2018年9月13日木曜日

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

2018年9月4日火曜日

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71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!