Flat3D

A week

So what is new….

Well, in the past week I have finished survival Japanese and they are moving me on to the first stage in the course they usually give to long term missionaries. Whether that is good or not remains to be seen!

On Saturday I went on a trip with my teacher’s sons to Otaru, a touristish town here by the sea. They are about my age, so it was a good day out all in all. I have some photos, but still no sign of a real computer.

In the evening I went with My host, family, the Ishiharas, to a restaurant and had all kinds of Japanese food.

On Sunday I went to Sapporo International Church, where Laura-Jane Carson is a missionary. the service was in Japanese, but they have a system of receivers that they broadcast a translation to.

So that is about it really… Maybe something interesting/funny will happen soon…

Freeness

My new notebook (no-to-) has anti bacterial pages!

On the front it also says:
“knowledge is proud that he has learn’d so much,
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.”

Cool huh? I’m gonna use that somewhere to be deep…

Since the last blog, I have been learning Japanese… Slowly the stuff I learned in QUB’s evening classes is coming back, and being added to. I’m fairly good in hiragana and am improving in it and katakana all the time. I have started Japanese classes at JLC, and being in a homestay is great!

On Saturday I got the bus into Sapporo and looked around a bit. It was quite daunting not knowing what most of the signs said and not having soreoe to ask “what is that?” or ”what does that say?”

then I went to see bunraku which is a type of Japanese theatre using half life size puppets. apparently it is quite rare to get to see it.

Sunday I went to my homestay family’s church where the youth group grilled me on evangelism, which was I think due to working through a translator more than any intention…

anyway, more updates as they get written, and photos when I get access to a real PC…

Arrived

I have arrived in Japan! Im in the Language centre, which has no computer for students (its true!) so I mooched a moment on the teachers one! I can also find a wifi net in my homestay, but it is very, very weak…

I am still pretty jet lagged and couldnt get to sleep last night for a while and sat up thinking depressing thoughts about not seeing people for a year and not getting to do things for a year etc. It really makes me appreciate the difficulties students who come to NI from asia must have, and even more so the missionaries who used to go out taking their coffin with them and didnt expect to return alive or see their families again… And its only been one night! But I am ok now, just tired! Hopefully I will sleep well tonight.

The earthquake kylie mentioned was off the coast from Sendai, where Natania was short term. It was felt here and as far south as Tokyo, a 7.2 on the richter scale. It caused a tsunami as well, but it was only 10 inches tall!

Anyways must go and stop using this computer and let Miriam show me how to get home!

Star gazing

so im in the queue at the self check in counter at Belfast city airport and who should be in front of me breaking every machine he touches but Colin Murray of Radio 1 fame…

then I’m standing in duty free Dixons in Heathrow airport when a kid runs over and asks “Can I have your autograph?” as I turned to oblige the young tyke I noticed to my mixed disappointment and delight that he was actually asking Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame (yeah ano!) who had been standing beside me…

More updates as encounters occur…

Closer and closer

This time on Monday I will be waiting to board my flight from Heathrow to Tokyo. Then this time on Tuesday I will be in Sapporo, hopefully asleep!

It’s kinda scary to think that I will not be home for a full year…

Edited to explain the comments…
Kyleigh thinks it is funny to write comments in other languages (which I can’t read) hence the spanish. Then she tried to translate to Japanese using some website. The comment you probably can’t read is supposed to be asking me if I can read it… I am not sure at all if it is…