The Frustrations of Self-Publishing

Hello all. Today, please forgive me, I am going to be quite self indulgent. I will do my best to keep away from 'Oh woe's me!' and the like, but I can't make any firm promises. So this self-publishing ebook lark. I started back in 2011 with no real idea what I was doing. I …

Continue reading The Frustrations of Self-Publishing

Cherry Blossoms by Night

Well, Spring is everywhere at the moment even if it did rain for all of Thursday, and in Japan that means cherry blossoms - Sakura. People are out and about celebrating the arrival of spring with 'Hanami', hard to define, a sort of celebration though. After a long, cold winter, where even Yokohama saw some …

Continue reading Cherry Blossoms by Night

Living in Japan Survival Guide Point Two: Money

Continuing on with my tips from part one a week or so ago, today I am blogging a little about money in Japan. I can start by telling you the local currency here is the ‘yen’, or as the locals say ‘en’, and that it is worth just over 100 to the US dollar right …

Continue reading Living in Japan Survival Guide Point Two: Money

The Classic Overnight Bus Journey

I have been on many overnight bus journeys in my travels, and last night was another. I have crossed the Baluchistan Desert from Pakistan to Iran overnight, which is perhaps my most memorable for good and bad reasons. Bad - Hot beyond belief and very little sleep, the Good, nay AMAZING - waking up at …

Continue reading The Classic Overnight Bus Journey

Sayanara Apartment

Well, today I said 'Goodbye' to my apartment where I have lived the past two years. If moving to Japan was tricky, leaving is not only difficult but also quite slow and frustrating. Still, even though the apartment wasn't quite as comfortable as I might have liked, I'll have fond memories. Not so much of …

Continue reading Sayanara Apartment

Living in Japan Survival Guide Point One – Second Hand Stores

Hello! Today I am starting a series of points that will form a sort of informal 'Survival Guide' for those thinking of living in Japan. My time in Ichinoseki is almost up as I type - tomorrow I say goodbye to my apartment, Friday night I am off to Yokohama via night bus, so things …

Continue reading Living in Japan Survival Guide Point One – Second Hand Stores