Thursday, May 28, 2009

蕎麦

コンビにの蕎麦大好き!

学校とマスク

まず僕の日本語は下手けど頑張ろう。。。一週間休み、休校、新型インフルエンザから。皆の生徒はめちゃ元気、皆は気分がいいを見たい。誰も新型インフルエンザ感染したなかった、良かったね。校長先生の指揮は授業中すべての先生マスクを付ける。これは初めて、アメリカ人はマスクをあまり付かないが問題ない。皆の安全最も重要な事があるんから。芝原先生から四つマスクを貰った。そのマスクは医者のマスク見たい。マスクの一方は緑でもう一方は白、どちが表か裏誰も分からない、先生は半分緑は表残り白は表ちょっと面白かった。生徒も私にそのマスクの質問を聞いた。マーケンのマスクは緑けど先の先生のマスクは白、誰が間違う?めちゃ面白い!それで生徒にほこり説明を教えた。表は緑、ほこり付いたら時は見やすいから。

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

休校

No school for one week because of swine flu. All schools in Hyogo and Osaka are closed. Elementary, Junior High, Senior High, thats about 1200000 students.

手?

Hans and Frans would be happy to see their name on the sign. "We want to pump you up!"

兵庫県の知事井戸敏三

Hyogo prefrecture governor Toshizo Ito, 兵庫県の知事井戸敏三 makes his speech to the crowd of private high school teachers and principals. Its election year so the big politicians gather everyone to talk about the future of education or was it to collect votes? Anyways the cool thing the governor is from Tatsuno, Shingu where I used to live, and his birthday is August 10th, Leo just like me.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

新型インフルエンザ

The swine flu has arrived in Japan, masks are sold out, school is closed. Japan is probably the most country most used to wearing masks either for allergy season, or in winter the common cold season. So it kinda looks like a normal day.

On the side note i havent updated my blog for ages. Well I have been crazy busy. But with the swine flu going around, school has been closed for a week, good news there, so I can play with my blog and photos. The bad news, gotta make it up in the HOT HUMID summer, fuck. I would rather teach classes now. Oh well. Kids, they got no school, no juku, nothing to do, they just chillin all over town. Its kinda funny. The flu thing has been taking way overboard. Nobody has died, its just as serious as the common flu, which isn't all that bad. Japanese wear masks on a regular basis, kinda looks like a normal day with all the masks. Only thing is at the store they are all sold out. And then you got your Moss Burger workers and every other store workers wearing masks, kinda funny.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

NICE DAY

Ah forgot to mention its a beautiful sunny day! Um second thought it was .. well in the 50s, last day of Feb, snow is melting in the mountains.

FINALLY!

Got the two final tests out of the way, well 2 hours sleep and completing it 20 minutes before the test, call it just in time. Made it a bit challenging for the kids, hey it can't always be easy. Take a mini break work on grad apps, then correct that mountain of tests on monday!

Ah saw some of my first grade kids, oh I will miss them, don't teach them anymore when they change to 2nd grade next quarter. Just talking to MoriMori and Yanagi Tomoko, aka Usagi (rabbit) or Unagi (eel). Damn I love to butcher Japanese names.

TEST DAY

Oh! Lucky today, I got home at 9pm. I was making the 2nd test for the 2.4 class, but then my headache forced me home. Well now getting ready to work again and finish up the test hopefully before morning!

ORAL TEST
This time the 1st graders were blessed by the sounds of Ben E King rather than my lovely voice. Usually I read something for listening, but today I choose to play Stand By Me for listening. A lot of the kids knew the song and liked it, good choice, pat on my back. Plus its used every year in random commercials. Teachers at Toyo are great, they always pull together. Today, Mr Harada, Mr Iseda and Mr Yamanaka were so helpful in checking the classes and everything, I couldnt have done it without them. Just a little hiccups in the test here and there, we caught them all and even one of the advanced kids couldnt read the words on the horoscope picture, cry baby. Anyways another good test, now the hard part, checking all 500 of them!!!

Friday, February 27, 2009

TODAY AT TOYO

11:00 PM
Thats what time I finished today. Damn getting into that Japanese salaryman mode, I gotta get out of it. But it couldn't be helped today, had to finish up the Oral test for tomorrow. So that meant printing out 500 tests! Lucky Mr. Harada was so nice to stay with me until the end, helping me print out the tests, he is such a nice guy. Then the other teachers, Iseda and Yamanaka were kinda enough to help me out, so cool. Today I was finally last at school with Mr. Harada, watch out Japanese I can outwork you!! hahaha

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Working on those apps for grad school at the UW College of Education, crossing those fingers, I should be finishing up my personal statement rather than this blog, but I know I will never do my blog if I don't do it now. Well everything else is done for the app, just one more!

TOMMORROW
Gotta make another fucking test!! Then back to lovely graduate school apps =)


NEW NAME
Was talking to one of my students in class today, and he said hey you have lived in Japan a long time, do you have a Japanese name? I told him I didn't, so he gave me one, Kenichi. Kinda cool name, I like it, Kayo even said the 4 hirigana letters fit me.

FUNNY GIRLS
Saw the funny girls, Saito, Sawada, Koda Kumi and gang. Just hanging out in front of the food window. Even got a cool kanji writing from Kumi, not sure what it says but looks cool. Girls joking around, Sawada said Kumi was not the same cute girl as the real Koda Kumi. Hahaha, girls are so mean. Then I said she is dangerous and beautiful, but then Sawada countered and said, dangerous, but not beautiful. Funny girls.

BOOK GIFT CARD
Namba sold me a book gift card, I didn't really need it, but just to play with the kids. Namba was pretty happy cuz he was looking for cash not books as he promptly turned around and bought some ice cream and chicken karage with the money. Even had a nice chat with the other kids and Mr. Brass Band aka DMX.


Sunday, January 04, 2009

CHILLIN ON A SUNDAY

Today is January 4th but on TV the new year shows keep coming. Today some funny sports comedy programs. Usually back home I only remember new year shows being until the 1st, but maybe I forgot since its been so long.

Another thing, when I was driving I checked out all the drivers on the other side of the road, most cars, maybe 80% had two or more passengers. Maybe it was the weekend? But in America that is pretty rare anytime of day, usually its just one person in a car. Maybe its because they have more trains and buses here.

Lazy today so just grabbed some McDonalds with Kayo with our cool xmas gift cards. Yum ... Big Mac in any country tastes so good!

Back to writing my personal statement for grad school. damn!!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

WE PASSED!

After a long two week wait, the results were in and all my students passed level 2 of the English Step Examination. I am so proud of them. They came into the teachers room to thank me and Harada sensei for helping them. Harada sensei said this was the first time that all the students who took the level 2 test at the same time passed. I am happy to keep my clean record of passing students through English interview tests. Whew!

RESULTS ARE IN

Students huddle around Iwabuchi sensei to check out their English Step Exam results.

PHOTO DAY

The student leader group lines up for their photo album pic. Anna takes a peek from the corner.

ENGLISH INTERVIEW CREW

Me and Mr. Harada trained these poor kids 6 straight days in order to pass their English interview test. I am crossing my fingers for them. It was challenging and fun to work with them, they are a funny bunch of kids, they worked really hard. picture : Aiko, Mr. Harada, Yuki, Me, Marron, Lady Killa, and Daiki.

TEACHERS ROOM

It was alot of 12 hour days last week, having regular classes and trying to prepare kids for their English Step Examination interview. Well I think I was almost last one out.

OLD STUDENTS

Some of my old students sYui and Suga baby stopped by and chilled at my desk.

BOOKS BOOKS!

alot of books were out for the parents to check out universities and colleges

BEFORE

before the food test

NEW FOOD

how about some mayonaise on top of ramen?