To My Dearest Moka,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am perfectly fine. I love living and working with you and occasionally with your neighbor, Motegi. Though I love to travel, in my honest opinion, there is no better way to spend a weekend than staying here at home with you. I love shopping at Fukudaya on Sundays in the early morning saying ‘おはようございます’ to your residents. I enjoy being with the elderly women and men who I love competing with to buy discounted groceries! I also enjoy the unexpected meetings with students from Moka Girls High, Moka High, Night, Technical and even Motegi High School at Eon when I am wondering the aisles, trying to understand the unique Japanese products. I thank your citizens for being so warm to me Moka. Though I understand some people are still too afraid or too shy to approach me I am forever grateful and touched by even the simplest smile or friendly greeting your people have given me.

I am from Canada, so I love witnessing the changing of the seasons. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring… I embrace all four seasons and I am glad that Japan also has all four. The hot and humid days of Summer are not coming back until next year and I am finally beginning to feel the cool and crisp Autumn season in your air. Although I enjoy all four seasons, Autumn is my favourite of them all. In America, Autumn is usually called Fall, and in Britain, Fall is usually called Autumn. But in Canada, we use both names to describe this season; both words have the same meaning.

Fall has also begun in Toronto, and the leaves are changing from their lively green to more surreal tones of bright red, orange, and yellow. Here are some pictures from Toronto where you can start to see the changing of the colours:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=65897651&postcount=6472

and

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=65924997&postcount=3005

Sadly, you won’t be able to see the photos if you’re viewing them from a computer at school, so please try to look at them from home! J

Anyways, I am distracted. Forgive me. Oh Moka, I wish I could show you Toronto like you have shown yourself to me. Two of your students came to show me your beautifully fragrant fall flowers and I was so impressed. Another day, the Vice Principal came to one of my classes to take photos of me teaching. She said that she would write a letter and send some photos to my Mother. I was so touched by this I wanted to cry. Thank you all so much! One day I hope some of your students and your teachers or other people come to Toronto so I can repay my gratitude to you all. You’ve all been very friendly and warm to me and it is this warmth that keeps me warm when I am alone in my apartment when it gets cold. Thank you once again Moka, I love you!

Yours truly,

Matthew