In Rothemberg

My updating is always slow but still going.

To visit Rothemberg was second time for me. First visiting was in 2003 with my friend. Then we used a package tour because it was the first traveling abroad for two of us. To tell the truth, our destination was not German then but London. We wanted to go to London to see our friend but we couldn't find any tour for only England. So to visit Germany was a sort of "optional tour" for us. But we had a wonderful time then, I remember well. That's why I chose Rothemberg this time, too.

We arrived there in the early evening. We stayed at youth hostel which locates in the end of the town where is surrounded with old wall.

I remembered what the town was like. I was so excited. On a way to the hostel, we dropped at sweets shop and we bought a Shneeball. We thought we should buy only one that time. Because one for each would be too much for us and we wanted to have some sausages too!! Anyway, it was yummy! And we bought another one, a slice of Stollen and a piece of cake next morning...

As soon as we left our laggages, we went to christmas market. As usual I had a wine :) , but my sister was thinking then. She didn't like that kind of wine. It was strong for her and she prefered another drink. Then we saw one boy drinking something hot and the cup was same as the one for wine. We wondered he was drinking wine or another one. Finally I bravery asked the man who seemed to be the boy's father in German!

me : Entschuldigung. Was ist das?
father : It's a kinderpunch for children. It's not wine.
me : Ah, I see! (...? I could understand...)
father : Where are you from?
me : Japan.
father : Do you like here?
me : Yes!
.....our conversation was like that...I skipped the detail. Anyway, the point I want to mention here is, even I asked in German, he answered in English! Hahaha.

We shared the room with one American girl who was studying in Dablin. It was like "long time no hear" American accent... For me, American accent was used to be the most familiar sound. But now it's changed. And also she might be a teenager or young girl anyway. I felt some difficulty to understand her English.

Next morning, we walked on the wall along the town.
our hostel

When we were walking in a town, one woman spoke to me, "Do you know where the post office is?" in Japanese, ans as if she asked her neighbor. I don't think I was speaking Japanese then but she didn't have any hesitation to speak to me in Japanese. Yes, it's true there were many Japanese tourists...
We went to Minich!! This picture was taken at the station to change the trains. Many Suzuki were carried. :) Just that. :) But it was interesting for me.

Trip in Neurnberg

I started my trip in Europe with my sister. We flew to Germany from Stansted airport by Rynair. The flight was only for two hours, I think. We arrived at Frankfurt Hahn. Yes, it was no that biggest airport...:( We didn't check where we arrive in Germany exactly. But I could expect there was some transportation to main city. Yes. We found a shuttle bus. It took one hour and 12euro for each. Hum. We doubted we arrived there because our destination was not Frankfurt but Neurnberg. Anyway, we could take a train from Frankfuｒt (big city as you know! We should have done sightseeing there...?) to Neurnberg.




I chose that we would visit Neurnberg. The city was famous for christmas market. And my dicision was right! It was pretty city. We stayed at backpacker's hostel. I wanted to book another youth hostel but it was already full. But this one we stayed was really nice and cute room. In our room, two more Japanese girls were staying.

One of the staff was Australian who attended to us. I felt difficulty a bit to understand his accent because maybe I got used to British accent and also my brain was working in Japanese during being my sister.

Next morning, we went to the bank to change my T/C. There were two men at the reception. And in front of the older man, there was one customer so I went ahead to younger man who looked younger than me.
I saind "Hallo" and continued in English. I didn't know if he understood English or he didn't know if my request was possible. Anyway he asked his boss next to him in German. Then his boss spoke English and yes, so I expected that young guy would do, but no. He told me to wait in a queue. Some people started to wait behind me later soon and the boy was doing nothing and just sitting. Only his boss was working hard and doing everything even though there were many customers waiting.
For me and my sister, this thing was one of funny story, somehow. We guessed he might be on a training. Anyway we never forget that boy at city bank who had bandage on his left hand.

After we got some money, we went to a sort of castle. It's called Kaiserburg. It's located in a hill and in the end of the town. The view from there was nice!

After visiting this castle, we headed for the market straightly :) They sold many sausages with bread, wine, sweets, ornaments for christmas tree...
↓small ferris wheel
We stayed there for two nights. Next town is Rothemberg.

Happy New Year!!!

I'm back here in Japan on 5th of January.
My staying in UK for ten weeks and my trip for 16 days finished.

Thank my family for giving me this wonderful chance. I made lots of friend from oversea.

Thank everyone I met during this adventure for their kindness.
Everyone was nice and kind to me. So I didn't get homesick at all. I have one thing I regtet. Every time people left, I couldn't express my feeling, how I was happy to meet them, how I appreciated their kindness... My English was not enought to do that when we were about to be apart. I could say just "thank you" and "keep in touch". These were not enough. I wanted to say more each time to each person.

By the way, these three months has many many stories including silly one for the others but not for me. I don't thing I'd write all of them but I want to do as long as my motivation continues.:)
I guess I should write latest news but as I always mention it, this work is for my studying, so who cares? :)

From Winchester

Finally I didn't update my diary here...and now I have only this week here. On saturday I'm going to my sister's place and we'll go travel. Germany, Italy and france, maybe.

I really enjoyed staying here. I miss here. I want to tell about my life here but I can't use a computer so long. So I'll do when I go back to Japan!!!

ENGLAND

I'll leave Iwate to Tokyo by bus tonight. And I'm flying to England tomorrow. Haha. I didn't mention about this at all here. I was so busy recently.
I'll go to the language school and experience homestay for ten weeks. After that, if I could, I'll travel around in Europe. And I'll come back here new year.

I'm really excited now!
I'll study hard!!

I came back from Tokyo.

I was in Tokyo just for two days. I wanted to stay longer but I couldn't take dayoff so much. Anyway, I'll write about my short story.

My father was back here during obon(お盆）, so he and my sister and I took shinkansen to Tokyo together. My father usually doesn't buy reserved seat to be able to go anytime he wants to go. And me and my sister, we couldn't buy them because we were too late to apply. So we all took non-reserved seats. Of course we could have seats but the thing I worried about was the shinkansen is Yamabiko. It takes about for three hours and an hour to Tokyo. If we could take Hayate, we could get one hour earlier. That's a shame. Well, on the way to Tokyo, my father got off and said good bye and take care to my sister.

We arrived at aroud 2:30. It was not so hot than I expected. That was good for us. First we sought baggage room. Ahh, I should mention about this. My sister's suit case weighs almost 30kg!!! It was really heavy!! In that there were a lap-top PC and a transformer. They were really heavy. But, you know, an attempted terrorism happened in England so we thought we coulndn't take many stuffs to the airplane. Anyway, fortunatelly we found the room in a short time. Then we decided to go out the station and explore around the station.

We neither had any guidebook. So we didn't know what there was around there. I have been to Tokyo several times. But, actually, every time the distination is not surround Tokyo station. So I had never went out it till this time, you know, we don't have to do it to change the trains.
So, till then I had never seen that outside.

And we found Tokyo International Forum. Ah, that is the place that is often showed on TV. We saw a lot of people queueing. It seems that one preview there. We explored inside that building and entered the coffee shop to take a break. The table we sit was chair and another seat was sofa which has long seat like to share it with next table. As soon as we sit and open the menu book, one foreigner sit next to us. First we didn't care about it. But we found he don't speak Japanese when we saw he ordered. The waiter didn't speak fluent English and I felt mine is still better but they communicated enough so I didn't say anything. After a while I noticed he has some guide books and he was reading hard. So I thought he must be a turist not local. Then we decided to speak to him finally.
First I said, "Excuse me?", and he answered "Yes?" with smile. And our conversation started. We heard his English when he ordered, so we expected he is from somewhere English is spoken. But we were wrong. He is French. He told he came to Japan to attend the conference and would stay for a month. He seems to have been to some other contries on buissiness. Ah, I see. That's why his English is so good. I didn't feel any strong accent in his English. We talked about France, Japan, Yasukuni shrine... about for 30 minutes. Thank you for talking with us.

After that we had dinner at the station and headed to Hotel in Narita. We got to the bus stop in time but we found a notice there. It says the bus stop to ○○ hotel has changed since October. October??? Last year? We rushed to the new bus stop because it was the time the bus leaves. When we got to right bus stop, still some people were waiting. And we checked the schedule and found it also had changed. Huh. J○B~!!! We followed the information they gave us. I have to complain them "for next customer".

We got to the hotel almost at nine. We checked the stuffs in the suitcase for security check. And we thought over how we make the suitcase lighter. The answer was "put on." But it failed. We both didn't feel it worked. And we went to bed.

Wednesday morning, it was raining. On the check in counter, we found the suitcase weights 27kg, haha. Anyway we were released that heavy baggage and had breakfast.

I saw my sister off and went back to Tokyo by myself. I was going to go to the art museum in Ueno. But I felt tired a bit so I went to Aida Mitsuo museum (http://www.mitsuo.co.jp/museum/index.html Tokyo International Forum. I like his works. It is good to visit there when you feel down.
After that I have enough time before shinkansen I reserved, so I went to Idemitsu museum, too. But from the bill, I didn't get interested in the exhibition, I didn't enter.
I walked a little and headed to the station. I was tired. I had one hour free time but I took earlier non-reserved seat.

In this trio, I didn't do special thing but still fun!

(I couln't up my pictures somehow...:( )

Tomorrow

My sister is going to England tomorrow. Exactry to speak, she is flying to London via Singapore. She will study at university for one year. This time is the first time for her to go abroad. So I'm going to Narita airport with her to see off. After that, I'll go to an art museum. So I have to check the website to find which museum has nice exhibision.