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Discovering Chizu and Sayo Towns
As I mentioned in my DipTESOL post, I have never given up on traveling because of my studies. On the contrary, I study hard and travel hard. I would have felt like a wild animal in a cage otherwise. I respect those who can work on something uninterruptedly, but this isn’t who I am. I…
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My DipTESOL Adventure: Part 2
It has been almost three months since I started my Trinity DipTESOL studies. How have I been doing? It’s hard to answer this question. We are already well into the course, and I have been learning many things I couldn’t have encountered without this course. At the same time, I feel out of my comfort…
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Marchventures: The Beaches of Kyoto and Fukui
It is raining cats and dogs as I write this. We are nearing April, and I still don’t know how time has passed by this quickly. I appreciate this grim weather because I wouldn’t be able to put pen to paper without it, or in my case, to put my fingertips on the keyboard. I…
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My (Im)perfect Japanese Neighborhood
I live between two cities and among the Japanese elderly. Wherever I look, I see older people taking a walk with their equally-old dogs. The neighborhood is embellished with unconvincing posters that say, “No lonely death in this neighborhood!” It is one of the typical neighborhoods in Kobe. If you yearn for bustling streets and…
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Marchventures: A Day Trip to Awaji Island
We are a very democratic couple. I initiate all the plans, and Takashi executes them. It is rarely the other way around. So, I was astonished when he approached me last Friday and asked if I would like to go to Awaji Island (淡路島) and a few other places in Kansai this week instead of…
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Farewell February, Welcome March
February has come to an end. I don’t usually talk about my daily life here on this blog, but talking about it isn’t such a bad idea. Posts about daily life might be shorter, but that doesn’t mean they are less critical than adventures and thoughts. Doesn’t my everyday life build up and give way…
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Wild Weather in West Hyogo: Oysters and Snow
The weather has been quite wild on this side of the world. February’s weather was full of contradictions. We experienced both freezing cold weeks and then warm spring-like days. It even snowed in Kobe, a rarity here! Meanwhile, I have been studying for DipTESOL and only have a little time for my adventures. But, of…
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My DipTESOL Adventure: Part 1
Thank you for reading my last blog post. I am still not okay since the Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll rose above 46,000. I wanted to write this blog post to take my mind off it. I decided to study Trinity DipTESOL (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and started the course last…
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On Trauma: 2023 Turkey and Syria Earthquake
I am devastated, angry, and shocked. I am so many things, but not okay. I go to work, come back home, and tend to my daily routine, all while trying to ward off the ghosts of the past. It’s not my first earthquake trauma, but I hope it will be the last. I was a…
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To the Philippines and Beyond: Part 4
After having a blast in Cebu throughout the last week of December, I want to spend New Year’s Eve on Bohol and Panglao islands. It takes about two hours to reach Bohol by ferry, and when we do, a beautiful sunny day greets us at the port. Bohol Island is famous for several things, but…
Bahanur is abroad! 