Pursuing Japanese ~ Ulterior Motives

"Could you become a friend to exchange language?"

This message was sent to me by an old lady I met at a language event. I have to admit, I was furious when I saw it. And why, you may ask? It's only fair, right? If I'm learning Japanese from someone, then I should at least provide them with something in return. But simply put however, I'm sick and tired of people only taking interest in me because I happen to speak a certain language. And I feel like with every new person I meet, they fail to see the person underneath with a personality, opinions and interests; they simply see a walking opportunity for themselves.

Recently, I've realised my Japanese has been waning due to lack of study. I still go to class once a week but on occasion, I've had to cancel due to work commitments. Similarly, I still do my language exchanges in the week but again I may have had to cancel or my partners have had to cancel due to their own commitments. The consistency just hasn't been there. Additionally, I go to work where some Japanese ability is necessary and I still struggle to speak in spontaneous situations. Often I don't understand completely or I do and I can't respond competently. I get very nervous very fast and it shows. But ultimately, I only have myself to blame. It's become a problem so I decided to start taking action again.

I feel like this is somehow permanently affixed to my forehead

I attended a language event last weekend that was a little different in that it was strictly time enforced by the host. We spent fifteen minutes in English and fifteen minutes in Japanese. Then we would break and repeat two more times. I ended up being the only foreigner on my tables of four. Every thirty minutes, I'd meet a new set of Japanese people and quickly felt like I was the weakest link because not only was my Japanese poor but their English was usually pretty good. During the Japanese segments however, I noticed that no matter how many times I would ask my "exchange groups" to slow down, they would speak at break-neck speed meaning that I often got lost during conversation. As annoying as this was however, I had to remind myself that these were not teachers. These were ordinary people who didn't really want to speak Japanese at a language exchange event. They wanted to speak English. And when the event came to an end, mine was the first table to disperse. Details were exchanged but I knew that I would never contact those people, let alone see them again.

I found another language group however and this group grasped my interest because unlike typical language events where people feign wanting to exchange, this event was geared towards foreigners who wanted to speak Japanese. English speaking was not a requirement. It was really early in the morning for me but as I needed to be in Tokyo anyway, I decided to go.

There were seven of us in total and only two foreigners including myself. The minute I arrived, I was greeted in Japanese so I felt like this was the real deal. We entered into a restaurant, introduced ourselves and the conversation began. I got talking to an old lady and a guy that I had met at a previous event, while the other four broke off into their conversation. It was very rare that we used English even though it was clear that some of the Japanese natives could speak it. Conversation was very broad and I even learnt some things that I hadn't before; not just about the language but about culture, sports...etc. When it ended, the host mentioned something I felt like was very true. That usual "language exchange" events often end up with foreigners mostly speaking English and that he created the group to give us an opportunity to speak Japanese. I felt so thankful.

I exchanged details with the old lady and then me and the guy hung out for a bit afterwards. We went to Akihabara and played games even though he had told me he had no interest in games whatsoever. As I had a met him at an event before, our conversation lapsed into English which I thought nothing of at the time but as I'm sitting here writing this, I can't help but wonder if the reason he'd decided to tag along was to get his fill of English. He had expressed interest in British culture however which may have been another reason but ultimately, I'm not so sure what his motives were.

When I returned home, I saw a message from the old lady who had sent me a picture of cherry blossoms. I replied in Japanese and then she replied in English. I replied again in Japanese and she sent me a message back in Japanese with some English at the end. All subsequent messages then came in mostly English followed by the question up top. She also asked me asked me if the sentence was grammatically correct sparking off realisations within me. This woman may have come to an event meant for foreigners speaking Japanese but her motives were clearly to find someone to help her with her English. She'd done her part by participating in the event, it was her turn to get her fill.

I was quite annoyed. I'm an English teacher and people pay me to speak and teach them in English. And despite living in Japan where English ability isn't particularly that great, I live about 70%-80% of my life in English. If this was any other country, I feel like I would have been forced to learn the language (I've heard that the French are particularly unforgiving) whereas in Japan, people drop in thank you's and hello's at random. I realise that the Japanese don't get much opportunity to practise using English themselves but I feel like Japan is the only country where the people are so borderline desperate to speak the language that they forget that foreigners are more than just an opportunity; they are people too; they might want to learn a language too; they might want to make friends too; heck, they might not even speak English in the first place.

I haven't responded to this woman yet. I already have two language exchange partners who I'm rather happy with. I'm not interested in having anymore. But I guess the fault lies with me, myself. The lady was nice and all but she did often drop random English words into the conversation at the event now that I think about it. We're also generations a part so we could never really truly be friends. And most people are not so kind as to want to help anyone without getting something in return.

I want to attend that event again and I've already decided that I'm going next weekend as well but I'll just have to be cautious. There's always a catch, isn't there?

Dating in Japan ~ Online to Offline Exploits

Just in time for 2016's approaching Valentine's Day (which is actually for men as oppose to women), I thought it time to introduce this little number to my Japan exploits. After all I feel like I have everything right now. I have my own apartment (although it's rented). I have a job. I have an income. I have friends. And I have a fairly decent social life these days but sadly, I've been single for a very long time. So I decided that even Japan, with its language barrier, cultural differences and differing standards of beauty wasn't going to stop me. Foreign women all over Japan often say that dating in this country is very difficult. Japanese men themselves are shy and reserved so as a woman, I would need to take the initiative and pursue them. And as for foreign men - well, it is said that they are less interested in their foreign counterparts and more interested in the natives. So what's a foreign girl to do really?

Well, take to the internet of course.

Now back in England, I'd done online dating before. But my criteria had been a bit different back then. I'd been very naive twenty-two-year-old and perhaps a little scared. I didn't fully commit to the idea of dating people (I remember specifically putting "seeking friends" in my profile) and I ruled out people pretty quickly if they weren't prepared to go at my speed - which was very slowly I might add. In Japan however - and maybe it's because I'm older, wiser and know exactly what I want - I think I've fully committed to it now.

I joined a couple of websites, filled in my details and started searching.  I landed my first date within a couple of weeks. The guy asked me out for the end of the same week we started communicating. (In the past, I'd been too afraid to meet people too soon but I realise now that it's better to meet sooner rather than later). We spoke for about three days. He disappeared until the actual date day itself and then he contacted me and asked if he could cancel. No contact for a while and a cancellation on the day spelt red flags to me but evidently, the date still happened despite overall poor organisation. He was also late despite living a station away from where he had suggested we meet. The date itself was okay - dinner and karaoke - but I'm a stickler for first impressions and I decided that he wasn't for me. I think a piece of him is still hoping I'll change my mind however.

A week later, I contacted another guy and my second date was scheduled. This guy had spent some time overseas and seemed to have his act together. He was good looking and he pretty much contacted me for a week straight up until the date itself. We had a good time; he rented a car; we went to a few places but sometimes our conversations weren't free flowing despite his assurance that he wasn't nervous. At the end of the date, there was talk of a second but he disappeared shortly after never to be heard from again. Can't say I wasn't disappointed but to make myself feel better, I bit the bullet after so many years of slandering the app and I downloaded Tinder.

Now Tinder has a reputation of being a hook up app but since downloading it, I'm starting to think that the Japanese use Tinder in the same way they use a lot of online mediums; for a language opportunity, to make friends or to see what's out there. A LOT said that they were "looking for friends" but when I interrogated some of my matches, the truth often came out sooner or later; some were very direct from the get-go which was nice.

I got speaking to a third guy one morning and arranged to meet him the same day actually. The date itself was pretty good but I kind of felt like the guy was a) not being himself and b) trying a little too hard. We had fun on the day but it ended quite suddenly when rather then walk me to the station, he rather abruptly shook my hand, told me goodbye and stormed off in the opposite direction. I distinctly remember thinking that he'd been so rude and I wouldn't be seeing him again. But despite this occurrence, this same guy asked me out a second time. My mind was completely blown. Thus we ended up on a second date. Naturally, I confronted him about his actions and it had turned out that he'd needed to go back to his office to collect something quickly before he missed his last train. He hadn't communicated this however - in true Japan fashion. I forgave this and this date actually went very well. 

But I had also scheduled a fourth date the very next day...

We ended up heading to an indoor amusement park of sorts. In comparison to all the others, his English wasn't outstanding and he was also very nervous; he denied it obviously but towards to end of the date I finally got the truth out of him. It was busy so we spent a lot of time queuing. I've always said that a theme park would be my ideal date but even though this date went swimmingly, I'm wondering if an amusement park would be a better third or even fourth date instead. Queuing can be rather exhausting after all, and coupled with nerves and forced conversation, it can feel almost unnatural. After, he bought me dinner and then saw me to the station. We parted amicably but ultimately it just wasn't meant to be. He had been a nice guy though and I'm sure he'll find someone. I however, had scheduled yet another date two days later...

This guy had told me from the get-go that he was very aggressive. Unlike some of the others who had used the "looking for friends" medium, this guy had very boldly stated he was looking for a girlfriend. Bonus points for honesty. We met up, ate at a cafe, played darts, had dinner and ended up in Starbucks to finish it off. Whenever we were on the move however, conversation was very basic but whenever we were stationary, we would have some of the most interesting and almost in depth conversations. Now I love a good conversation - I'm a sucker for it - but when we ended the date, I couldn't help but feel like this guy would have made a much better mate, then a boyfriend. What particularly stood out about him was that he encompassed some of the stereotypes that I associate with alpha types in Japan. In the restaurants, he wasn't rude but almost borderline arrogant when he would order or call for the waiter - as if he was used to doing so at work. He didn't open any doors for me (not that I require it but all my other dates had done this almost naturally) and his general manner just screamed assertive.

There had been another date scheduled actually but this one ended up getting cancelled and I never did end up meeting this individual. Not a big loss as with this last guy, we didn't have a lot in common. Somehow we managed to talk for a solid three weeks however...

So there you have it - five dates set up across a two month period; I can definitely say that I've done well for myself. There are many blogs, guides and forums that talk about what you should do to date in Japan; I will admit that I have read a lot. But I decided that going into these dates, I was going to be completely myself. I was going to order all the meat in world; I wasn't going to expect the man to pay for everything; I was going to bring conversation to the table and I was going to have a good time. So foreign women in Japan, maybe it's been said to death, but get out there. Give online dating a try, or if online isn't your thing, head to some events and see what and who's out there.

Dating in Japan isn't going to happen by itself.

Peppy Kids Club ~ The Experience

Today marks approximately two years since I arrived in Japan as somewhat young hopeful looking for her next adventure. I stepped off the plane in Nagoya and gave one year of my life to my ex-employer - Peppy Kids Club (PKC). And I must say it was definitely an experience, but rather than write about my time teaching there immediately after I left them, I decided that I would give it a year and give myself a chance to reflect on everything so that I could give them a fair evaluation as well as answer the typical questions that people generally have when they start applying for teaching work in Japan. But PKC were my window into teaching and I will always be grateful to them for giving me that opportunity.

Unlike most conversational schools, when I was there (and I think it's universally known), PKC working days are shorter. It was not uncommon for me to teach no more than three to four hours. At one point, I taught five hours straight and at another I taught only one hour. Hours will fluctuate and I quite liked that aspect of it. What might be considered a little inconvenient is that dependent on your supervisor, you mightn't receive your schedule until the end of the month. This wasn't really a problem for me as it was never completely last minute but in other places, I'd heard differently so it just depended really.

Pay was pretty good in my opinion. Maybe it was because it was my first year and I didn't have the city tax or inflated health insurance that I'm now paying but I was happy with what I was on. I didn't have to worry about rent because it automatically came out of my salary every month; I kept my bills low and I still had money to travel to different places in Japan, do my shopping and have a good time with friends. I also saved a lot (which came in handy so much towards the end of the year). I have heard it said however that it's not a sufficient salary if you have a family but then I'm not a mother. I reckon single parents would struggle on it but a duel income would quickly sort that out.

The holidays were okay for me. It's no London where everyone's entitled to at least 20 days off but I was given five flexible days and five fixed days off (during the turn of new year). I also got a bit of time off during Golden Week and Obon which meant I could do a bit of travelling. It all depends on the calendar year though but I got six days off during Golden Week and I believe three plus the weekend for Obon. I could not complain.

My co-Japanese teachers were lovely. I never had any problems with them and I even hung out with some on occasion. I met some really nice kids as well; I often loved it when I met those kids who were really keen on English. You could see it in their eyes. But naturally there were also kids that were very bad. Larger classes - especially younger kids - were sometimes difficult for me to control, especially if they were high energy. And some kids were also very rude and because we weren't really allowed to fully discipline them, we had to find creative ways of dealing with difficult behaviour.

I look back and realise that the reason I had so many friends in Hiroshima was because I got friendly with my team members. I'm still friends with some of them to this day and while others have moved on, I'll always remember the times I had with them. Unfortunately, from the get-go, I quickly learned that there was sort of a divide in my team. We were quite a big group so obviously some people are going to prefer some people over others. I guess I went in thinking that as foreigners in Japan, we'd all find some common ground but I also had to remember that as with all people, we are very different.

Training was excellent. It was two weeks long and I learnt so much. I picked up so many games and I even use a couple of them to this day. It was very thorough and I gained some in class experience even before I started teaching on my own. But because it was so intense, I lost a lot of sleep. There will be homework; you will need to prep, and if you're anal and a bit of a perfectionist (like I was), you will lose weight at the same time. But when you conquer it, it'll be worth it believe me. You should feel somewhat prepared (although I was still very nervous) when teaching your first set of lessons.

People often mention that commutes can be a killer. And they can be. You get multiple schools so you're often travelling to different locations but I didn't mind some of the journeys. I got to see different parts of Hiroshima (and I was paid for it). If you have to commute more than two hours, you also got to stay in a hotel but I was unlucky. One of my commutes was just under two hours so this one quickly started to grate on me - especially in the winter when it was biting cold or even snowing. I would get home late and while Japan is relatively safe, who really wants to be commuting home at midnight.

Again, this is all just from my perspective; everything I experienced, but as the JET crowd say - every situation is different. Some people really enjoyed (or might still be enjoying their experiences) while other might have hated it. But I think this is with all jobs everywhere really. Where you're placed might come into play as well. I think I was lucky. I was placed in a city and I absolutely fell in love with Hiroshima. (I would go back in a heartbeat).

Overall, for me however, I think PKC has an even list of pros and cons. They really helped me get started in Japan. I've heard that with some other organisations, you're required to start up on your own and obviously with limited Japanese, this can be difficult; PKC alleviate this burden. I've also heard it said by others however that PKC is a "one-year" thing and I think that somewhat applied to me. I really enjoy teaching and while I don't mind kids, I've also realised in my latest job, that I rather enjoy teaching adults so a role where I teach both is more ideal for me.

I think however that as an entry-level English teaching job however, if you're deciding to teach English in Japan, Peppy Kids Club is a rather decent opportunity. Therefore, if you're thinking of applying, I wish you all the best.

Pursuing Japanese ~ Language Exchange

My Japanese ability is still crap.

It's better than it was a year ago when I worked for a company that prohibited us from speaking it at work but it is still abysmal. I am a high beginner at best and a novice at my worst. I cannot handle speed and dealing with spontaneous situations can be rather trying at times - especially at work. But I know deep down that the more these situations arise, the more I'll be able to cope with, should the situation come again. And it is a good feeling when I've understood a customer enquiry or when my friend's card got eaten by an ATM and as the stronger Japanese speaker I had to call the bank to get them to retrieve it. It's nice having chats - albeit brief - with the ladies at my local convenience store. But I know deep down I need to step up my game. And ultimately this comes down to me. So lately, I've been doing a couple of language exchanges.

For those out of whack, a language exchange is exactly what it says on the tin. You exchange language with one another. You might spend a little bit of time speaking in your native language and the rest of the time speaking in the language you're studying. They recommend that in order to get the best out of this, it's better for language learners to be at an intermediate level (or somewhat conversational) in order to get the most out of this arrangement but being me, I jumped the gun a little.

My first exchange partner in Japan was purely text-based in that we simply exchanged messages back and forth. At this time, my Japanese was virtually zero, but I still know this person to this day; we have met a couple of times and I must say that on a computer, my reading and typing comprehension (if we're not talking about kanji) is still my strongest attribute.

My second exchange partner was via Skype and once again, it was at a time where my Japanese was still sub zero. As a result, we spoke mostly in English which was good for him but then he disappeared for a while and I was convinced that I would probably never hear from him again.

Skip forward nearly a year later. I was actively studying and I had already booked my JLPT exam. My job had changed and I could use Japanese at work as and when required. My "second exchange partner" suddenly came back into my life and we have been exchanging languages nearly every week since. The balance between our time spent in English and Japanese has significantly improved and providing neither one of us is tired, we can easily talk for two hours straight.

But it wasn't enough. Because even though I'm living here and learning the language, I still spend most of my life in English. So I started seeking out other exchange partners but it wasn't easy. After all, it has to be considered that simply having an interest in somebody else's language is not sufficient and in the same way that we choose our friends, it's important to be selective because the internet is full of all sorts.

I set up a few language exchanges to test the water but quickly discovered some of them were not to my taste. One thing I strongly dislike during an exchange is if someone decides to drop English in at random intervals when we're supposed to be speaking Japanese. I find that very unfair because when I'm exchanging English, I never drop in any Japanese unless I'm asked to confirm something. I think it's really unhelpful as I understand both as a teacher and a student that sometimes, language learners can't always understand certain words or phrases at natural speed. But if they've come across it previously and you slow it down, they'll get it. And even if they don't, they'll gain a bit of language to add to their arsenal

Another thing that winds me up is when people don't have anything to offer but are happy to talk your ear off when it's their turn. I spoke to a guy for one hour and when we would speak Japanese, he would interrupt me constantly if I couldn't generate the sentence fast enough. When we spoke in English however, he very rarely asked me questions but was happy to answer all of my questions and in a lot of detail, I might add. I don't like being talked at or talked over (I get paid to get people to talk more than I do) so I'm sure you will have guessed that I haven't spoken to him since.

Another issue I've run into are time wasters. I started off speaking to a person in Japanese but when we had to switch to English, he could barely string together a sentence. I asked him if he had been studying and he said that he hadn't studied in years. It lead me to wonder why he'd be interested in an exchange if he wasn't actively doing anything else to improve his English. He also kind of annoyed me because we were supposed to be doing a face-to-face Skype exchange but he decided that he'd rather do a voice chat so he could clean his surfboard at the same time. He was also swiftly cut.

I evidently settled on a third person who I now speak to via Skype every week as well. Said person has roughly the same level of English as I do Japanese and on a good day, is rather patient, never drops in English when we speak Japanese and is even more aware of the clock then I am. I've decided that these three plus the lessons I take every week will be enough for now.

But ultimately, while language exchanges can be a bit hit and miss, I think it's important to decide what it is you're looking for and what kind of things you can and cannot tolerate. I think it helps to find people who are of the same ability as yourself as well. Two of my exchange partners' abilities far exceed my own but I've known them a long time and they've actually crossed the border and become friends of mine. The latest one is just right for me. So if you're looking into language exchange, be sure to consider what is right for you.

British Airways ~ One Is Not impressed

Please bear in mind that I only flew with them in one direction...and thankfully so I might add. Because you see, I was rather looking forward to flying with BA. I'd never flown with them before and I had kind of equated them to other long haul carriers like Virgin and Cathay Pacific (both of whom I have flown before). I don't know why I was expecting phenomenal service but I suppose I had to remember that I was flying economy and I had been living in Japan for two years. In terms of service, I have to say it but the Japanese do it better, but I suppose what I have to take into account as well is that this flight was also operated by another carrier - Japan Airlines, but more on them later.

Checking in was easy. The woman didn't waste much time on me but I suspect it was due to her limited English. It's not uncommon for some Japanese folk to become fiercely uncomfortable when they have to speak another language. Even the customs agents barely spoke to me. I wondered around the airport - Haneda was nice but a little small methinks - and waited until roughly an hour before my flight, went through customs and went straight to the gate. I boarded with ease and parked myself in my aisle seat while everyone around me tried to figure out how to get their suitcases into overhead compartments with little space remaining.

A man and his son found themselves next to me but neither one bothered me throughout the entire flight even though I knew they could speak English (they had to interact with the cabin crew on occasion). This was fine. It meant that whenever one had to get up, they bothered each other and I wasn't in the mood to socialise after only getting two hours sleep prior to my flight.

The plane took off but it took a long time for the plane to stabilise so the seat belt sign stayed on for the longest time and I really wanted to go to the bathroom. Then we ran into some turbulence... Now I have to say that I'm honestly not afraid of flying. And I've experienced turbulence before but not like that. I couldn't even focus on the movie in front of me. I felt so uncomfortable. Obviously a crash is always a possibility and obviously, I have no idea about flying and even trying to stabilise a plane at high winds but I don't ever want to experience that again.

The in-flight entertainment was passable but the touch-screen was absolute rubbish. I had to really press the screen for it to register and the dude behind me was also having a hard time because I could constantly feel him pressing into the screen behind me. (I swear it was like a pogo stick at the back of my head at times). I dunno if he just had no sense or fat fingers but it was a constant and annoyed me through the whole flight. The headphones were also rubbish. I had to press the earphones against my ear to hear certain movies while others were fine. I wondered if the business customers/first class folk were experiencing the same garbage we had to because I was not impressed.

The first meal was bacon and eggs but the eggs were a bit lacking (but what can I expect from plane food really though). The beef casserole was nice however. Like Cathay Pacific, most people paid no attention when the seat belt sign was switched on. And even after they were told to return to their seats instead of waiting for the bathroom, they continued to ignore it. (This was not the fault of the staff however). There was somebody else's hair on my blanket (they "wash" and repackage them, don't they?) but there was plausible leg room so I was able to kick off my shoes and stretch  bit. This was also the first flight I'd been on where there was no emergency demonstration. (Are we British just a little over-confident? I mean, most people don't pay attention but I think it's kind of necessary as you never know). I had an aisle seat and I was about four seats out from the bathroom so getting in and out was child's play and we arrived a little earlier than scheduled which was nice.

Overall though, compared to some of the other airlines I've flown with, I wasn't overly impressed with British Airways. I guess I can't completely blame the airline but the in-flight entertainment is kind of important to me. It kills time and occupies most of my journey when I'm not sleeping - so having it fail to function adequately killed the quality of the flight for me. I could have complained I guess but the flight was actually full to the brim  - or at least Business Class was when I'd walked through - so I couldn't see them moving me to another aisle seat. They might have given me some new headphones now that I think about it but I don't think the problem lied there.

I dunno. BA, sort it out. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The London Files ~ Return to Oz

So after almost two years of living and teaching English in Japan, I (and my finances) decided that it was time to cross the world and pay my family and friends a visit. Immense preparation went into it (e.g. a quick transferral of funds and a packed suitcase) and I was off on a 12 hour flight for a week full of fun and nostalgia. But as I reflect on the brief time I spent back home, I can't help but remember the frequent comparisons I would make. And I could hear myself doing it...

"In Japan, they do this...", "In Japan, they don't do that..."

I became that annoying. But I couldn't stop myself. I'd spent so long in a bubble that the minute I popped it, I found myself almost re-learning about everything I'd left behind so allow me to begin.

Picture courtesy VisitLondon.com

I'd always said it. A lot of people seem to be enamoured by London; they all want to visit some day if they already haven't, and even those who have been already are keen to go back. But London is not a place known for its cleanliness. I remember working with a guy who told me that his mother had always taught him to watch the ground when he walked because you have no idea what you might step in. And I was instantly reminded of that when I left the airport and got the tube (or subway for my North American audience). The paintwork was chipped, there was a crumbled up tissue sitting in the corner of a seat. Oh, and let's not forget the chips I saw squashed beneath somebody's buggy on the bus. Not all of Japan is perfect but it wins hands down in this department.

On a more positive note however, London does win in terms of diversity. Things have definitely changed from when I was a child. I remember my primary school beings rather multicultural now that I think about it. But back then, whereas we might have had five to ten different languages walking around, I'm pretty sure it's close to thirty odd now. And we have everybody. Africans, Asians, Eastern Europeans, South Americans...etc I love that we have everybody in one city. Nobody stares or gawks at one another. While not always a utopia, people from different cultures become friends and even more. And more than anything, I'm just another face in the crowd. I'm not special and it's kind of nice not feeling so abnormal or out of place.

I went to visit family one day and I had to interact with people because I was either asking directions or buying something at the shop, and I was immediately reminded of how poor the customer service is in London. I used to work in a coffee shop and had to really amp up my customer service when I would deal with people. I learnt a lot from working in that environment but I've learnt even moreso since coming to Japan and I don't even work in that sector anymore. In those two cases that I mentioned earlier, the man whom I asked directions from didn't even look at me once, and the lady who served me thought it would be funny to make me pick up my £46.45 change off of the counter. I'm not a confrontational person and maybe living in Japan has made me a lot more tolerant but seriously? In England, retail jobs and a few other service sector professions are not highly sort after - it's usually considered a first job type deal and as a result they usually have a high staff turnover - but it leads me to wonder why these people are still in these professions. In Japan, that type of treatment would not fly.

When two buses go by and neither one
is yours...

Catching up with my family and friends however, was awesome. I didn't get to see everyone - one week is not long - but it was nice to see how everyone had either grown or changed because a lot had happened with them over the last couple of years. I got to really catch up, relay my adventures and hear theirs. For a moment, it was almost as if my old life had come back. I snapped a load of pictures and laughed a lot, and I also got to eat some really good food. I was actually convinced I'd come back ten pounds heavier but I think I'm actually okay.

Of course, in order to see everyone however, I had to get around somehow. And unfortunately, I never did get my driver's license so I had to depend on the infamous London transport. In Japan, I frequently use Hyperdia or GoogleMaps for all my transportation needs. In London, I had no phone and didn't see the point in using the Transport for London website. Train delays occurred, one point at which my train was cancelled so I was forced to wait an extra twenty minutes in the cold. I recall sitting at a bus stop and seeing three of the same bus (of which I wasn't after) whiz passed, and one of each bus in the opposite direction, while I was sat there waiting for my bus. I do not miss the incompetence of London transport at all. Japan has it problems, especially when someone decides to fling themselves into the train tracks but once again, it wins in this department.

But let's get back to the food, shall we? Because I promise you, I ate very well during that week. I made it my business to have Fish and Chips the minute I touched down. And believe you me, it was glorious. I couldn't finish the whole thing in one day but it was worth it. Screw beer batter. Nothing even comes close to the taste of proper fat chips - salt, vinegar and ketchup - and a good old-fashioned cod. I also got to eat my family's home cooking again (ackee and saltfish anyone?), went to both GBK and Nandos and even tried a new restaurant called Burger and Lobster - a little expensive but I recommend it. Japan has good food but England had good food too (I don't care what anyone says).

While it may not have been too cold in England when I went - people were happily walking around with jackets while my tolerance seemed to have diminished - my skin told me a different story. Now, I was always convinced that I had dry skin but when I came to Japan, I found that my skin didn't dry out as much. And I'm wondering if it just never got accustomed to the climate in England. Because it is much colder than Japan; it's definitely slightly more north that's for sure. Granted I think the weather in England has shifted somewhat over time. It used to get really hot during the summer but now there are hot days in April and warm days in Autumn (but of course, there's rain; there will always be rain). I realised however that I needed to moisturise a lot more when I was in London but in Japan, one coat is enough.

And speaking of coats. While I didn't require one at all during this holiday, it was lovely to be able to walk into almost any and every clothes shop and realise that nearly everything on the shelf could actually fit me. For two years, I couldn't full enjoy the true extent of shopping. I can buy tops in Japan but anything else requires me to search online. But in London, I went a little bit over the top and ended up spending well over £300 on stuff. It was almost as if for that week, I could afford everything and anything. It was a nice feeling to know that in some cases, things were even too big for me whereas in Japan, I am bigger than almost everything (more often then not, people too). It was a glorious week and my wardrobes thanks me so very much.

~

So there you have it; the comparisons I noted between my homeland and my adopted country. I have to say though that despite seeing everyone and re-experiencing London life, while I still miss little conveniences (like being able to understand everything), I've still yet to experience homesickness and I'm wondering if there's something seriously wrong with me...

Mount Fuji ~ The First...and Last

It was never something that I had considered doing. It was never something I had even done before but when my friends expressed an interest in climbing Mount Fuji, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. One thing that I appreciate more then anything really are moments. I like having experiences. I want a life full of fond memories and reflection and obviously, what are moments if there aren't good folk to share them with.

There were six of us in total and we opted to climb during Obon - a national holiday in Japan that usually occurs between August 8th and August 16th. All of us had roughly the same time off work and even though we knew that the mountain would be busy, it was simply convenient. The date set, we started actively preparing two months in advance. I booked a hut as there was no way that six inexperienced hikers were going to climb 3776 metres in one day and another friend booked the bus to the mountain. We exchanged lots of information about what to buy, what to wear and precautions to take against the ever problematic altitude sickness. I also spoke to people who had climbed it already to gain their experiences but ultimately, the day finally arrived and we set off.

My travel utilities (thanks to some input from a good friend of mine) consisted of the following items:

1 pair of hiking boots

2 pairs of socks (1 woolen)

1 pair of thermal leggings

1 pair of water-wicking tracksuit bottoms

1 short-sleeved water-wicking top

2 long-sleeved water-wicking tops

1 fleece

1 rain suit (jacket and trousers)

1 balaclava

1 wool hat

1 waterproof hat

1 pair of hiking gloves

1 head light

2 bottles of 500ml water and 1 flask of water

1 bag of assorted snacks and sweets (calorie mate was my savour)

1 camera

1 pair of sunglasses

1 can of oxygen

1 half roll of toilet paper (just in case)

1 coin wallet (containing 5000 yens worth of 100 yen coins - for toilets/stamps)

3 small towels + 1 bathroom handkerchief 

2 packs of wet wipes

1 pack of paracetamol  

1 bag (to fit it all in)

1 waterproof bag cover

my actual purse with additional cash

my iPhone

my charger

Setting out, it was obviously humid so I wore the leggings and the short-sleeved top, my non-woolen socks and hiking boots. Our bus was scheduled to arrive at Shinjuku Bus Terminal for 7.40am so we decided to meet at 7.00am. Me and a friend arrived early so we went to the Starbucks nearby to fuel. The others started arriving shortly after but unfortunately one of our group, due to unforeseen circumstances, ended up missing the bus so we journeyed to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station with just us five.

As expected the 5th Station was full of people. Lots of tour groups preparing for the climb and tourists who were not. We ate again and waited for our sixth member to arrive via other means. In that time, we bought hiking sticks to get stamped as we reached every station up the mountain and people watched as tour groups stretched and built morale for the hike. We probably started to ascend around 1pm which was probably a little late but such is life. One of our group had acquired a map and information regarding the hike. Unbeknownst to me until then, our hut was the last one before the summit so we had quite a way to go. 

Picture courtesy of a good friend.
Even kids were at this thing.

Getting to the 6th station was easy but overall we stopped frequently to rest, drink water, snack a little and recharge. As we ascended, the terrain began to change and became much more rocky as oppose to the smooth we had started out with. As an independent group, I think we angered a few of the tour groups a long the way but we often managed to pass them because their pace was obviously much slower - and smarter I might add. We snapped pictures when there was opportunity, admired the view when we could see it and the took in the clouds mixed with blue sky.

I pretty much stayed in the same attire until half way between the 7th and 8th station. I put on one of the long sleeved tops, gloves and wrapped one of the towels around my neck. It was here that we had also been instructed to slow down because altitude sickness was more likely. Our group also got divided. Myself and a friend headed up and the four remaining stuck together at a slower rate. At this point, our rest stopping became shorter, the skies got darker and the temperature dropped. Out came the balaclava, the fleece and the head light.

We reached the hut at around 7.40pm meaning that we had made the ascent in around 6 hours and 40 minutes. Despite snacking, I was starving for something hot but with only two of our group present, it made checking in difficult. It was at this point that I whipped my phone out for the first time in a while and noted a message stating that one of our group had succumbed to altitude sickness. I suggested that he stay at the closest hut and descend in the morning. The hut staff were also kind enough to reduce the cancellation fee from 100% to 50% so I was grateful. 

The rest of our group arrived over an hour later, we rejoiced and sat down to eat together but sadly altitude sickness took hold of another person in our group. Both a combination of concern and discomfort - the huts beds are all very close together and have probably been used over a thousand times - meant that I virtually got no sleep that night. I decided to stop trying around 1pm which was also the time that people started to surface and prepare to move out for the sunrise.

Our group held a mini meeting in regards to the sick and it was decided to those who were able, would hike the summit and then we would come back down and collect the sick as we went. It was at this point that I was starting to question my own condition as every time I stood up, I felt light-headed and I was also feeling breathless (both symptoms of altitude sickness). I decided to hang back a while and sit outside the sleeping quarters for a moment while my three other friends went ahead. I figured that over 100 people sleeping together breathing in the limited oxygen at 3450 metres in a closed space was probably more detrimental to me then good. So I ordered some hot cocoa, drank it, felt a bit better and decided to chance the hike to the summit.

Because I was still concerned about myself, I fell into step behind a man and his wife. I call him my anchor. His pace was perfect for me because he would move a little and then stop a little and so on. As a result, I took no long breaks and managed to catch up to my friends. It was freezing and the wind was blowing at this point but I had adorned my raincoat, my tracksuit bottoms, woolen socks and hat to combat it. There were thousands of little head lights lighting up the mountain which was pretty cool, and tour spokesmen and others motivating people for the ascent. Our group of four became two again as I maintained my step behind the anchor. Evidently, the twin lions that signal the summit fell into view and we reached the top of the mountain at around 4.20am. One can of corn soup later, we found a seat and watched the sunrise come up. People cheered and snapped pictures. I remember trying to take a selfie and my face being so cold that I couldn't even smile properly. 

The Sunrise

We reunited with the other two who made it as well, stamped our sticks, fought some Chinese tourists to take a picture next to the summit stone and began the descent. Silly me however thought that in order to reach our hut again we'd have to climb back the way we'd came because the descending route veered off somewhere else. This was not the case apparently. Nevertheless, we returned to our hut and retrieved our first friend who was feeling much better thankfully. We crossed over to the descending trail which was extremely slippery and retrieved our second sick friend along the way. So six friends finally reunited, we made our descent.

As with the ascent however, our group split again, clothes started coming off to compensate the change in temperature and less pictures were taken as fatique started to set in. There was a fear that we wouldn't make the bus in time (it was scheduled to leave at 12pm) but all six of us arrived at the bottom of the mountain. We ate again and hopped on the bus back to Shinjuku (which warranted a rather lovely 2 hour nap).

My overall opinion of climbing Mount Fuji is neutral. I hadn't trained fully for it and probably could have done a bit more research. I reckon we probably should have booked a hut that was lower down as that might have impacted better on those who contracted altitude sickness. I also think that popping the headache medicine was very helpful even though I didn't actually use my own. Although there are toilets on Mount Fuji, they are for the most part very disgusting as they don't function like normal toilets, they smell something rotten and some don't actually have tissue in them (the foam action toilets at the 5th station however were very interesting). It was lovely to hear all the different languages on the mountain as people from all over the world had come to conquer it. Peering down at the world when the clouds weren't obscuring it was also pretty cool. Being at the summit for the sunrise rise was freezing despite the four layers I was wearing. My gloves also did nothing to stop my fingers from getting frost bites, so I would advise anyone to buy gloves that are both functional and thermal.

I probably bought more stuff then I needed. I came back with lots of snacks and even half a bottle of water. I didn't wear all the clothing and it didn't rain but having the rain gear is still very useful. I borrowed sun screen from friends just in case but I've never really had sunburn before. I never used the camera - I ended up using my iPhone instead. Of all of us, my phone was one of the only ones that stayed on during the entire journey; I thank my lucky stars that I bought that charger. I barely used the oxygen can but I did give it to others use. I also came back with over 2000 yens worth of coins. I suspect however that even though I came back with all that stuff; it's much better to over-prepared then under.

I'm sure others have more positive experiences of Mount Fuji and I'm not saying mine wasn't positive, but there were difficulties and such that I had to acknowledge. So to anyone thinking about Mount Fuji - I would definitely say do it if you have the desire or the will-power. You don't have to be fit but you do have to know yourself and take things at your own pace. Over-research if you can. Know that Mount Fuji is expensive - both the mountain itself and the preparation that goes with it. You must also take your rubbish with you as there is nowhere to throw away anything on the mountain.

I'll say it again. I had no initial intentions nor any interest in climbing Mount Fuji when I came to Japan but I'm glad I did.

I'll have this memory - warts and all - forever.