Hello. Final post and it’s been a while coming. We only got the internet re-connected today and are slowly getting reacquainted with Dublin and our wee house. It’s nice being back and lovely seeing family and pals. After writing the previous post, most of my time was taken up with cleaning, paying bills, getting phones disconnected, not getting deposits back and the like. Our landlord said the flat was clean but he needed the 200 euro deposit to clean the pipes. All of it. The secondhand shop took our furniture and electrical goods in return for no money at all, the bike shop was closed for Obon so our bicycles are sitting around the corner from the apartment with keys in the lock, waiting for a needy person on foot to nab them. Or the City Council to take them away. On Monday night I met up with Miki and Saeko from Rune and we got a train to somewhere in Shiga where Miki’s boyfriend’s pal had made a vegetarian feast for us. Veggie okonomiyaki, cha-han, various garlic and avocado salad things. Great stuff. And he’d bought in Guinness for me. A fun night. He had a huge manga comic collection, including all episodes of one called Rape, which Saeko read some of. Apparently it’s more suspense than pervy in theme, and I suppose there are plenty of films with similarly bleak subject matter, but I was still pretty shocked by it. I suppose that’s the aim of the title. The story involves a woman who helps a man in a supermarket, is abducted by her and then charts her attempts to escape. It seemed odd that the gentle chap who was serving us food would have a comic like that, but he said he likes violent comics. Still some things I don’t get about Japan… Anyway, after the food and boozes we got the last train back to Kyoto and I said my goodbyes to Miki. I owe her a lot, since she was the first Communer to speak to me and got me to join her band. Sad stuff.

Then Naoki called over to say goodbye and give me a book of his favourite CDs that he burned. We sat around chatting for an hour or so, then I waved him off. Sigh… He plans on coming to Ireland on a working holiday visa in future, so maybe that’ll work out. Hope I get to meet him again in any case.

The following day I waited for the landlord to come inspect the flat, accept the final rent and not give me my deposit back. He said that since there was no power or gas in the flat I could stay at his for my final night. And have beer with him. This seemed a kind enough suggestion since our futon was on the balcony awaiting the bins. I discovered why Japanese people air their futons when I lifted it to find mould underneath and immediately shelved plans to send it home. Anyway, after the landlord and electricity man left, I went to Cafe Peace for the final time to meet our pal Takeshi from Hoppy. He gave me a wee sun neck thing like his and a lovely ring that his girlfriend Ayako had made for Giita. Then more goodbyes.

On the way home I went by Cafe Shizuka for a cup of coffee with Endo, another Commune pal, who told me that he thought Japan was descending into chaos. I told him he should see Ireland. More goodbyes, then into town with Cormac for a meal with Jason, our college co-ordinator, followed by bowling with him and fellow Canadian Chris and his pal Saki.

More goodbyes and a plastic chicken from Cormac later, I headed for home. I’d told the landlord that I’d be home between 11 and 12. It was nearer 12 when I rang his bell and got no response, so I went back up to our flat, took in the folded futon from the balcony and put a sheet on it. It was wrapped in plastic, so I lay on it, managing to sleep/sweat for about 2 hours while waiting for enough daylight to finish packing. No power meant no lights or air conditioning. Urgh. Got up at 4.45 for a cold shower, discovered I’d accumulated 8 mosquito bites overnight due to the windows being left open by the landlord the previous day. Finished packing and jumped in the taxi at 5.35am.

Got to Kansai Airport at 8, checked in and got charged 300 euro for 10kg of overweight luggage. Good thing I’d cunningly left my bass drum pedals unattended or they might have refused to let me take them either. On the 12 hour flight to Frankfurt, Lufthansa had neglected to provide the vegetarian food I’d ordered, so I just had one rice ball. The attendant gave me a cheese pasta thing, but when I saw the first forkful with a piece of bacon glistening on top I handed it back. By the time I got to Frankfurt I was starving, but there was no time to eat, since my connecting flight was leaving right away. Thankfully the Dublin-bound flight attendants were able to smuggle me some cheese sandwiches. Exhausted getting home, but it was lovely to see my mam and her Pat, not to mention Declan and Maike at the airport. I’d been dying to see Simone & Joe’s kids, so it was wonderful to go for Thai food with Kirsten, Karl and Alex afterwards.

The next day I met Saeko and her family who were in Dublin for 2 days. We went to IMMA - she likes the Si Schroeder LP and wanted to meet Simon - then met loads of pals afterwards in the Lord Edward. Then the last of the long list of goodbyes to Japanese pals. Here’s Saeko and the Corpo just before she headed for home.

It’s funny being home. When I was walking around Dublin with Saeko’s family speaking Japanese I didn’t feel part of it at all, but it’s becoming normal very quickly. Especially after being re-united with Giita on Sunday. Our German pal Ayse and her boyfriend Simon are staying with us for a couple of days and it’s been very nice to see her after 6 months. There’s been jenga and several pints consumed.

So right now we’re at home, eagerly anticipating the arrival of our boxes and it’s almost as if the last year never happened. Very pleased it did though. We’d a fantastic time in Japan, met loads of lovely people that I hope we can stay in touch with, saw great places. Then I wrote longwinded blog posts about them. Thanks very much for reading them and to Matt for making this site for us! Giita will hopefully write one more post but that’s it from me. Sayonara!

This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 9:45 am and was written when Joss was feeling jumblings, happy, sad, hungover, smiley, sleepy, food.