The Clock is ticking...

About a week to go until I disappear off into the distance of Japan. Again I apologise for the lack of posting on this blog, but things, as you can imagine have been very hectic these last few weeks, so I thought I would write a long rambling update.

Visit to Carrington House for Seminar

This took place last Thursday, and involved another bus journey to London for a Seminar with the London based NOVA office. I was happy to discover that a lass called Donna, who attended the same interview as me had also got the job and was being posted to the Kansai region as well.
In actual fact, my fellow newbies were a great bunch, and the afternoon passed quickly. This involved a pre-departure seminar and a brief but entertaining Japanese lesson.

GENKI DESUKA ? - How are You ?

TOTEMO GENKI DESU - Fine Thanks

Impressed ? No neither am I. I'm sure this won't be sufficient to see me through one year in Japan!

All 16 of us, then had to wander off to the Japanese embassy for our Visa's to be merged with our passports. With my Certificate of Eligibilty photo making me look like some sort of Al Qu'ada suspect, I was unsure as to not only would I be allowed in Japan, but whether they'd let me out of the embassy!

After that it was beers all round!

CASH

What fun this has been.

NOVA recommended at least 120,000 yen when travelling to Japan. Half in Yen and half in Yen travellers cheques. ARGH!

Even worse was the fact that after ordering £263 worth of yen travellers cheques from Barclays, I was told on Monday that "they stopped doing them last week".

DESTINATION

Apparently I am not going to Kansai.

But a city by the name of Higashi-Hiroshima, near Hiroshima.

I will be sharing with an Australian and a Canadian, although the Australian chap is moving out in July. Plus the appartment has internet access.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2561540-hiroshima_restaurants_and_bars-i

Finally, I spent at least £53 on toiletries on Sunday! Bloody Hell.