Brian's Japan Adventure

January 19^th, 2008

Apple Saturday

It’s library day, so as usual, I rode the train station, walked to the bus stop, rode the bus to the bus station and walked a few blocks to McDonalds for breakfast and then to the library. The place was packed today; I have never seen the library so crowded.  I can only assume that it’s because the end of the school year is imminent and people are working on assignments. Both the two big local universities have finals coming up during the next two weeks, and then they are closed until the new school year begins April 1^st. Much like Winter Break in the States, they get their month off in February.  This long break is why all my university classes are winding down while the non-university classes continue.

I posted a few days of blog reports, checked the usual message boards and emails. I see that in my university academic record, they have now credited me with a TEFL Certification; I guess it does help for the wheel to squeak once in a while.  The university spelled “certification” wrong on my record, so that’s not exactly a confidence-inspiring situation. Hopefully they won’t spell anything on the actual certificate wrong. Ha!  I also downloaded a few articles and material I might use for classes, but I didn’t find anything that really stands out. I suspect I’ll have to use up some of my newly-available Monday afternoon to look for some more.

Say Aloha To The Big Kahuna!

I chatted a bit with Ptuny, but not as long as usual. We talked about where I wanted to go in March. I had though Okinawa would be fun, but it’s still going to be too col there to go to the beach, and I don’t think they have much else. She suggested stopping at Hawaii on the way home. I would never have considered that myself, but hey, why not?  It’s pretty much right on the way.  I’m far closer to Hawaii now than I will be again for a very long time. I did a very quick look to see hotels and the differences in airfare, and it looks like I could do it for around $600 extra air fare (on top of what I’m spending now to get home) and around $100 a night for a hotel. So it basically figures on four days running me $1000. That’s a huge amount of money, but for a week in Hawaii, it’s not so bad really. I just need to decide if it’s worth it.

Growing up, my family never went anywhere or did anything on vacation, so spending large sums on travel just for fun is completely alien to me. That’s one reason this whole Japan Adventure thing was so appealing. Still, I may never have the opportunity and spare cash to go to Hawaii again, so it might be smart just to use the opportunity now that it has come up. Then again, I’ve been saving to make those student loans less painful and the need for rushing right out to find an income less urgent. $1000 is nothing less than three months of payments, maybe more, I don’t know yet. THIS is the kind of decision I really hate making. Still I have time to decide. I mean agonize over the decision. Argh!

Podcasts!

Before leaving the library, I checked for updates for my computer. There were a couple, including one for iTunes. I downloaded and installed the updates, and then started up iTunes to find out what was new. I don’t even remember what was new, but for some reason I clicked on the iTunes Store button and found myself on the Podcast page. I’d never really spent any time looking there before, but they have hundreds and hundreds of audio broadcasts available for free download.

I clicked on everything that interested me, and before long, I got a message that my hard drive was full.  Huh?  I looked, and some of those broadcasts weren’t just audio, but also included HD Video in huge files. I deleted a bunch of junk to make room, and kept on downloading.

I found podcasts for learning Japanese (and other languages), a bunch of stuff about running Macs, Internet Business, Best of Youtube, the keynote speech from the recent MacWorld Expo, and even daily grammar and writing tips. Neat stuff, and I downloaded dozens of individual episodes. iTunes does make it very easy to get large numbers of these shows, and by subscribing (free) you get updates automatically. As you all know, I really like audiobooks and audio dramas, but I’ll be spending much more time exploring these in the near future. I picked up more things than I’ll be able to listen to in a long while, several gigabytes of stuff. I looked at my watch and it was after three o’clock.

Then went home, dropped off the computer and rode back to Happy Town for groceries. I hurried back home and started to listen to all the podcasts.  The video from the Macworld Expo last week lasted an hour and a half, and filled me in on all the new releases from Apple. Maybe I will break down and get an iPhone when I get home. After watching that, I listened to quite a few episodes of the Internet Business podcast, and it got me thinking along some new lines (he said with a sly grin). There was nothing there I didn’t already know, but it was very motivational.  Oh, if only I had easier access to the Internet…

And that’s pretty much it for tonight.  I’ve spent most of the night watching videos and listening to audio broadcasts. I have dozens of hours more stuff here that I will get to eventually, and much more to look at next time I get to the library. I’m going to have to delete a bunch of this stuff to make room for more. Fortunately, a lot of these MacWorld videos are the kind of thing you only watch once.  It’s around 9:45 now, and I’m debating whether or not I want to walk down to the vending machine on the corner for a hot coffee or just sit here in the warmth.

January 16^th, 2008

Birthdays and Time Travel

I got up around 4:30 and left the house by 5:15., Since I need to finish off my seissyun juhachi ticket. Next week I go back to sleeping late and taking the Shinkansen. I’ve had enough three-hour train rides to last me a long time.  On the way there my brother and his kids called to ding me Happy Birthday to you and talk for a bit. The train was packed with people, and I could barely hear him. He said he’d call back, but I guess he never got to it. Well, who knows, it’s my birthday where he is tomorrow, so I can still get calls a day late that aren’t really a day late. Time Travel always seems to complicate things. If I flew home tonight and had two birthdays in a row would I suddenly be two years older?  This is the kind of thinking you wind up with after listening to three solid hours of Doctor Who audio adventures first thing in the morning.

I arrived at the usual time in Hiroshima and went to the kindergarten.  I knew I was in trouble when the first child that ran up to me yelled “Happy Birthday!”  I think I mentioned it here when it happened, but at some point in the past, one of the kids asked me when my birthday was, and when I told him, a teacher scribbled it down. Now I see why. They are a sneaky bunch, these Kindergarten teachers!

So in all three classes, I had to be surprised when they sang the Happy Birthday song more or les successfully. Fortunately, it led right into all of them practicing saying the “My name is ____.  I am ____ years old,” routine.  We’re a sneaky bunch, we kindergarten teachers.

After class, Mr. Kindergarten had me wait in the office while he gathered a couple of spare teachers and they hand me a little present, a package of mixed candy and a card. It wasn’t much, but I am grateful that they remembered.  Quite a few people didn’t. I thanked them all, and practice my bowing again, and then it’s time to leave.  The lady who handles my train fare reimbursement wasn’t there today, so I hope they remember to pay me double next time.

A Mobile Hothouse

I had lunch at the Lotteria under the Hiroshima station, so it was another “Straight Burger combo” for me. They are small burgers, but the sauce is great. I decided not to look for the Mexican place today. It’ll be much easier next week when I am at least on the right side of town and can walk. There’s no point in paying 500Y and a half-hour each way for a bus ride to the restaurant, and I’m not even sure which bus is the right one anyway.  I can do it, I know that, but decide to skip the hassle for this time.

Then it was back on the train for three more hours. I got a birthday call from Mom just after getting on the train.  Then it was just a long and boring ride home, this time sitting next to some old guy who slept the whole way.  That’s not a problem expect he kept leaning on me most of the way. Sleeping old people get HOT!  I just cannot sleep on a train. Maybe it’s fear of missing my stop, or maybe it’s just the bouncing around.  More likely it’s the whole “sitting up” thing; I just cannot sleep sitting up.  I TRIED to sleep and was certainly tired enough to do it. As soon as I’d drop off I’d jerk back awake. Between not being able to movie and the geriatric heat machine next to me, I cannot remember being so tired in mid-afternoon.

When I finally get off the train, the cold air outside felt fantastic. I rode the bike home and the change from the hot train felt great. I walked in the door around 4pm, kicked off my shoes, and immediately lay on the bed to stretch out a bit.

Oops.

Then I woke up at 7am Thursday morning, fully dressed.  Oops.  I guess time travel works both ways. I just zapped myself a day into the future. 

So now it’s Thursday morning at about 8am. I guess sleeping away the day kind of enforces my “not-going-to-study-for-the-Japanese-test” plan. I have to prepare for K-sensei’s final class in the next hour. That’s no problem, as it’s pretty much ready-to-go as it stands now. Then this afternoon is the evil Japanese language test. If I had been awake yesterday, I’m sure I’d have given into the nagging and studied Japanese. I think I like it better this way. I had actually planned to study this afternoon for it, and I will, I don’t want to look like an idiot after all, but I could have spent a lot more time on it if I hadn’t forced myself not to.  And that should wrap up my Thursdays from now on. I think Thursday will be a day off from now till the end.

I had planned on getting my lesson for Friday’s class prepared on Wednesday night so that I could print it off up at the office Thursday morning. That didn’t happen, what with me being comatose and all. I still have plenty of time to make up the lesson Thursday night, but it will require a special trip up the mountain first thing Friday to print off handouts. Sigh.

Back to the birthday situation:  I know the Japanese teacher wrote down my birthday back when Marc talked about his. Will something happen today before the test? I wouldn’t put odds on it either way.  Speaking of Marc, he asked me Tuesday night if my B-Day was Wednesday. He worked a long day yesterday, so I never even saw him, but the fact that he asked may mean he’s got something cooking. I should probably worry.

January 14^th, 2008

Rose Day

Today’s a holiday. As far as I can tell, they call it “Rose Day.” Apparently, it’s a special day where everyone who turns 20 this year celebrates. It’s a sort of “coming of age day.”  Beyond that, I don’t know how it works or what they do. All the stores seemed to be open today, but the university was closed.  For whatever reason, I had today off.  I assumed that library was closed today, so I went to Megalo this morning to get in some Internet time. Later, Marc told me that he’d been to the library and it had been open normal hours. Whoops!

On Thin Ice

While on the net I did get a few things done. I picked up an article that I like for K-Sensei’s class. It’s about the thickness of arctic ice and how new ice is thinner than old ice.  He wanted me to turn it in for him by Wednesday so he could copy it for Thursday’s class. That sounds reasonable except that today the school was closed and that I teach out of town on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I guess I’ll have to go up to the university first thing in the morning to print off the article and then run right back down here to catch the train to Fukuyama. It’s inconvenient, but it’ll be my very last Thursday class. Unless they come up with something new, I expect to have Thursday off after this upcoming one.

If I email it today in order to arrive yesterday, I can have my answer by tomorrow?

I also wrote to Dr. M. back at the Home University regarding my “missing” TEFL certificate. I wrote that on “my” Monday afternoon, so it would have arrived in her inbox very late Sunday night. So as long as she answers it sometime during business hours on “her” Monday, I should be able to get an answer tomorrow (my Tuesday) morning.  All this time conversion between here and there makes me glad that I enjoy time travel fiction. It’s hard to make sense of it otherwise sometimes.

Ole! Salsa! Burrito!

Although I tend to avoid eating at the same place twice in a row, I did go to McDonalds again. I like that new egg-burger sandwich. Speaking of food, I now know (thanks Ptuny) about a Mexican restaurant in Hiroshima. I’m going to try to find it on Wednesday. According to the website, it’s the only Mexican restaurant in Hiroshima. I wonder why they are so rare here?  Japanese seem to like spicy food, so it’s not that. If I had to guess, maybe the ingredients are just too expensive. But how expensive can corn and beans actually be? Whatever—hopefully within 48 hours I’ll be having some tacos, nachos, and enchiladas!

Arriving home, I cleaned up my room a little bit. I think I am going to pack up a box of stuff to send home later in the week. There are plenty of things sitting around here that I am not going to be using in the next eight weeks.  It’s better to mail some now and some later than get stuck with a big expense all at once. Maybe. I’ll have to see what I can gather up, maybe I don’t have enough to bother with right now.  While cleaning, I sorted through my unused lesson material, and tossed out a huge stack of Christmas material. I am keeping everything I have used here for teaching in .PDF or .DOC files for possible future use, but not necessarily paper copies.

No Avoiding the Chat Room

Tomorrow I have those dreaded new Fukuyama classes, two more junior high classes and one high school class, as well as an hour in the “chat room.” The classes are going to be more or less like what I did last Friday (only solo without Marc this time), so I am not too worried about them for this time. I have to come up with something new for the class on Friday, and this week I think I will focus on asking questions. I need to make up a worksheet or handout concerning how to ask questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? 

I am a little unsure about the so-called “chat room.”  We walked through it the other day, and it’s a room with bare shelves. Supposedly there will be magazines in English and pictures on the wall by tomorrow. What do I do in there? Well, chat I assume, but I can’t be more specific than that.  Unless I they tell me otherwise, I am going to assume that’s it’s a lot like the Student Support Center that I did in Takahashi; students come in to talk and practice English, but it’s not a formal class.  Both Marc and I are convinced that this whole room was a last-minute idea that the school assembled just for us. When they found out they were getting a regular weekly supply of foreign teachers, they decided to put together a chat room, probably with no further thought than that.  When people go to a lot of trouble to build something up, they tend to expect a lot in return.  It’s when they have vague expectations that things tend to get troublesome.

Too Few Whos Make The News

Finishing my preparations for the first part of the week, I turned on the MP3 player and listened to another Doctor Who audio story for two hours.  It looks like I only have about fifteen more of these stories… and about 60 days left in Japan. I don’t listen to one every night, but I’m going to be cutting it close. Plus, I probably ought to save a couple for the flight home. I have Internet sources for a huge number of classic books and things on audio now, but I like the Who stories best. They’re just fun and I know all the characters already. I guess I’m going to have to start rationing my stories or listening to something else for a few weeks.

New Video on Youtube:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dr.arcane

January 11th, 2008

The All-New Fukuyama Friday

Originally, I was scheduled to go to Hiroshima today for the kindergarten’s Mochi-tsuki festival.   It was a special event where they have mochi-tsuki specialists come in and make mochi-tsuki for the kids. Mochi-Tsuki, is, of course, made by hitting a lump of rice with a gigantic wooden mallet until it is as thin as paper.  It takes two people; one to swing the hammer and one to move the rice lump around.  I have seen it done before. I’ve never tried it, but apparently it has a texture that feels like there is nothing in your mouth at all, but there is still a taste to it.  It’s seasonal, and the news always reports several dozen people choking to death on it, usually children and old people. They thought it would be nice to invite me to see the performance. It would have been fun, but alas, I couldn’t go because of the new schedule.

Marc’s first class was at 1:30 and mine was at 2:30, but I thought it would be a good idea if we went together, so we both left here at 11:30 to board the trains to be there for the first class. When they saw that we had arrived together, they went crazy.  Apparently, they had originally wanted us both together today but forgot to tell anyone, so things worked out well for them.  Instead of Marc having one class and me the other, we ended up working together in both classes. I liked it, having someone else to keep the conversation going was nice for a change. Marc wasn’t too thrilled, because it meant he had to stay an hour longer than he planned.  Wah.

We walked up to the office to check in and they gave us each two train tickets; one to go home this afternoon and one to come back next week. Personally, I prefer the cash reimbursements the way the other places do it.  Something about this just feels more “risky” somehow. Like someday they are not going to have the tickets there. It worked out for today so I can’t really complain.

Then we walked over to the first class. Today’s classes were both the first year of junior high school.  That’s 7th grade by American standards, although they don’t call it that here. This was “Junior High 1A and 1B”, whatever that means.  The students were mostly thirteen years old, although there were still a few twelve-year olds. There were about half boys and half girls in the classroom, and they all wore uniforms. Everyone under college level wears a uniform and that includes the kindergarteners; if there are “casual schools” anywhere, then I haven’t seen the kids that go there. I’ve always thought kids wearing school uniforms was a great idea that should be required in America.  Unfortunately, I seem to be in the minority about that.

We introduced ourselves, showed them where we came from on a map and talked about ourselves a little bit. Then we went around the room and everyone introduced himself or herself. They had a little paper form they each had filled out with “My name is ____”, “I am ____ years old”, ”I Like ____” and so forth.  They read these to use, barely audible in the crowded classroom.  My kindergarten kids are just about at this level. No. They ARE at that level.  As per my usual experience here, the kids can read and write fairly well, but as for speaking and listening, they are pretty low-level. We then asked them to ask us questions, and there were some, but they were pretty easy and predictable, such as, “What is your favorite Japanese food?”

We then moved on to ask why they wanted to learn English. No one knew, but we expected that. We asked them what they wanted to be when they got out of school; what kind of job did they want. Most of them had no idea, but a few said doctors, teachers,  nurses, taxi drivers, and so forth. Then we gave examples of how knowing English can help all those professions. Of course, we also mentioned that being good at English opens up all kinds of international job possibilities. I don’t know if we convinced any of them, but it sure sounded reasonable. That’s really about as far as we got; the class was only 50 minutes. Then we shuffled down the hall in our borrowed-but-six-sizes-too-small slippers, and did exactly the same thing in the other class.

Then it was done, and we walked back to the train station. I have more first-time classes at the same school on Tuesday, and plan to do essentially the same lesson that day as well; it’s general-purpose enough to work on any age or ability level.  I don’t know about next Friday yet. Maybe Marc and I will be working together again, but I doubt it. We’ll see on Tuesday I guess. I assume at this point that I will need to break the class into two parts; A 15-25 minute lecture about some English topic, and then the rest of the time in activities. The kids don’t seem to have a great attention span or eager desire to learn English, so I have to keep things short and interesting. How do I do that? Dunno yet. I’ll come up with something.

The Weekend… And Beyond!

I can’t remember the last time I was this eager for a weekend. In all honesty, this has been a pretty easy week, but I’ve also been pretty stressed out over getting back into the routine. I think that’s mostly because of the new classes, but today went pretty well, and my concerns about Tuesday’s classes have lowered a bit because of it.

Tomorrow is library day.  I have to find another article for my last lecture in K-Sensei’s class for next Thursday. I also need to start thinking about next Friday’s lesson, simply because I won’t have access to the Internet again before then.  I also need to upload all my Miyajima pictures and the video from that trip. That’s no problem unless I simply forget to do it. It seems like a long time since my ill-advised mountain expedition.

Sunday is the day Marc and I go to do the thing for the correspondence course for the local high school. It’s only a 45-minute class, but it’s right smack dab in the middle of the day, so it kills most good Sunday travel ideas.  Monday is a national holiday. It’s “Coming Of Age” day or something like that. The library is closed on Mondays, even when it’s not a holiday so that’s out. Maybe I’ll do Megalo if I get bored; I have a coupon left over from last time.