Danni's Japan Blog

Internet at last!!!!

2006-12-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

Hiya!!!

Finally got the internet installed as promised!!!

When I have more time I will upload some more piccies.

Not done all that much for the last month since Rory arrived. We bought furniture for the apartment which set us backa pretty little fortune, which meant we had very little money for the rest of the month. We have made it through though and we will get paid tomorrow with all of 450 yen to spare. Thats just over £2s!!!!

Miss you all.

Love you.

D x

Well just words I'm afraid

2006-10-30T23:09:00.000-08:00

I've attempted just about everything I can think of but this blog decided about 3 weeks ago to stop letting me upload pictures.

So I got really annoyed and stopped posting anything!!!!

But thought I'd better fill you in quickly as I move to my new flat tomorrow and there is no internet there.

Since I last posted I have settled into work. Meeting new people everyday and really getting to not actually mind being there too much which is always a bonus!!! Had a really good three week observation and was really happy with my feedback, so all is well with the work side of things.

I have been out a few times, just tuesday nights really (aka my friday!) as its all I can afford as had to pay soooo much for the new place.

Rory is setting off a week today and will be here a week tomorrow and I so excited its unreal!!!!

The apartment we are moving to is two bedrooms and has a large kitchin dining room. (We will use bedroom II as a lounge) Not got furniture as of yet because of the money situation, but will have to manage I suppose. It is about 10 minutes away from where I am living now on Jenny Red (My bike!) and is closer to town. My really good friend Sarah who moved in the same day as me is going to be moving into the same building in a month so that is good.

I am officially a temporary resident now as I have my foreigner card all done and dusted!!!

I met up with a girl I knew from uni the other day in Umeda (a big area the other side of Osaka.) She is half Japanese and lives with her family over here. We went for an ace meal and had such a good time.

I must dash anyway because I am having to pack now, as I am going out at 9pm for Halloween!!! Dressing as a cat!!!! I'm afraid I can't promise any pictures though due to the computer situation! Will definatly email one to klo though as I promised Louis I'd send him one if he sent me one of his costume!!!

Okay,

Love you all,

and miss everyone loads.

Danni xxx

PS Will somebody please send me Lucy Sanders Lincolnshire address as I have asked a million times!!!

Kyoto pics at last!!!

2006-10-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

New flat mate

2006-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Forgot to mention my flatmate I will have for a month before I move into mine and ror's place. (That I have yet to locate!!!)

She is called Linzi, from Glasgow and is really nice, I hadn't laughed so much since I got here!!! We were chatting so much we didn't realise we got out the lift on the wrong floor and tried breaking in to some Japanese woman's flat!!!!!!!!!!!

D xxx

The worst internet on the globe!!!

2006-10-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well haven't been able to keep everyone as updated as i would have hoped, as my flat has the worst internet connection ever, (rather the flat surrounding me having the worst internet ever, which i tap into!!!)

But it works this morning so I can tell u all that work is going ok, bit scary at first but ok once the hang has been gotten!!!!

Been to kyoto and Osaka castle, (pics comin asap!!!) and had a French lesson!!!!

Possibly getting a job in a bar called murphy's (fingers crossed!)

Love you and miss u all.

Dan xxx

Journey and first days

2006-09-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

My flight was the 1855 from Heathrow so I got there in plenty of time, was checked in on a self service machine and then said my last tearful goodbye to Rory and Liz. I was shocked how quickly i got through the security checks, very impressed.

I was getting a bit upset waiting in the lounge for my gate to be called, until I was spied by the group of Nova recruits wandering round looking for others. I knew most of them from the Visa seminar in London so was good to see some friendly faces. Although i did freak some of them out by getting the camera out! The guy in thr grey top is Nick from Leeds who lives in my building.

When I got on the plane I discovered that I had a double seat at the back of the plane to myself, good for sleeping, but not so good for company as I was the only white person to be seen.

Anyway I settle down for take off, which was slightly delayed due to a no show at the gate. I honestly have never heard a pilot apologise so profusely for anything in my life!!! We were told to the minute throughout the flight what time we were making up and how this would effect our arrival time.

Whilst we taxied to the runway I noticed the big screens in the middle of the aisles (there were seat back ones as well) were showing images filmed from a camera on the plane's nose, so we had a cockpit view of take off and landing!

The food on the plane was beuatiful, I had the japanese choice of beef with rice, smoked salmon and potatoe salad and udon noodles. I polished this off with my second complimentary bottle of wine and then settled down to watch some of the many films on offer. I attempted to watched a few new films I hadn't seen, but my mind was all over the place, so I re-watched X-men III and then snoozed to The Davinci Code. The flight dragged for what seemed like days, I managed to kill some time making a playlist from the poor selection of western music on the plane. Geoff would have been in his element

The sights of Japan from the sky were hazy but I managed to take a few okay pics.
Who can spot the mountains???

A river.

Kansai bay- Osaka, Nara and Kyoto.

When I finally got off the plane and through the baggage reclaim (my bags were on the carousel when I got there and I had to run for a trolley!- Typical japanese timing- I love it!) and Visa check points the Nova recruits had gathered to look for the rep. The rep people arrived and we checked our bags in with the delivery people. Only to be told we had to wait 2 hours for a flight to get in from Cananda.

Here is a pic of the less than happy recruits killing time.

When the Canadian flight came in we met some other recruits, two of which are in the building with me and Nick. They are Sarah from Halifax, N.S. and Gerome from Toronto.
The first few days we have just looked around our area and taken the subway to Namba, the centre where Nova is.

Here is Ikuno-Ku views from my apartment. Its actually quite sunny but my camera struggles with the muggy-ness I think.
Looking West from Balcony

Looking North/West

Balcony looking North

The view from the crossroads nearby. (South)

The view from the lounge/Balcony at sunset.

Namba... Immense!!!! Makes you realise why Japanese people take so many pictures in Europe, its sssoooooo different, its amazing and so surreal.

Look at the massive crab!!!

My new bike, that I bought today, so I could get to the ward's office and register for a Gaijin (Foreigners) card.
Mine's the red one! Sorry Amy!!!!

Just for you nosey devils, here are some pics of my flat.
Kitchen/Lounge room.

My futon, this room will get more coverage when I finally finish this and have time to settle in. Might not happen for a while with broadband!!!!

Hope you enjoyed that!!!

Love you all lots,

Danni x

Rome in retrospect

2006-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the massive delay in this post, I've been waiting for my laptop for what seems like forever.

not last tuesday but the one before I travelled down to Buckingham and said my goodbyes to mum and klo. :'-(

The tears couldn't last for long though because at 4am we had to set off from Rory's mum's house to Luton airport for our flight to Rome.

After a near death expirience- no not on the plain but in the Walter Pigeon's taxi in Roma. Yes you read correctly that was this italien guys name! An extra point if anyone can tell me the name of the guy in old skool home and away with the long hair who owned the surf shop, because he looked like him!

Anyway after the taxi ride and a quick freshen up in our bellisimo apartment, we headed to a small pizzeria recommended by the hotel
staff. The food was delicious and the atmosphere truely italian, completely by the three (yes three) tv's in the small dining room all showing Italian strictly come dance fever ballroom factor!!!!After eating we we walked in the rain through st peters (not pauls rory!) square to castel saint angelo, a mauselium originally built for Hadrian. The castel was immense and the views from its many levels spectacular. Rome was breath taking even in rain that would have given Lancaster a run for it's money!- Thus the lack of pictures!

The next day we woke to discover a beautifully sunny day.

I think these pictures almost speak for themselves. (Please excuse the poor white balance on my camera- It was sunny i assure you!!!)

St Peter's Square and the Bassilica

The view of St Peters from the bottom of Castel Saint Angelo

Also from the base of the castel, this lovely view, in which Rory only noticed the vagrents under the bridge!!!

The Castel itself.

Piazza Navona

The Pantheon

The Forum

The Collusseum

The Trevi Fountain

The Vatican City

That's ur lot for now I'm afraid!!!!

Adelle has come over and we are gonna grab some tea. Will put my journey and some photos of Osaka up later.

Love you lots,

Danni xxx

Manic Packing

2006-09-12T04:23:00.000-07:00

Question: How hard is it to pack 2 bags?????

Answer: Very hard when one is for Rome, both are for Japan and one might even be for the year after that and travel who knows where!!!!

Stressing out slightly. Actual departure for Japan has been put back to the 19th Sept, no complaints here though coz I get an extra day in Buckingham.

Danni x

In the beginning...

2006-08-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

By the time you are reading this I will probably be far more ready to go than I am now!!

But I thought I should set this up while I still have time to, before my diary starts filling up with good-bye meals, parties, nights out etc.!!!

I found out early saturday morning that I am leaving from Heathrow on the 18th of September. Although (fingers crossed!) I shall be leaving Doncaster on the 12th/13th for Milton Keynes then Rome on the 14th! - Its all go don't you know!!!

D xxx