It seems like forever ago I promised more school pics soon. This was the first event where I didn’t get a fast turnaround on photos from the moms at school. Probably because it was the end of the school year and they now have a new teacher. I’ve also broken their hearts. My old students still come and see me… Read more »
In Japan, several of the private pre-schools have very special busses. One of my favorites is this dog bus. It goes by my school daily. I want to know if it barks for a horn. There is an old fashioned train bus near the base and it toots for it’s horn. I can never get a great shot of it… Read more »
A few people have asked me about the kinds of things that we can’t get here that can be sent in the mail. A lot of it I’ve adjusted to living without, even though I miss it. I’ll keep adding to this list when I think of stuff. Post cards, American stickers (I use them at school), Beef Jerky, Fruit Leather, See’s Candy, … Read more »
I have spent a long time trying to hunt down this “great website” that my school has. And here it is: http://www.sands-kinder.com In Japanese, it’s: http://www.sands-edu.com There is another web server we use that hosts our e-mall, and so far all I’ve found there Is this “Goodbye Mr. Mike” page. At least I’m in it, right? http://www.imageup.ne.jp/SS Our school was… Read more »
I was really surprised by the number of people who e-mailed me back with questions about the Japanese fashion stuff, so … I’ve decided to do another Culture Twist update on the fashion here. Keep in mind, these are my viewpoints, and nothing more, but I have been here a full year now with no car, so walking and taking… Read more »
I finally figured out her name. Mika (mee-kah). I was going to name her Mike (mee-keh) for the tri-color pattern (“mikeneko” in Japanese), but I’ve slipped up a few times and called her Mika, which turns out is a Japanese name for women. It means vase/urn in Japanese with that spelling, but it’s a stem in a lot of other neat… Read more »
After fostering many baby kitties, I’ve finally found the one I’m going to keep. Her current name is Sprite, but I think I may name her Bina, as in Columbina from Commedia dell’Arte. Her face looks like a Venetian mask with the diamond patterns. She also reminds me of Rose from “A Rose for Pinkerton.” She’s got the green eyes… Read more »
As you’ve probably seen from my profile, I have a new Yukata. It looks like a kimono, but really isn’t. Kimonos are silk and carry high price tags. I will get one someday, but I need to come down from the $4,000 tag before I can decide on one. What I’m wearing in my pictures is made of cotton, with… Read more »
Last weekend, I went to see The Phantom of the Opera in Tokyo. Naturally, being in Japan, the entire play (songs and all) was done in Japanese. Naturally. Except that I wasn’t ready for that. I thought it would be a U.S. touring show. Silly me. The play was still a killer show. I was a little sad because I… Read more »
So this weekend I finally did it, I hiked Fuji. I’ve got lots of great pictures to show you all, but only 1/2 are digital, so you’ll have to wait a few more days for all the pics, but here are a few tid-bits for those who can’t wait, here are some details and pics: