Peach Girl

Here are the links to the short clips from the English play at my JHS this weekend! They all did a great job!
Peach Girl Scene II

Peach Girl Scene III

Backstage






This photo is missing the bird! The characters included: Grandma, Grandpa, Peach Baby, Peach Girl I & II, 5 narrators, 6 devils, a monkey, a bird, a pig, and a dog!

It was really fun working with all of them! I'm gonna miss this group when they graduate!

Is it Over Yet???

I brought a witch hat and a pumpkin to school (again) today. A teacher came up to me and asked me, "How many times have you taught about Halloween?" Oh, let's see....maybe 32 times this month! And I think it's about over. I have one more left, but it's an adult lesson, and we won't be making pumpkin masks or pinning a nose on the pumpkin! I think we'll tell ghost stories instead!

I'm not bitter about Halloween, I'm just done for the year. It's been a lot of fun and the students LOVE it. But I'll be happy not to see Halloween again for at least 11months.

Halloween Celebrations

Last Saturday my main JHS had its' culture day/school festival. This event happens once every three years and it is a two day event. But teachers and students have been planning these two days since May (5 months). The first day is just for the students. We had a famous science TV producer come and do a show with lots of cool experiments, including getting all the students to hold hands and send an electric shock through the crowd--causing lots of screaming and chaos! And then she threw 15 GIANT ballons into the crowd to play with! The afternoonwas much less exciting, it was full of student presentations in a hot dark gym and I promptly fell asleep with all the other teachers.

Day two was much more exciting, minus electric shocks and giant ballons. We did have lots of Halloween fun though! The International Room was converted into a Halloween game room. We had 6 activities/games: 1) Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin 2) Surprise Boxes full of Eyeballs & Chicken Hearts 3) Mask Making 4) A Costume Photo Corner 5) A Pumpkin Ping-Pong Ball Toss and 6) Guess "how much?" Candy is in the Candy Jar. Plus we had two boys walking around the school in costumes advertising the room and giving away stickers and candy to those who said, "Trick-r-Treat." There were 16 students assigned to volunteer in the room and they were each in charge of a game. It was pretty cute to see these kids take charge and become Halloween masters!

In addition to the Halloween room, the elective 9th grade English class did a play, "Peach Girl" an original play in English based on the Japanese story of "Peach Boy." I'll try to post photos and/or video in a different post.

The volunteers got their pictures taken in the photo corner at the end of the day! They were exahusted! So was I!

This was one of the pumpkins we had on display. We only carved one because they are SO much harder and thicker than American pumpkins. These are locally grown.

Some 9th grade boys coloring pumpking faces for their "Pumpkin Passport" to the Halloween games! Adorable!

Happy Halloween!!

History in the Making

Several weeks ago, a good friend of mine had a party to celebrate finishing his first book! Congratulations!! It's an amazing accomplishment!! The party was small, a few close friends and several bottles of wine. After a few hours of eating, drinking, watching snowboarding videos and listening to itunes the mood changed and we all quieted down, and attentively listened as the author read from his book. The book is called, "The Era of Gone." I won't try to describe it or give a synopsis, because I only heard the last chapter. But what I heard was intriguing and mesmorizing! Even after a few pages I was so involved with the story I had a STRONG dislike for the main male character! And a lot of sympathy for the female character! I wonder if I'd feel the same if I had known them both from the beginning? This part of the book takes place in India. And everyone knows India has a very special place in my heart....so I love hearing his characters' descriptions of India. I only hope he finishes the editing process soon, so we can hear more of the book (from the beginning)! And maybe even read it hardbound one of these days. Enjoy a little glimpse of what you just might be picking up at the bookstore soon!

Read more from the author Prospects, Inquiries and Vibrations

Comedy in the dohyo

The Harlem Globetrotters meet Sumo!

Sumo Live

This is my first attempt at posting to youtube! Let me know what you think!

A Mongolian Day: Sumo, Puppets & Throat Singing

Sumo's Biggest Fan & Me

I got a picture with him in Nagoya too! He's at ALL the sumo tournaments! He usually sits directly in view of the TV camera. Look for him...you'll see him!

Saturday was the big Sumo Tournament in Uozu, just two towns over, just 30 minutes away! I was psyched. Ever since I saw sumo in Nagoya this summer, I've been hooked. And if you read my blog...you might remember this post I have a few favorites, okay, I'll be honest, I have a crush on these three: Asashoryu (Mongolian), Hakuho (Mongolian), and Kotooshu (Bulgarian). All my favorites were there, all the big boys were there, and I was so excited! Seriously, rock stars, movie stars, TV starts, they don't excite me, but these sumo guys....they got me excited!

But I don't get excited about all of them. For example, this guy, Buyzan 武雄山...isn't my type!




This guy isn't my type either! He's one of the biggest I've seen. And he isn't even that good (i.e. he didn't make the official program)! Important rule of Sumo: Big DOES NOT equal good. Some of the best aren't all that big, relatively speaking of course.






Iwakiyama 岩木山 isn't my type either. But he was milling about and the nerdy glasses look did get me. I mean, look, we could almost be related! He is kinda cute!

But this man, Asashoryu, is my kinda guy!! Okay, I know, the picture sucks, but the most important part was that I was standing close enough to take it. And two seconds later as he walked by, I reached out and touched his right tricep. So smooth and so strong!! I was giddy! Unfortunately, Hakuho and Kotooshu were entering from the other side. So I got some pictures of them from a distance, but nothing blog worthy!

Read Sumo Headlines

スーホの白い馬　After sumo, Owen, Linea and I went to dinner in Toyama--Santoshi's, a great little Indian restaurant! I hadn't been there in months! After downing our chai we were off to our next Mongolian adventure, a puppet show based on a Mongolian folk tale accompanied by a musical ensemble from Mongolia. In brief, it was AMAZING! Mongolia just jumped to the top of my travel list (great music and cute sumo guys). The music was phenomenal. This wasn't just any random group. This group has played for the heads of many states all over the world. The singer is a national treasure. And one guy even did some throat singing! I had goose bumps! Unfortunately, we couldn't take any photos. But the puppet show was extraordinary too! And to top it off, a local English teacher, was one of the main puppeteers! I went home and tried to look up the group on the internet to buy their CD, but haven't been able to find anything. So....keep your eyes open....if you see anything by "The Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble." BUY IT! BUY IT FOR ME, PLEASE!

And then today, I got up at an ungodly hour to go to the Toyama Masters Long Course Swim Meet....and now I'm exhausted and I'm going to bed.

My Little Pumpkins

Halloween is two weeks away but I've been wearing a witch hat and carrying pumpkins to class all month because each elementary school class has at least one Halloween themed lesson. And since I haven't posted any pics in awhile...here are some 2nd graders participating in Halloween festivities--making & wearing pumpkin masks & a pumpkin bean bag toss! Another one of my favorites is pin the face on the pumpkin!

Oh, and let's not forget the best Halloween song ever, "10 Little Pumpkins." It's much more politically correct than "10 Little Indians." And I've been singing it so much my voice is hoarse at the end of each day.



And stay tuned for more pics from the upcoming JHS school festival Halloween room. I have 16 students assigned to work in the "Halloween" international room. They will help with 8 games and activities to promote the new international room! It's open to the public, parents, elementary school children, etc. Yikes! Let's hope we can pull it off.





A little Halloween Trivia: This year is the 40th anniversary of the movie "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." It was released in 1966 and was nominated for an Emmy award. It's short and cute and I recommend a re-watch if you haven't seen it in awhile. I'm making some of my JHS kids watch it. And we're showing it at the school festival!

Other than school related Halloween events, I won't be participating in Halloween this year. No costumes or crazy parties for me. I think it's best for everyone if I stay in this year!

Have a Wicked Halloween!!

Goal Driven

I wrote this list last winter before I re-contracted for my 3rd year on JET. I think most of it still applies. In 10 months, I’ve managed to accomplish 3 of my life goals (Fuji & Hakusan, sing in a choir & swim on a masters team). And I’ve started my MA in another country. Not bad….but there are SO many more things on my list.

I’m taking another look at this list and trying to keep it in mind as I ponder, question, consider and weigh the pros and cons of staying a 4th year. Can/Will I accomplish more if I stay, or am I putting my life on hold? I hate making decisions.

This list is by no means a comprehensive list. It can change and it will change. But as of today, this is what I want to do while I grow up:

Live in the Middle East for at least a year
Study Arabic
Speak Spanish
Get an MA degree (or 2), preferably in another country
Go to Vietnam with my Dad (after first MA)
Go to Greece with my Mom
Go to ????? with my sister
Continue visiting and supporting SEED
Own a house (10-20 years down the road)
Climb Mt. Fuji/Hakusan
Travel around Poland & Turkey
Live in another developing country
Work in the Public Health field at some point
Sing in a choir again
Swim on a Masters Team
Hike the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
Enjoy a romantic vacation to the Maldives
Hike to Everest Base Camp
Raft in New Zealand
Snowboard in the Alps
Camp/Road trip in the “Sound of Music” mountains of Austria
Take a Motorcycle Trip
Ride in a Semi
Take the Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia, Mongolia, China)
Backpack around Africa
Live in NYC
Road trip to Alaska
Visit Antarctica
Surf anywhere
Get Scuba certified
Do a multi-day bike trip
Sail around the world
Hike Machu Pichu
Write a book
Publish an article

Is one lifetime enough??

Tokyo Beatniks

I haven't listened to live outdoor music in a LONG while! Tonight I got a little taste of it again, and it was so wonderful. A group of beatnik looking boys from Tokyo, F.I.B Journal, are on tour and played at a mountain bar nearby. There was a bass, a drumer, and a guy speaking poetry, some in Japanese and some in English. There was some dancing under the stars. And requests for encores. Small intimate outdoor venues are the best. I need more non-streaming music in my life (as I listen to classical guitar on the internet).

Check out their tour schedule. F.I.B Journal Tour 2006

Books in my Life (at this moment)

(I'm writing while listening to Garrison Keilor's A Prarie Home Companion)

I have so many books I’m reading right now it’s a bit overwhelming. It’s hard to keep track of them all…but there are some obvious distinctions: academic versus pleasure reading! Ha ha ha, no they aren’t the same thing, at least not yet. I’m not a crazy grad student…yet. Although as I get deeper into classes….I’m enjoying SOME of the reading more and more. It CAN be interesting. But actually, recently I’ve been reading non-fiction before going to bed. I’ve recently been introduced to a really interesting author and I find his subject enthralling! It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me: past life regression! And I want to know more.

I put a list on my blog last year of the books in my life, here is an updated list:

Books by my computer:

• Longman’s Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics by Richards & Schimdt
• Principles of Language Learning and Teaching by Brown
• How Languages are Learned by Lightbown & Spada
• Reasearch Methods for English Language Teachers by McDonough & McDonough
• Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching by Richards & Rodgers
• English Language Teaching in its Social Context by Candlin & Mercer
• Analysizing English in a Global Context by Burns & Coffin
• Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar by Odlin
• Psychology for Language Teachers by Williams & Burden
• Basic Kanji Book by Kano, Shimizu, Takenaka & Ishi

Books by my bed:

• Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss*
• Only Love is Real by Brian Weiss
• Through Time Into Healing by Brian Weiss
• The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
• That Takes Ovaries edt by Rivka Solomon
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
• The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

And this list doesn’t include all the books and journal articles I’m trying to read and negotiate for my next paper. Paying tuition has it’s advantageous….I have access to 100’s of journals online, I can just download whatever I want! It’s amazing! I might have to start studying other subjects just cause I CAN! Yahoo! I’m enjoying my nerd status!

* Have you’ve ever wondered if you knew someone before? or a place is familiar but you’ve never been there before? or do you have lots of déjà vu moments? You might want to read up on this subject: past life regression. The writing isn’t great, but the stories are fascinating. It might be a stretch, but I’m trying to link the my language studies with past life regression….there is evidence of young children being able to speak and or/write languages they’ve never heard before (i.e. my sister). It’s documented….maybe that can by my dissertation topic. Or maybe not.