From the moment I came across the Japanese language, I was hooked on Japan. Learning a little of the language allowed me to do two month-long trips by myself - a solo female traveller in Japan - and I could not have enjoyed them more.

I've had to taper down from or suddenly stop a number of medications now. Each medication is very different in the tapering and withdrawal effects (or lack thereof), and each time it seems to get harder.

Having moved overseas, now twice, I get asked a lot of questions from my language students, mostly about why I decided to move and how I organized the move.

This is my true story of how a bookworm and budding fiction writer stopped reading and was shocked at how it affected and stunted her writing.

A new lengthy investigation was triggered by an injury from a bad wrist position my wrist during my hysterectomy, last February, resulted in a new diagnosis of an autoimmune disease - undifferentiated sponyloarthritis.

This was my first word search puzzle and a hit with every class I have given it to, either as a race within the class or as homework.

Even beginners are faced with idioms if they travel to an English speaking country for a holiday. That’s why it’s important to include idioms in all levels of language courses.

The most requested topics in a conversation class with my older students is travel. Making the second or third lesson in a course about travel helps the students feel more comfortable with each other and improves speaking confidence.

When choosing conversation topics, it’s most important that you pick topics the students like and want to talk about.

When choosing conversation topics, it’s most important that you pick topics the students like and want to talk about.