Yesterday, it was announced that the rainy season has officially ended and now our real summer is starting in Tokyo - tsuyu ake - 梅雨明け。 
This year's tsuyu (rainy season) had been so strange, we had so many thunderstorms which has never been common for Tokyo to have at this time of year. Climate is changing a lot over the recent years, this rainy season in Tokyo really reminded me of Darwin where I spent the whole school year when I was 15.

It's funny but I think of my year in Darwin a lot lately. Probably because I recently wrote a story for The Best Wishes Magazine in their Tokyo Chapter to share the story of life and thoughts in and about the city as one of the Tokyo creatives.

When Nana, a lovely Norwegian girl who have just graduated from University in Tokyo, came to take some photos for this project and we were chatting about her life in Tokyo, how it must have been so different and challenging for her coming here all the way from Norway so young and all on here own - she is doing amazingly well -  I could not help but relate myself many many years ago as a young girl travelling to Australia all on my own.

I never talk about these experiences anymore, it's been so long and I sometimes almost forget that I even once did that. It was not always easy, especially when I first got there as an exchange student at high school studying together with local teenagers, no one cared if I came from Japan. I was badly homesick but none of my friends had email address and of course there was no sms.... Oh why am I talking about this??? I am not sure, oh yes, the rainy season! Haha. The monsoon weather brought me back some harsh memories!  I want to give little 15 year old me a pat on the back whenever I remember that year, that one year made me strong and because I made it through that one year I had more amazing opportunities and experiences later in Melbourne :)

Now I really forgot what I initially was going to write about in this post but thank you if you have read through this rambling talk..! I need to give my brain some good rest I think, been working too hard forever now.

I hope you are enjoying Summer (or Winter)!

8 comments

  1. I always look forward to your posts, oh and I enjoy your ramblings too! ;)

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    1. Thank you Shirley for the lovely encouragements :)

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  2. Well in my town is hot now, but few days ago was really rainy :(

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    1. I hope you are having a nicer weather now too!

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  3. Hiki, I think you are one cool and incredibly strong person for having spent a year in Darwin so young. That town is tough even for Australians never mind a Japanese teenager!!!

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    1. Hi Kylie, thank you for your lovely words! Yes....maybe true, it is a tough place to live haha!!

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  4. Hiki, you have not been updating your blog. Am looking forward to reading your blog. Hope all is fine!

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    1. Thank you, it is always so nice to know that there is someone who enjoys my posts! Will try to update more....!!

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your kind words are always welcome and appreciated! arigato :)

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