2008年09月29日 Things I Bought

Pictures of Things I Bought
Look and be amazed at my photojournalism! ;D

7-Eleven’s まん
インドチキンカレまん (indochikinkareman) or a Curry Bun. Me and Ivan used to buy this down at the local 7-Eleven all the time. It was either this one or the Pizza Bun (ピザまん pizaman). They are only like 105 yen each and pretty filling. I later got a few of the guys at NOVA hooked on eating this stuff for awhile. I’ll sure be eating quite a few of these badboys throughout the season. :9 Apparently this item is seasonal and comes only around Fall and Winter time.

Stitch Chopstick Set
Over the Summer Break I lost my hashi or chopstick set. I decided that I would replace them with a set that had a fork and spoon as well. What a pain it is to eat yogurt and jello with chopsticks…LOL. Anyways I was shopping at Seiyu and found this cute Stitch set! My elementary school kids love it too during lunch period. While visiting one of my elementary schools this month I discovered my old set was in the desk all along! Aaah well! :P That day I also bought a kettle, toilet seat cover and storage cart for my groceries. Ooo exciting!

Cute Stickers
During my walk to the other side of the train station I found a Toys R Us, which I mentioned in the previous blog. Toys R Us in any country has so many interesting toys and stuff. I saw these stickers that would be perfect as a reward for my elementary school kids. Recently I gave away my Pikachu stickers to my Year 1 kids and they went nuts! Next month I will be giving away the penguin one, Pochama (or Piplup in the English version). Note to other ALT’s… Knowing the names of the many MANY Pokemon is valuable at the elementary school level. Dare I say essential vocabulary! They love learning about the English names to the Pokemon. I like Psyduck! I always tell my kids.. 私はコダックが好きです。　

2008年09月27日 About My So-called “Life”

About Time!
I’m still here! I guess September has been one of those months where I’m just lazy to type up something. In retrospect I should of video blogged, but then again, about what? I have to say, nothing really exciting has been happening. I work, I go home, I eat and then I sleep. Not exactly the kind of blog that’s omoshiroi (interesting).

About School
I may have mentioned that my Junior high school girls were practicing this summer with me for their speech contest. If not, well now you know. Recently, we had the City’s English speech contest. All the area Junior high schools came. My girls did very well, but unfortunately they didn’t rank high enough to compete in the Prefecture competition. Still, I was very proud of them and I was nervous as hell when they delivered their speeches. I kind of found it unfair that last years winners were competing again. The top 2 for last year won again! I don’t know how that works cause 3rd Year Junior high-schoolers are usually the ones to enter. But whatever! We practice pronunciation, intonation, gestures, volume control. Basically the speech delivery should be something like watching an actor or actress on stage. It’s pretty hard for them to grasp that idea as I find Japanese as a language very flat compared to English’s ups & downs. Those who work with Japanese people will understand this better.

Scribbled notes on one of my girls’ speeches

About the West Side of the Station
On a totally different tangent, I went walking on the west side of my station out of curiosity. I never really been on the other side of the station… I don’t know why.^^ I had recently discovered there was a Kappa Sushi about 15minutes walk from my station worth venturing out to. A few weeks back I went there with a friend of mine. I should really take pictures myself, but instead I grabbed some from the net cause I’m sick of non-visual blogging.

Kappa Sushi from the outside. 100 yen sushi has the power to do damage!

Touch-screen to make special orders and delivered to your table by special bullet train ;9

The sushi conveyor belt

There was also a Round1 and a Toy R Us where I scored some cute stickers for my Elementary school kids. They even had Sandylion brand stickers, which is interesting because the company is based in Markham, my hometown. Who knew I would find such an import.

About Where I Live
So my place is starting to build some character. One of my Japanese friends asked me if I was “saving money” because my place was so bare. It’s kinda still bare now, but I’m working on it. Take a look at some pictures of my place. I’m surprised I hadn’t posted up something like this sooner! It’s not the biggest place in the world, but it’s home!.. Well my Japanese home! ~_^

A corner of my small apartment

The hanging basket of pocket tissues, a stuffed panda and NOVA usagi

My clothes rack and my pile of sh*t

A closer look at my clothes pile

My bathroom, various cleaning products and the only garabge can in the place

2008年09月09日 What September has been like so far

Second Semester
I’ve been working since I got back from Toronto (August 25th), but the school semester started on the 1st of September. School is back on and routine is setting itself into place. September is proving to be very busy because of all the extra hours I put into the students’ English speech contest practice. Never-the-less I’m glad to help them and I hope they will do well and win! With the extra hours I put in I might even be able to get a day-off if Kyoto-sensei approves it. If so, then I will take my birthday off (September 22nd) to make a 4-day weekend. That way I can take a mini-vacation this month and make my way somewhere in Japan (or so the plan goes). Most of my travel plans are last minute and I think better for it. I hate over-thinking vacations. It can drive you insane with itineraries, times and prices. I’m more of a go-with-the-flow kinda guy! I tend not to worry. So long as I have money and a credit card I don’t worry about it! Haha!

Let’s Watch a Movie!
Recently I went to the movies with a friend of mine. I never went to a Japanese movie theatre before. It’s more-or-less the same, though the one thing that stuck out to me was that you have to reserve your seat in the movie. Also, they had an announcer guy come in before the movie to tell us what movie we were watching and remind us of the rules and of course to enjoy the show! I really wanted to eat popcorn and all the bad things you can get at the theatre, but I’m on a diet thanks to my visit home to Canada. Haha my friend Karen is on a diet of her own back home. She recommends putting a sexy body picture on your fridge, though I think Steve is skeptical to the idea. Haha I’m willing to try, but there’s never anything in my fridge! ^^ At one point there was an onion in there that had sprouted along with a potato and a can of Red Bull that have been there since time! Right now all there is IS THAT Red Bull! Anyways, give it time and we’ll be sexy beasts! Right Karen?! LOL!

Curry Party
I also went to Andrew and Ben’s place for a curry party this past Saturday. I didn’t bring curry though cause I didn’t have time to prepare it, but even if I did have time… GUY! FOOD POISONING! And possible squirts! I’m not gonna be held responsible for that! So instead I brough a bunch of chu-hi drinks. I have to admit by the end of the night I was really drunk. By the end I was yelling my phrase of the day, “楽しいおっぱい！！！”(enjoyable boobs!!!) amongst other (and probably) badly formed Japanese.

Unfortunately I didn’t take any pics. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t take any! Sorry!

2008年09月02日 A List

Aren’t Lists Grand?!
I saw that my friend Kristel made a list of highlights and memorable moments while she was teaching abroad in China. So I thought to myself I should do the same in random order of the good, the bad and the interesting… basically any random tidbit I think is worth mentioning:

Highlights
Sleepovers
“My Face is in the butter!”
Me and Ivan laughing over our eviction notice
Nomihodai nights and drunkeness
Getting free hugs in Shibuya
Going to my elementary school
Making okonomiyaki
Anything where sushi is brought to me by means of conveyor belt
Using my phone as my train pass & for getting drinks from the vending machine
Riding a bicycle on a regular basis
Going on a day trip to the Imperial Palace to find it’s closed on Mondays!
Kid’s Training is Tsudanuma during a typhoon
Earthquakes that I thought were dreams or violent rumbling farts from my ass!
Having my elementary kids point out/grab my fat.
Sleeping on the streets of Shibuya, Shinjuku, AND Roppongi after last train
All those times we went to Muse in Roppongi
Andrew’s Apartment and the Pole of Ill-Respute
The BTC (Big Tittie Committee)
Being immortalized in a game called Yappari
Having my coat stolen at Kiyomizudera and Ivan laughing his head off!
Running away from deer in Nara
Fainting in Kyoto this summer and realizing how nice Japanese folk can be!
The NOVA bankruptcy
Watching Marjorie’s drunk ass ride a bike sideways in Omontesando! LMAO
Getting my haircut in Minamisenju by my Japanese stylist :P
Being evicted, not just once but TWICE!
Wearing sweats and sport’s gear to work
Getting a new digital camera
Being silly for the sake of purikura
Pretending to work and making it look legit
Breaking a bed
Facing gender discrimination
Saying, “oppai and daijouboobs!”
Ika-fry!
Croquet/curry/pizza buns from 7-eleven
7-eleven in general!
Marjorie’s song, “Sweet Home ‘lanta Georigia”
Participating at my Junior High’s Sport’s Day
Working a job as a pocket-tissue bitch

I’m sure there have been many more memorable moments and I’m sure there are more to come!