I guess I've been taking what has been referred to as a 'radiation vacation.' After the nuclear crisis began in Japan, many foreigners, and even Japanese people, either left the country or traveled/relocated for a little while to get away from the areas around the nuclear plants, just in case. Five days after the big earthquake, I decided to return to California in an attempt to restore my sanity and to give my parents peace of mind. It has been nice to be home, but I miss my job and all of my friends in Japan.
I am returning to Japan on April 29th to finish my contract term with the JET program. I will be there for three more months, until the beginning of August. In the meantime, I've been taking it easy at home, visiting family members, and reflecting on the ongoing situation in Japan. My new hobby has kept me pretty occupied, too.
 |
| I've been spending many of my days at my aunt's house, learning how to crochet. |
 |
| So far, I've learned how to make pot holders and dish rags. Scarves are next! |
 |
| 4th of July colors - The red and white pot holder was going to be Swiss themed, but the white cross in the middle didn't work out so well. We'll save that project for a knitting day. |
 |
| Bing cherry trees in my back yard. |
 |
| Colorful letters with cheerful messages from Katie's school, Garden Gate Elementary, for disadvantaged students in northern Japan. They are part of a project called '3,000 Letters for Japan,' started by an English teacher living in Gunma-ken, Japan. |
 |
| We went to L.A . for the 'Fabulous Fords Forever 2011' car show last weekend. Of course we had to make a stop at Disneyland, too.:) |
 |
| Mom and I devoured our clam chowder and minestrone soup bread bowls at Disneyland. It got messy in the end... |
 |
| Domo-kun (the official mascot of Japan's NHK TV station) at California Disneyland! |
 |
| さくら (cherry blossoms) in front of the Matterhorn. |
 |
| I couldn't buy one of these, so I had to take a picture instead. :) |
 |
| Dad's idol, Parnelli Jones, signing autographs at the car show. |
 |
| Parnelli Jones' old racing bronco, 'Big Oly.' |
 |
| Mom and dad, showing off their autographed photos of Parnelli Jones. |
 |
| I loved this car! Totally prepared for the drive-thru... |
 |
| T-birds. |
 |
| My favorite Boss car. |
 |
| He spent a while checking out this Bronco while mom and I collected stickers, posters, and magazines for him from nearby booths. |
 |
Cambria - A beautiful town on the California coast, in between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Known for the nearby famous 'Hearst Castle.' We stopped here on the way home from the car show.
We stayed at the 'Bluebird Inn,' a cozy family-run motel. The next morning we took a nice long walk along the coast on a path unknown to most tourists but popular with the locals. |
 |
| The outdoor restaurant we ate at on our last day. This bird owned the place- he checked out our table for about five minutes, then swooped in and stole our butter dish, along with the four cubes of butter in it. I later found the dish near the road and returned it to the restaurant. Crazy bird! |
