I didn’t make it home… April 22, 2009

In my last post, I was getting ready to go home on vacation.   Unfortunately, that didn’t exactly happen.  Well, I shouldn’t say unfortunately because my trip home just got pushed back till the summer.   2 weeks before my flight was scheduled to leave, I saw an ad posted on an ESL website looking for someone to start work in March.   The headline read, “Looking for a kindergarten teacher and you will get 7 weeks of vacation”.    I couldn’t help but reply because the vacation time is simply phenomenal.   Last year, I only got about 2 weeks of vacation with 10 holidays thrown in as well.  So, 7 weeks had me near salavating at the mouth. 

I applied for the job and as they say, the rest is herstory.   I was hired the same day I applied and they asked me to start work on March 4th.   Now, I’m going home during summer vacation in July/August and I can’t wait!  This is the longest time I’ve been out of the USA but I’m not terribly homesick.   Of  course I miss certain things but I can hold out till the summer.

I did manage to go on a mini-vacation to Japan in March.  I had to get a new work visa for my job and did the infamous visa run to Fukuoka.   However, my visa run lasted a bit longer (8 days) than most due to some complications with immigration.  But I got to see Fukuoka, Osaka and Kyoto which was really cool.  Here are some photos of my trip and I’m so happy to know that someone looks in on this blog every once in awhile!

Shinkansen

A row of bikes in Fukuoka

A canal in Kyoto

East meets West

On the way to a temple

Kiyomizudera Temple

 

Pagoda

View from the top

So peaceful. The temple is in Kyoto

Pond view of the pagoda

I love this shot!

Leaving the temple

Next up, the streets of Osaka

I had to run to get this shot!

Dontcha just love the colors

The cutest McDonald's I've ever seen

I went to the mall; isn't this cool?