Welcome to another edition of Deskwarming Diaries, where a bored-out-of-her-mind ALT struggles to find something to do until lunch time. Today’s post features chashu pork and phonics confusion. Let’s jump in!
Japan
Ahhh, Japan. My love since middle school and my home for almost five years. My favorite things about Japan include okonomiyaki, shrines and temples, festivals, functioning public transport, and the excessive bowing. Read more below!
Welcome back to another edition of the Deskwarming Diaries! After taking Monday off because she couldn’t imagine spending another day at her desk, Jayelon is … back at her desk. Today’s post features teacher check-ins and ghost stories, with a guest appearance from...
Welcome back to another edition of the Deskwarming Diaries! In today’s post, Jayelon has fun conversations with her co-workers. Let’s jump in!
Another day, another round of deskwarming. My school, like many others, closed suddenly on Monday due to Covid-19. Students are not allowed at school except to retrieve textbooks they want to study from or to take things home. Parents shouldn’t enter. Teachers…. still have to...
Hi everyone! This post is the beginning of my Kanazawa Series; each week I’ll post about something fun to do in Kanazawa. Look forward to exciting things! Kanazawa is known for gold. Alllll the gold. Gold everything. So it stands to reason that his would extend to food as well...
Hi everyone! Today marks about two months into flu season at my school, and we’ve suddenly come upon a problem: mask shortages! In Japan, masks are a much more common sight than in America, and people wear them for a number of reasons. The most common ones are either you’re...
While throwing something away at school last Monday, one of my coworkers struck up a conversation. 「豆」 (“mame”) He said, pointing to some beans on the table. “Eat some.” I obliged and immediately regretted it. These were Setsubun beans, dry roasted soybeans that...
This sprawling park at the foot of Mt. Asama (an active volcano) lets you walk on winding trails through a field of igneous rock. I have visited Onioshidashi Park twice, once in October 2018 and again in January 2020; the beauty of the strangely-shaped rocks and the majesty of the still...
While on our way back from the onsen of Akita, my husband Hunter and I visited Kamo Aquarium in Yamagata. This aquarium is known for its jellyfish — one of my favorite animals! Afterwards, we ate one of the weirdest things I’ve ever had: jellyfish ice cream. But first, a quiz...
Shiraito-no-taki (白糸の滝), or Shiraito Falls, is my third waterfall on the list of 100 famous waterfalls in Japan. After visiting, I can say it deserves its spot on that ranking! The name translates into ‘white threads waterfall’ for the many thin streams of water that tumble...