flying without wings

Finally home in Sweden after 18 hours of travelling, and boy what a trip it was! You'd think that a long-haul flight journey would be boring, and tedious, and, and boring - but it was wonderful.

The first leg was made brilliant by emergency exit placement (hello leg space!) and an empty middle seat in the 3-seat row (I do appreciate the small things). Add to that watching 4 films (I mean, come on - what other legitimate reasons for watching 10 straight hours of film without feeling like  a lazy slob can you come up with?) and the nice man in my row being chatty and polite, but not too annoying and clingy. All in all - win.

Then Istanbul happened. Spent an hour and a half walking around the tiny terminal without any money as the currency exchange office opened at 8pm (what?!) - a.k.a the time I would be boarding my flight. Try having long blonde hair in Turkey, see how people treat you. The terminal became a goddamn runway!

But then it happened.

After a couple of laps around the terminal I ventured to the board to find out my gate and in the corner of my eye I perceived something shiny; something pretty; something smokingly hot. I sneakily looked and I was right - he was drop dead gorgeous. It took me a couple of seconds before I realised who it was - Andreas Wilson (the little fellah to the right)! He's a Swedish actor (eg from Ondskan, or 'Evil' which was nominated for an Academy Award back in the day - youtube the trailer!) and he is one of those few quality ones out there. He was looking smashing in loose jeans, boots, a white beanie, and that kind of medium stubble only certain guys can pull off.

So Andreas, if you're one of those celebrities who google themselves - hello, I'm the blonde girl who caught your eye by the departure board and who may or may not have drooled a little. You're fantastic. Sincerely, Jo.

Turkish Airlines didn't plan it very well, however, and Andreas and his girlfriend were placed in the far back of the plane while I was stuck with the returning Swedish Thailand tourists in the front. Not my kind of fun.

Regardless, here I am, safe and sound, despite some train troubles today (involving me going on the wrong train north instead of south) and I'm loving the snowy landscape. As the majority of the readers here are from Japan (or at least from Japanese IP-addresses) I'll probably update if anything exciting's going on. Chances are not, but anyway.

Off to eat everything I can't eat in Japan, and enjoy some seriously mental relaxation. Ta!

Jo x

spring break!

Essays are done and dusted and only await printing + handing in; film journal is written (although I didn't technically watch the final film); and classes are long since over. In other words - spring break is here! Finally!

So happy that were I a pug, I'd go face wrestling (for putting a huge smile on your face, youtube it).

Given that the UK autumn term ends in mid-December, this year has put me through an extraordinarily long one to say the least. Now, after all the hard work (HAHA - that one's for free) Keio so generously gives us 2 months of absolute nothingness before second term.

Plans: read a lot, write even more, work out lots, party like there wasn't a worry in the world, travel all over the place (got a total of 55-odd flying hours to sit through until mid-March), and escape winter. Oh, wait, I'm going to Sweden - scratch that last one.

So. Spring break begins in three, two, one...go.

Jo x

ps. Why the pug photo, you ask? Well, I couldn't come up with any reasons why not. Groff, groff.

my kingdom awaits

I can share the great news already! Ready? You sure? Now, this is a lot more exciting for me than any of you, but let's pretend nonetheless. Ok, here we go. Hrm-rm - drumroll please...

I'm going HOME!

Home as in Sweden, as in Scandinavia, as in homehome, as in boring old Norrköping with the same shops only in different places, as in freezing cold northern Europe, as in the one place I never want to move back to, and as in the only fixed place I'll always have to call just that - home.

Leaving Sunday already and staying for roughly 3 weeks :) Ah, it will be so good to see family and friends (not to mention my smoking hot physiotherapist! Gosh, I haven't seen him in a good while...).

Yesterday in the gym I spent my cardio session watching a Japanese documentary on Sweden (was a little happy to see Japanese people watching it too) and they showed images/videos of Stockholm in the summer. It's the prettiest thing in the world, let me tell you that. If you ever have a chance to go, do it. Of course February is going to be cold, miserable, icy, and dark (and considering I'm nigh on freezing to death here in +7 degrees, the -8 in Sweden will probably be the end of me), but it is Sweden.

Nothing like going abroad to rekindle that nationalist love.

So see you Sunday, my love. I can't wait.

Jo x

almost there...

Photo from+with Claire Divo

Exams - check! Possibly went as far down south as the underworld allows but at least they're done. Now only one essay to finish and another one to edit and my hugemongous spring break can begin!

Lately I've been tutoring a lot, training a lot, and sleeping a lot. Did manage a night out in Shibuya with the Frenchies on Friday. Good fun with free entry for girls (beneficial sexism - win!), good people, and good music. As the old lady I am, however, I spent the next 24 hours either in bed or moving around more like a zombie than human. These days 1 ½ hours' sleep simply isn't enough to sustain life-like behaviour.

May have some exciting news coming this week, but I can't tell you just yet. It's not all set in stone so I don't want to jinx it! Nevertheless, rest assure that as soon as I know, you will.

Stay tuned.

Jo x

one down...

...one to go.

Tomorrow is the final final exam and then final final class on Saturday - and I'm free!
(Sort of - still one essay to write).

Jo x

a warming february week

Just a quick note to say THANK YOU to my two lovely grandmothers who each sent me a card (great minds think alike, eh?). Should my parents show them this page (hint hint!) I shall now continue briefly in Swedish.

Tack farmor och mormor för de fina korten :) ! Det var två väldigt mysiga överraskningar i brevlådan! Massor av kramar från sushi-landet!

Now - back to the books!

Jo x

absence

More absence on the blog. There's a simple reason for that: nothing's happening. These two fellahs above are my best friends at the moment. Final exams are coming up next week and both tests are in the Japanese courses - on everything we've done the whole term.

That means from the first konnichiwa to the kanji we did last week.

In other words, this lady has some serious work to do.

But it also means one single week left of term before 2 months' break! Halle-frickin'-luja!

Jo x

127 hours

A life time later, all travels are finally (!) booked and ready to go (more or less). Here's my second destination - south Vietnam. Looks pretty chilled.

Departure 24 February. Eeek! (Apologies for that - there's simply no dictionary word quite onomatopoeic enough to describe the sound I hear inside my head every time I think about this trip!)

Jo x

confessions of a justified ninja

Apologies for lack of updates. The past few days have all passed by in a feverish (literally) haze and although I've certainly been by the computer, it has been mainly from bed. On the rare occasion when I've had to venture out in the real world I've even taken a leaf out of the Japanese monogatari and used a mask to spare the rest of Tokyo from my illness.

Yes, people use them here - everywhere, all the time: ill, not ill but afraid of contamination, or simply too lazy to put on make-up but not slothful enough not to care - you name it.

As Mr Fever has left the party, however, I shall hopefully return to old shape after this week (if only young Lord Sniffs can get the hell out!). In short, I'll be back.

Jo x

you so pugly!

Just me in my new Pug t-shirt.

Thank you mum, dad, sister!

Jo x

plenty of fish in the sea

Can't remember what it's called but there's red bean paste inside, and you can also get it with custard. Not sure why it's fish-shaped, but I like it.

Jo x

happy new year!

Happy New Year, people! 

NYE was spent in Tokyo with a bunch of French pastry chefs (true story) and involved everything I ask of December 31: a square full of people (last year Ljubljana, this time Shibuya), champagne, and a joint countdown to the new year (even managed to count down correctly this year! Long story short, last year we managed to start about 20 seconds too early).

Cheers, Tokyo!

Jo x