ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

For a while now I've been practicing Yoga every day. Yoga is a complex thing to describe. Some people will see stretching and very flexible poses, other people will see meditation and discipline. There is no straight forward answer to the question "What is Yoga?" I started doing Yoga to make my body more flexible. Eventually I noticed that it helped me think clearly. Meditation is very much apart of Yoga as is stretching. Being more flexible is a major plus to doing Yoga but one of the most overlooked benefits about it is improving your ability to breathe. As a cyclist I have seen the benefits from Yoga impact my cycling.

I recommend everyone to try Yoga at least once, it's a fantastic art.  

I've mentioned it before, and many of you already know, I'm from Texas. Texas is known for it's wide open skies and flat terrain. There was some unusual weather for Japan recently. I saw this scene and thought of Texas. Some large clouds in the big open sky with trees in the forefront. It was a beautiful sight and gorgeous weather. These days are my favorite. It's like bringing a piece of home here for a short time.

  

This past weekend I decided to climb Mt. Ishizuchi with a friend. I think it was my first time actually climbing a mountain. We ended up starting the climb a bit late, as we were celebrating with other friends the night before. We could have arrived earlier, but we were lazy about it. Anyway, we officially started on the path to the mountain around noon. It supposedly takes 3-4 hours to make the climb up, and the last gondola back to the parking lot was at 6pm, so we were cutting it close if we didn't want to walk the whole way back down.

The journey up was intense. We kept up a quick pace most of the time, though we did pause now and again to enjoy the sights and the view (and it was so beautiful the whole way up). Along the way there were also several "chain paths", which you can climb up to advance instead of walking. The thing about these chains, though, is that they are very dangerous. You can easily fall to your death, or at least serious injury, if you are not careful. That's because there is no safety equipment, and the path could be very slippery. There were a total of three chain paths throughout the climb; I did the first and the third. The first was the scariest, but the third was definitely the hardest. Would I do it again? Most probably. I definitely would like to do the climb in the spring and summer.


  

This week we have been dressing up for one of the funnest holidays in the year! Halloween! I love Halloween! You can dress up and be whoever you want to be in any way you want to! This week, I have been a pirate and a steampunk vampire! I have had so many cute students come to class in their super cute costumes as well! I love you guys!


  

Today is a happy and sad day. Kelly just left for the airport. We are starting a new adventure together and a new life (soon to be husband and wife). It will be a few weeks before I see her again but I think everything is going to be all right as long as I don't play this song to much...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SN7sLORnYQ

It's called "Leaving on a Jet Plane"

Have you ever been happy and sad at the same time. I am today



Let's listen to this song instead...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

Because I'm Happy....  

Most people don't realize it but learning a language is not about learning concepts, but a physical skill, much like swimming or even walking. The whole body is involved, and the latest studies of linguistics are based on the latest developments in biology, brain structure, and physical activity. It's not really a "subject" in school like math or whatever, but learning how to coordinate hearing, seeing, and feelings, in context of meaning. In the old days most of the learning was done by rote learning, that is memorizing, verb tables, declensions of nouns if there are any, conjugations of verbs. A lot of that still goes on in the teaching of foreign languages. Some people learn that way, but they learn in spite of the system, not because of it. You could actually learn a language from the telephone book, but what on earth for? So if you want to learn a language you have to go out and use it, like a swimmer has to get into the water. Only by doing it yourself can you internalize not just words, and their translations, but begin to notice what's going on between the words, the sentences, the meaningful context it's attempting to express. Go for it.   

Yesterday, Jason and I were out in Saijo and decided to climb Mnt. Ishizuchi. We got to the mountain a bit late, around 11:45, but that didn't deter us from making it to the top and back by 6pm, the time the last gondola left. For most of the hike the weather was delightful and of course the leaves and views were astonishing. The trail wasn't too crowded and we were able to keep a pretty fast pace. My favorite part was climbing up all the chains, that is something you'd never see in America. Unfortunately, the last 400 meters or so we were inside heavy fog with zero visibility. Despite not being able to see the view from the summit, it was still amazing to be fully engulfed by a cloud.   

Today is my birthday!
I had a great time this birthday ! I went to Osaka and celebrated by drinking milkshakes! I also had a birthday song sang to me! It was so sweet and fun! I had a great time! How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you have a party? Or how about cake?  続きを読む

Wow, long time no see! I had some medical problems so I wasn't able to blog or work for about a month, but I'm back now and feeling much better.

I was having dinner with a friend the other night and the topic of Halloween came up. In Japan, Halloween seems very kawaii or adorable, while in America, Halloween is definitely scarier.


In Japan, it definitely seems like a more kid-friendly holiday, and it is in America too - up to a point. Many children in America go trick-or-treating, walking from hosue to house in a neighborhood and asking for candy while in costume. This is great fun, but when a child turns 13 or 14, it's no longer acceptable. So for a few years maybe Halloween goes away for these kids, or they dress up for tame parties.

Once past drinking age (21 in most states) Halloween changes a lot. It becomes much more adult, with a focus on the exihleration of fear. Halloween parties at this age can be extremely wild - in Isla Vista, where I used ot live in California, the Halloween party (there is only one, and it is enormous) is closer to what the Japanese would recognize as a Matsuri. Young people dress up and flock to the community to drink and act crazy. This has gotten so out of hand in recent years that the local college and the police have started fencing off the entire community and asking out of towners to "stay home".

It can get pretty crazy, so when people start getting a little older, they start deciding to stay home and hand out candy to the kids who come trick or treating. They decorate their houses and might dress up in costume, but partying usually ends after about age 25. Thus the circle is closed, and the people who were once trick or treaters and then partiers become the adults staying home and handing out candy. :)  

Last weekend, I decided to finally visit Ritsurin Garden down in Takamatsu. I expected it to be a cool and crisp day, but it was a little warm. The garden was nice though, and I quite enjoyed my time there. I took many photos and even had some traditional tea there. I hope to go there again, and when I do hopefully it was be cold enough for my coat.  

This year's Halloween season is now in motion, air out your costumes and fluff up your wigs. ready your tooth brushes and prepare for some sweets. Trick or treat for fun and enjoy all pleasantries. Let's get this party started and enjoy the Festivities. Happy Halloween. Let the Festivities begin!!!

;) Leigh  

The "Praying Mantis" is a bug that I enjoy discovering. Every so often I find one in random places. I've found one in a school hallway, on the steps of my front door, in a gym, and a few days ago on a bench. This one was missing an arm, but he seemed to be healthy and ready to prey. I hope to see more of them here in Japan.


  

As a child growing up in American I loved getting dressed up for Halloween! I had lots of fun picking costumes everything from cabbage patch dolls to vampires. Sometimes I would run around my house days before Halloween dressed in my costume and practicing saying "Trick or Treat!" One of my most favorite things to do was get dressed in my costume on Halloween night and then watch "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I would meet my friends down the street and together with our parents we would head out with our flashlights and bags to trick or treat together. I may be a little too old to trick or treat now but ever year I still watch Charlie Brown and his Halloween adventure.   

While walking around a bit of nature, my friend pointed at a tree. I thought to myself, "Why yes, it is indeed a tree!" But upon further examination, I realized in wonder--this tree had died and come back to life! Or so most people would like to think. My theory? This "mother" tree had sacrificed itself for the life of its seedling! How valiant and giving nature is! If only we humans could be as charitable. If only we could think not in terms of our gain, but in how we can give. Yes, some people are narcissistic, but just think how much more bountiful the joy of living could be when we say to ourselves, "It's not my life!" Nature can be a great teacher sometimes.


  

I saw an odd sight, for me, recently. I saw an outdoor rig for washing and drying clothes. I've seen washing machines in some strange places and arrangements but I'd never seen any that were meant to stay outdoors indefinitely. Is this common or is it fairly unusual? I saw these near a business hotel so I figure that's why it's there, but outdoors seemed a bit strange. What do you do if it rains?

  

What I love most about the changing of seasons is that the new season brings in a change in mood in a lot of people. If you go to the mall, you will see more people, and if you are looking, you will also see more smiles! Fall makes people comfortable as it ushers in the winter and then the new year. Its kind of a feeling of, this year is done and now we can relax and get ready for the next one. Fall is also the time of death. In the fall you can see dead leaves and flowers, trees go dormant, grass goes brown. But there is always the promise that next year it will all return in a much better way!


  

October 16th was a very special day. It was the last day of Saijo matsuri, the danjiri danced through the water in the sunset, and in that moment I proposed to Kelly. She said YES!!! I had planned for months, and I was so nervous, but it was a great day and many of our friends surrounded us and everyone was very happy. Kelly said she loved the ring, and our matsuri team even gifted us a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We don't have a date planned for the wedding yet, we're just enjoying our engagement   

Back in Kyoto, and as always feel like at home. I had lunch with one of my first friends in Japan, Kosuke. He's teaching Italian at the university in Kyoto. We've been friends for so many years now. He's visited me in Vienna and in Sendai, and I visited him in Kawasaki. It's nice to meet up with olds friends, isn't it? I can still remember my first impressions of Japan, so many years ago. I've changed since then, but Japan has as well, not least because of the tsunami, and nuclear disaster. There's no going back though. The politicians can try to hold back the scourge of time, but even they know it's useless. Anyway, Kyoto as at all times of year is lovely, and inviting. It pays to spend some time here, not just for the touristy things, but to get a feel for something special, at least for me, but I suspect for many others as well. It's nice to know it's still there.

  

Last week I visited Ritsurin Garden for the first time and was incredibly impressed! It was an attraction I've been wanting to see for some time but hadn't had the chance to go yet. When I finally went I was blown away by how beautiful and grand everything was. I had been to a few other smaller gardens but the size of Ritsurin really made it stand out. By being so large you felt completely surrounded and immersed in the area, instead of feeling like you were just in a green part of a city. Fortunately I now should have an opportunity to go more often. In fact, I was able to go again this past Sunday and I purchased the yearly pass which I'm now hoping to use about once a week.
  

My students are always amazed when I tell them I can speak many languages. I am fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalán. My parents are from México and Spain. I also speak Italian and korean because I lived in those countries for a couple of years. I always am asked about my language abilities. I always try to encourage my students to learn English and not give up and try their best. I believe languages are a great tool for your career as well as life. I hope my students love learning English as much as I love teaching it.