Today, my homemade umeshu (check out my umeshu making journey here -> Making Umeshu and Ume Syrup) turned a year old! We finally cracked the jar open and it's delicious. I think if I were to make it again, I would put in less sugar, as it is EXTREMELY sweet. It's a liqueur, so that's fine,... Continue Reading →
I was given my work schedule for this month on Friday and realized that (including today) I only have 12 school days left. 12 more days to see these kids that I've known and watched grow for 3 years. 12 more days of having my cup by the coffee machine in the staffroom, a shoe... Continue Reading →
Starbucks Japan is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, and dropped some very surprising and exciting news this week to help commemorate the event. Using local flavors, landmarks, and ideas from baristas across the country, Starbucks has designed a special commemorative Frappuccino for Every. Single. Prefecture. So that's 47 unique flavors of Frappuccino being released... Continue Reading →
Disclaimer: this is written from the perspective of someone who has carried an EpiPen before and was trying to get a prescription to replace an expired injector, not get a first time script issued. This is also not intended to be a medical guide, merely a (hopefully useful) description of my own experience. Where to... Continue Reading →
When I first started working on this board, it had been pouring rain for days and a tsuyu (rainy season) theme seemed very fitting. Now that I've finished it, it's sunny and hovering around 30 degrees, where it will be for the rest of the week. Uuuuuuuugh. Anyway, I'm extremely pleased with what I've done... Continue Reading →
This post is a continuation of my Jomo Karuta series. You can also check out Part 1 and Part 2. These cards are not listed in any particular order, and I will only post about a card once I have visited the pertaining location. My goal is to visit all the locations listed on the... Continue Reading →
Both of my schools are in rural environments, so part of the curriculum includes some farming and community involvement. Every year, the 5th graders go out to the nearby farms and help plant rice. We also have a school garden and field that students cycle crops through during the year. But by far the largest... Continue Reading →
I've heard a couple stories about how Japanese companies came to be called what they are, but haven't really paid much attention to it until now. After finally looking one of these stories up to see if it was true, I fell down the rabbit hole of researching company name origins. There's a lot of... Continue Reading →
My last two boards have been pretty arts-and-crafts heavy, so I decided to just print everything out this time. Then, I played myself by making a complicated background for the board anyway and didn't actually make anything any easier. Oops. I also really couldn't decide on a theme for this month, so I just spent... Continue Reading →
This week, the news cycle in Japan finally got a break from the endless coverage of the pandemic, the Olympics, and how they're both being handled badly. Instead, we got to sit around and watch daily update reports on the police search for.....a 3.5 meter (11.5 ft) 13 kg (29lbs) reticulated python (アミメニシキヘビ) that escaped... Continue Reading →
Linka Learns Things 