27 posts tagged “sapporo”
a swede, a guatamalan and an australian walk into a cuban bar in japan
god i love living in sapporo
Well ok I'm in Starbucks... again!! (got to love blogging from my phone (^-^)/ ).
Today is cold and cloudy... but there is a definite spring time buzz in the air. I'm not sure if the spring fashion on display in the stores or the general vibe of the locals but there is a feeling spring is coming.
The problem with time moving on is that I'm running out of time.
I only have 11 months on my visa but I wish to stay in Japan. At this stage short of returning to my previous job I'm running out of options. I can definitly see the rock and the hard place and I don't want to go near either.
Early mid April and the snow is falling outside... if it was rain you would call it drizzle but for snow I'm not sure what to call it.
It is Saturday morning and I have completed my first week back at school. And let me just say at the top of this entry if any of my readers are considering learning Japanese, the school I attend is NOT the place to do it. My list of complaints and grievances with this place are many, not least of which is overcrowded classes... my class currently has 22 students attending a level or 2 above me has 25??? Not to mention the ridiculously tight schedule and uncompromising way of learning a language.
As a language teacher myself I have some idea what works and what doesn't. This school does not work. And it is not just me, other students are pissed off too, but no one seems to say anything... I don't know why. I had a 3 hour meeting with the boss a couple of months ago.. and nothing was achieved... (well actually for the briefest moment it was.. but things go back to normal). I could continue my rant but I really don't want to.. (at least in this forum). My last word here for the moment is that some of the teachers are wonderful... but for the commencement of the new academic year I have lost my favourite.
The snow has gotten heavier....
I am about to start using the family and friends feature here to keep some of my entries private. If you are part of my family and friends and would like to read beyond the public, please join vox and join my neighbourhood, I can then authorise you to read beyond the public pages.
So this morning I lost/dropped $200 worth of 2 small plastic cards...
Somewhere between downtown Sapporo and the local tram stop I misplaced (permanently it would seem) my Starbucks card (with about $100 on it) and my transport pass (worth the same value).
I am not bloody happy.
The only amusing thing came (and it is only amusing now)... is when I went to the Susukino Koban (police station) to report the lost cards...
As I entered there were around 10 police sitting right in the front office... 4 of them jumped up, a couple others sat up and for the slightest second everybody was looking at me as if I was the most dangerous and wanted man in Hokkaido. It wasn't until I stated that I had lost property to report that everybody relaxed...
But for the briefest moment I thought my next stop was going to be the morgue with 10 bullet holes in me....
struth what a morning....
I came to town early this morning (6.50) to get coffee and to do some study - the only thing open - McDonalds argh.
Starbucks opens in 10m.
I need a 24 hour city.
And yes I know bagels don't originate from Australia... but they are readily available and a bagel and cream cheese for brekkie and a hot coffee is a great way to start the day.
At least for the next 2 weeks I am going to have a great start to my day.. I purchased a stack of bagels... now I just need to work out how to navigate their web store.
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and enjoyable times one can have in Japan is during the brief period when the cherry blossoms (sakura) bloom. As the wave of pink blossoms moves through the country, people gather (friends, school mates, or work colleagues) together to engage in a spot of drinking, dining and cherry blossom viewing.
Negishi Koen in Kanagawa has a thicket of cherry tress which you can't see until you top a rise... and before you.. well that photo is the best representation that I could take... but in the flesh it is breathtaking...
I am lucky - the cherry blossoms are yet to boom in Sapporo, so for the second year in a row I get to attend two hanami parties. Both times once in Yokohama and once here in Sapporo. Magic.
Photos from the hanami and sakura can be seen here.
