Somehow, it's July already. Time sure has flown - it really does seem like yesterday when I arrived here in Tokyo, eyes open in wonder at the big city sights and brain in confusion with the millions of things I had to adjust to.
And adjust I have. Tokyo is like a home to me now, and I can honestly say that I'll miss this small, ten-metre-squared room when I head back to Adelaide (what will I do when there's empty space on all sides of my bed?).
I haven't been living a merely adjusted life though - in the meantime, I've been having a lot of fun! Most of that you will have read about in this blog or seen through photos on Facebook already, but I thought it'd be best if I quantify this fun. Put it up to some scrutiny. What better to do this with than my original list of goals I posted almost ten months ago to the day?
Let's see how I stacked up:
- Become ペラペラ in Japanese. (if you don't know what that means, look it up!)
- Well, I may not be fluent, but I can hold a conversation just fine. I understand most of what is said to me too - but when Japanese talk between themselves, I still struggle.
- Attend a Tohoshinki concert, preferably at Tokyo Dome, with Jaejoong Sweat Seats!
- I had a ticket to attend the fan event, but due to certain unfortunate circumstances it was cancelled. This meant that the Tokyo Dome event could not happen either. :(
- HOWEVER I did manage to see a movie of the 2009 Tokyo Dome Concert!
- Visit my friends in Japan, particularly those outside of Tokyo (Yuri in Nagoya and Izumi and Pei in Osaka)
- I ended up in both places over the Spring Break. Saw Yuri in Nagoya and Pei on our ski trip too~
- Visit the super-awesome life-sized Gundam.
- Sadly, I think it was taken down before I got to Tokyo...
- Stumble upon an unassumingly awesome bar behind a non-descript, heavy door.
- Well, I did visit one bar! It was very nice, and I had a drink with a large spherical piece of ice in it.
- Speaking of bars, I intend to visit a particularly nice one to celebrate the end of my trip.
- Attend the Tokyo Game Show.
- Done!
- Attend the Tokyo Motor Show.
- Sadly did not happen due to my feeling unwell. But I got to see a whole lot of interesting historical cars at the Mille Miglia instead!
- Go skiing (perhaps!).
- Yessiree! Here's a photo that I haven't shown you before:
- Have a photo taken with those crazy Harajuku-types.
- Sadly not. But I think two pretty girls in kimono are nice substitutes.
- Stumble upon a street-racing scene or Touge event.
- Does being driven to said event by someone count as 'stumbling upon'?
- Learn to cook and clean for myself.
- I mean, I cooked on average once a week, and cleaned somewhat less, but I wouldn't count that as learning to do either thing. Certainly not enough to do either when I get home. *cough cough*.
- Update this blog once a week (yikes!)
- Sorry about that guys.
- Get some Tohoshinki signatures at a fan-signing event.
- May have been possible if I actually went to said event.
- Somehow appear on Japanese television.
- This one didn't occur, even though there was a chance I could have. Instead, I did something even better, and got immortalised in a magazine!
- Convince someone to let me drive a GT-R (this is definitely in the 'impossible' category!)
- Sadly not. However, my friend had an R33-GTS-T which he drove me around in (and not just normal driving, let me tell you). Said friend has also just sold the car and bought another one with a GTR bodykit and extra power... I wonder if he will let me drive?
I won't bother giving myself a score, actually. A qualitative analysis was more fun. And I qualitatively conclude that I've had an awesome trip so far!
As for those remaining goals, well, I don't think I'll be achieving any more than I have already in the short time that I have left here. That doesn't mean I won't be doing anything interesting though - next week is certainly shaping up to be interesting...
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I think you've done well just by setting yourself a set of goals and attempting to achieve them :P It doesn't matter if you've done all you wanted to or not, you've done more than most and now that you have, there will always be a next time.
Enjoy the rest of your time over there. You've had a fantastic experience, and unfortunately it's now time for it to end, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do all you can in the time you have left.
Thanks Matt!
I will certainly make the most of the time I have left - I just hope that I don't exhaust myself too much as it's straight back to uni at home!
How's your application going, by the way?
Mmmm, time has flown quickly I guess! Seems like only the other day we were eating sushi (gasp!) and drinking Asahi at your place that day.
I think you've done pretty well in your trip, and whilst not completing every lofty goal, a lot of the alternatives are just as good, if not better! The Mille Miglia is definitely an awesome substitute to the Tokyo Motor Show, if only for the rarity of seeing so many nice Italian cars in that part of the world! And being a part of a secretive dorifto/togue event is much better than simply stumbling upon one 8-)
Do continue to seek out that GT-R though, maybe the car club has connections somewhere... :P
Anyways, enjoy the rest of your trip very much, and good luck conquering next week, can't wait to see pics from the summit 8-)
Yes! You went skiing! Clearly the highest of the goals there. :D
Ah well. I hope you've learned a lot, nay, grown a lot, and really enjoyed your time there. You've given yourself real credit by going through with this exchange, and you deserve to be proud of yourself.
Also, what day are you climbing Mt Fuji?
Saturday, over night. Should arrive at the summit just in time to see the sunrise :D