Firstly, according to mother nature, spring has sprung a little early in Hidaka. The night before last I went to sleep with the frogs croaking ribbiting doing whatever it is that frogs do, and yesterday, on my walk home for lunch I noticed the the cherry blossoms are indeed blossoming, as witnessed by my cell phone.

Also, this friday, I am jetting ( Read more... )

this has been around for a while, but I found it again and thought that I would share it. It is good to remember that this is very tongue-in-cheek.

Friday morning I woke up blurry and late-ish, having packed the night before. Ailey and Carly got to my apartment at about 8:30am and we then drove to Wadayama and parked up. We walked to the train station and were soon on the bus with Travy, headed to Kobe. In Kobe we went to Starbucks for a morning coffee, before walking to the bus that would ( Read more... )

I have known about the undercurrent of racism towards foreigners in Japan, but I had never -- until now -- seen actual, physical evidence of it. Readily available at your local Family Mart convenience store.

To quote http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=192

Back Page:
日本における外人犯罪件数年間47000件!!
47,000 crimes by foreigners each year!!
There then follows a ‘ ( Read more... )

My weekend started with a trip to Kobe for one of the most boring yearly features on my calender. The mid-year conference. It is a bullshit excuse to gather all the prefectures ALT`s together and then try and ply us for new and interesting ways to teach English. The put us in meaningless workshops and heard us around like sheep. The only reason ( Read more... )

These are some clips from a TV show called Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. I think it is very funny and wanted to share the humo(u)r. It is based on a real Japanese TV show where contestants are asked to perform stunts and run through obstacle courses. Anyway, just watch, you`ll get the idea.

( very funny videos )

I feel a little dejected. I just got back from the principal`s office where I was told that my application to transfer was rejected. Now my only options are to either stay here at Hidaka Higashi, or to go home. I guess I will stay here at Hidaka Higashi, since I don`t really want to go home yet ( Read more... )

I left Japan in the middle of a very warm start to the winter and arrived in New Zealand to some of the worst summer weather on record. It felt like I had never even left Japan ( Read more... )

I got back to Hidaka yesterday, at around lunch time. Then after eating some lunch and putting a load of washing on, I came into school. That was fine. I gave out the chocolate that I brought back with me, which everyone appreciated. I went to the bank to pay my rent. At about 3pm I left and went home to put my washing in the drier and to go to one ( Read more... )

I am sitting at my desk, waiting for an overly energetic lady to pick me up and take me to a local kindergarten where I will be dressed up as Santa Claus. Something I am not in the mood for and have been dreading for the past week. I love kids, but there is something about red-neck Japanese 4 and 5 year-olds that makes me pray for some sort of ( Read more... )