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Funny. It's been almost 1 year to the day since my last post...but it's been some 34 years since I was here in the United Kingdom.After one of the longest and arduous trips in my short life, I finally made it to the hotel in Bromsgrove, UK, at about 10 am local time. That would be 5 am ET.
Considering that I left my house on 8/17 at 10 am ET...that's a long trip just to get across the pond. I am writing up the details of how one thunderstorm wreaked havoc upon me. Stay tuned for that one. Oh and stay tuned for the tale of me driving on the left side...with a stickshift...with Neverlost politely giving directions...and roundabouts. No tourist should be subject to that all at once. Somehow I made it without injury...so far.
Sorry for no picture, as I neglected to pack a means of transferring my shots to my laptop. Just think of Sacramento in the winter with a storm rolling through...and you'll know what it's like here! It's some 14 degrees/ 57 degrees F...and its Summer. I tried to go for a stroll to take some shots but the rain and wind was a little too cold to be galavanting around in...so I came back to the hotel to warm up.
I recently found out that this general area (of Birmingham) is where J R R Tolkien grew up...so I hope to get around to visiting a few sites. But as of tomorrow AM...its to business.
Hopefully, I'll get some means of getting my pix onto my latop, so future posts will have at least one picture.
Until later on...
Christopher ¶ 12:07 PM 1 comments
In setting in my new computer, I had install my video editing software...which got me working on my footage from Japan. I ended up with a very short video "teaser" for the film I'll "one day" actually finish.
Well, you can download the teaser here:
Junrei Teaser (6.6 mb) {right click and "save target as" }
Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the little trailer.
Of course, you'll need the Quicktime player to view the video.
Our current location is obscured by the clouds below. Just as I cannot see where we are neither can those below see us or know we are even passing over.
Japan, and all that it would hold for me, was also obscured by the veil of time. Soon all blurry fears would be focused away and dreamy, romanticized landscapes and people would soon become a reality.
When the wheels of this 757 left the ground, my eyes had already closed for a momentary nap. It could not have lasted more than a few minutes.
I was awakened by the voice of the flight attendant taking breakfast orders.
I have to admit that being in 1st class to Dallas and then Business class to Tokyo is certainly going to be a benefit!
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¶ 8:18 PM 0 comments
Some have asked to be able to download my little photo story again. Welp...here it is. It is a zip file (14 mb). I originally put this together for friends and family to quickly give them some idea of what the trip was like. It hardly does the trip justice...but is just something to pacify until I can edit the video footage.
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¶ 12:43 PM 0 comments
I pray this trip will be like no other...that it be safe and fulfilling and that our lives are changed for the better as a result.
This trip has been some three years in the making . . .
Now it is here.
I have been in Japanese classes since late September 05 and I have learned quite a bit but I know well that there is so much more to learn. My sensei, Tanaka-san, has been such a great teacher. I have learned, not only about the language, but of the Japanese culture . . . and she has been invaluable in the planning of this trip. It would be great if she were coming along.
As the flight prepares to leave, I feel the sleep, that I have avoided for almost 24 hours, coming on.
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¶ 12:24 PM 0 comments
[A "nikki" is a journal. I will be posting excerpts from the journal I kept while on this two week trip to Japan. Occasionally, I will insert my current reflections, marked in italics, among the journal selections.]
(Approximately 5:45 am.)
Left my house 3:30 am. Brandon, from work, was nice enough to pick me up at that hour.
I was able to change to the 6 o'clock flight since I arrived so early.
Checking in was relatively smooth although my large carry-on would not fit without removing quite a few items.
My mother, Aunt Nobuko, Uncle Baker, Val and Carlos have been in Japan well over a day now. It sounds as though their trip was uneventful. I have to admit feeling some trepidation in finally departing for Japan. So much work has been put into this trip already...that I feel exhausted even before leaving Orlando. I think the excitement of it all will build as I near Nihon.
(to be continued)
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¶ 12:11 PM 0 comments
Konnichiwa,
Well the great blog experiment didn't quite work out like I planned. I was simply too busy to post! I've been to Japan and back again. Suffice it to say, it was the best vacation I've had. The two weeks went by like two days. I took hundreds of digital photos (of which I'm still sorting through) and also filmed in HiDef. It will take forever to edit all the video...but it will get done.
More to come...
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¶ 12:09 PM 0 comments
The word "Junrei" means "pilgrimage" in Japanese.
Here, my own pilgrimage to Japan will be recorded - from the planning stage right through to the ongoing affects that the trip has upon myself and the members of my family that are also going on this trip. ¶ 12:15 PM 0 comments
