Saganoseki Fursato Matsuri

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Onna Matsuri Beppu

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fall

Australia continued

Darling Harbour


Hot chocolate break outside the Lindt Cafe


Featherdale Wildlife Park in Blacktown



Balmain Market




Glenda & Dennis' backyard Japanese garden



Nabe for two

Touring the Blue Mountains





Glenda and I went up to the Central Coast and checked out 3 beach areas - Terrigal, Copacabana, and Avoca

Australia!

I'm in Australia visiting my good friend Glenda who I met on the JET Program in Ehime, Japan a few years ago. I'm staying with Glenda and her husband Dennis and am having a great time. Glenda planned out lots of fun stuff. Here's some of the things we've done so far:

We went to Circular Quay and took the ferry to Watson's Bay for a lunch of fish and chips on the waterfront

We saw the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge

Beppu July

Typhoon!


We had a couple of typhoons just before I left Japan for the summer. On this day I didn't have much food at my place so I ventured out. After walking about 50m down the street I was completely soaked even though I had an umbrella. I went back and changed and fashioned a 'rain skirt' out of a garbage bag.

Taiko

Posing with the taiko group after the performance for new members. I was supposed to perform with them but had to drop out for a while because of a leg injury.

Beppu Matsuri

Managed to get in one summer festival before leaving Japan for the summer. Although I've worn Yukata (summer kimono) several times in the past, this was the first time I managed to dress myself, obi and all!

Beppu June

beppu june

Beppu May

Flat Stanley


As part of a 2nd grade school project, Flat Stanley came to visit me in Japan. I took him around Beppu, out for sushi, to taiko practice, and introduced him to my students. I then sent him on to Australia to visit Glenda and Dennis.




Hit Parade

We discovered smorgasbord of entertainment all in one place in downtown Beppu called Hit Parade. You pay one price (3000yen/i.e.$30) for all you can eat, drink, karaoke, and live entertainment. The main attraction is the live entertainment which is a 50's/60's cover band which had everyone up and dancing. One of Beppu's best kept secrets!




Birthday


After wondering where everyone was for my first period class, the students all came in at once singing Happy Birthday and presented me with flowers!

Beppu April

Around Beppu during cherry blossom season







One day a couple of other teachers had the crazy idea that we should hike up Mt. Takasaki. In all I think we walked about 6 hours round trip. But a lot of that was finding our way to the mountain and getting lost a bit.



University campus

Relocated

I made it back to Japan in time to catch the cherry blossoms in both Tokyo and my new place of residence - Beppu, Oita. I'm in my second week of work teaching Introductory English to first year students at a university in Beppu which is at the top of a mountain with incredible views (photos of that to come when we get a nice clear day to take pics). In the meantime, have a look at my pics of Tokyo's cherry blossoms.

December Pics

Fall Colours

November

Mel came up to visit and we went to a 2 day music festival in Tokyo. Her friend recommended a really nice soba restaurant. I was on a mission to find nice fall scenes to photograph and found a nice area close to the music festival venue.

Surprise Visit in Gifu!

My friend Shiho and I went to Gifu (Shiho's hometown) for the long weekend. Gifu is also where our friend Nanako lives. Nanako knew Shiho was coming but I decided to go at the last minute and to make it a surprise visit for Nanako. Shiho told Nanako that her American friend was coming to visit and brought her along to the bus stop to pick up 'the friend'. It was quite a surprise to Nanako when I got off the bus! It was a beautiful weekend and I had fun hanging out with Nanako, Shiho and her family and going to Showa Mura - an outdoor museum/attraction which shows life in Japan during the Showa period (1926-1989). A new surprise for me on this trip was that there are actually bus stops on expressways! I took the bus from Tokyo to Gifu and most of the trip was on the expressway and as we got closer to Gifu I noticed a bus stop on the expressway and I couldn't figure out how the people got there. When I got to my stop, I realized that there is a door in the barrier that leads you to a road on the other side of the highway!

October in Nikko

September

I arrived back in Kawasaki on Sept.20 to a different Leopalace but the same school and students. On her way back from her trip to the States, Melanie stayed in Tokyo for a bit and we hung out with her friends and saw their live performance.