First, I just have to mention that I am exceedingly annoyed by the issues of typeface sizing I'm having with this thing! I'll fix it ASAP!

I'm shocked to discover today, although it should hardly be surprising news, that I leave in two weeks to the day. I've gotten as far as applying for my visa, but that's about it, and due to needing a doctor's note, and not being able to get in to see ANYONE until October 10th, I'm basically not going to be able to pick up my visa until the day before I fly out.... Stressful? Uh yea... possibly sufficently so to drive me to a walk in clinic.... Possibly...

Came across a fellow kabuki kabber's blog and spent ten minutes reading it, both fascinated by her travels (eight months in Cambodia, teaching disadvantaged children), and feeling like I picked the most sanitized country (with relatives no less) to go visit... Ah well, I'm sure some adventure will befall me, although I don't plan to learn quite as much about myself as El. seems to be doing - it all seems like rather a lot of work on top of a lot of work! (This is why I read pink books, not the great American Novels :o)

Speaking of which, The Harlequin thing seems to be a little more iffy than we originally thought(that whole not speaking Japanese thing), but I might get to be some kind of official slush pile reader for a company that reads (english language) books and then decides which one to buy the Japanese foreign rights to... Talk about a dream job!!!!

Went to SFU a couple of days ago to check out the publishing program, and it seems good. The campus was designed by the same architect as York, so if I didn't (quite) shrivel up and die there, I should be ok at SFU... Diane says the program is good, and people get hired out of it, so that's always nice to hear! I might get to do some more work for her as well, she seemed to be happy with the Winspear launch display... All good - I need to pad my resume for the sixteen spots in graduate publishing...

Anyway, back to Japan... I'm completely unprepared, not ready to leave home yet, and totally excited... Being a Capricorn, I know I just need to get there, and survive the next two weeks and the nine hour flight in the mean time...Can't wait to actually get there and finally meet the V-chan :)

More later,
D

So I have my ticket, and it looks like I'm flying out on October 14th, arriving in Tokyo on October 15th... I'll be flying JAL, looking forward to the seatback entertaiment systems and armed with rescue remedy! Pete and I started stocking up my working wardrobe which is quite exciting and grown up! i might even have to get some heels or something haha! Also, more possibly exciting news is that I could be wearing my new duds while working @ Harlequin Japan while I'm over there! I'm pretty sure Mom will disown me if it happens, but how cool would that be!

Not much else to report, but I'll be working on getting my VISA organized in the next few days (Pete's going home tommorow), so I'll try and post updates about that, and then in 33 days or 2,851,200 seconds or 47,520 minutes or 792 hours or 4 weeks (rounded down) according to timeanddate.com I'll be freaked-outedly winging my way to Narita where V chan and Pete will be waiting to pick me up! (I have no idea what happened to my font size but it's gotten itsy bitsy and I can't change it back, so that's it for now),

ttyl-

D

So I'm still in Victoria, but I thought I should get this blog off the ground, since several people have asked me if I'm going to blog while I'm away... The official answer is 'I'm going with the best intentions to regale you all with thrilling stories of my time in the mysterious and mystic orient, but knowing me, I'll be watching Golden Girls on LFTV by six, and anyway, I'll forget to blog about it!'

So while it lasts, welcome, and I'll try and update as much as possible, if nothing else, so I have some kind of record of the times to come. If Pete (and Nana and Mibu from the sounds of it) have anything to do with it, I might not remember good chunks of the whole thing... Kampai! (haha they can try anyway!)

The big news I'll leave you with is that tommorow I'm booking my plane ticket! Dates to come...

ttyl -

D.