It's Beyond Cold - Snow Days!

So the temperatures have been steadily dropping for weeks... I'm waking up, burrowed under my covers in a ball and trying to stay there as long as possible.  Moving from the warm bed to the icy cold floor is not a fun experience each day.  If I was never a morning person before, it's gotten worse.  But, just last week, I woke up to absolute silence and when I peeked outside, I saw a white landscape and smiled. 

South to Fukuoka - Weekend Trip

I've been absent from my blog posts a bit, but I wanted to share some great pics I got from my trip to Fukuoka in late November.  November was a big travel month for me as I went to both Kansai area and then later to Fukuoka.  Fukuoka is located in Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan.  It's a port city and closest to Korea.  I spent 3 days there with a friend and, despite the short time, I really enjoyed it.

Kansai Trip - 5 days, in brief

With my return home looming on the horizon (3 months to go!), I finally got around to using some of my vacation days (I only have 5 precious days).  I used a few to take a trip down to Kansai area.

Weathering the Typhoons

We're on typhoon #26, I think.  Rather than naming them, Japan keeps track of the typhoons each year by merely counting them.  A simple and undecorated approach.

Half-way Point - Contract Renewal

So I reached the six month mark in my contract... I can't believe it's half over.

Summer Vacation

For the summer break, I had one week off work (Thurs to Wed).  I wasn't feeling much in the mood to travel during heat here, but I did get out to go to a few places.

Two Women vs. the Grasshopper

A short story sharing the moments before my summer vacation, and how one moment of forgetfulness led to an "epic" battle between two women - who are seriously afraid of all sorts of bugs - and a grasshopper - Japanese size (large) and perky enough (or, sadistic enough) to jump in the sweltering heat of summer.