Well, my second full week of work is officially finished here in Akashi. I’m getting used to my position at work and planning for lessons is gradually becoming a shorter process. My first couple of weeks have not been without mishaps, such as teaching a lesson without the textbook (which surprisingly didn’t end as badly as it sounds), but I’m feeling much more at home in my position. I’m also happy to be getting to know my co-workers better. I have a feeling already that this is going to be a good year.
Outside of work, I’ve had a day off here and there during training, but I’ve only had one full weekend to enjoy Akashi so far. And on my first full weekend off, we had a typhoon come ashore on Sunday night. Having never encountered this particular weather phenomenon I didn’t know what to expect. It turns out it’s a whole lot of rain and some crazy wind, which I discovered can be very loud and disruptive to sleep. So I didn’t do too much on Sunday. On Monday (the second day of my weekend here) I went into Osaka for lunch and some shopping with a friend. When I came back to Akashi that afternoon, I went exploring down by the water. I picked up some dinner at a convenience store and found a little beach to eat at, with a great view of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. On my way home from dinner on the beach, I came across a group of stray cats (of which there are an abundance in Akashi) and found the most ridiculously cute and tiny kitten. It took all of my will power and self-reminders of the no pets policy at my apartment, not to take it home with me. As I was heading home, I couldn’t help but worry about this little kitten, even though he was with a group of older cats. So, I went back to check on him one more time. This time a middle-aged man was standing in the middle of this clowder of cats (yes, apparently that is the collective term for a group of cats). I couldn’t tell at first what he was doing, but then I noticed him taking a bottle of water and some crackers out of his bag. As I watched him feed the cats, including the precious little kitten, I snapped a few candid shots of this random act of kindness. I felt much better leaving then, with someone watching over them.
Now, I’m really looking forward to another full weekend of relaxation and exploration in Akashi. More stories and pictures to come!
Kindness
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