#3 Trip Planning

Because my company book my flights, I do not yet know when I will be leaving, only that it will be "late August". This leaves me with roughly two months to go, and I think it could be nigh time to start a to-do list so I can be as prepared as possible before I go. So in traditional Irish fashion I will essentially make a list and think about it, instead of actually doing it. Huzzah!

To-do:

• Perfect Japanese (Yes I speak Japanese, but not very well or very frequently...)
• Stock up on appropriate clothing/footwear
• Sort out bank account - currency issues
• Find out about voltage, plugs etc.
• Learn to use chopsticks proficiently

This meal may prove challenging with my current chopping/sticking skills

#2 Japan Flight Assumptions

Although I do not book my own flights to Japan (the company books them for me), I have spoken to a friend who works with the same company and I can assume that I could be travelling BMI from Dublin to London Heathrow, and then Virgin Atlantic to Tokyo Narita. This arrangement means I would have to depart from terminal one in Dublin Airport, instead of terminal two. This upsets me greatly as I was looking forward to heading to the new terminal, where so many of my peers have tagged themselves before they leave to go on a wild J1 to America, or to find a job in Australia. For me, terminal one is for cheap family holidays to Gran Canaria or cheap drinking holidays for the students to Santa Ponza. But we'll see. Maybe I can leave Terminal two for my flights to Stockholm. Maybe.

I had originally thought I had to arrange my own flights, so I was checking online and the cheapest flights I could find were around €535 (one way) which was Dublin to either Abu Dabi or Dubai, and from there to Tokyo. These were operated by Etihad Airways and Emirates. I was looking at the Virgin website and the flight I was quoted was £1,022 one way! That is way more expensive than most of the ones I had found online. The prices will be going up the closer it gets to when I leave, so I am happy I won't have to worry about that.

Like this except better

#1 Getting Started

I will be travelling to Japan in August 2012 to work for 4 months, and to Stockholm, Sweden in January 2013, to study in University there for 6 months.

At the moment, all I know is that I am going to somewhere in Japan in August and I will be teaching. The blog will be updated as I find out more. I'll be writing about organising my trip and then about life in Japan.

As for Sweden, I have to apply to the college between September and mid-October, and from there my accommodation is organised on my behalf. I'll be writing about this as it comes to organising it while I'm in Japan, and then about my experiences there.

This blog shall be updated regularly regarding both these trips.


That is all for now.