cleanup

This past Tuesday, Chikusa High School and Junior High School partook in a "beautification" project around various parts of Chikusa town. The general end goal was to clean up some of the areas that were prone to gathering trash, whether due to gravity or because it's a place that attracts litterers. I went up with the 2nd years to the Shibiki Pass, an area well-up a winding road from the center of town that leads to a neighboring village and looks down into a huge valley. The vista is amazing and lots of people go up to see it, but they tend to leave their trash on the side of the road before heading back down. I figured we'd be walking around with bags and sticks, picking up loose papers and wrappers in the gutters.

springtime is here!

さようなら

sayounara

good-bye

梅

うめ

ume

Japanese plum

ざうお

zauo

Zauo, a restaurant in Osaka

京セラドーム

きょうせらどーむ

kyousera do-mu

Kyocera Dome

Buko

young, drinkable coconut

Khanga

A multi-purpose, towel-sized sheet of fabric sold in Tanzania, often having bold patterns and a Swahili message on the bottom.

Lola

grandmother

Butanding

whale shark

花見

はなみ

hanami

cherry blossom viewing party

桜

さくら

sakura

cherry blossom

In just a blink of an eye, we've gone from saying さようなら to the previous school year to holding mid-term exams here at Chikusa High School. Where did all the time go? A lot has certainly happened in the past 2 months, and it's about time to catch you up! Here's some of what's happened in my life since I last wrote.