Finding myself with too much free time at a computer in work and a four year journalism degree that should surely be put to some sort of use, I have decided to start a blog for the short time I have here in Japan. As much as I would like to declare that it will contain all types of interesting insight into the Japanese psyche, it will more likely feature lots of photos of pretty things I see, like this view of the sunset from my office window:

 Or of the funny, cool or strange stuff that you come across on a daily basis, like this:

And quite possibly, a lot of food pictures. Quite unavoidable when there are as many amazing and strange snacks as there are here.

Turns out purple rice is seaweed flavour. Go figure.

I'm currently teaching English in an all-women's university in Nagoya, and will be doing so until Christmas. Although I was apprehensive at first about teaching all girls, it is kind of interesting to see how different they are from girls at home. The average age of my students is 19 - most have never drunk a drop of alcohol, their weekends are filled with "working part-time job" and they've never been to a nightclub. In contrast, the vast majority of them dress like a mildly conservative prostitute to come to (an all-women's) university.
Teaching them is a bit like teaching girls of a secondary school age at home. On my first day they asked me if I preferred Disney or Hello Kitty and were shocked to discover I didn't really have a preference. (In hindsight, it's clearly Disney.) They think I'm 26 - a two year addition to my real age - and when they found out I didn't have a boyfriend there was a resounding 'awww' laced with pity around the classroom. My declarations that it was my choice and I really was a valid human being despite being single fell on deaf ears. Not to be engaged by about 27 here is not good.

And so I learn something new every day. Some days it's an interesting observation into society - like that a lot of Japanese girls diet to crazy extents to maintain the tiny figures we think are naturally Asian or Japanese; other days it's not so deep - like that most people here are convinced beyond persuasion that watermelon is, in fact, a vegetable. I can't promise that the former will outnumber the latter but I'll try my best.

Until the next time!