Fireworks for the Ears When asking friends if they happen to be fans of Explosions in the Sky, one of two reactions often occurs. The first, and often more awkward of the two, is that a friend will slightly turn their head in puzzlement, cock an eyebrow, and nervously laugh while they ask for clarification,…
Most people in northern Hyogo know of the old wives’ tale about stink bugs: an autumn with many of those pests guarantees a winter with much snow. When the leaves began to change color, stink bugs invaded school rooms and the homes of the innocent. Sapporo was frosted in picturesque white for the Yuki Matsuri….
Dear Ava, Â It is right after lunch, my stomach is full, and as I lean back in my seat to stretch I scan the staff room and notice most of my coworkers seem to be scanning the backs of their eyelids. In that moment I realize my own desire to snooze on the…
– A guide to Japanese school uniforms One of the negative aspects to an extended stay in Japan is the normalisation of Japanese life that would draw the stares and cameras of many a foreign tourist. Never is this more evident than in the casual acceptance of students dressed in some of the most distinctive…
While most of you may have the luxury of a fish grill tucked under your 2-set stove, I, among others, do not. But daijoubu, I have an ever-so convenient 860W toaster oven to save the day. This month I’ll show you how to easily transform salmon into a bento lunch or fish supper. …
Spring is happening on Awaji, and love is in the air! Oh and pollen, mostly pollen… As a grumpy old dude trapped in a 27-year-old’s body, I find excuses to hate on things for no other reason than to feel superior in a miraculously childish way. Example: Baseball caps are dumb. With simple unfounded…
Greetings! I hope you are reading this sat on a river bank under a cloud of pink blossom, because spring has finally sprung! Yes believe it not, after the months of shivering it is time to bid a bittersweet goodbye to the kotatsu, burn the over-worn HeatTech and break out the blue tarpaulin and…