Monday, March 28, 2011

South for Study Week



Here is a pic of Margaret River doing its thing last week. I know, "study week" is meant to be for studying, but there was no reason that I couldn't surf AND study. Honest. Except now I have a really gross ear infection and am sitting in the library at uni trying to catch up with all my school work. It feels like there is a small dying creature living inside my ear, and it's pretty angry in there! It was worth it though :)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Japan



The Japanese are some of the most friendly, polite and helpful people I have ever met. I was lucky enough to spend some time traveling through Japan last year. I started in downtown Tokyo then caught the trains all the way up the coast as far as Apia for snowboarding. My sister lives in the Fukushima province teaching English to little school kiddies. The hospitality I received in her village and as a guest teacher at her schools was wonderful. One of my best memories is of catching the train alone up to a small fishing village north of Sendai. No one spoke english but I somehow managed to rent a bicycle and cycled all around the sleepy little town.
After a stressful weekend my sister has safely evacuated from Fukushima to Osaka. Nuclear emergencies strike in us a fear unparalleled. The fear of an unseen, uncontrollable toxic danger. My thoughts are with all the people of Japan, with a special little prayer going out to the sleepy fishing villages along the north coast and the people in the Fukushima area. Stay safe.