Summer Break

Summer break has arrived and I am looking forward to catching up on some reading and writing. There are so many books I need to finish; I tend to read them and get distracted and then forget about them! Maybe I need to buy some more interesting books? I like crime books because I love the suspense and the stories are so fascinating to me. These are the type of books that keep me up late at night, thinking about the plotline and characters. I get caught up in them so much that my mind can’t think of anything else. This is the sign of an excellent story. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to write a story as gripping as one of these. Practice makes perfect, so the more I write, I know the better I will be. This can be said for most things in life. The more you work and put effort into something, the bigger the reward will be.

 

 July 1, 2021

The first term is coming to an end, which means it’s exam time for the students! It’s been raining frequently for the past few days, which means I have to break out my rain boots and jacket. I don’t have high rain boots, though, so I might need to get a new pair.

I’m not very fond of the rain. When it’s overcast, there’s no sun, and everything looks dark and sad. Heavy rain also reminds me of typhoon season in the Philippines, which meant staying indoors and watching out for floods.

I hope it will stop raining soon so that we can all enjoy the sunny weather and ice cream.

 

THE RAINY SEASON

The rainy season in Tokyo can be difficult and so humid. It can be difficult to have energy during this time but it’s important to stay motivated and exercise when you can. When I go jogging, endorphins are released and I feel happier in myself. I usually blast out some great, lively music while jogging and make sure to exercise about three to four times a week. Even if it’s raining, I still make sure to go for a jog. Sometimes it’s more refreshing to go if it’s raining, the cool rain cools me down when it’s so humid and hot outside. I hope you have a way to stay energized and fit during this rainy season.

 

Golden Week

During golden week, I decided to climb Mt. Gongen in Kanagawa prefecture with my friend. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we set out in the late afternoon and slowly climbed the steep steps with the green trees surrounding us. The mountain was not busy and we were able to spend some good quality time together. When we reached the top, we were able to see a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji, luckily the clouds weren’t blocking it. It was so good to get out into nature for the day and spend some time away from the busy city. Mountain climbing is good for the soul and I hope to do more climbing during the incoming weeks. I hope you were able to get out into nature during golden week too?

 

Spring is in the Air!

The cherry blossoms were looking amazing this year in Tokyo. They bloomed a lot earlier than previous years and threw a thick layer of pink around my neighborhood of Musashino-shi. I recently bought a nice red bike in my local bike store and I tested it out by going on a nice, long cycle last Sunday. I cycled all the way to Sayama Lake in Saitama. It took me one hour to get there and one hour to get home, so you can imagine how sore my legs were when I returned! The lake was looking very pretty and I was lucky enough to see some cherry blossom trees in Sayama Park. I’ll definitely cycle there again in the near future.

3月（キャロル先生）

March Time Now that it is March, I can see a lot of plum trees have bloomed. The parks are looking very pretty and the weather is getting a small bit warmer. It’s always nice to go for a stroll around and take in all the pretty pink and white colors. The graduation ceremonies are also in March and I will be very sad to say goodbye to the students. It’s always a pleasure to teach 3rd year students and it’s always difficult when they leave. I wish them the best of luck on their new journeys and hope that they will remember their junior and high school years fondly. The years go by so fast and it’s important to cherish every moment. These past few months have gone by so fast, it’s hard to believe that it is March already! It’s good to take one day at a time and enjoy the small things in life.

 

一年の終わり（ジーアン先生）

Regular classes are over, and the students are studying hard for their final exams. Some of them, though, are preparing for their graduation ceremony. The third-year seniors in high school will soon go on to pursue their degrees in the college or university of their choice. I’m very proud for them and happy for all that they have achieved in high school. I know that they will do well in college, and I’m excited on their behalf! I’m excited, too, for the warmer weather as spring starts making its appearance. Spring is my favorite season, and I’m looking forward to seeing more plum blossoms and eventually cherry blossoms all over Tokyo.