ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Before all the Sakura tree petals fell off, I decided to go to mount Shiuede. It was so beautiful! I made sure to take my time and really live in the moment. I liked how varied the colors were too. I parked at the bottom and had a nice hiking trip up the mountain. Next time they bloom I'd like to visit a place with a ton more trees!  

One day I had to go to Kanonji to get my car fixed. While there I thought "Why don't I see what interesting things I can find here." And I'm glad I stuck around. I visited many shrines and one of my favorites was Kotohiki Shrine. There were so many cats too! I also got this amazing view of the Zenigata Sand Sculpture! It was so cool. I'm sure there's some other stuff that I missed so I plan to go back again someday.  

I took a walk around Takinomiya park after a rainy day. As I was leaving, I noticed this water trench. I tried to go for an artsy picture and lined up everything. This picture reminded me of the trench run from the movie Star Wars. I like the reflection of the water and how one side is concrete and the other is nature.  

Back when the cherry blossom trees were blooming, I went to Bujo Park with Kayla and Alison sensei. It was my first time visiting this park. The view was incredible and I had a lot fun with some friends! It was such a cold day though! That's okay because the food there was delicious and the cherry blossoms were pretty! I want to visit more cool parks.  

I had a really relaxing day and decided to visit a local shrine. While enjoying the view, a big group of pigeons started walking towards me. I was surprised because most birds want to keep their distance but this group was so friendly! They must be used to getting food from other people. These little guys started posing for me too. Pigeons are my favorite bird.  

I went on another hiking trip. I spotted some mushrooms! Whenever I see mushrooms I like to take pictures of them. I didn't always use to do that though. I think I started doing it because my mom usually takes pictures of mushrooms and other random things while on a hike. Then I started doing it too because it's kind of fun. Mushrooms are cool to look at but I don't typically eat mushrooms. I especially don't like them on my pizza!  

I meant to only be out hiking for about an hour or two. I ended up going on about a 5 hour hike in the mountains near Yamane Park. I think I've said this before, but hiking is really relaxing so this was an awesome mental reset for me. I kept noticing new paths to take and it just kept going and going. I wanted to keep exploring! Eventually I thought "I can't be here all day! I got to go grocery shopping!" I'll definitely go back soon though.  

It's not always good to stayed cooped up at home. I try to get some fresh air whenever possible. If I have time, I'll go to a convenience store and look for something new to try out. Be it a drink or a small snack, then I walk to this shrine to chill for a bit. Sometimes I'll take pictures or maybe sketch a little. Then I have a nice walk back home.  

It always surprises me what kind of funny and interesting Gacha prizes there are. I've seen characters from anime, food, cars, camping gear, and other random things. This one about turtles peaked my interest! I think these were called Earth turtles or something. There were 4 total and I got the Mount Fuji sea turtle! I hope next time I get the Mount Everest turtle. I really like the details on it too.  

I went to Uchinomiya Shrine! It's just across the bridge from Yamane Park. I don't always make the trip to visit but when I do it's always nice. Last time I visited it was my birthday. It felt extra special because my mom was visiting at the time. I did the usual and enjoyed the atmosphere. Sometimes I like to close my eyes and just listen to the birds.  

This is my new favorite shirt! My sister gave it to me for a Christmas present. It's so silly and funny! My little cat friend just hangs out in my shirt pocket. Then when I pull it down a bit he gives peace signs spreading some positivity! I want to get some more subtle shirts similar to this in the future. I should think of a cool name for the cat.  

I don't usually make pancakes so I'm kind of proud of how these came out. They were supposed to be thick and fluffy pancakes but I think I added too much milk. Ah well live and learn haha. I was surprised to find out that these also came with a small packet of powered sugar. Then I added strawberries and honey! Next time they will be fluffier!  

Now I know the picture isn't the best quality, but this is the best shot that was possible haha. While taking another trip to Kochi, I took a stroll around the castle and spotted Tanuki! In English they're called Raccoon Dogs. These little guys were pretty cute and they were bit curious too. I made sure to keep my distance. I don't know anything about Tanuki. I wonder if people have them at pets? Probably not.  

Back then when my family and I were getting ready for the new year, we decided to visit a nice shrine in Kochi. The shrine was Ushioe Tenmangu. It had a chill atmosphere. We were there pretty early so it was cool to see people set up their food/game stands. As midnight was drawing near I was starting to doubt that tons of people would show up. However, I was quickly proven wrong haha. It was so packed but it was a nice experience to see how Japanese people get ready for the new year at a shrine.  

Around the time of the New Year, my family and I visited the Ishizuchi Shrine. It was recommended to me during one of my classes. I feel like I've said this before, but the architecture at many shrines is always amazing. It was nice to also experience this part of Japanese culture. To see how people start their new year at the shrine was interesting.  

It's been kind of a small dream of mine, but I was finally able to see some capybaras in person! I've always really liked the animal. It's just so chill and at peace with everything. I bet they were having an extra good time in the water considering how cold it was when I visited.  

Hello everyone! During the Christmas break my family and I visited the Shimanami Bridge! It was pretty awesome! We visited multiple sites to get different angles of the bridge. I've also been told that people will bike their away across the whole bridge! That's insane, but hats off to them and the challenge they want to go for. I also tried to take silly pictures and pretended to hold the bridge up haha!  

During the end of the year break, my family and I went to Manno Park to see the amazing lights! We all really enjoyed it and it was truly unforgettable. I was surprised to see how many paths there were to take. I think I remember reading somewhere that there are over 600,000 lights. I took so many pictures and made sure to take my time.  

Lately I've been sitting around spots similar to this. I've grown to really appreciate the sound of streams of water. It's relaxing and it's also nice to see ducks swim around. Sometimes the ducks are funny and chase each other. Whenever the ducks quack it can sound like they're laughing too. Relaxing at places like this has been a nice reset button for me.  

Back in November, I made empanadas for a Thanksgiving event! I don't have too much experience making them but they actually came out well. It was also nice because everyone liked them so that was a relief! If you haven't had empanadas I try my best to explain. The exterior is a fried and as you bite into it, it has kind of like a thin breaded taste. In the inside, it's a mix between beef, pork, and very finely chopped up vegetables. You should definitely try some.