I am going to apply to Sophia University!

The fact I wasn't nominated for Keio still stings a little, but I have decided that going to Japan while at Uni is something I really want to do, regardless of the obstacles - albeit this is not the biggest of obstacles; perhaps I may have some unpaid fines that I forget about on the day I leave.

I hear Sophia is a good university from some good sources and so I will stop this snobbery and take it for what it is - a place where I can get better at Japanese. I am after all still going to be in Tokyo, Japan and so that is something to look forward to indeed.

As exhausted I am today after the first day back at uni, I am here filling out all these application forms, which is taking me much longer than I had anticipated. They ask for a lot of random stuff that I'm sure they don't need, and at least a few questions I'm sure they wouldn't be allowed to ask in New Zealand. Not that I'm surprised - the Japanese do have their way.

I have to write an academic-plan essay, and a 200 word essay for one of my scholarship applications too - which is going to be incredibly difficult right now... but I have only a couple of hours left before the morning when I have to hand these all in. Good thing I managed to get everything else done beforehand - get two referees to write good stuff about me; get a medical done; passport photos again (because they don't like the standard 4.5x3.5 cm, they insist on 4x3cm strictly); and course approvals - in one week!

So it looks like it's all go from here.