Hello everyone in Adelaide.

Today was beautiful weather.

Slept in for a while because I was very tired.

Today was Ayaka's birthday. She was very happy with all her presents from Adelaide.

In the afternoon we travelled to Arsarka. This town has many shops and I just love shopping.
Yukiko bought me a beautiful house coat that you wear when you get out the shower. I also bought a Obei for my kimono. I hope to wear while I am in Japan. After shopping we went to a food mall where they had lots of different kinds of sweets, biscuits and cakes. They were amazing and it would be very hard to describe in detail what this place in like. After this we went up to the 6th floor to wear all the restaurants where and we had dinner. First of all we shared a lovely salad and then I decided I would have humbug my favorite Japanese dish. Unfortunately it did not like me and I had to leave it, very unusual for me to leave food.
We then came home and I packed my case for tomorrow I meet Naomi at the train　station and we then hed to Guma. I hope everyone is well and thank you Jane for making it so now everyone can make a comment if they wish. Lynne if you look at the blog that has two comments Jane will explain how you can make a comment.
Hopefully I will be able to write you blogs from Guma but I will have to wait and see.
Sayonnara for now.

Hello everyone! Well here I am sitting in Ayaka's house eating yummy mango for breakfast. Yes it is very healthy. Well a little about my flight. We were the first ones at the airport with all four cases choc of block full of my clothes, presents and everything else. The lady says you have a lot of luggage, I said I know and I am happy to pay, she said you want to pay $400 dollars I said oh dear it it going to be that much - I was 18kgs overweight. I said yes I would pay but she said I will talk to my supervisor and see what we can do for you - to cut a long story short it cost me $255 because she said I was a lovely person and I did not abuse it, well she proved one thing that I already knew and that was that I am a lovely person. I was so glad I paid the money because I did not have to lug all that luggage about. So we were up and away and before I new it we were in Singpore, after a 3 hour stay we were on our way again but then came the biggest surprise of all I was on my way to Bangkok. So off we got again in Bangkok for just one hour, long enough for me to get lost and then it was back on the plane again bound for Tokyo. On arrival at Ayaka's house we shared our gift giving then I had several little naps before we headed off to do some shopping. In the morning Ayaka's auntie and Grandmother came to visit. They are very lovely people. After shopping we came home and sat around and ate delicious icecream. Ayaka then booked in for us to do some snorkelling while we are in Okinawa, I bet you can't wait to hear about that. Well that is about all my news so far, it is quite hot but I am coping much better with it this time. Hope everyone is well and I will talk to you again real soon.
Love Judy

I am in Singapore.

My time is running out so I will keep this short.
I am in Singapore airport.
It is very hot. 31 degrees.
Had a great flight.
Food was very good.
Am a little tired.
Hopefully I will have a sleep on the next leg.
Had to pay excess baggage.
It was going to cost me $400.00 but because I was very nice about it the supervisor bought it down to 150.00.
I knew I was a lovely person.

The final countdown is on.

Kanbanwa everyone. (or good evening in English). I am starting to get in the swing of speaking Japanese. It is 7.20pm on Tuesday evening and I can honestly say that I am packed, what a massive job that was. I have had a reasonable stress free day although it has not been without
incident.
First of all I tried to check-in and select a seat on the plane to sit in as I like an aisle seat. No such luck the internet did not recognise my reference or my eticket number. Panic stricken I rang the airline and they gave me the correct reference number to use. All was good and I had an aisle seat, although I must say that was a little stressful.
The next thing was I printed my confirmation and it said my flight from Singapore commence at 8.30pm panic stations -my eticket said 2030hrs, being a little dense I again rang the airline to see which was the correct time - yes you guessed it 2030hrs is 8.30pm and not 10.30pm that I thought it was. Nothing like making a fool of yourself.
I now look at my luggage and I think oh my God how am I going to carry all this. Well I guess I will find out tomorrow.
Arigato Gozaimus (Thank you) to all my friends who have been reading all about my pre trip dramas.
I must now close off and hopefully I will write again when I touch down in Singapore.
Sayonnara everyone!

Only 2 sleeps to go!

It looks as though the dates of my posts are not quite true and I do not know how to correct this, if you do please comment on this blog. Finally things are starting to come together. The new washing machine has been installed and has already done a few loads. Met my sister for lunch today and did a little more shopping. I bought a lovely over the body backpack and it is much better than the canvas one I bought. It was a little heavy for me back but the one I now have is so much better. I just have to do a couple of last minute things tomorrow and I am ready to hit the tarmac. Had an amazing surprise today. Mariko our first homestay student sent me a parcel and a letter. We have not heard from her for 12 months. It certainly came out of the blue.
She would like to come and stay with us in the summer but I will first have to find out why she has not been in touch, I will either send her a letter or ring her when I get to Japan. I was a little taken aback that she got in touch after all this time.
Well that is about all of my news until I start on my trip. I catch the plane on Wednesday at 11.50am. so to all my wonderful friends out there in blog land I hope I will catch you all when I land in Japan provided I have access to a computer.
bye for now
Love Judy

4 more sleeps to go!!

Well I had one pitfall with my money, but as you know things always come in threes.
Jeff decided to take Keiko to bed with him, and what did she do she disgraced herself, so I was up to 11.30pm doing wash after wash after wash. What was going to be next, you guessed it the washing machine gave up the ghost. However ever faithful and kind Jeff came to the party and went and ordered me a new one straight away. What a lifesaver he is!! But then I needed to clean the laundry it was very hard work scrubbing the floor. Then today Keiko tried to jump up on my lap and coffee when everywhere. Oh no this is the fourth thing does this mean I have another two things to make the second lot of three. Brenda called in last night and bought a gift for Ayaka. Keiko was a little bit naughty while she was here but as soon as she left she went to sleep, I do not know what that means - do you?

Well I have virtually packed but I am worried I have too many bags, I still need to do some reorganising but I will get there. Bring that plane on!!
Talk to you all again soon
Bye for now
Judy

5 more sleeps to go!

Oh I am a little late writing this blog, but I have only just finished doing loads of washing.
Today I was very busy catching up on things I had not done while Jeff was home. Then I went to KMart and was very lucky - they had just put out their new season bathers and I was able to get a pair. I also bought a couple more tshirts and I bought the last gift I had to buy. I also ended up buying a large backpack to use for my carry on luggage.

I have just about finished packing but I may have to shift a few things around. I am very tired but glad I have almost finished - now I will just be glad when I am on the plane.

No further news today - catch you all again tomorrow.
bye for now - Judy

6 more sleeps - but whose counting?

Sorry I did not get back to you all last night, but we had to take Keiko to her puppy class and yes she passed with flying colours. We were so excited and we treated her with some roast chicken.
Now back to business. Well the first disaster has been avoided. I received a call from Travelex to say they could not get me any Japanese yen until next Wednesday afternoon - yeek this was not the news I wanted to hear. However they came to the party and organised for me to pick it up at the Adelaide airport. Jeff and I drove down there today and we picked it up just to make sure I had it all organised. Well the packing has started and the space saver travel bags are going to be worth there weight in gold. I need to thin out some things but I think I can do it.
Well here is my itinerary as promised:-
29th July - fly out of Adelaide on Singapore Airlines at approx 11:50am.
29th July - arrive at Singapore airport at 5.40pm (I then have a long break)
29th July - depart Singapore Airport at 10.30pm
30th July - arrive at Narita Airport, Tokyo at 7.25am
30th - 31st - Staying with Ayaka's family in Tokyo (Ayaka celebrates her 20th birthday onthe 31st July)
1st Aug. - 3rd Aug- Staying with Naomi's family in Gunma (I will travel there by train)
4th Aug - Travelling by car with Naomi's parents to Nikko and staying overnight in hotel.
5th Aug - Catching a train back to Tokyo.
6th - 10th - Staying with Ayaka on the 6th we will go to Roppongi Hills for a shopping day and in the evening we will go to a fireworks display.
11th - 13th - Ayaka and family will take me to stay in hotel that has hot springs.
14th - 18th - Ayaka and I fly to Okinawa and solitary islands.
19th - 20th - Staying with Ayaka in Tokyo.
21st - My trip is over and I am due to catch plane back to Singapore and then on to Adelaide.
Well that's about it, I will need to fill you in on each day as it comes as they all have lots of things in store for me but I have no idea what they are.
Will probably catch you all again tomorrow night - bye for now.

Counting Down - 7 days to go!

Well things are starting to heat up - The eyes brows have been waxed, the hair coloured (by the way I am now a warm honey blond and the weight is still slowly disappearing. All of the gifts are bought and packed, now its just my clothes I need to get organised. Oh dear I just don't know how I am going to fit it all in.
Have bought some space bags, so hopefully this will help! I believe that the temperature in Tokyo is around 30 degrees - how lucky am I. Shorts and Tshirts will be the order of the day, and in the Hot Springs - well you do not need any clothes and I am not joking. A little later tonight I will post my itinery so you can follow where I will be.

Counting Down - only 8 days to go!

Today is Tuesday and I have almost finished buying gifts for my Japanese families. It has been very hard to find appropriate gifts but I hope all my friends will like what I have bought for them.
Had a big scare this afternoon, I got an email from Travelex to say I could not pick up my yen until Wednesday afternoon, a bit difficult as I will be in Singapore by then.

They have now arranged for me to pick it up from the airport, they assure me that they 100% guarantee that it will be there for me.

Today I also picked up my rentaphone from Japan. It is a slide phone and a beautiful maroon colour, I look very cool with it.

It is only 8 days now until I am up up and away.

What to Pack?

Stayed up until 2 a.m trying to work out what to take, this picture shows some of the gifts that I have bought for my Japanese families and they all have to fit in my case along with my clothes.

My Blogspot Set Up....!

Today Dale set up my blogspot so that I can document my travels to Japan in July 2009. Its not too far away till I leave for my second trip and I am very excited.