spent most of today doing two things:
1) listening to each of the 10 groups that went to different places throughout Japan tell the rest of us what they did and who they met. it was pretty cool. many of the groups had a spokesperson (i was ours) and almost every group made a slide show (we did too) and some sang songs (we did that too) or presented funny skits ( i thought ours was THE funniest). it was interesting to see how different our experiences were, but also how much all of us were made to feel important and welcomed by the people of this generous country.
and 2) walking and (thinking about) shopping. i still have about Y3500 in my wallet and i would like to spend it before i get to the airport tomorrow. i didn't find anything to buy today (almost bought some art from a guy selling prints on the sidewalk in omote-sando, but i decided not to) so i just walked and walked, then rode the subway back to the hotel. tomorrow i am here until about 1pm and then i go to the airport where i have to sit until 7pm and then i get to start coming home... i am torn about how to spend my money... if i buy food i have nothing to show about my trip but if i buy stuff i have to find a place to put it and i am all packed and ready to go... so: i will probably end up eating some of my yen and cashing in the rest at the airport where i am sure to loose money in the deal... oh well...
i am ready to come home, but i am leaving japan with a bit of sadness too. this is a fascinating place and i don't really feel like i've had enough time here to really understand it or appreciate it. i would like to come back someday and work on understanding it more (with lisa of course). i would like to learn to speak the language a littl better or at least learn to read it a little. not knowing the language AND not knowing how to even sound-out words began to really wear me out after a while...
there are so many interesting things to talk about while we prepare for our project. i hope you are as excited as i am about it!
it seems like forever since i've seen you all... it's with great excitement that i can say: SEE YOU ON MONDAY.
until then: this is john coe, reporting live from tokyo... and now, back to you.
thanks to mrs moeller for saving the day this morning by letting me know that you really were trying to reach me online... i was worried you had forgotten about me, sitting here, alone in this now-sooooo-boring hotel room, staring at this screen like i have for sooooo many hours during this trip... i guess i'm glad you had to cancel battle of the books... i wanted to be there and i was bummed that we had to schedule it while i was away... i am glad to be able to be there on monday... i know mrs white has prepared you well (THANKS, by the way, MRS. WHITE for ALL the emails about how things were going... i read and appreciated them all!!!)...
spent the WHOLE day in seminars again today... whew...
spent the WHOLE day in seminars again today... whew...
HEY, HEY everybody! gosh, thanks for all the emails... it's sooooooo nice to hear from so many of you... i was SUPER lonely this weekend; i know you were all having fun with your families. thx for taking a minute or two to tell me how things went... AND about the snow... not much, certainly not enough for skiing, but it's a start, right?
i am back in tokyo now. NO PICTURES TODAY... kinda weary of having my camera on my belt... packed it for the trip from ube and left it packed... needed a break from photography... plus...it takes forever to put the pictures online... but FEAR NOT... if anything interesting happens tomorrow, i'll be back at it, camera in hand.
went to that crazy tokyo district, shibuya, again today, looking for stuff: music, clothes, etc... got one CD at the eight-story-tall TOWER RECORDS store that i really like, listening to it now... it's called lily chou chou... they're a pretty unusual sounding group from japan... at tower records they have about a million listening stations where you can listen to almost any CD in the store... i spent quite a bit of time there a few nights ago and i took some friends back with me today. i lost almost all of them in the store, so i moved on, alone, to look into stores... found a bike store, FINALLY, the first one i've seen in tokyo... (found a really cool one in ube... but, truth be told, i haven't been on a bike in over two weeks now... whew... i think that's a record.)... it was four stories tall. skiing on one floor, bikes on another, snowboards on yet another, and skateboards on the last... quite an experience, tokyo... anyway, i didnt find any tshirts but i did find another really cool store, by accident... i saw some posters that looked cool in a stairwell and headed down... and down... and down... and down... at first i thought i'd made a mistake, since i was in a locker room when i finally turned the last corner... however, somehow, i had stumbled into the JAPAN ANIMATION WONDERLAND OF ALL TIME... you know, dragonball z and the like... only this store wasnt just comics and posters, it was also toys, cards, records, cds, and, best of all: original handpainted anime cartoon cells... i bought several. i will show them to you when i get back... they're super cool! what a score! had more keitenzushi for lunch today... and for dinner last night in ube... i think i will open a keitenzushi restaurant in flagstaff when i return... :-)
SO, tomorrow (today here) is BATTLE OF THE BOOKS... hmmm... how are you planning to do, class... will you WIN or not... i hope you've been able to prepare... PLEASE DO YOUR BEST. if you do, then any outcome, win or not, is JUST FINE WITH ME. i WILL BE ONLINE AT 6:00am wednesday here in tokyo... that's 2pm tuesday in flagstaff... make sure mrs. ramsey or mrs. moeller logs onto the america online instant messenger program that i put on one of the machines in the library so that i can listen in for a while.
i am back in tokyo now. NO PICTURES TODAY... kinda weary of having my camera on my belt... packed it for the trip from ube and left it packed... needed a break from photography... plus...it takes forever to put the pictures online... but FEAR NOT... if anything interesting happens tomorrow, i'll be back at it, camera in hand.
went to that crazy tokyo district, shibuya, again today, looking for stuff: music, clothes, etc... got one CD at the eight-story-tall TOWER RECORDS store that i really like, listening to it now... it's called lily chou chou... they're a pretty unusual sounding group from japan... at tower records they have about a million listening stations where you can listen to almost any CD in the store... i spent quite a bit of time there a few nights ago and i took some friends back with me today. i lost almost all of them in the store, so i moved on, alone, to look into stores... found a bike store, FINALLY, the first one i've seen in tokyo... (found a really cool one in ube... but, truth be told, i haven't been on a bike in over two weeks now... whew... i think that's a record.)... it was four stories tall. skiing on one floor, bikes on another, snowboards on yet another, and skateboards on the last... quite an experience, tokyo... anyway, i didnt find any tshirts but i did find another really cool store, by accident... i saw some posters that looked cool in a stairwell and headed down... and down... and down... and down... at first i thought i'd made a mistake, since i was in a locker room when i finally turned the last corner... however, somehow, i had stumbled into the JAPAN ANIMATION WONDERLAND OF ALL TIME... you know, dragonball z and the like... only this store wasnt just comics and posters, it was also toys, cards, records, cds, and, best of all: original handpainted anime cartoon cells... i bought several. i will show them to you when i get back... they're super cool! what a score! had more keitenzushi for lunch today... and for dinner last night in ube... i think i will open a keitenzushi restaurant in flagstaff when i return... :-)
SO, tomorrow (today here) is BATTLE OF THE BOOKS... hmmm... how are you planning to do, class... will you WIN or not... i hope you've been able to prepare... PLEASE DO YOUR BEST. if you do, then any outcome, win or not, is JUST FINE WITH ME. i WILL BE ONLINE AT 6:00am wednesday here in tokyo... that's 2pm tuesday in flagstaff... make sure mrs. ramsey or mrs. moeller logs onto the america online instant messenger program that i put on one of the machines in the library so that i can listen in for a while.
mrs. smith wrote:
Well, I thought I'd make you a little homesick by telling you about my Thanksgiving. I cooked a 13 lb. turkey (Butterball), stuffed it with "Stove Top" stuffing, made "real" mashed potatoes & gravy, cauliflower/broccoli/cheese casserole, cranberries (out of a can), store-bought rolls (I cheated), macaroni salad, relish tray, shrimp dip, potato chips, 7-layer dip, tortilla chips, chocolate chip cookies, and PUMPKIN PIE (of course with whipped cream)! We ate turkey sandwiches later that evening and have been doing the same ever since. . . We sent half the leftovers home with Jenni and her boyfriend since we couldn't get it all back in my refrigerator! So, how's that sound after eating "convenience store" sushi? Ha Ha Ha ~ now . . . are you ready to come home yet? Hope so.
oh, wow... thanks for that! now i am REALLY ready to come home... if you've got any leftovers still leftover next monday, i would LOVE, just totally, completely LOVE a turkey sandwich, on white bread, with just a touch of salt, a little mayo, some mustard, a slice of crisp lettuce and maybe a pickle... oh wow... cooked animal meat and wheat bread... what a wonderful world.
mr. laird wrote:
Any fugu yet? Was last Thursday (U.S. Thanksgiving) a holiday in Ube (similar to Labor Day)? Seems like winter may really, REALLY be here at last. About 2 inches of snow yesterday and low twenties all day today (Sunday).
TONS of fugu!!! seriously... this place is the FUGU CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. i'm a big fan of fugu... one of the MOST flavorful of all the raw fish i've eaten. must admit, i did eat my first fugu in the presence of a medical doctor (dr. ishida, my host family dad). had some cooked at dinner at the ryokan. not bad, but it's much better raw. most of the poison is in the liver, they tell me... one does not eat fugu liver. ever.
yeah, our friday here was the national LABOR THANKSGIVING DAY. the ishida family and i went to the temples in yamaguchi that day. however, eriko and yutaro didn't go... eriko had to study and yutaro had a soccer match that lasted all day.
thx for the update on the snow... glad to see it finally arrived... now we just need a little more so i can use my pass when i get back...
Well, I thought I'd make you a little homesick by telling you about my Thanksgiving. I cooked a 13 lb. turkey (Butterball), stuffed it with "Stove Top" stuffing, made "real" mashed potatoes & gravy, cauliflower/broccoli/cheese casserole, cranberries (out of a can), store-bought rolls (I cheated), macaroni salad, relish tray, shrimp dip, potato chips, 7-layer dip, tortilla chips, chocolate chip cookies, and PUMPKIN PIE (of course with whipped cream)! We ate turkey sandwiches later that evening and have been doing the same ever since. . . We sent half the leftovers home with Jenni and her boyfriend since we couldn't get it all back in my refrigerator! So, how's that sound after eating "convenience store" sushi? Ha Ha Ha ~ now . . . are you ready to come home yet? Hope so.
oh, wow... thanks for that! now i am REALLY ready to come home... if you've got any leftovers still leftover next monday, i would LOVE, just totally, completely LOVE a turkey sandwich, on white bread, with just a touch of salt, a little mayo, some mustard, a slice of crisp lettuce and maybe a pickle... oh wow... cooked animal meat and wheat bread... what a wonderful world.
mr. laird wrote:
Any fugu yet? Was last Thursday (U.S. Thanksgiving) a holiday in Ube (similar to Labor Day)? Seems like winter may really, REALLY be here at last. About 2 inches of snow yesterday and low twenties all day today (Sunday).
TONS of fugu!!! seriously... this place is the FUGU CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. i'm a big fan of fugu... one of the MOST flavorful of all the raw fish i've eaten. must admit, i did eat my first fugu in the presence of a medical doctor (dr. ishida, my host family dad). had some cooked at dinner at the ryokan. not bad, but it's much better raw. most of the poison is in the liver, they tell me... one does not eat fugu liver. ever.
yeah, our friday here was the national LABOR THANKSGIVING DAY. the ishida family and i went to the temples in yamaguchi that day. however, eriko and yutaro didn't go... eriko had to study and yutaro had a soccer match that lasted all day.
thx for the update on the snow... glad to see it finally arrived... now we just need a little more so i can use my pass when i get back...
OH, MAN... so much to tell... such a HUUUUUGE weekend... seems like forever since i've been able to get online, but then, i don't know why i was feeling stressed out about that... checked my mail tonight and i got ONE... ONE email from someone in america asking me how i was doing... so let me just say a big, big THANK YOU to RYAN ROSE, a former student and GREAT FRIEND who, of all the people in flagstaff thought to remember poor mr. coe who was eating sushi all alone in japan on THANKSGIVING night.
if you're curious about what i've been doing during the past several days (and i am beginning to get the distinct impression that you are not), please feel free to read/see all about it on my week two photos page. if you want...
for whatever it's worth, my email address has not changed... sorry if i sound whiny... you should try this sometime... it's a great big world out here and it's nice to hear from home...
STOKED to see that it's snowing there as i write this... AT LEAST write to me and let me know how much snow we got... geesh..
if you're curious about what i've been doing during the past several days (and i am beginning to get the distinct impression that you are not), please feel free to read/see all about it on my week two photos page. if you want...
for whatever it's worth, my email address has not changed... sorry if i sound whiny... you should try this sometime... it's a great big world out here and it's nice to hear from home...
STOKED to see that it's snowing there as i write this... AT LEAST write to me and let me know how much snow we got... geesh..
yesterday we visited a local junior high school called kawakami jr. high where we visited several classrooms and met to talk, sing, and play a few games with students. it was fun and everyone acted like it was a REALLY big deal that we had come to visit. nevertheless they were kind and helpful and many of the students spoke a little english (they all must go to english class, as well as japanese class, everyday) so we were able to communicate some; my trusty phrasebook came in handy once again, however. it was sure nice to see and talk with kids again... so many adults on this trip, talking, talking, talking... it was fun to laugh again!
today, in about an hour, i leave the hotel i am staying in to go and spend a night in the ishida's home. i am quite nervous about staying in their house, but when i met them last night they were all very nice. the older daughter, eriko, goes to the jr. high i visited today and saw me there when i was visiting classes... she wondered if i was the person who would stay in their home... isn't that a funny coincidence... i don't know what we will do together, but since they lived in canada for a little over four years, all but the youngest child, kei-kei, can speak english quite well... i think i am quite fortunate in this regard... many fmfers are with families where no one speaks english... imagine that experience... whew... scary.
i had sushi from a convenience store for thanksgiving dinner... i almost forgot it was thanksgiving day... and the sushi was REALLY awful... sad, huh.
just about a week to go... i have had a fantastic time so far... i hope you've enjoyed keeping up with me here and on the photo pages everyday... please continue to send emails with your questions... reading your words makes me feel closer to home.
today, in about an hour, i leave the hotel i am staying in to go and spend a night in the ishida's home. i am quite nervous about staying in their house, but when i met them last night they were all very nice. the older daughter, eriko, goes to the jr. high i visited today and saw me there when i was visiting classes... she wondered if i was the person who would stay in their home... isn't that a funny coincidence... i don't know what we will do together, but since they lived in canada for a little over four years, all but the youngest child, kei-kei, can speak english quite well... i think i am quite fortunate in this regard... many fmfers are with families where no one speaks english... imagine that experience... whew... scary.
i had sushi from a convenience store for thanksgiving dinner... i almost forgot it was thanksgiving day... and the sushi was REALLY awful... sad, huh.
just about a week to go... i have had a fantastic time so far... i hope you've enjoyed keeping up with me here and on the photo pages everyday... please continue to send emails with your questions... reading your words makes me feel closer to home.
so many questions to answer... THANKS to my class, mrs coe's class in phoenix, mrs.rush's class, and mrs.sims and mrs. noyes for writing to me in the past couple days... here's the lowdown on your questions:
am i having fun here in japan? sure! it's a bit tough when i have to order food or read road signs and stuff like that, but otherwise it's been a GREAT experience. i have learned a lot and made several new friends.
how long did my flight here take? about 11 hours.
when will i return? on nov. 30.
how is my hotel? i have stayed in two. one in tokyo and one in ube, yamaguchi. they have both been very nice.
is the food good? it is to me, but you might disagree. much of the food is raw, uncooked, especially the fish. however, chicken and lots of vegetables are fried and everything almost everything is served with some kind of sauce. i like japanese lunch and dinner, but i can't say i am crazy about breakfast.
am i learning any japanese? yes. you have to if you wish to survive here. little english is spoken, especially here way far away from tokyo. japanese is a hard language to read but not so hard to speak, in my opinion. i'm pretty happy with my progress... i've learned how to say many of the things i need to say regularly, like, please and thank you and several other phrases too.
when you went to the karaoke placedid you sing the songs in Japanese? no. they had plenty of song in english. it was fun, but strange too. about 10 of us went and it cost over Y44,000 ($440) for us to sing for about an hour and a half. EVERYTHING in tokyo is EXPENSIVE!
Is education in Japan free and can anyone go to school? yes. it's free and EVERYONE goes to school, the school nearest their home, the same kind of school, with the same books, the same schedule, and the same program of instruction. the national government pays for and determines almost all of these things.
Does education seem important to the kids and parents? VERY!!! i don't think we can compare it to how we feel about education. japanese kids go to school five days a week from 8-3 and twice a month on saturday... 9 of 10 students in 4th grade and above go to juku school to practice for high school and college entrance tests from 3 until 8 or 9 at night five days a week too.
How was your flight? looooong, but it was fun having my birthday happen during it.
When was the last time the Fuji volcano erupted? about 300 years ago... it's still considered active.
Do you have a favorite new Japanese food? i've decided sashimi (just raw sliced fish) is pretty good.
Have you tried the pufferfish yet? not yet; a bit scared to... it's seriously deadly.
Do they celebrate Christmas in Japan? YES! it's not a religious holiday at all but santa and reindeer and other decorations are everywhere... christmas is BIG BUSINESS here in japan.
Do the students in Japan wear uniforms? some do, some don't... don't know why yet.
What do the students play on the playground? i think it's soccer. maybe just kickball, but something like that.
Have you visited a second grade? no. just fifth... that's what i teach.
what does it look like out there on the Japanese playground --WITHOUT ADULTS? it looks like recess... although the experts say there are big problems with bullying in some schools. in japan kids are left to deal with recess issues on their own in order to teach them "how to work out their own problems." an interesting policy that would never fly in the united states.
am i having fun here in japan? sure! it's a bit tough when i have to order food or read road signs and stuff like that, but otherwise it's been a GREAT experience. i have learned a lot and made several new friends.
how long did my flight here take? about 11 hours.
when will i return? on nov. 30.
how is my hotel? i have stayed in two. one in tokyo and one in ube, yamaguchi. they have both been very nice.
is the food good? it is to me, but you might disagree. much of the food is raw, uncooked, especially the fish. however, chicken and lots of vegetables are fried and everything almost everything is served with some kind of sauce. i like japanese lunch and dinner, but i can't say i am crazy about breakfast.
am i learning any japanese? yes. you have to if you wish to survive here. little english is spoken, especially here way far away from tokyo. japanese is a hard language to read but not so hard to speak, in my opinion. i'm pretty happy with my progress... i've learned how to say many of the things i need to say regularly, like, please and thank you and several other phrases too.
when you went to the karaoke placedid you sing the songs in Japanese? no. they had plenty of song in english. it was fun, but strange too. about 10 of us went and it cost over Y44,000 ($440) for us to sing for about an hour and a half. EVERYTHING in tokyo is EXPENSIVE!
Is education in Japan free and can anyone go to school? yes. it's free and EVERYONE goes to school, the school nearest their home, the same kind of school, with the same books, the same schedule, and the same program of instruction. the national government pays for and determines almost all of these things.
Does education seem important to the kids and parents? VERY!!! i don't think we can compare it to how we feel about education. japanese kids go to school five days a week from 8-3 and twice a month on saturday... 9 of 10 students in 4th grade and above go to juku school to practice for high school and college entrance tests from 3 until 8 or 9 at night five days a week too.
How was your flight? looooong, but it was fun having my birthday happen during it.
When was the last time the Fuji volcano erupted? about 300 years ago... it's still considered active.
Do you have a favorite new Japanese food? i've decided sashimi (just raw sliced fish) is pretty good.
Have you tried the pufferfish yet? not yet; a bit scared to... it's seriously deadly.
Do they celebrate Christmas in Japan? YES! it's not a religious holiday at all but santa and reindeer and other decorations are everywhere... christmas is BIG BUSINESS here in japan.
Do the students in Japan wear uniforms? some do, some don't... don't know why yet.
What do the students play on the playground? i think it's soccer. maybe just kickball, but something like that.
Have you visited a second grade? no. just fifth... that's what i teach.
what does it look like out there on the Japanese playground --WITHOUT ADULTS? it looks like recess... although the experts say there are big problems with bullying in some schools. in japan kids are left to deal with recess issues on their own in order to teach them "how to work out their own problems." an interesting policy that would never fly in the united states.
wow... what a day... we visited our first elementary school today, a nice little place (with 980 children in grades k-5) called Kamibube Elementary School, where we met with some teachers and several members of the local parent-teacher association (like our own PTIO group). they were all very friendly and we had lots of questions to ask each other. they were very interested to learn that in the U.S. parents can choose both what school their child attends and which teacher they will have. We were surprised to lean that they do not have to have recess duty teachers because, as they put it, "children must lean to solve their own problems." at the heart of what we discovered about each other was this: both cultures believe strongly in the concept of equality, but both cultures deal with equality in different ways. in the U.S. we believe equality means that everyone gets the same chance to succeed regardless of who they are; we help one another to succeed a lot in the U.S., sometimes we call this help "leveling the playing field." in japan, they also believe in equality, but they see it as making sure that all students are given the same things: the same access to school, the same books (nationwide), and the same access to their teachers. in japan equality means no one gets extra attention (there is no TAG or resource here at all) or extra help; in japan that kind of treatment is viewed as unfair.
COMING SOON! pictures of ube city and today's school visit as well as our trip to yamaguchi university later, when i get a few minutes... THANKS FOR ALL THE MAIL... i will write back ASAP... busy, busy, busy... but please, keep the questions coming!
COMING SOON! pictures of ube city and today's school visit as well as our trip to yamaguchi university later, when i get a few minutes... THANKS FOR ALL THE MAIL... i will write back ASAP... busy, busy, busy... but please, keep the questions coming!
YeeHaaw, boys and girls!!! japanphotos WEEK 2 is bustin' at the seams with fresh photos of mr. coe's study tour...
ahhh... what a time i have had... it's hard to believe it's been almost three whole days since i've posted to my BLOG... but, i figured you probably wouldn't be reading it over the weekend... and frankly, i was WAY to busy being a big-city tourist in tokyo to get online to write much... HOWEVER, i have put up a ton of pictures that should give you a great idea about how my weekend went. in a nutshell: it was a blast (as big a blast as i can have without mrs. coe to help me enjoy things, anyway)! tokyo is an amazing city... bigger than anyplace that i've ever been... even the people from new york say it's like nothing they have there either... tokyo is massive and loud and busy and crowded and fast and tight and clean and bright and not-unfriendly but not-too-friendly either... touring around it with my new friends on saturday and then alone on sunday was an experience i will remember forever.
it's hard to describe the people of tokyo in a few sentences but i will try. i guess, from my perspective, they all seem to be hard at work, like ants on an anthill, i think. everyone in tokyo seems to have a job to do, an errand to run, a place to go. i don't think i saw anyone just sitting around, talking in tokyo, ever. in fact, except in ueno park where the museum is, there are almost no benches in all of tokyo; no place to sit because no one has time to sit. so, as a result, no one in tokyo says hello. if they're not walking along talking on their cell phone they're just sorta in-the-zone, making headway throught the constant press of people all around, on their way somewhere. tokyo is not the kind of place where people say "hey" when they pass on the street; if you did that you would say "hey" about a million times each day and the streets would echo with the sound. there's too many other things to do in tokyo to waste time meeting strangers. at least that's what i think.
on the other hand, the japanese that i've been able to corner and get to know, over a meal or at church or on an airplane have all been super friendly and willing to let me try out some of my new japanese language ability on them; i am awful at even the few phrases i have learned but they have all been complimentary and helpful. i think they're just happy to hear an american try to speak japanese, since so many of them have been studying our language for so many years.
it's time for dinner here. oh, by I AM IN UBE-shi, YAMAGUCHI-ken now; even farther away from home than i was in tokyo. can you find ube on the map at the front of the room?
ANY QUESTIONS? i am all ears... please write to me ASAP. HAVE A GOOD DAY... learn things, be well, and ZACH: don't forget to wear your helmet! (i especially hope you're feeling better by now.) until tomorrow, class, please remember me: i am mr. coe... you're teacher.
it's hard to describe the people of tokyo in a few sentences but i will try. i guess, from my perspective, they all seem to be hard at work, like ants on an anthill, i think. everyone in tokyo seems to have a job to do, an errand to run, a place to go. i don't think i saw anyone just sitting around, talking in tokyo, ever. in fact, except in ueno park where the museum is, there are almost no benches in all of tokyo; no place to sit because no one has time to sit. so, as a result, no one in tokyo says hello. if they're not walking along talking on their cell phone they're just sorta in-the-zone, making headway throught the constant press of people all around, on their way somewhere. tokyo is not the kind of place where people say "hey" when they pass on the street; if you did that you would say "hey" about a million times each day and the streets would echo with the sound. there's too many other things to do in tokyo to waste time meeting strangers. at least that's what i think.
on the other hand, the japanese that i've been able to corner and get to know, over a meal or at church or on an airplane have all been super friendly and willing to let me try out some of my new japanese language ability on them; i am awful at even the few phrases i have learned but they have all been complimentary and helpful. i think they're just happy to hear an american try to speak japanese, since so many of them have been studying our language for so many years.
it's time for dinner here. oh, by I AM IN UBE-shi, YAMAGUCHI-ken now; even farther away from home than i was in tokyo. can you find ube on the map at the front of the room?
ANY QUESTIONS? i am all ears... please write to me ASAP. HAVE A GOOD DAY... learn things, be well, and ZACH: don't forget to wear your helmet! (i especially hope you're feeling better by now.) until tomorrow, class, please remember me: i am mr. coe... you're teacher.
this gentleman is curious to know if you can understand letters written by japanese school children which have been translated by a translation program similar to bablefish. follow this link to read the letters and learn more about his study about machine translating software.
mr. ontiveros wrote:
I am so proud of you for taking this endeavor!!!!! The communication
with the school and your class is wonderful. Your students sure have a
great deal of questions for you. You know, they are living this
experience through you and will never forget it. This is what teaching
is all about!!
thanks mr. o. it means the world to me that everyone's excited about this chance to study japanese culture and education up close... i hope when all this is said-and-done, everyone appreciates both our similarities and differences with japan much better.
I am so proud of you for taking this endeavor!!!!! The communication
with the school and your class is wonderful. Your students sure have a
great deal of questions for you. You know, they are living this
experience through you and will never forget it. This is what teaching
is all about!!
thanks mr. o. it means the world to me that everyone's excited about this chance to study japanese culture and education up close... i hope when all this is said-and-done, everyone appreciates both our similarities and differences with japan much better.
mr. baron wrote:
> Glad you made it to the 100 yen store. Have you been to Tsukiji Fish
Market yet? It's a marine biologists paradise!
nope... no fish market for me... too many other distractions... and my companion for dinner the other night (he's taking me and a couple others to dinner WAY outside of tokyo tonight) asked us: "why do all americans want to go to the fish market? it's very smelly." i took that as a hint and did other things here in akasana instead the morning most went to the market.
> If you do happen to go back to a 100 yen store, could I implore you to
get me one of those games where you try to catch a wooden ball on
various places of a wooden handle? If you haven't seen'em yet, maybe
get one or more for your classroom, too. Kids went crazy for 'em.
got it. i'll do my best to locate them... i hope to get back to shinbuya tomorrow night, perhaps... it's probably one of the coolest places i've ever been in my life... i only say probably because i haven't seen ALL of tokyo yet, so i cannot be totally sure. what a cool town!
> Glad you made it to the 100 yen store. Have you been to Tsukiji Fish
Market yet? It's a marine biologists paradise!
nope... no fish market for me... too many other distractions... and my companion for dinner the other night (he's taking me and a couple others to dinner WAY outside of tokyo tonight) asked us: "why do all americans want to go to the fish market? it's very smelly." i took that as a hint and did other things here in akasana instead the morning most went to the market.
> If you do happen to go back to a 100 yen store, could I implore you to
get me one of those games where you try to catch a wooden ball on
various places of a wooden handle? If you haven't seen'em yet, maybe
get one or more for your classroom, too. Kids went crazy for 'em.
got it. i'll do my best to locate them... i hope to get back to shinbuya tomorrow night, perhaps... it's probably one of the coolest places i've ever been in my life... i only say probably because i haven't seen ALL of tokyo yet, so i cannot be totally sure. what a cool town!
brian p. wrote:
> hi, how is Japan?
it's great brian! how's school? has everyone shaped up and started doing the right thing for mrs. white, or do i have to come back?
> are you having fun?
i am having SO much fun, it's hard to believe... but i've been working a lot too... hopefully you've been reading this journal, and looking at my pictures to see how much i've done in the few days i've been here.
> randy says to say hi.
hi to randy!
> I miss you in class.what kind of food are you eating, Mcdonalds?
i miss you too... i miss all of you... i've been eating sushi, tempura, japanese stuff as much as possible... no mcdonalds yet... but there's one down the street from my hotel and i've been thinking it would be fun to eat there. i might acutally know how to say the name of the thing i'm ordering...
> I hope you get this, it is the first e-mail we have sent.
wow. i am honored.
> take some photos for me.
okay! i will.
> How tall are you compare to the people there?
taller... in some cases, much taller, in other cases, not too much taller...
> Mail me back later if you can.
done. thanks A LOT for writing... i'm glad someone's reading this stuff!
> hi, how is Japan?
it's great brian! how's school? has everyone shaped up and started doing the right thing for mrs. white, or do i have to come back?
> are you having fun?
i am having SO much fun, it's hard to believe... but i've been working a lot too... hopefully you've been reading this journal, and looking at my pictures to see how much i've done in the few days i've been here.
> randy says to say hi.
hi to randy!
> I miss you in class.what kind of food are you eating, Mcdonalds?
i miss you too... i miss all of you... i've been eating sushi, tempura, japanese stuff as much as possible... no mcdonalds yet... but there's one down the street from my hotel and i've been thinking it would be fun to eat there. i might acutally know how to say the name of the thing i'm ordering...
> I hope you get this, it is the first e-mail we have sent.
wow. i am honored.
> take some photos for me.
okay! i will.
> How tall are you compare to the people there?
taller... in some cases, much taller, in other cases, not too much taller...
> Mail me back later if you can.
done. thanks A LOT for writing... i'm glad someone's reading this stuff!
mrs. smith (and mrs. white) wrote:
Zach Baca was in the hospital overnight. He's home now, but crashed at the skate park (Bushmaster) yesterday afternoon and suffered a concussion and punctured lung. His mom called to get his homework since he won't be able to come back until Tuesday (he has a re-check dr. appointment on Monday). She said he didn't have a helmet on. :( We told her we'd email you to let you know what happened.
gosh, zach. i'm glad to know you're okay... but we've talked about the helmet thing before, haven't we... do you think maybe now you could start wearing a helmet... PLEASE?!? i know it's not cool... but going to the hospital with a concussion AND a punctured lung is a real DRAG. next time, save yourself a concussion, and just go to the hospital for the lung: GET A HELMET!
i'll be hoping you get well soon.
Zach Baca was in the hospital overnight. He's home now, but crashed at the skate park (Bushmaster) yesterday afternoon and suffered a concussion and punctured lung. His mom called to get his homework since he won't be able to come back until Tuesday (he has a re-check dr. appointment on Monday). She said he didn't have a helmet on. :( We told her we'd email you to let you know what happened.
gosh, zach. i'm glad to know you're okay... but we've talked about the helmet thing before, haven't we... do you think maybe now you could start wearing a helmet... PLEASE?!? i know it's not cool... but going to the hospital with a concussion AND a punctured lung is a real DRAG. next time, save yourself a concussion, and just go to the hospital for the lung: GET A HELMET!
i'll be hoping you get well soon.
mrs. coe's class in phoenix wrote:
We saw your pictures of Japan. We really like the sweet potato on the top of
the building. Alexis likes the big building with the Japanese words. Oswaldo
likes the Aleutian Islands. Jessica V. likes your airplane. Tiffany's favorite
is the conveyor belt food. Yadira enjoyed your birthday picture. We will go do
our math now. We also like to count in Japanese. Sincerely, Mrs. Coe's second
grade class in Phoenix.
wow! thanks for looking at all my pictures, everyone. i'm glad you're finding ways to use the things that i am doing here i japan to learn more about how people live in other parts of the world... i am having a great time here... and i've got to agree with you about the building with the big potato on top... isn't that the strangest thing you've ever seen on top of a building. i also liked the conveyor belt food a lot too. wouldn't it be fun if that's how lunch came to us at school?!
thanks for writing. please write again soon.
mr coe's class wrote:
we went to symphony. we didn't have time to read today. maybe we will read after lunch.
how was symphony? i hope it all went well. please write to me soon. tell me everythings going okay and you're reading and enjoying my journal, but that most of all: YOU'RE MAKING ME PROUD by doing your very best for mrs. white.
We saw your pictures of Japan. We really like the sweet potato on the top of
the building. Alexis likes the big building with the Japanese words. Oswaldo
likes the Aleutian Islands. Jessica V. likes your airplane. Tiffany's favorite
is the conveyor belt food. Yadira enjoyed your birthday picture. We will go do
our math now. We also like to count in Japanese. Sincerely, Mrs. Coe's second
grade class in Phoenix.
wow! thanks for looking at all my pictures, everyone. i'm glad you're finding ways to use the things that i am doing here i japan to learn more about how people live in other parts of the world... i am having a great time here... and i've got to agree with you about the building with the big potato on top... isn't that the strangest thing you've ever seen on top of a building. i also liked the conveyor belt food a lot too. wouldn't it be fun if that's how lunch came to us at school?!
thanks for writing. please write again soon.
mr coe's class wrote:
we went to symphony. we didn't have time to read today. maybe we will read after lunch.
how was symphony? i hope it all went well. please write to me soon. tell me everythings going okay and you're reading and enjoying my journal, but that most of all: YOU'RE MAKING ME PROUD by doing your very best for mrs. white.
good morning, all... happy to get a pretty decent report from mrs. white this evening... however, i must admit, i was disappointed to learn that she's had to make some adjustments to our GUIDELINES in order to make sure everyone's doing the right thing... what happened? i hope you will do everything you can to remind yourselves why we have our guidelines and why it's important we all follow them all the time...
i spent most of the day in meetings learning about how the japanese educational system works, and how they hope to change it to improve student achievement. the japanese are very concerned that their students are not good thinkers, just good memorizers. many people hope to change this, and the pressures that japanese students feel about the tests they have to take at 15 to get into high school, and again at 18 to get into college. but everyone seems to know that it's a long, difficult process that they're facing.
tonight, i rode the one of the many lines of the tokyo subway (a train that runs underground from place to place within a city) to a region of tokyo known as shinbuya. it was a lot of fun there, and i felt less like a tourist... shinbuya is a place for almost anyone. it's filled with millions of very fashionable, mtv-cool, hip young people as well as loud music, exciting restaurants, and a bunch of other attractions, like pachinko parlors (pachinko is a game that's a bit like pinball) and music stores. it looks a lot like las vegas, with giant tv screens and tons of well-dressed people walking the sidewalks staring at one another.
my new friends, ginny, chi-shim, molly and i visited a 100-yen store where i bought lisa a few gifts... things i will likely bring in to show you, too, i'm sure, when we discuss our upcoming japan-school-days... many teachers here are jealous of our idea to do this and have asked if they can steal the idea for their own students... i always say yes.
we also had kaitenzushi finally! that's the sushi that comes to you on a conveyor belt... the kind of plate the sushi is on determines how much it costs... but all of it ws honestly pretty inexpensive, compared to sushi prices in the u.s., which are usually pretty expensive. i paid Y1,115 for my whole dinner, including green tea... i think i ate 7 or 8 plates of sushi... that's about 200 yen per plate... or about $2.00... incredible deal! and such fun to watch the sushi slide past you the whole time... we need a kaitensushi bar in flagstaff...
did you forget to write me back yesterday, or are we getting our days mixed up? please write soon.
i spent most of the day in meetings learning about how the japanese educational system works, and how they hope to change it to improve student achievement. the japanese are very concerned that their students are not good thinkers, just good memorizers. many people hope to change this, and the pressures that japanese students feel about the tests they have to take at 15 to get into high school, and again at 18 to get into college. but everyone seems to know that it's a long, difficult process that they're facing.
tonight, i rode the one of the many lines of the tokyo subway (a train that runs underground from place to place within a city) to a region of tokyo known as shinbuya. it was a lot of fun there, and i felt less like a tourist... shinbuya is a place for almost anyone. it's filled with millions of very fashionable, mtv-cool, hip young people as well as loud music, exciting restaurants, and a bunch of other attractions, like pachinko parlors (pachinko is a game that's a bit like pinball) and music stores. it looks a lot like las vegas, with giant tv screens and tons of well-dressed people walking the sidewalks staring at one another.
my new friends, ginny, chi-shim, molly and i visited a 100-yen store where i bought lisa a few gifts... things i will likely bring in to show you, too, i'm sure, when we discuss our upcoming japan-school-days... many teachers here are jealous of our idea to do this and have asked if they can steal the idea for their own students... i always say yes.
we also had kaitenzushi finally! that's the sushi that comes to you on a conveyor belt... the kind of plate the sushi is on determines how much it costs... but all of it ws honestly pretty inexpensive, compared to sushi prices in the u.s., which are usually pretty expensive. i paid Y1,115 for my whole dinner, including green tea... i think i ate 7 or 8 plates of sushi... that's about 200 yen per plate... or about $2.00... incredible deal! and such fun to watch the sushi slide past you the whole time... we need a kaitensushi bar in flagstaff...
did you forget to write me back yesterday, or are we getting our days mixed up? please write soon.
former student, sara c. wrote:
Well, I wish I knew how to say "Hi" in Japanese! I just happened to visit the website a few days ago, and when I read that you were going to Japan I grew insanely jealous. I bet it's amazing over there... Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get to go someday.
you say: ohayo goizaimasu, to say good morning in japanese. konichiwa means good afternoon. kombanwa, good evening. don't be jealous that i'm in japan... heck, it's only an 11 hour plane ride away... geeesh... but you're right, it is amazing here, everything is sooo different... and yet, watching kids play at school and in the park yesterday, i was really struck with how similar some things are too... kids play the same everywhere!
i hope you get to come here someday too... advice: get a nap on the airplane or you'll be up at 4am for the next several mornings, like i am right now!
Well, I wish I knew how to say "Hi" in Japanese! I just happened to visit the website a few days ago, and when I read that you were going to Japan I grew insanely jealous. I bet it's amazing over there... Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get to go someday.
you say: ohayo goizaimasu, to say good morning in japanese. konichiwa means good afternoon. kombanwa, good evening. don't be jealous that i'm in japan... heck, it's only an 11 hour plane ride away... geeesh... but you're right, it is amazing here, everything is sooo different... and yet, watching kids play at school and in the park yesterday, i was really struck with how similar some things are too... kids play the same everywhere!
i hope you get to come here someday too... advice: get a nap on the airplane or you'll be up at 4am for the next several mornings, like i am right now!
on nov 14 several people wrote to me: thx everyone!
chris g. asked:
how is it injapan? it is getting cold over here.
thx for the quick note, chris. i am having a great trip, so far; thanks for asking. it's pretty chilly here too. i hope it snows there soon so that i can ski when i get back.
mr. coe's class wrote:
Dustin wants to know if you found a bike in were ever you are?
i have seen a bunch of bikes here... almost everyone rides. but, i haven't had the chance myself yet... really haven't even seen a bike shop, but that's probably because they're not on the main roads but rather on sides streets and places like that... still think i might try to rent a bike on saturday, maybe. but no one here wears helmets and everyone here rides on the sidewalks... two things that make me pretty nervous.
Did you find a store to buy any finger nail clippers?
dont need them yet. but there are dozens of konbini (convenience stores) near here when i'm sure to be able to find a set of clippers.
When do you get your days off?
this saturday and sunday. and they are my ONLY days off for the rest of my time in japan...
One more thing how do you know how to talk to people, if they only know how to speek thire way?
a VERY good question! what would you do? maybe learn a few words, by listening to what people say around you? yep; i've done a lot of that. learned anigashimasu (a form of thank you) by listening to they way the japanese speak to each other.
then what would you do? maybe buy a book with important things to say listed in it? did that too. it's helpful, but mostly for study, not for using while you talk, unless you want to have a very sloooow conversation... this worked okay on the airplane with uewaki-san, but it's not so good hanging around town, ya know.
fine, what else would you do to talk to people in another language you don't speak? gesture with your hands? make noises? act things out? yep. i may look silly doing it, but sometimes our gestures and facial expressions really help get the point across.
would you avoid talking just because you can't speak the language? no. the best way to figure things out is to get with someone who speaks the language you want to learn and then just speak it as best you can with them. they will correct you and help you learn. a good example: yesterday, at breakfast, one thing mr. ishisguro taught me was to 'speak more flat' and not be quite so animated when i speak to japanese, especially men. 'be more like a man,' he told me. he said it is important in his culture for men to act this way. i've been practicing... :-)
anyway, it's not hard to learn another language, humans naturally "get" languages, i think; but learning a language takes a lot of time and there are no shortcuts... i'm excited to get this chance...
literacy in japanese, however, is a whole other subject for another time... oh, man, have they got it tough when it comes to reading.
chris g. asked:
how is it injapan? it is getting cold over here.
thx for the quick note, chris. i am having a great trip, so far; thanks for asking. it's pretty chilly here too. i hope it snows there soon so that i can ski when i get back.
mr. coe's class wrote:
Dustin wants to know if you found a bike in were ever you are?
i have seen a bunch of bikes here... almost everyone rides. but, i haven't had the chance myself yet... really haven't even seen a bike shop, but that's probably because they're not on the main roads but rather on sides streets and places like that... still think i might try to rent a bike on saturday, maybe. but no one here wears helmets and everyone here rides on the sidewalks... two things that make me pretty nervous.
Did you find a store to buy any finger nail clippers?
dont need them yet. but there are dozens of konbini (convenience stores) near here when i'm sure to be able to find a set of clippers.
When do you get your days off?
this saturday and sunday. and they are my ONLY days off for the rest of my time in japan...
One more thing how do you know how to talk to people, if they only know how to speek thire way?
a VERY good question! what would you do? maybe learn a few words, by listening to what people say around you? yep; i've done a lot of that. learned anigashimasu (a form of thank you) by listening to they way the japanese speak to each other.
then what would you do? maybe buy a book with important things to say listed in it? did that too. it's helpful, but mostly for study, not for using while you talk, unless you want to have a very sloooow conversation... this worked okay on the airplane with uewaki-san, but it's not so good hanging around town, ya know.
fine, what else would you do to talk to people in another language you don't speak? gesture with your hands? make noises? act things out? yep. i may look silly doing it, but sometimes our gestures and facial expressions really help get the point across.
would you avoid talking just because you can't speak the language? no. the best way to figure things out is to get with someone who speaks the language you want to learn and then just speak it as best you can with them. they will correct you and help you learn. a good example: yesterday, at breakfast, one thing mr. ishisguro taught me was to 'speak more flat' and not be quite so animated when i speak to japanese, especially men. 'be more like a man,' he told me. he said it is important in his culture for men to act this way. i've been practicing... :-)
anyway, it's not hard to learn another language, humans naturally "get" languages, i think; but learning a language takes a lot of time and there are no shortcuts... i'm excited to get this chance...
literacy in japanese, however, is a whole other subject for another time... oh, man, have they got it tough when it comes to reading.
good morning, everyone. (well, it's morning to me... the morning of the 15th... i intended to post this last night, but blogger wasn't working...)
I am still very tired, but I’m hoping to get some much-needed sleep very soon (i did!!!); right after I upload today’s pictures and finish writing this message to you.
I am learning a lot here and, looking back through the meishi (business cards) I’ve been given, I’ve met a lot of interesting people who have taught me a great deal about Japanese language, culture, and a bunch of other stuff, too.
I had breakfast this morning (again, at the restaurant at the top of the new otani tower) with ishiguro-san (mr. ishiguro) who is the senior advisor to the fulbright program here in tokyo. just like uewaki-san, I just bumped into him in a line, struck up a converstion in my broken and awkward japanese, and after a few moments, we found ourselves sitting at a table over breakfast, talking about grammar. he helped me review that japanese sentences are subject-object-verb phrases, not too unlike english with its subject-verb-object way of speaking. I think japanese is simple to understand sometimes because of this similarity. ishiguro-san also reminded me that putting the letters –te at the end of a verb changes it to a request especially when used with the word kudasai (please) , and -ishite changes a verb to the past. Now all I have to do is learn a few more vocabulary words and, whamo, I should be speaking fluently before I come home… yeah, sure… but it’s worth a try. I think people enjoy trying to talk to others when they’re trying to speak in another language. anyway, people here have been very kind to me… it’s that kind of a place.
Today we went the diet building, which is where the government of japan meets to make laws. Japan’s system of government is similar to ours but, since it’s a parliament and not a congress, the way they make the laws is very different. The building they make laws in is very interesting and we had a nice tour of it,
Later we went to a buddist shrine called asakusa. It was a very busy place filled with thousands of people and pigeons. I enjoyed watching the pigeons surround people with food. The people being surrounded seemed to enjoy it too (most of the time) until the mass of pigeons became a bit scary and then they just make a run for it and the birds all seem to explode into the air, all of them at the same time.
I miss you all and know everything is going well with you and mrs. White. Thanks soooooo much for you note yesterday. It was nice of you to wish me happy birthday.
Tomorrow I am in meetings most of the day, but I hope to get out into Tokyo at lunch or dinnertime, perhaps to get some maki-zushi or kaiten-zushi or nigiri-zushi; I’ll bet you can guess what all of those different foods are…
I am still very tired, but I’m hoping to get some much-needed sleep very soon (i did!!!); right after I upload today’s pictures and finish writing this message to you.
I am learning a lot here and, looking back through the meishi (business cards) I’ve been given, I’ve met a lot of interesting people who have taught me a great deal about Japanese language, culture, and a bunch of other stuff, too.
I had breakfast this morning (again, at the restaurant at the top of the new otani tower) with ishiguro-san (mr. ishiguro) who is the senior advisor to the fulbright program here in tokyo. just like uewaki-san, I just bumped into him in a line, struck up a converstion in my broken and awkward japanese, and after a few moments, we found ourselves sitting at a table over breakfast, talking about grammar. he helped me review that japanese sentences are subject-object-verb phrases, not too unlike english with its subject-verb-object way of speaking. I think japanese is simple to understand sometimes because of this similarity. ishiguro-san also reminded me that putting the letters –te at the end of a verb changes it to a request especially when used with the word kudasai (please) , and -ishite changes a verb to the past. Now all I have to do is learn a few more vocabulary words and, whamo, I should be speaking fluently before I come home… yeah, sure… but it’s worth a try. I think people enjoy trying to talk to others when they’re trying to speak in another language. anyway, people here have been very kind to me… it’s that kind of a place.
Today we went the diet building, which is where the government of japan meets to make laws. Japan’s system of government is similar to ours but, since it’s a parliament and not a congress, the way they make the laws is very different. The building they make laws in is very interesting and we had a nice tour of it,
Later we went to a buddist shrine called asakusa. It was a very busy place filled with thousands of people and pigeons. I enjoyed watching the pigeons surround people with food. The people being surrounded seemed to enjoy it too (most of the time) until the mass of pigeons became a bit scary and then they just make a run for it and the birds all seem to explode into the air, all of them at the same time.
I miss you all and know everything is going well with you and mrs. White. Thanks soooooo much for you note yesterday. It was nice of you to wish me happy birthday.
Tomorrow I am in meetings most of the day, but I hope to get out into Tokyo at lunch or dinnertime, perhaps to get some maki-zushi or kaiten-zushi or nigiri-zushi; I’ll bet you can guess what all of those different foods are…
on nov. 13, mr. coe's class wrote:
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
thanks, class... it's nice to hear from you!
> We assume that you have heard about the American
Airlines crash. We are all sad, but glad that so far everyone thinks
that it was an accident, not another terrorist attack.
yeah, i heard all about it just before i left my hotel in san francisco... it was a strange thing to listen to, just before you head off to the airport.
> We are glad that you have made it safely to Japan. What is Tokyo like?
so far, i haven't seen too much of tokyo, except out of the window of the bus that took me from narita international airport to my hotel here in downtown tokyo... i had dinner here, at the restaurant on the 40th floor (the top) of the hotel last night with a man named ito-san (mr. ito). it was a very fancy restaurant! when the sun comes up in a few hours (its 5:24am right now and i can't sleep; you're just getting back from lunch), i hope to see much more of it. we are supposed to tour several famous places as a group today... i will upload pictures of my first REAL day in tokyo later today... i think you should be able to see them in the morning.
> Are you in Ubay yet?
not yet. i think i go to ube on sunday or monday.
> How is the weather?
chilly... a lot like flagstaff, but the air feels more humid. it's supposed to rain today.
> That was a great article in the newspaper.
thx. i think i liked it okay, too. might change a couple things... nothing you write is EVER finished, right?
> Mrs. White thought it was very nice of you to put her name in it.
i just REALLY, REALLY glad she's there for you. you're lucky, and so am i.
> Well, we had better get busy and get some work done.
yes, you had... enough of this silly internet.
i miss you A LOT... seriously. you're great kids.
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
thanks, class... it's nice to hear from you!
> We assume that you have heard about the American
Airlines crash. We are all sad, but glad that so far everyone thinks
that it was an accident, not another terrorist attack.
yeah, i heard all about it just before i left my hotel in san francisco... it was a strange thing to listen to, just before you head off to the airport.
> We are glad that you have made it safely to Japan. What is Tokyo like?
so far, i haven't seen too much of tokyo, except out of the window of the bus that took me from narita international airport to my hotel here in downtown tokyo... i had dinner here, at the restaurant on the 40th floor (the top) of the hotel last night with a man named ito-san (mr. ito). it was a very fancy restaurant! when the sun comes up in a few hours (its 5:24am right now and i can't sleep; you're just getting back from lunch), i hope to see much more of it. we are supposed to tour several famous places as a group today... i will upload pictures of my first REAL day in tokyo later today... i think you should be able to see them in the morning.
> Are you in Ubay yet?
not yet. i think i go to ube on sunday or monday.
> How is the weather?
chilly... a lot like flagstaff, but the air feels more humid. it's supposed to rain today.
> That was a great article in the newspaper.
thx. i think i liked it okay, too. might change a couple things... nothing you write is EVER finished, right?
> Mrs. White thought it was very nice of you to put her name in it.
i just REALLY, REALLY glad she's there for you. you're lucky, and so am i.
> Well, we had better get busy and get some work done.
yes, you had... enough of this silly internet.
i miss you A LOT... seriously. you're great kids.
YEEEEHAW!!!
mr. coe is ONLINE in tokyo, japan... 11 hours of flying... it's 315 in the morning by my watch, but the fulbrighters all say it's only 715 at night and that it's time for dinner... yeesh... so tired... dizzy, almost, with fatigue of flying, talking, eating, sitting since whenever... hours ago... HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL... tell mrs. white thanks for subbing for me... i will post more pictures of things later... but for now: tokyo, eating, then SLEEP... sleep... sleeeeeeep.
mr. coe is ONLINE in tokyo, japan... 11 hours of flying... it's 315 in the morning by my watch, but the fulbrighters all say it's only 715 at night and that it's time for dinner... yeesh... so tired... dizzy, almost, with fatigue of flying, talking, eating, sitting since whenever... hours ago... HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL... tell mrs. white thanks for subbing for me... i will post more pictures of things later... but for now: tokyo, eating, then SLEEP... sleep... sleeeeeeep.
wow. what a day; it's hard to know where to begin...
you know when we get to lunchtime, and sometimes the sixth-graders are ahead of us and we wait for them to get quiet (or chant their hand-washing thing if it's mr. baron's class) and we all look at each other like waiting a minute for the sixth graders to finish whatever they're doing is just the most awful waste of time... well, students... waiting an few moments for a groups of sixth graders is NOTHING out here in the REAL WORLD...
as it turns out, since all those awful things happened two months ago, we wait now, us americans... we hang around in airports... we wait long enough for things to happen at airports that it begins to seem like we've always been waiting, for everything...
my waits today:30 minutes to check your big suitcase... 30 minutes to get through the security check-point... 2 more hours sitting in a plastic chair, and then on the floor, and then in another chair waiting for the airplane people to start letting you get on board... then another hour on the airplane, just sitting, waiting for a time to take off... then almost 2 hours flying to the state next door... then an hour in the airport waiting for you luggage to come belching out of a huge metal carousel... and then another 30 minutes waiting for a bus to take you to your hotel... like i said before: we wait now, us americans... and i guess it's all for a good reason.
however, all was not lost during these prolonged waiting periods. i got to talk to a really great guy, his name is Koutoku Uewaki. he was in phoenix last week at a conference for baseball umpires. he is an umpire for the baseball league in his hometown, osaka, japan. We spoke in japanese together, using my small phrasebook, to help me learn many important japanese words, and when to say them. I had a blast talking with him, and we took each other's picture as we got off the plane.
I was sooooo glad to get to the san francisco airport, finally.
I met my ube, yamaguchi, japan group today too, finally. they all seem very nice. like most teachers, when you put us together, we just talk, and talk, and talk... that's pretty much what we did this afternoon... except when we had to be quiet because someone important was speaking... but even then, sometimes, people just kept talking, and talking and talking... teachers are strange that way.
more tomorrow (i hope) from TOKYO!!!
you know when we get to lunchtime, and sometimes the sixth-graders are ahead of us and we wait for them to get quiet (or chant their hand-washing thing if it's mr. baron's class) and we all look at each other like waiting a minute for the sixth graders to finish whatever they're doing is just the most awful waste of time... well, students... waiting an few moments for a groups of sixth graders is NOTHING out here in the REAL WORLD...
as it turns out, since all those awful things happened two months ago, we wait now, us americans... we hang around in airports... we wait long enough for things to happen at airports that it begins to seem like we've always been waiting, for everything...
my waits today:30 minutes to check your big suitcase... 30 minutes to get through the security check-point... 2 more hours sitting in a plastic chair, and then on the floor, and then in another chair waiting for the airplane people to start letting you get on board... then another hour on the airplane, just sitting, waiting for a time to take off... then almost 2 hours flying to the state next door... then an hour in the airport waiting for you luggage to come belching out of a huge metal carousel... and then another 30 minutes waiting for a bus to take you to your hotel... like i said before: we wait now, us americans... and i guess it's all for a good reason.
however, all was not lost during these prolonged waiting periods. i got to talk to a really great guy, his name is Koutoku Uewaki. he was in phoenix last week at a conference for baseball umpires. he is an umpire for the baseball league in his hometown, osaka, japan. We spoke in japanese together, using my small phrasebook, to help me learn many important japanese words, and when to say them. I had a blast talking with him, and we took each other's picture as we got off the plane.
I was sooooo glad to get to the san francisco airport, finally.
I met my ube, yamaguchi, japan group today too, finally. they all seem very nice. like most teachers, when you put us together, we just talk, and talk, and talk... that's pretty much what we did this afternoon... except when we had to be quiet because someone important was speaking... but even then, sometimes, people just kept talking, and talking and talking... teachers are strange that way.
more tomorrow (i hope) from TOKYO!!!
a short flagstaff live article about my study-tour is out on newstands this week (no url, i'm afraid)... likewise, the first of four or five columns in the arizona daily sun is in the paper today, too. you can read it online at www.azdailysun.com. leaving for the airport in about 20 minutes...
hi class/school/friends,
i'm getting closer to japan all the time... today i'm at my parent's house in phoenix, getting a few last-minute things done and hanging out with lisa and the rest of my family one last time... i think you're going to have a great time with mrs white... she's a great teacher. have fun! and please, remember to let me know how you're doing EVERY SINGLE DAY i'm gone. if you see mrs. coe around town, please tell her who you are and say 'hello' to her from me... i miss you all already; i know that's silly, but it's true.
i'm getting closer to japan all the time... today i'm at my parent's house in phoenix, getting a few last-minute things done and hanging out with lisa and the rest of my family one last time... i think you're going to have a great time with mrs white... she's a great teacher. have fun! and please, remember to let me know how you're doing EVERY SINGLE DAY i'm gone. if you see mrs. coe around town, please tell her who you are and say 'hello' to her from me... i miss you all already; i know that's silly, but it's true.
Sienara Danielle wrote:
Hi mr. coe I know about Japan from Mrs. landers
tell me about japan
I am in mr. Baron
thx for the note. i think it's neat that so many people in our school have been able to visit japan. i hope my experiences add to our ability to appreciate and connect with this unique, faraway culture.
Hi mr. coe I know about Japan from Mrs. landers
tell me about japan
I am in mr. Baron
thx for the note. i think it's neat that so many people in our school have been able to visit japan. i hope my experiences add to our ability to appreciate and connect with this unique, faraway culture.
mr coe's class wrote:
What room is the room called that you take off your slepers?
i think you're talking about the tatami room, a place in many japanese households that i'm sure i'll learn more about. for now, i understand that it's a room in the house that can be used as living space during the day, and as a place to sleep during the night. I've also read that you're supposed to take off your surripa when you enter this room because the floor is covered with woven mats called tatami mats.
Are you nervous about going to Japan?
wouldn't you be? not only is it a looong way away (about 4600 miles), but mrs. coe isn't allowed to go with me, and i can't speak the language, and i can't read the signs, and, to top everything off, i can't help but wonder (as much as i might try to forget) about threats of terrorism that might make it hard for me to get home; sure i'm nervous. but i'm not going to let nervousness keep me from doing something i think is important; and i think this trip is important.
All of us in the class want to know how to say computerin Japan?
don't know yet but i'll look it up in my phrasebook.
Do you know if you are going to the bike race in Japan?
sure gonna try. i think there's a track near tokyo. i'm just wondering how hard it will be to find a particular place in a city as large as tokyo. you can be sure i'll tell you all about my experience if i'm able to attend a keirin bicycle race.
We also want to to know how to say internet in Japan?
i'll look it up soon, too.
THANKS for asking such GREAT questions today! (nice job typing them, georgia!)
What room is the room called that you take off your slepers?
i think you're talking about the tatami room, a place in many japanese households that i'm sure i'll learn more about. for now, i understand that it's a room in the house that can be used as living space during the day, and as a place to sleep during the night. I've also read that you're supposed to take off your surripa when you enter this room because the floor is covered with woven mats called tatami mats.
Are you nervous about going to Japan?
wouldn't you be? not only is it a looong way away (about 4600 miles), but mrs. coe isn't allowed to go with me, and i can't speak the language, and i can't read the signs, and, to top everything off, i can't help but wonder (as much as i might try to forget) about threats of terrorism that might make it hard for me to get home; sure i'm nervous. but i'm not going to let nervousness keep me from doing something i think is important; and i think this trip is important.
All of us in the class want to know how to say computerin Japan?
don't know yet but i'll look it up in my phrasebook.
Do you know if you are going to the bike race in Japan?
sure gonna try. i think there's a track near tokyo. i'm just wondering how hard it will be to find a particular place in a city as large as tokyo. you can be sure i'll tell you all about my experience if i'm able to attend a keirin bicycle race.
We also want to to know how to say internet in Japan?
i'll look it up soon, too.
THANKS for asking such GREAT questions today! (nice job typing them, georgia!)
YOU ASKED FOR IT!!!
mr. coe's class wrote:
Dear Mr.Coe,
Thank you for translating our requests. We want to know what color your slippers are? Write back soon!
TAH-DAH!!! here they are:my house-sandals. fascinating, aren't they. to answer your specific question: they're black and they say "adidas" on them.
any more questions?
geesh...
mr. coe's class wrote:
Dear Mr.Coe,
Thank you for translating our requests. We want to know what color your slippers are? Write back soon!
TAH-DAH!!! here they are:my house-sandals. fascinating, aren't they. to answer your specific question: they're black and they say "adidas" on them.
any more questions?
geesh...
THANKS for writing back, class!!!
here are the words and phrases you asked me to translate into japanese for you:
My friend is _____. (I would like to introduce you to _____.) ______ ni go-shoki shimasu.
waterbottle suito
pencil empitsu
gum chuingamu
My name is _____. Watashi no namae wa _____ desu.
paper kami or Japanese paper washi
food tabemono
pet (animal) dobutsu dog inu cat neko fish sakana
sport supotsu
(to) sleep nemurimasu
slippers surippa
boat boto
(to) drink nomimasu
shower shawa
homework ???
pyjama ???
pizza ???
i will do my best to find out the last three when i get to japan.
any other words you want translated? lemme know!
here are the words and phrases you asked me to translate into japanese for you:
My friend is _____. (I would like to introduce you to _____.) ______ ni go-shoki shimasu.
waterbottle suito
pencil empitsu
gum chuingamu
My name is _____. Watashi no namae wa _____ desu.
paper kami or Japanese paper washi
food tabemono
pet (animal) dobutsu dog inu cat neko fish sakana
sport supotsu
(to) sleep nemurimasu
slippers surippa
boat boto
(to) drink nomimasu
shower shawa
homework ???
pyjama ???
pizza ???
i will do my best to find out the last three when i get to japan.
any other words you want translated? lemme know!
yesterday we learned several japanese words that i'm likely to use to tell you about my daily activities when i write to you. how many can you recall? discuss the meanings of as many words as you can as a class.
what would you like to learn to say in japanese? email me, using the email address as the bottom of this journal entry, let me know what you would like to learn.
what would you like to learn to say in japanese? email me, using the email address as the bottom of this journal entry, let me know what you would like to learn.
a photographer from the Arizona Daily Sun came by our classroom today to take my picture. i guess they intend to use it alongside the columns i am writing for them during my study-tour.
also: got my tickets fed ex today. my schedule goes something like this (ignoring the suggestion to arrive at every airport 2-3 hours before i fly):
leave phx on 11/11 @ 1035am
arrive sanfrancisco 11/11 @ 1154am
leave sanfrancisco 11/12 @1140am
arrive tokyo 11/13 @ 350pm
leave tokyo 11/30 @ 700pm
arrive sanfrancisco 11/30 @1050am
leave sanfrancisco 11/30 @ 1245pm
arrive phx 11/30 @ 332pm
whew...
also: got my tickets fed ex today. my schedule goes something like this (ignoring the suggestion to arrive at every airport 2-3 hours before i fly):
leave phx on 11/11 @ 1035am
arrive sanfrancisco 11/11 @ 1154am
leave sanfrancisco 11/12 @1140am
arrive tokyo 11/13 @ 350pm
leave tokyo 11/30 @ 700pm
arrive sanfrancisco 11/30 @1050am
leave sanfrancisco 11/30 @ 1245pm
arrive phx 11/30 @ 332pm
whew...
good afternoon, boys and girls. welcome to computerlab and, likewise, welcome to my BLOG. a blog is an online journal that's really easy to use from almost any computer, anywhere in the world. with a blog, making a journal entry is as simple as clicking a button and typing, once you're online. so, even if things go horribly wrong (keep your fingers crossed for me and my computer, okay), and for some reason i'm not able to get online from my hotel room, i should be able to write to you on my blog from just about anywhere. i'll just need to find a library or an internet cafe or someplace like that to log on to the internet. blogs are kinda neat, don't you think?
why should you read my blog everyday? well, i think you should read it for lots of reasons. one: i think you'll enjoy reading about what i'm doing. two: my blog will have lots of links to pictures i've taken and places i've been to; so you can experience japan for yourself right along with me. three: my blog is a part of my larger website, which is where i will be putting TONS of info about my trip and about the people i'm traveling with, and about the nation of japan in general. so, there's lots of reasons for you to read this blog; hopefully it will be a little different everyday.
how can you find my blog? simple. just click on the links in the text above, OR click on one of the buttons in the big red menu at the top of the page, OR just start netscape on any computer in the school building that has my picture and the EMAIL MR. COE NOW sign on it, OR (finally), log onto the christensen elementary school website from home and follow the Mr. Coe's Fulbright Trip to Japan links on our homepage. but, regardless of how you log on, i REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hope you do: OFTEN!
why should you read my blog everyday? well, i think you should read it for lots of reasons. one: i think you'll enjoy reading about what i'm doing. two: my blog will have lots of links to pictures i've taken and places i've been to; so you can experience japan for yourself right along with me. three: my blog is a part of my larger website, which is where i will be putting TONS of info about my trip and about the people i'm traveling with, and about the nation of japan in general. so, there's lots of reasons for you to read this blog; hopefully it will be a little different everyday.
how can you find my blog? simple. just click on the links in the text above, OR click on one of the buttons in the big red menu at the top of the page, OR just start netscape on any computer in the school building that has my picture and the EMAIL MR. COE NOW sign on it, OR (finally), log onto the christensen elementary school website from home and follow the Mr. Coe's Fulbright Trip to Japan links on our homepage. but, regardless of how you log on, i REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hope you do: OFTEN!
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