A taste of Miya

Summer has finally descended upon us up here in the mountains. High temperatures, increasing humidity, and sunny days have given both my students and I summeritis in a big big way. There's a week and a half of classes left before the "break"; I put break in quotes as most of them will still come to school almost every day for club activities and summer cram classes. It seems the insane Japanese work ethic is ingrained from a young age.

But I digress. All this summerness has me itching to not be at work, and my students' laisser-faire attitude isn't helping much with my own. Add a touch of homesickness (oh Chipotle, how I miss you), and I was in a bit of a meh mood on my ride home today. And then something amazing happened. I was greeted by one of the many little old ladies of Miya in our small grocery store. And then by my neighbors, who stopped their car on the little road that runs between the rice fields behind my apartment to chat with me about the weather. And when I got home I had this nice little present waiting for me

Living in a bigger city certainly has it's benefits (markets open past 6 pm! laundromats! Starbucks!), but there is just something about living with the farmers out in the country that can't be duplicated anywhere else. I really do love this town ^_^