Search: The need for a home of one's own

It took only one month for William to receive the necessary visas for immigration, and to pack up his wordly possessions (which promptly boarded a boat across the East China Sea), before he set off to begin his new life in Nagoya, Japan.

On arrival, he booked himself into a hostel just near the airport. It was cheap, and he was sure he could secure some sort of official residence soon enough. He was lucky enough to score a room on his own, even if it didn't have a lock. But at least it had a sink. William was prepared to be odourous for a few days if it meant not sharing a bathroom with heathens. He had seen too many prison films.

After a surprisingly fulfilling sleep, William set off into town to begin his property hunt. He was searching the cheapest places - in fact, he came across a squat that was literally one room. This would force him to have takeaway each night for dinner, since there was no kitchen, and use the showers at swimming pools. The asking price was, however, still too high - and when William realised there was no means of heating, he was not too disappointed by the rejection.

Even though he couldn't go lower , price-wise and moral-wise, than that place, he looked around five other places - still far too high a price. William sighed heavily. Maybe that casual tramp had been right when he had said that he needed those pennies more than he did. He hated himself for wasting a year at university. He hated having spent his money on an absolutely useless course, and a promiscuous girlfriend. The only person he maybe, possibly, slightly, had left turn to, was Mike Kevinson. But where was he in this time? When he needed him most? Surely he'd put him up for a few nights at the most.

William sat on a bench in a park. He was made even more upset when he noticed a poster from a local right-wing party, saying in gargantuan Kanji letters, "FOREIGNERS GO HOME". It was only when - out of nowhere in the desolate park - a crow pecked the last symbol, that William realised that he himself was a foreigner. But then he took it to mean that he should return to the youth hostel, stay there for a few more nights, and take everything as it came. It wasn't tourist season, after all. Rooms were definitely up for grabs.