northern Japan, and then Kanto, and then Tokyo, and then Chiba, and then we were descending on Narita Airport.

Narita is easily the strangest airport I've ever been in. It was so calm and quiet. There were hardly any people. Immigration was very easy. They took my fingerprints and photograph, as they've started doing with all foreigners now and stamped my visa and did all the things they had to do, then let me through.

Then I made my way down to the carousel to collect my bag. I was dreading seeing it split open because, despite re-arranging the contents a couple of times, the zips appeared to be quite strained when we did it up, but it was absolutely fine. I wheeled it over to one of the Customs desks (I wasn't sure which one to go to so i queued for a green 'In Duty-free Limit' one and that seemed fine). We had been given landing cards and a Customs card to fill in on the plane so I just handed that over.

Then I wheeled myself and my bags out of the doors and into Japan.

To 'Dodging the Bullet'

I've been hearing on the news lately that BAA (British Airways Authority) are planning strikes early next year over pensions, you can read about it here.

The strikes are planned from major UK airports on 7th, 14th (both for 24 hours) and 17th January (for 48 hours), starting at 6am.
My flight from Heathrow to Tokyo Narita leaves at 14.35 on 6th January, a mere 12 hours before the first strike is due to start. Needless to say, I was very relieved. I don't want anything going wrong with this trip!!

So I raised a glass of wine to 'Dodging the bullet'. Let's just hope they don't push the strike forward a day!

If I don't post beforehand, Merry Christmas!