Kape at Keso

One time on a flight, I asked a cabin crew for hot water. I had sore and itchy throat and I needed a temporary relief. The crew came. She poured hot water into a cup about half full. Then, she added a bit amount of cold water. She carefully handed me the cup. I sipped it right away but I thought, I wish the water could've been hotter. My ears were popping and the turbulence was making it worse. An hour later, I asked again for another cup of hot water. A different crew came. She stacked two cups, poured hot water, and wrapped the cups in paper towel. She carefully handed me the cup. I sipped it immediately but I burned my lips and tongue. The water was boiling hot.  So who did a better job? As for me, both did the right job. The first crew must've thought that I had no idea how hot the water was so adding cold water will save me from burning my mouth. The second crew thought the same but expected me to do my part. The two cups she stacked and the paper towel should have signale...

This year's summer break has been the best I've had in Japan or at least ever since I got to spend for my trips on my own. But while scanning through a thousand travel photos on my phone and camera, I realized that travel is made even more special with people you are with and those you encounter. Izumo, Shimane Other than its quiet and laidback atmosphere, the beauty of Izumo lies on its people. Our going there wasn't as carefully planned as it should have been. It's much farther from Tokyo and would honestly cost us more. But my oneechan convinced me that it will be worthwhile. I also happen to have a friend living in Izumo and I thought it will be a good opportunity for a catch up.  This Izumo friend drove us around and went out of her way for us to be able to spend a memorable day around the area. She as usual welcomed us with warmth and excitement sharing the history and stories of her hometown here and there. She is also naturally funny. Her quirks still make me gi...

It's almost summer vacation and I have been planning on so many things to do for the long holiday but I have to sit down and write all the experiences worth remembering in spring.  HAKONE I stumbled upon this blog post that suggested a walk through the old Tokaido road would be fascinating. It would also be a less stressful trip to Hakone as it is an off the beaten path. So I forced myself to walk through the old road that actually leads you to lake Ashi. It  took about two hours of both feeling scared and excited. I was feeling nauseous in my stomach. The paved road uphill gave me an adrenaline rush. It was sunny and the air was cool. It was a good day to hike. There was a warning sign of bear sightings. I don't know why but that's the least of my concerns. In fact, what scared me more is the idea of bumping into a suspicious person along the way. Aren't humans scarier than animals? Life lesson: Travel alone. A lot . CHICHIBU A road trip through the mountains of Chichi...

Favor! As I was preparing to apply for this job, I felt that certain peace and assurance that this would go well. True enough, I got shortlisted for an interview. But it wasn't only an interview, there was also a written exam and a teaching demo. All happened in one day. Then the waiting starts. Two months to be exact. This position isn't always available. It's uncertain how many teachers the city would accept in a year. And a lot of us would want to get in. The perks and benefits that come along this direct employment are something foreign workers are longing to have. Then they called me and told me I was first on the waitlist. We were all put on the waitlist. I heard there were over a hundred applicants. Less than half got called for an interview. Then about twenty were considered for the position. But it was still uncertain how many of the twenty will successfully sign a contract. Another week passed when I finally received a mail. It was the contract package. Then they ...

Today, I held back my tears as I was watching my student hitting his head while saying, 'Atama ga warui' which literally means 'My head is bad'. The more precise translation would be 'I'm stupid' or 'I'm dumb'. The students were using their school provided tablets to do some listening tasks and yet this particular student was just carelessly tapping the screen, opening random school apps. So I approached him and tried to help him navigate the school portal. And as soon as we could open his digital workbook, I left him so he could find the pages and the audio file on his own. I went around the class to help the other kids. But I would from time to time check on that student at a distance. Then not long, he started hitting his head again and repeatedly telling himself 'I'm dumb'. It was so painful to watch. But then suddenly one classmate sitting next to him stood up and helped him and another one followed. I was moved by such sight.  H...

What to dream for this year? To be honest, I was not thinking of anything to do  this year - resolutions, goals, plans. Nothing of that sort. Unlike the past years, I was that woman who was always looking forward to the possibilities of the new year, full of hope and fire. But what is a dream anyway? I read that a dream especially a God-dream is something that you can let go but won't let go of you. It is a dream that would inspire hope to the people around you. It would make them see God's favor in your life. This idea I got from the first book on my haul this year. The Kiss of Heaven by Darlene Zschech. And this book stirred me into answering the question "What is your dream?" Anyway, my coming to Japan I would say is a God-dream. It started when in 4th grade I came across a story about a Japanese family. It was actually a sad story and I'm somehow proud of myself that I still remember the plot. Well after reading that, the dream of one day visiting Japan star...