夏休み （キャロル先生）

 

                          Summer Vacation

For my summer vacation, I travelled home to Ireland for three and a half weeks. It was lovely to be back home with my friends and family. I ate food that I had been missing over the past year, foods like curry cheese chips and a morning fry. I ate so much food I will probably need to exercise more and eat less now that I am back in Tokyo. I was treating myself to all the treats Ireland has to offer, which has to be done when you go on holidays! I was also able to spend some valuable time with my family and friends, such as bringing my nieces to the park and helping my mother at home.

The weather wasn’t so bad, it usually changes from sunny to rainy weather pretty quickly but the rain stayed away for most of my holiday. Irish summers can be very unpredictable but I was glad to escape the extremely hot and humid summer in Tokyo. I have heard that the weather has cooled down a bit since I arrived back which I am very pleased about. I am looking forward to beginning another year here in Fujimura.

日本での交流 (ミーシャ先生)

 

The best part about my time here has been my interaction with the students. They are very interesting. I enjoy their sense of humor and their friendliness. My interaction with them has helped me to learn some Japanese phrases and I hope they were able to learn even more English words. I have always loved teaching because I believe teachers teach students but students can teach teachers too. These students have taught me about their culture and their interests in sports, music, the arts and studying abroad. I truly appreciate their sincerity, kindness and genuine interest in wanting to know about me and my country- Jamaica. I wish them all the best in their endeavors.

梅雨 （キャロル先生)

 

                            Rainy Season

It is the rainy season in Tokyo now and it is so humid. Even though it is cloudy and rains a lot, it is really humid which makes it difficult to walk around and exercise. It has been a while since I went for a jog and instead, I have been doing yoga and exercises at home with the aircon on, instead of outside in the humidity. The weather tends to get humid in Ireland too but it is not as extreme as Tokyo. I will be travelling home to Ireland near the end of July for one month and I’m expecting it to be quite cold with lots of rain. Irish summers are very different from summers in Tokyo and I will have to make sure I pack my coat and warm clothes. Sometimes, there are four seasons in one day in Ireland. In the morning it might be sunny, in the afternoon it might be cold, in the evening it might be raining and at night time it might be frosty. Therefore, it is very difficult to know what clothes to pack and how to prepare for the Irish summer. Because I will be in Ireland for so long, I will miss most of the scorching, hot summer in Tokyo. When I arrive back, it will be late August and the rainy season will be upon us again.

スポーツ大会(キャロル先生)

 

School Sports Day

 

Yesterday was the school sports day in Mitaka. It was a fun-filled day for all the students whereby they competed in a game of dodge-ball, mini basketball and rope jumping among others. Even the teachers competed in the relay race, which was a lot of fun to watch. I used to compete in athletics when I was in school, so it brought back a lot of fond memories for me. I competed in the Irish championships in the relay race and eighty-meter sprint. I would have competed in the egg and spoon race and the three-legged race with my schoolmates during the school sports day events. It was always a lot of fun and a good way to de-stress before the summer exams. It’s also a great way for the new students to bond with old students and to get to know each other better. The stadium was very close to my house, it was only a thirty-five minute walk from my apartment and it was lovely not to have to get any public transport. The weather was very humid however, so I was particularly sweaty by the time I reached the stadium. The stadium had a proper running track outside which looked very impressive. The weather was good apart from the few odd showers, but it was still quite warm so the rain was refreshing. It’s nice to be able to go to these events and see students outside of the usual school environment. I look forward to attending the next school event.

スポーツ大会（ミーシャ先生)

 

It was a different experience watching Sports day here. The Musashino Sports Complex was truly beautiful. The sporting activities were very different from what I am accustomed to seeing at a Sporting event.  The students seemed to have enjoyed all the activities as they tried to score points for their teams. The teamwork was very impressive. It gave me an opportunity to see some of my students doing things that they like to do. They are very talented and they gave of their best in every event. 

沖縄旅行 （キャロル先生)

 

VISIT TO OKINAWA

Last Sunday I went to Okinawa with my friend Yoko San. We rented a car and drove from the south up to the north, staying in the south for a night, the middle for a night and the north for a night. In Naha, we met some friends of Yoko San for dinner and I tried some mimiga which are sliced pig’s ears and umi budo which are sea grapes along with some taco rice. It was all so delicious. We were also lucky enough to see a Dragon Boat Race festival, which happened to be on for a few days while we were there. Afterwards we went to see some traditional Okinawan musicians sing some old folk songs. The singer has been singing in Naha for over thirty years and is very popular amongst the locals.

In the north, we visited many beaches where the water was green and the sand was white, it looked like paradise. We visited Heart Rock, which is a rock in the sea that vaguely resembles the shape of a heart. The rock is a popular photo spot for couples looking to take a romantic photo together. The weather was hot but cloudy which was really nice as I find it difficult to walk around when the temperature is too hot. I was so sad to leave, saying goodbye to the beaches was particularly hard as I always feel at home when I’m beside the sea. As Ireland is an island, I was never too far from the sea growing up.

ゴールデンウィーク （ミーシャ先生)

 

 It was great to have experienced the much talked about “Golden week”. As I walked through my neighbourhood, I noticed a number of banners hoisted along the walkway. These banners had pictures and information about the Emperor’s ascension to the throne. I enjoyed the break immensely as it gave me a chance to enjoy Tokyo.  It also provided an opportunity for me to learn more about a part of Japan’s history regarding leadership and governance.