Not long to go... (and a clarification)

Japan is fast approaching. For months it has felt like it was so far in the future, and all of a sudden my departure is imminent. I leave in just over ten days, and it's all very surreal at this point - overwhelming as well. It's hard to believe that in a few weeks I'll be moving to another country for an extended period.

I have a bit of a holiday at first: snowboarding for five days in Furano, Hokkaido, and then heading down to check out the Yuki Matsuri (Winter / Snow Festival). After that I'll make my way to Tokyo over the course of about a week. Once I get there I'll stay up near Saitama, the north west of Tokyo, in a guest house near where Alexander lives, so that I can hang out with him for a bit while I find a place to live.

It's going to be an amazing year, I'm sure... a rollercoaster at times, but equally interesting, challening, rewarding and fun.

And in regards to the Space Potato thing... I'm not a complete potato nut, honestly! The reference comes from a Furutama episode... Hermes says something about being Jamaican and Fry responds with:

"Jamaican! I thought you were some sort of outer space potato man!"

That's where the reference came from. I find it a strange concept but ultimately highly amusing concept - a potato from space. Anyway, just to clarify that I don't have a potato fetish ;)