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Ath said:
I'm back from Japan. Just trying to recover from the jet lag. Had an awesome time and I will definitely go back some day.
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Oh! I asked you a question about this elsewhere on the forum. Would also be interested in reading a more complete report with pictures if you've posted one to a blog somewhere.
 
After three months of going back and forth with my local surgery, and several different DRs and Nurses, i've finally been given an appointment for an ultrasound so they can see if I have Polycystic ovaries.

I know this may not seem like good news for some, but I'm just glad that after three months of being sidetracked I'm finally getting tested for what I originally came in for. Now, I just need to hope that the next lot of blood tests don't pick up something else lol
 
I hope that you finally get some answers to your dilemma.

It's been a long week here. Had gigs with my band last night and the night before, plus a fundraising event at work. It's nice to finally have some time to myself, plus the gigs mean money towards my holiday next spring.
 
ilmaestro said:
Ath said:
I'm back from Japan. Just trying to recover from the jet lag. Had an awesome time and I will definitely go back some day.
Click to expand...
Oh! I asked you a question about this elsewhere on the forum. Would also be interested in reading a more complete report with pictures if you've posted one to a blog somewhere.
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Hello! Sorry for the delayed response.

Most of my pictures are on my Facebook page alas, but I've put a few on my Instagram here. Also got a couple of YouTube videos. I landed in Osaka and spent two nights there, followed by a night at a ryokan in rural Kyoto, then two nights in Kyoto itself. Made a brief stop at Kobe before spending another two nights in Osaka, then hopped on the bullet train to Tokyo where I stayed a couple of nights near Tokyo Disneyland. Finally finished off with four nights in Tokyo itself.

ilmaestro said:
When are you going, Ath? I'm going to be over there for a couple of weeks in February with someone who's never been before and wouldn't mind some feedback on what you liked and didn't like doing for a first visit (whilst I have some good ideas, my personal routine out there now involves things like spending a lot of time in bookstores and riding trains for value, so I might need some options).
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We planned an itinerary of sights to see weeks beforehand and tried to hit as many of them as we could. This worked really well for focusing our trip, considering how little time we had in each location. By the time we got to Tokyo, we freestyled it a lot more which meant we didn't see as much (we were also completely shattered).

There was very little I didn't like because of the activity itself, any lowlights were either down to logistics or my own lack of fitness. For example, the Fushimi-Inari shrine in Kyoto was absolutely jaw-dropping, but it came at the end of a long day of exploring Kyoto and the hike up to the top of the mountain left me shattered and wanting to kill someone at the end :p . Another letdown was Nishiki Market, which I went to twice and didn't like either time. Also, the passport control at Kansai International was shockingly bad. It took so long that we missed the last Rapi:t express train into Osaka (which I'd shelled out to pre-book), which meant the holiday got off to a **** start. Luckily it was uphill from there.

What I liked is much easier. Where to begin?:

1) Kyoto. All of it. Just one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.
2) Den Den Town and Akihabara. Of course. I think I actually preferred Den Den Town, felt more relaxed.
3) Kobe Beef at Wakkoqu. Oh. My. God. Best beef I have ever tasted.
4) Menbakaichidai in Kyoto. Worth it just for the theatre of fire ramen alone. I had many food highlights throughout.
5) Umeda Sky Garden. We got here just in time for the sunset. Absolutely spectacular.
6) The Shinkansen. This was a fulfilment of a childhood dream.
7) Shibuya at Halloween. Absolutely bonkers. Incredible costumes as well.
8 ) Dotonbori in Osaka. Just walking down here and getting lost was an experience. Popping into random food places, watching 40 year old guys draw an audience with their mad DDR skills, finding random ping pong places and relaxing with a massage chair and free drinks in a manga cafe. Dotonbori had it all.
9) The ryokan. We stayed at the Ohara no Sato in the village of Ohara just north of Kyoto. The scenery was jaw-dropping and it was so relaxing.

Naturally there's so much more that I liked. It lived up to everything I hoped it would be. Having said that, the idea of just riding trains round for value sounds quite appealing to me also!
 
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Yeaaaah... I'm not saying that was particularly good advertising on their part, but having been to a few anime societies over the years, I think it was not without a certain basis in reality.
 
vashdaman said:
Sick one Ath, you got my belly all Jelly. I'm still kind of paranoid that I'll never make it into Japan because they'll somehow find my record that states I was arrested when I was a wee nipper for having 10 fooking pounds worth of weed.

Speaking of Japan, you know that those ****** politicians over there will use this France terrorism stuff to reinforce their 'don't let foreign people into the country!!' attitude (much like our politicians are though) . I also know some people over there that are even too shook to come to London now, which seems a bit paranoid.
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Get myself another Job today. Only a temporary position until the end of January but it's better than nothing. Will be happy to have an income again, I can start buying more anime :p
 
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