Down to the wire…

I’m officially under the two week mark. In fact, I only have ten sleeps to go!  I’ve slightly adjusted my countdown, as my flight leaves in the very early hours of May 5th, and I will be at the airport late the night before. So, technically there will be no sleep that last night in Canada. At the realization of my quick moving countdown, I have to admit to a slight pang of anxiety surrounding the state of my packing and obvious procrastinating over the last few weeks. 

So, you may ask, what is there to do in my last two weeks in Victoria? Well, as I’ve mentioned many times before, the packing process has been on-going, but there is still much to be done before take-off. I have a funny feeling this job will continue right up until the last possible moment. 

My second job of late has been attempting to learn some Japanese. I have a Japanese phrase book and grammar book, and am slowly learning some of the basics of the language. However, despite the fact that I’m learning the pronunciation of Japanese words, I haven’t managed to learn much about the kanji (or characters). I wasn’t sure how big of a deal this would be until I was looking for an online movie rental site in Japan, only to find that all of the top recommended sites have nothing but Japanese characters. Granted, I don’t know how indicative of Japanese signage and advertising this is, but it sure made me think about learning the Japanese characters. This is the first language I have studied that isn’t based on the Roman alphabet, and I’m not entirely sure about that best way to approach this. However, I’ve always found it easier to learn a new language when I’m immersed in it. I’m hoping I am learning enough of the basics to get by on arrival, but I’m sure I will learn so much more by necessity once I’m there. 

Of course, there have been lots of little logistical jobs to do as my timeline gets shorter. The all important work visa has been stamped in my passport and delivered safely to me. I have to say I like this one much better in appearance than my British visa, as I was not just allowed, but encouraged to smile for the picture this time. I also ordered some Japanese Yen, which came in the form of crisp new banknotes in amounts that make me feel wealthy! 

With all the big tasks to accomplish before take-off, the most important one for me has been spending time with friends and family. After living away from Victoria for the better part of the last few years, it’s been great to be back for a few months now. I’ve tried to see as many people as I could, although circumstances haven’t allowed me to see them all. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time at home, but I’m getting psyched and ready to go on the next exciting chapter of my work and travels. 

I hope I’ll have time to put in one more post before departure day, but if not I will definitely have lots to say once I’m settled and working in Akashi! Until next time… 10 sleeps and counting!

Packing: The Next Generation

This week is all about starting my least favourite process of moving and travelling: packing. One of the benefits of booking my flight with Air China is that they do not seem to have taken on the new regulations limiting checked luggage to one piece, no matter how far you are travelling. However, I started off in England with two pieces of luggage and by the time I was packing to come home the regulations had changed for the airlines offering flights back to Canada. I am hoping to pack efficiently and only bring one big piece of luggage.

Along the way, though, I have been hearing about several things I have to think about packing that weren’t on the list for England. At the top of the unusual things I have been told to pack with me is North American deodorant. Yes, apparently all deodorant is not created equally, and I have heard from different sources that most North Americans who have moved to Japan find that the local brands just don’t do the job, especially in the humid Japanese summers.

The next thing on the list of bring-from-home items is basic clothing items. I’ve been told that I may be able to fit into some of the largest sizes of clothing in mainstream Japanese shops, but that I can’t necessarily depend on all the shops having a range of sizes similar to Canada. Apparently the sizing of clothing in Japan is also much different than here. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to bring as much in the way of clothes this time around. My wardrobe grew during my time in London, and I assumed it would be similar this time around.

One thing I was used to having readily available in London was English language books. As an avid reader I was hoping to save some weight in my luggage by looking for books on arrival in Japan. However, I am hearing now that it’s not very easy to get English books or magazines in most parts of Japan, and if you do you will pay a premium. So, I’m hoping I will have some space left for books amongst my other belongings.

So, these are some of the unusual items I will be stocking up on, and until the transporter is invented for real (hence the Star Trek reference) I will endure the packing process.

The countdown clock now sits at 25 sleeps and counting….!

New blog, New adventure

It's hard to believe that it was almost three years ago that I started my first blog before my departure to London. And here I am, a month away from embarking on a new adventure! I'm now in the final stretch of preparations for my move to Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. I will be leaving Canada on May 5th and flying to Osaka, via Beijing.With many flights across the Altantic under my belt, I'm excited to be venturing across the Pacific for the first time. I'm feeling a sense of deja vu as I'm currently in the process of applying for visas, buying plane tickets and researching my new home. One thing that is definitely different than my preparations for London is the process of learning a new language. Despite learning languages in school and during my time in Bolivia, I have to say that Japanese is a very different language from any I have encountered. I know that this is going to be a more challenging adjustment in a lot of ways than moving to London. In a strange way that makes me even more excited to be taking this leap into a new world of language, culture and work.

With the terrible aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the related nuclear troubles, I have been answering lots of questions about where I will be moving to. As I mentioned already, the city I will be living in is called Akashi and it's located in Hyogo Prefecture. It is on the main island of Honshu and the closest large city is Kobe. Akashi is south-west of Osaka, and is was not affected by the March 11 earthquake or tsunami, and has not been affected thus far by the nuclear problems. In Akashi, I will be teaching English at a private school to children, college students, and adults.

With a brand new endeavour I thought it appropriate to start a brand new blog to share the stories of my experiences to come.