A Walk with Su-te-i-shi

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I feel I get much more exercise here in Japan than I did at home. Either I'm walking to school, walking home from school, or biking to the nearby mall (and what a wonderful mall it is!...more to follow in a later entry), or the train station to catch a street car to go downtown.

I feel incredibly lucky that I can walk to school each day. It takes about 15 minutes, and most of it is an uphill journey. I usually leave around 8:15 a.m. so I can get to school for my 8:30 a.m. start time.

Today's entry will allow you to take a walk with me, from my apartment, the Green Villa, to Akifuchu High School. There has been recent snow fall in the area (it's very light, and the snow stays for a few hours at the most) but it definitely adds to the scenery. Enjoy!

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Photos

And so it begins...
Turning right out of the Green Villa driveway, this is the first hill I face

On your right...
This house has just been recently painted these funky colours (an interesting choice for a Japanese home), and is on the right-hand side of the street, about 3 minutes into the walk

Someone forgot to send the memo...
...to these flowers, letting them know about the snowfall today!

At the top of the street
We have now reached the top of the first minor hill, and have an option. We can turn right...

Or...
...we can turn left. I usually turn left!

Stage II
In my opinion, this is the second stage of the walk, and it's a short one. After turning right from the last street, this is what I see. Again, notice the incline.

We've Rounded the Corner
We've now rounded the corner, making a right, and then a quick left. The uphill climb continues...

To the top of the hill!
At the top of the hill, is an elementary school, which you can see part of on the left side of this photo. I was so impressed with the snow covered view this morning!

To our left...
...is this proud, wise-looking dog, who always sits very still when I walk past the house, morning or afternoon. So cute!

Make another right
We've turned right, and we're getting close...

Another left
We've turned left, and walked under a tunnel, and are now about to turn right, and begin the journey up the driveway to Akifuchu. I don't know if you can see it, but the red blur in the background of this photo is a thermometer, and this morning it read -0 degrees Celsius!

The Homestretch!
One of the steepest inclines of the journey. We're almost there! Sometimes kocho sensei (the principal)is waiting at the top of the hill to "greet" late students...not so good when I'm running a little late myself!

We've Arrived!
Welcome to Akifuchu Senior High School!

You're a Shoe-In!
The shoe area, where all students take off their "outdoor shoes" and put on their "indoor shoes" (which are all the same flip flops and colour coded by year...first year = green, second year = red, third year = gray). Does this sound like Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood at all? I take my shoes off when I get inside the door, and put them in my little locker, marked "su-te-i-shi" in katakana (Japanese writing).

My office!
You will find my office on the third floor, and it is the "international office." My supervisor insists it's on the second floor, calling the first floor the ground floor...I guess, when in Japan, do as the Japanese do...

My New Best Friend
This is the gas-powered heater we have running in our office. Although it is small in size, it gets really warm. However, once I step outside of my office, I'm faced with unheated hallways, and sometimes chilly classrooms. Thankfully all classrooms have air conditioning units, which are also heaters. Some schools in Japan have no heat whatsoever, and with temperatures hovering around 0 degrees, and girls wearing skirts with bare legs all winter long, that's just cruel...

The Walk Home
The sun is just beginning to set, as I walk home, around 4:15

Beautiful Views
Taking a slightly different route, I'm treated to some beautiful views

Last Shot
Thanks for walking with me!

Comments

[hatsumomo]

wow...those are some great shots!

[Vlo.]

coolio iglesias!
Thanks for the tour, Stace! Very cool. I am looking forward to seeing how you are roughing it out with your Pizza Hut mall...

[Dob]

Noooo!!!!!
Look, it's bad enough having to walk up that hill every morning, and then I have to see it again in your blog!?! Very cool post, though - an idea I may steal from you...

[Andrew]

That's so funny!
Hey Stacey, great minds think alike! I did the same thing after I bought my new camera last December...I took pictures all along the route to work, that took me 30 minutes to walk each day. It's neat to see yours, thanks for sharing!