NO RAMEN. NO LIFE.

デイビッド講師はラーメンが大好きなのです！

One of the main reasons I came to Japan was to try as much food as possible. There are so many choices of food here in Japan. My favorite type of food is soup, so I usually like to eat udon, somen, soba, or…

私が日本に来た一番の理由は、たくさんの日本食にチャレンジしたいからです！好きな食べ物はスープ系なので、うどん、そうめん、そば・・・などいつも食べています。

Of all the foods that are available in Japan, I think the most delicious and easily available is ramen. Ramen is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to eat a very delicious meal. I often eat ramen at least once a week, but occasionally three times a week.

日本食の中で一番おいしくて、手軽なのはラーメンだと思います！・・・

In this article, I will list my “Top 3” Ramen choices in Shunan City. I will rank them in ascending order, from three to one. I realize there are many choices and other people’s choice will be different. These are my personal choices for the best ramen in Shunan.

周南で個人的にトップ３だと思うラーメン屋さんを紹介します！

Number 3: Tori-No-Suke “Tori Paitan”
第3位　とりの助　

I chose Tori-No-Suke as my number three because it is simple and delicious. Most ramen shops in Shunan serve Tonkotsu ramen, but Tori-No-Suke serves something different. The roasted pork at Tori-No-Suke is very soft and full of flavor, but the real star here is the broth, which is made from chicken. The broth is creamy, like Tonkotsu, but does not have a strange smell, and tastes lighter.

とりの助　のラーメンはシンプルでおいしいです。周南のラーメンはほとんどが豚骨ですが、ここのラーメンは違うんです。・・・

Number 2: Yasushiboy “Shoyu-Tonkotsu”

第2位　ヤスシボーイ　

I chose Yasushiboy because it is a very, very delicious soup. The shop is located in Kume and does not look special, but the ramen here is amazing! The double soup gives it an extra savory flavor and the noodles are also unique because they are flat. I also really like the free bowl of rice at Yasushiboy. The price here is also very good.

とってもおいしいスープが決め手です！久米にあり、見た目は普通のラーメン屋さんなんですが、素晴らしいです！・・・

Number 1: Kaoru “Tori Soba”

第1位　カヲル

I chose Kaoru as my number one choice because it is the best ramen I have eaten in Japan (so far). The soup is unique because it is chicken base, but it is not heavy, like Tori-No-Suke. It is available in either a salt base or soy sauce base. The broth tastes like pure chicken flavor and is very clear. After you finish your meal, you do not feel tired like other ramen shops. Another great point is that the chef uses ingredients from Yamaguchi Prefecture, so everything is fresh.

今まで日本で食べたラーメンで1番です！スープが独特で、鶏ベースなのですが、重くないのです。塩ベースや醤油ベースも選べるんです！・・・

Written By David Press-Dawson.

Akiyoshido Cave

Hi everyone, it’s Taz again.

みなさん、こんにちは。タズです！

We decided to go to Akiyoshido Cave in Mine during the Obon break.  It was a lovely, sunny day – there were 3 of us and we drove there.  We managed to find parking with ease as there were a lot of small parking lots with prices stated in big writing.

お盆休みに、秋芳洞にいきました。
天気もよく、3人で車で向かいました。・・・

We went to the ticket office for the cave, looking at the restaurants and gift shops as we passed.  At the ticket office, we asked about the discount for foreigners, but we had forgotten to take our passports!  I had a picture of my passport on my phone, so luckily I received a discount!

チケット売り場では、外国人割引を受けようとしましたが、
皆、パスポートを忘れてしまって・・・。
だけど、私だけはラッキーでした、なぜかというと・・・

As soon as we stepped out of the ticket office the beautiful sights hit us.  We began taking pictures straight away, of course!

The walk up to the cave was amazing, with a beautiful preview of what was waiting for us inside.

Once we stepped inside, it took a short while for our eyes to adjust to the darkness – such a change from the bright and sunny day outside.

洞窟に入ると、目が暗闇に慣れるまで少しかかりました。・・・

We were amazed by the breathtaking sights of the cave – as we walked uphill and downhill inside the caves we were in awe of the sights.

Some parts of the cave had been named – here are some of the ones we found funny…

We came out at the other end of the cave, but didn’t know where we were or how to get back to the car!  We decided to walk back through the cave to get back to the start…

洞窟の別の出口から出たのですが、車まで戻る道がわからなくて、

洞窟をもどって入口まで戻ることにしました。

I would love to go back to the cave with some of the new teachers, and this time maybe explore some of the surrounding areas as well.

また、ＳＥＳの先生たちとこの洞窟に来れたらいいと思います！・・・

Keep an eye out to hear more about my adventures in Japan!

日本での冒険の話を楽しみにしていてくださいね！

Fall in Japan

I enjoy Japan!

Hi everyone! It’s Alex. I’m from Seattle, so I’m really enjoying the colder temperatures recently. I’ve been in Japan for almost 7 months now. I love it here. Japan is so beautiful and I love traveling all around, especially in the Japanese countryside. Every chance I get, I love to surround myself in Japanese nature and look at the beauty.

こんにちは、皆さん！アレックスです。

シアトルから来ました。日本に来て7か月が経ちます。

最近は、寒くなってきましたが、それも楽しんでいます。

私は、日本が大好きで、特に田舎を旅するのがお気に入りです！

I’ve been to Miyajima many times, and recently I went this fall, to see some of the leaves.

Here are some pictures from my nature walking around Miyajima.

宮島へは何度も行きました。最近は、紅葉を見に行きました。

Here are some pictures from my nature walking around Miyajima.

I also hiked to the top of Mt. Misen. I didn’t use the ropeway, I really enjoyed the challenging hike.

弥山（みせん）にも登りました。

ロープウェイは使わず、ハイキングでチャレンジしました！

I also recently went to Mikuradake, a small mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture.

また、広島の小さな山、三倉岳にも行きました。

Here is Mikuradake. I went to the top of the middle peak.

Here is me at the top of Mikuradake. The sun was very bright! And there was a tiny bit of snow falling. The hike was very challenging. It was very steep near the top, so there was a chain that we had to climb to reach the top. It was so fun.

三倉岳の頂上に登った時の写真です。太陽がとても眩しくて、少し雪が降っていました。・・・

Japanese food is so delicious. I love eating sashimi. Since it’s getting colder now, I am really enjoying ramen. I like going to new ramen shops and trying different kinds of ramen. I’m looking forward to trying some winter nabe. 

日本食はとてもおいしいです。刺身が大好きです。その他にも・・・

So far I’m really loving Japan. I hope to do more hiking in the future, trying many more different kinds of food, learning more about Japan, and most of all looking forward to summer when I can go swimming in the seas surrounding Japan. 

ハイキングへ行ったり、もっといろいろなことに挑戦できたらと思います！・・・

Climbing Mount Taikazan

Hi everyone,

こんにちは、皆さん。

It’s Taz here – I’m from Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England.  I have been in Japan for about 4 months now and I am really enjoying it here!

タズです。
イングランドのニューキャッスルから来ました。
日本に来て4か月になります。

I am not a very fit or active person but I recently decided to climb Mount Taikazan in Shunan!  All of the other teachers were busy or didn’t want to go, so I decided to climb it alone.  I used my phone’s navigation system to get to the bottom of the mountain, then I parked my car and walked up.  I considered walking up one of the trails, but I saw a sign warning me of snakes!  😱

私はアクティブな方ではないのですが、

最近、周南の太華山を登ることを決めました！・・・

I decided to just walk along the road which the cars take to get to the top of the mountain.  I took some beautiful photos of the sights along the way up…

道に沿って、頂上をめざし、美しい写真を撮りました。・・・

…and once I got to the top.

It was very quiet going up – I only saw 1 other person as I was climbing the mountain and, once I got to the top, I saw another 4 or 5 people.

頂上はとても静かでした。・・・

I enjoyed the sights so much that I decided to go up Mount Taikazan again the following week, but this time I wanted to see the sunset from the top, so I decided to drive up.  I drove up and enjoyed the peaceful view at the top of the mountain, again taking lots of pictures.

景色を楽しんで、また次の週にこの山に登ろうと決めました。しかし、次の週には日の入りを見たかったので、車で行きました。・・・

It was a bit scary walking around in the dark afterwards, when I went to find my car!  😕

暗闇では、歩くのも怖くて・・・

The weather is a bit colder now but I hope to climb up again in the Spring, as I think it will be beautiful in a different way!

寒くなってきましたが、また春に登山をしたいと思います。・・・

Hopefully I will add more about my adventures soon…  🙂

また、いろいろとお話ししますね！

My life in Japan so far...

   新しくＳＥＳにやって来たエイミー講師です！

　 皆さん、どうぞ宜しくお願い致します♪

Hello everyone it's Amy...
こんにちは、みなさん。エイミーです。

Here's me at 2am on the day I left

....and I'm here to tell you all about my first month living here in Shunan, Japan.

まずは、周南での初めての１ヶ月についてお話しします。

When I first arrived into Tokuyama train station I was tired, confused, and a little worse for wear! I had just spent the last 42 hours travelling all the way from Manchester in England to a very rainy Japan, and all I could think about was having a hot shower, drinking a cup of coffee and going to sleep.

初めて徳山駅に降り立ったとき、私はとても疲れていました。マンチェスター（イギリス）から雨の降る日本までのフライトを終え、ただ考えるのは暖かいシャワーを浴びること、一杯のコーヒーと睡眠をとることでした。

But before I tell you about all of that, here's a little information about myself.

ここで、私のことについて少しお話ししましょう。

I am 24 years old (as of November 11th) and I was born and raised in Rotherham, England. I am the youngest in my family and I have been living in York in England for the last five years. I studied Psychology at York St. John University and I have a slight obsession with shoes!

私は２４歳で、イギリスのロザラムで生まれ育ちました。末っ子で、この５年はヨークセントジョン大学で心理学を学びました。・・・

When I first told my family and friends that I wanted to move to Japan they asked me why. Why?
There are many reasons that made me want to come to Japan, I love the people, I love the culture, I love the scenery and most important of all...I love the food!

私が日本に行きたいと言ったとき、家族が　どうして？なぜ？　と聞いてきました。たくさんの理由がありますが、人々、文化、景色、、そして何といっても、日本食が大好きなんです！

But enough about me, take a look at what I have done in my first few weeks of being here.

周南での最初の数週間についてお話しします。

Hopefully as you can see by my photos I have already explored some of the things to do in the Yamaguchi prefecture. I highly recommend driving through the mountains at this time of year as the changing of the leaves is simply breathtaking.

この写真からわかるように、すでに山口県のいくつかの場所を探索しました。・・・

Shrine in the mountains

Here we drove for around 40 minutes where we found two amazing cafe's out in the woods. We drank hot chocolate, ate food and admired the views.

そして、４０分くら車を走らせると、森の中に２軒の素敵なカフェを見つけました。
そこでホットチョコレートと食べ物をいただき、景色を眺めました。


This was a cool semi-abandoned shrine that we found on a short walk from one cafe to the next.

これはカフェからもう一つのカフェへ行く道で見つけた、やや廃墟と化した神社です。

View from Hikari beach 

Part of my job involves teaching in a few different locations, one of which is in Hikari city. Hikari is about a 20 minute drive from my house in Shunan and has a really quiet beach where you can enjoy watching the waves roll in and letting the world pass you by.

私の職場は光市と周南市です。・・・

I am looking forward to spending more time here when the weather is nice and warm!

天気のいい時に時間を過ごすのが楽しみです。

Admiring the Koi fish in Kanyo-ji Temple

Last weekend I went to visit the Kanyo-ji Temple which is a 45 minute drive from Shunan centre and is in such a beautiful location. We explored the Temple for only 300 yen and enjoyed the peace and quiet when we were there. 

先週、漢陽寺へ行きました。…

After visiting the Temple we walked around Kanokami and went to a few more shrines before heading home for the day. I highly recommend that you come here in Autumn as the views in the Temple and around the mountains are spectacular. 

そのあと鹿野上を歩いて回り、いくつかの神社を訪ねました。・・・

Observing an Aikido class

I went to observe an Aikido lesson during my spare time on Sunday. It was amazing to see everyone perform the moves and work together. It was a very good experience and I enjoyed watching the class. I am hoping to join an adult Aikido class at some point this year so stay tuned!

日曜日には合気道の練習を見に行きました。みんなの動きや、一緒に頑張る姿は素晴らしかったです。・・・

Surprise Birthday party thrown by my students

And finally here's a photo of me! My students threw me a lovely surprise Birthday party with cake and presents, topped off with this amazing decoration! It was such an amazing gesture and I can't wait to continue my teaching journey here in Japan! 

最後に、私の写真です。生徒たちが私の誕生日をお祝いしてくれました！日本で英語を教える日々が楽しみでしかたないです！・・・

Thanks for reading,

Amy 

A quick selfie under the torii

Hello everyone! You know, it's true what they say—time flies!  I can't believe I've already been in Japan for 10 months.  So far, I think the overall highlight has been getting to know all of my students here at SES.  Specifically in regards to travel though, I would have to say my time in Kyoto has been my favorite experience.

みなさん、こんにちは！
時が経つのは速いです！もう日本に来て１０ヶ月です。

今回は、京都に旅行したことをお話しします。


I went in August over the Obon holiday, so it was very hot and humid; even so, I still had a wonderful time! First, I went straight to Kobe and visited two very dear friends of mine from my days as a university student.  They are a married couple and have lived in Japan now for five years.  I had a great time catching up with them and reminiscing old times. After a few days in Kobe and Osaka, I was off to Kyoto!  Of course, I wanted to visit the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine! However, as we all know, this shrine is very popular and is often very crowded with tourists. So, I set my alarm to 4:00 AM in my capsule hotel bunk, which was probably much to the chagrin of others sleeping around me.  Admittedly, I may have hit the snooze button a few times before groggily crawling out of my bunk.  Nevertheless, I arrived around 5:30 AM.  

とても蒸し暑い８月に、まず、神戸に行き、
大学時代の友人に会いました。
彼らはカップルで、日本に５年住んでいます。

神戸と大阪で数日過ごして、
京都に向かい、伏見稲荷大社を訪ねました。
ここはとても有名なので、混雑が予想されたので、
早朝４時にアラームをセットして、
何度かスヌーズボタンを押しましたと思いますが、
５時半頃には現地につきました。

If you enjoy photography, you may know that dawn and dusk provide the perfect lighting for pictures!  There were only a few other tourists around and I was able to capture all of the images I wanted without anyone getting in the way of my shot!

もし、写真が好きなら、
夜明けや夕暮れに素晴らしい光の効果があるのを知っていますよね？
人がほとんどいなかったので、イメージ通りの写真が撮れました。

  Fushimi Inari Taishi at 5:30 AM with no tourists!

I even made a new friend with a fellow solo traveler while I was there!  She was from China and her name was Chen Yang.   We lazily walked through all of the torii and traversed Mt. Inari in its entirety together.  Overall, I loved how the historical essence could still be felt in Kyoto alongside the modernity of a 21^st century city.  Most of all, I loved seeing the Japanese couples in their traditional yukatas walking hand-in-hand together around the city—kawaii! 

そこで、中国から来たChen Yangさんという女性と友達になりました。
一緒に鳥居をくぐって、稲荷山を登りました。

京都は２１世紀近代の都市であると同時に、
歴史的な要素を感じることができる、というのがいいと思います。
一番気に入ったのは、浴衣を着た日本人ふたりが手をつないで
歩いていた光景です。かわいい！

Summer yukatas at the Kyoto Imperial Palace

To see the rest of my photos from Kyoto, you'll have to visit www.instagram.com/bentravels


僕のインスタグラムから他の写真も見れます。

-Ben Powers ✌

 

Shaun's Christmas Break

SES防府校のショーン講師はクリスマスをどのように過ごしたのでしょう？

Hello!

During Christmas break I visited some family overseas. I was born and raised in America, but most of my family is British, and many of them still live in England. I stayed with my grandparents in Liverpool, England. While I was there I visited some traditional English pubs with my friends. 

クリスマスのお休みには海外にいる家族を訪ねました。
私はアメリカで育ちましたが、家族・親戚はイギリス人で、
今もイングランドに住んでいる人がいます。
イングランドではリバプールで祖父母のところで過ごし、伝統的なパブに行きました。

My father and I took a day-trip to Wales, which is a small country to the west of England. We hiked some mountains and ate traditional Welsh food. I learned how to speak a little Welsh a few years ago, so it was fun to use the language again. All of the street-signs are in Welsh and English, so it was good practice for me. 

父と私はイングランドの西にあるウェールズへ日帰り旅行しました。
何年か前にウェールズ語を学んでいるので、その言葉をまた使うことができて楽しかったです。

I flew back to Japan on New Year’s day, and it was a long and difficult flight. I do not enjoy flying, but I do enjoy watching movies for 13 hours. I'm glad to be back in Japan!

元日に日本に帰ってきました。１３時間という大変な長旅でしたが、
ずっと映画を見て楽しみました。

無事に日本に帰って来れて嬉しいです！

Chris' Winter Vacation

クリスの冬休み

This winter vacation was very relaxing. I spent most of my time at home. At home I would watch movies and cook O-Nabe. On January 2^nd I went to Oita-ken, Beppu City to enjoy the hot spring. It was very relaxing. I took the ferry from Tokuyama station and saw many mountains along the way. The hot spring was very nice, but there were many tourists there. Even though it was a boring vacation, I was able to rest and relax, so it was very enjoyable for me. Next year I plan to go on a bigger vacation, hopefully I can go to Hokkaido.

私の冬休みはとてもリラックスしたものでした。
ほとんど自宅にいて、映画をみたり、お鍋を作って過ごしました。

１月２日には大分県別府市に温泉を楽しみに行きました。
徳山からフェリーで出発し、道すがら山々を眺めました。

来年は北海道に行ければなぁ、と思います！

Christmas and New Year's Holidays

アメリカ人のジャスミン講師はどんな冬休みを過ごしたのでしょう？


Jasmin here! I spent my holidays on many planes traveling around the world to see family and friends!

ジャスミンです！私は家族や友達に会うために、世界中で飛行機に乗っていました！

First stop was Dallas to visit my father's side of the family. He has five brothers and sisters who are all married and have children. When we are together there are more than 25 of us! I flew into Seattle and was able to see the beautiful Mt. Rainier from the plane's window.


まずは、父方の家族に会うためにアメリカ・テキサス州のダラスに行きました。父には５人以上の兄弟、姉妹がいて、家族みんなが集まると、２５人以上もの大人数になりました！そして、シアトルへ飛び、飛行機から美しいレーニア山を眺めました。

Next, it was off to Istanbul. I lived in Istanbul for almost one year after graduating university. I enjoyed one of my favorite meals: a traditional Turkish breakfast. It includes eggs, sausage, fresh clotted cream, honey, fresh bread, and many cups of strong tea. I also visited some famous Turkish bazaars. 

次に、トルコ・イスタンブールを訪れました。私は大学卒業後、１年ほどここに住んでいました。そして、トルコの伝統的な朝食を楽しみました。卵、ソーセージ、新鮮で濃厚なクリーム、はちみつ、パン、濃いめのお茶です。有名なトルコの市場にも立ち寄りました。

Did you do any traveling to ring in the new Year?

あなたは新年を迎えるにあたって、どこか旅行をしましたか？