Hyogo AJET Book Club (3) Happy New Year Hyogo! It’s time to stop kidding yourselves and write off those generic, unattainable New Year’s resolutions now. You might join the gym this January, but are you going to GO? Here are some realistic resolutions to consider: socialise with more Hyogo Jets, venture to our…
This year Chinese New Year just about makes it onto January’s calendar, sitting firmly on the 31st. To celebrate the famous zodiac race, you could immerse yourself in all things sweet and sour, salt and peppered or egged and fried but why not try something a little more authentic? This month’s recipe has been stolen…
Having somehow managed to get through the Kobe Marathon in November and remain smiling for most of it (no I’m not sure how that happened either), I had almost forgotten that I’d signed up to participate in the Osaka Sweets Marathon in December. When signing up, I think my reasoning went something along the lines…
There is a lot I could have written about in the last three months, but I’ve been sick and busy. Those are easy things to say to an editor who is, albeit very kindly, urging contributors to write so that she doesn’t have to put an entire magazine together on her own, but those aren’t…
If there is one thing the year 2013 demonstrated, it is that the adage, “Secrets don’t make friends,†is as true for government as it is for people. Edward Snowden’s revelations of numerous National Security Agency programs, including those where the United States spied on its allies and collected enormous numbers of phone records, has…
With the recontracting deadline looming ahead, I had a very good long chat with three of my closest friends from JET who left the programme last summer and are settling into their new lives back home. I think their respective experiences are important to share because they cover the main three situations those returning will…
Hello Hyogo! I hope you’ve all had some nice R&R during your winter holidays, and for those of you who have gone abroad　- welcome back to the land of the rising sun! I’ll be the first to say that winter is my least favourite season [“You call yourself a Canadian, Paige?†There, I said…
In amongst the faux snow and strains of, “I’mmmmmm dreammingggg of a whiteeeeee Christmassssss”, you may have also seen in your department stores and supermarkets ornate square boxes filled with products in every colour, begging to be bought at obscene prices. A far cry from roast turkey (northern hemisphere) or seafood (southern), this is osechi…
“So, what will you being doing this year at Christmas?†This question was met with various permeations of bemusement, amusement and indifference. These were the most common responses: “Nothing really†“Working†(this is a Japanese office after all) “Having a party with friends†“Drinking†“At lectures†“Eating Christmas cake†“What? Should I be doing something?