After being here for 2 days now I'm starting to get the run of things, I managed to meet up with Rick after getting lost for a while downtown but my superior instinctual sense of direction got me there eventually.
I have rented a bike now which makes this place a whole new world to me, I can get accross the whole city in around 20 minutes easily, riding a bike around here is pretty fun you you just hoon along at top speed ringing your bell at everyone who gets in the way - unfortunatly my bell dosnt work so I go for a more vocal approach.
Iv had some great luck accomodation-wise; Yesterday I went with Rick & Yumiko(his wife) to visit the builders of his new house for some reason or another and they invited us up for a cup of tea & a chat, while they all exchanged conversation in rapid fire Japanese I sat there smiling being patient, being as observant as possible. Due to my diligent observations I noticed that they were all regularily pointing at me as they chatted and I began to worry what I had done wrong, have I offended them?
Quite the contrary, the President of the Company - Master Nakamura invited me to see the upstairs of his house. I accepted this proposal thinking he had something cool to show me like a samurai sword. I was most suprised when he showed my to a large, master bedroom and started showing me around the features ( bath room ensuite, toilet ensuite, Sauna ensuite!!) and I agreed that this was a very nice room. In fact it's not just nice its palacial.
When I renturned to downstairs to the table he conversed with Rick for a moment, who also appeared suprised and quickly translated that I have been invited my Mr Nakamura to stay in the spare room he had shown me, that is if I found it ok.
I of course, accepted and conveyed my appreciation.
This suprising turn of events makes everything 100x easier as i dont have to keep shelling out to pay for backpackers etc.
While writing this I just received a call from Aoki, the vice president of the company who said they would like me to arrive at 11am to move in, it is 1014 now so i had better get going now infact.
I have a cellphone now, for only 10,000 Y and it also has a flash TV built into it & a high quality camera so hopefully I will get some great shots of the place when i get there.
J
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Here
Finally here.
Not a big fan of flying fullstop but flying Jetstar really takes any pleasure that I may have gleamed from flying at all, no food unless you pay for it - yeah I get it theyr a budget carrier but even if you buy food it sucks and the way they write about it in the inflight magazine you would be lead to believe its some culinary master piece, bollloocks.
Apart from the and entertainment package sucking, the flight was Ok exept the plane broke down during the aussie stop over so we had to wait 2 hours while they did quick fix. Not comfortable with that...
I Started thinking about what if the plane crashed what would I do etc so while pondering this I just casually turn around to see if the person sitting behind me is a hott chick. Wrong. Its John Locke from Lost, seriously this guy looked exactly the same (bald & white wearing khakis) and had a crutch for a broken leg. prood enough for me.
Arriving at Kansai Int airport is pretty cool actually, its the worlds biggest man made island and the airport is so awesomely large that it even has its own train system going between departures and customs etc. So cool. 10/10
I was wearing a Judo shirt and the guy at customs thought it was really cool and made some sorta Judo grip fighting motions with his hands, I did it back but then he just ignored me. Caught the bus from Osaka to Kyoto then got a taxi to my Backpackers, the taxi ride was surprisingly difficult as the taxi drive couldnt read a map and had to ask the police for help :S
The place im staying at has free internet which is cool, I'm happy I brought my laptop along with me now but its running low on juice and my adapters arent correct so will need to sort that out tomorow when I see Rick, will also hopefully train at Kyoto Uni Judo club.
I have seen 1 other white person here since leaving the airport, it was this brunette girl riding a bike by the uni, it was so unexpected! I thought she was a Japanese untill she stopped and stared at me aswell at point blank range. It's funny because I allways think I see a European from the back (Orange, blonde, brown hair) then theyr turn around and its a Japanese guy or girl with died hair.
The cool thing here is that theres a 7/11 literally for every street, its like a dairy X2. They have some really interesting products like a fish gingerbread man with a real fish head for the head and eyeball buttons for an example. that was weird even by Japanese standards though.
Really tired after about 34 hours with no sleep so will catch some Z's now and hopefully have more weird things to write about tomorow.
Not a big fan of flying fullstop but flying Jetstar really takes any pleasure that I may have gleamed from flying at all, no food unless you pay for it - yeah I get it theyr a budget carrier but even if you buy food it sucks and the way they write about it in the inflight magazine you would be lead to believe its some culinary master piece, bollloocks.
Apart from the and entertainment package sucking, the flight was Ok exept the plane broke down during the aussie stop over so we had to wait 2 hours while they did quick fix. Not comfortable with that...
I Started thinking about what if the plane crashed what would I do etc so while pondering this I just casually turn around to see if the person sitting behind me is a hott chick. Wrong. Its John Locke from Lost, seriously this guy looked exactly the same (bald & white wearing khakis) and had a crutch for a broken leg. prood enough for me.
Arriving at Kansai Int airport is pretty cool actually, its the worlds biggest man made island and the airport is so awesomely large that it even has its own train system going between departures and customs etc. So cool. 10/10
I was wearing a Judo shirt and the guy at customs thought it was really cool and made some sorta Judo grip fighting motions with his hands, I did it back but then he just ignored me. Caught the bus from Osaka to Kyoto then got a taxi to my Backpackers, the taxi ride was surprisingly difficult as the taxi drive couldnt read a map and had to ask the police for help :S
The place im staying at has free internet which is cool, I'm happy I brought my laptop along with me now but its running low on juice and my adapters arent correct so will need to sort that out tomorow when I see Rick, will also hopefully train at Kyoto Uni Judo club.
I have seen 1 other white person here since leaving the airport, it was this brunette girl riding a bike by the uni, it was so unexpected! I thought she was a Japanese untill she stopped and stared at me aswell at point blank range. It's funny because I allways think I see a European from the back (Orange, blonde, brown hair) then theyr turn around and its a Japanese guy or girl with died hair.
The cool thing here is that theres a 7/11 literally for every street, its like a dairy X2. They have some really interesting products like a fish gingerbread man with a real fish head for the head and eyeball buttons for an example. that was weird even by Japanese standards though.
Really tired after about 34 hours with no sleep so will catch some Z's now and hopefully have more weird things to write about tomorow.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Last Day
Today's my last day home in NZ, getting pretty exited about heading off tomorow at 0600, not so enthused about the time of departure though.
Was really hoping to ahve a relaxing day today, but when you dont pack earlier this dosn't eventuate it would seem, so I have spent the morning doing ironing and packing then embarked on a 4 hour quest to find a suitable power adapter for Japan - which is nigh impossible if you use 3 pronged ( earthed ) appliances which 99% of kiwis do? The makers of the power adapters are of the belief that we all use only 2 pronged plugs which caused me a bit of grief. I eventually found one hidden in the back corner of a dirty hovel of a shop next to Mt Eden Prison.
Had a go at telling my dogs that I'm off for a long time and to be good etc, I don't know if they exactly understood me but Molly kinda yawned and wagged her tail so maybe??
I was also asked to provide a Photo of myself for a part-time teaching job I applied for in Kyoto, so I suited up and took an ace picture with my webcam, I was initially of the opinion I looked quite dashing but they havn't replied yet so perhaps I looked like a dick..
I told my mates I was off tomorow of this they were aparantly unaware, I neglected to tell them my departure date due to all thats going on. Hopefully will see a couple of them before I go.
Being the enterprising man I am, I have aquired some Kiwi token's along the lines of Lapel Pins, Little furry Kiwi's playing rugby, Little NZ flags, plastic greenstone etc. I rekon I will be able to sell them for between 1000-5000 Y apiece depending on the item. I will of course gift a few of them to people that help and train with me for the purpose of increasing demand.
Better ring Jetstar and confirm the flight as it never hurts to check, I suppose the next time I will update this is when I'm in JPN or perhaps at Queensland Int just to kill sometime, who knows.
Till then.
J
Was really hoping to ahve a relaxing day today, but when you dont pack earlier this dosn't eventuate it would seem, so I have spent the morning doing ironing and packing then embarked on a 4 hour quest to find a suitable power adapter for Japan - which is nigh impossible if you use 3 pronged ( earthed ) appliances which 99% of kiwis do? The makers of the power adapters are of the belief that we all use only 2 pronged plugs which caused me a bit of grief. I eventually found one hidden in the back corner of a dirty hovel of a shop next to Mt Eden Prison.
Had a go at telling my dogs that I'm off for a long time and to be good etc, I don't know if they exactly understood me but Molly kinda yawned and wagged her tail so maybe??
I was also asked to provide a Photo of myself for a part-time teaching job I applied for in Kyoto, so I suited up and took an ace picture with my webcam, I was initially of the opinion I looked quite dashing but they havn't replied yet so perhaps I looked like a dick..
I told my mates I was off tomorow of this they were aparantly unaware, I neglected to tell them my departure date due to all thats going on. Hopefully will see a couple of them before I go.
Being the enterprising man I am, I have aquired some Kiwi token's along the lines of Lapel Pins, Little furry Kiwi's playing rugby, Little NZ flags, plastic greenstone etc. I rekon I will be able to sell them for between 1000-5000 Y apiece depending on the item. I will of course gift a few of them to people that help and train with me for the purpose of increasing demand.
Better ring Jetstar and confirm the flight as it never hurts to check, I suppose the next time I will update this is when I'm in JPN or perhaps at Queensland Int just to kill sometime, who knows.
Till then.
J
Friday, April 23, 2010
Prep Prep Prep
I'm still at home, here in New Zealand. It's a bit of a strange feeling knowing that in 5 days I'm out of here.
I'm going to be heading over on Thursday, the first of 3 kiwis all heading over to get beaten up as much as possible and hopefully get a bit better at Judo as it happens. I arrive 13 days before the other guys so I'm in the fortunate position of testing the water so to speak. I get to make all the mistakes, commit all the main cultural crimes imaginable and then graciously educate them as to these points so they don't make them.
Hah, yeah right.
We are all pretty lucky in that we have received sponsorship from the Auckland University Judo Club, Fosters and Asahi Beer, getting a monthly cash injection is what is going to make this possible. So I'll take this opp to say thankyou to everyone who has helped - Rick, Rob, David, Mum & Chris, Trish, Nana & Grandad, Dad + the Beer companies. I know that was a bit of a list but it had to be done.
While we are over here on Working Holiday Visa's finding a job to support our lavish lifestyles of Judo, a bowl of rice a day and a monthly beer is not a sure thing, let alone finding a partime one that allows you enough flexibility to spend half your day being physically educated by modern day Samurai.
Will be meeting with Rick my sensei in Kyoto around the 3rd of May(he is the organiser & manager of this scholarship) so after backpacking a for a week or so will shift into something more long term & cheap.
My mates are going to be crying everyday without me as I'm probably the best wingman in Auckland, if not the North Island. Seriously. Perhaps I will include a "how to" segment in this blog updated for the benifit of the male species. One does what one can. Section 1 will be "Jumping the grenade" I will break down in detail as to when it is and isn't acceptable to request this act from a mate.
Will have some more interesting bits and pieces to write about come Thursday when I arrive and inevitably break every taboo on my way to the backpackers, will chill until then. :)
J
I'm going to be heading over on Thursday, the first of 3 kiwis all heading over to get beaten up as much as possible and hopefully get a bit better at Judo as it happens. I arrive 13 days before the other guys so I'm in the fortunate position of testing the water so to speak. I get to make all the mistakes, commit all the main cultural crimes imaginable and then graciously educate them as to these points so they don't make them.
Hah, yeah right.
We are all pretty lucky in that we have received sponsorship from the Auckland University Judo Club, Fosters and Asahi Beer, getting a monthly cash injection is what is going to make this possible. So I'll take this opp to say thankyou to everyone who has helped - Rick, Rob, David, Mum & Chris, Trish, Nana & Grandad, Dad + the Beer companies. I know that was a bit of a list but it had to be done.
While we are over here on Working Holiday Visa's finding a job to support our lavish lifestyles of Judo, a bowl of rice a day and a monthly beer is not a sure thing, let alone finding a partime one that allows you enough flexibility to spend half your day being physically educated by modern day Samurai.
Will be meeting with Rick my sensei in Kyoto around the 3rd of May(he is the organiser & manager of this scholarship) so after backpacking a for a week or so will shift into something more long term & cheap.
My mates are going to be crying everyday without me as I'm probably the best wingman in Auckland, if not the North Island. Seriously. Perhaps I will include a "how to" segment in this blog updated for the benifit of the male species. One does what one can. Section 1 will be "Jumping the grenade" I will break down in detail as to when it is and isn't acceptable to request this act from a mate.
Will have some more interesting bits and pieces to write about come Thursday when I arrive and inevitably break every taboo on my way to the backpackers, will chill until then. :)
J
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