I'm home! and I know I didn't update this while I was in Japan, but I didn't really have time there. Now I'm back, I might sometimes write about my experiences in Japan (that is not a promise....) There's probably no one left who even reads this anymore, so now this blog is more for me to write in so that I can remember things that happened in Japan and so that I don't end up talking about it too much in real life, because nobody likes that year abroad student...
I flew home to Birmingham airport from Kansai International airport on the 10th July, with two very short stops on the way. I had been staying at my friend Amanda's flat in Kyoto for about a week (will write about that another time) and on the 9th July I took a couple of trains to a Best Western hotel close to the airport in Hineno. This journey was very difficult with two suitcases and handluggage, but luckily in Japan people didn't laugh at me if I started struggling or falling over them, like I think they might have in England. When I arrived at Hineno station, I found they didn't have any elevators so I had to take them all one by one up and down a couple of flights of stairs, before the very short walk to the hotel. The hotel was very nice, there was a public bath there so I used that and then had tea at the restaurant. For tea they served buffet style japanese food. So I took a lot as it would probably be my last proper meal in Japan. At 5:30 the next morning I caught a free shuttle bus to the airport and arrived about an hour before check in opened. When it did open and I got to the desk, they had some issues working out my passport or flight tickets or something. She took quite a while and eventually asked if I had a visa for Germany :S (But I'm from the EU??) I think she felt a bit bad for making me wait because she didn't care that my baggage was several kilograms overweight or that I had too many pieces of handluggage. In the departure lounge I had my actual last bit of food in Japan. I bought a small tray of prawn tempura sushi and then nearly missed the boarding time for my flight while eating it.
My first flight was to Beijing airport and took about 3 hours. The second flight was about 10 hours to Dusseldorf and I had a whole two seats to myself! Aisle and window seat! Unfortunately, this flight was delayed for about an hour. In Dusseldorf, because I was changing airlines, I had to collect my baggage, go to check in, and then go through security all over again. I was very worried about missing this next flight because I had a little bit less than an hour to get all of this done before the flight. I think the man at the check in counter just wanted to get me onto the flight, so he didn't seem to care about how overweight my baggage was. Anyway, I just about made it, and then landed in Birmingham at about 9pm. After landing in Beijing and it being 30degrees centigrade, the 12degrees that I was welcomed by in Birmingham wasn't so nice. My parents were already at the airport waiting for me. I was really happy to see them, especially as I had two really heavy suitcases to carry :P I was happy to see them, and happy to get home and be able to relax guilt free, with no feeling that I should really be studying.
I've been home for about two weeks now and I am really missing the life in Japan and the people I met and got to know this year. A few times I've realised that some things I can't do like I could in Japan. For example, I've noticed while cooking, some of the ingredients aren't available and I can't eat things I would have eaten often in restaurants in Japan. Or, when going places, I can't just hop on my bike in the evening to go somewhere, because I don't have a light on my bike. Really I need to go and buy a light, but my bike in Japan just came with a light. Also, it's probably not even safe to be out riding my bike in the dark here. If I can't get to places by bike and it's too far by foot, how do I get there, because the buses in Stourport stop at around 5pm :S ...rant over.. I miss my bike a lot, if I have chance, I could probably write a whole long blog post about it.
I do really miss people I met in Japan as well, especially the people I lived with in Global House. I made a few really good friends there that I want to stay in touch with forever. I'm so glad skype exists!
Although there are things I miss like that, and things that are a bit frustrating. It is nice to be home and to be able to see people that I haven't been able to see all year. ....and since being home, me and Emily found a sushi bar in Birmingham that has a £10 all you can eat sushi buffet conveyor belt. Woktastic in Birmingham! Although I miss 100yen Sushi Ro- in Japan, Woktastic will go a little way towards making up for the lack of Sushi Ro-.
