2019年2月22日金曜日

2019年2月22日金曜日 -

Johnathan: York




Hi. How's it going everybody? My name's John. I come from a humble little town called York, PA (not to be confused with New York, four hours due north). To be completely honest, the town is far from glamorous – it's seen better days for sure – but it has some pretty awesome little features.

York was once the first capital of the United States when the nation was still very young. We're home to the York Fair, which is America's oldest fair that was first held in 1765 and is still held annually, and for chocolate lovers, they produce York Peppermint Patty. York is also very close to Hershey, Pennsylvania, known the world over for its chocolate and amusement park. But though that small familiar town was my home, I always yearned for something more fulfilling; a better goal in life to pursue that home couldn't give me per se.

I had my first real taste of Japan when I moved to Ikebukuro, and went to a college in Tokyo called Sophia University. I picked up life experience, met diverse people I never would have met had I stayed in York (like Japanese people, for example!) and found out that the world is a whole lot bigger than what a computer or books can tell you. In taking the gamble to leave home, I realized that I could make a dream come true by giving myself an opportunity to see more of the world and live my best life. I found that I really clicked with my Japanese and international peers and made many indelible memories. When I had to go back home to finish school, I'd already made my mind up that I would come back to Japan, but on more permanent terms rather than a five-month stint.
To be continued


humble：地味な
due north：真北
far from：～からはかけ離れた
features：特色
home to：～が生まれた場所
York Peppermint Patty：ミントフィリングにチョコレートをかけたお菓子
yearned for：恋焦がれる
per se：それ自体は
Diverse：多様な
clicked with：意気投合した
peers：仲間
indelible：忘れられない
made my mind up：心に決めた
stint：ケチケチした

2019年2月15日金曜日

2019年2月15日金曜日 -

Ashleigh - My First Trip to Japan


The first time I came to Japan, I stayed near Tokyo. When I left from Sydney it was summer, but when I arrived in Japan it was winter. The seasons are the opposite in Australia and Japan, so it was a big change in temperature!

I remember walking off the plane and the air was very cold. From Narita, I caught the airport bus to Tokyo station. And from Tokyo station, I caught the train to the AirBNB I was staying at in Kawasaki. When I was on the train, I remember being surprised at how quiet it was. Trains in Australia are often quite noisy, and many people chat or listen to music. However, the trains in Tokyo were almost silent.
 
During the next three weeks, I stayed at the AirBNB. It was a house share with local Japanese people, and a few other people who were staying at the house on holiday too. One night, we cooked hotpot together. And on other nights we also watched the Sochi Winter Olympics on TV. It was nice to come back after a day of sightseeing to spend time with new friends, and it was also a good opportunity to learn more about the local Japanese culture.


The most surprising thing about Tokyo was how big it was. At the top of Tokyo Sky tree, you can see buildings spanning until the horizon. Even though I walked around and explored the city every day, there were still many things that I didn’t see. My favourite memory was seeing Mount Fuji. I went with my friend’s parents, who drove us there, and we stopped at Lake Kawaguchi on the way. From there, we could see Mount Fuji in the distance and there was so much snow, some of the lake was even frozen over. On the same day, we also traveled to Hakone and got the chairlift up the mountain. The view was very beautiful.

By the end of the trip, I had experienced going to various temples and shrines, seeing the plum trees bloom, joining a traditional tea ceremony and trying a lot of Japanese food. Now I live in Osaka and although it is different in some ways to Tokyo, I really enjoy living here too!

opposite: 逆
AirBNB: 個人が民泊や体験アクティビティを提供するWeb site
hotpot:  鍋
spanning: ～に至る
horizon: 地平線
explored: 探検した
chairlift: リフト


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