Reflections and Travels

Hi all!  I am back in Japan after three months in Canada.  My time there was precious, as I reconnected with my loving family.  My brother and his beautiful fiancee got hitched over Christmas, and it was a wonderful winter wedding.  I am so happy for them both in this new journey together.

It was a busy three months; supply teaching, providing ESL coverage for the month of February, spending time with an awesome Girl Guide group and working through an unexpected car mishap kept me very busy indeed, among the visits with friends and family.

I decided to enrol in university again, at Waterloo, and take some online French courses to stay sharp while I am overseas.  I will also continue to learn conversational Japanese while I am here.  Rodger has been quite busy; with his sister's visit in February, planning for his son to visit in late April, as well as keeping to his studies, I imagine the time flew by.

Life has been full of so many surprises and twists and turns, I am never quite sure what to expect next!

To reflect, here are some moments from while I was in Canada that I am so grateful for:

       

Skiing with mom and dad, and lots of time together.  I love you guys!  

My brother and sister from another mister:)

Jing and Dane's wedding - so beautiful

Rodger James being his wonderful wacky self

Rochelle and I at Hollerado 

Aunt Sue, mom and me

I wish I had photos from my visit with mom Whitman, as we spent a few fantastic weekends together and ate much delicious mac and cheese casserole. I also had the opportunity to connect with some family friends, my Flash Club friends for dinner, and spent much awesome time with Vilma, Wes and Liz, and Nana and Gramps before my departure.  I have one big fantastic family, and I am so grateful.  I only wish I had more time with them.    

When my friend Jenny and I arrived in Japan, our first stop was in Kyoto.  

This is Jenny:)  We have travelled together a couple times.     

Golden shrine

Small pagoda

Early season plum blossoms

Tea ceremony

           Inari Shrine - really beautiful torii tunnel and many stray cats

A calm and lovely bamboo forest

Pretty temple gardens

Nishiki market in the morning on a very rainy day

We had a bit of rain, but generally the weather was mild and lovely.  Kyoto is a must see, as there are so many gorgeous temples and gardens everywhere.  Trees were not quite in bloom yet, but there was still so much to see.

We took a train back to Fukushima and spent a lovely week with Rodger, Chikako and her daughters, and the many friendly Iwaki Assistant Language Teachers.  It was half a working week for me, but everything went smoothly.  Chikako was a very gracious host and took Jenny and I to areas that were hard to get to by foot.  She shared her knowledge with us about Iwaki.      

This is the view from a rebuilt temple in Iwaki near the coast.  It is beautiful and very sacred.  It overlooks a large cemetery for earthquake victims.  Visiting this temple was humbling, as the people who worked there were so kind and generous.

A view of Iwaki from the highest peak in the area, the wind was very strong this day

By Lalamew Warf 

Aquamarine Aquarium photos

 Hey, it's Pepe the Prawn!

A mikoshi - this object is carried during special events

Lush flora, including many different species of orchid

FISH!

 

These little guys are called garden eels.  They stay rooted in the sand and are very timid.

Jelly fish

An assortment of sea creatures

It was a busy week in Iwaki, and included karaoke, Sushi row, make your own okonomiaki, a  visit to the tiny movie theatre, many train rides and gorgeous gardens, and (although just blooming now) a few glimpses of blossoming trees. 

Jenny and I went to Asakusa the day of her flight.  Because it was an evening flight, we had lots of time to spend in the Asakusa area of Tokyo.  We stayed at an airbnb the night before, and got an early start on our day.   

Here are some images of Asakusa's Senso-ji.  It is huge, beautifully painted, surrounded by zen gardens and cherry trees, and is VERY busy at this time of year.   

A five- story pagoda

This was a HUGE paper lantern - we counted three of them at different gates,  

Front and back view

Gardens

                                                                                              A stunning weeping cherry

Tokyo sky tree and waterfront

Asakusa-Sumida park in bloom

One of the many shopping alleys.  Each one had a different design; from stylized paper lantern, to cherry blossom branches to brightly coloured filigree.   

Many talented musicians filled the streets.  

 A view of Asakusa from the observation deck at the tourist center

Before we left to catch her plane, we visited some older buildings in the area as well.  

It was a very busy two weeks, and I am fortunate to have shared it with a dear friend.  I wish I could share it with everyone!  Now I am back to work at an English learning centre for young children and must study and save and prepare for what lies ahead.  I hope to continue blogging and sharing my journey with you.    

Thanks for reading everyone!  

Happy spring.