ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

This blog has nothing to do with the meta-theory of gravity and the universe but more to do with spring based instruments and that’s because I have been playing with my friends koto that his family has had for a long while.

Being a person that used to play free improv guitar in artist concerts in Canada/general avant-garde concerts to play, the freedom brought to me by playing koto is very interesting and should bring a wider amount of acoustic abilities for me to explore.

Have you played any string based instruments?


  

I got to go to a preschool graduation! The first of two, actually. When I asked if it would be possible to go, I didn't expect any special treatment. I just wanted to take part and have another chance to see everyone before a final goodbye.

To my surprise, I was seated in the row of seats for important guests... and had to stand up to speak to the kids. All the other VIPs were older, and better dressed, than me. It was very stressful as each one took a turn to say a few words.

It was incredibly sad, knowing that I would likely never see most of them again. I was able to hold off the tears until the teachers started to cry. Lots of the kids wanted pictures, so we had fun after the ceremony too. I have another ceremony to go to this weekend.

I had a great time, and even got a goodie bag for being awesome!
  

It's my first time in Japan, and that means it's my first sakura season! I'm excited to experience hanami and sakura festivals for the first time. There are so many sakura trees in this area, there even several directly behind my apartment building. My window overlooks them so I have a really beautiful view right now. Between the sakura on the street and all of the turtles in the river, it's my favorite place to just wander around outside and take in this beautiful season.

  

Wow! I'm having a pretty bad run of bad luck lately.

My computer was breaking, so I spent a lot of money on a new one. I thought it couldn't get any worse until I lost my phone charger on a long train. That was annoying, and it was pretty annoying when I broke a charger too.
But 2 days after buying a new computer, my cell phone broke. It won't turn on for more than 30 seconds before it restarts again. It's terrible! When I tried troubleshooting to fix the phone myself, I accidentally erased EVERYTHING! All of my new photos were gone. It was pretty upsetting.

The problem is probably the battery, but the phone model that I bought is impossible to open without breaking it. It's not meant to be opened. It's a used phone, so I don't have any way to have it looked at. My only option is to save my money and be phone-less or buy a new used phone soon.

I think it will be soon! I really need my phone for maps and directions, reading Japanese, and listening to music on the train. Wish me luck that I can find a good replacement.   

I was looking around to see what the current fun toys and games are, when I came across a game titled “ Yeti in my spaghetti”. What is a yeti, you ask? Well, it is a monster based on folklore, looking a bit like an ape, and taller than the average human. It is generally thought to be white, and living in cold snowy regions of the world.
Anyways, this monster apparently shows up in a bowl of spaghetti. Everyone takes a turn to pull out one noodle at a time, until finally the yeti falls in!
It’s a cute game, though I don’t know how fun it will actually be. I assume it’s for the really young kids who would enjoy seeing a yeti fall into the bowl.
I guess I shouldn’t knock it until I try it!  

What does Easter mean to you?

During this time of year many children either buy or make Easter baskets and collect eggs at Easter Egg Hunts. The eggs may have been boiled and dyed beautiful colors or sometimes the eggs are boiled and decorated with paint and stickers. At some Easter Egg Hunts parents have skipped the traditional eggs and have hidden colorful plastic chocolate filled eggs for the children to find.

For me, Easter is a time of reflection. A time to examine who I am and who I want to be. As a Christian we strive to be Christ-like. How close am I to that mark and what can I do to be better? I want to be a beautiful painted egg either full of nutritious protein to make you strong or sweet and delicious chocolate; full of sugar/energy to give you a boost through the day.  

Today I took the train to Kanonji for the weekly teacher's meeting at Gem School. The train is about a 50 minute ride from Utazu station where I live, to Kanonji station, where the main Gem school is.
I prefer to take the train as opposed to driving because I like to have time to myself to think and to not have to worry about driving. Today I noticed many cherry blossoms on the mountains around me when I was riding the train.
It was my first time seeing so many cherry blossoms! and on top of that I didn't know that cherry blossoms grew as wild plants in the woods. My only experience with cherry blossoms was in Washington DC, and those are cultivated. So each day I learn something new about Japan!  

I got a lot of time to myself this Monday. My bike broke this Saturday so I had to send it into the shop for repairs in Takamatsu. While there I decided to just take it easy and get some downtime. After purchasing some books at Miyawaki books and getting a cup of coffee at the new Corsica Coffee location at Kitahama Alley I settled down at Sunport next to Mikayla Cafe and the Nippon Maru ship. The weather was so perfect that I was able to enjoy the sights, sounds, and feel of the coast without a jacket or sweater on my back. I managed to work through some Japanese translation exercises and a few pages of one of Heidegger's books. I also wrote two short poems while sitting out there with my notebook and lunch box. It was a truly peaceful day and I encourage you all to head out there before hay fever really kicks up!  

While in America, I stumbled upon a pinata store. It was excellent. They had so many great pinatas. There were many different characters available and they were well made. I was able to find a pinata of Mario. I filled it with candy and at a party we hit it until it burst open. It was excellent. Candy went everywhere and it was fun to watch!

  

I’m back from America! I visited America for 3 weeks. It was absolutely wonderful! Besides seeing family, one of my favorite things was going to the beach in Miami, Florida. The water is always a crystal clear blue and the weather is crisp and juicy. The sand is soft enough to lay on but also acts as a great exfoliater. You’ll notice your skin so smooth after a day at the beach. It was great to touch Atlantic waters again, but I’m happy to be back in Japan.

  

Hi everyone!

Sunday, March 25th was my 26th birthday, and I made the most of it. One of my bucket list items is to visit every Pokémon center in Japan. Today, I checked another one off that list—the Hiroshima Pokémon center. I got a special Pikachu for my game, a birthday crown, and even got myself a new Pikachu plushie!

In addition to visiting the Pokémon center, we enjoyed a stroll through the Memorial Peace Park; it’s been 8 years since the last time I was there. The cherry blossoms are even beginning to bloom! For dinner, we enjoyed famous Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.

Needless to say, I’ve had a pretty great birthday this year!   

Caught my eye on the way home the other night. Something about the bloom of the light and the colors really resonated with me. The little stick figures are so cute. The way their fans cover their faces a little. You aren't really sure what emotion they have and can imprint it yourself. Cheeky? embarrassed? Shy? Tipsy? You get to decide.

I gotta go one of these days.   

It's almost my favorite time of year! The cherry blossoms have started to bloom, and I am so excited to go walking around in parks to see them. I always feel like I am in a fairy tale or a dream when I am surrounded by cherry blossoms. The trees look like giant, fluffy, pink clouds, and when the petals fall it looks so magical. What is your favorite time of year? How do you feel when the cherry blossoms are in bloom?


  

Hello Readers!

Last week was St. Patricks day in the US.
It's a holiday when people like to party and where green!
The best places to celebrate the holiday are Chicago and Boston.
Chicago even dyes their river green!



Would you like to celebrate St. Patricks day in Chicago?

  

I think I did a blog post about programming and the successes and the fails I have experienced during the whole experience. I should say that it is one of the few sciences that you can completely learn by yourself and get quick results.

Have you programmed before? If so, when was it?


  

I have tested all the weapons and decided on my favorites. I do not like either of the bowguns so thay are my least favorite of them all. However, the best 5 weapons in my opinion are charge blade, insect glaive, sword and shield, bow, and dual blades. I am currently just trying to finish all of the quests for the game completion bonus of the rainbow armor colors. The game is technically finished but I still feel like I have a lot to get done before I will be satisfied. I am not yet able to solo hunt the most difficult monsters yet. I will practice more and eventually be able to farm them for my augmentation items.  

I spent most of an hour trying to pick out two bags that I could use to carry groceries home. From Daiso. Three hundred yen in total. A very trivial purchase. AN HOUR!!!

Sometimes I get made fun of because of my sparsely decorated apartment, but there are legitimate reasons I don't decorate more. If it takes me an hour to let loose of three hundred yen, imagine how difficult it is to purchase a nice rug that costs ten thousand yen. I'm not overly frugal, nor am I indecisive. When you spend most of your life on a very limited income and living out of one room, it becomes more of a reflex to scrutinize every expenditure.

Oh well, I'm use to it. So it will probably stay this way until circumstances force me to change it.  

This weekend I went to Takamatsu with my friends and I had a really great time! We went to an izakaya for dinner and had soba and dumplings. We spent time in the shotengai and I went to Don Quijote for the first time! I also went to the Ayagawa Aeon for the first time. Because I live in Kanonji, it's always really fun for me to go to a city with malls and a shotengai.  

It was hard to write this blog! I had trouble because I am in need of a new computer. My current laptop has been dying for the past year, and I need to replace it. There's nothing worse than suddenly being computer-less.

I use my computer for everything, I even watch more movies on my computer than my DVD player now. I saved up some money for a new laptop but when I went to a few shops, I found that the models weren't any better than what I have now.

I'm looking online for a computer now but it's hard to match my specifications and price. I hope I come to a decision soon!
  

It’s hard to miss the noticeable change in weather. It definitely is getting warmer (even though sometimes it dips back down to cold; be careful not to get sick!). I’m glad; I am not fond of winter, so I welcome warmer weather and everything that comes with it. Sunny days, more chances to spend outside, less clothing, being more comfortable in general. It’s been so long since I have done anything outside, I don’t even know what activities would be fun!

One thing for sure, though, is that I need to have a picnic. Being able to relax outside, and walking barefoot on the grass sounds really nice. What kind of snacks should I bring?