Long Day

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.

Too Much Trash

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.

Climbing the Mountain

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.

Jack O Lantern

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.

Hoping for Sunshine

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.

Milky Way

On Sunday night I saw the Milky Way. It looks like a milky-white river across the sky. Have you seen it?

I asked many Japanese friends about it. Most of them have never seen it. Many of them said that we can’t see it in Japan.

From big cities in Japan it is impossible to see because there are too many lights. Even in Ise, which is not a big city, it is so bright we can only see a small number of stars.

I was at Osugidani (大杉谷) in the mountains, so it was very dark and we could see the Milky Way. The air was very fresh and there were many stars.

A few friends thought that we could only see it during July. They thought this because of Tanabata festival.

After the Typhoon

I always like the weather after a typhoon. The weather before the typhoon is so wild and dangerous. After the typhoon, the weather is so clear and fresh. Also, the rain washes all the pollution out of the air, so we can see a long, long way.

After the typhoon passed Ise, I washed a lot of clothes and hung them out to dry. While I was working, I left the glass doors open and enjoyed the nice breeze.

Often I carry rain gear everywhere, but today I could leave my rain clothes at home, so my pack was light. I am happy today.

Coming Storm

Everyday I am outside walking or biking. Friday it rained. Monday it rained. It will rain today. It will rain Wednesday. Thursday we will be in the middle of a typhoon and it will rain a lot.

My jacket is Goretex. I also have Goretex pants. Hopefully they will keep me dry and warm during the rainstorms.

Cool Weather, Wet Pants

Recently there hasn’t been enough rain. It was very hot on the weekend. Today the weather changed.

It started raining this morning. The weather cooled off a lot. It felt very nice.

After work, I rode my bike to the train station. My pants got a little wet in the rain. It did not feel nice.

Tomorrow it will rain more. I will wear my rain pants.

Culture Club

Today I learned a lot about Japanese culture. At my favorite restaurant, I heard about traditional hand towels. At my friend’s house we practiced playing shakuhachi and making pottery.

Japanese pottery is very elegant, but it is very hard to make. One must concentrate if they want to do well.

The Autumn weather is very lovely. It was quite comfortable sitting outside at the pottery wheel.