Wow. What a day. I was thoroughly overstimulated and couldn’t sleep for hours after our day-trip to this famous Japanese theme park. The big not-so-hidden child in Dan was awakened as we explored Hogsmeade Harry Potter village and went on the Flying Dinosaur rollercoaster. Hogsmeade was wonderful and was really well-done by USJ! There were lovely…
Category: Preparing for Japan
Family Fortunes
This weekend has been full of family fun before I fly to Japan in FIVE DAYS! We had a lovely meal with my lot on Friday; a trip to visit Grandma and then some decedent cream teas with Maralyn, Paul and Jess on Saturday; and a 90th birthday celebration for Nana on Sunday! Check out…
Tourist
The sound track our past few days: “This European air: It always warms my face; I wish I could pass on; I will bring you stories; and bleary-eyed photos; like a regular tourist.” (Athlete, circa my teenage years- I’m giving too much away…) We have had an extended weekend stay in London, so we could both tourist and say sayonara to…
Departure to Japan Approaches and the Nerves Have Set in!
Well it is now just three weeks before the big move to Japan! I cannot believe that after all of this time, we are finally moving. We have details of our placement and are moving to Shimonoseki city. It is the largest city in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and right on the southern tip. You can…
I Would Walk 500 Miles…
Well, we didn’t walk, we drove with a full van of our lives contained in a surprisingly small space. Bar the mattress, which can go to hell. “How long will it take to pack the van up?” “I think about 45 mins” “Nah, probably more like an hour” We return to van packing three hours…
It’s Yamaguchi Prefecture!
The placement information is finally in, we are moving to Yamaguchi prefecture!! We initially knew little about our new home, but here is what some extensive googling and joining of Facebook groups has led us to understand: It is the most southern prefecture of the Honshu island of Japan. The climate is semi-tropical with a…
Packing Without Boundaries
Time has, as it often does, forced us to commit to packing up our Manchester lives and plunging into the Japan move. We have no knowledge of our JET placement but have already committed to the programme. This is no problem for me as I am ready to move and have a job, but it…
Madrid to Cadiz
12 days of rest for me, 12 days of work for DJ. Who is the winner here?! Him, probably. We spent our first wedding anniversary enjoying the sights, sounds and some less than desirable smells of Madrid. It was hot, we drank beer and wine a plenty! We visited the Prado for some culture. So…
Celebrating Japan Day
This May bank holiday weekend I hatched a plan to celebrate Japan. With the recent waiting game taking it’s toll I thought it was a nice idea to remind ourselves why we want to move to Japan. We had never totally forgotten this, but a reminder was due and well received! We remembered the importance…
The Waiting Game…is Over…Sort of
Well, I (Lorrie) got onto the JET 2016 programme! Very exciting news and makes our move to Japan MUCH closer. July to be exact… DJ is on the alternate list, which means he may get a position but it is unlikely to be near me as he wasn’t upgraded in the first round. We are…