Asahikawa American English Conversation School
for September 2005
NOTE: The OBJECTIVE of this BLOG is to help my students with their study of English.
AND
For all of you, out there, around the world to;
SEE HOKKAIDO
2005 September 30 Friday.
A fine and sunny day. First class was from 9:00 until 10:30 at the Hokkaido Prefecture Nursing Academy of Asahikawa 北海道立旭川高等看護学院。The 2nd year students that I teach English to had just finished a 4 day practical training session at various Nursery Schools around the city. A lot of them were absent from class today because they had caught a cold virus from the children. Welcome to the club. I have been there and done that. The immune system in children is not yet well developed. As a result, they suffer the reactions to the many and ever changing Rhinoviruses. Then, they pass them on to most of adults who come into contact with them. Sniffle sniffle, sneeze sneeze. Cough, hack and spit. Got a pack of pocket tissues? Thanks. I am not a doctor, but I play one on this website from time to time. Anyway, before this class started today, the other teacher, a native Japanese from Niigata, whom I see whenever I have a class at this school, told me something today that made me feel good. He also has his own Eikaiwa School as well as teaching at various other locations. One of the places he teaches it the Hokkaido Newspaper Culture Center 道新文化センター. He told me that one of the ladies who attends his class at this classroom had seen this website, printed out on paper most of the essays, blogs and other writings, and using them as a text book to study English! Phuck Yeah! That made me feel really good, because that is the main reason I spend so much time creating and maintaining this website. This is not the first case of such an enthusiastic student. They are others, mostly adults who have had and still maintain a lifelong passion for learning and using communicative English. It is mainly for those people, mostly in this city of Asahikawa, that I want to reach out to with this website. I also, have benefited greatly from many of the billions of web pages that on the web. The internet is like a library of human activity on the planet earth. It is an incredible source of of both helpful information, and detrimental disinformation. Use it wisely. When that enjoyable class was over at 10:30 I took a taxi back to my classroom to eat lunch and get ready for straight classes from 13:30 until 20:00. When all classes of the day were finished, I surfed the web looking at the websites of people who are non-native residents of Japan. I looked at Web Ring Japan to find all of the websites. As a matter of fact, it was so interesting, that I stayed up until about 04:00 looking at the several hundreds of websites. Some were really good, and some were just OK, but at least they are all reaching out and sharing information and experiences with anyone who will take the time to look and learn. Ya Gotta Love the Phuckin' Internet. Keep it free free and easy to use. Lights out at 04:00.
2005 September 29 Thursday.
No classes until 15:00 but it was my day for the Korean Language class at the Kosei Nursing School ＪＡ厚生連旭川厚生看護専門学校. It was supposed to be the last class, but the teacher said that instead of a test, he will hold another class on October 13. I was happy to hear this. Today, the teacher brought 3 Korean exchange students with him to the class. Naturally, they are native speakers of the national language. It was really interesting for me to hear two people talking in Korean to each other. I've seen it on TV, but this was the first time live. A living language. A language for living. I wonder how well I will be able to learn how to speak Korean? I never get a chance to have a real conversation because my level is much too low. Right now, I am most interested in learning how to read and write simple sentences. Getting used to the writing system takes some time, but it is an alphabet so the number of written symbols is rather limited. It can be remembered by anyone who tries to learn it. Speaking is another field of endeavor. Anyway, today's class was informative and interesting as it always is. Teaching is an art. And this teacher knows the art. I had to leave about 15 minutes early, as always, so I could get back to my classroom before the start of my 15:00 class. Therefore, I missed the part of the lesson where the teacher was going to introduce the three Korean exchange students to the class. Bummer. That would have been well worth staying for. Maybe next time. After all classes were finished at 19:00, I went shopping at HOMAC and Seikyo. At HOMAC, I found a DVD that had 3 animations of Old Stories from Japan. One of them is Momotaro. I bought the DVD and watched it several times. For me, it was a valuable lesson in children's spoken Japanese. I can translate this stuff into English with the greatest of ease. Easy and enjoyable. While I was watching the DVD, I was also printing out the 25 birthday cards that I will be sending out during October to my current and former students. It's like being a juggler. What's up and what's down. I even found time to play the electric guitar with headphones for about one hour. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 28 Wednesday.
At 8:50, I had my last class of this year at the Kosei Nursing School ＪＡ厚生連旭川厚生看護専門学校. I have only 14 classes at this school each year. Today, I explained what would be on the final exam. I made it very easy for them, because I know they have a lot of other, more important classes that they must study for and write reports for etc. The amount of knowledge that these students must acquire is truly enormous. English is only a very small part of it. And, the same as every year, at the end of the last class, all of the students in the class gathered around the piano on the first floor, and sang a nice song for me. The sound of angels singing. They will be holding their annual school festival on Saturday October 8 from 10:00 until 15:00. I have a private lesson from 11:00 until 12:00, so I can't get over there until about 13:00 or so, but I plan to go and take photos for this website. I hope the weather is nice. After that was all finished at 10:20, I drove back to my classroom and got ready for straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. After that, it was time to take another walk along the riverside. Another warm evening today with a mostly clear sky showing the stars and planets. When that was finished, I drank some Yebisu Black All Malt Beer and played the electric guitar for a few hours using headphones. It has been awhile since I have played the electric 6 string. I had a wonderful time even though I broke the 1st string. Lights out at 25:00.
2005 September 27 Tuesday.
A rather warm and sunny day. My first order of business was the two classes at Asahikawa University from 9:00 until 12:10. Again today, it was conversation practice using my original textbook "Using Interrogatives" Page one starts out with simple stuff such as What is your name? When is your birthday? Where were you born? It is junior high school level English for Japan. Some of the students advanced to page 2 today. After that was finished, it was back to my classroom for lunch and straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. From 15:00 until 17:00, I had a lesson with Mr. T. The retired high school English teacher. As usual, we had a wonderful time full of laughs. Mr. T can speak real English, so I don't have to talk slowly or use simple words. It is fun for me too. After all classes were finished, I went for a walk on the cycling roads that run along the river banks. I need more exercise as anyone can plainly see. I go walking as often as I can, but during the season of snow, it is a lot more troublesome and I go even less than I do during the season of no snow. Anyway, while I and my wife are out walking under the night sky, we often see strange lights in the sky. About 40% of the times I go for a night time stroll, I will see moving lights in the sky that defy explanation as to being some type of common aircraft. I don't know what they are, but I do know what they are not. Again this evening, while walking along the Chubetsu River 忠別川, I saw what looked like lightning off in the southwestern sky, near the horizon. The first time, I only saw the results of the bright flash on the cycling road in front of me. The second time it happened, I looked quickly to my right, and saw not a long zigzag line of lighting, but a round ball of bright white light. I was astounded. What the hell was that??? The third time it happened, I again saw a bright round ball of white light. Not a bolt of lighting. Another odd thing is that there was no sound of thunder. The light was much too bright to be that far away. No sound at all. And no wind blowing to cover up the sound. Very strange indeed. Like I said just a few lines above, I don't know what it is, but I do know what it is not. Take a walk at night. Look up into the starry sky. You will see things that will both amaze and mystify you. We are star dust. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 26 Monday.
The first order of business today was the English Friendship Class 英語ふれあい at Mebae Kindergarten めばえ幼稚園. Again today, as with the kids at Chestnut Tree Kindergarten くりの木幼稚園, I did the Paper Theater 紙芝居 of Peach Boy 桃太郎. However, today I did the same show 3 times for each of the 3 year classes of kids. Also, some of the mothers of the children were at the school today looking around, and they watched my performance as well. They even clapped when I was finished. Thank you very much. When that was all finished at 11:20, I came back to my classroom to eat lunch and get ready for my next class at 13:30 at the 神楽公民館英会話を楽しむ会. 楽しむかい？ Yes, it's always enjoyable. Today there was a new student. Nice to meet you Mrs. S! Now, there are two people with the same last name in the group. Today's topics were many and varied, but one of the ladies, Mrs. N, had just come back from a one week whirlwind tour of the World Heritage Sites in Austria! She had some eye-popping photos with her. As I listened to her talk about the trip, I was looking at the photos and thinking to myself, "They don't have this type of really deep history in the USA. Europe is very much different." Other people talked about various things such as staying in the 3 storey Penthouse Suite at Rutsutsu Resort, and for free. That's another long story which is best heard from the mouth of the person who was there. Good story Mrs. K. When that was all finished at 14:40, I rushed back to my classroom to hold lessons from 15:00 until 20:00. When I arrived at 14:50, one of the students was already there. So I said "Hello Michika! How are you today?" Her automatic response was, "I'm fine thank you. And you?" "I'm fine too. Thank you (for asking). That's the first step to starting a conversation. She'll be able to say more, as time goes on. My 19:00 class today had 3 adults, 2 of whom are married to each other. The married couple told me about their weekend, going to Sapporo and looking for an apartment to live in. They will be moving there in November, because of the husband's job location transfer. One of the things that he must have with his new apartment, is a garage for his car. He said that car break-ins were increasing in Sapporo, with car-navigation systems and sound systems being the most popular items that are stolen. Sounds like a typical big city. Number five in Japan in fact. After that class was over, I ate dinner while watching CNN and the BBC on SkyPerfect TV. I've got more work to do, but I need to take a rest. Lights out at 22:00.
2005 September 25 Sunday.
A beautiful sunny and partly cloudy day. Perfect for a drive in the country. And that's what we did. Leaving at about 15:20, we drove south on Route 237 headed for Biei. I have driven this route so many times, I've lost count, but if the weather is nice, you are never disappointed. It is a pleasure to go for a leisurely drive on the abundant and well maintained roads that are every where in Hokkaido, so smooth and easy to drive on. Today, I took the back door route and turned off of 237 at the traffic light and got onto the road towards GoRyo. Our big objective today was, to relax and have a refreshing time together. God knows that a person can work themselves to death, and never take time out to smell the roses. Or during this autumn time of year, smell the smoky aroma of the farmers burning off their stockpiles of rice chaff. I love that amphora of aroma. It means autumn is in full motion. Freshly harvested, good food everywhere, and that ever present, smoky aroma. I love autumn the best. We drove along the back roads toward Biei at a very slow pace with no radio, and little conversation. It was a good day just to absorb the reality of what is going on around you. We arrived at the back door of Biei, near the SanToKa Ramen shop 山頭火ラーメン. We both thought about stopping in for a bite, but the sun was sinking low and a possible photo opportunity awaited me at the BoGakuDai 望岳台 at the foot of Mt. Tokachi 十勝岳. Along the way, we stopped at the natural mineral-water cold spring, for a few cups of drinking water. Very tasty. And free too. Next stop, the above mentioned BoGakuDai. A very nice sunset. I took 37 photos with the intention of making a slide show with BGM, for Snow TV. I neglected to use a tripod, even though it was right inside my van. As a result, when I made a slideshow with the photos I took today, the mountains kept moving around. No good. The only thing that the viewer sees moving around should be the clouds and the sun. A careless failure. Next time, I will use the tripod and auto-timer for the camera shutter. Good job Norman, you're an old fart. Yeah, I know. Thanks for reminding me, again. The highlight of the day was my 30 minute bath at FukiAge Spa. While I was down in the bathing area, my wife was all stretched out in the NOAH taking a nap. Good plan. As always, FukiAge Spa 吹上温泉 was excellent. It is by far, my FAV 100% natural outdoor hot tub. It is COSMIC. I mean that literally. How cerebral can you get. Warm body, naked, among the cold beauty of nature. Today it was so cloudy that I couldn't even see the mountain Tokachi Dake. Of course, the stars were invisible as well. At about 18:30, I finished my bathing and walked back up the hill to the Road Meister, NOAH. My wife was well relaxed, as I had hoped she would be. We drove back towards Biei in the dark with the lounge seat still reclined, just as it was before. Plus, a blue neon tube light in the left rear window, and you have got yourself a NIGHT CLUB ON WHEELS. No drinking for the driver, but all of the passengers can have open containers of alcohol and in fact be drinking. In the USA, this is VERBOTEN. There can be no open containers of alcohol on any moving vehicles. Unless, it is a commercial airliner. Of course, the pilots can not drink. Thanks be to the God of Common Sense. Anyway, we stopped in Biei at the supermarket/drug store and used the restroom. As I was walking through the supermarket, I began to desire a long hard pull on a glass of Yebisu All Malt BLACK Beer. Noticing that the prices here are higher that at the place which I live next door to, I decided to wait until I got back to Asahikawa to buy the black brew. And I did. Tonight's dinner, PIZZA HUT. Yeah, a real American Sunday evening, without the NFL. Lights out at 25:25.
2005 September 24 Saturday.
A cool and overcast day. I had a private lesson again this week with the siblings who live in KamiFurano. Today, the mother brought along the many textbooks that the children had used when then lived in the USA. I looked through all of them and was impressed by the high level of vocabulary used to explain the lessons. Then, I remembered that English teachers in the USA don't use any other languages to explain the lesson to the children. Here in Japan, I need to be able to speak, read and write the local language in order to obtain 100% communication with the students at all times. The better the students can understand spoken English, the less I have to speak Japanese in the classroom. The less, the better. I agree. But it is indispensable as a backup method. Selecting from among all of the English only textbooks that the mother brought with her today, I used one of them for most of today's class. It was a Level 3 Phonics book with lots of color illustrations and some rather advanced sentence structures used to show the usage of the vocabulary items. They knew most of the vocabulary, but there were some words such as budge, wedge, flock, pine cones, carve, etc. which the children did not understand. With these two kids, I can explain the meanings of words and sentences using only English, although I did make about 1% of my comments in Japanese, just to make sure that they completely understood everything during today's lesson. Unfortunately for me, 90% of my current students are unable to operate at this level and speed of spoken English, just because they have never lived in an English speaking country. That's what makes all of the difference. And, that is why I have written and produced all of my own textbooks, flash cards, eLearning, etc. It is all aimed at a very specific market. The people who live in Asahikawa. Many of whom, have never lived in an English speaking country. I don't mind using other textbooks available on the market. In fact, it was a nice break for me today. I got to teach at a much higher level than I usually get to do with children. But on the bottom line, the basic vocabulary list to teach this level of phonics is not large, and 80% of the vocabulary items in the market textbook and my original textbook aimed at the same level, were exactly the same. The basics are the basics. No matter how you present them. And presentation is very important. And the method of presentation depends on the audience viewing the presentation. Therefore, the materials and presentation must be custom made for the target audience. It all boils down to taking the same building blocks, and making something a little bit different. The basics of language study and teaching remain the same. Listen and Repeat. Read and Write. The 3Rs and 1L principle of language acquisition. The more often you do it, the faster you will become able to use a language in real situations. The ideal way, is to live and work, or go to school, in a country where they speak the language that you want to master. That is why I live in Japan. Hokkaido to be exact. That is why I have become able to use the Japanese language as a tool for so many things. Such as opening doors. If you can't live in a country where they all speak the language that you want to master, the next best thing is to get some CDs of the language and listen to them as much as possible. This is passive learning. Step 2. Repeat after the words you hear on the CD. Listen AND REPEAT. Listen and Repeat. This is active learning. As for reading and writing, it is the exact same method. Look, Recognize, Read, Understand, This is passive learning. Look, Remember, Write, Explain. This is active learning. It takes time, and lots of it. But if you really want to learn a foreign language, without being able to live in the country where it is spoken, DON'T QUIT! you really can master it, if you just spend enough time practicing it. Get back to basics.
2005 September 23 Friday.
Today is the Autumn Equinox. A National Holiday in Japan. No classes today, so I spent about 3 hours making a slide show with BGM for my web page Snow TV. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I found a really cool website that has photos from all of the Apollo Missions. I selected about 83 images, added the BGM of the jazz standard "Fly me to the Moon", and posted it on this website at the Snow TV link. You can see the slide show by clicking here. Other than that, I made a new page for my original textbook 小学生で学ぶ米会話. The little boy I talked about in Wednesday's blog, has already finished page 7 and I discovered that I haven't yet written page 8, so today I did it. That took about an hour. Another good evening for a hot bath. Private lesson tomorrow at 10:00. Lights out at 26:00.
2005 September 22 Thursday.
I did it again. I managed to let the classroom get too cold and I caught a big bad cold because of it. I woke up at 10:00 because my first order of business for the day was to attend a Korean Language Class at the Kosei Nursing School ＪＡ厚生連旭川厚生看護専門学校. As soon as I woke up, I knew that I wasn't going to make it there today. I had a whooper of a sore throat and stuffy nose. Lots of coughing up phlegm たん. I decided to take a hot bath in an attempt to recover in time for my first lesson at 15:00. I couldn't make the come back in time, so I had my wife call all of the students who come on Thursdays, and cancel the lessons. No school today. I sat around for the rest of the day, looking a various things on the internet. One cool website I discovered has a huge photo gallery of all of the Apollo Moon Missions. There are thousands and thousands of high quality, full color photos of the earth from space, the moon from space, as well as activities on the moon. I know some people say that the USA never went to the moon. Well, you may be right, but before you draw any final conclusions, check out this website. I stayed up until about 27:00. Tomorrow is a national holiday again. I hope my cold symptoms have receded by then.
2005 September 21 Wednesday.
First class of the day was at 8:50 at the Kosei Nursing School ＪＡ厚生連旭川厚生看護専門学校. Today, we used the first conversation on page 14 of my original textbook 海外旅行で使える米会話. It is a scene at Airport Customs upon entering Australia. Many of the students could memorize most of it. When that class was finished at 10:20, it was back to my classroom to eat and relax until my next class at 15:00. The boy who comes at 15:00 on Wednesdays is one of my very best students. He is in the first grade at Fuzoku Elementary School 付属小学校 and has lived in Houston Texas with his family for several years. As such, he has had an ear for English since he was very young. We are using my original textbook 小学生で学ぶ米会話, and he has finished page 7. When I got up to get page 8 for him, I discovered that I haven't printed it out yet, so we did some other activities that use the vocabulary and sentence structures he has already learned. Today his grandmother came along with his mother to watch the lesson. She seemed to be very pleased to see that her grandson can actually understand and use spoken English. That's because he is such a good student! After that it was straight classes until 20:00. When all classes were finished, I decided to drink some beer and play the guitar for a while. Unfortunately, I left the windows open, and the classroom got very cold. As a result, I caught a cold which would make the next day an almost total loss.
2005 September 20 Tuesday.
Up at about 6:00 to get myself ready for a work day after that 3 day weekend. First order of business, Asahikawa University from 9:00 until 12:10. Again today, we used the same page one of my original textbook Using Interrogatives. Some of the students had memorized part A last week, so all they needed to do today was to memorize part B. Some of the students, however, did not come to class last week, so they needed to memorize both sets of lines. The students who did not come last week were surprised and delighted to learn that, as a policy, if they complete the lesson objectives of the day, they can leave class early with full credit for attendance. When they understood this, their attitude changed from; "Why should I study this??" into; "How fast can I learn this, and how fast can I get out of this class today?" That's the spirit! Now you can see the connection between hard work and big rewards. Another valuable life lesson that should be taught as early as possible. When both of those classes were finished at 12:10, I drove back to my classroom to eat lunch and get ready for lessons from 15:00 until 20:00. Again today, as with almost every Tuesday at 15:00, I had a lesson with the retired high school English teacher Mr. T. He was a bit upset that I had used such an old photograph of him in my blog of last week, and he gave me a new more recent photo to post on this website. Well, here it is! Today, the two sisters who come every week at 16:00 couldn't attend because of a school event, so Mr. T spent a full 2 hours talking with me. We had a lot of laughs and a good time. When the last lesson was finished at 20:00, I ate some dinner and did some reading. Lights out at 23:00.
2005 September 19 Monday.
A national holiday, today. Respect for the aged day 敬老の日. A partly sunny and rather warm day today with winds getting stronger in the afternoon. We did some shopping today at the big AEON Shopping Center in Chikabumi 近文. I needed to buy some more 5L sized sweaters so that I don't have to wear the same old ones all of the time. If I could just lose this fat hanging around my belly, I could wear a lot of stuff that I already have. Wouldn't that be nice. After shopping, I spent some time watching some free movies on Sky Perfect TV. There was nothing really interesting today and watching a lot of TV makes me sleepy so, I went to bed early at 21:00. I'll get up early tomorrow and get back to work as usual.
2005 September 18 Sunday.
A mostly rainy day. Spent about 3 hours editing the photos I took yesterday of the Chestnut Tree Kindergarten inspection tour at the new school and of the dedication ceremony at the Palace Hotel. You can see the photos by clicking here. The rest of the day was spent reading books and taking hot baths. It's time to relax a bit. Tomorrow is also a holiday. It is called Respect for the aged day 敬老の日。I think that is a nice reason for a holiday. Honor the people who have worked hard to make this country what it is today. There is no such holiday in the USA. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 17 Saturday.
My busy day started out with a private lesson from 10:00 until 11:00. These are the two siblings who come all the way from Kami Furano. One is in 3rd grade of elementary school, and the other is in 6th grade. Quite a difference. Before, I was using my original text book for first year junior high school students with them, but it was two difficult for the younger sibling, so today I switched to the one I wrote for elementary school students. Today, the younger sibling could do the lesson with no problems. I guess I'll be using that textbook from now on, along with some other stuff for vocabulary building. When that was finished, I ate some food, and then drove out to the new school building for the Chestnut Tree Kindergarten to take photos. Today was open house for the parents and grand parents. This school building was well thought out, using barrier free halls and doorways, and other facilities. Very user friendly. After I took about 50 photos there, I went shopping for food an other stuff at Nagayama Powers which is not to far away from the new school. I returned home at about 16:00, changed clothes and called a taxi to come pick me up and take me to the Palace Hotel by 17:00. That is when the new building dedication ceremony 新築落成記念式典・祝賀会 will begin. I arrived right on time and took my seat at one of the 17 tables. There were a lot of people, including the City Mayor 市長. After the presentation of awards and gifts, and a few speeches, it was time for dinner. I didn't eat much, but I drank some beer and took a lot of photos. You can see the photos from both events by clicking here. I left about 10 minutes before the official ending of the party, so that I would be able to get home a little early. After I got home, I downloaded the photos onto my PC and took a quick look at them. I will edit and then post them to this website tomorrow. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 16 Friday.
Morning class at the Hokkaido Prefecture Nursing Academy of Asahikawa 北海道立旭川高等看護学院. Again today, a lot of sleepy students, including myself. I woke up sneezing at about 03:00 and I didn't get much sleep the rest of the night. I can imagine parents who are woken up by the sound of a crying baby, and can't get back to sleep either. A situation like that could happen again and again over a period of years. I guess I've got it pretty easy. Today's lesson at the nursing school was a short telephone conversation about getting invited to go bowling, but being unable to go because of a prior commitment. Everyone who came to class today was able to remember both sets of lines. Next time we will work on page 3. Another telephone conversation that spans the entire page. Students in past years have been able to memorize it so I expect that these students will also be able to make it happen. When that class was finished at 10:30, it was back home for some lunch and a short nap before my next class at 13:30. The two lovely ladies who come every Friday at 13:30, were is a very cheerful mood as usual. Lots of laughs while learning English. I can see a definite improvement in their speaking abilities. They have been coming here for lessons for a little over a year now, and they always do their homework. A really fun class. After that lesson, it was straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. Today, I went straight to bed at 20:30 without eating. I expect to wake up at about midnight, feel a lot more energetic, and get my butt back to work on various stuff. I have a private lesson at 10:00 tomorrow morning, and after that, a New Building Inspection Tour 新園舎見学会 at the Chestnut Tree Kindergarten 栗の木幼稚園. And again in the evening, at the Palace Hotel, there will be a big party with free food and drinks! Right on! I just hope it doesn't rain during the New School Inspection Tour, because I want to take photos both inside and outside to use in yet another photo gallery. Back to sleep at 05:00.
2005 September 15 Thursday.
No classes until 15:00 today, so I had a lot of time to read up on eLEARNING and the related software. By the way, speaking of Macromedia Flash, I ran into a really cool website made entirely using flash. When I say cool, I mean eye-pooping. Check it out by clicking here. After classes were finished at 20:00. It was time for a walk and then dinner. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 14 Wednesday.
No classes until 15:00 so I spent the morning reading and relaxing in a nice hot bath. At about 11:30, I walked down the street to Choice rotating sushi counter ちょいす回転寿司, to eat some lunch. It was very good as usual. After lunch, I walked slowly back to my classroom in the light rainfall. I still had some time before my first class, so I did some reading about using Freehand, a graphics drawing software from Macromedia. I have used it a little bit before, but I am really just a beginner. My last class of the day was with a young lady who will be going to Seoul South Korea next weekend. I made her an MD copy of a CD that I have for learning some basic spoken phrases in Korean. I know that she will be able to remember most of words and phrases, which will make her short stay in Seoul more enjoyable. After that last class, it was dinner time and more time spent on the web learning about how to create vector graphics, in general and also specifically in the Macromedia software that I have purchased. I have some books, and I also use the web as my personal research library. Yeah, I know. There is a lot of useless crap on the web, but that's not the whole story. For example, tonight I typed into the Google search engine text window, Macromedia Freehand Tutorials, and guess what I got. A whole bunch of links to very well made websites offering free advice on how to make the best use of the software for making everything from simple drawings, to 3D animated movies. What a powerful tool. And when you get right down to basics, of what the PC is all about, it boils down to endless strings of 1 and 0. 0 and 1. In endless combinations. With only 2 choices at the most basic of all basic levels, the choice boils down to either; ON or OFF. OFF or ON. Which is it? It has to be one or the other. Because there on only 2 basic choices. The Yin and the Yang 陰陽。 I have a book about Oriental Thinking written in Japanese that my wife let me borrow from her. I can read and understand most of it and it is rather interesting. It talks about the natural and constant motion of all things as they continually seek equilibrium, never quite getting there. Anyway, on the very first page of this book it says; Human beings are like a mold upon the face of the earth. Always consuming resources, and giving back only waste products. Does that sum it up or what? The next time you see some mold in your bathroom, imagine yourself to be a god observing it and thinking, "I gotta get rid of this mold before it takes over the entire bathing area." Then you will turn on the shower and either grab a scrub pad and wash the mold from its home, or you will forget all about it and proceed with your bathing as usual. Speaking of mold, I have to go and clean up my bathtub. Talk to ya. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 13 Tuesday.
The fall semester classes at Asahikawa University, started for me today. As you may remember, The spring semester was spent in the personal computer lab on the 4th floor of the main building. I was relegated to watch over the young students, as they strengthened their abilities in reading and listening to English via the internet. A new experience for me, and most likely many of the new and repeating students that attended my spring semester classes. Not to mention the other part time English teachers that had to adjust their teaching style to accommodate the change in classroom style. At first, it was just a chore, but as the spring semester progressed, I learned new ways to use the new classroom environment to the students advantage, and to mine as well. There is a lot to be said about computer-based training, CBT. But it should not be used during 100% of the students class schedule. A good 4 way balance between Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening should be maintained at intervals during a course of language studies. Well anyway, to make a long story short, I went to my previous classroom, number 204, but there was nobody there. Next, I went to the PC rooms on the 4th floor. I was greeted at the PC office window by a young female employee who asked me if I wanted to teach fall semester classes in the PC room or, elsewhere. I replied that I would prefer to teach the fall semester classes in room 204 if possible. She said that she would call Mr. Takagai in the 1st floor office, and ask if room 204 is available on Tuesdays during the 9:00 thru 12:10 class time periods. After she talked on the phone for about 3 minutes, she told me that 204 is not available during the second class period, but that room 202, just two doors down from my former classroom was available. I said that I would take it, and then I walked down the hall to the PC classroom to inform the students that during the fall semester, we would be using room 202 to conduct speaking and writing practice in English. I also told them that if they wanted to use the PC classroom, please do it during their own free time. Then I said, "The fall semester classes start today in room 202. Come on, let's go." And the majority of the students followed me down 2 flights of stairs to room 202. Before leaving the PC classroom, I wrote on the white board, in Japanese, the same message. The students for the second hour class, had read the message and they all came down to room 202. For both of today's classes, we used page one of my original textbook; Using Interrogatives. This is a junior high school level text, but it is all colloquial American English. The students already know most of the vocabulary and sentence grammar, now they get to try and speak their lines without looking at the printed page. That is their challenge. Today, only two of the less than 40 students were able to meet the objective, and were thus given an early pass out of the classroom. Yes, there are rewards for getting with the program. A few of the students spent most of their time sleeping. The others did their best with varying degrees of success. After both of those classes were finished, it was back to my classroom for straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. My 15:00 class today was with a retired high school English teacher who lives near to my classroom. Today, he said that he had read this blog, and wanted to see the Paper Theater flash cards that I had made. I showed him the set of cards, and he then started telling the story of Peach Boy, in English, just as I had at the kindergarten yesterday. He did a really good job, and we both had a lot of laughs. See you again next Tuesday, Mr. T. (to see his photo and biography, click here.) When all of my classes were finished for the day, it was time for dinner and some TV news. Lights out at 23:00.
2005 September 12 Monday.
The morning after 9/11. Oh! My God! What happened??? Still don't know? Keep your eyes and ears open, there is a lot going on. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, in Nature Garden Hokkaido, it was a warm and sunny day. I got up at about 6:00 because I needed to learn the Peach Boy Song on the guitar, and vocal. I was able to find two versions on the internet. Although they don't sound exactly alike, I got the general idea. It is a simple melody. Can be played with only 3 chords. I think I can pull it off in front of the kids with such little practice. However, I must confess. I have never read the story nor heard the song of Peach Boy before yesterday. You may be scratching your head and saying: "What? an American ExPat who can speak, read and write the Japanese language at about the high school level, has never heard the story or song of MomoTaro? Yes, it is true. I admit it. My approach to learning the Japanese language was very plain and straight forward. Learn the most useful phrases first. And then learn the deeper background behind it all later. That's what I have done. Consider the fact that, I did not start learning spoken Japanese until just before my 20th birthday. It's not too late, but it's not the ideal situation. Twenty nine years later, I'm here. I'm doing it every day, and I'm enjoying it. Need I say more? Anyway, today was more fortunate than most. For one thing, I drove to the old Setsurei Building 雪嶺幼稚園. There was nobody there. A notice posted on the yard gate, informed me that operations had already moved to the new location. I smiled a big smile, and proceeded towards the direction of the new school building. When I got there, I was very happy to see a brand new and good looking building. I went inside and was greeted by the headmaster and some staff members. The first order of business was to take a group photo of all the students and staff, including me, outside in front of the new building. After that was finished, I had about 20 minutes to do my KamiShibai for all of the students. I think most of them enjoyed it. Then, I drove back to my classroom to eat lunch and get ready for the rest of my teaching day. The next class was the 英会話を楽しむ会 at 13:30 at the 神楽公民館. When that was finished at 14:30, it was straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. Then it was research on the web and dinner time. Lights out at 23:00.
2005 September 11 Sunday.
It's election day in Japan, and it's the fourth year since the fall of the WTC. It's getting more obvious now, isn't it. Go back to sleep. An overcast but warm day. Another day spent mostly making eLEARNING course lessons. Also, I made some huge A3 size laminated flash cards so that tomorrow morning I can perform a KamiShibai 紙芝居 at the newly reopened Chestnut Tree Kindergarten くりの木幼稚園 located at Nagayama Cho 4 Chome 永山町４丁目。The Paper Theater that I prepared was Peach Boy 桃太郎. I choose this play, because almost every child in Japan knows the story. Of course, I will do the whole thing in English because, it is after all, the English Friendship Hour 英語ふれあい. I know that the kids will not be able to understand most of what I say, but I have 16 illustrations for the stage play, and I will read the English translation on the backs of every card very slowly. I am not an artist, and I can't draw or paint worth a crap, so I went to the neighborhood bookstore, where I found exactly what I was looking for. A Paper Theater card set for the Peach Boy. It only cost about $6, and was beautifully illustrated. The only problem was that the cards were only B5 size. Not nearly big enough for a large group of kids to see clearly. Not a big problem, but it turned into a 5 hour project. I scanned all 16 B5 size cards into my PC, then changed their size to A3. Of course, I have to print them all out with a color ink jet printer on fine paper. Then for the back of each card, I had to make 16 pages of the story lines. Finally, it was time to laminate it all together with a big sheet of colored paper sandwiched in between the two working faces of each card. Whew! not difficult to do, but rather time consuming. I still have to practice singing the Peach Boy Song. I'll do that tomorrow as I'm driving out towards the new school building. Lights out at 26:00
2005 September 10 Saturday.
My work day started out at 10:00 with a private lesson for two elementary school students who live in Kami Furano. They have lived in the USA for several years so they can understand American English spoken at a natural speed. I am using my original textbook for first year junior high school students 中学校１年生で学ぶ米会話 with them. The older sibling can do the lessons in my textbook with no problems, but the younger sibling finds the lessons a bit difficult. I may have to use my original textbook for elementary school students 小学生で学ぶ米会話 with the younger sibling from now on. I know from many years of experience that the teaching materials must match the learning methods of the student as exactly as possible. That's why I make so many different kinds of teaching materials for each and every level of the my American English Language Learning Program. When I think about what I had at the beginning of this classroom 9 years ago, and what I have now, there is a huge world of difference. And, as the years go by, I will create more and, hopefully much better, learning materials that will train students of American English in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible. That is a challenge that I gladly accept. It makes life more interesting. Just think for a moment about the hundreds of languages that are in active use in the world today, not to mention the numerous ancient languages that are now "dead languages" meaning they are no longer in common use on this planet called earth. Why has English become the most widely used language on the planet today? That is a very long and interesting story. A story of which I will write about as an interactive essay in the future. It won't always be this way. But as for my current lifetime, it will remain so. After my only lesson of the day was finished, I ate my brunch while watching the DVD of our Blues Band; The Ernie's the兄ぃs. The vocalist, SATOSHI was nice enough drive over to my classroom last evening at about 19:20 and deliver it to me along with some photos taken by one of our supporters. Thanks SATOSHI! I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to our next gig together. When rest time was over, I was back on the PC making more eLEARNING lessons for kids. At about 24:00, after working on the PC for about 8 hours, I decided it was time to go for a hot tub and sauna at Takasao Onsen. It is my favorite spa that is close to where I live. They are open until 26:00 so I still had enough time to absorb the warmth and relax. I especially like the outdoor hot tub on the roof. Tonight, the stars and planets could be seen clearly through path of the few low drifting clouds that would block some views from time to time. Again I thought to myself as I soaked up the warm jacuzzi, "Damn! what a nice place to be at this time." And it was. I finished up with a few trips to the sauna, the various other indoor hot tubs, the COLD TUB, and finally a rise off at the cold shower. What a great spa. And all for only 600 yen. After I left Takasago Onsen, I mad a side trip to Tomisawa 富沢 and parked my car in the western parking lot of Kamui no Mori Park and Campground カムイの杜 and わくわくエッグ. The purpose of this side trip was to be a night sky watcher. The air was not cold and there was no wind. The sky was beautiful and it reminded me, yet again, of how fuckin' insignificant I am. Since I have already discovered that truth many years ago, I didn't get depressed or discouraged. I will do what I can, when I can, to the best of my ability. The cosmos will take care of itself. And every thing else that is manifest within it. Don't worry. Be happy. Lights out at 29:00.
2005 September 9 Friday.
My day started out at 9:00 with two classes back to back at the Hokkaido Prefecture Nursing Academy of Asahikawa 北海道立旭川高等看護学院. I gave the students back their mini essays about their summer vacations, and then we did conversation practice using page 2 of my original textbook American English for all Occasions 日常表現. Most of the students were very sleepy today because most of them only got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep last night. Reason, they had a lot of homework to do and it was due today by 17:00. Ah yes, I remember my college days of working my ass off on some report or other assignment until the wee hours of the morning. And at the same time, paying money to the school instead of getting money paid to me for all of my hard work I was doing to please some professor. It's better to be a part time teacher than it is to be a full time student. When those two classes were finished at 12:10, I took a taxi back to my classroom and had just enough time to eat lunch while reading some news on the web before my next private lesson at 13:30 with the two lovely ladies who come here every week at this time. Today they brought me a gift. They had both gone to the new Asahikawa Science Center サイパル and they bought a plastic file holder for themselves and for me. I have not been to the new science center yet, but I will go there in the very near future. I am very interested in the stars and planets, and the physics of the world around us. Even though I can't understand the math behind the theories, the hands-on-demonstrations and other such exhibits are a good learning experience for both kids and adults alike. When that lesson was finished at 14:30, it was straight lessons from 15:00 until 20:00. After that, it was back on the PC to make more eLEARNING lessons about phonics for a basic course for children that I am putting together. This software is fun and easy to use. Even though I am, in reality, working, it is creative work that nobody else in the world is doing in exactly the same way. Original learning materials by Snowman Bei Kaiwa. Coming soon to this website. Stay tuned. Lights out at 26:00.
2005 September 8 Thursday.
Typhoon 14? What typhoon! It was a bit windy with some heavy rains, but I wouldn't call it a typhoon. We got off easy this year. At 13.00. I had a Korean Language class at the Kosei Nursing School ＪＡ厚生連旭川厚生看護専門学校. Today, the teacher did a comparison of English, Japanese and Korean grammar. Very interesting. We didn't do any conversation practice today. After that class was finished at 14:30, I rushed back to my classroom for classes from 15:00 until 20:00. When that was all finished, I made some more eLEARNING lessons aimed at children. Today I added some lessons to the numbers section. These lessons are really easy to make, so I can get them finished quickly. After that, it was time for dinner while watching some news on TV. Lights out at 23:00.
2005 September 7 Wednesday.
A rainy day with typhoon number 14 on the way. I remember last year in September, a typhoon actually made land here in Asahikawa. It was the strongest wind storm that I have ever seen in this city. It did some damage, especially to the tall old trees in several parks and preserves. Lucky for me, I never lost electricity and no windows were broken in the building were I live. According to the newspapers, typhoon number 14 will pass over Hokkaido tomorrow. If the winds get too strong, many of the schools will cancel classes because of the danger that students who are commuting to school might be injured by flying debris. Better safe than sorry. I agree. I was adventurous enough to go for a walk this evening. I have all GORTEX rainwear from head to toe, so I can comfortably exist in windy and rainy conditions for a rather long time. However, after about one hour of walking, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable under my clothes. I wasn't cold, but I was wet with sweat. The moisture from within. When I got back to my classroom at around 21:30, I changed clothes and sat down to rest my legs. It was not cold tonight, but that will change soon. I have a Korean Language class at the Kosei Nursing School tomorrow at 13:00. I intend to go. However, if typhoon 14 really does set foot on Hokkaido, I may play it safe and stay at home. I don't want any flying hard objects to impact my still new NOAH YY. That would be a shame. And expensive. I still want to learn more about Korean, but I have a lot of people asking me for my time, and I have to think about the progression of my classroom too so, it's a tough call. I will do the right thing, In the end. Speaking of the Kosei Nursing School, I went there today for a 90 minute English lesson starting at 8:50. Yeah, that's a bit early but standard for the course. I gave the students back their essays about their summer vacation, and then I launched into page 3 of my original textbook Useful English for Overseas Travel 海外旅行で使える米会話. Page 3 has one short and one long conversation simulation text. I explained both of the conversations meanings to the students, and then asked them to try and memorize the "A" part of the short conversation. About 12 students were able to do it. However, among the 40 or so students, I call their names in random order, so to be fair, I admit that the students who I call on first, do not have enough time to study the lines in order to memorize them. If all students were given the same amount of time to read and remember their lines for the skit, I believe that more than half of the students would be able to say their lines, with no mistakes. Memorizing words and phrases in a foreign language, these are the first steps in becoming able to really talk to someone about something that is relevant to today. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 6 Tuesday.
Classes today started at 15:00 with a retired high school English teacher who lives very close to my classroom. I haven't seen him since before summer vacation, when he told me that he was going to take a trip to Vietnam. I have never been to Vietnam myself, and I was looking forward to hearing all about his adventure in that country. He brought his little digital camera with him and I was able to see about 177 photos that he had taken while he was in the country for 10 days. I was surprised when he told me that he had spent 5 days in a hospital in Saigon City (Ho Chi Min City) because of Pneumonia 肺炎. I called it his Vietnam Homestay Experience. We both got a good laugh out of that. As a result, he was unable to visit Hanoi City. He may go again next year. When I lived in Seattle, I would often go to Vietnamese restaurants and food stores. I like the food, and the people are very hardworking and intelligent. It's such a shame that their country has had to live through so many wars. But that is all in the past now. Isn't it? I mean, it seems like, after the USA gets finished blowing a country to hell and back, taking Japan as another example, that country prospers and has a vibrant economy. I wonder if the same will happen in Iraq and Afghanistan? Wouldn't it be nice. Anyway, seeing photos of Vietnam today was very interesting for me. My next lesson was at 14:00 with two sisters who are now in junior high school. The older sister told me that she got the highest score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test 学力テスト among all of the 172 3rd year students at her junior high school. I am not surprised. They are both smart girls, and they always do their homework, if I assign it to them. Both of their parents are medical doctors, and they are very strict about their children's education. The children in return, are very serious about their studies. It's students like this that make my job a pleasure. No class at 17:00 today, but I had one at 18:00 and another at 19:00. After all of the lessons were finished for the day, it was back on the PC and making another new eLEARNING lesson. Kids these days are lucky because most of them learn how to use a personal computer from an early age. In my case, PCs were not available to me until about 1980. In those days, they were much more difficult to use. Nowadays, they are much much easier to use and a whole lot more powerful than before. I write all of my textbooks, make all of my posters and business cards, plus I do all of my accounting on the PC. I couldn't do business as I am doing it today with out the PC. Not to mention my latest project of making English study enjoyable and available via the internet or CD-ROM or DVD. It's a good time to be alive, if you are inclined to be creative. Lights out at 23:00.
2005 September 5 Monday.
First class of the day was the 英会話を楽しむ会 at the 神楽公民館 starting at 13:30. Today some of the students talked about the news concerning the big disaster in New Orleans in the wake of hurricane Katrina. I too, have been watching video images of the devastation in that area. I have never seen so much confusion and incompetence in one place before. Even some of the police were looting a Wal Mart store. Another student mentioned that they have also been holding disaster prevention drills in Tokyo and other big cities around Japan. Preparing for the big earthquake that has been predicted and could happen any day. The student said that, because all of the Japanese government offices, as well as the military headquarters are located in central Tokyo, a big earthquake could, in effect, destroy the nerve center of Japan. There has been talk in the past about moving the capital from Tokyo to some place which is much less likely to be struck by a natural disaster, but to date, nothing has been done about it. Personally, I think the safest place for the capital would be Asahikawa, but I wouldn't be all that happy if the population of this city doubled overnight. I mentioned to the class that a disaster like a big earthquake can't really be prevented, but preparations can be made to evacuate people from the city. Unfortunately, this is not an easy answer to the problem either, because most transportation facilities will be badly damaged and unusable if a really big earthquake hits Tokyo. The trapped people would have no way to escape. My solution to this potential problem is simple. Don't live in big cities. Pretty simple, but effective. Live in an area that does not have a lot of very tall buildings, is close to the country side where there is food and water, and always keep a survival kit in your car. Other than that, we little humans are pretty helpless against the awesome power of nature. Be prepared to survive after the initial disaster is over. I also encourage people to go camping at least once a year so they can see for themselves how much stuff they have to pack with them in order to have a comfortable outdoor living experience. After that class was finished at 14:40, I ran back to my classroom for straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00. Again this evening, I made some more eLEARNING English lessons using FLASH. Everything that I am making right now is aimed toward children starting at 4 years old. It will teach them phonics and basic vocabulary in an interactive environment which includes tests and quizzes. A good way to learn English at their own pace and at time and place convenient for them. I hope to have the introductory course completed, tested and bug free by the beginning of the new year. Then I can start working on an English course for junior high school students. Lights out at 25:00.
2005 September 4 Sunday.
Overcast in the morning with partly sunny skies in the afternoon and evening. Again today, working on making eLEARNING courseware for children to learn English. Today's movie was basic alphabet phonics. The fastest way to learn how to read and write. At about 15:00, I went for a bicycle ride. What a beautiful afternoon. The warm sunshine and the cool breeze was the perfect combination for such an activity. A lot of people were out walking around on the cycling roads, and I even saw a few people standing out in the Chubetsu River, waist deep in water, doing some fishing. I think most people who fish in the rivers around the city practice catch-and release. It's not for food, just for relaxation. After my bike ride was finished at about 17:00, I drank a cold beer and took a hot bath. Spent the rest of the evening looking at news reports from New Orleans on both the internet and on satellite TV. What a mess. The Big Easy is now the Big Sleazy. Time to leave town and find a new life somewhere else. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to do that. Lights out at 25:00.
2005 September 3 Saturday.
I had at private lesson from 10:00 until 11:00. Then it was time to eat lunch and watch the TV news about the big disaster in New Orleans. What a mess. I like Hokkaido even more now. An overcast and cooler day today. Spent most of my time reading and then during the evening, I made another FLASH movie to teach the numbers from 1 to 10. It took me about 90 minutes. I have been getting more efficient at using the software, now that I have a little more experience using it. I think I'll make another movie tomorrow if I have time. I went for a walk from 19:00 until 20:30. It was noticeably colder this evening. I need to start wearing socks again. Cold bare feet in summer time sandals. Time for a hot bath. Japanese style. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 2 Friday.
The work day started at 9:00 at the Hokkaido Prefecture Nursing Academy of Asahikawa 北海道立旭川高等看護学院. This is the second group of the 2nd year students that I taught last week so the topic was the same for them. Write about your summer vacation. After that was finished at 10:30, it was back to the classroom. I had intended to go take photos at the Kagura Festival, but it started raining again. Cancel that. The place where it is held every year, Chubetsu Park, gets very muddy when it rains. I've been there, done that. Next class was at 13:30 and the last class was finished at 20:00. After classes, I made a FLASH movie for teaching the days of the week. It only took me about 2 hours. Lights out at 24:00.
2005 September 1 Thursday.
I went to the Asahikawa JR train station at about 11:30, so I could participate in a live radio broadcast at FM River ＦＭりべーる83.7Mhz. The radio show is called The Noisy Diner かしまし食堂 hosted by Hayashi Yukari 林ゆかり and Yajima Eri 八島恵理. It is a 2 hour live broadcast every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 until 14:00. I was on as a guest for about 10 minutes. I have recorded the broadcast and will try to put it on this website in the near future for you to listen to, if you are interested. After my part of the radio show was finished, I walked around the downtown area for a while, and then walked back to my classroom here in Kagura. As you may already know, the annual Kagura Festival starts today and runs for three days until September 3. I walked by the event site at the Chubetsu Park 忠別公園 and observed some people setting up the stalls and other facilities. I will go to the festival tomorrow and Saturday in an attempt to take some good photos. The photos I took of this event last year were terrible. After teaching straight classes from 15:00 until 20:00, I had to spend a few hours printing out some post cards that I will be sending out to a few select people this month. Lights out at 24:00.
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