Jamaican in Japan

こんにちは、シェリー・アンです！ジャマイカから来ました！アメリカから日本までは13時間45分、ジャマイカから日本までは24時間以上飛行機の旅をします。

Hello, My name is Shelly-Ann, I am thirteen hours and forty-five mins by plane from the USA and over 24 hrs from home. JAMAICA .

日本の土を踏みしめることは今までありませんでした！末武川ダムにも訪れましたが、想像以上でした。

I am walking on soil that I never thought possible. I am in Japan!

The visit to the Suetakegawa Damp was also not what I expected.

ダムの周りを歩くのは心地よさそうと思ってましたが、大きさと歩く道のりを知った時には衝撃を受けました。

I thought a walk around the damp would be very relaxing.  I got the shock of my life when I realized the size of the damp and distance I had to walk and to make matters worse...

こんな標識も見てきました。

 I saw signs like this …

 

昔見たドキュメンタリーでは、クマに会ったら死んだふりをするか、たくさん音をたてろと言っていましたが、

クマからは逃げられそうにありません！

岩が落ちてきたらどう対処すればいいんでしょう・・・

I cannot out run a bear !… The documentaries I have watched suggested you should 'play dead' …or make a lot of noise!.
BUT a rock-fall was a whole other story.

秋吉台ではバナナの木を初めて見てきました。毎日見るのは慣れてます！

I saw a banana tree for the first time in two months at Akiyoshidai.
I am used to seeing these plants EVERYDAY!

それではまた次回お会いしましょう！

See you soon!   More to come...
Shelly-Ann.

Travels Around Yamaguchi and Hiroshima

皆さんこんにちは！ＳＥＳに新たに加わりましたライアンです。周南に来て2ヶ月程たちましたが、

その間に近くの素晴らしい場所を旅してきました。今日はそれを紹介していきます！

Hello everyone! My name is Ryan, one of the new teachers at SES. I've been living in Shunan for about 2 months now, and I've done a lot of traveling to some beautiful places near Shunan. I want to share a few of my experiences with you! Thanks for reading!

最初は岩国です！岩国と言えば錦帯橋ですね！そして山を登ったところには岩国城もあります。そこからの眺めは絶景です。

紅葉の時期に行ってきたので、素晴らしいドライブになりました。

The first place I visited was Iwakuni! Iwakuni is very famous for the 5 arch bridge, Kintaikyou! This bridge was very beautiful. Also, you can see Iwakuni Castle if you take a short tram ride up a mountain. This mountain is very small, but it has great views. I went to Iwakuni when the leaves were starting to turn red and yellow, so it was a very beautiful drive as well.

Iwakuni  Castle
岩国城

5 Arch Bridge
錦帯橋

翌週は広島の宮島に行ってきました。観光にはもってこいの場所ですね！特にシカを見たり有名な鳥居を見たりして楽しみました。

The next weekend, I went to visit Miyajima Island, near Hiroshima. This was a very great place for sightseeing! Miyajima is a beautiful island, with many fun places to see, and delicious food. I especially loved seeing the deer, and seeing the famous Tori gate.

Miyajima at sunset
夕日に映える宮島

その次は秋吉台に行ってきました。洞窟の中を歩いて回ったのですが、素晴らしい岩の造形を見ることができました。

でも中は寒いので気を付けて！

Next I went to Akiyoshidai, the famous cave in northern Yamaguchi. This place was very beautiful! It is a long cave that you can hike through, and in this cave you can see some amazing rock formations. Be careful though, it is very cold inside the cave!

Entrance to the cave
洞窟の入り口

その後は広島の平和記念公園に行きましたが、とても力強く感動しました。広島に来たらここに来ることをお勧めします。

After that, I went to visit Hiroshima, to see the famous Peace Park. This place was very powerful and very moving. I think that everyone should go see Peace Park. You cannot support war after you have been to Peace Park.

Atomic Bomb Dome
原爆ドーム

最後は山口市です。昼食と地ビールをいただきました。瑠璃光寺にも行きましたがここのお寺が大好きです。現在、冬に向けて「雪吊り」の準備をしています。雪吊りを見るとかつて暮らしていた石川県の金沢を思い出しますね。

Finally, I went to see Yamaguchi City. In Yamaguchi City, I ate lunch and Jibiru, which is a delicious craft beer brewery and restaurant. If you like beer and good food, I recommend that you go to this place. After that, I went to see Rurikoji temple. I love temples, so this place was very fun for me. Right now, near the pond, they have Yukizuri set up on the trees in preparation for the winter. It's very beautiful, and the yukizuri reminded me of Kanazawa.

Yukizuri on the trees at Rurikoji
瑠璃光寺の「雪吊り」

以上が観光したところです。何かおすすめの観光スポットがありましたらぜひ教えてください！

That's all of the sightseeing so far. If you have any recommendations of other places I should go to, please tell me! Thanks!

Ryan Myers

LIFE LESSONS IN JAPAN

今回はデイビッド先生が日本で学んだ「３つの教訓」についてお話しします！

As an American staying in Japan, there are many small details we don't know about living here.

In this post I will talk about the "Top 3 Lessons" I have learned while living in Japan.

第3位　いつも「ごめんなさい、すみません」と言うこと

アメリカではこのことがよく知られていますが、全くその通りだと思います。「謙虚になること」や、

「その場にふさわしい最善のことをする」ということ、「自分にとって最善になることはしない」ということを学びました。

No.3 ALWAYS SAY SORRY. It is well known in America, but it is really true. The Japanese culture of bowing and apologizing is something that I have really picked up on. I always make sure to be the last one to apologize if I do something wrong. Throughout my time in Japan, I have learned to humble myself and do what is best for the situation and not do what is best for me.

第2位　「友好的であれ」ということ

アメリカでは知らない人に対して失礼なときがあるにもかかわらず、日本では知らない人に対しても

思いやりの心を見せることが多いのです。私はハイキング中、道行く人に“Hello!”と声掛けをしますが、

そのおかげで日本の人とふれあうことができています。

No.2 BE FRIENDLY Similar to the previous lesson, I have learned to always be friendly to others. In America, we often are rude to strangers, but in Japan, it seems people are a lot nicer to each other, even if they do not mean it. While I am on hikes, I always try to say, "Hello!" to people I meet on the trail. Also, it helps me interact with Japanese people if I am friendly towards them, instead of frustrated because I can't speak Japanese well.

第1位　「ご飯の中に箸を刺さない」こと

アメリカでも「スプーンやフォークを食べ物に刺してはいけない」と言われてはいますが、日本で箸をご飯に刺すことは

より「失礼」にあたります。私がアメリカに帰っても、このようなことは2度としないでしょう。

No.3 NEVER REST CHOPSTICKS IN RICE This lesson is less known to Americans, but it is very important to be a considerate person in Japan. In America, it is common to leave our spoons or forks "stuck" in our food. But in Japan, it is a much more serious "faux pas" to leave your chopsticks in your rice. I won't go into detail because you already know, but it is something I probably will never do again, even when I go back to America.




Written By David Press-Dawson.

Shunan Fun Times

こんにちは！チャールズです！日本に来てはや5ヶ月。今日はこれまで体験したことをお話しします。

Hello,

This is Charles again. I have been here for nearly 5 months now and time has flew by. It has been lots of fun living in Shunan City. I have been able to experience the local life here and meet many different people. Here are some adventures that I have had.

Getting Ready for Fun times with Alex
アレックス先生と

青空公園で行われた「酒祭り」に参加しました！「山縣」、「東洋美人」、「獺祭」などに挑戦して、

なかでも「毛利」というお酒が気に入りました。

I went to a local sake festival in Aozora Park about two months ago. It was amazing because there were 16 different sake breweries from Yamaguchi Prefecture. One of my students owns a brewery and he invited me to enjoy the festival. We tried 13 different types of sake from Yamagata in Shunan, Toyobijin in Hagi, and even Dassai in Iwakuni. My favorite sake was Mori from Yamagata's Brewery. I liked Mori because it tasted much different than the other sake. I also said goodbye to one of my students since he was moving to Singapore for his job.

Cheers with one of my students

一緒に乾杯！

27歳の誕生日をマット先生やＳＥＳの生徒の皆さんがお祝いしてくれました。居酒屋で飲んだり食べたり話したりして、

忘れられない日になりました。

I also celebrated my 27th Birthday here in Shunan. My birthday is on November 23rd. We went to an izakaya near Tokuyama Station. My friend Matt invited some of his company students to come celebrate with me.  They got me a happy birthday sash, a birthday hat, and a fan with lots of Yen on it. It was the best birthday gift. We ate, drank, and laugh throughout the night. I even spoke some Japanese and Chinese.

Quality Fun for Quality People

仲間たちと楽しいひと時

年末もいろんなところに行くのが待ち遠しいなあ・・・

I can't wait for the Christmas Break to go on more adventures. Until next time.

ITSUKUSHIMA - BEAUTIFUL AND FAMOUS

広島の厳島神社に行ってきました！アナゴで有名なところですね。

Recently, I traveled to Itsukushima. You must know it because it is probably the most famous shrine-island in the area. The island is right next to Miyajima and is famous for the saltwater eel.

まずは何と言っても鳥居！私が行ったときは海に少し浸かっていました。

The first thing I enjoy about Itsukushima is the beautiful "gate". It is probably the most famous thing on the island. When I went, it was cover partially by the sea.

奈良と同じように、シカが自由に走り回っていました。

Similar to Nara, Itsukushima also has many deer that run free. It is nice to see them walking around, but I noticed that many of them had ticks on their ears.

厳島にはほかにも小さな神社がありました。皆さんも探してみては？

Itsukushima also has many smaller shrines on the island. I really enjoyed finding them as many of them are hidden and must be sought out.

五重塔も見てきました。赤色がステキですね。

The five story pagoda is also magnificent to see. I really enjoy its red color.

最後につけ麺を食べて帰りました。かつおぶし風味でおいしかったです！

Lastly, I went to the new Hiroshima Outlets to try some tsukemen. It was really good. It had a very smoky flavor. Like "katsuo-bushi". It was a really nice day.




Written by David Press-Dawson

10 Months in the Land of the Rising Sun

SES Teachers Amy, Dallas, Taz, Josh & Adrian
SESの先生方と

Sakura tress blooming in Hagi City
萩市の桜

こんにちは！ダラスです。今年は素晴らしい生徒さんや友達に会えたり、

アジアの国を旅行したりしてとても充実しています。

Hello friends! They say, "Time flies when you are having fun!" This past year has been quite an adventure for me. I have been lucky to see and experience many places in Japan, meet many fun and interesting people (both students and new friends), and I have also traveled to some other countries in Asia. Working at Shunan English School and living in the Chūgoku region has been wonderful.

今年の初めには香港に行ってきました。壁に絵が描いてあったり、中国とイギリスの文化が混ざり合っていて面白かったです。

Earlier this year, I went to visit my friend in Hong Kong for my 25th birthday. I really enjoyed touring around this big city. Some people call it the "New York of Asia". There are many public paintings (murals), and it was interesting to see the mix of Chinese and British cultures in this city. I recommend visiting this unique place!

Hong Kong skyline from Kowloon
香港にて

A mural in Hong Kong central district
香港にある壁画

ゴールデンウィークは東京、京都、大阪のＵＳＪ、韓国のソウルに行ってきました。どの場所も見るものがたくさんあってとても楽しめました。

I have been lucky to have many visitors, both family and friends, come to Japan. For Golden Week, I met my brother and my friend Evanne in Tokyo. I had a great time, and many laughs with them. We toured around Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Universal Studios, and also Seoul, South Korea! Tokyo itself is such an enormous city, there are endless places to see and discover. Kyoto is my favourite city in Japan because of its many beautiful and historical buildings. I also enjoy Osaka because of the variety of things to see; it really reminds me of Chicago.

Evanne & Blake at Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion in Kyoto
京都の銀閣寺にて

Driving MariCar in Asakusa, Tokyo
浅草をマリオカートでドライブ！

宮島もお気に入りです！いとことその友達と一緒に弥山（みせん）に登ってきました。

One of my favourite places in Japan is Miyajima Island, with the beautiful Itsukushima Shrine. I really enjoy touring the historic temples and hiking Mount Misen. When my cousin Bradley and his friend Leon came to visit Yamaguchi Prefecture, we went hiking to the top of this mountain.

Dallas, Leon & Bradley at the top of Mount Misen
弥山の頂上で

With my friends Ayami, Yoko & Tomoko at Itsukushima Shrine
厳島神社にて

毎年7月1日には福岡で「カナダの日」というイベントがあるんですよ！カナダ料理やお酒を飲んで楽しい一日を過ごしました。

Did you know that every year on July 1st there is a huge Canada Day party in Fukuoka? I learned about this event online, and I went to it with my friends Connie, Riku, Matt & Amy. It was a really fun day. The Canada Day party had many Canadian foods and drinks that you could try, including beer, wine, lobster tails, poutine, smoked-meat sandwiches, roast pork, and many Canadian desserts. The party was at a hotel near Canal City, and there was a lot of entertainment. It was great!

Canada Day party at Il Palazzo Hotel
カナダの日のパーティーにて

社用車が高速道路で故障するといったハプニングもありました！

ＳＥＳのメンバーが助けてくれてよかったです（汗）

During the hottest time of the summer, my friend Mason from California came to visit again. My company car was having some troubles, and it broke down inside of a tunnel on the Sanyo Expressway! Luckily, we were rescued by SES staff members, and eventually we went to Kyushu for a little vacation.

Nagasaki Peace Memorial
長崎の平和記念像

Dallas & Mason in Nagasaki
長崎にて

夏には長崎に2日間滞在して、平和公園の原爆資料館も訪れました。そのあとは大分の別府で温泉に浸かり、旅の疲れを癒しました！

We enjoyed Nagasaki City for two days, seeing the historical districts and trying not to melt in the heat! I enjoyed seeing the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. I think it is a very important place to visit, so that we can always remember the tragedies and loss that happens from war. After Nagasaki, we went to the hot spring capital of Japan, Beppu City in Oita! It was very relaxing! 

With my parents at Himeji Castle
両親と姫路城にて

Trying takoyaki in Dōtonbori district
道頓堀でたこ焼きをいただきます！

8月は両親が日本に来てくれました。大阪に行って（途中、広島と姫路に寄り道しました）、寿司やたこ焼きを楽しみました。

 In August, I was very happy to have my parents visit me in Japan. They stayed at my house here in Yamaguchi, and we went on a road trip to Osaka. Along the way, we stopped in Hiroshima and Himeji. It was a long day of driving, but we had a fun weekend in Osaka, sampling food and enjoying our time together as a family. I made sure that my parents tried sushi, takoyaki (octopus balls) and a few other unique Japanese foods.

SES Teachers Mari, Amy & Dallas in Kurashiki, Okayama
岡山の倉敷にて

9月になって涼しくなってきましたね。10月にＳＥＳとお別れしますが、生徒の皆さんや友達ともっとEnjoyしてみたいものです。それでは！

Now that September is here, I will enjoy the cooler temperatures that come with autumn. I also hope to enjoy some fun times with my students and friends before I leave Shunan English School in October. Bye for now!

SWITZERLAND IS FOR VACATIONS

今年の夏はいとこに会いに、スイスのジュネーブに行ってきました。皆さんにもぜひ行ってもらいたい場所です。

Everyone knows traveling is expensive. Traveling throughout Asia and Southeast Asia is known to be lower in price, but still it costs money to leave the country and live (for short time) in another country. This summer vacation, I went to visit my cousin in his new home of Geneva, Switzerland. It was an amazing experience and a place that I highly recommend for people to visit.

その道のりは、徳山から新幹線で福岡→地下鉄で福岡空港→飛行機で上海→6時間待った後に飛行機でパリ→電車でジュネーブ

と32時間の旅でした。長い！

In order to get to Geneva, I took a very long route. I took the bullet train to Fukuoka, then the subway to Fukuoka International Airport. From there, I took a small jet to Shanghai, China where I waited in the airport for 6 hours for my flight to Paris, France. Once I was in Paris, I took a train to Geneva, Switzerland. So from Tokuyama to Geneva was probably 32 hours in total. A very long time, indeed.

ジュネーブについた後は首都のベルンを旅行しました。「ロスティー」というジャガイモのパンケーキを食べました。ベルンには大きな川も流れていました。

After arriving in Geneva, we took a trip to Bern, the country's capital city. Bern was very nice and we had a chance to try potato pancake called, "rosti". Bern is a German speaking city although Geneva is a French speaking city. Also, in the south of Switzerland, they speak Italian. In Bern, we also saw a beautiful river that runs just outside the city.

その後はチーズで有名なグリュイエールというところに行きました。グリュエールクリームとベリーの組み合わせが最高でした！グリュイエールは昔ながらの建物が並んでいて、映画のような美しい場所でした。

After Bern, we went to the city of Gruyere, the home of the world-famous Gruyere cheese. There we tried Gruyere cream and berries. It was a real treat and tasted very good. Even better than Hokkaido! There is a famous old residence in Gruyere that we also visited. It was really a beautiful place that was surrounded by amazing mountains. It looked like a movie.

翌日はフランスのアヌシーというところを訪れました。イタリアのベニスのように水の上に家が立ち並んでいます。

そこで「ガレット」というそば粉を使ったクレープに似たお菓子を食べてきました。

The next day we visited the French city of Annency. France is only a 5 minute drive from Geneva so it was very easy to get there by car. Annency is a stunning city, which is built on the water of Lake Geneva. It looks very similar to Venice, Italy. I enjoyed a galette there, which is similar to a crepe, but it is made with a buckwheat flour instead of wheat flour.

ジュネーブの古い町並みや湖も楽しんできました。ハイキングでフォンデュを食べたりもして

素敵なひと時をジュネーブで過ごすことができました。

Another day we went into the city of Geneva and explored the "old city" and the lake. It was a beautiful place and we really enjoyed the Lake. We finished our day by hiking up a mountain and eating fondue while looking at Mount Blanc in the French Alps. A truly stunning time in Geneva.

Written by David Press-Dawson