autumn around the corner

With the end of September coming near, change has made its way into my life and the routine I've found here in Naruto. The near intolerable heat of late summer has been replaced with mild evenings and cool breezes. I am finding that the change in seasons is putting my mind and body at more of an ease as well as prefacing the year(s) to come in Japan.

This past weekend was first time that things here have felt not only good but 'normal' as well. Julia, a very good friend from Pittsburgh and fellow ALT, took an overnight train from Yamagata on Friday night to meet up with me in Osaka on Saturday morning. I've been looking forward to this weekend since we planned it about a month ago and, needless to say, it could not have turned out much better. Seeing an old friend in a situation such as this can be very important for one's psyche...I realized this the second I saw Julia at the train station. If familiar things are what get you through the difficult times here than an old friend is at the top of that list.




After an action packed day and night in Osaka (including an okonomiyaki & Kirin dinner!), we decided to take the 2 hour bus ride to Naruto for the next evening. Having a visitor come to my city and see my situation made me feel so much more at home in Naruto. When I visited Julia in Japan nine months ago she said the same thing about my time there. I found that I was proud to show her the simplicites of my daily life in southern Japan. Going grocery shopping and preparing huge salads for dinner reminded me so much of when we were housemates in Pittsburgh (although the salad that we made on Sunday night tasted better than any I've ever had back in the States).


The aquarium in Osaka was also a treat. We headed there for our first activity of the day on Saturday and I realized that the last time I visited one was in Montreal a few years back. I forgot how much I liked being there and taking pictures of fellow spectators as well. Although the size of the much advertised whale shark didn't live to my preconceived standards, I'm planning on making a few more visits there because there is just so much to see.