ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

I'm back from America, and I want to share about the rest of my trip home. After visiting with my friend, I went to visited my grandparents. It was a lot of fun. We had Pizza for dinner, then we relaxed around a campfire outside. I left the next morning. The rest of my trip was visiting with my family, before my long trip home. My vacation as a whole was so relaxing. I had fun, but I'm glad to be back to Japan.


  

When I lived in America, I often went to the movies at least once a week. However since I've moved to Japan I haven't been yet because the closes movie theater is a 40 minutes train ride, plus a 40 walk from the station. That being said, with the movie, "Joker" and the controversy surrounding the film back in the states, I wanted to see if for myself. The movie itself was interesting, but the experience I want to talk about itself was process of actually seeing the movie here in Japan. Though many things are similar as back in America, there are a couple of key differences. First, reserved seating. Reserved seating is growing more popular in America, but here in Japan it seems to be standard in all movie theaters (a change I think should be implemented in the US). Second, the popcorn. The theater I went to offered fresh caramel popcorn (which I have never seen in the US) and frankly was the best popcorn I've ever eaten. The third and final difference is the ticket price. Tickets are much more expensive here in Japan (almost double the price of a ticket in the US. But I suppose Japanese tourists in America would be shocked to find just how expensive popcorn and a soda are in the United States!  

It's Fall, and with that comes the Lion Dances!

It's called Shishimai.
Shishi means lion :V The general story is that these two kids dressed in flower hats play the drums. They rustle a sleeping lion. Instead of attacking, it's spurred into a wonderful dance. It's not scary to most adults. Sometimes the actors will use the head of the doll to chomp up a baby in the crowd. I'm told this is good luck.

This took place in Kozai, a district of Takamatsu's western neighborhoods. I was glad to hear the drums and get close. It did hurt my ear's after 2 hours though.

How often do you see lions dancing?
Joe o/  

In several towns and cities in the US have something called the "Rubber Duck Race" is held. Thousands of rubber ducks are set loose into a river. I once went to one in Breckenridge Colorado where it's a 30 year tradition. You can "adopt" a duck to send down the river and the money generally goes to a charity or fundraiser.
  

Pokemon Sword and Shield, the latest installment of the Pokemon (Pocket Monsters) series, will arrive to the Nintendo Switch on the 15th of November! I'm obnoxiously happy about this! I associate Pokemon with lots of fond childhood memories. I was in middle school when Pokemon came out in America. Everyone in my school loved the Pokemon games, the family friendly TV show, and all the Pokemon memorabilia.

That love of Pokemon is still alive and well in the United States. Even though my friends are all older with families, we still appreciate and play Pokemon games! A lot of my friends even play Pokemon video games with their children! I'm definitely going to purchase Pokemon Shield to support a franchise that continues to bring a smile to so many people's faces!
  

Work began last Monday, so I took some pictures when I could.

First, we have what was under the old floor.

You can see how much space there was between each beam.

Next is how they decided to fix the problem.

Get a load of all that wood! There are still some things I don't understand about Japanese carpentry, so this seems a bit weird. However, more isn't a bad thing in this instance.

Finally, how my room looks now.

TA-DA!!! Before you ask, I don't know why two of the sheets of plywood are different colors.  

On Sunday, Gem School participated in an event at Kodomo no Kuni, in Takamatsu. I was blown away by the look of the place. The huge dragon walkway was amazing! We met a lot of kids all day, reading books and saying hello! On my lunch break, I went inside of the building.

It was like a children's play place and a hands-on museum all rolled into one. I couldn't stop being impressed by everything.


The dragon spans over the entire building, with a few ways in or out. I accidentally went through a side with an obstacle course, weaving and ducking through holes and bars. It was a lot of fun.
I liked all of the airplane related stuff and playing with the instruments.   

Fall has definitely arrived! It was 57 degrees Fahrenheit, 14 degrees Celsius last night!! I had to shut my windows!! Unfortunately, I had just started opening them again since the weather finally changed from hot to warm!! The warm blankets feel great again at night and I am loving the great sleep the cool nights are bringing.

Also loving the cooler weather are the flowers! Autumn flowers are blooming all over Takamatsu! So off I went on my bike to take pictures!! The fall crops are coming up among the freshly harvested rice fields. AND the first leaves are turning color! I saw a whole row of trees already turned to red! Cherry trees at Ritsurin Garden had already dropped their leaves!! My favorite, the bright red color of the Japanese Maples!! Bring them on!!



  

When I lived in America, one of my favorite things to drink was tapioca tea. They had a ton of different brands and shops in Texas. When I got to Takamatsu, many of the good shops didn't exist but recently we've been blessed with 3 new tapioca tea shops: Wu Cha, Yoicha, and Black Sheep. They are all very high quality and taste super good. My favorite was Yoicha. The tea is a little expensive but its worth it...haha  

I survived the summer heat! This summer was pleasant. Far from the scorching temperatures back home in Florida in my opinion. A lot of people say summer is their favorite season. Winter is still mines, but I appreciate living somewhere that has all four different seasons.

Right now I'm ready for the weather to feel like autumn! My jackets have been waiting to be released from "prison" (a.k.a. my closet). I'm also fond of the leaves changing colors. Come on, Fall! I'm waiting for you!
  

I caught with one of my best friends this week. We haven't seen each other for almost 2 years. It was a lot of fun! We got hamburgers and drove up the mountains, we ate lunch on a lake we used to hangout on a lot. It was nice catching it on life and visiting.


  

Today I am doing something that I did a lot in America, but haven't done yet in Japan -- go to the movies! Back in the states I would usually go to the movies once every week or two because I worked at a movie theater and had free tickets. But since I moved to Japan and the movie theater is a bit far away, I haven't really felt the motivation to go to the movie theater, but all of that will end today when I see Joker! Stay tuned for my review next week!  

Fall is here and that does mean the flowers are changing. Just a few more typhoons and we'll be in the clear, watching the leaves change and seeing some really cool festivals. It's great to take time and smell the roses, but that doesn't mean you should ignore the other flowers. This one really smelled great.

My favorite tree is the Japanese Maple. My mother grows one in California. Seeing them every fall reminds me of home. Fall is by far the best season.


What flowers did you smell this week?

Joe  

Twice debuted their new single the 23rd of September! Their new song "Feel Special" didn't disappoint! "Feel Special" is about feeling downtrodden and disappointed only to be picked up by a loved one and made to "feel special." I can't get enough of the lyrics! I can relate to lines like: "Days when I suddenly feel all alone/ When I feel like I don’t belong anywhere/ And my head is hanging down/ Whenever those days come, you tell me/ How precious I am/ All those words you say/ Everything’s alright!" I think almost everyone can relate to having a rough day only for a kind action or word to change everything for the better! A kind action has the power to change an entire atmosphere! It can even be something as small as smiling at a stranger.

My husband, parents, and the people in my life always make me feel special in big and small ways. "Even when hurtful words stab me/ I smile again 'cause you're here." If you don't feel anyone in your life makes you feel special, the song even can be applied to finding the specialness in yourself and cherishing it! ("I become a very special me.") Even if you don't feel special... you are!

No matter how this day goes at the end of the day I'll smile because I feel loved, I feel so special! Thanks, Twice, for always putting things in perspective through a song! If you're having a long day, listen to the song and remember how special you are!



  

We have a lot of words, most with a meaning that is too archaic for most people to understand, that we use as descriptions. A good one is 'mushy'.

'Mushy' is used to describe something that is so soft that it falls apart easily. It is used mostly to describe food, at least partially because that is what 'mush' originally referred to.

Whereas 'soft' is usually a good thing, 'mushy' seldom is. Personally, I find 'mushy' food to be unappetizing. It is the main reason I don't like konjac (konyakku).  

Recently, my friend said that they saw a prize lottery for a pokemon that I like. You may remember that I dressed up like Mimikyu for Halloween last year. I collect him just a little bit. I like that he looks kind of scary.

Anyway, my friend thought she'd surprise me with a cup or towel or something, but that was not the case! She plopped a large bag in front of me and explained "I won the top prize on accident!"

Inside, was a very large stuffed Mimikyu! We laughed and I was so surprised! It's one of the largest gifts I've ever received in Japan.



I've had a lot of bad luck lately, so this prize feels like things might turn around soon!  

As I've biked or walked around Takamatsu all year, I have enjoyed watching the gardens bloom and the fields get planted, then grow and produce the crops that show up in all the local markets. In the last few weeks, I've especially enjoyed watching the rice get harvested. I actually grew rice in science class up in Tokyo with my students, so I knew the process. But it was fun watching it in action in the fields.

I loved the smell of the rice which was a new smell to me. However, the smell of the freshly harvested fields was deja vu and immediately brought back memories of the smell of fresh hay from my Grandparents barn. I would play in the hay lofts searching for eggs from the chickens!

Even though the process of harvesting the rice is all the same, the methods were very different. Some local farmers brought in small harvesting combines to harvest. Others, like this farmer, did it ALL by hand! I saw him cut, bundle and thrash!! Amazing!! And I am sure he's been doing it his whole life and would have it no other way! Kudos!!!


  

My dad use to greet the day with a cup of hot coffee. Now I find myself craving black coffee top of the morning. My wife (Candice-Sensei) recently purchased a moka pot. Now I have found a whole new way to enjoy morning coffee! At first I was confused by the strange looking coffee maker. Now I use it with confidence! Candice-Sensei and I take turns making each other coffee. It's WONDERFUL to greet the day with a nice cup of coffee. It's even more wonderful to share a cup with a loved one!   

One of the best parts about living in Japan is conveyor belt sushi or kaitenzushi. They have some stores in America but they are more expensive and not as good quality. So far my favorite store has been Sushiro. I like to go quite often!  

Today I landed in america, and after a small drive I am officially home. It was a long trip, three hours on train and 25 hours in airports and flying. I'm exhausted but happy to be home. I'm looking forward to sharing stories about my trip with everyone soon.