The Mikan Blog – Page 11

Where the Track Splits: The Aiaru Iyonada Line and the Uchiko Line

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:February 8, 2023
Post category:About Ehime Exploring Local The Mikan Blog Travel
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By Carl Sotomil

Hello there Mikans! My name is Carl, and I like trains. I am the ALT for Iyo-Nakayama, so if it still does not ring any bells until now, nice to meet you.

I live in the middle of the mountains (that’s where “Nakayama” got its name) in Iyo City, so much so that I can not even call it a city anymore. My daily life is almost entirely dependent on taking the train from the mountains to the city below. I love being on trains here in Ehime because it is almost guaranteed that you will have a seat every morning; though I am sometimes a little frustrated with the lack of scheduled trains, sometimes going hours without one!

A lot of you are probably afraid of going south because the Yosan Line splits into 2 lines, though I can reassure you that you will enjoy where both lines go through. Allow me to guide you through the mountains and the coastline by rail!

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Backtrack #25: I Didn’t Want to be in England (Steve Turner, Hojo High School ALT, 2003-06)

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:February 1, 2023
Post category:Stories from JET Senpais The Mikan Blog
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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

I am Steve Turner. I was an Ehime Ken ALT in Hojo Senior High School, in Matsuyama for 2 years and then added Imabari Nishi Senior High School and Imabari Technical High School for a year.

I was originally from Walsall near Birmingham in England. The ongoing joke was if there was a small group of brummie sounding kids now in Japan.

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The Magic of Miyajima: An Itinerary for New Years

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:January 18, 2023
Post category:Exploring Local The Mikan Blog Travel
Post comments:1 Comment

By Sage Burch

https://www.flickr.com/photos/192675295@N05/52629264632/in/dateposted-public

Do you want to have the best New Years? Look no further. If you follow this New Years Game Plan, then you will welcome in the new year at a World Heritage Site.

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Backtrack #24: Bridge Building (Drago Flores, Ikata CIR 2011-2014)

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:January 17, 2023
Post category:Stories from JET Senpais The Mikan Blog
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No photo description available. — Making dreamcatchers as a community event

What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?
My name is Drago Flores. I was placed in Ikata. I am originally from Minnesota in the United States.

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Backtrack #23: That Was Enough (Christopher Reed, Kihoku CIR 2006-2011)

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:January 12, 2023
Post category:Stories from JET Senpais The Mikan Blog
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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

My name is Christopher Reed, I’m originally from the USA, and I lived in Kihoku-cho, a small town of about 10,000 people in Ehime Prefecture from 2006-2011.

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Christian and Miya’s Christmas Celebration at the Civic Center

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:January 4, 2023
Post category:Events and AJET Community The Mikan Blog
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By Sage Burch

“Back in my home country, Christmas is all about 3 Fs; fun, food, and family. Being away from home during Christmas can sometimes feel very isolating and lonely so I thought that it would be a good idea to have folks come together and just have a good time with each other. It really warms my heart to share a holiday moment with everyone and to see that everyone had a great time. Thank you for coming and also sharing with everyone!” —Christian

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Vampires, Witches, Skeletons, Mesoamerican Gods and a Big Bloody Castle: An Introduction to Solo Journaling TTRPGs

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:December 26, 2022
Post category:Hobbies and Interests The Mikan Blog
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By Jordan Rocke

G’day everyone! It’s “the blog editor didn’t want to bother everyone during the holidays and now has no content for the blog queued up” time! This time, I want to talk about something that has been getting me through a lot of dead deskwarming time: Solo Journaling RPGs.

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Backtrack #22: Welcomed and Included (Heeni (Janie) Tito, Masaki ALT 1997-2000)

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:December 23, 2022
Post category:Stories from JET Senpais The Mikan Blog
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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

Kia ora koutou, ko Heeni (Janie) Tito ahau. I was a teacher at kindergarten, primary and junior high schools in Masaki-cho, Ehime-ken from 1997-2000.

I descend from Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Whātua iwi, of Northland, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Currently living in Wellington.

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30 Candles: Three Tales of Candlelit Horror

Post author:ehimerateam
Post published:December 15, 2022
Post category:AJET Events Events and AJET Community The Mikan Blog
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Edited by Jordan Rocke

On October 22nd, 2022, a decent cross-section of the population of Ehime JETs and former JETs turned up to sleepy little Hojo to try their best not to set fire to my unsuspecting tatami. Specifically, we all played a homebrew horror game named 10 Candles. We split into three groups in different parts of my house. Fueled by top-tier Hojoan pizza and Andrew’s amazing brownies, all our flavours of madness were bound to come out. As such, I asked players from each of the three groups to write a short summary of their experiences in the game. Please enjoy, thank you again to everyone who attended, and I appreciate that my house remains intact despite all the candles we burned through!

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