Meeting

Just had the meeting with the Bursar, complete with Sake and a little sushi, as promised. What I tried tasted rather good, especially with a little Soy sauce.

He told us tales of his run in with Japanese "auto-cleaning" toilets (no, they don't clean themselves, use your imagination), and how business cards should be handled: with great care, respect and interest. Basically, it sounds like it's going to be an amazing experience. Take, for example, our living quaters:

We will live on the 8th floor of one of the university dormitories. Unfortunately, it is called Cambridge House, though I'm sure their Oxford house has more important duties :). Anyway, each bedroom has its own phone, TV and VCR, mini-kitchen with fridge-freezer and they are all ensuite. Other available facilities include Karaoke rooms, a "quiet" room (it contains a single chair), and various washing machines and stuff, i.e. nothing that ever interested me. The rest of the building has three cantines, three free pool tables, and even its own hot springs (温泉).

All meals are paid for, and when the cantines are closed they give us ￥1,500 (about £7.50). We are even given our own bikes that we can travel around with, though it sounds very dangerous since the Japanese cycle on whichever side of the road takes their fancy.

Japanese lessons will take up about 10.5 hours each week, though I'm really looking forward to being able to speak and read the language. I'll be able to play import computer games, and watch anime without the subtitles! Sugoi.

Computer Arrives

My new computer came today! I've been tracking it for a while, though, and it's been only 10 miles down the road all weekend. Anyway, I have it now in all its glorious loveliness. Now I've just got to install all my software, and rip all my CDs...

Co-Venturers

We've just been emailed the list of names of the people from Cambridge that our going. So the final list is as follows:

St. Annes's College, University of Oxford
Edward Porter
Victoria Brookes
Brendan Miller
Drummond Moir
Felicity Pilkington

Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge
James Crawford
Ciaran Jenkins
Rushen Patel
Lauma Skruzmane
Katherine Sladden

New Computer and Mothers

Ah! I've just bought a new laptop, a Dell Inspiron 6000. I don't think I've splashed out that much on myself for a very long time now. It was slightly impulsive, but at least I think it looks nice.

Also, my mother's started getting interested in the "Japan thing". She's been visiting websites and having brochures sent to the house from the Japanese Travel Bureau. She's already planning her Easter holiday for next year. Mothers... you've got to love them.