Metamorphosis

I don't think I was ever happier than the moment I finished my CS 343 exam last Thursday night. The picture says it all, doesn't it?

I still don't know when I'm starting - the people in Epson Japan are applying for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which supposedly takes about a month; I hope they started as soon as they received the documents I biked 85 km to send them. Having a COE basically cuts the amount of time it takes to obtain a visa down to a few days.

What it all basically means is that I won't be leaving till sometime in June. At first I was a little down about that, because I was expecting to leave...right around now. But after some thought, I realized it actually doesn't really matter - 11 months, 12 months, what's the difference in the whole scheme of things? A month off is a welcome change anyway. I haven't had a month off since.... I can't even remember when. Probably grade 10. In fact, a month off gives me exactly the opportunity I need to tie up the loose ends I was complaining about a couple months ago.

So I'll see you in a few weeks, Matsumoto! I really don't have much to say about this city, aside from what I've read on the co-op web pages. A couple of peculiaritities about the Matusmoto employee residence that really stuck in my mind were: you aren't allowed to have guests after 10 pm and that it's an all-male residence. Either of those alone would be fine, but together? It's all part of the Japan experience I suppose. That's just a knock against the residence however, as I really should only be there to eat and sleep, as many a previous Epson co-op have dutifully noted. As a city, Matsumoto is situated in the absolute perfect location for travelling - the centre, of course. It's roughly equidistant from the southernmost and northernmost islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido and more importantly, the two commercial centres of Japan: Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo. It's surrounded by mountains, which make it a winter sport haven. And there's a gym downstairs. What more could I ask for?

The strip of photos you see the to right are the latest photos I've uploaded into Flickr, automagically updated. すごいね？(How to make a Flickr Badge)