It’s been a wonderful couple of days...even with some heavy rain today. Here’s the recap:
On Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Yamada picked me up about 1:45 and we went toward Ishitari, which is on the Sea of Japan. We stopped in a bay area and spent a couple of hours sitting on the beach, listening to the waves crash to shore, watching the birds flock toward the fisherman and brave swimmers, and just having a wonderful talk. It was such a wonderful, relaxing way to spend the day...in fact, having never been to the ocean before I’ve decided that it is where I need to live! I can’t imagine getting to listen to that wonderful noise every day! The Japanese are having quite a problem with the Russians and their dumping waste, including atomic, into the sea and having it come into the Japanese ecological system. It is becoming almost as much of a problem as the Russian mafia coming on Hokkaido and creating problems in some of the smaller cities. Although there are many other bays that one can visit, this one is less populated because it is a bay area…mountains surround all sides of the bay. The longer we stayed this day, the cooler it got, and while many people were there few were getting into the water. The temperature of the water was cool as well…remember, this Sea is shared by Siberia! This becomes a more popular place in late August and September when the temperatures stay a steady 90 degrees every day.
After we left, we drove to a local park in hopes of seeing the lilies in bloom, but alas we were about 2 weeks early. We left there and went to a restaurant outside of town, a Genghis Khan restaurant. Khan is the Japanese version of BBQ.... thinly sliced mutton and veggies cooked over a pan filled with burning chunks of hickory. You cook it at your own table and it was delicious! We had stopped on the way into town and bought a couple of fresh ears of cooked corn...but it was too hot to eat. After eating the Khan, we had no room so had to save it for Monday night! Pictures of the ocean visit and the Khan grill (sorry, we were too hungry to take pics before this one) can be seen at the FMF MTP web page.
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| Ishitari near Sea of Japan |
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| Some of the lillies |
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| Genghas Khan BBQ dinner |
I had thought that we were doing the subway trip on Monday, but Yoshi arrived and said she had to have volleyball practice, so the subway travel has been off this week. They are having All Sapporo Sports Days tomorrow and Thursday, and it is a big deal around here...so things have had to shift a bit. Yesterday, however, we did do a field test of the CUSeeMe software with a conference to Tokyo...worked like a charm. (more to come on that later) Today, the students had an assembly to honor those who would participate in sports day.... big event and over half of the student population is involved. My school will host the BB section (and don’t I just hate that!) of the event, and the boys are expected to win it all.
Yesterday, I spent a class period in PE, where I amazed them by being able to hit a few baskets.... wound up teaching some of them how to shoot properly. Now, my back and shoulder have hurt like heck today...but no pain, no gain I guess! It was fun, today, to watch the Art and Health classes.... they are taught art (not crafts) from first grade on and there are some outstanding artists in this school. The Health class covered first aid today...they used skits to demonstrate a car hitting a student and also a mugging, then went on to explain what you should do for first aid in each case...very cute and very interesting.
Back to CUSeeMe.... on Saturday we are having a regional conference with 4 other US and Japanese participants joining us in Sapporo. We hope to connect to the other 2 sites in the country that are also hosting conferences via the software, so that we can show the press at all sites how we’ll communicate with each other over the next year. Following the conference, Koda and I are heading to the electronic store to purchase the needed materials for Oliver. Turning me loose in an electronic store could be dangerous!
I have also discovered how amazing it is to find teachers here who remind me so much of teachers at home, that it is scary. Look out all you Oliver people.... there is a Ricinda in Sapporo! Ms. Nakagama acts like her, does things like her, is as animated as Ricinda...it is uncanny! And her closest friend her could be Linda Boen in personality...more quiet and reserved, tries to keep her friend in line, but with a dry sense of humor.... just amazes me!
I do, however, find it interesting that there are 8 female teachers (1 is also the school nurse) and 14 male teachers (counting the headmaster and principal)...much different than back home.
The students are beginning to have some fun with me...they were learning how to introduce themselves with `My name is...`, then `I like.... `, then `I play...`, then `Nice to meet you.`. Now they are working on using this, do, can sentences: `This is my friend...`, `Do you watch bb in the states?`, `Can you drive a car?` as examples. I would then ask them a do or can question, and they would have to reply properly. It was a lot of fun. (Most of the male teachers are involved in sports day, so we anticipate my going to their classes after this week. )
My sister-in-law’s mother, a former teacher herself, sent me a batch of stickers to distribute to the teachers here...you would have thought they were gold! It was great to see the expressions on their faces, even the men. The stickers they have in Japan are not in color, so these fascinated them. The government elects what textbooks (which are consumable and lacking color or illustrations, in general) they are to teach out of.... this is because all students take the same test to get into high school, so they should know the same material for the test to be fair. Students then take the textbooks with them at the end of each year so they will have something to study.
Tomorrow, I am visiting a local elementary school, then coming back for sports day.... I thought I was going to have the afternoon off but a change in plans has occurred. There is a possibility (if the weather improves) that we might do the Hokkaido Historical Village tour tomorrow afternoon rather than Thursday (just in case the boys bb team does go to the finals!), but if the weather is bad that will be moved to Sunday. On Friday, I am visiting a local high school. Next weekend is the trip w/ Yoshi to her parents and to see the lavender fields...I’ve seen pictures.... lots of mountains and beautiful fields of flowers and lavender...can’t wait!
For those of you who have inquired...the bath experience has not happened yet.... and not sure that it will. There’s a lot to accomplish and nearly half the time here has been used already (I can’t believe it!) so not sure if that will occur. Gotta tell ya...with the exception of the fish diet, and sometimes the mountainous terrain...I think I could live here quite easily. This country is one of the cleanest places I’ve ever seen...by far beating many places in the US. The people are very kind, and teachers are respected by everyone...all you have to say is that you are a sensei and doors seem to open (whether you’re Japanese or American). Haven’t asked, but I suspect they get paid much better than we do as well! Of course, it costs 1 million yen to buy a car and 700 million to buy a condo, so pay is important!
Went to the grocery store with Yoshi before coming home tonight...that is an experience! Reminds me of a Wal-Mart Super center except there is no automotive stuff to purchase...and it is in a smaller place. Now, at least, I have a few things stocked in the small fridge...if the fish is offered I know I have something to fall back on at home!
Hope everyone has a great 4th...we won’t have fireworks here until the 19th, but I’ve been promised that it will be a spectacular event! Be safe!
Yesterday, I spent a class period in PE, where I amazed them by being able to hit a few baskets.... wound up teaching some of them how to shoot properly. Now, my back and shoulder have hurt like heck today...but no pain, no gain I guess! It was fun, today, to watch the Art and Health classes.... they are taught art (not crafts) from first grade on and there are some outstanding artists in this school. The Health class covered first aid today...they used skits to demonstrate a car hitting a student and also a mugging, then went on to explain what you should do for first aid in each case...very cute and very interesting.
Back to CUSeeMe.... on Saturday we are having a regional conference with 4 other US and Japanese participants joining us in Sapporo. We hope to connect to the other 2 sites in the country that are also hosting conferences via the software, so that we can show the press at all sites how we’ll communicate with each other over the next year. Following the conference, Koda and I are heading to the electronic store to purchase the needed materials for Oliver. Turning me loose in an electronic store could be dangerous!
I have also discovered how amazing it is to find teachers here who remind me so much of teachers at home, that it is scary. Look out all you Oliver people.... there is a Ricinda in Sapporo! Ms. Nakagama acts like her, does things like her, is as animated as Ricinda...it is uncanny! And her closest friend her could be Linda Boen in personality...more quiet and reserved, tries to keep her friend in line, but with a dry sense of humor.... just amazes me!
I do, however, find it interesting that there are 8 female teachers (1 is also the school nurse) and 14 male teachers (counting the headmaster and principal)...much different than back home.
The students are beginning to have some fun with me...they were learning how to introduce themselves with `My name is...`, then `I like.... `, then `I play...`, then `Nice to meet you.`. Now they are working on using this, do, can sentences: `This is my friend...`, `Do you watch bb in the states?`, `Can you drive a car?` as examples. I would then ask them a do or can question, and they would have to reply properly. It was a lot of fun. (Most of the male teachers are involved in sports day, so we anticipate my going to their classes after this week. )
My sister-in-law’s mother, a former teacher herself, sent me a batch of stickers to distribute to the teachers here...you would have thought they were gold! It was great to see the expressions on their faces, even the men. The stickers they have in Japan are not in color, so these fascinated them. The government elects what textbooks (which are consumable and lacking color or illustrations, in general) they are to teach out of.... this is because all students take the same test to get into high school, so they should know the same material for the test to be fair. Students then take the textbooks with them at the end of each year so they will have something to study.
Tomorrow, I am visiting a local elementary school, then coming back for sports day.... I thought I was going to have the afternoon off but a change in plans has occurred. There is a possibility (if the weather improves) that we might do the Hokkaido Historical Village tour tomorrow afternoon rather than Thursday (just in case the boys bb team does go to the finals!), but if the weather is bad that will be moved to Sunday. On Friday, I am visiting a local high school. Next weekend is the trip w/ Yoshi to her parents and to see the lavender fields...I’ve seen pictures.... lots of mountains and beautiful fields of flowers and lavender...can’t wait!
For those of you who have inquired...the bath experience has not happened yet.... and not sure that it will. There’s a lot to accomplish and nearly half the time here has been used already (I can’t believe it!) so not sure if that will occur. Gotta tell ya...with the exception of the fish diet, and sometimes the mountainous terrain...I think I could live here quite easily. This country is one of the cleanest places I’ve ever seen...by far beating many places in the US. The people are very kind, and teachers are respected by everyone...all you have to say is that you are a sensei and doors seem to open (whether you’re Japanese or American). Haven’t asked, but I suspect they get paid much better than we do as well! Of course, it costs 1 million yen to buy a car and 700 million to buy a condo, so pay is important!
Went to the grocery store with Yoshi before coming home tonight...that is an experience! Reminds me of a Wal-Mart Super center except there is no automotive stuff to purchase...and it is in a smaller place. Now, at least, I have a few things stocked in the small fridge...if the fish is offered I know I have something to fall back on at home!
Hope everyone has a great 4th...we won’t have fireworks here until the 19th, but I’ve been promised that it will be a spectacular event! Be safe!
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