Don't say 'sayonara'  - say 'chotto matte' (a little later) or 'jaa, matte' (see you later).  Sayonara carries a sort of finality (unlike 'bon voyage' which literally means 'good trip') - that is, 'good bye for good'.

As ashley said, I envy you.  I have had only one missed opportunity to go to Japan and it would have been rather constructed and limited (as part of my doujou to see the shoto).  I would rather go for at least several weeks and explore the historical and various areas - would love to be present at some of the communal ceremonies and see some sumou in person!

The culture of Japan has changed ridiculously in the past 50+ years.  Before that, their culture was little changed from the Edo back to Heian eras - that is what excites me: samurai, bushido, community and other possibly idealistic notions of their past (fully realizing the limitations and cons of such a societal structure).  Before the end of WWII, Geisha was an honorable tradition - afterwards, it became synonomous with 'prostitute' - but they were never the same thing.

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

Contact Me | Kuroyume's DevelopmentZone