As for this video project, I wanted a way to kill two birds with one stone- share a family experience and help Luke practice his English. Seemed like getting Luke more involved in our family podcast was the way to to.

I wrote the script, Luke worked hard to learn the lines, then we spent a couple of afternoons recording and filming. I also printed the script with a “schoolbook” font so that he would have some writing practice as well (by tracing over the letters). Overall it was a lot of good practice for Luke! He’s not totally smooth, but it’s so cool to hear him speak in only English for an extended period. This is a very rare thing, since he lives in a Japanese world most of the time. I’ve been finding it hard to motivate him to use English, so I’m hoping this project idea works out. If it does, I have some ideas for other projects. .

I hope you like this little story. If you have some words of encouragement for Luke, please leave comments. This will give Luke some good reading practice!

We live only 25 minutes from Ushidake ski area. “Ushi” means cow, and “dake” means mountain in Japanese, hence the title of this video. I think it used to be an old cow pasture… Anyway, it’s a great place for snowboarding because of the very wide slopes. They leave lots of un-groomed snow on the sides, which makes it great for snowboarding.

This video is dedicated to an old colleague of mine at TCFL, Stephen Davies, who passed away recently. Stephen and I really bonded over snowboarding. He was the person who taught me how to ride on the soft powder. I really got hooked and have been crazy about it ever since. I’ll miss Steve, but I’ll always think and be grateful for meeting him when I’m on my board riding down a mountain.

• Papa starting a new job at Toyo Gakuen University, in Chiba (east of Tokyo, nearish Tokyo Disney Land).

• Relatedly, beginning our “tanshin funin” lifestyle. This means that during the week I lived in a tiny apartment and commuted back to Toyama on Thursday nights, only to return on Sunday nights. Long story short, this was a big change for our family!

• Family “camping” trips to our Chiba apartment (March, May, September, December). We all packed into our little shoebox and enjoyed the sites of Tokyo and surrounding area.

• Luke’s continued swimming success. He competed in several meets and earned his 2nd medal (a bronze in the 25m backstroke). Since he was often the youngest swimmer in the pool, we were very happy about his results (although you’ll likely get a different story from Coach Mama!)

• Luke climbing Mt. Tateyama (in Toyama) this summer with me and grandpa Mase.

• Visiting the Noto Peninsula in September. The occasion was a swim meet for Luke and Mama, but our friend Kaoru came along to help take care of Max, so we were able to visit the beach and go hiking. Very nice place!

• Luke dancing on the big stage in Yatsuo during the Owara festival. This was shown live on local TV, so Max watched and danced along. Fun!

• The summer visit of Shinobu’s friend Yumi and her three awesome kids, Ikuma, Kazuma, and Nao. We had a total blast with them.

• Luke and Max going crazy about Michael Jackson- I’ve been listening to him practically every day since he passed away!

So besides all these “events”, there were numerous quiet and subtle joys, some of which you’ll see in the video. When I look at all the smiles and good times, I feel this glorious overwhelming gratitude for everything. I hope when you watch this clip you’ll think about all that is good in your life and feel likewise.

Take care, everyone, and have a great 2010!

I’ll post updates as I get them, including some video from our home tomorrow.

Bottom line: we’re safe, and it’s kind of exciting!

Oh, in case you want to monitor the news, the name of the storm is “Melor” in the western press, and “#18″ here in Japan:

UPDATE: Friday, October 8th, 9am

Well, as you can imagine, it’s raining hard and the wind is blowing very strongly. But it’s not over the top crazy strong. Just a bad storm. Kids are off from school, Shinobu has taken the morning off, and I’m home from work. We’re all together, safe and sound. Just took some video outside… I’ll get something posted later on, when this blows over. For now, here is the latest report, from 9am:

As you can see, the storm is now passing us by. This is a big relief! Earlier reports had it heading straight for us. Right now the wind and rain are blowing, some leaves are scattered, and puddles are forming in the park across the street. But it’s not that bad! Disaster averted.

And so it goes. Yet another instance of me learning about what’s going on in Japan from my family overseas.

Obviously we’re okay; the quake’s center was way off in the Pacific, some buildings were rocking in Shizuoka (south of Tokyo a bit), no damage was done, and of course we didn’t feel a thing here in Toyama.

If anyone else is worrying about us, sorry for not contacting you about it! Most earthquakes are very ho-hum over here. Bigger news is all the rain we’ve been having and this never-ending rainy season…

Here’s a brief news report that contains all the facts, and a news report from Fox News! (probably the only time I’ll ever link to them!)

Tokyo Earthquake Guide Notes

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the Izu Islands, 220 miles from Tokyo, Japan, on August 9, 2009. The quake, which hit at a depth of 188.3 miles, did not prompt any tsunami warnings.
There was no immediate word on possible injuries or damage from the earthquake.

Fast Facts
Date: August 9, 2009
Location: 220 miles south-southwest of Tokyo, Japan
Time: 10:55:56 UTC
Depth: 188.3 miles
No immediate word on injuries or property damage
No tusnami warnings issued or expected

Luke is in the midst of 2nd grade, and for his science class, everyone split into groups and walked (with the help of parent volunteer chaperones) to various nature spots around the school to search for bugs. The day of the event (July 21st) wa/tmp/TFiJ30poster.jpgs very warm and humid, but the sky was filled with heavy clouds. Rainy season is not quite finished, so instead of the set plan, they decided to walk Luke’s group to the park in front of our house! This meant that I had to basically walk home, then walk back again in order to get the car to return home again. Since I had my video camera, however, I took it as a chance to capture some scenes of our neighborhood, to show you what Toyama looks like in the heart of summer. You can also see the route Luke walks each day to school (no school buses here!).

In the end, the weather held out just long enough. On the walk back the heavens opened up and it was dogs and cats everywhere! The only person without an umbrella or rain coat was me- ha! I got totally soaked, but it was no problem- my camera is waterproof, and the water felt very refreshing.

I hope you like this clip. If you have any comments, feel free to leave one below! I’ll also be posting this on my Facebook page, so you can see and comment on it there.

To get things started, here is an example of what I’m talking about, a clip entitled “Fountain Fun.” Here in Toyama it’s starting to get real hot and humid. On the way back from Luke’s soccer game this past Saturday (June 27th, 2009), Luke spotted a fountain in a park as we drove past. There were many children playing there. He immediately said, “papa, let’s go!”, and I spun the car quickly around. We were totally unprepared, but it didn’t matter- Luke had no qualms about going in his skivvies, like most of the other kids. We had such a great time. Later that day, I took Luke and Max to another park, one near our home, one with a really big fountain designed for kids to play in. Again, total blast!

“Memorial Day Weekend is the, ya know, unofficial kickoff and we are busy.” said Chenango Valley Assistant Manager Darius Talandis. “We have the families that come and will stay for 2 solid weeks.”

Way to go, DT!

Chalk the delay up to one busy life these days, what with starting a new job and all. I’ll be getting to that shortly, but first I want to catch up on my video clips. Here is a nice one- short and very very cute! It’s Max on her 2nd birthday (March 7th, 2009), getting her portrait taken at Studio Alice here in Toyama City, the same place we always go on our kids’ birthdays. It’s this little tradition we have going- take a professional photo on the very day of their birthday. We’re starting to build up a nice collection, and it’s great to see the kids growing up year by year.

Anyway, Max was very cute this time. We dressed her up in a “Beauty and the Beast” costume, in the role of “Belle”. The photographers were great- they gave her the real treatment- gown, gloves, wig, earrings, and a nice set. Wow, was she even more beautiful than usual! I really thought that our little baby was not a baby anymore! We had a real fun day.

Luke participated in the annual Toyama City Junior Swim Meet on February 11th, a national holiday in Japan*. This was his 2nd time of swiming in this meet. It’s a big race at the big Toyama Citizen’s Pool, with all of the local swim clubs sending their best swimmers.

Luke, as the youngest member of the Yatsuo SC, swam in three events: 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, and the 100m individual medly. He and his mama had been training for months for this race, but just two days before, Luke came down with a wicked temperature of 39.3 (that’s 103 for those of you in Fahrenheight countries). Ouch! We took him to the doctor, he got some good medicine, stayed home from school for a day, then felt much better.

On the morning of the race, he was super excited to go, and even though his temperature was still a bit above normal, he was genki and rarin’ to swim. Fortunately his three events weren’t until the afternoon, so he could sleep in and take it easy during the morning hours.

The following video chronicles Luke’s races. I hope you enjoy watching our boy fly! He didn’t set any best times, but as usual he was best in his age group and even managed to swim faster than kids a year or two older than him.

We’re really proud of Luke’s fighting spirit and energy. He didn’t wimp out even though he has ample excuse to. If he keeps up his training, his swimming future is very bright.

Shinobu is doing a fantastic job coaching him. He’s learning a lot a advanced techniques for someone so young. Basically, she focuses on building up his fundamentals and has put him on a fast track competition-wise in order to build up his confidence and experience. He is ALWAYS the youngest swimmer in the race, so he always finishes 1st. He has become used to standing on top of the award stand and expects it to happen everytime. This will help him a lot in the coming years!

We really hope Luke can enjoy this unique situation he’s in and strive to be his best. Watching his confidence grow from his efforts and accomplishments is a real joy to behold.

*Okay, quiz time: February 11th is what holiday in Japan? Leave your answer in a comment below.

Here is an article from today’s Japan Times that talks about this national heat wave. Notice that in Shizuoka yesterday, the temperature hit 26.8 degrees celcius! That’s 80 degrees fahrenheit for all of you living in the States! 80 in the middle of FEBRUARY????

Wow.

What’s the weather like where you are? Please leave a comment below! Let’s enjoy chatting about the weather!

Early heat wave spurs warnings

Kyodo News
Temperatures shot up to summer levels Saturday as warm air moving in from the south set record highs in more than 105 places throughout Japan, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue an avalanche warning.

 The agency said the unseasonal heat wave could cause avalanches and mudslides in snowy regions, and that violent winds and tidal waves would pose a danger in northern areas through Sunday.

The heat shocked many on the Pacific coast, where Shizuoka hit 26.8 and Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, hit 26.1 in the afternoon, making their winters feel like early July.

Tokyo logged 23.9, its highest this year, just after 2 p.m.

The sudden surge in temperatures is already being blamed for cracking a frozen lake in Ishikawa, Fukushima Prefecture, where two people fishing went missing.

Meanwhile, in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, a mountain stream flooded four houses as meltwater and heavy rain caused it to overflow.

Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture logged a record high for February of 23.6 as early as 1:40 a.m., the agency said.

On the northern Pacific coast, strong winds forced the suspension of train runs in many areas.

Erimo Cape in Hokkaido was hit by 128 kph winds at around 2 p.m., while Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, recorded 121 kph gusts at around 11:30 a.m.

The Japan Times: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009
(C) All rights reserved

Update: February 17th

Woohoo! Finally, it snowed! We got about 25cm last night (10 inches). Boy, was I a happy camper this morning when I opened up the living room curtains. Actually, now I can brag that I’ve managed to turn Murphey’s Law in my favor- by taking the trouble to blog about this recent heat wave, it’s only natural that it should snow that very same evening! Ha! It’s like when you go out to the park for a picnic and you don’t want it to rain, so you shlep around an umbrella ’cause you know if you don’t, it’s going to pour…

Here is a picture of a happy me this morning before heading off to work: 

Wow, what a day yesterday! It seems like the entire world was watching and celebrating Obama’s inauguration, the new American Renaissance. Here in Japan is no different. From the hula-dancing “Obama Girls” in the fishing villiage called Obama ( it means “small beach” in Japanese), to the latest bestselling book, a collection of Obama speeches meant to help you study English, the new American president is top of the news. News outlets are doing lots of “person in the street” interviews, and here in Toyama City, a reporter came to my school yesterday afternoon to get the reaction of the American teachers (me and my colleague Susan, who is from Hawaii). After being asked all sorts of Obama questions, the reporter asked if the other foreign staff could join us in a group photo, which you can see below in this article from today’s Toyama Shimbun: 

From left to right are: Stephen (from the UK), Kevin (above him, from Canada), me, Susan, Lee (from Canada), and David (from New Zealand). The caption reads, “Here are some local foreign teachers reading about Obama’s inauguration ceremony.”  When we saw this photo this morning, we had to laugh because of the way the reporter staged the shot. Of course we don’t read this newspaper! Still, it was a goof. We were having a good time cracking jokes about how contrived the situation was. 

Here is a rough translation of the article. The headline says, “Chance to change history- Happiness spreads as President Obama begins his term in office”. That centered vertical title says, “Teachers from America and other countries based in Toyama ponder the impact on the economy and foreign affairs.”  The first part of the story mentions comments from teachers working in Toyama. Then the good part: 

An instructor at TCFL, Gerald Talandis Jr., watched the ceremony live on TV at 2 am. “Obama’s message is one of empowerment- that people can do anything they want if they work together”, he said. “His inaugural speech was very positive. People accept Obama because he comes across as a sincere, passionate person. I expect him to rebuild America like before.”

So that’s a rough translation. I actually said a lot more than that, and more eloquently (I thought), but most of it got lost in translation, I guess. I’m not totally sure if this translation is spot on or not, but it’s close enough. Anyway, just thought you’d find this interesting. 

Oh, and one more thing: My sister Vi, who lives in DC, attended the historic event. Here is a link to the photos she took. I had a great time showing these to my students today in class! They really enjoyed seeing a real participant’s point-of-view on the entire thing. Great job, Vi!

In other news, you may have heard (probably not!) that Apple had a big presentation at this year’s Macworld conference in San Francisco. They announced, among other things, that a new version of the iLife suite of digital lifestyle applications will be released at the end of this month. While most normal folks couldn’t care less, I was jumping up and down at this news like it was Christmas morning. Why? Because a new version of iLife means a new version of iMovie, my all-time favorite piece of software. It’s the program I use to make all of these family videos. They’ve added a whole bunch of wiz-bang features, and I can’t wait to start using it! Click here to take a video tour of what this amazing app can do. The new features I’m most looking forward to are the video stabilization and the precision editor. The new transitions and the return of themes and effects are also very very welcomed!

However, now that I know a new version of iMovie is coming, I don’t want to use the old one to make anything new! I have a bunch of footage in the can, but I will wait before putting it together. In the meantime, I’d like to dig into my vault of old clips and share one in particular with you. It’s called “Playing in the snow.” Filmed in December 2005, it features a four year old Luke playing with mom and dad in our front yard after a big dump of snow, like the one we had last night. You can see how beautiful it is around here at this time of year and why I love winter so much! I’ll get back to “new” content with our next podcast episode…

 
How do you spend your winters? Do you have fun, and if so, how? Or do you count the days until spring? Anyway, leave me a comment or three. I love getting them!

Anyway, here is our “nengajo” for the year, our new year’s card. This is the tradition here- everyone sends them to their circles of family and friends. Special volunteers deliver them. Later today we’ll get a huge stack. It’s a nice way to stay in touch with people you don’t often see. Our card features some highlights from our past year- our family trip to USJ, Luke doing sports, Max growing up, and other various cute stuff. 

Speaking of new years… What are your resolutions, if any? I’ll blog about this topic in the coming days. I have some ideas!

Oh! And you may have noticed I’ve updated this site’s design. I hope you like it! I’ve tried to make things better organized and easier to find. For example, I’ve redone the categories so that you can find posts that feature any one of us, or give you a list of posts with videos or slideshows. Let me know what you think!

It’s late at night, and I want to get this latest podcast up before I go to bed so that you all back in the States can watch it on Christmas morning. Take it from me, you’re in for a great day! 

We had fun opening presents in the morning, then we spent time cleaning up. In the late afternoon we went to a big shopping mall and had a lot of fun with the kids. They turned the Toys R Us into a playground. Max was very very active, running this way and that. Luke, too.

I hope you like this little video clip. Like last year, I just want to show some of the really sweet moments we had this past year. Life is hard sometimes, and it’s easy to get down and lose sight of all the blessings we have in our lives. There is so much love and joy all around, even in the grayest of days. By sharing some of our good times, I hope you are reminded of the fun you had this past year, or of simple moments when there was calm and peace amidst the hustle and stress of the daily routine. 

Take care, everyone! Have an awesome Christmas and a great new year. 

TFiJ21-Family trip to Universal Studios Japan

Here are some highlights from our family trip to Universal Studios Japan this past summer.

This trip came about because we had to get Max’s US passport (and renew Luke’s), and the only place we could do that was at the USA consulate in Osaka. They have a new rule stating that the person applying for the passport must appear in person, so that meant we all had to go. So if we have to go to Osaka, why not make a family vacation of it? Thus the idea to visit USJ was born…

Long story short- we had a great time, but it was just too hot hot hot! Wow, was it hot! This made things difficult. Another problem was that I insisted we travel there by train. I thought it would be much easier than driving, but boy was I wrong! Max was noisy and figidy the entire way, and it was a total struggle on the cramped train. And it was hot hot hot! You can imagine.

Oh well. Check out the video for all the good parts of our journey.

TFiJ22-Luke’s 7th birthday photo shoot

It has become a family tradition to take our kids to a pro photographer on the day of their birthdays. Here are some scenes from Luke’s 7th photo shoot, again held at Studio Alice in downtown Toyama City. This place does a great job to make it fun for kids and families, as you can see from the clip.

TFiJ23-The Grape Adventure

Here’s a really mellow clip about a fun family outing we made back in September to a local Toyama winery. Wine growing is not big around here (brewing sake is), but they do make pretty good wine at this place. It was a national holiday (Fall Equinox Day), and the weather was great. We had a chance to catch some rays in the beautiful countryside. The grapes were a pain to eat, but it was still fun. The kids had a nice time. I enjoyed the wine tasting! The wine was pretty good- the grape varietals were unfamiliar to me, but the red and white versions had a nice taste. I can see us going back here someday!

So there you have it! Nothing for two months, then a deluge! I miss you all as usual, and I hope you all have a great Christmas and holiday season. I’ll aim to get at least one more video out before New Years.

Apple has been growing by leaps and bounds the past few years, as many of you know from my frequent propaganda mailings (which worked for some, but not for others- you know who you are!!!!). They are a leading tech company that makes great stuff, and they’ve been doing very well even though other tech companies haven’t. Earlier this year their stock was trading at over $200 per share. Recently, thanks to the multiple crashes, the price went down to under $100. Time to buy! Shinobu really snatched on this opportunity, and thanks to her mom, we were able to create some cash. Naturally we are very grateful to her and will repay with interest!

The only down side of this purchase was that the moment we bought it, the stock was at its highest point in the past few weeks (116). Apple came out with new notebook computers last Tuesday, and I thought that that announcement would send the stock up, but instead it went down! Complicated story… Anyway, we’re now checking our “portfolio” (he he) each day, and it’s kind of exciting. Lest you think I’m crazy to invest in such hard times, I’ll have you know that I basically have followed the advice of Warren Buffet:

“A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”

This is a fantastic article, and I highly recommend you read it if you’re interested in a hopeful take on our current economic disaster. 

Anyway, that’s about it. We’re now excitedly checking all the financial news with renewed interest. We’ll see how it goes. Like Buffet, I’m extremely confident that things will turn around, especially with O in the White House. It’s nice to know we’ll be able to benefit from that.

Oh, and don’t forget- for your next computer, buy Apple! The new MacBooks are amazing! Don’t believe me? Just check out this fascinating mini-documentary on how they made the new machines: 

Oh, did I mention it was a VERY HOT & HUMID DAY? 

The week before I practiced each day with Luke. His difficult point was riding a bike, especially with going up hills. Since there were a couple of inclines on the kid’s bike course, Shinobu and I were rather concerned. Using his old kiddy bike, there was no way he could ride up even a slight hill, so a few days before the race we ended up buying him a new bike! “It’s an early birthday present”, we told ourselves. This new bike had 5 speeds, so he was able to go up hills better, but would it be enough? We were worried…

Papa’s race started at 9 am. The swimming was very hectic. Since it was in a pool, each swimmer had to go down and back three times (150m), making sure to duck under the lane divider each length. The start was staggard, but since there was such a difference in ability, it wasn’t long before guys were passing and lapping each other. It was a nightmare ducking under the lane dividers, as there were often several swimmers pushing and shoving for position! I had to take care not to get kicked in the face. 

After the swim, I ran outside and down to the bike changing area. I had my spot, and proceeded to change into bike mode. I wasn’t rushing, knowing it would take all I had and more just to survive the entire distance on the HOT HOT HOT day. Luke and Shinobu were cheering me on. When they saw I wasn’t rushing, they started teasing me: “Hurry up, Papa! You’re too slow!!!” they shouted. It was funny. 

The bike course was a ride through the foothills of nearby Yamada village. The first part was this VERY LONG incline, and boy was it a killer. After that it got better, and the final bit was going down that long incline. That was fun! 

The running course was thankfully flat and simple- just three laps from bridge to bridge on the Ida river, next to the pool. Still, it was HOT HOT HOT, so this part of the race was very difficult. Thankfully they had water stops, so I made sure to douse myself in ice cold water frequently. While cooling me off, this also made my socks and shoes very squishy and heavy! I shuffled along, leaving a trail of watery footsteps behind. 

Finally I finished! I was very happy that I could make it. Immediately, however, I climbed up a hill to watch Luke come in on his bike. Shinobu and I cheered him on, as you can see in the video. We were really proud of him! He ended up with a gold medal for his trouble, a prize given to all the kids who finished. He’s only seven years old, and already he’s gaining a lot of great experience, not to mention health and fitness. 

In the end we all had a good time despite the heat. We’re looking forward to doing the race again next year.

Here’s the video. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

 This article is based on a presentation I gave a year ago at the annual JALT conference of language teachers in Tokyo. While the article only appears online, still- a publication is a publication, and it’s a good start for me. I am interested in this area of teaching and learning, so this piece was part of my overall effort to develop this interest into a marketable skill. I really want to be a university professor, so publishing is part of what I need to do more of in order to get that kind of job.

 To download the full article, just click here.

 In case you are not interested in reading the entire thing, here is the abstract: 

With the rapid development of the Internet, emerging technologies are reshaping the context of web-based information and creating numerous opportunities for enhanced classroom practice and professional development. Blogging, wikis, podcasting, and social networking are a few examples of so-called Web 2.0 technologies that language teachers are currently exploring. While early adopters have made impressive use of these new tools, many ELT instructors remain on the outside looking in—wanting to know more, but overwhelmed by the rapid pace of change. This article challenges the assumption that only those already in-the-know can keep up with educational technology. For educators new to the Web 2.0 evolution, clarity and direction is provided through defining Web 2.0 in layman’s terms and introducing key technological concepts such as folksonomy, RSS feeds, and syndication. In addition, a theoretical foundation for a technology enhanced pedagogy is outlined, one that places Web 2.0 within a social constructivist and connectivist context. Finally, an overview of relevant technologies applicable to ELT is provided, along with successful classroom usage models and links to online resources. 

Does this make sense to you? If not, ask me some questions by leaving a comment below.

One new feature is a revamped Photos page. It displays photos and slideshows much better than before. Check it out! Just click on one of the thumbnail images to bring up a bunch of photos. Click on the first one and you can see a cool slideshow.

I’ve also made the video clips more accessible by adding links to recent ones in the right column. Clicking on one of these will allow you to see them over at Blip.tv, where they are being hosted. You can also subscribe to them via iTunes.

So, there you have it. If you notice more changes in the coming days, know that I’m still tweaking things here and there. Finally, please continue leaving comments! I love reading them. Let me know what you think of this new look, and if there are any other features you’d like me to incorporate. 

Major Quake Hits Japan and Indonesia

(CNN) — A magnitude 6.9 earthquake rattled Japan on Thursday, within minutes of a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Indonesia, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from either quake, but both prompted tsunami warnings, although Japan’s Meteorological Agency predicted it would be small, about 50 centimeter (20 inches).

The Japanese quake occurred at 9:21 a.m. (0021 GMT). The USGS initially classified its magnitude as a 7.2, but later reduced it.

The quake’s epicenter was offshore, about 80 miles (125 km) south-southwest of Kushiro on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, and about 21.7 miles (35 km) below the Earth’s surface.

Earthquakes between magnitude 6.0 and 6.9 are considered “strong” by the USGS.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said neither quake posed a Pacific-wide tsunami threat. However, “earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter,” the administration said.

Ha! That’s news to me. Didn’t feel a thing. So, no worries! Here’s a Google Map of about where the quake hit, off the southern coast of Hokkaido, which is obviously way way way far away from us:

First, lets go back to early May- Luke has just started elementary school, and one of the first big events in the school calendar was soon upon him: Sports Day. What is Sports Day? Well, imagine the Olympics, only held within one school. The student body divides into 3 or 4 teams, each of a different color. They paint this elaborate mural of a team mascot, usually of some ferocious animal. Then, everyone practices practices practices for weeks leading up to the big day. There are “real” sports like relay sprints, and more game-like events such as chicken fights, an obstacle course, and tossing bean bags into a basket. It’s all rather surreal to my eyes. I managed to capture a bit of this experience and have edited together in a rather cheeky way. I hope you like it!

I have some more video projects nearing completion, so I hope it won’t be another month before I can post them! I also want to get you all caught up with family news, so I’ll be posting about that soon.

By the way, I’ve been using this service with my Video Production students lately. To see some of the Voicethreads they’ve produced, just click here. This was our class’ first go at making Voicethreads. On a fine day in May I gave them cameras and told them to go out and take at least 50 pictures. As a result, each thread is kind of the same, but at least you’ll be well acquainted with the neighborhood around our school! We are currently working on another Voicethread project- students have to introduce some aspect of traditional Japanese culture in English. This one will be good!

Finally, we’ve had some good family news of late, and I’ll be blogging about that shortly…

OH! One error to correct: Shinobu’s birthday is March 12th, not the 11th. Opps!

It’s 10am now, Sunday morning, and we’re watching on the news that a major earthquake has hit the Iwate region of Japan (clear on the other side of the country from us). We didn’t feel a thing and are perfectly fine. More later as I learn about it…

Update: 10:48am
I’ve just found an English news report about the earthquake. Here it is:

Strong earthquake hits Japan
1 hour ago

TOKYO (AFP) — A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck northern Japan Saturday, the meteorological agency said.

The earthquake hit in Iwate prefecture, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Tokyo, and rattled buildings in the capital.

Television footage showed buildings also shaking in northern cities of Japan. Bullet trains were automatically shut down as a precaution.

The quake had a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), the agency said.

There was no immediate word on potential damage or casualties, and the agency did not issue a tsunami warning.

A new earthquake warning system kicked in for the quake, with public broadcaster NHK flashing an alert moments before it struck.

Japan endures some 20 percent of the world’s powerful earthquakes. It has built an infrastructure intended to withstand tremors.

So that about tells the story so far. Here is a map of the Iwate area. You can see we are VERY FAR AWAY, so DON’T WORRY!

During the beginning of May we were browsing around a local garden store and happened on a great deal- a huge (4m) Japanese Maple tree for only about $400. We took one look and just knew, “that tree belongs in our front yard!” We hurried up and bought it before we could change our minds, and a few days later, on May 9th, the tree was delivered to our home and planted. I didn’t have to work that morning and captured the entire event on video. I hope you enjoy this little clip. It’s kind of cool to watch the guy plant the tree.

If you’d like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip, just click here. If you right click on this link and choose “Save As”, you can download the file and watch it on your computer. Finally, all of our videos can be seen on the newly updated Videos page.

Don’t forget to leave a comment! Thanks.

The ceremony was supposed to start at 9:30 am, but as you can guess, were were “late” again, like we were for Luke’s recent kindergarten graduation. Actually, we were half and hour “early”, but somehow managed to be the last ones to arrive! Oh well. 15 years in this country and you’d think I’d get the timing down one of these days…

I had my camera in hand, of course, and was able to take some good video. I hope you enjoy this little clip. I tried to keep all of the interesting parts (cultural things) and cut out the boring ones (overly long speeches).

Anyway, I’d appreciate a quick comment below if you can see it. I really like getting comments on our videos. It’s a fun way to stay in touch. For example, do you have any questions about Japanese customs after watching this? Or any observations on how they do things over here? I’d be very interested to know what you think. Finally, feel free to share this clip with anyone you think would be interested.

Bonus question: Can you find Luke in this picture?

Finally, as always, if you’d like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip, just click here.

Here in Japan, gas prices just shot up again. I figured it out, and we’re up to about $5.89/gallon ($1.55/liter). We’re dealing by driving a lot less. I’ve been riding my bike to work almost every day. Thankfully it hasn’t been raining much… But what about you guys? How do you manage with such insane prices? Let me know by leaving a comment below.