This month’s guest, Diane Lewthwaite, came to Fukuoka in August 2011 to become the Head of School of Fukuoka International School. She has been a certified school principal for 8 years, and has worked for 18 years in international schools in a number of different countries, including Germany and Thailand.
Given her experience of adapting to new environments, Diane recognizes the importance of meaningfully interacting with local communities. In addition to meeting new people, she loves reading, crafts, and watching period dramas, although the self-confessed workaholic admits that a great passion in life is her job. She enjoys the profile and responsibility of being a Head of School and tells us that she would like to continue to grow her career in international schools in the future.
We suggested that she order Amao Parfait (¥945). A combination of waffle, vanilla ice cream, mascarpone cream sauce and yogurt sauce, this delicious treat is crowned with a ruby-red, Hakata-grown strawberry. Diane noted the local sourcing of ingredients approvingly.
“Personally, I want to travel more. When I was a girl in New Zealand, my grandfather used to pick up hitch hikers almost everyday and it made me think, ‘Wow, there are so many people around the world!’” But doesn’t moving around a lot grow tiresome after a while? “I’ve never been bored. Since I am a ‘self-contained’ person, I can feel content at any time.” By the sounds of it, being independent is the essence of Diane’s lifestyle and the key to her happiness.
Menu: Amao Parfait ¥945, Drink set ¥1,155
Hakata Hankyu ELLE CAFÉ
4F Hakata Hankyu, 1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-419-5832
Open: 10:00 ~ 21:00 (last call 20:30)
ELLE CAFÉ ONLINE http://ellecafe.jp
Originally published in Fukuoka Now magazine (fn157 Jan. 2012)
