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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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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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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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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 via…
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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…
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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…
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My English Language Journey
If you ask people who know me, they will say that English is my favorite subject after Turkish. They will also tell you that I annoyed them greatly with my English language learning by playing loud English songs at home, writing down song lyrics during math lessons, or changing a movie’s subtitles to English. People…
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How I Took Better Care of My Mental Health This Year While Living Abroad
I have talked about my adventures since I started this blog, but living abroad is no bed of roses. There are many reasons why one might struggle when living abroad. I can think of “bringing your emotional baggage with you” off the top of my head. Some might think leaving their country will be paramount…
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A Brief History of My Teaching Career in South Korea and Japan
I have been teaching English for over six years now—whoa! Time flies, but I still remember my first day of teaching. I was overly keen, excited, and ready to help. I thought I was about to undertake a holy mission—and I still feel this way. Teaching is sacred for me, not only because it’s my…
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I Extended My Spouse Visa in Japan
This is my second year on a spouse visa. When I got it for the first time last year, I was granted one year. The officers at the Kobe immigration office told me everyone gets a one-year visa the first time. I read on the Internet that many people were given three years later. I…
Bahanur is abroad! 