We have a 5-day weekend due to Japan national holidays. They string together the anniversary of the constitution, nature day and children’s day and name it “golden week”. Our family is not going anywhere for the holiday, but relaxing at home and spending time together. I am finishing a couple of papers as it is exam week at Lehigh University where I am working towards my doctorate degree.
Yesterday we played a stirring game of baseball and even Nadia joined us. After the game, we challenged each other to sprints. Both Nadia and I are sore today, we need to get to the track more to work out.
After finishing a big paper this morning and “invigilating” IB exams, I went for a 20-kilometer bike ride up to Katsuo-ji, a temple in the Minoh national forest. The Japanese call this season “new-green” which gets its name from the spring growth of trees. The new leaves are a brighter green and combined with the blue skies and cool breezes, it is the absolutely perfect weather!
I love riding my bicycle in Japan. Although it is always a risk, drivers here are very safety conscious and respectful to pedestrians and bicyclists, so it is much easier to get out and go! Almost all school children and many adults ride bikes daily to work or shopping and running errands that cars are used to watching out for them.
It is so nice to have time to reconnect with my children and wife! I am loving this break and feeling recharged for the “stretch run” of school.
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