Life's Little Things: 9 Months in Fukuoka!

It's been 9 months since I left for Fukuoka! I seriously can't believe how fast time has gone...! Every week goes by so quickly, and the weekends even quicker... before I know it, another month has gone by (and I didn't update my blog like I meant to)!

I have established a pretty good routine now for everyday life things. I go to work, I work out, I hang out with friends and co-workers... It feels like I've finally figured out how to live my life here... (I know! It took 9 months...! Isn't that ridiculous????)

One of the major changes is that I FINALLY got a decent bike. I've been going for rides at least 4 times a week! There's a park in the middle(ish) of the city called Ohori Park (see my previous post in April about hanami), which is a 6km ride from where I live. I like to bike there because there's a huge lake in the middle of it. There's also a Starbucks there. So if I want to read a book, I bike to Ohori. If I want to study, I bike to Ohori. If I just want to sit somewhere, I bike to Ohori. Getting the exercise biking there is great! Being able to eat a slice of chocolate cake without feeling guilty afterwards is just a bonus. ^_^

The lake at Ohori Park at night. Sorry the picture was taken with my cell phone camera..!

I also finally got a decent sofa bed. Sleeping above the ground is great!!! And now my back doesn't hurt anymore, and I sleep better. I don't know why it took me so long to get proper furniture to sleep on... And now I can ACTUALLY have visitors!!!

Towards the end of the month I am starting up my project management courses again. This time I am doing two courses at the same time. On top of that, I am going to try and take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test to see if I have actually learned anything from being here for almost a year... So the next couple of months I am going to be a hermit crab and staying at home... well... maybe I will have time for a trip to Tokyo or Kansai in November... (there's always time for traveling, hahaha ^^")

Oh, I've been reading this book called 女朋友﹐ 男朋友... the story is kind of heavy and it reflects the 無奈 in people's lives. I find it quite realistic. Reading it makes me want to cry, and to be honest I am quite afraid of the ending... hahaha...

And last but not least, I've received so many messages, emails, and post cards from my friends this month. I just want to thank you guys for thinking of me...! I really do miss you guys. *group hug*

To end off, here are some pictures of autumn in Japan!