It's Been Nearly Three Weeks And A Lot of Stuff Has Happened... - Part One:

I'm aware I haven't updated my blog in three weeks, and if you do take some time out of your life to read this wee blog floating about on the wide ocean known as the internets, you have probably wondered where I've been. This blog post will be in parts due to so much stuff that's happened since I arrived.

The day I arrived at Narita Airport, it was a bit drizzly, but it was at least 28 degrees. Celsius. That's 82 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends. I was dressed for a New Zealand spring-winter-whatever season, and I was tired from an uncomfortable sleep (and the fact it was 7:00am!), but the excitement from being back in Japan overwhelmed that, especially when I spotted my dear friend Natsumi in the crowd.

We took a bus back to her home in Saitama, pointing out all the ojiisan driving their trucks past us and talking about everything and nothing. It'd been 3 months since she left NZ, so there was plenty to chat about.

However, my plans to hang with Natsumi and then meet my friend Yumiko, who I was to be staying with, were affected by Typhoon Roke, which hit Tokyo the same day I arrived.

This photo was taken at around midday, just as the typhoon began to hit the Kanto area.

As a result, all the trainlines were stopped and many people couldn't get home, especially Yumi-chan, who was one of the many people stuck in Chiba. *sad panda* I, meanwhile, was at Natsumi's when the typhoon hit, so it was suggested by Yumi-chan that it was safer for me to stay with Natsumi and her family for the night (her family, I discovered, are pretty much the Japanese version of my own family, which was too hilarious for words).

Fortunately, the next day, the typhoon had passed, the sun was out and I managed to see Mt. Fuji in the distance.

Later that evening, I met with Yumi-chan and her family, and said good-bye to Natsumi and her mother, who had driven for two hours to Yumi-chan's house. I was so overwhelmed by their kindness that I burst into tears. Because I can, I will, and I did. Also, my friends are awesome. ♥

The time I spent at Yumi-chan's was so much fun. Her family took me to the Teddy Bear Museum in Nasu, which also had a Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro) exhibit.

Yes, they had Totoro teacups. No, I couldn't buy it. *sad panda*

For those of you wondering, there is a bigger Studio Ghibli museum in Tokyo, but you can't take photos there, which is a bit disappointing. I would like to go, though, it seems like a wonderful place. I didn't make it to Tokyo this time, due to time constraints and the typhoon, but I was very happy that Yumi-chan and her family were willing to take me sightseeing, and to such an adorable musuem.

Part Two coming soon...

xoxo