September 1-11, 2005
Hey everyone (sorry its not addressed personally) Well I arrived in Tokyo last Tuesday after spending 1 week catching upwithmy host family in Okayama. I have now checked into my accommodation and after 5 days have been able to get connected to the internet (free cable connection) so that I can email you guys. Sorry about the delay... Japan has been very hot - it is nearing the end of summer and the countryis experiencing a lot of muggy weather and heavy rains. A major typhoon had covered the south of Japan around this time last week- Shikoku and Kyushu and has already headed up the main island of Honshuu. I was down in the south until about a week ago but because of the major storm warnings,chose to catch an earlier bullet train up to Tokyo. It is a very large typhoon - one of the biggest Japan has had for a while. Kazuya lives in the south of Japan - he stayed inside all day last Wednesday as the typhoon batteredhis house. So, what have I been up to?
I arrived in Japan two Saturdays ago (August 27th) in Osaka and met my friend Emi who came to Davidson High in 1999 on exchange. I spent 2 days with her in Osaka catching up and playing withher 3 dogs, who all live with her and her boyfriend in a small one bedroom apartment - but one bedroom is being complementary - it is probably the equivalent to a ｽ bedroom in Australia!!!! On Monday evening 29th August Emi and her boyfriend drove me down toOkayama (4 hour trip). Was great to be reunited with my host family again and to notice how much the house had changed since I'd been there 2 years ago. My youngest host brother has moved to Osaka where he is at university. My oldest host brother Yuhei had moved back in and now owns a tennis academy where he coaches youngsters during the week and helps tournament playerson the weekend. Go, the middle host brother, is now back in Japan (havingbeen working overseas in America and Hawaii for 6 years - he went to Davidson on exchange back in 1997). There are two girls staying at the house now too - both Japanese - they are currently on a tennis scholarship.
Stayed with my host family from August 29th until September 5th. Went to a local volunteers meeting with my host mum because she does a lot of volunteer work. Went to get a mobile phone with Go (my host brother) sonowI can contact all my Japanese friends etc and keep in close touch with Kazuya.
I am still using my hotmail email address(ttiimmyy2000@hotmail.com) but now have a new contact address. It is ttiimmyy2000@ezweb.ne.jp When you send me an email to this address, it comes directly to my mobile phone andI can reply directly to you. That's handy. My mobile number is 907 507 3805. When calling me, just dial 0011 81 9075073805.I also went to the gym with Go and had dinner at a Yakiniku Restaurant with my host family - where they cook the dinner on a hot plate right in frontof you. Caught up with a few friends in Okayama, although didn't manage tosee Yoko - as she had to work all week.
Met Kazuya last Thursday 1st September in Okayama. He finished hiscontract in Izu at the hotel on 31st August and caught the train down to Okayama to see me. We had a lovely day together catching up with each other - went to Okayama's beautiful Korakuen Gardens and saw Okayama Castle and then roada dinghy down the Asahi River. I have attached some photos for yourenjoyment! He then went back to his hometown of Yamaguchi that evening and we met up again 2 days later. I went down to Hiroshima to see him. We visited the famous Miyajima island and saw the "floating shrine" and took a cable car ride up to the summit of Miyajima Mountain. It was a very hot day - about34 degrees - and I really felt the heat. But it was such a beautiful day and was great to make some more memories. On Saturday evening Kazuya and I had dinner together at an Okonomiyaki restaurant and then visited Hiroshima Castle. The main reason Kazuya and I went to Hiroshima together was for a big dance party - so at 11pm we met some of Kazuya's friends and all went to the club together. It was myfirst dance party in Japan and it was awesome. Apart from great Japanese fusion music and techno, they had live strippers do a 1 hour show! Kazuya and I were (conveniently!) right at the front dancing and then the stripperscame out and we had a great view!! Kazuya got dragged up onto the stage andmade do a few funny "moves" with one stripper - it was such a funny site! He is usually very shy so I was quite proud of him! We went back to our hotel at 4am and slept well...
The next day (Sunday 4th), we visited the famous Kintaikyou Bridge in Iwakuni - near the American Army Base. Went on another cable car to the summit and saw the great view out over Iwakuni City from Iwakuni Castle.Was a great weekend and I have included a number of photos for you.
Then I relaxed last Monday with my host mum before catching the bullettrain up to Tokyo last Tuesday. Had a 2 hour check-in meeting with the headoffice here, to ensure I knew all the "rules and regulations" of my residence.It's a really good set up actually..have my own rolom - quite spacious, with atv and video player, fridge, air-con, free connection to the internet, and big wardrobe! I share the open-plan kitchen, bathrooms and laundry with the 60 other residents who live here. So far I have bumped into a few people inthe corridors and have gotten to know them a bit. About half the peple hereare Japanese, so it's great practise!
Last Thursday (September 8th) I met Kazuya because it was our one year anniversary. I organised the day for him - we went to Asakusa Temple and Shrine and a small amusement park near there. Then we caught the riverboat from Asakusa down to the Hamarikyu Gardens, right in the heart of Tokyo.We did some shopping on Japan's most expensive street - Ginza - and then went to the top of Tokyo Tower and looked out over the city. He surprised mewith a hotel room for the night - 5 star - and we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet with beer, and cocktails!! atahe bar was on the top floorof the hotel, looking out over Tokyo Bay. The next day he took me to Tokyo Disneyland and we spent 12 hours on rides and watching 2 amazing paradesand a fireworks display. I had an awesome couple of days! We took over 150 photos, of which, some I have sent to you. I am very lucky to have met Kazuya and know that together we have endured so many challenges butn together we have achieved what we wanted. On Friday night he came and stayed at my place and yesterday we just wentshopping, had lunch and did Karaoke in Shinjuku - only 30 minutes from my house - one of Tokyo's skyscraper districts. Kazuya caught the late busback to Yamaguchi last night (11 hour trip down the highway). He will start anew contract at a hotel/resort in Hakone (one hour from Tokyo) in 3 weeks. I have invited him to come and stay with me for a week before his contract starts.
Today I am relaxing at home - have connected myself to the internet ands went to a 100 yen ($2) shop to buy all my necessaties and decorate myroom! I start university at Waseda on the 30th September, apart from an orientation on the 15th. Emerald and Ky-lee are already in Japan and have gone to visit Ben in Kochi. I couldn't visit him because our scheduleswere different so I'll meet him later in the year when I go back down south. Love you all and miss you all heaps!! Keep in contact and I'll try too.Send me an email to my mobile or normal email address anytime!
Take care Tim
I arrived in Japan two Saturdays ago (August 27th) in Osaka and met my friend Emi who came to Davidson High in 1999 on exchange. I spent 2 days with her in Osaka catching up and playing withher 3 dogs, who all live with her and her boyfriend in a small one bedroom apartment - but one bedroom is being complementary - it is probably the equivalent to a ｽ bedroom in Australia!!!! On Monday evening 29th August Emi and her boyfriend drove me down toOkayama (4 hour trip). Was great to be reunited with my host family again and to notice how much the house had changed since I'd been there 2 years ago. My youngest host brother has moved to Osaka where he is at university. My oldest host brother Yuhei had moved back in and now owns a tennis academy where he coaches youngsters during the week and helps tournament playerson the weekend. Go, the middle host brother, is now back in Japan (havingbeen working overseas in America and Hawaii for 6 years - he went to Davidson on exchange back in 1997). There are two girls staying at the house now too - both Japanese - they are currently on a tennis scholarship.
Stayed with my host family from August 29th until September 5th. Went to a local volunteers meeting with my host mum because she does a lot of volunteer work. Went to get a mobile phone with Go (my host brother) sonowI can contact all my Japanese friends etc and keep in close touch with Kazuya.
I am still using my hotmail email address(ttiimmyy2000@hotmail.com) but now have a new contact address. It is ttiimmyy2000@ezweb.ne.jp When you send me an email to this address, it comes directly to my mobile phone andI can reply directly to you. That's handy. My mobile number is 907 507 3805. When calling me, just dial 0011 81 9075073805.I also went to the gym with Go and had dinner at a Yakiniku Restaurant with my host family - where they cook the dinner on a hot plate right in frontof you. Caught up with a few friends in Okayama, although didn't manage tosee Yoko - as she had to work all week.
Met Kazuya last Thursday 1st September in Okayama. He finished hiscontract in Izu at the hotel on 31st August and caught the train down to Okayama to see me. We had a lovely day together catching up with each other - went to Okayama's beautiful Korakuen Gardens and saw Okayama Castle and then roada dinghy down the Asahi River. I have attached some photos for yourenjoyment! He then went back to his hometown of Yamaguchi that evening and we met up again 2 days later. I went down to Hiroshima to see him. We visited the famous Miyajima island and saw the "floating shrine" and took a cable car ride up to the summit of Miyajima Mountain. It was a very hot day - about34 degrees - and I really felt the heat. But it was such a beautiful day and was great to make some more memories. On Saturday evening Kazuya and I had dinner together at an Okonomiyaki restaurant and then visited Hiroshima Castle. The main reason Kazuya and I went to Hiroshima together was for a big dance party - so at 11pm we met some of Kazuya's friends and all went to the club together. It was myfirst dance party in Japan and it was awesome. Apart from great Japanese fusion music and techno, they had live strippers do a 1 hour show! Kazuya and I were (conveniently!) right at the front dancing and then the stripperscame out and we had a great view!! Kazuya got dragged up onto the stage andmade do a few funny "moves" with one stripper - it was such a funny site! He is usually very shy so I was quite proud of him! We went back to our hotel at 4am and slept well...
The next day (Sunday 4th), we visited the famous Kintaikyou Bridge in Iwakuni - near the American Army Base. Went on another cable car to the summit and saw the great view out over Iwakuni City from Iwakuni Castle.Was a great weekend and I have included a number of photos for you.
Then I relaxed last Monday with my host mum before catching the bullettrain up to Tokyo last Tuesday. Had a 2 hour check-in meeting with the headoffice here, to ensure I knew all the "rules and regulations" of my residence.It's a really good set up actually..have my own rolom - quite spacious, with atv and video player, fridge, air-con, free connection to the internet, and big wardrobe! I share the open-plan kitchen, bathrooms and laundry with the 60 other residents who live here. So far I have bumped into a few people inthe corridors and have gotten to know them a bit. About half the peple hereare Japanese, so it's great practise!
Last Thursday (September 8th) I met Kazuya because it was our one year anniversary. I organised the day for him - we went to Asakusa Temple and Shrine and a small amusement park near there. Then we caught the riverboat from Asakusa down to the Hamarikyu Gardens, right in the heart of Tokyo.We did some shopping on Japan's most expensive street - Ginza - and then went to the top of Tokyo Tower and looked out over the city. He surprised mewith a hotel room for the night - 5 star - and we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet with beer, and cocktails!! atahe bar was on the top floorof the hotel, looking out over Tokyo Bay. The next day he took me to Tokyo Disneyland and we spent 12 hours on rides and watching 2 amazing paradesand a fireworks display. I had an awesome couple of days! We took over 150 photos, of which, some I have sent to you. I am very lucky to have met Kazuya and know that together we have endured so many challenges butn together we have achieved what we wanted. On Friday night he came and stayed at my place and yesterday we just wentshopping, had lunch and did Karaoke in Shinjuku - only 30 minutes from my house - one of Tokyo's skyscraper districts. Kazuya caught the late busback to Yamaguchi last night (11 hour trip down the highway). He will start anew contract at a hotel/resort in Hakone (one hour from Tokyo) in 3 weeks. I have invited him to come and stay with me for a week before his contract starts.
Today I am relaxing at home - have connected myself to the internet ands went to a 100 yen ($2) shop to buy all my necessaties and decorate myroom! I start university at Waseda on the 30th September, apart from an orientation on the 15th. Emerald and Ky-lee are already in Japan and have gone to visit Ben in Kochi. I couldn't visit him because our scheduleswere different so I'll meet him later in the year when I go back down south. Love you all and miss you all heaps!! Keep in contact and I'll try too.Send me an email to my mobile or normal email address anytime!
Take care Tim
posted by Tim at 10:26 AM
<< Home