Blogs from Koka, Shiga, Japan, Asia

Scarcely had I arrived back from my own snow adventure, when I had to go and collect two bodies from the train station after theirs. I had offered my place up to Mr and Mrs Merritt, parents of one of my closest friends and one of them an ex sensei of my own. Linda and Peter Merritt have to be two of the most fun and happy people you could hang around with. It has been almost 10 years since I left school, so it didn't feel awkward. I can actually call him Peter now (after years of calling him Mr Merritt, and once calling him Paul). It did feel somwhat surreal though, but it always does when people from back home are over here. You constantly think to yourself 'wow...I normally see you in ... read more

Having my trip booked is a nice feeling. I've been content to just go to work, do my thing, go out on the weekend sometimes, and generally enjoy every day life. Now it seems my thoughts turn to home with more frequency. Some of the people i'll see, I haven't seen for eight months. I was lucky enough to have a few visitors from home, like Danilo and my parents, but I haven't seen my brother or my friends for aaaages. Have they changed? Have I changed? It's hard to know if you're the same person you were in the past, without some kind of sounding board - for example other people who know you.They know your faults your dreams and your general eccentricities (though that last part may just be me). Seeing people every day ... read more

Having 6 weeks of holidays is all well and good, but getting back into the daily grind can be a bit of a challenge. I've been back at work for just over a month now, and have only recently felt the resentment begin to fade. Once you get into the habit, settle into the rhythm, it's not so bad, but until you reach that point, there are those Monday mornings when you wake up thinking it's still holiday time - those are so painful - or that dreaded Sunday evening feeling. Do all teachers go through this period in Feb/Sept or is it just me? The students make work worth it most of the time, but on those mornings where you can still feel the warmth of your comfortor as you sit at a cold desk, ... read more

Danilo's trip to Japan, would not have been complete without coming to see this little beauty. In a neighbouring city, you can visit a ninja village and a ninja estate. They are the remnants of what used to be one of the largest schools of ninjutsu in Japan. Who said living in the countryside didn't have it's merits? We hopped along to the Ninja estate, and had a good explore around the place, even beating sme of the younger Japanese children to the hidden attic entry. We threw shuriken, gaped at secret escape passage ways, and made the woman in the gift shop very happy, by purchasing almost one of everything. Of course, this is the day I decided to wear a skirt...what with all of the climbing up ladders and things....sometimes I even amaze myself. ... read more

I want to give you a general idea of a day in the life of Nikky. Summer has hit big time, and it is a very different kind of summer than Australians (or Canadians for that matter), are used to. Although temperatures are the same as back home (Ranging from 28-35 degrees Celcius), the humidity level is astounding. Very unexpected too, though if I had paid more attention in Geography I might have realised. Summer hit us in a day too. One day spring, next day summer, you could set your watch by the change. Apparently it's the same for each season change, and spring and autumn are the shortest seasons, with winter and summer taking up more than their alloted time slots in the year. But to get back on track, it's hot and humid ... read more