Language exchange

Katherine and I were English conversation teachers for a day. We were paid 4000yen for talking about random things to Japanese strangers (who later on became friends) for two hours. For my part, my group of Japanese students were fascinated by the fact that I speak Chinese as well as English (surprisingly Japanese consider Chinese to be one of the most difficult language to master.), so we spent the better part of the session translating Japanese verbs into English into Chinese. The other half of the session we talked about Singapore (the country I am from), cakes (my profession), and Japan's flagging economy (go figure). 

End.

Ijiri, Fukuoka

My long overdue post.

It's been too long since my study break in Japan. 6 months to be exact. I was afraid if I don't pen it down soon, I would start to forget the details, ie. the temperature of the streets, the colours, smells and sounds of the people, how I felt about everything I have seen, heard and learned. In fact, the forgetting has already started, but thank god for cameras and its ability to capture time and space, for I would have forgotten even more. :P

I think it is important to record the place I lived in during my 3 month stay in Japan as it was my base where my introvert self would return to to recharge after a day of making new friends, finding new paths, and learning new Japanese vocabulary. So I stayed in a dormitory style apartment in Ijiri, a small suburb of about a 20 minutes train ride away from the city of Fukuoka. My room is a tiny thing, that is right at the end of the corridor of the second story, and has a bathroom attached to it (that was mine and mine alone), and a slightest of a balcony that looks over a Japanese cemetery. It was clean and functional so I had no complaints. (That being said, if I had more money, I would get a bigger room. I am mildly claustrophobic.) 

 

On days when I literally have nothing to do (after school), I would fill my bathtub with scalding hot water, empty a packet of onsen powder into the bath, and sit in there till my head starts to buzz. Then I would challenge myself to stand up with my head still spinning, shower, pop back into my room and help myself to dinner that I had bought from the food heaven at the department stores in the city on my way back from school. Most of the time I would have a huge futomaki,a wakame salad, and a flask of hot green tea. 

Life was good, and free. I didn't have anyone to answer to except myself. I did whatever I liked. I didn't particularly want to make friends, so I didn't care what other people thought of me. I skipped class when it suited me (not that it happened very often), ate whenever I felt hungry, smile only when I felt like it. It was liberating. It was great. And, I ate a LOT of cakes. Yay.

The pictures in this post were all taken in Ijiri, on my trusty Leica. 

Really random things that caught my attention.

In the most beautiful light which is dusk,

When the air cools, and colours saturate.

 And you know that the only reason you are walking around with a camera in your hands is because

you are not quite hungry for dinner yet.

I own a Nissan March, and it is nice to see that it is very popular in Japan. As in, if I ever need to hijack one in an emergency, I know I'd be completely comfortable driving it. :)

The coin laundry that never closes.

As spring bleeds into summer, these creepers grow leaves and bloom flowers which colour I don't quite remember.

My room.

End.