For many people who don't know me. I normally shave once in every solar eclipse. To prove my 男らしい over the course of last year, I shaved the grand total of 3 times throughout the year. Shaving becomes an almost cathartic experience in which I remember the occasions like having sex, seeing as they are so few and far between. Sadly since July 3rd, 12:47 am I have been without my prized possession for sometime and am counting down the days that it can return. With a beard I look like a homeless person but without it I look like a creepy child molester. I'd rather look homeless than look like a damn pervert tbh.

For a few of my classmates, they are off to Japan this summer whereas yours truly is stuck middling amongst doing odd jobs and sods in the UK and France chatting to Japanese people over MSN until 6am every night. I really am counting down the days that I can return to Sheffield, although when I get there I will probably be sat in the IC, wondering when I can return home. Grrr.

If I was to look back on my first year in Sheffield I would say its been a mostly positive experience.

• I didn't drop out (more on that later) and managed to even obtain some decentish grades
• I met some wonderful friends from all around the UK and the world
• And I feel more confident about myself.

However, I had some quite negative experiences and certain cases of "should try harder." I really need to stay fit, because I've put on a lot of weight since last summer and even more so since the amount of kilos I lost sweating out my shirts in Malaysia in 2006. So, I need to keep more active physically and socially. Hopefully this where the gym, Badminton, Ju Jitsu and Japan Soc will help. :-)

I also need to study a bit harder. Granted my effort has deteriorated since I moved houses right before my exams and more so since I developed a nasty virus the week after Easter.

The only thing keeping me sane right now, is learning Japanese (so I don't forget everything!), chatting with Yukari on MSN (the Anglophonic, wants-a-boyfriend-fancies me-but doesn't-want-to-openly-say it Nagoya girl) and my diet and exercise regime (which although has improved since last week is still not perfect.)

Yes, it truly is a summer of boredom until the football season kicks off and I have something else to worry about. I have about 8 weeks or so until I return to Shef, so I need to start revising. Keeping in touch with my japanese friends is allowing me to maintain my level of grammar and now its just a case of attempting some more listening and kanji practice as well increasing my vocab. I can only seem to remember アイスクリームのように溶かす。And sadly given the current weather in the UK, won't come in handy anytime soon. However time is very much on my side, and being able to memorise this vocab, kanji and grammar should be beneficial given the very fast paced of my Japanese course.

This summer I was intending to go to Japan but pulled out at the last minute. I had a job offer to work the summer in Okinawa, but this fell through as they couldn't guarantee me to be back in the UK by the start of the 2nd year. The money I did save up, probably isn't enough and I am looking to spend it on travelling across SE Asia next summer. I'm intending to jump ship in July, visit my relatives in Thailand and work my way across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and China, going all the way down to Hong Kong and then fly across to some country called Japan.

Let's hope in the meantime my beard returns, and with it some increased knowledge of the Japanese language and the complexity that it is women.