Days 601- 605 <{ }> Tuesday-Saturday, November 10-14, 2009

Day 601 { Bad Food Day} - Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The only thing of note that happened on this day was that the school served a combination of food that I don't like.

1) Egg - But they were smart enough not to give me this

2) Chidimen Jako - Small fishes (as in the pic) that they sprinkle all over some food. Normally rice or vegetable... To me, these things are just HORRIBLE.

3) Tofu - They some how forgot to take out this

4) Dried sea weed

I also hurt my finger playing football with some kids today. It started bleeding a bit and it was quite painful.


Day 602 { I Was On NHK News } - Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Had observation for my grade 2 and grade 4 classes today at my main school. For the grade 2 class I taught about body parts (neck, shoulder etc). And for the grade 4 class I taught about subjects ( maths, Social studies etc). Many people came to observe me from all over the prefecture, even as far as Okayama city (1 hr and 30 mins away). And guess what??? NHK (the same TV station that my company didn't want to video my show) came to video my grade 2 class ???? WHAT!!!! How did they get the permission????

I was quite shocked and surprised when they told me just before the observation started, that NHK would video me. So I saw myself on the 6:00 pm News teaching the grade 2 kids at my main school... I am still quite confused about this as :

1) No body told me (until about 10 mins before the class) that I was going to be video taped.

2) My company mentioned nothing to me

3) I still don't know why my company objected to NHK video taping my show but it was ok to video my class observation today.

But honestly I don't know if my company actually knows about my class being video taped... I really don't know whats going on.

Later, I went along with a couple of other teachers to observe a J.E.T ALT and a Japanese teacher of English, teaching at a Jr. High school. The Japanese teacher of English taught the second year students, while the ALT taught the first years... At Jr. High the kids are wayyy more quiet. Actually they hardly speak any at all.

Day 603 - Thursday, November 12, 2009

Yow happy birthday Richard and Happy Birthday Omara
Richard mi naah guh figet nutten because mi jot down everything inna one diary

Day 604 { Yellow Belt / Obama In Japan} - Friday, November 13, 2009

Got a certificate for karate today. But, I wasn't good enough to get the orange belt :( However, I am up 1 level to yellow belt now.

Obama visiting Japan

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama vowed Friday to bolster the bilateral alliance and cooperate on pressing global issues, including climate change and nuclear disarmament.

The two also touched on the sensitive relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa. The issue has cast a shadow on bilateral relations. They said it was their common goal to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Earlier this week, the two governments decided to form a ministerial-level working group to find a way to resolve the issue, just in time to avoid direct conflict at the summit.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091114a1.html

Day 605 { Estimated Cost Of Syaken } - Saturday, November 14, 2009

Happy Birthday Donna and Danielle Townsend.

Today I went to get an estimated cost of this car inspection thing that I have to do before December 4. This thing has to be done every 2 years and is known as SYAKEN....Depending on the state of your car, this can range anywhere from US $500 to US $2000. The worse shape your car is in, the more money it will cost... Also if your car has a bigger engine you can also expect to pay more as well. However, as with mechanics anywhere, you can expect them to subtly or blatantly rob you by stating something is wrong with your car when nothing is.

I went to the car mechanic along with a friend of mine to help me with the translating, and the owner of the mechanic car place said it would cost about US $650. However, I realised when I went back to my apartment that this same company sent me a later yesterday saying that I could come there to do my syaken. On the letter, it stated that the estimated cost would be around US $400. Hmmm When I go back, I need to show them this letter.

Day 600 { Watching Kendo } Monday, November 9, 2009

Day 600 { Watching Kendo }

Today 3 persons died in a fire about 7 mins drive from where my apartment is. It even made the national news. The persons who dies were a 6 year old kid, a 13 year old and a 60 year old... It was a very sad day today at work. The nurse at my school today even though she didn't know the persons, broke down in tears.

In the evening I accompanied one of my friends to watch kendo. It is an interesting sport to watch but Im not sure if I would want to attempt it.

As I mentioned yesterday this is quite possibly my last day to day post... Trying out a new method now.

Day 599 {Killer Apologise} Sunday, November 8, 2009

Day 599 {Killer Apologise}

Wow I am finally back up to date with my blog...And it was hard work... I think I am going to start doing this weekly instead of daily.... Unless I have a really eventful week, tomorrow (my 600th day) may very well be my last daily blog... My next blog after tomorrow would be somewhere between (Nov 13-15, 2009) then (Nov 20-22, 2009) and so on...

Stayed in all day and slept plus played some Street Fighter 4 and Prince of Persia for PS3.




Last year in akihabara (the electronic/anime/game/manga) center of Japan, a man went around randomly stabbing people, killing 7 of them. He is now apologising???? Boy this not going to help...

Akihabara killer sends apology letter

Kyodo News

In a six-page letter to former taxi driver Hiroshi Yuasa, who was seriously injured in the attack, Tomohito Kato, 27, said, "I believe I will be executed, but I want to explain everything without becoming defiant."

The man indicted for the fatal stabbing rampage in Tokyo's Akihabara district last year has sent a letter of apology to one of the victims, saying, "My crime deserves death," informed sources said.

Yuasa, 55, said he felt as if he had seen a ray of light and that he plans to write back in the hope their exchange will help Kato regret his crime more deeply.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091108a6.html

Day 598 {Dangerous lady} Saturday, November 7, 2009

Day 598 {Dangerous lady}



Stayed in most of the day, then picked up a friend at the train station nearby. I also looked in a store for the price of some Flat screen TV. I quickly came back out :) ....




In the evening, I met up with most of the other ALTs that work with my company, and went to have yaki tori (chicken on a stick). It was delicious. We then went to a bar like place and did karaoke and chatted for a little while.


Boy this lady that I spoke about recently on my blog is very serious, if all these things are true...

Dodgy deaths linked to Tottori woman at six

Kyodo News

The number of men who have died under suspicious circumstances possibly linked to a Tottori Prefecture woman arrested last week over a fraud case has reached six, investigative sources said Saturday.

Investigators have found that a prefectural police officer found hanged in February 2007 was an acquaintance of a 35-year-old woman at the center of a series of recently reported deaths.

The other deaths, reported last week, were of a 42-year-old Yomiuri Shimbun reporter who was run over by a train in May 2004, and a 27-year-old employee who drowned in the Sea of Japan off Tottori in August 2007.

The reporter had become acquainted with the woman at a bar in Tottori she worked at. The other man had lived with her for an unspecified time.

Suspicion also surrounds the deaths of Hideki Maruyama, 57, who was found in a river in Tottori in October, Kazumi Taguchi, 58, who lived in the same apartment compound as the woman and died at home in October shortly after becoming ill, and Kazumi Yabe, 47, a truck driver who was also found in the sea off Tottori in April.

All the men had been acquainted with or had financial troubles with the woman. Police sources have said foul play is suspected in some of the deaths because sleep-inducing drugs and cold medicine ingredients were found in the bodies.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091108a3.html

Day 597 { I know Pinan Niidan } Friday, November 6, 2009

Day 597 { I know Pinan Nidan }

I wore my new coat to work today. And as I entered the teacher's room, the vice principal and the office lady shouted kakuwi (Thats so cool). The vice principal also said "Dandy"..... I smiled then took my seat. However, when I went to teach the grade 1 students, the shouted ona no, ona (its a girl's coat). They said that a males's coat should be ankle length... I made sure to check this out with my friend, who reassured me that its a males coat and that the grade 1 kids dont know any better.

The camera man for my show said that he spoke to the NHK guy who would feature my show but the guy said that he wanted to view the entire show, not just a part of it. So he is very very very disappointed in my company's decision. I am still waiting on a call from my managing consultant to tell me the reason why the dis approved of the filming. I still can't seem to get an answer.

After work today, I went to karate. I now learnt the new Kata style name pinan niidan. So now I know 2 kata styles under my new belt. Whatever colour my new belt will be.

Day 596 { My Show Season 3 Video Shoot } Thursday, November 5, 2009

Day 596 { My Show Season 3 Video Shoot }

Today I did my first video shoot for season 3 at my school with the worst grade 6 class. The camera man told me again that they asked my company if NHK could do a video shoot of me outside of work. Which would be a private matter. Can you believe that my company said NO!!! The camera man said my company is strange (as we who work for them knows very well). I was very very upset and told the camera man to tell NHK that its fine to video me in private, just don't include my schools or anything with my company.

The video shoot went well but I was still angry, so I called my company and asked the person in charge of the ALTs "what was going on" and how can they make decisions for me about what I want to do privately????? The guy in charge of ALTS (Managing Consultant) then said its the manager of the branch who told NHK and the Board of Education that they should not film me. I told him to ask the manager WHY???? Did he make a decision for me about something not related to the company???? He then said he will ask the manager and get back to me...

Throughout the day at school I was wondering when since my company can make decisions for ALTS about non-company related issues. Everybody was quite shocked and disappointed about my company's decision. Everybody including my school, the camera men, the NHK people, the Board of Education and of course me. Anyway, in the evening, I also had a video shoot at the Board of Education, so before I went, I called the managing consultant guy again for my branch of the company. I asked him if he got in touch with the manager and he said not yet because they had no time. I told him then that I was going to go ahead and tell NHK that its fine to video me privately as long as it has nothing to do with where I work or my schools. He said ok BUT he still will have to speak to the manager... I told him that's fine with me...

I then did the video shoot at the board of education, and it went pretty well. Me and the camera man was also discussing about how messed up my company is.

Later in the evening, I went football and finally I scored.. I scored 3 goals against the opposing team. One of the guys who I play football with, also did a scene on my tv show today...

Day 595 { Bush in Japan } Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Day 595 { Bush in Japan }


Today the grade 5 teacher got sick, so the principal came to watch my class. I am teaching the grade 5s and 6s now about asking questions like:

How old are you
What colour do you like?
What sports do you like
Whats your hubby

and things like that..

In the night, I went to the Wednesday English conversation with one of the guys that I normally play football with. Only 4 of us came to the conversation tonight. The guy who I play football with was basically telling the others about when he used to work for one of the canteens at the google head office... Yes he once worked for the great google... He said he didn't really like it though and he is actually getting better pay now.

Bush talks to Waseda about his life — in world of sports

Bush, a former part-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, offered no assessment of the choices facing Obama on Afghanistan, climate change or the economy.

Exactly a year after Barack Obama was voted in as president, his successor, George W. Bush, talked in Japan on Wednesday about his former life — in sports.

Instead, he dished out advice to Japanese university students about running a sports franchise.

"Now I'm retired, so I'm glad to be talking about sports," Bush told an auditorium full of students and staff at Waseda University for a special sports science class.

Bush was generally unpopular in Japan during his time as president because of opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, but you wouldn't know it from the warm reception he received at Waseda.

A cheerleading team performed stunts for him on stage — spelling his name with their pompoms — and attendees reached out to shake his hand.

During his brief speech, Bush outlined key points for developing a successful franchise.

Make sure the stadium has a pleasant environment. Select "good baseball people" to make key decisions about hiring — and firing — players. Treat the media "as an ally, not an antagonist."

But the best marketing is winning, he said.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091105a5.html