Robbie Hey everybody!! This journal was set up to keep everyone up to date with my travels through China and Vietnam. I will be volunteering in China up in the north west part of the country in a city called Urumqi for 13 weeks, helping out (hopefully) with teaching english. I will then have some time in Beijing to explore the sights. I then move on to Vietnam to meet up with my mum for a few days in Ho Chi Minh then fly up to Hanoi to volunteer with a local volunteer agency SJ Vietnam for 10 weeks. Then I fly home just in time for my 21st birthday. This journal will keep you up to date with all my volunteering adventures!!

Hi everybody,

Well I am back travelling again, and yes I am a lucky girl!!!!

It is so exciting to be back roaming around getting lost and sweating in the process.  So I have travelled from Sydney to Singapore which will be my home for the next year as I will be attending their university on exchange.  Then I have skipped over to Japan for a week holiday before my semester starts to go in search of my pal totoro and visit my friend Naoko who I met while volunteering in Vietnam.

So so far I must say Japan is unique and very inviting.  I have been here 2 days and already I have to say love it.  Why so quick to jump to this conclusion.  The FOOD for one so delicious our sushi trains don:t compare, and so many little quirks, vending machines everywhere and let me tell you, you can get anything from a vending machine.  And then I come to the tiolets, so clean and well so inviting, seat warmers, buttons you press that lets out a fake flushimg noise to keep your business private amd lots of other buttons I haven:t been game to press!!!!  Last but not least, the people are so nice and helpful.  There train network once you work it out is so good and gets you anywhere in no time at all!!!

So as you can see Iam a big fan of Japan!!! I an in Tokyo now and I had 2 nights, tried to fit a lot in but still missed alot, it is BIG.  I visited a temple and did lots of shopping its nuts!!!!  Then today biggest highlight of all time, yes I SAW TOTORO, he is a japanese animae character and he is beautiful!!!!!  I went to the Ghibli Museum, which was set up by the guy who created Totoro, Howls moving castle and many more.  It was so cool everything was designed around his movies, just fantastic, recommend to any one who comes to Japan, but prebook your tickets, you can]t buy them at the gate.　 So off with my japan pass tomorrow to Kyoto, then on to UBE to see Naoko, then Hiroshima and then back to Tokyo to fly back to Singapore.　 Its is a jam packed week.

Any way I will try to keep this updated like last time.　 Also will add some photos.　 Hope all is well back home and everyone visit Japan, just not at this time very humid, recommend spring!!!!!

Bye for now

KatieXXXXXXXX