So this rather miscellaneous blog was started as a way to plot random adventures (and mundane occurrences) during my stay in Japan.
Now three years and one month later, I am back in Fiji. The adventures will continue though, of whatever nature they may be...so I will keep posting, hopefully a little more regularly!
September was a bit of a whirlwind:
First there was: a week up north in Tohoku (area hit by tsunami in March) with 20 other young people who taught me a lot about myself, and Japan.
We spent a week camping at a volunteer centre with 200 or so other people in trying to help, in our little way possible, with recovery efforts in the towns that had been almost completely wiped out by the disaster. No amount of youtube videos or images of the destruction could have prepared me for that.
Met some amazing people at the centre, some who dropped by for short periods of time, some who gave up their comfy jobs after March 11 and moved to set up the volunteer centre and help the people of Tohoku. /deep bow.
Then there was: graduation! ...which means that I am no longer a student, which also means I am jobless! After graduation of the academic kind...there was Batizado (baptism) in Capoeira and the cordao (belt/cord) ceremony (GO FOR GREEN!) ...a happy/sad end to the one year stint...which I can hopefully continue practising (somehow) back in Fiji.
And then there was: a somewhat mad dash through Vietnam over to Cambodia with two girlfriends (a first for me...have never travelled with company), two nights with Max in Phnom Penh and then a long bus ride up to Siem Reap which then proceeded to flood while we were there. Nothing tests character (of the country and the traveller) like flooded foreign streets.
Angkor Wat- Check. The trip ended with a short flight back to Ho Chi Minh, a lovely day/night spent marvelling at Vietnam's amazing bike culture. Another highlight of the week was the great (and very cheap) food that was devoured in great amounts. We had no shame in discussing what we should eat for dinner...while we were having lunch!
Final week - Back in Tokyo: on Monday morning...there were rushed goodbyes over 3 days, a final capoeira roda and Thursday morning -sleep-deprived, heart-heavy, mixed emotions- final train ride to Narita with my berimbau in tow.
Friday morning... I was sitting on a beach with Tiza (a classmate from high school who I have known since I was 13 or so) breaking chunks of long-loaf and dipping it into Rewa Butter.
My brain will take some time to digest this month. Luckily I have a lot of time on hand... back living with the folks and job-hunting... and catching up on the three years.
Here's to the next Chapter...wherever that may take me.
Now three years and one month later, I am back in Fiji. The adventures will continue though, of whatever nature they may be...so I will keep posting, hopefully a little more regularly!
September was a bit of a whirlwind:
First there was: a week up north in Tohoku (area hit by tsunami in March) with 20 other young people who taught me a lot about myself, and Japan.
We spent a week camping at a volunteer centre with 200 or so other people in trying to help, in our little way possible, with recovery efforts in the towns that had been almost completely wiped out by the disaster. No amount of youtube videos or images of the destruction could have prepared me for that.
Met some amazing people at the centre, some who dropped by for short periods of time, some who gave up their comfy jobs after March 11 and moved to set up the volunteer centre and help the people of Tohoku. /deep bow.
Then there was: graduation! ...which means that I am no longer a student, which also means I am jobless! After graduation of the academic kind...there was Batizado (baptism) in Capoeira and the cordao (belt/cord) ceremony (GO FOR GREEN!) ...a happy/sad end to the one year stint...which I can hopefully continue practising (somehow) back in Fiji.
And then there was: a somewhat mad dash through Vietnam over to Cambodia with two girlfriends (a first for me...have never travelled with company), two nights with Max in Phnom Penh and then a long bus ride up to Siem Reap which then proceeded to flood while we were there. Nothing tests character (of the country and the traveller) like flooded foreign streets.
Angkor Wat- Check. The trip ended with a short flight back to Ho Chi Minh, a lovely day/night spent marvelling at Vietnam's amazing bike culture. Another highlight of the week was the great (and very cheap) food that was devoured in great amounts. We had no shame in discussing what we should eat for dinner...while we were having lunch!
Final week - Back in Tokyo: on Monday morning...there were rushed goodbyes over 3 days, a final capoeira roda and Thursday morning -sleep-deprived, heart-heavy, mixed emotions- final train ride to Narita with my berimbau in tow.
Friday morning... I was sitting on a beach with Tiza (a classmate from high school who I have known since I was 13 or so) breaking chunks of long-loaf and dipping it into Rewa Butter.
My brain will take some time to digest this month. Luckily I have a lot of time on hand... back living with the folks and job-hunting... and catching up on the three years.
Here's to the next Chapter...wherever that may take me.
