Oh yeah, konnichiwa!

First group photo with the Oita noobs!

Hello friends and possible stalkers,

How are you?

Yes, it is official, I am the world's worst personal blogger. After harassing you all to "CHECK MY BLOG!!!", I have failed to post a single entry. Well, today that all changes! I am going to try my very hardest to keep regular tabs on this blog. I offer the following excuses for my lack of blogging: The dog ate my LAN cable (it may as well have, given I only just got the internet!)/ I had a temporary phobia of blogging (it's difficult to get the motivation to crap on about your life), and oh, I just packed up my entire life and haven't had much time to stop and get my geek on (I can hear you all saying, "Yeah, well I just had to deal with City Rail, but you don't see me making excuses").

OK, so where to start? Hmm. Ok. Well maybe it will be best to offer a brief and easily digestible recap on my time so far. Using a multitude of (non-Instagramed) photos, of course! Let's start at the beginning...

So at the end of July this year I said my goodbyes and packed my bags and set off for a three day Orientation in Tokyo. Key words: long talks, long seminars, meeting fellow Oita noobs for the first time!, buffet dinner, a visit to the Australian embassy, crashing the Irish JETs party night, a sneaky visit to Harajuku and hanging with fellow Australian JETS.

In my hotel room wearing the hotel's yukata (summer kimono)

Best roomies ever!

So. Many. Bags.

Enjoying the night with fellow Australians!

On our way to the Australian embassy. 

No, we didn't skip any seminars to go shopping in Harajuku...

Can't believe you can't just bump into a blow-up Pikachu in Australia.

View from our hotel room!

All in all, it was a pretty alright way to start my year abroad! I had such a great time hanging out with some great people, stay in a nice hotel and get acquainted with the FUNDAMENTAL catchphrase of the JET program. i.e. <Insert piece of advice/great opportunity/solution to a problem> "But, every situation is different". Yep, it's true. JET participants are situated all over Japan, maybe in the city or maybe in the countryside, maybe working in elementary/junior high/senior high, maybe surrounded by other foreigners or not at all, with each prefecture offering different opportunities and challenges.

In these first couple of days in Japan, I had no idea what was in store for me- what Oita would be like, who I would meet and what I would be doing...