… and so ends my teaching career. I have waited for this day since January of 2007. A year. It was just supposed to be for a year. Just a year and then I’d get back to real life, back to the career I hoped would come clear during my self-imposed exile from the New […]
The Acquisition of Language
Demonstrative Demonstrations
Every once in a while – amid my weekly passion plays for the students’ attention – a teensy bit of English gets taught. Just a bit. A very little bit. Today was my last day teaching my Thursday maniacs and in the last minutes of that last class, I witnessed the best use of demonstrative […]
One Box, One Body
Found: the Eucharist in Japan. In the Weight Loss section of your friendly local pharmacy. Obviously.
Total Salvation
The invitations for the aforementioned Housecooling Sayonara Sale have been sent, the ryokan for the Snow Monkey Onsen in Nagano is booked and the “To Do” checklist has been drawn up. Today’s mission: Donate Unwanted Clothes to the Salvation Army. I tried to do this before, a couple of months ago. I crammed a suitcase […]
Sticky Mess
I came to Japan with just two suitcases. Over the past two years, my belongings have multiplied like wet Mogwai. Isn’t that just the way? It’s time to start finding new homes for the things I’ve accumulated in my time here. While I was smart enough not to go hog wild and buy each and […]
The Lion in Winter
It’s never difficult to tell when Nakata-san has arrived; his “Konnichiwa!” is loud, authoritative, and sends the staff into a tizzy of keigo and bowing. I am usually in the 2 foot-square break area when he descends upon us, at the ready with my single piece of paper and a sheet of news topics to […]
Super Funny
I will now report my precious 3 year olds’ joke of the day: “Super + ______ = UNBRIDLED HILARITY!!!” Super police car. Super chicken! Super baby. Super hospital! Super apple! Super Masa! Super Mia! Super Kazuya! Super Minna! Super Ribu-sensei! Admit it. You’re dying out there.
Days Like Sakura
As our time dwindles, we’re rushing to do the things we’d have done if we’d been in Japan on vacation but never did because we live here full-time. It’s a beautiful day outside? That’s nice – I’m tired and I’ve got to go to the dry cleaner. The list of “Never Done”s is long and […]
The First Few of Many ありがとうs for Today, March 10th
I might be officially pushing 30 today, but I’ll always appreciate adorable artwork like this very sweet, thoughtful and suupa suupa kawaii birthday wallpaper made especially for me by North Central Florida homegirls Kao and Lara. Ladies – what a lovely surprise. おきにありがとうございます！ A 3-way iChat today with my brother and parents this morning (ありがとう), […]
Your 358-Word Mini Japanese Culture Lesson
Unlike English, Japanese isn’t a language that puts emphasis on using pronouns. For example, an English-speaker would find it imperative to denote whose sweater they were using or that they themselves like cheese but a Japanese speaker would simply say: “using sweater” or “like cheese” because the “who” in both cases is, somehow, implied. Nonetheless, […]