Oita Prefecture in Kyushu is just one and a half hours by plane from Tokyo and is the perfect addition to a trip to the capital or as a side trip from Fukuoka. Think hot springs, the outdoors, mountains and meditation, which all meld together in a kind of harmony between nature and man. Beppu […]
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My Miscarriage Story: What nobody tells you about miscarriage
It took precisely two window-shopping rounds of a Taiwanese food court to reach breaking point. Eyes glazed over and with a sluggish gait, the first lap was an unenthusiastic attempt at surveying the dinner options. Round two carried with it a ‘choose something and get out of here’ sense of self-determination, that although hurried in […]
Is this my last day of being pregnant?
Who knows? But I’m close to it. My official due date is tomorrow – October 10th. And if it doesn’t happen tomorrow – statistically only 4% of babies actually come on their due date – it’s going to happen very soon. As this might be my last opportunity to write about the pregnancy before the […]
Kyoto Hidden Gems: 7 Top Things to do in Kyoto You’ve Never Heard Of
Kyoto is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. Often seen as the perfect counterbalance to modern and futuristic Tokyo, Kyoto is the go-to city for all things “traditional Japan” – temples, shrines, geisha, kimono and green tea. Allbethey exquisite, most people limit their Kyoto exploration to a circuit of the most famous […]
How a bottomless water ladle aids your safe childbirth in Japan
Japanese water ladles, known as hishaku, are a common sight in Japan. Traditionally made of bamboo, you can find them at the entrance of shrines to cleanse your hands and mouth before entering (temizu), as well as being used as part of Japanese tea ceremony. But one relatively unknown usage of Japanese water ladles is […]
Pregnancy Update: 2 months to go!
It’s already been three months since my last pregnancy update! Last time I wrote about the pregnancy I was announcing it(!) and I was almost 19 weeks. Now I’m 32 weeks, and, as you can imagine, a lot has changed. No small feat has been leaving Tokyo, our home of 10 years, and moving back […]
Inu no Hi: Japan’s ‘day of the dog’ for pregnant women
Inu no Hi, literally meaning the ‘Day of the Dog,’ is an important pregnancy ritual and rite of passage for pregnant women in Japan. As dogs are widely believed to have easy and uncomplicated births as well as large litters, dogs are considered to be a symbol of smooth delivery and an animal deity of […]
Life Update: Moving from Japan to Australia
It’s been a while since our last life update and a LOT has happened. After 10 wonderful years, we have packed up our lives in Tokyo, Japan and moved back to Melbourne, Australia. As you can imagine, it’s been a big move and an even bigger once since I’m 7 months pregnant. We’ve now been […]
12 Incredible and Interesting Things to do in Ibaraki, Japan
While many people spend the majority of their Japan holiday time in Tokyo, most don’t realize that there are a whole host of amazing attractions they’ve never heard of just a train ride away. Ibaraki is only around two hours north-east of Tokyo and it’s packed with culture and nature, and some incredible spots that […]
Sapa Homestay: The Most Authentic Homestay in Sapa, Vietnam
This post is a special personal essay on our homestay in Sapa, Vietnam with a Black Hmong family. Here you will see a completely different side to Vietnam – a place where two legs or four are the main modes of transportation, where the air is fresh and skies go on forever, and where there […]