We recently enjoyed a weekend city break to Kumamoto. Kumamoto is on the island of Kyushyu and is the second largest city. It hit international news just over a year ago as there was a large earthquake, which caused a lot of damage. The city was nice, with some good bars and excellent places to…
Hiroshima Weekender
Another fabulous contractual requirement gave me two extra days in June on top of a weekend. We decided to make the most out of the time and head to Hiroshima for a few days. It was a brilliant choice as we enjoyed trips down memory lane and the best zoo ever. When we came to…
I’m Wet
Rainy season has arrived. It is worse than we could have expected. We were warned, but nothing could prepare you for this level of humidity. The sweat, the smell, the hair. Oh the hair. So, for the next month Dan and I will be dressed in smelly clothes we couldn’t dry in the 110% humidity…
The Leavers Group Outdoor Shower
A wet and windy weekend in June saw the 2017 ALT leavers party commence. The party took us to a small island in Yamaguchi prefecture, where the rain lashed down, but it could not dampen our merriment! It was a chance to say farewell to ALTs heading off into the world and leaving this corner…
Baseball!
Japan loves baseball! It is a beloved national sport. We were lucky enough to get tickets for a game in Fukuoka recently – not an easy feat, as the tickets sell like hot cakes! We were in the cheering seats, the only place with tickets left 20 minutes after they went on sale…the cheering seats…
More Flower Fun
Our new hobby, flower arrangement, took a big step forward this week…We made some ornamental gardens! They looked pretty fine if you ask me. It was an amazing 90 mins of total concentration from me and Dan. And, I should add, utter relaxation! Flower arranging really is enjoyable…I guess this is what happens when you…
The Spirit of the UK
Over the past few months, there has been an increase in terrorist threats on home soil in the UK. This has really brought home the distance we now live, as we see our home country suffer this way. It has been a real privilege to watch the strength of the UK during these challenging times,…
Wedding Anniversary Fun in the Sun
This May, we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. It feels both like yesterday and more than two years ago that we got married on a sunny South-West day surrounded by our nearest and dearest. We had already exchanged gifts a few weeks ago as I couldn’t contain my excitement…Dan bought me my Kyudo (Japanese archery)…
American Car-Festivals; Japan Style
In May we visited our favourite town across the water, Mojiko, for an American car swap festival. We love Mojiko, as it is a mere boat ride away but sits on a different island and feels like a completely different place. You take one step (or a short five minute boat ride) out of the…