Well... that's that! In a blink of an eye, somehow I am finished with teaching schools in Japan. Today, at my second school, a special needs school, I went to graduation. It was an interesting day, some happy faces, some nervous ones. It is interesting to me that comparing the two, very very …
Category: Japan
Three years on – Great Tohoku Earthquake
It's now been three years since that fateful day in 2011 when the Great Tohoku Earthquake struck. I remember the day well. I was in Vietnam, in a town called Dalat. I had just arrived, and went out for dinner with a nice chap I met at my guesthouse. We were talking through dinner and …
In which I try to show off my photoshop skills and fail.
Hi everyone, just a quick word from home here in Ichinoseki. Today, it snowed again! Didn't anyone tell them that it is supposed to be Spring here? Anyways I have been editing Short Journeys: Japan, the next in my ebook range and hope to have it available for download by the weekend. Here …
Continue reading In which I try to show off my photoshop skills and fail.
A Day in Morioka
Well, yesterday I paid what could well be my last visit to Morioka. I needed to collect my new spouse visa at the Immigration Office - my contract is nearly finished but I will be in Yokohama for 6 weeks from the end of March, and return a heavy bag of text books to my …
Powerful Last Day
I didn't think I would do it. I was sure I wasn't. I don't do it, not because I don't want to, it just doesn't seem to happen. But today, a little, a tiny bit, I did. Last classes today at one of my two schools, at the other, tomorrow. I had to give …
Thoughts on Graduation
I’m sure I am not the only Gaijin in Japan blogging today about their thoughts on graduation. Across Iwate at least, today was graduation at many high schools including my own, and it’s a very strange day in so many ways. For starters, we are saying a big goodbye to many students, students I have …
One last class – what would you teach?
So, this week sees me in the home stretch of teaching in Japan. I’ve been teaching here for two years now and I’ve done lessons on all sorts of topics from favourite foods (and favourite this and that!) to ‘virtual water’, do google that if you’re interested. Once you start reading, you won’t be. So …
The Return
From this: to this: The date is fast approaching now, in May I will be returning to Australia to live with my wife. The final, main piece in the puzzle has been put into place now - my wife's partner visa came through yesterday ending months of stress and worry about it …
Backpacking Basics
Hi Folks, Well I have been thinking about epublishing, frustrated at lack of sales and all that, and I thought I would try my hand at a book about the basics of backpacking. A sort 'how to' guide for the first-time or inexperienced backpacker. And today I have published 'Backpacking Basics' on both Lulu …
Snow good!
Hey folks. Just thought I'd give a quick blog with some photos. This is the most snow I have seen in Ichinoseki since I arrived. Last night we must have had more than two feet, it was quite something. I basically needed a shovel to get out of my car park, although I managed …
