Until last year, I thought to myself “Why would I ever need a tablet?”. I have been using computers my entire life, and I also have a smart phone. A tablet sounded useless to me. That is until I discovered another use for one.

As some NEO students know, I am a big fan of Japanese comic books. I have been collecting many physical books for a long time. But there are some series out there that are very long, and collecting all the volumes can take up a lot of space. One series I have always been interested in reading is One Piece. Buying 100+ physical volumes is quite intimidating, so I started thinking about reading it digitally.

I started researching and continued to for a while. It was hard to find a clear answer of what would be the best device to invest in it. In the end, for the price range I was looking at Amazon’s Fire HD looked like the best option. And at the start of this year, I decided to take the plunge. All I can say is it is one of the best things I have purchased in a while. The size of the screen is large, it is lightweight, fast, and supports many different apps. Since it is a tablet, it also supports color which is great as there are color digital versions of some comics. I can even watch Youtube or other video apps on it too which is a bonus for me. Finally, the price was reasonable, so I feel like I am getting very good value out of it.

I always enjoy getting a new device or something to play around with. Have you made any purchases recently that have really impressed you? Let me know!

Take a stroll along one of New Jersey’s famous boardwalks on a Saturday afternoon, and you’ll understand why they’re considered one of the state’s premier tourist attractions. On one side is the deep blue Atlantic Ocean, waves rolling in and crashing against the beach; on the other, a line of colorful shops and attractions stretching down the coast as far as you can see. Ocean City, which was a regular weekend destination for my family during the long summer holiday, is home to one of the best boardwalks on the entire East Coast.

Among the amusement park rides, souvenir shops, and minigolf places, you might spot a little red-and-white awning with a line of people out front. The sign has a name scrawled in red cursive, like an autograph. That’s Johnson’s Popcorn, an Ocean City landmark and legendary boardwalk treat.

One of three Johnson’s locations on the boardwalk.

Johnson’s is most famous for its caramel popcorn, which we simply call caramel corn. In fact, the boardwalk is known for quite a few different snacks: funnel cake, saltwater taffy, and fudge, to name a few. But Johnson’s is particularly good in any season and comes in several different flavors, which is why my brothers and I often requested it during our summer weekends at the beach. On Tripadvisor, Johnson’s page is filled with glowing reviews:

“This place has been a cornerstone of every summer vacation. It defines the Jersey shore.”

“The service is great, people are friendly and all the flavors are DELICIOUS!”

“God, we are close to heaven.”

Back in February, my mom sent me an amazing care package: a giant tin full of caramel corn! Of course, I had to open it immediately and have a handful. There was enough to share with friends and family here in Japan, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. As tempting as it was to eat the whole batch at once, I paced myself and managed to make it last about two weeks. The decorative tin will be useful for holding things in the kitchen or living room, but nothing beats the original contents!

Thanks, Mom!

Although I love my life in Japan, I feel a lot of nostalgia for certain places back at home. A little taste of caramel corn brings some of those memories flooding back: the sound of breaking waves and seagulls overhead, the smell of saltwater, and the carnival-like energy of the Ocean City boardwalk.

On Wednesday I went to watch some rugby games in Kobe.

I usually never watch rugby. Actually, I don’t really understand rugby very well. I went to watch the games because my friend’s son was playing in the games. My friend is American. He was my friend when I was in university. His son is now on a very good high school rugby team. In 2022, that team was the US national champion.

The team, coaches, parents and brothers and sisters all came to Japan for a four-game rugby tour. They played games in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kobe. The group was about 110 people, so they needed 4 buses to get around.

The first game I watched was St. Ignatius vs. Rokko High school. The US team won that game.

The second game was against Kwansei Gakuin High School. Kwansei Gakuin won that game.

I hadn’t seen my friend and his wife for over 20 years, so it was great to catch up with them.

Hello April！

It's been getting warmer and warmer. 

What do you come up with when you hear the word "April"?

For me.. My birthday！

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and nice birthday gifts！

さて、もう4月です！

4月は私の誕生日の月ですが、23歳を過ぎたあたりから「また年を取ってしまった...」と複雑な気持ちになります。

年を重ねるごとに素敵なお姉さんになりたいと感じる日々です。

Has anybody who you know ever told you that you looked like a celebrity or famous person?

Some people have told me that I looked like a famous Japanese idol, but, for me," Are you mixed?" is the most common question most people whom I've met before asked me.

皆さんは芸能人や有名人の方に似ていると言われたことはありますか？

私は

・マリエさん

・柏木由紀さん

・影山優香さん　　などなどです。

髪の毛が茶色だからか、幼少期はなぜかハーフかクオーターに間違えられることがよくありました。

現在も回数は減りましたが、「日本語お上手ですね！」「どうやって日本語勉強されたんですか？」「先生はどちらの国のご出身ですか？」と言われることもあります。

(ちなみに私は生まれも育ちも岡山です。岡山弁もしゃべります (`･ω･´)b)

ある日母と会話しているとこんなことを言われました。

母「そういえばあんたに似ている人見たことあるわ」

私「へえ～どこで？」

母「台湾」(母は台湾に旅行に行ったことがあります)

私(台湾行ったことないんだけど。。。)

～別の日～

姉「あんた岡山駅おった？」

私「いや家から出てないけど」

姉「あんたにそっくりな人おったわ～声かけようかと思ったぐらいじゃもん」

~さらに別の日~

友人「これってまりな？」(私が行っている美容室のホームページを見せながら)

私「いや違うなあ」

友人「へえ〜！横顔そっくりじゃな、まりなだと思ったのにー」

私に似ている人が多いのか、私がよくいる系の顔をしているのか...どっちなんだろう？？

If you have a similar experience, let's talk about it in class！

We had our cherry blossom viewing party on Sunday. The weather was very nice, sunny and warm, without too much wind. We gathered many people, NEO students and staff, friends, and also friends of friends.

Click here to see more pictures

Dave-sensei was on "Let's Enjoy English!" on Radio MOMO (79.0 FM). Dave and D.J. Chiaki Kamibeppu talk in English and Japanese about cherry blossom viewing and the WBC. Click the button below to listen.