About

I am in Japan! I did it! I made it! I live in the oh so hot and humid city of Matsue. Seriously, today I thought I might as well grow some gills to breath the air. But, Matsue is a fantastic city nonetheless! In all reality it is the Venice of Japan. Many canals and bridges (hashi) run through the city, and I was fortunate enough to meet a vegan boy on my first real day in Japan who took me on a vegan-friendly-tour via bicycle. I spend the bulk of my time at work, where the majority of my students make my job incredibly enjoyable. As lesson planning becomes easier, I think I will find myself with more free time during the week to explore the city. So far my favorite time is 11pm or so at night, when it is cooler but still pleasantly warm and I ride my chibi bicycle home from work down the almost cobblestone streets. Unfortunately, it is also the time of kowai Japanese bugs. I had my first encounter with a cockroach and about died of a heart attack. Seriously GIANT sized. Luckily though, my apartment is quite new and bug free (so far). It is really cute and actually a lot bigger than expected (though most importantly it has an air conditioner!). I truly believe that this is where I am meant to be right now. I just got my very own Japanese hanko (signature-stamp) with the Kanji for my name: Shiro (Castle) and Da (Field). So there you have it: Schroeder in Japanese is castle-field. I am in Japan and life is happy and good (minus the cockroaches).