冬休み （ミーシャ先生)

 

Winter Holidays

 

It is amazing how quickly time has passed. Just a few months ago, I was disembarking from an airplane feeling very uncertain about everything. Since then, five months have passed and I am experiencing my first winter holidays away from home. The winter holidays have been a very quiet yet relaxing one as I spent most of my time hiding away from the cold. I still tried to do some sightseeing and enjoy New Year’s holiday festivities. I was hoping to experience snow but no such luck. I am still hoping and waiting for that opportunity as there are a few weeks of winter left. Since it keeps getting colder and colder, I am hoping for snow.

冬休み （キャロル先生)

 

Winter Break

This year I remained in Japan for winter break. It was a lovely change from being at home in Ireland. The weather was better than Ireland in winter, as there was hardly any rain. I visited a lot of places and got to spend some time with my Irish friends. In early January, I travelled to Fujikawaguchiko for three nights. On the first day, I went to see the ice caves and walked through Aokigahara forest which was so green and dense. The walk lead us to one of the lakes near Mt. Fuji where the view was amazing. On the second day, we took a boat ride around the lake and went on the cable car, which takes you high up where you can walk around and take photos of the magnificent Mount Fuji. It looked spectacular in the early afternoon sun. In the evening, I spent some time relaxing in the onsen back at the hotel. It was a holiday like no other and I will be sure to travel there again in the future. Overall, it was a very enjoyable winter break. There are so many places to visit in Japan and I hope I will have enough time to do everything I want to do.

上野公園とムンク展 (キャロル先生)

 

                        Ueno Park and Munch Exhibition

Last Sunday I visited Ueno Park so I could see the last of the autumn leaves. The park was so colorful and full of people eating dango and yakitori. I had a nice stroll around it and watched the couples paddling in the swan boats across the lake with the tall buildings framing them. It was a chilly, cloudy afternoon and I had my big, wooly scarf on to keep me warm. I was so busy taking pictures that I was late meeting up with my friends at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. We were viewing the Munch exhibition, which runs in the museum until January 2019. It’s a very large exhibition and displays his major works such as The Scream and Between the Clock and the Bed. We spent over an hour walking around viewing his art and luckily, it wasn’t too busy so we weren’t queuing up to see The Scream for too long. Seeing it in person was amazing and I was surprised at how well it looked considering it’s so old, it was created around 1910. It was inspiring to see his artwork and a lovely way to spend a Sunday evening. I have my own exhibition coming up with some other teachers based in Tokyo but I will tell you more about that next time.

歌舞伎観劇 （ミーシャ先生)

 

I went to Ginza to watch a Kabuki performance and I must say it was intriguing. I never knew about Kabuki so when I heard about the performance taking place, I did some research to better understand what it is about and I just had to go see it. I love any art form so I was beyond thrilled to watch the performances. There were two shows and the theatrical elements were awesome. It is amazing to know that only men were acting and playing so many roles. Both stories had a valuable message about life and people. While I was at the theatre I also tried Taiyaki for the first time. This one had red bean paste and it was ‘oishi’. I was hoping to get a second one after the show but they were all sold out. I am just happy I got to enjoy the Kabuki performance and try Taiyaki.

鳩ノ巣渓谷 （キャロル先生)

  Hatonosu Valley

 

Last weekend I had no work on Friday, as it was a public holiday. I decided I needed to get out of the big city and head for the hills! I researched the best places to visit in West Tokyo to see the autumn leaves. Hatonosu Valley popped up on my phone as a very popular spot due to its colorful mountains. It took one hour and a half to get there from Musashi Sakai and I was so impressed when I got there. The Tama River flows through the valley and it is surrounded by high mountains lacing the sky. It really was a sight to see and I took so many photos to send to my friends and family. The colors of the leaves were so pretty and they were the brightest I have seen so far in Tokyo. I sat on the large rocks beside the river and relaxed for a while, watching couples and friends eat their lunch and crossing the large bridge that drapes over the valley. After I relaxed, I went for a walk alongside the river and then had some soba noodles in a small café beside the train station. It was cold and the noodles heated me up along with some tasty green tea. The sun was setting as I stepped onto the train for my journey home.

By the time I arrived home, I was tired and ready to relax in front of a good movie. I will definitely be bringing guests to Hatonosu Valley when they visit me, as I am sure they will not be disappointed. Maybe next summer I will paddle in the river and sun bathe on the rocks.

冬の花火 （ミーシャ先生)

 

Winter　Fireworks

 

As the time gets even colder, I have become even more interested in exploring the wonders of Japan during this time. Lake Okutama and Mitake are on my itinerary for December. I was told that these are the places to explore and see the autumn colored leaves. I definitely hope to experience this. The cold time is the best time to go hiking and site seeing. I tend to stay home once I do not have work because I am really trying to avoid the cold. However, I went to Tachikawa over the weekend to see the Fireworks at the Showa kinen park. It was so crowded; I didn’t know so many people would want to see the fireworks. It was an hour of amazing lighting and art form. As I am an art enthusiast, I took a lot of pictures of the different colors and shapes of the fireworks. It was worth enduring the cold.

芸術鑑賞会 （ミーシャ先生)

 

The cold has intensified and this has caused me to be worried about what it will be like when it gets really cold in December. I have to now be shopping more for winter clothes because of the cold.  Despite the cold, I continue to explore Tokyo and enjoy the culture. I recently went to watch the musical Marie Antoinette at the Imperial Theatre and it was amazing! The costumes, the lighting, the special effects and the sophistication of the theatre were features that I found very appealing. I was not sure what the actors were saying since I do not understand Japanese but I certainly enjoyed the acting, the scenery and the singing.  I still understood what was happening in the plot of the story though. The school went to the theatre in recognition of “Art Appreciation Day” and I can say I truly appreciate Art. I hope to go there again and even tour the Imperial Palace. I am beyond grateful for the experience.