So let's see... hello! Don't know when this will go live, still trying to get the internet connection sorted here, hopefully later this
week.... then I just have to figure out how to upload this, fun this html malarky.
Anyway, I guess I have now been in Japan for (quick count on fingers) five days. Getting here was, as usual with long distance travelling, tedious.
I left Bracknell at 4:30am last Thursday to get to Stanstead. Waited there for a while, flew to Amsterdam, did some more hanging about, then sat on
the plane to Osaka for eleven hours. Didn't manage to sleep, and upon landing it was 9:00am Friday morning and the fun part was about to start. In
order to get from Kansai airport to Yakage (my home for the next four months, pronounced yah-car-gay btw), I had four trains to catch. Unfortunately
Kimberly was stuck at work so I was left to find my own way (she did send detailed instructions and a ticket for the Shinkansen (bullet train) though),
along with my 32kg of luggage... First step, find the airport station; okay managed that one. Next decipher ticket machine (in Japanese characters) to
buy ticket; check. Then whilst I was looking at the board to work out where to go next, a little man came over and looked at my ticket and showed me
where to go and where exactly to stand on the platform - the train stops in the same spot each time, so the platform is marked with a number for each
carriage (How about that British Rail? And the trains are precisely on time too). Had a little wait, so knocked back a can of Red Bull to attempt to
keep awake. A few minutes before the train arrived, a succession of uniformed cleaners appeared, each with a little trolley, and they spread out up the
platform to each be standing where the carriages would open. Then as soon as the train arrived, they nipped inside, cleaned the place up, then the
waiting passengers could pile in, super efficient. Managed to get off at the right stop, at the Shinkansen station. These are the famed super fast bullet
trains, which zoom all over the country. I had my ticket, and was able to find the right platform easily, then sit and wait, before boarding. Very smooth
and comfortable - even had reclining seats! And phones - called Kimberly to say I was en-route. So far so good... but unfortunately when I got off at Okayama
it all started going a little pear shaped. Unbeknownst to me, the timetable Kimberly had sent me was now out of date... So I was waiting for a train that
wasn't going to come. But I was at least on the platform for the correct line, so after asking at every train that stopped, eventually I got an affirmative
reply, and set off nervously on leg three. Thankfully arrived at the penultimate stop, and followed the directions to go over the bridge, and sure enough
there was a single carriage train waiting... but when I said 'Yakage?' to check they said no (or at least negative sounding stuff). So I waited... and waited.
Eventually another single train came - which again agreed with my time table, and again I was told no - after 24 hours of travelling and being only 20 minutes
from my destination I was not amused. Fortunately the next one was right, and I made it down the line to Yakage, and Kimberly was there to meet me, hurrah!
The weather was beautiful; clear, sunny and hot, a nice way to arrive. The apartment looks like a concrete shed from the outside, but is nice inside, much
bigger than I expected. Didn't do a whole lot apart from eat and rest - tried to stay awake until bedtime, but we crashed early.
Jet lag's a funny thing... after five hours deep sleep I woke up at 2:30am and was wide awake. Since this was the equivalent of 5:30pm at home it made no
sense. But after an hour or so I gave up and went and read in the kitchen for the next several hours. This pattern has continued the last few nights - I was
dreading looking at the clock when I woke up because for the first four nights it was always 2:30 and I couldn't get back to sleep until about 5:30 - lots
of reading time.... Finally last night I slept pretty much straight through, what a relief!
Of course I was bringing a bike with me to Japan, but with the stingy weight limit I had to send it separately. The plan was for it to get here before me, but
now it is Wednesday and no bike. They phoned up last week because they have charged import duty on it - seems pretty rude since I wouldn't have had
to if I'd had it with me on the plane. Kimberly paid the £100 (!!), and I am still waiting for it - tomorrow supposedly, we'll see. I want my bike! At the weekend
we went on a little ride with me on the town bike, then Tuesday I did an hour on the knackered mountain bike, and finally today I rode Kimberly's 'cross bike
but not great in trainers and street clothes. Better than nothing though - the riding is going to be soooo much fun here; and I am going to get soooo lost!
There are all these great tiny little roads, twisting into the hills among the rice paddies, absolutely fantastic - pictures to follow once I get a scanner
or a digital camera. Can't wait.
Once I get the bike here I'll figure out my routine. We get up about 6:30 as Kimberly has to leave for work about 8:00. So far my time has been split
between learning Japanese, learning html (dead easy, did this site in a couple of hours), working through the teach-yourself course for Pro-Engineer (CAD softwear),
grocery shopping (great fun when you can't read any of the labelling), and cooking. The weather has turned colder this week, although it has been gorgeous
today and I went riding in shorts. Japanese houses tend not to have central heating, so I dragged out the paroffin heater on Monday, makes life much more
pleasent! We combine this with the electric table; not as I first assumed to keep the food warm, but to keep the legs warm! The one in the tatami room
is basically a coffee table, but with an electric heater on the underside. You cover it in a blanket and tuck your legs under, and heh presto, instant warmth!
I filled up on Paroffin at the gas station today, and had comedy assistance filling the heater from the two guys painting the railing, couldn't understand what they babbled but
we figured it out eventually. Also re-arranged the tatami room today. Put the doors up to make it into two rooms (better now we are using the heater), and shuffled things about.
Seems to have met with approval, so we now have a living room/study and a bedroom.
Food wise things are interesting! Kimberly eats a lot of Japanese food, so I am trying a lot of new stuff. Think a lot of it takes some getting used to, but
I can cook Western style food too if I want, so no worries. The rice is good though - it's actually short grain, and the rice cooker leaves it sticky so it is kinda like
rice pudding - in fact for breakfast I have added milk and sugar to make just that. Most days Kimberly can come home for lunch, so I too am being converted to
having cooked lunch and dinner. Rice three times a day sometimes, it is good though!
Well, hopefully Bike Friday will arrive tomorrow, then we can go ride to the ocean at the weekend! In the meantime I have to go cook dinner now, so that's it for today.