2016年01月04日
Mell and I reunite!
Woo! I met Mell in Tokyo! Shibuya to be exact. After sending messages on how to meet, she surprised ME by coming out of the other gate. We got a little lost trying to find her hotel and couldn't stop talking. We exchanged Christmas presents and went out to explore Shibuya. We shopped, ate at a pizza buffet, did purikura, and went to a horror themed restaurant for drinks.
I took the wrong train a few times trying to get back, which resulted in me grabbing the very last train before I was back in my guesthouse! A little bit scary!
The next day was spent in Akihabara, Shinjuku, and back to Shibuya. Akihabara was full of anime and crane games! We wasted a lot of money trying to win something. In Shinjuku, we couldn't find the coin locker we were using, the station was just SO BIG!
We made the mistake of getting on a train at 11pm to Shibuya, and found ourselves swallowed by some very scary crowds of people! They didn't seem to be doing anything, just causing a scene until it was New Years. We had a hard time making it back to Mell's hotel, so I stayed there for the night. We drank and watched internet videos and Japanese TV together.
Mell and I got lost quite a bit but she doesn't live very far from Tokyo. I'm sure when we meet again that she will be much more familiar with the area. I had so much fun and can't wait to see her again!
2016年01月04日
New Year's Resolutions
Hello, all!
Happy New Year! Do you have a resolution for 2016?
A "resolution" is something you decide to do, 100%. You can say, "I resolve to..." For example, "I resolve to save more money this year." Or, "I resolve to lose some weight this year." The most common resolutions are about health and finances. Some resolutions are very pretty. For example, "I resolve to help others more this year," or, "I resolve to learn something exciting this year." But all these resolutions are very difficult to keep! Making a big change, like losing weight, is nearly impossible. And how do you know if you've "helped others more"?
That's why my resolution is very simple. In 2016, I resolve to learn to eat citrus fruit and raw carrots. I can now eat almost everything I used to hate as a kid: spicy food, celery, pickles, mustard, green tea—I've learned to like them all. But I still can't eat an entire carrot or orange. By 2017, I resolve to be able to eat as many oranges as you can feed me!
What's your new year's resolution?
—Matthew
Happy New Year! Do you have a resolution for 2016?
A "resolution" is something you decide to do, 100%. You can say, "I resolve to..." For example, "I resolve to save more money this year." Or, "I resolve to lose some weight this year." The most common resolutions are about health and finances. Some resolutions are very pretty. For example, "I resolve to help others more this year," or, "I resolve to learn something exciting this year." But all these resolutions are very difficult to keep! Making a big change, like losing weight, is nearly impossible. And how do you know if you've "helped others more"?
That's why my resolution is very simple. In 2016, I resolve to learn to eat citrus fruit and raw carrots. I can now eat almost everything I used to hate as a kid: spicy food, celery, pickles, mustard, green tea—I've learned to like them all. But I still can't eat an entire carrot or orange. By 2017, I resolve to be able to eat as many oranges as you can feed me!
What's your new year's resolution?
—Matthew
2016年01月04日
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I tried to celebrate the New Years the Japanese way 
I asked some of my students what did they do on New Years. I was told that they eat a very special bento. So I went out to try and find it..and I did! :) It was very yummy...even though I was confused on what I was eating most of the time haha.
Wishing all the best for the year of 2016!
I asked some of my students what did they do on New Years. I was told that they eat a very special bento. So I went out to try and find it..and I did! :) It was very yummy...even though I was confused on what I was eating most of the time haha. 
Wishing all the best for the year of 2016!
2016年01月04日
Kyushu roadtrip part 3!
The next morning we did some shopping in Fukuoka, visiting the loft department store and Mandrake, a comics and hobby store. We ate lunch at Go Go curry in Canal city before setting off for our return to Beppu.
Driving on the expressway in Japan is very convenient, but very expensive. Luckily, I saw an exit for Yufuin on the way back to Beppu. We decided to take the long way, riding down the mountain roads from Yufuin and enjoying the sunset over the valley rather than hurrying back to the city.
Once in Beppu, we started searching for a place to have dinner. This was kind of difficult, because it was the 30th, and many places were closed. After way too much walking, we finally settled on a place called the Creole cafe. It was really delicious, and we ordered a ton of food and drinks. It’s impossible to pick a favorite item, but the beef tongue stew and the meat pies were both amazing.
On the last day, we left for Shikoku around 9:00.
I had visited Fukuoka in the past, but everywhere else was totally new, and I really enjoyed all of the places I went. I had a blast, and I’m really glad I decided to take this trip.
Like any good vacation, this one served two purposes. It was exciting, showing me new things at every turn, but it also reminded me of how much I liked Shikoku. On the ferry ride back, I was both happy and sad to be heading home. I was relieved to be going home, where I could truly relax and get back to teaching, but I’ll always remember Kyushu for its beautiful scenery, wonderful onsen, and delicious food.
