Schoolzorz.

ZOMG! Am at school, it is lunch time right now on my second day. Gah! I just ate my obentou and I've stolen the computer, Mwuahahahaha...

Yes, everyone wants photos, right?

Well, you'll have to wait. Sorry.

I am fine. Basically, I am in Japan, enjoying myself. I have to get up at like 6:30 these days which is pretty good considering in Australia I had to get up earlier than that for school. Awesomeness. The school is, uh...big. With lots of people, everyone is very friendly and have welcomed me. Lots of waving at randoms...apparently I'm popular. ((Yes, for once in my life. LOLZ.)) Next, I think I have to do my self introduction speech. The one in front of everyone...So, I kind of practiced but still have to read for a bit. It's ok though, they'll think I'm cute anyhow, right. Right?!?!

I haven't even checked my email yet. I'll do that after and then try and upload my photos to like a proper photo site where you can browse at your leisure.

But here are some just for now:

Japan

Me and my host sister, Yui with Sakura.

Hello, everyone. This is the first time I have been able to get onto a computer. So amazingly sorry!! Anyways, I'm here in Japan and enjoying myself. Ummm....photos are coming. I'm in a little bit of aa hurry right now so I can't really post much. I feel like a monkey, people are poking at my hair. LOLZ. So, I'll try and write more tomorrow when I have time. School started today. Gah!

Lol. I took this one especially for Katherine.

More tomorrow. Love you, miss you.

Ashley-chan

At the Airport

So, here I am in Japan. Finally. I am in Tokyo at the moment at Narita View Hotel and after one ridiculously short flight (Brisbane to Sydney) and one horribly long one in which pretty much no sleep was attained (Sydney to Tokyo) I am here. In the mighty land of Asia. Oooo...There was in-flight entertainment which was pretty darn awesome...I watched Tinkerbell...
Appropriate for a 17 year old, I know.

So, in Japan doing orientation with a whole bunch of other students. We are having fun and vaguely learning things. It doesn't really seem like we are in Japan yet as we are still all together and still all speaking english. Tomorrow will definently be judgement day. Tomorrow I embark on YET ANOTHER plane flight from Tokyo to Nagasaki where I am staying as most of you should know.

Crap, half of my time is gone already.

I ate an onigiri!!!! It was like the first thing I bought in Japan. They are just as good as I remember, plain with soy sauce and Grape Fanta and pocky. Real, authentic, amazing tasting pocky.

Ok, I don't have a lot of time left, 3 and 1/2 minutes so I will quickly tell you a story.
While I was in Narita airport waiting at the baggage carousel, a lady began to pull away her trolley with her luggage piled atop. Her earring caught on it and popped off, unnoticed by her. Bending down and grabbing it, I hurriedly followed her and caught her attention and dutifully gave back her earring. Spotting my luggage on the carousel I then rushed off to get it before it disappeared. After getting my luggage, my lady ran up to me and gave me a paper origami crane. Only in Japan.

Ok, really gotta go.

<3

Ashley-chan.

Miss you all.

Zoom Zoom

In about an hour and a half I'll be driving up to the airport. I'm still strangely calm about everything but after all, this certainly has been a long time coming. I learnt my first host families just this morning. It seems I am particularly good at leaving all the important details until the last minute.

I've done pretty much all the things I wanted to do before leaving, I made a keyblade (instead of chakrams) and a Snape hand puppet who you will be introduced to shortly. Incidentally, I didn't get to do a Slytherin cosplay in honour of Harry Potter: Half Blood Prince which comes out in September mostly due to the fact that it is practically impossible to find anything that vaguely resembles a Slytherin tie. Damn. XD

Just wanted to thank everyone for their well-wishes and support. I really appreciate and will honestly miss everyone...It's only 10 months though. I'll be back and more asian than ever. ^_^

To the crew at work: Thank you for being so kind to me, and putting up with all my quirky peccadillos and even joining in. You made earning money a lot of fun. I'm wearing my gorgeous necklace right now. XoXo.

To my friends: Saturday Night was really fun even though Jack and Ross are like EPIC scaredy-cats. Lol. I can't believe Kitty is the bravest. Oh, the irony. But I started thinking about what we did, (Dracula's haunted house) and how there were dare doors. (Doors that were scarier than the rest of the haunted house) The way we were so scared to enter, even though we knew that there was nothing in there that would hurt us (mental scarring aside).

It just kind of related to Japan to me, there will be things that I will be afraid to do in Japan, not because I'll be in any danger but just because of my mental limitations. Not to mention, it will be even harder without all my friends. But I will do my best to overcome all obstacles and pass the bloody EVIL JLPT Lvl. 2 exam, don't get your hopes up though...

Oh my god. We leave the house in an hour.

To my family: Thank you for being amazing. I really love both of you, (and Lucy) and I will miss you immensely but I'm glad that you understand that this is something that I want to do and support me in that decision. I'll make sure I have a ball. Love you more.

Ok, I'll stop being sappy now and introduce you all to the puppet version of my fiancee. He's my mood indicator. ^^

Mood:

I'm sure you'll see a whole lot more of him.

Here goes nothing!

<3

Ashley-chan.

One Hand

Wow. It's been a while since I've written anything.

I guess it's just been a bit of a drag waiting for everything to start happening for me. I've been waiting for this for about 5 or 6 months or something. Up until now emotions have been running suprisingly low. I thought that I would feel something more: nervousness, excitement, anticipation, fear, anything at all but I was fairly calm throughout the whole process. However, I can now count my remaining days in Australia on one hand. So, that freaks me out just a smidgen.

I have a theme song by the way. Only a few people will be familiar with it. It's from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It's not so much a theme song as a motto or philosphy while I am there. Bouken Desho Desho. Translates as: It's an adventure, right? This thought cheers me up when I'm anxious about leaving safe territory. It's an adventure, it'll be fun and then I'll be back in Australia and forced back into reality. Yay, reality...

I quit work today. In about 8 hours and 20 minutes or so I will have officially resigned from where I have been working for the past three years. That particular bag comes with mixed feelings. After all, working in a deli for over three years really makes you...I don't even know what it makes me. At first, I was just happy to have some money, then I went through a brief angsty period and I was questioning whether this was all there was. Is my purpose at this stage of my life to give people ham? Seriously?

Anyway, now it is like : Yes, I don't have to work for a year!

However, I've made some good friends there and I'll be sad to leave them. They made my Sundays fun. ^_^ It was really good working with people whose company I enjoyed. I'm going to miss them a lot but I am sure that I'll see them again but hopefully not as Deli work colleagues as that would be both cruel and depressing.

I was just thinking how much plastic we use in the Deli. For every order we use either plastic bags or plastic containers. That sucks. I'd petition if I was there for longer.

Just think about the world and how the world would be fantastic,
If we could get rid of all the plastic,
We just need to get enthusiastic,
I'm not trying to be ironic or sarcastic,
Do something drastic and rid the world of plastic.

There you go, Hayden, Tim Minchin reference. ^_^

For those of you who were as unenlightened as I was before Sunday. Tim Minchin is a very funny, clever and deep (He's deep, bro) man who happens to write comedic songs that are often either political or religious satire, smut or hate songs. If you want to look at his ginger rock 'n' roll hair and his rock 'n' roll face with the kooky contact lenses and mascara.

Click here: TIM MINCHIN IS GOD.

Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way I do actually have some Japan related news. Suprise! I've receieved the itinerary for my first few days in Tokyo for JFIE Orientation.

It is as follows:

Thursday 26th of March:
After departing Narita airport, we will travel by coach to the Narita View Hotel in Chiba.
At 11am we will leave the hotel and travel by coach to Koishikawa junior high school. The trip takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours and we will eat lunch on the coach.

We will be involved in cross cultural activities at the school from approx 12:30 - 4:30pm. Upon returning to the hotel at approx 6pm, we will be given the orientation schedule and then have time to rest until dinner at 7:30pm.

Friday 27th of March:
7:30am Breakfast
9am - 12:30 Orientation
12:30 - 3pm visit Aeon Shopping Mall (purchase your lunch & complete set task)
3:15 - 7pm Orientation continues
7:30pm Dinner

Saturday 28th of March:
7am Breakfast
8am Final Instructions re departure
8:45am Students short speeches in Japanese
10:30am Leave the Hotel to transfer to your homestay areas by train or plane.
(Here's hoping I get the pokemon plane.)

I haven't learnt my speech yet. Dammit. Must do that. I should be cleaning or other useful, constructive activities but I just needed to relax a little. Alright, well that is about it for me for now.

I may post again before Japan if not, there will be a gap between me going and me posting as I do have to adjust to the lifestyle and family and I don't want to annoy by shirking them for a comupter. Makes sense, right?

<3

Ashley-chan