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The Unfolding Fan

Misadventures in Japan

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Tag: Travel

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Mountain of Disappointment

May 8, 2021 theunfoldingfan

Occasional gaps in the trees gave prospect onto white vaporous clouds below us, reclining lazily on neighbouring verdant peaks.

Tagged Adventures, Forest, hiking, Japan, Mountain, Shrine, Toad, Travel, Walking

Chapter Nineteen: Ōgawara and Sendai Tanabata Festival

June 28, 2020 theunfoldingfan

As we navigated the swarming crowds, John was accidentally knocked by a large and bright pink dolphin balloon. Even as an adult, sexually-active, homosexual man, he said that it was the gayest thing that had ever happened to him.

Tagged Festival, Japan, Miyagi, Ogawara, Pokemon, Sendai, Tanabata, Travel

Chapter Eighteen: Lakes and Mountains

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020 theunfoldingfan

As the car rounded hairpin turns and glided past unguarded drops, we contemplated our mortality and considered the eventuality that the last sound we might hear in our short lives could be the jubilant melody of Germanic Ducktales.

Tagged Aizu, Assistant Language Teaching, cycling, Festival, fireworks, Fukushima, hiking, iimoriyama, Japan, lakes, matsuri, mountains, nature, Travel

Chapter Seventeen: Highway to Hell

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 theunfoldingfan

In a murky pond a stone sculpture of a grand ship with a proud, emblazoned sail appeared to float upon the water, with its portly dwarfish crew captained by a stout samurai.

Tagged ALT, Driving, Fukushima, Japan, Parks, Travel

Chapter Fifteen: Summer Festival Part One

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 theunfoldingfan

Being alone, I stood to the side and took some photographs, but my alabaster skin betrayed my clandestinity and a couple of merry folk gave me high-fives.

Tagged adventure, ALT, Cultural differences, dashi, Festival, Japan, matsuri, obon, Travel

Chapter Fourteen: Totoro Woods, Monkeys and Death Roads

October 28, 2018April 11, 2019 theunfoldingfan

On one of these many colourful cartographies I had found something called the ‘Totoro Forest.’

Tagged adventure, death mountain, death road, Fukushima, Japan, macaque, monkeys, mountains, Suspension bridge, Totoro, Totoro forest, Totoro tree, Travel, wildlife, Yamagata, Yonezawa

Chapter Thirteen: Speech Contest

September 16, 2018April 11, 2019 theunfoldingfan

What is there to fight for? Everything! Life itself, isn’t that enough? To be lived, suffered, enjoyed!

Tagged ALT, Assistant Language Teaching, Cultural differences, Education, English Speech Contest, Japan, Junior High School, Schools, Teaching, Travel

Chapter Twelve: Time Slip

June 4, 2018April 11, 2019 theunfoldingfan

Received wisdom about bear encounters conflictingly suggests running, standing one’s ground, or playing dead; a selection that seems fatally incompatible.

Tagged ALT, Cultural differences, dam, Education, Festival, Fukushima, Japan, Kitakata, mountains, ramen, Retro, Travel

Chapter Eleven: Kitakata

May 5, 2018April 1, 2019 theunfoldingfan

Mountains are quite often used to connote that which is fixed and enduring, but in reality there are few things more changeable than the mountains.

Tagged ALT, Fukushima, Japan, Kitakata, kura, mountains, ramen, sake, snow, Travel, wildlife

Chapter Ten: Jennie Wren’s Nest  

April 7, 2018April 1, 2019 theunfoldingfan

Once in the wake of a contact lens delivery I came back to find a thin cardboard parcel sticking out of my door like someone trying to eat a pizza box from the corner.

Tagged ALT, Cultural differences, Fukushima, Japan, Kitakata, Leopalace, Travel

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Previous Chapters

  • Chapter Twenty-Two: The Mountain of Disappointment
  • Chapter Twenty-One: The Lakes
  • Chapter Twenty: A Ride with the Kitakata Crew
  • Chapter Nineteen: Ōgawara and Sendai Tanabata Festival
  • Chapter Eighteen: Lakes and Mountains
  • Chapter Seventeen: Highway to Hell
  • Chapter Sixteen: Summer Festival Part Two
  • Chapter Fifteen: Summer Festival Part One
  • Chapter Fourteen: Totoro Woods, Monkeys and Death Roads
  • Chapter Thirteen: Speech Contest
  • Chapter Twelve: Time Slip
  • Chapter Eleven: Kitakata
  • Chapter Ten: Jennie Wren’s Nest  
  • Chapter Nine: Gut Reaction
  • Chapter Eight: Elementary
  • Chapter Seven: Nichuu
  • Chapter Six: An Education
  • Chapter Five: Baptism by Napalm
  • Chapter Four: Boot Camp
  • Chapter Three: Adrift in Cape Cong
  • Chapter Two: Sky Road
  • Chapter One: Sealy-whut?

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Chapter Twenty-Two: The Mountain of Disappointment
Chapter Twenty now available: A Ride with the Kitakata Crew
Chapter Nineteen now available: Ōgawara and Sendai Tanabata Festival
I spoke about my travel experiences at the London Sunday Assembly. Was great fun! I'm 38 mins in, following a couple of other amazing and inspirational speakers.
My sister gave me a kit to make an "origami" bag - I'm very happy with the result!
Chapter Seventeen: Highway to Hell now available.
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