A lot has happened since my last post. One exciting thing is that I have lost almost 15kg which is awesome. My main piece of advice is to eat less, eat healthier and exercise more. But it is also about a state of mind. You’ve got to want it bad enough to get there.

I’m missing rice fields and I’m missing Japan. For now, however, I’m planning on studying Japanese like there is no tomorrow. Next year I’m planning to get my post grad in education and I’m hoping that I’ll be teaching Japanese in high schools soon. I really loved teaching in Japan, and the biggest frustrations to me were because I wasn’t a “real” teacher. We’ll see how we go anyway.

My year on JET was the best year of my life. I don’t regret it at all. I leave feeling both sad and happy. I would have loved to stay another year. However, at the same time I feel like I have to move on with my life. Which is why I’m going home to Australia soon.

While in Japan I was too busy living life (heh!) to post much here. I’m hoping now I’ll be able to catch up with all the adventures I went on. I have so many photos to go through.

My biggest disappointment is that Ikuta Toma is coming out with so many movies and TV shows and I’m not there to witness them live. Just so typical.

That is all.

Here’s the long waited for apartment tour. The only catch is… these photos are actually from when I first moved in back in August 2009! Most likely you will have to wait equally as long for me to post an updated and lived in version – first I will have to clean the place.

The above photo is the thingy I made for my door. It’s made out of things from the daiso. Awesome shop.

Here we are looking back at the front door. You can see the letter mail insert thingy. And my shoes, probably the neatest they’ve been. So yes, you have to take your shoes off before entering. I’m not sure it is something I’ll keep up when I get home, but it may be a good idea in trying to keep floors cleaner.

The cupboard is to keep your shoes in. But I have small feet and I find the box can be too small for even some of my own shoes. The good thing is that finding shoes here is easy and they are cute and cheap!

And this is the view from the door. Yep, that’s right, straight ahead is the bathroom sink. Heh. To the left you have two tatami mat rooms and to the right is the kitchen, toilet, bathroom and laundry.

The first room on the left. Kotatsu covered in stuff as I didn’t have a desk at that stage.

Interlude: I actually live right next to a high school and here was the first time I saw a kid cutting school through a hole in the fence. Memories. They now have the hole covered with a sign and they are fixing up the joint, putting in flowers etc.

Turning back around to face the room. Shit in boxes – left from predecessor. Unpacking still to do and sorting out. Got the clothes rack thing pretty cheap from the local department store.

Facing back towards the kitchen.

And then back around to the useless wardrobe in the corner.

Into the next room. Look, an aircon! It’s great. It was great back in august for the heat, it is great now in the freezing cold.

I’ve swapped around the doors now, cause this one is see through and it’s the room with the aircon, and see through is a silly idea for a door. I want the sulight out in the morning. So I swapped the doors.

The balcony and the TV.

The kitchen, complete with unpacked and messy stuff! Yay!

My microwave/oven/toast oven in one, then the actual toaster oven, and then the kettle which I never actually got a cord for – but I didn’t bother getting one because I don’t drink tea or coffee or anything that needs hot water like that. So it’s all good. I want to try baking in my microwave soon.

The kitchen sink. Some of these dishes are mine, and some are from boxes that I haven’t washed yet. I got lots of odd stuff – tupperware containers without lids, and no plates. That sort of thing.

The fridge. Covered with stuff. I really wanted to see wicked but never got around to it. There probably still is a chance, but I probably will never get around to it.

My laundry! But I have a dryer, something that most people I talk to seem to be jealous of. Not only that, this one didn’t work, so I have a shiney new dryer!

The bathroom. It’s a bit weird, you step up and are straight into the shower area. I haven’t been in the bath yet, although it was much recommended in summer. I have a normal bath, not one that reheats, so I’m not sure if I want to have a bath here in winter – water never seems to stay hot for long and it’d seem like a waste of water.

And the last image of the toilet! This one has a sink ontop of the toilet and as you flush the water first goes through the top – a wonderful idea I think.

So what do I think of my little Japanese apartment? Well, it’s little. And poorly insulated. And I don’t really have enough storage to put things – I need a bookcase or something. Oh, and I don’t like tatami mats, especially as I’m someone who destroys things without meaning to. But it has everything one could need, the water in the shower gets hot quickly and it has aircon which is great. And it’s very cheap.

Today over at edufire I gathered with some other Japan related bloggers for some talk about oatmeal, amigurumi - and a little bit about blogging in general. There was great advice as well as lots of laughs, and I’m looking forward to the next one. It made me (yes, made me!) join twitter… Feel free to add me back, or what ever the twitter related lingo is!

Here’s who attended, list shamelessly stolen from Koichi…

• Koichi from Tofugu
• Deas from Rocking In Hakata
• Louis from Xorsyst
• Brett from Rainbowhill’s Language Lab
• Nick from Japansoc
• Chris from Nihongo Notes
• Michael from Michael Downey
• Shane from Nihon Sun
• Jason from Jason’s Advs in Rural Japan
• Tae Kim from Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese
• Dave from The Ramen Blues
• Jonas from Yonasu.com
• Kirk from Jamaipanese

So what do you guys think about Japan Blogging and it’s community? What would you like to see? What can I do to improve my blog? These were some of the questions raised, and I’d love to know what other’s think!

It’s not long now until I go to Japan! I’m so excited yet I have a lot to do before I go so I am probably thinking about it more than I should.

This is going to be my first time in Japan. I plan on going everywhere. I’m starting in Osaka, going up to Tokyo and then back down to Kyoto before leaving.

One thing I am hating right now is the exchange rate. Why did it have to happen NOW??? My money has effectively been halved thanks to it. I’m only going to be able to buy half the manga and visit half the love hotels I planned on going to.

Another thing I’ve been *naughty* in doing is studying Japanese my way. I really have a lot of things I need to be doing, yet I’ve been plugging away at my Intermediate Japanese textbook, and again have been using Anki – that program has changed a lot since I last used it, which I think was around July.

As for Dramas, I have been watching:

• Innocent Love
  I am really enjoying this, I think this one is my favourite so far this season. Of course, the season is still young though.
• Oh! My Girl!!
  *Yawn.* I found nothing special with this one. While cute, I’m not sure I’ll watch the rest of this one.
• Ryusei no Kizuna
  I’m enjoying this one. I think the cast have great chemistry, and it was more “mature” (i.e. lots of sex talk!) than I thought it would be for a Johnny’s show. I like the non-linear-ish story line. This one is a bit of fun, so far, but with dark undertones.
• Bloody Monday
  I haven’t finished watching the first episode yet, as I got interrupted, but this is one show I am planning to watch. From what I’ve seen it’s really intriguing.
• Room of King
  *zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
]]> http://www.goddesscarlie.com/carlies-life/almost-finished-uni/feed/ 6 http://www.goddesscarlie.com/travel/only-two-months/ http://www.goddesscarlie.com/travel/only-two-months/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:18:07 +0000 GoddessCarlie http://goddesscarlie.com/only-two-months/ I’m so excited. It is now only two months until I’m on a plane. It is going to be my first trip to japan. I have booked into all my accomadation now. I will be staying in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Toyko. On Wednesday I’m going to the shops to buy the last of the stuff I’ll need for my trip – mostly things for emergencies such as bandaids etc.

Yeah, I’m ready to go now, when I still have two months to go! That’s how excited I am, I don’t think I’ve been this organized in my life.

Only two months until I graduate from university. Another reason to be organized for my trip now while I can be – I have so much assessment coming up!


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