The Backpack Adventures

Week 116: January 15 – 19, 2024 Day 805: January 15, 2024 Monday – Rumoi -6 degrees in Rumoi City It's a frigid day, but the cold never bothered me anyway. 👸⛄ According to the weather forecast, a snowstorm was expected today. My supervisor informed me that classes would be canceled, but teachers were still required to report to work. He kindly offered me a ride, but I declined, confident in my experience walking in snowy and windy conditions. However, it seems I made the wrong choice today. The weather was brutal—the wind was so strong it stung my face, and the whiteout conditions made visibility extremely difficult. Rumoi High School 1.15.24 Thankfully, I got to Rumoi High School safely and also on time. I spent my day studying Japanese and helping my JTEs whenever they needed my help.  Thank you Kowaka-sensei for the omiyage from your trip to the Philippines. 🙇 After bonding with my children that evening, my wife and I watched a few episodes of " Forensic Files ".  D...

Weekend 115: January 13 – 14, 2024 Day 803: January 13, 2024 Saturday – Rumoi Finally, a sunny day this winter. Time to head out! Kai seems excited to go for a ride Driving through Route 231 in Rumoi City It’s a very beautiful sunny Saturday morning. It has been quite some time since I have seen the sun this bright. Although we had no road trip plans today, we still drove around Rumoi City to do important errands. Ebata Dental Clinic Off to our next stop... Rumoi's COOP Someone got tired of doing grocery shopping Next stop: MaxValu Our first stop was at Ebata Dental Clinic for my wife’s dental appointment. After that, we went to COOP and then MaxValu for groceries. Kimchi Nabe Dinner with Team Nicerio We are trying out the kimchi nabe for the first time Our version of kimchi nabe We got back home at around 3 PM. Since it was a warm day, I shoveled the snow from my parking area while my wife cooked lunch (and dinner). Our meal for the day was kimchi nabe . It's the first tim...