ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! I hope you will be spending this day with friends, family and loved ones, much like Christmas Eve! I know that New Year's Eve in America is very different from New Year's Eve in Japan. In America, it's a big party with fireworks and dancing and good times. In Japan, I understand it's a quiet time to be with family and visit the shrines. I like both versions because either way, a big party or a quiet time, people are focused on the New Year- what is to come, new hopes and dreams, new goals, new beginnings and new adventures. It's a refresh and I think no matter how it's celebrated, it's something to recognize. Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy and be safe. See you in the new year!

  

Flying is always stressful. This week I have been traveling by trains and buses but my family has had endless trouble with their international flights. For a while, we all thought they would be staying in the US for the holidays instead of visiting me in Japan. Fortunately, they were able to get off their first flight just in time to run to their last one! Now, they are stuck in Osaka but only for a few hours thankfully! I am very glad I will be traveling to Tokyo by Shinkansen and will be avoiding all the hassle of flying!  

This Christmas I tried Shogi for the first time. I was visiting Gary Sensei and his wife Candice Sensei for dinner. Gary and I decided to learn to play. I was surprised at how much longer a shogi match takes then chess. Between promotions, and capturing pieces, there are many things to watch for. After around an hour or so of playing, I managed to win the match. It was a very enjoyable game to play, and I'm looking forward to playing more in the future.


  

This week I went for a hike to Takaya Shrine for the first time. The hike was not long to long, and the view from the top of the mountain was beautiful. I really enjoyed looking out at Kanonji from the top of the mountain. The ocean looked so beautiful as the sun reflected off of it. To add to the beauty, it started to snow. It was a truly beautiful moment, standing on the top of a mountain looking at the ocean as snow falls. Moments like this have me in awe of just how beautiful Japan is!


  

When I first went to a Japanese arcade I was shocked by how good some of the games were. In America, arcades have not really changed much over the last 30 years. They lost popularity as console gaming became more popular. So I was very surprised to see some of the games in japan look as good as some console games. It is so different than america. It makes for a far more enjoyable experience when you go to an arcade!


  

My Winter Break started off interesting. The past couple of days I've been sick. The kind of sick that has me not wanting to get out of bed, left my legs and arms sore, and has me shaken with on and off fevers. Safe to say, it doesn't look like I'd be able to accomplish any of my end of the year plans.

What plans did I have in mind? Well, I was eager to hike a mountain with friends but that was cancelled due to my cold. An offer to head out to an arcade was also nixed. Plus, I wanted to wander around Kanonji to view the holiday lights. Both those tasks would just have to wait.

I'm disappointed but let me think on the bright side. For one, my husband Gary is a marvelous caretaker. He makes sure I have lots of vitamin C, soup, and tea. Second, it has been a great time of reflection. While being stuck in bed I have had time to think what my body needs to conquer this infirmity. Third, every step is progression. The fact that now I could sit up in bed by myself is progress! Plus every time I take my medicine I feel energy being thrown back into me. I'm slowly but surely getting back to normalcy. Lastly, Gary put a TV in the room so I could watch Netflix and anime. It was pretty sweet having a television in the bedroom. I could finally catch up on "My Hero Academia" and "Terrace House".

This Winter Break I was greeted with a nasty holiday cold. It has been tough but there is always light to be found in the darkest of challenges. Even though my plans have changed I'm still excited for the New Year. I hope to go into the New Year feeling 100% better. If not then I hope I am a step closer!
  

We are closing in on the year 2019! Did the time really just go by that fast? I'm shocked. It truly has been a great year! Coming to Japan has been a blessing to my wife and me! We are excited to stay in Kanonji this winter vacation to wander around the Kagawa prefecture. After the break is over we plan on celebrating our new year among the wonderful locals.
  

I received some persimmons for Christmas. There were two varieties, one you could just eat, but the other I was warned about being 'astringent'.

Wait...WHAT!

The word astringent means a chemical that causes cells to shrink, but I can't remember ever hearing it as a description of a food. It is mostly used in lotions and other skin products.

Apparently, the type of persimmon used for drying can have a similar effect on your stomach, if eaten without preparations.  

Do we look like we've changed in 8 years?

The very day that vacation began, I had a visitor! My friend who I met at Kansai Gaidai was now in Japan. Gilli and I met over 8 years ago (September 2010) in Japanese class. I clearly remember noticing her clothes and wondering about her. I'm SO glad that I had the courage to talk to her and invite her to go shopping.

She's very fun and loves pastels and art. She seemed to be very into unicorns this year. Gilli also became an English teacher and has been in Korea for the past several years. She has her sights set on Japan but it can't happen just yet.

While she was here, I taught her about resin and she bought a lot of the supplies to do it herself. We talked and talked for a long time and I loved having her here. It was as though nothing had changed ---except we both had a lot of teaching to talk about! We talked so much that we both didn't sleep very much, and I spent Christmas catching up on my sleep.   

When I was growing up, Christmas morning was always a magical time, even when I stopped believing in Santa Claus. My mom was always up early, getting presents ready and preparing a special breakfast which was difficult for her since she was the only parent in the house, but she always put so much effort into it, which is why it was magical, I could feel her love in every part of the day.

We weren't allowed to leave our rooms until she was ready. She would let me and my younger brother know she was ready by playing music, as I grew older and slept in more it became my alarm to wake up. It was usually Peer Gynt's morning song. The music would continue all day between four Christmas CD's and Peer Gynt's CD. When we came down a feast would be waiting.

There was mint tea, piles of bacon, grapefruit, oranges, blueberry pancakes, and savory pancakes with ham cheese and egg cooked into it. We would usually spend all day working on eating all of it.

Then we would go down into the living room and open gifts under the tree and in our stockings (I would also give my mom and brother extra presents). Then we spent all day together by the fireplace playing or using the presents we got, reading new books, watching new movies, or playing games. All together in the living room, we would spend the day and relax all the way until it was time to go to sleep. It is truly a magical day.   

I love playing game with my friends. Back in America we own a game called Above and Below. Its rather long and complicated as a single game can take up to 90 minutes. You build resources, recruit villagers with various skills, build up your village, delve into dungeons and battle your way to victory! Its a lot of fun and Cami and I would play it so many times as it has many different ways to approach the game to win.

We own another game from the same company called Near and Far. The concept is the same except a major difference is that you can create a character and build skills and a story through 7 different maps that each contain their own special rules. Both of them come with a big mission/story book that you read as you go on missions. Some times the missions will be continuations of each other and have additional routes and outcomes depending on how you've completed previous missions.

For Christmas Cami got me their newest game called Islebound. The concept of this one is very similar to the previous entries except this time we're on ships and we're exploring island. What's fun is that some of the pieces from the new games can be used in the older games to expand and create a new way to play the older games. I'm looking forward to playing!


  

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I hope you all are spending time with your family, friends and loved ones. It really is such a special time of year. I love all things Christmas, and I like Christmas Eve more than Christmas day. This is because in my family and in many latin families, Christmas Eve is the day we have a huge celebration with lots of food, dancing and good times. In Spanish it is called "Noche Buena" which literally means "the good night". It's so much fun. I miss having this holiday time with my family but I'm happy to be able to spend it in Japan. This year, I'll have a few friends over for Christmas Eve. It's my family away from family. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas!

  

I’m sitting here writing this surrounded by shirts, sweaters, socks, snacks, and sundry
making my final preparations for a two week trip around some of Japan’s most famous cities. I’m excited to take on Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo but maybe just as excited to be done packing. I don’t like packing. I always feel like I’m forgetting something vital and somehow it always takes way longer than I think it will. However, it’s all worth it once I can head out and enjoy the vacation I spent so much of my life packing for. I’m ready to see some sights, eat some food, and sit on some trains. Then I’ll be back in the blink of an eye. Not literally, of course. I would be a bit upset if I spent hours packing, days planning, months saving, and then walked out my front door, blinked my eyes once and my trip was over. That would be a bummer. What I mean is that even long trips seem really short when you are enjoying them. Or, as we would say, “time flies when you’re having fun.” In fact, sometimes time seems to move so quickly that things feel like they end in less than a second, or the time it takes you to blink your eyes. This, of course, is where today’s first idiom comes from. Anything that happens very quickly, or that feels like it happens very quickly happens “in the blink of an eye.” So, although I often wish the fun parts of the trip felt longer instead of shorter, I plan to thoroughly enjoy every minute! Just as soon as I finish packing…  

The holidays are a beautiful time but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities. There are errands to run, shopping to be done, and vacations to set up. With all that, sometimes one needs a way to unwind or relax. Some people find peace in listening to music, writing in a journal, or taking a long drive. My form of self-care is solving puzzles.

Back when I lived in America, I loved solving 100 to 1000 piece puzzles. I especially loved puzzles with the most elaborate scenery. In fact, I recently purchased a puzzle with a stunning image of Kyoto's Yasaka Pagoda on it. Before that, I bought a 800 piece puzzle featuring a cabin near a mountain range. Though I will admit, on rare occasions, I'd go for a funny puzzle like kittens playing with a soccer ball or Minions eating a banana.

When I'm working on a puzzle I find myself not thinking of the thousands of things on my To Do List. My only focus is which pieces are missing. After using all that brain power I find that I sleep more sound that night.

Plus, I just love that feeling of accomplishment I get from completing a puzzle. I liken it to the feeling one gets after tidying up the house or folding a load of laundry. It doesn't come to any surprise to my husband that when we go to the mall I'm on the hunt for puzzles.

As much as I love working on puzzles alone, it's even more relaxing taking on a puzzle with loved ones. I still can recall times where Gary, friends and/or family have helped me set up a puzzle. There is something so comforting about working together to solve a more challenging puzzle. It's no wonder that I appreciate a box full of puzzles. Not only do they give me instant mental relief this busy holiday season but they make a great activity to partake with the people I care about the most!
  

Since I've been in Japan I've slowly been building a set of tools. I'm too the point now that I need to go to Daiki because the tools I have need upgraded. There are many options available at Daiso, but good tools are really expensive!

Oh, Santa, if you could bring me a lithium powered drill set and a shiny toolbox that would be great!  

A few weeks ago, I did something very brave. I asked for help in making a dentist appointment. It's silly to say "I hate the dentist" because I'm pretty sure more than 90% of people do, but that is the case. But going to the dentist in Japan is extremely affordable, as opposed to the U.S. so it's a good idea that I go. In America, I had two teeth pulled because it was cheaper than having work done. (My Japanese dentist seemed a bit horrified about that.)

I've been having slight tooth pain for about a year, but I avoided chewing on that side of my mouth and things were okay. I was nervous about going somewhere where they don't speak English. I was nervous about how painful everything would be. I also heard that appointments were much shorter compared to the U.S. and I was worried about how many times I'll have to go.

The office was really nice, and all of the equipment seemed quite high-tech. I've never been to a dentist office this nice before! I was pleasantly surprised to see a tv in the ceiling and they let me watch a horror movie on it. I hope the sound of the movie didn't bother any other patients!

One of the dental assistants spoke pretty good English. The first visit was a little painful but I felt better being able to understand what was going on.

I have since gone back for a second appointment, and a different woman was just as nice and helpful. My smile is looking better and I'm glad I'm facing my fears about the dentist.   

This weekend I finally went to eat at Ikkaku. I have been told many times that it serves the local specialty chicken leg and that I should go eat there. I thought that it would just taste like normal chicken, so I didn't make it a priority to go try it.

I finally got a chance to try it when a friend suggested we eat there that night. When I got the chicken I immediately understood I was in for a treat. The flavors and spices were amazing! Even the grease was great! I probably looked horribly messy when I ate it, but I was completely enjoying myself and didn't care what I looked like anymore.

I will definitely go back and eat there again as soon as I can!  

Over the weekend me and a few teachers went up to Utazu to go see a movie. A movie that is close and dear to our childhood and nerdy selves. We went to watch the newest Dragon Ball Z Super movie. And it was awesome. As I've only been in Japan for a few months now my Japanese hasn't improved much but I was able to understand a good portion of the movie despite no subtitles or English dubbing.

We arrived at the theatre and went up to buy popcorn when we saw a collector popcorn container that was in the shape of a dragon ball. My inner child couldn't resist and I ended up buying the container. On the way home though I had to wear the thing as a flag of shame as it screamed that I was a nerd and had just seen the movie. But I didn't care. I was out with my friends and we were having a great time.

The movie was a lot of fun. If you're a fan of DBZ this is a must see for you. The animation was beautiful, the soundtrack was hilariously awesome, and Broly is actually a likable character now.


  

Hello all, This has been a exciting holiday season for my wife and I. Since I've been a good boy, Santa has brought me Super Smash Bros.Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. I am very happy with this gift. Smash Bros has been my favorite game since I was young and I'm beyond excited to play it again. All my students know about it which makes it extra special to be able to play in Japan.   

My sister DID end up coming to Japan in November! We had such a wonderful time together, it felt like a dream! We went to Kyoto and Osaka and also spent a few days in Takamatsu. When we were in Kyoto and Osaka, we did so much it almost feels like a blur. At times we were so tired but we were having so much fun so we kept going. I was really happy to show her where I live in Takamatsu but also other great cities in Japan. My sister really loved Kyoto: I mean, who could blame her? Kyoto is beautiful, and Osaka is full of life! All in all we had a magical trip together, and having such a great time made it all that much harder to say goodbye. I was so sad when she left on the bus back to KIX, but I know I will see her again soon and I'm so grateful she came to visit me. I love my sister. As I've said before, having a sister is like being born with a best friend.