Monkey-San in Japan

Spring is here!

2012-03-02T07:37:00.001+09:00

...Or at least it looks that way for now. Although there is still snow covering the mountains surrounding Fukui, we have warmer temperatures and don’t have to spend 20 minutes each morning digging our cars out from their spaces.
For me, the end of winter brings with it mixed emotions. It brings sadness and disappointment that I must wait for another year before I can enjoy snowboarding again. I always seem to get really enthusiastic about boarding JUST as the season is finishing. On the other hand, it means the start of what is probably my favourite season in Japan. I love spring. It isn’t too hot, nor too cold. The cherry blossoms are beautifully evanescent. Despite this, perhaps the best thing for me has to be the burst of life. I have never been anywhere that I have seen such a contrast between the lifeless, bleak, cold winter and the lively, colourful, fresh spring. It is very welcome after 3 months of not seeing green. That is no exaggeration.
My birthday is on Sunday 4th March, and a week after that my 3 nensei (3rd year students) will be graduating from my school. I have grown close to many of them and it will be a real shame to say goodbye. Especially considering the new students last year are little horrors.
“Graduating?” I hear you ask… yes, that’s right. The school term runs from March to March in Japan, rather than August to August as it does in the UK. So I will have new students arriving after the spring break.
This will likely be my last year in Japan. This in mind I want to make a few changes to my life here. Firstly I’m not sure that I want to stay at the same school next year. It might be time for a change – although this might mean losing my visiting school (deaf school) which I love, and I don’t want that. Secondly, I want to clear up more time for myself. At the moment I have Monday-Thursday evenings committed to various things, Japanese lesson, English class with my adults, Taiko, and golf team. I want more time for gym, studying, and most importantly, I want time to play football with the students after school! This is something I really want to start doing next year. – I often get to play basketball with my deaf students on Friday but at my main school, which I attend mon-thurs, I don’t get enough time. I am usually very busy there.
I also want to finish paying off my debt back home. Once that is done, I can enjoy a lot more of Japan and being in Asia. I really want to see Thailand but due to debt back home, I have been limiting my spending. Although I get a decent amount of money every month, I also need to pay out a lot for many things. Bills are big here, and so is keeping a car. May brings with it a tax of about 500-600 pounds. Every two years the car needs an MOT which is over 1000 pounds. Petrol is a tad cheaper than that of the UK at about 1.30 per litre. Anyway I shouldn’t complain. I have it better than a lot of the Japanese residents who need to pay a bit inhabitance tax every year. Furthermore my accommodation is subsidized slightly. Anyway, my point is, saving money isn’t as easy as I initially thought it was going to be.

Miss the family and friends from back home. Also miss the comfort of just being in a familiar environment. This is familiar to an extent, but of course, due to the complexity of the language and the writing, I can never fully understand what is going on around me and need to concentrate really hard to understand anything. It isn’t natural for me like English. This was one of the big things I noticed when I visited America over winter holidays. I was so much more awake and full of life because I didn’t need to concentrate ALL the time.

As it is the end of term just now, I am not in class a lot of the time – only three or so a day. That doesn’t mean they don’t find work for me. I am always being handed tests to mark, or homework to check. Perhaps even busier than I am when I do have classes. Anyway that’s all for now. I haven’t uploaded any videos to youtube or photos to flickr but I will start doing that again during the spring break. – Sorry I have been busy busy!
Take care!
Stuart

new videos, snow tyres, and colds

2011-12-16T10:24:00.004+09:00

So I leave for America in a week. That's all there is to say about that, just thought I'd mention it.

In other news, I have more videos up on youtube covering car colour, an impressive illumination, and public toilets.

I just got some oil put in my car yesterday. It was running very low and making strange noises. Anyway it seems much healthier now, however the weather is about to start snowing heavily... and the bad news is I don't have legal snow tyres. For my car, an entire set will cost me around 600 pounds. Rough right? worse yet, I need money for america, my gym, christmas presents, rent and bills, and of course the optional one (living). Nevertheless life is good here. I love this place and I am slowly picking up the language. The more you study the harder it gets (as you realise the complexity of it).. one step forward 2 steps back.

And colds... the humidity and the whole "working in schools" thing means that if last year was any indication, then I will get several colds and bugs again. I already had one, it was mild. And last week I had a 24 hour achie feeling and bug thing. But it was also mild... just waiting for the biggie ... "Infuruenza"!!! They make such a big deal out of it here. At first I thought they were all just over-reacting, something I have seen a lot of in the past year, but then I thought; most of the people live with their parents and their grandparents. Becuase of this, the flu could literally be a mass killer to many of the older residents in the area if it were to spread around the schools. That's the last thing I want... mainly because I live next to the hospital and it would make traffic in my area so much worse.

Anyway I better go. I have a winter camp today and tomorrow at one of the high level high schools in the city. a few of my students from last year might be there so it would be good to see them again.

ciao

http://www.youtube.com/user/monkeystu52?feature=watch

JLPT (Japanese Test) and Badminton tournament

2011-12-05T20:46:00.002+09:00

The weekend is, once again, in the past... until the one next week (in the future).

Wise words.. anyway on Saturday I was involved in a badminton tournament with my deaf school teachers. Teachers from all over the prefecture took part. With my help, we managed to come 1st in our league and won 6000 yens worth of coffee and Kobe pudding! good stuff.

I barely had time to wipe the sweat from my brow before I went to study for the big test I had the next day. Turns out it wasn't that bad, but the grammar section may have got me. It is an optional Japanese test. I took the easiest level, because, due to my stupidity and laziness, I didn't start studying Japanese until a few months ago. Last year I was too busy travelling to bother. Of course I picked stuff up, like how to order in restaurants and stuff. But nothing compares to having lessons and following it up with self study. On the way up from here.

Anyway I need to wait 2 and a half months for the results so I might as well forget about it for now.

I found out recently that I will be going to USA for winter. what a treat that will be. I get to spend winter with my girlfriend's mother and step-dad. Her mother is great and from what I hear so is her step-dad. So I am looking forward to it (as well as central heating) - Not however looking forward to the jet-lag and American "food".

That's all for now but I'll keep you updated!

Stu

A week of travel

2011-10-18T10:31:00.004+09:00

Hi Everyone.

I've had a good week, and as the title may suggest, it has been a one of travel; within Japan of course.

In chronological order (because chronology is always good).

Last weekend I went to Kyoto for a day trip with my Ashley. Although we only got to spend a couple of hours there, it was really nice and I got to see the Byo-doin - which is the temple printed on the back of the 10 yen coin in Japan. It is an old wooden structure and is perfectly symmetric. The weather was perfect and the area of Kyoto is famous for its high quality green tea. So of course I bought some to bring back for the teachers at my school.

Through the week I got late confirmation that I was able to go to Tokyo for a counselling conference on Thursday and Friday. To your surprise you may learn that I was not in need of psychotherapy, rather that I volunteer as part of a counselling/listening group for other foreigners in Japan and this was just a form of further training and a chance to meet the real psychologists involved. It was my first time to return to Tokyo since I arrived more than a year ago, and it was much better this time around. I got a chance to walk through some of the busiest and most party-central areas of Tokyo and although we didn't get a great deal of free time, I did manage to check out a cool little mexican restaurant called the pink cow.
The city is so huge and it was a big change from what I'm used to. The people there were still rude but I did develop a fondness that I didn't think I could have for Tokyo. That said, it's still far from the top of my favorite places in Japan.

Lastly, I have just returned from a trip on Sunday and Monday to Nara (stopping at Kyoto again) to see the famous giant buddah and (semi) wild deer. It was a very beautiful place and the town has a very friendly and magical feel about it. Definitely a place I would like to take my parents if they come to visit. I was there with Ashley so of course the company was not too bad either. The food was nice, although we barely ate Japanese style at all. It's one of those places that I would be happy to live. Not too big, but it has enough natural beauty and beautiful things to keep me content!

The bad news is that I left my camera at home for both the Tokyo and the Nara trips. The good news is that this means I will just have to go back again!

On a different note, the Nara trip came straight off the back of a 10km run that I participated in. I got a new personal best - strange considering I had no training and was still recovering from a cold. Final time was around 45 and a half minutes.

Ashley and my friend Iker also ran and performed well. Ashley got 9th place out of all the ladies who competed despite also not feeling 100%, and Iker did his pregnant Japanese wife proud as she cheered him down the finishing straight! She didn't take me seriously when I told her she should have run and her unborn baby could have got the fasted in it's age-group.

That's all... I am now going to perform taiko for a small group of old ladies, who in return will make lunch for me! I love Japan!

Take care

Sick and frustated

2011-10-03T08:26:00.000+09:00

So as I said before, I was looking forward to running the 10k... but I got sick. One of my students from the speech contest kindly gave me her bug and I missed my weekend and the race. This was made worse by the fact that Ashley went on to win her age group and come 56th overall for the womens category. - Truly mixed emotions. Obviously proud and happy for her, but hearing about it made me even more frustrated that I didn't get a chance to run.

Oh well... there is always next time. It just means that now I HAVE to stay another year - and hope that the conditions were as perfect as they were this time.

Now I am lying in bed on a Monday morning. I should be at school but I really couldn't bring myself to go in and spread my germs to all the kids.

Anyway.. I'm off to wallow in my own filth, maybe cry a bit, and then roll over and fall asleep until tomorrow.

Speech Contest

2011-10-01T12:31:00.001+09:00

So, here it is, the weeks of preparation have finally come to an end. My two students that I was coaching to speak their little hearts out performed yesterday at the Fukui Prefection JHS speech contest. They did really well and I was so proud of them. Their English improved so much over the weeks and I think they should be very proud of themselves too. Although the speech I preferred didn't get any prize, my other student got placed in joint 4th position, receiving an honorable mention for her good speech.

I feel like now I will be able to relax a lot more at school and I will be able to actually get out of school at a reasonable time from now on instead of staying over an hour and a half late and sacrificing my lunch break to train with the students. But it was worth it. I am going to write them a little card to say well done to them which will hopefully make them realise how impressed I was with their performances.

In other news. I have a 10k tomorrow. I haven't practiced and I am fully expecting that I will be in excruciating pain for school on Monday. I also have a taiko drum performance in the afternoon.

I recently registered for a Japanese test (JLPT) in December which will hopefully encourage me to study from now. I have really started to study in the last couple of months.

Everything else is going really well but I thought I'd just post this short update. I'm happy. My girlfriend helps that. I am starting to be able to pay off debt. And hopefully I will still have enough money to enjoy my winter vacation and the rest of my time in Japan - who knows how long it'll last.

Later

Wow - It's been a while

2011-09-23T06:34:00.001+09:00

So, long story short, I've been busy. Japan has a lot to offer, has been through a lot, but most importantly it provides me with a lot of work, which, I usually enjoy doing.

Not going to go into details because I care about your mental health and know you have better things to do with your time, but here are a few things that I have done/have changed since my last update. - Here are my top 10 (in no particular order)

1.

Marathons - I ran 3 runs in Spring; two 10km races and a half marathon. I doubt the half marathon will be repeated anytime soon. Mainly because I can still remember how I felt after I finished, but also because I read about how they can scar your heart and take months off your life. I raised a fair bit of money for the earthquake charity - around 100,000 yen. I have another couple of races planned in October and November but those are much more for my own satisfaction rather than for charity. - that said, you should sponsor me anyway! https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/Stuart-Meadows

2. School -

At my main school, there are speech contests and tests going on. I have two speech contest applicants this year from my school, and I have volunteered to help them during my lunch break and after school. Typically this is only an extra hour or so of my time, but sometimes I have been extending my working shift to a 11 hour one. - not much compared to what I used to do, but still brings a tear to my eye.

furthermore, there have been culture and sports festivals since the last time we spoke. Yes, you heard? - they were just after summer vacation. I had to prepare for the culture festival and made a huge batch of the Scottish treat... Tablet. No no no I know what you're thinking. It's not a drug, although perhaps it should be a controlled substance. It is a sweet made from sugar, condensed milk, butter, and children's tears. - At least in my case it managed to make one of the kids cry because it was too sweet. I tried my hardest to catch his tears in a cup for my next batch but he ran away too fast (children's tears are hard to come by out here)

3. New Colleagues -

During the summer vacation, there was a burst of beautiful fresh faces. Yup that's right, it was a year ago that my, at that time, also fresh face stepped into Fukui. The new English teachers, of which there are about 30-40, generally seem to be really nice people. My new neighbours are lovely and I have finally found someone to play golf with! I enjoyed climbing mount Fuji for the second time this year with some of my new friends. We only lost 1 of the newbies, but it's fine because most survived. I look forward to getting to know them better throughout the year.

4. Golf -

yeah... I started playing again. I have been playing again for about 2 months. Just practicing at the range. To play at a cheap course it is about 60-100 pounds for your average round although a lot of the average priced courses are more than that. I managed to get some cheap second hand clubs and discovered it is the perfect way to relieve the tension caused by: teachers who can't understand me, being stared at constantly in public, having awkward wedding proposals made to me, generally not knowing what's going on 90% of the time, and of course the guilt of eating various raw animals and repulsive looking creatures that God only made because he had a load of spares left over. Also I quite enjoy playing golf. Ironically it seems to have been a sound financial investment.

I have actually been golfing once on the course. I went a few weeks ago with a teacher from my school. It was an enlightening experience. Some of the rules are a little different here, but that is no excuse for my 13 over par 85. We also got a golf buggy as part of the price, which you didn't need to steer. you just sat in it, pressed the remote control and it drove along a set course to your ball. It was quite impressive, but I still think the only reason for this was because they know how bad Fukui drivers are.

Incidentally I am leaving to go golfing with my golf team (a group of japanese guys that scouted me from the range) in a couple of hours. They said they would pay for me to play at a course. :D

5. Girlfriend -

Maybe the biggest change for me on a day to day basis is the addition of a female. She's nice, I think she's cute, we share similar interests and she is.... American?! I know I know I know.... but it's not all that bad. She also hates America, that's one of our similar interests. Yes sometimes she says things that I find a little odd - "Stuart, do you have any soccer cleats" ... "oh you mean football boots, yes",
but generally she's a good girl. But a lot of my friends will be surprised (and disappointed) to know I am with an American girl.
[Disclaimer (this is essential so I don't get sued): America and the American people aren't all bad. I have met enough nice ones here to acknowledge that they're not all gun-owning war-starting uneducated attention-seeking republicans]

Anyway we have been together for just over 2 and a half months and have enjoyed getting to know each other, and making each other happy.

6. Water rafting

last weekend, a few of us went to Gifu Prefecture to enjoy water rafting. It was my first experience of white water rafting, but it was a good one. I hope to do it again next year.

7. Host Family

Last year I applied for a host family here in Japan. Just some Japanese people who look after you here! But there were complications and after taking my initial presents, my host family dropped out. This year however, I have a new host family. They seem really nice and I really look forward to spending some time with them over the coming months.

8. Japanese

Most of the people that know me here will be able to tell you how much I study Japanese language...

"Stuart the reason you're crap at Japanese is because you never study" (Mike)
"What, you've been here a year and you still can't speak any Japanese?" (Alex)
"I know you don't have time to study, but you should still know more Japanese... oh yeah and you're bald" (Mark)
"Stuart, where are you? You've missed out lesson again." (Japanese teacher)

Yes, it's quite a problem... Or it WAS until now! I have decided to try and learn. In the past month I have studied more Japanese than in my entire time here. It isn't really sinking in, but at least I am actually doing something. I have also bought an application pack for something called JLPT. It's Japanese Language Proficiency Test and is held in December. So that's another reason to study... well that and my ultimate goal of having a Japanese wife. (joke)

9. Summer Vacation

Not much happened. My girlfriend went to India for the first half of it and then her mum came to visit and they travelled around Japan for the second half - so I couldn't spend any time with her. Although I did actually get to meet her mum which was a pleasure. In fact I would go so far to say that if I had met her first, things might have been very different.

So as an English teacher, I get school holidays off. that means one whole month of free time... well... almost. We have to participate in 3 summer camps or events - a small sacrifice. Also the new Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) arrived in Fukui so I helped a lot of them to settle in, show them around, help them buy stuff etc.
Aside from that my time was spent going to the beach.

It doesn't seem like a lot, but it actually added up and I had very littel "spare time"

10. No Spare Time

I have very little of it. This is another reason studying is so difficult. Work is generally 8-5.30 which is nothing to complain about. But until recently my duties at work have been overflowing so that I have been taking my work home with me, and planning lessons after I finish for the day. On top of this I have some commitments that, although can be enjoyable, are still commitments.. you know what I mean? Sometimes I like just having FREE time.

Monday - Taiko (japanese drumming) group 7-9
Tuesday - Japanese lesson 6-7.30
Wednesday - English conversation class in neighbouring town (7-9.45)
Thursday - Golf team meeting (7-10)

These are weekly events. On top of these, I also have volunteer work that I do that involves submitting 10 nights a month where I am 'free' to work for 12 hours from 7pm to 7am (through the night). Fortunately they only select 2 of the dates you put forward.

Anyway I am enjoying myself, despite complaining about not having free time. I need to go and prepare for a day of golf and, later, camping. You can imagine that given this is my "Not in detail" version of events recently, that I have been pretty busy. Sorry again about my negligence and I will try to become a better person in future.

Take care

Be strong for Japan

2011-03-16T22:25:00.000+09:00

So I've not been on here for a while. But I'm safe, and well.

Japan has suffered hundreds of earthquakes in the past week. Most of which are counted as aftershocks to the huge devastating 8.9 quake which you will no doubt have seen photos of. The tsunami that followed was simply unstoppable.

As things stand just now, there are several issues with the nuclear power plant reactors in Daiichi which is a few hundred kilometers North East from here (Fukui). I am safe and I doubt I will face any immediate danger from that. We will no doubt get radiation swept our way as the reactors (or at least one of them) is highly likely to melt down. But all these words, although indicative of a disaster, are still blown out of proportion by the media and cause people to fear the worst.

Melt down is worrying, but so long as there are no large-scale explosions and fires, it is likely to only directly affect the immediate geographical area. This will be devastating for the prefecture as a lot of the income is brought by agriculture and farming, which may not be permitted for some time.

Secondly, radiation is not good, but it's certainly not a case of "if you breathe it in, you will be terminally ill". Far from it. In much worse nuclear incidents than this, such as Chernobl - and I stress this is incredibly unlikely to even have the capacity to be anything like that, only a small number of people actually died as a result of the radiation. Furthermore, this was predominantly due to the fact that it was an unexpected explosion not giving people time to evacuate, and subsequently rescue crews not being made aware of the extent of the problem - exposing them to critical levels of radiation.

Japan is very cautious about it's people, and although there are rumors of governments and power companies covering up information, they are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure people's safety.

I hope this puts your mind at rest.

Although this country has just experienced a catastrophe, I have never been so proud to be here. The people here are unbelievable. So kind and empathic. I want to help but there is very little I feel that I can do. It is frustration and helplessness that is being experienced by myself and many of the other English teachers here. Many of the ALTs (english teachers) have been fantastic and have really put all of their time and effort into volunteering every moment they have to help. Some are feeling the concern of their friends and family back home and are going to fly out of the country for a while. It can be very easy to become concerned when everyone you speak to is.

I had graduation at school on Tuesday, and as one of my friends put it "seeing the students' smiles was like a breath of fresh air". They are so strong. It was refreshing and put a lot of things into perspective.

Anyway I thought I'd only post this for now. Just an update on the situation more than an actual blog. But please take this as reassurance that I am, and will be, safe.

I love my students!

2011-01-20T21:14:00.000+09:00

This week is a busy one. Many classes and helping students with their preparation for entrance exams to high school. Today I stayed behind after school for an hour long session with two students. I'm not saying this to complain though, because I love it. I enjoy the classes where I get a chance to communicate and get to know the students, but these situations, where it is more-or-less one on one are amazing. It is further helped by the fact that the kids here are just amazing. Really sweet kids. I wish I got more opportunities to do stuff like this.

Anyway feeling worn out. And strangely, as much as I love my visiting school, I always get anxious about the lessons every Friday. I am the main teachers in those classes and organise the entire class and take it with the support only coming from sign language by my assistant. This can be really rewarding, but given that I have to come up with 4 different lesson plans for completely different levels, it can be a lot of pressure.

Thats all for now. I might take a stroll to the combini to grab some sweet delights! I need some self indulgence.

Until next time

Finished week 1 of 2011

2011-01-14T19:49:00.000+09:00

First week of the new year over and I am very happy it's out the way. Not because anything is wrong, but because I'm worn out! つかれた. Straight back into the thick of things. Still trying to get my sleeping patterns sorted out from Osaka's 6.30am late night on new year! Also since winter all the roads are covered in ice and snow. This is a problem because although I had my friend's car in the holiday period while he was away, I gave it back when he returned. So with only my bike it has been incredibly difficult for me to get around. In fact problems with the bike, as well as the dangers, have led me to walk to school the last few days. This however has been good for getting to know the students as I walked home with a couple of them the other day. It was a refreshing change.

My kerosene heater has stopped working so tomorrow I am finally going to collect the heaters that I purchased a couple of months ago during a charity auction. I never actually got round to collecting them at the time but I'm told they still exist. Since my current one broke a few days ago, I have been living under my kotatsu. I underestimated how amazing they are. Well worth the elevated electricity costs!

That's all for now. I have no plans for this weekend aside from lesson plans and collecting these heaters. Only 7 days until pay day... It's a very exciting thought.

Happy New Year

2011-01-09T22:24:00.000+09:00

あけましておめでとうございます = Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu = new year congratulations (lit) = Happy New Year!!!

ok not that's out the way, Sorry for not writing for almost a month. I do however have a couple of new videos on youtube. Feel free to check them out.
The happy new year greeting above is mentioned to everyone you haven't seen since new year. Even if it has been up to around 6 weeks after new year. I will no doubt still be saying it to my friends up until mid/end of February.

I had my end of year drinking party with my school. It was great. A lot of alcohol, which made a lot of the teachers loosen up and go crazy. Including playing strip janken (rock paper scissors). It was quite a sight for sore eyes. It also meant that I got an opportunity to speak with a lot of the teachers that are in a different department from me, including the head teacher (Kocho-Sensei), with whom I sang "let it be" by the Beatles at the after party karaoke!

I was approached by Nakayama Sensei and confronted about the fact that I'm Scottish. From the little English he spoke, combined with the even less Japanese that I spoke, we figured out that he likes whiskey and wanted to go drinking with me. So we did, on the 28th of December. It was an eventful night that ended us up in a hostess bar... lets not go into details, but basically it's a bar that Japanese men go into and pay attractive girls to talk to them. It is very expensive and is not prostitution. Needless to say it's considered "okay" for a married man to do this. I didn't feel quite so comfortable at first but by the end of the night, and our 3rd bottle of Jack Daniels, I had a good laugh and sang some karaoke in the bar.
I doubt however that I will be going back any time soon, as I enjoyed the drinking and talking with my friend more than the fact there were ladies being paid to talk to us.

Anyway, spent Christmas in Kyoto (amazingly beautiful) and new year in Osaka (party city) and I am already looking forward to the day when I can return to both of them!

I'm constantly updating my pictures and occasionally updating my youtube! So feel free to subscribe to either!

things are expensive

2010-12-17T12:37:00.000+09:00

My week is getting better again.
And next week is the last week of term, which means enkai (work party)
However this is the biggest event of many Japanese people's year, so they like to enjoy it. An all you can drink night with a lot of traditional foods and an onsen (naked hot spring)... sounds great. After which we relax in a hotel room for the night. This all for how much?? yeah 25000 yen. That's around £200. However it has been stressed that I should go as it means a lot to the staff and it gives me an opportunity to improve my relationship with them. At the moment I don' feel like I know them very much,.

Today is Friday and I have just finished a winter teaching seminar at a high school. The level of English is much higher than I am used to and it was a very good experience for me to see how my students will learn English in the future. On the down side, I will be going again tomorrow, which means giving up my Saturday, however I don't mind because it was fun. I also get to teach them Scottish ceilidh dancing. I hope they enjoy it!

Bad week at school?

2010-12-14T20:10:00.000+09:00

Ok so it's not all fun and games here. I'm missing Scotland a little on the run up to christmas. And for the majority of today I just felt a little run down. However it was all worth it when I left my wallet and keys in one of the classrooms and went back to get it an hour or so after school finished. There were 4 of my students practising their musical instruments. One of them remembered that I love oboes and she was fast to point out that she was playing an oboe. I thought it was sweet. They were too shy to play for me though. I told them that I'd be back next week to hear them.... I'll let you know how that goes! So I've decided that I'm going to spend some more time walking around the school after classes. Literally 95% of the kids stay for at least an hour after classes to do club activities. This ranges from broadcasting club to soccer/baseball etc. Brass band is a very popular one with many of the kids here.

Anyway the bump in with the students made me much happier and I cycled home with a smile on my face (while getting soaked in the rain).

Talking of the weather, it is forecast for 14 days of straight rain... grrreat. I want a car! please give me donations so that I can afford one.

Christmas on the horizon

2010-12-08T15:08:00.000+09:00

It's creeping up and the temperatures are dropping from the 20 degrees at the start of December to about 10. It can only mean Christmas is on it's way.

Although there very few Christians in Japan, Christmas is still celebrated here. Very much like Halloween - the people don't really know what it's all about, but they just enjoy the commercial side of it. (and why not?)

I will get some time off work too so I have literally just this minute booked a couple of nights for me and my buddy. The two cheapest hostels I could find! why? because he is my best friend from back home and he is an English teacher here now too. He's far down south in Japan in a place called Kochi. (about 7 hours from me).

So on Christmas eve, I will meet him in Kyoto - the city that brought me to Japan. I haven't been yet and can't wait to experience it. We will stay the night there and spend Christmas day together there also. we will then head back to Fukui where my friend will stay with me while I show him around the sites. (saving costs!) We will stay for a week before heading to Osaka for new years eve and day!

I'm very excited as I haven't seen either of these cities yet and they are the ones I am most looking forward to seeing. I really can't wait. And I've not seen my friend since we've been here either, despite being pretty close.

Anyway. That's all for now. - went to the orphanage the other day on a charity visit and ended up lifting kids up and shouting random Japanese phrases at them. They seemed to love it.

That's all

It's been a while

2010-11-20T12:14:00.000+09:00

Soooo where to begin?

It's been a long time since I updated this thing.

I borrowed a car off a friend a few weeks ago and killed a bear (accidentally)
I have bought a new camera and am continuing to enjoy taking pictures.
Since borrowing the car, I have realised how essential it will be for me to buy one before christmas.
The winter weather has already started to creep in and the temperatures are getting rather chilly. the houses are just as chilly as the outside weather due to lack of insulation. People don't quite believe you when you say this, but it's actually true. I think it might be earthquake related but I'm not quite sure why they don't do double glazing or real insulation.

I miss Glasgow. I'm not homesick as such. But every so often I just want to spend a night back in Glasgow with my friends, or have dinner with my family.

Also little things like not quite knowing what the teachers expect of me, and phone calls on Sunday mornings saying "by the way you are supposed to be in school today, we have classes starting in 10 minutes" are becoming a frustration. Japanese culture is very assumptive, they just presume that you know what to do, or that you know what is going on. Fortunately the good points here far outweigh the bad and it's just an amazing and beautiful place to live.

I had a friend come down to visit a couple of weeks ago (Susie). We went to a place called Katsuyama which is nearby Fukui where I live - about an hour drive. It had beautiful Autumn leaves and it has a lot of temples and a giant Buddha statue. It was a really nice day out. I really enjoyed having some British company and doing some touristy things.

This past month I've been settling into the job a lot more and getting a routine. This is good for some things, like being more organised, managing money a little better, and not being as impulsive - however it also means I have been doing less touristy things, and perhaps not having the opportunity to appreciate Japan as much as the previous months. The cold wet weather hasn't helped this issue at all. But as I already said the visit from Susie was a good opportunity to get respite from my routine!

I am now just over half way through the longest semester in the school year. I only have until December the 23rd then I get a 2 week holiday from school. Despite the fact that I love the kids, this will be a much welcome break. A lot of my friends are planning to go international for winter, korea, china, vietnam, thailand etc. But I want to save my money and spend my first year appreciating Japan. I don't see the point in coming over here to explore if I'm only going to spend my holidays outside of the country! I have already visited most of the prefectures surrounding my own, but would like to get further. And this winter I really really want to see Kyoto. It's so near to me, but I've been putting it off due to lack of funds. If I can get a car before the winter break, then I may just take a small road trip down to Kyoto and Osaka just sleeping in the car. It's very manageable, although it may be a little cold! we'll see!

Anyway, this coming week I have the Tuesday off, it's one of many Japanese national holidays. This one is to give thanks to working professionals ( like myself :) )

Update time

2010-10-16T14:27:00.000+09:00

So last weekend I had an extra day (monday) and this weekend I have 2 (monday tuesday)

Last weekend I went to neighbouring prefectures to see waterfalls, forests, mountains and a festival in Takayama. I visited the trip involved passing through Ishikawa prefecture (again), staying in Toyama trefecture with a friend, and going to festival in Takayama city in Gifu prefecture. Although the Saturday was very wet there was a lot of sun on Sunday and Monday, which we made the most of by climbing mountains (in a car!) and enjoying the festival. there were many golden floats, many beautiful ladies, and beer a plenty. It was a very enjoyable weekend. We stayed in a hostel that used to be a temple. It was very nice, but the sleeping arrangements on the other hand weren't so comfortable. It was like hurricane catrina all over again. a large hall full of about 50 futons in a row. no beds. just lots of men sleeping in rows on the floor.

Anyway it was still great and didn't last long enough... the weekend that is not the sleeping with men.

This weekend I have nothing concrete planned, but I do want to get away. I have been offered a car for monday tuesday should I want to escape somewhere. - An offer that I think I will accept. The weather is due to be good so hopefully will get a few good photos. As always they will be posted on my flickr account.

Thats all

Long weekend plans

2010-10-06T15:15:00.001+09:00

Today is my half day! - every Wednesday.

But I can't relax because I have to go to the dentist at 5pm :(

The way they do it here is completely different. instead of going to the dentist and getting your tooth fixed, you go to the dentist, they drill a hole. you go back the next week and get it cleaned and treated. you then go back the following week and get it filled. this can go on for weeks. so for my tooth it will probably take about 5 visits before it is finished. it's bizarre and incredibly expensive! my first visit was about £40. so multiply that by 5 and you have a pretty big bill.

I have next Monday off and a few friends are driving to the prefecture next to us called Gifu. There is a very famous festival going on there that I hope to attend. This should be a good opportunity for me to see more of Japan and also to get some interesting photos (I hope)

I have been getting more and more addicted to photography. I am still not very good but I love to learn and it is rewarding when you get a good shot.

Car

It is at the stage now that I know what everyone meant when they told me I would have to get a car. The weather is unpredictable, the public transport in my prefecture is not great and incredibly expensive, and one of my schools is quite a distance away. This is a nasty combination of factors and it is evident by the cooling weather that summer is over... that can only mean winter is on it's way. I don't fancy riding my bike along ice covered roads in dark mornings or evenings. So I am keeping my eyes peeled for a cheap car. The chances of one coming up before christmas are very unlikely. But I keep my fingers crossed.

Anyway I will update soon. remember to check out my flickr and facebook sites for more photos or info !

Weekend

2010-09-26T23:14:00.000+09:00

It's Sunday night and that means I only have a few precious hours left until I need to go back to school! Don't get me wrong I love it. It's a great job. But I love this country so much. It's amazing for things to do, places to eat, drinks, maybe not night clubs... but bars are always better anyway!

On Saturday (yesterday) I went to our neighbouring prefecture (Ishikawa) with my friends, Thom and Deu. Deu is local to Fukui and so he acted as our guide. We only had time to travel to the south of Ishikawa but we managed to see a temple, a castle, a giant Buddha and a glass museum, as well as the transport museum. It was such a great day. This was then followed by dinner upon return to Fukui (Deu's was on us) and then many many drinks! Despite getting set up with several Japanese girls I returned to my apartment alone, with just enough time (and strength) to get myself some fast food on the way back! It was good, but not as good as the raw beef awful that I had for dinner! (slight exaggeration only because I don't know what part of the cow it was)

Anyway. I have created a video of the day and it is on my youtube account (monkeystu52) you should check it out..... you really should!

Busy Busy

2010-09-22T19:00:00.001+09:00

So now my real classes have started. I have introduced myself to the classes at both schools and I am now teaching them 100% English. This is what my job will be throughout the year, combined with cultural exchange. However unfortunately for my, my arrival in Japan coincides with the busiest time of the academic year. Today my base school has just finished their tests. I was involved in preparing students for, and making the tests. On top of this I have had to start making a lot of lesson plans, because I am new, I have limited amount of resources to pull from. I have not yet got the experience, or the portfolio of class templates to work through for the text books we use. It will be a lot easier once I have worked through the text book then I can just load up a worksheet or activity that I have used before and update it accordingly.

Additionally I have had a lot of paper work to do regarding bank transfers and postage. It has been a hectic time.

I have signed up for football practice every Sunday and Ultimate Frisby (yes it's a real sport) every Saturday. Hopefully this will keep me fit. However I will not be able to make them every week due to other commitments. For example this weekend I am visiting an orphanage in Tsuruga (in the south of Fukui) on Saturday and helping to judge a school debate at a neighbouring school all day on Sunday.

The weather is ..... unbelievable. in a bad way. The rain is spontaneous and heavier than Susan Boyle and Pavarotti's love child (Paul Potts). I leave school in the morning wearing the sun glasses and by the time I arrive at school the rain will have started and you can see my nipples through my shirt! I have learnt to have a towel and a spare shirt at my school at all times now! I definitely think a car may be a necessity when the weather becomes colder, even more erratic and dangerous to cycle in. I need to also buy a pair of waterproof trousers. I don't mind drying off my face and feet. but it's sitting in a wet suit all day that really isn't nice.

Today was my first half day (because the students had tests and no classes). It was a good feeling and I spend my half day off collecting parcel from home. It included my squash shoes so i can now play indoor sports. For example badminton at my visiting school. I am not allowed to play barefoot or in shoes that have ever been worn outside.... strange.

Anyway I will leave it there for now... don't want to spoil the fun. Can't remember if I mentioned in the last one that I saw a snake... check out my youtube for more!

First week... complete

2010-09-05T21:06:00.000+09:00

... so .. nothing quite like 7 days straight work of between 9-11.5 hour shifts to get you settled into a new job.

Day 1 Monday (30th Aug)

I arrived at my main school for my first day - I knew I was going to need to introduce myself to the teachers in a formal meeting..... in Japanese. Prepared a short speech to tell them how happy I am to be workin with them, how much I'm looking forward to getting to know them and that I hope our relationship can be a happy one. I tried to say it from memory, but ended up mostly consisting of "emm"s and "uhm"s. That aside I was later told by a teacher that they all thought my Japanese pronunciation was unusually good and that my vowel sounds are very "Japanese". I put this down to being Scottish and not English or American, which is what they are used to hearing. - Scottish accents are the purest accents in the British-speaking world (phonetically).
Anyway this doesn't change the fact that I can't actually speak Japanese!
After this speech, I left the teachers meeting and was asked to go back to the staff room. Here I sat... and waited. I was alone for about 2 hours in there while the meeting went on. I suddenly feared that this job wasn't going to be what I had anticipated, even in my "worst case scenario" simulation! The day started as it intended to continue. Even after other teachers came back in, I was left for the majority of the day on my own, with very little advice except. "make a schedule" and "make some lesson plans". A schedule for what I wasn't exactly sure. As for lesson plans I had/have so many questions about the level of the students that I couldn't do anything efficiently.
Day over and 1 bike puncture later, I find myself walking home as a (dry) lightening storm takes place above me. beautiful sheet lightening illuminating the sky. cheers me up and makes me appreciate where I am! (video on my new youtube upload!)

Day 2

The kids! It was an anxious moment stepping into the class for the first time with the teacher next to me... in fact I would probably have felt better if I was teaching alone; with no judgement. However as soon as I got 10 minutes into my first lesson, which is a introductory lesson about me, then all my fears disappeared. The kids are shy... but not anywhere near as bad as I had feared. I think I was just as conscious about making a fool out of myself as they were - something which is slowly changing!
This day made me happy. Not only did it give me the reassurance that I needed that I am more than capable of doing the job, but it made me remember why I wanted to do the job.... the mone... I mean the kids. I had a lot of fun, and they are eager and excited to learn. All the kids in my school (Diato Junior High) are 12-15 years old. Old enough to want to learn and appreciate the importance, but still young enough that they can have fun and their hopes and dreams have not been crushed yet!
I taught with 3 of the 4 JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) today.
I finished this day and the lessons feeling much much more confident and comfortable about my future in Japan.

Day 3 (Wed)

Pretty much the same as Tuesday, I got to teach my first lessons with my 4th JTE who thought I looked older than my brother - who is 5 years older than me. I didn't hit her... this time. - Just a dirty look

another fun day, however a lot of work. I have been working from 8-7 most nights so far. this is apparently not normal but the kids have a sports festival and culture festival to prepare for at the weekends so it's busier than usual.

Day 4 (thursday)

Today there were no classes for the children. I was however kept very busy, making my lesson plans for the following week, updating the "English board" which is my predecessor's project I've been burdened with - despite the fact that it doesn't get read, but I also suggested an English newsletter which was received very positively by my teachers. a lot more work for me, but something that I can enjoy and hopefully get a response from the kids with. Today the children were practising their cheer leading for the sports Festival. In the UK cheer leading would be tassels and "give me an A", but here it's like something out of a west end musical. lots of singing, dancing, taiko drumming and acrobatics. Nothing like the cheer leading that you imagine from American films... this stuff is actually tasteful (and impressive).
I wandered round and took a few photos of the practise for the newsletter in what spare time I had.

Day 5 (friday)

Today was my first day at my visiting school. - I will be going to it every Friday. It is a special school for deaf children. It have 67 students ranging from pre-school to 18 years old. It is quite simply amazing. I taught the same introductory lesson to the children here, however the classes were much smaller. typically 3 or 4 students (rather than the 30 in Daito). This made my lessons a lot more flexible and a lot more fun for the students! As to be expected, their English level isn't too great. For them Japanese is a new language and they must be exhausted comprehending it and then trying to learn English too. I have a lot of respect for them. They were also great great fun. Probably one of my favourite days in Japan if not THEE favourite day so far. The kids and staff were amazing and so helpful. high fives all round!

Day 6 (yesterday - Saturday)- back to main school

School sports festival - ie sports day. Lots of strange games going on. 4 legged race where 3 kids get tied together instead of the usual 2. lots of other interesting games and races. My team didn't win, but I was there to cheer them (black team!!!) and help out where I could. great fun.

Day 7 (today - Sunday 5th Sept)

Today was culture day. Amazing. The school was open to the public, parents and kids. the kids put on a show, and took part in loads of activities. They are looked after in Japan! I was in my own department all day showing off my culture. I showed them the food (including home-baked tablet, and shortbread) which they loved. I also showed them how the UK is made up and how the flags all contribute to the UK flag, the UK money, the music, dancing, and national anthem.

They all seemed to really really enjoy it - especially the food! but they were great fun and it was really good fun trying to communicate with the parents in japanese! love it. - Still can't speak the language!

More soon!

photographs

2010-08-28T01:03:00.001+09:00

Now I have a camera. So now as well as the facebook site - username "monkey-san in-japan"

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001320670619&ref=ts

I also have a flickr page where I will be putting extra photos for anyone who is interested. At the moment they are just ones testing out my camera, but Hopefully soon they will get better!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeystu52/

Internet is GO!!!

2010-08-26T20:51:00.000+09:00

Okay

SO busy few weeks since arriving. Climbed Fuji, went to an onsen (naked natural springs), settled into the flat, had an official contract signing ceremony where I gave a presentation about Scotland to all my peers as well as the main Board of Education officials (they loved it!), also done the summer schools, and been into the school to give my official welcome speech to the teachers (in Japanese).

The welcome speech went okay, the first half was good because it was simple name, where I'm from, my hobbies etc. and I could remember that. However the second half, I had to research and write down. It was basically saying that I'm proud to be working with them and that I hope to get a chance to meet them all and because I'm new in Japan, I don't know the culture and hope not to offend anybody.
I THINK they understood what I was trying to get at, and they clapped... then asked me to leave!!

I have a camera now so I will be updating photos when I get time. I might start a separate page for that, but will let you know when I've got it all sorted out.

I also have the internet, my appropriately named "alien card" that proves I'm allowed to be living here - so no more carrying around my passport. My TV works, my bank card arrived and I can't think of anything else I NEED anymore! perhaps more money - but only because my first wage has gone to pay for the rest of my key money (welcome money to landlord), pay for my predecessors stuff he left me, and to get my settling in items (camera and piano!).

I start school on Monday, I need to make up a schedule but it looks like I will be pretty busy, planning and taking around 17 classes a week from my main school over 4 days, and on the Friday of every week I will be attending a deaf and blind school where I am yet to find out what style of stuff I'll be teaching. But I am especially looking forward to that.

Went to Tojinbo rocks a week or two ago. It is one of only 3 places in the world to have this type of rock and is along a kilometre of coastline. There are some photos of this beautiful area and other things on my Japanese facebook; http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001320670619&ref=ts

I will try to keep on this more regularly now that I'm connected to the 100mbps internet, and I'm getting settled in now. I've probably missed something out but I'm sure there is more to come!

Speak soon!!

Woah

2010-08-09T18:20:00.000+09:00

So I'm here in beautiful Fukui prefecture and settling in. Today I had my first Japanese children experience. And yeah, they are really shy and the boys just won't go near the girls, but they are really cool! I was helping teach at an Enlish seminar and despite me being pretty disorganized, it went well. My group (group F) were obviously the best. I really enjoyed it and they thought I was pretty cool when I started doing soccer tricks while playing kick the can!

So for the rest of today I will tidy my flat - because I panicked this morning and made a mess everywhere, and try to study some japanese. I have lessons on wednesday thursday and Friday so I should hopefully improve a little by then.

Oh. And I cut my hair tonight. It looks awful :-(

still sunny, hot, and muggy.

My apartment is awaiting Internet and cable tv installation but after that I'm pretty much sorted. Loving it here and really enjoying meeting new friends (like group F!)

2010-08-05T06:26:00.000+09:00

Arrived safely in Tokyo! It was amazing. so many interesting sights and beautiful people. I enjoyed some karaoke, japanese food, and of course... biru! The hotel I stayed in was pretty amazing and the Japanese service was second to none. I left Tokyo yesterday after 3 days there and headed to Fukui-shi (-city) where I will be staying for the next year.

Last night we went for a meal with some of the current ALTs - assistant language teachers (basically people who have been here for a year or two). It is good meeting everyone and getting to know them. They also fed us some interesting things. mostly sushi which it turns out isn't just raw fish here! - we also had raw octopis and raw horse meat (which fortunately, for the latter, I didn't know what it was until AFTER I ate it)

But I am just up for the morning as my body clock hasn't quite adjusted yet, and need to attend meeting today and tomorrow. - I am not in my apartment until Friday which is when I'll meet my supervisor (japanese lady). Until then I'm in a Hotel in the same city. It's very humid here just now at this time of year. and hot, averaging around 35. but the temperature seems less of an issue and the humidity more of one. Sweat towels are a popular accessory here! and I'm told that only a couple of weeks ago was the end of the rainy season - which typically lasts for around a month.

Tonight, after a day of orientation, I will be attending a BBQ; something that I am really looking forward to! It will be a good opportunity to meet lots of new people and make loads of new friends. Although I may have had a few initial reservations, everybody I've met so far seems really really nice and I look forward to getting to know them in the coming year.

I also now realise that I really need to pull my finger out and learn more Japanese language. Nobody here really speaks English - it's not like Tokyo. I didn't expect any different, but I just wish I knew more. I look forward to learning, and hope that it comes naturally to me!

I will keep you updated with my progress!

For those of you on facebook, you can check out my "monkey-san in-japan" page and add me, where I will be uploading photos and updates about how thigs are going!

final week revelations

2010-07-22T13:21:00.000+09:00

So hear it is... coming into my final week in this country before I jet off to Tokyo and I am starting to think that I will never get any of the things done that I want, let alone all of them. My world is already beginning to change, with the preparation getting under way it seems like I may as well already be in Japan. The exception to this is the friends. I still have my friends for the next week. Bizarrely I am trying to distance myself from them in an attempt to avoid the painful reality of saying goodbye.

Girls are crazy little creatures

I said goodbye to the girl I've been seeing for the past 4 months on Saturday, and although it's only 4 days I already really miss her. I say "seeing" because we decided not to get too serious or be 'going out' because we both knew I was going away and didn't want to cause any emotional distress when I left.... that plan clearly didn't work! Although at the moment it seems to be a lot easier for her. She is now in Edinburgh for the next two weeks working for a summer school, and as such is meeting lots of new people and having fun. For some reason I didn't think that I would actually miss her and that I would not feel bothered or insecure about what she may be doing now that she's gone... but I do. I assumed that we'd still be texting each other as if we were together even after our arranged split up on Saturday when she left, but she has been busy and the texting appears to have been 'terminated'! ... this could be the sign that I need to get over her! - perhaps easier said than done, at least until I get to Japan! I just really love who she is (no matter how odd she is!) and am grateful for having the opportunity to get to know her like I did. It would be some comfort to know she felt a similar way, but alas, she buries her emotions and never divulges how she really feels.

Friends - gone but not forgotten

I am having a leaving get together this weekend and I have invited a lot of people. Although I do so in the knowledge that a lot of them are not able to attend. This is an attempt to indirectly make them aware that I will miss them and appreciate their friendship, something that I will no doubt tell the people that attend several times on Saturday night when I'm falling over myself. In the past I have avoided saying goodbyes. I hate the idea that I may never see these people again. A year doesn't sound like much, but so much can change in this time and you never know what is going to happen - and that assuming that I would only stay a year. There are also people that I have known that any disagreements, falling outs or even just deficits in communication are regretted and seem insignificant. The key example here is my ex girlfriend. She isn't really a bad person (I hope) but she has been very difficult and perhaps immature in the past few months. - I know what you're thinking, and no... it's not my fault! This is something I would have loved to have put behind us and met up and talked before I left, but I doubt I will ever get that opportunity now because she is in Spain this month and the chances are I will never see her again. I think I will write her a letter. There are other friends too that although we annoyed each other in the past, I just wish they knew that I really appreciate everything about them and the differences we have are, in some cases, what make us friends!

There is a an unofficial invite to everybody that I know to come and stay with me in Japan. It would be pretty cool to see them and be able to show them around my new neighbourhood! But I do understand that the money is not easy to come by for everyone and that inevitably few, if any, will manage to make it to the other side of the world to visit.

The Family Meadows

Parents

The ones I will miss most. It's a strange one, I have been living away from home for the past 4 years and have been home relatively infrequently compared to some people I know, but I feel like I have become closer to my family in those last 4 years than I was when I lived at home. The realisation of how much they actually mean to me comes with the added revelation that they have been there for all my big life events even while I was in Glasgow. Even though I maybe see them once every couple of months or so, they have been an integral part of my life right up to the present day. When I found out that I had got my place on JET, they were the first people to know. As soon as anything happens that has a significant impact on me, then I want to share this with them. Unfortunately for them, this also means when I am facing hard times, they are often turned to for support! This wouldn't happen if they weren't such good parents though.

Brother

This is another case of appreciation in the past 4 years! As with many brothers, we were constantly fighting with on another while living at home. But since I moved to Uni, my brother and I rarely punch or kick each other. In fact I'd go so far to say that it is restricted to once a week! But before where I may have viewed him as the annoying older brother, the prospect of leaving him for a year has made me appreciate how close we have grown and how much he has come to mean to me. Over the past 2 years in particular, while he has been living in Glasgow, he has become more than just a brother, but rather one of my best friends. It is rare that any longer than a week will go past without us meeting up and doing something together and we speak to each other most days. It will be strange not to have this sort of contact and will be one of the biggest social readjustments I anticipate while in Japan.

Even the people I don't see that much, I have never physically been as far away as I will be when I move to Japan, and that seems to somehow correlate with how emotionally detached I anticipate being. I see my parents once every 2 months or so, but yet being in Glasgow makes me feel like that is acceptable and that it's okay because "they're just down the road". In Japan I doubt that a week will go by without me wanting to see friends and family just to see how they are and catch up, let them know what I've been up to.

Ultimately that is why I am doing this, and the videos. I want to still share my life with the people I care about and give them the opportunity to continue sharing theirs with me. There are some things, like my recent relationship, that I need to realise are over. Some things that that will be ongoing; my relationships with friends and family. But most importantly, I am yet to appreciate that there are a plethora of experiences that I am unaware of that are just about to begin....

University results and world cup!

2010-06-13T09:09:00.000+09:00

This has been a pretty great year for me!! First I surprisingly get into JET, and now I manage to get a 2.1 (unexpectedly) after a poor academic performance in the past couple of years! The results came out yesterday and I was sure they MUST have got them wrong as I must have averaged A's through my 10 exams in order to achieve that grade!

As if I wasn't happy enough with my life just now, the world cup has just started! YAAY. Seeing as Scotland are did not make the tournament (despite winning the second most matches in their qualifying group) Then I shall have to cheer on Japan! - Spain are going to win though... just you wait. (or maybe Germany)

First entry

2010-06-10T20:08:00.000+09:00

So....

I am in bed in Glasgow, and it is 12pm and sunny. What is happening to me? I went to the Asian supermarket yesterday to look for Japanese food and all I came across was some pulp in a bag, titled "delicious jellyfish head" .... No thanks.

I have sold my most valuable possessions to help raise funds so that I can afford to live for the next month before I go to Japan and on the 28th of June will be moving out of my flat here, which I have stayed in for most of my time at University. It will a sad occasion, but one step closer to Japan. It seems to be all that I am thinking about at the moment, so much so that I have ignored the fact that my degree results are published in the next few days... without a degree I cannot go to Japan!

Anyway, I'm sure these posts will improve as I get used to them (and get a life).

better get out of bed