Blogs from Fukui, Japan, Asia
July 22nd 2010
Hello! Welcome i guess, this is a pretty cool site.. I wanted to make a blog so I could let all my friends know about what is going on over here. Its a lot easier to write it once then a bunch of times! So the flight was long, but it was very nice, i got Sushi for part of my meal. I was like WHOA I feel like a queen! It was great..I landed in Narita airport (Tokyo) at 12 Noon Japan time. The airport was really nice..found my way around..realized i needed to pick up my luggage, b/c I thought they were sending it through, so, not too bad.. I had to go back to customs..needless to say i am now well acquainted with Narita Airport and how to get around! haha I caught ... read more
November 11th 2009
Many Japanese turists do not visit Fukui, Japan. Needless to say, almost no foreign visitor comes to Fukui. Although it is ranked as the most comfortable place to live, the second highest educated people, the lowest unemployment prefecture and the fourth of the country's longevity, many people would not come. Therefore, I would like to introduce this unknown but valuable country to those who would like to find the place like this. Ichijo-dani(Valley); Ichijodani is a mountain villege in the southeastern part of Fukui. It was here that the Asakura warring lords who ruled Echizen lived for 103 years. The area, which prospered as a castle town, has been restored to its original appearance. Some parts of it have been preserved as they are. You can feel the real hestory of Fukui in 15th century. Echizen ... read more
October 19th 2009
It didn't take me long to decide to travel to Tsuruga right after work on my 25th birthday. I've always been a person who insists to celebrate my birthday as an ordinary day. Everyday is new, and birthdays are no exceptions. Perhaps it's merely a time mark to keep track of how long we've been breathing on earth. I remember telling my students my date of birth at the beginning of September. While I was walking around school on Friday, some of my 1st-year-boys saw me, and they shouted, "Sandra!! Happy birthday! I love you!!" At that moment I almost burst into tears, and yelled back, "I love you all too!" They made my day. No doubt by far the most touching birthday greetings I've ever heard. Every weekend is filled with spectacular, mind-blowing, and soul-rejuvenating ... read more
July 23rd 2008
If someone were to ask me to name the top 10 places that I want to visit I could list them off in the space of one breath. They are always there, in the back of my mind, nagging me and quietly persuading me to go. I have thought so much about them that I have developed romanticized images and ideas about them. I feel like I somehow know them and know what they are like. In contrast, if someone were to ask me to name the top 10 places that I wouldn't want to visit I could list them off as well but it would take me more time. After all, I don't particularly spend my time thinking of places where I don't want to go. What's the fun in that? However, if pressed for ... read more
February 17th 2008
What’s the best thing about winter? That’s the question, and the answer isn’t Christmas (not in Japan anyway) its white, powdery and it everywhere! And no, not cocaine, snow!! I have often felt slightly ripped off by Mother Nature living in London, as although winters are bloody freezing, they really bring a lot if any snow. I am there fore a big fan of the white stuff and get a childish sense of excitement just from seeing a bit of brownish slush under a car tire in London, so when I decided to travel up to Fukui on the basis of my second round of snowboarding, little could have prepared me for the royal dumping that would be unleashed on the city, let alone the mountain ski resorts. This was the following week from snowboarding, and ... read more
Three Pay the Price for the Red Leafed Path to Glory
Published: November 28th 2007Asia » Japan » Fukui
November 27th 2007
三連休 or sanrenkyu, a long weekend. A 3 day weeknd in Japan for me, is like the summer holidays to a school student. A thing of long anticipation and preparation, and when it comes off a general feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is felt, which has been accompanied by me being in a good mood all week, despite being intensly sleep deprivated, and slighty alchohol poisoned. Its always good to see friends from back home, as they become a vessel for all that is home and an opportunity to feel like your back in Britain once a again if only for a short while. It is not like I am crying for the lack of time off work I have, and I have robbed myself of a lot of time also as I have been taking ... read more
September 26th 2007
If you have not read the previous entry, read it now. this part of the story is good enough, but it's better to understand the beginning of the night. -- So I'm standing in my undershirt and cap (and nothing else, let me remind you), in front of my door. No keys. No wallet. No cellphone. But I do have my watch so I know its 6:00. Fuck. I can't just ring the doorbell either. "Hey grandma, just need to crash after walking naked through Tokyo." Fuck fuck fuck FUCK! Then I realize something. The balcony. I go to the end of the hallway, open the gate leading to the balcony (it wraps around the whole apartment), then get to the back window. Manage to open it, crawl in, silently close it back, bolt it shut, ... read more
March 27th 2006
Sorry ppl the next few blogs will come hard and fast - this is my first time to be able to access internet for a while and a lot has been going on! Take your time to read them! After packing our bags and saying many farewells, me and Andy hitched a ride with some of the Toyama students and one of their lecturers (Rob) to Ezra glass studio”s open day. Ezra is a 2 hour drive heading west of Toyama. Its located in a very small town by the name of Kanazu. And its very country by Japanese standards. (In other words - there are actually small farms, fields, and forest around as opposed to suburbs with rice fields) It seemed to be Australia day at Ezra as there were two workshops coming to a ... read more
