At Home, Elsewhere

learning how to be at home

  • Off the Beaten Path in Nara

    Off the Beaten Path in Nara

    Today I walked around Nara. It was another humid, hot day with sprinkles of rain in between. Nara is famous for its beautiful shrines, temples and its park, where the local deer hang out waiting for a feed. And they didn’t disappoint, and the tourists were enjoying giving them biscuits when I arrived. It was…

  • Take a Different Path

    Take a Different Path

    I feel that only now I am settling into life in Japan. People in the street have been greeting me, ohayo gozaimasu… konnichiwa… a quick nod of the head, a little smile. Now I am not afraid to put my head up when I go outside for a walk and say hello too. Every place…

  • Painting a Picture of Osaka

    Painting a Picture of Osaka

    It’s a rainy day in Osaka today, but everyone is still out walking around. My first month in Japan has been a little lonely, especially since I don’t live in the centre of the city. Going to the centre, where strangers walk side by side, makes me feel a little warm and happy. The city…

  • When Two Worlds Meet

    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…

  • Lessons from a Sunflower

    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…

  • Lost in Kobe

    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…

  • The Beauty of Commitment

    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…

  • All the Little Pieces

    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…

  • The Moment Your Dream Arrives

    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…

  • The Fog of Fiction

    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…