The teacher who invited me yesterday very kindly gave me a lift to the station this morning. She also showed me a new book she’d bought, similar to my Classroom English CD. I’m always on the look out for good stuff ( such as the Apricot picture books or the Springboard readers) so I can recommend them to teachers and I don’t have to make them myself! And this book looked quite good, until it started giving “Fine thank you. And you?” as the recommended answer to “How are you?”. Oh well.

Then it was off into the Shikoku countryside to change trains at one of the most out of the way stations you could imagine. It was like going off into a Western or something, right in the middle of nowhere. But then I got the Express Train ( all 2 carriages of it) up to Takamatsu. And very impressive it is too! I’ve been to Kagawa quite a few times ( I lived next door for 3 years), but it’s my first time in the city, and they’ve really made a great job of things. The station is all brand new with a great plaza out front ( with no overhead wires), that leads out onto promenades overlooking the sea, round some cool new buildings and fitting in perfectly with the castle ruins ( see the picture ) round the corner. Very nicely done. All of Japan should be designed as well as this, and it’s certainly a great place for a day visit.

So after grabbing a Tully’s Cappuccino and Chili Sandwich I sat out watching all the yachts in the inland sea. What a nice spot to have lunch!

I also didn’t have a hotel planned for today. Me being a Yorkshireman I usually just go for the cheapest hotel there is ( if there’s a bed and a power point then I don’t really need much else), but when I do bookstore tours all the other presenters insist on first class hotels. But the cool thing about places like Takamatsu is you can stay at really nice places for Yorkshireman prices!

I also got a call from the lady who’s organising tomorrow’s workshop. Usually when I do workshops people are asking me to go out for dinner the night before, or to come in early to help with something or to chat with someone. The lady today just said “OK, come along 30 minutes beforehand”. I was actually booked to come here by her predecessor, and in April when everyone’s jobs changed round she became responsible for the training. And I’ve got a feeling she has no idea what I’m going there for tomorrow!

This is the big problem I have at the moment, getting the word out! I make the website which not everyone sees, I make PR videos which people never have time to watch, and even make colour print outs and have people personally talk through how GE can help them, but it’s not until people see an actual workshop that they go “Ah! I see!” and then “We should have invited everyone to this workshop!”, which by then it’s too late! Even yesterday where I’d been before and everyone was talking and talking about it, one of the computer teachers was saying “Oh yeah, that is really good, I never got it before!”. There must be an easier way to get the word out to people!!!