No big updates...hanging on my BA-thesis...

But I had some time for dinner and purikura with Cori :)

Our trip to Kamakura was so nice!
I`ve been there about five years ago and I really wanted to go there again, but somehow I always didn`t make it.  Since Yoshi has never visited Kamakura before, we decided to go there in summer...on the day we wanted to go it was already 35 degrees at 11am...and it became the hottest day in Japan for years...so we quitted XD  Too hot to walk around.
On Tuesday we rent a car and visited all shrines in the city, enjoyed Starbucks under the cherry blossoms and ate dinner at a restaurant close to the sea.

At night we went back to Yokohama, checking out Minato-Mirai and ate wonderful 31 ice cream.
We also got lost two times since the navigation system didn`t know about the new building site XD It was pretty amusing ending up in nowhere, finding so many beautiful Sakura trees ～～

From now on we`re thinking to make many trips around Tokyo. Next one will be Nikko ^o^
Going by car is so relaxing...you have your favourite music, can stop anywhere you want to...

Now I get myself ready to go to Shibuya. Today is Yoshi`s first day at his new job...all of his colleagues are from university, he is the only one who has worked in a different business before. He was so nervous, wondering if he wil be accepted that easily...can`t wait to hear his story tonight.

 

Neighbour`s garden :)

We are preparing some things for our trip to Kamakura tomorrow ～
We`ve rent a car and will start around 9 am. We also found a nice book about the best spots for Sakura and taking nice photos. Will be great!

Today afternoon the rain destroyed our plan to hang out in the park and so we ended up doing some karaoke and shopping. Here are some photos of us joking around :)

Today a full day of the BA-thesis stuff in front of me...but starting from tomorrow, Yoshi has holiday for three days :)  And on Thursday he will start his new job :)

I`m off to be creative :)  See you soon!!

Easter time ~~

Hello ～～ with a pretty spring breeze :)

At first:

My sweet Steffi became 22 years old ^o^ I hope we can hang out soon again... 

Since high school you`re always by my side and I really love you ^^

I`m working on the books for my scholarship project since I`m already awake at 8 am. Pretty early for me ^^;  But I finally have the motivation to do it.
And I`ve checked some things for the Waseda Graduate School...after all, I`m thinking to apply this year. I`ll graduate with an A (average of 1,3 in the German grading system) and I think it would be pretty sad if I don`t try to achieve more than my teacher`s license.

Steffi`s birthday muffin @ Germany

Of course I will wait how the radiation levels will look like after 2 months. If they are increasing Yoshi and I are thinking to go back to his family in South Japan. Even though it would mean he has to lose his new job, his priority is our life`s quality and safety.
As long as we`re together, we will be fine everywhere. Yoshi has a friend in Nagasaki and if the levels are getting bad for Tokyo, we were thinking to go there. 
But let`s hope for the best :) The American company my father`s working for is dealing with analysis machines for radiation and elements in food, chemical substances and water. It`s good staying informed with real facts.


I`m glad seeing foreigners staying with their Japanese families, too (although some NEWS say the opposite...). I had a great talk with an American last night whose wife is Japanese and doesn`t want to leave her parents in Sendai behind. So they decided to stay, although his family back in America is going crazy. He said Japan is his home for more than 12 years now and he could never leave his family behind. Even though he is worried, he finds the safety in his beloved ones.
Maybe that`s what life about...you see the real value of it in the pessimistic moment when you have to decide who you put first. Yourself or the one in front of you. That`s what love is about. Not being able to think as rational as you normally do. And being loved in the same way back.
For those foreigners who don`t see Japan as a big shopping centre or amusement park for their spring holidays, those who have a real life here, with family&friends, a job...for those, the 03/11 was/is a big test of their staying power...I`m impressed how many want to stay although the pressure from their families abroad is that huge.

I hope I can become a person who can trust her heart that much that I won`t be afraid to move on. Even if it`s the wrong decision and I end up heart-broken, sick, lonely...whatever. As long as I stay true to myself&feelings. I really respect this man :)


Anyway ～　now a topic change.
The Sakura is beautiful :)  I was again really happy seeing them as beautiul as the past years.
Yesterday was also my anniversary day. Yoshi and I decided to stay in bed the whole day. We had so many things to talk about...talking through Skype everyday for hours isn`t the same. It felt simply good being together.
We wanted to buy some small presents. Something which is useful. I don`t think the anniversay day should be abused with expensive presents...and we both wanted something which appreciate the meaning of being a couple. We headed to OIOI and looked for key holders since we will move to a new apartment in summer. Sadly they were already closed and so we simply took some purikura, ate dinner in the restaurant of our first date (great choice!) and relaxed at home.
Seems like we will get our presents at Monday XD
But I`m glad that the "save energy" projects around the town are working that well...
even though it means that shops close earlier.

Everyone have become so frugal...I`m impressed.

Next week we want to rent a car and check out the cherry blossoms in Kamakura ～～ I can`t wait! We`ve planned this trip for months. I hope I can take many photos then.

Ok ~~ Now I need to continue with my thesis :)

First purikura together = FAIL XD

I've booked a flight back to Tokyo...it was incredibly expensive -_-"  In the past 8 years I have never paid that much for a flight back to Japan...

The scholarship offers just a small amount of money ~  120.000 Yen (1200Euro)...I was really disappointed.

The living expenses in Tokyo are really high...and since I need to buy an airplane ticket on my own, it's nearly nothing (100 Euro left...wow... ^^").

In the beginning we were told that we'll obtain 1200 Euro for the ticket+ 1000 Euro for the 2 months. Now they won't pay the ticket which means a lot of students won't be able to return to Japan...

Happily I don't have to pay any rent since I can live with my boyfriend but those who don't have this luck are in big troubles. The cheapest guest house room in Tokyo is around 400~500Euro/month... 

Anyway, I will return on Wednesday and arrive on Thursday in the late afternoon.

My three best friends...I need to finish my BA-thesis until June and so I'm working with them everyday ~

Going back to Tokyo ~

Today I've finally received the E-Mail from my university according the scholarship for my BA-thesis...

And yes ~ I'll get the money and I'll be able to return to Tokyo next week.

The E-Mail is one month too late and I'm soooo tired of the students' service at my university...well, I'll graduate in June, so no need to get mad now.

The situation in Japan isn't the best yet and proberly won't become perfect again...experts are talking that it may take up to 50 years until Fukushima will be "finally cold" = safe... -__-"  

Of course my family is worried of me going back that soon, but I have the feeling it'll be ok. On the other hand nobody is able to say when the safety level at Fukushima will be up to 70~80% again. Some say it may take years.

Since I can't throw away my life there, I need to live with the risks and I'm thinking to go back around Wednesday.

Yoshi and I are planning to celebrate our anniversary day in Odaiba, since it was the place of our first date, too. 

Next week Friday will be a special day to me and I hope I can relax at little...being in Germany doesn't give me the feeling of being safe at all since I'm getting crazy here...spending hours in front of the PC, talking to Yoshi through Skype...without him I don't feel safe or happy at all. And without being in Japan I really don't have the motivation to do anything...

Many of my friends are going back to Tokyo, too. I'm really looking forward to meet them. We all had a really hard time of going back, saying goodbye to the ones we love or losing our job through our short vacation in Germany...

Anyway, I'm SO looking forward to the cherry blossoms.

I hope we all will have a wonderful spring. And please support the Red Cross and their projects in Japan. Even though the media isn't talking about it anymore it doesn't mean everything is OK.

I hope my next entry will be straight from Tokyo with lots of nice photos :) Please follow me.