No more juku

I was really surprised when I left the juku for the last time, I was overcome with emotion, I had to choke back the tears. I'll leave you to decide if that's true or not.

Perhaps some of them did realise that they'd never see me again, including Takuto who has been a brat all year but when I was leaving followed me the whole way down the street looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. Who would have guessed it? But overall I think they cared even less than me that I was leaving, I didn't even get so much as a bye bye out of some of them! Kanae had gone to a lot of effort organising my farewell parties and she bought me the most beautiful present, I would have been sad if I'd had to say good bye to her but I'll see her again before I leave.

Yuya Class 2
Komaguchi sensei
Class 3
Class 1 - check out Gonzo

What will become of Gonzo?

After I'd been in Japan for a few weeks, Martyn sent me Gonzo. He was meant to keep me company I guess. I'm not quite sure how he came about choosing Gonzo to be my new companion apart from the fact he was easy to send. When he first arrived I wasn't even sure if he was even a Sesame Street character seen as though I never watched it as a child (American pronunciation, vocabulary and misspellings abound). So as if it wasn't strange enough to send me a Sesame Street character why of all the characters did he send Gonzo? (although just writing that I think I realise why - the similarity in our huge snebs - no comment)

Gonzo didn't really do a very good job of keeping me company however and I had to find another use for him...(for some reasons that sounds really rude)

With the first class at the juku I'm always stuck for ideas as to what to do with them. It's only one class a week but it's ridiculously tough to come up with fun, genki ideas for a bunch of elementary school kids who hardly know 10 words of English between them.

I came across a game. It's simple - you play some music, the kids throw a soft toy around, when the music stops they have to answer a question. You get the idea. Therefore Gonzo was introduced to the demon kids. They love Gonzo, really, they can't get enough of him. I once forgot him and we tried throwing something else around - it just didn't work. Gonzo has been thrown around that room, more times than I care to imagine - always with much delight and enthusiasm. Once he even found himself hanging entangled in the light cord as he was thrust across the room. I guess you had to be there but it was funny.

Now all of you who know I would rather spend time in a room filled with gokiburi then young children might be surprised upon reading what a fun, genki time we have chucking Gonzo around the room but I have to inform you it is made bearable for me due to the fact Bloc Party always accompanies this game. They throw Gonzo around. I dance. Everyone's happy!

So what should I do with Gonzo? He was a gift but I really don't want to take him home. Having said that I can't just throw him in the trash (he is American after all). Perhaps I should play a game with the kids this afternoon and whoever wins gets to keep Gonzo - but I can't even imagine the havoc this would cause. Perhaps I should leave him for my successor for them to use at class or even to keep them company? Maybe there's someone else who really wants to take Gonzo off my hands and adopt him?

What should I do with Gonzo?

This is funny ...

You have to read Aileen's recent Engrish post on one of her blogs. Click here. It's funny.

Lunch

Ohka is known all around for being a cooking school which I've previously mentioned does hold some advantages. Sometimes the third year students make lunch for the teachers and sometimes the teachers remember to tell me to order it.

So the food is usually pretty good and the best part of it being it only costs 300/400 yen.

Whilst scoffing said lunch today I realised it could well be the last time I get to eat the student's food, so decided I should take a pic and post it here.

The last student lunch maybe?

Momo and the Beatles!

This weekend was a perfect 'Mie' weekend. Friday night was Asako's sayonara party in Matsusaka, which was loads of fun (despite the horrid food). One of our friends works for Intrepid which is the company I went with to both Cambodia and China, who should walk in with her but the group leader from my China trip - bizarre.

Saturday was spent eating and generally lazing about in Matsusaka before going to meet Aileen and Momo in Tsu. We went to this great restaurant. Yay for tabehodai and nomihodai (all you can eat and drink) and the food and drinks actually being good!

Afterwards we went for a spot of karaoke. I had the best time. Momo - what can I say? You surprised us all - thanks for making it one of the best karaoke sessions ever! Plus we got to sing Bloc party and dance around on the seats :) I had the best night!

On Sunday evening I went to Miyagawa, hung out there and ate lots of food.

And now to the start of another week although this week is unlike most others in that it's a week of lasts ... my last conversation class, my last Japanese class, my last time at the juku (cram school), my last ichi nensei text book classes, my last ni nensei class. In most cases I don't think I'm going to be too upset, I'm pleased I've cancelled all my evening classes for July so I can concentrate on having fun and seeing my friends but I'll keep you posted ... you never know I might break down in tears when I say good bye to the kids at the juku for the last time ... yeah whatever!

Bikurishita!

Yesterday was a day full of surprises ...

Surprise No.1

I'm sat at my desk, as bored as any other day, as usual wondering what to do seen as though I've already checked my email and miejets 10 million times. When Miki walks into the teacher's room! She had brought the lilies I'd left in her car that we were given at the park. We left and went for lunch at my apartment. It was the best surpise - if anyone else fancies dropping into Ohka for a surprise visit it'll be more than welcome!

Surprise No.2

My friends at school have been wanting to take me to see fireflies for weeks and through one reason or another I've had to keep cancelling on them. Yesterday was pouring with rain but it appeared we'd still be going. After I'd finished work at the juku I met them at school.

We arrived at this location that had been recommended to us. I have to admit I was wondering what all the fuss was about as we scrambled around the rhododendron bushes to catch a glimpse at ONE fire fly.

Then it was decided we would cross these precarious, slippery logs across the pond. Take a moment to imagine this - it's almost pitch black, I'm carrying an umbrella and I'm balancing on a piece of wood in the middle of a frog filled pond.

I think when we first arrived it just wasn't dark enough though because by the time we left the air was starting to fill with fire flies and I have to admit it was really impressive. Thoughts of fairies, magic and a Midsummer's Night Dream ...

Surprise No 3

I'm fast asleep, my phone is ringing, I uncoordinatedly jump out of bed trying to find the damn thing. It's Vinny. 'Hels were you asleep?!' I reply 'of course I am it's bloody...' looking at the clock it wasn't even 11:30pm yet - I honestly thought it was about 3:00am! I'm pathetic!

Anyway Vinny was on fine form, he'd just finished his last exam. Ah the memories ...

Lilies

I took the afternoon off work yesterday and went with Miki down to Shima, our destination being this amazing lily park. It was more beautiful than I imagined, a small hillside bursting with a vast array of different coloured lilies. It was a hot day and the air was heavy with the most amazing smell.

Afterwards we went to a beautiful hotel with a great view over the sea for coffee and cake . It was just what I needed :)

I really am leaving ...

It's done. I've reserved my flight. I'll be arriving in Manchester at 5:20pm on 31st July.

I like temples again

I've been in Japan for two years. That's a lot of temples. I can't begin to imagine how many temples I've been to and that's not even including the ones in China and Cambodia as well. I really thought I was done with temples.

On Sunday morning in Kyoto I woke up ridiculously early, as per usual, I tried to persuade myself to go back to sleep but although I knew all the advantages of getting more sleep over getting up at such an early hour - I just couldn't manage it. This left me with the problem of what on earth was I going to do for the next few hours before everyone else stirred.

I decided to head out to buy some breakfast from the combini, then I decided I might as well find somewhere nice to eat my unappetising breakfast.

I ended up at a temple - I don't know which one. I don't think it was a famous, notable temple but it was a big temple none the less. There were a few people wandering around, but overall it was quiet and serene. I'd go as far as to say it was really beautiful. The temple looked so grand and the grounds were so tranquil. It was the perfect place to spend some time. As I set off to return back to the hostel the hoards of tourists were just beginning to arrive, it made me appreciate my little morning trip to the temple even more. I now have a lovely memory of this temple, which is good because presently my memory of most temples includes groups of hyperactive elementary school children, pushy old women and loud speakers.

So you see it's not always so bad to get up early :)

I didn't have my camera with me so no pictures I'm afraid but sometimes maybe that's quite a nice thing.

Kyoto

I have so many things to do today and really have no time to be writing a blog post, so here are a few photos from Kyoto and I'll maybe write some more another time! I don't have many photos to chose from as the light was really bad for taking good pictures so I just didn't bother!

A Busy Week

In the evenings I'm always busy, it's fine because I sit for most of the day not doing an awful lot so I don't find that I really suffer despite never having an evening free. This week I seemed particularly busy though, here are some snippets ...

Kura

On Tuesday before Japanese class I went with Milena to Kura which is a little izikaya near me for dinner. Every time I go I'm amazed at how great the food is and can never believe that this gem is literally just around the corner. I've only ever been a handful of times though owing to the fact the menu is impossible to read. It's not impossible for Milena though and her superb kanji reading skills so off we went. It was great. I'm happy. Lets go every week!

Lost

Wednesday evening saw the return of our Lost club, unfortunately with the absence of one our members (he has a good enough reason though). Aileen had down loaded the first few episodes of the second season, I think it's safe to say we were stupidly excited about watching them. The only problem is I think I drank a bit too much wine and can't really remember all the details of everything that happened - I'll be quizzing you about it tomorrow Ailo!

Gravy

Yesterday I was tired and it was one of the rare times I wished I had nothing to do and could just hide out on my own, in my apartment for the evening but I had to work at the juku after school and then I had some people from school coming around for 'English' food.

In the end I made cottage pie, served it up with some peas and some bread and butter. Which isn't something many English people except grandparents still do but anyway I told them it was very English thing to do. The most amusing part was watching them figure out what to do with the gravy. I picked up the jug and poured some all over mine. They then proceeded to discuss at great length what this stuff could possibly be and asking each other why on earth would we be pouring it all over our food. They then took the spoon and spooned two small spoonfuls of it onto their food. I had to stop myself laughing. So in the end, I had a really lovely evening and am so pleased they came around and not just because of the gravy incident!

Tea Ceremony

Today I was planning on taking the afternoon off, I thought it might be a nice idea to take some time to relax before the weekend ahead. I thought better of it as although I do have some nenkyu left I haven't really got enough to be throwing it around. It worked out well because this afternoon I ended up going with one of the English teacher's for tea ceremony as some of the cooking students had made hand-made sweets. I think I made everyone's day when I picked one of the sweets up and it disintegrated in my hand all over me and the red mat I'm sat on. Oh dear - the shame! But everyone laughed a lot, most of all me!

Kyoto

Just over an hour to go until the end of school. I'm going to Kyoto this weekend. I'm VERY excited!

Wallace - for Ailo and Nige

I've posted this picture to make Aileen laugh, it makes me laugh anyway - don't really have the energy to explain right now. I think Wallace's is more of a smile and mine's more of a grimace though?!

Let's enjoy sweating!

Today it's 26 degrees celcius which wouldn't be too bad but that's along with 82% relative humidity. I think it's been creeping up for a while but I hadn't really noticed it until I walked out of the icy air conditioned supermarket on Monday and stepped outside slap bang straight into the wall of humidity.

Hitting this wall turns anyone, even the incredibly attractive, into sweaty, clammy, minging beings.

Here's to six weeks of sweating profusely and the continuous bad skin, greasy hair and sweaty clothes that comes with it.

YAY!

My Last (proper) Trip to Nagoya

Friday

The plan was to take a trip up to visit Beccy and Vicky, I was really looking forward to seeing them and to spending the evening in Nagoya. Stupidly I hadn't checked my phone properly and so didn't get Beccy's message saying she was going to be late meeting me until I was already on the train, however having to spend an extra hour and a half at Nagoya station isn't exactly the same torture as being stuck at Matsusaka station so I wasn't bothered.

Over the past two years I've headed to Nagoya on a Friday night countless times, I excitedly rush for the JR Rapid Mie to transport me to a completely different world to that of Taki-cho. When I arrive at Nagoya station it never fails to disappoint, I love the rush of the people and I particularly love that it's characteristically Nagoya.

I think I decided a long time ago that Nagoya is my favourite city in Japan, forget Kobe and Yokohama (most people's favourites) even Nagasaki - I really like Nagoya. I like that I know it vaguely well enough to get around smoothly, I know how to get to my favourite places but at the same time I always find new and exciting things each time I go. I love that there's green in Nagoya. I love that most people are pretentious and rich (because I don't have to actually live there) and yet there are still the quirky characters you come across in every big Japanese city. More than anything I love that it's not Osaka. I hate Osaka.

This Friday though I just didn't really feel the usual buzz, perhaps it was because I felt a little melancholy at the thought of it being my last time or that I just wasn't in the mood for the never ending stream of gaijin guy, cute skinny j girl couples coming towards me or maybe it really is just that I'm ready to leave Japan.

Enough ramblings ... I met Beccy, Vicky, their Japanese friend and Vicky's Dad who is visiting her at the moment. We went for a nice dinner (apart from the unbearably loud band and their songs consisting of no more than three lyrics) and for a drink afterwards (inbetween I made everyone do purikura). We took the last train back to Beccy's and stayed up chatting and drinking wine.

Saturday

Probably everyone who reads this blog, knows that I get up ridiculously early especially when I'm staying at someone else's house. I really do try and sleep in but I just can't. For this reason before bed I warned Beccy that by the time she got up in the morning I'd have long since gone - which is exactly what happened. The only problem with this is that I was in Sakae by 9am. Nagoya was very eerie at 9am, I knew that most places don't open until 10am but literally nothing was open! Except starbucks - so that's where I sat, drank coffee and read as well as planning my immanent shopping spree. At 10am I ventured out onto the streets of Sakae where it actually turns out that half the shops don't even open until 11am!

A very successful shopping trip (eventually) ensued (especially for someone who is not a great fan of shopping), I'm pleased with everything I bought and managed to get a few Japanese nick knacks I felt I needed before I left Japan. Not really sure when the opportunity to wear a yukata (summer kimono) is going to arise in Carlisle but nevermind!

I met Lolly and Fiona for a lovely lunch before venturing over to Osu, where Fiona took us to an amazing second hand kimono store (can't believe I just wrote that - SHOP).

Sunday

Milena and me went by bike for a lovely lunch in Odai and then spent some time cycling/walking around. In the evening we had a bbq, which of course was lovely as we got to sit outside and eat lots of food. Eating and being outside are two things that make me very happy :)

When I arrived home on Sunday evening I was talking to my brother about my day and his comment was 'Is this really how someone in their 20s spends their time? Getting excited about riding around on a bike with their friend?' Erm ... well yes!

Dinner on Friday Night
I've always wanted to get a sly salary man shot
At the kimono place - the price tag on the one Fiona's trying was over $1000!

Sports Day

I started this blog entry by writing 'it's difficult for me to describe how different the students here in Japan are compared to the UK' ... but I'm editing that because it's not difficult - High School students here like Mickey Mouse. full stop.

Anyway on with the original entry about PE and sports day ...

I teach at a Senior High School so all the students are between 15 and 18 years old so they're about the same age as sixth form students at home. In the UK we don't have PE classes in sixth form, after we've finished compulsory education they no longer feel the need to subject us to the horror of PE classes. I obviously never complained.

I understand the education system at home is very different, in that we only study three or four subjects to A Level (and we're treated much more like college or university students than school pupils) where as they still cover a broad range of subjects at SHS so PE is naturally still included (and they're treated like children).

Considering this now - I think it's a good thing that they still do PE at this age I was reading some staggering statistics about obesity in Britain and I started to think we should have done more PE in school and for longer. But the problem would be motivating the students; even once we reach GCSE stage PE is definitely put on the back burner. We're still in compulsory education so we have to attend class but that's about as far as it goes. Tennis involved sitting on the flood banks watching the boys out in the further fields and trampolining included the strenuous exercise of all sitting around the trampoline and chatting. We'd given up and so had the teachers.

In our last year of compulsory education we don't even have to attend the school's sports day, it's our reward for being in Year 11 and having completed our exams and I don't think anybody feel hard done by.

In Japan however the classes in their third year (our Year 13) have to perform some elaborate dance performance in front of the school. They love it and it's taken very seriously. I was told by one of the students that they have been practicing since the beginning of May and at weekends they've been practicing for 7 hours. 7 hours?! (I find this unbelievable as the boys in 3B uncoordinatedly pranced around in stuffed bras and skirts but nevertheless…) I can’t possible imagine trying to motivate classes of forty 17-18 year olds in the UK to choreograph and perform a dance sequence, because lets face it (I know it’s terrible) but they’d all be in the pub!

This is just one example of the difference in the students and it’s much too big a topic to go into further now so I’ll leave it at that and get back to yesterday’s sports day.

This was the first time I’d spent the duration of the day at the Sports Festival, last year I had to duck out to spend a few hours at the dermatologist at Matsusaka hospital. My absence from much of last year’s day meant that I didn’t have to take part and I had a valid reason for it.

This year I was asked to run in the teacher’s race by one of my friends – I shook my head and pulled a funny face and they got the idea. Plus, we seem to have a huge group of student teachers in school at the moment (I’m sure there weren’t this many last year) that were overly enthusiastic to take part so I wasn’t really needed anyway.

I haven’t run a 200 metre race since I was 14 years old and as for a relay I don’t know if I’ve ever done one (at school I wasn’t bad enough at sport that I got to completely sit sports day out but nor was I good enough to do any of the track events, hence I became our class’ entry into the ‘events nobody else wanted to do’ i.e. throwing the shot put or javelin etc). The main reason I didn't want to take part was that I don’t like the image of everyone feeling sorry for Helen sensei as she trails her slow ass around the track and I especially can’t stand the idea of everyone watching me.

I was also asked to take part in the teacher’s skipping team, which would be fine but I’ve never done that in my life before either. So, I was left sat thinking that I’m a really bad ALT, that I should be more involved, that I should be more enthusiastic but when it comes down to it I don’t always like being the gaijin on show and acting like a clown while being told how kawaii I am.

The other notable even of the day was when I popped home (as I do every day) for lunch. I’d called into the teacher’s room, picked up my key and headed home. While I was making my lunch my home phone rang a couple of times, I didn’t answer it. Who else could be phoning me in the afternoon but some Japanese person I’m not going to understand and who is going to get me all flustered?

I arrive back at school and am walking back to the field when one of the teacher’s comes up to me ‘Helen sensei where were you?’ "at home eating lunch" ‘but I phoned you’ “erm yeah I don’t answer my home phone much” ‘ but lunch was prepared for you, it’s on your desk’ “oh well I guess I’ll eat it for my dinner”.

Later when I eventually get back to the teacher’s room I check my mobile phone and I have over 6 mixed calls from over lunch time from the teachers. By this point I’ve also had several teacher’s coming up to me ‘Helen sensei, where were you?’ “at home” ‘but… maybe … lunch was prepared for you’

Right, I think I’ve got it. Lunch was prepared, there’s a bento box waiting for me, no harm done they’re cold anyway and I can eat it for dinner. Please, I don’t need 6 different people to tell me!!! I like how EVERYONE feels the need to inform me that I wasn’t there to eat my prepared lunch when not one person had previously told me that lunch was going to provided today or you know told me anything about it being sports day, or about the students visiting from Palau which other ALTs from other schools have been invited to and I had to be told by them, or about the Saturday I was supposed to work but you didn't tell me until the day before or anything about me going home etc etc etc …

Anyway here are the pics from sports day …

The teachers skipping - ha ha ha

3A - They won best dance performance

Each homeroom class also makes a banner which I think is really cool and a great deal of effort seems to have gone into some of them. They parade them at the start and then they’re on display for the rest of the day.

The students also design their own T Shirts. Fiona - the female form seems to have been the in thing this year ...

Matsuris Abound

This weekend the plan was to finish going through my apartment and packing everything up - I'm getting there but I've not finished quite just yet.

I'd chosen this weekend because if I send some boxes home this week they should hopefully arrive home around the same time as I do plus I didn't have much else planned. The first years are all up in Tokyo for the recontracting conference (can't believe it's a year since I was there) so I thought they'd be less going on and fewer distractions. But I've decided distractions are good and it would have made for a very boring blog if all I had to write about was cleaning my apartment!

Ise-ebi Matsuri

On Saturday afternoon I went down to Shima with Miki, Tetsuya, Asako and Michael for the Ise-ebi matsuri. We ate some delicious Ise-ebi miso soup and wandered around. I had to leave before the main events in the evening started so Miki arranged for me to see some ebi dancing and to have a go myself, I actually thought dancing like a prawn was a lot of fun! (ebi for non-Japan readers translates as prawn or shrimp I guess but these things are really big, almost like a mini lobsters - either way it's weird to have a dance for them).



Yaki- Niku

I took the train from Shima up to Tsu to meet people for dinner and to meet Anne Marie, another one of Aileen's brill friends from back home. Yaki niku is where you cook your own food on the table, it's cool and I got to eat lots of red meat mmmm! After we were sufficiently filled up with yaki-yasai and niku, beer and sake; Aileen, Momo, Anne Marie and me went off to karaoke. It was fun, we put in loads of songs we've never done before as well as the old favourites and sang away to our hearts' content. I was particularly excited about the latest additions which included the Zutons, the Kooks, the Editors and KT Tunstall!!!

Saio Matsuri

Last year a group of us who were given the amazing opportunity to take part in a local festival in Dave's town. The main part of the festival is the parade, where those taking part walk the streets wearing incredible Heian period costumes.

This year I obviously wasn't taking part, which didn't bother me too much and I think I actually preferred it from a spectator's point of view. Don't get me wrong it was so generous of them to invite us to take part and it was a very memorable experience but there's something I don't like about being the token gaijins involved in a Japanese event - let's face it I don't know how many six foot, white people were wandering around Meiwa in the Heian period.

I think the history of the area is amazing but then again I really like this kind of stuff, if you want to you can read more about it here and also on Dave's brill website.

After the festival we headed over to Meiwa Jusco, drank coffee and did PURIKURA! Who would have guessed it?! Stewart, Aileen and Anne Marie came to mine for a spot of dinner which was a nice end to a lovely weekend, ah ....

(On Friday when I said I'd get back to writing about karaoke and purikura I didn't know that that was exactly what I was going to end up doing ... honestly!)

An Invitation

I found lots of stuff that I wrote when I came to Japan and I was going to post some more along with how I felt about things now but I decided it was a bit too dramatic and I'd rather post it right before I leave Japan.

I'm going to get back to 'hey look at this - we ate lots, went to karaoke and did purikura' kind of thing.

The only thing of any great note for this week is that I got my first ever wedding invitation in the post! Yay! Hm ...what to wear?!

My First Email Home - August 6th 2004

I am sure Vinny told you that I managed to get through to you yesterday I think it was lunch time with you. I will probably call again at the weekend when you will all be in. I used up one of the phone cards that I bought in Tokyo, I was under the impression that I had to use a phone box but I think I might be able to dial the code on the card from my house phone, I will try it soon as it wasn't the greatest of experiences walking to the phone box. It gets dark here much earlier than it does at home and I don't know if David told you but the phone box was covered in bugs and frogs!!!

They took me out for dinner, I had a dish that was like a pasta bake but instead of pasta it was rice and it had bits of squid in it, I quite enjoyed it. The teachers spoke in Japanese to each other all the time, I thought they were being a bit rude especially as they are English teachers for goodness sake, but I think it really is that their English is so bad. They are speaking a bit more to me now though.

Like you saw in the pictures my apartment looks out onto paddy fields and mountains - it really is very beautiful, the town is a little bit bigger than I first thought, but it is very spread out and I haven't seen any sign of a town centre. In my part of town, Ohka, there are a couple of supermarkets and a DIY store. I walked up to the bigger of the two supermarkets last night after school it didn't take me too long, I managed to find some food that looked slightly edible! The wines are just the same makes so I got a bottle of Mateus Rose!!!

The school isn't the smartest of buildings, it rained for the first two days and in the entrance hall there were buckets everywhere to collect the rain water and one of the teachers took me on a tour of the school and told me that they would not be using the top floor because it was raining. At the moment it is the school holiday and so the students are only in for their clubs, I met some of the boys on the base ball team - they stank to high heaven!

So even though it's the holidays the teachers all come into school, which of course means I have to. In the staff room everyone has a desk, so everyone justs sits at their desk chatting to their neighbours and going on the internet etc it seems completely pointless. I can do whatever I want so long as I am sat at my desk e.g. read, write letters, go through my Japanese book etc. I have to do this for FOUR WEEKS!!! In some areas people have this time off but I do not think it is uncommon to have to do what I am doing. In three weeks I have a 'mock lesson' from what I can gather it is like an induction day for junior high students.

I was then taken to see where Ohka station is and also Taki station - by bike! As you can imagine I am far too big for the bike, it's got a basket on the front for my shopping and it has no gears, it must have been so funny to see me - this huge person, sweating profusely with a bright red face. I have been going quite smart to work but the other teachers seem to be very casual, maybe this is because it is the holidays I don't know as I haven't actually been told what to wear. So on our bike ride they also took me to see the school farm, I saw the cows and all the greenhouses and then was taken to see the orange trees and the fig trees, I tried fresh fig it was delicious!

• I decided the essay introduction was a little boring and didn't want to leave school today without posting something else. But hey most of the files on my computer are filled with that kind of stuff.

• Anyway ... I found this which I think is a little more entertaining. It's the first email I ever sent to my parents from Taki. I haven't included all of it - just some highlights. I think it's really funny to read how clueless I was about EVERYTHING! I remember I honestly thought that nobody could speak English for about four weeks.

• The part about the phone box is amusing because after I'd spoken to Vinny he'd told my Mum "Oh, it's awful. Helen's having a terrible time. She's stuck in the middle of nowhere. It's really dark. The phone box is covered in poisonous frogs and huge insects and she keeps screaming. It's not good Mum, it's not good' This exaggeration of the situation of course panicked my Mum ... to which Vinny then turns it all around and did his usual "chill Mum will ya? chill! She'll be fine ..."