-
New Friends, New Experiences
April was an intense month that felt like a year. It was a month of not only struggles and triumphs but also new experiences and friends. I had never gone fishing before, and my wish to do so was granted a few weeks ago. We went on a road trip to Sanda City in the…
-
April Recap: Struggles, Triumphs, Lessons
I knew April would be eventful, but while I was caught up with work and studies, I didn’t expect it to end this fast. I tried to savor it as much as possible, traveled to lovely places, and did a lot of reading. I also did my best to stay on top of both my…
-
A Wild Night in My Neighborhood
We usually opt for a downtown izakaya (a cozy Japanese pub) to go out for drinks and delicious yakitori (a Japanese type of skewered chicken). We live in the suburbs of Kobe, so downtown for us means a visit to Motomachi or Sannomiya. We didn’t feel like going downtown yesterday and chose a local place…
-
My 50th Post!
I still can’t believe it is my 50th post—given how many blogs I purged in the past. I have invested so much energy, love, and care into this platform and met many lovely people, making it impossible to even think of abandoning this one! First, thank you so much for your comments, likes, and care…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
The Highlights of 2022
Since my hike last fall on Mount Myojin, I haven’t traveled anywhere because I am saving my energy and enthusiasm for my upcoming trip to the Philippines! We will visit Manila and then Cebu and come back to Manila after the New Year. It is an odd itinerary: if it is even considered an itinerary…
-
The Comfort of Visiting Familiar Places
I have gotten used to not going abroad since the beginning of the pandemic, but I don’t think I can live without traveling. I’ve inhaled experiences and exhaled stories since my childhood. I couldn’t travel as a kid, but even then I explored every nook and cranny of our neighborhood. I would gaze at the…
Bahanur is abroad! 