hot fries, onion rings or onigiri from a vending machine
Are you on the party train?
Green tea flavoured kitkat
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Japanese Oddities
hot fries, onion rings or onigiri from a vending machine
Are you on the party train?
Green tea flavoured kitkat
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
My Home
This is my street
And my front door (plus the stairs leading up to mine and 3 roommates' rooms)
The ghetto shower
The kitchen
The living room
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hilarious Student Conversations episode 1
Just a sample of my daily life:
BUSINESS STUDENT #1:
Me: So I will see you for our second lesson in about an hour. Enjoy your break. See you later
Student #1: See you later alligator
BUSINESS STUDENT #2:
Me: (role-playing a business small-talk situation) How are you? What's new?
Student #2: I'm good, I just got back from Hawaii
Me: Oh that sounds great, how was it?
Student #2: It was great. I met a whale.
BUSINESS STUDENT #3:
Me: (role-playing a coworker having trouble with the photocopier) Something's wrong, can you help me?
Student #3: Yes. Let me teach you the ways of the photocopier.
Me: You sound like a jedi
BUSINESS STUDENT #1:
Me: So I will see you for our second lesson in about an hour. Enjoy your break. See you later
Student #1: See you later alligator
BUSINESS STUDENT #2:
Me: (role-playing a business small-talk situation) How are you? What's new?
Student #2: I'm good, I just got back from Hawaii
Me: Oh that sounds great, how was it?
Student #2: It was great. I met a whale.
BUSINESS STUDENT #3:
Me: (role-playing a coworker having trouble with the photocopier) Something's wrong, can you help me?
Student #3: Yes. Let me teach you the ways of the photocopier.
Me: You sound like a jedi
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
j-pop: the devil's music
Almost every single one of my students, when I ask what music they listen to, tell me they like J-pop. I get it, it's in their own language. BUT OH MY GOD it's the worst music on the planet.
Here's just a sample (I challenge you to get through this complete video):
or the backstreet boys of Japan "Smap":
and then one of my students told me they listen to more "hard-core" stuff and he recommended this band, probably the most hilarious terrible of them all:
another comical dialogue I had with a student:
Me - "what kind of music do you listen to?"
Student - "I like rock"
Me - "Oh! Do you listen to English rock?"
Student - "yes"
Me - "Great, what's your favourite band recently?"
Student - "Ace of Base"
Then again I have the odd student who gives good recommendations, but in the past 6 months of teaching I have only received 2 good recommendations. Check it out:
and this crazy giant Japanese jazz jam band:
Here's just a sample (I challenge you to get through this complete video):
or the backstreet boys of Japan "Smap":
and then one of my students told me they listen to more "hard-core" stuff and he recommended this band, probably the most hilarious terrible of them all:
another comical dialogue I had with a student:
Me - "what kind of music do you listen to?"
Student - "I like rock"
Me - "Oh! Do you listen to English rock?"
Student - "yes"
Me - "Great, what's your favourite band recently?"
Student - "Ace of Base"
Then again I have the odd student who gives good recommendations, but in the past 6 months of teaching I have only received 2 good recommendations. Check it out:
and this crazy giant Japanese jazz jam band:
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Time Flies
Plum Blossoms are in bloom and my friend Konrad went back to Canada today. We celebrated with a Nabe dinner and some Karaoke in Shibuya last night.
In other news one of my students showed me this hilarious comic that speaks quite poignantly to many of the foreigners in Japan:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Mental Zen
Today was an odd day
First of all, last night was the strongest wind storm I have ever experienced. My house is an old wooden house that was a tad drafty over the winter. Last night I found out "drafty" was a severe understatement.
I woke up at 3 in the morning from the noise. Literally, even with my windows closed, my curtains were blowing and my bed was rocking. This was the wind equivalent of the crazy snow storm of 2008 (?) in Saskatoon.
By the time I had to work this morning the train stations were in complete disarray - my train was delayed 25 minutes. Usually, a delay of 3 minutes on Japan Rail Tokyo trains is odd.
As well, usually Saturdays and Sundays are crazy busy at work (i.e. I work 10-8:30 with one 45 min break). Today however was super slow for almost all the instructors.
To add to it all, the soundtrack to my day was Air's Talkie Walkie album
I only now realized the comedy of my listening to air on such a windy day
To top it all off, I've definitely already entered the vacation head space,
check out my roommates blog on Okinawa. I have tickets for the end of April but my mind has already departed
It's definitely time for spring to be here,
bring on the sakura
First of all, last night was the strongest wind storm I have ever experienced. My house is an old wooden house that was a tad drafty over the winter. Last night I found out "drafty" was a severe understatement.
I woke up at 3 in the morning from the noise. Literally, even with my windows closed, my curtains were blowing and my bed was rocking. This was the wind equivalent of the crazy snow storm of 2008 (?) in Saskatoon.
By the time I had to work this morning the train stations were in complete disarray - my train was delayed 25 minutes. Usually, a delay of 3 minutes on Japan Rail Tokyo trains is odd.
As well, usually Saturdays and Sundays are crazy busy at work (i.e. I work 10-8:30 with one 45 min break). Today however was super slow for almost all the instructors.
To add to it all, the soundtrack to my day was Air's Talkie Walkie album
I only now realized the comedy of my listening to air on such a windy day
To top it all off, I've definitely already entered the vacation head space,
check out my roommates blog on Okinawa. I have tickets for the end of April but my mind has already departed
It's definitely time for spring to be here,
bring on the sakura
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Su-no-u Bo-di-n-gu
Just got home from an AWESOME snowboarding trip!
We (myself plus 10 other instructors/instructors friends) left Tokyo at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday and took a 3 hour bus ride to the alps in Niigata. We boarded all afternoon Sunday then me and 3 of the guys did some night riding that evening while the rest of the crew hit the onsen (hot springs). Sunday night we definitely a good time (perhaps a touch too good).
The next day was another full day of boarding plus taking it easy in the evening, and today we headed out to another mountain by a 20 minute gondola ride and we checked out some more runs. The fog started coming in pretty crazy today. After today's riding we onsened it up and caught the bus to get back into town.
The snow was wicked, the weather was great, the food was delicious, and the company was even better. On top of all of that, I definitely improved my snowboarding skills.
Sleeping Beauties on the bus ride out
Relaxing on the deck at "Whistler Cafe" after some night riding
Some intense concentration playing the mushroom game
Kampai!
Me and Rie (the only other girl on the trip)
Some of the boys near the top of Mt. Naeba
Nabe dinner
The injuries I sustained (well worth it)
We (myself plus 10 other instructors/instructors friends) left Tokyo at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday and took a 3 hour bus ride to the alps in Niigata. We boarded all afternoon Sunday then me and 3 of the guys did some night riding that evening while the rest of the crew hit the onsen (hot springs). Sunday night we definitely a good time (perhaps a touch too good).
The next day was another full day of boarding plus taking it easy in the evening, and today we headed out to another mountain by a 20 minute gondola ride and we checked out some more runs. The fog started coming in pretty crazy today. After today's riding we onsened it up and caught the bus to get back into town.
The snow was wicked, the weather was great, the food was delicious, and the company was even better. On top of all of that, I definitely improved my snowboarding skills.
Sleeping Beauties on the bus ride out
Relaxing on the deck at "Whistler Cafe" after some night riding
Some intense concentration playing the mushroom game
Kampai!
Me and Rie (the only other girl on the trip)
Some of the boys near the top of Mt. Naeba
Nabe dinner
The injuries I sustained (well worth it)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
natto!
I have discovered the most delicious snack!
Everybody warned me that natto (fermented soybeans) was stinky and quite an acquired taste. Apparently most foreigners don't like this Japanese staple and I've had a few picky-eater kind of students who have told me they don't like it as well.
Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I finally ventured to try it and it was so delicious!
Particularly, natto is super good with rice, a touch of soy sauce, and a raw egg all mixed together. This evening (on my roommate's advice) I tried natto in half an avocado and I fell in love.
Plus this wicked awesome snack has loads of apparent health benefits (nattokinase - seriously, that's what the enzyme is called - is supposed to be great for reducing unwanted blood clots). Check out the wikipedia page for more.
here's a photo of my evening snack:
And an adorable video of a little Japanese girl attacking the sticky substance (I look just as cute eating it by the way):
Everybody warned me that natto (fermented soybeans) was stinky and quite an acquired taste. Apparently most foreigners don't like this Japanese staple and I've had a few picky-eater kind of students who have told me they don't like it as well.
Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I finally ventured to try it and it was so delicious!
Particularly, natto is super good with rice, a touch of soy sauce, and a raw egg all mixed together. This evening (on my roommate's advice) I tried natto in half an avocado and I fell in love.
Plus this wicked awesome snack has loads of apparent health benefits (nattokinase - seriously, that's what the enzyme is called - is supposed to be great for reducing unwanted blood clots). Check out the wikipedia page for more.
here's a photo of my evening snack:
And an adorable video of a little Japanese girl attacking the sticky substance (I look just as cute eating it by the way):
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Disney!
I just returned from the happiest place on earth!
Today, me and 4 friends went to Disney Sea (which is the more adult version of Tokyo Disneyland - which means it's Tokyo Disneyland plus alcohol). I never thought I would be a Disney kind of girl, but oh my goodness, it was SO COOL! There was so much attention to detail and it really was like a completely different world!
We met there at 9am and stayed until 10pm so I'm SUPER exhausted and it was freezing all day so that tired me out even more but here are some photos (which, as usual don't even show the half of it - it was such a wicked day):
Today, me and 4 friends went to Disney Sea (which is the more adult version of Tokyo Disneyland - which means it's Tokyo Disneyland plus alcohol). I never thought I would be a Disney kind of girl, but oh my goodness, it was SO COOL! There was so much attention to detail and it really was like a completely different world!
We met there at 9am and stayed until 10pm so I'm SUPER exhausted and it was freezing all day so that tired me out even more but here are some photos (which, as usual don't even show the half of it - it was such a wicked day):
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