I did it my way: The year in summary

Having just updated the blog with photos (finally) - going as far back as my trip to Korea in September - I felt this year's trip needed some kind of "Best of" entry, an entry like the last show of Survivor they have, where they ask the contestants if they actually hate each other or not etc.

So here it is. So I will add some random photos that didn't fit in other places, and answer some random questions that I think up eg. Favourite trip in Japan, favourite other Asian country etc.

(My bike. Notice the basket and girl's frame - they are all like that. Lee named them "Communist bikes".)


Favourite Japanese Food - Coco Ichiban (especially if you go by most regularly consumed) - Japanese Curry. Cheap, nice, and convenient. Thanks Krysta for introducing me to it.

Least liked Japanese food (that I tried) - Nato (fermented Soy beans).


Food I won't be eating after having too much of it in Japan - McDonald's, especially the breakfasts

Favourite trips in Japan - Its a close tie between my trip to Kanazawa, the trip to Hiroshima/Kure via USJ and Himeji Castle, and my Nagano-Tokyo trip. those trips were all fun, very interesting, efficient, and made special by the people I stayed with.

Favourite place in Japan - again a hard choice. The top 5 are Kanazawa, Himeji Castle, Hiroshima/Kure, Kobe, and the Ninja museum at Iga Ueno.

Favourite trip outside Japan - I think Singapore/Malaysia are number 1. Mainly because it was such a breeze being able to speak in English. Also the locals weren't out to get my money, so it was a pleasant trip. #2 is Korea, mainly because nothing bad happened.

Thing I miss the most about Japan - first of all is the people, all the friends I made, the camaraderie. Next is convenience stores - which funnily enough were conveniently located throughout Japan, although this may have been my downfall too. The fact you could drink alcohol in public - and buy it (cheaply) at a convenience store. The good public transportation system.

Things I don't miss about Japan - the beauraucy and hoops you have to jump through to get things done - for example having to get an alien registration card - why? Missing the last train home from Nagoya... and the persistent massage girls.

Regrets - Not making it to Nara or Ise. Not going for a swim in the ocean in Japan, Singapore or Malaysia. Not seeing more around Nagoya. Didn't go to the Honda or Toyota factories. Should possibly have moved to Nagoya for more life. Not loosening up earlier on, I was too tense, and business-like. Not being more serious about learning Japanese. Losing the focus to lose weight. Keeping the internet connection at my apartment. Not making it to the top of Mt Fuji (at the same time though, that was one of the best trips, as I was doing it with good friends). But as many regrets as I have, these are of low value.

Grateful for - The fact all the flatmates (roommates) I had were awesome, no troublesome ones. That Yokkaichi was central and reasonably convenient to what I wanted to see - Osaka, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Nagano, and Hiroshima and Tokyo were manageable. I had great students, and for some reason, my students tended to be generally around my age. Also that I didn't run into any major trouble.

(The shoes make it into the hall of fame, as they saw me around most of Japan, up Mt Fuji, and over 10kms of the Great Wall of China. I didn't bring them home, but instead took a photo to remember their mana.)

If I moved back to Japan... - I would live in Nagoya. I like it as a city, not too big to handle, but full of opportunities. Central to the rest of Japan, and close to the friends I made. I would get more serious about learning Japanese, and I would adjust my eating habits, and probably not drink so often. I would also go with the JET program, and I would go hard and save money.

The following are a selection of bugs I came across in my travels. Note the size of the Cicada especially, compared to New Zealand's.