Last night I finaly got around to ringing up my old host family. I haven't seen them in about 7 years. It was heaps dodgy the first time I rang them because I just got the grandma and she couldn't hear me properly and had no idea who I was. But this time the parents were home and she passed me off to the bloke who knew who I was. I am going out with them on Sunday to see the Konko music concert. It was good to talk to them though. Their daughter, who stayed at my house when I was in high school, is currently in Tokyo studying at a foreign language uni, English and Thai. She's coming home in late September so hopefully I will get to meet her then. Actually September is very quickly filling up with things to do. The ALT who lives above me is going away for a couple of weeks and asked me to fill in and teach a couple of his private English classes. I have so far managed to avoid teaching any private classes, despite pressure to do so from various people, but I figure it can't hurt to just fill in for a couple of weeks. It is good money and I will need it to cover what I lose from my salary because of my holidays.
This weekend it seems I am off to Okayama for an Aussie reunion of some description. I assume this means there will be plenty of beer drinking and etc. Not altogether a bad thing...
August 31, 2006
August 30, 2006
Phonics ROCK!
So the grade 1 teacher, whose English is the best here, came up to me today and asked me about phonics. Seems she wants me to teach the grade 5 and 6 kids how to read using phonics. I love phonics. I learnt to read using this system. Be buggered if I can figure out how it works now though. Seriously, once you start getting into it, there are so many exceptions to the rules that there can be no rules. But I guess I will have to count on the fact that the words we are teaching these kids are rarely all that advanced and hence less likely to be words English has borrowed from other languages along the way and hence don't follow the rules. So we can talk a lot about cats and dogs no worries. I think she is being quite optimistic about what these kids will be interested in learning - but I will have a crack, because as I said before I LOVE PHONICS!
August 29, 2006
What do Australians eat?
The school lunch lady just asked me what the 10 high school students who are coming over from Adelaide in October would like to eat for lunch. ... How the hell would I know?? As though every single Australian has the same tastes or something. When I said everyone has different tastes so it is hard for me to say exactly she started asking me specific foods. Will they eat udon? I supposed they would, considering that udon consists of fat white noodles in slightly flavoured heated water and hence could hardly be distasteful to many people. And then she was all "Really? Udon is OK?" Like it was the most flavoursome food in the world and that most people can only eat if they have been exposed to it from birth, like natto, or Vegemite or something. I had to refrain from saying "yeah, udon tastes like nothing" because they love their udon in this area, it's an industry here. But really, if any of you have ever had udon you know what i am talking about - it is practically like eating air. Having gotten this much out of me she branches out into vegetables. Do they eat mushrooms? Buggered if I know, mostly I want to say they will eat anything they are given, but there is always gonna be some fussy brat who'll fuck that up for me by refusing to eat anything except the Fruit Loops his mum packed. When I came to Japan on the very trip that these kids are coming on I ate anything that was put in front of me. Mostly because we were so hungry from standing around waiting to be told where we were going next.
For some reason the middle aged Japanese still seem think that in Australia we only eat potato and meat. The host parents are always heaps concerned about what food to give the Aussie kids. The reason the kids come here is to get a Jap experience so they should just feed them a normal meal rather than try and cater to their tastes. But that would involve being a bad host I guess. It is great that they are so thoughtful, but in the end it just amounts to mollycoddling which I am never a fan of.
Today we got ice cream in the staffroom. Dunno why, but the vice principal just wandered in with a bag full of ice creams and we all got one. Just for being around I guess. All I have done today is write e-mails and colour in the border on my schedule. I did print some song sheets earlier on and took them up to the E room. That made me look heaps organised. I totally deserve an ice cream for that!
For some reason the middle aged Japanese still seem think that in Australia we only eat potato and meat. The host parents are always heaps concerned about what food to give the Aussie kids. The reason the kids come here is to get a Jap experience so they should just feed them a normal meal rather than try and cater to their tastes. But that would involve being a bad host I guess. It is great that they are so thoughtful, but in the end it just amounts to mollycoddling which I am never a fan of.
Today we got ice cream in the staffroom. Dunno why, but the vice principal just wandered in with a bag full of ice creams and we all got one. Just for being around I guess. All I have done today is write e-mails and colour in the border on my schedule. I did print some song sheets earlier on and took them up to the E room. That made me look heaps organised. I totally deserve an ice cream for that!
August 28, 2006
Easing back in
Saturday morning I went down to Hiroshima in an attempt to distract myself from being back in Japan and about to face an entire week of work. R cam ewith me and we so we did a few touristy things as he had never been looking around Hiroshima before. A visit to the peace dome and the museum and so on. The Peace Museum was packed as always. I have been there about 3 times now. The first time I went I found it all a bit overwhelming, but now I have gotten to the point where I don't stop to read stuff, I just give it a cursory glance which is a good example of how easily humans become impervious to even the most emotive situations. Or perhaps I am just more cold hearted than most!
At about 4 I met up with my Japanese friend who lives in Hiroshima and we headed straight to Molly's for some refreshments. I updated S on my adventures in Thailand and Vietnam and she patiently waded through the 2 kg worth of photos I had taken of the event! At some point I was heaps surprised to see an old uni friend come out and start working behindthe bar. He was workng there when I was living in Hiroshima, but last time I was here I was told that he had quit. We had a quick catch up but he was quite busy so didn't get long for chat. Maybe next time... While we were there a guy came in and sat by himself next to us. While he ate we sussed him out for converstaional suitability and eventually when he looked up I waved him over and he came and sat with us. Turns out he was a high school student from Denmark studying here for 10 months or so. His Japanese was very good given his short stay here and his English was fluent. How jealous was I that he can speak so many languages at such a young age?! He ended up hanging out with us for the rest of the night until his host mum came and picked him up when she got a littl too concerned about his being ou so late. He is only 17 after all, and I don't think that Japanese parents are used to being quite so liberal.
On to the next stop, Spud Love. More drinks, more chat with randoms. Turns out that my friend who has just come back from study in Ohio in the States was working in the shop right next door! So she didn't have far to come to meet up with us at all. She was looking very well and her English has improved out of sight which was good to hear. We all ended up at G's again, singing karaoke and so on. Bit of an odd night though really. No dancing unfortunately. Next time. We ended up at someone's birthday party at an okonomiyaki shop at some point too. I didn't atually drink that much, but was heaps tired and fell asleep almost immediately in my usual internet cafe accommodations! Actually I had to search for one that had chairs left this time and got a bit concerned that I might end up sleeping the peace park with all the vagrants (yes, no comments about how appropriate thanks), but luckily someone pointed me in the direction of a place I had overlooked in the hondori and it turned out to be about $5 cheaper too!
So, however distracted I was on the weekend, I am back at work again. BOO. This morning these was a massive meeting and then an English Activity workshop during which I heard that Australian English is "weird". That's the technical term of course, in layman's terms it would be "innappropriate for study since it's not spoken in America". Interesting that they also do not consider British English "normal" when that is where the whole thing comes from originally! Yes I am certainly back at work.
At about 4 I met up with my Japanese friend who lives in Hiroshima and we headed straight to Molly's for some refreshments. I updated S on my adventures in Thailand and Vietnam and she patiently waded through the 2 kg worth of photos I had taken of the event! At some point I was heaps surprised to see an old uni friend come out and start working behindthe bar. He was workng there when I was living in Hiroshima, but last time I was here I was told that he had quit. We had a quick catch up but he was quite busy so didn't get long for chat. Maybe next time... While we were there a guy came in and sat by himself next to us. While he ate we sussed him out for converstaional suitability and eventually when he looked up I waved him over and he came and sat with us. Turns out he was a high school student from Denmark studying here for 10 months or so. His Japanese was very good given his short stay here and his English was fluent. How jealous was I that he can speak so many languages at such a young age?! He ended up hanging out with us for the rest of the night until his host mum came and picked him up when she got a littl too concerned about his being ou so late. He is only 17 after all, and I don't think that Japanese parents are used to being quite so liberal.
On to the next stop, Spud Love. More drinks, more chat with randoms. Turns out that my friend who has just come back from study in Ohio in the States was working in the shop right next door! So she didn't have far to come to meet up with us at all. She was looking very well and her English has improved out of sight which was good to hear. We all ended up at G's again, singing karaoke and so on. Bit of an odd night though really. No dancing unfortunately. Next time. We ended up at someone's birthday party at an okonomiyaki shop at some point too. I didn't atually drink that much, but was heaps tired and fell asleep almost immediately in my usual internet cafe accommodations! Actually I had to search for one that had chairs left this time and got a bit concerned that I might end up sleeping the peace park with all the vagrants (yes, no comments about how appropriate thanks), but luckily someone pointed me in the direction of a place I had overlooked in the hondori and it turned out to be about $5 cheaper too!
So, however distracted I was on the weekend, I am back at work again. BOO. This morning these was a massive meeting and then an English Activity workshop during which I heard that Australian English is "weird". That's the technical term of course, in layman's terms it would be "innappropriate for study since it's not spoken in America". Interesting that they also do not consider British English "normal" when that is where the whole thing comes from originally! Yes I am certainly back at work.
August 25, 2006
Back in Japland again
OK peoples I am back in Japan!
Reluctantly. The last 2 weeks have been great fun and coming in to work this morning was a little bit like what I imagine walking up to a carefully arranged bonfire above which you are to be tied would feel like. At least most of the teachers are not here owing to a PTA event tomorrow that they all have to attend. How stupid am I? Coming back from holidays to work on a Friday? Anyway let's think about my vacation.
I did some updates in Thailand I think. If I ever go to Thailand again I would like to avoid the tourist spots. Patong was fun, but it doesn't seem like the real Thailand for me. It is all there just for the tourists. A bit like Cairns is in Queensland I guess. Most of the population are only there for a week or so. I did get a Thai massage though which was very very relaxing and made me wish I could afford a masseuse on staff (but what with the cook and personal trainer, my budget is a little stretched at the moment). Lying by the pool was also lovely, got chatting with a few of our neighbours. We met heaps of Kuwaitis for some reason. After a while you get used to dealing with all the pressure from the locals to use their tuk tuk or buy from their shop. At first I didn't want to be too rude and not say hello back when they spoke to us, but in the and you realise sometimes it is the only way to avoid being dragged into a big long conversation that always ends in "Oh well, I can take you there in my tuk tuk!". I didn't find Thailand as cheap as what I was told. My funds ran low very quickly and mum generously paid for a couple of things that I did - like the massage.
I'd be interested to travel around a bit next time and see if things are different elsewhere. Vietnam was a lot more up my alley. I stayed in Saigon for a couple of days and went up to Nha Trang and went swimming and snorkling and stuff. Crossing the street in Vietnam is just the best. At first you stand there looking at the barrage of motorcycles wondering when they will stop so you can get across. But then you see the locals just wandering out in front of them and not dying and realise that you have to do the same. So the idea is that you just walk slowly, without stopping across in front of all the traffic and it just avoids you. And it works! The bikes just readjust their path slightly to avoid you. The streets are quite wide so it was all good. I didn't see a single accident the whole time I was there. They all beep their horns impulsively though. I don't know who they are beeping at or why because at any given time there are at leasts 3 people around you breaking the law in some way. Once I was looking out into the street in the early hours of the morning, it was totally deserted, just one scooter putting along and it beeped its horn!! It must be a disease they have. Call me crazy but I kind of enjoyed the chaos on the roads. It just seemed to work in the end. Everyone just expects the road rules to be broken so they are more aware drivers (well most of them are riders since there were many more bikes than cars). It was also quite funny watching them use a motorbike as the family sedan. Often you would see a bike coming towards you with a child of 1 appearing to be in control, propped up on the petrol tank, 3 more kids on the back and mum holding them all on.
I checked out a museum in Saigon, walked around aimlessly a lot and did absolutely no shopping although I was approached a bit to buy postcards or flowers. There were heaps of crazy fruits and stuff. Saigon doesn't have tall buildings. I think that's what I liked about it. The sun gets in everywhere and it feels a lot roomier. It is a bit of a mix between new and old. More old than new - there seemed to be a lot of construction going on, but everywere was still a tad messy. I don't know if I was just rebelling against the perfect precision that is Japanese town planning, but I enjoyed the messy streets and odd angles and unfinished look to everything. The Vietnamese themselves are very friendly I reckon. Although not when you would expect them to be. Like, when you go somewhere official where you might expect good service at home you don't get it. Like at Vietnam Airlines office. They don't go out of their way to help you out, but in the streets people are heaps nice. I had a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels and my tour guide was just hilarious. Pretty cheeky fellow.
I would love to go back to Vietnam when I have more time and check out Hanoi too. I reckon it's gonna get heaps more crowded with tourists over the next few years, so better go before it gets "discovered" like Thailand seems to be. It is still pretty cheap too. Plenty of cheap beers were consumed... Next time I should make more of an effort to learn some Vietnamese though, I only know how to say Thankyou!!
Reluctantly. The last 2 weeks have been great fun and coming in to work this morning was a little bit like what I imagine walking up to a carefully arranged bonfire above which you are to be tied would feel like. At least most of the teachers are not here owing to a PTA event tomorrow that they all have to attend. How stupid am I? Coming back from holidays to work on a Friday? Anyway let's think about my vacation.
I did some updates in Thailand I think. If I ever go to Thailand again I would like to avoid the tourist spots. Patong was fun, but it doesn't seem like the real Thailand for me. It is all there just for the tourists. A bit like Cairns is in Queensland I guess. Most of the population are only there for a week or so. I did get a Thai massage though which was very very relaxing and made me wish I could afford a masseuse on staff (but what with the cook and personal trainer, my budget is a little stretched at the moment). Lying by the pool was also lovely, got chatting with a few of our neighbours. We met heaps of Kuwaitis for some reason. After a while you get used to dealing with all the pressure from the locals to use their tuk tuk or buy from their shop. At first I didn't want to be too rude and not say hello back when they spoke to us, but in the and you realise sometimes it is the only way to avoid being dragged into a big long conversation that always ends in "Oh well, I can take you there in my tuk tuk!". I didn't find Thailand as cheap as what I was told. My funds ran low very quickly and mum generously paid for a couple of things that I did - like the massage.
I'd be interested to travel around a bit next time and see if things are different elsewhere. Vietnam was a lot more up my alley. I stayed in Saigon for a couple of days and went up to Nha Trang and went swimming and snorkling and stuff. Crossing the street in Vietnam is just the best. At first you stand there looking at the barrage of motorcycles wondering when they will stop so you can get across. But then you see the locals just wandering out in front of them and not dying and realise that you have to do the same. So the idea is that you just walk slowly, without stopping across in front of all the traffic and it just avoids you. And it works! The bikes just readjust their path slightly to avoid you. The streets are quite wide so it was all good. I didn't see a single accident the whole time I was there. They all beep their horns impulsively though. I don't know who they are beeping at or why because at any given time there are at leasts 3 people around you breaking the law in some way. Once I was looking out into the street in the early hours of the morning, it was totally deserted, just one scooter putting along and it beeped its horn!! It must be a disease they have. Call me crazy but I kind of enjoyed the chaos on the roads. It just seemed to work in the end. Everyone just expects the road rules to be broken so they are more aware drivers (well most of them are riders since there were many more bikes than cars). It was also quite funny watching them use a motorbike as the family sedan. Often you would see a bike coming towards you with a child of 1 appearing to be in control, propped up on the petrol tank, 3 more kids on the back and mum holding them all on.
I checked out a museum in Saigon, walked around aimlessly a lot and did absolutely no shopping although I was approached a bit to buy postcards or flowers. There were heaps of crazy fruits and stuff. Saigon doesn't have tall buildings. I think that's what I liked about it. The sun gets in everywhere and it feels a lot roomier. It is a bit of a mix between new and old. More old than new - there seemed to be a lot of construction going on, but everywere was still a tad messy. I don't know if I was just rebelling against the perfect precision that is Japanese town planning, but I enjoyed the messy streets and odd angles and unfinished look to everything. The Vietnamese themselves are very friendly I reckon. Although not when you would expect them to be. Like, when you go somewhere official where you might expect good service at home you don't get it. Like at Vietnam Airlines office. They don't go out of their way to help you out, but in the streets people are heaps nice. I had a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels and my tour guide was just hilarious. Pretty cheeky fellow.
I would love to go back to Vietnam when I have more time and check out Hanoi too. I reckon it's gonna get heaps more crowded with tourists over the next few years, so better go before it gets "discovered" like Thailand seems to be. It is still pretty cheap too. Plenty of cheap beers were consumed... Next time I should make more of an effort to learn some Vietnamese though, I only know how to say Thankyou!!
August 19, 2006
Vietnam YAY
In Nam!
It's beautiful weather, not too hot, not too cold. Going crawling through some tunnels tomrrow - might fire some bullets at some people... see what happens. Saigon is lovely. Plenty of trees and stuff, massive market action and friendly people. Some too friendly... always wanting to give me a ride around town in their peddle thingos. Must find out what they are called in Vietnamese. Cheaper than Thailand too. Well, must dash off and look at some more stuff...
It's beautiful weather, not too hot, not too cold. Going crawling through some tunnels tomrrow - might fire some bullets at some people... see what happens. Saigon is lovely. Plenty of trees and stuff, massive market action and friendly people. Some too friendly... always wanting to give me a ride around town in their peddle thingos. Must find out what they are called in Vietnamese. Cheaper than Thailand too. Well, must dash off and look at some more stuff...
August 18, 2006
Well, I am leaving Thailand today and off to Vietnam. It is bloody great weather here today too. Oh well. Mum went home feeling a bit off so I hope she is OK at KL during her stopover. My hotel pick up is in a few minutes so better get back there and get organised. Soak up a few last rays of sunshine... I'll be waiting at airports all day today.
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