A little bit of everything

Hello everyone. This week, I’ve spent a huge amount of time at Starbucks, where my study of nihongo has been almost as rich as the delicious dark mocha frappuccinos that have fuelled my efforts.

Also, in an attempt to restore dietary harmony, I’ve made a push this week to start cooking. Unbelievably, it’s the first time I’ve made the effort since coming here. Pathetic, eh? Still, there is a plan in place so I am at least moving in the right direction.

In addition, on Thursday I stumbled upon what must be one the most technologically advanced toilets in existence, at Max Value supermarket of all places! With its impressive array of buttons and options, the experience offered easily rivals Starbucks for comfort and I would consider taking my textbook and studying in there in the future. My only regret was pressing the ‘Powerful Deodouriser’ button. Powerful it most certainly was. I nearly passed out and had to make a speedy exit.

This Sunday, we meet as a whole church for the first time in a couple of weeks. Having been away to Hiroshima too, it feels like long time no see. Looking forward to seeing everyone though. There’s a lovely vibe at church. One of my friends, Daisuke, summed it up well, ‘It feels like a family’, he said. With lots of visitors coming each week, this can only be a good thing.

Go back to work on January 11^th. This is the final term, since the school year here runs from April to March. At the end, I have a few weeks holiday so if any of you want to see Japan, to see the loos at Max Value, or for any other reason, be my guest!

Take care all.

P.S. Three cheers for England for winning the ashes this week and for my beloved football team, Leeds, who managed a fantastic draw against Arsenal today!

Hiroshima photos

Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I’ve just got back after spending three days in Hiroshima 広島市. I’ve attached some pictures for you to enjoy.

This is the famous Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few structures that survived the blast and is now a world heritage site. The dome is a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which was built around the hypocenter of the bomb. Also nearby is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. We spent hours in the museum reading about the background, and looking at painful pictures, movies and objects, showing us the destructive power of the atomic bomb.

Now, Hiroshima is rebuilt and is a beautiful town famous for its sea food. Nilesh and I visited an oyster restaurant, owned by this man, and ate them after being barbecued in their shells. They were amazing! 

Another food highlight was eating Hiroshima okonomiyaki, a kind of layered pancake which typically includes batter, huge amounts of cabbage which is pushed down as it cooks, bacon, beansprouts and optional items such as squid, octopus, and cheese. Noodles (yakisoba, udon) are also used as a topping with fried egg and a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce. It was a very satisfying dish!

Only a 5-minute ferry ride from the city is the beautiful island shrine of Miyajima, which is famous for the floating gate, a torii that appears to be floating in the water.

Reflections: Hiroshima is a really great city! I definitely want to go back someday.