Sarah AKA Sakurako 桜子

So, on a very serendipitous note, I have a new name.  I’ve had a lot of Japanese nicknames, like Sarah chan, Rashomon, or Sticky Rice (Hiro–you brat!), but I have been officially given a new name by my students:  Sakurako.  This is where the serendipitous part comes in.  Before I left for Japan, I titled my blog “SarahSakura” and it’s really coincidental that I was only off by one kanji! 

 桜＝さくら＝sakura=cherry blossom　子＝こ＝ko=girl child

The name came to fruition because my students wanted English names one day, so I named them Amber, Betty, Brittany, and Jessica.  Three weeks later, they informed me that my new name was Sakurako, wrote it on all of my things, and a week after that was my birthday, so everybody adorned me with sakura items, including a spiffy new Sakura iPhone cover!  Now, it is Hanami time, and I am perfectly prepared!

I love March in Japan!  It’s still a little cold, but it’s comfortable and sunny most of the time!  I’m not looking foward to the rainy season though…