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Golden Week is coming up soon, and I'm not sure what I want to do during the time off. I don't think I want to travel for the entire week, so I'm going to start looking up places that would be good for day trips. What would be really great is if the weather is warm enough that I can go to the beach every day! I think I'm going to be messaging some friends and asking for suggestions over the next few days.  

Golden Week is near! It is a popular time for travel, and many people take advantage of the time off to explore other parts of Japan or even other countries. It's also a time when many tourist attractions are crowded, so it's important to plan ahead if you want to visit popular spots.

In addition to travel, Golden Week is a time for celebration. There are many festivals and events that take place during this time, including parades, fireworks shows, and traditional performances.

Overall, Golden Week is a time for people to take a break from their busy lives and enjoy some time off. Whether you're traveling, spending time with family, or simply relaxing at home, Golden Week is a time to enjoy all that Japan has to offer.  

Last week was Easter, I went to my family’s home to celebrate. It was my first Easter back home in some time, it was also my first Easter with my niece. It was very special. Did you celebrate this Easter?  

At the start of sakura season, I made my way over to Takamatsu to enjoy the beautiful Ritsurin Garden. It was a little rainy, but no weather was going to get in the way between me and the cherry blossoms! In addition to the delicate spring flowers, I found myself falling in love with the pine trees as well. Sometimes I can't believe how beautiful Japanese gardens are!




  

I had some truly incredible steak recently. Although I like yakiniku, nothing beats a well cooked steak. This one was truly divine, can't wait to have it again!  

I recently took a trip to Kochi and one of my favorite things to get at the Sunday market is Tacos! They are made by a lovely couple and have a business called Masatacos, so check them out!
  

Yakitori, or grilled bird (chicken) is a favorite of many Japanese people as well as visitors to Japan. It is chicken meat that is skewered on a small thin stick, and grilled over an open charcoal fire. It is typically seasoned with a salty-sweet sauce called “tare” or just plain salt.

It is a very popular street food served at festivals and events all around Japan. People enjoy this food with beer, sake, or any drink that you like. There are various types of yakitori to include: chicken thigh (momo), chicken meatballs (tsukune), all white meat (tori niku), chicken wings (tebasaki), and so many more.

If you are hungry and want to try something tasty, then I suggest yakitori. It is such a tasty food!
  

Easter was last Sunday. A very traditional Easter activity is to dye hardboiled eggs. You can color on them with crayon first. When you dip the egg into the dye, the wax in the crayon will resist the dye. It looks very pretty when you're done! Here are some that my children dyed. They used artificial color dye, but you can also dye eggs with natural ingredients, such as onion skins or cabbage.



Have you ever dyed an egg before?  

My best friend sent me a picture of her dog. He is sleeping halfway under the bed. She told me he was snoring really loud! Lucky eats too many snack all the time, so he's very big. You can't tell by the pictures! I love hearing stories about him. I want a dog of my own someday.
Her pink flip-flops are in the picture too. In American English, those sandals are called flip-flops because of the sound they make. In Australian English, they're called "thongs." That's a very different word meaning in America!  

With the warming weather, the conditions for biking have never been better. I enjoy biking around different neighborhoods or areas in Niihama or Saijo and stopping for a snack or a cup of coffee. For example, while following the bike path right next to the old, Besshi Copper Mine railroad tracks near Takinomiya Park, one can find a little, modified shack that sells coffees or ice cream delights next to the park entrance. It can be a great treat after hiking up the mountain in Takinomiya.and around the lake. Another nice stop is the port area neighborhood in Niihama which has an old, outdated, outside walking mall where one can enjoy a coffee. The neighborhoods there are rustic with some old fashion clothing and coffee shops.

Recently, I have found a new way to bike to Saijo by making the Toyo Port turn west off of Highway 13. It is a beautiful bike ride into northern Saijo. From there, I can go back down to Highway 13 to shop at Don Q's or stop at a Starbuck's. It is not far from there that one can find the waterway where one can bike down to the river area for something tasty to eat and a coffee as well.

Well...I think it's time for a bike ride! See ya.

  

I went to the Kochi and I LOVED IT! I went to see the nighttime cherry blossoms and had a blast. Kochi Castle was really coo, especially being able to see it illuminated at night.

Have you been to Kochi?  

This evening, April 11th, is the greatest elongation of Mercury. That means it is a good time to see the speedy little gray planet in the sky.
What's an elongation?
Tonight, Mercury will reach greatest elongation, meaning the time when Mercury appears the farthest away from the sun in the sky. Mercury isn’t visible in the sky all year long, and usually isn't very bright. It comes into view when it is further from the sun. So tonight, we can see the planet most clearly right after sunset! A second elongation (good time to see mercury) will come just before sunrise, on May 29th.
Why is it called Mercury?
In English, Mercury is named after the messenger god from Roman mythology. Mercury has the fastest orbit (circle around the sun) of all the planets, so it can deliver messages between them. He is drawn as a man with wings on his feet to show how fast he runs.
Where is it in the sky?
If you want to find mercury, it will be the first planet you see close to the horizon, directly above the sunset. Draw a straight towards the moon, and there are Uranus, Venus and Mars lined up as well. If you have a telescope or a pair of binoculars, you might be able to see its grayish color.
Sunset Notice!
On a side note, keep an eye out for spectacular sunsets forecast on Thursday and Friday this week!
  

This evening, April 11th, is the greatest elongation of Mercury. That means it is a good time to see the speedy little gray planet in the sky.
What's an elongation?
Tonight, Mercury will reach greatest elongation, meaning the time when Mercury appears the farthest away from the sun in the sky. Mercury isn’t visible in the sky all year long, and usually isn't very bright. It comes into view when it is further from the sun. So tonight, we can see the planet most clearly right after sunset! A second elongation (good time to see mercury) will come just before sunrise, on May 29th.
Why is it called Mercury?
In English, Mercury is named after the messenger god from Roman mythology. Mercury has the fastest orbit (circle around the sun) of all the planets, so it can deliver messages between them. He is drawn as a man with wings on his feet to show how fast he runs.
Where is it in the sky?
If you want to find mercury, it will be the first planet you see close to the horizon, directly above the sunset. Draw a straight towards the moon, and there are Uranus, Venus and Mars lined up as well. If you have a telescope or a pair of binoculars, you might be able to see its grayish color.
Sunset Notice!
On a side note, keep an eye out for spectacular sunsets forecast on Thursday and Friday this week!
  

This year I have very bad spring allergies are a common problem for many people. As the weather warms up and plants start to bloom, pollen levels can rise, causing sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes.

To help alleviate symptoms, there are a few things you can do. First, try to stay indoors when pollen counts are high. If you do go outside, wear a mask to help filter out pollen. You can also take over-the-counter allergy medications or nasal sprays.

Overall, spring allergies can be a nuisance, but there are ways to manage them. With a little bit of planning and the right treatment, you can enjoy the beautiful spring weather without suffering from allergies.  

It’s been raining a lot recently, I miss the sun. Hopefully it will be beautiful again tomorrow. Do you enjoy the rain?  

You may have heard about fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras before, but in Poland, they celebrate Tłusty Czwartek, otherwise known as Fat Thursday! This is the last day for people to indulge on indulgent foods that are fatty, delicious, sugary etc. before the beginning of Lent. During Lent (a Catholic holiday before Easter), people give up certain behaviors for 40 days, usually things that they think are unhealthy physically or emotionally. For instance, delicious food. And what food is more delicious and tantalizing than a rich, comforting donut?

Polish donuts are the real thing, 100% donut and 0% hole. They are often filled with custard or jam and are always delicious. On Fat Thursday, people spend the day absolutely glutting themselves on as many donuts as they can stomach- a task that my students took very seriously. I took a poll in my classes that evening and the average donut consumption was about six, with some students claiming to eat up to 10 or 11. I don't even know how that's possible, because I'm a girl that can eat a LOT of donuts, and I was feeling sick after about 5...



  

I recently had this beautiful french toast! It reminded that between waffles pancakes, and french toast, I really like: all 3! I love cafe food.  

I recently went Hiking in Saijo! It was so beautiful climbing the mountain to Yokomineji! It was a little cold and snowy as we got higher up, but was still a lot of fun!
  

On a recent visit to the town of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture, I found a store that sold only masking tape. I thought this was interesting, so I researched the history of masking tape.

The tape was created in 1925 by a 3M Company in the USA named Richard Drew. It was created to assist painters to “mask” off areas that do not need paint, such as around windows, doors, etc. It is also called painter’s tape.

Masking tape can be used for many things, including sealing cardboard boxes, putting up posters on walls, and basically any purpose that you can think of. It is a very useful product!
  

At Easter, it's very traditional for children to go on an Easter egg hunt. Whoever is hosting the hunt hides colorful plastic eggs that are filled with candy. Then the children search for the eggs and gather them in their basket. It's a lot of fun to hunt for the eggs, and even more fun to eat the candy afterwards!

As long as the weather is nice, an Easter egg hunt is usually held outside, like at a park or in someone's yard.



One year we went to an Easter egg hunt that was in a library! The librarians hid the eggs for the children to find.



Have you ever hunted for Easter eggs before?