July 24 seems a long-time ago.....

So I have been here nearly five months...Unbelievable!
What has happened in those five months? Well much that I care to remember and some stuff that I don't..

I remember......
The busyness of the JET welcome conference in Tokyo, waiting in line to iron my shirt, the endless supply of information, the endless number of American accents (nothing against Americans per se..) and my excitement at my first ride on the Shinkansen.
The incredible heat and humidity of summer....I took a while to get used to that and struggled to function at times...sweating whilst standing still is always an intersting if not entirely pleasant experience.
The first time I saw the Island...for some reason I thought it was flat???? Silly me! I am still in awe of the longest single span suspension bridge in the world that I see at least once or twice a week.
The hospitality and goodwill shown to me by my Supervisor and fellow English teachers upon my arrival and I am thankful to God for their help and support.
My frustration at not being able to call my then girlfriend back in NZ one night, I couldn't find a phone box to dial internationally and it rained...
Giving my welcome speech in front of the whole school and waiting for days to be able to drive my car due to insurance complications....my bike is better suited to someone much shorter than me and female...
Sports day and the endless practice sessions leading up to it, my first Onsen and the fun Enkai (teachers party) afterwards...
The beautiful sunsets I have seen whilst out walking and from the beach 5 minutes down the road..
All nighters in kobe and catching the first train back to Akashi then falling asleep on the ferry before running to catch the first bus....
Tripping up to Nagoya and seeing my friends in Yokkaichi...beautiful mountains....
Meeting some great people at KBF Church who make my time here so much more meaningful and enjoyable...
Being breathless watching Cirque du Soleil in Osaka and mastering the underground....
Spinning around the narrow streets on Awaji doing more than the 40km speed limit in my Honda Today....motorised sewing machine...love that car....
Getting caught in a torrential downpour/thunderstorm whilst out walking the hills...could not see a thing in front of my face and the lightening was frightening...bring it on....


There are more things and I may add to this...

I perhaps would care to forget.....
The time wasted looking back to NZ and wishing I was there...crazy...I chose to come to Japan, God opened the doors and brought me here and I should have been wise enough to cut ties before I came...God has taught me some painful lessons....folly has a high price.