Week 91: July 24 – 28, 2023
Day 630: July 24, 2023
Monday – Rumoi
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| Rumoi High School 7.24.23 |
After a back-to-back trip last weekend, it’s back to work for me at Rumoi High School. It’s a rainy day today, which is great as it was very hot yesterday. On the downside, it will be a challenge to dry our laundry. When I got to work, Koucho-sensei announced to the faculty about the birth of my son. It was an amazing moment to see everyone genuinely happy.
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| Kai's gift from the English Department |
Aside from that, I also received a gift from the English Department. It's really nice to belong.
As for my work, here’s my workload for today:
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| Class with Ito-sensei and Matsuda-sensei |
1st period – Performance Task Making @ 1st year level of Ito-sensei and Sengoku-sensei
2nd period - Brick Competition @ 1-34 of Matsuda-sensei
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| C-Restaurant for lunch |
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| Itadakimasu! |
Since I had fasted for the Physical Exam today, I wanted to eat a lot of quality food, so for lunch, I brought my siblings to the C-Restaurant and we had a feast. I wanted to eat more and stay longer, but I only had limited time as I needed to go back to work. After eating, my siblings and my daughter went to explore the city. They said that they wanted to see Rumoi Shrine and also Rumoi Roadside Station. As for me, I went back to Rumoi High School for work.When I got there, Matsuda-sensei told me about the great news that he just received - He passed the Eiken 1. It’s not only good news for him and his family but also for me. We’ve put a lot of effort into studying and training for it. Overall, Matsuda-sensei is the third person that I trained who passed Eiken 1. The first was Mugi-chan, and the other was my former JTE in Haboro, Ken-sensei.Team Nicerio visits Umi no Furusatokan
When I got home after work, I drove my siblings to Umi no Furusatokan so that they’d learn more about the history of Rumoi City.
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| Cape Ogon |
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| We sat down on one of the rocks on the cape and enjoyed the moment |
From there, we made our way down to Ogon Cape, a breathtaking spot where the vast expanse of the Sea of Japan meets the rugged coastline. The tranquil sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the panoramic views from the cape provided the perfect backdrop for a moment of relaxation and reflection. It's a serene escape that captures the natural charm of Hokkaido.
As the day drew to a close, we saved the best for last. For our final destination, we headed up to Senbodai, a popular viewing point perched high above Rumoi City. The timing was impeccable—we arrived just as the sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange, pink, and gold. It was a mesmerizing spectacle that transitioned seamlessly into the night, revealing the sparkling lights of Rumoi City below. The combination of a picturesque sunset and a stunning night view made Senbodai the highlight of our day and a memory to cherish.
Day 632: July 26, 2023
Wednesday – Aya and Pat in Rumoi City #2
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| Rumoi High School 7.26.23 |
It’s a humid day today. It’s my last day to report to Rumoi High School, as I will be filing for paid leave or nenkyu so that I can enjoy the last few days of vacation with my siblings here in Hokkaido.
Here’s my workload today:
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| Class with Matsuda-sensei |
1st period – Special English class @ Summer Class of Matsuda-sensei
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| VLJ Intermediate Course Completion Certificate |
Since I only have one class today, I spent my time studying Japanese using the VLJ online course. I’m proud to say that I finally finished the Intermediate course. In a way, it made me a bit confident with my Japanese skills, and hopefully, I will get to retain what I learned if I take the JLPT exams someday.
After work, I picked up my daughter and my siblings at the Rumoi City Library. From there, we drove to Golden Beach Rumoi, where we spent some time enjoying the view and the cool weather.
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| Curry Taisho |
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| Itadakimasu! |
To wrap up the day, we ate dinner at Curry Taisho before heading back home and calling it a day early in preparation for our Sibling Road Trip #3 tomorrow.
Day 633: July 27, 2023
Thursday – Sibling Road Trip #3
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| Sibling Road Trip #3 |
It’s a sunny day. It’s perfect for a road trip. Thankfully, I applied for nenkyu or paid leave last week for today and tomorrow.
For today’s trip, I brought my siblings to Asahikawa City (旭川市). These are the places that we visited in Asahikawa City:
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| Tanbo Art 2023 |
🚗 Tanbo Art 2023
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| Nakane Dermatology Clinic |
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| We enjoyed watching the pig-nosed turtle while waiting for Ella's dermatology appointment |
🚗 Nakane Dermatology Clinic
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| Asahiyama Zoo |
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| Hippo |
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| Ezo brown bear |
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| Lesser panda |
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| Penguins |
🚗 Asahiyama Zoo
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| Pulp town |
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| Inside Pulp Town |
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| We bought Mom a gift here |
🚗 Pulp Town
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| Mega Don Quixote |
🚗 Mega Don Quixote
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| Katsuya at Omachi District |
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| Katsuya's tonkatsu set meal |
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| Itadakimasu! |
🚗 Katsuya
We got home at around 7 PM. We were quite tired from our trip, so the only thing that we were able to do was wash up before we called it a night.
Day 634: July 28, 2023
Friday – Sibling Road Trip #4
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| Sibling Road Trip #4 |
It’s another sunny day. However, unlike yesterday, today was extra humid. It’s also the second day of my nenkyu or paid leave. For today’s trip, we headed south.
Our first stop was in the town of Tobetsu (当別町). We took a brief toilet break at Tobetsu Roadside Station. Before we left, my siblings tried Sweden Mix Soft Cream.
From there, we continued south until we reached Kitahiroshima City (北広島市). It’s the first time for me and my daughter to visit this city, although we drove past it a few times in the past. These are the places that we visited in Kitahiroshima City:
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| Hiroshima Shrine's torii gate |
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| chozuya |
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| Hiroshima Shrine |
🏌 Hiroshima Shrine
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| Kitahiroshima City Eco Museum |
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| The friendly staff explained to us the history of the city |
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| The famed mammoth of Kitahiroshima City Eco Museum |
🏌 Kitahiroshima City Eco Museum
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| Former Shimamatsu Post Office |
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| With the kind staff of the museum |
🏌 Former Shimamatsu Post Office
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| Monument of William S. Clark |
🏌 Monument of William S. Clark
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| COSTCO Sapporo |
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| Lunch at COSTCO Sapporo |
With the bike at hand, we explored the central part of Sapporo City. These are the places that we visited:
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| Hokkaido Government Office |
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| Susukino |
★ Susukino
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| We found a Miki manhole cover in Odori Park |
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| Sapporo TV Tower |
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| We got our tickets to get up to the observatory of the Sapporo TV Tower |
★ Sapporo TV Tower
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| Daimaru Sapporo |
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| Pokemon Center Sapporo |
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| My sister bought Ella a Cyndaquil plushie |
★ Pokémon Center Sapporo
It was almost 7 PM when we left Sapporo City. We drove through Route 231 and went back home. It was a long drive, but in a way, I enjoyed driving there as the view is fantastic. However, it was dark when we reached the highway, so I wasn’t able to show my siblings the scenery of Route 231. Regardless, I told them that we’d drive on the highway again on our way to New Chitose Airport for their flight on Saturday.
We got home at around 10 PM. Like yesterday, we only had the energy to unload our stuff and wash before calling it a day. It was a tiring but fun day.
Overall, although I needed to work for a few days this week, I made sure that my siblings would get to visit a new place in Rumoi City every day. Aside from that, during my nenkyu, we got to explore different municipalities in Hokkaido like Asahikawa, Tobetsu, Kitahiroshima, and Sapporo.
Tomorrow would be their last full day here in Hokkaido. I hope to make it a memorable one.
Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 91
Japan Diaries 4: Day 631
Japan Diaries 4: Day 632
Japan Diaries 4: Day 633
Japan Diaries 4: Day 634
Umi no Furusatokan
Cape Ogon
SenbodaiAsahiyama Zoo Revisited 2023
Tobetsu Roadside Station
Hiroshima Shrine
Kitahiroshima City Eco Museum
Former Shimamatsu Post Office Sapporo TV Tower
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