It’s been the longest and shortest two years of my life. (Sometimes I feel like I’ve been living here FOREVER. And sometimes I still feel like I just arrived.August 2018 marked two years of living in Japan, and it’s been quite the ride. Discover how combining certain medications can improve wellness. Learn about innovative treatments and their potential effects on weight. For more details, visit ...
Life
Lost Luggage – What to Know When Your Stuff Doesn’t Show Up
When you head off on holiday, there’s plenty to look forward to. Sun, sea, sand – and a bevy of memories you’ll carry with your forever. However, it’s isn’t all roses and sunshine. Sometimes things sadly go wrong. One such example comes in the form of luggage going missing. Here are some tips for knowing what to do when this does occur:Report it Don’t be shy about reporting your loss. As the CAA point out, most airports will have a specialist baggage area where you can report lost or ...
Under Construction
Cubicle Throwdown is turning 5 years old very soon (wait, what?! FIVE YEARS?!), and my little blog that has turned into a big part of my life is getting a much-needed makeover! Just as I've changed from a dive instructor in the Caribbean to an English teacher in Japan, my site needs some changes too. My new site will be much easier for me to post - something that is the reason behind my lack of posting lately. My current set-up is too cumbersome and makes me just not want to write anything. So ...
Month 53 Roundup – December 2016
Wow, what a year!2016 has been all over the map (literally and figuratively) for me.Here's a quick recap:January - lived in Roatan, went to Canada halfway through for family reasons February - in Canada, interviewed for the JET Programme March - in Canada, and then back to Roatan April - found out I got a spot on the JET Programme, left Roatan for good May through July - in Canada, with a few trips to around Canada and one to Portland in there August - moved to Japan! September through ...
Visiting Ritsurin Garden
You know that picture in your head you have of Japan? Maybe you imagine lush green Japanese gardens, with impeccably manicured trees, zen gardens, traditional teahouses, tranquil ponds and moss everywhere... at least that's what I pictured before I came here. I recently visited Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, and my imaginary picture came to life!At the entrance, there are special attendants who have "I Speak English!" buttons, but all you really need to do is hold up the number of fingers for ...
Happy Holidays from Japan!
I haven't been home for Christmas in close to 10 years.My family doesn't really "do" Christmas, so I'm not missing much. But the above statement seems to horrify a lot of people! I think if you've ever worked in the service industry, you have gained knowledge that Christmas is sometimes just another day.The last few years in Roatan I spent Christmas working, just like any other day. Imagine all those people coming down on their winter vacation and being told there's no diving on Christmas ...
A Weekend in Osaka
When I first visited Japan seven years ago, I crammed as much as I could into my trip. I think I came to Osaka, the second-largest city in all of Japan, for about two days. My memories are hazy, partly from drowning my brain in rum during my recent years living in the Caribbean and partly because the breakneck speed of my trip back then means everything sort of runs together in my mind now. All I remember seeing was massive restaurant signs in Amerika-mura (the "American" neighborhood...note the ...
Islands of Japan: Ogijima
The third installment of my Islands of Japan series! I'm an island girl at heart, so this country is perfect for me to explore all the islands that make up Japan (did you know there are 6,852 of them? I've got my work cut out for me).We visited Ogijima after spending the morning on Megijima. Just a short 20 minute ferry ride away, Ogijima has a similar yet different vibe than Megijima. It's much smaller, and the community seemed more traditional than Megijima, whose main focus seemed to be ...
Month 52 Roundup – November 2016
I've been in Japan for four months now, and I'm definitely starting to hit my groove. Things are sailing along in my classes and the teachers and students seem to like me, so that's good! I'm now a pro at the grocery store, the self-serve gas station and ordering at restaurants. I am still a small disaster at the post office, full-serve gas stations, and I haven't even bothered to try going to a doctor or dentist. (Baby steps!)I feel like I've had a luxurious time here, but I think a lot of ...
Islands of Japan: Megijima
The latest in the Islands of Japan series!Right now, I'm all about exploring my corner of Japan. The island that I live on, Shikoku, is big enough to have lots of geographic variety but small enough to visit different places on day trips or a weekend trip if I wanted to go all the way to the other end. I'm trying to save all my vacation days for next summer - they kinda frown on us taking days off while school is in session so I'm saving them up to take a month-long trip next August - so I'm ...