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You’re Not Saving Money…Calm The @#*% Down
We discussed this briefly at this weekend’s Dot Com Pho after we heard the news of a Walmart employee getting trampled to death and shootings breaking out over the Black Friday sales a couple days ago. Seriously, we all agreed that this was pure idiocy…not only for the tragic events that occurred but the [...]
Read MorePrepping For My Japan Trip
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before here. I talk about it often with the Dot Com Pho crew since some of them will be coming for the first leg but I don’t remember if I mentioned it before here on my blog. Anyways, for the past six months, I’ve been thinking of going on a little trip. Several Dot Com Pho members and myself are heading to Taiwan in June for the Computex show. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking of going at first but since I’ve been thinking of going to Japan for awhile, I might as well make a little detour to Taiwan while I’m at it.
I’ve never really taken a trip on my own but I’ve always wanted to. Don’t get me wrong…I enjoy being with my friends and family but sometimes you just want to do things on your own schedule without having to put up with anyone else’s so after Computex ends on…I believe the 7th or 8th, I’ll stay in Taiwan for another couple days and then head to Japan, where I’ll live until mid to late August. I’m guessing I’ll leave right at the end of August. I don’t have much in terms of planning other than a few foods I have to try (Fugu, in particular, or poisonous puffer fish) and a couple places I have to visit. Mostly, I want to hang out with my camera and see what happens. I’ll be based out of Tokyo but I’ll be taking short trips elsewhere as well, including a visit to some traditional Japanese ryokan and maybe a couple days in Kyoto.
Why go by myself? Well, honestly, I think there’s less stress involved when you take a trip solo and I’m outgoing enough that I’m sure I’ll meet some people along the way. I don’t speak the language, know my way around or anyone in the vicinity but hey, that’s never stopped me before. Also, I think of this as a little bit of a “test run” to see how traveling solo treats me. In all honesty, I have absolutely zero clue what I want to do after I’m totally finished at university (one more year…hopefully) and I think either teaching English in Japan (like Gary did in Korea) might be fun or heck, I could just pack up and see where the road (or planes) take me. I’m at a point in my life where I could just pack up tomorrow and jet. Hey, might as well have an adventure while I’m still relatively young, no?
I confirmed the apartment I’ll be renting this summer last week. It was a little bit more expensive than I was hoping but I can’t argue with the location, which is a short train ride (10 minutes) and stroll from the middle of Tokyo, near the Shibuya station. While it is tiny by Western standards, it’s massive when you consider the size of an apartment in Tokyo.
Anyways, I wanted to know if anyone has any suggestions. What suggestions? You tell me. Could be particular places to visit, a fun club, a great restaurant…whatever. I’ve got two and a half months to do whatever the heck I want. Are there any special events happening in Tokyo between June and August I should know about?
I’m sure I’ll update a bit on this before I leave and the.[ED]ition will turn into a travel blog during the summer with live blogging from Computex and then my travels in Japan.
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- 15 Comments
- In Travel
Nice apartment…. Tiny, but clean and livable.
ReplyIf you get lonely Ed, I’m sure that someone will be waiting at the 7-11 to offer you beautiful girls to your apartment =)
I was going to do Japan, but I think I might hit Italy instead. Ciao!
ReplyOr beautiful boys
ReplyDang Ed, how much money are you making? A room like that in Japan should cost a WHOLE LOT!
-Mike
p.s. Talk to Neilduckett.com and get together with him
ReplyThe rent isn’t too crazy…but the monthly would get me a decent downtown apartment or house in the suburbs here in Vancouver.
ReplyIf you’re thinking about teaching in Japan, I’d suggest reading the archives of where the author spent a few years teaching in various schools as part of the JET programme. He’s now out of that and into a translation job for an exporter, but the stories still remain funny.
ReplyDamnit, I screwed the link up, sorry…
ReplyI am teh jealous…
How did you find a place to stay? Any tips?
One piece of advice is to bring lots of money as credit cards are not as popular in Japan. This is not the say that cc are not widely accepted, that I don’t know. I just know that they carry a lot of cash over there and also use their smart phones for payment.
ReplyMy sister worked for JET, one of the prerequisites is that you need a degree from a recognized university. Ed’s photography classes just won’t cut it
Reply12 credits from being a Bachelor of Sociology…
ReplyI thought you said your apartment was near Shinjuku station, not Shibuya.
ReplyJapan’s Top Tourist Destinations…
I’ve got a buddy heading off to Japan in May for 2 weeks, and he asked me to put together a list of places that I think he should check out. Of course there are hundreds of places that I’d like to recommend, but instead I’ll just give…
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