別の外人

Now properly in December, and need to start knuckling down to work properly, but many ponderings and exciting things are happening:

Today went for a meal at Latina (a Brazilian restaurant) with some classmates, which comprised of me, Jo, Igor, Leo, Sin, most of the Japanese students, a Korean girl and a few others :) Was really good, we got a lot of meat... it was 70kuai which did put us off and we were worried about going in the first place, because the others have gone to Hong Kong today til Sunday I think it was, but then once we said we'd go, it was fine. We spoke quite a lot of Chinese, ate Brazilian barbeque and buffet food, and then played a game which involved guessing ‘谁是杀人’ which was very fun, as well as...

CHINESE WHISPERS

IN CHINESE

This actually blew my mind.

In the rest of the week, posted my secret santa stuff as well as a few assorted packages and letters, went shoe shopping with Jo which failed as there were no shoes that fit her feet but we did get to witness the fitness of Shaanxi Nan Lu (caught the metro from Xujiahui to there and then walked along up to Nanjing Xi Lu and then to Jiaozhou Lu) and the millions of amazing shoe shops and clothes shops with some big shoes, mostly small shoes, but just generally awesome, and then went onto Marks and Sparks IN CHINA AND THE LAYOUT WAS JUST LIKE BATH'S. It occurred to me from talking to Carrie that Southgate must be near finished now... anyone wanna take photos for me when they go home for Christmas?

I've also put up my tinsel and brought out my last blanket, woo winter's here. When I was doing washing too, I thought I'd managed to lose all my clothes, but no just turned out I'd left an awful lot of stuff in Nerys' room haha. Went round there one evening last week and played some sort of Uno-like game, and then characters. Robbie was the expo blob... I love how noone outside of Shanghai really has a clue about it. I read an article on the Telegraph website though about the British exhibit, which looks awesome on the outside, but is... EMPTY on the inside. Sorta sums it up doesn't it, woo Britain. I am still missing it though.

I realised that I'm still talking to pretty much everyone I was friends with in Leeds, which is really good considering I haven't seen them for again 6 months (with the exceptions of the people who came down to Bath this summer), I think my friendships are gonna work out :) plus I've made friends with Jo who i wouldn't have known at all were I in Japan for 6 months, whereas all the people in kansai I was friends with in Leeds. Well, excluding the Japanese :P Even after arriving in shangers, I still know I wouldnt have been friends with Jo as she has actually said were she not friends with me, she would hang around with the 'church crew' far more than she does atm, coz atm she hangs round much more with the 'Leeds crewage'. So that's a nice thought :)

I've definitely got a proper routine here now, it's well fun :) Monday is Jing'an Mondays for me, I go round Jo's til late and then go straight to sleep when I get back around midnight. Georgie Thursday is Jo coming over here and staying til late... we also end up coming back to mine after morning classes when she can't be arsed to go home straightaway/wants to share fruit. Though we suspect youzi season is almost over now *shock*... oh well when we end up finding a flat altogether these special days will no longer be needed haha. And then one of us won't have to spend ages travelling home, and then we might even get into bed earlier :O

See the thing is with my waking up, is that I wake up at like 6.30am my time (10.30pm) but then I maybe can't be arsed to get out of bed til between 7.30 and 7.50... and I'm meant to leave between 8am and 8.10 oops xD So that's why I'm not around then. And I'm not voluntarily waking up at 6am... though tbf I have tried. I was so lucky on Monday, set my alarm for 10am since I had class at 1pm, but slept through it apparently, until midday... lucky or what??

I still have a total mysterious toe injury. Like my mysterious sudden acute eyebrow pain I once had in French xD Although that said, I do have my suspicions as to what caused it... I think it's bloody sympathetic pain xD Like after I met the girls after the marathon, they were really tired, and then I got really tired... and then my legs ached... and now my toe hurts and they started moaning today about toe pain. Kinda like animal false 'sympathetic' pregnancies xD I'm so weirdddd

I really want to do something in my life here in Shanghai. I'm really really bored and I haven't got any societies here (as there aren't any) so am having to resort to expat activities, such as a choir. Have found one, but the open session is too far and expensive... waiting still to hear from cheaper one. I know that it'd be more classical stuff, but I wouldn't have to solo at all which is good as my voice really isn't that good haha.

What else have I been up to this week... I bought a massive watermelon. You've never ever seen anything as big. Some woman had a load on the pavement yesterday, ie the first of December xD and was like '2 for 70p' and I'm having enough trouble eating one... they're actually really good, it's so confusing xD My fridge is full to the brim of watermelon.

I have paid for my Cambodia flights, was hoping to be paying for Beijing train tickets on Friday, but the tickets haven't been released yet. Need to buy them soooooonish though, once the others get back from Hong Kong. And I am deffo doing interrailing as well as everything else, I can prob afford it and still have a lot of spare money left :D Yay :D I had to use my UK bank card to buy flights with as my Chinese bank card was not happy but oh well.

Today I sang 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' as my Christmas carol of the day. Right now it is 10C outside and 18C in my room. Toasty :D Am also listening to Travis 'Driftwood' as we speak. I also slept 6 hours last night which is impressive for me. Tomorrow an early start, same on Thursday, then 4 lie ins in a row oh YEAHHHHHHHHHH
My dad told me he's completely redecorated the house (well still in progress but oh well) and hopes to have another job by January... this is still worrying me xD
Got to speak to Laura via her phone email (Japanese phones only email not text weirdly enough) which was cool, and briefly on MSN just now, which was nice as it's hard for us to contact each other atm as she doesn't have internet at her host family's house. Can't wait til she comes, only like 7 weeks now :D Also double checked Tori's dates of coming, so happy that we'll have a fortnight together :D

Oh and I have also bought recently: 27 dresses, 2012, and a pen with a panda on it. Didn't really buy much food though (read any) oops... gonna have a big tea to make up for it :) We decided on some awesome swear words: gobshite and knobjockey and are using them at any available opportunity. Just before my teacher asked me a question in class about what I really can't stand, Jo mouthed 'knobjockey' at me, and so when I was asked the question, literally the ONLY thing in my head was that word. I stuttered and stammered until I just said 'nothing' in answer to her question and then just blushed quietly. Now it's one of those things I can just say at any moment... along with 'do you feel the moon', 'I turn to YOU' (Mel C) and 'HI HI HI HI HI' which is a dog impression XD I'm not mental at all...

I HAVE ALSO NOW WATCHED LOADS OF CHRISTMAS SONGS MUSIC VIDEOS ANDDDDDD.... THE SNOWMAN :D :D :D It feels like Christmas is properly coming now.

Love it. This Christmas is gonna be so weird, but Beijing will make it all better. BRING. IT. ON. xxx

Wow, I can't actually believe it, but I am now here. Currently sitting in a youth hostel in Shin Osaka (which I would coincidentally really recommend to anyone thinking of travelling this way...) with a load of mad children running around and Japanese game shows playing. Oh and there is the largest amount of manga I think I have ever seen... an entire wall is covered. Think of the size of Michael Sadler LG 17, take a wall and cover it in bookshelves. Yeah... too much kanji for one girl to handle ^^;;

Been enjoying the Engrish as well so far, had a little 2 year old Japanese boy with a t-shirt on that read 'D is for dreamy. O is for openness. G is for gentle. LABRA' ... Dunno why they missed the DOR off LABRADOR or maybe there's a secret meaning... Who knows.

Saw an epic vending machine in the train station at Kansai International Airport:

"Drinks packed in paper carton
are kind to the environment.
They will surely put you
who drinks them in a kind mood
Won't you too refresh
with a delicious soft drink?"

... It was not just juice cartons of date juice, but also icecream cones. Wow.





Back to the actual journey to get here...
Before we left my house, I had a minor stress attack about the weight of my luggage and my hand luggage. Turns out all that worry was for nothing, as my luggage weighted 30.3 (I think the guy ignored me being over the limit by 0.3) and hand luggage I think was 7kg, but they never even weighed it. Thank god :D Weird though, coz people who flew from Birmingham had their hand luggage weighed...

I didn't set the security alarm off, yay :D Wandered around Heathrow, ate a carrot cake and a sandwich, went to the boarding gate but couldn't board straight away as the luggage guy had put both mine and Laura's luggage receipt on my boarding pass, and this really confused the check in lady, who made us see the supervisor (who blatantly didn't actually care xD)

The plane was SO big and it had STAIRS though we couldn't go up them sadly enough coz there was a velvet rope barring the way... SO many films and tv shows we could watch and music we could listen to, even multiplayer games on every screen on the back of every seat haha. Took 7 hours, we were tired by arrival, though the airplane food helped to perk us up a bit. Arrived in Dubai in the middle of the night, had the problem of some places only accepting UED when we had every other currency, but met up with Juni, Anna and Camilla which was nice :D Found Jamie eventually down the steps after we had checked in, though we had temporarily lost Peter at that point :P Dubai arrivals security was so much more laidback than Heathrow was, my liquids could stay in my bag, all I had to do was take off my jumper. Result. But yeah was pretty good. Though I did manage to get moaned at by a scary looking Dubai police officer in his army-esque uniform for loitering... least I presume it was loitering, the command was in Arabic.

The plane to KIX took soooooooo long, from 3am Dubai time to 5pm Japan time, so you've no idea if you should be awake or asleep. We all tried to sleep, but, with the exception of Peter, none of us really managed it that well. I napped on and off throughout the journey, but kept getting too uncomfortable, or getting woken up by a really annoying child who kept doing this throat clearing sound, but which was about 5 seconds long each time. And then he'd scream. Grr.

Arrived at about 5pm, had the massive queue for security (with the fun woman who allocated you to your queue and was very abrupt: 'Dozo' and then you /had/ to leave. Also loved the massive sign saying FOREIGNERS THIS WAY xD the Japanese people got a lot more staff as well... We handed in our disembarkation forms, and I got my temporary visitor visa :D Then luggage reclaim, Jamie's luggage appeared near to the end as we came through, so he had to quickly grab it. I had forgotten just how heavy mine is... Finally was customs, nothing to declare for me though the security guy did ask suspiciously 'What are you doing in Japan?' which apparently nobody else got asked.

Everyone else got collected by Kansai Gaidai, I wandered upstairs to try and find the JR ticket office, found it, only spoke to the guy at the counter in Japanese, and now I have my railpass :D The ticket guy told me which train to get in Japanese, and I understood that too :) Pleasing times.

Waited for the train, was amazed by the many staff CLEANING IT (seriously, hoovers, hand hoovers, everything. Looked like new) when it arrived, had a random Ugandan guy try and start a convo with me but I wouldn't let him, watched the staff keep on rotating the chairs, and then got on the train. The guy in front of me in the queue who was Japanese helped me with my suitcase, then asked me questions about London and Stonehenge as he's apparently going on a business trip there next week. He helped me get my luggage off the train, and even though he only had '6 minutes until my Shinkansen train' it was 'plenty of time' so he first directed me to the gate out I needed. Walked down the road at about 8pm with my big suitcase, there were no signs for the hostel but eventually found it, and it's really nice :) On the 10th floor, but with the bedrooms on the 9th, and the view from my room is amazing, will take pictures.

Right now, writing this from the lobby area of the hostel, it's pretty amazing :D

Will write next from Utsunomiya, most likely :)

This is my last day in the UK now. Got Laura staying with me at the moment, so tomorrow my parents will have two large suitcases to take to the airport. Fun times. I still have to locate my final few Chinese books, and pack my shoes, some socks and a cardi, as well as all of my electronics and an empty bag or two, but then I will be done and dusted, ready to leave the house at about 8.30am tomorrow.

Last night, went into town, met up with Kim, Reva and Demon which was nice, even if I got all teary. Dunno if it was the cocktails (an Alexander and a Chocolate Martini, yum) or just the fact that I won't see them for ages, but regardless I got all teary. Then I got to properly say goodbye to the UK coz we got one final look at the utter incompetence of First Great Western, when they decided to reroute my train to Chippenham via Bradford-on-Avon xD Yay thank god I don't have to go on that train for a year :P

Need to decide whether to take my bear... you may laugh, but I love my bear. Probably shouldn't take him then, he might get lost or damaged... Still have to pack jewellery as well, so prob no room for him. Also need to print off a few more maps and stuff.

Preparations wise, got a few more things sorted over the last few days:
I now have my accommodation contract :D It's awesome :D I love my new flat already and I haven't even gone yet :P This is my room:

I don't think it comes with the bedspread, but it does come with the sofa and AIRCON THANK THE LORD.

There are two bathrooms, a living room which looks large, 4 other bedrooms and a kitchen. Looks snazzy :D I kinda can't wait to move in now.

Although I get to live in a 5 star hotel in the meantime...

On the aeroplane, we've got our seats sorted, sitting by Peter and Laura to Dubai, and then by them and Camilla, with Anna, Juni and Jamie behind us. Should be fun :D

Also got Sunday plans sorted, going to Nagoya to meet up with Chika, Miki, hopefully Mari and Marie. Getting the train from Shin-Osaka to there, and then I'm going on to Utsunomiya alone. Hopefully gonna go to Tokyo for a day, maybe meet up with Miles or Katy :D

... It's actually happening now. AGH.

Oh, and this is a video tour of my flat. Enjoy :P

Since last posting, I found out I managed to fail my re-sit, and so I am instead going to Shanghai for the year. I am staying in the JW Marriott for a few days immediately upon arrival. However, the arrangements have all been epically complicated:

a) my old JW202 form is no longer valid, so I have to get a new one when I get there
b) I've changed to single honours
c) I had to find somewhere to live, as the university has run out of accommodation
d) My visa is currently only valid for 90 days
e) I need to stay in Japan for a week - currently going to Nagoya and Utsunomiya
f) I need to get from Osaka to Shanghai
g) I have £2000 of RMB to take with me, whoa.

Point f) has been the most complicated, since I found a very good price flight, but the company only allows you to pay with a Chinese bank card, and I can't open an account til I get there. I want my residence permit, but I have to register with the police first, scary stuff.

Butttttt it seems to be getting sorted out:
a) I have got somewhere to live, hopefully.
b) I have a visa
c) I have money (but no credit card, idiots still haven't replied)
d) I have booked a place on the ferry from Osaka to Shanghai, heh
e) I have a holdall for my luggage
f) I have bought loads of underwear. Yay ^_^

So, with under 2 weeks to go, just gotta figure out what I still need to do:
Buy bras (have one new one :P but need more)
Buy deodorant/Marmite/Calpol/Strepsils
Figure out what Dubai ban
Figure out costs of Japanese trains
Buy hand luggage bag
Get more yen to pay for ferry.

Hopefully, that's it :D