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When Two Worlds Meet
This morning I went to a small local place for breakfast, a café run by an old couple just a short walk away from where I live. As I walked in, I smelled the odour of old cigarettes and was greeted by the gentle smile of an older man wearing a suit. He spoke no…
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Lessons from a Sunflower
This morning it was raining heavily. I woke up, and then I went back to sleep. I didn’t want to face the day. Have you ever descended into a bad mood early in the day? It happens no matter where you are. If we travel for short periods of time, the sensation may leave us…
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Lost in Kobe
Today the sky was white and the air was heavy, I slept in a little but then took a long train to Kobe. As soon as I arrived, I knew that I would like it there. A big port city. It’s both international and historical, and was one of the first cities in Japan to…
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The Beauty of Commitment
I have been in Japan for a while now and I begin to witness some change. I see the rice fields are becoming thicker with grass, and are no longer empty reflections of the sky. People are event starting to recognise me at the places I frequent. They say hello, or they smile a little…
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All the Little Pieces
I am getting very comfortable in my life in Japan, and I have to say – they really know how to make a person’s life comfortable. I am simultaneously content and worried. Content that my life here is convenient in a lot of little ways, but also worried about this seemingly inherent need to please…
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The Moment Your Dream Arrives
The air is getting really humid now, rainy season is kicking in. That paired with my recent change in circumstances is making life a little uncomfortable for me, if you hadn’t already noticed. I’ve been busy with my teaching business and with re-arranging my plans for my early return to Australia. My mind is clogging…
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The Fog of Fiction
I have been worrying these days. My mind is trying to convince me that my life is not good enough, it’s not interesting enough to share. Whenever I feel bad about myself, I know that there is just a fear underneath. A way in which I am trying to protect myself. It strikes me that…
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The Value of Space
The heat has increased in the last few days, and it has become muggy. Still, I make sure to walk regularly. It’s one of the things I like to do because when I walk, I think. I consider, reflect and develop ideas. Sometimes that means I think myself into a deep, dark hole that I…
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Starting the Last Chapter
Yesterday evening I went to sit at one of my favourite shrines in my neighbourhood. It’s quiet and not too far away. It is ordinary, not as unique as the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, but somehow it is special for me. It’s peaceful and even though there is a road just beside it, the…
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Finding Treasure in Osaka
Today, I felt sick again. Maybe it’s the hay fever, maybe it’s my teaching schedule, maybe it’s all the new things that have been happening in my life recently… but I have been exhausted almost every day. I decided to go to Osaka anyway. Some things have been happening in my life recently, and I…