Summer, the time to refresh.

Summer is now over and classes are in full swing, so now I have time to reflect on my long vacation. As it is every year, summer in Kumamoto was positively soul destroying, but I think I am slowly (major emphasis on how slowly) getting used to living somewhere that makes me a sticky, nauseous mess for three months of the year. 

It’s been an unintentionally crafty summer break, starting with a visit to Mifune to make some pottery. Hidden down some of the quietest roads is the tiniest pottery studio, very rustic and family run.  Simona, Ruth and Sheridan decided to make bowls, Olivia a mug and I decided to make a vase. A risky choice that wouldn’t have gone as well without the guy coming to “fix” any issues, but I’m hoping it turns out all right. All I can hope for is that mine isn’t the one that explodes in the kiln and shatters everyone else’s. I nicknamed my vase Aso-kun for its resemblance to Mt. Aso, but I don’t need it to really embody its namesake. 

More recently I attended a glass art workshop, where I made a nice little holder decorated in coloured film. It looks exactly like stained glass, and it was the most therapeutic thing I’ve done in a while. I’ll be attending another next week where we can advance to slightly more intricate designs now that we have the basics down, and I’m hoping to make a Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired rose design.

Despite still working every day, I’ve enjoyed rekindling friendships in summer that somewhat lost their way in the madness of the semester. Numerous nights were spent enjoying each other’s company, whether it be at BBQ’s, riverside picnics or even trips to the onsen. 

I’ve had a few dips in rivers and the sea throughout my gallivanting, even checking a new prefecture, Yamaguchi, off the list. Ironically, most Japanese visitors come to Tsunoshima to see the famous bridge and seldom spend time exploring the island. It was a fleeting road trip there and back in one day, but eating shaved ice on the beach and swimming in the bright blue water made me appreciate living in a country that is so diversely beautiful, no matter the season.

A huge amount of new faces came to Kumamoto this summer, something new for us all. The scariest thing is how much of a senpai I am now to the newbies, and that anything I tell them is taken so seriously with wide eyes and thanks. It’s made me realise how I’ve grown so much in the past two years here. It’s not been without struggles, mainly coming to terms with myself that I can’t change some aspects of Japanese culture as much as I’d like, but I know I wouldn’t change this experience for the world. The conflicts will only help me grow as a person.