So Jo had this great idea that we should all use our precious holiday time to go and study Japanese in Hokkaido. It seemed a wonderful plan until the day came and we realized a) we could be on a beach, not at Tomakomai ferry terminal at 6.30am, waiting for a bus b) we were going to spend the next week or more staying in a non-English speaking stranger's house and c) we were going to spend two weeks voluntarily studying!! In the end it did turn out to be a fantastic plan, but at the time this photo was taken I was far from believing it.