Taking on Tokyo

I do my best to aim for at least 2 posts a month, but July was insane! The whole month completely ran away with me. Now, however, I am (still!!) a little jetlagged, and suddenly it's a been 9 days since I returned from one of the best adventures of my life (so far)!

One of my very good friends at Keele, Caitlin, moved to Japan last year to teach English. Cue me promising to go and visit her! Initially, it was going to be mine and Alex's trip this year after the fabulousness of California last year, but unfortunately it didn't work out like that. He had too much occurring and what not which meant that half of this trip was a solo adventure! It was actually really refreshing to go and do something like this for myself, and by myself. As much as I've struggled with this year being so focused on doing things for me, myself and I, but this trip really was the icing on top of the cake that has been the most difficult but worthwhile 12 months I've had in a long time.

Caitlin lives in Kumamoto, a smaller city in Japan, and as a teacher she works solidly Monday to Friday. Therefore, we both agreed I'd be best off seeing some other places as well. My plan then became Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Kumamoto -> Hiroshima, and I'm going to do multiple blog posts to fully detail the fantasticness that was all of these places. To get everywhere, I used the JR Pass, which was ridiculously cheap for the amount that I used it, and compared to what those trips would have cost individually.

After 24 hours of travel, a highlight of which was the old Japanese man next to me watched Godzilla as we approached Japan, and my first experience of Japanese toilets that thankfully play music so no one hears you wee, I picked up my JR Pass from Tokyo's airport. It allowed me to use the monorail that took me right into Tokyo's main train station. From there, my Pass also worked on the local train so I could get to my hotel.

I stayed at the APA Shintomicho-Ekikita which was only 10 minutes walk from the local train station, and 25 minutes walk from Tokyo station itself. The hotel was lovely, and the staff couldn't do more to help me, even though English wasn't a strong point for them, and my Japanese extends to hi and thank you.

Across the two days I spent in Tokyo, I walked 25,000 steps, sweated in 30 odd degree heat with about 40% humidity, got lost repeatedly (seriously, Tokyo Tower can be seen, but not approached easily), embarrassed myself with the Englishness of my food choices because I was so scared of ordering fish by accident, and said 'God help me' more times in 48 hours than ever before. BUT, at no point did I feel scared, or unsafe, or completely out of my depth.

I got to see stunning sights from the top of Tokyo Tower at night,

And even more during the day from the top of Mount Takao,

I would encourage everyone visiting to Tokyo spending time out of the city, as well as in it. If you have the time, absolutely go to Mount Fuji, which is what I would have done if I had had the time. As I didn't, I chose Mount Takao, and got to ride the steepest cable car in Japan a quarter of the way up! It was a really peaceful place, even though I constantly ran in to other people - they all said 'konichiwa' in the way English walkers say 'good morning/afternoon', I loved it. On my way back from Mount Takao, I ended up in Shinjuku station, which Caitlin later informed me is one of the busiest in the world. It certainly was hectic and a bit confusing, I ended up on a bus that literally just did a circle around the station...but I got back eventually! And headed to the Hard Rock Cafe via Harajuku. Harajuku absolutely was quirky, but not as vast in its quirkiness as I was expecting.

I also think everyone should visit the Imperial Palace, the gardens are absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, there isn't a set timetable for being able to enter the palace, tours can only take place on sporadic days as it is all at the discretion of the Emperor and the royal family, but hey ho, you don't feel like your missing out. I went there my first evening, and it seems that is where all Tokyo residents go running! I was a bit worried as it was getting dark, and I was alone, but I found myself in amongst tens of runners the whole way around the site!

After Tokyo, it was up, at it and onto Kyoto! Which will bring you on to my next post...

Wonder Woman. Oh My Wow.

Yesterday I finally got to watch Wonder Woman. As a humongous fan of DC to the point where I barely even enjoy any Marvel except X-Men and Robert Downey Junior's face, I was really looking forward to this film, but was a little apprehensive. Not because I'm of the opinion that DC films have always lacked compared to Marvel, and to be honest, I think anyone who says that is completely forgetting the Dark Knight trilogy, and isn't part of the cult for whom Watchmen is a classic, but anyway. I was worried, that they couldn't fit in all of her story, details of the war, and the building of the other characters into a two and a half hour film effectively. Also, I was unsure of how successful Gal Gadot would be at carrying a whole film as I only know her from Fast and Furious, in which she is great, but it is a secondary (maybe even tertiary) role.

I had nothing to worry about! Yes, there could have been a little more in depth explanation here and there I suppose, but for two and a half hours, everything was said that needed to be, and brilliantly so! It was definitely a shame that they wanted to differ from Captain America so much that they moved the timeline from the Second World War to the First, only because 'Evil Hitler', one man who can inspire destruction and horror is a much more acknowledged persona. However, it didn't negatively affect the film too much at all. I also felt it was a little rushed for Steve to fall in love with her, but that's Hollywood for you I suppose. I was still emotional when he *spoiler alert*.

It was definitely my favourite film I have seen Chris Pine in. Until Wonder Woman I've never really had strong feelings about him, and would never watch a film purely because he's in it, but I do really enjoy him in Star Trek, and did really enjoy him in this. He also wasn't too shabby in Hell or High Water, but I do have weird thing for hairy men with cowboy accents. Most importantly I feel for an film with an ensemble feel to the cast, as this one had, is that all the actors lived up to playing alongside the incredible David Thewlis. Through Harry Potter, he's an actor I've grown up with and adore. I was ecstatic to see him in film once more, and I was almost as ecstatic to see Ewen Bremner because Spud is my absolute favourite Trainspotting character.

I have to apologise for doubting Gal Gadot. She was absolutely incredible as Wonder Woman! It felt that she was playing a very authentic role, and a lot of what she said fell inline with my own beliefs. As a person, Gal has only gone on to impress me more as I've read up about her. She was Miss Israel 2004, did her 18 months conscription in the Israeli army, loves motorbikes, has two daughters and was pregnant with the younger one during filming Wonder Woman, and went to university to study law!! She's actual life goals. I think she's definitely now one of the most inspirational and admirable women to me, alongside the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Hilarie Burton, Betty Shabazz, Violette Szabo and JK Rowling. To name but a few of course.

Don't just 'get you a woman who can do it all', find one to inspire you to become a woman who can do it all; a wonder woman.

Love Conquers All

'To say that we are winning the war on crime because we've head to put everyone in prison, in short, is like saying that we're winning the war of disease because we've had to put everyone in hospital'

- someone surnamed Currie in my current textbook 

 Or like saying we're winning/are going to win the war on terror because we've stereotyped one religion and abused them all, or denied them entry to our countries. 

The terrorists that have attacked the UK most recently have done so for three main reasons: the West have destroyed massive sections of the Middle East and have not rebuilt or improved them to a decent standard; the terrorists hate our way of life; they believe a highly distorted version of their religion of Islam supports them. 

The first point, the West pretty much have to own. Yes, the removal of Saddam Hussein was a necessity, but leaving Iraq and Afghanistan in wreck and ruin has not been a good idea, and it all seems a little hypocritical when you look at relationships with the Assads. However, you can't fight fire with fire. So them attacking us for attacking them is not going to bring about a solution, just as much as us attacking them for attacking us is going to achieve peaceful resolution. The second point is completely on them. Especially when they attack our way of life by attacking a pop concert full of teenagers. There is nothing wrong with what we do day to day, and there is no way we should stop it just because a minority have decided to have a problem with it. The problem they have is the third point; their massively distorted view of Islam. The Islamic God is the same as the Christian and Jewish God, the only difference really is believing Jesus was the Son of God, both Islam and Judaism recognise him as a prophet. All three religions are based in love, and care for one another, not violence and hate.

'We're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again'
- Pink

My dad sent me a text saying he hoped I wasn't scared about going to London with work today after the recent attacks. I told him, 'If a terrorist gets me, I won't be on their conscience then, so they're not on my worry list now'. He told me this was 'very phlegmatic', which I googled, and the example sentence it gave was 'the phlegmatic British character'! And lots of things came together in my mind, making me very proud to be a phlegmatic Brit. We have this stiff upper lip that means we care about each other, and we care about what's right, but as soon as you're wrong you can do one thinking we're going to pay you the time of day. The concert in Manchester wasn't a response to a terrorist attack, it was a celebration of 22 people's lives, love, music, and Britain.  I have an overwhelming sense of British perseverance within me at the moment. We're going to be ok, we're going to get through this, and we are not going to bow down and be defeated.