T minus 6h

So, all bags are packed, I´m ready to go.
I´ll post again when I got news for you. I´ll miss you all alot!

P.S. for those of you who whant to know the flighpath and keep track: http://de.flightaware.com/live/flight/DLH7202/history/20120701/1900Z/EDDM/RJAA

7 Days -

Remember the things I said about the German bureaucracy?
It worked out! On Friday I picked up my new Passport. Now I can go to Japan! And now there is only one week left here. Money, I still need to change some Euro´s to Yen, cause I´ll have to pay a lot of stuff soon after I arrive.
First of all a phone at Narita and a data plan Sim for my phone. Next will be the transfer from Sendai Airport to the dorm. The Urban Castle Kawauchi. Not sure why they call it like that, but I´ll find out.
Looks like an average student dorm, just like in here. I´m really looking forward to stay there and get into contact with other students.
So, whats left to do? Pack my stuff and go there right?

10 days -

Helluuuuwww!
Only ten days left before I fly to great Japan!
And guess what, right, my passport is still not there... OK, I have to admit they said it will take three weeks, but tomorrow the three weeks are over.
But no, I´m not yet panicing. I rely on the German bureaucracy (well people sometimes call me a bit naive), to get their job done we pay them for. I actually don´t get why one has to pay for his passport. Hm, on the other hand you don´t need a passport to stay in Germany, but an ID, that one also costs money... could someone remind me about the sense of taxes?
Well, I´m drifting off. Lets go back to the topic. Ten day, that's not much, I still have to get so much stuff done before I leave.
And most important, I have to take care of my wife, this crazy tall women, always supporting me.

Hello! Me again, just wanted to share something that you have probably already seen. Still it´s an amazing thing.

Sendai? What where?

Now, before I start to travel, I wonder what is Sendai like, and is it a safe place?
Many people asked me about the radiation level in Sendai with regard to the Fukushima accident.
So, first of all, where is Sendai?

There it is (A)! Look! Yeah, right, just in the upper (we geographers call that most often north) part of the Japanese main island Honshu. It´s roughly 350km from Tokyo and just 9164.4km from Bonn, where I live.
You can also see that Sendai is pretty close to Fukushima City and approx. 100km from the power plant (red dot, oh just saw the link to the flag... arg, please take no offence).
Ah... I see, you think I´m crazy right?

Take from: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

Well, you are kind of right. I´m crazy but not insane!
Sendai looks safe enough, doesn´t it?
Well, I hope it is!

Taken from: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/