Today was a holiday in Japan. I slept in very late. After I woke up, I went to a coffee shop nearby for breakfast. I also went for a long walk around Ise. Normally I am in a hurry, so it was nice to relax and look around.

I wanted to buy some bread from a great bakery but they were closed today. The bakery is called Boulangerie Tontin. They also sell French cheeses now. They call this business Fromagerie Tontin.

Recently it has been very sunny. The weather is also very warm. At school, the office is very hot. It feels very strange, almost like summer.

I started wearing short sleeve shirts again. I wear a second shirt over the short sleeve shirt. If the classrooms are too hot, I can take off one shirt.

I hope it isn’t too cold where you are.

Today I rode the train to Tsu in the morning. I am teaching at an elementary school. After I finish teaching at the school, I can’t go home because I teach a class in the evening.

I left home about 7AM and I won’t return until after 10PM. Today is a long day, but it is not a busy day. Between school and the evening class, I have no schedule.

Since the weather is very beautiful, I will probably go to a quiet shrine and practice playing shakuhachi. Do you know what a shakuhachi is? It is a bamboo flute. It is difficult to play, but very beautiful.

Yesterday I went hiking with friends. We saw beautiful trees, rivers, waterfalls, and rocks. I love the feeling of wandering around in the outdoors.

On the top of the mountain, I practiced playing my shakuhachi. It was fun, but it was very windy.

Unfortunately, there was a negative point. We found lots of garbage laying around. Many people threw away bottles, cans, bags, wrappers, etc. This made me very sad.

I have lived in Japan more than five years. In that time, I have never been to the top of Aoyama Highlands. It is possible to drive to the top.

Tomorrow I will hike to the top with two friends. We are hoping for good weather. I hope it will be easy.

At the top of the mountain I plan to practice playing shakuhachi.

Today two giant pumpkins will be carved into Jack o’ lanterns for Halloween. I have a very busy schedule, but I hope to see the event. Also, I am hoping to eat fish and chips at the restaurant where the event is.

Recently the weather has been getting cold at night. I will remember to dress warm.

This year I submitted a photo to the Tsu City Exhibition. It is the largest photo I have ever printed. On Tuesday the photos were judged. My photo won a prize, so it should be displayed in the exhibit.

My picture is of two sumo wrestlers struggling in the ring. I will probably go to the first day of the show on Saturday.

Every weekday I ride the train from Ise to Tsu. The train ride from Ujiyamada Station to Tsu Shinmachi Station takes 35 minutes. It would take about 1 hour by car. Also, the train uses very little energy per person, but cars use a lot. It is much more efficient to take the train.

However, when I ride the train, I need to ride my bicycle from the station to my schools. Usually I carry a rain jacket, rain pants, and a waterproof cover for my backpack. Today I left home without my rain gear. There were many clouds in the sky, so I was worried all morning.

Now the clouds are disappearing and the sun is shining. I am relieved.

Kit Kat bars are sold in America, but there is just one flavor and one size. The flavor is chocolate.

When I first came to Japan, I was surprised by the different flavors. Recently, I have also been surprised by the different shapes and sizes.

There are small ball-shaped ones, small bar-shaped ones, thick ones with cookies inside, and large ones with thicker chocolate.

One of the new flavors is salt and caramel. I bought one tonight. Maybe I will try it tomorrow. Do you think it will taste good?

Today I ate lunch with a new teacher. It is always fun to meet the new teachers because they have fresh eyes for Japan. They see things in a different way from teachers who have been in Japan for many years.

We went to my favorite restaurant and ordered the lunch special. It is always very delicious. The owner also gave us a salad with salmon to welcome the new teacher.

Later I went to calligraphy class to practice writing. It was a good day.