Hello! Ok, about the song, I just looked on Youtube for a video with the words Takes Time in the title. I’m actually sat in a building in Shimonoseki city with my speakers down low, so I’ve not actually listened to the song … hope it works. It’s by Amy Grant and is called Takes a Little Time.

I know most of the people reading this have been following my antics and escapades on Twitter and Facebook, but I want to come back to the blog.

So what’s taken me so long? Well, to be perfectly honest I have no idea. I can’t say that I was having way too much fun and excitement to write anything, because I’ve had the time. In fact often I’m sat on my arse at home with nothing to do thinking “hmm … I could write a blog post”, but then end up just googling something weird with the telly on in the background.

That being said, don’t think I’ve not had my share of adventures. There’ve been sake festivals, national sports competition, me shaving off my beard, the war of the insects, visits to various places, trying to buy things online, and of course keeping up with my Japanese.

But I guess rather than try to given detailed explanations of each of those I’ll just show you a picture of me taken yesterday, and say “see you next time”.

Possibly the last of the British Samurais

See you next time!

My exams are finally over here at Uni, and that means I have a bit of time before I need to start panicking about resitting them. Hoorah pesimism. So what do I plan to do now that I have a bit more free time? I’m going to go back and work on some of long over-due projects that’s what.

The Lotaku webcomic is in drastic need of an update, and since I have a half complete page already I really should crack on with that. The last uploaded page was a dramatic shot of Simons mom being wheeled into the hospital.

On a similar topic, my should also crack on with my contribution to the Leeds Uni Anime Soc Manga Project. My section is going to be a part side-story of one of the Lotaku characters, but I won’t say much more on it just yet … mainly because I’ve not bloody decided.

I also want to do another animation this year for LSTV. At the mo, I’m thinking of doing one to this song, Funny Man by Rodney Carrington. So I guess if I start that during the summer I can get it in early. I’m also planning on doing a few more TV shows for LSTV this year; possibly remaking some stunning Japanese TV moments.

Finally, one thing I MUST do is upload the rest of my photos from Japan. Yes folks I know I’ve been really slack on it, but I’ve already posted a chunk on now. Go ahead, check them out. It’s already been scheduled to do another set tomorrow, so I’m planning (again) to get a new set up every day. I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I came back to the UK.

Oh yeah, need a house for next year too.

Fly Julien!

To be honest I really don’t know what to write about. I could talk about how it’s the Easter holidays at Uni so we have a month off, however we’ve still got lots of work to do during this break period. I could talk about how I went home to Shropshire for a week to get harrassed and abused by over affectionate kittens night after night. I could talk about some of the things I’ve recently came into possession of, such as a novel about it becoming illegal to be fat in the UK. But the fact is I don’t think I will. ^_^

But there are two things I will talk about. First of all if any of you out there are planning on sending things to Japan (or vice-versa) by surface mail (aka the slowest and cheapest option), then do remember that it will take a very long time. Around christmas I sent some chocolates over to Japan and have been told this week that they have just arrived. So keep those patience hats on people!

Secondly, as I said before today was April Fool’s Day and as such a time when people play practical jokes on one another, or, as is the case in Japan, tell each other lies. Early this morning I decided too to have a bit of fun with one of my friends who hadn’t realised what day it was who I was chatting to online. I was originally going to copy & paste the conversation here, but unfortunately have just realised I forgot to save the bloody thing.

So here’s the jist of it.

Me: “Oh by the way, I have some news but it’s quite secret for now so keep it under your hat”
Friend: “Go on?”
Me: “I got engaged.”
Friend: “What??? How, when?”
Me: “There’s a girl here on an exchange year, similar to what I did in Japan, and we’ve been going out for a while. The other day we had a random discussions about weddings and how they were done in her home town of Laiton. Then the next day I proposed.”
Friend: “Wow that’s awesome!”
Me: “Well like I said keep it a secret for now, there’s a lot of paper work and red tape involved with foreigners getting married in Laiton. Actually, if you go on facebook you can see her profile. Her name’s Eipuriru Fuuruzu, pronounced “April Fools” ^_^”
Friend: “You bastard!”

Yeah, ain’t I a stinker!

last updated 3rd May 2010

Year-in-Japan Program at Konan University (Facebook Group)

2009-2010
Jayson O’Reilly – Leeds student studying at Konan who’s said you can contact him if you have any questions Facebook Profile
Kansaibence (US) (Starts here)

2008-2009
Darlo’s World (UK) (September to February starts HERE, February onward starts HERE.)
I Think I’m Turning Japanese (US) (Starts HERE with a general review HERE)
Fabian Fier (Germany) (Starts HERE)
A German Physicist In Japan (Germany) (Starts HERE)
Spirited Away To Japan (US) (Starts HERE)
Red Sunset XIII (US) (Starts HERE)
My Year In The Land Of The Rising Sun (US) (Starts HERE)

とても卵 (Totemo Tamago - Very Egg)

Also the other day out of the blue I combined to Japanese words in my head and thought it sounded quite funny; とても卵 (Totemo Tamago). Literally translated as very egg, at roughly the same time I had a picture of a boss-type egg in my head and thought it’d make for an interesting T-Shirt design. So yesterday I sat down, opened up Flash and drew it out. It’s currently on Cafepress if you do fancy buying one (if you want me to put it on a different coloured shirt let me know and I’ll see what I can do).

Finally, lately I started playing a Japanese (language) MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in an effort to keep up learning Japanese from different non-textbook sources. Mabinogi (マビノギ) is pretty much your general level-up type rpg, but as far as helping my language goes … well, I’m thankful I have a dictionary and luck. Anyone fancying a go at Mabinogi, have your character on the モリアン (morian) server so we can help each other out.

I managed to submit my ‘Year Abroad Report’ on time last week, and though I won’t put it up online for you all to view (mainly because if you look back through my blog you’ll be able to see everything anyway), the 2500 word limit meant I had to cut a lot of what I wanted to discuss from the report. Looking back over all the things I’d done (despite an even longer list of things I wanted to do) and all the people I’d met made me feel really nostalgic. This was especially hit home when I stared blu-tacking some of my photos on to the wall and chatting to a Japanese friend on Skype. It made me realise how I’d made Japan my home, and how, for the first time in my life, I was homesick.

So now I don’t (technically speaking) have to do anything until September (though I am re-studying what I balls’d up on for my re-test), I’ve been on the look out for a part time job. In the news there’s been a lot of information about graduates struggling to get into jobs, but what hasn’t been covered is the current students who are struggling to find part time jobs in order to stay alive during their time at Uni.

Seriously, last week I printed off 50 CVs and went into town. I only saw one place actively hiring anyone (a gents hairdresser looking for a full timer), but what really shocked me was the number of places that wouldn’t even take a copy of my CV. These shops told me they had either just taken on people, or had no intention of hiring in the foreseeable future. But come on, taking the CV gives me a glimmer of hope. Even though there’re no signs in the window and you could just as easilly bin it the moment I leave the store, giving a straight up ‘no’ is just irritating.

So I guess it’s down to pasta and meatballs and minimal pubbage so I don’t exhaust my penny jar before my next student loan payment … in September!

I’ve already hit my old pizza place and made use of the great (well, not bad) Leeds free city bus, but this time around I want to actually take a real bus at some point. Actually that’s not so much want, but need to. I haven’t brought a car with me this time because of what happened to the last one. I know it’s wrong to blame an entire city for what happened to it, but since I’m living pretty close to where I was before I didn’t fancy risking it either way.

On the subject of unfortunate things, my beloved television that I bought with my paper round money when I was 14 (I’m 25 now) and has travelled with me on many adventures (not to Japan though), has finally died. At some point between leaving Telford and arriving in my new room in Leeds, it suffered damage to the power button and won’t turn on. It’s also making strange ‘ticking’ noises when I try to power up. It’s gutting I know, but I know I will have to move on (and get a new TV).

So what happens now for this Anglo-Carribbean student of Japanese in Yorkshire? Tomorrow I’m off to the Parkinson Building to work on my Japanese, and also write up my final report of my year of studying at Konan University. Why not tonight I hear you (Simon) ask? Because I’m gonna pop t’ pub.

So I’ll leave you with something weird; the cast from Spongebob dubbing three classic films (Godfather, Singing in the Rain & Casablanca).

That was until this afternoon when a Parcelforce van came by with not one, but two of my boxes. These two (the second and third sent packages from Japan) were sent on the 11th and 12th of May, arriving in just 1 month and 15 (and 14) days, half the time of the 3 months I was told when I sent them off. The next package I sent was two days later on the 14th of May, but because I’m incredibly pesimistic (and because it’s the weekend) I’m not expecting it to arrive in two days time. The next package is my Osaka version of Monopoly.

Now if you think back my new year’s post I mentioned a very kind woman on a train who gave me and a friend a biscuit and a mandarin orange, and how if that had been England it would have been a very scepticle moment. In fact here’re my very words.

One thing I forgot to write about in the last entry is about the kindness of others here. On the train to get our hair cut, we were sitting across from and elderly woman wearing a facemask. Facemasks are a common sight here as people wear them to either try to stop the spread of any disease they have (or have been in contact with), or to try to help them avoid a common illness going around. As we were leaving the train she tapped me on the arm and held out a mandarin and a biscuit. I couldn’t translate what she said well, but she was giving them to us as a gift. We were stunned and had absolutely no idea why, but this kind of generosity back home would have caused a lot of scepticism.

Well one chap’s taken note of this act of kindness and a lot of other occaisions of people helping people on his own blog, Seeking and Sharing Stories of Kindness and I think it’s a brilliant idea. In a time where people are trying to sue each other for pointless things (I used to work in Claims Direct’s call centre and boy there were a few weird ones), it’s nice to see that there are still people about who are willing to look out for their fellow man. So far he has 6 posts of kind deeds, so if you have a story to add to the (hopefully) ever growing list, do let him know!

I’ve also been contacted again by TenPin, but rather than keep making new posts I’ll just kee updating this one.