OK, I've got to confess. I've got a japanese girlfriend! She is wonderful. Her name is Chika and she is an english teacher. She lives in Himeji, the nearest big city to Okawachi. We have been having lots of fun together. She is tall and beautiful. She is teaching me japanese and I am teaching her english. I think its about as close as internationalisation gets! This weekend, there is a long weekend and we are going to visit Kyoto together. We will go to the Golden Temple there and many other beautiful japanese temples. Kyoto is famous as the ancient capital of Japan and has many amazing temples and japanese style gardens. We will go there together and it will be fun. I really like life in Japan. Its amazing living long-term in a new country. I feel really happy here and want to stay a long time! The weather is a little cooler now as autumn approaches. In January and February there will be sprinklings of snow on the mountains and on the roof-tops. Its such a beautiful place. I really like japanese culture. The people are really kind and friendly. They keep giving me little presents like home-made miso paste and fresh tofu and soybeans. Many little things like that. The more I learn about japanese culture, the more I like it. I'm really glad I came here. Everyday is new. It is a completely new experience. Wonders never cease.