Hokkaido Ramen

Butter on noodles

It melts into the soup stock

It is delicious

Rice Planting in Japan

Planting rice the old fashioned way was back breaking labor.  A single field would take hours to plant.  With the help of modern technology, that job has been drastically cut.  

This past May, I had the opportunity to help out my girlfriend's family plant rice.  It looks like all I did was screw around and make a video but I can assure you that I actually helped out in this process!  You'll see me for about ten seconds in the entire video!  Next year, they offered me the chance to drive the machine.  I don't think anyone likes doing it.  Sadly, I missed the chance to watch the rice harvesting which is just as fascinating.    

A machine that dispenses eggs?

Japan has a vending machine for just about everything.  Aside from the gloriousness of a beer vending machine, they also have more practical ones like this egg vending machine.  Here is a video from my friend Steven about one. 

The likely hood you'll find a machine like this in Tokyo is on the low side.  However, you in the country side, they're not that uncommon to come by.  

What is a hanko? 判子

I made a video a few months ago, giving a brief overview of what a 'hanko' actually is.



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A portrait

The top photo is a portrait of me done by a fourth grader. The bottom is a colored version of that same photo. Notice the giant turd on my shirt and nose hairs.

Engrish

Check out this shirt:

Who proofreads this stuff?  hahahahah

Ichiro traded to the Yankees

It's old news but it's sad to see Ichiro get traded to the Yankees.  I don't follow baseball much but when there is someone you like, traded to a team you're not so fond of, it's always sad.  The Yankees, through time have sucked up some other former Mariners; A-Rod and The Big Unit.  If Seattle was a winning team, this wouldn't have happened.  Best of luck Ichiro, I don't blame you!

Ice Cream in Japan

Life strange flavors?  Try these two.  The top 'pink' flavor is sakura and the bottom is green tea.  The sakura flavor took some getting used to.  Eventually I liked it.  The green tea was a hit, right off the bat.  I have also had tomato.  It was kinda weird but surprisingly good.  It's sad that summer is almost over, I'd like to try more!  

Dragon Ball Z - Postage Stamps

I found out the post office is carrying some DBZ stamps. I didnt watch much of the anime growing up but plenty of my friends did. It makes for a nice gift on a hand written postcard.

Kids Are Dumb

I was at a shop in Asakusa last weekend, looking for some ninja stars. While I was there I overheard a conversation in English. A father was asking his son if he wanted a bow. The son replied "I can make one of those in five minutes." I was kind of stunned but the kid looked like he was twelve and most people that age are retarded. The conversation between this dad and son quickly became more outlandish, with the son making wilder claims. After about a minute of this, the dad says, in Japanese "Speak Japanese!". I turned my head and realized that I was dealing with some spoiled hafu (half Japanese, half something else). They didn't switch but I wish they would have. His stupidity wouldn't have been shielded by another language, as I would have followed him, stealthily; like a ninja.

Summer is halfway over

This summer has gone by fast and I've been having too much fun. It's been a relatively mild summer compared with the past two I have experienced. I really wish I could have made it back to the US to visit all my friends but the airfare is ridiculous. I still haven't been back. At least I'm trying to make the best of it. My sister will be here in two days. I'm looking forward to that. I'll try to get back into the swing of things with my blog and videos. I bought a new hard drive, so I have the space! That's all for now! Later!

L is for Luigi

A while back, I was teaching some fourth graders.  The kids were making sketches of their family, which they would introduce later, infront of class.  Each student had to scribble down something that 'their person' liked.  One boy wrote down that his father liked ''baseball''.  Of course, he wrote it in Japanese but in katakana.  I could at least read it (I still can't quickly recognize the kanjis for baseball 野球).  Being the way I am, I ask him to write it in English.  He didn't know how to spell so I said each letter for him.  When he go to 'L', he was stumped.  Right when I was about to help him, a boy sitting infront of him, whips around and says in Japanese 'L, like Luigi'.  A light burst through the boys head and he was able to complete the word.

brutal honesty

While walking to an assembly today, I turned to a boy next to me 


''Do you like meat?''


 him ''Yeah I do'' 


''Do you like meetings'' 


without hesitation ''NO, I DON'T''. 


Keep that brutal honesty kid.

Broken Japanese

Sometimes I write in Japanese for my students. They always laugh at what I write. Sometimes what I write is incorrect. A student might try to correct me then another student will stop them and whisper to them ''don't, its funny and interesting''. Apparently broken Japanese is as equally entertaining as broken English.

Silly Japanese Signs

Here are a few for your viewing pleasure...

 Be nice to the birds...

Anti-Smoking ad.  (I'm a little sad it came out blurry)  These are found all over train stations.

How to pass a bowel movement (for kids!)

No tattoos allowed (only attempt to keep the Mafia out of the hot springs)

Warning: Snakes (vipers)

Radiation... 

Be careful of closing garage doors

DANGER!  (just don't swim here)

I'm not even sure...  DVD 

People can own rifles here.  It's rare though.

Another anti-smoking ad. 

I'm curious about the accuracy of this...

On the train.

Something or other about 'bad guys'

Teaching English in Japan - Just an observation

Today I taught some classes in elementary school, with the help from some of my second year students, from one of my JHS.  You should have seen the looks on their faces when I spoke to my fifth graders.  I wanted to say to them, ''don't worry guys, I would challenge you. I'd drag you through the coals like I do my elementary students.  The thing is, that's considered 'too difficult'.  I would really like you to grow as an English speaker but a lot of that is out of my hands.''

The sad thing is, it's generally true.  I have confidence in my students and their ability.  It's ok to fail, as long as you can grow from your mistake.  We can have fun, have a challenge, and learn.  Isn't that the whole point to education?  Well, in Japan its not so much the case.

I could go on but for now I will stop.  I need to sleep and I don't want everyone to read this.  Maybe when I'm done with the whole ALT business, I will let it all out; every feeling and complaint.

Japanese Customer Service

I was at my school the other day, just sitting down at my desk.  There wasn't much work for me to do, so I was scribbling some kanji on blank pieces of paper.  Class didn't start for an hour anyway and I had some time to kill.  While in the midst of practicing a mechanic showed up at school.  He was there to pick up one of the teachers cars.  I glanced out the window and saw his car in the parking lot.  He grabbed the keys to the teachers car and drove off, leaving his car in the parking lot.  A few hours later, the mechanic returned with the teachers keys and a bill for the work done to his car.  This isn't the first time I've seen customer service taking to that level.  

Since many employees in Japan work long hours, it can be difficult for them to get normal errands done.  I've once seen travel agents come to the school, sit down, and talk with the teachers planning to get away during summer break.  This level of customer service is super rare in America.  

I think there are a few reasons for this, not all of which I want to get into.  The main point I want to get to is most Japanese take their job seriously or take extreme pride in their work.  Rarely is anything done sloppy here in Japan.  Let me give you an example.  

If you walked into a 7/11 in Japan, you'll see at least three people working.  They'll great you immediately.   You head over to the chips section and pull a bag off the shelf, leaving an 'empty' space. Then you grab a coke and head to the front to pay.  While at the front of the store, you decide you want a corn dog.  You tell the clerk and before you can finish your sentence, another employee or the clerk themselves quickly head over to the corn dogs and pulls one off the shelf for you.  Puts it nicely in a bag and hands it too you.  When you're walking out of the store, all of the workers yell 'thank you' (in Japanese of course) and you're on you're way.  What you won't see is that one of the employees will go back to where you bought your bag of chips and 're-face' the brand, making sure that the shelves don't look empty.  

The level of detail and pride the Japanese take in their work is insane.  Sometimes I think it's a little to much but I have grown accustomed to it.  I have a feeling that when I go back to visit in America, I might be a little discouraged.  

Nerdy Japan

A boy at school asked me if I played a 'TRPG' which means 'Table Role Playing Game'. I said ''You mean like Dungeons and Dragons?'' He didn't understand me so I drew dice on the chalkboard. Upon seeing the twenty sided die, he face lit up and excitedly said ''Yes! Yes!'' I told him I do but it's been a long time since I have played. Found out he likes to play as a Dwarf. He is probably going to practice English a lot more now so he can talk DnD with me. I don't think many other kids in Japan play those kinds of games.

What happen to the sand in my hourglass?

While singing along to the 'Little Mermaid' soundtrack at lunch, amongst my JHS students (3rd year), I came to a gross realization. I'm getting old. Apart form myself and the teacher, no one in that classroom was a human when that film was released. Little Mermaid came out in 1989. None of the kids were walking, when my jaw dropped watching Woody meet Buzz. When they finally could walk, they didn't know Will Smith saved the world from aliens. Time flies.

The Golden Age of Animation

Highlight of today was one of my students asking me 'Do you know Tom and Jerry? I watch it on DVD.' It was all in Japanese but regardless touches my heart that some kids here have an appreciation for 'The Golden Age of Animation.' Japan has made huge strides in Animation. The past ten years have been a little lack luster. Regardless, their contribution to the medium deserves tremendous respect.

It's interesting to point out, that character designs like Asto Boy are copies of characters seen in American animation or design in the late 40's. Over the years, anime evolved into its own style. Surprisingly, American children growing up in the 80's and 90's became influenced by Anime and produced shows like Power Puff Girls which are direct attribution back to anime, which is also a attribution to American cartoon characters sixty some odd years ago.