The one we take on the 2nd will go over the Rainbow bridge to Odaiba. I believe it also goes by Tokyo Tower.
On the 3rd we will take the Ueno and Asakusa route. Pictures to follow.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Hato Bus!
We just booked two tours on the Hello Kitty Hato Bus.
The one we take on the 2nd will go over the Rainbow bridge to Odaiba. I believe it also goes by Tokyo Tower.
On the 3rd we will take the Ueno and Asakusa route. Pictures to follow.
The one we take on the 2nd will go over the Rainbow bridge to Odaiba. I believe it also goes by Tokyo Tower.
On the 3rd we will take the Ueno and Asakusa route. Pictures to follow.
運転免許!
We finally, finally got our Japanese drivers licenses.
The word is unten-menkyo.
It's about damned time.
The word is unten-menkyo.
It's about damned time.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Christmas dinner
Greg gets to post everything. Well poo on him. Here's our not sad Christmas dinner. Delicious!
First up we have the ham, delicious pumpkin soup, and baked squash. I recommend the pumpkin soup. Also, the glaze on the ham was best.
Ham, pumpkin soup, and baked kabbocha.
Next is a picture of the whole dinner. It consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, baked squash, pumpkin soup, green bean casserole, delicious bakery dessert, beer for Greg, and some cheap wine. Note our classy wine glasses. We have tons of leftovers.
The whole spread.
This is the dessert I found when I had to run out at 4pm for butter and chicken bullion. I was impressed by the bit of plastic holly and decided to pay $1.80 each. They were wonderful and cream filled.
Dessert!
First up we have the ham, delicious pumpkin soup, and baked squash. I recommend the pumpkin soup. Also, the glaze on the ham was best.
Ham, pumpkin soup, and baked kabbocha.
Next is a picture of the whole dinner. It consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, baked squash, pumpkin soup, green bean casserole, delicious bakery dessert, beer for Greg, and some cheap wine. Note our classy wine glasses. We have tons of leftovers.
The whole spread.
This is the dessert I found when I had to run out at 4pm for butter and chicken bullion. I was impressed by the bit of plastic holly and decided to pay $1.80 each. They were wonderful and cream filled.
Dessert!
Kurisumasu concert
Confused about the title? Just repeat it over and over again really fast (and drop all of the "U"s until they're almost inaudible) until it makes sense. Since every syllable in the language has to end in a vowel (or at least an "n"), it's really the best the Japanese can do for "Christmas".
But anyway, on Friday (Festivus in America, Emperor Akihito's birthday here) we finally had the Christmas concert for which we'd been rehearsing since the middle of November. We performed "When You Wish Upon a Star", a medley of Japanese folk songs, and did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (in Japanese) for an encore. The concert ended up going kinda long (3+ hours), but thankfully our group was at the beginning, so the audience was still fresh. Not that we were anything other than amateurish, but at least my second graders still had the energy to scream "Gu-re-ggu-sensei!" very loudly when we were done. Anyway, here's pictures.
The semi-formal group shot.
Japanese people have a strange fixation with beaujolais. Anyway, we got free wine just for showing up. It was great.
An example of Japanese people reflexively posing with a peace sign.
Somebody was saying something inappropriate (about Sam - a language barrier thing), and I was laughing embarrasedly.
There's Santa (me, that is), conducting. You can see Sam in back near the piano.
But anyway, on Friday (Festivus in America, Emperor Akihito's birthday here) we finally had the Christmas concert for which we'd been rehearsing since the middle of November. We performed "When You Wish Upon a Star", a medley of Japanese folk songs, and did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (in Japanese) for an encore. The concert ended up going kinda long (3+ hours), but thankfully our group was at the beginning, so the audience was still fresh. Not that we were anything other than amateurish, but at least my second graders still had the energy to scream "Gu-re-ggu-sensei!" very loudly when we were done. Anyway, here's pictures.
The semi-formal group shot.
Japanese people have a strange fixation with beaujolais. Anyway, we got free wine just for showing up. It was great.
An example of Japanese people reflexively posing with a peace sign.
Somebody was saying something inappropriate (about Sam - a language barrier thing), and I was laughing embarrasedly.
There's Santa (me, that is), conducting. You can see Sam in back near the piano.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
School's out!
And it's about damned time. Both of us feel pretty much like we haven't done anything except work, sleep, or eat in about two months. So now it's time for some well-deserved rest.
Tomorrow, we have the town Christmas concert. Saturday, I'm going to sleep until noon and sit on my ass. Sunday, I'll cook something appropriate for Christmas. Monday, we have to go to Chiba city at 8am to re-take our driving tests. Tuesday, we wait for an electrician to come by and install the new air conditioner / heating unit that Sam's vice principal donated to us, and sit on our asses. Wednesday, our guests from overseas arrive.
Yay vacation!
Tomorrow, we have the town Christmas concert. Saturday, I'm going to sleep until noon and sit on my ass. Sunday, I'll cook something appropriate for Christmas. Monday, we have to go to Chiba city at 8am to re-take our driving tests. Tuesday, we wait for an electrician to come by and install the new air conditioner / heating unit that Sam's vice principal donated to us, and sit on our asses. Wednesday, our guests from overseas arrive.
Yay vacation!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Christmas
- Moving this to the top because there has been additional information added -
Dad's been nagging me for what we want for Christmas. Here it is. It will probably be updated over the next few days.
Sam: (in order of most to least important)
Deodorant, lots. Tons. Like 10 sticks. Seriously. Nothing fancy, just plain old white stick deodorant.
Pants. Old Navy cords in purple, green, or khaki (I have the white ones). Size 10 or 12 (10 is a proper fit, 12 is a nice relaxed loose fit).
Sweater: Warm. Button up the front or uneven split neck ones are cute. Ones with huge kitties or a tight waistband are not. I'm not 10, and I'm certainly not skinny enough to have my sweater clench my hips.
Jacket: Old Navy Cropped Frost Free Jacket. Blue. Large.
Warm shoes: Old navy lace-up wedge boots. size 9 black is best (white gets dirty)
Greg:
Deodorant. Lots. Manly clear stuff.
Sweater. Size M.
Socks. Huge (size 13 foot). Tons. White. Go to Costco and find the biggest bag you can.
A rolling pin. Just a normal, wooden rolling pin for rolling out dough. They don't exist here.
New warm pants to wear to around the house and to bed like he got last year.
A heat blanket. Somebody cries when he gets in bed. (It's Trabi)
Dad's been nagging me for what we want for Christmas. Here it is. It will probably be updated over the next few days.
Sam: (in order of most to least important)
Deodorant, lots. Tons. Like 10 sticks. Seriously. Nothing fancy, just plain old white stick deodorant.
Pants. Old Navy cords in purple, green, or khaki (I have the white ones). Size 10 or 12 (10 is a proper fit, 12 is a nice relaxed loose fit).
Sweater: Warm. Button up the front or uneven split neck ones are cute. Ones with huge kitties or a tight waistband are not. I'm not 10, and I'm certainly not skinny enough to have my sweater clench my hips.
Jacket: Old Navy Cropped Frost Free Jacket. Blue. Large.
Warm shoes: Old navy lace-up wedge boots. size 9 black is best (white gets dirty)
Greg:
Deodorant. Lots. Manly clear stuff.
Sweater. Size M.
Socks. Huge (size 13 foot). Tons. White. Go to Costco and find the biggest bag you can.
A rolling pin. Just a normal, wooden rolling pin for rolling out dough. They don't exist here.
New warm pants to wear to around the house and to bed like he got last year.
A heat blanket. Somebody cries when he gets in bed. (It's Trabi)
Monday, December 19, 2005
Japan is cold
Reports from back home keep mentioning extremely cold weather in Oregon, to say nothing of Boston. I saw pictures of light snow (or was it freezing rain?) in Portland today, and while we haven't had any of that here, it's still damned cold.
One thing winter visitors won't have to deal with is rain. Winter is the dry season here, at least on the Pacific side of Japan. In the middle of the day it's probably more comforatable here than it is back home at the moment, but only for a few hours. We get up to about 40-45 degrees fahrenheit around 1pm, but not for long. Nighttime lows are around 28F.
But here's the thing: our houses don't have central heat. No thermostats anywhere, no furnace, no heatpump, nothing. We use a couple portable heaters to keep the rooms bearable. I cook breakfast downstairs wearing a thick winter coat. So whine all you want about walking through a cold parking lot when you're running errands. At least your house and workplaces are heated.
One thing winter visitors won't have to deal with is rain. Winter is the dry season here, at least on the Pacific side of Japan. In the middle of the day it's probably more comforatable here than it is back home at the moment, but only for a few hours. We get up to about 40-45 degrees fahrenheit around 1pm, but not for long. Nighttime lows are around 28F.
But here's the thing: our houses don't have central heat. No thermostats anywhere, no furnace, no heatpump, nothing. We use a couple portable heaters to keep the rooms bearable. I cook breakfast downstairs wearing a thick winter coat. So whine all you want about walking through a cold parking lot when you're running errands. At least your house and workplaces are heated.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
stuff to do
I'm trying to figure out just what we're all going to do together in a few weeks. For New Year's Eve we're going to go somewhere and eat soba noodles (it's tradition) then go to Narita-san for the countdown. It's in Narita, only a short drive from home, which should come as a relief to everyone who remembers the 5am train home from Tokyo last year.
Everything else is pretty up in the air at this point. I assume everyone will want to spend a couple days exploring Tokyo, but beyond that, what do people feel like doing? I've been pushing Sam to get out to Kamakura, because it's a) pretty much the oldest city in this part of Japan, and was the seat of the first shogunate and b) because it has a 30-foot tall Buddha. It's about a two hour train ride from here, and probably about the same by car, thanks to Tokyo being in between. One advantage, we'd pass through Yokohama on the way home. In addition to being a neat city, Yokohama is home to Japan's largest China town. It's a cool place to walk through for awhile, and the food rules (it's where shu-mai were invented).
Another possible destination is Chuzenji-ko (just look at the pictures, don't worry about all the scary looking Japanese), a volcanically-formed lake in Tochigi prefecture, about 70 miles north of Tokyo. In addition to being a beautiful area (should be covered in snow in Dec/Jan), it has a bunch of hot springs and is the bureal place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder the Tokugawa shogunate, which lasted from 1602-1868. We could go there for a long day trip, or, if we find a cheap spot to stay, spend a weekend.
There are a bunch of smaller things to see closer to home, like Chiba Castle in Chiba City, only about 30km away. We're probably go to Choshi too. It's a port town with an old lighthouse, among other things.
OK, that's a lot of information, but look over it (especially you, Jonathan). Don't want everyone to just be sitting around the house when you get here in two weeks.
Everything else is pretty up in the air at this point. I assume everyone will want to spend a couple days exploring Tokyo, but beyond that, what do people feel like doing? I've been pushing Sam to get out to Kamakura, because it's a) pretty much the oldest city in this part of Japan, and was the seat of the first shogunate and b) because it has a 30-foot tall Buddha. It's about a two hour train ride from here, and probably about the same by car, thanks to Tokyo being in between. One advantage, we'd pass through Yokohama on the way home. In addition to being a neat city, Yokohama is home to Japan's largest China town. It's a cool place to walk through for awhile, and the food rules (it's where shu-mai were invented).
Another possible destination is Chuzenji-ko (just look at the pictures, don't worry about all the scary looking Japanese), a volcanically-formed lake in Tochigi prefecture, about 70 miles north of Tokyo. In addition to being a beautiful area (should be covered in snow in Dec/Jan), it has a bunch of hot springs and is the bureal place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder the Tokugawa shogunate, which lasted from 1602-1868. We could go there for a long day trip, or, if we find a cheap spot to stay, spend a weekend.
There are a bunch of smaller things to see closer to home, like Chiba Castle in Chiba City, only about 30km away. We're probably go to Choshi too. It's a port town with an old lighthouse, among other things.
OK, that's a lot of information, but look over it (especially you, Jonathan). Don't want everyone to just be sitting around the house when you get here in two weeks.
Alphabet Name tags
.Alphabet Name tags
Can someone either buy me 5 packs of these or pick up something similar at the store? I'll totally pay you back.
Greg, you can't have any of my 5 packs. If you want it too, you need to ask. No mooching my loot
Can someone either buy me 5 packs of these or pick up something similar at the store? I'll totally pay you back.
Greg, you can't have any of my 5 packs. If you want it too, you need to ask. No mooching my loot
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Percussionists do it better.
Sadly, in the case of our Christmas concert group it's true. And I'm the percussionist.
It's a well known fact that while Jonathan gets to take private music lessons twice a week on my parent's dime, they wouldn't fork over $50 for a year of cello lessons for me in elementary school. Thus I can't read music and have a very poor understanding of everything that has to do with music aside from whether or not I like it. In spite of this abuse, somehow I am the only person in a group of 14 other people who have been reading music and playing instruments since elementary school who can keep time and use my instrument when I'm supposed to. Sure, percussion instruments aren't as hard as the trumpet. I admit it. But if you've been playing the trumpet for 5 years and I've don't even understand what |: means you SHOULDN'T miss half of your notes while I nail it the first time through.
Especially not on "When You Wish Upon A Star".
We'll see how the concert goes.
It's a well known fact that while Jonathan gets to take private music lessons twice a week on my parent's dime, they wouldn't fork over $50 for a year of cello lessons for me in elementary school. Thus I can't read music and have a very poor understanding of everything that has to do with music aside from whether or not I like it. In spite of this abuse, somehow I am the only person in a group of 14 other people who have been reading music and playing instruments since elementary school who can keep time and use my instrument when I'm supposed to. Sure, percussion instruments aren't as hard as the trumpet. I admit it. But if you've been playing the trumpet for 5 years and I've don't even understand what |: means you SHOULDN'T miss half of your notes while I nail it the first time through.
Especially not on "When You Wish Upon A Star".
We'll see how the concert goes.
Monday, December 05, 2005
In the news
We never did get around to scanning these in, but here are our interviews from the town magazine.
Mine which is oddly all in Japanese. I'll translate it some day.
Greg's with English.
These are hosted on Subtend, which has been sucking lately so if it doesn't work the first time try again later.
P.S. Click the picture to download the file.
P.P.S. Hey Daddy, maybe you could print these out and have someone at Linfield translate them for you? There's got to be someone who speaks Japanese hanging around there. -Greg
Mine which is oddly all in Japanese. I'll translate it some day.
Greg's with English.
These are hosted on Subtend, which has been sucking lately so if it doesn't work the first time try again later.
P.S. Click the picture to download the file.
P.P.S. Hey Daddy, maybe you could print these out and have someone at Linfield translate them for you? There's got to be someone who speaks Japanese hanging around there. -Greg
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Clearly, they needed a cartoon to get this message across.
Japanese people are befuddled when I ask them why every public service announcement has to include a cartoon character. Whether it's the cute puppy telling us about bicycle and pedestrian safety, the rabbit telling the kids at school to brush their teeth, or the Pokemon explaining the virtue of recycling, every message that you'd expect to hear in 15 seconds from a b-list actor in an NBC "The More You Know" segment back home is told in cartoon form in Japan. My example of the moment is the following cartoon, which was part of a sheet (an official document from the prefectural police!) of holiday safety information given to teachers at my school this morning...
Friends don't let friends drive drunk. The Japanese version.
Friends don't let friends drive drunk. The Japanese version.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Buy some guy a goat
For like $26 you can make some guy in Angola happy this Holiday season by buying him a goat. Or for $160 you can buy him a herd of goats and make him damn nearly the richest man in Angola. Either way, it's a good way to get a gift for that person on your list who has everything AND a random stranger who has nothing all at once!
http://www.greatgifts.org/(zpdsogb1filr1pijksdawy2i)/GiftSelection/home.aspx
http://www.greatgifts.org/(zpdsogb1filr1pijksdawy2i)/GiftSelection/home.aspx
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Pokemon Jet
I saw it today. It wins.
Update: The above picture is the 767-300 version. We actually saw the 747-400.
-Greg
Update: The above picture is the 767-300 version. We actually saw the 747-400.
-Greg
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
fun with spam
Sometimes the random messages I get are just too funny. I just wish I didn't get multiple copies of the same story every day.
The message goes on to contact the author by calling a Nigerian cell phone, presumably so he can tell me more about this business opportunity. By the way, this is an example of a 419 scam, named after the relevent section of the Nigerian penal code that outlaws this sort of thing. For further reading, here's a site detailing the exploits of a man who replys to these scammers for fun and strings them along.
Dear Friend,
I am one of the Personal Assistance to the late
President Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo.
I will not like to waste your time.
I am looking for someone to be my friend that I can
trust to handle
some part of the money the President wanted to go and
deposit in Switzerland three weeks before he died.
I am Presently in Ivory coast Because i cannot go back
to my country for now .
The message goes on to contact the author by calling a Nigerian cell phone, presumably so he can tell me more about this business opportunity. By the way, this is an example of a 419 scam, named after the relevent section of the Nigerian penal code that outlaws this sort of thing. For further reading, here's a site detailing the exploits of a man who replys to these scammers for fun and strings them along.
Monday, November 28, 2005
I have found God.
It is chocolate covered potato chips. I know it sounds gross, but it's really good. The rich chocolate and salty chip just go so well together.
And just to make this post "useful", here is a recipe.
And just to make this post "useful", here is a recipe.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Turkey Day Photos
Our camera was set to some funny night time mode, resulting in blurry photos. Also, we were cooking for 8 hours and didn't have time to take pictures. Sam took what few pictures we have, so she's not in any of them. Hopefully our friends will give us some more in the days to come so you can see all of her hard work.
Me, chopping roasted bell peppers.
From left to right, Naoto, the 4th grade teacher at Sam's school, Naoto's little brother, and Adam, an NH native teaching in the area.
A surprisingly empty table. I was afraid small Japanese appetites would make for lots of leftovers.
Our hosts two daughters, Kanako and Nozomi. Kanako is in Sam's 5th grade.
Me, chopping roasted bell peppers.
From left to right, Naoto, the 4th grade teacher at Sam's school, Naoto's little brother, and Adam, an NH native teaching in the area.
A surprisingly empty table. I was afraid small Japanese appetites would make for lots of leftovers.
Our hosts two daughters, Kanako and Nozomi. Kanako is in Sam's 5th grade.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Internets
We have internets again, kinda. It keeps going out. Better than nothing, I suppose.
Anyway, we're having our first Thanksgiving adventure this afternoon. Photos to follow.
Anyway, we're having our first Thanksgiving adventure this afternoon. Photos to follow.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Final whiny post about health (or Geek with Asthma)
After two more trips (one failed, they were closed) to the doctor this week at the insistance of the school principal, the doctor got it through his thick skull that me wheezing and coughing from a change in room temperature wasn't going to fly. More x-rays of my chest (yay radiation!) and some proddings later he concluded that I have bronchitised myself right into bronchial asthma. Now I'm an awesome nerd with a shiny new inhaler. Here's my awesome list of awesome new daily friends:
Montelukast (US generic is Singulair) once a day. This is to reduce asthma symptoms. Side-effects: COUGHING! Take for two weeks.
Eprazinone Hydrochloride (No US brand? JP generic Resplen)3x a day. This is to both reduce cough and make phlem come out easier. What? Take for two weeks.
Tulobuterol hydrochloride (No US brand? It's been banned in the UK) 1 sticker on my chest a day. If I take the 2mg sticker like the doctor perscribes instead of the 1mg sticker that the pharmasist gives me instead I shake so hard that I can't walk. Take for two weeks.
Budesonide. 2 puffs twice a day. It's an inhailed cordiosteriod. My episode the last time I took a steriod is an epic Thanksgiving tale that my family won't let me live down. Let's see how this goes. This is my new friend for the next two months.
Sultanol Inhailer. As necessary, no more than 3 times a day. Take when you think you're going to have an attack. How the hell am I supposed to know that? I think I'm going to be friends with this for a long time.
Additionally, after teaching me how to use all of my new expensive nerd meds they drained me of like half of the blood in my body. Seriously. Ten vials of blood for what I think has got to be the most expensive blood test on the planet ($200!!). It's a good thing the pharmasist gave me a cookie. Anyway, I go back next week for the results.
Montelukast (US generic is Singulair) once a day. This is to reduce asthma symptoms. Side-effects: COUGHING! Take for two weeks.
Eprazinone Hydrochloride (No US brand? JP generic Resplen)3x a day. This is to both reduce cough and make phlem come out easier. What? Take for two weeks.
Tulobuterol hydrochloride (No US brand? It's been banned in the UK) 1 sticker on my chest a day. If I take the 2mg sticker like the doctor perscribes instead of the 1mg sticker that the pharmasist gives me instead I shake so hard that I can't walk. Take for two weeks.
Budesonide. 2 puffs twice a day. It's an inhailed cordiosteriod. My episode the last time I took a steriod is an epic Thanksgiving tale that my family won't let me live down. Let's see how this goes. This is my new friend for the next two months.
Sultanol Inhailer. As necessary, no more than 3 times a day. Take when you think you're going to have an attack. How the hell am I supposed to know that? I think I'm going to be friends with this for a long time.
Additionally, after teaching me how to use all of my new expensive nerd meds they drained me of like half of the blood in my body. Seriously. Ten vials of blood for what I think has got to be the most expensive blood test on the planet ($200!!). It's a good thing the pharmasist gave me a cookie. Anyway, I go back next week for the results.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Haniwa Festival
Mommy and Daddy called while I was at the Haniwa Festival with Sam this afternoon. It's an annual event thrown by Shibayama, the town where we work.
Haniwa are clay statues dating from the Jomon and Kofu periods of Japanese history. This was around the 3rd-4th century AD, before the introduction of Chinese characters to Japan, so there was no writing system, and no written accounts of the time period exist. Information about the time period comes from apocryphal writings of later periods, and excavations of old tombs and other sites from the pre-historic era. Shibayama just so happens to have a couple Kofun-era tombs around (rare this far east in Japan), and the artifacts that have been found therein are in pretty good shape. So, every year on the second Sunday of November, a bunch of people from the area dress up in period costumes and occupy the city park. There's pretty much everything you'd expect from a town festival back home; a parade, a center stage for entertainment, a mini petting zoo for the little kids, a farmers market, plenty of food for sale, and fireworks after sunset. Sam and I were instantly recognized by our students and their parents, stared at by pretty much everyone else ("What the hell are white people doing here?"), and managed to have a little fun (we would have had more if Sam's ongoing bronchitis hadn't been giving her grief). Anyway, here are pictures.
Flyer for the Haniwa Festival.
More info about the Haniwa Festival, including pictures from last year. The two girls in the big picture in the middle are Akira and Sayaka, both in my 4th grade.
Akane and Miho, two of Sam's 5th graders, enjoying some cotton candy.
A group of older students during the parade.
The King (of the festival, at least), with Catharine (English teacher at Shibayama Junior High) to the left and Ben (English teacher at Shibayama Elementary) behind her. They were reviewing the crowd after completing the parade route and walking down the stairs.
Daiki, one of the two boys in Hishida's 4th grade.
Mieko (making the peace sign), another 4th grader at Hishida, and Yuki, a 4th grader from Higashi.
On the left, Hinano, one of my 4th graders. On the right, a friend of hers from another school.
Haniwa are clay statues dating from the Jomon and Kofu periods of Japanese history. This was around the 3rd-4th century AD, before the introduction of Chinese characters to Japan, so there was no writing system, and no written accounts of the time period exist. Information about the time period comes from apocryphal writings of later periods, and excavations of old tombs and other sites from the pre-historic era. Shibayama just so happens to have a couple Kofun-era tombs around (rare this far east in Japan), and the artifacts that have been found therein are in pretty good shape. So, every year on the second Sunday of November, a bunch of people from the area dress up in period costumes and occupy the city park. There's pretty much everything you'd expect from a town festival back home; a parade, a center stage for entertainment, a mini petting zoo for the little kids, a farmers market, plenty of food for sale, and fireworks after sunset. Sam and I were instantly recognized by our students and their parents, stared at by pretty much everyone else ("What the hell are white people doing here?"), and managed to have a little fun (we would have had more if Sam's ongoing bronchitis hadn't been giving her grief). Anyway, here are pictures.
Flyer for the Haniwa Festival.
More info about the Haniwa Festival, including pictures from last year. The two girls in the big picture in the middle are Akira and Sayaka, both in my 4th grade.
Akane and Miho, two of Sam's 5th graders, enjoying some cotton candy.
A group of older students during the parade.
The King (of the festival, at least), with Catharine (English teacher at Shibayama Junior High) to the left and Ben (English teacher at Shibayama Elementary) behind her. They were reviewing the crowd after completing the parade route and walking down the stairs.
Daiki, one of the two boys in Hishida's 4th grade.
Mieko (making the peace sign), another 4th grader at Hishida, and Yuki, a 4th grader from Higashi.
On the left, Hinano, one of my 4th graders. On the right, a friend of hers from another school.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Did you know?
Did you know that you can get bronchitis from too much stress? I didn't until I saw my doctor. Oh, it all makes sense now! Sitting on my ass most of the day playing solitare is soooo stressful that I'm getting bronchitis from it!
I would think my doctor is just a retard if I hadn't just learn of another foreigner in Tokyo (friend of a friend) who went to a doctor to get an inhailer to treat asthma he's had since he was a child and was told that his problem is TOO MUCH STRESS.
I would think my doctor is just a retard if I hadn't just learn of another foreigner in Tokyo (friend of a friend) who went to a doctor to get an inhailer to treat asthma he's had since he was a child and was told that his problem is TOO MUCH STRESS.
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