Happy March 29th!

This morning, as I was leaving my apartment, I said hello and smiled to a stranger going up the stairs. He stopped me, handed me a small box with a painted-on ribbon, said "purezento", and continued ascending.

Upon opening the gift, I found an extraordiarily large toe-nail clipper, with the name of my town and something else written in Kanji.

Living abroad never ceases to puzzle...

Feels good to watch a big man dance.

Havent figured out how to describe sumo yet, its like the Grand Canyon I suppose.

There's a yogurt left if you are still hungry.

The following, a piecemeal letter from my 9th grade students at one school. By far the most apathetic students I have, they surprised me today, their last class with me, with some touching letters. I have not changed any words, spellings, or punctuation, only taken sentences from each letter and self-aggrandizingly put them together as one . You hear that inflating sound? That's my head.

Dear Michael sensei,

How are you? I'm cold. today I write you because we'll graduation on March tenth. I met you at Naruko public hall in this summer for the first time. I felt relieved to see you. Because you looked a kind man. I like you. You are very interesting. I enjoyed English everyday. Thank you for your teaching. Typhoon game was especially nice. I think you are able to be a good teacher. I don't forget you. I had a good time to spend the everyday is a wonderful memory with Micheal. I want to don't forget forever. I hope to spend the enjoy everyday eachother. Thank you for a long time. Michael's class make my life good and happy. You are a great teacher. Thank you very much till now. It was difficult for me, but you taught me patient. I will hold out at high school, so Michael hold out too. I'm very like your English. Thanks to your help, so I'm like English. Thank you for a happy time. Thanks to you, I became bright. How nice your lesson was! I was taught by you. Do you know "Seikima 2"? They are greatness band group. And, you are greatness too. Michael is very really kind because I became to like English better. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Goodbye, Michael, and good luck. I miss your lessons. From now on, a teacher carry on. I will never forget you. Thank you very much.

Love,
Kawatabi JHS 3rd year students

He sloshed into the river heedless of his wet trousers.

Once again, it took a foreigner to reawaken my powers of observation and to begin to write about Japanese "uniquities" (turns out I didnt invent this word, a friend informed me there is a store in Chapel Hill, NC bearing this name). Last Thursday my long-time and oft-distant friend Alison arrived in Tokyo. We spent the weekend there sightseeing, walking a great deal, people-watching, taking advantage of her cousin and family's hospitality, and laughing at the marketing of Japanese vending machine products. My new favorites are "Love Body Beauty Queen" Green Tea (by Coke) and "Glamorous Body Black Coffee".

Browsing through a bookstore on her first night here, we came across a small book all in Japanese but with the following in English on the cover "How to be happy as soon as possible". Who has the time to spend their life in pursuit? We want it now! Not coincidentally, less than 48 hours later, we found ourselves on the inside of a 43ft giant bronze Buddha, rubbing his belly. If one is to find happiness quickly, we are sure this is the most advantageous place to start...

Alison was quick to notice too, the prevalent use of facemasks by the Japanese. You know, the ones you might see doctors/nurses wearing in an infectious disease ward. The apparent reason, as it is extremely rare for the Japanese to take a day off when sick, is to prevent their co-workers/citizens from getting sick as well. Effective or not I dont know, but breathing one's germs all day doesnt seem the best way to recover. It does however seem in line with the Japanese way of group before self.



Other things providing amusement in our ventures:

A crowded pedestrian street in Harajuku, not far from the Meiji Jingu shrine, where a great number of young folk stroll about trying to look as cool as possible and browse/shop in the many Western style shops/boutiques where they buy their cool duds. Bleached hair, fake tans, short skirts, and every kind of heeled boot you can imagine is the norm for females, while tight designer jeans, pointy shoes, tight sportjackets, flashy belts, and Bono-sunglasses (forgive me if I say metro-sexual) is the look for young men.



Along this street, we found a shop that sold clothes for dogs. Not real dogs like labradors and shephards, but what I call accessory dogs (the ones some women carry in their handbags). Anyway they had all sorts of costumes like Batman, Rastafarian, camoflouge with fur hoods, and HipHop wear too.

While walking around Kamakura, an area full of famous old temples and shrines and cemeteries, we found the following gravesite. If you look closely, you can see the relatives have left not only beautiful fresh flowers, but a beer, a pack of cigarettes, a can of Coke and a can of coffee. Ahhhh, enjoying vices in the afterlife...


We were taken out for some wonderful meals by Alison's cousin, one night for "okonomiyaki". A Japanese griddlecake with vegetables and meat and seafood, it is covered by wafer-thin fishflakes, which wriggle and squirm from the heat, making the dish seemingly alive.

And I almost forgot to mention, a Japanese product called the TowelKet. A very large towel that serves as a blanket, neither comfortable nor warm, but nevertheless used widely in Japanese homes. I even have a couple in my apartment, though I've yet use them.





Finally, I will close with a new feature, in which I tell you a word you really should try to use on a daily basis. This post's word is "lugubrious". As in "The lugubrious expression on her face made everyone uneasy".

A new drug

My thoughts exactly, Gabriel.


I didnt really need a new hobby, but I am completely addicted to snowboarding. I've gone just five times but already it ranks up there with fly-fishing and golf as my favorite things to do. I always thoroughly enjoyed skiing, but something about boarding is so much better. Hard to say why it is better, but i cant seem to get enough. I rode hard for 8 solid hours today and only quit because the lifts shut down. I will do the same tomorrow. I will go night boarding at least twice this next week after school. Next weekend I will board both days. Three weeks ago I was really looking forward to spring; now I am not sure I want winter to end. What can I say, I'm hooked.

I wasnt a great skier, but I was capable and knew how to ski within my limits. Not so with boarding. I have picked it up quite quickly, but I keep trying things I cant possibly do yet. (Mom, Dad, you may want to skip the next sentence). I am pretty sure I am going to get hurt, but I dont care (great national health insurance here). Okay just kidding, I certainly dont want to break anything, but I seem to have found some guts I didnt know I had. Enough guts that I realized I should probably buy a helmet.

Below some pics from a recent trip with friends Gabriel and Ken.

The mountain at Onikoube












Strapping in















"How the hell did that happen? I was going so smoothly..."









Ken and I, after a long day, but still looking genki

The human torch was denied a bank loan.

When I said I was a grammar geek, I didnt mean to claim I was good at it, only that I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about it. I think I prefer its mistakes rather than its perfection.

A couple more questions from yesterday.

This is some apple cider that my grandfather made.
This is some apple cider, which my grandfather made.

Why the comma? Something to with dependent clauses perhaps?

Also:

Godzilla is the strongest monster in Japan.
Godzilla is the strongest of all monsters.

One student really wanted to write, "Godzilla is the strongest in all monsters", as thats how it translates from the Japanese. I told him to go ahead.

Grammar Schmammar

Recently I have been posed quite a few English grammar questions that I was more-or-less able to answer, but had no idea how to explain. I vaguely remember studying the rules and explanations in school, but have long since forgotten most of them. It seems almost daily my co-teachers (JTEs) approach me with a question from a student. I am fairly certain the JTEs know the answer (their grammar knowledge is far better than mine own), but ask for clarification, or maybe just to test me.

Example: Consider the case of "any" and "some".

I have some apples.

I dont have any apples.

Can you buy any / some apples?

Are there any / some apples?

I cant begin to explain this in English, much less attempt in Japanese.

Or how about this?

I have a headache.

I have cancer.

When to use "a" and when not to use? I know, but cant explain why.

Also, there is great confusion as to when to use "a" and when to use "the" before nouns.

This next one too, had me baffled on how to explain:

Who is the teacher? Ms. Sato is. (this part very clear)
Who is Ms. Sato? The teacher is. (??? why cant we say this???)

Japanese is not a subject-verb prominent language, rather it is a topic-comment prominent language. What does this mean you ask? I am quite uncertain, but it makes for difficult translation. Actually, I do have a foggy idea of what it means, perhaps I can expalin. Sentences focus on the most important element of the intended communication and how the other elements relate to it, rather than always the subject and verb. Often in Japanese, the subject can be understood from the context, and is omitted completely. Verbs always come at the end of the sentence. Recently I have been tried several times an activity in which students choose a new word they dont know from their dictionaries, partner with someone, and then must write sentences with the two new words. It works quite well, but naturally, students craft the sentences in their heads in Japanese, and then try to translate them directly. We end up with sentences like these (in parentheses, the intended meaning in Japanese sentence structure format)

"The puzzle can use all generations". (As for this puzzle, it can be used by all generations).
Obviously, a better English sentence is "All generations can use this puzzle".

"This theater can take a meal." (As for this theater, one can take (have) a meal (there))
or "One can take/have a meal at this theater."

"I surprise this puzzle." (As for me, this puzzle is surprising)
or "This puzzle surprises me."

As you can see the manner of thinking when constructing a sentence in Japanese and English is quite different. Add the many rules and exceptions to rules of English and you begin to understand what a frustrating language it is to learn (and why Japanese is so difficult for English speakers).

It is probably quite clear to you now that I have become a grammar geek. Its quite true, but writing this has made me tired. Just to irk my mother (my long-standing grammar correcter), I am to going to lay down for awhile. I just dont know where at.