Monks on the Bund

Hiatus

I apologise for the lack of updates recently, the last month or so has been manic. I am currently sitting in the Shanghai Library starting my 6 weeks of traveling so thanhinjapan is going on a little break. I will update everything properly, with pictures, when i get home to London, which is set for the 14th September. Roll out the red carpet, Tiny T is coming home!

Fireworks

EU round table

The Masses

A sight to behold

Hiroshima

Osaka-jo

Fury friends

Watch the pennies...

Temples temples temples

A spring in my steps

Brits Together

A String of Farewells

Back to Earth

Paradise couldnt last forever and I had to be back in Nagoya to finish my semester. Technically, I shouldnt have been able to go away on holiday at all because the Japanese take attendance and punctuality very seriously, but luckily, I have already completed my Japanese course in the Spring Intensive and so I had more leverage when I went to ask the Head of Japanese for permission. At the moment, I am sort of just 'repeating' the 102 course.

I have been doing a lot of studying trying to complete my assignments and catch up with things I'd missed while I was away. I have been teaching a lot too to save up money for China because tickets are booked, and Charlotte and Suzy are meeting me in Shaghai on the 1st August! Before that though, Nicole is coming out to visit me in Japan in the middle of July so we will be going to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and Hiroshima together. I'd left these cities out of my previous travel plans because my dad was supposed to visit in April but it worked out fine now that Nicole is coming because I really didnt want to see all the same sights again. Our itinerary is Japan's 'The Must See' list and I would have liked to add in Sendai too but we only have 10 days and we have to spend a couple of them in Nagoya to see the World Expo and also give poor Nicole a chance to rest after the flight.

The next couple of weeks is going to be crazy, my time in Japan is almost over and I really need to think about the moving back to England process. First, I havent applied for a student loan yet...eeek, the deadline was end of May but I'd thought it was end of June. Then, I need to send all my extra stuff home, cancel my phone, close my bank account, move out of Ohmeikan...

Too many things for my little head, but the next two months are going to be great, and then home to England to see everybody I have missed and getting a jacket potato! Mmmmmmm....priorities, priorities.