dmizer

Actually, I have been home for almost a month, but I am just now getting around to updating the site about it. After spending a few terrible weeks in Takamatsu, I just wanted to escape for a while. I've been riding a lot, especially now that the cherry blossom season is upon us. The whole world is awash in pink petals and trees. It's really spectacular. However, this afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled through and the heavy rain and wind conspired to decorate my bike.



When I got back from Shikoku, one of the first things I did was go to the motorcycle shop to have my seat refoamed and recovered. The old seat had been cut down to accommodate a shorter rider, and it was extremely uncomfortable for me. I had to be without my bike for a week though, but fortunately the shop provided a loaner bike while my seat was being recovered. It was a tiny Kawasaki W400. Super light and super fun, but full of vibrations so it would be no fun on longer rides. I did get out to the nearby Onga River, where the Nanohana were in full bloom and took a few photos.





I have a bunch of pictures from my trip to Takamatsu, but I think I will end up making a gallery of those instead of a blog post. Either way, I'll update here once I've uploaded them.

It's my third week here in Shikoku and I've been quite busy with getting the school prepared for it's new teacher. There are so many things to do because the school has been through so many different teachers that all the material is complete disarray. It's tough, but I hope that it will make the transition easier for the new teacher.

Since I've been so busy, I have been planning quite a big trip to get away from it all, relax, and enjoy myself. However, as you can see below, Old Man Winter had other ideas. It snowed so hard on Saturday night that the highways were closed for 3 days.



So rather than make a long trip, I made two short trips. Please click on "Read more" for lots of pictures.

It's been a while, so I thought I would update this with what's been going on recently.

My company asked me if I would like to transfer temporarily to Shikoku to cover at a school until they could find a permanent instructor for the school. It's a pretty rural (as far as Japan goes) location with none of the excitement that comes with many of the larger cities here in Japan, so apparently they've been having trouble keeping a teacher here.

As for me on the other hand, I've been dreaming of the chance to be able to visit this lovely area of Japan, rich with endearing culture, welcoming people, and expansive history. Now more so than ever because I've finally gotten my motorcycle license and that offers me a chance to see Shikoku in a way that most Westerners can only dream of.

This post outlines some of the highlights of the first two weeks of my transfer, including a leisurely ferry ride, a couple castles, and an ancient traditional Japanese hot spring. Click on "Read more" for the full story, with lots of pictures.

I couldn't believe that the weather was so good and the water was so warm that I just had to go for a swim.

Since I just purchased a motorcycle, I thought I would celebrate by adding a new gallery for your viewing pleasure: Click!

I purchased the bike on September 30th, and I've already put about 2000 Km on it. It's an older bike, a 1994 Honda CB1000 FR2, and it doesn't have any frills but it's reliable and very rideable. I'm looking forward to exploring Japan on two wheels!