Tateyama English Camp

This was a Toyama-wide event put on by the international center in Toyama city. A great group of kids, fun teachers, interesting activities and great food -what more can you ask for in a camp!

Osaka and the YMCA

This month an ex-roomate of mine from Lethbridge arrived in Japan with 9 wide-eyed teenagers from the YMCA in tow. They invited me to tag along with them as they toured with a group of 15 youth from the YMCA in Osaka. After self introductions and presentations we headed out into the rain to see a temple and museum (the name of which escapes me at the moment). The students were devided into groups of 8 (3 Canadians, 5 Japanese) with the two Y leaders, Dave and Christine, and myself as 'supervisors'. The Japanese kids did a fantastic job of getting us to the temple (after a few minor misreadings of the trains) and once there we thoroughly enjoyed the day despite the constant downpour.
For lunch, each group chose a different restaurant and we had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better. All of the students made the effort to communicate in both English and Japanese. The Japanese kids had amazing English - some of them had lived abroad -and they were more than happy to try to explain the temple, it's surroundings and some of the rituals that are performed there.
It was a refreshing experience - to watch Dave, Christine and the kids experience Japan for the first time. Living here for 3 years now, I've begun to take some things for granted. It was also great to see these teenagers come together and communicate so positively and confidently. Kudos to Dave and Chistine for taking on the challenge. I'm sure it will be an experience you'll never forget!

Osaka YMCA 2005

Self introductions at the YMCA in Osaka.

July 9, 2005

Slow and Steady wins the race.

Here it goes, my first post...

After debating for some time whether or not to 'expose' myself, I've taken the plunge into the world of blogging. I can't promise it will be interesting, but for those of you who are curious about what I'm doing (or still doing) in Japan I hope this satifies you.

Today is Tuesday, July 5, 2005. It's 2:30 and I've finished marking all 400 final exams that were on my desk this morning. There are still one hundred other things on my to do list -this first entry in my blog being one of them -but I think I'll take a break soon and wander down the halls to say hi to the students who are still here studying or doing club activities.

I'm keeping this first entry short and simple.

Enjoy your day- I am.