My Flight Home is Booked

So I can't quite believe it, but it's gotten to the time of year where everyone is booking their flights home, and making their plans for the next semester. Me included.

This flight cost more than my flight here with Emirates, and is actually with Air China. Why would you pay more for an airline that has a worse reputation, you may ask? Because they will give me more luggage allowance, and right now that is exactly what I need.

With Emirates you get 30kg luggage free, in as many bags as it takes.
With Air China you get two pieces of luggage, at 23kg each. That gives me a grand total of 16kg more to play with, which is exactly what I like to hear.

I've bought a lot of things in Japan. As much as I would have loved to fly back with Emirates, I'd rather be able to take back as many of my belongings without posting them as possible as well.

On the downside, my flight is at 9am, which is not fun beans at all. I've booked the cheapest 'hotel' I've ever seen for my boyfriend and I the night before I leave in Osaka. It cost 2,400yen. For two people. That's crazy. I hope I don't die.

I only have just under 3 months left here. Time has gone so quickly, but I've also gotten used to it around here. It's like I've been here forever and I've not been here very long all at once.

These next three months are going to be full of adventures and memory making ^.^

Until next time ^^

Durarara!! Streeeeet!! Exhibition Osaka

So this month there is a six day Durarara exhibition in Osaka's Cosmosquare called "Durarara!! Streeeeet", and of course my friend Abi and I just had to go and check it out. I thought I'd write a little bit for those of you that couldn't make it!

When we arrived at the venue, we took a little while to find the exhibition because it was a huge building and we got a bit lost. Once we found it we queued to go in and were given an option for an Audio Tour (Japanese only) done by the voice actors of Shinra, Shizuo and Izaya, for 700yen, which we both took. The Audio tracks were amusing, but short, and it was quite expensive for what you actually got. I'm pretty glad we took them, because I love Shinra and he voiced nearly all of it. Abi, a huge Izaya fan, was a little disappointed. But I'm sure all the exclusive merch she bought made up for that! More on that later.

WARNING: This post may contain spoilers for those of you who are not up to date with the Durarara anime. I suggest you get up to date with it. It is an amazing anime!

Walking into the exhibition, there were character profiles posted on the walls of all of the Durarara and Durararax2 characters, and this fabulous picture.

After that, we saw a map of Ikebukuro, with locations from the anime pinpointed on it, and a summary of what happened in the first season.

Next up was a schoolroom setting, with windows behind curtains that you could open up and look through, and a set of shoe lockers for each of the characters.

From then we went on a little tour of Ikebukuro! Past Russia Sushi, invading several people's houses such as Izaya, Shizuo, Masaomi and Shinra and Celty, as well as seeing some other familiar faces along the way.

And then, at last, we got to buy some tasty exclusive merch, and spend far too much money! Nearly everything that I bought here was an exhibition exclusive. I regret nothing. (Especially since I managed to get a mini drama CD from the ichibankuji[a bit like a raffle]). There was a lot of Izaya merchandise, because it was his birthday recently. You might be able to guess, but my favourite characters are Shinra and Celty <3

And that's all from me on the Durarara!! Streeeeet!! Exhibition. I've uploaded all of the photos I took to this album.

I can't speak French anymore O.o

So this is rather frightening.

As you may or may not know, I'm studying double honours French and Japanese at UEA, but am currently on my year abroad in Kyoto, Japan. Before that, I was working in the South of France, trying to improve my French. But that kind of seems like a wasted effort now.

Last weekend, I went camping with OEC, a group of people at the University who arrange activities where Japanese students and exchange students can meet and interact. One of my friends who always attends these events is a lovely Japanese girl called Eri, who is currently studying French. She has only been learning for one year, but is already better than nearly everyone I know after they had studied five years of French. Whilst trying to have a little conversation with her, I found myself tripping over my French, trying to put Japanese words into my sentences, and generally failing at communication as a whole.

I know my brain gets confused when three languages are floating around in it and I try to use them all at once, but it really was a struggle trying to get even simple French out.

Now I know that I'm probably over-reacting. My French is a little rusty, and I probably just need to read a few books or articles, watch a couple of videos and have a chat with someone in French for it to "all come flowing back" or something like that.

But the thing is, I don't want to. At least not at the moment. I'm at the point with my Japanese now where all my Japanese friends are marveling at how 'good' I have gotten at Japanese. I feel like I really need to push further before going home, and I'm hoping I can hit a jump and increase my level before I return to the land of Yorkshire Puddings and poor language skills. I don't want to slow down my Japanese by trying to improve or even just refreshing my French. But at the same time, I have to go back to University in England in just over four months, and I'm going to be sitting in classes with people who have just spent a year in France boosting their language to what might be a close-to-fluent standard.

I guess I will just have to push forward with my Japanese, and do an intensive refreshing session when I land in England a month before the new term starts.