Miscellaneous updates

In Japan, of course, I have no car. I'm a pedestrian all the time. Usually I don't mind it (it does have the slightly undesirable side-effect that I'm constantly walking past fast-food places and being tempted...). I do have a few minor pet peeves, namely:

People who walk extremely slowly (especially up/down stairs when you can see your train pulling in at the platform...) or take an age to step onto trains while the 'doors are closing' song is playing and you're behind them.

Cyclists riding on the pavement. This is extremely common and, although they are very adept at swerving around pedestrians, it gives me a fright every time I sense one bearing down on me...

As a pedestrian, anything you take with you, you basically have to carry around all day. I got myself a Big Handbag so I can easily lug around my library of Japanese textbooks and dictionaries.

Now that spring has officially started, I have deluded myself into thinking it's getting warmer, since I dislike carrying my heavy, bulky coat everywhere. As a result I find myself checking the weather in the morning and making arguments like 'well, it's a maximum of 12 today, that's okay, right? You don't really need a coat for 12 degrees...' forgetting that in the evening I'll be standing outside on a train platform that's 5 degrees, shivering in an inadequate suit jacket and thin shirt, pathetically clutching a bottle of hot, vending-machine tea in both hands. (That would be tonight...)

Speaking of clothes, if I had my way, clothes would NEVER STRETCH, and I could go five blissful years never needing to buy ANY new clothes. As it is, I need to replace *most* of my clothes, including those I only bought 4 or 5 months ago. I resent this, because I really do hate shopping.

Even now I'm living in Japan, where shopping is cheaper and has more variety, I can hardly bring myself to do it. I *need* to do it. But every time I try to force myself to go clothes shopping, I end up roaming around the food departments instead, and I end up buying chocolate or cakes instead... hahah...

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Anyway, I'm rambling on about nonsense as usual. Work is going well. I really do enjoy my job. I like all my co-workers too. March is supposed to be a hectic month, because lots of students like to join for April (April is the beginning of the school year here, I think, so calendrically it's when people like to start new things). Some of my classes have become larger lately with new students; other than that, things are much the same.

We had our first kids in the other day. I did my demo lesson with the 4-year-old kid. Do you know, it's probably the only time in my life I've ever interacted with a child that young. I felt quite positive about it afterwards, even if I'm not sure I taught him anything. Fortunately, he wasn't a shy 4-year-old and he was quite happy and energetic. However, he didn't really pay attention to me and did a lot more running around the room than sitting obediently listening to Teacher. Hahah...

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I've been studying Japanese quite diligently lately. I take two lessons a week, with different teachers. I still enjoy the Japanese language. Truthfully, I could spend more time at nights studying, rather than surfing mindless rubbish on the Internet and watching Grumpy Old Women DVDs...

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Here are a few photos of my 'outing' a couple of weeks ago. Actually this is just northern Yokohama, not that far from where I live. I went to see the plum blossoms. Click a pic to see it bigger.


This is kind of very typical 'scenery' in northern Yokohama (well, actually anywhere in Yokohama apart from the city centre). It is actually quite green and tree-y. This is just a random house, I think.


The park was nice. Since it was a Monday, there were lots of older people pottering about, having picnics or painting watercolours of the trees. They were painting some pretty good pictures, actually.




I don't know exactly what this is all about...


I went to the ramen museum in Shin-Yokohama. I ate ramen. But I forgot to take a photo until I was half-finished. I have to say, half-eaten garlic ramen looks really unsavoury...