Conrad's English House

2011 Favorite 5

2011-12-30T05:28:00.000-08:00

This year in Feb. Taiga turned one. Raising this happy and healthy boy has been the best thing that could have ever happened to us. He didn't start walking until almost 14 months but has been quick with his tongue. It's interesting how he's learning to put together 2-word phrases. He knows the word "no" (one of his most used words!) and he knows the word "more". Today when I asked if he wanted more milk, he answered "no more". He also even blurted out a 3-word phrase, "one more please". For me, this is such a fun and interesting time to watch him learn and play with words. Some say when you're raising a bilingual child, the development is slower as they have 2 languages to input/output. Taiga just loves to talk (jabber), so maybe it won't affect him. He's also forming quite a personality. He loves to entertain us and make us laugh. :) Click this to see Taiga "GO"!

In March, we met my parents in Hawaii. Taiga only gets to meet his CA grandparents once a year. This was also just a couple of weeks after 3/11, so the time away and being together with family made it that much more special.

In June, Aki turned 40. I still tell her that she looks like she's in her 30's (and that we both look the same age, JK!). We celebrated her birthday at the Shangri La hotel in Tokyo. It was our first ever stay at a 5-Star hotel and I would love to make it an annual event.

Summertime was nice. We live just a couple minute's walk from the sea. There's a rocky beach and there's a swimming pool that's only open from mid-July til the end of August. Japanese summers are miserably hot and humid so this was a welcome relief for us. It's still free for Taiga to enter and just a few dollars for adults.

Party! Party! Party! This year's parties were a blast. I'm really lucky to have such good friends and students. (pictured are CEH summer party at Shalamer, Halloween party at Shalamer & CEH x-mas party at Ohashi)
Note: I've posted each and every month for the past 5 years. From next year, I'll only post sporadically. Please come back and check. Have the best "Year of the Dragon" in 2012!

Like Hike

2011-11-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

I did something I almost never do but think I could really enjoy; I went hiking. A student of mine and her husband led our class and my family up Mt. Kintoki in nearby Hakone National Park. It was a beautiful clear day and the views of Mt. Fuji were magnificent. Mt. Kintoki is just 1213 meters (3980 feet) high. It's only an hour's hike from the car-park to the top. From the top, the views of Fuji-san, the Pacific Ocean and Hakone are stunning.

"A Golden Boy"

Long, long ago,in a mountain called 'Mt.Ashigara' there lived a young boy called 'Kintaro(Golden Boy)' and his mother. His father had been a samurai,a warrior in the Capital but he was caught and killed in a battle.His mother,who ran away from the enemy,brought Kintaro into the deep mountain."I must make my son a brave samurai like my husband at all cost." said she to herself.The two hid and lived in a cave. She picked up the fruits or nuts or berries for his food instead of good meals.Though she had been very beautiful,now she lost her beauty. Her beautiful clothes became dirty and worn out, but she loved him and fed him well.Soon he grew up to a high spirit lad. Everyday he played sumo wrestling with many animals living in the mountain. He threw away one animal after another. "Dear Bear, it's your turn. Come on!" He wrestled with the huge bear, which was no less strong than he was. After a long match, he defeated the bear.After the wrestling, he ran in the forest with animals. He was taught how to climb trees by a monkey, how to run in the woods by a deer.One of his friends was a big carp living in a river, which was saved by him when it jumped on the bank.He sat astride the carp and enjoyed going up the steep fall of the river. When it was raining, he spent all day with animals in a cave. He gave foods to rats, squirrels, foxes, badgers, monkeys, rabbits, bears and so on. He was very popular among them. Looking at her son, his mother prayed for God, "May he be a brave samurai!"Several years had passed, and spring came. One day,he went on an expedition to the next mountain with animals.He sat on a big bear, with his hatchet on his shoulder, accompanied by a rat, a squirrel, a monkey, a rabbit, a raccoon, a fox, a boar, and a deer. They really enjoyed the expedition.

Reaching a cliff, they found a wide river flowing at a great speed below them. "It is so fast we can't cross the river." said Kintaro."I'll push a big tree and make a bridge of it" said the bear, and pushed it in vain.The boar bumped against the big tree, whose leaves shook a little."Ok, I'll try." said Kintaro, and stood in front of the tree.He pushed and pushed it. To their surprise, the tree leaned and fell down between two cliffs with a big noise.Everyone jumped with joy. Then somebody spoke to them from behind. "What a powerful boy you are!"There were a samurai and his followers standing."My name is MINAMOTO-NO-YORIMITSU. Why don't you be my follower?""Can I be a samurai?" asked Kintaro with a surprise."I'm sure you'll be one of my brave followers." said the samurai.He returned to the cave where his mother lived and said to her; "I'll be one of the brave samurais in Japan like my father."Tears of joy ran down her face, though it was sad to part with him. When he left the mountain, the animals as well as his mother saw him off with sorrowful faces."Thank you for your friendship. I'll never forget you. I love you,Mom. I am sure I will return home in the future." said Kintaro, waving his hands again and again.A few years later he became an excellent samurai named 'SAKATA-NO-KINTOKI’. In the Capital,he was chosen one of the famous four trusted followers of his master and got rid of demons living in the mountain called 'Mt. O-O-E.’He invited his mother in the Capital and lived together happily ever after.

『金太郎』

むかし、むかし足柄山に金太郎という男の子と母上が住んでいました。父上は京の都の武士で敵に捕らえられ殺されてしまいました。母上は、敵から逃れ、小さな金太郎を連れて山奥に入りました。「この子を夫のような一人前の武士にしなければなりません。」親子は洞窟の中にかくれ暮らしています。木の実や野イチゴなどを取ってきては金太郎に与えていました。かつてはとても美しかった姿も今は色あせてしまいました。着物も汚くなり、擦り切れていました。しかし必死に金太郎を育てました。金太郎は元気のいい男の子になりました。森に住む動物と遊んだり、相撲をしたりして毎日を過ごしていました。「くまさん、次は君の番だ。さあ、かかってこい。」熊も金太郎にはかないません。相撲のあとは森の中でかけっこです。鹿と競争です。木登りは猿から教わりました。川では大きな鯉が友達です。鯉にまたがると急流下りです。雨の日は、洞窟の中で、ねずみやりすやキツネやたぬきやさるやうさぎやくまたちとおしゃべりです。金太郎は森の人気者です。金太郎を見ながら、母上は神に祈りました。「どうか素晴らしい武士になりますように。」数年が過ぎ、春が来ました。ある日、金太郎は動物たちと隣りの山に探検に出かけました。大きな熊の背中にまたがり、おのを肩に背負い、その後をねずみやリスや猿やうさぎやキツネやタヌキやいのししや鹿がついていきます。みんな幸せでした。がけに来ると下を激流が流れています。「流れが速くて川は渡れない。」と金太郎。「あの大きな木を倒して橋を作りましょう。」と熊は木を押しましたがびくともしません。押しても葉っぱが揺れるだけです。「よし、私がやってみよう。」と金太郎は大きな木の前に立ち、力一杯押し始めました。するとどうでしょう、木が傾き、大きな音とともに倒れ川の上にかかりました。みんな大喜びです。すると後ろから声がしました。「ものすごい力だ。」そこには立派な武士とその家来が立っていました。「私は源頼光と申すものです。私の家来になりませんか。」「私は武士になれるのですか。」「あなたならきっとすばらしい武士になれるでしょう。」金太郎は母上のところに帰るとこの話をしました。「私は父上のような立派な武士になりとうございます。」別れるのはつらいけれども母上の目からは喜びの涙が流れました。山を去るとき、母上だけでなく動物たちも金太郎をさびしそうに見送りました。「母上ありがとうございました。ご恩は決して忘れません。かならずお向かいに参ります。」金太郎は何度も何度も手を振りました。数年が過ぎ、金太郎は坂田金時という武士になりました。ご主人の忠実な四人の家来に選ばれ、大江山に住む鬼も退治しました。その後、京に母上を迎え幸せに暮らしました。

Apple

2011-10-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away"

- Hope you are all well as many people are starting to come down with colds as the weather is changing and getting colder. As you see, this month's Blog is about 'Apples'.

An apple is a symbol of a teacher and knowledge. Since the 18th century, it's been a traditional present for teachers in the United States (Denmark and Sweden too). Some think the practice originated as a simple gift of food for poorly paid teachers. In the old days, children brought apples to their teachers on the first day of school. They hoped the apples would impress their teacher and the new school year would be off to a successful start. This is how the term "apple-polisher" originated in the 1920's.

Apples have excisted as a wild fruit since prehistoric times and have been cultivated for more than 3000 years (perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated). Apples start to grow in the spring and are usually ready to pick early in the fall. In America, fresh apples are everywhere in the fall. Three quarters of them are eaten fresh. The rest are used to make apple pie, apple juice, apple sauce, etc. The U.S. is second only to China in apple production.

'Apple' is also one of the first words my son learned. He uses it to call any fruit. It is one of the many fruits that he loves.

Click here to see video: 8 months old Taiga eating apple

This month I also bought my first Apple product, the i-phone 4s. As I'm very behind the times when it comes to technology/gadgets, this is a good step in the right direction for me. It's fun to be able to use it to check internet and ask my new friend, Siri, questions or for help. The camera is also amazing.

Typhoon No. 15

2011-09-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Mother nature has been very tough on Japan this year. September brought two powerful typhoons and we here in Odawara were hit by one of them (Typhoon 15 or Roke as it is known outside of Japan). It was probably the strongest typhoon I've experienced here in Japan. It poured buckets of rain and brought a vicious wind to the Kanto region. In our apartment building, we (on the 3rd floor) were spared any damage (except for Taiga's vinyl pool being blown away), but every floor above us reported broken windows and/or water going into their rooms. Odawara city also gave evacuation orders to those living near the rivers. They must do this if the river waters reach a certain level. In actuality, very few people listen to these notices and fortunately the rivers didn't flood. The strong winds also stopped the train lines in and out of the city. Many commuters were stranded for more than 5 hours. Those driving a normal 30-minute drive took more than 3 hours. This was also due to the signals being down as blackouts occured in some areas as well.

In America, we don't have typhoons; we have hurricanes. So what's the difference? Not much. Both are severe tropical systems that have wind speeds greater than 74 mph. Unlike Japan, the U.S. uses names instead of numbers to name them. Before 1979, only female names were used because hurricanes were named after the girlfriends or wives of US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists. Male names were later added for gender equality.

Here's a look at it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfj/6171364754/

B&B

2011-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

What's more summer than the Beach and Baseball? I've always loved the beach. Coming from California, many people (from Japan) imagine that I live near one. Unfortunately, my hometown is about an 80-minute drive away. As a kid, our family would drive to Santa Cruz every summer. I also chose my university, Long Beach State University, because of its location. This is where I learned to surf (well kind of) in a P.E. class. The beaches in Japan aren't bad, but there are a couple of things that make them less desirable than the ones in CA. The worst part is that they are so crowded. Hard to play football or even frisbee on the beach. Japan is known to be a clean country but ironically the beaches can be dirty. Trash can be seen on the beaches and in the water. One reason is that trash cans are few or none. This situation has improved over the years because of volunteer groups doing beach clean-ups and a greater awareness of keeping our beaches clean. Anyway, I love just chillaxing on the beach. Looking at and listening to the waves gives me power.

Baseball is said to be America's sport, but it doesn't make my top 10 list. This is probably due to the fact that I was a terrible baseball player. I played a couple of years of Little League. My position was right field (where they put the worst fielder) and I was the strike-out king! I never watch baseball on TV but I enjoy watching almost any sport "live". This summer I was able to go to my first Japanese professional baseball game. This was a very interesting experience. Each team has a fan club and they sit in an "official cheering section". If a home game, they sit in the right field bleachers. At away games, they sit in the left field bleachers. They play songs (#1 is "Popeye the Sailor Man"), beat drums, blow trumpets, wave flags and do all sorts of monotonous collective cheering. We saw the Yakult Swallows play the Hanshin Tigers. After a run is scored, Yakult fans open their umbrellas (they bring or buy small ones) and you can see a sea of umbrellas dancing. Baseball came to Japan in 1873. Although the level is not as high as MLB, there are a few players on each team that could easily start on a MLB roster. Games are allowed to finish in a tie. Some of the ballparks are small compared to those in MLB. Another big difference is that Japanese pro teams are named after the companies that own them and not the city that they play in. The Yakult Swallows play at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. Yakult Corporation makes a milk-like drink. The Hanshin Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co. They play at the famed Hanshin Koshien Stadium, the oldest ballpark in Japan built in 1924. This is where the high school baseball championships are held each August for 2 weeks. For these 2 weeks, Japanese professional baseball takes the backseat as more people tune in to watch the high school boys play their hearts out. My one complaint is that I hate to watch a bunch of boys (or anyone for that matter) cry their eyes out.

CEH Summer Party

2011-07-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

Each July we (Conrad's English House) have our annual summer party. This last one was our biggest to date. Over 50 people came, including a dozen of my foreign friends. The students at our school always enjoy talking to people from around the world and this night was like a mini United Nations party with Australia, England, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Nepal, USA and Japan represented. It's a good chance for our students to use their English in a casual "party" atmosphere. And having a couple of beers usually helps! :) The non-Japanese at the party can also enjoy talking with interesting people (my students) and hanging out with fellow "gaijin".

We started the party off with the "Who am I"? ice breaker. Everyone had a famous person's name taped to their back and they had to ask "Yes/No" questions to find out who they were. Later, we gave away prizes which included some very intricate origami made by Odawara's own "Mr. Origami". Drinks were just 500 yen each so most people got their fill. Japan has an interesting drinking culture. As many folks in America begin to reduce their alcohol intake from their mid-20's, it's probably the opposite here. One good thing is drinking & driving isn't as big a problem here as most go home by train and taxis can be found quite readily. There's also a Zero tolerance law. If you have just one drink and you wait more than an hour, it's still illegal to drive. California's maximum legal blood-alcohol content is .08%.

The venue is always at Shalamer. This is my favorite bar in Odawara. There's no cover-charge as there often is at other bars in Japan (sometimes up to 1000 yen). And the master (owner of the bar) is a really cool guy that can speak English. His lovely wife, Gayla, is also a guest teacher at our school. This is a DJ bar and every night you can listen to great "old school" music from Earth Wind & Fire, The Commodores, Bee Gees, Jackson 5, Kool & the Gang, etc. This is also the only place in town to dance. About every other month, there's a dance party and people come from all the neighboring towns to get down and boogie. This old man goes out there and busts a move from time to time (LOL as you know I can't dance). :)

Japanese university students

2011-06-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching at university for about 10 years now. For an English teacher in Japan, it's probably the best job you can find. Working with colleagues who come from all of the English-speaking countries (and of course Japanese ones too) can be quite interesting and stimuating. Sharing ideas and learning from each other helps make teaching easier too.

The students are for the most part well-behaved good kids. I use the word "kids" because although some of them are mature, most of them (1st & 2nd year students) are still a bit childish and naive. Often when students first enter university here, they are not independent and over-rely on their teachers, etc. By the time they are 3rd year students, they seem to really blossom into young adults. Coincidentally, the age of becoming an adult here in Japan is twenty. They also start job-hunting from this time and if they are really sharp and lucky, they can secure a job even before they are seniors (although in this economy it's very tough to do). Another thing I find interesting is the interaction between the males and females inside the classroom. There is still a shyness in the students that one might find in a jr. high classroom back in the states. Dating does happen (usually in groups), just not as often as it would on a university campus in America. You may have a "couple" in your classroom and never know it as they don't talk together in class and PDA (public display of affection) is almost unheard of.

A complaint by many English teachers in Japan is "Why are my students so quiet?" Asking a question to the class rarely gets an answer. A Japanese proverb: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down" (Deru kugi wa utareru) helps explain this. There is also influence from Confucianism where students are expected to respect and not to challenge their teachers. This is very different from America's case where students' opinions are valued and speaking out in class is normal behavior.

Entering university is for many one of the most difficult tasks in their lives. As high school students, most will go to cram school every day after school. Most also belong to a club so cram school could start as late as 8:00 or 9:00pm. This is all to gain knowledge to pass the grueling university entrance examinations. These tests aren't cheap to take either. They cost from 12,000 yen ($130) to 35,000 yen ($380) to take. Students taking the entrance examinations for private universities spend an average of 230,000 yen ($2500). This included the train and hotel fees as many had to travel a far distance. It is said that entering a Japanese university is very hard but graduating from one is easy.

Unlike American universities where you can find students of all ages, Japanese university students tend to be 18 to early 20's and full-time day students. Night classes are few. The average cost of tuition is 2.5 million yen (over $25,000) per year. In more than 80% of the cases, parents pay for their kids education here.

Your university years should be some of the funnest in your life. You'll make life-long friendships and memories that you'll cherish forever. I want all my students to have fun, experience and grow. I also wish you to see the benefits of studying English which will make you more motivated to learn English. English can open the door to "A Whole New World". :)

Weddings and Funerals in Japan

2011-05-31T04:32:00.000-07:00

This month I attended both a wedding and a funeral. My friend/student got married at a posh hotel near Tokyo Disneyland. As the guests entered the ballroom, both the bride & groom and their parents formed a greeting line. At this time, the bride wore an all-white silk wedding kimono. This dates back to the Edo era and the traditions of the brides of the samurai. Soon after she changed into a very colorful ornate gold, silver and red kimono. This was decorated with cranes and flowers and other auspicious symbols. Finally, she wore a white wedding gown. During the time when the bride was changing, the guests enjoyed a delicious full-course Chinese meal. Japanese wedding receptions don't have dancing as we do at many receptions in the states but members from the bride's flamenco group performed for us and a professional opera singer (bride's friend) also sang a most beautiful song.

One big difference between wedding customs in Japan and America is the gifts that guests bring. In Japan, new notes (to signify a new start in their lives) are put into a fancy envelope (shugi-bukuro). The usual amount is 30,000 yen (over $300). There is no wedding registry or gift list, and guests do not bring store-bought gifts. In comparison, guests usually bring a non-monetary gift worth on average between from $50-$100 in America. Oh yeah, and you never bring a guest to a Japanese wedding (as it's common practice for a husband to bring wife or boyfriend to bring girlfriend, etc. in America).

Our neighbor, a very nice and cool gentleman suddenly passed away. We live in the same apartment building and also go to his hair salon. Testimony to what a good man he was, more than 2000 people attended his wake/funeral. Japanese funerals (soshiki) are usually (90%) Buddhist ceremonies. As guests pay their last respects, a Buddhist priest (or two) will chant a section from a sutra. Men wear black suits with black ties and women wear a black dress or black kimono. Most people carry a set of prayer beeds called "juzu".

As the priests are chanting, guests go to front where the family members are seated and bow, offer incense three times to the incense urn and then bow again in front of the deceased.

The deceased is usually given a new Buddhist name (kaimyo) written in old "kanji" (Chinese characters) that few people nowadays can read. After the funeral, 99% of all deceased Japanese are cremated. This became common after World War 2 due to its efficiency and cleanliness. Also some local governments ban burials. A cremation takes about two hours. Family members return when cremation has been completed.

They then pick the bones out of the ashes and transfer them to an urn using large chopsticks. This is the only time in Japan when it is proper for two people to hold the same item at the same time with chopsticks. This is a major social faux pas if done at any other time.

A funeral in Japan is one of the most expensive in the world. The complete cost including buying a plot averages over 2 million yen (around $25,000). This is one reason guests bring condolence money called "koden". This is given in a black and white decorated envelope. The usual amount is around 5000 - 10,000 yen. Guests are also given a small gift (usually tea or sugar) as they go.

At funerals in America, there is always a eulogy given by the priest and a family member or good friend of the deceased. Japan doesn't have this custom.

Note: Pictures of funeral are all taken from internet.

Hawaii

2011-04-30T01:25:00.000-07:00

My favorite family vacation was our 2-week stay in Hawaii (Oahu/Maui) back in 1982. My dad worked really hard as he was running his own pharmacy, so until then, he had never taken more than a week off. The next time I visited Hawaii was in 1993. I had just finished teaching a year on the JET Program in Okayama and wanted to stay in Hawaii for an extended period of time. I got a job working on the Waikiki Trolley. I started as a conductor (glorified ticket puncher). Then suddenly the bi-lingual Japanese/English staff quit and they needed a "Japanese Liason". They asked me if I could speak Japanese as I had just come from teaching in Japan. I said, "yeah sure" hahaha. When I think back to how bad my Japanese actually was at that time it makes me laugh (not that I'm any good now)! :) Anyway, my pay was raised to 10 bucks /hour and my hours 9 to 5. I wasn't making much but didn't have to spend much either (except for rent). I rode my bicycle or took the bus everywhere and my entertainment was bodyboarding or hanging out at the beach. I call the time I spent there my "working holiday" as every day, even working days were spent very happily.

Earlier this month my family returned from a one-week vacation in Hawaii. It still holds all the charm that it had for me in my teens and 20's. I love the sun, the nice breeze, the daily rainbows, good local food (L & L Barbecue, Matsumoto Shave Ice, Crack Seed Center), North Shore beaches, local people and their friendly casualness, Ala Moana Center and the beautiful sunsets. What made this vacation even more special was that my parents met us and we stayed in a nice hotel/condo together. Taiga could enjoy time with his grandparents and Aki and I could enjoy some time to ourselves too.

The panic from the terrible disaster has gone and life is just about back to normal for those of us lucky enough to live far away from it. We still feel the aftershocks but they're getting weaker. Rolling blackouts have stopped until summer when the use of A/C will probably force them to start up again. Everyone has been cutting down on energy consumption. Self-restraint is being preached by some politicians and many festivals and other events have been cancelled or toned-down. I'm not sure if this is for better or worse. It is part of Japanese culture and I respect it (self-restraint), but, on the other hand, people do need to let out their stress. Businesses also suffer when people stay home. Golden Week just started and I hope people will go out and enjoy life. :)

3/11

2011-03-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Just a week ago at 2:46pm local time, the worst natural disaster in postwar Japan occured. It has changed the lives of most, if not all, that live here much like 9/11 did in the United States. Although I'm 270 miles (435 km) from the epicenter in Sendai, the uneasiness, stress and worries of it all are still quite strong. This quake was like no other; it moved Honshu almost 8 feet (2.4 m) closer to North America. Our classroom shook violently for 6 full minutes! The first 20 seconds I was standing at the whiteboard thinking it was another one of the 1000 or so earthquakes Japan experiences each year, but then it not only didn't stop but it grew stronger. After a couple of minutes, a wise student said that we should go under the table which we all (5 adults) did. One gentleman ran outside. When the shaking did finally stop, we all walked outside. The streets were filled. Everyone was calling loved ones which jammed all the phone lines. Finally I got mail on my cell-phone from my wife saying they were OK. I had to teach a couple more kids' classes that afternoon. Suprisingly, about half the kids showed up. That evening's adult class no one came because the train lines had all stopped running. Many of our students work in Tokyo and had to stay the night in their Tokyo offices (about 50 miles/80 km east of Odawara).

Rolling blackouts started this past week. We lose power for about 3 hours a day. Fortunately, we haven't had to cancel any classes. We're having candle-light classes and students have been bringing their flashlights. These rolling blackouts will last until the end of April and could possibly continue for a full year.

Japan generates one-third of its electricity with nuclear power. The nuclear power plants that were hit by both the earthquake and then the tsunami in Fukushima provided a good chunk of power. Now there is quite a scare going around about the radiation leaking. It's a real and serious problem for those who live within 100 kms of the nuclear plant. Those people should definitely evacuate. As for the 20 million or so people living in the Tokyo area (roughly 170 miles/270 km away), I don't believe they are putting themselves at risk by staying put. Some foreign governments are urging their citizens to return home. This is causing people to panic as they think the Japanese government is being untruthful. Now I am not saying that the Japanese Governenment (or any government) is always truthful, but I ask: Why would they lie about this? If deaths occured now or in the future from the radiation leakage, how would they be able to hide from this? This type of scaremongering is not helping anyone.

Recently some friends and family members have told me to go home. I want them to know that we are completely safe from any radiation leaks where we are. I do appreciate that they are thinking of our safety and well-being but we are more than 225 miles (350 km) from the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. This is a good video explaining the nuclear reactor situation in a way that even I can understand. It's in Japanese with English sub-titles on the bottom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1aH2-MhEko

We'll never be completely safe from earthquakes here but I face that same danger in my home-state of California. There have already been literally 100's of aftershocks and more than 10 earthquakes that registered higher than 6.0 magnitude after the "big" one that registered 9.0. Each one brings a sick feeling to my stomach and images of the destruction I've been watching on the news. After another month or two, things will calm down (earthquake-wise) and my body will stop feeling the movement that it does sometimes even when things aren't shaking.

To sum things up, things aren't rosy but they will get better. I have a lot of faith in the people here. There's a word in Japanese called "gaman" which loosely translates to mean "patience and perseverance". These qualities along with being a very orderly society will help to bring Japan back up on its feet. The people here in Japan feel the love and kindness that is being sent from all over the world. Personally, this gives me strength too. Again, thank you for your love and prayers.

First Birthday Customs in Japan

2011-02-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Taiga is one-year old! This may not seem like a big deal to you but it was for us. :) He now weighs 10.5 kgs. (about 23 lbs.). It's mostly in his cheeks (hoho). He's not quite walking by himself but uses his pushcart by himself and will be walking any day now.

I want to share a couple of "1st birthday" customs here in Japan. One is for the birthday baby to carry red & white (traditional celebratory colors) mochi (pounded rice) wrapped in furoshiki (wrapping cloth) and strapped on his back. The mochi's quantity is "issho" which represents 1.8 kgs. or about 4 lbs. of rice. The word "issho" has another meaning which is "for the whole life", so carrying the mochi also has the significance of good health and prosperity for the child's entire life. Taiga's name is written in kanji on the mochi.

One more custom is the baby is given a selection of items to choose from. The object the baby chooses is said to represent his/her future occupation. Traditionally, these have been an abacus, a writing brush, money and rice. These days, however, families can have fun by putting out all kinds of things representing different fields and occupations. We laid out a basketball to represent an athlete, a calculator for a business type of job, a bottle of vitamins for a doctor or pharmacist, a piano for a musician or artist and an apple for a teacher. Watch video below to see what Taiga's future job will be. :)

I should mention that when I talked to my students about these customs, only about half of them knew. The other half may come from a different region in Japan that doesn't have these customs or may have simply forgotten about them. I enjoy celebrating using Japanese customs and am glad my wife is very knowledgeable about such things.

Castle Towns

2011-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

I've lived in Japan about 15 years now and have moved around quite a bit. One thing in common is that the 5 cities I've lived in all have (or had) a castle. I started in Matsuyama which is, in my opinion, the best castle (of these 5). After that I was in Okayama, Shibata (Niigata Pref.), Sendai (Aoba) and now Odawara. I live just a couple minutes walk from the castle and get to pass it every day I go to work or the station. In the spring time, the more than 350 sakura trees make it one of the "Top 100 Cherry Blossom viewing places in Japan". Odawara Castle is also the nearest castle from Tokyo (35 minutes by bullet train), so we get quite a few tourists (including foreigners) visiting every day. Odawara is also the city I've lived the longest here in Japan (approaching 6 years). It's a great place to live with it's proximity to both the beach and mountains and to Tokyo. The best castles I've been to are Himeji which is the largest and most visited castle in Japan and Matsumoto which not only has the best name but is also a beautiful black castle. :) Pictures above are Matsuyama Castle and cherry blossoms at Odawara Castle.

2010 - "Year of the Taiga"

2010-12-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

What a year it's been! The 'Year of the Tiger' brought us our little Taiga and probably made this the happiest year of my life. I always knew I wanted to be a father but still never dreamed being one would bring such joy. :) There are more responsibilities and restrictions now that I'm a dad. I have to think of my family first now. I can't just go to the gym anytime I want to. Telling Aki that I have to go to the gym to keep young and healthy for our baby only works so many times, haha. This year my family and I have been able to stay healthy and I've actually gotten in better shape (endurance wise). It is a goal of mine to play basketball and other sports with my son as he's growing up, so I do have to keep it up.

Another highlight of this year was my parents' Golden Anniversary, yes 50 golden years! The surprise party for them in Tahoe couldn't have been any better. My mom & dad really do have a happy marriage. They were good role-models and I learned a lot by just watching them. They hardly ever fought in front of us and their fights never lasted for long. When they did fight, they'd talk about the problem, compromise and solve it together. They share some of the same interests and have some that are different. I think it's important to continue doing things you enjoy. I just remembered something my dad often said, "No matter what, love your mom". I think I get this now. Watching the way Aki takes care of our baby, feeding him, loving him, playing with him, etc. I doubt Taiga can payback all that he's been given and he isn't even a year old yet! :)

As we move into 2011, I wish you all peace, happiness & health. For me, I have one more wish and that is to get more sleep. I'm sure my wife has the same wish too. Akemashite omedetou!

Power Spots

2010-11-30T00:56:00.000-08:00

Do power spots really exist? The belief that our earth has areas with elevated levels of energy has been debated for centuries. I'm a pretty skeptical guy but have to admit that after visiting some of these "power spots", I can honestly say that I've felt a little different. It's a hard to explain "good" feeling (a spiritual elevation?). Is it caused because the earth is naturally covered with energy lines? Now I believe so. I don't claim to have gone through any kind of spiritual transformation, just maybe a slight enlightenment of the mind. :)

What is the key to the mystery of these power spots? Why do millions of people flock to them every year? Let me try to answer. The main reason (for me) is the striking aesthetic beauty that can be found at each of these spots. The other reason is that these spots have been visited by millions of people for hundreds of years. These people have continuously charged the sites with energy, with love, with a spirit of peace and a healing power.

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I visited one of Japan's most famous power spots (along with Mt. Fuji), the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. I did my best to take in as much of the positive KI energy. It was a beautiful fall day; the sun was shining on the trees and we all felt very calm and relaxed. Ise Shrine is also the most historically significant shrine in Japan. It is the Imperial Household's family shrine dedicated specifically to the emperor. In the past, even the emperor's mother and wife needed his permission to worship there.

The most powerful spot I've visited were the Pyramids. Looking up at this magnificent sight was overwhelming. It really did take my breath away. In conclusion, everyone should go out and experience a power spot. At worst, you'll get to see a beautiful spot. At best, you may awaken your soul or heal your body and mind. On top are pictures of Ise Shrine. The very top picture is Mt. Shasta in Northern California, said to be a "global power center".

Funny Engrish

2010-10-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

You don't have to spend much time here in Japan to find out the pronunciation problem between R/L sounds. The sound in Japanese is right between these two and there is no R/L sound (as we have in English). This can lead to some funny sayings. I'll start off with the classic joke about the Japanese guy who went to see the eye doctor. The doctor told him he had a cataract and he politely told him that he didn't have a Cadillac, he had a Rincoln. My favorite is the one I heard from a fellow English teacher. He was a judge at a jr. high school English speech contest. After the contest ended, the Japanese teacher said in perfect English, "Let's give a big crap to all the contestants." He went on to say, "and a big big crap to all of their teachers". Wait, he didn't stop there. Finally, he said, "Last of all, we should give you a big big big crap for coming here today!" Another one that I'll never forget is the student that wrote: My pen is small. He didn't leave enough space between 'pen' and 'is' so you can get what it looked like. Don't ask me why he wrote this sentence! :)

I'll finish with one of the funniest English mistakes I've ever heard. Former Japanese Prime Minister Mori was not good at speaking English. In fact, he was so bad that upon meeting former President Bill Clinton, he mistakenly said "Who are you?" (instead of 'How are you'). Clinton, with his sharp wit, answered "I'm Hillary's husband". Mori, who was still clueless, smiled and said, "Me too". :)

My friends

2010-09-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

We all need friends. I'm lucky to be blessed with many. Here in Japan I've made some good friends. Most of them have been other "gaijin" (foreigners). The problem is, foreigners usually end up leaving Japan at some point. Of course, I have Japanese friends too. But getting to the really close friendship level is sometimes tough with the language/cultural barriers. I've also noticed that the older I get, the more reserved I have become. I remember when I first came here, I was much more outgoing. I'd go up and talk to people without hesitation. Is it because I have too many friends now? I don't think you can ever have too many friends. The reason, I think, is because as I get older, I also become more careful/guarded. Is this a good thing? Hmmm...

I've spent 15 of the last 20 years outside of California. It's a long time. But my friends in CA are my life-long friends and they are the ones who will always remain the dearest to me. They are the ones who have supported me, put up with my selfish moods, forgiven me for my childish acts and accepted me for doing what I want to do. These are the friends I grew up with and went to college with. To me, that bond, that connection you make when you are younger can be so strong that 20 years can pass and you can reconnect and pick it right back up again. As we all have our own families and responsibilities now, it's difficult to make the time to get together and stay in touch. So it was very special when I got to meet many of my old friends while I was back in CA over the summer. I didn't get to see all of you and believe me I want to! For those of you I did get to meet, thank YOU so much for taking the time and making me and my family feel so special. Here are some of the pics. from our vacation.

Golden Anniversary

2010-08-28T01:15:00.001-07:00

In 1960, 3 very good things happened. The Beatles were born. JFK was elected President. And my parents got married on this very day 50 years ago!

As a child, I always felt my parents had a happy and good marriage; I still do. They hardly fight which I think is healthier than never fighting at all. :) They're both basically easy-going and my mom never stays mad for long. I'm still trying to learn how to do this, haha.

So far I've been to two Golden Anniversary parties. The first was my grandpa & grandma's. My parents and aunts & uncles gave them a nice party and invited many relatives and friends. I hoped my brothers and I could do something like that for our parents. We invited a few relatives, including my dad's sister from Arizona. We also invited a few of our parents closest friends; friends that they've had since they were in high school. And we managed to keep this all a secret from them and pull off a "Surprise" 50-year anniversary party! Most of that thanks goes to Kevin/Cheryl for making all the arrangements. The party took place a couple of weeks ago. This is because we could only be in CA until mid-August.
The party was held in Lake Tahoe , one of my favorite nature spots.

Aki and I only have 44 more years to go until we hit our Golden Anniversary! I'll only be 88 years old, LOL! That birthday will be extra special since 88 is a very lucky number here in Japan. So Taiga, when you're old enough to read this, please don't forget about us. :)

Tanabata（七夕）

2010-07-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

July 7 is "Tanabata" festival in Japan. In English, it is also known as the "Star" festival; it originated more than 2000 years ago from an old Chinese legend in which two lovers were separated on the opposite sides of the Milky Way by their king. They were only allowed to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. They can't see each other if the day is rainy, so people pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves. They write their wishes on strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches.

Many cities display long colorful streamers on the streets. The two biggest "Tanabata" festivals in Japan are held in Hiratsuka (just 20 minutes from Odawara) and Sendai (up in Tohoku). These festivals attract millions of visitors each year. Here are a few pics. from both festivals.

World Cup Soccer

2010-06-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

It's June 29th. Japan has made it to the 2nd round knockout stage for the first time ever on foreign soil. Kickoff is just 90 minutes away (Japan time @ 11pm). I've got my Japan jersey on and will be cheering for the "Samurai Blue". I predict them to win Paraguay 2-1 and then get whipped by Spain in the quarterfinals. My other (not so bold) prediction is that Brazil will win in the finals over Argentina. Anyway, why am I writing about the World Cup?! Most Americans couldn't care less about soccer and after team USA was booted by Ghana, those few who were tuning in have probably lost their interest. The fact that I'm living in Japan and Japan is still playing (well at least one more game) has kept me interested. However, I would still at least be reading about the games and watching them when I could.

How did I get interested in the World Cup? I was living in Niigata pref. in 2002 and Niigata was chosen as one of Japan's host cities. I was able to experience real WC excitement as fans from all over the world gathered in what is usually quite an ordinary (if not boring) city. There were huge parties going on, fans dancing and drinking in the streets. It was all good vibes from soccer fans celebrating. I'm hopeful that I can someday watch a WC game live, preferably with the US or Japan teams playing.

Many of my friends here in Japan ask me about the popularity of soccer in America. I answer that's it probably around #10 in terms of people attending a game or watching it on TV. But in terms of people playing it, many are surprised to learn that it is the most popular sport for both boys and girls. I played it for a couple of years in elementary school. In fact, our neighborhood (Morada) gang had a decent team with almost all of us going on to play in high school too. As a freshman, I played (American) football. When I decided to make the switch over to soccer (both sports are played during the fall) my sophomore (2nd) year, one friend (JB) teased me for not playing the "man's" sport. This is precisely the reason that most boys when they become teenagers switch from soccer to another sport (or at least it was back then).

I do have a couple of complaints about soccer. The first and biggest is that the players should cut out the theatrics. How many times a game do you see a guy go down and stay down and roll around on the pitch and scream and cry like a baby?! That is the most disturbing thing for me to watch. Play the game! Quit acting and Quit crying!!! OK, enough on that rant. My other complaint is not so big. But how can a sport that is played for 90 minutes (sometimes 2 full hours) end with the score 0-0?! Is that exciting? Can that be considered a show of athleticism on both sides? I find it hard to answer yes to either question.

I'll end with my soccer predictions. The next world cup in Brazil will see Japan making it to the 2nd round again but that's it. However, team USA will make it to the semi-finals. And in my lifetime, I'll bet that team USA will win the WC for the first time (maybe 20 years later). I kind of like how the USA is now the underdog when it comes to soccer. It really can't be said about too many sports the USA participates in. That is one of the beauties of soccer, how a country with only a few million people or a very poor country can play and often outplay the larger and richer countries. So let me say, "Go Ghana!"

May 5th

2010-05-31T03:29:00.000-07:00

May 5th is a very important date for me. On this, the Hojo Matsuri (festival) is held in Odawara. This year I carried the big mikoshi (portable shrine) into the sea. It doesn't look so big nor heavy but it weighed a couple of tons and felt like even more! My parents were here visiting during this time, so they got to see the festival. It was so fun to show them one of my favorite parts of Japanese culture, the matsuris. What made it even more special was that it was Taiga's first matsuri （初節句 Hatsuzekku) and his first Children's Day (formerly called Boy's Day). I love how the whole community comes together and helps out. Some carry the mikoshi, others direct traffic, while others are back at the make-shift base camp preparing curry, onigiri, yakisoba and keeping the beer on ice. And this all couldn't be done without the generous donations from the local businesses and townspeople. Every one chips in and this matsuri tradition that started about 500 years ago in Odawara lives on.

But the main reason May 5th holds such importance to me is that it's the day I met Aki. It was during Golden Week in 2001 while I was hanging out with my buddy Ari (from NY). She was with her friend Hitomi and our paths crossed and I've never looked back. On a side note, when we met way back then, Aki's English was at the beginner level. In fact, my Japanese was even better than her English! I know that's hard to believe now and my Japanese hasn't really improved (maybe this was because I was too busy teaching her English, haha JK). She's far from being a true bilingual but can communicate fairly fluently and naturally in English. This shows that with a lot of hard work (as she did), you can also improve your English to a high level. Keep studying hard and keep having fun!

Pavement performs in Japan

2010-04-26T03:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I got to see my childhood friends (from Morada) perform in Tokyo. What made it even more special was to hang out with them before, watch them from backstage and then chat with them a bit after their show finished. Thanks Scott and Steve! I got the same royal treatment the last time they were here back in '99, right before they split up. They were good then, but Pavement's reunion tour was awesome. I have to admit, I don't really know their music and mainly know them because these guys were my best buds back in grade school through junior high. We branched out in high school but would still always stop and chat when we ran into each other.

I think it was for my 10th birthday that my dad drove me and a few of my friends, including Scott & Steve to a Golden State Warriors game (no Sac Kings back then). I remember those guys talking in the van about what they'd call their rock band if they had one. I can clearly remember them saying names like "Concrete" for hard rock and I'm pretty sure they even mentioned the name "Pavement" that night too. Of course, this could just be wishful thinking on my part. :)

Suddenly all these old memories start popping up in my head. One has to do with Scott's dad. He along with Mr. Platt coached our local soccer team for several years. On top of that thankless job, he drove us to a skateboard park an hour away on several occasions. I took for granted that type of generous giving of one's time back then. "So Mr. Kannberg, thank you very much for driving us little rascals around"! BTW, I think I was the only rascal, LOL!

I also remember one time in jr. high when Mrs. Malkmus drove us to Tower Records. One of them bought a Beatles album and I bought "The Sugar Hill Gang". That was right about the time when our musical tastes started to diverge. It's also interesting how upon entering high school, music often pulls you to "belong" to a certain clique.

I can still remember playing one on one with Steve at his house and slam-dunking at my house with Scott (got pics. to prove it too, oh yeah, we were jumping off something, hehe). During those days, I was taller than both of them. Now Scott is near 6 foot and Steve's around 6 foot 2. Me? ummm...5' 8".

Anyway, I've got countless memories of childhood youth spent with those guys. It's funny how when you know a guy when you're 10, you already know their character. They may become famous and change a bit but they're still the same good ol guys that you knew when you were 10. :)

ps After the comment left by "anonymous", I searched for some "old school" pics. and found some gems. Can you find Scott and Steve?

A father's (random) thoughts

2010-03-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

Today our son is 6 weeks old. Sometimes I want him to stay this way forever, small & cute. I want to hold him in my arms always. OTOH, I think about when he grows up and what he will be like and what he will do. Will he love sports? Will he love reading? Will he want to do ballet? I remember back in college when a girl I was dating asked me, "What if your son wants to do ballet?" I remember immediately answering, "no way"! I've changed. If my son wants to do ballet, fine. (But Taiga, when you're old enough to read this, I hope you'll pick another activity, like basketball, haha). But to be honest, my wife and I just want to raise a boy with a big heart and a little bit smart would be nice too. :) OK, I admit I am "oyabaka" which literally translates to "fool parent". Hopefully I'm not a fool but I guess I am a "doting daddy".
I remember another question that my good friend David once asked me about 20 years ago: "Would you rather have your son get an athletic scholarship or an academic scholarship"? I remember answering, "athletic scholarship for sure". At that time, I think I was thinking more of my own pride. Not that I wouldn't love for him to get one, but an academic scholarship would be my answer today. Actually, I would be happy with any kind of scholarship! I say this realizing that I'll be in my 60's when he gets to be that age, LOL! For some reason I just had a flashback to when I was a kid, maybe 8 or 9 years old. I remember asking my dad, "What if I got a football scholarship to Stanford"? (we must have been watching a Stanford game on TV) His answer was, "I'll buy you a Porsche" (my dream car). I remember thinking to myself that I might actually be playing football at Stanford and driving a Porsche. Well, nothing wrong with letting your kid dream! :)

Here's a list of things I have learned so far:1) How many diapers a baby can go through in one day
2) How much milk a baby can drink in one day
3) How much milk a mother can make in one day (and how big her milk tanks can get) hehe
4) How loud (and funny) a baby's fart can be
5) How good it feels when my baby falls asleep on top of me

Here's something I still wonder about:
What's he thinking about when he spends all that time staring up at the ceiling?

Here a couple of pictures from our visit to the shrine to celebrate "omiyamairi". This is similar to a Christian Baptism. It takes place one month (or thereabouts) after the baby's birth. The purpose is to pray for the baby's health. BTW, I promise this Blog won't turn into a "My Baby Blog" but then again, I am "oyabaka", haha!

Baby News!

2010-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

1440 minutes! This is how long Aki was in labor, yes one full day! I have even more respect for mothers after having witnessed what they go through. After checking in around 7pm on Monday, Feb. 8, he finally came out around 7pm on Tuesday, February 9. It was a sleepless night & day spent mainly rubbing Aki's lower back. :)

About 18 hours into it, the doctors told us they may have to deliver by C-section. This is done in less than 10% of births here in Japan (compared to over 20% in the USA). Fortunately, we were able to avoid this. But in the end, they did have to bring out the forceps (coincidentally, they were needed in my delivery as well, my mom thinks this may have lead to my crooked head).

This was a slow day at Odawara City Hospital and at times there were around 10 doctors/nurses assisting with or observing the delivery. On a busy day, they deliver a half a dozen babies. We were so happy with all of them. But I noticed one interesting thing. Whenever Aki made a loud noise (I didn't think it was loud), one doctor would sternly say, "Don't make any loud noises". I wanted to say, "Go ahead Aki, scream", but I kept my mouth shut. During one of those slow moments, I did attempt an "oyaji gag" (old man's joke). I said, "You need patience (patients) to do your job". No one laughed.

Taiga Calvin Matsumoto
Height: 18.7 inches (47.5 cms)
Weight: 6.7 lbs (3040 grams)
History behind his name: This Year, 2010, is the Year of the Tiger. Taiga (pronounced like Tiger) is easy for people to pronounce whether we are in Japan or the states, and it's a little bit different (like his dad's). Coincidentally, February is also the month of the Tiger and the 9th of February is also the day of the Tiger (according to the Chinese zodiac). So our boy was born on a very STRONG "Tiger" day! BTW, "Tiger" people are said to be sensitive, deep thinkers and capable of great sympathy. Many Japanese ask about the kanji (Chinese characters) for Taiga. "Tai" means big or strong. "Ga" means noble or right. We gave him his middle name, Calvin, after his grandfather in California. In Japan, it is not a custom to be named after a family member. You don't meet any Jr's here. So when Aki brought up my dad's name as a possible choice for our "English" name, I jumped at it. It's not possible to have a middle name here, so actually his name will read TaigaCalvin (one long name) on his official documents in Japan. For his American passport, the names will be separated.

One more interesting thing happened on this day. The days before Taiga's birth were quite cold, average highs around 10 degrees celsius (50 F). But February 9th was an unusually warm and sunny 20 degrees celsius (almost 70 F). His birth brought warmth, relief and tears of joy to us. We waited 5 long years, but he was all worth it! :)

Aki will spend the next week in the hospital. This is normal here as it gives the mom & baby time to bond. Nurses and doctors are always right there to answer questions, give "How to..." lessons, and in case of any emergencies. Aki's genki. She only gained 17.6 lbs. (8 kgs). The doctors were very strict about weight; I think she was allowed to gain a max. of 2 lbs/week. Thank you Aki for taking such good care of yourself and being so strong during the delivery. Yes, our new life has just begun!
Top left picture - Just 30 minutes after birth!
Top right picture - Day 2!
Bottom left picture - Day 4!
Bottom right picture - One week!

Coming of Age Day in Japan

2010-01-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

Today is Coming of Age Day in Japan (Seijin no hi). It is held annually on the second Monday in January. It is held to congratulate all those who have officially become adults by reaching the age of 20. Big ceremonies are held at city halls. After-parties are popular and alcohol is usually flowing as it's the first time they can legally drink (smoke and vote).

In comparison, the legal age for an adult in the United States is 18. But we must wait until we are 21 before we can legally drink alcohol. Another big difference is that bars in America are very strict about letting anyone enter who is under 21. They generally "card" (check ID) anyone who looks under 30. So I was getting carded until just a few years ago, JK! :)

In Japan, many women celebrate by wearing a kimono with long sleeves. Properly putting on a kimono is an art that must be studied and most young women must visit a beauty salon to dress and to set their hair.

I like this day because it's fun to see young people wearing kimono and having a good time. The main reason I like this day though is because it's a national holiday. Here are pictures of my student Ri-chan y Senorita Wakana.

Highlights of 2009

2009-12-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

Lots of things to like about 2009. Here are just a handful of them:
On our annual visit home to California, this time we also got to take a trip with my brother Kevin, his wife Cheryl and our cousin Ann.
Aki really liked the Grand Canyon and I really enjoyed Las Vegas! :)
Going to Yosemite is always one of our favorite places too.

I also had the pleasure of visiting Bruce in Krabi,Thailand. He took me kayaking to one of his secret spots. The food, the Thai massages, the smiles, I just love that country.

My passion for teaching English is still strong. Along with teaching the adults & kids at my schoo l,

I also started teaching at Tokai University.

Winning the "Over 40" Shonan Basketball tournament was very exciting. I'm lucky to be on a team with some former (Japanese) college players and one who even played semi-pro ball (company league). We are also quite tall for a Japanese team. Our starting 5 (which I'm not) averages over 6 feet tall.Going back for my 25-year high school reunion was also very special to me. I hadn't seen most of the guys & gals for 20 years plus. It felt really good to see the old familiar faces again. (pictures on my October Blog)

But the biggest and best news of 2009 was Aki becoming pregnant!
We're expecting our first baby (a boy!) in Feb. 2010! Everybody look out for the Year of the "Taiga" (Tiger).

On a sad note, we saw the passing of our dear Grandpa Henry. We were all hoping he'd make it to the century mark and he almost did. He lived life to its fullest and I will strive to do the same.

"Shichi-go-san"（七五三） & "Koyo"（紅葉）

2009-11-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

November 15 is "shichi-go-san.（七五三）" It is the event where parents celebrate a child's growth. "Shichi-go-san" means "seven-five-three." Three or seven year-old girls and five-year old boys are taken to a temple or shrine and the parents pray for their future health and happiness. Children usually wear traditional kimonos and take pictures at a professional studio.

We enjoyed being a part of our (Aki's) nieces celebration this past month. Here are some pictures of lovely Nana-chan (7) and Hana-chan (3).

November is also the best month of the year to see and enjoy the beautiful "koyo（紅葉）" (colorful leaves). I am sometimes asked if the leaves change colors in California or if we have 4 seasons (Yes, we do!). Many think that California has just one season, summer! The leaves do change colors in California albeit you cannot see such brilliant shades of reds, oranges and yellows as you do here in Japan. Here are some pictures of my recent trip to Kyoto（京都）/Arashiyama（嵐山）.

25-year high school reunion

2009-10-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been 25 years since I've graduated from Tokay High School in Lodi, CA. Reconnecting with my old high school friends was definitely worth the 10,000 mile (16,000 Kms) round-trip between Tokyo and San Francisco. I haven't really seen nor kept in touch with most of these friends since high school. But recently, thanks to Facebook, I've been back in touch. In fact, the whole event was organized through Facebook. I have to admit, I was feeling a little nervous going back and seeing my old pals that I hadn't seen in such a long time. It really helped that Sean (AKA Rusty) hosted poker at his house the night before and I could hangout with some of the boys. One of the highlights was seeing some of the old Morada gang (friends from my neighborhood). We went to school together from elementary through high school. They all looked great. And my first girlfriend (when I was 10) was informally voted "Ms. Reunion Queen", haha.

It was interesting to see how the football studs and the cheerleaders/drill team dancers were still the life of the party (the water polo guys fared pretty well too, hehe). The nice thing was that we all weren't as "clickish" as we were back in high school. People mingled about freely and everyone seemed to be happy and content as we enter midlife. It was also great to hear how successful many of our classmates are: New York Life Insurance Co. pres., pilot, fire fighter, teacher, UPS driver, etc. The biggest surprise was a former teammate on my JV basketball team becoming a doctor, JK Carlos! :) Maybe the most successful was Rick Sayre. He became Pixar Animation Studio's Supervising Technical Director. Even back at Davis Elementary School we knew he was way smart and would become a famous scientist (or animation director).

My claim to fame back in high school was to have played on the most different sports teams (basketball, football, soccer, swimming & water polo). Too bad I'm the only one who knows about this! haha The good thing about playing many different sports was that I got to be friends with guys from various sports teams. Those are the guys who made my high school days so much fun.

One difference between high school reunions in Japan and the US is that in the US, our reunions are held every 5 (or 10) years after graduating. They also include the entire class that graduated that year. There were nearly 500 students who graduated from my high school as the "Class of 1984". Japanese high schools are generally much smaller (one reason is that there are only 3 grades, 10th-12th). In contrast, I've heard many of my students in Japan talk about their junior high (or even elementary school) reunions. These usually just include their homeroom class. Husbands/wives also never attend the reunions with their spouses in Japan. This also holds true for company parties too. My wife didn't make it to my 25-year reunion but maybe she will to the next. Come to think of it, she'd probably be bored stiff so we'll see. Either way, I look forward to the next one which some people are already planning! :)

What I miss about America

2009-09-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Of course what I miss most about America are my family and friends. But besides them, these are the things I miss the most. I miss the friendly people and spontaneous conversation that pops up almost anywhere you go. These are things that I would have never even thought I liked until now. For example, when I was shopping at Costco in Stockton the last time I was home, I only had a few items in my cart, the person in front of me said, "Oh, please go ahead". Then the next person in front of me said the same thing! Speaking of Costco, I miss not being able to go there at the spur of the moment and the drive taking only 10 minutes (from my parents' house). When we go to Costco here, it takes us 90 minutes to drive to Yokohama. And it costs over $50 bucks just on highway tolls and gas!

Let's talk food. Many people make fun of "American" food and say how lousy it is. I can't really argue against that but what I can argue about is that we have a huge variety of cuisines to choose from. My hometown is just slightly larger than Odawara but we have a wide variety of ethnic foods and some of the best Mexican, Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. And until a few years ago, my friend, James, ran a restaurant called Yonedas that served some of the best Japanese food found in California. I also miss "mall food" such as "Cinnabon", "Mrs. Fields Cookies" and "Auntie Anne's Pretzels". Oh, and I miss "Jamba Juice"!

I miss being able to go out with $40 bucks (4000 yen) and not feel so poor. OK, that was awhile ago but it does go much further than it will here. I also used to love to go to the local park/school (or even in my backyard) and play basketball, for free! Here if you don't belong to a team (luckily I do), it's nearly impossible to play. This is the same for tennis. Back home, you can play tennis for free at the neighborhood park. Here you have to join a club (usually $100/month) or make a reservation to use the city facilities ($6/hour).

Finally, I miss the diversity of people we have in the states and the abundance of beautiful nature. Snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada, uncrowded clean beaches and the big blue sky are all in my state, the "Golden State" of California. Someday I'd like to return to my home country. But right now, I'm very very happy to be here. :)

Obon（お盆）

2009-08-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga is credited with introducing Bon Odori (盆踊り) to the Continental United States in 1930—first while visiting the Stockton Buddhist Temple which was established in 1906 by a group of Japanese immigrants.

This is coincidentally the temple in my hometown. It is now an annual summer event at (Jodoshinshu 浄土真宗) Buddhist temples all across the states. The dancing in yukatas and playing of the taiko 太鼓 (drum) is always very popular for both young & old, Japanese-American & non-Japanese-American and Buddhists & non-Buddhists alike. There are also many food stalls selling chicken teriyaki, kushiyaki, corn on the cob, curry rice, udon, tempura, hamburgers, sodas & beer. Kids can enjoy playing many games and there's BINGO, a raffle and even gambling games for adults. Obon time was always one of the highlights of my summer as a kid. In high school, me and my buddies from the Stockton Buddhist Temple would pile into a car or maybe even two and make the road-trips to all the area Obon festivals (Mountain View, San Jose, Palo Alto, Sacramento, etc.). Us Stockton guys were kind of the "cool" guys (LOL) and sometimes trouble would follow us. But basically, we had friends in each city and just enjoyed seeing them, especially the girls, haha!

The origin of Obon is from the Buddhist observance in China; it came to Japan in the 7th Century. In general, families return to their hometowns and visit the graves of their family tombs called "Ohaka mairi(お墓参り）". Families often prepare an offering in front of their "Butsudan（仏壇）" (family altar) on the evening of August 12th. On the evening of August 13th, some will light a small fire at the gate of their home to welcome back the departed souls of their ancestors.

Obon is not an official Japanese holiday but from around August 13-16, many people are off from their work and return to their hometowns or travel. It is peak travel season in Japan.

Pictures below are of my 3 nieces and 1 nephew, Stockton Obon 2009.

My Favorite Music

2009-07-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

I love music. I've always been a "Top 40" radio guy.
I can count the number of albums/CD's I've actually went out and bought new.

I can remember the first 2 albums I bought.
The first album was my hero Elvis Presley. I was just 11 years old and ordered it from one of those TV commercials. It was COD (cash on delivery) and when the postman came to deliver it I was a few quarters short, but he was so nice and said not to worry, that he'd cover the rest for me. I think he could see how genuinely excited I was. :) The second album I bought was in 1978 at Tower Records; it was the soundtrack to Grease (I loved that movie!).

My favorite music is definitely from the 1980's. My high school years in the early 80's produced the best songs. Many good times and many good memories were made listening to those songs. Dancing to them at the many dances or singing along as I drove my car, these are some of my favorites:

1980 - Another one Bites the Dust by Queen
Celebration by Kool & the Gang
1981 - Let's Groove by Earth Wind & Fire
Super Freak by Rick James
Tide is High by Blondie
Woman by John Lennon
1982 - Billy Jean by Michael Jackson
Hard for Me to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago
Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataaa & The Soul Sonic Force
Rock the Casbah by The Clash
Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye
We Got the Beat by The Go-Go's
1983 - Holiday by Madonna
Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper
True by Spandau Ballet
1984 - When Doves Cry by Prince

When students ask who my favorite musician is I usually answer Eric Clapton. He is the last musician I've seen in concert. He's a great artist but a lousy performer. He doesn't engage or interact with the audience at all. I saw him a couple of years ago at Budokan in Tokyo. The Beatles (another one of my favorite groups) were the first rock group to play there back in 1966.

Let me finish by saying I'll miss Michael Jackson.
I doubt if there will be a better singer/dancer in my lifetime. His music and his moves on the dance floor were electrifying. May he rest in peace.

Flea Markets

2009-06-30T08:35:00.001-07:00

In Japan, flea markets are often mistakenly called "Free Markets".
Earlier this month, Aki and I brought a bunch of our old clothes and other misc. items to our local flea market (at Maronie). We were all set up by 9am and that's when a flood of people started coming. IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), we had the best stuff there and also the cheapest. Aki was selling her DKNY dresses for a couple of bucks. I sold some never worn (with tags still on it) Gap t-shirts for 200 yen. By noon, we had sold about 20,000 yen ($200) worth of clothes and other "junk". It was a fun day and we didn't do too bad for just a few hours "work" on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Another fun point about going to flea markets is that you get to bargain. In fact, it's probably the only place in Japan where people readily ask for discounts ("price down"). I was selling an old J-Crew vest which I loved for a dollar and the guy asked if I'd take 50 cents! He reminded me of my mom who will ask for a discount on something that costs a quarter (25 yen)! :)

Flea markets are quite popular here as they don't have garage sales like we do in the states. Temples or shrines are a popular place to have flea markets and they usually start very early in the morning.

If you haven't gone to a flea market yet, you should. There's something for everyone. Remember the old saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure".

Got Soy? Not Milk

2009-05-30T06:36:00.007-07:00

Since about the age of 18, my body has rejected dairy products. If I drink milk, eat something with cheese or cream, I get a terrible stomach ache. Not being able to drink milk anymore is no problem since I never really liked it anyway. And nowadays it's quite easy to get soy anything.

As you can see in the pictures, I eat soy yogurt, soy ice cream and eat my cereal with soy milk. I recommend you dairy lovers out there to try switching to soy. It's healthier for you! Soy milk reduces cholesterol. Soy milk contains no hormones nor lactose. Soy milk contains only vegetable proteins. Soy milk is also rich in isoflavones, also known as cancer-fighting chemicals.

Do you know where soy milk comes from? The same country which has brought us paper, gunpowder, printing and silk also began the cultivation of soybeans earlier than 2000 BC. Of course, this country is China. Today, Brazil is the leader in soybean production as it surpassed the US a few years ago.

My other soy food favorites are: EDAMAME - a small green soybean that is usually boiled and served as a side dish, TOFU - made from soymilk that is curdled with mineral salts, MISO - a fermented soybean and grain paste that is used as a soup base.

Here are a few things to think about before you drink your next glass of milk. Isn't it strange that humans are the only animals that drink milk into adulthood. Is it natural for humans to drink cow's milk? So why do so many people swear by milk? Maybe it's because the Dairy Industry spends over $100 million dollars to build a demand for dairy products in the US. Lastly, did you know that the over 9 million cows in the US produce about 100 pounds of methane each per year? That amounts to almost a billion pounds of methane gas released into the atmosphere each year. This means that "Beef is a greenhouse-intensive food" and a major cause of global warming (with dairy a significant part of the problem).

I'll end by saying, in spite of all this, I still truly miss a nice CHEESE pizza!
Cheese is one of the only dairy products I miss that soy cannot really take the place of. Now I order my pizzas without cheese. I still enjoy the taste of the tomato sauce and crust but sure wish I could have some cheese! :)

Things I love about Japan

2009-04-30T03:03:00.013-07:00

I've lived here for about 13 years total and there's no way I could have if it weren't for the many good points. So here they are not in any particular order. HOT SPRINGS (picture below in Beppu) - The first "onsen" I tried was Japan's oldest and arguably most famous, Dogo Onsen, in Matsuyama; this is also where I lived my first year in Japan and fell in love with this country. It's funny because at that time I just couldn't find the pleasure of sitting in a hot bath with a bunch of naked men. It probably wasn't until I was in my 30's that my "old" body could appreciate the healing and relaxing feeling of it all. KARAOKE (picture above of me and Susan when we entered a karaoke contest - and lost badly) - I actually only go a few times a year but always enjoy it when I do. The sound systems these days can make almost anyone sound like a pro. Plus, singing in English gives me a big advantage whenever I go with students, haha. FESTIVALS (picture of me carrying "mikoshi" taken last week at Odawara Matsuri, pic. on right at summer festival in Okayama when I was a JET) - I particulary enjoy the summer festivals, especially the firework shows. They are so much bigger and better than the ones I've seen back home on the 4th of July. I also love all the festival food (yakisoba, cotton candy, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakitori). So it goes without saying that my love of JAPANESE FOOD makes living here that much easier. A few of my other favorites are: sukiyaki, tempura, karaage (Jap. fried chicken), donburi and shogayaki. Another Japanese invention that is loved by all, especially every winter, is the HEATED TOILET SEAT. Not only does it warm your tush (bottom), it sprays up water to do the cleaning, very environmentally friendly! :) Of course, the "SAFE" feeling I have here is also a huge plus. Not that I feel in danger in my own country but I am constantly aware of it and it's something that you always have to be prepared for. Here I can walk the streets by myself in the middle of the night and not worry about being mugged or robbed. I'm not saying it could never happen but the odds are so slim here that it's not yet a concern for me. I'll finish by saying it's the PEOPLE. I'm almost always treated well here. This is not only by people who know me but also by complete strangers. Generally speaking, Japanese are polite and easy to get along with. I'm very grateful to all the kind people I've encountered and befriended here.

5-year wedding anniversary

2009-03-21T21:15:00.004-07:00

"Time flies when you're having fun"! It's hard to believe it has already been 5 years of marriage. I know it's very short compared to many of you but it's the first milestone in our early marriage career. Sometimes I'm asked how being in an "international marriage" is. Well, I think that all marriages take a huge amount of work and effort and compromise and love regardless of who the 2 partners are.

Thinking back to our wedding reception in Stockton, I have so many fond memories. When else can you have all your family and friends together to celebrate "love". Aki was glowing in her white wedding dress and her excellent speech in English surprised me. My speech, on the other hand, was mediocre to bad. A lesson learned in "ad-libbing". So allow me to give another heartfelt "Thank you" to all our friends and relatives who drove (or flew) from as far away as LA. We both were so happy that you could help make our day (March 28) so memorable.

I promised my wife that on our 5 or 10 year anniversary I'd upgrade her wedding ring. Her diamond can barely be seen by the naked eye, unlike the "rocks" that can be seen adorning the hands of my married friends' wives, haha. Anyway, it looks like she will have to wait until our 10-year anniversary for her upgrade though. :) It's interesting, here in Japan many married couples don't wear their wedding rings. I think it's a waste to spend a lot of money on something that you don't use. It's kind of like the Palm I bought a few years back and never learned how to use; I'm such a technophobe!

On the topic of wedding anniversaries, I'm happy to say that my parents will celebrate their "Golden Wedding Anniversary" next year!

Valentine's Day in Japan

2009-02-09T16:56:00.005-08:00

The Japanese adopted Valentine's Day from the West in 1936. This bright idea came from a chocolate maker called Morozoff and now about 20% of Japan's annual chocolate sales is during Valentine's Day week. The interesting thing about it is that almost ALL the chocolate buying is by women! I felt out of place when I went into the Plaza (formerly Sony Plaza) to get my wife a card and some chocolates and was the only man out of about 100 female customers. Of course I didn't mind though, haha. So Valentine's Day in Japan is when a woman can show her affection to the man she is interested in by giving him chocolate. It's almost the exact opposite of how it's done back in America. While men and women do exchange gifts, it is definitely much more the man's responsibility as he usually spends twice as much as the woman does. Sending a dozen red roses to her place of work is always a winner. It's also common to give flowers/chocolate to your mother too. A forgotten Valentine's Day by a man can cause his girlfriend/wife to be very upset/hurt. Isn't it nice for us guys to be in Japan?! JK.

I remember my first Valentine's Day in Japan.
I had no idea about the custom of girls giving to guys. I think I received about 50 gifts, including chocolates and hand-made cookies or cakes. Oh, I forgot to mention one thing. There is something called "giri choco". "Giri" means obligatory in English and this is the chocolate that is given to co-workers or superiors (or in my case their teacher) out of a sense of obligation. Anyway, as I'm now an old married guy, last year I only got 5 chocolates and they were all "giri choco". :)

There is one more custom that is unique to Japan (and Korea). This is called "White Day". This was also dreamt up by a Japanese department store eager to boost their sales.
"White Day" is exactly one month later on March 14. On this day, men must reciprocate all the gifts they received AND their gifts should be of MORE value! Giving white chocolates is very common and a friend told me that marshmallows can be given to a girl who is just a friend. Men also can give jewerly or lingerie if they really like the girl (or really hope the girl will like him), hehe.

When I was in elementary school, we used to decorate the classroom with hearts and cupids and exchange cards and candies. I loved this day because I could say "I like you" in a card and hopefully be written the same thing back. I can still remember the girl I had a crush on in the 4th grade; her name was Cindy C. I did become her boyfriend in the 6th grade but that was short-lived as she dumped me for one of my friends. That's OK, she's still my friend. :)

Shogatsu

2009-01-11T06:31:00.009-08:00

“Shogatsu” literally means the first month of the year. However, many people tend to consider Shogatsu as the New Year’s holiday period from January 1-3. Most of my students say Shogatsu is the most important holiday time of the year, much like Christmas is in the United States. In fact, this year a record 99, 390, 000 people made New Year visits to shrines and temples across Japan. But January 1st wasn't always celebrated as New Year's Day in Japan. Before 1873, the date was based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

This year on New Year's Day we went to play tennis at Shiroyama. Before starting, everyone watches the first sunrise. This year Mayor Kato came to greet us. I was impressed by this as he was giving up his own time (especially valuable sleeping time) just to wish us a happy new year. We then played about an hour until Aki got too tired or was it too cold. Anyway, it was nice to start the year off doing something active. Thinking about new year's day back in the states, most people sleep in and wake up with a hangover because New Year's Eve (which is also my birthday!) is the biggest party night of the entire year.

Seeing the first sunrise of the year (hatsuhinode) is an important event here. At first I thought it was crazy to wake up before sunrise and go out in the COLD, but it's always worth it. There are always hundreds of people at the local beach near our home to witness the first sunrise. There's even a group that goes for a new year's swim in the sea.

Another custom is sending New Year's Day postcards (nengajo). These postcards usually come with a picture of the sender or the animal that represents the Chinese zodiac sign of the year. This is the "Year of the Ox" (or cow). This time is the busiest time of the year for postal workers as they must deliver all the postcards on New Year's Day!

This is also the time for giving otoshidama. This is the custom of giving money to children. So it's easy to understand why shogatsu is the favorite holiday of most children too. They can usually get a couple hundred dollars total from their parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles.

I can't write about shogatsu without writing about the food. Traditional Japanese food called osechi is served. These dishes are usually sweet, sour or dried. They are usually eaten over a two or three day period. Fortunately for me (because I don't like osechi), sashimi and other delicious dishes were prepared by my mother-in-law. :) And my father-in-law always wears a kimono for shogatsu as seen in the picture with me and the osechi. He also loves to drink his sake.

Christmas

2008-12-22T19:44:00.025-08:00

Merry x-mas everyone! This is definitely my favorite holiday of the year. As a child, I can remember counting the presents and counting the days before I could open all of them. My parents spoiled my brothers and me. I think we got over 10 presents each! Probably the best present I received was a blue Schwinn http://www.schwinn-jpn.com/05bikes/stingray_his.htm bicycle with the raised handle bars and big banana seat when I was about 9 years old.

Like shogatsu (New Year's) in Japan, x-mas in America is a time for family. My family always went to my Uncle John and Aunt Kinu's house. My grandparents, cousins, their boyfriends and girlfriends, my brothers and me and our girlfriends would all be there. Of course we would have the traditional x-mas dinner of roast turkey but there would also be an Asian flavor. My grandma always made inari sushi and maze gohan. My aunt would make her famous fried wonton and Chinese chicken salad. There would also always be lots of California-grown white rice to go with the turkey, ham, steak, chicken and sashimi. BTW, guess what the most popular dish is in Japan on x-mas eve??? It's a bucket of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)!!!

Yes, Christmas here in Japan is different. It's not a holiday and it's hard to feel the x-mas spirit. Christmas Eve is not a time for families to be together but a time for couples to go out. It's much like Valentine's Day in the states. Surpisingly, Christmas was not a holiday in early America either. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. And Congress was even in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until 1870.

In the 17th century, Dutch immigrants brought the practice of gift-giving at Christmas to America. They also gave us the legend of Sinter Klaas; Sinter Klaas is the Dutch name for St. Nicolas and this is how we got Santa Claus. Santa Claus was born in the US in the 1860's. Americans gave Santa Claus a white beard, dressed him in a red suit and made him a cheery old man with red cheeks and a twinkle in his eye. But do you know where Santa Claus is from originally? Most people are surprised when they learn that he was a real person from the warm climate of Southern Turkey. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280A.D. It is said that he gave away all his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. Christmas is a time for giving, sharing and peace.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Famous "friends"

2008-11-30T06:04:00.032-08:00

OK, I use the word "friend" very loosely here. To be totally honest, the people in the pictures don't even know who I am! :)
I was just happy to have met them and exchange a few words with them.

The famous people are:
Charlie Sheen (actor),

S ean Elliot (former NBA All-Star),

Tamlyn Tomita (actress),

Stephen Malkmus (musician) and Scott Kannberg (formerly of Pavement).

I can claim Stephen and Scott as my friends. In fact, we used to be best friends back in elementary school and were all part of the ol' Morada gang. The picture of the 3 of us was taken backstage when I saw them live at Blitz Akasaka. You can also see them in a couple of the Halloween pictures on my October post. I did also have dinner with Sean Elliot that summer night we took that picture. This was back when I lived in Matsuyama in 1990. He was dating a friend (half-Japanese girl in picture) whose mother was from there.

Since I'm on the topic of famous people I've met, I have to tell the story of when I was a bellman in my hometown around 1984. Nicolas Cage was filming a movie and staying at the hotel I worked at. I was working in the giftshop when he popped in to buy some snacks. He took out a huge wad of cash and for some reason just handed a $20 bill to a little boy who happened to be standing next to him. He just said "here you go". It was so spontaneous and so surreal. Speaking of movie stars, I was also on the set with Michael Caine and Sally Field as an extra. My friend, Jeff, and I were just a few feet from them during the scene we were in. We were so excited and went to the movie as soon as it opened. We watched the whole film anxiously waiting for our scene to appear only to find out that they cut out the entire scene. Anyway, that was the end of my acting career, haha! :)

I'll finish by writing about my famous cousin, Philip Kan Gotanda. He's one of the most well-respected Asian-American playwrights and a very cool guy too. My favorite play of his is "Sisters Matsumoto" which was based on my grandmother and her sisters and their lives after returning from the internment camps. I had the pleasure of seeing it both in San Jose, California and in Tokyo (in Japanese).

Halloween

2008-10-30T05:19:00.009-07:00

Halloween originated in Ireland and was brought to North America by Irish immigrants in the 19th century, so it's just been over a hundred years that we Americans have been celebrating it. The most common activity is "trick-or-treating". This is mainly for children up to age of about 12. They dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for treats with the question "Trick or treat?" If no treat is given, the homeowner may have a trick played on them or their property. When I was a kid (or early teen), the most common trick was to TP (toilet paper) their house. This is when you get some rolls of toilet paper and throw them up in their front yard, decorating their trees in a lovely shade of white or pink. :) This usually happens in the cover of darkness. Anyway, I used to love going trick or treating and bringing home a huge bag of candy, one of my favorite foods. haha! Nowadays I still enjoy going to a costume party. Here in Japan, Halloween has been getting bigger and bigger every year since the first time I came here in 1990. In almost every city a costume party can be found. They are usually attended by a mixed crowd of "gaijin" and Japanese. You can see some photos of a few of the parties I've attended here and a couple of me on Halloween day when I was in elementary school back in CA.

Man's best friend

2008-09-30T07:29:00.007-07:00

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" is a quote from American writer Josh Billings. This is why dogs are known as 'man's best friend'. The close relationship between humans and dogs began many thousands of years ago. The most popular breed is the Labrador, but the best breed is the German Shepherd. Okay, I admit that I am biased. Since the age of 7, I grew up with 4 different German Shepherds (my parents still have #4 right now). I know what a good and smart dog they are. In fact, they are the 3rd most intelligent breed of dog behind Border Collies and Poodles (what poodles?!). Shepherds are also known for their loyalty and courage. I would agree with this too although our second one, Mari, would jump the fence at any chance. Come to think of it, it probably got bored of being alone in our backyard with nobody to play with. Shepherds do need a big yard to play in and because they are smart, they need a lot of stimulation.

German Shepherds were and still are used to herd sheeps, hence the name shepherd, but they are also used as guide dogs for the blind, for search and rescue, in the military, as police dogs and as they were for our family, guard dogs. Shepherds only bark when they feel it is necessary, so we'd always peek out the back window when we heard him barking. Sometimes it looked like he just wanted our attention but other times he probably did encounter a racoon or opossum.

Having grown up with big dogs, I don't care for small dogs much. They can be cute but for me, they're pretty much "All bark, no bite". Here are pictures of the last 3 German Shepherds my family has had. As you can see, none of these are 100%. Our first one, Lila was a thoroughbred but I don't have a picture of her. She was named after our dear late Aunt Lila who used to live next door to us and was a big dog lover herself. All of them were very kind and gentle and I miss them a lot.

One World One Dream

2008-08-23T22:38:00.019-07:00

I like the slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; it's positive. Today is the final day and IMHO the Chinese have been very successful as the host country. They've also been very successful as participants, garnering the most Gold medals. The U.S. has the most overall medals but which is more important??? FYI, Japan has the 8th most Gold medals which is not so bad considering it's the 10th most populated country in the world. Note: More than 200 countries took part in these XXlX Olympic Games.

"Citius, Altius, Fortius" became the Olympic Motto in 1894, the date of the IOC's creation. This means faster, higher, stronger in Latin. Basically it means that giving your best is the goal at the Olympics and in life. And we did see some spectacular performances! Bolt's 2 new world-records in both sprint events were amazing. But to me, Michael Phelps' new record of 8 Gold medals in swimming is by far the most impressive achievement of these games. BTW, may I brag about my own swimming record? I hold the Niigata Masters Meet record in the 25 meter freestyle (12.56 seconds). :)

The Summer Olympic Games are always a treat for me. Out of the 28 sports, 3 are my favorites: basketball, swimming and tennis. One sad thing for me though was that I could not watch one single game of basketball as Japanese TV didn't deem it worthwhile. I guess I can understand as Japan didn't field a team but I would have loved to see Kobe, Lebron and the rest of the "Redeem Team" in action. As I write, they are playing and I imagine on their way to the Gold medal that Team USA promised to deliver after sub-par performances in the 2004 Games and recent World Games.

My final thoughts are that although these games cost an astronomical amount of money to hold, they are worth it. They bring the people of the world together. This breaks down barriers and helps us understand each other. It also brings the people of a country closer together as they get behind their team to cheer and share the agony of defeat along with the elation of winning or placing. It also motivates us regular people to do our best and to keep playing the sports we love and maybe even start a new one.
It's been about a year now that Aki and I started tennis lessons and we have both moved up from beginners to "high" beginners, haha. I figure when my basketball days are over that tennis will become my main sport. However, I do hope to be like my dad and play organized basketball into my 60's! Of course, I'll also have to take up golf once I get into my 50's. :)

English Conversation CD's

2008-07-28T02:39:00.014-07:00

Have you ever been paid over $1000 for one day's work? I sure hadn't. But a few months ago, my friend, Gayla, and I did some English narration work for Daiso http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/, Japan's largest franchise of 100-yen shops.

The CD's are finally out, a total of 4 CD's and 4 accompanying booklets with both English/Japanese translations. A couple of the titles (shown in picture) are "English for Emergency Situations", eg. The water in the toilet won't stop running - Toile o nagashitara zutto mizu ga nagareteiru(トイレを流したらずっと水が流れている) and "English from Morning til Night", eg. Why don't you do a little house cleaning once in awhile? - Tamani wa souji shitara dou desuka? (たまには掃除したらどうですか？) I'm afraid my mom might want to say this to my dad sometimes, sorry dad! :)

Daiso is also international with nearly 500 stores outside of Japan. Friends in the Bay Area, please visit the Daiso in Union City, supposedly the biggest and best one there. Check to see if they have the CD's. They're a great way for you to study your Japanese. Don't forget to check for my name written on the back (in katakana - コンラッド・マツモト). And in case you didn't know, most items sold there go for $1.50, 50% more than the 100 yen we pay here in Japan.

Anyway, we were treated very well by Mayumi (Editor) and all the sound staff. We really enjoyed the whole process of making the CD's. But for me, I much prefer the face to face interaction I have with my students and the joys of teaching English. Having said that, Daiso, please call me when you make your next English CD :)

Blog blues

2008-06-29T18:21:00.012-07:00

Every month I wonder what to write. I usually can't think of anything until the last moment and as you can see it's the last day of June and I'm finally writing this month's entry. So this month is just going to be a hodgepodge. I write this Blog in hopes that a few of my friends/relatives back in CA can catch a glimpse of what's going on in my life here in Japan and for my students so they can hopefully learn a new word/idiom (eg. hodgepodge) and also find out something new about me too. Before starting this Blog almost 2 years ago, I had been keeping a journal. I started writing this journal as a homework assignment when I was in the 6th grade at Davis Elementary School. I continued to write in it every couple of months and usually just wrote gossipy stuff like who I was in love with or what my friends were up to. Then it evolved into marking down milestones in my life such as graduation, getting my first car (Honda Prelude), moving down to Long Beach for college, etc. Later I'd write about Japan, my travels, a friend getting married, a relative passing away or a birthday.

Which reminds me, this month was my dad's (6/20), my wife's (6/25) and my grandfather's (6/29) birthdays.

Yesterday, my grandpa turned 99 years old! We plan to go back next summer to celebrate his 100th.

Anyway, going back to the title of this post, basically I just picked it because the 2 words sounded good together. And as I was having trouble thinking of what to write, I thought it made sense. Actually I do enjoy doing this Blog, especially after I've finished writing it. :) And to be honest, I guess I write this Blog for myself too. It gives me a chance to reflect on what's happening now, remember something from the past and to think about what lies ahead.

Who is the real "Last Samurai"?

2008-05-25T09:46:00.014-07:00

I (not Tom Cruise) am the real "Last Samurai". Joke! But on May 3, my father and I marched through the main streets of Odawara along with 2000 other samurai warriors and I did feel a little like a samurai, haha.
We took part in the Odawara Hojo Godai Matsuri (festival). It is the largest sight-seeing event of the year in Odawara.

The annual event reminds us of the glory attained by the five generations of the Hojo family. After all, in the 16th century, Odawara was the cultural and industrial center of eastern Japan under the power of the Hojo clan. It was during this time that the Odawara Castle became the biggest in all of Japan. Castle-town Odawara was protected by the sea on the east side and by rivers and mountains on all other sides. Odawara Castle was originally built about 800 years ago. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, most recently in 1960. Now Odawara is the only castle town from which you can see Mt. Fuji. I love living in this city!

Top 10 Reasons you know you've been in Japan too long.

2008-04-29T07:15:00.005-07:00

You know you've been in Japan too long if:
10. You start bowing when you talk on the phone.
9. You bow to other drivers who give you the right of way.
8. You're not surprised when the female cleaning ladies come into the restrooms and start cleaning while you're doing your business.
7. You're not surprised when you see "salarymen" in their suits taking a wee on the streets.
6. You know the names of all 4 SMAP members and you even know what their silly acronym stands for (Sport Music Assemble People). Is that English?
5. You start using words like "Shogannai" or "Natsukashii" instead of their English equivalents. Note: "Shogannai" translates to "no ginger" (sorry bad joke) correct translation is "It can't be helped."
4. You think taking off your shoes inside your house is a great idea.
3. You stop saying "hi" to all the new foreigners in town.
2. You don't worry anymore when you carry more than $500 dollars in your wallet.
1. And the #1 reason you know you've been in Japan too long is when you start liking NATTO! (fermented soy beans with a very bad smell) :)
To my students: This list was made "tongue in cheek". This idiom means "jokingly" or "half-seriously." :)

California Dreaming

2008-03-31T00:01:00.009-07:00

This is my first time to write in my Blog outside of Japan.
I'm currently back in CA for our spring break. Our tour just finished today. 6 students joined and we had a wonderful time. Check our HP for "event photos ".

Our state nickname is the Golden State and it became the 31st state to enter the union in 1850 right after the gold rush. Here are some interesting facts about CA. We're the largest wine-producing state in the U.S. The first McDonalds opened in CA in 1948. The California Redwood is the tallest tree in the world at 112 meters (396 feet). They are over 3000 years old. The hottest day in the U.S. was recorded in Death Valley, CA on July 10, 1913 at 56.7 degree C (135 F). Death Valley is also the lowest point in the U.S. at 282 feet below sea level.

The size of CA is a little bigger than Japan but has only 31 million people (compared to Japan's 128 million). LA is the biggest (3.5 million) and most famous city but Sacramento is its capital. My hometown of Stockton http://www.visitstockton.org/is just 30 miles south of Sacramento. Stockton has 2 really good points. The weather is great with 185 sunny days per year. The location is quite good as well. We're just a couple of hours drive from Lake Tahoe and Yosemite and just over an hour away from San Francisco (130kms). These are my 3 favorite places in CA. Start your dream. Visit California!

My Travel Pics

2008-02-29T06:01:00.021-08:00

Thank goodness it's Leap Day! I wouldn't have been able to post my once a month Blog if it wasn't. This month I'd like to show you some of the beautiful places I've visited. As you know, traveling is a big passion of mine. Funny thing is, if I hadn't come here to Japan after graduating college, I may have never picked up the bug, the "Travel Bug" that is. Japan was the first foreign country I visited (Tijuana, Mexico doesn't count). And now I've been to 35 countries, but who's counting? I guess I am, haha! Each journey leaves a lasting image in my mind. With every country, there's a story, a memory, a friend that was made or an adventure that was had. I've been very fortunate; for every 99 good things that I've encountered in my travels, I've only had to deal with 1 bad thing. Even the bad things weren't so bad. I think of them as learning experiences. For example, there was the time I was duped into playing the "Pick a card" scam on La Rambla in Barcelona. The whole crowd was in on it and I was taken for about $75 bucks. I also almost had my backpack stolen while I was on the payphone inside the busy train station in Paris. Luckily, I was too fast for them, hehe. And then there was the time I had to go to the bathroom but...I don't think I'll finish this one. And the good things that have happened, there are just too many to tell.

So let me just show & tell you about 10 of the beautiful places I've visited. I'll start with the Pyramids in Giza. By far, these were the most breath-taking sights I've ever laid my eyes on. To be able to touch these structures that were made more than 2000 years ago was just an incredible feeling. Machu Picchu, often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", is 7875 feet (2400 meters) above sea level. Angkor Wat, the awe-inspiring temple was built in the 12th century. Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace. Sagrada Familia is a massive Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudi. Construction began in 1882 and continues even now. Cappadocia is a region in Turkey characterized by natural wonders often resembling fairy chimneys. Christ the Redeemer (statue) is 130 feet (40 meters) tall. It's a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro. Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. It's believed to have been erected around 2200 BC. Venice, world-famous for its canals, is connected by about 400 bridges. The Eiffel Tower, one of the most recognized structures in the world, was completed in 1889.

My travels are not done; there will always be someplace I want to go. Seeing different cultures first-hand makes me more interested in learning more about our world. It's also let me see my own country in a different, more objective light. To my friends back in California who haven't come to visit me here (and that's most of you), come out and see a different part of the world. You won't be disappointed. :) Happy travels everyone!

Incredible India

2008-01-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

Dirty, dusty, noisy, beggars everywhere, people pulling at your arms asking you to buy this or that, can't drink the water, no hot water in the hotels (OK, lukewarm) - Does this sound like the type of place you'd want to visit?
Well, let me tell you, in spite of all of this, Aki and I had a fantastic trip to India.
We were there the last 8 days of 2007.
Taj Mahal on x-mas day was pretty cool.

There were also helpful and friendly people who didn't want a thing. And the children, some of the brightest smiles you've ever seen. A delicious curry and nan could be had for a dollar fifty. All those cups of hot chai cost only 15 cents.
Beautiful and unforgettable sights are still fresh in my mind (eg. The Ganges River at sunrise).

Shopping (or should I say haggling) in the old bazaars was always a fun challenge. Seeing cows in the middle of busy streets and even on train platforms was something I never got used to. Wandering around an old village, exploring a back alley or just watching the people go about their daily business, there was never a dull moment. Another thing we liked was the "Ayurveda" (ancient Indian herbal medicine/healing) treatment which roughly translates to "Knowledge of long life".

India has to be the most exotic, unique and mystical country I've ever visited. I think it's a country that's easy to love and equally easy to hate. The poverty and corruption is so right there in your face it's hard not to feel for the majority of the billion plus (2nd only to China) people who live there and make just $100/month. However, India is a country on the rise, a country whose economy will only continue to grow stronger. It's a country full of bright young people and for these reasons I'm optimistic that poverty will slowly be diminished.

Have you heard the stereotype about "bad Asian drivers"? You hear that a lot growing up in the states and I always wondered what they were talking about. But then after traveling in Asia and after just returning from India,
I totally understand what they mean! :) LOL. Actually, the drivers in India may not be that bad, they may even be a bit skillful but their complete disregard for the safety of everyone, including themselves put a scare into me every time I hopped into a taxi or auto rickshaw. Every driver was fighting for pole position and wouldn't let up on the gas or their horns. One-way streets don't mean a thing there either. And driving at night with no lights on (maybe this was an attempt to save electricity) was pretty common practice too. But it was dirt-cheap, especially considering the price of gas there (which cost about $5 bucks a gallon or 150 yen/liter). A trip across town (15 minutes) usually only cost about a dollar. Of course, they'd ask for double that at first but you get to be pretty good pretty quick at bargaining. And in my case I've had some practice because my mom is the "Queen" of bargains, haha :).

Teaching/Studying English

2007-12-10T02:06:00.000-08:00

I love teaching. I always thought this might be my career. But I thought I'd just stay in Japan for a year and then go back to CA and start working as all my buddies were already doing.
Well, I've now been in Japan for a total of 11 years teaching all across the country. I've taught in a kindergarten in Matsuyama, a jr. high school in Okayama on the JET Programme(http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/jet/index.html),
the North Korean High School and a
senmon gakko (vocational college)
in Tokyo, Keiwa College (http://www.keiwa-c.ac.jp/) in Niigata, an intensive English camp in Sendai and now here in Odawara.

In between, I did manage to get my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and my TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Certificates back in California. I also taught there and in Barcelona, Spain. My only non-teaching job was the half a year I spent in Hawaii as a tour guide (oh, how I miss the beach!).

Why do I love teaching? Teaching is a very satisfying job. It brings me joy to see a student read for the first time, learn a new phrase and start to communicate on his/her own. I also learn a lot from my students. They've taught me many things about their cultures and have opened my eyes and my mind to many new things.

I'm going to end this month's BLOG with a list of tips to keep up your English skills.
1. Study a little (30 minutes) every day. Make English a habit and set a goal!
2. SPEAK! Speak English at home - it's OK if no one understands you. :) It's also good
practice speaking English with your Japanese friends too.
3. LISTEN! Have English BGM on all day long. Listen to English music, watch movies in
English, check out some internet sites - one of my favorites: http://www.elllo.org/
4. READ! Reading helps you become a better writer and improves your grammar and
vocabulary. It usually takes seeing a word 10 times before we put it to memory.
5. WRITE! Keep a daily journal. For 10 minutes a day, write what you did, how you felt or
anything interesting that happened that day. It's great writing fluency practice.
6. THINK in English! Whatever you see, say the words in English to yourself. For example, as
you're driving your car or riding in the train, say aloud what you are seeing around you.
7. THINK positively! Say, "I can speak English!" and "My English is improving!"
8. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; this is how we learn.
9. Remember, studying English is a life-long study. Have FUN!
10. If you can, come and study with me. If you can't, start your studying by leaving me a message! :)

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy living in Japan; it is my home right now.
But it never fails that around this time,
(the American Thanksgiving holidays) I get a little home-sick.
This is because "Turkey" day is always held at my parents' house. My relatives gather and all bring a delicious home-made dish to share and my mother even roasts a turkey - errr, actually she buys one. She doesn't cook much these days. :)

My dad barbecues steak, chicken and salmon outside. It makes my mouth water just to think about it. Thanksgiving at my house is a time to sit around and EAT and eat some more, watch (American) football, play poker (a family tradition!), and maybe shoot some hoop out in the backyard.

Thanksgiving was first celebrated by the pilgrims and the Indians in 1621; their first celebration lasted for 3 days. Nowadays it is held on the 4th Thursday of November and is the 2nd most popular holiday (after x-mas) in the United States.

I'm writing this on Friday, November 23. It's 9:30am here which makes it 5:30pm, Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) in California. My mother asks me every year if we celebrate Thanksgiving in Japan too. I always say "No, that's an American holiday". But November 23 here is a National Holiday called "Thanksgiving Labor Day". This is the modern name for the rice harvest festival that is believed to have started in November, 678. So whether you're in Japan or America, hope you're enjoying your long weekend. And since this is "Thanksgiving Day", I do wish to thank all (5!) of you who read this. :)

The hardest thing I've ever done in Japan

2007-10-21T23:39:00.002-07:00

No, it isn't mastering kanji! I wish I could say so but after 10 years in Japan my kanji compares to that of a kindergartener. Some may say it's climbing Mt. Fuji. Well, that wasn't so hard but I can't honestly say I have since I didn't make it to the summit. A terrible wind started blowing and our guide decided to turn back. Very disappointing for me since we were three quarters the way up the mountain. And no, it's not eating natto (sticky & stinky fermented soy beans). This was also very tough for me but about a year ago (after my wife's persistence), I began to take a liking to it; it definitely is an acquired taste. So what is the hardest thing I've done in Japan? Without a doubt, it was getting my Japanese driver's license! This undertaking began this past summer in July and was attained just last week. In total I went to the driving license center (DMV) about 10 times. Each trip was a 90-minute train ride each way and an average waiting time of 3-4 hours. So much for Japanese efficiency on this one (wink wink). On one occasion, after arriving early, I couldn't even be seen. The window is only open for 2 hours in morning and 2 hours in afternoon and sometimes they can't see all the people because a lack of staff. Another time my paperwork was inefficient. And OK, I didn't pass the written test the first time (nor the 2nd!). But that wasn't my fault either (LOL). Do you know how many meters away from a driveway you must be parked? And oh yeah, it did take me a couple (3) times to pass the driving test too (at $50 a pop). But I didn't know it would be an automatic FAIL just for hitting a curb, hehe. I think anyone who has driven with me would say that I'm a pretty good and safe driver (all right, just a safe driver). Well, I was told I was driving too fast on their little track. We don't even go on the real road for the test. But I thought that was a bit ironic since friends back home often comment about my "granny" driving habits. :) Anyway, I have finally got my Japanese driver's license and what a relief it is. So why did I go through all this trouble? Aki was getting tired of being the ONLY driver. I actually promised I'd get it last year but better late than never, right?!

So here's a pic. of our new (used) car. It's a 2000 Nissan Liberty. At one million yen (just under $10,000), it's the most expensive car I've ever bought. Yeah, I was never really into cars much. My all-time favorite car would have to be my Mazda Miata (Eunos Roadster) 1995-1999. I had always wanted a convertible (open car) and no better place than CA for that. BTW, our new car has 2 sun roofs and a navi (navigation system). This was more than 10% of the total car price! But this is also something that I promised Aki we'd get since we almost always fought on our long road-trips because I couldn't read the maps properly - they were all in Japanese (was always my excuse)! :)

I'm perfectly fine just riding my bicycle (pic.) which coincidentally I also just bought a couple of months ago. This classic beauty only cost a couple hundred bucks. But according to my wife is very lacking in the aesthetics department. OK, safe driving everyone!

ps. I had to put a picture of my favorite car, my Mazda Miata! San Francisco, CA , 1997

Being Japanese-American

2007-09-30T01:42:00.000-07:00

What are you? Are you Chinese? Are you Japanese? These are questions that I have been asked thousands of times. What do I answer? Well, that depends on where I am. In America, I always answer, "I'm Japanese". In the states, people usually automatically answer according to their ethnicity. But in Japan when I'm asked, "What are you?" My answer is "I'm American". I guess the most accurate answer would be Japanese-American in either case.

Do you know which country has the most people of Japanese descent outside of Japan? Well, it's not America, it's Brazil. America has just over a million people either part or full Japanese. We only make up 0.4% of the country's population. California has the highest number with almost 400,000. I was fortunate to grow up there. As a fourth generation Japanese-American (Yonsei), I was able to experience and learn many things about the Japanese culture. We can thank the issei for bringing these Japanese customs and traditions with them and the nissei/sansei for carrying them on. Buddhism was one thing the issei brought to America with them. I attended the Stockton Buddhist Temple (http://www.stocktonbuddhisttemple.org/home/ ).
Although I went to Sunday school, I can't say I learned that much about Buddhism. It was more of a place to go to see my friends and learn some Japanese culture. For example, every summer my church would hold its Obon festival. This was more like a food and cultural bazaar. There would be delicious Japanese foods such as tempura, teriyaki chicken, grilled corn, yakitori, udon, curry rice, etc. There was also bon odori and taiko drums and other Japanese displays. As a teenager, going to the Obon festivals in my city and other cities in the Bay Area was one of the highlights of each summer. Can you guess why? :) There were also "Cherry Blossom" festivals each spring where they'd usually crown a "Miss Cherry Blossom". We didn't, however, sit under cherry blossom trees and eat and drink like here in Japan. I also tried Judo and Karate as a youngster but the sport which I enjoyed the most was basketball. I started playing in elementary school for my church team and continued playing with them all through high school. I'm still close to most of those guys. BTW, I'm still playing basketball now. In fact, just yesterday I played in my first "Over 40" tournament with a local Odawara team. This was a lot of fun but nothing will compare to the basketball tournaments we had back in high school where the main event was always the Saturday night dance!

About my family's migration to California, I think my great-grandparents went over in the 1890's. This was the first wave of immigrants and they mainly worked on fruit and produce farms. My ancestors were from Hiroshima, Kumamoto and Wakayama. My grandpa Henry is now 98 years old and had a very successful produce business going before the war. He lost this and his house and was put in an internment camp with 120,000 other Japanese-Americans by the US government. After getting out of "Camp", he was able to start and run another successful produce business in Stockton. He was once even known as "The Tomato King".

I often thought about how my life would have been had my brave great-grandparents never ventured out west. It's funny because I surely couldn't be teaching English here in Japan nor
writing this BLOG in English. I did go through a little of an "anti-Japanese" phase and had wished I were white like all my friends in my neighborhood and school but by the time I was in junior high, it became more of a curiosity. This was probably the first time I started to relate to my Japanese heritage and show an interest. While away at college, I knew that this is where I'd come after I graduated and I did. I thought I'd be here for one year teaching English, learning about my roots and become fluent in Japanese, hahaha. I've now lived in Japan a total of 11 years!

Being Japanese-American in Japan is a bit peculiar. We are kind of like a Stealth fighter jet because we can come out of nowhere and surprise an unexpecting Japanese person by just speaking. When I first came and couldn't speak any Japanese, I'd often get that "This guy must be retarded" look whenever I went into a store/restaurant. On the other hand, it's actually quite nice to be able to sit in a train or walk into a store and not be stared at like some of my compatriots say sometimes happens to them. Before coming to Japan, I did have my concerns about how my students would feel about their teacher being Japanese-American. I've learned that in most cases, it hasn't made any difference at all. I think most Japanese don't care what nationality or ethnicity I am but more about what kind of person/teacher I am.

In the end, I will leave you with a list of 10 ways to tell if you're Japanese-American:

1) You have a Japanese middle name (mine is Touru)

2) Your first inclination is to look for other JA professionals when you need professional services

3) You know the story of "Momotaro"

4) Whenever you meet another JA, you're somehow related or there's someone you know in common

5) Growing up, you heard the words: abunai, takai, hakujin, atsui, baka, benjo, bachi

6) Whenever you were sick, you ate "okayu" with "umeboshi"

7) You use the finger method to measure the water level in your rice cooker

8) You pack "bento" when you take a road-trip

9) Some of the best food served is made by players' moms after JA basketball games

10) "Botan-Ame" used to be your favorite candy

Water sports

2007-08-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've always loved water sports. Swimming is the only sport I hold "bragging rights" over all my buddies back home. :) I actually learned to swim when I was still a baby. My mother took me and my brothers to a swim school for toddlers and the first day they just threw us all in the pool and it was either "sink or swim". Fortunately we all learned how to swim pretty fast! We were also lucky to live right next door to my Aunt Lila and Uncle Jack and have the use of their swimming pool every day in the summer. In high school, I started out playing football, basketball and soccer but by varsity (junior and senior years), I only did swimming and water polo. Even now I still try to go for a swim once a month or so. We live about one minute from a nice outdoor-pool (Miyukinohama) that uses the sea water and is located right next to the beach. But it's only open from mid-July til the end of August.

I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley which is a couple hours from the nearest surf. When I went down south to Long Beach State University I thought I'd become a "surfer dude". Well, I wore the clothes and even picked up a used board at a garage sale for $20 bucks. Next, me and my buddy Darrell signed up for Surfing as a P.E. (physical education) class. I was all set to start my career as a surfer. Darrell claimed he was already a "surfer dude" but to tell the truth, I never really got to see him surf because the whole 4 months, we probably only went into the water 4 times! You see, the class started at 6:00 in the morning. We probably only made it to class about 10 times. And usually "Hello Kitty" AKA Darrell was too cold to go in the water so we'd just sign our names that we were there and then drive home. Recently Aki had been saying how she wanted to learn to surf. So last week we took a lesson in Shonan near Enoshima. It was her very first time and she was surfing by the end of the lesson. But because the cameraman (me) was so bad, there is no proof. Luckily for me because of the good camerawoman (Aki), there's a shot of me standing, haha!

How many of you have heard of the new adventure sport "Canyoning"? Just last month, Aki and I tried it. Canyoning has been gaining popularity since the 1990s; it's a combination of hiking, jumping and sliding down waterfalls or a wet slot canyon. I have to admit although I was very "gung ho" to begin with, I got goose bumps all over right before taking my first slide. It was quite an exhilarating feeling sliding down at what seems like "sonic" speed and splashing into the cold water below. From there, you dog-paddle, climb over a few rocks and then arrive at your next challenge! All I can say is that I'm glad I did it now because in a few years I doubt my body can handle all the banging. :) Check Canyons homepage: www.canyons.jp/FAQ.html

Homestay/host family

2007-07-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced doing a homestay? I've been lucky enough to do a homestay here in Japan (6 months), Spain (6 months), Mexico (2 weeks) and Peru (2 weeks). It definitely is the best way if you want to learn more about a culture, have a chance to practice the local language and oh yes, eat good home-cooked meals. BTW, I am tri-lingual now because of these experiences (hahaha, only in my dreams). :) But I do have many happy memories of the nice families I've stayed with.

So now it's time to give back a little. Just last month, Aki and I were asked if we could host a college student from Indonesia for a few days. I had always wanted to do this; Aki was a little hesitant as she hasn't visited Indonesia yet and also didn't know what to expect. Not to mention that she would be the one who would be doing all the cooking, cleaning, etc. But she agreed and we both really enjoyed our "first" homestay student, Wazin. One thing that surprised Aki was when he told her that he was amazed that he could drink the water straight from the tap. It makes you appreciate this little luxury that we take for granted here in Japan. We were both also impressed that he would wake up at sunrise to pray and do it another 2-3 times every day. An interesting fact about Indonesia is that more Muslim people live there than any other country. Anyway, we're really glad we hosted such a nice and polite young man like Wazin.

I really recommend hosting an international student if you can. Sometimes it's difficult for a family to travel abroad. So why not bring the "world" to you. You can learn so much from this experience. And it's also a good chance for you to use your English. :)

Rainy season (tsuyu)

2007-06-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Growing up in sunny California I enjoyed long summer days because of Daylight Savings (called summer time here in Japan). I remember I could play outside past 8pm and still be home before dark. Summer was and still is my favorite season back home. But in Japan it's a different story. According to some haiku masters, there are 5 seasons here in Japan, rainy season being one of them. It has just started here in Odawara and will continue until mid-July. I understand that it is needed for the rice crops to grow and ensure we don't have any water shortages, but personally I can't stand it. I remember the first time I stepped off the plane way back in late June of 1990; I had never experienced such humidity in my life. I felt like I was in a sauna and quickly bought a handkerchief to wipe the perspiration from my face - people in California never use handkerchiefs (except for the few people who use it to blow their nose in). Anyway, I didn't do much research on Japan before arriving and did not expect the humidity nor the rain. I naively thought that it didn't rain in the summer time!

Tsuyu literally translates to "plum rain" because it coincides with the ripening of plums. Farmers are busy now preparing umeboshi or dried plums. This happens to be one of my favorite Japanese foods. Ajisai (hydrangea) is also a symbol of the rainy season. Nearby Hakone is a popular spot to view these flowers right now.

As I'm sitting here right now on this Sunday afternoon, the rain is pouring down. I wish I was back in SUNNY HOT DRY Stockton, California. :)

Golden Week

2007-05-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

These holidays start from the end of April and finish around May 5. Dubbed Golden Week in 1951 by the managing director of Daiei Films because that week brought more movie-goers than any other time of the year. This year my GW was spent camping in Niijima. Niijima is a small island about a 9-hour ferry ride from Tokyo and although its far distance (163kms), it's still considered part of Tokyo. Aki and I joined the Tokyo Gaijin (a fun outdoor adventure group). In this group there where 68 participants from 14 different countries. My friends back home in CA all know that I'm no "boy scout", so fortunately Aki was able to set our tent up and despite the fierce winds it blew down just once. We really enjoyed the beautiful white-sand beach and even got in an afternoon of body-boarding. There was also a very nice and free outdoor onsen (hot spring). In addition to all the nature and healthy bike-riding, probably the best part was meeting very nice and interesting people (both Japanese and gaijin).

Spring in Japan

2007-04-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

School graduations and farewell parties are over. April is the time to celebrate new beginnings. At CEH, we are happy to start our second year. In Japan, "Hanami" or cherry blossom viewing is one highlight of April. This tradition started sometime in the 7th century. Cherry blossoms are such a part of the Japanese mind/culture now. Although we have cherry blossoms in my native country (USA), people don't get so excited about them. Is it because we can't appreciate the beauty of nature as much as the Japanese do? Maybe we need to adopt the custom of "hanami party" where families, friends, colleagues both young and old sit under the cherry blossoms and drink, eat, sing and drink some more into the night. I have enjoyed this custom here but wonder if it would ever pick up back home. Some Japanese will even follow the cherry blossoms all over Japan in quest of the perfect blossom. My favorite place in Odawara for cherry blossoms is the Odawara Castle. This year the peak was around April 1st. I went one week later after returning from California. It was still nice even then. Next spring, let's have our own "hanami party" at the castle!

March Madness

2007-03-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what the title means? In the states right now, all the universities with good basketball programs are gearing up for the "Big Dance". The "Big Dance" is the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) basketball tournament and you must be invited to attend. Living here in Japan, I miss this. And I miss my Sacramento Kings of the NBA. Baseball and soccer are the KINGS of sports here in Japan. Last summer when FIBA held the World Basketball Championships here in Japan, even high school baseball got more television coverage. But popularity in basketball has been growing. There are now 2 professional leagues and 20% more Japanese are playing basketball than a decade ago. By playing and watching, I have personally seen that basketball in Japan is improving. So watch out J-League (soccer)! Basketball is stepping on the heels of soccer as the world's game and I hope to see the day when people here in Japan will cheer as strongly for their National basketball teams as they do for their other sporting teams.

Japanese ritual

2007-02-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just finished vacuuming my house. There were roasted soy beans scattered all across the floors in each room. No, our house isn't normally so messy. Today (or yesterday) is called "Setsubun" (seasonal division). It is celebrated one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar. It is not a National Holiday. It's more like Halloween in the United States. From around the 13th century it became a custom to drive away evil spirits with the strong smell of burning sardines. Fortunately for me, nowadays, soy beans are thrown around one's house while shouting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (Devil's out! Happiness in!"). After this, you pick up and eat the number of beans according to how old you are. I cheated a little. I just picked them and ate them out of the bag, which by the way was given to me by my nice student Kenji. And actually they tasted quite good, all 41 of them! :)
Have a look at Setsubun festival at Matsubara Shrine in Odawara:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD--bSwsZ90

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone! It's 2007 and I hope you're all going to have a healthy and happy year. Yesterday was my 40 something birthday. Aki and I went swimming at the Odawara Hilton Spa. Then we ate soba at Kotobukian; eating soba on NYE is supposed to give you a long life. At midnight we went to the Ninomiya Shrine next to the Odawara Castle. We had to wait in the cold (6 C/ 42 F) for about 20 minutes to reach the shrine. We paid our respects and made our wishes for the new year. Today, we woke up early to run in the Odawara Castle Marathon. But for those of you who don't know, Japanese use the word "marathon" for any running race. In our case, it was only 4.2 K (which is less than 3 miles). Nonetheless, my knees are still hurting me! She's fine though. :)

My new year's resolution is to get into shape! What's yours? Let's keep studying English hard this year. Remember, English is a lifelong study so never give up.

C.E.H. Charity Christmas Party

2006-12-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you CEH students for 2006

We started CEH on April 5, 2006 and have been enjoying every minute of it. We want to say thank you to all of you who have joined our school and made it such a good year.

Our Christmas Charity Party on December 9 was attended by 40 people including former LIOJ teachers Soke, Brian and Dauane along with a couple of my friends, Roger and Todd. We are very happy to announce that through your generous donations we raised 44,500 yen which will be donated to Shaplaneer ( http://www.shaplaneer.org/ ) and a charity for Nepalese children.

May you all have a HAPPY HOILIDAY SEASON!
love, Conrad