Adam's English I Cafe

Back from Bali

2006-02-15T11:45:00.000+09:00

Katty and I just returned from 10 days in beautiful Bali, where we had an amazing time. Katty is doing very well, the baby is fine, and we are both happy to be back in Japan.

So what did we do in Bali? It was a relaxing vacation for us, full of eating, sleeping, walking, reading, swimming, and shopping. The Balinese people are very friendly, especially the wonderful family who owned the hotel where we stayed in Ubud, and we enjoyed meeting people and viewing different aspects of Balinese culture. We especially enjoyed two local dances that were performed in Ubud temples - Lagong and Kecak. We also took beautiful walks through rice paddies and lush, green valleys.

And the food! We dug in and devoured a variety of delicious foods, including a lot of fish, fresh fruit, and crisp vegetables. We tried to go to a different restaurant each night, but some places were so good that we returned once or twice. Also, at our hotel, the owner's family prepared a huge Balinese feast with 15 different dishes! We ate very well, which made pregnant Katty very happy.

If any of my students are still checking this blog, please write and tell me how your breaks are going. I'll also put more pictures on My Picture Page if you want to see more of Bali.

Super Size Me

2006-01-23T07:13:00.000+09:00

Here is a link to the website for Super Size Me, the movie we will be watching in class. In this movie, Morgan Spurlock decides to eat only McDonald's food for 30 days. Why? Mainly it is a reaction to a court ruling against two overweight teenagers that sued McDonald's because of their weight. Morgan also discusses several health and food issues during the movie, including school lunches and advertising.

So, how often do you eat fast food? How does your body feel after you do? Do you think that McDonald's is responsible if its customers have health problems? These are tricky questions that we will discuss is class, but feel free to leave your opinions here.

Personally, I eat fast food about once every 2 weeks, but I certainly eat other unhealthy food once in a while. Sometimes, after back-to-back classes, those 100yen McChicken sandwiches start calling my name from the campus McDonald's, and it is hard to resist! Usually I can, but once in a while... Sometimes I wonder if it is fair to students that the only campus choices for food are McDonald's, the convenient store, and te cafeteria. If there were healthier options, do you think students would use them? Would you?

DON'T FORGET: Blogging is due on the last day of class, January 26th. You must have 8 postings for the Fall semester, and a comment on everyone's blog.

Winter Movies

2006-01-10T15:48:00.000+09:00

One thing I did over the break was see a lot of movies, and I thought I would give you my thoughts on a couple of them.

1) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: I have read all of the books in the Harry Potter series, and was very excited for this movie because I thought The Goblet of Fire was the best of all the books so far. The movie did not disappoint in the action scenes, but I wasn't sure that the director included enough from the book. There were several moments when I thought that if I had not read the book, I would not understand the movie completely.

One thing I like about the 4th book and movie was that it began to get much darker and serious. In this movie, a major character dies at the end, which is of course very painful for the young witches and wizards. I sometimes wonder if perhaps the movies are now too scary for very young students. Have you seen the movie or read the book?

2) King Kong: Of course the story of King Kong is very famous, and I was eager to see what the director of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson, would do with the story. Again, this movie had a lot of great action sequences, but I particularly like the relationship between the main character (played by Naomi Watts) and the big monkey. It felt very realistic to me, and I could sense that they had a special bond at the end of the film. Of course, everyone knows how the movie will end, so the ending was fine, but I was a little disappointed that the director left many holes in the story. I don't want to ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it, but I think that everyone already knows that King Kong is captured and taken to New York. But... how did they get him on the boat? How did they keep him alseep and calm for such a long journey? I wish they would have explained these and other mysteries.

The action sequences were amazing and creative, but they were so fast and long that sometimes I was a little confused as to what was happening. Overall, I definitely recommend seeing it. Have you?

3) The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe: This is the first book in the Narnia series, which is a popular set of children's books written by C.S. Lewis. I read these books when I was a kid, and strongly recommend them for my students... they are not too easy, not too hard. The movie stars four brothers and sisters, and I was impressed with the young actors they chose. Often young actors bother me in movies, but these were very convincing and not annoying at all. The movie was very loyal to the book, for the most part. I was only distressed seeing the children suddenly become leaders of a huge army... of course it is a children's book and not very realistic, but they went from little kids to killing warriors very quickly and with no training. Hmmm.

My only big complaint was the voice of Azlan, the Lion. The Lion is the king of Narnia, and more of a god than an animal. Then why did they give him such a loser, old man voice? Have you seen this or any other good movies this winter?

Greetings From Ohio

2005-12-29T06:41:00.000+09:00

I just wanted to say hello to any students or anyone else who might be checking my blog over the holiday break. I am in Cleveland with my family in my dad's new house, and my wife Katty arrived today from Peru, where she attended her sister's wedding and spent Christmas with her family.

I have attached an old picture of my dad and brother and me in Japan, since I don't have any new pictures to share. I also chose this one because I printed a nice copy and put it in a frame and gave it to my dad for Christmas.

It's great being home! My dad and brother and I went to a Cleveland Browns football game, which was fun even though the Browns are terrible and lost 41-0 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Oh well. I have also seen a lot of my friends, and will see more of them tonight. New Years Eve will be tranquil, since Katty and I have to catch a 6:00am flight on January 1st! It's not our fault... they canceled the flight we had, and gave us this one.

OK... I hope everyone is safe and happy. See you soon.

Do You Recognize This Santa?

2005-12-17T12:12:00.000+09:00

Who is the Santa in the picture? That's right, it's me on Friday night. The teachers and their families had a little Christmas party, and I was asked and reluctantly agreed to be Santa.

It was more complicated than I thought it would be! Obviously you have the pants and shirt and hat, but I also needed boots, cotton balls for the eye brows, double-sided tape, blush (make-up) for my cheeks, and my wife's glasses.

At the party, most kids cried when they sat on my lap, but I didn't take it personally. Some of the older kids didn't really think I was Santa, but they were too shy to say anything about it. There were a couple of kids at the perfect age, who really did think I was Santa and told me how they drew my picture in school and wrote me letters. It was cute.

After giving out the gifts and crying, "Ho Ho Ho," I made my exit. I enjoyed being Santa, but hope that next year someone else does it.

There is another photo on my IES blog, and I will also put more on my picture page if I get them.

An Embarrassing Moment

2005-12-07T12:24:00.000+09:00

Today my English 1 class will write narrative paragraphs about an embarrassing moment. Here is a sample for you from my life. It's all true! Notice how it has a beginning, middle, and end.

. One of my most embarrassing moments occurred in front of about 300 people. The date was May 11, 2002, and I was in Lima, Peru. It was my wedding day, and I was in the church with Katty, my parents, her parents, and about 300 other people. Naturally I was already very nervous, since I was getting married, but also the ceremony was in Spanish and I didn't know many of the guests, so it was even worse. We arrived at the part of the ceremony where I had to put the ring on Katty's finger. My hand was shaking, but I started sliding the ring on. Then, to my horror, it got stuck. I couldn't push the ring past her knuckle. The seconds ticked on... one... two... three. I could hear the guests making nervous sounds. I saw Katty's father look over Katty's shoulder to see what was happening. I tried everything, but the ring wouldn't move. Ten... eleven... twelve. Finally, with Katty's help, the ring slid on, and I could relax. Later, when we watched the video, we counted the seconds. Seventeen seconds! They were the longest seventeen seconds of my life. Fortunately my embarrassing moment had a happy ending, since we got married and had a wonderful day.

Stowaway Cat

2005-12-01T11:17:00.000+09:00

I think I'm a little annoyed! After reading this story about Emily the cat, I couldn't believe that the cat was going to fly business class while I, a perfectly respectable human being, has to fly coach! Aren't I more important than a cat? Maybe not.

Of course it doesn't really bother me, but I thought this was a funny news story that you might enjoy. What do you think?

PARIS (AFP) - Cats, they say, always land on their feet, an adage proved by a US feline who stowed away to France and was repatriated in business class after becoming something of a celebrity.

Emily, a one-year-old tabby from the US state of Wisconsin, somehow managed to slip into a shipping container destined for an office supplies company in Nancy, eastern France. After a three-week sea journey she emerged somewhat thinner but healthy from the crate to the amazement of staff at the firm.

An identification collar with a vet's US telephone number allowed them to trace the relieved -- and shocked -- owners.

On Wednesday, Emily left for home from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport in a somewhat more luxurious manner than her arrival. The cat was scheduled to travel in a crate in the aircraft's hold, said Joelle de Becker, from office supply firm Raflatac, which looked after her for two months. However, US airline Continental offered her a seat in "business-first" class, accompanied by an employee.

The airline did not say whether Emily, who travelled in a cage, would be tucking into business class cuisine.

The tourist departed to a flurry of flashbulbs, with de Becker admitting she shed some tears over the loss of the office mascot.

Is this a Mamushi?

2005-11-20T18:47:00.000+09:00

I went hiking last weekend in a very nice area about 40 minutes away from Hirakata (I'm not sure where because my friend drove and I didn't pay attention). We had a great day, hiking for about 5 hours. We saw a waterfall, a lot of changing fall colors, and ended up in a small village with a cool shrine. It was great.

There were a lot of signs warning of snakes, but they were in Japanese so I couldn't understand much (sorry I didn't take a picture). I wasn't worried about it, though, until that unfriendly fellow above crossed my path! My friend didn't see it so I just started mumbling "ay, bu, ee, eh" until he looked. He said it was a poisonous snake, but didn't remember what it was called. I found a website describing poisonous snakes, but I don't know if the one I saw was a mamushi. Does anyone have any information for me?

Either way, I was nervous the whole way back. When you're scared, roots look a lot like snakes.

Giving Opinions

2005-11-16T10:34:00.000+09:00

Hello English 1 students,

Opinion Paragraphs are the next type of paragraphs that we are going to write. In Opinion Paragraphs, obviously, you give your opinions about something. We will read about Opinion Paragraphs in our textbook, but the key elements are this:

- give you opinions about a topic
- interpret or explain facts to support your opinion
- often discuss a controversial issue, or something that not all people are in agreement about
- make the reader think
- consider both sides of the argument, although you favor one side or the other

Below I have written several topic sentences for opinion paragraphs. I would like you to choose one and tell me if you agree or disagree. Either way, you should write at least 50 words and include two or more reasons for your choice.

#1 No matter what "tea people" say, drinking coffee is the best way to start your day.

#2 Considering the way that the world is changing, there is no reason for anyone to get married before he or she is 25 years old.

#3 University classes and homework are difficult enough, so students should avoid joining clubs during their college years.

So... choose one (or more, if you want) of these topics, and tell me why you agree or disagree. The best answers will include facts and specific, convincing reasons for your choice.

You might want to begin by writing, "I agree with Adam's opinion in #2 because..." or "I disagree with Adam's opinion in #3 because..."

Excited to See My Family

2005-11-14T16:48:00.000+09:00

Before I forget -- English 1 students, half of your blogging is due by 11/18. That means four postings that I didn't require. And remember, don't do more than one per day.

We're in the middle of November, which means I am finally allowed to start thinking about winter vacation! This December my wife and I are going to go to the U.S. to visit my family and my friends, and my wife is also going to go to Peru to go to her sister's wedding. I love Japan and I love my job, but it is always really nice to go home and see all of the people that I miss.

I think that when someone is working or living abroad, the holidays are often the hardest time to be away from home. Last December, for example, my wife and I stayed in Japan, and I was a little sad to think that my family and friends were celebrating Christmas and New Years so far away. Don't get me wrong... we had an amazing time, including a very Japanese New Years at a shrine in Kyoto, but I am glad that this year I will be with my family.

What are you going to do over vacation? If you live away from your family, are you going to go to your hometown? if you live with your family, are you going to travel anywhere? Let me know.

I have included a picture that is also on My Picture Page. It shows my family and Katty's family, and was taken at our wedding. From left to right: my stepmom Adrienne, my father Richard, Katty's sister July, Katty's father Alejandro, Katty's mother Lila, Katty's sister Alejandra, my brother Matthew (he's tall!!).

Getting Rid of JUNK

2005-10-27T16:21:00.000+09:00

My friend Scott gave me another tip for stopping junk comments. You add word verification so that people who leave comments must type some letters. It helps because a lot of junk comments are left by computer programs that automatically send it out.

Changing is easy. Go to Settings, then Comments. Go down and find: Show word verification for comments? Change to Yes. It's just that easy... hopefully it'll help eliminate some junk.

Are These Real?

2005-10-26T17:17:00.000+09:00

We looked at these inventions in class, but I thought you might like to see them again. You can find more on my IES blog.
Do you think that anyone actually uses these inventions? Are there any that you would use? What's the strangest invention that you have seen?

How To Be Me

2005-10-23T18:44:00.000+09:00

English 1 students: You will soon be writing process analysis paragraphs, so to prepare for this you will write a paragraph in class today titled "How To Be Me". The idea of this paragraph is to tell someone how they could be like you, and the tone of the paragraph should be funny.

To organize your paragraph, choose three main ideas that you will talk about. You might consider:

- your looks
- your behavior
- your abilities
- your good or bad habits
- your hobbies
- your family, friends, boy/girlfriend

For example, for my paragraph, I have chosen to discuss:
1st) my baldness
2nd) my wife
3rd) my messiness

Make sure that you begin with a topic sentence, and that you write complex sentences about each discussion point. All of your sentences should have at least 10 words, and you should write at least 8 sentences. Read my paragraph for an example, and note that you don't have to use all of the different colors... I only did that to show you how I divided the ideas in my paragraph.

kkk Many people have tried to be Adam Gray, but it is a task that is easier said than done. The first thing you should do if you are even considering being me is to shave off all of your hair. Then, with a marker or pen, draw a circle with a three inch diameter on the top of your head. If you want to look like me, it is important that you never let any hair grow inside the circle. After fixing your hair, the next important step is to find a wife that is much better looking than you are. The challenging part is to convince her to marry you, since she is so attractive and you are so average-looking. One good strategy is to make her think you have a lot of money, even though you don't. Finally, to truly be Adam Gray you need to go home, take all of the clothes, books, and plates you own, and spread them all over your house or apartment. Then, hide all of your important documents so that you can never find them when you need them. I don't know if anyone will be able to truly be me, but if you follow these steps, then you have a chance.

Should Koizumi Visit the Shrine?

2005-10-17T16:25:00.000+09:00

This article appeared on the Internet today, and I was curious what you think about it. Do you think that Koizumi should visit Yasukuni shrine? If you were the Prime Minister, would you visit it? Do Korea and China have a right to be angry? Let me know what you think.

Japanese PM visits controversial WWII shrine
China, South Korea loudly condemn Koizumi’s trip to memorial

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi prayed at a Tokyo shrine honoring the country’s war dead Monday, defying critics who say the visits glorify militarism and risking a further deterioration in relations with China and South Korea.

The visit was Koizumi’s fifth to the Yasukuni Shrine since becoming prime minister in April 2001, and came despite a recent court decision that found the visits violate Japan’s constitutional division of religion and the state. Koizumi suggests the visits are personal, but as in past occasions, he arrived in an official car, accompanied by his aides.

Public opinion, however, is split over the visits. Nippon Television conducted a poll over the weekend showing that 47.6 percent of respondents supported the visits, while 45.5 percent were opposed. NTV surveyed 479 people from Friday to Sunday, and provided no margin of error.

This is only part of the article. You can read the whole thing at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9722241/

Go, George, Go!!!

2005-10-07T17:21:00.000+09:00

This is from a news article on yahoo.com (October 7, 2005):

Bush claimed God told him to invade Iraq, Afghanistan: BBC

LONDON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush allegedly said God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, a new BBC documentary will reveal, according to details.

Bush made the claim when he met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and then foreign minister Nabil Shaath in June 2003, the ministers told the documentary series to be broadcast in Britain later this month.

The US leader also told them he had been ordered by God to create a Palestinian state, the ministers said.

Shaath, now the Palestinian information minister, said: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God.

'God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'.'

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq...' And I did.

"'And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And by God I'm gonna do it'," said Shaath.

If this is true, it is one of the most appaling statements I have ever heard. The United States is a country found on the notion that there is a seperation between church and state. In other words, religion and politics don't mix.

What would you call a person who claims to go start wars because God told him to? I know what I'd call him: freaking crazy!!! Religion has been used in the past (and the present) as an excuse for many a war and many a murder. Bush seems to be assuming that God, the creator of all people and things, somehow wants him to go to other countries and kill. God wants that? God wants some of his people to go kill some other of his people? I can't imagine believing in a God who would think that. It's as ridiculous as saying that God is pulling for Brazil in the World Cup, or hoping that more people eat Burger King than McDonalds.

If it turns out that Bush really made these statements, then my level of disgust with my president will have reached an all-time high.

Anne of Green Gables

2005-10-03T14:24:00.000+09:00

We are reading this book in class. Please tell me if you have any questions.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-22T17:13:00.000+09:00

'Emergency workers, Linda MacCoy, left, with the Red Cross and Joddie Sorrentino, right, with Singing River Hospital, carry food to residents in the Hurricane Katrina ravaged beach area of Gulfport, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005.'(AP Photo/Ric Feld)

Have you been watching the news about Hurricane Katrina in the U.S.? As an American, it's very surprising for me to see photos like this. I never thought that one storm could do so much damage in my country, but I also didn't know that the levee system in New Orleans was so dangerous. I am from the north, and I had never heard about the possible flooding of the city before. It's a real shame that the government didn't take more steps in the past to prevent this disaster, and it's also embarrassing that they reacted so slowly to the storm.

When you see these pictures, does it remind you of any disasters in Japan? What about the Kobe earthquake in 1995? What do you think about this storm?

First Class

2005-09-13T18:44:00.000+09:00

Hello wonderful English 1 students!

I hope that you have had an excellent summer, and that you've practiced your English as least a little. Our first class is almost a week after the semester begins, and because of the late start, we are going to start with work right away. Sorry. So, please bring your textbook to class on September 21.

This semester we are going to focus on two things: 1) using the textbook to write different types of paragraphs; 2) reading fun and challenging Oxford Readers. This semester is going to move a little faster than the last one, so be ready!

See you soon.
Adam

2005-09-01T15:30:00.000+09:00

Katty and I on the beach in Tulum, Mexico... click on my picture page link for more pictures.

In Japan Again

2005-08-31T16:09:00.000+09:00

After what seemed like a week in airplanes (but was really about 16 hours), Katty and I finally returned to Japan last night. So far we have been hiding in our apartment and avoiding doing all of the things we need to do (e.g. grocery shopping, seeing friends, cleaning, washing all of the dirty clothes). Tomorrow I promise to start being a productive member of society, but today will be more laziness.

My first week of vacation was spent WORKING!!! I taught a 6-day class during the last week in July which required more work than I thought it would. I was teaching Japanese high school and middle school teachers of English, telling them about teaching strategies and giving them sample lessons. It was a positive experience and provided a lot of insight about English teaching in Japanese schools. I hope that the teachers learned something from me.

Then, finally, the real vacation started. I flew to Dallas where Katty had been for about a week, and together we spent a few days with her family there, including the new baby Alejandra. She is only 2 months old, so she doesn't do much except eat, poop, sleep, cry, and stare at the ceiling fan. What a life!!! I wish that was all I had to do. It also made me realize how much work it is going to be if and when Katty and I have children.

After Dallas, we spent about two weeks staying with my dad and stepmom in Cleveland, where I grew up. When I go to Cleveland I try to do as little as possible, but I did manage to be somewhat social. I caught up with some friends from high school, and none of us could believe that we had graduated more than 10 years ago. We are so old! Some of them have gotten married, had kids, and bought homes. It's weird to see everyone with real jobs and real lives. Of course everyone wanted to know about Japan, and I told them about my wonderful students (and the not-so-wonderful ones, too). In Cleveland I also ate many meals with my family (including Chinese food as much as possible). We also took a weekend trip to Niagara Falls in Canada, which was new for Katty, and had an amazing time.

After Cleveland it was finally time for MEXICO. We flew into Cancun but left there as quickly as possible... it is covered with these huge hotels and looks more like the U.S. than Mexico, and isn't really our style. Instead we spent 5 night on the island on Isla Mujeres, 5 nights in a small city called Playa del Carmen, and 3 nights on the beach in the tiny town of Tulum.The best part of the Yucatan (that part of Mexico) is the water. The ocean is so blue and clear that you can stand up to your neck and see all of your little toes wiggling around. We spent as much time at the beach as possible. We also ate a lot of great Mexican food and drank our share of beer, margaritas, and pina coladas. It was very relaxing... I read 5 books!!! I loved having time to read for pleasure, since I often don't during the semester.

Now here we are! I would include more details, but this posting is already very long. I hope that all of you are well, and I would love to hear about how you are spending your summer breaks. Don't forget to blog. See you soon.

Wonderful Vacation

2005-08-08T03:23:00.000+09:00

I am in Cleveland, in my father's house, doing as little as possible and loving it! After spending a few days in Dallas, Texas with my wife's family, Katty and I came here and have been going out to eat, watching cable TV, reading, sleeping, and seeing friends and family.

Living in Japan, the most I get to see most people I know is once a year, so coming home is a good chance to catch up with old friends and do the "American" things that I miss when I am abroad. Unfortunately, a lot of my best friends are out of the country, but Katty and I are keeping busy. For example, we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yesterday with my friend Jennet and her husband... this is a popular site in Cleveland, but I had never been there.

In about a week we will go to sunny Mexico, so until then we are just relaxing and having fun. I hope everyone is having a great summer. Let me (us) know what you are doing.

Have a Great Summer!!!

2005-07-20T14:52:00.000+09:00

E1, I finished checking all of your blogs for postings and comments. Most of you did very well and made the right number of postings with the right number of words, but some of you are missing an opportunity for easy points by not blogging. These are EASY points... no reason to lose even one if you pay attention.

I will blog a little over the summer, and of course check my email, so please stay in touch and tell me about all of the exciting (or not-so-exciting) things that you are doing. Practice your English, read a book, be motivated, listen to the news... the best students are motivated inside, and don't need a teacher telling them what they need to do. Take responsibility for yourself... but don't forget to relax and have fun, too.

Adam

Results of Vocabulary Tests

2005-07-18T15:25:00.000+09:00

English 1, we had a great first semester together, and I am looking forward to working with you in September (after a restful vacation, of course).

I will return your vocabulary tests next semester, but if you want them sooner, you can come to my office and pick up your test. I will be around until July 29th. I will not email you your grade, so please don't ask.

The grades were as follows:
A (90%-100%) = 6 people
B (80%-89%) = 12 people
C (70%-79%) = 4 people
D (60%-69%) = 3 people
F (59% and lower) = 0 people

As you can see, most people did well. Next semester I will have to make the tests more difficult!

See you in September. Have a nice break.

Presentations

2005-07-11T14:03:00.000+09:00

I have been extremely pleased with the presentations so far, and I'm sure that the presentations today will be just as good. In particular, I've been impressed with how effectively most of you organized your information into an introduction, body, and conclusion, and how you discussed various points within the body. I have also been pleased with how you manage time and how you deliver your presentation to the audience.

In your blogs, I would like you to make a posting about your strong points and weak points in your presentation. This posting can count for one of the required postings that you have to make before July 19th. You should describe your strong points in one paragraph, and then your weak points in another paragraph. In total, you should write at least 150 words.

Example:

I felt that my presentation was very good overall. I did my best to maintain eye contact with my classmates and not just look down at my notes. I also felt that my information was very complete and included many facts...

On the other hand, there were some aspects of my presentation that I would like to improve on in the future. I was very nervous and kept playing with my hair. Also, I did not repeat my main points at the end, so...

This posting must be made by July 19th, which is the last day of class. If you have any questions, ask me here or in class.

Don't Forget

2005-07-06T16:34:00.000+09:00

This is just a reminder that all required posting and commenting must be finished by the last day of classes, July 19th. You may not make more than one posting per day. Any questions???

Biking to Osaka

2005-06-28T19:49:00.000+09:00

As I mentioned in class on Monday, my wife and I went on a tiring but enjoyable bike ride last weekend. We biked from Hirakata to Osaka along the Yodo River, and the trip took us about 5 hours round-trip. If you enjoy biking, I recommend this trip because the land is very flat and there is a lot to see along the way.

For me, the bike ride provided a special look at Japan that I hadn't seen before. All along the river, all the way to Osaka, there are lots of fields and bridges where people gather. We saw dozens of baseball, soccer, and rugby games, a chipping and putt-putt golf course, kayaking, sailing, jet skiing, marching bands, kites, picnics, parks, people fishing, and hundreds of people, old and young. I couldn't believe there were so many people along the river doing so many different activities.

Once you get close to Osaka, the Yodo River divides and you need to stay left. If you do that, you will soon arrive in the Rose Park near Kitahama. From there it is easy to go north or south. My wife didn't make it that far, so by myself I decided to go to Shinsaibashi and get some food. Once again I was surprised at how busy Osaka was. There were lots of political marches or something... I didn't understand exactly what I was seeing, but it was crowded and loud.

The only mistake I made was wearing a tank top instead of a full T-shirt. My back is really burned, so please don't hit me. Other than that, the bike ride from Hirakata to Osaka was a great way to spend a beautiful (but hot!) Sunday afternoon.

I can't stop sweating!

2005-06-22T21:21:00.000+09:00

I'm from Cleveland, a cold weather city... this weather is too hot and sticky for me. Right now it is after 9:00pm and I am sitting in my apartment sweating like a monkey. Is it going to get much worse?

I remember that the heat was one of my first impressions of Japan. I arrived in August of last year after a long flight from the United States, and couldn't believe it when I left the cool, air-conditioned airport and entered the wall of heat waiting for me outside.

Prime Minister Koizumi gave some good advice a few weeks ago, that companies could save money on air conditioning if men stop wearing ties. What do you think? I'd like to take it a step further... is it OK if I come to class wearing shorts and a T-shirt? Let me know what you think.

That said, I will stop complaining about the heat, because if I complain now, then I can't complain in January when it is too cold.

Paintball

2005-06-13T11:31:00.000+09:00

Do you ever wonder what crazy things your teacher does over the weekend? Well, this weekend I went with some fellow teachers to Shiga to play PAINTBALL. What is paintball? Basically, a bunch of macho guys dress up like soldiers, go out in the forest, and try to shoot each other with balls of paint. And guess what... it hurts!

We went on Saturday, which was a wet, humid day. There were six of us, and we were the only people crazy enough to go out and play paintball on such a miserable day. The guy who runs it is a Polish guy named Art who is very good at paintball and more than a little scary dressed up in his green fatigues. He has an employee named Yuki, who is the cutest little Japanese woman you would ever meet, with a high squeaky voice and shy smile. When she puts her mask on, however, she becomes a cold-hearted killer. I still have nightmares about her.

I would recommend paintball, but with some warnings. First of all, you need to be in good shape. You spend a lot of time crouching behind trees or jumping into bushes. You are so anxious and full of energy that you don't really notice, but the next day your whole body is sore. The other advice is not to go on such a humid day. Your protective mask really fogs up, and it is hard to see the people who are trying to shoot you.

However, it is all worth it when you get to shoot the people you work with.

There are some pictures below, and different pictures on my IES-B site.

2005-06-13T11:19:00.000+09:00

Notice I am always hiding in the back.

2005-06-13T11:18:00.000+09:00

I need to find a better place to hide!

Okayama and Blog Comments

2005-06-07T15:46:00.000+09:00

Hey there student, friends, strangers...

This weekend my wife and I finally got out of Hirakata for a quick breath of clean, fresh country air (note: the word is country, not countryside!). With six of our friends we rented a car and an "apartment" in Okayama and enjoyed great food, great drink, and a lot of laughs. The place we rented is called an International Villa, so only foreigners and Japanese friends of foreigners can rent it. There was also an onsen (hot spring) on the grounds, so it was a very relaxing weekend. We stayed up late playing games like Taboo and Pictionary, which is a favorite activity among many Westerners. We even went to a yogurt museum... I find that Japan has the oddest museums. This yogurt museum also featured several fish tanks and ceramic dolls. What is the connection between yogurt, fish, and ceramic dolls?!?! None, I hope.

The other topic I want to talk about is student blogging. On June 3rd I checked your blogs to make sure you had the right number of postings, and that they were the right length. Those grades are recorded. I noticed that because a lot of students blogged at the last minute, there are many postings without comments. That must change!

Starting now (June 7th), English 1 (18) students are required to make at least one comment on every classmate' blog. This is not a lot of work... a comment only takes a minute, and there is no word requirement. At the end of the semester (in August), I should see one or more comments by you on 24 different blogs, all dated June 7th or after. Got it? Some of you comment a lot, so for you this will be a piece of cake. Others rarely leave comments, so you need to develop the habit of doing it. If you have any questions, ask me in class or here in my blog.

Pictures

2005-06-03T15:15:00.000+09:00

I added some pics to my picture page (see Links) if you'd like to check them out.

Vocabulary Tests

2005-05-31T22:11:00.000+09:00

Hi English 1 Class,

I wanted to write to let you know I was generally very happy with the vocabulary tests you took on Monday. You had a lot of words to study, and most of you seem to have made a great effort. Good work.

The test is worth 50 points, so here is how the grades break down:

A 45-50
B 40-44
C 35-39
D or F 34 and down

Of the 25 students in our class, here were the results:

A's = 12 students
B's = 10 students
C's or D's = 3 students
F's = 0 students

Our next vocabulary test near the end of the semester will be more difficult, so make sure you keep your lists up to date and dedicate some time every night to practicing the words. See you in class.

What did you think of the test? Is it difficult to remember new vocabulary?

2005-05-23T16:41:00.000+09:00

Alejandra Sofia, born May 22, 2005

Alejandra Sofia

2005-05-23T16:36:00.000+09:00

I wanted to share some good news... my wife's sister, July, just had her second baby on May 22nd. Her name is Alejandra Sofia Barurto Koo (quite a name, huh!) and she is healthy and doing well, as is July.

July and her husband, Jose, live in Dallas, Texas, even though both of them are from Peru. Of course it is hard for them to live away from home, but fortunately Katty and July's mother, Lila, is also visiting them in Dallas, so she can help with the new baby.

July and Jose already have one daughter, Natalia, whose picture you can see on my picture page. Katty and I are going to be able to see all of them in August, before we go to Mexico.

My Study Abroad in Mexico

2005-05-16T14:01:00.000+09:00

My wife and I have been discussing where we would like to go this summer for vacation, and I think the answer is... Mexico!!! I can't wait to go, and not just because of the beautiful beaches. When I was 22 I spent three months in Mexico on a study abroad program to learn Spanish, and returned when I was 24 to visit my host family. It has now been 5 years since I've seen them, and I simply can't wait.

Of course I was nervous when I met my American roommate and Mexican host family, especially when I saw a mom, dad, and two sisters. I don't have any sisters, so I knew I was in for some new experiences. My family, the Caballeros, were expecting to have female students, so were very surprised by my male roommate and me. However, they still welcomed me with open arms.

My level of Spanish at the time was very low, much lower than my current students' level of English, but that didn't stop the Caballeros from talking to me all the time. My host father in particular talked and talked, and didn't seem to care that I couldn't understand much. My mom and sisters were more patient, but never spoke a single word of English to me.

As the months went on and I studied in school and at home, but level of Spanish slowly increased. I still didn't talk very much, but I understood more and more, and by the end of my stay, I could actually express my ideas to them. I am grateful to them for challenging my Spanish and treating me with love and respect even though there was a language barrier.

My Spanish is much better now than it was then, so I am looking forward to seeing them and communicating even more. Has anyone else had a similar study abroad experience? I'd love to hear about it.

Married Twice

2005-05-09T14:13:00.000+09:00

Several students have asked me why my wife and I have two sets of wedding pictures, so I will now explain.

My wife Katty is from Peru, but we met when we were both living in Washington DC in the U.S. When we met, Katty only had a six month visa, so she returned to Peru after we had been dating for about 4 months. I was in graduate school, studying to be a teacher, but when my summer vacation came I went to Peru to spend the summer with Katty and her family. We had a wonderful time together visiting beautiful cities and sites in Peru, but after two months I had to go back to the States to finish my Masters.

Unfortunately, with Katty working and me in school, we had to spend most of the next 9 months apart. I went to visit her over my Thanksgiving break (about one week), but other than that our relationship was basically over the phone and by email. Obviously it wasn't easy.

Around Christmas of that year we decided to get married! We talked about where to have the wedding, because it would be difficult for her family and friends to go to the U.S., or for my family and friends to go to Peru. We decided that the wisest (and most expensive...) option was to get married twice, first in Peru and then in the U.S. That way our family and friends would not have to cross half the world to attend the wedding, but they coud if they wanted to. Separately we began to plan the two weddings.

I graduated from my university at the end of April and was in Peru on May 1st. I hadn't seen Katty for a long time, even though we had decided to get married and made all the plans, so of course we were both a little nervous. When we saw each other, however, our fears disappeared and we felt confident with our decision. On May 11th we got married in Lima in a big Catholic church. About 300 people were there, and it was a very strange experience for me getting married in Spanish in a Catholic church (since I'm not Catholic and Spanish is my 2nd language). Fortunately my dad and stepmom were there to support me and everything went great.

Four weeks later, Katty and I were in Cleveland, Ohio, getting married again! This time the wedding was outside in a park near Lake Erie, and fewer people (about 90) attended. Katty's family came to this wedding as well, and once again we said, "I do." So we had two of everything... two cakes, two dresses, two tuxedos, two sets of photos, two bills. Both weddings were amazing in their own way, and I can't imagine having only gotten married once.

Tokyo and Pictures

2005-05-02T17:04:00.000+09:00

I'm back in Hirakata after a grueling but very satisfying vacation in Tokyo. Katty and I did as much as we possibly could in 3 days, except for sleep.

Day 1: We arrived in Tokyo EXTREMELY early and decided to go to the famous Tsujiki fish market, since it opened early and we could beat the crowds. Naturally, after walking all the way there, we discovered that the fish market was closed. Figures. We decided to cross the Rainbow Bridge and go to Daima, where we had a great time riding the ferris wheel, exploring the Toyota showroom, and eating and drinking along the water. After Daiba, Katty and I window-shopped in the shopping district of Ginza until we could check into our hotel, which was in Shinjuku. After a wonderful nap, we stepped out into the dazzling neon of Shinjuku and enjoyed delicious tonkatsu.

Day 2: The fish market failed us once, but we went for it again. This time we got there too late (around 9:45am) to see any really impressive fish, but we did have a delicious and fresh sushi inside the market. I don't know the names of most of the things we ate, but they were all yummy. We then went to Ueno in northern Tokyo and, after a relaxing stroll through Ueno Park, ate lunch and went to Senso-ji Temple. Senso-ji might be my favorite temple in Japan... it's loud, active, full of incence smoke, flanked by tacky souvenir shops, and extremely "of the people." After another wonderful nap, we went out with some friends in the Shibuya area, meeting under the giant TV screen made famous in "Lost in Translation."

Day 3: We slept in and went to the Harajuku area, where I felt very old among the stylish teenagers. There were anti-war rallies going on, offset by the surprising number of goth teens hanging out to get their pictures taken by the tourists. Very surreal. We met a Japanese friend, Yoko, who took us to woodsy Meiji Shrine and then to a "Western" brunch (eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits and gravy... ohh how I miss it). Yoko then took us to Akihabara, the electronic mega-avenue, where we shopped around and finally bought an I-Pod. We're modern! We killed the rest of the day eating and drinking, then caught the bus back.

So what do you think? Did we miss anything?

Finally... I have put up some class pictures on my picture page (below the student links on the side). Or you can click on http://adamspictures2005.blogspot.com/. They are a little fuzzy... sorry.

23 hours and 5 minutes

2005-04-27T23:55:00.000+09:00

We need your help! My wife and I leave for Tokyo tomorrow... it'll be our first time there, and we have no idea where to go or what to do. Any ideas?

What should we do in Tokyo?

Are you getting enough sleep?

2005-04-24T14:59:00.000+09:00

We read an article in class about how not getting enough sleep can affect your reading, speech, and memory. I think that anybody who has stayed up late working, studying, or partying knows that this is true. It is especially true for new college students who are experiencing new freedoms and more independence than ever before.

I know that when I don't get at least 7-8 hours a sleep per night, I get more and more tired as the week goes on, so that on Thursday and Friday I am like a zombie. I also find that most of the nights that I stay up too late, I COULD have gone to bed earlier if I had planned differently.

Do you get enough sleep?
How much sleep is enough for you?
How do you feel when you don't get enough sleep?
How could you change your schedule in order to get more sleep?
What should a teacher do when a student falls asleep in class?

Anyone is welcome to talk about this issue and answer these questions, but students in my English 1 class must answer before 8:00pm on Wednesday, April 27th. Your comments must be at least 50 words long, but I hope that you will write more. I'm looking forward to reading your ideas and opinions on this subject.

I should be working!

2005-04-21T16:39:00.000+09:00

Do you sometimes have so much work to do, that you decide to do nothing? That's what I'm going through right now. I have piles of papers to grade and plenty of classes to plan, but the weather is great, the weekend is almost here, and my motivation is low. However, after I finish this posting I promise to get back to work. I promise.

I really enjoyed our class on Wednesday! It was great to see you working together to edit your sentences and write paragraphs. I know that starting a new university and making new friends are challenging, which I why I was so glad to see you working together so hard.

How is university different from high school? Does anything surprise you about Kansai Gaidai?

I look forward to seeing you next week. Have a great weekend. OK... back to the pile!

2005-04-04T17:30:00.000+09:00

My father and I in Cleveland, Ohio

Welcome to English 1!

2005-03-28T14:13:00.000+09:00

The purpose of this blog is to create an open discussion forum for my English 1, Level 18 students at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. From my site you'll be able to share the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of some of Japan's best and brightest English students. I encourage everyone to participate.

Classes are going to start in a few weeks... of course I am excited to meet my new students, but I have to admit I liked being on vacation. In February I spent a wonderful three weeks in Thailand, climbing mountains, visiting hillside villages, exploring Bangkok, and relaxing on the beach. Unfortunately, my wife Katty was unable to go with me. She is in Peru visiting her family, but is coming back to Japan in about two weeks, and I can't wait to see her.

My family (father, stepmother, and brother) recently came to Japan to visit, and it was great seeing them. We traveled as much as we could... they loved the peaceful and simple temples of Kyoto, the roaring neon nightlife of Osaka, the hundreds of stone lanterns winding into the parks of Nara, the emotional and thought-provoking Peace Park in Hiroshima, and the snowy mountain views of Takayama. We even went to a sumo match in Osaka!

I'd really appreciate any other advice on where to visit in Japan, and I'd love to hear how other people spent their break.

Now I'm in my office, getting ready for the new semester to begin. I need more time!