Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi and Kawanishi Obon Holiday with Family

Hi everybody! I’m Derek and I help students improve their English at Smith’s School of English Kawanishi and Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi.

I really enjoy my job teaching English in Tsukaguchi and Kawanishi but I also cherish my holidays. They give me the chance to spend more quality time with family and to refresh myself. The Smith’s Obon holiday allowed me to spend a wonderful few days with family at my Japanese wife’s parent’s house in Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture.

My family went to Mimasaka earlier than me in my wife’s parent’s car. I joined them there on the first day of my Obon break. I took a JR bus from JR Osaka Station in Umeda, Osaka. I always enjoy going there by JR bus. It’s easy, cheap and the scenery is nice with lovely mountains and pretty Japanese Cedar trees.

I had a great time at my wife’s parent’s house. It has a stream right next to it that my daughter Tina loves playing in. She and I enjoyed playing in it on the hot afternoons. The evenings were cooler than the ones in Tsukaguchi or Kawanishi. One night Tina, my wife and I did some handheld fireworks. My son Luke watched on with interest. Luke was almost 7 months old at the time and Tina was just days away from becoming 3 years old. My kids are growing fast!

My wife’s father drove us back to our home in Tsukaguchi, Amagasaki. On the final day of my Obon holiday, we all went to Nishinomiya Gardens together. Later in the day, I went to see the movie Pacific Rim with two students from Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi. You can read about that by clicking here.

I had a great holiday! Thank you Smith’s Head Office! (^.^)

Derek