Miyazaki

I’ve been living in Japan for a whole year and haven’t made a single post. I’m going to try and change that this year by introducing some of the places that I’ve been to in the last year. Starting with Miyazaki prefecture where I currently live. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Hythe and Portsmouth

Been a bit of a while since I last posted anything here but I have been busy moving to Southampton and preparing to move to Japan in August. From next month I will be working as a JET ALT in Takanabe Town, Miyazaki Prefecture. I'll try to blog a lot more then as well as add to my woods of Chandlers Ford series.


For now here are a few pictures from Hythe, a small town across the water from Southampton which is accessible by a small ferry service.


The ferry goes from Town Quay in Southampton to Hythe Pier, which has one of the oldest still in operation pier railways in the world.


The view of Southampton from other the water really gives a different prospective on the city.


It's also a great place to watch ships traveling down the Solent as the view is relatively unhindered unlike in Southampton were most of the seafront consists of docks.


As a bonus here are some extra Portsmouth photo's showing Southsea Castle in front of which the Mary Rose sank (it's a great place to visit at the moment since it's free of charge) and the cityscape under some very stormy looking weather.

Merry Christmas!

Santa on a boat near Lymington Pier
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First post in a long time! Hopefully not the last.

Its been a long time since I last posted anything here. School work caught up with me and the further behind I got with entries, the less inclined I was to write anything. Now that I've graduated though I hope to change that and update a bit more often. In addition to graduating, quite a lot has happened, including the birth of my new little sister Ellen. Right now I'm technically unemployed and looking for a temporary job to tide me over before I go back to Japan next year hopefully around march.

Long time no post

Ah I didn't update this in a long time. Even though I've done lots of interesting things. From now on I'll try to update regularly and hopefully make retrospective posts on some of the other things I've done over the last 5 months or so.

For now since its sakura (cherry blossom) season here in Japan, please enjoy this photo of some of the sakura tree near my dawn. Hopefully I will be going to a hanami (cherry blossom viewing party in the next few days but since the blossoms are starting to wither and fall off I don't know how many will be left.

In Japan

こんばんは！

I have been in Japan for a few days now. The main thing that has surprised me is the heat. Its hotter now in September then it was all summer in the UK. I'm also amused by the little differences. Such as Big Issue sellers just like we have in the UK and the crows here being bigger and louder. The first night I was woken up by one which I, at first, thought was somebody impersonating a bird it sounded so different.

The dormitory is nicer then I had expected. I'm particularly impressed by all the stuff that is provided. And by the impressive toilet and shower room that doubles as a drying room for washing. The rules are little draconian though. No men allowed in the suites at all, even relatives, and only female relatives can stay over night. And I have to inform the matron whenever I am going to be away over night or later then 12. But it could have been worse I guess. The rules also state that prostitution is forbidden in the rooms. I wonder if any other country then japan would include that rule?

My first view of Japan

じゃね

Almost there

Less then two weeks more till I go to Japan. I have my Visa all sorted out and now there's just packing and money stuff to worry about. Its hard for me to really describe what I feel right now but standing on Waterloo bridge yesterday watching the sun go down and London light up I felt ready in a strange way.

In addition I'm starting my pop culture side of things blog, in preparation. Link should be in the side bar soonish.

First Post!

So I finally got round to making my first post. I am making this blog mainly to share and record the experiences, I have in Japan next year. Until then I guess it will function as a kind of personal blog for anything I find interesting. I intend to create another blog parallel to this one for my more geeky interests (anime, manga, video games J pop etc) so that my more normal friends don't have to endure my ramblings on those subjects.

For now I leave you with the glory that is Shortsman

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HfffJ9vHBAQ