2008 December 28 Sunday and December 29 Monday.

Did I mention that it is snowing again?   
It snowed non-stop for four days straight. 

How much did we get? 
Take a look at the photo on the left and see for yourself.

I haven't driven my van since last Thursday, so you can see how much piled up since that time.   
A lot.   

Certainly enough for every ski ground both near to the city and far away, to get a long awaited blessing and open up full time.

Ikuko and I finally finished printing and writing messages on about 300 New Year Cards 年賀状 that we send out every year, so tomorrow I am ready to go snowboarding for the first time this season.

I will be going to Santa Present Park for the night session starting at 16:00, most likely Charlie and his oldest son will be there too.

Charlie sent me an email telling about his big adventure at Kamui Ski Links yesterday.   

He came to the conclusion that he needed some more practice time at a smaller mountain before he was fully ready to get back up on the big slopes again.

I know exactly what he means.   
About 16 years ago when I tried snowboarding for the first time in my life, I was having a really hard time with it.   

Even though I was born and raised in Snow Country in Spokane Washington, I was never allowed to go skiing by my parents.   

So before I came to Asahikawa in 1990, I had never even been on a chair lift before.

In fact, the first time I tried to get onto a chair lift with my new snowboard attached to my left foot, I fell off right at the beginning.   

How embarrassing is that!?!   

On my second try, I was able to ride the lift up to the top and then promptly fell down again as I was trying to get off of the chair lift, and slide down to the staging area below.   

After I had attached my right foot to the snowboard binding and tried to stand up, I fell down again, and so on and so forth.

The first 3 or 4 times I went to a ski ground, I did a whole lot more falling down than I did of any meaningful riding.   

Finally on the 4th or 5th trip to the ski ground, I found my balance and was off down the slopes in a free riding style that I still use to this day.   

In a word, learning how to ride a snowboard is very much like learning how to ride a bicycle.   

Once you find your balance, you will remember it for the rest of your life.   

Even if you haven't ridden a bicycle for many years, you can still get on a bicycle and ride it again immediately.   

The only question is HOW LONG can you ride it before you get really tired.   Snowboarding is the same basic principle.

I didn't go snowboarding at all last season, and only one or two times during the season before that.   

Tomorrow I will try it again for the first time in almost two years.   

I know I will be exhausted after about 60 to 90 minutes, but I need more exercise in my life because I spend most of my time sitting in a chair, either talking to people or making stuff on a PC.   

It's time to spread my wings again.

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2008 December 26 Friday and December 27 Saturday.

Finally!!! The Big Snow!!!

This is the light and fluffy powder snow that Hokkaido is world famous for.

Charlie Hamel told me in an email last week that he and some of his students were planning to go to Kamui Ski Links today, and get in some skiing and snowboarding.

If it is snowing this hard down here, imagine what it must be like up there on the mountains.

I know from personal experience that being able to see where you are going on the ski slopes during such a heavy snowstorm, can very very difficult if not impossible.

You can call it a White Out.

On the other hand, if you can see where you are going during a heavy powder downfall, you will have the most excellent adventure humanly possible without leaving the ground.

Riding a snowboard through deep powder snow, is equivalent to flying through the clouds on a magic carpet.

It is unbelievably easy sailing.
Almost effortless.

The only problem you may encounter is trying to get back up on your feet, if you fall down.

Not because it hurts, in fact it is like falling into a bed of feathers, but because there is nothing solid to push against while trying to get back up on your feet.

This can take a lot of time and effort, and cause you to tire out quickly.

Overall, this is the season to do some of the best snowboarding that the world has to offer.

Right here in Hokkaido.
That is why people come here from all over the world, especially from other parts of Asia and also from New Zealand and Australia.

I am going to hurry up and finish writing all of my New Year Cards 年賀状 tonight, so I can get out my dusty old snowboard and go for a big ride tomorrow.

I can't wait to get back into it again.

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2008 December 24 Wednesday.

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. 
In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. 

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. 

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night." 

Poem by Clement Clarke Moore

Reading Voice  by Norman Delaney       
Piano Music  by Liz Story

CLICK HERE to LISTEN      

Reading Voice recorded on 2006 December 24　

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2008 December 23 Tuesday.

Today is a National Holiday in Japan. 
It is the Emperor's Birthday   天皇誕生日 to be exact. 

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko came to Asahikawa on July 4, 2003 for the first time in more than 30 years. 

The Royal Couple were on a tour of Hokkaido that year, and they traveled around this beautiful island by motorcade.   

One of the events on their schedule was to have a Luncheon Banquet at the Taisetsu Crystal Hall which is right across the street from my classroom.   

Because I knew the schedule of events on that day, I waited outside on the street along the route of the motorcade as it left the Luncheon Banquet at about 15:00. 

I was in a big crowd of people, but lucky for me, I am taller than most of the other people, so I could raise up my one-shot-at-a-time digital camera over my head in an attempt to take a photo of the Emperor as he and the Empress passed by on their way to their next event. 

Even though I couldn't use the viewfinder so as to be sure that I got a good photo, I got lucky none the less. 

As you can see from the photo on the left, this was a very lucky photo indeed, because I only had one chance.. 

The one and only chance in my lifetime perhaps.   
As a result, I nailed it.   

Later that same day, during the evening, there was another large gathering of people, this time in front of the Asahikawa City Hall to wave up at the Royal Couple as they waved back down to the crowd below from a 15th floor window in the Asahikawa Grand Hotel. 

I was able to take some very interesting photos of the occasion and you can see the photo gallery for that day day by clicking here.   

You can also read the very short essay I wrote about it by clicking here.

As I said at the start of today's blog, today is a National Holiday so I had no classes to teach. 

With about 3 weeks of winter vacation in front of me, I began to think of all of the things that I must do, and most of the other things that I want to do. 
It is a rather long list.

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2008 December 15 Monday thru December 22 Monday.

Today, December 22 is the Winter Solstice.   
It is the longest night and the shortest day of the year. 
It is not the coldest time of year in Asahikawa, that will come in the middle of February.

This past week was my last week of classes before the start of my 3 week winter vacation. 
As such, there was a small Xmas Party during each and every one of my classes, with a small gift for each and every student to take home with them.

Speaking of Xmas parties, I was invited to the METS 英会話 School's Xmas party, that was held at the Leo Palace Hotel on Saturday night from 19:00 until 21:00.

I don't know for sure, but I think this school has been around longer than my own classroom.   
I remember seeing their Town Pages Advertisement every year since I first started my school back in 1996.

Anyway, I met the people who work at and manage the school for the very first time on Saturday evening.

In a word, they are very nice people and if you live in the Suehiro Area of Asahikawa, you may enjoy attending some of their classes.   
They even have classes at other locations around Asahikawa such as Lumine and other citizen learning centers.   

Be on the look out for METS メッツ　英会話 posters when you go shopping at the 100 Yen store or you local supermarket.

After the METS 英会話 Xmas Party was finished at 21:30, I was invited by the manager Mr. S., to join everyone at another location for a second party, but I declined the offer because I was thinking about doing some more work on my affiliate website the Every Thing Japan Network.   

So, I sad thank you very much and started walking home along the icy sidewalks of downtown Asahikawa.

As I passed by the Planet Building, I suddenly remembered that I haven't been to the Piano in Pub, for a very long time. 
Since I was already in the area, I decided to take the elevator up to the 8th floor and join the party.

The reason I like this place so much, is because the owner can play any song on the piano and the customers can sing along on an open microphone.   

If you like going to a Karaoke Box and singing all of you favorite songs, you will like this place even better.

Not only that, but on Saturday nights they are open until 02:00 on Sunday morning, and a lot of really talented musicians stop by to play their musical instruments.   
It is an excellent place to meet up and get together for for a LIVE JAM!

On Sunday afternoon starting at 14:00, I went bowling with the Asahikawa University Lifelong Learning Class 旭川大学生涯教育クラス at the Dinos Sugai Building located on Taisetsu Doori.   

About the only time I go bowling at all, is with this group of people, and in 2005 I got the highest score over two games and won about 10,000 yen worth of book certificates. 

However, this year I didn't do as well.   
Although I paid 1,200 yen for two games of bowling, I won a total of 1,500 yen in book gift certificates 図書カード.   
Not a bad deal by any standards.

Tomorrow is the Emperor's Birthday and thus, a National Holiday.

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2008 December 8 Monday thru December 14 Sunday.

An open letter to Link Share Japan.   
Thank you for wasting my time!!!

As you may already know if you are a regular reader of this blog, I have started a new website in early September of this year, the main  purpose of which was to be an affiliate advertiser for the products and services of other companies.   

Although this type of affiliate marketing has been around for a bit more than ten years, it is still a relatively new business idea in the course of human history.   

With a lot of help from my good friend Charlie, I started to understand a little bit of what this world of internet marketing is all about.

I receive several internet newsletters from various organizations, one of which is from the Highlights for Children education company.   

I used to read this monthly magazine as a child and was hoping to share it with my students here in Japan, so I looked at their website to see if they had an affiliate program.

Sure enough, they did.   When I clicked on the link, I was taken to the English language website for Link Share USA.   

On that website I clicked on the big button that said Publishers Join Now.  I was taken to a Japanese Language sign up page.   

I didn't think anything was unusual about this, as it often happens with many websites such a Google.

Anyway this is not a problem for me because I can read Japanese. 
So I filled out all of the required information, in the Japanese Language.   
One of the data input boxes required me to describe the purpose of my website, so I filled it in like this.  日本の全てを英語の世界に紹介する、または、日本に住んでいる外国人に、便利な買物サイトを紹介したいとのことです。  In English I would translate this as; "Introduce everything about Japan to the English Speaking World.  Also, provide a one stop shopping website for foreigners living in Japan.

Is there any confusion,  either in English or in Japanese, as to the purpose of my new affiliate website, the Every Thing Japan Network?

About two business days after I made my affiliate application to Link Share Japan, my website was approved to become a publisher, so immediately started applying to most of the various companies that are registered with Link Share Japan as advertisers.   

I was approved by about 80% of the advertisers that I applied to, starting with the companies that I myself have bought things from and know are good products and services.   

Companies such as ALC which also goes by the name アルク and publishes many language learning materials which I myself have used to learn Japanese, Chinese and Korean.   

Sky Perfect TV, to which I myself have be a subscriber for about 10 years. 

Glico グリコ which makes many of the snack foods that my wife enjoys eating, etc, etc.

I was very happy and satisfied to be able to introduce these products and services to the non-Japanese speaking world, which is about 95% of the world population.   

I must have spent more than 100 hours putting up banner advertisements for my favorite companies onto my new website.   

I even made a sale through one of them, thus earning a small commission.   
Then, everything suddenly changed.

About two weeks after being approved as a publisher thru Link Share Japan, I received the following email from them.

ご登録されたWEBサイトは「ECサイトのパートナー」の観点から 一定の基準をもって審査を行っておりますが、審査の結果、下記の理由により、登録申請を一時的に保留とさせていただいております。 ※日本語以外のコンテンツで構成されているサイト

For those of my readers who can't read Japanese, let me summarize the above message.

Your website being registered as a partner to Electronic Commerce websites, as been examined, and the results of the examination are that your application had been put on temporary hold for the following reason.   

THE CONTENTS OF YOUR WEBSITE IS IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN JAPANESE.

Say What????   
You have already approved my website, that is why I was able to get banner links from your advertisers. 

Not only that, but I wrote about the purpose of my website in my application. 

Didn't you read it before you approved my website? 
Did you even look at my website before approving my application?   What kind of nonsense is this?

In an attempt to find out what this was all about, I contacted the Link Share USA branch of the company to find out if I could transfer my account to them, instead of the Japanese Network.

At first, I got an email from Link Share USA, with the URL for the signup page. 
I went to the English Language sign up page, but I was not able to complete the process, because the data input form does not recognize "Hokkaido" as a legitimate location for an address. 

So, I wrote them back again and asked what I should do.   
They said that they will contact me again when the issue is resolved.

As of this writing, I have heard nothing more from them.

As far a Link Share Japan is concerned; I have asked them several questions:

Number one.   WHY did you approve my website in the first place if you already knew that the contents was written in English?

Number two.   
WHY is there no mention in the affiliate agreement that the contents of an affiliate's website MUST BE IN JAPANESE ONLY?  For those of you who can read Japanese, click here to read the agreement for yourself.  Especially take a close look at article 8 　第８条。

On December 6, 2008 when Link Share Japan deactivated my account, and thus wasted about 100 hours of my time that I spent applying to advertisers, getting approved, and then putting banner links on my website, I wrote to them again and asked them; WHY IS THERE NOTHING  IN THE AFFILIATE AGREEMENT ABOUT PUBLISHER WEBSITE CONTENTS NEEDING TO BE WRITTEN IN JAPANESE ONLY???

Here is the reply I got.

  参加規約に「日本語以外のサイト」の参加を言及する文章はありません。 但し、弊社は、参加規約の第18条に基づき、日本のネットワークに参画する アフィリエイトサイトが基準をクリアするよう精査しています。

English translation:  There is nothing written in the affiliate agreement about publisher sites using languages other than Japanese. 

However, in accordance with article 18 (of the affiliate agreement) all publisher websites are carefully checked to insure they clear the standards of the Link Share Japan Network.

Below this comment I was given a URL to click on that leads to a web page in the FAQ sections of the website!!!! 
Click here to read that page.   

Again, if you can't read Japanese let me summarize the contents of the page. 
No affiliates under 18 years of age, No under construction websites, No gambling or adult porno or chat websites.

No websites that require a sign in page to access the website.
No multi level marketing websites. No websites that promote racial or religious or ethnic hatred.  etc. etc.    

Oh! and by the way, no websites that are written in a language other than Japanese.

Can you believe this xit!?!?

Remember, this information was not written in the affiliate agreement itself. 
It was written on a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) web page, and merely referred to by the agreement in article 18!!!

While most of these standards are just common sense, the requirement to have all publisher website contents in Japanese only, is not common sense.   

After all, only about 5% of the worlds population can read Japanese.   
The number of people who can read English is much greater than that.   Now, that is common sense.

Conclusion:  Link Share Japan has a business model perfect for the stone age. 

Wake up boys!!!  Your competitors such as Value Commerece, Commission Junction, Pepper Jam Network and so forth are going to steal your market share and put you in the internet marketing has been category.   

Best of luck to you guys.

And once again, thank you so much for wasting about 100 hours of my time!!!!   

Have a Merry Xmas.

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2008 December 1 Monday thru December 7 Sunday.

Believe it or not, it was raining all week, until Saturday when it started snowing again. 
The snow continues today on Sunday, and hopefully every day after that.   
I wanna go snowboarding at Santa Present Park next Saturday night, if possible.

The main reason I often go to Santa Present Park at night is because it is only a 15 minute drive from my house and it is not very crowded at night.   
I don't like waiting in lines for any reason, especially ski lifts.

Santa Present Park is a good place for beginning skiers or snowboarders to start learning how to ride on the snow.   
There are three different ski lifts there.   
The lift in the middle is short and takes you up to less than half way on the hill.   
From there, it is a gentle slope down to the bottom of the hill, just perfect for beginners. 
In fact, that is where I first learned how to snowboard about 15 years ago.

The photo you can see in today's blog was taken on Saturday at the Taisetsu Arena, which is right next door to my classroom.

I was invited to attend these ice hockey games by one of my architect friends, Mr. N.  His youngest son, who is now almost 20 years old was supposed to perform some of his original rap songs after the children's hockey match, and before the start of the professional hockey match.   

I have known Mr. N for about 16 years, and remember his youngest son when he was still in kindergarten.   
Now, this kid has pink hair, hip hop fashion, and a foul mouth that spews forth all of the dirtiest words in the English Language, but not much else.   

It reminds me of a Willie Nelson song that goes something like this; "Momma don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys,..."   In this case I would substitute the word "cowboys" for "rappers".

Despite this small disappointment in stunted growth, I'm glad I went because I like to watch ice hockey games live, even though the Taisetsu Areana is ice cold.   
Another enjoyable thing about going was that I was able to meet a young Canadian lady, who was brought along by Mr. N's wife. 

Mr. N's wife is a school nurse in the Furano area, and the 21 year old Canadian lady is employed as an Assistant Language Teacher in the same general area.   
She has a good sense of humor and was a lot of fun to talk to, especially because we are both native speakers of North American English.

She told me that she had arrived in Hokkaido only about 5 months ago, but that she had been studying the Japanese Language, on her own, since she was about 15 years old!   
This surprised me so I asked her if she had been to Japan before when she was in junior high school, on a home stay program or something like that. 

She replied that she had just come to Japan this year for the first time, but that she liked to study languages, and that is why she first started learning Japanese about 6 years ago.   
I too like learning languages so we had something in common to talk about.

Tomorrow morning, Charlie and I are off to Mebae Kindergarten めばえ幼稚園 to do a special Christmas Songs Show for the kids out there. 
Last year I had to do it by myself so this year's show should be a lot more fun for everyone.

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2008 November 17 Monday thru November 30 Sunday.

Sorry I haven't written for so long. 
In fact some of my students have been asking me to write more often, like I used to do, because they use this blog as a textbook for learning English at home.

The reason I haven't written anything for about two weeks is not because I have nothing to write about, but rather because I have been spending all of my free time developing my new website at http://EveryThingJapan.net

The purpose of that website is entirely different from this website. 
The Every Thing Japan Network website was made for the sole purpose of becoming an affiliate marketer for advertisers of various companies.

If you have never heard of INTERNET AFFILIATE MARKETING before, and already have your own blog or website, let me take a few moments of my time to explain the basics of how to earn extra money on the internet, in your spare time, at home, without spending any of your own money to get started.

First of all, you need to get a unique domain name that you can call your own.   
This might cost you somewhere between $5 or $10.   
Then you need to find a web hosting company to host your web site. 
You can get both at the web hosting company that I use. 
It is located in Canada and is  called MyHosting.

There are even many websites on the internet where you can START A BLOG FOR FREE, such as Rakuten and Blogger.

I myself, prefer to have total control over my websites and not use any of the free blogger services offered, because I don't like working with the limited user interfaces that those free websites offer.

This SnowmanJapan website was built up using MicroSoft FrontPage and starting with only one blank web page, but that software is no longer being supported by MicroSoft.

The EveryThingJapan site is being made with Adobe (Macromedia Studio MX) Dreamweaver software, and it is truly a joy to work with this professional software package. 

The placement of everything on the web page can be made with pixel perfect accuracy, and no need for guess work.

Once you have your own blog or website up and running on the internet, you are ready to apply to various companies and start putting advertisements on your blog or website.

Perhaps the easiest place to get started is with Google AdSense for content.   
Advertisers use Google AdWords to put text based advertisements on your website automatically.   

The text advertisements will be similar to the text based content of your blog or other essays that you have published on your website.   

If somebody clicks on one of your AdSense for Content advertising links, Google charges the advertiser some money, and then pays you a percentage of that money as an AdSense publisher.   

Either way, Google makes money on the deal, and so do you.   
Of course you are not allowed to click on your own AdSense links, or Google will ban you from the program.

Another place to get started with placing colorful banners and product ads on your website is at Amazon dot COM or Amazon dot CO dot JP. 

Amazon calls its affiliates "associates", but they are both the same thing.
All you have to do is go to the sign up page and fill out the information there, and Amazon will get back to you within a few business days and tell you whether or not you have been approved for their program.   

Amazon has a wide variety of marketing tools for Associate Publishers that are easy to use, and can add a lot of colorful content to your website.

Other places to find affiliate programs are websites such as http://LinkShare.com     http://LinkShare.ne.jp   both of which are RakuTen companies.   

Another website you might want to check out is http://www.cj.com   
The website is called Commission Junction.   

Another website you might want to consider is http://ClickBank.com    
These websites are different from Amazon in that they offer opportunities to sign up with many other companies, known as advertisers, and not just with one company, like Amazon.   

After you have signed up at these websites, the website will allow you to apply for an affiliate program with all of their advertisers.   

Each and every advertiser that you apply to will either accept or reject your website as an affiliate publisher for that particular company.   

So far, I have been accepted by about 80% of the advertisers that I have applied to, for a total of almost 300 companies that allow me to be an affiliate publisher for them, through the above mentioned websites.

 

As you can imagine, with almost 300 companies and all of their banners and product links to look over and choose from, I haven't had much time to write this blog, until today.

A few of my students have asked me about how to make money on the internet from home, and the above information is what I have told them.   
I hope all of my students and the rest of you out there, who read this blog, will benefit from this very basic information about Internet Affiliate Marketing.

Until next time, happy surfing.

By the way, just below this blog, you can see a live example of Google AdSense for content.   The common text says Ads by Google, and you have probably seen them on many other web sites.

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2008 November 11 Tuesday thru November 16 Sunday.

The G20 Summit held in Washington D.C.

This news even made the front page of the Hokkaido Newspaper complete with a photograph similar the one you can see on the left.

The main purpose of this summit was to solve the looming world financial crisis.

Even though they came up with some statements for the news media about how they are making progress to fix the problems, such as;   "We must lay the foundation for reform to help ensure that a global crisis, such as this one, does not happen again,"  they didn't tell the public what they are really planning to do.

I don't know much about the Bank of Japan, but I do know a little bit about the Federal Reserve Banks (FRB) of the USA. 

Therefore, I would like to share with my readers what little I do know about the FRB, and let them draw their own conclusions as to what will happen next.

Despite its governmental sounding name, the FRB is not a part of the Government of the United States of America. 

It is instead, a cartel of privately owned banking corporations, who have the power to tell the United States Treasury Department, how much money to print, and when to print it.

How did the FRB get started, and how did they get the power that they have now?

The FRB, also called the Federal Reserve System, was created in 1913 by the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. 

This legislation was rushed through the United States Congress without proper debate on December 23, 1913 when many of the congressmen were not even in attendance, because they were at their homes for the Christmas Holidays.

Despite this incredible fact, President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law on the very same day!

The American public was told that the Federal Reserve System would prevent any more financial crisis, which had caused the great depressions in 1893 and 1907.

Now that a small group of private banks controlled the entire money supply of the United States, they rapidly increased the amount of money in circulation during the years 1914 thru 1919 until the money supply doubled, by making extensive loans to other smaller banks, which encouraged those smaller banks made extensive loans to the general public.

Then in 1920, the Federal Reserve began to call in its loans from the smaller banks, and the smaller banks in turn had to call in their loans from the general public. 

This caused the public whom had their life savings in the smaller banks, to rush to the bank and withdraw their money. 

Because the smaller banks didn't have all of that money on hand, many of them had to close their doors. 

In fact about 5,400 smaller banks went out of business during this time.  In other words, bankrupt. 

As a result, the Federal Reserve Bank bought all of these smaller banks at a very low price, further consolidating their monopoly on the banking business.

However, the financial panic of 1920 was just a warm up for what was to come next. 

During the years of 1921 thru 1929 the Federal Reserve again increased the money supply by more than 62% by giving loans the remaining smaller banks, which in turn gave out loans to the general public. 

There was also a new type of loan called a "Margin Loan" in the Stock Market.    Simply put, a margin loan is a loan to stock market investors, whereby the investor can buy, say,  $1000 worth of stock with a payment of only $100 down. 

The stock broker would cover the other 90% of the value of the stock.    This margin loan system works very well, as long as stock prices continue to rise, and it created many new millionaires.   

In fact, this era in U.S. History is remembered as The Roaring Twenties.

Unfortunately, a margin loan can be called in at any time and must be paid off within 24 hours.   

This is know as a "Margin Call".  The party ended on October 24, 1929 when the biggest investors in the stock market, the big bankers, quietly started selling most all of their stocks. 

This forced the stock brokers to make massive margin calls, in order to get the money needed pay the big investors their money, for the stocks which they had just sold.   What happened to the small investors?   

They lost everything they had, and went deeply into debt at the same time. 

Many people committed suicide as a result of this deliberate market manipulation.   This time about 16,000 smaller banks went out of business.

What followed next was the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

Only World War II and The New Deal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, both of them financed by the International Banking Cartel which drastically increased the money supply again, ended the great depression.

Fast forward to 2008 and the Sub Prime Housing Loan Crisis.

Banks have been lending massive amounts of money to people, so that they could buy houses with no money down and at very low starting interest rates. 

So, many many people who really couldn't afford it, signed housing loan contracts, and bought new houses. 

The catch, is that the mortgage interest rates became adjustable after the first one or two years. 

In other words, what started out as house payments of say $400 per month, suddenly became house payments of $700, $800 and more per month. 

Because most peoples' income did not increase by the same amount, they could no longer afford to pay their mortgages, and had to move out of their new homes.

Sounds a lot like a Margin Call, doesn't it.

Not only that, but the financial markets started to buy up these bad mortgages, and repackage them together into what appeared to be investment grade products, and sell them on the stock market. 

Now, as stock prices continue to fall, the Federal Reserve continues to print more and more paper money, to bailout Wall Street and now the Big Automobile Makers, and maybe the Airline Industry is next in line to get FREE MONEY. 

Money printed out of thin air, with nothing of value behind it. 

This creates INFLATION, a rise in prices of everything, and if the FRB continues print more paper money, HYPER-INFLATION.

In reality, the VALUE of commodities is not going up, instead, the value of the U.S. Dollar paper money is going down.

What do you think is going to happen next?   Put on your thinking caps, and fasten your seat belts.  It's going to be a rough ride.

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2008 November 6 Thursday thru November 10 Monday.

During the weekend, I spent all of my time making 250 brand new laminated Question and Answer cards based on the 6W1H interrogatives 疑問詞. 

Namely; What, When, When, Who, Why, Which and How. 

This is the second edition of these such cards and they are based upon the 12 page textbook that I wrote about 2 years ago, that was designed for pair work in large classroom settings of between 20 and 40 students.

The first edition of these cards was made 12 years ago when we first opened our new classroom in June of 1996.   

At that time, I didn't even have a personal computer, so I used Ikuko's word processor to create and print out the A4 sized sheets of paper with 10 questions each on them.

Not only did I have to cut the A4 sized paper into 10 business card sized pieces, but I also had to cut the cardboard craft sheets into the same size as well.   

I even bought a big table top guillotine type paper cutter to help me get the job done.

After cutting the paper and the cardboard into their proper sizes, I used very wide transparent cellophane packing tape, to attach the printed question paper onto the cardboard, one at a time. 

They weren't pretty, but they worked rather well for that moment in time.

Nowadays, things are much different. 

Not only do I not need the thick cardboard to make these Q and A cards, but I can print out both the Q and A side of the card, as well as a  colorful backside to each card, that shows the level of difficultly, and my classroom's logo mark.  SBK

Because I spent the entire weekend making these brand new full color Q and A cards, some people might come to the conclusion that I worked overtime to get the job done.

That's only one way to look at the situation.

I look at it from a different perspective.

My classroom is the LOVE OF MY LIFE along with my wife.   

We are both TOTALLY COMMITTED to making this small business a big success.   

All of the time I spend teaching classes and making teaching materials for those classes, is the time of my life and the objective is to make our classroom, the best in this city.

In reality, it already IS.     The only competition I have, is with myself to make it even better tomorrow, than it is today.

What most people would look upon as overtime work, I look upon as PAYING IT FORWARD.

I am always prepared to do the best job I can do, on any given day.

That day was today, Monday November 10.   

For my last class of this day, from 19:00 to 20:00, I had a full house of 5 students, all of them of very different ages and all of them,  from very different backgrounds. 

Sitting around the same table with me, and using the Q and A part two cards, as the textbook for our lesson together, we engaged in very interesting discussions, of many different types. 

It was awesome.   The LOVE was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

To say it went smoothly is an understatement.   

It was a most enjoyable and interesting lesson for all in attendance, because everyone became totally spontaneous in their conversations with me and all of the other students, by using the Q and A cards as a launching point.

What a blast it was.  The promised 50 minutes lesson became 65 minutes, and I finally had to call a halt to the lesson time.

Phuck Yeah!    話せる　使える　楽しい　スノーマン　米会話.   

What you get is more than what was promised to you.   Who could complain?

Nobody.   Least of all me.

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2008 November 1 Saturday thru November 5 Wednesday.

Super Quantum Synchronicity

Ikuko and I had a bet about the USA Presidential Election Results.   

She thought McCain would win, and I knew different. 

So I challenged her to a bet, that if Obama was elected, she would buy us dinner and drinks at a restaurant of my choice.

When the morning edition of the Hokkaido Newspaper came to my door this morning, the front page headline said "Obama in the lead." 

I didn't even bother to look at the rest of the newspaper at that point in time.

Finally at about 17:00 when the evening edition of the 道新 Newspaper arrived at my door, the headline read "Obama is the next President of the United States of America".    

No big surprise there. 

Our last class of the day was canceled by the student so we were able to go out to dinner an hour earlier than usual.   

Ikuko needed about 15 minutes to get ready to leave, so I sat down to take another look at the morning newspaper.

I slowly looked through every page, and when I got close to the last pages of the newspaper, I GOT A BIG SURPRISE.

My good friend Mr. Akira Baba had passed away on November 3 at his home, in his bed, with a look of peacefulness on his face.

Also written in the newspaper was that November 5 was to be the funeral wake starting at 18:00 at the Ohtani Temple not far from our home.   

After I got over the initial shock upon reading the news, I showed the newspaper article to Ikuko.   

We immediately changed our dinner plans, got all dressed up in black, and walked on over to the temple to participate in the funeral wake that had already started about one hour ago.   

We stayed there for about 2 hours and then walked back home.   

I even cried a little bit.

Mr. Akira Baba was born on March 12, 1936.   

I first stepped out of an airplane and laid my feet on ground at the arrival lobby of the Asahikawa International Airport on March 12, 1990.   

My wife Ikuko was born on March 11, 1963.   

Mr. Akira Baba was 72 years old when he passed away.   

That is exactly 6 times around the 12 year animal zodiac, in the year of the rat. 

Mr. Akira Baba was very knowledgeable about world culture and local Hokkaido history and culture in particular.   

Mr. Akira Baba passed away on November 3, 2008.   

November 3 is a National Holiday every year in Japan.   

It is called 文化の日, meaning CULTURE DAY.   

Mr. Akira Baba was childhood friends with my wife's uncle.   

In other words, her father's younger brother.   

Ikuko and I opened our classroom in 1996, which was the same year of Mr. Akira Baba's 60th birthday.   

A 60th birthday is a big deal in Japan known as KanReki 還暦.

Need I say it again?  Everything is connected to everything else, even if you aren't aware of it.   

Super heavy synchronicity showed itself to me again today, and weighed heavy upon my heart.   

Mr. Akira Baba and I  have taken many trips together around Hokkaido in connection with our activities as members of  the Hokkaido Cultural Property Protection Association.      

I have also spent many enjoyable hours at his wonderful Pub Restaurant Ohfune.      

Click here to see a short photo slideshow of his place.   

Click here to read my translation of a Hokkaido Newspaper article about him and his very successful business.

See you again in the big cosmos my friend!   Where shall we travel to again next time?

馬場昭様のご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。
マスター、本当にありがとうございました。

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2008 October 27 Monday thru October 31 Friday.

The final countdown into the month of November. 

As such, the rain is getting colder, the wind is getting stronger, and the snow is beginning to fall onto the streets of this city.

November is a season between seasons.   

Not enough snow at the ski grounds yet to have any fun, but just enough snow on the streets to make driving dangerous.

The key word for winter driving is GO SLOW.   

It is easy to drive fast in the snow, but it is not possible to stop in time, to avoid a fender bender.

I got my tires changed from summer to winter on Thursday. 

I let my friendly TOYOTA dealer in SueHiro 末広 take care of that for me.

I have neither the tools nor the time to do it myself.   

I leave it up to the experts, to get the job done right.

Not only did they change the tires, and store them at their location, they did a full chassis and engine inspection including oil change, plus a car wash both inside and out.

The only thing they don't do, is windows, from the inside.

I can't complain.  I'll do it myself someday, when I finally get around to doing it.

As you already may well know, October 31 of every year, is known as HALLOWEEN among urban dwellers. 

The origins of Halloween are pretty much an open secret, but if you haven't thought  about it for a long time, you might enjoy reading my essay while listening to a PODCAST of me, reading out loud the very same essay.

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween more than Christmas.

Why was that?  Because there is FREE CANDY!!!

If you are an adult and reading this BLOG, your candy may be different from the sugar laden crap that most young kids like.

Your favorite CANDY might BEER or Japanese Rice Wine.   

Or, whatever.If it tastes good, eat it.   

If it smells good, drink it.   

If it feels RIGHT, do it.   

Are all slogans from the not too distant past, but it is ALWAYS TRUE, because that's just the way IT IS.

See ya again soon, on the POWDER SNOW side of the HILL.   

The Crystal Hill.

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2008 October 20 Monday thru October 26 Sunday.

It is steadily getting colder but the sun was out for much of the week. 

During the weekend there were some very sudden and violent rainstorms, with thunder and lightning.   

For those of you who were caught out in the rain without an umbrella, I hope you didn't catch a nasty cold out of the deal.

I didn't go anyway this weekend, even though I am running very low on Korean Dried Red Chili Pepper Flakes.   

An essential ingredient for me at almost every meal.  Especially with soups and curry.

One of my favorite snacks between classes, is to eat pre-cooked curry packets with brown rice.   

There are many varieties of curry packets for sale at any super market in Japan.   

They range in price from 70 yen up to 400 yen for just one 200 gram foil package. 

Some of these brands taste better than others, but none of them are any where near spicy enough, for me.

That is why dried red chili pepper flakes are so important to me.   

I usually add about one heaping レンゲ soup spoon full of red pepper for every packet of curry that I heat up in the microwave oven.

First, I heat up the curry sauce in a domburi bowl.   

Then, I add the hot and spicy red stuff, stirring it around well so as to mix the flavors together.   

Then the bowl goes back into the microwave again for a second heating.   

When the chime rings, I take the bowl out of the oven, mix it around again, and then add two or three scoops of freshly cooked brown rice on top of it all. 

Yum yum.

The brown rice provides a lot of bulk, fiber and minerals, and the wicked hot curry sauce provides the zesty flavor that I need to make it all worthwhile.

Considering the large amount of red chili flakes that I use almost every day, I need to go to Western Supermarket and buy huge bags of imported Korean red chili.   

The tiny little bags of it that they sell at the next door Seikyo Supermarket aren't even enough for one meal, for me.   

Am I hooked on this stuff???    I guess so.   

I wonder if most Koreans eat as much of this stuff as I do?   

I guess I'll have to ask one some time.

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2008 October 14 Tuesday thru October 19 Sunday.

Lots of nice weather this week, along with some sudden thunder storms and heavy rainfall, especially early Saturday morning.

On Wednesday after my last lesson was finished at 21:00, the two students in that private lesson and I, went to a Live House and Karaoke Bar called Good Luck　（Good楽）that is located right across the pedestrian mall from SanBanKan 三番館.

I have never been here before but my private lesson students have, so they introduced me to the owner and his wife, who have been operating this very nice place for about 3 years now.

Not only do they have the latest Karaoke equipment, but they also have a band set with drums, bass guitar, many other guitars, and maybe even keyboards.

I like these kind of hangouts, because I get to hear a lot of local musicians play lots of good music, and I myself even stand in as a singer or bass guitar player from time to time.

The prices here are reasonable, the place is new and clean and the owners are very friendly.   

It is located at 旭川市３条通１４丁目 in the 越知ビル２F.   

Their web site is located at http://fhp.from.jp/goodluckisa/

They are open from 11:00 - 16:00 for coffee and lunch time, and then again from 18:00 - 25:00 for a cafe and bar with live music by whomever wants to play some music.   

I know for sure that I will be going back again and again.   

If you love live music as much as I do and have never been to this place, please give it a try.   

I think you will like it too.

On another topic of conversation, Thursday October 16 was Me and Ikuko's 14th wedding anniversary.   

Fourteen years sounds like a long time, but really it's just the blink of an eye when you have a happy life together.

I let Ikuko choose the restaurant for our dinner and drinks celebration, so she choose KinKaRo 金花郎 located on 1 Jodori and within easy walking distance from our home.

This restaurant is very very popular and is usually packed with people, but on Thursday night is had a lot of open tables so we didn't have to wait at all.

The food of course is very good and that is why it is so popular. 

The price is a little bit on the high side, but it is well worth the experience. 

If you like Korean Style BBQ and have never been to KinKaRo before, I think you will like it too.

They have two locations that I know of.   

The one in the photo above/left is the one we always go to which is on 1 Jodori at about 4 Chome, and the other one is just off of 1 Jodori at about 18 or 19 Chome.

Both places have exactly the same menu and the same good flavors. 

They don't take reservations so if you want to go on a weekend or holiday, you better get there before 17:00, and be the first in line.

Good products and good service at a reasonable price is all an MBA needs to know about having a successful business.   

Let the bean counters argue over the nickels and dimes.

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2008 October 6 Monday thru October 13 Monday.

Another cold and rainy week, until Saturday when the sun came out again and it started to warm up.   

Monday October 13 was a National Holiday known as 体育の日.   

Literally, Physical Education Day.   

I'm not much into exercise or sports anymore like I used to be, so I made plans to drive down to Otaru instead.

I took my usual route to the Sea of Japan on Route 94, also known as the Inada Mashike Line  稲田　増毛　線.

This is a beautiful drive in any season, but now with the autumn leaves becoming more and more colorful, there were some unbelievably bright reds, yellows and orange colored leaves to be enjoyed along the way.

I took my sweet time and drove very slowly so I could fully enjoy the multi-colored tapestry laid out before my eyes.

When I got to the beach at Mashike, I was surprised to see how windy it was.   

When I opened the door of my van, the wind almost ripped it off!

Also, the waves were extremely rough and very high, at about 4 to 5 meters.

I have never seen the sea this rough at this location before.   
But then again, I have never been to this location in the middle of October before either.

I sat in my van and watched the beautiful but deadly ocean roll and growl with the fury of a woman scorned.

The next day, early on Sunday morning, I heard on the radio news that 5 young people from Asahikawa had been walking around on the rocks at Golden Cape 黄金岬 in Rumoi, when they got hit by a big wave.

Three of them got out alive, but two of them are still missing.   

Most likely their bodies will never be found.  Nature is beautiful, but if you don't fully understand and respect her, your going to get whacked.

I finally arrived in Otaru City at about 18:00, parked my van at the MaxValue open 24 hours supermarket, and walked along the Canal Plaza until I arrived at Otaru Micro Beer in Warehouse Number 1.

The main reason that I came all the way from Asahikawa on this day, was to see the PALOSIKS perform the new songs from their new CD, which I also bought on the same day.

The first time I had the good fortune to meet PALOSIKS was on 2006 MAY 3.   I just happened to be in Otaru During Golden Week, because I had cabin fever real bad, and I love the beer they make in Otaru City Hokkaido Japan.

A couple of good reasons to make the 470 kilometer round trip, and stay overnight in the HOTEL NOAH.

This time I went  in October and was able to drink the German Style Oktober Fest Beer that Otaru makes every year, at this time.

It was the first time that I have been to Otaru Beer in October and the first time I was able to drink this special limited quantity beer.

How was it?

In a word, Deeeeeeeeeeeeelishih!!!!

Take a look at the photo on the left to see what I am bragging about.   

Hokkaido makes WORLD CLASS ALL MALT BEER, and in abundance.

By the way, the PALOSIKS new album is called ゆる　ふわ　Relax.

You can some songs from the album at the Palosiks MySpace web site by clicking here.

I will be writing an album review about it and putting it on this web page of my new web site at the Every Thing Japan Network in the near future.

You can also buy their new album from Amazon Co Jp as well as at the Otaru Beer Hall itself.

Enjoy!

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Online Shopping for Everythig Japanese and more …

ワルツ・フォー・ティボー アーティスト：パロシクス 販売元：PIRKA MUSIC 発売日：2002/04/22 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

ゆるふわRelax アーティスト：パロシクス 販売元：PIRKA MUSIC 発売日：2008/07/11 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2008 October 1 Wednesday thru October 5 Sunday.

As expected the winds get colder and the rain falls suddenly and more often. 

It is harvest season and the rice farmers are working as fast as they can to rake in this year's crop before the snow level reaches the low lands.

Early on Saturday afternoon, I drove out to the Kamiubun 上雨分 section of Asahikawa, to retrace the roads that I and my friend Brian Smith would often go cycling along, on our mountain bikes.

Everything was pretty much the way I remember it from many years ago, except that there was some new road construction going on.

I saw many farmers out in their drained off rice fields with harvesting machines, cutting down the rice, spitting out the leaves and stalks, and then unloading the golden grain into a waiting truck.

It's the same thing every year at this time.

A job that has to be done.

Many people are depending on the farmers to bring in the staple food of Japan.

Rice.

Some like it polished and white, I like it brown.

Either way, it's fresh out of the fields.

Yum yum.

Another thing that is always the same each year at this time, is the changing color of the leaves.

The best way to describe Hokkaido during the summer is GREEN.

This is the greenest place I have ever lived, and in more ways than one.

Higher up in the mountains, there is more color right now, than there is here in the lowlands.

That will change very quickly.

The best way to describe Hokkaido in autumn, is RED GOLD and YELLOW.

An amazing patchwork interwoven colors that can keep a professional photographer busy for hours.

Coming soon, the all white blanket of winter snow.

Don't  say I didn't warn you.

It says so right at the top of the ASAHIKAWA page of this website.   

Warning!!!   Asahikawa is covered in snow for about 5 months of the year, every year.   If you don't like snow, don't move here.

Yeah, it's been there since the birth of this FrontPage web site.

Speaking of giving birth to new web sites, I have started a new one using the DreamWeaver MX software package, and it looks and feels completely different than this old rusty web site.

The new web site is at  www.everythingjapan.net    and is being designed as a customized google search engine, and also as an affiliate web site for the promotion of all products and services that are MADE IN JAPAN.

If you are looking for a quick and accurate search for something about Japan, you might enjoy using the search engine portal on this NEW WEB SITE.

You will be able to find what you are looking for more quickly, because I have designed it to filter out unrelated content.

Try it!    I think you'll like it!

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2008 September 25 Thursday thru September 29 Monday.

It was cold, dark and rainy all week, until Saturday morning. 

Then the sun came out and it warmed up a bit, making for a pleasant Indian Summer 小春日和 kind of feeling.   

I spent most of my time developing a new web site at the URL of www.everythingjapan.net .   

It looks and feels much different than this web site, and has a completely different purpose.

The web site you are looking at now, started out about 6 years ago, and looked very different then, than it does today.   

The only reason I started this web site way back then, was to give people more information about my classroom, than the Town Pages (Yellow Pages) in the telephone book could provide.   

In fact, the web site was finished just in time, before the new telephone directories were shipped to everyone in Asahikawa.   

I had put my URL www.snowmanjapan.net in my new advertisement, and didn't want people to try and access it, only to come up with a "FILE NOT FOUND" message, when they did so.   

That would be very embarrassing, to say the least.

I used FrontPage 2000 to make my first web site, and even that simple to use  software was a big challenge for me, at that time.  My first web site had only about 5 web pages in it, and was very confusing for the user to navigate through.

A year or two later, I upgraded my software to FrontPage 2002 and bought a big thick book from Amazon dot COM, called the Developer's Guide.   

This book helped a lot, and I learned how to make frames for the web site, making it easier to set up a navigation menu for the users.   

After that, I was able to organize this web site much better and added many new items to the navigation menu, and several hundreds of pages of original content, to this web site.    

It was a big improvement.

In the year 2004, I discovered Marcomedia (now Adobe) software.   

They had a software package called Studio MX, which contained Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Freehand and Flash.   

When I first bought, installed and tried to use this software, I was overwhelmed by the number of menus and functions that this excellent software package has.   

Again, I went to Amazon dot COM and bought a set of about 5 books, to help me learn how to use this new and amazing web development tool.   

It wasn't easy, and I am still an amateur, but finally, I produced a small (for now) web site that you can see at www.everythingjapan.net   

One of the things I discovered is, that DreamWeaver is so much more powerful than FrontPage, I began to wonder why I ever used FrontPage at all.   The reason is, FrontPage is so much easier to learn for people like me, who are not very Techno Smart.   

But, the good news is, I am becoming more knowledgeable about the internet and the IT industry in general, thanks in large part to my good friend Charles Hamel.

He has been working with computers and the internet for a lot longer than I have, and he has shown me so many things about IT, that he has removed the fish scales from my eyes, about the World Wide Web.   

Thank you so much, my dear friend Charlie.

You truly are; ON THE PATH in Hokkaido Japan.

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2008 September 24 Wednesday.

According to the evening addition of the Hokkaido Newspaper, Mt. Asahidake got it's first snow on the mountain peak 初雪冠雪 just today.

Wait a minute!   It is only September 24!   

Say what?!?

Welcome to Hokkaido.

It is time to start wearing warmer clothes again, especially at night.

Summer in Hokkaido is extraordinarily beautiful.   

It is also very short.   I hope you enjoyed it again this year, as much as I did.

With colder weather approaching rapidly, day by day, I and most other people who live here, will be spending more and more time indoors.   

It's a good time to do all of the things you have been planning to do, but didn't do, because you have been spending so much time in the great outdoors.

In my case, I will be spending more time developing web sites and reading books about how to do that, and reading more books about various other things.   

For other people, it will be a time to get back to THE classroom and study English or music or flower arrangement or the tea ceremony or whatever.   

The long winter in Hokkaido makes it easier to stay indoors and really concentrate on the STUDY at hand.

Recently, I have been getting a lot of new adult students coming to take a look at my classroom, and then starting regular lessons on a weekly basis.

Last week a man and a woman began private lessons every week on Wednesday, starting at 20:00. 

The man is about the same age as me, and is also a guitar player with a band called LIBERTY and the woman works at a law office.   

I am also a guitar player so we have a lot in common and we both love many of the same songs.   

Mostly stuff from the USA rock and roll style of the 1960s and forward from that time.   

I don't play the 6 string guitar as much as I used to, because I like to play the bass guitar more nowadays.

Also, just today, I had two adults come to take a look at my classroom for a free trial lesson. 

The man is also a guitar player who likes HEAVY METAL, and the woman can play the trumpet and violin.   

Another interesting thing about these two people, is that they both work at Asahiyama Zoo!!!   

What a cool job!    I love animals too, so I could enjoy a job like that, if  ever I had the opportunity to do it.   

They both found out about my classroom after seeing this web site on the internet.   

In fact, the man who came today is one of the people who has designed and currently maintains the Asahiyama Zoo Web Site.    

A very good web site indeed.   

I have a permanent link to it on the LINKS page of this web site.

The main reason they both came to take a look at my classroom today, is because many foreign tourists come to the Asahiyama Zoo every year, and being able to speak English is very usefu, for their jobs.   

I hope they both decide to come back again and start taking lessons on a weekly basis.   

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with them today.

By the way, the photo in today's blog is of a brand of Japanese Rice Wine made by KuniMare 国稀 which is located in Mashike Town 増毛町.   

I have been to this rice wine brewery several times, and you can see a photo slide show of Mashike Town by clicking here.

This particular product is called Hokkai Nigori Zake 北海にごり酒 and was made during July of this year.   

It usually hits the shelves of the supermarkets around September and that is why I am enjoying it right now, as I write this blog.

It is not 100% Rice Malt Wine 純米酒ではない but it is raw and needs to be keep cold or it will spoil.   

It has a sweet smooth flavor and is about 20% alcohol, so it's easy to drink a little bit too much, and get tipsy.

As you can see from the photo, it is not clear, but cloudy.   

The meaning of Nigori is something like "cloudy", and that is why the brew looks something like watered down milk.   

The perfect drink for this season.   

If you love Japanese Rice Wine the way I do, please try this product.   

You won't be disappointed.   

CHEERS!

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2008 September 23 Tuesday.

Today is the Autumn Equinox 秋分の日 and a National Holiday in Japan.   

Not only is this day the official end of summer on the calendar, it is also noticeably colder in the air with some rain in the evening.   

Time to switch from cold water baths to hot water baths.

Ikuko and I stayed home today, and didn't go anywhere except to the supermarket just before closing time.

I did some work on the internet, and then later tried again to make some musical sounds come out of my newly acquired plastic ShakuHachi 尺八 Flute.

I am making some progress and discovering a whole new world of music at the same time.

I love to feel the deep vibrations of the flute when I make a sound that can be called a musical note.

Oh no!  Another obsession.

I usually go down to the bank of the Biei River to practice, but today it was so cold and rainy that I just stayed indoors and practiced in my classroom.   

So far, nobody has complained about it.   

Of course, I closed all of the windows double tight so that none of my horrible sounds could leak out into the world.   

I am years away from any kind of public performance, but I will get there.   

Practice, practice practice.

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2008 September 16 Tuesday thru September 22 Monday.

The Autumn Equinox is tomorrow, and the weather this past week has been absolutely gorgeous.   

I love this time of year the most of all. 

I like to spend a lot of time outdoors, both day and night. 

Because it is still warm enough to walk around with bare feet and sandals.   

I like to walk slow, and take my alto recorder with me. 

Which got me to thinking again, about my promise to myself, to get a Japanese ShakuHachi Bamboo flute THIS YEAR, and learn how to play it too.   

I was thinking that I may have to pay from between 20,000 yen to 40,000 yen for a beginner's bamboo flute.   

A bit expensive, but I really want to do this, so I decided to go downtown on Saturday afternoon and buy one.   

The only store which I could find, that had any 尺八 for sale, was the OoNuma Musical Instruments Store 大沼楽器 at 2 Jodori 11 Chome.   

When I walked into the store, I saw a very nice looking shakuhachi with a price tag of 100,000 yen.   

YIKES!    I wonder if they have something a bit less expensive.   They did.

The one I bought, is the one you can see in the photo on the left.   

It only cost 9,000 yen because it is made of plastic.   

A very hard and thick plastic, but plastic nonetheless. 

The black band that you can see in the middle of the flute is the place where you can pull it apart into two pieces, making it easy to carry around in a small bag.

The shakuhachi is not easy to play.   

It has no reeds in the mouthpiece, in fact it has no mouthpiece at all. 

Just an open hole at the top with a very small v-shaped cutout at the front.   

It is like blowing across the top of an open bottle in order to make a sound, only much more difficult.   

I has a total of five finger holes.   

Four on the front and one on the back.   

The easiest sound to make, is with all of the finger holes open.   

Even this took me a good 30 minutes to learn how to make a steady musical sound.   

After practicing for 3 days straight, I was finally able to make a sound with all 5 finger holes covered.   I say make a sound, but not music.   Not yet.   

This is by far, the most difficult musical instrument, I have ever tried to play.  (I have never tried to play the violin or the clarinet, or the trombone, etc.)

I really love the sound of the Japanese Bamboo Flute 尺八, and I am confident that I will be able to make it sound nice, after several years of practice.

I know for a fact that anyone who really tries hard to do something, that they really want to do, will be able to make it happen. 

Even non-Japanese people can learn how to play the shakuhachi well.   

Click here to see a YOU TUBE video of  Todd Barton  playing a song called "AKEBONO" on a very expensive flute.   

I want to become that good too, someday.

Another thing which I bought on the same day, was a book about 15 historical sites of the Jomon Culture, which are in Hokkaido and the North northeast area of Japan 北東北.   

I saw an article about it in the Hokkaido Newspaper a few weeks ago, and decided to buy it right then and there.   

I have already been to most of the Jomon sites in Hokkaido, in fact you can see a photo slide show which I made of the Oofune Site that I visited on 2007 August 9.   

It is located in Minami Kayabe Village which is now a part of  Hakodate City.  Please view this photo slide show by clicking here.

The main purpose of this book is to show the reader how to get to each of these 15 sites, and what they can see once they get there.   

Also, the cover of the book says; "With the aim of having these historical remains registered as World Heritage Sites.   I totally agree.   

The Jomon Civilization dates back from 12,000 years ago up to about 3,000 years ago. 

That is a very long time.   Unfortunately, they did not develop any writing system so we have no written record of their daily lifestyle, and no clue as to what kind of language they spoke.   

Was it the original Japanese Language?   Maybe so.   

The Japanese Language as only 5 vowel sounds, which is a very small number by modern language standards.

I have already studied quite a bit about the Jomon Culture, and will continue to do so from now on.

Human Beings living in total harmony with the earth.

That was the Jomon People.

On Sunday morning of September 21, I went to the KeiMei Elementary School 啓明小学校 to watch their School Arts Festival 学芸会.   

The only reason I went to this event, is because 5 of the students who come to my classroom, also attend this elementary school and they invited me over and over again to come and see them perform. 

So, I made a special trip out to their school, to see them on stage.   

I enjoyed it very much, but the sound system wasn't very good, and I couldn't understand what the actors on stage were saying.

Finally towards the end of the event when the 6th graders got up on stage to do their performance about the beginning of this school 80 years ago, I was able to move closer to the stage and hear what the actors were saying.

It was a lot more interesting for me than the previous performances of their younger classmates.   

The event was finished at about 12:30 and I quickly got back into my van, so I could drive on over to the next event that I wanted to attend, on that day.

The next event that I wanted to go to was a free outdoor music stage, right in front of the Marui Imai Department store on the pedestrian shopping mall 買物公園, that was scheduled to start at 12:00 and end at about 17:00.   

I couldn't find any free parking, so I drove my van back to my house, and walked from there back into town. 

I arrived at about 13:30, just in time to hear a Rolling Stones Cover Band crank out some wicked sounds, at high volume.   What a treat!

In total, there were about 13 different bands, playing different kinds of music.   

The photo on the left is of a band called "Hauling Scrap" which was probably the most dynamic of all the bands.   

Also, it was one of the youngest of the bands in terms of the member's ages.

About half of all the other bands were composed of older guys about the same age as me.

There was a large crowd gathered around for each performance, with people drinking beer and dancing to the music. 

A very peaceful and enjoyable afternoon, with not one policeman in sight.

I met many people near the stage area, whom I have known for many years, and I even made a few new friends as well.

I play music too, so I can really appreciate what goes into making a band sound good.   A lot of practice.

It has been several years since I have played on stage at one of these events, but I hope to do so again in the very near future.   

Nowadays I am concentrating on the electric bass guitar the most, of all of the instruments that I can play.

Oh yes, let's not forget that I just started learning how to play the Japanese Bamboo Flute 尺八 only 3 days ago.   

It will most likely take me about 3 years to learn how to play even one song, well.   

Yeah, so what!   I have enough time to do that too.

Lifelong learning is my greatest pleasure, now that I am 52 years young.

There is always something new to learn.   

ALWAYS.

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2008 September 8 Monday thru September 15 Monday.

GOLDEN HARVEST

Monday September 15 was a National Holiday in Japan known as KeiRo no Hi 敬老の日 Respect for the Aged Day. 

What a novel idea!   Show respect and pay attention to the older people in society, who have built this country into what it is today. 

I am talking about Japan.

In the very beginning of the stage play RUN, which I translated into English from the original Japanese, writer Kuramoto Soh 倉本總 wrote the following; 

As for me,….  Well,….   I used to be the same way.

I graduated from college and got a job at a big company.

It was during that time when Japan was still recovering from the damage it had suffered by defeat in the big war.

Anyway, without knowing why, I started running.  Running,…… running and doing my best. 

I lived that way for almost 40 years.  Getting closer and closer to retirement.  Today was my last day on the job.

(pause).

Yeah,  lately I’ve been really confused.

Even though I’ve reached retirement, should I keep on running?  Or, should I just stop around here somewhere, and take a rest?

That’s why I’m just standing around here and waiting.

I don’t know what to do.

The main point being that in late 1945, Japan was just a big pile of ashes with a black rain falling.

It is a whole new world today. 

Because of the slavish work of the millions of survivors from the atrocity that IS every war,  Japan has become the most peaceful, most civilized nation on the face of this earth today.   

Made in Japan, means something special.  Including this rice field in Higashi Kagura 東神楽町.   Japonica rice.   

I prefer to eat it as unpolished brown rice 玄米.

I could buy it directly from the farmers if I really wanted to, but usually buy it at a WESTERN supermarket. 

One of the few supermarkets were you can easily buy unpolished brown rice.

I eat more than 5 kilograms of it every month.

I cook it in a regular rice cooker, in the same way you would cook white rice.   Brown rice smells a bit nasty while it's cooking, but it tastes great.   

A bit more chewy than white rice, and not appropriate for use as sushi すし, but it goes great with curry カレーライス and everything else.   

Once you have had brown rice, you might like it better than white rice, but I doubt it.   

I am not in the majority as a brown rice eater, but then again, I know what I like. 

Fiber filled golden grains of locally grown brown rice.

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2008 September 1 Monday thru September 7 Sunday.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were the days of the Okagura Festival お神楽まつり here in the Kagura District of Asahikawa.   

It is held every year on September 1, 2 and 3.   

Unfortunately, this year it rained on September 1 and 3.   Rained Big Time.  

September 2 was a beautiful sunny day, and I was able to video tape the children of Kagura Elementary School as they carried the Omikoshi 御神輿　(portable shrine) along the main streets of the Kagura District.   

I will be putting that video on my PrivateHokkaido channel at YOUTUBE in the near future.   

Tuesday was also a big day for HOMAC, as they held a big Sports Festival 運動会 at the Taisetsu Arena.   

All of the HOMAC stores in the DoHoku Area 道北 were closed on that day, so that everyone could participate in the event.   

After the big sports day event, everyone went to TsuboHachi 居酒屋つぼ八 for dinner and drinks.   

After that, many of them went to a place in Kamui called HiBana 火花 which is another Izakaya type of restaurant.   

Ikuko has a part time job at HOMAC, so that is the only reason I know anything about this.   

I myself did not participate in any of these activities, until about 11:00 p.m. of September 2.   

I was alone at home, drinking some TAKA  貴 brand NihonShu 日本酒 and playing the bass guitar, when suddenly I heard Ikuko's voice calling me from the entrance of our classroom.   

At first, I thought I was hearing things 空耳 but in fact it was Ikuko's voice.

When I put down my bass guitar and walked over to the entrance to take a look, Ikuko was standing there in tears, with two of her coworkers from HOMAC standing at the open door.   

My first question was;  "What Happened?"   

The answer was that Ikuko had fallen down and injured her shoulder.   

I could see from a close examination that she may have dislocated her shoulder, so I called her mother and auntie and told them what happened.   

After they came to my classroom to see Ikuko for themselves, we decided to call an ambulance and have Ikuko taken to the Red Cross Hospital.   

At the hospital, the doctor confirmed the fact that Ikuko had indeed dislocated her shoulder.   

After he popped her shoulder back into its proper place, and put on a big Velcro bandage, we left the hospital and went back home.   

Good Gawd!   I never knew that eating and drinking at a Pub Restaurant 居酒屋 could be so dangerous.   

This particular Izakaya has rooms where they have tables in the style of HoriKotatsu 堀コタツ.   

A KOTATSU 炬燵 is table with very short legs.   

The ones that most people might have in their homes also have an electric heater attached to the bottom of the table board, and also a thick curtain hanging from the outer edges of the table and down to the floor.   

These traditional Japanese style low tables are meant to be used while sitting on the floor.   

In some modern Pub Restaurants, the seating arrangements have been modified so that a hole has been dug from the floor level down to about one half of a meter in depth, so that the customers can sit on the floor at the KoTatsu and let their feet hang down into the hole.   

This design makes it feel more like sitting on a bench that sitting on the floor.   

It is much more comfortable for people who may have sore legs.   

Anyway, to make a long story shorter, Ikuko was walking between these tables on her way towards the toilet, when she somehow managed to step into the hole with her right foot, and fall to the floor hitting her left shoulder hard.

I myself have sat at such tables at Pub Restaurants many times before, and I could not visualize how someone could so easily injure themselves in this way.   

Ikuko's repeated explanation of her accident caused me to become even more bewildered about the whole affair. 

So, on Sunday September 7, I drove her down to the very same restaurant at about 16:50, just before opening time, to have a look at the accident scene for myself. 

We talked to the manager and I looked at the big room where it all happened, and I could see no negligence on the part of the Pub Restaurant for faulty equipment, or dangerous surroundings, so I apologized to the staff for barging in on them before opening time, and distracting them from their preparation work.

Conclusion?   Ikuko herself, had been careless in not watching where she was walking and had caused the accident to herself, by herself.   

WATCH YOUR STEP is common sense, in the world of the living.   

XIT happens.    Accidents do too.   

That is why, they are called ACCIDENTS. 

Words have specific meanings.   

Pay closer attention to the world around you and watch your steps carefully.   

Your damn lucky you didn't hit your head on the ground first.   

You could have been in one helluva worse condition than you are right now.   

Count your blessings and throw away the BLAME GAME.   

You did this one, to yourself.   WATCH YOUR STEP.

The photo in today's blog was taken on July 2, 2006.   

It was taken at ShoSanBetsu 初山別村 along the Sea of Japan. 

I even took a dip in the shining sea that day, before I took this photo.   

This photo was copied and pasted here without any changes whatsoever.   

It was taken by my 3.0 Megapixal Digital Camera on that very lovely day.   

I took a very large number of photos on that day,  but this one was THE BEST of the lot. You can even see RiShiri Island 利尻島 in the background, thru the gates of the ToriI 鳥居.   

Also known as RiShiri FuJi.     A photo says it all.      

Hokkaido = BEAUTY.      

Come and see it for yourself, sometime.

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2008 August 25 Monday thru August 31 Sunday.

The last week of August, and autumn is just around the corner. 

My first gig on Monday was at the Chestnut Tree Kindergarten くりの木幼稚園 starting at 10:00.   

As usual, I was up on stage in front of about 220 noisy kids.   

See the photo above/left for details.   

This week I talked about summer vacation activities using big colorful laminated flash cards to make the English words easier to remember.   

One of the cards represented the word DRIVE.   

I even made up a new song the night before called MY CAR, that was simple and easy to remember for the kids.   

With my acoustic guitar in hand, we sang my new song, and a couple of other old songs that the kids already knew.   

Finally, all the kids came up to the stage one by one and we shook hands and said;  "Bye bye.   See you next time!"    

After my class, the kids got to go outside and play on the big lawn that the kindergarten has.  They even got served freshly sliced watermelons.    

My next class on Monday was the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会 from 13:00 until 14:30.   

This week, one of the ladies told us  about her family's 12 day trip to FRANCE, which started off on a bad note.    

After the very long flight from Japan to France, they arrived at their hotel, only to discover that the hotel had NO RECORD OF THEIR RESERVATION even though the family had a printed out copy of their reservation confirmation in hand, and showed it to the front desk clerk.   

Wow!  How is that for a laid back attitude about running a business.    

Actually, I have heard this same horror story before from other students who traveled to Spain and Turkey, arriving after a long hard day of traveling, only to discover that the hotel they thought they had reservations at, didn't have any reservations for them.   

I seriously doubt if something like this ever happens in Japan or Germany.   

Anyway, despite an uncomfortable second rate hotel room on the very first night, the 12 day trip turned out to be a wonderful experience for her and her family.   

Other students talked about various things, and we never got around to the printed hand out that I gave to them last week.   

No, problem there.  We can use it anytime.   

I have a thousand more that I can prepare on a moments notice for any class.

Tuesday through Friday was a regular school week at my little classroom.   

On Saturday afternoon around 13:00, I drove out to Shibinai to visit Charles Hamel and family.   

They live in a farming community, and even have their own little garden plots.   

Despite the rather small area that they had to grow in, they had an amazing abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, red hot chili peppers, carrots and corn.   

When I first arrived and walked in the front door, I smelled something delicious on the gas stove.   

Turns out that Charlie was making a big pot full of   TEXMEX   (Texas/Mexico)   SALSA  サルサ  with fresh off the vine ingredients from his own garden, and the farms of his neighbors as well.   

I don't know about you, but I just love Mexican food with a big dish of salsa on the side.   

It was a lucky day for me too, because Charlie has so many tomatoes, that they are beginning to rot on the vine.   

Not all of them, just some of them.    There are still lots of green tomatoes that will become edible in the very near future as well.   

As a result, Charlie let me pick as many of the edible tomatoes as I could, and I picked a lot of them.   

After I got back home from Shibinai, I got out a big aluminum pot and started making a huge batch of my own fresh salsa.   

It was so good, I even surprised myself.   Fresh ingredients really do make a big difference. 

I hope I will be doing this again, in the very near future.

On Sunday, Ikuko and I took a long drive to Biei, Shirogane and Tokachi Dake Observation Area.   

The weather was perfect, and I brought along my video camera and new tripod.   

I got some excellent video of the active volcano, the surrounding mountains, the sunset and myself in a natural outdoor hot tub in the dark with a chemical light stick, making light drawings in the water.   

When these videos have been edited and finalized, I will put them on the Private Hokkaido channel on YOU TUBE.   

Please check it from time to time for new videos that will be COMING SOON.   

Tomorrow is the start of my favorite month, SEPTEMBER.   

The Autumn Appetite 食欲の秋 is now upon us.   Harvest season in Hokkaido is something everyone should see for themselves.   

Please come and visit some time.

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2008 August 18 Monday and 19 Tuesday.

It's back to school for me an my students today.   

Even though the public schools don't  open until Wednesday, all of my elementary school and junior high school students came to my classroom today and yesterday.   

Some of them don't even live in Kagura or Kamui, so they had to make a special trip to get here.   

Thank you so much.   

On Monday from 13:00 until 14:30 I had a class with the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会, for the first time in 4 weeks.   

The students had a lot to talk about, and so did I.   

One of the young ladies told us about a trip that she and her husband took to MEXICO.   

She also brought along 3 photo booklets with lots of really nice photos. 

I felt very nostalgic when I heard her story and looked at the photographs, because I myself have also taken this same trip when I was about 16 years old.   

Of course, I was traveling with my parents and my skinny little sister at that time, but I remember that vacation very well. 

The route we took was to fly down to Mexico City and stay there for 2 nights.   

In Mexico City, we got to see the very impressive pyramids built by the Aztec Civilization.   

After that, we went to the Yucatan Peninsula and looked around at the various pyramids of the Maya Civilization at various places.   

I distinctly remember skin diving with a mask and snorkel off of the coast at Merida and other locations.   

I will never forget how clear the sea water was.   

It was like entering a whole new world, as soon as I put my head underwater.   

The young woman and her husband who went to Mexico during this year's summer vacation really enjoyed their time there.   

She told the class how much she loved Mexican Food (me too) and that she loved TEQUILA as well!!!   

She said that she had purchased 3 bottles of tequila and brought them back to Japan with her .   

I have to admit, I used to love tequila also.   

The really good authentic tequila is very delicious, and easy to drink.   

Therein lies the danger.   

Tequila is at least 40% alcohol, and some folks say that it has an extra hypnotic effect as well.   

In other words, it is easy to drink too much, too fast.   

Behavior which can lead to a loss of memory, and odd behavior in public places.   

I haven't drank any tequila in about 10 years, and have no plans to try it again, anytime, ever.     Unless,........

On Tuesday, there were two new persons who came to take a look at my classroom.   

Both of them have a definite goal in mind for their personal lives, when it comes to being able to speak English freely, and accurately.   

MOTIVATION is the KEY word here, because motivation gives birth to ENTHUSIASM  and enthusiasm gives ENERGY to DOING, and doing creates RESULTS.   

In Japanese, they call it SeiSeki  成績.   RESULTS.   

Literally, the "the becoming, piles up upon itself"    

That is how I read these two Kanji when used in this combination.   

Even dust, can pile up to become a mountain, is another way to say it.

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2008 August 1 Friday thru August 17 Sunday.

My long 3 week summer vacation is finished today.   

Usually during this time of year, I go for long drives and camping here and there around this beautiful island.   

This year, I stayed at home.   

The main reason being, I had rediscovered my Digital Video Movie Camera, after having not  used it for about 3 years.   

I have about 8 Mini DV cassette tapes that I had filmed in locations like Otaru and Niseko, but had never transferred them onto a computer hard disk.   

So I did that.  Also, I was encouraged by the good results I had gotten from filming at the Hokkaido Newspaper's annual Big Fireworks Display on July 31, and I planned to do an even better job of filming at the Hanabi in Kagura held every year on August 14.   

I went to the festival grounds about one hour early, and filmed the trees illumination and the live music show on stage before the start of the fireworks.   

I was able to get a place right in front of the stage with an excellent camera angle for the upcoming launch of the fireworks.   

I had my tripod down low and was sitting down during the entire display.   

This time, I was careful not to make the mistakes I had made on July 31 while I was filming.   

I used up the entire 60 minute tape and felt really good about my filming session.   

Felt really good until I got home and attempted to download it all onto my computer hard disk.   

That's when I discovered the awful truth.   

The camera hadn't recorded anything at all!!!!   

WHAT IN THE WORLD????   

I got out the owner's manual and looked through the back pages.   

I soon discovered what the problem was.   

The recording and playback heads of my camera were DIRTY!   

The manual also said that a message will appear on the camera screen telling me when it is time to clean the camera heads. 

No such message ever appeared.    

I went from feeling really good, to feeling really bad in the space of just a few seconds.   

What a fool I had been.   

I never thought that the camera heads were dirty, because I haven't used the camera all that much.   

I was wrong.   The next day, I went to a big electronics store not too far from my house, to buy a camera head cleaning cassette, and 3 new recording tapes as well.   

When I tried to clean the camera heads with the cleaning tape, I discovered that I had to do it three times in order to get them really clean.   

Then I discovered that the recording cassette tape which I had used to "record" the Hanabi in Kagura, was worn out and would not record anymore.   

I will not make this same mistake ever again.   

Next year for the Hanabi in Kagura I will use a brand new tape to record the marvelous show.   

In my opinion, this year's 20th anniversary of Hanabi in Kagura was the best ever.   

They even had the fireworks synchronized with the loud music that they were playing during the entire event.   

I really missed a grand opportunity to make an excellent DVD this year.   

I'll get it right next year.    On Saturday, Ikuko and I went to visit the family gravesite in Kannon Dai, on the top of the hill near the former Inosawa Ski Ground.   

The weather was very nice as you can see from the photo above/left.  Tomorrow, it is BACK TO SCHOOL.   

See you all again at that time.　

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2008 July 30 Wednesday and July 31 Thursday.

On July 31, the Hokkaido Newspaper held their annual Big Fireworks Display 花火大会 along the banks of the Ishikari River 石狩川 just below Tokiwa Park.   

Charles Hamel and his oldest son came over to my place at about 18:40, and soon thereafter walked with Ikuko and I over to the same location that we went to on July 25 when we watched the Yomiuri Newspaper's Fireworks together.   

This time, instead of my snapshot camera, I brought my digital video camera.   

It has been a long time since I have used this rather expensive but very good DV movie camera, so I had to sit down and read the instruction book again.   

I bought a new tripod because my very old one broke during the photo session on July 25.   

The four of us arrived at the river bank about 10 minutes before the start of the show.   

When the final salvo of fireworks was finished at about 19:50, we all walked into the downtown area where the 3・6 Downtown Merchant's Festival was in full swing.   

As usual, there was a lot of interesting and amusing things to see there.   

When I got home, I downloaded my fireworks video onto a special computer hard disk, and began the editing process.   

I was able to come up with the best 18 minutes of the fireworks display and put it onto a customized DVD.   

The quality of the video is very good on the DVD.   

I will send a copy of the DVD to my sister who lives in Seattle Washington.   

For most of the rest of you, I have begun uploading the movie to my YOU TUBE account which is called PrivateHokkaido.   

You can see the videos from that server, by clicking here.   

The image quality of the DVD is much much better than what you can see on YouTube, but you can still get a good feeling for the excellent timing and combinations that the fireworks professionals put together, for the dazzling light show.   

ENJOY!!!

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2008 July 29 Tuesday.

Happy Birthday to ME!   

Yeah, it's true.   I'm still alive.   

And, at 52 years young, I am finally playing with a full deck.   

It's important to have a full set of tools, when playing the game of life.   

Speaking of DECKS, I am going to spend most of today cleaning the big deck of my balcony with soap and water.   

Summer fun, in the sun.   

A clean deck is a happy deck.   A happy deck for happy campers.   

Count me IN!　

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2008 July 25 Friday thru July 28 Monday.

Summer vacation starts off with a bang.   

At about 18:40, Charles Hamel and family drove all the way from Shibinai to the Asahikawa Michi no Eki, which is right next door to my classroom.   

At about 19:00 Charlie and I walked on over to the river line below Tokiwa Park, and set up our cameras and tripods just below ShinBashi bridge.   

The women and the kids, took the bus and arrived a bit later.   

I was surprised to see that the place was not all that crowded.   

In fact, it looked about half empty.  I was drinking a bottle of Otokoyama Sasa Ori as I always do at this event, but I didn't share any with Charles.   

Sorry Charlie, you have to drive back to Shibinai when this is all over, but I can walk home.   

By the way,  Charlie got some really good photos of the event, which you too can see by clicking here.   

Three full weeks of no classes to teach for me, so I will be able to get out and about, or just stay at home and do some cleaning up, and bass guitar practice. 

The more I play the bass guitar, the more I like it.   

Oh No!!!   Another obsession!   

Time to get out the alto recorder again too.

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2008 July 22 Tuesday thru July 24 Thursday.

Just one more day of classes until the start of my summer vacation.   

On Thursday July 24, Ikuko and I went to the annual Biei Fire Festival 美瑛火まつり　for the first time.   

Every year on July 24, they hold this powerful event.   

Why has it taken me so long to get there and see it for the first time?   

Lack of planning.    For years, I have been driving thru Biei on my way to the Mt. Tokachi Observation Area 十勝岳　望岳台 and FukiAge Outdoor Spa 吹上温泉露天の湯, and I have seen the posters for this event many times.  Finally this year, I made the smart decision to go and see it.   

It was awesome.    The contrast between WATER and FIRE has never been more obvious.   

Charles Hamel and family were at the event as well, and Charlie has a new digital camera, Canon EOS Kiss F 10.1 Megapixel DSLR which takes awesome photos!   

CLICK HERE to see one of his best.   

A photo good enough to be published in National Geographic Magazine.   

I also took a lot of photos on that night, with the very first digital camera I ever bought. 

The CASIO QV-3000EX.   This camera has the largest diameter glass lens, of all my digi cams.   

Perfect for night time photos.   

With a digital camera it is cheap and easy to take a massive amount of photos.   

Among those many photos, there are always some really good ones.   

Once and a while, a really great photo.   

You can see a slideshow of the best photos I took at this event by clicking here.   

The origin of this festival in Biei, has a lot to do with the repeated eruptions of Mt. Tokachi in the years;  1857, 1887, 1926, 1962 and most recently in 1988.   

That is very active volcano, if ever there was one.   

As you can well imagine, having a volcano blew it's top in a place that is close to where you live, is a big disaster for human beings.   

The main purpose of this festival which began exactly 20 years ago in 1988, is to beg the mountain to remain quiet, and not blow up again.    

It seems to have worked so far.  I think that I will make this one of my yearly traditions, and go every year from now on.   

After all, I have had the experience of driving from Seattle Washington to Spokane Washington on May 18, 1980 when Mount St. Helens blew up.   

It was a scary experience that I will never forget.   

There is nothing humans can physically do to prevent a volcanic eruption. 

Spiritually, we may have a chance, if we show our respect for the power of MOTHER EARTH.   

That is the real reason why this festival is so important.

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2008 July 20 Sunday and 21 Monday.

Umi No Hi, 海の日 or as I like to call it, Marine Day, is a National Holiday in Japan.   

Ikuko and I were planning to go to Sapporo and stay overnight on Sunday, but I backed out of the deal at the last moment because I had an awesome stomach ache.   

No thank you, to riding the train for 3 hours and walking around a big city, far away from toilets, all day long.   

I stayed home.  So, Ikuko went with her mother instead.   

Her younger sister lives in Sapporo now, so they all had a merry time as a happy trio.   

While they were swilling it up at the Sapporo Beer Garden Genghis Khan BBQ beer hall, I was sitting at home, eating brown rice and natto.    

After that, I had a midnight snack of hot buttered popcorn.   

Thanks to Charles Hamel, I can once again enjoy the smoky flavor of fresh popped popcorn, right here in my own home.   

He brought it with him from Houston Texas USA, when he and his family made their big move to Hokkaido.   

What a treat and a much appreciated and often used gift.   

Thanx again.    Ikuko came back from Sapporo at about 12 noon on Monday morning, and showed me all of the photos she had taken on her mobile phone camera.   

Looks like everybody had a really good time.   

Me too, in a lonely sort of way.    Starting tomorrow is the last week of classes before the start of a three week summer vacation.   

I'm giving a final exam tomorrow at AU, making use of the internet to get the job done.   

Being able to find the information you want on the web quickly and easily, is an important job skill in this day and age.   

College kids need to learn this as fast as possible.   

Some of them will.    Others won't.   

It's an individual choice.　

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2008 July 19 Saturday.

The smart little girl who comes to my classroom every Saturday morning, couldn't come today because she had a bad headache.   

I hope she feels better soon.   

With my morning lesson canceled, I had the perfect opportunity to get back to basics on the electric bass guitar. 

I am all the way up to track 20 on a 65 track instructional CD that came with the textbook entitled; EASY BASS.   

Yeah, that's right up my alley.   ABC 123.   

After about 90 minutes of practice, I had to change clothes and get ready to go the the Grand Hotel by 14:00 for the celebration of the 45th Anniversary of Asahikawa Women's Junior College, 40th Anniversary of Asahikawa University etc.   

It was a huge event, with the likes of who is who in Hokkaido, all in attendance.   

Even the Mayor of Asahikawa, Mr. Nishikawa himself, found the time in his busy schedule, to show up and make a speech.   

See the photo above/left for details.   

After about one hour of speeches and awards presentations, everyone of the more than 220 people who came today, went into the room next door for food and drinks.   

We were also treated to an excellent performance of some very complicated music by the 旭川大学高等学校吹奏楽部　Asahikawa University High School Brass Band.   

They were really good!   

They must practice almost every day, in order to pull off a perfect performance like the one they did today.   

Another delightful treat for today, was to discover that the elderly gentleman seated to my left at the banquet table, and who teaches information processing on Tuesday mornings, is in fact distantly related to my wife's family!    

To keep it short, he is the husband of the sister of the mother of the the husband of my wife's older sister.   

Therefore we have the same two nephews, in common!   

Did you follow that?    OK, here it is again in reverse order.   

My wife has two sisters.   One older sister and one younger sister.   

My wife's older sister, is married to a man.   

That man's mother also has a sister.   

That sister is married to the elderly gentleman who sat next to me today at the banquet table.   

Yeah, I know.   It's a long and winding road, but all of us are connected in some way.   

Whether we know it or not.

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2008 July 14 Monday thru July 18 Friday.

 

I was not as hot this week, as it was last week, and I didn't need to turn on the cooling system.   

About a month ago, my wife received a used digital camera from her younger sister.   

It is a RICHO Caplio R2 5.0 Mega Pixel unit, and you can see it in the photo above/left.  Ikuko almost never uses a camera, so I have developed the custom of taking this camera with me where ever I go.   

It is by far, smaller than any other camera that I have, and it takes very good photos.   

Now, I will never miss another photo opportunity because I didn't have a camera with me.   

Thanks Yuki!    This camera will be well used by me.   

Not only does this camera take still photos, but it also takes motion video as well.   

Plus, it can also be used as a voice recorder for sound only.   

Isn't it amazing what electricity and magnetism can do.   

On Monday, I had my last lesson with an 8 year old girl who has been coming to my classroom for about 5 years.   

She and her family will be moving to Chitose because of her father's job.   

I hope they can find a good English classroom in that city so that she can continue her studies there. 

On Thursday at about 20:30 while I was walking the aisles at the next door supermarket, a beautiful young woman runs up to me saying; "ノーマン先生、ノーマン先生！" 

She came right up to me and we looked at each other face to face.   

I could not remember who she was, until she said; "I am Haruka".   

As soon as I heard that, I knew exactly who she was.   

I haven't seen her in about 3 years, but she and her brother who are fraternal twins  一卵性双生児, used to come to my classroom during their elementary school and junior high school days.   

Now they are both 23 years old and attending universities in California USA.   

How's that for a job well done, by all hands on deck.   

It's a small world after all.   

Be kind to your neighbors.

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2008 July 12 Saturday and July 13 Sunday.

At about 18:00 on Saturday, I went over the hill and down into TomiSawa to attend a private BBQ party being held for an American guy, how used to live in Asahikawa for a long time, but now lives in Atlanta Georgia.   

I haven't seen this guy for about 8 or 9 years, but when I saw him again today, it was like we had never been apart.   

Some people just don't change no matter how long you know them.   

This party was rather unusual for me, because there were no Japanese people at it.   

Only non-Japanese.   There were people from Canada, England, Holland, Sri Lanka and of course, the USA.   

As such, the common language was English.   

One thing I noticed, is that these people like to talk about other people a lot.   

In other words, GOSSIP.    Gossip is something which I don't like much and almost never do myself, so today I heard a lot of strange stories about some of the people who were at the party, and some other people who weren't at the party. 

Stories I had never heard before, even though the events being described happened both recently, and many years ago.   

As a result, I grew rather bored with most of the conversations, and went inside the house to play my bass guitar which I had brought along with me.   

Fortunately, the owner of the house also likes to play live music so he soon joined me with his guitar and microphone, and we started making some groovy sounds.   

The photo in today's blog shows one of my bass guitars and one of my six string electric guitars, sitting in my classroom, after being prepared for transport to the party.   

I needed to do an equipment check before I left, and also put all new strings on the stratocaster.   

The guy from Holland who was at the party, was also a very good guitar player and singer, and he knew a lot of good songs from memory. 

So, I played along with him too on the bass guitar.   

The party ended about midnight.   

Because I was driving that day, I drank no alcohol at the party but I had a few beers when I got home.   

I continued to play the bass guitar at very low volume, practicing the basics over and over again, until about 5:00 Sunday morning.   

Music and languages are my specialty, and what I like to do most.

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2008 July 7 Monday thru July 11 Friday.

The WORLD comes to Hokkaido.   

What a nightmare for the traffic cops.   

I stayed far away from all of the hoop-la, and didn't leave Asahikawa.   

I had already scoped out the Windsor Hotel Lake Toya, during Golden Week of 2007 on May 12.   

Click here to read the details. 

Unfortunately for the World Leaders and their entourages, the weather at Lake Toya this year on July 7, 8 and 9, was not the best.   

From Live News Broadcasts, I could see that it was very overcast and dark.   

Not the best way to remember this beautiful island of Hokkaido.   

When it is clear and sunny, Lake Toya is absolutely stunning in its own natural beauty.   

The Windsor Hotel has the best view, because it is located on the highest hill, that surrounds the lake itself.   

A Magnificent View from the top.   

Will this 34th G8 Summit be remembered as the 3 days which rocked Hokkaido?   

Hmmmm,... I wonder.    I will be here as usual, 365/24/7  waiting for yet another sunny day, and visiting  the Windsor Hotel again, in the very near future.    

By the way, a word about the Annual G8 Summits, in general.   

Every year, this is a big media event, and that is about all that it is.   

Nothing of real importance is decided at the G8 Summits.   

All of the really serious issues about how the world will be managed in the near and not so distant future, is decided at the Annual Bilderberg  Summit that is held every year BEFORE the G8 Summit.   

What does that tell you?   

Exactly!    Everything that is really really really important, has already been decided before the annual G8 summit even starts.   

Therefore, the top of the top in the Governments of the BIG 8, can relax and talk about family and friends and favorite memories and, etc.    

Consider the G8 Summit to be a very short summer vacation in some far and distant land for all the government leaders of the first world countries.   

The only disappointment I have about the whole affair this year, was the lousy weather that G. W. Bush and Family, had to suffer through during their very brief visit to Hokkaido.   

They arrived in Hokkaido, and left from Hokkaido aboard Air Force One, at Chitose Air Base.   

I know that somebody somewhere in Hokkaido, was there on those days to take photos of Air Force One coming into and going out of Chitose Air Base.   

I wish I could see those photos.   

That would be an excellent adventure, in and of itself. 

If you have some, please e-mail me at snowmanjapan@live.jp    

Thanx again!!!

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2008 July 5 Saturday and July 6 Sunday.

Saturday morning starting at 10:30, was my private lesson with the 8 year old girl, who really tries to speak English at every moment during her lessons.   

What a pleasure this is for her, and me as well.   Today, we used some hand written cards that I made many years ago, to learn words of opposite meaning, ANTONYMS 反意語.   

Words such as HOT and COLD, LONG and SHORT, DEEP and SHALLOW, etc.   Not only did she learn all of the words, but she used her imagination in coming up with short sentences, that use both words in a meaningful way.   

For example, The ocean is DEEP but small rivers are SHALLOW.   

Girls have LONG hair, but boys have SHORT hair (not always). 

Summer is HOT and WINTER is cold in Hokkaido.   

And so on and so forth.   

It was a very interesting lesson for both her and myself, and when her mother came by my classroom at 11:30 to pick her daughter up, the eight years old girl was surprised to see that ONE HOUR had already passed by, like it was just one wrinkle in time.   

The rest of the day I spent watching some interesting BBC documentaries on YOU TUBE, and also playing my black Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, UNPLUGGED while listening to some of my favorite POP ROCK CDs on the music player.   

It is overcast and rainy today, and not a nice day to be out and around, unless you absolutely have to be.

On Sunday morning, I woke up at about 07:00 and noticed immediately, that it was going to be very hot and humid today.   

Yesterday's rain and today's sunny weather were combining to create that heavy, sticky and hot air, which really takes the fight out of me.   

Time to close off all the windows, and turn on the cooler. 

I have a big job to do today, and you can see what that job was in today's blog photo.   

Yep!  That's right, A3 sized full color laminated presentation cards, designed to go along with that very well known CHILDREN'S SONG; Mary had a Little Lamb.   

What a classic!    And so easy for even 3 year olds to understand.   

Not only do the words of the song appear on the back of each picture card in both English and Japanese, but I also made three A4 sized handouts, which the kindergarten teachers can use to teach the kids the lyrics, in both English and Japanese.   

The entire job took me about 5 hours to complete.   

Well worth the effort as I will be using these cards and my acoustic guitar tomorrow morning at めばえ幼稚園 and many more times after that, at various gigs.   

FUN FOR HIRE!!!   

Have Car and Guitar.   

Will Travel.

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2008 July 1 Tuesday thru July 4 Friday.

Happy Birthday USA!    How long has it been now,.....    

Let's see the year 2008 minus the year 1776 equals; 232 years as a sovereign nation.   

Congratulations.   

Try a little harder, and you might rival the glory of the Roman Empire.   

Wait a minute, what am I talking about.   Consider China.   

How long has that culture been on this planet?   

Four thousand some years is what I have heard.    Now, that's a long time.   

Anyway, July 4 is a National Holiday in the USA, and falling on a Friday this year, you can be sure that a lot of people will be taking a very long and enjoyable 3 day weekend.   

Because the month of July is rather hot, in most of the continental USA, there will be lots of outdoor activities including BBQ parties, softball games, volleyball games etc.   

The climax of the day is the BIG FIREWORKS DISPLAY 花火大会 in each and every city, town and village, that you might happen to be in, on that day.   

In my hometown of Spokane Washington, it is hot and dry every year in July, and the perfect season to get out the pyrotechnics, and enjoy the lights and smoke.   

I remember well, how I used to ride my Schwinn Cherry Picker banana seat bicycle all over the place, visiting the fireworks stands, that sprang up all over the small city of Spokane.   

Each and every year, they had something new to offer, plus all of the old favorites that we bought every year.   

Another thing that I learned to do, while reading my Encyclopedia Britannica, was how to make gunpowder out of the 3 essential ingredients.   

Salt Peter, Sulpher and Charcoal.   

I didn't make any explosive devices, only sparklers and fountains that shot out an enormous amount of heat and light, and were not dangerous to the public at large.   

Boy, those were the days.   

Nowadays, I live in Japan where these type of small fireworks are available for sale to the public at most stores, of any kind, all around Hokkaido.   

Oddly enough, even though I had enjoyed this type of activity when I was just a kid in the USA, I have never bought nor used any small scale fireworks in Japan.   

I like the big sky burst displays of fireworks much better.   

Maybe this is because I have no children of my own, and therefore no real opportunity to buy and use these hand sized fireworks, which are so popular in all parts of Japan.   

According to my calendar, there will be a big fireworks display on Sunday July 13 starting at 20:15 near the 北旭川大橋, and then, many more after that date.   

Click here for a full schedule of the big fireworks displays in Hokkaido for 2008.   See ya there.

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2008 June 26 Thursday thru June 29 Sunday.

The warm and sunny weather continues, but on some days, it can be a bit cold at night.   

On Thursday, Ikuko wanted to go to the Korean BBQ Restaurant KinKaRo 金花郎 because they have an all you can eat plan on Thursday's only.   

There are two KinKaRo Korean BBQ that I know of.   

The closest one to our house is on 1 Jodori at about 5 Chome.   

It is a short easy walk from our place, but we took a longer detour along the cycling road of the Chubetsu River in order to get some much needed exercise.   

When we got there, we we happy to see that there would be no waiting for a table, which is rather unusual because this place is always packed full of hungry people.   

We got a nice private booth and started looking at the menu.   The all-you-can-eat plan 食べ放題 is 2,700 yen per person, plus drinks.   

The all-you-can-drink plan 飲み放題 is  1,290 per person, plus food.   Hmmmm,....    What to do?   

Easy choice, get the all-you-can-drink option and then order food as we see fit.   

So, that's what we did.   While we were there, I recognized one of the waitresses as a former student at my classroom.   

She is now about 22 years old, and is going to a technical school in Eniwa, so she can become a Certified Nutritionist. 

It was very pleasant to see her again, and she was doing a very good job as a waitress on this evening.   

The service was prompt, the food was delicious and the beer was ice cold.   Total cost for the evening meal, a little over 7,000 yen.   

Not a low price but a fair price.   Remember, both locations of this restaurant are almost always full, with people standing in line outside the shop waiting for it to open at 17:00 on weekdays and 16:00 on weekends.   

Another excellent example, of a very well run small business that makes money hand over fist.   

Ikuko and I,  will certainly go there again and again.   

My Friday morning class at the Dokan Nusring School  was a lot of fun as usual.   

Today we enacted a skit about buying some sunglasses and asking for a discount and then a bigger discount.   

I was the shop owner and the students played the part of the customer.   

I call each and every student by name, and they have to do the skit either once, twice or thrice until they have completely memorized, all of their lines.   

I gave them the script about two weeks ago, so most of them got it right on their first try.   

Sometimes, I will attempt to throw the students off of their mental balance by saying something that is not written in the script.   

For example, the first line in the skit is the shop owner saying;  "Welcome! How may I help you today?"   

But sometimes I say it in Korean as; "O So O Se Yo!"   

The idea here, is to get the student to stop and think and hopefully respond with;  "Do you speak English?"   

To which I say; "Yes, I do.  May I help you?"  and then the skit continues.   

Of course, some of the students speak English better than other students, and they will Ad Lib during the skit, making it much more interesting and enjoyable for everyone.    

On Saturday at about noon, I received a telephone call from an old friend, inviting Ikuko and myself to an outdoor BBQ party at his house.   

Ikuko already had plans to go to Sapporo and attend some type of seminar about making money as an internet affiliate website, so I went to the BBQ party by myself.   

The person who invited me and Ikuko to come over to his house today, is a long time restaurant owner in Asahikawa, and he always has the best ingredients for his BBQ parties.   

Again, this location is within easy walking distance from my home, so I took a stroll in the very warm afternoon sun.   

I even was able to stop at an old time Rice Wine Shop and pick up 2 bottles of 男山笹おり all malt rice wine at a premium price, and bring it with me to the party.   

Mr. Baba has two grandchildren, both of whom I have not met in about 2 years.   Kids grow up fast.   

The granddaughter was especially looking bigger and more like a girl, than a baby.   

She and I spent most of the party time feeding watermelon rinds to the many black ants walking around on the asphalt, and later hide and seek with her inside the house running from window to window on the first floor, and I trying to locate her with my eyes, as I sat next to her mother and the other guests outside, drinking the best nectar and eating the best foods, while they talked about things of which I know not, and while I played at a distance with a very cute and lively girl.   

Human Relations.   You don't need a PhD to figure it out.   

After the party was winding down at whatever time it was, I walked back home across the bridge and went to bed, almost immediately.   

Ikuko wasn't home yet, because she took the last train from Sapporo to Asahikawa.   

I went to bed and slept quite well, thank you.   

I didn't get out of bed on Sunday until about 10:30, and didn't get around to checking my email until about 13:00, because I was very dug in at my Private Hokkaido.   

When I did check my email, I discovered that Charlie Hamel had sent me a message about a Festival in HigashiKawa Town.   

I didn't know anything about this event, so I called Charlie and left a message on his answering machine.   

It turns out that there is a festival with fireworks at the the HigashiKawa Forest Park 東神楽森林公園 during most of Sunday.   

Ikuko and I both had risen early, and gone to bed late on Saturday, so we had to decline the Hamel Family's generous invitation, and stay at home tonight.   Summer has just only begun.

There will be many more opportunities to get out and enjoy the warm weather, during the next several months.   

I Can't Wait to see what happens next.

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2008 June 23 Monday thru June 25 Wednesday.

Monday morning at 10:00 I had my first gig of this year at the Chestnut Tree Kindergarten くりの木幼稚園.   

You can see a photo of the chipmunk who guards the front door of the building, above/left.   

This kindergarten has about 220 students and they all assemble at the same time in the big hall for my performance, so it is almost impossible to talk face to face with any one student at a time.   

Therefore, I bring my guitar along with me, plus a lot of big colorful laminated flash cards, that are related to the songs, and the kids and I spend most of the hour singing songs together.   

What else can I do in such a situation?   

Kids just naturally respond to music and in fact understand it better than spoken language at this point in their lives.   

After that was finished at about 11:10, I took my sweet time driving back to my place, because the weather was so beautiful today.   

At 13:00 I had my usual 90 minute class at the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会.   

One of the students, the longest attending member of this class, told us about a 3 day trip she and her husband had recently taken to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.   

She described many interesting things about her trip, including the fact that they had visited the YASUKUNI SHRINE   靖国神社.   

When she told all of us the reason for their visit to the shrine, it literally blew my mind.   

It turns out that her husband's father was killed on the tiny island of Iwo Jima, in 1945 during the Pacific War!!!   

I almost fell out of my chair.   I myself have also lived on the island of Iwo Jima for about one year in 1976 as a member of the United States Coast Guard.   

In fact, that is where I first started learning the Japanese Language.   

Another amazing fact about this lady, is that she is the ONLY original member of this group that is still in attendance, after 12 years of continuous classes!!!   

Is this a coincidence???   Or, is it synchronicity.   

You decide.   I already KNOW what IT is.   

By the way, a word about Yasukuni Shrine.   

In my opinion, visiting Yasukuni Shrine by any Japanese person, be it the Prime Minister of Japan or the garbage man of Shinjuku, is a TOTALLY PRIVATE matter for that person. 

Anybody who criticizes someone for visiting the shrine, is out of line.   

In the newspapers, on TV and other media, I often see China or Korea or some other country making a big fuss over the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.   

It is none of their phucking business!   The only difference between a WAR HERO and a WAR CRIMINAL, is the fact that the war hero's country WON THE WAR, and the war criminal's country LOST THE WAR.   

That is all.    WAR IS ATROCITIES!!!   

We never hear anybody criticizing the President of the USA for laying a big flower wreath at the ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, do we.   

Use your phuckin' brains and get a clue.  WAR IS ATROCITIES and Yasukuni Shrine is an issue for the Japanese People, and the Japanese People ONLY!   

The rest of you can all go jump into the Pacific Ocean.   

The TRUTH between RED blood and GOLD medals is ORANGE goo.

********************************

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2008 June 21 Saturday and June 22 Sunday.

This is the time of the year when the SUN rises early, and sets late in the Northern Hemisphere.   

Hokkaido is not the northernmost place that I have ever lived.   

In fact, Seattle Washington USA is farther north than Asahikawa, but it rains so much there, you might not even notice the extended daylight hours if you have lived near Seattle all your life.   

No, the farthest north I have ever lived was, KODIAK ALASKA.   

That place is much, much father north than any place in Japan.   

I lived in Kodiak for 2 and one half years, so I was able to experience the Summer Solstice from that location, two times.   

In Kodiak Alaska during this time of the year, the sun sets at about midnight, and then rises again at about 03:00 hours.   

In other words, the sky never gets completely dark.   

As a result, there are many outdoor activities such as; drunken softball games, volleyball games,  and the like.   

On the other hand, during the Winter Solstice, Kodiak is very, very dark all day long.   

Rather depressing when considering the fact that there is not much to do there during the winter season.   

No natural hot springs to ease the pain.   

Hokkaido is much, much better when it comes to human comforts.   

In all seasons.   When I lived in Alaska from 1978 until 1980, I met many people who told me that Alaska was the best place to live on this earth.   

For a while I almost believed them, but with all things considered, I decided that it was not true for me.   

For one thing, everything in Alaska is so big, that it is difficult to feel as if you have an intimate relationship with nature.   

Every city, town or village, is so far away from every other city, town or village, that you really need an airplane to get around.   

A long time ago, someone told me that, there are more small airplanes in Alaska than there are passenger cars.   

From my experience, that sounds about right to me.   

When I lived in Kodiak Alaska, I was a member of the United States Coast Guard working as an Aviation Electronics Technician (AT3) and flying around in HC-130 airplanes as a radioman/navigator.   

As such, I visited almost every major airfield that there is in Alaska.   

In other words, I have seen almost all of Alaska from the air.   

It is HUGE, and mostly UGLY.   

The most beautiful part of Alaska is the SouthEastern part around Juneau and Sitka, which shares a national border with Canada.   

In that part of Alaska, there are lots of really big and tall trees, and even a few natural hot springs.   

The rest of the state is rather barren with nothing of real interest to see for the common tourist.   However, I do understand the feelings of most residents of Alaska, when they say that it is the best place in the USA to live, if you want to get away from crowded cities.   

That is true to the extreme.   

If you really want to live where there is absolutely nothing at all, Alaska would be a good choice.   

I prefer an island called Hokkaido where you can visit the 5th largest city in Japan (Sapporo) and yet, get away to any other place on this island, on the beach at the sea or in the mountains, where there is absolutely nobody else around, for as far as you can see.   

I have found my true spiritual home.   HOKKAIDO.   

How about you?   Home is where the HEART is.   

And at times, a good home must be relocated.   

To a place where THE PATH is clearly visible.

********************************

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2008 June 14 Saturday and June 15 Sunday.

I had a private lesson with the 9 year old elementary school girl as usual on Saturday morning, but today her mother told me that her daughter has a headache, and also she slightly injured her right leg during some kind of sports activity, so they wanted a 30 minute lesson, instead of the full 50 - 60 minutes, which we have every week.   

The young girl's lack of concentration today was rather obvious, but I tried my best to make her feel better and extend the time to 50 minutes or more.   

I was only able to coax 40 minutes out of her today, but that is much better than nothing.   

Either way, I get paid the same so it's not about money for me, but rather about student SATISFACTION with my job performance.   

I take that more seriously than anything else, in every teaching job that I do.   

I am there FOR THE STUDENT.   The student is NOT there for me.   

In Japanese they have a well known saying that goes like this;  お客様は神様です.   Meaning; The Customer is GOD.   

If you are an entrepreneur who owns and runs a small business, of any kind, you know exactly what I am talking about.   

Even if you live in the Western World, some people STILL GET IT.   

It's about a WIN=WIN situation.   

There need not be any losers, in the game of LIFE.   

Ya see, the IDEAL is total co-operation.   

Helping yourself BY helping each other.   

How simple is that?   

As you all know, I have been an inhabitant of HOKKAIDO for more than 18 years NOW.   

When I first arrived here on March 12, 1990,.....   I immediately had a good feeling about this place.    

So did Charlie Hamel and family, when they first set down, BOOTS ON THE GROUND at the Asahikawa International Airport, on 2008 March 26.   

I have been corresponding with Charlie for more than about 2 years via the internet, but I only just recently, met him and his family, face to face for the first time, on that March afternoon.   

Since that time, Charlie has been publishing a Private Blog for family and friends only, the URL of which I will not make public.   

As I have been reading his blog everyday since it was begun, I have come to realize that Charlie and Me, have a lot of things in common, when it comes to living in JAPAN, especially HOKKAIDO.   

This little old island has a lot to offer.   It is easily visible on a world map.   

In the big city of Sapporo and some districts of small city Asahikawa, land prices are very expensive.   

In other locations around Hokkaido, you can get LAND FOR FREE.   

If you are willing to,...... etc.      

I am not making this up.   There really is FREE LAND IN HOKKAIDO.   

I have even see a big sign by a rest stop that was inviting people to move to the village in exchange for free land.   

I may have even taken a photo of it.   I'll look for it later.   

By the way, the photo in today's blog shows what I did for the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday.   

I made a new series of 105 Conversation Topic Cards, for use with mostly adult students.   

The small stack of black and white cards that you can see at the top of the photo, are the ones that I made about 12 years ago.   

At that time, we only had a simple word-processor, cardboard sheets, glue and wide cellophane tape.   

They have worked well over the years, but it's time to reinvent the wheel, an totally remake and expand this set of teaching/learning materials.   

Now that I have a PC with graphics software, a color ink-jet printer and a laminating machine, I can make much more professional looking flash cards, and so on.   

The entire job took me about 12 hours over several days to complete.   

I will make more later.    Time to go take a walk.

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2008 June 10 Tuesday thru June 13 Friday.

And the beat goes on.   

The photo above/left is of our favorite Grilled Chicken やきとり restaurant.   

It is known as ToriSen とりせん  and you can get a feel for the place by viewing the photo in today's blog.   

The shop has been around for a long time, ever since I first came to this town 18 years ago, and most likely much longer than before that time.   

The entire staff is female, except for one older guy, who is the main chef. 

They make a unique type of サンギ which is a Hokkaido word for deep fried chicken nuggets, except at this place, they make it with the bones still inside.   

Sort of similar to Southern Fried Chicken.   

It's crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside.   

On Wednesday, I had a class with the first year students at the Kosei Nursing school as usual.   

Every year, at least one of the new first year students, has already graduated from a junior college and has some employment experience, before enrolling in this nursing school.   

As such, they already have enough credits for English, in order to graduate from this school.   

Therefore, I sign a piece of paper saying that I acknowledge this fact, and do not require them to attend my English class.   

Each time I do this, the student will stop coming to my class.   

Except for this year.   The young woman told me that she enjoyed my class so much that she wanted to attend, even though she is not required to do so.   

I told her how happy I was that she enjoyed my class and thanked her for continuing to attend.   

That made both of us feel pretty good.   

The rest of my classes for the week went pretty much as usual, both at home and away.   

The weather has been overcast, rainy and a bit cold this entire week. 

I hope it gets sunny and warm on this weekend.   

Summer officially starts next weekend.

********************************

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2008 June 9 Monday.

Happy 12th Anniversary to the only child, that me and my wife have given birth to, together.   

The child's name is; Snowman's American English Family Classroom.   

Has it really been that long?   

Yes, it has.  But, that is not the whole story.   

The idea for having my own Language Learning/Language Teaching Classroom, started more than 30 years ago.   

That is the time, when I first visited Japan as a member of the USCG.   

After one week at Yokota Air Base, I was flown to the tiny island of Iwo Jima 硫黄島, for a 12 month tour of duty.   

It was at that time, and on that island, that I first began to learn the Japanese Language.   

I really liked this new challenge, and I spent every spare moment learning how to speak, read and write this most beautiful of all pentatonic scale spoken languages.   

A pentatonic scale, has only 5 notes in the octave.   

Likewise, Japanese has only 5 vowel sounds あ　い　う　え　お  in the ENTIRE LANGUAGE!   Is this unusual?    

Yes, very.    I can think of only one other modern language, that is spoken by enough people on this planet today, to rank in the TOP TEN INTERNET LANGUAGES, that has 5 or less vowel sounds.   

That language is Spanish.   

Anyway, since that time, I have spent countless hours learning the Japanese Language.   

Now, it is a very useful tool in my daily life.   

Not only that, but I know exactly what it is like for someone else to begin learning a totally new, and completely different foreign language, from the ground up.   

If learning languages is interesting, wouldn't teaching them to other people be just the same, or even more interesting?   

Yes, it would be.   

And it certainly has been.   

And it will continue to BE.   

If you can make your most interesting hobby, into your life's work, you have a job in paradise.   

A paradise that welcomes each and everyone, who is WILLING to put forth the EFFORT required to make it happen.   

ABC is really C B A.   

Conceive, Believe, Achieve.   

How simple is that?    ABC, 123.   

Back to basics, and a lifestyle that makes sense, in all aspects of that lifestyle. 

If you really hate your present job, do yourself a big favor, and ask yourself this simple question.   

"Did I, myself, go to this company and apply for a job, OR did the company come to my house, and force me at gun-point, to work long hours for little pay."   

Which is it?   

I think we all know the answer to that question.

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2008 June 8 Sunday.

What a busy Sunday.   

First on my list, was a drive over to Shibinai Elementary School 志比内小学校 to observe their 99th annual Sports Day Event 第９９回 運動会.   

I got there just a few minutes after 09:00, and the opening ceremony was already underway.   

This very long standing school has only 15 students this year.   

It was the most intimate school sports day, I have ever been to.   

The only reason I know anything about this school, is because my friend Charlie Hamel has one of his two kids, attending school there. 

You can see the entire student body in the photo above/left.   

Charlie's other kid is still too young to attend elementary school so he had lots of free time today.   

He and I, and a lot of the other smaller kids did various things together like; playing catch with a soft baseball and two gloves. 

Kicking a soccer ball around and finally having water gun fights amongst ourselves with the tiny little plastic water guns that the school had given out as prizes, after one of the earlier events.   

I had to leave before 12:00, so that I could swing by my house to pick up Ikuko, and then drive on over to the Citizens Culture Hall 市民文化会館 to listen to only 3 of the 37 chorus groups that performed during the long day 第５４回　旭川合唱会.   

After we listened to the groups that we came to hear, Ikuko and I left the hall, and drove back into Kagura to shop for food, and batteries for my digital cameras.   

The weather today is excellent, and summer is just around the corner.   

Starting at about 18:00, Ikuko and I had a private 2 person Korean BBQ party on our big balcony.   

Of course, as with any cook-out, there has to be lots of delicious all malt beer, to wash down the freshly cooked meats.   

Today we roasted lots of beef strips which I marinated in salt, course black pepper, vinegar and soy sauce.   

After the beef strips were cooked, they were immersed in 大根おろし sauce and then folded into a leaf of fresh green lettuce.   

The final touch before putting it into the mouth, was a huge frosting of hot red pepper paste right on the outside tip of the green food missile.   

Then, put it straight into your mouth and bite down hard.   

The first taste sensation, is the hot red pepper paste, soon followed by the BBQed beef and it's Giant Radish soy sauce juicy flavor.   

As you begin to chew into the unit, the refreshing taste of the green lettuce begins to take over your palate, and you have yourself a juicy mini meal.   

This is an excellent way to eat charcoal grilled beef strips, and I highly recommend it.   

But,.....   don't wear a white shirt when eating this, and have plenty of moist hand towels おしぼり sitting on the table, within easy reach.

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2008 April 2 Wednesday thru April 6 Sunday.

Welcome to The Learning Curve.   

If you are a non-native speaker of the English Language, and you are reading this blog, with a full understanding of what I am talking about, you already KNOW what The Learning Curve is all about.   

The reason I bring this topic up TODAY, is because one of my most enthusiastic students, a middle-aged person who attends my classroom 3 times a week, told me something that was profoundly interesting for me.   

This particular student has only been attending my classroom for one year.   

Before he came to my classroom, he had attended a big name English Conversation School, in the city of Kitami for two years.   

At that time, he wanted to study English as a hobby, because he was living alone, and had quite a bit of free time on his hands.   

After 2 years of living and working in Kitami, he was transferred to Asahikawa, and he immediately starting looking for a new English Conversation School in Asahikawa 旭川英会話スクール.   

It didn't take him long to find this website for my little ole school, right here on the WORLD WIDE WEB.   

AKA the internet.   

He called here and made an appointment for a free trial lesson 無料体験レッスン.   

After that lesson, he immediately decided to sign up as a new member of this classroom, and has been coming here almost every week, and on average about 2 or 3 times a week, for a total of one year now.   

At today's lesson he told me that he is so happy, that he can now speak English in a fluent and accurate manner, and he felt so good about IT, that he couldn't stop talking about IT.   

I then explained to him in English, about the concept of a learning curve.    

Please look at the graphic, above/left.   

When a person, any person, first tries to learn something completely new, they START on the LEARNING CURVE.   

At first, they must study very hard, and they do not make much progress.   

But if they keep on trying for a long enough time, they will reach phase one.   

At this point, they can feel that they have learned something new, but it is still not very useful in their daily lives.   

If the student continues to study, they will make it to phase two and then phase three and up to phase four, where they notice a significant increase of their knowledge about the new study, but IT is still NOT QUITE ENOUGH to become very useful in their daily lives.   

At this point, many people will have spent about 2 or 3 years studying this new knowledge and they all have a decision to make.   

Should they continue their study, or should they quit?   

Unfortunately, a lot of people get frustrated with their own slow progress, and give up at this point.   

However, those students who keep on trying to learn more about their new knowledge, and DO NOT GIVE UP, have a very big surprise waiting for them, just around the corner.   

After phase four, the amount of time spent studying begins to yield much bigger results in total learning achieved.   

This is the point where critical mass has been achieved, and the return to the student for their time spent studying, INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY.   

In other words, their total understanding of the knowledge at hand becomes greater and faster with each step they take towards that knowledge.   

The student finally has enough pieces of the puzzle, to be able to SEE the BIGGER PICTURE of that knowledge base.   

This is true for any type of LEARNING (knowledge acquisition).   

It is a fundamental LAW of the COSMOS.   

IT never changes.   IT just IS.   I KNOW FOR A FACT that this is true, because I have had many personal experiences, in my own 50 something years of humanoid EXISTENCE on this EARTH, that have taught me the true meaning of learning.   

For example, learning how to play the guitar, the piano, the bass guitar, the Japanese Language, the teaching of languages, the learning of new languages, and the list goes on and on.   

Don't be one of those people who give up when the going gets tough 三日坊主.   

Hang in there and tough it out.   

There are millions of sad stories about people who did their best, and then STOPPED ONLY 3 METERS AWAY FROM THE GOLD MINE.    

Do not allow yourself to become one of them.   

ROCK ON!

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2008 March 1 Saturday thru March 3 Monday.

Again this Monday at 13:00, I had my usual class with the adults who belong to the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会.   <br>

Last Monday, I gave each member of the group a copy of my two page essay entitled;  Embarrassing Moments Part 2.   

This mini essay, is the true story of an event that happened during the summer of 2006, when I tried to light my BBQ fire, and have a cookout.   

You too, can read this mini essay by clicking here.

At the end of last week's lesson, I asked each and every member of the group, to think about one or two, of their very own embarrassing moments, and tell the entire class about it, during our next lesson.   

That next lesson was today.   

There were some very interesting and amusing stories told by the members of our English Conversation Circle today.   

One younger lady told us about how she had burned her bedroom carpet with a hot iron, while ironing her husband's white shirts. 

Ouch.    Another lady told about us how she and her family members had missed an airplane flight, because she had drank far too much alcohol the night before, and couldn't get out of bed. 

Hmmmm.....    One lady even had a very similar story to mine, that happened when she was a university student, during a freshman rush.   

But perhaps the most interesting story of all, was about an experience that happened to one lady, when she was just a high school student.   

She was standing at the bus stop on a cold winter morning, when a car was slowly passing by in front of her.   

She did not have her glasses on, and she thought she saw one of her high school friends, riding in that car.   

So, she waved at the other girl.   

The car stopped, and the window was rolled down.   

When the girl waiting for the bus took a closer look inside the car, she realized that the other girl inside the car, was not her friend, but a complete stranger!    

How embarrassing.   

But, this story has a happy ending.    

The girl inside the car asked the other girl who had been waiting for the bus, to get into the car and come to school together with her.   

Luckily, they both attended the same high school.    

And ever since that day, the two girls would often ride together in that  father's car, and go to school.   

She had made a completely new friend, and all because she had waved at a girl whom she thought was someone else. 

What a nice ending to another true story of life as it happens.    

I don't think I could even make up a better story than that one.

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by
マンション 査定

たれぱんだテンプレート登場♪

スノーマン先生のブログをUPしようとココログの
管理ページを開くと目に入ってきたのが
「たれぱんだテンプレート」の文字

私キャラもんが大好きです

仕事でも、可愛いキャラのシャチハタやボールペンを使っていました

ところが、今までのデスクワークでもあったことですが
ボールペンがすぐになくなるんです

ハローキティ・クイックC9　【P-UP0229×10】 販売元：印鑑はんこ製造直売店＠小川祥雲堂 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

それって、誰かがちょっと貸してね～って
私のデスクから、持ち出してそのままになるって
パターンがほとんどでした。

だから、お気に入りのボールペンを使っているので
皆で名前をつけて対策してましたが、効果はイマイチ…。

まぁ、忘れた頃には戻ってきていましたがね。

でも、今の職場では、完全に無くなってしまうか
ボロボロの状態で、芯も使い切った状態で
戻ってくるかです。

最初は、キャラの使っていたんですが、あまりにも
なくなる率が高くて、ついに止めました。

それで、手になじむボールペンを使い始めて
ずっとそれを愛用しています。

Nana Kitade CHARMMY KITTY北出菜奈Xチャーミーキティボールペン 販売元：ビッグスター　ネットショップ 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

キャラのボールペン、可愛いけど、実はそれほど
使いやすさからいくと、優れものではないことにも
気づきました。

見かけをとるか、実用性をとるか…。

今の私は、実用性を重視するようになったので
可愛いキャラのボールペンは、ペンケースにさして
見る楽しさを味わっています。

前置きが長くなったけど、そんなわけで
私は、小学生の頃からキャラクターグッズを
集めていました。

最初は、サンリオのキャラにハマって
一番コレクションしたのがキティちゃん。

今も大好きなディズニーのグッズも集めました。
新婚旅行でもついつい
ディズニーグッズを買ってしまいました

ただ、大人になるにつれて
キャラクターものを集める比重が少なくなり
好みがエンジェルグッズや薔薇のグッズなどに
シフトして、だんだん持ち物も変わってきて
キャラものは、文房具とか、ファイルを買う程度に
なっています。

ところが、たれぱんだのあのゆるいキャラを
知ってから、昔のキャラ好きが目覚め
すっかり夢中になったのです

いわゆる大人買いで、カレンダーやぬいぐるみ
ボールペンやファイルや定規、ペンケース
お風呂セットやマグカップ、タオルなど
あげくの果てに、Tシャツまで買ってしまうくらい
好きになってしまいました。

たれぱんだが大ブームだったのが
ぶるぶるどっくやこげぱん、まめゴマなど
新しいキャラに押され気味になって
リラックマが出てきて、完全にトップの座を奪われてしまった感じになりました

●たれぱんだトイレットペーパー12ロール 4パック 販売元：キャラクタートイレットペーパー 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

私は、たれぱんだの次に、リラックマとこげぱんが
好きなのですが、たれぱんだが新たなイメージで
テンプレートになって、大喜びです

こげぱん北海道ぶらり旅日記 販売元：楽天ブックス 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

早速、可愛すぎるくらい、可愛いピンクのハートの
たれぱんだを使うことに…

壁紙まで、たれぱんだって、すごくないですか～

たれぱんだがいるなら、絶対にうちに飼いたいくらい
可愛いですよ～

【新登場☆彡】【2月発売新商品】※2／15以降、入荷次第お届けになります。たれぱんだ★ハート＆ちびたれ★くったりぬいぐるみ★たれぱんだ〔S〕 販売元：キャラクターズショップ　ラフラフ 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

リラックマは、一緒にいると、エンゲル係数が
高くなりそうです…。

妹は、リラックマが好きなので、絵本も読んでますが
お気楽で、マイペースなキャラがたまらないですね。

【久々に再入荷♪】◎リラックマ☆ダイカットトレー・洗面器（リラックマ）☆人気アイテム♪ 販売元：キャラクターズショップ　ラフラフ 楽天市場で詳細を確認する

私的には、やっぱり
ひたすらゆるい、たれぱんだがやっぱり一番いいかな～。

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by
マンション 査定

2008 February 12 Tuesday thru February 13 Wednesday.

The Asahikawa Winter Festival may be over, but winter is most certainly not finished with us yet.   

See the photo above/left for details. 

After several days of clear skies and higher temperatures, the white stuff is coming down again, with a vengeance.   

In the English language, this type of weather condition is commonly called a WHITE OUT.   

A person can see a lot of white, and not much else.   

Especially if you are driving your car at night.   

The headlights create a sort of dancing crowd of white fairies that must be wiped away, with wiper blades on at full speed.   

Of course, reducing the rolling speed of the automobile is also a must.   

In the city, there are still street lights and traffic lights and other car lights to help you find your way.   

But, if you are out on a country road somewhere, all alone, and this type of blizzard comes upon you, a person can easily become disoriented and end up in a ditch, alongside of the road.   

This is no laughing matter.   

Hokkaido is both beautiful and dangerous at the same time, during certain seasons and weather conditions.   

Approach it with respect, and drive slowly.   

Very slowly.

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2008 January 22 Tuesday.

This is my MANDALA.   

The one which I made just a few moments ago, on an inspiration from www.charleshamel.com   

It has been a very long time since I have thought about this universal art form.   

My very earliest memory of these types of  patterns, were from the Native American peoples, who live in the North American Southwest.   

I am talking about the 4 corners region of the USA which is comprised of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. 

In that region of the world, the various indigenous peoples, Navaho, Hopi, Zuni and others, have traditionally made elaborate SAND PAINTINGS, that only last for a few moments, after taking hours upon hours to create.   

They all know a BASIC LAW of the COSMOS.   

It is NOT the destination, IT IS the journey along the path, that  gets THERE. 

And then, MOVES ON TO the NEXT destination.   

IT is ALWAYS on the path,   IT is sometimes at REST, but only for a moment.   

IT is sometimes formed as a dream, and IT is sometimes formed while awake, but IT is ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD.   Crash against a wall.   Stop.   

Stand back, two steps.   

Step forward three steps and,....  Break Thru!!!   

MOVE FORWARD.   

By the way, the INTENTION behind this Mandala which I just made for THAT purpose, was created with the IMAGE of a family of 4 people, in mind.   

A mother, father, and two children.   

That is how my family was.   

Nowadays, there is just me and my younger sister in that DNA lane to nowhere.   

I know a lot of other families who adhere to this SAME basic pattern.   

It is a very STRONG and STABLE 4 way, combination.   

It works in all seasons.   

The FOUR seasons, maybe EIGHT if you count all of the in between days.   

Do I see a vision, of a coloring book for CHILDREN, and creative adults in the making here?   

Anything is possible.   

Just USE your brain to explore IT. 

And, let's MEET AGAIN.

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2007 September 22 Saturday.

A PERFECT Indian Summer Day. 

It doesn't get any better than this. 

At about 14:00, I left my classroom and walked slowly towards the center of Asahikawa City, across the Chubetsu Bridge, and then towards the back entrance of the Chuo Bus Station.   

Right next door was my first objective.   

I stopped in at the Matsui Jewelry Shop, to pick up my chunky 27 stone turquoise necklace, that needed a new chain and monster clasp.   

It was ready as promised and I promptly put it on, and continued my leisurely walk in the warm autumn sun, with a slow cool breeze to make it absolutely excellent.   

I walked thru Kaimono Koen to Tokiwa Park.   

It was in Tokiwa Park that I took the photos in today's blog.   

The light was just perfect, for some very bright pix of the GOLDEN CARP.

I haven't done any alterations on these photos except for a tweek on brightness and contrast, on the first 2 photos only.   

The other three are printed as taken.   

I lingered around this area for about 20 minutes or so.   

There was so much to observe, here.Is that the most amazing looking carp you have ever seen, or what.   

This is only the second time I have seen one of this 99.9% pure gold color.   

They seem to be something of a rarity.   

I continued walking along the Ishikari River line, passing over several bridges, and walking for a total of about 3 hours.   

Who knows when the weather will be this good again.    

You've got the time, step out NOW.

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2007 June 18 Monday.

My first gig of today was a 90 minute "class" at the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会。

Today, I brought along three new plastic vertical flutes with me, that I had just purchased at the Kagura Daiso at about 13:00 yesterday afternoon.   

Three colors;  Pink, Yellow, Blue.   

I picked up the blue one and played a simple major scale and mentioned how I have been enjoying playing the flute either at home, or down by the riverside.   

I encouraged anyone in the group who so desired, to take a blow on one of the flutes and play a simple song or two.   

Only one person, accepted my invitation, although I am sure that most of the members of this group can play a scale or two.   

My next topic of the day, was Medical Health Insurance issues with a focus on the different systems used in Japan and the USA.   

I specifically brought up the situation of Charles Hamel and Family, and asked the members of the group;  "How much do you think it cost him to go to the hospital for 3 days and pass kidney stones."   

Most people came up with an estimate of $500 or $600  dollars, to be paid by the patient.   

When I wrote the number $4,100 on the blackboard, everybody's jaw dropped to their knees, and they had a totally blank look on their faces.   Yeah, in a nutshell; they couldn't phuckin' believe it.   

I could, but then again,...    

I lived in the USA for about 33 years.   

I know what it's like to live there as a hard working middle class kind of guy.   

Because the USA has no Universal Health Care Plan for all of its Citizens, regardless of income level, a person who suddenly finds themselves unemployed for any reason, may suddenly have no more health insurance.   

That's the real bottom line.   

One thoughtful member of our group asked me the probing question;  "What happens if an uninsured person gets sick?"    

I looked at her straight in the eyes, smiled in an evil sort of way and answered;  "They must either heal themselves, or die."  

Everyone looked shocked.   

Another person made the comment that roughly translates into;   "What a heartless society."    

You can say that again my friend.   

I've been there and seen that.   

I choose a different world, a CIVILIZED WORLD, where   WA   和 is the name of the game.    

After that gig was finished at 14:30, I walked back to my classroom for straight lessons from 15:00 until 20:00. 

When all of my lessons were finished for the day, I sat down to check my email, and several other websites including HOKKAIDO BOUND.   

What I saw in the blog for this very same day, Monday June 18 TEXAS TIME was an update on the real COST of a SCREWBALL health care system that always puts the  BEAN COUNTERS  first.   

If you have a huge appetite for bullshit, click here to see the gory details.    

Xrist!    JeeeeezUS!   

How much does it take!!!   to get out of this place?   

Whatever it takes to get off the ground, and start flying, pay it forward and make your move NOW.   

I can't phuckin' believe it.   

Life DOES NOT suck. 

Living in a house of cards is what sucks.   

And so does an old vacuum cleaner that doesn't suck anymore.   

Useless things MUST be thrown away.   

Useful TOOLS must be retained, and carried with oneself at all times.   

Certain knowledge, and a vertical flute are an easy,....     and enjoyable way to get started.      

A vision quest can happen at anytime and anywhere, but only if you can visualize nature as you have already observed it,....   

COUNTLESS TIMES BEFORE.

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2007 June 17 Sunday.

The photo you can see in yesterday's blog and the one in today's blog, were both taken during today, Sunday June 17.   

The weather today was so perfect, in every way, that I wasn't even aware of my physical body for most of my journey today.   

The air temperature was just to the point that,  I didn't even notice it.   

There was no wind.   None at all.   

The sunshine was hot, but not too hot.   

Everything was perfect for a walk down to one of my favorite hidden beaches along the Biei River, less than one kilometer from my home. 

I won't tell you exactly where it is, but if you are one of the gentle persons who comes to my little old classroom on a regular basis, I will draw you a BIG MAP to this very location on the white board.   

It is very easy to find, and this area will soon be connected to the center of town, by a brand new bridge!   

Oh, No!     I've already said too much.   

Please don't invade my Private Hokkaido.   

But then again, there are unlimited, Private Hokkaido launch pads on this island.    

Anyway, this tiny beach is right behind a very famous sightseeing spot right here in Kagura, and there is a walking trail through a small forest right above this private beach, so I was not totally isolated from other humans in the physical sense of the word.   

I came to this location at about 13:00 today, and I stayed until about 16:30.   

Somewhere close to 3 and one half hours, at this same location.   

As you can see from yesterday's blog photo, and also the one for today, I brought a vertical flute with me.   

I spent the entire time of nearly 4 hours, practicing the flute at full volume and observing everything about the local nature surrounding me, as I created original melodies out of thin air.   

Make no mistake about it, the animals within earshot of my "music" received it and responded to it.   

Yes, we had mutual communication.   

Especially with the crows and wild hawks.   They would fly low above me, to check me out while I was simultaneously observing them.   

I especially love the wild hawks which are known here as 鳶 and 鷹.   

They are the most beautiful of flying machines and they have a very high and somewhat shrill calling voice, that I tried to imitate on my flute, with mixed results.   T

he crows are mostly an annoyance to both me and the hawks.   

The crows regularly engage in airborne combat with the hawks, especially if the hawks are near the crows' nesting areas.   

When the crows start giving me a hard time, I blaze 'em with high pitched blasts of high decibel notes from my flute.   

It makes them stop and shut up for various lengths of time.   

Also during my  VISION QUEST  of this afternoon, an Akita Dog and its owner were walking along the opposite bank of the river heading upstream towards the southeast.   

The dog reacted very positively to my staccato flute riffs, and even tried briefly to jump into the river, with an intention to swim over to my side, but common sense soon got the better of him.   

The dog's owner, and elderly gentleman finally called the dog to come back over to him, and continue walking together.   

On my side of the river it was only me and the bubble of light that I was floating in.   

The only other humans that came down to my private beach were a medical doctor looking kind of guy, to whom I said; こんにちわ！　

And he in turn replied; こんにちわ！　End of conversation.   

I faced back towards the river and continued my broadcasting channel via the vertical flute.   

After about two or three or maybe even a few more minutes, the M.D. looking chap had already taken in enough during his very short look at the river and walked back up to the trail from which he had come, to continue his walk in the forest towards the west.    

About 55 minutes later, a married couple, first the man and then the woman, came down to my private Hokkaido beach, to take a look around for a bit longer than the previous humanoid. 

Again I greeted them one by one, but this time I said; こんばんわ both times, and both of them answered; こんにちわ.   

What time is it anyway?  It is daytime. 

In the afternoon to be exact.   

Soon it will become dark enough again,  to call it nighttime.   

Plus the limitless shades of light and dark,   color and light,  heat and cold,   in between.   

What time is it, indeed.    

It is the time of your life.       

It is always TODAY.

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2007 May 31 Thursday.

More photos from Jomon no Oka in Date City Hokkaido Japan.

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2007 May 27 Sunday.

I woke up at 5:30 in my room at the Royal Hotel in DaTe City.   

I turned on the TV to see what was in the news. 

Same xit, different day. 

Time to take a hot bath and get warmed up for the cold, rainy and windy day ahead. 

It will not be the best day for taking photos, but I will take as many as I can of the really interesting stuff.   

After a not so gorgeous breakfast in the hotel restaurant, everyone gathered together to wait for our tour bus, which was scheduled to arrive and pick us all up at 8:50.   

As it IS with most every thing in Japan, the bus was right on time.   

We toured around the environs of Date City and visited many historical buildings and other sites of historical significance. 

For me, the most interesting place of the day was a place called 縄文の丘, also known officially as KitaKoGane KaiZuka 北黄金貝塚.   

This is just one of the many locations in Hokkaido, as well as other parts of Japan, where the remains of the 6,000 year old Jomon Culture have been found. 

Yes, you read that correctly, a very ancient culture which thrived some SIX THOUSAND years ago.   

Let's see,.... that means that the Jomon Culture was happening in Japan, at exactly the same time that the Mesopotamia Culture was happening in Iraq.   

I wonder what the connection might be.   

In other words, these two very distinct cultures were happening about 1,000 years before the Ancient Egyptians 古代エジプト文化 suddenly burst upon the world scene.   

You know, the people who built the great pyramids in Giza. 

One thousand years  BEFORE  Ancient Egypt, is a very long time.   

About 12 or 14 times longer than the average human life span 平均寿命 in the modern world.   

See the photo above/left for an idea of what the Jomon Culture was like at this exact location.   

This is an artist's rendering of the exact same location at which I took this photo.  The 縄文の丘 museum.   

Take a moment and just gaze upon the picture before you.   

Here you are.   6000 years ago.   

Living in a village together with about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,......... 100 people or more.   

Who knows?   

One of my first questions to the experts in this field of Jomon Culture was;  "What language did these people speak?"   

The answer was always the same. 

"Nobody really knows, so we all just call it,  JoMonGo 縄文語.   

Fair enough.  　　　

My second question was;  "Did the Jomon People have a written language?"   

The experts all responded with a qualified "NO".   

Unlike the Mesopotamia Culture, the Jomon Culture did not seem to have any WRITTEN LANGUAGE remaining on clay tablets, to leave a permanent record for future generations. 

At least, none have been found as of yet.   QUEST!   

I am on yet another, NEW ADVENTURE.   

Looking for CONTACT sufficiently deep enough, in order to CONNECT with the COSMIC RECORD of that time/space/dimension.   

I KNOW it can be done.  I have seen it in my DREAMs. 

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2007 May 23 Wednesday.

AaaaaaaChuuuuuu!!! 

Sneezing has become my new distraction, again this year.   

It is very windy today and with all of the dust and pollen and who knows what else in the air, many people such has myself, who have pollen allergies 花粉症, will be reaching for the tissue papers on a regular basis. 

Today, my best friend is Dr. Kleenex.   

Or, if you don't have to go out into public, the toilet paper hat that you can see in the photo on the left, might be a big help.   

One natural remedy that I have found for Hay Fever 花粉症 is to drink mass quantities of TenCha 甜茶.   

This tea is available in almost every drug store in this city.   

It is not the most delicious tea that I have ever drank, but I have become accustomed to its sweet taste.   

Before I discovered TenCha about 4 years ago, I would take various over the counter medications (OTC) in an attempt to relieve the sneezing and itchy eyes symptoms of hay fever.   

Some of the OTC medicines worked rather well, but the side effects 副採用 of dizziness and/or sleepiness, made them somewhat impractical when being on the job teaching classes.   

Thank you Mother Nature for making the best remedy of all, in the form of a naturally occurring plant from China. 

What superior intelligence created this particular plant, and why?

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2007 May 22 Tuesday.

Another photo that I took on Sunday.   

This one shows the town of Biei in the foreground, and the Taisetsu Mountains Range in the background. 

Ain't it beautiful?

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2007 May 21 Monday.

Another photo that I took yesterday, at FukiAge OnSen.   

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2007 May 20 Sunday.

Oh!!!   What a FEELING!  　　

Welcome back to FukiAge OnSen 吹上温泉.   

To get there, take Route 237 until you get to Biei Town 美瑛, then turn left at the first signal light in front of the 7-11.   

When you make that left turn, you will be on Route 966 headed for ShiroGane Spa 白金温泉.    

As you drive through the area where the hotels are located, you will arrive at a turnoff to the right, when you reach the end of the hotel district.   

This is called the 白樺ゲート and is in fact a closed gate during the winter months.   

Today it was open, and we continued our drive up the hill to the base of Mt.

Tokachi 十勝岳　until we got to the observation area 望岳台.   

Before you actually get all the way up to the observation area, there is another gate, which is also now open, that will take you the rest of the way to FukiAge Spa.   

We took that road also, after spending some time at the 望岳台.   

Even though the gravel parking lot at the entrance to the footpath which leads down to the bathing tubs was completely clear of snow, the foot path itself was not.   

This snowy condition made my short trek down to the tubs themselves a risky adventure.   

Any misstep or a break away of the snow under my sandals, could have easily resulted in me, or any other person, in falling down a steep, but not too long slope, and into the rock layered cold water stream below.   

So far, it doesn't seemed to have happened. 

At least not this year.   

Today, the hot water in the upper tub, was at about 44.5 degrees C.   

It was really hot.   

The actual temperature of the undiluted hot spring near the surface of the earth, is about 60 degrees C. 

Much, much too hot for any mammal or fish to get into for even a second or two.   

You can't fool Mother Nature.   

The only reason the upper tub is usable, is because there is a hose attached to a higher area of the cold stream which comes from the mountain SNOW MELT, and down into the valley below, and it mixes with the very very hot spring water, in the small upper tub itself. 

The result is PERFECTION.   

If you already live in Hokkaido, and have never been to this location, you are truly missing something special.   

I come here on a regular basis, but only during the season of no snow. 

Oh!  By the way, this very excellent hot tub facility, is well maintained. 

In fact, today when I got into the upper tub, I met for the first time, the older gentleman who does the actual draining, and cleaning of these two all rock tubs.   

It was obvious to me that he had done just such a cleaning job, in the very recent past.   

Perhaps today or yesterday.   

The all stone tubs were immaculate.   

Thank you for your hard labors my friend.   

It was an honor to meet you today.   

I hope to see you again soon, at the same location.    

This IS the ESSENCE of HOKKAIDO.

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2007 May 19 Saturday.

It didn't rain much today, but the wind was strong and it felt cold and damp 寒くて湿っぽい.   

It reminded me of Seattle where I lived for about 6 years before moving to Asahikawa.   

Chilly.   

The photo you can see on the above/left is of my lunch for today.   

Inside the clear bowl on the right is what the Japanese call IKuRa.   

In English it's known as Salmon Eggs.   

This is a very popular and very expensive food here in Japan, and I normally don't eat it very often, although I really love it. 

The only reason I am eating it today, is because we got it for free!   That's right, courtesy of the Japan Postal Service. 

I'm sure everyone knows about the annual New Year's Card 年賀状 that most people buy and send to family, friends and business contacts.   

At the bottom of every NenGaJo, there is a unique six digit 六桁 serial number which is used as a sort of lottery system.   

There are three levels of prizes, 1等　2等 and 3等.   

In years past, we have won a few times at the lowest level, level 3. 

This prize is something like a sheet of stamps, or a stationary set for letter writing, that sort of thing.   

You only need to get the last 2 of the 6 numbers correct in order to win this type of prize.   

The level two prizes are all some sort of food item.   

You need to get the last 4 numbers right in order to win this level of prize. 

That is what happened to us this year, for the first time.   

In total, we received 400 grams of Salmon Eggs, less than half of which you can see in the clear bowl. 

The other half is in the white bowl on the left, covered with Salmon Flesh Flakes 鮭身ほぐし　and some strips of green 大葉　also known as しそ.   

In English it is known as a perilla or beefsteak plant.   

It is a very common ingredient in many Japanese foods.   

Below all of that good food is a big helping of Brown Rice 玄米.   

A dish known as 鮭親子丼.   

Anyway, back to the IKURA.   

If I were to buy 400 grams of IKURA at a morning market 朝市 or a supermarket スーパー, it would most likely cost me somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 yen.   

That's more than 50 US Dollars!   

Granted, I can get two or three meals out of this amount, but that is still rather pricey.   

However, it tastes soooooo good, and I can afford it from time to time.   

The level one prize 1等 requires you to get all six numbers in the exact same order. 

A very small chance indeed. 

However, the prizes are things such as; A Trip to Hawaii, A Trip to Somewhere in Japan, a laptop PC ノートパソコン, a DVD recorder with a Home Theater Set, or an SLR digital camera with an Ink Jet Printer.   Wow!!!    

I can't make up my mind!      

If you won the First Prize, which option would you choose?

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2007 May 18 Friday.

A rainy day, all day long.   

The weather forecast says tomorrow will be the same.   

Fortunately, Sunday is supposed to be sunny day. 

That is a very good thing for the many elementary schools which will be having their annual Sports Day Event 運動会. 

Other elementary schools will hold this event on Sunday May 27.   

As a result, the following Mondays will be a school holiday for the students and most of the teachers. 

The parents and grandparents of the elementary school students, usually go to the school ground early to stake out a place in advance of the event.   

Most such people will put down a blue plastic tarp, or use stakes and string to mark off an area 縄張り where they want to sit during Sunday's event. 

Of course along with the food and drinks, there will be a lot of still cameras and video movie cameras in action, to record the precious moments of the young children engaged in various athletic activities.   

When everyone sits down to look at these photos and video movies again, a few years from now, the growth of their children and grandchildren will be very obvious.   

Memories of the past.   

The only constant is change.　

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2007 May 17 Thursday.

Look what rolled into town on Thursday of last week. 

Yeah, it's that so called professional wrestling thing.   

Personally, I don't see what is so interesting about this sport, but I do respect the athletic abilities of the wrestlers themselves.   

A lot of people do seem to enjoy watching this sport and that is fine with me, but isn't boxing or sumo a bit more realistic?   

If you want to learn more about this Big Japan Pro Wrestling thing, you can visit their website by clicking here.   

I took these photos of the big truck trailer that was parked next door to my classroom at the Local Products Exhibition Center 地場産センター where the event was to be held, later that evening.   

I'm not sure how many people attended, but it seemed to be rather crowded.   I hope you all enjoyed the show.   

However, I am wondering about the guy in the middle of the top photo wearing glasses whose name is written as Great Kojika.   

I don't believe I have ever seen a pro wrestler wearing glasses before.  Have you?

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2007 May 16 Wednesday.

I don't have much time to write today, because I am planning some new lesson times at my classroom, so I'll just leave a photo for you to look at.

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2007 May 15 Tuesday.

I don't have much time to write today, because I am planning some new lesson times at my classroom, so I'll just leave a photo for you to look at.

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2007 May 14 Monday.

Back to the regular "work" schedule.   

The photos of the cherry flowers that you can see above and below were taken on Thursday, May 10 and right next door to my classroom near the Crystal Hall.   

Aren't they beautiful?   

I just love flowers, especially the way they just grow of of nothing.   

A bare branch that was covered in snow for 5 months, suddenly springs to life and starts having a budding-into-flowers attack.   

Amazing. 

The angle of the sunlight gets higher and higher in the sky, the earth warms up and BINGO!   

You've got heat in the channel.   

That's when xit starts to happen. 　

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2007 May 13 Sunday.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of you mothers out there. 

I think we all had mothers, didn't we? 

If you're not sure, look at the middle of your belly and see if there is an indentation of some type there. 

It's called a navel or a belly button へそ.   

It was the connection to our lifeline before we popped out into this world as we now know it.   

There seems to be two basic types of navels. 

Innies and Outties.   Which type do you have?   

Mine is an Innie. 

If you don't have a navel, you may have hatched from an egg.   

Now that the cherry blossoms are finally starting to bloom in Asahikawa, I can imagine that a lot of people were planning to have a Flower Viewing Party 花見 outdoors under the cherry trees, but it has been raining on and off since yesterday. 

I know that a few hearty folks will be outside anyway, eating and drinking.   

I won't be one of them.   

I think I'll eat at home and then talk a walk wearing a GORTEX hat.   

It substitutes for an awkward umbrella, and keeps my hands free for tipping a jug.   

Time to take a mental vacation.　

Lunch anyone?

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2007 May 12 Saturday.

Another photo of the lobby at the Windsor Hotel Toya, taken on May 4, and to the right side of the photo below in yesterday's blog.   

On a clear day, you can see the lake from this huge window, but when this photo was taken, it was rather foggy and the lake was not visible. 

Also notice the live musical performance by two non-Japanese girls, one on piano and one on the cello.   

A nice gig if you can get it. 

The music was so good, that I almost sat down and ordered a cup of coffee. 

Almost. 

The cheapest room at this hotel will cost you about 400 US Dollars per night.   

Food and drink are extra.   

Any takers?

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2007 May 11 Friday.

Where do you think this photo was taken? 

I'll give you one guess.   

That's right!  You got it!   

This is a photo of the lobby of the Windsor Hotel Toya.   

The word luxurious comes to mind. 

A cup of coffee and a small slice of cake will set you back almost 2,000 yen.   

Lunch anyone? 

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2007 May 10 Thursday.

Today's photo was taken on May 4 along the shores of Lake ShiKotsu 支笏湖. 

I didn't have a chance to talk to the guy who is driving this monster trike, but my guess is that the engine size is about 1500 cc or so.   

It even has an automatic transmission with a gear shift lever that you can find in almost any automobile.   

Awesome.   

I myself would be a bit afraid to drive or even ride along on something like this. 

Talk about a crotch rocket, this one takes the cake.

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2007 May 9 Wednesday.

More photos from my GW driving adventure. 

Today's photo was also taken on May 3 from Route 452.   

In this photo you can see the 1668 meter peak of Yubari Dake 夕張岳. 

It gets cold fast when the sun goes down. 

Dress appropriately.

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2007 May 8 Tuesday.

More photos from my three day GW driving excursion while staying over night in my HOTEL NOAH.   

Thank you TOYOTA for making such a useful family automobile.   

I, for one, am a happy customer.   

The photo for today, was taken on May 3 at 旭川芦別線駐車公園　along Route 4.   

I really like the colors in the photo. 

How about you? 

I can't adequately describe the warmth of the sunshine and the aromatic country air, but you get the idea.

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2007 May 7 Monday.

I'm back to my regular teaching schedule this week, but I don't have much time to write this blog.   

Therefore, I will show you another photo that I took during my 3 day Golden Week Drive. 

In my blog of May 3, I posted a photograph of Lake KatsuraZawa.   

This is the sign at the entrance to the bridge that crosses over the lake.   

Can you see anything on the sign that you can't read?   

I can't.   

It's in Japanese (Chinese), English and Korean.   

In recent years, tourists from all over the world, but especially Taiwan, Hong Kong, other parts of China, and of course Korea, have been coming to Hokkaido in ever increasing numbers.   

I hear Chinese and Korean being spoken from time to time in Asahikawa, whenever I encounter tour groups along my way.   

I listen very carefully to see if I can understand anything that they are saying.   

Most of the time I can't.   

Sometimes, I get lucky and recognize a word or phrase.   

I'll keep studying both languages, but right now I'm into writing Korean. 

It's a cool ass alphabet.   

I really like it.

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2007 May 6 Sunday.

No driving today. 

I think I will go for a walk instead.   

Also, I won't do much writing today, I think I will spend more time reading. 

However, I would like to share a photograph with you that I took during the first day of my 3 day GW driving expedition. 

It was taken along route 452 between Ashibetsu 芦別 and Yubari 夕張 at a place called Miyama Bridge 深山橋.   

It appears to be what remains of an old railroad bridge that went across the Ashibetsu River.   

You can see scenes like this in many places all around Hokkaido, especially in inland areas of the island.   

I like to look at these type of old relics because it makes me think about how life was in Hokkaido many many years ago. 

One thing is for sure, the nicely paved asphalt road I'm driving along today, wasn't here at that time.

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2007 May 5 Saturday.

Good Morning Otaru!   

I woke up at about 5:00 with the light of the sunrise. 

After heating up some bottled coffee on a small gas stove, I made use of the restroom facilities at the MaxValue, and walked on over to the Otaru Morning Fish Market 朝市 to have some breakfast. 

After looking at the menu for a few seconds, I decided on the 鮭親子丼. 

It came with pickles 漬物 Miso Soup 味噌汁 and some hot tea all for the price of only 1,050 yen.   

Much cheaper than a cup of coffee and a small slice of cake, at the Windsor Hotel Toya.   

After breakfast, I drove around the waterfront along the piers.   Many people were already parked there fishing for whatever they could catch. 

This is a very common almost daily sight in the many seaside cities and towns around Hokkaido.   

A good way to enjoy nature and get some free food as well.   

After looking at the Japan Coast Guard ships and a large ferry boat which were docked in the area, I got back on the road taking Highway 393 towards AkaIGawa 赤井川.   

Along the way, I stopped by at KiRoRo Ski Resort キロロ and was not too surprised to see many many people pulling into the parking lots, and getting ready to go skiing or snowboarding.   

This is almost the end of the skiing season in Hokkaido, unless you want to travel all the way up to AsahiDake 旭岳 or KuroDake 黒岳 or some other much higher mountain.   

It was a nice day for skiing, at least early in the morning it was. 

As I continued my drive thru AkaIGawa and up to YoIchi 余市, it was getting windy and slightly rainy. 

I stopped in YoIchi to get some gasoline and take a look at the Mohri Space Shuttle Museum. 

After that, it was back on the road headed towards Otaru and then up the coast towards IshiKari 石狩.   

Along the stretch of Highway 231 between IshiKari and HamaMasu 浜益 at a place called YasoSuke 安瀬 I spotted a group of surfers out on the waves trying to get some rides on the 2 and 3 meter waves.   

I stopped for a while to watch and take some pictures.  You can see one of them above/left. 

I have many found memories of doing this same thing myself about 30 years ago on the island of Iwo Jima 硫黄島. 

Surfing was always my favorite sport.   

Now, it's walking.   

As I continued my drive along Route 231, the wind got stronger and the sky got blacker with light rain coming down, here and there.   

After I passed MashiKe 増毛 I turned right onto Route 94, and drove slowly along the country road through MoSeUshi 妹背牛 and FukaGawa City　深川市.   

When I got to KamuI Kotan 神居コタン, I turned left onto Highway 12, and drove the rest of the way back to Asahikawa and my Base Of Operations.   

Total driving distance today, 332 kilometers.  Time to sit back, put my feet up and have a tall cold boy.   

Talk to ya'all later.  I'm off line for now.

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2007 May 4 Friday.

Good morning Chitose!  Not a bad day. 

A bit sunny and a bit cloudy. 

Warm enough to leave the fleece jacket in the van and take a walk over to the nearby toilet.   

There is even toilet paper in it!   

Maybe this will be my lucky day. 

I got back on the road at about 7:00 and used the next 90 minutes or so to drive in circles around the entire city of Chitose,  just to get a better feel for the place.   

Along the way I found a MacDonalds with a drive thru window and suddenly I had a for craving for about 3 Egg MacMuffins. 

So, I pulled in and made the buy.

Knowing what a gut bomb can do to your toilet training, I drove back over to the Michi No Eki where I had just spent the night, and devoured once again, the flavor of my former life, many years ago. 

Then, I lived in the USA.   

A completely different world than Japan. 

I know, I have lived in both places for many years.   

I would have rather had 3 rice balls for breakfast with a cup of hot green tea. 

Today, I was going for the All American Junk Food. 

Just follow the yellow brick road until you see the Golden Arches.   

That is where the palace of obesity resides.   

I fit right in.    

Anyway, after downing Three MacMuffins and using the toilet facilities one more time, I was back on the road again.   

First destination today is 支笏湖 Lake ShiKotsu, one of the 3 largest natural lakes in Hokkaido.      

This year, I did not drive around the entire circumference of the lake as I did last year, but merely stopped at a few select points along the shore, here and there.   

One of the places I stopped was at the いとう温泉.   

This place is rather old but very good, because the outdoor hot tub 露天風呂 is right on the water line of the lake, separated only by a low wall of big rocks.   

I didn't use the tub today, but about 12 years ago, I stayed overnight here during the summer, and it was awesome to be able to climb out of the hot tub and into the lake and then out of the lake and into the hot tub again, time after time.   

It was a truly cosmic experience.   

I wanna do it again some day, but today, the lake was still much too cold for that kind of fun. 

After looking around Lake ShiKotsu for about 90 minutes, I got onto route 453 heading for Lake Toya 洞爺湖.   

As I mentioned in this blog of 2007 April 26, the G8 Summit of 2008, will be held at the Windsor Hotel Toya.   

I made a special side trip today, just so I could go and take a look at the place. 

You can see one photo that I took of the outside of the hotel above/left.   

The main road that connects highway 230 to the top of the mountain where the Windsor Hotel is located, is 5 kilometers in length.   

I could see from my drive up the hill, that the roadside illumination lamps need to be renewed a bit, in order to satisfy security personnel who will be charged with protecting the VIPs when they come for their visit next summer.   

When I got to the top of the hill, I was rather surprised to find that all of the parking lots were full. 

Obviously, I am not the only person who is curious about what this hotel looks like on the inside. 

I was able to find a parking place and walked the rest of the distance to the main entrance of the hotel.   

I was able to look around the lobby and a few adjoining public spaces, and I took some photos of those areas.   

I looked at the menu of the coffee shop in the lobby and was not too surprised to see that a cup of coffee and a small slice of cake, will set you back about 2,000 yen.   

I wonder how much lunch costs?   

I didn't even bother to check the room prices, knowing that it would only make me feel "poor" in comparison with those privileged people who can easily afford it.   

The Super Rich really are different than the rest of us, and in more ways than just the money aspect of things that be. 

But that's a whole 'nother story, which I don't have time to go into here and now.   

One thing that I will say is that some of the people I saw who were actually staying at the hotel and not just looking around, are obviously very intelligent and have their own business or businesses. 

Others look like they are living off of their family's inheritance and dress up in gaudy clothing and use way too much make up.   

These are the spoiled brats of the "Old Money Families".   

People who never had to use their brains for anything else than a place to enjoy their daily cocktails.   

You can see the difference in the eyes of the two distinct types of the Super Rich.   

After looking around for about 45 minutes, I got back on the road heading towards JoZanKei 定山渓.   

I was hoping to take Route 1 from JoZanKei to AsaRi 朝里 and finally Otaru 小樽, but at JoZanKei I saw a notice that Route 1 was closed because of a landslide 地すべり.   

Bummer, I have no other choice but to continue along Route 230 until it connects with Route 5 near Sapporo, and takes me the rest of the way into Otaru.   

Not my favorite route because it is very crowded, but today I had no other choice in the matter.   

I finally arrived in Otaru at about 18:30 and drove straight to the MaxValue Supermarket which is right next door to the Morning Fish Market おたる朝市.   

Otaru doesn't yet have a Michi No Eki 道の駅はまだありませんので、So this parking lot at this 24/7 always open supermarket, is by far the best place to camp out if you are sleeping in your car.   

Although most travelers do not seem to know about this location, a few of us do, and we use it to our comfort and advantage.   

The store owners don't seem to care, and the police never give us any trouble.   

After all, I just need to get some sleep and use the toilet from time to time during my stay. 

Of course, I will buy some food and drink at the supermarket as well, so I am not a total free loader ただ乗りでは在りません。   

Thank you to MaxValue and the nice people of Otaru for making this overnight stay a viable possibility. 

No assholes anywhere near this part of the world.   

After I parked and locked my van, I walked over to the Canal Plaza area of Otaru and arrived at my first objective. 

Otaru Micro Brew おたるビール倉庫 No. 1.   

I visit here every year at least once or twice. 

Why?   Well for starters, the locally made beer is fresh and absolutely delicious. 

Also, the food menu is original and very tasty. 

And to top it all off, the service provided by the staff and the local musicians who perform live on stage is also top notch.   

This is a business that knows how to please its customers.   

I am a regular, because I so much enjoy the experience each and every time.   

This evening was no different. 

A local band called PALOSIKS performed 3 different times during the evening, and I was able to catch two of them.   

This year they had a new drummer, and a bunch of new songs which are not yet out on CD. 

To see a photo slide show of this unusual music group  and listen to two of their original songs, please click here.   

After two shows, two liters of beer and a Bavarian Style roast pork and potatoes dinner, I was back on the street walking to my van.   

I got inside and went to sleep. 

Tomorrow it will be back on the road again.   

Total driving distance today, 370 kilometers.   

That's about enough driving for any one day.

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2007 May 3 Thursday.

Finally, 4 consecutive days off.   

The weather forecast says that it will be mostly sunny and a bit cloudy, with almost no chance of rain in most of Hokkaido.   

Yesterday, I sat down with my book of maps and planned out a driving course for this year's Golden Week. 

If the weather is good, I always go for an extended drive during this time of year. 

It is one of the very few chances that I get to do so.   

I don't care about hotel reservations and all that hassle, because I park at any one of the nearly 100 Roadside Rest Stations 道の駅　that are almost everywhere in Hokkaido. 

Some of them are better than others, but the main point is, they all have a toilet facility that is open 24 hours, and they are usually not too far from a supermarket or some other such food store.   

This year, I decided to make my first over night stay at the  Salmon Park Chitose  道の駅サーモンパーク千歳. 

There were several reasons for this. 

One was the fact that I believed I could try the Chitose Micro Brew 千歳地ビール at a place called Chitose Beer Works, which is within easy walking distance of the roadside rest station. 

Another reason is because I wanted to travel the Asahikawa <> Ashibetsu Line 旭川芦別線 which is a long and winding road, but extremely beautiful with many mountains, hills, rivers, streams and lakes that run all along that part of Highway 4 and Highway 452 into the city of Yubari 夕張市. 

Along this part of the route, I nearly collided with wild deer who were running across the road on 3 separate occasions. 

Why is it that deer always seem to run across a road when cars are coming? 

Or is it just by chance that a car is coming when deer decide to run across a busy highway.   

I don't know the answer for sure, because it is very likely that deer will be crossing a busy road when there are absolutely no cars passing by at that time.   

Anyway, it happened to me today a total of three times.   

I always drive quite slowly and let other cars who seem to be in a hurry pass me when I am out on long drives such as today.   

Another reason for my rather slow driving is the fact that if I was unlucky enough to crash into a deer on the road, my auto insurance would not pay for the repairs to my car. 

Yeah, I know it's a scam, but it is also the law. 

Back to the deer. 

The first incident that occurred today was totally awesome.   

As I was driving slowly along Route 452 from KatsuraZawaKo 桂沢湖 (see photo above/left) towards Yubari, a female deer suddenly jumped out of the bushes from my left, onto the road and ran across to the other side where she then had to run up a steep hill. 

However, it was not just her, but a few nano seconds later, a young buck, maybe 3 or 4 years old judging from the size of his antlers, was in hot pursuit right behind her.   

He didn't give a damn about the danger associated with heavy metal cars or trucks traveling across the road. 

He was after the tail of that young doe in front of him.  Full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes. 

Another thing that really impressed me about these two young deer, was the speed at which they climbed up the very steep hill on the other side of the road. 

No human being, who must run upon only two legs, could have ever climbed that hill as fast as those deer did.   

I sat there behind the steering wheel of my slow moving van and just marveled at the natural ability of those deer to climb that steep slope so fast.  Built for the job, is all I could think of. 

Who invented and made deer? 

Certainly no human being did. 

It must be some larger natural intelligence that made these beautiful animals the way they are. 

Absolutely Perfect for their environment.   

After that slow driving course, the sun set and it was getting darker and darker by the minute.   

Driving in the dark in not a problem, but it is not a pleasure either. 

For one thing, all you can see is the road in front of you. 

Therefore, on the fast track towards Chitose, it was pedal to the metal, while staying in sync with most of the other cars on the road in front of me.   

I arrived at my overnight rest stop at about 20:00,  a bit later than I had planned to do so. 

Of course it was dark, but that didn't matter. 

I knew where I was going to stay tonight and I found it with ease.   

A not too distant sign that read "BEER WORKS CHITOSE" beckoned me from across the highway. 

I parked my rig and walked on over there, fully expecting to enjoy the unique taste of Chitose Micro Brew.   

It was not to be.   

When I arrived at the location by walking, and went inside, I discovered that none of the restaurants had even one mug full of the Chitose Micro Brew.   

Say What??? 

I read about this in a magazine called じゃらん. 

I guess they had their facts mixed up. 

No local Micro Brews at this location.   

Fortunately for me there was a supermarket not too far away where I bought my food and drink for this evening. 

Total driving distance today, 199 kilometers.

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ほっかいどう道の駅-活用ブック MGBOOKS 販売元：エムジー・コーポレーション Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

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2007 May 2 Wednesday.

Schools are still open today, including mine.   

Time to start planning a specific driving route for the consecutive holidays starting tomorrow. 

Where to go?    What to do?   

I need to get out a map and do some navigation.   

I need to become a BUSY BEE.

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バービー・モード―クラシックバービーのためのドレスブック 著者：蜜蜂 けいと 販売元：文化出版局 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

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Sassy ファニー ・ ハニー ・ ビー Funny Honey Bee 販売元：SASSY Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 May 1 Tuesday.

Love is in the air.  See the photo above/left for proof of this.   

Is it 恋 ?  Or is it 鯉   ?   

Maybe it's a combination of both. 

Today is not a national holiday and I drove out to AU to teach a class starting at 10:40.   

To my pleasant surprise, most of the students were in attendance.   

When that class was finished at 12:10, I drove back to Kagura over the New Kagura Bridge and hoped to stop in at Choice Kaiten Sushi   ちょいす回転寿司 in Kagura for some yummy raw fish, but as I entered the store, I noticed a line of people waiting to get a seat at the elliptical counter.   

Good for business, bad for me. 

I don't DO lines.  I'm outta here.   

Guess I'll just have to eat at home.   

No problem there, I must have some leftovers from last night's dinner.   

After having more classes at my place from 15:00 until 20:00, the wife and I went out for a walk in the cold and windy night air.   

We both need the exercise in a big way.   

I am bigger than her. 

Let's hope it stays that way in a proportional sort of way. 

Even if we both lose weight, I will always be bigger. 

Simply because I am a bit taller than her.  But not by much.

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シナモンロール こいのぼり 販売元：吉徳 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

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2007 April 27 Friday.

My first gig of the day was at the Dokan Nursing School starting at 9:00. 

Today, I divided the class into groups of 3 students and we used page one of my original textbook, Questions and Answers.   

With one student absent today, the way the groups divided up left me paired with the only boy in this half of the class and we did the print together.   

Just the two of us. 

During the course of our discussions, I was surprised to learn that he lives rather far away from this school, and has to take the train everyday in order to commute to this nursing school.   

He told me that he rides the train for 90 minutes in the morning, and then again for 90 minutes in the evening, a total of 3 hours every school day. 

That sounds more like a salary man working in Tokyo and living in some small suburban bed town near the big city, than it does a student living alone, away from home, for the very FIRST TIME.   

Why this young man does not live in an apartment or at a  dormitory which is much closer to this school, I do not know.   

After that class was finished at 10:30, I took a taxi back to my classroom and got ready for straight lessons from 15:00 until 20:00.   

After that I wanted to go for a walk, but the weather was rather nasty, and it killed my meager motivation to meander beneath the night sky.   

Instead, I spent some time reading about next year's G8 summit which will HAPPEN right here in Hokkaido.   

I even took the liberty of using a photo from the front page of the Hokkaido Newspaper, which shows Prime Minister Abe meeting G. W. Bush in the USA.   

Mr. Abe's next stops will be in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and other destinations.   

The written dialogue between the two national leaders, that I added to the photo of a photo,  are of course, a complete fabrication by me, but wouldn't it be nice if something like this had actually been said between the two distinguished gentlemen.   

I  DO KNOW  for a fact that President Bush is much too busy to read this blog or even look at this website, but some of his supporters may not be too busy, and therefore MAY  DO SO.   

Also, I am only assuming that President Bush has never visited Hokkaido, because I can not recall any mass media news reports to the contrary.   

I think President Bush will REALLY like what he sees when he stops by to TAKE A LOOK in here, HOKKAIDO, next summer.   

Welcome to the dragon head of East Asia Mr. President.   

I hope that Laura and the daughters can come along as well.   

I know you'all will really like it here in Nature Base Hokkaido.   

Lots of LOVE,  from HOKKAIDO to TEXAS.   

This place kicks ass.      

I KNOW IT 4 a FACT.    Norman D.

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2007 April 26 Thursday.

A cold, windy and rainy day. 

Not much to talk about except the newspaper headline on the left.   

This is a photo of the evening edition of the Hokkaido Newspaper for Monday, April 23.  It says; "2008 G8 SUMMIT to be held at the Windsor Resort Hotel at Lake Toya in HOKKAIDO.   

Why do I always have this certain feeling, that things for Hokkaido are coming together BIG TIME.   

Now, I see it again in the mass media. 

My wife, her mother and I were just in this area last summer, and in fact we stayed one night at the 湖畔亭 Hotel which is right on the shore of this beautiful lake. 

As you can see from the photograph within the photograph on the upper/left, The Windsor Resort Hotel is high on a hill overlooking the beautiful horizons of Hokkaido.   

This facility was originally built during the Japan Bubble Economy and was initially called the APEX Resort Hotel.   

As with all bubbles, that look pretty on the outside, but have nothing except hot air inside of them, it went BOOM and BUST, and the building sat there, unused for many years. 

Until recently.   

Not only is this an exquisitely beautiful place, but there is only one road up to the top of this mountain where the hotel sits at the apex.   

This of course is a dream come true for security personnel who will be  responsible for protecting these big wig actors on the world stage. 

For a preliminary list as to who will be attending the G8 Summit at Lake Toya during the summer of 2008, click here.

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2007 April 25 Wednesday.

A beautiful sunny day with high temps reaching up to about 14 degrees C. 

Possibly the warmest day of this year thus far in Asahikawa. 

I drove out to the Kosei Nursing School and arrived there at about 8:35, fifteen minutes before the start of my class with the first year students. 

Today, we enacting a short dialogue about shopping for a fitted hat. 

I gave the students the conversation script last week, so they all had plenty of time to memorize it.    

All 13 lines of it, by this time today. 

Seven lines for me, and 6 lines for them.   

I called each and every one of the students up to the front of the classroom, one by one, so we could enact the premeditated conversation with each other, face to face.   

Many of the students could say their lines without much hesitation, but others could not. 

The thing about TODAY that really impressed me the most was, the fact that one of my former students, at my classroom, displayed the best American English, pronunciation of the dialogue, much better than any of the other 44 students in this class.   

This young lady started coming to my classroom during her last year of elementary school, and all throughout her 3 years of junior high school.    

Now she is a first year student here at the Kosei Nursing School. 

During those four years at my classroom, we did a lot of dialogue memorization and spoken rehearsal.   

Today, I saw the results of our training together, up close and personal.   

CONTACT   It really does make a difference if you start learning languages young.    

Learn from a native speaker, if you want to learn a foreign language.    

That is what I have always done in the past, and on into the present.

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2007 April 24 Tuesday.

Meet my sister's immediate family members. 

Aren't they cute! 

And so well behaved. 

One is named Ollie. 

She was found wandering around the Ballard District of Seattle, Hoe 'ing for fish.   

The other one flew in on a space ship and was initially named Baby Boy, but was later re-labeled as Boy Gorge because of his bad behavior.   

I'm not exactly sure which one is which, but I think the big one on top is Mr. Gorge and the smaller one below is Miss Ollie.   

So cute!   Sooooo Precious.   

101 uses for a      CAT.

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2007 April 22 Sunday.

Ah!  Much better than yesterday. 

Sunny with clear skies and a high temp of 14 degrees C.   

A good day to go for a drive.   

Today I drove east towards Higashi Asahikawa, and all the way up to the East Entrance of the Asahiyama Zoo. 

The NEW East Entrance I should say.   

The ZOO is closed until Saturday April 28, when they will open it again for the start of Golden Week and the rest of the summer season.   

After driving around in the new parking area, I went back down the hill, and got onto Route 611 heading southeast towards HigashiKawa Town.   

I haven't been on this road for several years, so I wasn't at all surprised to see some new houses and some new rice field irrigation construction here and there.      

I took this very well maintained asphalt covered road all the way to the edge of the Taisetsu National Park.   

When I reached the edge of the national park boundary, I discovered that the big metal gate was still closed and blocking the road leading up to the inside of the park.   

A big chain and padlock insured that cars and motorcycles could not pass by.   

A mountain biker however, could slip through with no problem.   

Most likely, they will open this gate on or about April 29, which is the start of GW, next Sunday. 

After getting out of my van and walking around the area, breathing in the most delicious fresh air, I drove back down the hill and towards Asahikawa.   

Not far along the way, I noticed an abandoned school building that had the name of 東川町第四小学校 written on it.   

I decided to pull into the mud covered parking lot in front of the old school to take a closer look.   

The first thing I noticed was a concrete statue of 二宮金次郎 which was in very bad shape. 

The second thing I noticed was the after smell of a fire, and upon closer inspection of the right side of the school building, could see the blackened and charred remains of what once was an elementary school.   

I have no idea about what the history of this school might be, but I do suppose that over the years the number of students and the  number of teachers became less and less, because the surrounding area is nothing but rice farms.   

The younger generations of these families have mostly moved away to some city, to live and work at some "more modern profession" and thus the number of new families in this area is almost zero.   

Seems like a good explanation, but it is only my less than educated guess. 

I wouldn't mind living here myself, but rice farming is too difficult.   

Maybe growing corn would be better. 

No flooded fields to attract frogs and mosquitoes. 

Much more quite at night.   A night under the stars.

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旭山動物園の世界~動物たちの春夏秋冬 販売元：ソニーミュージックエンタテインメント 発売日：2007/04/11 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

旭山動物園のすべて~動物たちの鼓動が聞こえる 販売元：ソニーミュージックエンタテインメント 発売日：2006/03/01 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

旭山動物園くらぶオリジナルDVD 「 旭山動物園たからもの 」 第一弾・第二弾セット 販売元：アイディアサンタ 発売日：2006/12/05 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 April 18 Wednesday.

My teaching day started off at 8:50 this morning at the JA Kosei Nursing School.   

Today was my second class of the new school year here, and I used page one of my textbook, Q and A, meaning Questions and Answers.   

This textbook is designed for group work so I divided up the class into 7 groups of 6 people each, and one more group of 2 students plus myself making 3.   

This style of classroom activity, allows the students to be more active, and me to be more passive.   

All questions on this first page of the textbook, start with one of the 6W1H Interrogatives 疑問詞, meaning;  What, When, Where, Who, Why, Which and How.   

Using these seven words is not the only way to ask a question, but it is one of the most basic methods used.   

As a matter of fact, in my own study of the Korean Language, I am currently focused on the use of these 7 words, at this time.   

Very helpful for learning the basics of daily conversation.   

Next week, we will focus on a typical conversation used when shopping for clothing.   

I gave them the very short printed dialogue today, and asked them to memorize the 6 lines of conversation for the shopper, by this time next week.   

At that time, I will call each and every student up to  the front of the classroom, all 44  of them, and we will have a simulated conversation about buying a fitted hat.   

I will even bring three hats into the classroom with me, and use them as props, in order to make the situation more realistic and more enjoyable.   

It is a lesson plan which I have used many times, over the course of many years. 

It is a proven winner. 

The students will compete with each other, to see who can actually memorize the dialogue, and also who can take the conversation to a higher level by improvising on the written lines. 

I am looking forward to next week's lesson.   

As I do,  every year at this time.

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2007 April 17 Tuesday.

This morning, while I was in the office of professor S. at Asahikawa University, another full time instructor, whom I first met last year, came in and said that he would like to talk to me about one of my former students, who is now in her 4th year at the university.   

When he mentioned the student's name, I remembered her right away.   

She is a very tall and good looking young lady, not to mention the fact that she is also on the university volleyball team.   

Because my first class started in a few minutes at 10:40, we decided to meet again later, in the instructor's office at about 12:15.   

When I arrived at the instructor's office, the young lady was waiting outside his door, and we recognized each other immediately. 

A few moments later, the instructor himself arrived and we all went inside his office to sit down for an important discussion.   

The gist of the conversation, was that this very nice young woman, has decided to become a flight attendant for an airline company, and that she needs to improve her level of communication ability in the English language. 

Therefore, the full time instructor had recommended her to start taking lessons at my classroom, as soon as possible.   

Thank you so much for your recommendation Mr. H.S.!!!   

Training people how to communicate in English (together with other ways) is my specialty. 

That IS what I do for a living.   

If the student is ready, I am always there for them.   

I asked the young lady to please take a look at www.snowmanjapan.net  for detailed information about lesson times and lesson prices. 

Then, when she has determined her schedule for the next several months,  to call my classroom and make an appointment. 

A reservation to start her very own journey to the SUN.   

Her intensive study of spoken English.    

If she really tries hard, and becomes able to communicate freely and at will in spoken English, I know for a fact, that she will be able to participate in a bigger world.   

A world of which she now knows very little. 

Believe me, it is a very big world that can be made smaller by learning another language or two, or three, or even more.   

Languages are not difficult to learn, if you JUST GET USED TO USING THEM. 　

習うより慣れろ。

Listen and Repeat. 

  Listen and Repeat. 

    Listen and Repeat.   

Once you understand the basic FRAMEWORK of a spoken language, you can substitute vocabulary into standard sentence patterns, and become able to express your own ideas and feelings in that language.   

A language, any　language, is merely a TOOL for communication. 

Learn how to use a TOOL well, and the world is your canvas.   

A canvas not just for painting, but also for sailing. 

Sailing a way, any way,  to where you want to BE. 

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外資系・国内系エアライン 客室乗務員(地上職)に一ヶ月で合格する本 著者：TOKYO VIC ACADEMY 販売元：にんげん出版 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

スチュワーデス(客室乗務員)と決めたら読む本〈2008年度版〉 著者：小林 正彦 販売元：一ツ橋書店 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

スチュワーデス合格メイクの本―客室乗務員&グランドスタッフに合格するメイクテクニック教えます 販売元：イカロス出版 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 April 16 Monday.

Today at the 神楽公民館英会話を楽しむ会, one of the gentlemen brought in a very interesting copy that he had taken from some magazine.   

What it showed was a very innovative way of combining Kanji and English to form an artistic representation of a word.   

This is called 英漢字 and was invented by Kunishige Tomomi.　

Please click on the photo above/left to see more of her work and to read more about her in English.   

In the photo on the left, you can see the 27 year old artist herself and one of her creations.   

It is a representation of the Kanji 花, written in the same general shape as that very same Kanji and using the English letters "f l o w e r"   Can you clearly see it for yourself?   

I most certainly can.   

This is only one such example. 

There are many others. 

See below for two more.   

The thing that really intrigued me about this NEW FORM OF ART, is that the same picture, conveys 3 very distinct meanings.   

Number 1,  the original Chinese ideograph form of the word. 

Number 2.   The same general shape of the original Chinese ideograph, drawn using modified but still recognizable letters of the English alphabet.   

Number 3.   Not only is the "word" written in two languages, but the over all view of the ART conveys a NATURAL visual IMAGE of the OBJECT itself.   

This is really cool.   

The only question I have about this new and very excellent form of ART work is,  WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT by myself?   

I was busy doing other things. 

Other good things, good for ME and my STUDENTS.   

GOOD stuff, all around and everywhere.   

Hey Tomomi, I LOVE your art work. 

It really IS a NEW WAY to look at the BASICS of all BASICS.   

A job well done.  Please make more!!!!   

LOVE from Norman D.  　Tomomi,................   

If you ever come to Asahikawa, please give me a call. 62 - ××16.    24/7 留守伝あり。

（編集注：tomomi様はじめ皆サマ、電話番号はHPのブログ内には、載せてますがココログは、TEL.の一部を伏せてます。ご了承願います。ﾅﾂｷ）

How about this one? The Kanji should look like this,海 .

The English letters used are,S E A.

Can you see it?

I can.

I really like this one.

The Kanji should look like this,夢

The English letters used are,d r E a M.

Can you see it too???

It is crystal clear to me.

This is truly a NEW ART FORM.

Thank you for making it!!!!

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御祝 Congratulation―国重友美英漢字(ええかんじ)作品集 著者：国重 友美 販売元：TOKIMEKIパブリッシング Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

國重友美×英漢字 著者：國重 友美 販売元：TOKIMEKIパブリッシング Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 April 14 Saturday.

It's a cold gray day,.....   Say!   

What the Hey?   Take a Dive,......   

NOT a Drive.   NO!   Stay at HOME.   

BE where you ARE,.....   

Pick up the guitar,    BE a star!   

For a moment or 2.     IT IS UP 2 YOU!!!   

It's ALL in your mind so sing it IN time.   

In SYNC with the DRINK.   

A twister or two, making LOVE on the SIX STRING, that IS a NATURAL thing to DO.      

ME TOO.   

And YOU,   cranking out VIBES is the ACTIVE thing to DO.   

Acoustic Six String and Gordon Lightfoot on the headphones.   

DREAMLAND.   

The country rock song that gets my juices flowing, along with an assortment of other songs on this and other albums.   

This CANADIAN born and raised singer/song writer IS by far AND most clearly my NUMBER ONE favorite English Language original one man show. 

Creative to the CORE.  核まで       Ya gotta respect that.   

Even if you personally, don't dig his VIBES. 

Something like that, can't be helped.   

Whatever WAVE length you are TUNED IN 2, it is the VITAL ONE  of this moment.   

Therefore, NEVER DESPAIR.    

It is ONLY a state of mind.   

A state of mind which YOU can create in absolutely any WAY that you THINK you CAN.   

As for me, I'm gonna pick the six string and sing,  totally UNPLUGGED for the rest of the afternoon.   

Most of the other residents of this very well maintained and thoroughly managed building, are probably out and about, and won't be disturbed by my not too loud LIVE performance.   

I'm just practicing in an ENDLESS attempt to get it better than before.   

THAT IS ALL.   

Simple minded humanoid.   

Simple COUNTRY living.   

I'm prime, this is the TIME of our lives.   

I feel like singing about it. 

KARAOKE anyone???   

I'm prime.   I'm game.   

It's all the same,.......                

I'm repeating myself,....... 

Maybe I should write and perform RAP "songs" (chants).   

The very same sounds that occurred at the very first beginnings of MUSIC as the COSMOS knows IT.   

CHANTING  お経　etc. etc. etc. 　

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Longman Children's Picture Dictionary with CDs: With Songs and Chants 著者：Longman 販売元：Prentice Hall College Div Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

Small Talk: More Jazz Chants (Oxford American English) 著者：Carolyn Graham 販売元：Oxford Univ Pr (Sd) Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

NY Rap 英語が勝手に出てくる! 著者：松田 麻里 販売元：ジャパンタイムズ Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

American Rap Stars (Flag Cover) 発売日：2002/11/19 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

American Rap Stars (Face Cover) 発売日：2002/11/19 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 April 13 Friday.

Friday the 13th!!!   SO WHAT?   

I spent the first hour and a half of my work day with 20 second year students at the Dokan Nursing School. 

Our first class together of the new school year.   

Many of them were very sleepy. 

I know it has been a long and rough first week of back to school for them.   

That is why today's lesson was very active by me, and very passive for them. 

Getting to know you, getting to know all about YOU.   

After 90 some minutes of pure fun, I went for a drive in Mr. NOAH to give him a shower, and also to just do some driving around for the fun of it.   

It was a warm sunny day, and the perfect time to take a drive.   

I drove around to various shopping centers that I rarely visit. 

I looked around inside, and didn't see any thing that I either wanted or needed.   

Maybe that's why I rarely come to these places.   

The drive was nice and I got back to my classroom about 2 hours before the start of my next lesson.   

Time enough to eat lunch while NOT watching the TV news.   

Instead, I looked out of a big window at the big blue sky while munching away on my brown rice and MaPoDoFu.   

Both made just last night.   Both Yummy.   

The next series of lessons went from 15:00 until 20:00. 

During that time, the two families that came yesterday for a free trial lesson, called back on the telephone again today, and said that they would like to start weekly lessons within the next 6 days.   

Welcome aboard mates!!!   

And, a great big MERCI BEAUCOUP to Mr. Hajime.   

Thank you mes ami!!!

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2007 April 12 Thursday.

Another busy day at my classroom with straight lessons from 15:00 until 20:00.   

Today at 17:00, two mothers and their four children came to my classroom for the first time to take a free trial lesson.   

They told me when they arrived that they had been recommended to visit my classroom, by another English/French teacher who also has his own classroom in another part of this city.   

This particular teacher is more into adult lessons, and medical English than he is into children's lessons.   

I am not much interested in medical English but I do have many adult lessons as well.   

Anyway, the four children, all in elementary school, who came with their mothers today, have had some experience with the study of English before, so we were able to move along rapidly.   

The 50 minute lesson was over before we all knew it and, each and every child had a very enjoyable time while learning something new.   

As they were all leaving my classroom, the mothers asked their children; "Did you enjoy your lesson today?" and every child said; "Yes!".   

No big surprise there.   

Then they said that they would talk about it in more detail with their kids and make a decision on whether or not to join my classroom within the next few days.   

I said;  "OK, I will be waiting for your phone call."   

When all of my lessons where finished at 20:00, Ikuko and I went out for a 60 minute walk along the cycling roads that border the Biei and Chubetsu Rivers.   

It was Ikuko's first walk of the season so she began feeling tired quite early on during the walk.  Not me.   

I have been out several times already, so I was all fired up and ready to go for more.   

The night sky was crystal clear and the stars and planets above where awesomely beautiful.   

Tonight, Ikuko brought along her MD player and was listening to a Korean Language basic conversation disc while we were walking together.   

I dubbed this MD from a CD that I have, and one that I listen to all the time when I am driving.   

Even though, I couldn't hear the MD itself, I could hear Ikuko's voice as she tried to repeat the words and phrases on the MD.   

Her pronunciation was pretty good, and I was able to listen to her voice and repeat the same phrases myself out loud.   

I even understood what most of them meant without hearing the Japanese Language equivalent.   

It gave me the satisfaction of knowing that I have been making some progress with my study of the Korean Language. 

When we got back home after our walk, I sat down and practiced writing some of the words and phrases in Hangul for about one hour.   

Learning is fun. 

As it should be.

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一週間で「読めて!書けて!話せる!」ハングルドリル 著者：八田 靖史 販売元：学習研究社 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

韓国語ジャーナル 第20号 (20) 販売元：アルク Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

目からウロコの ハングル練習帳 著者：八田 靖史 販売元：学習研究社 Amazon.co.jpで詳細を確認する

2007 April 11 Wednesday.

Back to school again.  Today was my first class at the Kosei Nursing School JA厚生旭川看護専門学校 starting at 8:50.   

I have been teaching English at this school since about 13 or 14 years ago.   

I have always enjoyed it, and still do to this day. 

Today, I was in for an unexpected and very pleasant surprise.   

When I first walked into the classroom at 8:50, with the administrative office manager 総務部長, I didn't really look around at the students very carefully. 

The administrative official had a piece of paper with him that had my essential education and work experience information written upon it, which he read out loud to the students before the start of our first class.   

Because it is the first class of the year, I have a standard introductory lesson, that I present to the students in about the same manner, each and every year.   

The main point of this power presentation, is the fact that SOUNDs and written SYMBOLs for these sounds, never have an exact correlation.   

They most often DO have a very close vibration,  and this is the basis for SHEET MUSIC.   

I am always in AWE of anyone, who can sit down with any musical instrument, and by just looking at the written symbols upon a piece of paper, play that song.   

THAT is phuckin awesome.   

I know several people like that, but I am not one of them.  not YET.   Anyway, getting back to my big surprise for today.   

When I stepped up onto the stand and took command, the lesson was ON for the next 90 minutes.    

First on the agenda, a quiz about the TOP 10 BIGGEST cities in the USA and JAPAN.   

Next, the topic just mentioned above. 

Third and last, my personal profile, and the Home Work assignment of, please write down your own personal profile in brief, on one sheet of notebook paper by this time next week.   

During the course of today's lesson, I noticed a name on the student list which was very familiar to me.   

When I finally called her name, we looked up at each other, and I was so happy to see a young lady, whom had come to my classroom from about her 5th year of elementary school, until her last year of junior high school.   

She quit coming to my classroom, when she started her studies in high school. 

Three years later, HERE SHE IS AGAIN.   

At a school were I have been an English teacher since the time of her 4th or 5th birthday.       CONTACT       

What goes around, comes around.   Always Has.   

Always Will.   

She is a very good student and I was so happy to see her get into this school, because it is an EXCELLENT school, with many excellent students and many excellent teachers.   FRUITION.   

I love my life's work, and I love my students. 

ALL of them.

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