A list in chronological order, that being the chronology of the time I thought of it.

  • Japanese convenience stores keep their hangover cures next to their alcohol, in some cases mingled between it. This is convenient if you buy them together, not so if you go searching for lemonade and ‘ウコンの力’　after a heavy night and the very sight of alcohol makes you retch. Lesson learnt.
  • The best omiyage is that which is purchased at the last minute. Closing stores, highway stops, train station convenience stores, all make for successful sweets to bring back to the office.
  • Japanese houses were not designed with Japanese weather in mind- they let the heat in and the cold out in summer, and the heat out and the cold in in winter.
  • Seishun-18 is the way to go when you want to travel. An eighth to a twentieth of the price of the bullet train, and with actual views out the windows. Failing that night buses work.
  • Engrish is often created by someone who speaks English well but has a sick sense of humour. Case in point- attractive girl, mid twenties, black dress with elegant gold writing which reads ‘I’m built like a brick shithouse’
  • The Japanese that barely got me through university is not the Japanese that is spoken here. Neither is it the Japanese that is spoken in Tokyo. I should’ve studied.
  • Even in the absolute bottom of rural nowhere I still don’t have enough time to do everything I want- thus guitar, writing and studying have all fallen a bit to the wayside.
  • I like the beach. I like nature. I like cities. I like trains. I like old abandoned buildings with trees overhanging and cicadas chirping. I like kids.
  • There is so much to see in the world outside of Perth, outside of cities, outside of popular tourist destinations, outside of your comfort zone.
  • I no longer know how or when to give up. With perhaps one or two exceptions. But when it comes to going up mountains without a care of how I’ll get down, well, I don’t let sense stop me. I still have an injury on my leg from Niseko, not to mention Fuji.
  • Being vegan is easy, healthy, cheap and tasty. I will be mostly vegan again when I leave here.
  • I have lots of plans for my future but still no plans to ever leave here.
  • Stereotypes are often wrong, but it’s fun to wonder where they come from. Or to be proved wrong.
  • I like to be proved wrong, but only after the fact. A long time usually.

And that is all for now. Really they seem to be just things I learnt about myself in my first year here. Maybe they are. Maybe they are.