GREENLAKE

restful thoughts

FLIGHT SIM

Wanna fly the plane yourself? Great place to put the game.

TO SEATTLE

On the big board is the Seattle flight.

AIRPLANE FOOD

Usually airplane food is all stuffy, but in business class its a whole other story. Just check out the fine veggies, salmon, and glasses of wine.

BUSINESS CLASS

Got my name called last second when everyone was boarding the plane. Wierd I thought, maybe because I was a bit late they called my name. But when I was passing through the ticket gate they pulled me over to check my passport they said. After all that, they said economy was full and they had to change my seat to "Business". Nice! Of course I wasn't about to refuse their offer or question it. It was my first time in business. I would definetly say its a step up in terms of service and food and drinks!! Movies were ho hum, but the chair gadgets were kinda cool, as they could recline almost all the way back.
Anyways here are my feet enjoying the extra extra leg space.

龍野西中学校

The other day rolled into the old junior high to prepare the basketball kids for their big game on saturday. Felt a bit wierd going back, but it was nice. Everyone was still nice and genki, it was nice to see the old teacher room again, looks so much smaller now after working at high school, where there are about double the teachers and desks. Said "hi" to Kyoto sensei, Ogawa, Nagai, Kubo, Koda, Tomo, Matsubara, and a bunch of other teachers, even kinda hid as I forgot some names. Even met the new principal, nice guy, he only knew me as the ALT before who coached the basketball kids and thanked me. It was good to just hang out and shoot some hoops. There is definetly a different mood at NishiChu versus my high school now. Maybe because jr high is smaller and the kids are younger. But yeah I would agree they are more friendly. They aren't too cool to say HI.

Today the boys had two games at Aioi. It was the last game of the season if they were to lose. It was the regional tourney. First game went great, they dominated the other team and put them away 80-30 about. The game was like clockwork, offense and defense was fierce. But then came the second game. The wheels fell off. Everyone got tired and a speedier Taishi West team got the best of NishiChu. At some points the lead was up to 25. But with the 4th quarter, everyone tried their best and ran their guts out, and cut the lead to 4 with only about 18 seconds left. But an errant pass left the boys with the loss. Dang I feel bad for them, but they tried hard. Hope they can finish off the tourney tomorrow with two more wins. Good luck!

船

a lost pic i found hiding on my harddrive, as the ferry sails into the sunset

シアトル

just a couple more days until I see SPUD's at Greenlake again, yipee

試験を採点時

test correcting time really sucks!!! here are my lovely tools, paper, calculator, and the million ghetto red pens that i have gone through, why use pens that only last 5 minutes? Mmmm ... 15 classes to correct, um thats like over 500 students, isn't it fun wasting 4 hours to correct stupid tests, it would be nice to sleep before 4am ... anyways its just something thats gotta be done, gotta appreciate those teachers alot more ... heck where are those scantrons from the back in the days, why dont we get some up here in japan?

紐

the japanese paper clip, used to keep the test papers together ... gotta love it

東洋高校野球

bow

東洋高校野球

The Mizuno bat, the weapon of choice.

東洋高校野球

good friends

東洋高校野球

in the dugout

東洋高校野球

at bat

東洋高校野球

One of the 5 coaches on the team. Nice guy, bit different approach on the coaching as he is not a regular teacher, but he works as one of the office staff. But hey if he can play and coach baseball, who cares? I did think he was a little big too be just a regular office staff. Nice guy.

東洋高校野球

The famous Japanese huddle, between innings the team always gets together and reflects, then breaks with a squat down together, and a cheer as they move onto the next inning, if you have seen Japanese baseball then you know what I am talking about. American high school baseball is often mono tone, as well as other Japanese sports, but something about baseball makes them have this inner fire. Maybe its the history, but there is always chanting and hollering. I never understood before the importance of baseball life, especially when Kristine always went to see her kids play ball. But now I understand. Its more than just a sport, its a way of life to these kids and coaches and parents.

CLEANING THE FIELD

The groomer.

東洋高校野球

The big summer baseball tourney is around the corner. Koshein they call it. Good luck to my high school baseball boys!

東洋高校野球

The team enjoys some lovely bananas after a hard fought 3-0 victory. Love the baseball team, never shy about anything, not even a picture. Guess they are trained to take the pressure and fame, good luck kids!

CORRECTING TESTS SUCK part II

About 130am, got the sports class done, not so bad, knowing that I wasted a bunch of time chatting with people. Tom, I be there for the cabin event, Amy I looking into the camera, Jimmy how was Transformers for the 3rd time? Aight back to work, two more classes to go. Looking at a 4am bedtime.

CORRECTING TESTS SUCK part I

Its about midnight, and I got 3 classes to correct by tomorrow morning! Lets see how much sleep, or how much I don't sleep tonite. Well the ghetto red pens are already failing. Correcting the sports class right now, and well, there grades aren't looking too hot. It possibly could be that cuz they just sleep in class and practice their baseball 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. I would get tired of everything too. Had some high scores in the 90s, then of course the lows around 25 out of 100. Hope they can pass the class. Got the Okinawan chillin music on, more posts to come on later.

GOT MILK?

Yeah I sure hope it is the original taste of milk!! Otherwise it wouldn't be milk!

More random thoughts about Japan, besides the milk.

LOUD NOISES I kinda live near an elementary school and sometimes they like to announce whats going on at school. The thing is they announce it to the WHOLE neighborhood on some big ass loud speakers that should more appropriately be used during an evacuation. Plus they are so kindly to do it at 7:00am! Um, people are still sleeping, and heck the kids aren't even at school yet!

THE SUN Japan doesn't have daylight savings. I read that before Japan used to use daylight savings but ended it. It was put back into place, because Japanese are "farmers" the government said. No one really farms anymore, and if they do, its just a couple times a year. Give me a break, I don't see the reason for the sun to come up at 4:30am! No one is awake at 430am except for the clubbers looking to go to McDonalds for breakfast. So yeah the sun goes down early, alot earlier, maybe around 730pm at the latest. Think about all the lost daylight time that could have been saved and used with the added daylight savings. I remember the sun going down around 930pm back home. Plenty of time to do things, and I had more energy to go out. I think the Japanese economy would pick up with a time change, more people would be out shopping, eating, and enjoying things. An easy boost to the economy woes. I also read that there was a mirror of hope as they were trying it out daylight savings with some private and public companies in Hokkaido the past two years, three years. The workers would go in a bit earlier, but close shop at the same time. Go figure, an excuse to work more. But anyways daylight savings doesn't work unless everyone is using it. Lets change that daylight savings, all the poor kids gotta ride their bikes home when its dark, its dangerous yo! I probably wrote this rant about daylight savings a million times, but just wanted a refresher.

SCHOOL THOUGHTS

Sometimes I have random thoughts about the Japanese education system ... dunno why, maybe because I am a nerd and enjoy analyzing things ...

ENGLISH
With all the 1st grade high school kids coming in with various English backgrounds (ie. high, medium, low level students, students who had good teachers and some with not so good teachers in their jr high days) How come there is no review course?? It definitely would help the kids grasp what they learned in jr high and apply it to the high school English courses. But of course things like that wouldn't work. So regardless the kids are just thrown into the fire to learn hard ass English just to pass an university exam. Learning English they don't know how to use or even understand. Where is the review class! Kids can't even write a sentence, how can you move to the next stage if they even haven't learned the basics.


DIFFERENT PACES
In America kids in high school and junior high can choose their own classes. Choose their own class levels and their interests. But as for schools in Japan, life up until university is a one class system. Students are stuck to learn the same thing as their classmates, the same 40 students throughout the year, and sometimes throughout their entire 3 year school tenure. The problem is if a smarter kid is in there, they are stuck with the same level as the other classmates and this is vice versa with lets say the not so smart kids, or the kids that just need to work a little harder in studying but are having a hard time catching up. Those who are advancing more quickly or not so quickly should be able to go to a different class more suitable for their level. In America level problem is sometimes adjusted by changing of the class at quarter or yearly break. But in Japan this can't be done, unless the student at the time of junior high graduation advances to a higher or lower level high school. But then the problem still exists within the high school for the following 3 years.

Talking to one of my teachers Iwabuchi sensei who came from Suma Nishi High School, a public high school near Kobe. He informed me that his school before was a pilot school of sorts in testing out the American style of class selection. Students don't study with their homeroom, they move to various classes in accordance with the class they selected. Iwabuchi sensei told me he much prefers the American system for good students, and it works very well. But for some other schools that system may not work very well. It was interesting to hear that they actually had an American style system, it was the first time for me to hear of it. It definitely would be interesting to go and observe.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Can't make it back home in time to see the big fireworks, someone please take some pics. Oh I miss Lake Union. Geezz haven't seen the 4th of July for 4 years! Anyways here some fireworks from the local firework event in the town of Aioi. Happy 4th everyone, eat some burgers for me.

NO TGIF THIS WEEKEND

How was the weekend? Busy I tell ya. First of all whoever heard of school on Saturday? Well, come to Asia or Japan, cuz they got it. So no TGIF love here, since thats right there was school on Saturday. The clicher it was a makeup day for a Wednesday earlier in the month where everyone got the day off for the school's founder day. But of course you can't get away that easily, so I had to teach 3 classes on Saturday morning, arrgghh. Then print out a lovely 500 tests for the 1st graders test on Monday.

Continued the day by meeting up with Daniel, Kayo, and Madoka for dinner at Blue Plate. Nice food, haven't been there for awhile so I forgot how it was. Madoka is heading out to Vancouver for one year. How cool is that. Going in opposite directions, I am sure she will have fun there. Caught up with Mike and the frisbee gang for a bit too and finished off the night with 3 hours of karaoke in the new improved VIP blue light Shidax room.

Of course if things weren't busy enough I had to finish up the 3rd graders test for Monday as I worked into the wee hours of the night, finishing up around 330am. Before that took a mini break to meet up with Daniel and get his lovely autograph for the photobook, and then caught up with Masa to help him out with his upcoming interview. Masa great guy, big guy and smart, heck even got 940 out of 990 on his TOEIC. Um, can't get much higher than that, thats already good. Even native English speakers can't get that high of a score, ha ha ha .

Then rolled in Monday today. First period all 500 of the 1st graders had to take my test. I wasn't so much nervous, I just wanted everything to go smoothly and be prepared. Got to use the broadcast room to announce the listening part of the test. It was kinda fun and there was no hiccups. Also stopped by the small room to give the listening test to 4 students. One of them had a hearing problem, but I didnt know which one, so it was a bit funny signaling with the teacher on which student it was. Anyways first test is done, but now the bummer, correcting all 500 of them!!! Also gave the 3-4 class their test. The mid term test was a bit too easy as all of them scored pretty high. So as directed, I was told to make a more challenging test, and boy did I. Muhhhhhhaaaa. Poor kids.

たこ焼き

takoyaki : aka octopus balls, see the nice big chunks of octopus waiting to be served, its a specialty of the kansai area

デザート

おいしいそう

お好みやけ

cooking up okonomiyake

うにつり

forget the fish, catch the eel at the fair!!

危ない

get your guns here, kids!

かき

oyster cooking

怖くない

house of horrors! or the horror of being ripped off 400yen, ($4) to just walk through a bunch of dark tunnels for a minute, where is the complaint center??

VIEW FROM TOP

get your eat on

チョコレート

the mad chocolate scientist

ゆかた

taking a stroll with the yukata

携帯

もしもしエビちゃんどこ？

ごみごみごみ

if they only had garbage cans ...

姫路ゆかた祭り

miss himeji

OVER THE RAINBOW

anyday is a great day for a full rainbow

スターバックスとシアトル

yeah sometimes I miss Seattle ... I always think about home

タイ料理

Stopped by Kobe over the weekend to help Hiroko with her trip before New York. Made a reservation at the Thai restaurant that I've been wanting to eat at, the past couple of times the time place was full and a reservation was required. Baanthai バーンタイ was the name of the restaurant, not so original, but had to check out what it was all about. Definitely had the Thai mood inside with wooden decor, elephants, and the complimentary thai music in the background. Ordered the usual dishes because, hell I haven't eaten real Thai food for a year so anything would do. Picked up the Tom Young Goong, Phad Thai, Basil Chicken stir fry, and some sticky rice!! Staff was friendly and nice, I think they were Japanese but the cooks I think were Thai. Looked around while my order was being prepared. People looked pretty happy and sweaty and red. Good signs, that the food was probably a bit spicy and good. Then the moment of truth came when my order arrived. Hot damn, it was good! Nice and authentic and probably one of the best Thai food I have had. Not that I was desperate for it, but it was really good, something to rival the Thai joints I visit back home in Seattle. Missed my sticky rice, it was a bit small and hard, as it was the only downer, but all the other stuff was really good. For sure count me in to come back!! Seemed like a pilgrimage to find a good Thai restaurant. Been living in Japan almost 4 years and haven't even found anything decent in the terms of Thai food, not even close. I have finally found the holy grail of Thai dining in the Kansai area, if anyone knows another place, my ears are open, until then I won't try another.

Hungry for a taste? Here is how to get there. From the McDonald's next the Hankyu line in Sannomiya, face the drug store across the street. To the left of the drug store, walk through the tiny sketchy girl alley. After about 30 seconds walking the Banh Thai will be on your right hand side. If its dinner time, make sure to call ahead, 078-391-0545. Here is a food website too http://r.tabelog.com/hyogo/rstdtl/28002129/

タイ料理

エビおおおおおおおおいしそぉぉぉぉぉぉぉ！

花火

madoka and daniel clowning around with fireworks

POWER SUNSET

along the Ibo river 揖保川の近く

TOO MUCH WALKIN

yeah i am tired

相生ペーロン祭り

taiko in the shadows

相生ペーロン祭り

A solo act.

時々

Sometimes I do believe I am living in the countryside. Especially when I see a tractor rolling by my window.

NUNG CHUCK BASEBALL

Gotta love the crazy Japanese TV shows. The show featured a crazy Bruce Lee fan who was a teacher. Here he was showing off to his two students his skill with the nung chucks. His new sport of nung chuck baseball.

もうすぐ蒸し暑いくなる

Its starting to get humid and muggy, I figure another week or two til it becomes a sweatfest. Lucky I got the fan from Noriko just in time.

プレゼント

The other week I stepped into work and found these nice little goodies under my desk. Of course who wouldnt refuse free beer and nuts. Miyamoto sensei is a great guy!

友達の結婚式

Just got Maria and Dan's wedding invitation in the mail. Congrats! See you guys soon in the boonies!

A NORM DAY IN NIPPON

Been in Japan for a loooooong while now, and some things feel normal, but then again, mmmm ... they aren't so normal back home ...

- back up parking is the norm
- my car makes a beeping sound when you throw it in reverse
- its regular to ride a granny bike
- most students wear uniforms
- i get my rice by farming it
- pay my bills at the convience store
- drive on the left side
- eat miso soup with every meal
- i grab a rice ball for a snack
- the food choices consist of sushi, ramen, or some fried chicken
- all beer tastes the same
- people turn off their car lights at the stoplights
- emergency car blinkers are used to say "thank you"

Thats all the thoughts that popped in my head today, but there is always more ...

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY

今年のクリスマスはちょっと早く来た。今日はボーナスを貰った。よかった! Today I got my bonus for work! Yipee! I won't never complain about getting a bonus, sure is different than working in a public school. Plus maybe now I got enough money to buy a plane ticket back home.

東洋大姫路高校

Toyodai Himeji High School : My new school where I have been working since April. About 1400 students! Many come by bike, bus, and train. Even some of the kids ride their bike up to 1 hour each way! Talk about being tough. A couple years back it was an all boys school until recently. There are just a handful of girls, where the boys make up about 80 percent of the school. In a class of 40, there are only about 6 - 8 girls. The school is part of a University in Tokyo called Toyo. Toyo is a pretty big and famous university and it is quite often where the main University school creates a sub high school in its name. Still researching why, because um yeah, Tokyo and Himeji are pretty far apart, and vastly different (3 hours train to Tokyo). But hell the baseball team is quite famous all over Japan. High school baseball is somewhat of a cult status at times, getting to the big game at Koshien Stadium is just like getting to the Super Bowl. Some baseball players from the school will eventually make it pro. Just like "Shiggy" Hasagawa of the Mariners from back in the days. Some of my teachers even taught Shiggy. The school is located in northern Himeji at the base of Mt. Shosha, where they filmed the movie, "The Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise. Kinda cool that you can hike from the back of the school to the top of the mountain in about 40 minutes. The school has a mixed bunch of kids, ranging from the brainy to the not so brainy, to the super sporty. Overall most of the kids are pretty cool and nice, and still the style as the norm for the wannabe cool girls are the short skirts. Which the teacher police always cracks down at times. Honestly I like the longer skirts. Anyways the staff and teachers are pretty cool and friendly too, and school is just a hop skip away from my apartment, so everything is pretty cool so far.