祈り

どんなに物があっても、お金があっても、得られない幸せがある。満足感がある。充実感がある。安心感がある。それは自分の内側から出てくるもの。誰かに何かをしてあげること。助けること。語り合うこと。受け入れること。祝福すること。手を取り合うこと。新しい一歩を踏み出すこと。支え合うこと。あなたの外側にあるどんな物も贅沢品も、もたらすことの出来ない真の喜び。
あなたが笑顔でいられますように。温かい出会いに恵まれますように。幸せな涙を流せますように。

Riverside beach

I got a river view room in Perth!
Just a five day stay, but it was full of opportunities to learn, network, and have fun!

The weather is always really great, and people are taking about cycling, trekking and camping. It makes me want to be more active!

The beach walk on the last day was gorgeous. I didn't want to go back. Ever. What a nice sky.

Gardens at Changi

Love this tropical gardens full of flowers + Christmas decorations! Gorgeous.

Sammy's on the marina

It was an emotional farewell with everyone at the Uni... It was such a great stay I have never had. It was exciting to be in an academic environment again, be around with friendly colleagues, learn so many new things and be able to fully concentrate on absorbing them, and have this experience to live in a city&overseas. Time flew in an blink of an eye.

Dinner with everyone last Tuesday was another amazing time. Sammy's on the marina is famous for fresh seafood.

I want to live in Adelaide~~ ><
But, it may be boring to stay here alone. Everyone has got their partner to spend their spare time with. I noticed there are many benches and grass lands that people can take a rest and have a chat. It's really for locals, mates and couples. It may be unavoidable to feel like a third wheel here.

Things are a lot nicer here. I like the way people go "Hey, how are you going?" "Hi, good. How are you? How was your weekend?" And it keeps going on and on. One more week to enjoy!

Christmas is coming!

I looks like Christmas is like a great opportunity for business to make people spend money, same as Japan, but that is how the economy works. At least the decorations and lights are stunning!

Jacaranda paradise!!

The whole chicken

It was my first time to take away a whole grilled chicken..! There is a deli shop near my apartment that has so many different things! Salads, sushi rolls, seafood or chicken (grilled or fried), chips, hamburgers... Etc. They are all reasonably priced, so it's very helpful to a visitor without income at Aussie standard!

I cut the chicken into many pieces of meat and froze them. It was so much of meat that I won't have to buy protein for the next week. Though stuffed and cooked, it had the bones and wings.. It made me thankful to the food I eat every day. It was once a living creature just like us... Thanks, I appreciate your contribution to my well-being. You're so delicious!!

Thai dinner and city walk

I always expect spring rolls would be fresh - and every time I get my order, I realise my rolls are deep-fried. After making this mistake twice, it's time to learn....
Kangaroo pad Thai was actually great! It's just like beef -very lean portion of beef. Very Australian. :9

Riverside walking was fun and delightful, watching cotton-like seeds (?) falling in the air, exhaling the distinct smell of jacaranda flowers full in bloom, and listening to various wild birds tweeting.

The birds are cute pedestrians, too.

Stormy Saturday to be a peaceful twilight

SA Museum was interesting. Nice building.

I went to a choir concert at St. Peter's cathedral. Inside was gorgeous gilled with a big audience 20 minutes before opening.

There is a beautiful, green-rich area along the river at North terrace. It was a stormy morning, but it made it up with the dazzling evening.

Exploring the city~

Adelaide is the best-sized city, just like Fukuoka. Not too big, not too crowded, but big enough to have everything. There is a botanic garden, zoo, and national wine institute in the centre of downtown. It is quite relaxing to have a lot of green gardens and grasses around. And the rose garden is always beautiful.
In the wine institute, you can try smelling the characteristic aromas of four wines using the aroma descriptors. Quite interesting!

The love of food

1. I've got so much Asian / Thai food here! I don't get to have this kind of food in Japan, so I just love it. Hmm yum..

2. I can't believe Christmas is coming. It's warm out and it feels like I had a time trip backwards.

3. Crows are black and white like a co here!

4. Hummus (bean&garlic&vinegar) paste and Thai chili lemongrass dip. They are so tasty, but I prefer the Thai one. It's got more complex flavour.

5. BBQ flavored rice crackers. Looks quite Japanese. 煎餅だけど、BBQというか薬の味がした...人口調味料っぽい...

Weekend in Adelaide

1. Some pretty flowers on the road. It's already withered because of the dry weather it seems...

2. My apartment~

3. A church nearby. Looks very ancient.

4. Vietnamese salad with grilled chicken. It seems normal just to eat carbohydrate (donuts/cakes), or protein or vegetables. "It'll be alright if the meals in the day are well balanced in total." Could be.

5. Benches and roads are covered by jacaranda petals. It's a beautiful scene.

Vice chancellor's speech

There was vice chancellor's speech this morning that all the staff were supposed to go.
I am not a staff member, but went there just out of curiosity. He was talking about finding research fundings a lot. I couldn't catch all of it, but was surprised he said that the university sold one piece of the land to have more income. That's just one-time trade, and it will not help the university to survive the next 10 years! The financial circumstances seem quite pressing... And that's why they are welcoming international students, as they will pay very high tuition fees. It is understandable they are charged more because they do not pay taxes as locals do, but the cost is huge.
Hmm... Making money is not easy.

The first few days in Adelaide

It's been warm. Especially this Wednesday, temperature hit 35C! But it's not as uncomfortable as summer in Japan as the humidity is very low. It's bearable to be in the sun for a short while, and the air conditioning is strong everywhere.

One of the good things about living in an apartment is that you can microwave food and do the laundry at home!

Mediterranean pie was OK... Tasted more bitter than I thought.

I had a short trip to the main campus the other day. There were many historic-looking buildings. The students looked very young! I'm surprised that I'm almost 10 years apart now. University students... What lucky people they are!

Australia has a strict rule on cigarette labeling. It must have one of the graphic images showing potential health risks, including tooth damage, lung cancer, kidney disorders etc.. And one box costs $35!! That's a good source of revenue, actually..

The last one: tempura soft shell crab, teriyaki salmon (!), and teriyaki beef sushi with brown rice. Quite exotic, but all tasted very delicious!

Study trip down under

This is my dream come true moment! I've wanted to stay in Australia for a longer period of time than just a week. And this is the opportunity! I get to learn some plant genetic skills and barley quality testing methods from next week.

I had a friendly taxi driver who said I am like an Aussie girl, and who kindly made sure that I reach the apartment office. The 2-bedroom apartment is really spacious and comfortable. There are many food courts and restaurants to choose from!! Wow~