With thrills and chills

Hello blog readers!

I'm still writing this blog and going on strong. Lot has happend since the last blog update but every not on my list has been striped off and finished and done with. It feels good having it all behind and just being nervouse about the journey now. Which I am. Yes I look forward to it, doesn't mean I can be nervouse right? I'm trying to spend as much time with my parents as possible. today at 3 o clock in the afternoon I finished the last of small things and tomorrow I'm doing absolutly nothing.

This is probably why this will be my last entery before I leave to Japan. Though no guarantee! cause I might just decide to bother you all again with another blog entry. Anyway today I have been in contact with a teacher from school who is in charge of helping students with intern ships. Well more or less she makes sure that everything is in order. I asked her about the possibilites of me taking care of it from Japan and if there is a possibility to do an internship in Japan as well cause that would just be like a dream come true. It would be a challenge but it would be a beautiful challenge. I'm certain of it!

Other then that I have made plans for the weekend after my arrival to meet up with my Swedish friend who is more expierienced in living in Japan then I am. It's mostly that I want to meet with her so early to keep myself busy and from thinking to much of home. I will miss them but I don't want to be sick with homesickness cause I want to make the most of this experience. anyway she's showing me around and going to help me gather things for my room if needed and even show me where to buy doujinshi's! (fan made books from existing series) Having those will help me with my hiragana and katakana I think. My katakana still needs a lot of work.

Also i spoke with a mexican girl and it feels like she's feeling the same as I am. Which makes me reasured and feel less like an alien. I still have a few things to take care of on the pc. I need to take a few more pictures of my family and for one from the house and all that. I'm nervouse. Ha that's out of the blue but I am. I am looking forward to it but I am so nervouse. i won't deny it cause I can't. this bubbly feeling in my stomach is eating and eating away. I don't think I could do without it. It's natural. it's my first journey what can I expect? What am I to expect?

I try not to think to much of it, cause I don't plan to let it control me. Can't let it control me. I'm stronger and I can do this. Japan is going to be awsome. I'm even going to try to make sure I can get my internship there. ANd untop of it this will be the experience of a life time. Besides I am going to meet so many awsome people it will make up for all the nervousness! this is going to be grande.

It will be getting used to but it will all be alright. So yeah for tomorrow and later on it's simple learning and nothing more. tomorrow if I get a chance I'll just upload some pictures for all of you for you to see.

For now I have put down my thoughts again. :)

see you all soon.

With Droplets from the sky

Musings about Japan

 

 

So a few more days have passed since my last musings about Japan. The last few days have been eventful in more then several ways. I have found out that I will need more then one suitcase. I have to face it I'm a big girl and I need more clothes cause if something happens to them I can't simply buy new ones unfortunatly but I can live with that. I rather pay a bit of extra money so that I can still take everything. Alot of people make me out for a fool well so be it then -

but now at least when I shrink clothes with washing, I've got some extra stuff with me. I be prepared girl all the way.

now apart from the suitcase trouble that I had yesterday I had bad talking english trouble with a person on the phone as well. To make a long story short, internet translation service called, there was a non orgin english speaker on the phone and it was hard to make out what he said but hey, in the end it all worked out but that was the start of a gut feeling. And that gut feeling meant there would be trouble. and trouble I got.

The foreign money that I ordered, didn't get ordered, now to make things clear I orderd this previous thursday so that's a whole week. A whole week this incompetent person made me thing I had one thing I could strip of my list to worry about only to find out the day before it wasn't meant to be (law of murphy?) so anyway, in the end I think it is all still settled but it did give me a minor case of stres cause that money is important, THAT money is my rent for the first two months. oh well.

Today I went to the travel agency for more suitcase labels, to get my insurance checked once more and be absolutly safe. Visitend my family members the more elderly ones before I leave and I had this really nie mood where I did random small things that made me feel good.

Gave a small girl a bag of candy which made her happy, it was a small bag and I had two anyway, they are bad for my line so I gave one ot her. She was suprised but it made me smile when I saw the frown on her face dissapear only to make way for a happy face. Every person on a bike I gave a free way of crossing the street cause it is bad weather. I know how it sucks to cycel in bad weather, and it made them smile tos o I think I did small things to still make people happy and that makes me happy.

final trip of today was th hairdresser and then it was heading home and checking emails and important stuff. which is important. *laughs* tomorrow some final shopping and taking care of lugage.

that's all for today, stay tuned for next time.

oh and by the way, did I mention I love rain? I love it except when I have to go through it on bike. I like walking but not cyceling. right now it's raining really hard over here. XD the sound is so nice.

Countdown to Japan 8 days to go.

Hello blog readers!

Here’s another update from me. Ha Japan is getting so close. Only eight days left and I’ll be on the plane towards my adventure: Japan. I found out I am going to live in an amazing super international apartment, with people from Mexico (which I already know three of) one girl from Iceland, one from Finland (who’s even taking the same flight as me, a guy from Germany and so many more! It’s going to be a blast I am sure of it!

So yesterday I got my vaccinations the last ones and my arms still hurt. Can’t lift them for the life of me. So that makes up for the doctor’s appointment. I’ve got a small list left of what to do. So here’s my planning for the week.

- Wednesday: Calling the school (My course coordinator and international office for some final questions, I’m not sure if they have received my email but they hadn’t replied yet)
Also calling the IB on Wednesday to give through another address change and to stop my ov- card.

- Thursday: Starting at 11. O clock with a visit to grandpa on my father’s side. Then going to my great grandparents. And finally visiting another person dear in my life.  Then going to the bank to pick up stuff and do final checks on my insurance. Followed by buying the following stuff.

- small gifts for people in Japan
- Bad shoes
- Stroopwafels for my Japanese friend.

Thursday it’s also picking up my vaccination book but with that I am as good as done.  Hairdresser and then it’s all good and I’m ready to go.

I bought gifts for my neighbors cause they have been helping me a lot with getting ready and everything. They gave me things for my journey and well they’ve really been a big support so I bought special jeu d’boul game which he plays a lot. For the sweet sweet lady next door I bought a bouqet of flower as a thank you. I’m really happy with them and they really are like an extra set of grandparents. Love you Lenie en Ko!

As for Japan. I have contact with many of my future roommates. I have contact with all my pen friends and it makes me happy to know that everyone is supporting me and all that. It means a lot to me. Like Naye my Swedish friend. :D I so look forward to meeting her and I can’t wait to go things to do with her and we’re already planning a trip to Tokyo where I will get my first doujinshi event and god I look so much forward to it

Solitaryaya who’s like my rock in the sea. Seriously she always listens to me, helps me out and supports me in my slightly weird love! And we fan girl and we talk and we talk about serious stuff as well.  And we have fun and we talk and we comfort and we cry and laugh together so yeah I’m just at this point really happy with the friends I have in my life. They mean a lot to me all of me. From arciel to feather, to all the new ones I made on Live journal and deviant art. All my friends are dear and I am going to miss them in japan cause I have no idea how I will be in time.

And argh it’s all so new and exciting cause sure I know  the address butI have no idea how things look like in the apartment and…

Oh man. XD the journey and the travel is what I look up to. Oh god it’s gonna be so long and difficult I just know I’ll be broken at the end of it. But it will all be worth it. I am sure of it.

I have no pictures to share this time. But next time I promise pictures.

Thanks for reading,, till next time!

Magic muffin baking and cussing at design programms.

Yeah don't ask after the title, XD I thought it was funny when I typed it but who am I to disagree with my own logic ey. If I do I'll just get a headache.

Last saturday which is already a few days ago I had a going away party for family and friends, some of them had come one another day while others will visit again and al that. It was a nice change and I really liked it and it was all in all a very succesful and awsome day with family that left me feeling rather good. It was good seeing the family and I hope none of them will over come something while I am away and that I will be able to see them again when I get back and that they will all be able to come to my birthday which will take place soon after.

Dad and aunt

There are still things I have to take care of though. Which is why I'm slightly scattered brained. I'm thinking of a lot of things at the same time and it's annoying that Japan still hasn't let me or has given me an answer to my questions cause it keeps me worried, if tomorrow I still don't have an answer I'll send another email cause there are some things tht I have to know in order to take care before I go to Japan. this is a list.

- Call my school to hear about the scholarship and to hear if my subjects are okay.
- Call the public transportation service to stop my ov-kaart
- get my money, japanese money
- Start packing my suitcase and making sure that I have everything,
- updating this and other sites before i leave,
- Visiting some people once again.

I think I'm quite close to summing it up but having so many insecurities just ins't nice but I guess i will hve to get used to it and other wise, between feeling, sick in my stomach, nervouse, scared shitless and who knows what else I am really excited for it to happen as well because...

I AM GOING TO JAPAN.

I am going there and i am going to meet new people and all that and i am super excited and i feel up to it and i can do this cause I have Friends and Family supporting me al the way! so Ha. Take that!

Also today was a fun day, I've been drawing alot again lately, all small things but large things as well, next to writing a story for my friend solitaryaya, I'm making sure my deviant art is uploaded that it can last without me for a bit, maybe I can still manage to make some things tht i can work on them when I'm there that would be nice I just hope I have some time. My latest drawing I will also post on here cause I am really proud of it ::


:: Sailor Bird Godess by =CatiProjectC on deviantART

I've spend alot of time on it but it was all worth it.

So I also baked muffins today. Hahahah yes me, fear the day that I go in to kitchen cause they are scary and worrying and hold your heart cause you will never know what you end up with. XD hahaha but well in the end, though I was worried they would end up to be death thowing ninja muffins they ended up to be quite tasty and I even made a picture to share.

Yummy chocolate muffins!

Well anyway this is all folks. :D keep updated to see what more I will hve to tell next week and wish me luck with my to do list! Ja ne~

Unexpected changes leave me baffeled always

Troubles of Japan?

This will be partly cross posted with my other journal www.catiprojectc.livejournal.com on there you can read my latest park about my trip to the amusement park as well. anyway lets carry on shall we?

I had a brilliant weekend spend with friends and as I said you can read more about that on my live journal. But yeah all good things have an end, though I wouldn't say that it was completly disaterous but well it has proven once again that I have to be prepared for anything really.

Here I was basically set to prepare myself completly for a dormitory it turns out there aint no dormitory. Well I have calmed down completly again cause at first I was quite stressed for a moment. But I have calmed down, it's a big amount of money they want to have for the two months but it does mean that everything will be all included. Which means no extra money for gas, electricity or internet or water which makes me slighlty happier. I'm just wow, kind of amazed cause I'll be living with quite a few people which will be interesting considering I come from a small family.

But I look forward to it none the less. I can still meet my friends. Things will just go slightly different I guess. I'm more nervouse then I had been before though but oh well. This is all for now. the adress isn't known yet and I still had a few questions left but I'm waiting patiently! XD I can do this. Japan get ready to meet Cati. 

A Trip to the Embassy and Hairdresser!

A Trip to the Embassy and Hairdresser!

So My trip to the Embassy was actually two days ago, but I decided I still wanted to type out the story and the small adventure. It was at the same time sort of a try out trip cause the road we took to The HAGUE will be the same as we will take to Amsterdam – Airport from which I’ll be flying. My trip to the Embassy was a necessity cause it’s the only place in the Netherlands where they give out visa’s and needing one myself a trip to the city was  inevitable .

Dad and me left early. And the trip was to say the least not disappointing, it was good to see we don’t go to big cities often so seeing this many traffic will be good for me, I will need to get used to it after all.  We arrived early and we hoped to leave even earlier, we got there on 15 minutes passed 9 and I handed it all the papers I need to get a visa and then we heard that we would have to wait till 13.30 before I got pick it up again. And me and my dad weren’t all to happy cause the ride to it took long but the ride back would take even longer.

You see after all this time and all this paperwork I just want to have things over and done with. Especially considering that my school could be quite slow and not always as fast with telling me things and passing things through and everything, it was a lot of doing things yourself even though with some things,  you can’t help but simply need help. You need their help. But I would have my papers soon so me and dead settled for walking through the city. We had nothing better to do anyway.

So because we were kind of in the remote part and between all the embassy’s you can imagine, cause yes there is an embassy for every country. We saw the embassy of French, Germany, Australia you name It we saw it and they were all placed in these beautiful buildings that used to be old fashioned manors. They were quite beautiful to see really. 

We strolled around and I bought chocolate from an English store cause with a chance like this I’m not passing it up. Then we went to a tea house and considering I had such a long time to wait my dad and I stuck there for quite a while. I had a big cup of chocolate milk and then a whole tea pot for myself. XD and it was glorious just some relaxing time with dad, which I don’t get often and I think we both needed a break from  home. And mom needed a break from us.  

So after walking back, and then walking again and some more walking and walking, and even more walking the time came to pick up the visa. Getting to the embasy we had to wait cause there was something wrong with the machine but luckily it wans't that much longer of a wait till I got the final papers that I needed. And somehow it felt good finally getting it. It was good and nice being back in the car on the way home though. Both me and my dad were dead tired in the end, I think it was the driving that really took alot of energy but it was a nice trip none the less. 

Random Spot in The Hague -- Turtles

Once back home I actually didn't really have much energy for other things to do but I ended up sleeping blisfully sleeping a headache that had been threatening to grow a bit more. But with all the sleep it was gone. The next day was spend more or less building up this blog and the rest of the stuff didn't happen till today. 

There was a trip to the hairdresser, I got my hair ready for Japan but made one final appointment two days before I go to be absolutly sure I can go without a hair cut for four and a half months. Other then that the rest of this blog will be spend with photo's. Tomorrow there's a trip with two good friends to an amusement park I'll share pictures of that as well. For now. Till the next blog. 

This would be me. 

This is where I live.

The First Blog.

It is hard for me to think of a way on how to start this blog. But I think I’ll start out best by introducing myself. Though this blog will mostly be read by people who will most likely already know me, an introduction is in place.

I’m a 20 year old Dutch girl. From the Netherlands. I’m currently halfway through my study Communication going to my third year. I’ve always been fascinated with Japan. One of my biggest pass times is drawing, drawing anime and manga, so Japan is kind of the land of my dreams. But Apart from that, the cultural side of the country is beautiful and something I wanted to experience firsthand myself. When this chance was offered to me by school I took it.

I’m not even there yet, I still have a month to go before I’m actually flying, before I’m landing there. The first of September will be the day I leave. But already it’s been a long and hard road, one that will only get longer and even harder.  I’ve never been far away from home or for such a long time. So that alone is something that I have never done before.


I have a lot of support though. My internet and online sister Steph has really helped me with alot. As have my other friends. They all support me along the way and all help me get there each time a little bit closer. All of them, my lj friends. my family as well. 

And apart from just that, the things alone already I had to do to get to this point really went quite beyond my imagination. I think it would be best to start at the beginning.

Cause it all started with getting the idea, then getting the opportunity and then convincing the head of the department of my education to let me go. Convincing him with meetings and with papers, with ways to show him that a trip to Japan would fit within the plans of communication and that it had to do with communication. But also that a girl from the country, a small country like me not used to the big city could make it to Japan and could continue this.

In the end which may have been close to taking up to 4 months I was allowed to go. I had permission. And then came mountains and mountains of paperwork and all in all with regular school I sometimes felt like drowning. More than once though ‘what the hell have I gotten myself into?’ and right now I’ve come at the footstep that I can’t go back. No more. I have to do this. Even if I had many sleepless night worrying about school, about what was to come. I have to do this. It’s my dream and if I don’t do it I’ll regret it forever.

I have to do this for myself. For myself to prove that I can do this, I am strong enough to pull through to go there to realize my dream. In this last half year I’ve filled in more papers in my life than ever, ran over places in the school to talk to people to take care of things that I didn’t or had never realized how big the school actually was.

I talked to a exchange student from Japan who goes to the school where I’ll be going, I’m no busy and already a week away studying Hiragana and I still have kantana to do there so much! Too much to tell at once so with this last few lines I’ll conclude my first post. My first post was to introduce and in my follow posts there will be more details, photo’s of my adventure to come and which will pass.

More details and everything. Till next Time.