April 8, 2008
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Empty Apartments!
Not sure how long this WiFi signal I’ve picked will last so I’m gonna try to speedily recount the past 2 weeks as fast as possible for your reading pleasure. That is, if anyone’s reading….! Can’t remember how long it’s been since I got as few as 6 comments! Seriously, where is everyone…..?
Anyway I left Takaoka for Altia training on Monday 24th March, just after my (former) school’s sotsugyoushiki. Matt and Dani met me at the Nagoya Station to help relieve me of about 1/4 of my belongings. The next 4 days were spent in training, getting health checks, sorting out details re: my new job, car and apartment. After leaving another 4th of my stuff with Matt I left Nagoya for Takaoka one last time on the Friday and finalised my moving out the next day. Still apartment-less I hauled the other half of my Japan-ly possessions to Toki to stay with Matt and Dani for what would be about 5 days. In the midst of a move themselves we spent much of that time transferring their Japan-ly belongings from their old place to their brand-spanking-new, multiple-roomed, real-home-type apartment! The action was interspersed with the occasional restful respite; some karaoke that had Matt and I add 2 new songs to our duet-repertoire (Bliss by Muse and Ghost Of You by My Chemical Romance,) guitar practice for Matt and I (Green Day and Incubus for the time being) and some video gamage, once we were able. For the first time ever I went and got myself a bit of a haircut here in Japan, entrusting myself to the place Matt frequents. I gotta say I got exactly what I wanted done! With a picture and some simple requests in Japanese I got a more satisfying haircut than many I’ve had back home! On Thursday I headed into Ena for the first time to meet my supervisor and go do the rounds; the Board of Education first, followed by all 6 of my schools. I’ve been advised not to mention them by name so I won’t. Busy day, to say the least! I returned to Nagoya, Friday just gone, and picked up my car leading to an even more potentially nerve-racking first experience than a Japanese haircut; driving in Japan. Not just driving in Japan but driving an automatic (when I’ve always used a manual, though it took all of 3 minutes to adjust to) to drive from Sakae to Toki. Nevertheless I made it in 1 piece and have found I can fill my tank on as little as 2,500 yen! It would be double that back home! I’m not sure if Japanese cars have smaller tanks or if fuel prices in the UK are just that ridiculous but, well, it’s good. I used my new found car-powers to get us (including Richard, who arrived Thursday afternoon) to Dani’s extremely impressive school for a barbecue and hanami, followed by Baskin and Robbin’s, that night, after which I relocated to a nearby hotel (at the company’s expense.) This past weekend I finally got the keys to my new apartment and moved in Sunday. It’s located on a hillside in a very old-style part of Ena, much like Balex’s Leopalace in Yokohama. Good sized place too; a 6 tatami mat room, a wooden floor room of a similar size, a decent kitchen and a bathroom/washroom. It’s all kinda bare and not very homely looking right now. I’m crashing on the floor on my futon with most of my belongings strewn about the place for now. I got my first week at school to deal with first! I’ll add pics and videos when I feel settled enough to make some, until then…..errmmm….. carry on doing what you’re doing. Ummm….. right. Yeah….?!
I’m not gonna delve into my feelings this time. It’s too early and everything is still to new for me to risk following through on my current emotions…. Besides, I fear I have already lost my connection so who knows if this update will ever see the light of Xanga….?
Smoke me a kipper. I’ll be back for breakfast! (Later peeps!) “I haven’t ever really found a place that I call home… I never stick around quite long enough to make it…”
Comments (13)
first!
Congrats on getting this posted on an unpredictable connection. Your place sounds like it will be really nice once you finish nesting. Maybe I/we can come stay with you some time when I have a wedding in ena?
You are complaining about 6 comments???? spoiled brat! Also, you must have a very small fuel tank because it costs me more than 5000 to fill my tank
“i’ve always thought that i would love to live by the sea–to travel the world alone and live more simply…”
congrats again on the new place and being by people you love. always nice. props for controlling the flow of emotions. i delve too deeply before i even know what they are. and…forgive my obvious lack of britishness, but what’s a kipper?
and i’m with robinsama. 6? pshaw.
hey dave. hope you are starting to feel at home in your new place…FIND SOMETHING TO ENJOY!
sorry for raising my voice….
One day this post may have six comments… I will do what little I can to nudge it on its way! I must say I’m feeling the disconnection of a few months from you fellows, and a trip to Nagoya at some point would go down very well. Here’s the thing though – I actually want to finalise a tattoo design before I next come to Nagoya. I trust Baccho more than I would any other artist, and I don’t want to spend the shinkansen fare on an extra trip solely for tattooage at some point… wanna come with and say hi to Baccho / watch when the day rolls around?
Also: a certain Sony gaming device would solve all your empty apartment feelings…
Its good to hear things are looking up for again mate.
Smoke me a kipper. I’ll be back for breakfast! – You get 10 internets for that line.
see? this is going to be the seventh comment. no more complaining.
that’s really cool that you went to art school, but i understand what you mean completely. getting my degree in english just about did me in for any sort of academic or artistic literary expression. killed poetry for me, but i’m slowly resurrecting it. i did learn a lot, but in some ways i almost think that i was a better writer before, so now i’m trying to find that again. you’re right, though… no use trying to force it.
what was your focus in art school? i know you draw–was that your focus? do you do it still?
dave. you must realize that age is a state of mind. the number attached to it need never make you fret~
of COURSE we are friends, mr. david moss! i hope we will always be!
i am hardly ever online and very rarely on xanga too. i hope you’re doing well… stay in touch
oh and listen here you punk-A. i am TWO whole years older than you so i dont want to read anymore of your “i’m so old” comments.
It must be strange driving in Japan (being the country we associate with public transport). Cost/benefits analysis? it seems like petrol is really cheap there. In AU the price for a litre is around $1.50 and with the current exchange rate thats basically 150 yen… looking to increase to 160 in a few weeks. Since we all seem to have different fuel tank capacities, how about this – roughly how often do you need to fill your tank and how often do you travel by car? Is it more efficient than paying for public transport for the same distance and time? Also, did you buy the car yourself or was it supplied by your company? How about parking costs? I’m curious because I have considered getting/using a friend’s car whilst in Japan and just want a heads-up on the details (being an ISTJ of course).
I have yet to discover where I will be staying in Nagoya (Shiho is searching for good places to rent). Will update soon and find out how easy it will be to visit you and/or Matt!
Driving in Japan actually sounds really economical! Whats the current price per litre? It looks like you rely on your car quite a lot and its great that they supply it for you. Is it scary driving down those narrow sidestreets that threaten to take off your wing mirrors? I remember riding in a taxi down a street and we passed another car, and despite the cars nearly sandwiched between the buidlings the driver went about 40kph! Scary!
Hello!
I haven’t written you in a while either. I hope everything is doing good. I see that you have an apartment. =D I’m happy for ya. I hope evrything works according to plan.. Thats if, you have one. Lol