My summer

I had a fantastic summer break! Since my family and I just moved to Nishinomiya this year, we decided to stay close to our new home, explore the area, and enjoy catching up with old friends. My daughers, Erika (on the right) and Alina (on the left) had a great time playing inside and out, making lots of new friends at their kindergarten and in our neighborhood. Their favorite activity seems to be role playing, with Erika as "mama" and Alina as "babu-chan" or sometimes "Ojii-san".
Pretty funny to see.

We had a bunch of barbecues over the summer, and I tried to improve my grilling technique. The highlights included spicy pork ribs, sirloin steaks, and chicken shish kebabs. I learned that the key is preparing the meat and using the right amount of heat for what you are cooking. A nice cold beer helps, too.

We did get away for a couple of short trips, including a great weekend camping in Shiga at Lake Biwako. The kids played outside all day and then the adults got to spend some quality time drinking and talking after the kids were in bed.

(the person taking this picture was in a tree :)



The next day my friend and I made our way to the top of the climbing wall. It was great fun!













The best part of my summer, though, had to be swimming at the waterfall near my house. Whenever I had a chance, I hiked there with some friends and we took a dip in the clear, cool water. I was so happy to find such a beautiful, peaceful place right here in Nishinomiya.