ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

There was watermelon at the grocery store this week! I was excited because I love watermelon, but it also surprised me because it is such a summer item for me. Back in Colorado snow is still falling every now and then. I guess I just can't believe how nice the weather is here, but the proof is in the watermelon.

I'm going to go ahead and eat my first watermelon of the year now. Have a great day!  

Over the weekend there was a spring festival here in Kanonji up at Takaya Shrine Hongu and Cami and I were quite interested in checking it out. So we headed out and walked from our apartment up the the shrine around 12. Along the way we saw some various stalls selling food and local work and all of it smelled so good. There was this one stall that was cooking doughnuts that looked so good but also could give us a heart attack. We powered through and didn't buy any food since Cami made us lunch for when we got to the festival.

Just before we reached the base of the mountain both of us started losing energy and motivation and then we heard the drumming of the chosas and it woke us up and we started walking even faster with new found energy. We managed to arrive just in time to see the final three chosas perform before they went away. I wonder if the chosas were cutting their performances short because it was raining pretty hard and they were worried about damaging them.

We ended up walking down a bit, picking up some fried potato and sat under this sakura tree and ate lunch. It turned out to be a really lovely day despite the rain. The walk there was very pretty, the festival was a lot of fun and the lunch Cami made us was delicious.
  

I have leveled up! I finally know how to order local pizza via the internet in Kagawa! It only took me a year to figure it out! No more walking back and forth to the pizza place for me! I can say goodbye to bike riding there too! Though I will admit I quite liked bike riding to the pizza place.

Now to see if it actually worked! Every knock on the door could be a pizza delivery man or woman! I'm trying really hard to distract myself from all the excitement. The TV is on but now every show reminds me of pizza. "Oh that Gundam on the television is gigantic! Gigantic like the two large pizza pies I ordered!" "Wow what a beautiful atmosphere in this space movie. You know what else is a beautiful atmosphere? Pizza with lots of toppings!"

Suddenly I hear two gentle knocks. I dart towards the door. I quickly open it just to be greeted with two very hot large pizzas! I pay the deliveryman and take in my freshly made pizzas! I do a little dance for joy with my wife (Candice-Sensei) and then we feast! Safe to say, I feel victorious... and really full! Hahaha
  

Recently I visited Joyful. They had a special limited time cheese burger for sale. I've had some good burgers in Japan, but their texture felt different from burgers in America. However, when I bit into this burger it reminded me of dinners back home. It was surprising how something so little was so satisfying.


(not my photo)   

My students mentioned a park in Niihama, Takinomiya park. When i looked up the area in googled it looked like a very small park. When I went to see the park, it was actually a very big park. I was really surprise how much the park was in invested in. It was very beautiful and peaceful, I enjoyed taking pictures.  

I know I have mentioned that I am a vegetarian, but in reality, that's not entirely true. I actually eat fish as well from time to time. Pictured below is Kochi's famous dish, katsuo no tataki (right?) and it was sooo delicious! I honestly love fish and this one is so simple and delicious. I could eat this everyday. Not to mention it's healthy for you! Out of all the meat, fish is one of the healthier meats with a lot of nutrients and protein and minimal fat. I enjoyed this dish very much and I'm hoping to eat it again soon!

  

We all love pizza, but what's the right way to eat it? The world may never come together on this. It makes me sad to think you are all so wrong and I am clearly right on this. Pizza dough should be chewy, and the sauce should be full of spice (not sweet!) In Tokushima a really great pizza shop called BB's makes nice pie in a few ways. I think if you want better pizza, a place with 15+ kinds of pizza is questionable. They think toppings are the most important part.

Am I a snob? Of course not. The pizza in front of you is always the best pizza. We all agree on that, right?


Tell you your favorite pizza places when you see me.

Joe o/

  

This past weekend, my friend and I went to Hiroshima and Rabbit Island (Okunojima).

Hiroshima was amazing to say the least. The A-bomb Dome left us speechless and we could fell the intense emotions around the structure as well as inside the museum. The park around the museum was beautiful as well! The art in the park was very good as it represented many messages such as peace, love, and survival. For instance the arch like structure that had water around it and flowers in the front was positioned just perfectly so you could see the A-bomb Dome about 1 kilometer away under the arch. It left a very lasting impression on us.

The following day we went to Rabbit Island, which is located in the Hiroshima prefecture but closer to the Shimanami Kaido bridge that connects Hiroshima to Ehime. The island was as we expected, crowded with rabbits that would run towards you if they saw you had a bag of food. What we didn't expect, was seeing all of the ruins of the gas chambers where they would produce poisonous gas for the war of Japan against Russia. They were really cool to see and we were really glad we went.  

Since arriving to Japan I've discovered the super group Twice! One day while casually listening to music on Japan's YouTube, a video from Twice randomly appeared. Since it was a slow day I decided to click on the music link. Upon watching their video I witnessed just how talented this 9 member group is! They can sing, dance, and rap!

I think what I liked best about Twice is their wholesome, feel good music. Every song they sing is catchy and memorable! Plus the girls are all talented in their own right but remain humble. In every award show they thank the fans, show vulnerability and compassion during their speeches. Plus they have no shame being corny. I have been corny since the day I was born... so I can relate!

Safe to say, I'm pretty obsessed now. I was just online trying to buy a Twice t-shirt. Just recently they announced they'd be on tour. I saw the distance of the concerts, time, and ticket prices and wanted to cry. Everything did not accommodate my schedule at all! I guess I will have to try again next time! As their song says "Cheer up!"
  

As of last week, my third year in Saijo has begun. I can't believe it almost slipped past without me realizing. It doesn't seem like it has been that long.

In general, I'm not very good at recognizing or noticing the passage of time. So to put it into proper perspective I have to set benchmarks. For example, 'that student was only five when I started,' or 'in another two years that student will be in High School'.

It really does boggle the mind.  

Like most in Japan, I went out to spend some time under the cherry blossoms. When I looked at the list of places around me, it was hard to decide where to go.

I never meant to have a contest for the best place to see sakura. But somehow, I found a winner. Mt.Shiude.

Nestled in Mitoyo city, the top of this mountain has a beautiful park of cherry blossoms. There had to be hundreds there, and I was surrounded. My friends told me that it was crowded and yes, it was, but it was large enough to hold the crowds. It didn't feel loud or busy (except when we waiting for the bus).

Everyone was able to enjoy the day at their own pace. I took many photos and a few videos. There were honeybees flying around, which scared me, but I refused to let it ruin my wonderful time.

I'm going to be so annoying this year by saying things about sakura places like "well it can't be as beautiful as Shiudeyama..."  

I had two things I needed to do over the weekend- taxes and cherry blossom viewing! It was a hard decision but I decided to do the taxes first so that I could enjoy the Sakura! In America taxes are due in April whereas in Japan you do them in March. Yes, I put it off too long. Unfortunately, it took me an entire day to do them, mostly because I had to file them on the internet using software I was not familiar with! By the end of the day my head hurt terribly, but the taxes were done! Mission #1 was accomplished!!

The next day I left the apartment early, backpack filled with my lunch and my Nikon camera. I needed a good brisk walk to clear my head from the pounding inside left from those taxes! It was a beautiful day. Blue sky, sunny and warm. By the time I got to Ritsurin Garden and saw my first Sakura and took my first picture, there was no stopping me....I couldn't get enough of the beauty and peace that it made me feel inside. I circled the whole park and then headed toward downtown Takamatsu to the city park and Tamomo Park- and any place I spotted Sakura!

By the time I was done, I had gone 20 miles, which is roughly 32km. and taken over 200 pictures. And the sun was setting. I did take several breaks to sit in the sun under the trees. There was just enough breeze so that I was sprinkled with cherry blossoms falling from the trees.

And my mind was at peace...free from the pain of doing those taxes! Thank you Sakura.






  

I'm sure everyone else is writing about hanami, so I'll keep this brief. I've been really enjoying doing hanami and have been trying to do it as often as possible all week. The most spectacular place I have been to was Mt. Shiude, but all of the places have been gorgeous. There is just something about relaxing outside with both people you like and strangers that really hits the spot. I hope I'll be able to do a little more before the cherry blossoms are all gone!  

It's been three years since Cami and I got together. And I couldn't be happier with her. She's opened so many possibilities for me in these last three years and we lived such an amazing life together. Without her I can safely say I wouldn't be here in Japan. I might not have finished school and I wouldn't be making all these wonderful memories and friends with her. So here's to you Cami. I love you and happy 3 year anniversary.   

This picture shows the actual arena that WrestleMania was held in.

My weekend was eventful. I bought convenience store food and previewed three different wrestling programs! The first program I watched was NXT Take Over! NXT features the next generation of wrestling superstars. All the wrestlers are fighting to earn a spot on WWE. World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE for short is America's largest and longest running wrestling program. It is great to watch NXT and see this new batch of talented wrestlers.

After watching NXT I found myself tuned into NJPW. I've been a fan of New Japan Pro-Wrestling for years! I've even been to two shows. In fact, last month my wife and I went to a show in Takamatsu's General Gymnasium. The entire NJPW roster always leaves me in awe! I love their athleticism and sportsmanship! Plus I had to see the highly anticipated match between Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi!

Once NJPW was finished I found myself watching WWE's WrestleMania! WrestleMania is said to be America's most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. My wife and I always make it a point to watch WrestleMania events together. It has become our little tradition! Hopefully one day we can actually go to a WrestleMania event. Overall, I had a relaxing day! Nothing beats watching back to back wrestling programs with the Mrs.!

  

This was my first time getting to see cherry blossoms in Japan. It was incredibly beautiful! There are cherry blossoms at my home town but there are not nearly as many, since they have to be imported. In Japan There are so many cherry blossoms. It is a sea of white and pink. It was incredible to see! I am very glad I got to finally see what Hanami in Japan is like.


  

I love flowers. Thankfully, I don't have any allergies to pollen so I can enjoy being around beautiful flowers and smelling their wonderful scents. I went to a botanical garden in Kochi and unfortunately, most of the flowers outside had not bloomed yet when I went because it was still cold, however, they did have this gorgeous and fairly large green house that had so many beautiful flowers. A lot of orchids in full bloom and many beautiful flower arrangements. I felt like I was in a secret hidden part of the world that was like paradise. I hope one day I could have a garden that looks this beautiful.


  

One of the first places I visited when I came to Japan a year ago was Ritsurin Koen. So, it’s fitting that it will be one of the last places I’ve visited before going back to the U.S. When I went the first time it was during the day. This time, I visited at night for a special cherry blossom viewing. Both trips were really beautiful but this weekend was extra special! The cherry blossoms were finally in full bloom (I’d been trying to see them for a while but they had only been partially blooming!) so they looked really fluffy and graceful! I would even say they were magical! It was definitely an evening I will remember forever!   

I heard about Shisa from an Okinawa friend. About the commission from some ruler, telling them to carve them, but with no pictures to go off. One has the mouth open and one is kept closed. I have seen so many statues over town "Aren't these the same thing?", I wondered. They are not!

Shisa will be much more lion-like. They have their mouths open, but protect the house, money and the people inside.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shisa

Komainu are the statues around our shrines. They are much more dog like (hence the name), and the mouths mean something much different. The open mouth says "ah", and the latter" "unn", which represent an important aspect of Hindu, buddhist, and the Jain religions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu

Show me your Lion-dog statue pictures. They look interesting to me.
Until we meet again,
Joe
  

I have been taking Japanese lessons every week since I arrived in Japan a few months ago and I feel like they are finally starting to pay off! I love being able to understand even just one or two words when I am out in the community. I also like being able to respond to locals in my very broken Japanese because it feels more respectful to attempt to converse in their language rather than default immediately to English. Hopefully my Japanese skills keep improving!