Tokyo on My Mind

The pre-assignment trip is booked. In two weeks I'll be in Tokyo for 5 nights, and then 1 July, I'm planing to move properly. And it is starting to become a fact now, no longer some far distant future, but something I need to deal with everyday.

- Next week two different moving company will come to my flat and assess the volume of the things I will ship over.

- Next week I will go for final vaccination. This was not something we were offered last time, either Japan have got more dangerous or my company have gained experience in relocating employers. They are shooting me up with HepA/B and some Japanese brain problem. But the nurse seemed happy to give me more than that. I think that will be sufficient. I do not plan to wrestle pigs in rural areas or start using drugs intravenously.

- Beginning of June, I'm booked for a whole day cultural training course. Just me learning about Japanese culture, from another Swede. It is going to be interesting. And guess what, I was nice enough to actually share the info that I had visit the country before. She said that she looked forward seeing me, and hope I could help them understand the needs of their Japanese customers that they are helping to adapt to Sweden. :) Maybe there is a niche for me when I come back?

- Appointment with Ernst & Young; to advice me about insurance policies, and how I should do my taxes while away.

On my todo list the upcoming weeks;
- cancel my broadband.
- call the bank and see how they think I should transfer money to they while away.
- cancel my contact lens subscription.
- admit to the Swedish government that I'm planning to emigrate. (and the gold turned to sand)
- fill out the sublet contract for my flat. (I'm so happy that my cats gets to stay at their own home, and someone who seem to really enjoy their company is moving in with them)
- ...

So, as part of the therapy for today, I have looked through some old Tokyo photos. Enjoy this little preview of history.


My old Osaki flat. Cosy, with all the furniture arrived and me studying Japanese in the centre.


The park by Tokyo Dome. Photo take while my parents were visiting during the fall that year.


My husband and another man :) They both look kinda 70s, on the market street up to Asakusa.


Cherry blossoms in Shinjuku. Sky scrapers and nature, entwined.


Tokyo, the seemingly never ending story.


We are waiting for darkness and the fireworks to start. Read on wikipedia that the Suimida river hanabi, has about 1 milion visitors, nothing strange me thinking there was a lot of people there then. The population of Stockholm gathered on the river banks to watch the sky explode into a colourful palette.


And this one, from my Tokyo kitchen, with a caution to ya'll. Do not pose and fry rice at the same time. Chances are that you will flip the oiled fried rice over your cute little belly and be forced to do this funny face...


So all these practicalities aside, what do I feel? Do I feel? I'm scared and I'm happy. I can feel my heart breaking every time I think of all the moments I'll miss with the two most important boys in my life; Aron and Mint. And my girls; Lillie, Lisa and Linnea, I'm nothing without them. Li-something people seem to be my coup of tea ;)

And my friends at the office, I will miss them. I will miss our lunches, I will miss our talks. I should try and call in. I will miss AW activities.

And baby sister and mum and dad and granny... you all annoy me from time to time, but I love you to pieces.

D-chan, :) I hope you come visit.

And I'm scared of closing myself not feeling again, just to get me through the transition. But that is not the way to go this time. Feel, feel feel. How do you feel?

But in conclusion; I'm so happy that I have done this once before, I'm not even close to the stress level I was at in 2003/2004 when I moved last, and then I was with somebody, now I'm all alone but it still feels so much better. I rock! :)

And another thing, I know it is possible to be away from loved once for long times, and still maintain a relationship with them, and that makes me less worried.

So what am I actually worried about? Well slightly worried about that my work tasks will not be so interesting, but I'm mostly worried about that I will regress back into a depression. Don't really know why I'm scared of that, but probably because I will be more vulnerable on my own...

Well I hope that the "blogging to keep my sanity" project will work. And that ya'll will enjoy the upcoming photos and thoughts about Japan, the big city, me, life in general, and other pretentious stuff, will be to your liking.